The Grand Equalizer

[Srkkl]

So today I was thinking about species and their stages of existance and that started me thinking about the human species. We've no doubt reached the stage of overpopulation and the stage after that as most people know is equilibrium, an event that basically kills a lot of one species or enough to bring them back into "harmony" with the enviroment it inhabits.

My question to you is what do you think the event will be and why, a natural one like a giant storm or world-wide plauge or just somthing brought on by ourselves i.e. nuclear holocaust ect. In my personal oppinion I think it's going to be natural like a grand storm or climate change mainly because that is how most species reach equilibrium.

 

[ShadowKatt]

I'm guessing that soon after the world falls into a single world government, the corruption will reach an all time high. Once that happens, all the money, food, water, and all other resources will be reserved for the rich, and those who cannot afford to live will starve. There will be a poltically corrent front put up, and they'll do charity things like food drives, but in the end they will let people die off and "Thus decrease the surplus population", to quote Dickens.

 

[Srkkl]

I'm guessing that soon after the world falls into a single world government, the corruption will reach an all time high. Once that happens, all the money, food, water, and all other resources will be reserved for the rich, and those who cannot afford to live will starve. There will be a poltically corrent front put up, and they'll do charity things like food drives, but in the end they will let people die off and "Thus decrease the surplus population", to quote Dickens.

Very elaborate, I like.

 

[Solytus]

Personally, I don't quite believe in a catastrophe occurring for the sake of an equilibrium, but if I had to attribute it to something, I'd stick it to some sort of nuclear accident, given how many nukes are floating around nowadays.

 

[Souplex]

I will probably get bored one day and just start destroying the places I don't like. I would stay out of France, New Jersey and California if I were you.

 

[MasterSqueak]

I'm guessing that soon after the world falls into a single world government, the corruption will reach an all time high. Once that happens, all the money, food, water, and all other resources will be reserved for the rich, and those who cannot afford to live will starve. There will be a poltically corrent front put up, and they'll do charity things like food drives, but in the end they will let people die off and "Thus decrease the surplus population", to quote Dickens.

And then Doctor Freeman shows up...

 

[AmrasCalmacil]

If there's an outbreak then Ebola. I don't want to elaborate, it's rather disgusting, needless to say the apocalypse shall be messy if that's the case.

 

[grimsprice]

probably going to be massive wars fought over all kinds of shit. humans are naturally war like. if we don't have something to struggle over we make shit up.

 

[RobotNinja]

Humans are too violent and chaotic to be put into a single world government. Humanity will never unite on its own.

 

[The Blue Mongoose]

I reckon, quite simply, eventually all services will be privatised. Governments, impotent by this stage, will just watch as the price of basic essentials rise beyond the reach of all but a select few in the community. Then we end up with slums in every city, people living in filth, crime and corruption rampant. EDIT: Oh yeah, thought it went without sdaying but just in case: this would lead to shorter life spans, more muder etc, so less peoples.

Basically human greed.

 

[BolognaBaloney]

Well seeing as I don't believe were overpopulated, I don't buy into this at all. We've plenty of land and resources....so, I really don't think we've reached that point yet.

 

[Ajna]

If there's an outbreak then Ebola. I don't want to elaborate, it's rather disgusting, needless to say the apocalypse shall be messy if that's the case.

Something akin to this.

The fact that no one on the planet would date, nevermind "breed" with someone that they suspected had a genetic difference to them makes human evolution a slower process than most, not aided by the large size of the population we're "starting" from, making genetic diversity very low among humans. I'd say if one variant of a disease got the mixture just right, we'd all be susceptible. Think the game "Pandemic: 2". And none of us live in Madagascar.

 

[Pandalisk]

Chuck Norris will do what he was born to do, he is the tool to be used to Balance the world once more, that or the Wraith will Cull us.

Chuck or Wraith?

 

[Srkkl]

Well seeing as I don't believe were overpopulated, I don't buy into this at all. We've plenty of land and resources....so, I really don't think we've reached that point yet.

Well we're not overpopulated enough for it to be a big problem yet and I also agree that we have enough resources to not put on the siren anytime in the near/mid future, but I do think we are getting there at a fast enough rate to discuss it.

 

[Neonbob]

Think the game "Pandemic: 2". And none of us live in Madagascar.

Gah. I suck at that game...that place always lives, too.

That's why I'm saying nukes.
Well, that and my affinity for them.
^_^

 

[BolognaBaloney]

Well seeing as I don't believe were overpopulated, I don't buy into this at all. We've plenty of land and resources....so, I really don't think we've reached that point yet.

Well we're not overpopulated enough for it to be a big problem yet and I also agree that we have enough resources to not put on the siren anytime in the near/mid future, but I do think we are getting there at a fast enough rate to discuss it.

Well in terms of discussion, it's a very interesting topic, I personally believe the age of humanitarianism would see an abrupt halt, giving way to the rich, powerful and greedy taking any and all resources.

 

[BolognaBaloney]

Chuck Norris will do what he was born to do, he is the tool to be used to Balance the world once more, that or the Wraith will Cull us.

Chuck or Wraith?

Wraith, he can't roundhouse kick.

 

[AmrasCalmacil]

If there's an outbreak then Ebola. I don't want to elaborate, it's rather disgusting, needless to say the apocalypse shall be messy if that's the case.

Something akin to this.

The fact that no one on the planet would date, nevermind "breed" with someone that they suspected had a genetic difference to them makes human evolution a slower process than most, not aided by the large size of the population we're "starting" from, making genetic diversity very low among humans. I'd say if one variant of a disease got the mixture just right, we'd all be susceptible. Think the game "Pandemic: 2". And none of us live in Madagascar.

Not to mention that Ebola isn't the kind of disese that plans on finishing you off cleanly, think of the Boomer but with highly infective blood.

 

[BonsaiK]

So today I was thinking about species and their stages of existance and that started me thinking about the human species. We've no doubt reached the stage of overpopulation and the stage after that as most people know is equilibrium, an event that basically kills a lot of one species or enough to bring them back into "harmony" with the enviroment it inhabits.

Okay, hold your horses right there.

The world population has been starting to level off. Global predictions for a flatlining at 18 billion people have now been revised and at current rates we'll see a levelling out at approximately 9 billion people. The UN now thinks maybe even that estimate's a little high. Birthrates are dropping all over the place and some countries' populations are in fact now going backward. This is in the absence of any war in these countries. Contrary to popular belief, war does almost nothing to control population growth. The ONLY overriding factor in population control is birthrate, and these are decreasing globally.

The reason why we have starvation currently is not because of lack of food but for political reasons. There's plenty of food, globally, and if there's ever a shortfall in one area it's easy enough to get food brought in from elsewhere. Why doesn't this always happen? Politics. Often "starving" people are being starved, as was the case in Ethiopia, which is why Live Aid did almost nothing - all the donated food just sat in the ports and rotted because the government didn't want the starving millions to get it.

The planet CAN support well over 9 billion people with little difficulty, as long as they live in an ecologically sustainable manner. On the other hand, the planet can't support 9 billion people who all over-consume like rich Americans. So the real issue is not "what is the event going to be that changes things" but "how are WE going to change our OWN lives right now".

I know that sounds a lot more boring than some super-virus or catfish with guns, sorry. Reality is often really boring and ordinary like that.

 

[Ajna]

Think the game "Pandemic: 2". And none of us live in Madagascar.

Gah. I suck at that game...that place always lives, too.

That's why I'm saying nukes.
Well, that and my affinity for them.
^_^

You don't suck at that game if you can't infect Madagascar. At one point I got my virus to zero visibility while Madagascar's ports were still open, and my virus was immune to vaccines, then left the desk for an hour to eat lunch.

Guess who was still clean when I came back?

If there's an outbreak then Ebola. I don't want to elaborate, it's rather disgusting, needless to say the apocalypse shall be messy if that's the case.

Something akin to this.

The fact that no one on the planet would date, nevermind "breed" with someone that they suspected had a genetic difference to them makes human evolution a slower process than most, not aided by the large size of the population we're "starting" from, making genetic diversity very low among humans. I'd say if one variant of a disease got the mixture just right, we'd all be susceptible. Think the game "Pandemic: 2". And none of us live in Madagascar.

Not to mention that Ebola isn't the kind of disese that plans on finishing you off cleanly, think of the Boomer but with highly infective blood.

Ebola competes with "being captured by a copycat killer who just watched the "Saw" series" on my list of "ways I don't want to die".

Hell, fuck it. Ebola wins by far. Least the copycat dude will let me out, albeit a limb or four short, and blind. Sounds tame compared to Ebola.