Book 1, SIMPLE SOLUTIONS for Planet Earth dealt with the present and future of our globe. Book 2, SIMPLE SOLUTIONS for Humanity is about your life and death, and, perhaps, even beyond that. How and where did life originate? Will it be possible to eradicate crime and wars (Chapter 1) and find a cure for aging (Chapter 2)? The ultimate solutions will come from a better educational system (Chapter 3) and maybe even from above, extraterrestrials (Chapter 4) or God (Chapter 5). How truly possible is an afterlife? Just in case this is it, why not live in the best place on Earth (Chapter 6)?
Rather than complicate an already complex set of challenges, I have instead provided SIMPLE SOLUTIONS. How can we stop aging? Are there signals coming from space with clues on how to solve humanity’s problems and attain our dreams? Can religion save itself and steer the way towards universal peace and a sustainable future for our society? What can you do to make the crucial difference?
Dan Boylan, Hawaii columnist for MidWeek, headlined his August 22, 2007, comment with “There are No Simple Solutions.” He said that things are always more complicated than they appear. He is, of course, absolutely right. My SIMPLE SOLUTIONS are part common sense, part sarcasm, and one reasonable, albeit extreme, point as any to begin the analysis.
Book 1 suggested SIMPLE SOLUTIONS to accelerate the development of green (or clean) technology and blue (from the ocean) resources. Certainly, simple solutions are not slam dunk answers, nor will they be easy to accomplish, and, in fact, might be downright impossible to achieve, for, depending on your point of view or belief, they could be inhumane or patently ridiculous. Even the more outrageous offerings, though, provide a platform for discussion so that society can more closely approach optimal solutions to seemingly despairing quandaries. These are the best of what others, mostly, have advocated.
Of course, I’m writing this primarily as an American for Americans. However, there are universal applications to virtually everything recommended. There was a saying some years ago something to the effect that what was good for General Motors was also good for the Nation. That logic failed the test of time, so I’m not saying that what is good for the USA would also be true for the World, but why not initiate the analysis with the most powerful country, ever.
Why am I qualified to write this Book 2? I had credibility in Book 1, for the topics formed the basis of my professional life. Book Two is a bit more nebulous, but, nevertheless, is closely linked to my existence. I like to quote Arthur Schopenhauer, 19th Century German philosopher:
All truth passes through three stages:
---First, it is ridiculed.
---Second, it is violently opposed.
---Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.
Many of the technologies I advocated in Book 1 passed through the first two stages. Most of the concepts I present here in Book 2, though, could well still be in stage 1.
There is a book out, edited by John Brockman, entitled, Dangerous Ideas on the Loose (HarperCollins, 2007). This anthology is a gathering of one hundred essays on the concept, and, while entertaining and provocative, could also be hazardous for the individual authors. As Book 1 was written with a few dangerous ideas, I awaited with some trepidation for the repercussions…but a year later, nothing. Well this Book 2 is, perhaps, an order of magnitude more perilous, and a fellow author, George Carter, mentioned to me that Socrates was tried and executed just for such dangerous ideas, only one being an irreverence of religion, my Chapter 5. Well, this classical Greek philosopher was convicted by a 280 to 220 vote, and, frankly, I would be euphoric if as many read this publication, with 220 siding with me. Under any circumstances, I will find a way to forego the hemlock.
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The Dow Jones Industrials settled 127 points to 8852, while crude oil inched upwards to $71.85/barrel. The European and Japanese stock markets increased in value, while that of the rest of the world generally declined. Is the world economy stabilizing?
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Tropical Storm Omar is still at 60 MPH, but should continue to move north, albeit more east than west, and should someday soon dissipate.
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