a thought

[solarbird]

What if all this, in part, is a dry-run for climate refugees?

Comments

[andros_b]

I'm afraid that you're not thinking dark enough. Possibly, but much worse.

Meh.

[solarbird]

That's what I call a lay-down-and-die prophecy.

I call it that because if it's right, if things work like that, there's nothing to do be done. Just go ahead, lay down, and die. I mean, may as well, right? Nothing you, or your friends, can do, will change it, and you're gonna die anyway, so why bother?

Accordingly, no matter how accurate it may and may not be in its particulars, it's effing useless. Even if it's completely correct, it's still useless. You may as well go with literally any other speculation about what's coming, because even if it's completely wrong, and this is completely right, there's nothing you can do anyway, so acting on the less Dooooooomy version won't make anything worse, and if the less Dooooooomy version is right, in part, hey - maybe you can do something, after all.

(Stross's analysis is also an If This Goes On, in which SF likes to swim, and I've got a lot of bones to pick with it, but that's irrelevant. It's the type that matters, not the specifics.)

So I'll focus elsewhere. If I'm deluding myself - and frankly my track record is fucking amazing, so I think I'm probably not - then so be it. I've done no harm.

But if he's wrong, then...

...well. That's an entirely different story, isn't it?

Re: Meh.

[andros_b]

My apologies for offending. I confess I've had a pretty nihilistic outlook of late.

Re: Meh.

[solarbird]

I'm not offended, jeez. I'm just saying - people can make these kinds of predictions all day, but there's no functional point to it. Personally, I find that useful, for day to say, oh... sanity. ^_^

Re: Meh.

[shadesofmauve]

THANK YOU for putting that so clearly.

It doesn't really matter if such a projection is right or not; it's not helpful... and because it's actively unhelpful, it increases it's own chances of being right, by demotivating people.