My 2012 Prophecy...

[Vypyrz]

First off, this is going to be a long post. It is purely my own opinion, so there are no scientific studies, data, or debates to justify it. It is based solely on what I see as I look at the world around me.
Last night my nephew called "just to see how I was doing", since we haven't spoken in a few weeks. He off-handedly commented about the fact that he would be graduating high school in 6 weeks (has it been that long?). I think there may have been an ulterior motive to this phone call, and I suddenly forsee a fast approaching deduction from my bank account. While we were discussing his future plans as far as college, possible careers, etc... He said something that startled me. He said he couldn't wait to get out of high school because he was tired of hearing all of his classmates constantly complaining about the future. I asked him to explain this. He said that most of his classmates have no plans to attend college, embark on careers, or anything, because there is no point since the world is going to end in 2012. They actually plan on staying at home, sponging off their parents, partying, and waiting for the end of the world. Seriously? Could some of you parents and/or teenagers please enlighten me? Is this what Generation Y, Z, or whatever letter we are on now truly believes? Is this an entire generational doomsday cult? At this point I started telling him what my theory on the 2012 deadline is.
I do not believe the world will actually end. I do not believe that an asteroid is going to collide with Earth and I do not believe Armageddon will occur. I do believe, however, that is when we, as the human race, will reach the end of our imagination, and artistic creativity and our technology will both surpass and replace that creativity.
I'll start off with food. We have become so dependant on pre-cooked, pre-packaged, pre-canned, pre-heated, pre-frozen, ready-to-eat, self-serve, self-checkout, express lane, open all night drive-thru junk food, that alot of people can no longer prepare their own meals. The vast majority of people don't know how to grow their own food, let alone trap/snare an animal, kill it, gut it, skin it and prepare it for consumption. Hunting and harvesting is merely a quick trip to the grocery store and 2 minutes in the microwave.Our technology does this for us.
Now, let's look at music. There is only a finite number of musical notes that can be played, therefore, there is only a finite number of combinations that these notes can be arranged in, which means there is no more "truly" new music. Everything played is just a repeat of something played before. Sure, you can speed it up, slow it down, or use technology to change the overall sound, but the song remains the same. Our last great musical creation was what? Techno, which was created in whole or part on computers. Our technology did this for us.
Next comes movies. Am I the only one whose noticed that true original movie ideas are coming fewer and farther between? I mean, with all the people in the movie industry, the best that they can come up with is hi-fi, hi-def, re-hashed, regurgitated, re-casted, remakes of movies, T.V. shows, and comic books that have already been done. Oh, don't forget to add an ample amount of computer generated graphics to make it "new". Our technology does that for us.
Now I will talk about comedy. No new jokes. "Comedians" today do nothing more than criticize, ridicule, and degradize the faults and shortcomings of various individuals, groups, and ethnic populations. Perhaps we should find this sad, yet we laugh. Possibly, by laughing at other peoples faults, we are simply denying our own. What was our last great joke creation? Chuck Norris jokes? Now there is a legacy to leave behind. Anthropologists of the future are going to think Chuck Norris was our God based on the jokes we made about his immortality and omni power. By the way, Chuck Norris played "The Force" in Star Wars. Our technology did not do this for us.
Next, let's talk about the human race in general. The Law of Natural Selection basically states that the strong will survive and the weak, sick, old, and genetically deficient will not. This has held true since the begining of time in nature, yet, due to our technology, we have come to defy this law. Thanks to everything from electricity to climate control to medical practices, we have allowed everyone to survive more and longer, when the reality is, according to nature, they should not have. The result is, we have now so grossly over populated the planet that where we once existed as part of nature, we now have become nothing more than a parasite of it. Politicians and scientist say we can save the planet. We must act now, before we reach the point of no return. I say we have long since passed the point of no return. The Industrial Revolution was the point of no return. For that was when we truly began to rape, pillage, plunder, and pollute the planet without abandon, consequence or recourse. Recycling? Futile at this point based on the shear magnitude of waste that has been, and will continue to be generated. In order to support our ever increasing population, we continue to clear land in order to expand our habitats, while continually driving other species into extinction by destroying theirs. Is there even enough land left to produce enough food for everyone to eat? Barely. We have become so dependant on our own technology that we have actually weakend ourselves as a species. A/C in the summer, heating in the winter, plumbing all around. Me make artificial environments to live in, away from nature, instead of, as part of it. We don't walk. We ride. Why? Because it's easier. We don't climb stairs. We take the elevator. Why? because it's easier. We want our technology to do more of the work so that we can do less. Why? Because it's easier. We have even tried to shortcut our own physical fitness. Running/ walking outside is medievel. I can go to a fully air-conditioned/ heated gym and use a treadmill, eliptical trainer or stationary bike. Why? because it's easier. If I want to sweat, I don't need to work out. I can sit in a sauna. Why? Because it's easier. Bowflex, Total Gym, Thigh Master, Gazelle, Ab Lounge. Got a big gut? Don't do crunches. Electrocute it with a Slendertone. 10 Minute Abs, 6 Minute Abs, 3 Minute Abs, Body by Jake, Billys Boot Camp, Tae Bo, Turbo Jam, Salsa dance that butt away. Dance like a stripper, we'll send you a pole for your coffee table, AHHHHHHHH!!!!! Why? Because it's easier. I'll tell you this. We have become one big, fat, lazy, pasty, pampered morph of our ancestors. We, in our quest for greater technology to make things easier, have even managed to reduce/remove the element of personal contact from our lives. Do we visit and converse with our family and friends? No. We webcam it. Do we attend social functions? No. We'll catch it on YouTube. Do we even take the time to hand write a personal letter? No. Send an e-mail. We have gotten to the point where we hardly even talk to each other on the phone. We text. Why? Because it's easier.
By now, you have got to be thinking "What is the point to this freakishly long novel?"
My point is this. And this is my prophecy for 2012. The human population will finally reach critical mass. There will not be enough natural resources to support the population. The first group of humans will leave Earth in search of a new planet to colonize and start the whole process over again. Perhaps they will forecast a calendar that ends in 5012 and cause the same drama for their descendants. Because we will have reached the limits of our imagination and creativity, we will become completely reliant on our technology for ideas, solutions, and our very survival. Computers win... Checkmate. Our technology did this....


Rob

[blackcrystal22]

I'm 18 and in college and going to go to grad school in 4 years. I'm not an idiot. Even if the world is going to end (which I don't think will happen, I'm pretty scientific in my thinking about things) I better have a plan for my life if it doesn't end. And I'll enjoy it on my way anyway without the partying and still having my best friends to stand by me.

That is such a shame. Waste of human minds to me. That's like telling snake breeders to stop breeding because it will all be gone soon. Not gonna happen.

Also, it's really funny because this 'end of the world' thing has happened before. I don't think we have anything to worry about, and even if we do there isn't anything we can do but live our life to the fullest until it happens.

[Elise.m]

Awesome post I read the entire thing, and it was very well thought out. I too share the same opinions, as far as technology doing everything for us. I fight not using microwaved cooked meals, using the ac and heating, among other things. The only thing I don't fight (and physically can't) is using the AC gym. I have bad knees, and can't run outside due to the high impact on them. I do however try to park as far away from whatever store I'm going in to burn a little extra calories and strengthen my body.

Even though most of your very valid and well thought out points are true, some may not see that and will fight it. Thumbs up to you for posting this!

Edit: And yes, those kids are stupid for believing such hype. But can we really blame them? They've been brought up in a media world, and everything the media says "must be true". Many of these kids are probly watching Fox news, and don't really research what they read or hear. Granted, I'm only 20 so I don't have much room to talk, but at least I'm not planning on mooching of my parents because I believe such media hype.

[ladywhipple02]

Anyone ever read Atlas Shrugged?

[Vypyrz]

Anyone ever read Atlas Shrugged?

No, should I?

[Christina]

I graduated from high school in 2009. I'm currently enrolled in the music ed program at the school of my dreams. The world is going to end in 2012 they say? My college graduation is in the spring of 2013, and I will be there to get my diploma.

[ladywhipple02]

Yep. It's a great book, first of... very, very long book, but great.

The gist is that the great thinkers of the world, great inventors, writers, engineers, leave the world behind (actually, they don't physically leave the world, they just leave their jobs and homes and disappear). They leave the world in the hands of men that can't think for themselves, that get where they are by taking and breaking favors. The world, well... ends, for lack of a better term. Society fails completely. And once the way is clear, and the men of favors (the moochers they call them) have all gone from the world, the men of thought return to rebuild.

It's a WHOLE lot more philosophical than that, and it's based on a whole thought process called Objectivism, but the above is basically what the story's about.

Your theory just made me think of it.

[Vypyrz]

Anyone ever read Atlas Shrugged?

I just checked it out on Wiki. I may have to see if I can squeeze it in between semesters. I remember back in 1982 we had to read the book 1984 by George Orwell and everybody was freaking out about it. The thing is, it pretty much came to fruition... 15 years later.

I saw a bunch of 2012 t-shirts for sale online today. None of them say what I want... "2012 is the new Y2K. Are you compliant?"


Rob

[SDballp]

2012 is different then the past "end of the worlds"

Y2k was never the end of the world.. it was feared because computers to that point only used 96,97,98,99 and they feared when everything reset to 00 systems all around the world would crash and there would be mass chaos.. they fixed all the major cases way ahead of time and obviously nothing happend..

many different cultures all around the world predict 2012 having a significant meaning to us as humans, from what the mayans say "Human life as we know it, will cease to exist." this does not mean earth is going to blow up or all humans will die. but SOMETHING drastic will occur that will change life as we know it..

possible new discovory that changes all science?
nuclear war?
the rapture?
meteor?
solar flares?

regardless of what you want to believe or not, i personally think that something will happen in 2012. im not going to quit my day job over it or anything, but im still thinking everyones life will be affected somehow. might be small, might be big idk

[ColinWeaver]

Anyone ever read Atlas Shrugged?

It's my second favorite book, just after The Fountainhead. I read The Fountainhead 2-3 times/year. Ayn Rand has it pretty much right.