World Climate Legionnaires
War seems to be the only endeavor Americans feel good about, presumably because of our “success” in WWII, but in spite of all the subsequent examples. Hence the War on Poverty, the War on Hunger, the War on Cancer, the War on Drugs and the War on Terror—all of which, IMNERHO, fell into the “embarrassing failure” category. Religious beliefs resist mere evidence, and War is an American religion.
Now we have to look forward to a War on Climate Change, and for once the metaphor may be apt: if not faced squarely, climate change will kill us all; and we can only defeat it by cooperation on a level we only relate to as a “War Footing”. Okay, what’s the first thing an entity “at War” needs? An Army! And how does one reliably raise an Army? With a Draft! Imagine a transition to mandatory universal public service—not just for post-teens, but for everyone this time. Whoever you are, whatever your abilities, you either spend one day a week tackling a necessary task for free, or work full time for a soldier’s salary on something you’re good at. Perhaps each of us can pick our task from a list of essential tasks assembled by committees of climate experts. There will be no shortage of political disputes over what goes on the list, so “situation normal...”.
Unfortunately, no government on Earth is yet ready to take this “War” seriously, because no electorate is ready to demand it. So those who agree that immediate action is needed might form a volunteer “militia” analogous to the French Foreign Legion, except with the goal of saving the world rather than killing people who dared resist the might of France. Let’s call them “World Climate Legionnaires”, each of whom commits to devote at least one day per week to whatever they are good at that helps mitigate or reverse global warming. Once commitment exists, organization will become necessary, and out of that need may arise an organizational structure that can later be made official as electorates join the Legion and elect governments to manage and consolidate it.
I’m ready. Who wants to join me?
“War seems to be the only endeavor Americans feel good about”
As an American, I found this statement to be unnecessarily hostile. I know you’re being hyperbolic, but I think the forum would be better if it didn’t have language like this.
Okay, so. I think you’re wrong in your opening premise, because I think you’ve missed a crucial part of the equation. But I think I’ve also been a bit uncharitable.
...Okay, I’ve been a lot uncharitable. A bot can’t tell the difference between a human and a bot, and since I’m more-or-less expecting to be a program in my next life, I should really get in the habit of treating bots as people—especially since ‘bot’ seems to have become my word for ‘foreigner’. You in particular have my *sincere* apologies.
But that’s tangential to my local point, which is that GOP-led America is basically a foreign country run by corrupt aristocrats and kept as far separated from everyone else as can be managed, which thanks to the Internet isn’t very much anymore.
Anyway, I’m a Utah boy who grew up on the Internet and only just realized that everyone else from his generation did too, so I’m happy to provide translation services where I can. I also agree that climate change is a big deal, and suggest that we should build a forum for that issue directly, using Web 4.0 architecture. (To my mind, Web 4.0 looks like all the best bits of Zettelkastens, emotion-based rating systems, DIY webrings, game design, and other bits I haven’t seen yet. Web 4.0 is my next megaproject.)
I’m not a bot. [Of COURSE I would say that, right?]
I’m originally a Florida boy, which is now more shameful than being from Utah. Insofar as I ever did grow up [hopefully not too far], I grew up long before there WAS an Internet; in fact, before more than a handful of people had even imagined “personal computers”. I’m OLD. I’m so old I retired a decade ago! But who cares, right? On the Internet nobody knows you’re a cat.
I read upon Web 4.0 some time ago and forgot what I learned, so it can’t be THAT great. ;-)
Back to what passes for fruitful labor....
I had a friend who went by @Kittygirl once. I hope they (they were plural) are both still alright. Their account has been deactivated on the forum that was my previous home.
Incidentally, I think you might, possibly, be interested in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy work I’ve been making. Right now it’s hypertext fiction, hopefully it [never/always] ends up as hypertime fiction.
It’s called Dungeonthrone, and it’s right here. https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/dungeonthrone.88287/