What we need now is more of the rule of Law, freedom, socially and economically and the rule of law again.
What we don't need is a government, even global,. that bases it's existence in any kind of collectivism,..Because it is shit,.. It has been proven historically beyond any shadow of the doubt,..(must have been drunk on my other post),..
And it is not what we need it is what individuals need,is a free society with the rule of law. it works. Everything else is bound to fail and fail hard,..
The whole point is on the legitimacy principle.Right now China is the biggest industrial power on earth and thus they emit the biggest amount of CO2 to the atmosphere.If they keep emiting CO2 at this pace the consecuences will be global.Is it fair for such a decisssion, that affects third parties, to be in the hands of the chinese government alone? Is this legimitimate?Some issues are global,and we all have a say on them.Through a global government OR simply through international agreements
@Homelandz Wrong, the US emits the most Co2, nearly double that of China. But at the rate they`re going they will probably surpass America in 20 years.
@Chindro2828 Ok, but my point was that you dont have legitimacy if your decisions affect third parties. It doesnt matter who pollutes more, the point is: Does they have the right to pollute at all?
the difference is, when the articles of confederation were failing, one could at least have hope of leaving to another land. how can i escape the world government?
give me liberty or give me death.
the only way this would work is if we quickly expand to the moon and mars, then we can have 3 governments :).... earth government would be logical at that point.
@KingKahnTV a fair government is like a flying elephant. i have yet to see one.
it doesn't bother me, though, so long as i have options to leave for another country. but there is no escaping a world government. who would ensure that it's at least moderately fair? politicians? i don't think it would happen
@amn3h23h2 media is always a tool of a good democracy, as is education, with an unbias media and an educated population we would be able to monitor government, another recent development is the speed of communications, eg the uprising in the middle east have been fuelled by a new generation who is able to communicate amongst themselves and access free information. I think if we establish these systems then government shouldnt be a problem, but i will admit you're right in saying it is very hard
But now seriously, I get your point but there are certain things you can't escape, in fact the majority of things you can't escape and even if you can then there are only limited alternatives, better make the best of what you have.
@595o again, i can't escape all governments, but that doesn't mean we should make one very oppressive government that cannot be escaped by anyone ever. of the limited alternatives, i choose many different governments so that i at least have some hope. otherwise, i'll just have to become an anarchist and start blowing up the institutions of that world government.
we need a order world, one unit of thought and reasoning truly human, that can resolve the problems of the world efficiently. i agree with Issac Assimov. if we all want to solve our problems locked in our nations and races, we find with own destruction.
He is the Hari Seldon of our time. He has introduced an intuitive psychohistory knowing the functional tools must lie in the hands of time. The saving of our world for our species survival is beyond the conceivable cooperation required to do so yet Asimov doesn't hesitate to relate all he knew. Intuitively, I know the exploration of space is priority one for survival. There are very few alive, in authority today that could stay in authority and openly agree with me.
I'm continually sending people to this vid.And now with Japan crisis it's even more important to do so.American people have to force Obama,or next government to reschedule the U.S. space program.American astronauts are reduced to take Russian taxi to International space sation!!!Correct me if I'm mistaken but isn't the space station mostly funded by the U.S.?What's happening?People think and act now!!!
@w13rdguy If you are right, it is all the more reason to fight back against this "conflict". Humanity is responsible for it's own survival. The struggle is for civilized Earth.
@AshtonPhoto A couple of points, 1.Asimov is not saying that the Earth wil be destroyed. Just the Earth as we have it now, suited for sustaining human civilization as it has been progressing will no longer exist.
2.The population explosion has been slowed by a "liberal" reaction to scientific evidence.
Climate change and it's impact on human habitat, agriculture, water supply, the ocean, and human migration won't destroy Earth, but might our civilization. Human's can act. Be alarmed!
1. ..and the answer is, **more government**!!! Because governments always make things right, right?
2. What?? Tell me how exactly???
The earth's climate has been changing and it always will. The middle ages were warm and then we had a mini ice age. At no point was man a contributor to either.
I'm not alarmed, not even in the slightest. I'm more alarmed at people's willingness to switch off their brains when watching CNN than anything else.
@AshtonPhoto You just changed the subject? Ignore for a moment whether there really is a climate problem, what should be done in case of a world-wide problem that affects everyone and needs everyone in helping to solve it?
@AshtonPhoto It's one thing to talk about whether man-made climate change is true, another about what to act against this or similar threats that affect most of the earth population. You indicated that "more government" was not OK, so what would be your alternative to cope with this, ignore for a minute whether it's really there, just think of the theoretical situation.
Giving people in government more power and less accountability is a recipe for calamity. Mr. Asimov didn't see this and frankly, you don't either. Only a fool would want more of something that doesn't work, but seeing as people are happy to continually vote for ever larger governments it would seem that foolishness is the biggest global threat we'll ever face.
The problem is that people are naturally self-centered. Bankers want more money, government officials want more power (and money) and celebrities want more recognition (and money). Children exhibit this behavior from the moment they're born.
The bigger the government, the less accountable it becomes. That's a hard and fast rule. The less accountability people have, the worse they behave. That's also a hard and fast rule.
The situation is likely irrevocable, at least in the short term.
The US government is totally corrupt and the people don't care. Despite claims to the contrary, they believe everything they read in the media ('global warming' being the latest fad). Clinton, a clown, got reelected. Bush, a clown for entirely different reasons also got reelected and now the clown currently in office has amassed a massive war chest to fund his (almost certain) reelection.
@AshtonPhoto The river was also wider, more shallow and flowed slower than it does today. 10 minutes of reading research material and knowing high school science would tell you that the burning of fossil fuels does heat up the atmosphere. Please get real and don`t use the river Thames freezing over as conclusive evidence. Yes the Earth does go through changes. But to discount human industry as a cause of global warming is plain silly.
Thanks, I have read research and no, it does not all conclude that burning fossil fuels will 'heat up the atmosphere' (whatever that means). There is a mass of research that points to an imminent cooling period but you discount all of that because the media headlines never mention it.
Have you watched 'The Great Global Warming Swindle' on YouTube so you have both sides of the argument? No, of course not. Your mind is already made up.
@AshtonPhoto population explotion never happened? it IS happening, we are 7 billion and that number is expected to double in 50 years, just because you cannot see a city of 1000 become a city of 1000000 in the blink of an eye does not mean its not happening, it is the main problem and its a fact ...... But well, maybe we are wrong, maybe people that make this argument like asimov or marvin minsky whose IQs whose are among the highest dont have enough intelligence to grasp this concepts .. right?
Yes, if you just look at cities you'll see massive problems, but that's not an accurate picture.
Have you ever been to the United States? There are literally hundreds upon hundreds of miles of empty, unused, uncultivated land.
It's not a question of intelligence, it's intellect without a sense of direction.
With no world war or alien attack to focus your attention, you just make up an enemy. Yesterday it was population explosion, today it's global warming. On and on it goes....
The ability to see the problem is nothing next to the willingness to do something about it.
We're planting our square foot gardens to ensure we have food free of pesticides and who knows what, we only buy our veggies from local farmers and we're gradually going organic for everything else.
Why would a large-scale government be able to solve a problem that a small-scale government could not solve? Do you not believe that, if current governments thought it was relevant, they would not be able to stop population growth, and resource consumption growth, and environmental destruction, and everything? The problem is not the scale of the governments we have. The problem is with our definition of what is a human being. Apparently, if you can so much as write your name down, you're good.
who is going to run this new federal allience the people who care about other people no the powerful controlling elete good intention wrong idea just look at the state of world afairs if you have a open mind and understand what is going on you will see why i disagree
You can tell all of the cynics, the disenchanted, the disenfranchised, the power lackeys, and the straight up stupid people here, who complain about Asimov's naivety in politics, but aren't apparently smart enough to put forth any theories about how to make such a vision work. A simple acceptance of an untried thing as "impossible" is simply surrender to those who gain from such a belief. I am sick of the conspiracy whackos and fearful monkeys keeping this world from being a better place. Grow.
@Zorniod I for one believe that a sort of global cohalition of states would do great good. But the states must maintain independence and mostly their identity and globalization therefore should be eradicated, because it's only a negative trend encompassing the whole world and flattening separate realities to one corporate supermarket. Global humanist policies: check. Exploration of space: HELL YEAH CHECK. New World Order: NO.
His benevolent vision of a United World Government will come crashing down the minute it's realized that this will be run by 51% of dictators and thugs. Only checks and balances--the right to say "No", and the right to back that "No" with guns of one's own--can prevent it. We are back to square one again. The Galactic Empire collapsed. Hari Seldon foresaw it. Sorry. And Seldon disproved his own theory by showing one man CAN change history (Seldon did it). He could not stop the Mule.
Because the Empire is corrupted on its deep roots since it was created on the fiction story, he is here talking here about trying to create a neutral "United World Government" or at least work together we know that's most likley impossible to have no corruption though, keep thinking its simply impossible it sure won't happen, its really because a majority think its not it wouldn't happen.
That is the critical flaw in his writings. In the end, even he needs to create a benevalent eternal mind always working for other people's good with no thought of himself: R Daniel Olivaw. In the end, Asimov needed to invent a God.
Government is not enlightenment. It is not eloquence. Government is force. In the end, absent of Gods, Asimov attempts to create one.
The reality of what is happening and what is going to happen is robust when viewed from any angle. That makes it "reality". Some see better than others. Thanks for the view Mr Asimov. Not the only correct angle, but a very good view indeed.
More than a genius, a visionary. In 1989 this man, using his brain and knowledge, saw the future, saw something that will happens maybe after 2050, or 2080. Note that in 1988 he predicted the Internet and a computer in each home connected to a network and libraries, with access to any information at any time.
Re Southern terrorism. I have a lot of respect and admiration for Dr Asimov, I have read many of his books and acknowledge his talents, his intelligence and his knowledge BUT had he never heard of the Ku Klux Klan? The South is STILL fighting the civil war, which wasn't about some abstract idea of the 'Union', except in the minds of some of the Unionists, but the condition of black Americans as slaves.
Smart, decent man, but a bit naive and misguided politically and economically. He was a master writer, and should be remembered as such. If you want political commentary, read Noam Chomsky.
@KingKahnTV Yes I think people can be motivated by fear, certainly. It's a basic impulse. I disagree that the cold war was a stalemate because of it, or that it was somehow proof of the virtue of a nuclear deterrent. There were several occasions where simple misunderstandings brought us very near complete apocalypse. And that was a “fake” war, the danger came from the weapons merely existing at all. A simple misunderstanding with old weapon technology is a tragedy, but not an extinction event.
@IPossessAHugePenis You make very good discussion points in dispute of some of the arguments in the video. However you do not move us forward. How do we save the planet for the future of humanity (I'm thinking for another half a millennium)? Also, are you male or female Is the penis you posses attached to your torso or one you hold in your hand?
wow, for many years i have hated politics because i could never find a theory i was content about. Even though some of his ideas probably cannot happen at this point in time, this is, in my opinion, one of the best political theories for maintaining peace and expanding humaity beyond the cradle world.
Yes, Asimov was certainly a superb writer. His chief literary virtues were his incisive wit and his almost unrivaled clarity and economy of phrase (and of course, his massive scientific and historical erudition).
Other strange idea of Asimov is that the The Cold War was in fact Cold...
Come on ? How many died with American intervention in South America ? Thousands! How many died with Soviet/Sino intervention ? Millions ... The rich countries did not lost any lives... who died in this "cold war" war were the poor ... as ALWAYS...
One of the cooperations that Asimov did not pull up is Genocide...in fact that was not a cooperations, was a competition. And I don't know who is the winner.
All of you die-hard supporters of international anarchy, get over it! Your fears of a world government remind me very much of the supporters of the Articles of Confederation who said, "Nothing will ever make me relinquish my right to veto!" So, everything got vetoed and nothing got done. A few years of that and a few armed skirmishes between states later and they realized the folly of their thinking. People must realize the folly of their thinking again and establish a world government.
I disagree. They could reach majority views on most issues. We'll never, ever have true world peace without it. It's inevitable. It's just a question of how many people will have to be killed before people realize it.
@doom3099 Whether they ignore laws is up to us too.
Having an open politics and generally carrying on with the democratization the web and other debates gives us. enables us to shame them into sanity. It is becoming more the fact that leaders are called to account, they pay for disaster with wrecked careers at the very least.
And, importantly, if they go scam it just breeds more problems for all of us, including the corps, in the long run.
@MechaBlazeEagle you're right, but people just do something together if there is a power to control them. It's not my word, it's Jhon Lock's word, he said that in the 17 century, and I agree with him. Altought I would like it wasn't that way.
Michelle Bachmann was declared crazy, but it is really what they want to do!
I accidentally concur with Asimov, just saying that what the truth is, is so far from the conscious mind of the normal person that truth sayers and people taking on the truth sayers are considered nuts.
First order of business of the 1st Foundation, post Mule: Find and Destroy the 2nd Foundation.
Much is made of the 'Mule': a superman that blew his law of large numbers calculations to hell.
But there was not one but TWO improbable supermen: Hari Seldon himself was an anamoly, unpredicted by Psychohistory. Two improbabilities in less than 300 years of Galactic history.
Asimov's solution to the human crisis: an open society of technologically advanced traders that dominates the poor, and secret society of master mathematicians that dominate the open society.
Here's the catch: In both cases he over-estimates the goodness of of the dominators and manipulators. Even he could not write a credible ending, where the 1st Foundation ends up being any better than the Empire it replaced.
He had end it with a psychic robot 'nanny over all' that wasn't human.
Daneel Olivaw was not human. Yet he invented a 'zeroth law' on his own that made him care for people more than people cared for themselves. And he had eternal longevity, timelessly overseeing both Foundations.
In short: Asimov solved the problem of the Foundation becoming another Empire by inventing a God.
@MechaBlazeEagle: Asimov thought otherwise. In 'Robots of Dawn' and 'Robots and Empire', Dr. Falstoffe (yes, that's where my handle comes from) and Giskard realize that the absence of manual labor and 'enjoying life' was causing spacer society to decay.
Spacers weren't moving forward spiritually, were becoming lazy. In the end, that's why they sided with the more shortlived, mortal settlers of the non-robotic Earth, instead of the Spacers.
I don't mean humanity should decay & become lazy. Just use advanced robots for manual labor then humans can fully concentrate on improving their intelligence, physical capabilities & spiritualness.
Manual labor while obviouslly necessary, It distracts us from devotng our full attention to the improvement & advancement of humanity.
agreed. by the way this is what I always say (dont remember where i heard it) war today is all about Mutual Agreement and Destruction. we talk it out peacfully or kill everyone on earth...cause if 1 person launches a nuke then everyone is gonna launch nukes and send the world into a worldwide fallout.
Yeah, if a species seize to evolve(in any way, let be socially or genetically etc) means that it cant adapt to new environments, but environments are constantly changing, so eventually they will extinct.
@5:00 "Because immediately after the civil war came the period of the opening of the west, the development of the west".
I like Asimov but he always suffered from a completely myopic vision of the past. This is exactly how the manifest destiny of western culture expansion is usually portrayed as "development". Instead of the genocide that it was. Why? Because people would squirm in their seats if they have to acknowledge that our civilization sits upon the bones of many victims.
So when we all cheer Asimov's idea of Foundation and Empire lets not pretend that it is merely excuses for our policies of imperialistic expansion defended as necessary or benevolent.
It is always claimed that to bring true empire is necessary, as it always has been. But those empires in the search to bring the civil to civilization are always at the forefront in dispensing the greatest misery on the human species. Empire is the call here... EMPIRE! and your applause are deafening to me.
Political Power = Gravitational Entropy. The life of political power is much like the life of a star, with productive people as the hydrogen.
It feeds on itself, and the larger it is, the hungrier it gets. The more bound you are to it. The sun is only a good thing if you are a comfortable distance away from it, and there is zero diversity, and zero freedom, in a Blackhole.
If there is too much mass and not enough productive fuel remaining, the political power will violently go nova.
his foundation and robot stories were the first real novels i read. i did not realise at the time that my outlook on life was being informed by a decent and logical philosophy. to this day i still dream of a simple life, uncluttered by the empty drivel of pop culture. i think ol' mother nature is about ready to give us the shit kicking of our lives. all those nay saying oil junkies should go live in the maldives ;b
Asimov was a great and prescient strategic thinker. He was also a delightful man who enjoyed humour and song and his fellow human beings. I deeply regret never having met him in person, but I feel that I know him through his many, many works.
Indeed, I had a good chance many years ago through a mutual friend before his death and have regretted that lost chance since. One of my favorite writers, both fiction and science.
Freeing the minds and efforts of humankind is the only way we'll survive. We won't do it by enslaving ourselves to oligarchies, nevermind an entrenched worldwide oligarchy.
If an animal had to find out what our rules and morals were they would be so confused! I think it's true that since we are international a global village it doesn't make sense that we are all huddled in our little groups pushing and prodding and resisting each other. Wars are silly, pointless and only cause pain. All people need to do is open their minds, create a new set of global rules and morals and SWEAT and WORK to create a humane, ecological and self sufficiant planet. Or death to all.
To not be selfish is not complicated. For a group of people to say, well, I won't cut this forest is not complicated. Unselfishness is simple. You don't need big brother to tell you not to be selfish. What will big brother do? Tax you until no one has MONETARY resources?
Is life at any price worth it to you? What if the "world government" decides that you and your family only deserve $3.00 per day to give the 1 billion living on $1.00 per day a chance to "catch up"? Are the proponents offering you a seat at the table? Are they offering you the right to make local environmental protection laws? Do you trust the Bushes, Kerrys, etc., and all the other rich bastards to make these decisions for you? John has more questions.
I'm not fond of the idea of world government and world laws, but a big space project like the one Asimov mentioned could be a potentially rewarding effort for all of humanity.
It would matter what the world government and world laws would entail.
I could go for a government that guaranteed jobs, healthcare and education for all; I would give up certain freedoms for it, like the freedom to exploit others labor, the opportunity to get rich, or some inheritance rights, etc.
OK, people are talking about it, rich people. Have they given you a seat at the table? Are you being represented in your national government to your satisfaction?
If not, what makes you think a world government would represent you? It would certainly give you less representation than your national government. What about the 1 billion living on less than $1.00 per day? Would a world government take from you to help them? Think, about your family, your kids, maybe. What about them?
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Globalism makes all the little people slaves. Paying taxes to the few who control power. It won't work Asimov. Ever think of that? Your not so smart. Just a dreamer.
Isaac Asimov was a man of considerable intelligence, wisdom and culture. Indeed, he was a very great man. He was the speaker and the popularizer of all the scientists that don't speak up. The Green House Effect is a good example. In the 70' already, scientists knew about the G.H.E. but the Oil lobbying was, is and will be very strong... Moreover, American people, in their majority, are ignorant, narcissistic and trivial. Anyway, Asimov is right: Overpopulation, Pollutionand Deforestationmuststop
Poor man he is a complete nut, he is a globalist a weak pathetic fearfull man who promotes global tyranny instead of liberty and individuality, the founding fathers of the US would be sad if they could see these coward scare-monger crap. We have betrayed all liberty fighters in human history. God have mercy cause we most pay, and there will be hell to pay. Ofcourse he has to give you some hope some hope for something in the very far future were you will never be able to see it.
THANK YOU!!!! Finally someone who understands that Isaac Asimov is a pile of crap. Don't get me wrong, his science fiction stuff is ok. But it's just that, FICTION!!! Geeks and nerds will always preach "BUT IF SCIENCE FICTION SAYS IT, IT MUST BE TRUE" I tell you they're worse than christians.
yea like our founding fathers where in a great position to, O look we found gold lets exploit it, O look we found oil lets create the gas behemoth, O look we have more than enough trees we don't need so many, listen I hope you have changed your mind in the last three months if you haven't I don want to start something that end in You saying I was right piss off and go read a book other than how the kkk came to the us
Watching this makes me think - Harry Seldon, and, Time Vault.
It's a shame there aren't more videos of Isaac (or is it Harry?) on the internet, he would have been in his element in the age of the web as a communicator if he had lived to have seen it.
What an inspiration. I propose that on the anniversary of Isaac's birthday, the 2nd of January each year, anybody who has felt touched by Isaac's writing or lectures - goes out of their way to do a good deed in his memory.
My friend, I appreciate your opinion. Your young, just 17, when you get to my age, reflect what you have said here. I have commented base on actual experiences. Have a good day!
truly beautiful words Mr. Asimov. I wish you were here and i wish Carl Sagan was here too. They would stand in utter awe at the filth that just keeps piling up on this once magnificent 'pale blue dot.'
If he'd be elected for a president, we'd miss on all his great sci-fi titles (or at least few of them). On conclusion, I rather have him as a great author...and I think he'd agree. As an author he's appreciated by vast majority, as a president, between the opposition, media, Congress and Senat he'd be critisized to death and waste a great talent. Asimov being not born in US couldn't candidate anyway.
Humanism needs to be made broader to include other species needs (e.g. a forest provides more than timber and jobs, it also includes vital habitat and biodiversity and also provides many important ecological functions that we may not yet even understand, much less see their real value). By only valuing nature in human terms, we have caused many of the problems we now face.
We need sustainable development (i.e. within the limits of our Earth) and we all need to live sustainably too.
You're living in a technocratic world, and always will unless it destroys itself.
Get used to it.
As Isaac once wrote, all large scale social change is, *without exception*, ultimately driven by technological progress -even when superficially it may appear that this is not the case.
What I think about this man is that he let to the world the gift of openness towards superior sapience, no matter the quantity -of his gift. That's something I'll always respect.
We need the Galactic Empire . The alternative is anarchy and extinction.
Long Live The Second Foundation !
lumbarddemilan 1 month ago
What we need now is more of the rule of Law, freedom, socially and economically and the rule of law again.
What we don't need is a government, even global,. that bases it's existence in any kind of collectivism,..Because it is shit,.. It has been proven historically beyond any shadow of the doubt,..(must have been drunk on my other post),..
And it is not what we need it is what individuals need,is a free society with the rule of law. it works. Everything else is bound to fail and fail hard,..
brscic 1 month ago
very beautiful,.. he us wrong at one point,.. this is still beautiful
brscic 2 months ago
The whole point is on the legitimacy principle.Right now China is the biggest industrial power on earth and thus they emit the biggest amount of CO2 to the atmosphere.If they keep emiting CO2 at this pace the consecuences will be global.Is it fair for such a decisssion, that affects third parties, to be in the hands of the chinese government alone? Is this legimitimate?Some issues are global,and we all have a say on them.Through a global government OR simply through international agreements
Homelandz 3 months ago
@Homelandz Wrong, the US emits the most Co2, nearly double that of China. But at the rate they`re going they will probably surpass America in 20 years.
Chindro2828 2 months ago
@Chindro2828 Ok, but my point was that you dont have legitimacy if your decisions affect third parties. It doesnt matter who pollutes more, the point is: Does they have the right to pollute at all?
Homelandz 2 months ago
See the whole speech here on the /ubcome.com/AsimovSaveCivilization.html
ubcome 3 months ago
the difference is, when the articles of confederation were failing, one could at least have hope of leaving to another land. how can i escape the world government?
give me liberty or give me death.
the only way this would work is if we quickly expand to the moon and mars, then we can have 3 governments :).... earth government would be logical at that point.
amn3h23h2 6 months ago
@amn3h23h2 Why do you think that government means a loss of liberty rather than a protection. A fair government is like an umbrella and a safety net.
KingKahnTV 6 months ago
@KingKahnTV a fair government is like a flying elephant. i have yet to see one.
it doesn't bother me, though, so long as i have options to leave for another country. but there is no escaping a world government. who would ensure that it's at least moderately fair? politicians? i don't think it would happen
amn3h23h2 6 months ago
@amn3h23h2 media is always a tool of a good democracy, as is education, with an unbias media and an educated population we would be able to monitor government, another recent development is the speed of communications, eg the uprising in the middle east have been fuelled by a new generation who is able to communicate amongst themselves and access free information. I think if we establish these systems then government shouldnt be a problem, but i will admit you're right in saying it is very hard
XepicmeauX 4 months ago
@KingKahnTV
Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
help4343 3 months ago
@amn3h23h2 Personal multiverse transporter.
But now seriously, I get your point but there are certain things you can't escape, in fact the majority of things you can't escape and even if you can then there are only limited alternatives, better make the best of what you have.
595o 3 months ago
@595o again, i can't escape all governments, but that doesn't mean we should make one very oppressive government that cannot be escaped by anyone ever. of the limited alternatives, i choose many different governments so that i at least have some hope. otherwise, i'll just have to become an anarchist and start blowing up the institutions of that world government.
amn3h23h2 3 months ago
@amn3h23h2 Who said something about oppressive?
595o 3 months ago
@595o inescapable=oppressive, by definition
amn3h23h2 3 months ago
Great lecture by Asimov here.
natedaug1 7 months ago
we need a order world, one unit of thought and reasoning truly human, that can resolve the problems of the world efficiently. i agree with Issac Assimov. if we all want to solve our problems locked in our nations and races, we find with own destruction.
4kin0 8 months ago
He is the Hari Seldon of our time. He has introduced an intuitive psychohistory knowing the functional tools must lie in the hands of time. The saving of our world for our species survival is beyond the conceivable cooperation required to do so yet Asimov doesn't hesitate to relate all he knew. Intuitively, I know the exploration of space is priority one for survival. There are very few alive, in authority today that could stay in authority and openly agree with me.
hiwulakins 8 months ago
"Miracles don't happen. SWEAT happens..."
TheTroubadourPariah 9 months ago
This may be the only video on Youtube with a thoughtful comment section.
hugjuffs 9 months ago
I'm continually sending people to this vid.And now with Japan crisis it's even more important to do so.American people have to force Obama,or next government to reschedule the U.S. space program.American astronauts are reduced to take Russian taxi to International space sation!!!Correct me if I'm mistaken but isn't the space station mostly funded by the U.S.?What's happening?People think and act now!!!
LePageChannel 10 months ago
@LePageChannel Good idea to share this comment and this video. Put the ideas out there.
ubcome 10 months ago
Conflict is life.
Conflict made you.
Suffering is eternal.
Extermination is inevitable.
w13rdguy 11 months ago
@w13rdguy If you are right, it is all the more reason to fight back against this "conflict". Humanity is responsible for it's own survival. The struggle is for civilized Earth.
.
KingKahnTV 11 months ago 7
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@w13rdguy You are not human, you are a fucking terminator! :D
SCPF 6 months ago
we need to humanists...
TheJoshJman 11 months ago
Population explosion is going to destroy the earth.
Another ice age is going to destroy the earth.
Now it's global warming that's going to destroy the earth.
Liberals never run out of ways to alarm us do they?
AshtonPhoto 11 months ago
@AshtonPhoto A couple of points, 1.Asimov is not saying that the Earth wil be destroyed. Just the Earth as we have it now, suited for sustaining human civilization as it has been progressing will no longer exist.
2.The population explosion has been slowed by a "liberal" reaction to scientific evidence.
Climate change and it's impact on human habitat, agriculture, water supply, the ocean, and human migration won't destroy Earth, but might our civilization. Human's can act. Be alarmed!
KingKahnTV 11 months ago 3
@KingKahnTV
1. ..and the answer is, **more government**!!! Because governments always make things right, right?
2. What?? Tell me how exactly???
The earth's climate has been changing and it always will. The middle ages were warm and then we had a mini ice age. At no point was man a contributor to either.
I'm not alarmed, not even in the slightest. I'm more alarmed at people's willingness to switch off their brains when watching CNN than anything else.
AshtonPhoto 11 months ago
@AshtonPhoto 1.) Do you have an alternative?
595o 3 months ago
@595o
Yes, absolutely. It's called common sense and not political demagoguery.
It's thinking for yourself and not believing everything CNN tells you to.
AshtonPhoto 3 months ago
@AshtonPhoto I ment an alternative solution of the climate problem.
595o 3 months ago
@595o
What 'climate problem'?
My friend, 10 minutes of reading would tell you that the world's climate changes all by itself.
Between 1400 and 1814, the River Thames in London froze over 26 times. Londoners made the most of it, and “Frost Fairs” developed.
Then the world got warmer - without humans doing anything.
AshtonPhoto 3 months ago
@AshtonPhoto You just changed the subject? Ignore for a moment whether there really is a climate problem, what should be done in case of a world-wide problem that affects everyone and needs everyone in helping to solve it?
595o 3 months ago
@595o
I didn't change the subject at all and I do not know what you're asking.
Please elucidate.
AshtonPhoto 3 months ago
@AshtonPhoto It's one thing to talk about whether man-made climate change is true, another about what to act against this or similar threats that affect most of the earth population. You indicated that "more government" was not OK, so what would be your alternative to cope with this, ignore for a minute whether it's really there, just think of the theoretical situation.
595o 3 months ago
@595o
Giving people in government more power and less accountability is a recipe for calamity. Mr. Asimov didn't see this and frankly, you don't either. Only a fool would want more of something that doesn't work, but seeing as people are happy to continually vote for ever larger governments it would seem that foolishness is the biggest global threat we'll ever face.
AshtonPhoto 3 months ago
@595o
Ok, let's cut right to the chase here.
The problem is that people are naturally self-centered. Bankers want more money, government officials want more power (and money) and celebrities want more recognition (and money). Children exhibit this behavior from the moment they're born.
The bigger the government, the less accountable it becomes. That's a hard and fast rule. The less accountability people have, the worse they behave. That's also a hard and fast rule.
AshtonPhoto 3 months ago
@AshtonPhoto Ok, so again, what's the solution/alternative? More transparency? More altruistic politicians?
595o 3 months ago
@595o
The situation is likely irrevocable, at least in the short term.
The US government is totally corrupt and the people don't care. Despite claims to the contrary, they believe everything they read in the media ('global warming' being the latest fad). Clinton, a clown, got reelected. Bush, a clown for entirely different reasons also got reelected and now the clown currently in office has amassed a massive war chest to fund his (almost certain) reelection.
I'm not optimistic.
AshtonPhoto 3 months ago
@AshtonPhoto The river was also wider, more shallow and flowed slower than it does today. 10 minutes of reading research material and knowing high school science would tell you that the burning of fossil fuels does heat up the atmosphere. Please get real and don`t use the river Thames freezing over as conclusive evidence. Yes the Earth does go through changes. But to discount human industry as a cause of global warming is plain silly.
Chindro2828 2 months ago
@Chindro2828
Thanks, I have read research and no, it does not all conclude that burning fossil fuels will 'heat up the atmosphere' (whatever that means). There is a mass of research that points to an imminent cooling period but you discount all of that because the media headlines never mention it.
Have you watched 'The Great Global Warming Swindle' on YouTube so you have both sides of the argument? No, of course not. Your mind is already made up.
AshtonPhoto 2 months ago
@AshtonPhoto Yes, those Liberals just want to scare those Conservatives.
Conservatives never run out of ways to bitch about and not to mention ignore reality, do they?
TwilightCodex 8 months ago
@TwilightCodex
Reality?
You mean the reality the "population explosion" never happened?
Or the reality the imminent "ice age" never happened?
Who's *really* living in reality? Not you.
Are liberals all abandoning their cars?
Are rich liberals all moving into smaller, more efficient homes?
Are celebrity liberals all selling their planes and 17 bedroom houses?
No, they're flying their jets all over the world, driving Ferraris and buying up massive mansions just like normal rich people do.
AshtonPhoto 7 months ago
@AshtonPhoto population explotion never happened? it IS happening, we are 7 billion and that number is expected to double in 50 years, just because you cannot see a city of 1000 become a city of 1000000 in the blink of an eye does not mean its not happening, it is the main problem and its a fact ...... But well, maybe we are wrong, maybe people that make this argument like asimov or marvin minsky whose IQs whose are among the highest dont have enough intelligence to grasp this concepts .. right?
LinkKaiba 6 months ago
@LinkKaiba
Yes, if you just look at cities you'll see massive problems, but that's not an accurate picture.
Have you ever been to the United States? There are literally hundreds upon hundreds of miles of empty, unused, uncultivated land.
It's not a question of intelligence, it's intellect without a sense of direction.
With no world war or alien attack to focus your attention, you just make up an enemy. Yesterday it was population explosion, today it's global warming. On and on it goes....
AshtonPhoto 6 months ago
@AshtonPhoto "There are literally hundreds upon hundreds of miles of empty, unused, uncultivated land."
Which will be over tilled with the top soil made useless and made into a dust bowl if given control over to corporations.
technatezin 5 months ago
@technatezin
The ability to see the problem is nothing next to the willingness to do something about it.
We're planting our square foot gardens to ensure we have food free of pesticides and who knows what, we only buy our veggies from local farmers and we're gradually going organic for everything else.
What are you doing?
AshtonPhoto 4 months ago
(continued)
What we need is education. And after that, a bit more education!
dcamozzato 11 months ago
Why would a large-scale government be able to solve a problem that a small-scale government could not solve? Do you not believe that, if current governments thought it was relevant, they would not be able to stop population growth, and resource consumption growth, and environmental destruction, and everything? The problem is not the scale of the governments we have. The problem is with our definition of what is a human being. Apparently, if you can so much as write your name down, you're good.
dcamozzato 11 months ago
who is going to run this new federal allience the people who care about other people no the powerful controlling elete good intention wrong idea just look at the state of world afairs if you have a open mind and understand what is going on you will see why i disagree
olympic66power 1 year ago
You can tell all of the cynics, the disenchanted, the disenfranchised, the power lackeys, and the straight up stupid people here, who complain about Asimov's naivety in politics, but aren't apparently smart enough to put forth any theories about how to make such a vision work. A simple acceptance of an untried thing as "impossible" is simply surrender to those who gain from such a belief. I am sick of the conspiracy whackos and fearful monkeys keeping this world from being a better place. Grow.
Zorniod 1 year ago
@Zorniod I for one believe that a sort of global cohalition of states would do great good. But the states must maintain independence and mostly their identity and globalization therefore should be eradicated, because it's only a negative trend encompassing the whole world and flattening separate realities to one corporate supermarket. Global humanist policies: check. Exploration of space: HELL YEAH CHECK. New World Order: NO.
THEMANOUTOFTHECAVE 11 months ago
His benevolent vision of a United World Government will come crashing down the minute it's realized that this will be run by 51% of dictators and thugs. Only checks and balances--the right to say "No", and the right to back that "No" with guns of one's own--can prevent it. We are back to square one again. The Galactic Empire collapsed. Hari Seldon foresaw it. Sorry. And Seldon disproved his own theory by showing one man CAN change history (Seldon did it). He could not stop the Mule.
falstoffe 1 year ago
@falstoffe
Because the Empire is corrupted on its deep roots since it was created on the fiction story, he is here talking here about trying to create a neutral "United World Government" or at least work together we know that's most likley impossible to have no corruption though, keep thinking its simply impossible it sure won't happen, its really because a majority think its not it wouldn't happen.
neodos1 1 year ago
That is the critical flaw in his writings. In the end, even he needs to create a benevalent eternal mind always working for other people's good with no thought of himself: R Daniel Olivaw. In the end, Asimov needed to invent a God.
Government is not enlightenment. It is not eloquence. Government is force. In the end, absent of Gods, Asimov attempts to create one.
falstoffe 1 year ago
can't believe I have gone my entire 23 year old life without watching this speech!
JamesY2K5 1 year ago
The reality of what is happening and what is going to happen is robust when viewed from any angle. That makes it "reality". Some see better than others. Thanks for the view Mr Asimov. Not the only correct angle, but a very good view indeed.
plebshadowofra 1 year ago
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54luke 1 year ago
Great insight.
Schlumberjack101 1 year ago
this man had a great thoughts. Nobody is willing to put his thought into practice.
I think that mr. Asimov is trying to say that we all have to take care for our own responsiblity.
koblaawadzi1977 1 year ago
More than a genius, a visionary. In 1989 this man, using his brain and knowledge, saw the future, saw something that will happens maybe after 2050, or 2080. Note that in 1988 he predicted the Internet and a computer in each home connected to a network and libraries, with access to any information at any time.
gmpassos 1 year ago
This man is an eye opener. Very intelligent.
TheLolgodlol 1 year ago 3
Re Southern terrorism. I have a lot of respect and admiration for Dr Asimov, I have read many of his books and acknowledge his talents, his intelligence and his knowledge BUT had he never heard of the Ku Klux Klan? The South is STILL fighting the civil war, which wasn't about some abstract idea of the 'Union', except in the minds of some of the Unionists, but the condition of black Americans as slaves.
colourmegone 1 year ago
So many crushingly idiotic comments from the tinfoil hat wearing "NWO" brigade...
polymath7 1 year ago 3
Smart, decent man, but a bit naive and misguided politically and economically. He was a master writer, and should be remembered as such. If you want political commentary, read Noam Chomsky.
IPossessAHugePenis 1 year ago
I think you agree with the main point,.
We see the stick...it is the end of human beings being able to sustain themselves on this planet.
A big enough carrot is what is necessary. Energy is the carrot. How we get the carrot is the issue.
KingKahnTV 1 year ago 3
@KingKahnTV Yes I think people can be motivated by fear, certainly. It's a basic impulse. I disagree that the cold war was a stalemate because of it, or that it was somehow proof of the virtue of a nuclear deterrent. There were several occasions where simple misunderstandings brought us very near complete apocalypse. And that was a “fake” war, the danger came from the weapons merely existing at all. A simple misunderstanding with old weapon technology is a tragedy, but not an extinction event.
IPossessAHugePenis 1 year ago
@IPossessAHugePenis You make very good discussion points in dispute of some of the arguments in the video. However you do not move us forward. How do we save the planet for the future of humanity (I'm thinking for another half a millennium)? Also, are you male or female Is the penis you posses attached to your torso or one you hold in your hand?
KingKahnTV 1 year ago 7
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IPossessAHugePenis 1 year ago
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IPossessAHugePenis 1 year ago
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IPossessAHugePenis 1 year ago
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IPossessAHugePenis 1 year ago
@IPossessAHugePenis I'm not agree with you
ellipszia 1 year ago
A one world government is already emerging. It's not being ran by humanists, it's ran by sociopaths who only care about themselves and not humanity.
doom3099 1 year ago 4
@doom3099 Very true. The USA, my country, is slowly being smothered by undemocratic ideals with a President that isn't good for my country to boot!
MechaBlazeEagle 1 year ago
wow, for many years i have hated politics because i could never find a theory i was content about. Even though some of his ideas probably cannot happen at this point in time, this is, in my opinion, one of the best political theories for maintaining peace and expanding humaity beyond the cradle world.
Sulpine01 1 year ago 2
As a literary student, I love the way this man writes speeches
that was brilliant even if it was edited a bit
ocopli1 1 year ago 3
@ocopli1
Yes, Asimov was certainly a superb writer. His chief literary virtues were his incisive wit and his almost unrivaled clarity and economy of phrase (and of course, his massive scientific and historical erudition).
polymath7 1 year ago
Other strange idea of Asimov is that the The Cold War was in fact Cold...
Come on ? How many died with American intervention in South America ? Thousands! How many died with Soviet/Sino intervention ? Millions ... The rich countries did not lost any lives... who died in this "cold war" war were the poor ... as ALWAYS...
One of the cooperations that Asimov did not pull up is Genocide...in fact that was not a cooperations, was a competition. And I don't know who is the winner.
sry about my eng.
paunocu666 1 year ago
World Government ? hahahaha... need to kill me first.
paunocu666 1 year ago
All of you die-hard supporters of international anarchy, get over it! Your fears of a world government remind me very much of the supporters of the Articles of Confederation who said, "Nothing will ever make me relinquish my right to veto!" So, everything got vetoed and nothing got done. A few years of that and a few armed skirmishes between states later and they realized the folly of their thinking. People must realize the folly of their thinking again and establish a world government.
9bahai9 2 years ago 12
@9bahai9 There's too many differences in ideologies around the world for a one world government to be successful.
MechaBlazeEagle 1 year ago
@MechaBlazeEagle,
I disagree. They could reach majority views on most issues. We'll never, ever have true world peace without it. It's inevitable. It's just a question of how many people will have to be killed before people realize it.
9bahai9 1 year ago
Sounds like Christopher Walken.
AWESOME90002 2 years ago
Earth can be saved & protected WITHOUT a one world government.
MechaBlazeEagle 2 years ago
@MechaBlazeEagle: now on the saving and protecting WITHOUT a world government, now THAT you and I agree on. :-)
I'm headstrong opposed to Asimov's trust of authority on that one. As someone else said: so this is EMPIRE, and the applause is deafening to me.
People who are cheering the idea of a global world government scare the hell out of me.
falstoffe 2 years ago 4
The idea of a global world government scares the hell out of me too.
MechaBlazeEagle 2 years ago
Exactly A one world government brings down an iron fist upon the world erasing humanities freedom
MechaBlazeEagle 2 years ago
@MechaBlazeEagle FEDERAL dummy
Seano71 1 year ago
@Seano71
Please don't insult me. This needs to be kept civil. Throwing insults is childish & quite unnecessary.
MechaBlazeEagle 1 year ago
@falstoffe I agree. People are in love with a fantasy without looking deep into the negative consequences of the fantasy.
MechaBlazeEagle 1 year ago
@falstoffe Consider that the reason you can buy a shirt for $4 in Walmart and not $40 is because it was made in China.
It is already one world economy with sovereign slush funds and corps calling the shots.
The Question we should be asking is whether it is open or behind closed doors.
Those ranting down NWO are actually ranting down any kind of democratic oversight.
Alex Jones led the anti-war movement into obscurity, and attacked the UN on queue for Bush.
Ask yourself who's side he is really on
marsCubed 1 year ago
@marsCubed On the side of humanity ,and bold enough to expose the truth about the sociopaths who run our governments.
wkipedia "Sovereignty" and "United States Constitution" so you understand what a one world government would most likely remove.
so welcome a one world government,
it going to be ran by sociopaths.
doom3099 1 year ago
@doom3099
It happens already and will continue to do so.
Ranting down NWO is doing no more than removing oneself from the process,.
We should want peace between nations & cooperation. regulation so we can trade safely. and we should demand that our voices are heard.
The alternative is closed doors and not knowing.
The 'sociopaths' rub their hands in glee when people say it is not for them.
Extend the constitution or a form of it to the world is one way.
Human rights must be included too.
marsCubed 1 year ago
@marsCubed its not about Human Rights its about International Banks, World Taxes and False Flag Wars. Basically Power.
Whatever happens I'm sure they will ignore there own laws just like the U.S did with the "United Nations Convention Against Torture".
doom3099 1 year ago
@doom3099 Asimov would be embarrassed of the U.N. right now.
doom3099 1 year ago
@doom3099 Whether they ignore laws is up to us too.
Having an open politics and generally carrying on with the democratization the web and other debates gives us. enables us to shame them into sanity. It is becoming more the fact that leaders are called to account, they pay for disaster with wrecked careers at the very least.
And, importantly, if they go scam it just breeds more problems for all of us, including the corps, in the long run.
Peace, trade, fairness & cooperation work
marsCubed 1 year ago
@MechaBlazeEagle you're right, but people just do something together if there is a power to control them. It's not my word, it's Jhon Lock's word, he said that in the 17 century, and I agree with him. Altought I would like it wasn't that way.
aburabr 2 years ago
That's contradictory, you agree with him but you wish it wasn't that way - huh?!?!
MechaBlazeEagle 2 years ago
One thing is agree with him, other thing is deserve it wasn't true, and this deserve is my wish.
aburabr 2 years ago
What a great human being and a great humanist.
His carrot is coming true...most nations cooperate on space efforts now.
skyblazer7 2 years ago 2
Alex Jones was right! They want the NWO!
Michelle Bachmann was declared crazy, but it is really what they want to do!
I accidentally concur with Asimov, just saying that what the truth is, is so far from the conscious mind of the normal person that truth sayers and people taking on the truth sayers are considered nuts.
hyperseauton 2 years ago 3
First order of business of the 1st Foundation, post Mule: Find and Destroy the 2nd Foundation.
Much is made of the 'Mule': a superman that blew his law of large numbers calculations to hell.
But there was not one but TWO improbable supermen: Hari Seldon himself was an anamoly, unpredicted by Psychohistory. Two improbabilities in less than 300 years of Galactic history.
falstoffe 2 years ago
Asimov's solution to the human crisis: an open society of technologically advanced traders that dominates the poor, and secret society of master mathematicians that dominate the open society.
Here's the catch: In both cases he over-estimates the goodness of of the dominators and manipulators. Even he could not write a credible ending, where the 1st Foundation ends up being any better than the Empire it replaced.
He had end it with a psychic robot 'nanny over all' that wasn't human.
falstoffe 2 years ago 3
Daneel Olivaw was not human. Yet he invented a 'zeroth law' on his own that made him care for people more than people cared for themselves. And he had eternal longevity, timelessly overseeing both Foundations.
In short: Asimov solved the problem of the Foundation becoming another Empire by inventing a God.
falstoffe 2 years ago
Advanced robots could replace the need for humans to be burdened by manual labor.
Then humans could fully concentrate on enjoying life.
MechaBlazeEagle 2 years ago
@MechaBlazeEagle: Asimov thought otherwise. In 'Robots of Dawn' and 'Robots and Empire', Dr. Falstoffe (yes, that's where my handle comes from) and Giskard realize that the absence of manual labor and 'enjoying life' was causing spacer society to decay.
Spacers weren't moving forward spiritually, were becoming lazy. In the end, that's why they sided with the more shortlived, mortal settlers of the non-robotic Earth, instead of the Spacers.
Having everything you want ain't everything.
falstoffe 2 years ago
Yes I understand .
I don't mean humanity should decay & become lazy. Just use advanced robots for manual labor then humans can fully concentrate on improving their intelligence, physical capabilities & spiritualness.
Manual labor while obviouslly necessary, It distracts us from devotng our full attention to the improvement & advancement of humanity.
MechaBlazeEagle 2 years ago
agreed. by the way this is what I always say (dont remember where i heard it) war today is all about Mutual Agreement and Destruction. we talk it out peacfully or kill everyone on earth...cause if 1 person launches a nuke then everyone is gonna launch nukes and send the world into a worldwide fallout.
ninja1507 2 years ago 3
Yeah, if a species seize to evolve(in any way, let be socially or genetically etc) means that it cant adapt to new environments, but environments are constantly changing, so eventually they will extinct.
kicsiqki 1 year ago
@5:00 "Because immediately after the civil war came the period of the opening of the west, the development of the west".
I like Asimov but he always suffered from a completely myopic vision of the past. This is exactly how the manifest destiny of western culture expansion is usually portrayed as "development". Instead of the genocide that it was. Why? Because people would squirm in their seats if they have to acknowledge that our civilization sits upon the bones of many victims.
MrDeadInMyPocket 2 years ago
So when we all cheer Asimov's idea of Foundation and Empire lets not pretend that it is merely excuses for our policies of imperialistic expansion defended as necessary or benevolent.
It is always claimed that to bring true empire is necessary, as it always has been. But those empires in the search to bring the civil to civilization are always at the forefront in dispensing the greatest misery on the human species. Empire is the call here... EMPIRE! and your applause are deafening to me.
MrDeadInMyPocket 2 years ago 3
Reasons for Alternative Energy:
*Energy Independence
*Preserve rainforest
*Creating new, domestic jobs (can not be outsourced)
*Cleaner water and agriculture
*Healthier children (empirical research: autism and developmentally disabled births increasing)
*Ecosystem sustainability (preservation of parks)
*Renewable resources (less landfills which almost
all inevitably leak toxics into water and environment)
1pocho3000 2 years ago
When there is an earth government and economy, we should remember this speech and mint a coin with his face on it, and under it write "Asimov"
mastablack47 2 years ago 2
Political Power = Gravitational Entropy. The life of political power is much like the life of a star, with productive people as the hydrogen.
It feeds on itself, and the larger it is, the hungrier it gets. The more bound you are to it. The sun is only a good thing if you are a comfortable distance away from it, and there is zero diversity, and zero freedom, in a Blackhole.
If there is too much mass and not enough productive fuel remaining, the political power will violently go nova.
falstoffe 2 years ago 3
his foundation and robot stories were the first real novels i read. i did not realise at the time that my outlook on life was being informed by a decent and logical philosophy. to this day i still dream of a simple life, uncluttered by the empty drivel of pop culture. i think ol' mother nature is about ready to give us the shit kicking of our lives. all those nay saying oil junkies should go live in the maldives ;b
poysian67 2 years ago
you're right isaac!
kennethgasser 2 years ago
Asimov was a great and prescient strategic thinker. He was also a delightful man who enjoyed humour and song and his fellow human beings. I deeply regret never having met him in person, but I feel that I know him through his many, many works.
gilraen789 2 years ago
Indeed, I had a good chance many years ago through a mutual friend before his death and have regretted that lost chance since. One of my favorite writers, both fiction and science.
candr 2 years ago
Freeing the minds and efforts of humankind is the only way we'll survive. We won't do it by enslaving ourselves to oligarchies, nevermind an entrenched worldwide oligarchy.
RPFS2008 2 years ago
If an animal had to find out what our rules and morals were they would be so confused! I think it's true that since we are international a global village it doesn't make sense that we are all huddled in our little groups pushing and prodding and resisting each other. Wars are silly, pointless and only cause pain. All people need to do is open their minds, create a new set of global rules and morals and SWEAT and WORK to create a humane, ecological and self sufficiant planet. Or death to all.
TheRaGiTe 2 years ago 3
To not be selfish is not complicated. For a group of people to say, well, I won't cut this forest is not complicated. Unselfishness is simple. You don't need big brother to tell you not to be selfish. What will big brother do? Tax you until no one has MONETARY resources?
holeymoley24 2 years ago 2
very well said. what a genius
giggitygoo619 2 years ago 2
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World government? NO THANKS! I would rather go extinct.
Sciuser10 2 years ago
and you probably will, too.
martinvsyolat3ngo 2 years ago 4
I know. I don't care.
Sciuser10 2 years ago
Liar!
JohnHasSeriousQ 2 years ago
Is life at any price worth it to you? What if the "world government" decides that you and your family only deserve $3.00 per day to give the 1 billion living on $1.00 per day a chance to "catch up"? Are the proponents offering you a seat at the table? Are they offering you the right to make local environmental protection laws? Do you trust the Bushes, Kerrys, etc., and all the other rich bastards to make these decisions for you? John has more questions.
Sciuser10 2 years ago 3
I'm not fond of the idea of world government and world laws, but a big space project like the one Asimov mentioned could be a potentially rewarding effort for all of humanity.
xiz22 2 years ago 4
It would matter what the world government and world laws would entail.
I could go for a government that guaranteed jobs, healthcare and education for all; I would give up certain freedoms for it, like the freedom to exploit others labor, the opportunity to get rich, or some inheritance rights, etc.
JohnHasSeriousQ 2 years ago
OK, people are talking about it, rich people. Have they given you a seat at the table? Are you being represented in your national government to your satisfaction?
If not, what makes you think a world government would represent you? It would certainly give you less representation than your national government. What about the 1 billion living on less than $1.00 per day? Would a world government take from you to help them? Think, about your family, your kids, maybe. What about them?
Sciuser10 2 years ago
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Globalism makes all the little people slaves. Paying taxes to the few who control power. It won't work Asimov. Ever think of that? Your not so smart. Just a dreamer.
Niacin11 2 years ago
it shows you didn't even got to the end of the video.
martinvsyolat3ngo 2 years ago 2
RATE THE VIDEO.
newexperiment 2 years ago
Thank you very much KingKahnTV for posting this master piece.
ventrue1 2 years ago
Isaac Asimov was a man of considerable intelligence, wisdom and culture. Indeed, he was a very great man. He was the speaker and the popularizer of all the scientists that don't speak up. The Green House Effect is a good example. In the 70' already, scientists knew about the G.H.E. but the Oil lobbying was, is and will be very strong... Moreover, American people, in their majority, are ignorant, narcissistic and trivial. Anyway, Asimov is right: Overpopulation, Pollutionand Deforestationmuststop
ventrue1 2 years ago 4
Great Mind!.
sirfreakman 2 years ago 2
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gmaloney5 2 years ago
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Poor man he is a complete nut, he is a globalist a weak pathetic fearfull man who promotes global tyranny instead of liberty and individuality, the founding fathers of the US would be sad if they could see these coward scare-monger crap. We have betrayed all liberty fighters in human history. God have mercy cause we most pay, and there will be hell to pay. Ofcourse he has to give you some hope some hope for something in the very far future were you will never be able to see it.
adrianfi7 2 years ago
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THANK YOU!!!! Finally someone who understands that Isaac Asimov is a pile of crap. Don't get me wrong, his science fiction stuff is ok. But it's just that, FICTION!!! Geeks and nerds will always preach "BUT IF SCIENCE FICTION SAYS IT, IT MUST BE TRUE" I tell you they're worse than christians.
DimebagVision 2 years ago
yea like our founding fathers where in a great position to, O look we found gold lets exploit it, O look we found oil lets create the gas behemoth, O look we have more than enough trees we don't need so many, listen I hope you have changed your mind in the last three months if you haven't I don want to start something that end in You saying I was right piss off and go read a book other than how the kkk came to the us
BarmielNagisa 2 years ago
Great video. Thanks for posting.
Snoopies622 2 years ago 4
It was good, Asimov is awesome.
syrus3k 2 years ago 2
wise words but as yet unheeded! sad but true! 35,000 yrs of tech. and we still can't see beyond our hatred!
shamanorak 2 years ago 2
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States are the problem not the solution. The powerless confederation btw, enabled a bunch of peasants to defeat the british army.
+
Man I'm kinda disappointed this guy is one of my heroes. I can't stand this cultish humanism.
j4ck2234 3 years ago
AS I MOVE....the spirit of the universe spoke thru good old Isaac...
funniest thing was when i saw japan name thier robot prototype..ASIMO?...
wow..destiny?
or a credit to the father of the three laws?
wish Asimov and F. Buckminster Fuller had got together...
what a team..what they could have done...
we should have made them king of the world for a four year term, ..first and second speaker..
they could flip an octahedral coin each day..lol
figure the odds of that..
now we have? who?
lanagual 3 years ago 4
Al Gore
RedSaint83 3 years ago
Watching this makes me think - Harry Seldon, and, Time Vault.
It's a shame there aren't more videos of Isaac (or is it Harry?) on the internet, he would have been in his element in the age of the web as a communicator if he had lived to have seen it.
What an inspiration. I propose that on the anniversary of Isaac's birthday, the 2nd of January each year, anybody who has felt touched by Isaac's writing or lectures - goes out of their way to do a good deed in his memory.
Agreed?
archsceptic 3 years ago 7
one of the greatest minds on Earth!
cgn1fcance 3 years ago 25
Miracles do happen but not all the time. Sweat,effort, thoughts happen all the time on a constant basis.
alienpatentoffice 3 years ago
No, miracles really really do not happen.
Woofsie 2 years ago 4
My friend, I appreciate your opinion. Your young, just 17, when you get to my age, reflect what you have said here. I have commented base on actual experiences. Have a good day!
alienpatentoffice 2 years ago
Life itself is a miracle. Science is another miracle. Technology is yet another miracle.
MechaBlazeEagle 2 years ago
"Miracles don't happen, sweat happens, effort happens, thoughts happen"
Now that is truth
Darthwillburr 3 years ago 18
truly beautiful words Mr. Asimov. I wish you were here and i wish Carl Sagan was here too. They would stand in utter awe at the filth that just keeps piling up on this once magnificent 'pale blue dot.'
quietAtheist20 3 years ago 3
here here! I miss Mr. Segan too. a sad loss for humanity!
shamanorak 2 years ago 2
Does anyone else agree with me when I say that a science fiction author like this would make a great president?
oobleck999 3 years ago 7
Unfortunately, there is only one person who is quite like Isaac Asimov.
SSBDelphiki 3 years ago
If he'd be elected for a president, we'd miss on all his great sci-fi titles (or at least few of them). On conclusion, I rather have him as a great author...and I think he'd agree. As an author he's appreciated by vast majority, as a president, between the opposition, media, Congress and Senat he'd be critisized to death and waste a great talent. Asimov being not born in US couldn't candidate anyway.
ispyonu111 3 years ago
A Carrot is in the eye of the beholder.
homerthompsonman 3 years ago
"miracles don't happen, sweat happens . . ."
Great comment from a great man !!
However, humanism is too anthropocentric !! What about other species ?? Maybe we need a more ecocentric worldview.
Also his 'space/power station' type solution is very technocratic solution.
myth2005 3 years ago 4
Yes, Humanism is anthropocentric. Human's are the answer to human caused problems.
KingKahnTV 3 years ago 2
I agree that humans are the answer to human caused problems but by being purely anthropocentric humanity is blind to ecological values.
I believe incorportating ecological concerns (e.g. like triple bottom line accounting) is the only way to go forward.
myth2005 3 years ago
Humanism needs to be made broader to include other species needs (e.g. a forest provides more than timber and jobs, it also includes vital habitat and biodiversity and also provides many important ecological functions that we may not yet even understand, much less see their real value). By only valuing nature in human terms, we have caused many of the problems we now face.
We need sustainable development (i.e. within the limits of our Earth) and we all need to live sustainably too.
myth2005 3 years ago
@myth2005
"a very technocratic solution"
There are nothing but technocratic solutions.
You're living in a technocratic world, and always will unless it destroys itself.
Get used to it.
As Isaac once wrote, all large scale social change is, *without exception*, ultimately driven by technological progress -even when superficially it may appear that this is not the case.
polymath7 1 year ago 3
What I think about this man is that he let to the world the gift of openness towards superior sapience, no matter the quantity -of his gift. That's something I'll always respect.
Krazeel 3 years ago 3
Asimov was an excellent writer. I've got quite a few of his books in my library. I thank KingKahnTV for posting this video (and part 1) on YouTube.
WOLF333999 3 years ago 2
Politician? Nah. Asimov would have made a great statesman.
WOLF333999 3 years ago