Finished re-reading Mining The Sky

The main thing to take away is that if we fail, it won't be because of a lack of resources.  It won't be because of technical impossibilities.

Lewis repeatedly used the term "intelligence test".  Intelligence from who?  Obviously, he was intelligent enough to think of these things himself.  So, there's plenty of intelligence out there.  We won't fail because we aren't smart enough.

But that intelligence may not reach to the ones it needs to reach.  Besides, it isn't necessarily a matter of intelligence that makes one blind.  You can see and thing and still not see it.  Perception is also a matter of training.

As usual, that brings me back to leadership.  In this culture, we choose our own leaders.  At least, in theory we do.  Elections can be rigged.  These can be decisively influenced by those who wish a certain outcome.  In other words, corruption can lead to our downfall.  Corruption can prevent reform, especially if it is badly needed.  In my opinion, any dystopian future will likely have at its root cause the curse of corruption.