by Redemption
"I hope so too, but I doubt it," said Andrew. "In my paper I refer to some of the inhibiting, you might say debilitating factors. We are not coping with rapid change and stress. Our abilities and willpower have been weakened by insidious influences - such as TV. People want and expect more, faster, easier. They are driven by slick, simplistic images and advertising far removed from real life. 'Significant' events - sensational, humorous, violent, happen every fifteen seconds otherwise it's not a good show. Life's not like that. I don't consider religion was that good as a set of guidelines, but it was far better and less dangerous than the box-in-the-corner poison."
"Again I can't disagree. What then does your paper say about solutions? Your words of wisdom?"
"If I had the solutions I'd be richer than Kent," Andrew laughed. "Nobody knows realistic answers. All I can hope for is to point people in the right direction so research can be done and answers found. Briefly, what I will be recommending is to set up a major international body for extensive research into problems and their causes. Based on information found, the body would then make recommendations for concerted action to resolve the problems."
"What are the chances of, firstly, getting it up and going, and, secondly, getting results?" asked Cameron.
"To be effective it will need to be staffed by experts from a range of disciplines. So it will be neither simple nor inexpensive to assemble. It will take several years to begin to bear fruit - Utopia won't be built in a day you might say. So the cost over time will be in the mega-millions. Getting contributions from governments won't be easy and will depend on convincing them that costs to the world will be far higher if they don't take this action.
"Making it work is another matter. I have sufficient faith in man's abilities that if we look hard enough collectively we will find solutions, but it may need some drastic changes, particularly in the way we think and behave."
"I agree," said Cameron. "But let's face it, you can't change human nature. On more than one occasion in the past you've said that fear and greed rule. That's been bred in over millions of years - you can't upend it in a generation or two."
"We can try," said Andrew, weakly and without conviction.
"It is absurd though, and it worries me," Cameron went on, "that as a so-called civilisation we put a man on the moon decades ago but still can't handle our basic sociological difficulties. Technology is a monster in fast-forward, sociology is a midget in slow motion, and our living is sometimes in reverse. If our culture could catch up with and be as advanced as our technology then a lot of our problems wouldn't exist."
"Possibly so. Alternatively there is a line of argument that says if we can't handle technological developments responsibly we should hold back advances in technology until we can."
"Latter-day Luddite!" exclaimed Cameron. "Technology is vilified unjustly. The world is so much better today because of technology - in health, longevity, communications, standard of living. Technology is more part of the solution than part of the problem, much more. Our difficulties are not the fault of technology but the way people use or misuse it, or fail to use it. It would be immeasurably preferable to upgrade ourselves so as to be able to use technology properly, wisely. 'The fault, dear Brutus, is not in the stars, but in ourselves.' Teach people to drive well rather than have someone walk in front of every car with a red flag."
"If only it were so simple," said Andrew, sighing. "The world is a complex place, and untangling the mess is a major ask. The only thing obvious is that there are no obvious solutions."
"Yes, but we are a creative race, we should be able to find ways. I'd like to think my research is a small example of how things could improve."
"Right on all three counts," said Andrew enthusiastically. "Although… has Kent talked to you about your work?"
As Cameron looked up from the paper Andrew's voice slowed perceptibly. "I mean, he ought to leave scientific things to scientific people… He has a view that what you are doing - saving people from dying - is against the laws of natural selection and will help to weaken the human race. Anti-Darwinian, as it were."
"The bastard," Cameron laughed. "Wait till I see him next time."
"He'll probably only try to rile you," said Andrew. "By the way, before I forget, those papers you are drawing up for people to - ah - offer their bodies for your research in the event they ever get into a coma that's seemingly intractable… "
"Yes?" said Cameron expectantly.
"I'd like to be the first to sign up," said Andrew slapping him on the back.
~
Prior to the conference they sat down to a dinner prepared by Sylvia. Kent had flown in on his private jet, accompanied by Xena Peron, his personal assistant. Svelte and sexy, Xena had led Cameron on occasions to wonder how personal her services to Kent might be and the ways in which she actually assisted him. He fantasised about being in Kent's position - commercially and otherwise.
Andrew had e-mailed a copy of his presentation to Kent and was keen to get his reaction. "A lot of waffle," was the first broadside. "It's not forceful enough to get anybody excited. And your proposals are totally fanciful."
Satisfied by the startled reaction to his opening remarks he continued. "I suppose its not too bad really - as far as it goes. The trouble is it doesn't go far enough. Never does with you Andy. Fine writing, great text, polished. Words are a great substitute for action - deferring, excusing, putting up a smokescreen. All talk and no useful action, nothing constructive. We'll never get any positive change in this world until somebody actually does something productive - stick their necks out and back their judgement, with conviction.
"Typical!" said Andrew, "How about being specific for a change. Do you agree with the problems?"
"Of course. Except they're more serious than you believe."
"And the urgency?"
"Definitely. But things are going to have to get even worse before they start getting better. Human nature. And getting a world body of experts together, even if you can find the money, is ridiculous. Right up academic alley - all talk, lots of posturing and preening, everybody being very busy, mountains of paper and molehills of constructive results. The world will be a deserted desert before anything useful churns out the end of that sausage machine. If the planet was an animal it would have been put down by a sympathetic cosmic-vet long ago."
"You're always so helpful," mocked Sylvia. Over the years she had grown increasingly intolerant of Kent's obsession with wealth and power. "You're the doer in the family, what would you do to help the world?"
"Help the world? I thought you knew me better than that, dear Sylvia. I have too much on my plate doing down-to-earth useful things like developing resources and making jobs for people and coping with all the regulations imposed on performers by lefties than to spend my time chasing ghosts in search of pipe dreams."
"The world is too full of free-loaders," purred Xena. "If we didn't have so many people abusing welfare and afraid to do a good day's work… and who might occasionally think of their responsibilities instead of their rights all the time… then we wouldn't have so many problems. There are too many people trying to live off the system and not enough doing their fair share.
"And that's to the detriment of the 'unfortunates', and God knows there's a host of them who really need help. As in a lot of life, it's the abusers and cheats who by association give the genuine disadvantaged a bad name in the eyes of those who have the assets to help them and who might otherwise do so. With all our high-tech prowess, why can't we catch the bludgers?"
In her tight black outfit she looked to both Cameron and Andrew as more 'personal' than 'assistant'. It wasn't till later in their association with her they were to see that she possessed abundant intellect and abilities to match her looks.
"And you haven't got where you are today," Sylvia asked of Kent, ignoring Xena, without "working the system?"
"I work within the system Sylvia. Everything I do is cleared by my lawyers. I have nothing to hide or be
ashamed of."
"Well that's your business," interjected Cameron, wanting to change the subject. "Most of us don't need to consult a smart lawyer because we're not sailing that close to the wind." Going on quickly before anyone could speak, "I thought it might be interesting to back our views by making predictions for the twenty-first century as to where we think the world will be in, say, thirty years time."
With murmured assent he continued. "I believe by the year 2050 things will have started to turn around. Let me be provocative by saying the technologies will have invaded the social sciences and instilled sufficient fibre and discipline to start achieving progress. Man's problems have been created by man and I have faith they can be solved by man."
"That's far too simplistic." said Andrew. "My colleagues would be aghast. I predict human civilisation will not allow itself to be robbed of its progress and plunged back into the Dark Ages. I am confident reason and sanity will prevail, we will see through the complexities, and in a generation or so we will have in place an advanced regime of co-operative effort, based on an inter-related multi-level 'systems' approach, that will begin to unwind our problems."
Eyes turned to Kent. "That's breathtaking," he said sarcastically. "So the answers for you two are somehow going to pop out of the woodwork? Or appear by osmosis? By talking about it? Answers that nobody has been able to conjure up for aeons? While all the adverse trends are getting worse, by your own admission? You are a pair of ostriches.
"No. A generation from now the world will be far worse off. None of the problems you have talked about will have been properly addressed let alone resolved. There will have been oceans of talk, multitudes of conferences and assemblages of learned people, but that won't halt the slide down the slippery slope. Mind you, it would help a lot if everybody, as Xena suggested, accepted responsibility and got off their butts and put their efforts into doing their jobs properly.
"Let me say it as plainly as I can. If nobody does anything constructive, nobody gets anything worthwhile. If individuals do not achieve, society does not achieve. If no person takes a forward step, neither does society. Bigness is a growing problem - I have to be aware of it in my own company. The bigger the organisation, the less likely solutions will come from within. And there are too many vested interests working against cooperation. (He couldn't suppress a small smile as they stared pointedly at him.) Yet I don't oppose change, unlike most others. I study it and live off it, like any sensible person with guts would do.
"No, the four horsemen of the apocalypse have mounted and are already at a canter. They won't be affected in the least by the make-believe efforts of the assemblage tomorrow. You're all wasting your time." And mine as well, he chose to infer, although he had his own undisclosed reasons for attending this particular conference.
Sylvia spoke quietly. "I hope common sense prevails and you have some capable women there. Too often it's a contest between those who want to destroy the rich and those who want to blame the poor. The old dialogue of the deaf. I agree with part of what Cam said. Most of the world's problems were caused by men and it's going to need both men and women to resolve them. Add a little common sense and feeling and caring and, dare we hope, compassion, to all that machismo.
"And don't forget the young people," she added, with a frown. "They are our future, as everyone knows. But they see no worthwhile role in what they will inherit, no future worth having. They detect a confused moral structure and see relationship breakdowns, depression. Life has little meaning or purpose, so why not disengage from the futility of it all?"
"Well said," chipped in Xena as she rose. "Mr Buchanan, I suggest if you are going to be at your best to engage in this stimulating conference you should retire early."
"Agreed," said Kent also rising. "Thank you for the evening. The quality of your food, Sylvia, was exceeded only by the brilliance of the conversation."
~
As Kent guided Xena from the room with his hand around her waist, Bzzt had settled down for the night, ready for tomorrow's continuing search for a new colony location. She had no high-level conference to attend. There was no need. Just more work and exploring. Certainly not a day of drama, havoc, disaster, death and near-death.
CHAPTER 3 Like a butterfly.
Kent was not enjoying the conference. Although he had allowed himself to be manoeuvred on to the panel by Cameron and knew he would not relish it, the proceedings were even more irritating, long-winded and frustrating than he expected. He endured the detailed and meticulous presentations with their artistic illustrations and consummate delivery. Altogether brilliantly organised, professionally presented and… useless. The more detailed and 'beautiful' they were, the more he was upset. Andrew's paper had been received with great enthusiasm as if its mere delivery meant problems were being minimised or overcome.
Other speakers enlarged on the problems, with the direst predictions receiving the greatest applause. Kent slipped out from time to time to make calls to his far-flung empire. At coffee break he singled out Johnson Phillips, chairman of ABA Corporation, world leader in information technology, a co-member of the panel and the real reason for Kent's attendance.
"What do you think of the conference so far?" asked Kent.
"Ho hum," was the reply. "What's a successful entrepreneur like you doing at a talkfest like this?"
"Broadening my outlook," offered Kent, keeping to himself the real reason which was to explore a major corporate diversification into a technology with a strong future. His staff had researched in depth and this was the industry, the company and the man. His views on many subjects were similar to Kent's, and the opportunity arising from Cameron"s invitation to share a world stage with him was too great to resist.
After brief small-talk they joined the others for more presentations and the first panel session. The chairman of the panel introduced its members and gave an overview of the morning's talks before handing over to panel members for comment. What emerged was accumulated anger at the unsatisfactory world situation, denial of any responsibility or fallibility on the part of participants, and allocation of blame - to multinational companies, capitalists, international conspiracies, the government, political foes, foreigners, the ubiquitous 'they'.
Kent was the last to speak and he determined to say, not unusually, exactly how he felt. His initial remarks defended against criticisms of the mining industry, reminding that without metals they would not be enjoying their current standard of living, they would have been tired from walking to the conference and it would be difficult to see in the candlelight. "And most of you would not be able to hear me without this microphone.
"But, seriously, if controls and limitations were imposed to the extent required by environmentalists and do-gooders your cost of living would rise dramatically and, I suggest, unacceptably.
"With regard to this morning's talks I comment only to the effect that the world's problems are even wider and deeper than has been suggested. I look forward with great interest to this afternoon's solutions."
At the lunch break Kent enticed an all-too-willing Johnson Phillips to a private dining room where he began the first steps of his intricate plan for a business liaison.
Andrew's annoyance at Kent's disappearance was reflected in his consumption of wine. As the afternoon presentations wore on he suspected Johnson Phillips and Kent were hatching something. The last speaker concluded with: "What we must instil is a sense of human solidarity, an intuitive relatedness to the world. We need richer philosophical, historical and scientific insights, complemented by a resurgent spirituality. Our enhanced future is to be found in a reconstructed economic sensitivity, within the context of an environmental maturity and expanded planetary consciousness." The applause was explosive, creating a sense of bonhomie for the final panel session.
Phillips spoke first. "We have now had a full day on the topic and I hope you will allow me the liberty of being a little contentious - in the spirit of stimulating useful debate of course. Listening to th
e speakers I have been filled with awe at their command of the English language. Unfortunately… their loquacity is undone by their verbosity, and the height of their hyperbole is matched by the dearth of their practical solutions. I hear and understand that the world today stands on the brink of a precipice. Tomorrow, you tell me, we must take a great leap forward. Not a pretty picture!
"The problem side has been painted in great detail. Not a difficult task because the evidence is there plainly for anyone who bothers to look. However the solution side, I have to say, is sketchy in the extreme. Too tentative, too facile, not practical. All asking for government money, more of the same, nothing new. Which, I suggest, will do little to halt current trends or solve today's problems - which cannot be solved by today's thinking and institutions - let alone tomorrow's. The band-aid behemoth trundles on - despite these rhetorical intellectualisms - or perhaps because of them.
"Education is referred to as one of the saviours, which it could and should be. But not in its current form where I see it as part of the problem, delivering stunted graduates when it could do so much. Educated incapacity. Would-be thinkers who can't do. Knowledge by itself is not power - it has to be translated into useful action. My Human Relations Manager pats himself on the back as he tells me we are getting high quality graduates, the best there is. I tell him they may be the best compared with other graduates, but I strongly question their fundamental useful quality after all those years of classroom 'education' when we have to spend a fortune before they begin to pay their way.
"The world situation is perilous and worsening. Speaking in the collective sense, we are languishing in a bath of incompetence the temperature of which is being raised by problems of the planet. Like the proverbial frog we don't and won't notice the temperature rising until too late and then, to mix metaphors, our goose will be cooked. Our wishful thinking is fantastic - in the original sense of the word - and our impotence is palpable. Too many people have their heads in the sand and, I fear, sand in their heads."