LP’s first post for the year led off with a selected list of predictions from Open Democracy writers for 2007, many of them, well, rather depressing. To counter the doom and gloom international (and perhaps domestic) politics often leaves us feeling, I’m happy to note that The Edge has come up with sixteen pages of reasons from optimism, mainly from scientists.
Some might be a tad difficult to get excited about for many of us:
Adaptive fuzzy rule-based systems allowed experts to state rules in words while the fuzzy system itself remained numeric. Data could in principle overcome modeler bias by adapting the rule structure in new directions as the data poured in.
Certain well known generationalists might comfort themselves that:
The Baby Boomers Will Soon Retire
But actually I suppose sarcasm and optimism don’t mix (or do they?) – there’s a lot of interesting reading there.
I once wrote a post about how I was optimistic about my life but pessimistic about politics. I haven’t reflected on that recently, but I suspect it hasn’t changed. But I’d be interested to read what’s making people feel good about themselves and their worlds in 2007…
Oh, I can explain “adaptive fuzzy rule-based systems” for you: they are routinely used as control systems in the jet packs you and I use in our daily commute. They’ll also figure in the upcoming Singularity that Ray Kurzweil is promising – or was that the Rapture?
“adaptive fuzzy rule-based systems�
These days, generally found in practical use for blog commenting policies.
I’m optimistic about the heightened awareness about environment and energy and hopeful about our abilities to effect change.
As we transition out of the fossil fuel age, due to peak and climate, we’re now seeing some serious cash moving into alternatives with several countries around the world taking measures toward change.
Bicycles are becoming huge, with many people actually stating specifically that they wish to use them for transport and to reduce their personal impact on the environment, that signals a more personal awareness, which of course is where our bright green future begins.
I’m not about to run for the hills, unlike some folks I’ve recently become aware of, and I know the majority aren’t either, folks will work hard to change given the right motivations.
Bring on the future!
Shouldn’t that read:
The Baby Boomers Will Soon Retire Undefeated
And Costello’s superannuation changes mean that boomers post-60 will continue to make virtually tax-free income for as long as they want to continue to work.
For the Baby Boomers, there is no down-side.
Mark:
I’m similarly pessemistic about politics and reasonably optimistic about my personal life.
The Commonwealth of Australia, based on traditional rights, duties and protections, a nation which had a reputation for innovation and quiet excellence, is almost dead. It has been replaced by a semi-colonial kleptocracy where the rampant abuse and misuse of official power is now so commonplace that it is regarded as normal; where justice now depends on money, connections and chance; where productive work is now replaced by looking busy; where controlling the populace by dumbing down is now more important than education and thinking for oneself. Despite the barrage of wonderful propaganda about our supposed prosperity, I can’t see how inflation – perhaps hyperinflation – can be avoided.
Even though old age and decrepitude are gradually creeping up on me and though living in poverty, I am optimistic about my personal life in 2007 (provided I am not “disappeared” for my political views).
This is on topic, I swear. The BBC reports that French marchers in Nantes have said ‘non’ to 2007:
I’m with them. Support the Resistance!
I think there are reasons to be optimistic about how the political winds are blowing. Morgan Stanley’s strategist Stephen Roach, in his latest web column, points to a leftward shift in politics:
I’m optimistic that I will get a reasonable TER by the end of this year.
Well, I guess what with all the attention Bono’s been getting, he felt that he had to do something. And I suppose he had a lot of spare time, seeming as the band’s been recording the same song for about 10 years now.
I’ll mention that to him next time I meet with him, the amazing kim
ChristineKeeler:
Viva les citoyens de Nantes! (or something like that). Now Australians are a pretty inventive lot ….. so let’s set an example to the world by bypassing 2007 altogether and going straight to 2008; that should give us roughly 51 weeks of “Now” to enjoy in our usual inimitable manner.
I’m very optimistic about 2007 – I just feel the opportunities will come along and I’ll grab them!
Why be pessimistic about politics?
I lost the luxury of pessimism after the birth of my children.
Everyone:
Now that the SBS ads folly has made me reduce my television watching to an absolute minimum, 2007 for me will be a long-overdue return to the delights of reading interesting books for my own pleasure and and to painting …. for me anyway, 2007 looks like being a good year.
2006 was a tough year, and merely by assuming that 2007 won’t be so gruelling is grounds for optimism.
Sarcasm is the scaly crust around the delicate flesh of optimism. They may not mix but they are co-dependent.
ah! optimism- i dated her when we both were much younger. good looking dolly, and cheerful, oh my! but not reliable.
still, hanging out with her got me through the mutually assured destruction days, and well into the war on drugs. we parted when i found myself noticing cracks in her makeup- all that defending of democracy in the caribbean was having an effect.
after we parted, i came to realize that being with opty, as i called her, was just a drug, and i was glad to be a clear-eyed responsible adult. the problem with that is, you can see real problems but can’t fix them. after i while, i wished i could hang out with optimism again, eyes wide closed.
now i recommend staying drunk or drugged. it’s better than pretending to be a member of a democratic community which in fact is nothing but a baboon troop- and that’s just the political groupies. the real masters are better characterized as hyenas.