Mankind is almost certainly a doomed species. Each year we witness more and more extinctions as we struggle to exist. We invest time and energy into weapons designed to kill competitors and of course each other, and however hideous and catastrophic a weapon might be, sooner or later it will be used. There are too many people in the world and the numbers are expanding almost exponentially, whilst resources are dwindling. Ingenious scientists and technologists are no longer keeping up with the increasing demands and this cannot go on indefinitely.
Yesterday, a large, and visible asteroid came within the Earth's gravitational influence but thankfully passed us by. There are plenty more where that came from, some of them very small but others significantly large and sooner or later there will be a direct strike. They have happened many times before despite the ability of Jupiter to protect us from most of them, and we will always be vulnerable. Despite Hollywood's optimistic view of our ability to deal with them, visitors for outer space pose a continued threat.
There is much talk about the planet being under threat from our activities. Global warming, deforestation, pollution, you name it are seen as a threat to the planet, and yet it is us that is threatened not the planet. Our presence on the earth will be transitory and largely unnoticeable, apart from a thin layer of non biodegradable plastics. The Earth will change because that is what it does. We are only here because it evolved conditions that favoured life on earth, and eventually what we imagine is the pinnacle of evolution.
Ebola, a particularly nasty disease, has broken out of Africa and cases are now being seen all over the world. Complacency tells us that we are safe in the west because our sanitation and health services are so much better. AS more and more people become infected, there is a greater chance that the virus will evolve and possibly become more infectious. Ebola is just one disease that is threatening us and with approaching winter, Influenza will be striking again and there is always the possibility of a new mutant strain that is far more lethal than usual.
If that were not enough, we are in danger of exterminating each other by warfare. In this centenary year of remembrance of the first world war, we are again approaching a major conflict that looks as if it may run out of control. How absurd it is that in an age of reason, that religion should be at the heart of it. The Islamic world, by definition, has not reached a state of reason, and still lives by rules set down in mediaeval times. That culture clashes totally with that of the west, and also with variants of their own religion. The middle east, was of course the source of most modern religions, all of which have common ground but also huge differences. One thing that they all had in common was a message of peace and yet the cesspit of the middle east has been a source of conflict, bloodshed and inhumanity throughout recorded history. While western cultures, by and large, have grown up, the world of Islam remains trapped in a system that wants the west to change by stepping backwards, and is unwilling to move forwards.
We have cities and urban areas in this country that are predominantly populated by Asian communities, most of which are followers of Islam. Overall it seems that their religion comes first, then their culture and then the culture and laws of their adopted country. Mosques are seen as centres for radicalisation, and British Muslims are daily travelling to the middle east to fight for whatever cause they see as important. The EDL, BNP and UKIP, are growing rapidly, the Tory party not seen as right wing enough for some. and their attitude towards all foreigners cannot be described as friendly. As Muslim profiles get enhanced by the actions of their own extremists, more and more people, particularly in areas being taken over by Islamic culture, will join these groups, creating the tinder, that one day will be ignited. The rising tide of Islam in the west is the biggest threat that we face, and yet it is viewed with complacency by governments and people alike.
Yesterday, a large, and visible asteroid came within the Earth's gravitational influence but thankfully passed us by. There are plenty more where that came from, some of them very small but others significantly large and sooner or later there will be a direct strike. They have happened many times before despite the ability of Jupiter to protect us from most of them, and we will always be vulnerable. Despite Hollywood's optimistic view of our ability to deal with them, visitors for outer space pose a continued threat.
There is much talk about the planet being under threat from our activities. Global warming, deforestation, pollution, you name it are seen as a threat to the planet, and yet it is us that is threatened not the planet. Our presence on the earth will be transitory and largely unnoticeable, apart from a thin layer of non biodegradable plastics. The Earth will change because that is what it does. We are only here because it evolved conditions that favoured life on earth, and eventually what we imagine is the pinnacle of evolution.
Ebola, a particularly nasty disease, has broken out of Africa and cases are now being seen all over the world. Complacency tells us that we are safe in the west because our sanitation and health services are so much better. AS more and more people become infected, there is a greater chance that the virus will evolve and possibly become more infectious. Ebola is just one disease that is threatening us and with approaching winter, Influenza will be striking again and there is always the possibility of a new mutant strain that is far more lethal than usual.
If that were not enough, we are in danger of exterminating each other by warfare. In this centenary year of remembrance of the first world war, we are again approaching a major conflict that looks as if it may run out of control. How absurd it is that in an age of reason, that religion should be at the heart of it. The Islamic world, by definition, has not reached a state of reason, and still lives by rules set down in mediaeval times. That culture clashes totally with that of the west, and also with variants of their own religion. The middle east, was of course the source of most modern religions, all of which have common ground but also huge differences. One thing that they all had in common was a message of peace and yet the cesspit of the middle east has been a source of conflict, bloodshed and inhumanity throughout recorded history. While western cultures, by and large, have grown up, the world of Islam remains trapped in a system that wants the west to change by stepping backwards, and is unwilling to move forwards.
We have cities and urban areas in this country that are predominantly populated by Asian communities, most of which are followers of Islam. Overall it seems that their religion comes first, then their culture and then the culture and laws of their adopted country. Mosques are seen as centres for radicalisation, and British Muslims are daily travelling to the middle east to fight for whatever cause they see as important. The EDL, BNP and UKIP, are growing rapidly, the Tory party not seen as right wing enough for some. and their attitude towards all foreigners cannot be described as friendly. As Muslim profiles get enhanced by the actions of their own extremists, more and more people, particularly in areas being taken over by Islamic culture, will join these groups, creating the tinder, that one day will be ignited. The rising tide of Islam in the west is the biggest threat that we face, and yet it is viewed with complacency by governments and people alike.
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