1987 Time Capsule Predictions ( for 2012 )

writersofthefuture via Free Republic

Comment:

A little discouraging to see so many writers think that we'd be on the Moon and Mars by now.

What about the next 25 years?

It could well be the case that humanity won't be any closer to that, or anything else dreamed of, such as world peace.  China might get to the Moon, though.  They seem to pushing in that direction.

There are plenty of things that could happen that would end that opportunity.  Particularly for those of us who live in the West.  The West could be on the way out in the next 25 years.  Nothing seems to be checking that trend.

The US will cease to be a free country.  The West will be defenseless without the US.

If the West crumbles, China may lose interest in space.  It is possible that they will duplicate the feat of Apollo and land on the Moon, but it will take more than just national pride to go further.  A bit of triumphalism after the fall of the West may not be enjoyed for long.

If space colonization doesn't take place after all, we might share the fate of the dinosaurs.  It's only a matter of time before some large extinction event occurs on this planet.  It has happened before.  It is only a matter of time.

Some of the writers seemed to be concerned about overpopulation.  It hasn't been as bad as thought.  Nature has a way of taking care of that.  One extinction event could deal with that problem in a hurry.

Some of the writers seemed concerned about AIDS.  Not so much anymore.

The concerns of the moment seem to come and go.  Fear of nuclear war has faded, but may come back as more countries go nuclear.  Israel's Iron Dome may become the norm rather than the exception.  Terrorists may attempt to sneak a nuclear device into a country.  They may even succeed in detonating one.  If that happens, international trade could suffer terribly.  The global system that depends upon trade may ultimately be destroyed this way.

Too many people extrapolate from the past into the future.  The last 200 years has been an anomaly.  Progress is the exception, not the rule.

Humanity's future may not be in the stars.  Our faults are not in the stars either, for they lie within us.  That may turn out to be the main reason that we still haven't gotten there, and why it seems that we will never get there.