The Laughing Wolf

Lost

Something has been bugging me for a couple of days now, in no small measure because it is a way of thinking that baffles me. Recently, in the midst of an otherwise intelligent and enjoyable conversation between members of a group, the statement was made:

"[why go to the stars] We'll just ***k it up there too." Pretty close on the quote, and I think what floored me the most was it came from someone I respect intellectually. In short, this person, and all others taking part (with the exception of myself) feel that humanity is irredeemably and irretrievably lost. That we have "f**ked up" so much and so bad that there is absolutely no hope for us as individuals or as a species. That nothing we do can every be good or right.

If you really and truly believe that, why are you alive? What purpose does your life serve?

Yes, caca occureth. There are wars and people die. There are accidents and people die. Species go extinct. Weather changes affect the world. Bad things happen to good people. Bad things happen to good animals, and even to plants we like.

How incredibly egotistical to think that we, humanity, are responsible for everything bad in the world.

Species went extinct long before mankind arrived on the scene. Yes, we did kill off some out of ignorance and in some cases fear. Yet, we learned from those mistakes and have saved not only species we threatened, but species that nature would have eliminated without our intervention. Research is underway to see if we can restore some of those species that are already gone.

Yes, there are wars, but not all wars are bad. It is not wrong to fight when threatened, and it is not wrong to fight to protect others. Yes, we are at war but it is not one we chose or started, others did that for us. Amidst the gloom and doom, take a look at where freedom blooms: Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Ukraine, and more.

Yes, there are accidents and bad things happen. There is no such thing as absolute safety, for life is a risk and the only guarantee is that you will eventually die. Reasonable safety has saved and continues to save thousands of lives (and limbs) each year. As technologies improve and as we learn how to do many things better, safety will continue to improve.

Yes, companies do some bad things. Yet, individuals discover what is going on and blow the whistle, so that justice may be served. In a free society you can't prevent such from happening, but you can make sure that such is dealt with in a just and impartial way.

Yes, new drugs and medical treatments are expensive, but look at the hurdles to get them on the market. The average cost for FDA approval is around $800 million, and that is if you make no changes and don't have to start over. Also, almost all treatments are expensive at the start, but look at the cost as a function of time and you will see the cost almost always drop -- and significantly. Look at it again in a historical context, and you might just see that the cost drop has accelerated.

Yes, weather patterns change. They have from time immemorial and will do so until the day the Sol expands to make Earth a cinder. Are we effecting the weather? Yes. How are we doing so? That is a huge question and one to which no one has the answer. Yet.

So, there is no hope for any of us, for we have and will "just f**K it up"

You know what, if that is the way you truly feel, then please just go ahead and curl up and get out of the way. Go into the darkness and have the courage and honesty not to demand that everyone else join you there to die.

As for me, I see the light. I see freedom breaking out around the world. I see people realizing that things can be better everywhere, and taking incredible risks to make it happen. I see scientists and engineers working together to treat diseases that until just a few years ago were guaranteed death sentences. I see good people working together to get those treatments to the people that need them, regardless of wealth, station, or other considerations. I see people working to reintroduce species, to save others threatened by Man or by Nature, and to educate on the importance and benefits of same. I see people doing research to find out exactly what is going on in this big, complex world so that decisions can be made on the basis of fact, not on fear, superstition, or politics. I see many of the best of those using open-source data and analysis, and not trying frantically to hide how they do their research so as to prevent reasonable refutation or verification.

I could go on and on about all that is good in the world, and all the good work done by Man. Caca occureth. Just because one bad thing happened doesn't mean that good things can't, nor does it mean that something good can't come from the bad. People make mistakes or just flat out do bad things -- it does not mean that they can't also learn from the experience and/or do good things as well. If you just sit and kvetch about the bad, roll and revel in it, then nothing good will happen. At least, that is, by your actions.

For those that see a problem, and work to eliminate it, nothing is impossible. If the standard is dropped, another will pick it up and carry it forward. Light will eliminate the dark.

I choose to work for and with those who are making a positive difference, who stand for freedom and individual liberty. If I stumble, no matter how badly, then I know that there are those who will help me get back up. If I die, then I know that another will take the standard on. We will fix mistakes, and work to improve.

What will you do: work for the light, or demand that all join you in the dark. Choose wisely. Choose now.

LW