In contrast, our societies today instead try to maximize consumption, which devalues our people as they get softer, flabbier and, even, fail to reproduce.

This does not mean consumption as measured by economists, in dollars, although there is substantial overlap. It means consumption in the sense of satisfaction of individual human appetites, eventually to the detriment of the whole human being and his or her society.

The most unimaginably challenging megaprojects are not even interplanetary, but interstellar. A civilization genuinely committed to undertaking such projects would finally generate the political capital necessary to streamline the economy, eliminate rent-seeking, and solve a million other minor and major problems, annoyances, and inefficiencies. It would also finally generate demand for human beings and therefore offer the possibility of solving the fertility crisis.

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[–] GrouchyGrouse@hexbear.net 8 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Oh my fucking god

It would also finally generate demand for human beings

We still have that! We never lost that! People still want kids! And they want them because they want kids not some lofty interstellar jerk off session.

It would also finally generate demand for human beings

Author telling on themselves here. Just because nobody wants to be around them and their shitty idea doesn't mean society is collapsing.

It would also finally generate demand for human beings

Just Jesus fucking christ what a stupid fucking thing to think up let alone share

generate demand for human beings

Fucking go call your mother and just apologize. You don't have to explain why. But we both know it's the right course of action.

[–] D61@hexbear.net 5 points 6 days ago

It would also finally generate demand for human beings

ron-devouring-his-pudding

[–] PKMKII@hexbear.net 4 points 6 days ago

Deeply, deeply unserious people

[–] PolandIsAStateOfMind@lemmygrad.ml 14 points 1 week ago

Liberal futurism and fascist visions, name a more iconic duo

[–] Sinisterium@hexbear.net 10 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Humans expand their population aka have more children when resources aka material conditions allow for it/make it beneficial. If people are not having enough kids then it means it is not beneficial for them to do so/they can not afford it (huh who could have guessed).

But apparently this scientific approach comes in contrast to the consistent pearl clutching over human reproduction endorsed by l*bs

[–] Des@hexbear.net 9 points 1 week ago (2 children)

been working on some speculative fiction lately and my near future scenario is basically "Earth does world socialist government, material conditions improve for all over a generation, huge baby boom as people have hope again".

then the capitalists that fled into space to scrape by try to lure off some of that boomer generation with promises of adventure and fun (more like indentured servitude, being worked to death, and radiation poisoning). colonies come into being, followed by worker revolutions, rinse and repeat

seems like the only viable way for interstellar colonization to even happen

[–] Sinisterium@hexbear.net 7 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Its a unique story. But I don’t think its impossible for a socialist government to explore and set bases outside earth. There were a lot of plans by the soviets for that (like beaming down energy from orbital solar collectors)

[–] Des@hexbear.net 1 points 6 days ago

Oh they do just later after Earth's climate situation is stabilized. They make moves into space initially for pure exploration but also to counter the growing capitalist space colonies and prevent them from controlling high orbital, Earth-Moon system, and the inner planets.

and they allow revolutionary youth to join up with the space capitalists with the deliberate intent of fomenting revolution and organizing.

i really need to get to writing this just need more time outlining and read some more sci-fi to get my writing skills back.

[–] The_Filthy_Commie@lemmygrad.ml 3 points 6 days ago

If we think about the world today, and we extrapolate that to the stars, it's gonna be an endless cycle of space colonies fighting back for independence from a US dominated Earth. The same model of global south exploitation by the global north, but this time from the Earth siphoning off from the moons and planets abroad. It would make the concept of the imperial core and the periphery literal, orbital, as a Ptolemaic model of imperialism.

[–] FlakesBongler@hexbear.net 9 points 1 week ago (1 children)

South Korea, despite being small, outproduces the USA

Gee, I wonder why...

[–] D61@hexbear.net 3 points 6 days ago

South Korea, despite being small, outproduces the USA

Who's consuming what they're producing? honk

Who the fuck is consuming what they're producing? big-honk

[–] falgscode@hexbear.net 7 points 1 week ago

finally generate the political capital

jagoff