Secrets and Hope in Our Mad World

Early in 2017 I read George Marshall’s book ‘Don’t Even Think About It: Why We are Wired Not to Think About Climate Change’ and I decided I would think about it. And I would read about it. Then I would write about it.

I write as a 'non-expert' and I'm hoping that your comments will help me to see whether the insights I've

gained make sense, whether the conclusions stack up and whether it's realistic for me to start feeling

hopeful about the future .

1st April - Technological Achievement



I'm going to stay with looking at how societies have developed to meet the needs of industrial capitalism for growth.  
If there's one thing which amazes me daily it's Mankind's creativity, enterprise and ingenuity. In lots of ways the human animal is just very clever.  (Too clever for our own good I reckon!)
If there was one thing which brought us from the cotton mills of the north of England more than 200 years ago to silicon valley in the US in 2013 it is technological creativity.  
For capitalism to spread worldwide it was necessary to overcome time and distance by speeding up the flow of information and goods and the movement of people and that relied on the incredible complexity and sheer brilliance of truly space-age technology.  If international money leaves me perplexed, then modern technology in all its forms leaves me reeling in its sheer brilliance!!! (surely deserves three exclamation marks)   Just how do they manoeuvre a space module on to the Moon's surface so that men can walk there and return home unharmed?  Just how does a voice-recognition device translate my speech into words on the screen of my pc?  Just how does choemotherapy kill cancer cells?  And IVF give childless couples a baby ... and blind people can play tennis .. the list is endless and truly amazing
Now I've got that off my chest, let's get back to the point:       Technological advances have played an essential role in speeding up the growth of industrial capitalism across the globe and moving it into a new era of profit-making.  
The technological achievements of the 20th and early 21st Centuries have led to commodities being bought and sold at the press of a computer key  -  capital moving across national boundaries instantaneously – goods being transported by air or in refrigerated container ships -  workers moving across the world to meet the need for labour.  On top of all that, technology has used oil to produce plastic which is at the heart of the great consumer boom.  
The speed and ingenuity of this growth is truly mind-blowing so I need to take a rest ...
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