And make no mistake. We could start doing it within one century if we weren't burdened with an absolutely obsolete economic system. And in fact we must do it within that time period if we're to avoid making the mistake I think many emerging new sentient species make in trying to pivot from their primitive beginnings, as a result of evolution, to a new path of expansion to the stars: namely that they cannot get past the old economics of scarcity that becomes a heavy burden of social, and institutional, inertia left in place in their rise from tribal ignorance and fear based modes of understanding the world around them.
This is where we are now and we are faced with the need to change not only very rapidly, but also so profoundly, so as to counter these great forces that would resist taking a new direction; which certainly takes time because so much new infrastructure is needed to make this tremendous new step; infrastructure that has very significant lead times to put into place. A daunting task to be sure even in the best of times, but one that cannot be shirked simply because of the difficulty.
I'd like to think that the biggest impediment to seeing this as something we could accomplish within the next hundred years is in fact Capitalism itself, along with all of the inherent assumptions it brings along with it as to what is, or is not possible, and why. And if you were also able to put into place a new way of doing things that would expand our possibilities, in ways limited only by our imaginations, you would be well on your way already. But that is the first, big step, we seem so reluctant to make. A step that could be overcome simply by realizing that we have no other viable choice at all. Again, not if survival of our species is priority. And it all comes down to individual choices made by people like you dear reader. Will you just continue to wring your hands, complain, but do nothing? I certainly hope not.
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