Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has urged Spain to tighten border controls after tens of thousands of migrants entered the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, saying Madrid must follow Warsaw’s example “if Schengen is to survive.”
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has urged Spain to tighten border controls after tens of thousands of migrants entered the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, saying Madrid must follow Warsaw’s example “if Schengen is to survive.”
There are some estimates we’ll see something like 1.5 billion climate refugees until 2050, but that might be overblown and globally. But still the numbers will explode for Europe until the rest of the century.
Unlike the USA, many EU countries have much higher population density. It would be hard to physically absorb such scales. And there certainly won’t be a political will by the people to accommodate as many as possible. I’d love an effort to build ultra high density metropolis’s for some kind of post scarcity living for millions, but that seems unlikely. And an unwillingness to address this makes the rise of fascist parties in Europe pretty much inevitable.
As long as there is prosperity and a positive outlook for the future, populations are generally quite fine with things, but that is not the case any more. We have something like 6% Muslim population (only a quarter practicing though) and millions of Ukrainian refugees in the EU. For most people this is already too much.
Ultimately climate change means genocide and we haven’t really done shit. These refugees are only the first waves.
There will never be post scarcity. AI will take any available resources. If you want such a structure, you can start building now.
Would you try to influence culture or would you accept whatever raw market mechanisms create?
Well that is the most likely outcome, unless we get extremely lucky.
Because influencing culture requires power and we the 99% don’t have any. Mostly I’m interested in understanding why and what is going to happen. I’m like a /popcornCommunist
Once you understand you do have the power to influence.
Uno reverse card: If you believe that, you don’t understand enough yet.
You need political power, wealth (economic power) or influence (cult and followers) or military power to influence people. And then it becomes a question of power imbalance - billionaires and governments can vastly outspend our organizing efforts and have more powerful tools (= high IQ specialists) at their disposal. They developed strategies and technology to combat democratic organization over the past decades.
It’s a numbers game: 10 motivated, enlightened people empowered with the power of friendship will never beat 1000 professional dumbass soldiers. That is the big liberal lie.
The high IQ specialists understand that their money cannot shield their children and grandchildren from all the negative consequences. Some can be bought but most high IQ people are trapped with us.
Well that is also true. But we’re definitely in a situation where many of the smartest and most intelligent people work for the worst causes because it pays the most and everyone has been indoctrinated to be self serving and individualist. Or they think “I need to play the game to get more power, and then I’ll be able to do some good” lol.
This is also an interesting article why-some-of-the-smartest-people-can-be-so-very-stupid.
In any case the effects of the growing climate refugees is very predictable. Neoliberal “leftist” parties will push for more immigration while calling opposition fascism and there will be growth in actual fascist parties.
It seems whatever happens, the plutocrats win. US starts foreign wars, refugees increase support for right wing. Economy is being gutted for wealth transfers, more people vote right wing. Crime is on the rise because of poor socioeconomics, people vote for harsher prisons and less spending on wellfare and education. But never ever does the mainstream talk about how the influence of plutocrats actually makes it happen, because they are stupid.
Fully agree.
So, what can be done about it?
I don’t know? Live your life. And help worthwhile causes around you as best you can. Every little bit helps, just don’t expect that rationality will prevail. And personally prepare for lean times / economic collapse, buy solar panels, learn to grow potatoes etc.