But why do we never learn the important lesson from this phenomenon? Why can't we learn to apply the brakes when we can still stop the car well before we crash? None of the people who have said something about this subject on this thread are particular geniuses. So if they can see the impending doom, then why can't humanity as a whole do something about it? Or are we just rabbits mesmerized by the headlights of an oncoming car?
Human nature. Even the people you refer to only do so half heartedly. They recognise the problem but wait for someone else to sort out the problem - for we all have more pressing concerns this minute. And in the meantime we all party on (with possible spannering around the edges of it like taking our beer cans to the recycling dump or turning off the tap whilst we brush our teeth)
We look to politicians and the like but they are no different than us. They recognise the problem but they too have more pressing concerns. It all combines to prevent the level of action necessary to reverse things from occurring (were it indeed possible which I think it is not)
The greatest ever coming together of humanity for a common purpose was the defeat of Nazi Germany. It took imminent and potential destruction of a way of life to generate this incredible unity of action. Until the last moment however "Peace in our time" (iow: don't stop the party). Ironically, this unified action was directed at protecting that which threatens to destroy us now. Our freedom to largely do as we please with miminmal interferance.
There is no precedent for humanity coming together to dismantle its own, inherent selfishness. And our financial system, Capitalism, is the tool we use to maintain that selfishenss. All empires fail and the empire of capitalism will too - one day. This empire, like all empires must perpetually grow to survive but like winding out a steel cable over the edge of a cliff - eventually the very weight of the wound out cable itself will cause it to snap.
History tries to tell us that it will repeat itself. And the repeated lesson from history is that we do not learn from history
Edited by iano, : No reason given.