Ben Jao Ming

Postcards for world peace!

As a follow-up to this post featuring predictions by leading scientists from the year 1900, here are my predictions for the year 2107… or around that time:

1. Large parts of the earth have grown unpopulated due to starvation and war. The borders around rich countries have been totally shut.
2. Energy mainly comes from solar power, water and wind. Nuclear energy has been abandoned because it has grown too expensive and dangerous compared to the other technologies
3. Most people in the west speak English as their primary language
4. The old Internet has been replaced by a new technology, which is regulated by governments. The old Internet ceased to exist because of the need for more reliable protocols after it got totally hammered by way too much information flow. IPv6 finally got fully implemented in 2015, but it didn’t do the trick.
5. The U.S. has suffered so much economically that it had to give up being a superior military power. Instead it relies on co-operation with the rest of the rich countries
6. No-one will have gone to Mars since problems with limited resources, climate changes and desperate countries constantly battling out will be way too heavy for the rich countries to out-weigh.
7. A new great leader will arise. Probably he will be the president of the E.U., and he will have visions that bring most parts of the European countries together to battle their common issues
8. Wild life will be limited to special reserves where humans aren’t allowed
9. Fish is very rarely eaten since it is expensive to catch, since most fish are almost extinct
10. South America has finally gotten it’s act together and has become a wealthy part of the world because of its good natural resources and a union very similar to the E.U. People will remember Hugo Chavez as a hero after he got killed by some U.S.-funded assassin, but U.S. interference will not be an issue anymore.
11. Cars are banned in most big cities. Limited resources and a hard energy policy has forced cars out of the market. Chinese cities are among the first to embrace this, but soon after, the rest of the world follows
12. The Middle East and Africa has totally lost and have been shut out of the rest of the world. A brief but hard war has resulted in a very big Islamic state which has taken control of big parts of the poor world. The rest of the world keeps out, but there has been a major breakup, and a new cold war has emerged, where both parts are aware of the great dangers.
13. Free movement by plane has become very expensive, and the advancements in communication has removed the needs for flying.
14. GMO has become legalized, but it has ruined much of the eco-system. The eco-system in general is very monotone.

My general theory is that resources (not just oil, but also many metals) have become limited and some very violent but brief wars have changed the structure of the planet so that only a few big unions are in control. Climate changes have also made sure that the food reserves are very limited, and democracy has gotten really fake, but is still used as the main excuse for doing most things.

From Monument To Masses

My favorite band currently. It’s feels both like experimental art rock, but the song structures are both creative and catchy like a mix between Explosions In The Sky and Redneck Manifesto. More mp3s are at their website and epitonic.

Mirah

Reminds me a bit about The Blow. Songwriting is very good and catchy. I really like the new album.

Antelope

A very typical Dischord band, but also a bit more nerdy than aggressive. Also there isn’t enough of their kind just yet. It’s alot like Q And Not U.

Final Fantasy

The guy who plays strings in Arcade Fire has a folk band, which you really have to hear to judge. You’ll like it.

Danish arty-farty movie company Zentropa has made a movie called AFR. It features Anders Fogh Rasmussen having a love affair with a fictional character. He discovers the wonders of being gay and giving away money to Africa. Then unfortunately he gets murdered under mysterious circumstances.

Watch the trailer

Anyways, this movie has spawned some rather stupid reactions. So I guess it was worth the making. First in line to make a press comment: Pia K, who said she felt “abused” by the movie. Pia K, you weren’t abused. You’re just too stupid to get it. Other politicians from “both wings” of Danish politics have been out criticizing the movie. Nobody apparently gets it: All of you politicians appear like blond sluts in the media, vulnerable to such mocking attacks. Whether or not it’s your fault or the media, the broader perspective is, that this is just one big circus and we (the people) need serious political substance very badly…