“Suicide by leaping from a tall office block during times of recession is a myth spawning from the old century. After Octavo A. committed murder-suicide when he jumped to his death and skull crashed his former boss, an event he shared with a billion people to date, the practice has become the past time for fatalists, pessimists and miscreants alike. At one point during the deepest part of the depression, around recession nadir seven, a suicide a day was purported to have occurred. Now when you look outside a window and see some poor devil flying down to zeroland, one can’t help but think, are the gangs now disguising their murders as splatterjobs.”
“This is why we have five internet platforms right now. When hacker/pirates created the Angry Tree Protocol it hamstrung the original Cobweb. Two secure, private networks emerged from the anarchy. One using optical technology, the other satellite-based, they tried to monetise information to the point of squeezing the average citizen out of the educational loop. Next thing you know, Episoft’s peer-to-peer system gives free access back to the people. Not as good as Definition+ as provided by Satnet and Ambercast, but I invested my client’s money in them anyway. Look at them now.”
The depression has endured for 22 years; fuelled by ecological wars brought on by extreme climate change, i.e. drought and flooding. Now, as the nadir of the ninth recession grips the world, the warring parties have finally run out of hard currency.
Officially, all the warring factions are still at war, but technically, their military campaigns have stalled. The arms industry finds it unprofitable to keep supplying weapons to penniless factions as promised resource assets are almost never delivered or hardly secure.
Now, towards the end of the depression, the corporate sector has built up mercenary armies in an effort to secure these resources. This added security has helped ease the depression, by allowing the bankster class to make money again.
The thirty years of economic recession have had profound consequences on businesses and industries, decimating commercial brands, leading to a staggering decline of 96.3 per cent.
During a prolonged economic recession, businesses often struggle to maintain profitability due to reduced consumer spending, tightening credit, and increased operating costs. Many companies were forced to close their doors or declare bankruptcy, unable to sustain their operations in a challenging economic climate. This resulted in a significant reduction in the number of commercial brands, as companies fail to weather the economic storm.
Prolonged economic recessions typically lead to reduced consumer purchasing power, as unemployment rates rise, incomes stagnate, and consumer confidence wanes. As a result, consumer demand for non-essential goods and services diminishes, causing a decline in sales and revenues for businesses. With a shrinking customer base, many brands struggled to generate sufficient demand to sustain their operations, further contributing to their decline and disappearance from the market.
Surviving businesses sought strategies to weather the storm. One common approach was mergers and acquisitions, leading to industry consolidation. Larger, more financially stable companies acquired struggling brands, absorbing their assets and intellectual property. Consequently, the number of commercial brands would decrease as independent entities are absorbed or integrated into larger conglomerates.
Most brands struggled to pivot their business models, update their products or services, or meet changing consumer demands. This inability to adapt could contribute to their downfall and eventual disappearance from the market. Lack of innovation and failure to address evolving consumer conditions led to the inevitable collapse of most brands during an unforeseeable prolonged economic downturn.
“As a new generation adapts to the new oral technology, literacy rates are set to plunge within the next two decades. Already the cheaper manifestations of zoids have made it unnecessary for a vast number of humans to read or write. With the cost of education skyrocketing, the use of language will inevitably devolved into what it was millennia ago.”
With the advent of new oral technologies, the ability to communicate and access information has become more convenient and intuitive. Speech recognition software, virtual assistants, and voice-controlled devices have made it easier for individuals to interact with technology using spoken commands. As these technologies become increasingly affordable and integrated into everyday life, there is a likelihood that reading and writing skills will become less necessary for basic communication and information retrieval.
The increasing accessibility of oral technology may lead to a decline in literacy rates. As more individuals rely on spoken communication and voice-based interfaces, the motivation and necessity to acquire strong reading and writing skills may diminish. This could result in reduced emphasis on literacy education, leading to a decline in the overall literacy levels within the population. Such a decline could have significant consequences for individual opportunities, economic productivity, and the ability to engage critically with written information.
Education
Another contributing factor to the potential decline in literacy rates is the escalating cost of education. Higher education and even basic literacy programs have become increasingly unaffordable for many individuals, particularly in marginalized communities. The prohibitive costs restrict access to quality education, perpetuating educational inequalities and limiting opportunities for individuals to develop essential literacy skills. Consequently, those who are unable to afford education may become more reliant on oral technology, further marginalizing the importance of reading and writing.
If literacy rates decline significantly, it is possible that language could evolve and revert to a state reminiscent of ancient times. Millennia ago, societies relied heavily on oral traditions and verbal communication for transmitting knowledge and preserving cultural heritage. With the increasing prominence of oral technology, written language may become less prevalent, and the emphasis on spoken communication may rise. This could lead to shifts in linguistic structures, vocabulary, and the use of non-verbal communication, as society adapts to a new norm that prioritizes oral forms of information exchange.
While the proliferation of oral technologies has undoubtedly transformed communication and information access, concerns regarding declining literacy rates and language evolution are valid. It is essential to strike a balance between embracing technological advancements and preserving the crucial skills associated with reading and writing. Maintaining robust literacy education programs and making education more affordable and accessible will be pivotal in mitigating the potential negative consequences. By ensuring that individuals are equipped with strong literacy skills alongside oral technological literacy, society can navigate the evolving landscape and foster a future that values both oral and written forms of communication.
“I think we in the Old West had a few decades to improve the economic model and failed to do so, so now we have lost the game.” – zassygirl19
“All of the end-of-the-world scenarios such as economic collapse will be in response to the government’s actions. The government is the biggest threat to the city-state especially when you have people like Edwards and Dochersky in positions of power with virtually no oversight. The Senate would not dare challenge Dochersky.” – 060Prepper090
“If we don’t do something soon, the shit will be over for the type of social-capitalism that many of us have lived through and thought was the best type of capitalism.” – zanzara2141
“In most areas of the world, food security is no longer a given, thus over 800 million people are poised to perish by the time we celebrate the New Year. Water and land mismanagement, climate destabilization, neo-colonialism and kleptocracies have robbed the majority of humanity of its land and capital. Wealth has been squandered protecting wealth so the capacity for any viable reinvestment in humanity has now become non-existent. What lies ahead is unprecedented, unpredictable and very, very dark.”
Land mismanagement, climate destabilization, neo-colonialism, and kleptocracies have always posed significant challenges to our present and future societies. These interconnected issues have had profoundly dark and far-reaching effects on various aspects of human life, including food security, economic development, social equity, and environmental sustainability.
Land Mismanagement
Deforestation, overgrazing, and improper agricultural practices lead to soil erosion, loss of biodiversity, and decreased agricultural productivity. As fertile land diminishes, food production becomes increasingly challenging, exacerbating food insecurity and jeopardizing the livelihoods of millions. This ultimately contributed to social unrest, mass migration, and conflicts over scarce resources over the past two decades.
Climate Destabilization
Primarily caused by greenhouse gas emissions, resulting in rising global temperatures, erratic weather patterns, and more frequent and severe natural climate disasters. These changes impacted agriculture, water resources, and human settlements.
This has led to crop failures, water scarcity, displacement, and increased vulnerability to extreme weather events. The consequences disproportionately affected marginalized communities, exacerbating the extreme inequalities and strained social cohesion we have today.
Neo-Colonialism
Resources, labour, and markets of less developed countries have been exploited for the benefit of dominant supranationals or multinational corporations. It often involves unfair trade practices, unequal access to resources, and economic dependencies that hinder local development. This perpetuates poverty, limits self-determination, and stifles the potential for sustainable growth and prosperity.
Kleptocracies
Corrupt leadership and institutionalized embezzlement have diverted public funds and resources away from critical social investments. These systems prioritize personal wealth accumulation over public welfare, leading to inadequate infrastructure, limited access to education and healthcare, and stifled economic progress. The resulting inequality and lack of social mobility have hindered human potential and perpetuated cycles of poverty.
It is crucial to recognize that these issues have now become insurmountable. By failing to address them with urgency and determination, we are no longer able to mitigate these negative impacts.
Effective land management practices, sustainable agriculture, and reforestation efforts have been rendered ineffective with the current pollution levels. Mitigating climate change through the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, renewable energy investments, and adaptation measures hasn’t been adequate. Neo-colonial practices have exploded and fair trade agreements have disintegrated. Corruption and bad governance have established opaque centralised systems that prioritize big scramble economics.
In most areas of the world, food security is no longer a given, thus over 800 million people are poised to perish by the time we celebrate the New Year. Water and land mismanagement, climate destabilization, neo-colonialism and kleptocracies have robbed the majority of humanity of its land and capital. Wealth has been squandered protecting wealth so the capacity for any viable reinvestment in humanity has now become non-existent. What lies ahead is unprecedented, unpredictable and very, very dark.
