A Brief History of Humanity: From Ancient Times to the 21st Century

Chapter 49 The Second Industrial Revolution: Global Impact

Many major events have occurred in contemporary society, and people of all races in the world have to face them. In 1985, countries around the world were scrambling to maintain national security, and about $10000 trillion was spent on armaments.However, the more money invested, the less secure it feels.The United States and the Soviet Union, the two superpowers with the largest arms stockpiles in the world, do not feel safe at all. They are just as terrified as the people of smaller countries, such as Switzerland or Sri Lanka.In addition, the third world countries are not yet developed, and their two major disasters are unemployment and poverty.Today, however, not only are people in Asia, Africa, and Latin America facing poverty, but tens of thousands of people in Western Europe and North America are also living in dire straits.

The global ecological environment is gradually deteriorating, usually because the third world countries only care about their immediate interests.These countries have implemented policies that allow the people to cut down a large area of ​​tropical forests in the country, resulting in severe desertification, and the cultivated land is gradually occupied by the desert.However, similar problems exist in developed countries: surface soils in the American Midwest continue to erode, as if in the age of dust storms; parts of California's once fertile Central Basin are gradually turning into saline deserts.In addition, in the northeastern United States, eastern Canada, and northern Europe, acid rain has gradually turned the vast forests into dark brown, beautiful lakes into lifeless dark blue, and those famous buildings and monuments in London, Paris, and Cologne have all been destroyed. to the erosion of environmental pollution.

So, what causes suffering and tragedy across the globe?In fact, there are many reasons and various forces at play, but the most fundamental reason is probably the Second Industrial Revolution that sprouted during World War II.While the first industrial revolution had a decisive impact on Europe and the rest of the world, the impact of the second industrial revolution is now deeper, faster and more pervasive.In this chapter, we explore the origins and characteristics of the Great Industrial Revolution, before examining its impact on countries and all aspects of people's lives around the world.

[-]. The second industrial revolution: origin and characteristics
The Second World War promoted a number of high-end technological breakthroughs. The significance and impact of these major technologies are so far-reaching and broad that they can be classified as the second industrial revolution.

Nuclear energy The first industrial revolution created many new sources of energy through the invention of new machines such as steam engines, electric generators, and gasoline engines.During World War II, a loud explosion in the New Mexico desert marked the beginning of mankind's mastery of nuclear energy.

Afterwards, atomic bombs were launched and exploded in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, and nuclear energy was first used in the military.Today, nuclear energy is widely used in many other fields, such as nuclear powered ships, biology, medical diagnosis and treatment, and building nuclear power plants.

Machines replace labor. The first industrial revolution invented and manufactured large machines, which can greatly save labor. However, the second industrial revolution is inventing and manufacturing some machines in an attempt to completely replace labor.The original versions of these new machines date back to World War II, when the British used anti-aircraft emplacements filled with computers, including electronic memory, command machines, and programs for analyzing stored data.Thanks to the advent of tiny semiconductors, known as computer chips, computers have become smaller and faster.Today computers are the backbone of modern economies and commerce, used in power stations, office buildings, supermarket checkouts, textile machines, telephone exchanges and factory production lines.The computer has become the "brain" of the machine. Today these machines can undertake tasks such as welding, painting, and handling. In the future, robots will appear to help people do various housework.

Aerospace Technology During World War II, the Germans bombed London with V-2 rockets.A few years later, these weapons that were originally used for war led mankind into the space age. On October 1957, 10, the Soviets launched Sputnik 4 and successfully entered orbit around the earth.This is the first time in history that human beings have broken through the gravity of the earth and can freely explore the wonderful space of the universe.

At the time, no one could have predicted exactly what impact this would have.The space program provides manufacturers with many favorable opportunities, such as controlling weightlessness, adapting to the boundless vacuum state, and dealing with ultra-high and ultra-low temperatures.As a result, many new industries have emerged. In order to produce various disease vaccines and pure tissue culture fluid, people plan to build fully automated space pharmaceutical factories; in order to produce fine and flawless crystals in circuits, people plan to build fully automated space crystal factories. Build huge solar collectors to transmit energy from space to Earth in the form of microwaves.At that time, American physicist Gerald K. O'Neill and Soviet astrophysicist I. S. Shklovsky and others predicted that humans would build huge space platforms or space islands in the universe. , in the end, most people will live in outer space, and the number may be more than the number of people living on the earth.

Genetic Engineering In 1953, scientists discovered DNA (deoxyribose nucleic acid) in the human body, a wonderful chemical structure that carries the genetic code material of all living things.Since then, humans have learned to understand DNA gene information. Scientists have therefore studied and tried gene cutting and gene splicing, putting animal or human genes into bacteria for reproduction, and even synthesizing brand new artificial genes in test tubes, and writing brand new genes through gene combination. genetic information.So scientists today can already read and modify the genetic code, as well as create new ones.In fact, since about 10000 years ago, humans have continuously domesticated animals and cultivated plants, and have always exerted external influence on the development of genes, but now this influence has become very direct, obvious, and rapid.Instead of waiting for many generations of animal and plant evolution before making species selection, scientists today are picking at each individual gene and manipulating it.The development of this genetic engineering offers various possibilities for a new agricultural revolution.Also, in medicine, genetic engineering has created hormones and new vaccines, including insulin, growth hormone, and a vaccine that protects cattle from severe foot-and-mouth disease.

Information revolution This information revolution includes two aspects: information accumulation and information dissemination.Today, knowledge is accumulated at an explosive rate that is absolutely unprecedented.The amount of scientific information published every day around the world could fill seven sets of 7 volumes of the Encyclopaedia Britannica.Equally remarkable is the speed with which computers can store and retrieve information, and the speed at which information can be transmitted via satellites, traveling the world at the speed of light.People in all countries of the world can get this information from newspapers, magazines, radio, television or computer.

The new agricultural revolution The agricultural revolution developed along with the first industrial revolution, and was characterized by territorial land, improved seeds, scientific breeding, and new agricultural machinery.A new agricultural revolution also arose alongside the second industrial revolution, which was also a green revolution, sparked by market demands during World War II.During the war, the demand for all kinds of agricultural products soared, the prices of agricultural products rose sharply, and various hybrid varieties of major food crops emerged one after another. The extensive use of irrigation, fertilizers and pesticides also maximized the yield of crops. This means the outbreak of the agricultural revolution. In the 20s, genetic engineering developed rapidly in agriculture. After the previous "green revolution", there was another "green revolution" on a larger scale.In this revolution, scientists mix and match genetic fragments from different organisms.Gene technology has been applied in the medical field, and substances useful to the human body, such as artificial insulin and interferon, have been synthesized.Genetic engineering is now widely used in agriculture to create hardy plants that can thrive in salty or dry soils.Such plants also automatically produce ammonia fertilizers, are less susceptible to viruses, bacteria, fungi, and worms that cause various diseases, and have higher crop yields and higher nutrient content.Because of the outbreak of the Agricultural Revolution, after World War II, food production in third world countries far exceeded the growth rate of population.

The first industrial revolution had a profound impact on the European continent where it originated, and it also had a huge impact on other countries and regions in the world.Today, the situation of the second industrial revolution is also the same, but the intensity and force of this revolution are greater and more rapid than the previous one, so the impact on the countries of the world is relatively more extensive and comprehensive, and its disadvantages are more destructive .

[-]. Impact on first world countries

Post-war boom and bust The 25 years after World War II were a boom time for capitalism.The annual growth rates of world industry and world trade are growing at an unprecedented rate of 5.6% and 7.3% respectively.Such a long period of prosperity was caused by many factors, among them the need to compensate for the losses during the war, the strong demand for goods and services that were neglected and suppressed during the war, the spread of military technology such as electronics and jet aircraft transportation to civilians, Huge military needs during the two wars in Korea and Vietnam and during the Cold War.

During this period of prosperity, some multinational corporations were at the vanguard of the global economic expansion.The Second Industrial Revolution brought innovations such as container shipping, satellite communications, and computerized cash management systems that gave multinational corporations the technology they needed to operate globally for the first time.With these innovations, a medium-sized TNC during this period had the potential to produce 11 products in 22 different countries.Now multinational corporations not only export finished products to third world countries, but also build factories in third world countries.In third world countries, the daily wages per worker differ considerably from the hourly wages of domestic workers in the multinational corporations they belong to, and sometimes even lower.Therefore, during the 25-year boom period, the annual growth rate of multinational companies was 10%, and the growth rate of non-multinational companies was only 4%.

The working class has benefited from the rise of globalization, at least in industrialized countries.The substantial increase in wages has allowed them to have enough funds for weekend excursions, annual holiday trips and the purchase of personal housing, cars and other durable consumer goods in installments.This phenomenon has led many economists to believe that their monetary and fiscal policies generate the necessary purchasing power to avoid the boom-bust economic cycles that have often occurred in the past.But their optimism, the same as that of economists before the Great Recession of 1929, proved to be unfounded.

In the mid-20s, market exuberance was gradually replaced by stagflation, a combination of economic stagnation and inflation that left people helpless.The ever-expanding productive forces reached their limit by producing overproduction on the basis of recovering war losses and satisfying insatiable consumption demands during the war.Most people in third world countries have not benefited from the global economic boom, at least not as consumers.Also, the low wages paid by overseas factories established by multinational corporations also adversely affected the development of local purchasing power, so overproduction led to surplus materials.Statistics from the World Bank show that in 70, the per capita income of industrial countries was 1950 times that of economically underdeveloped countries. By 10, this ratio had become 1965:15.The prosperity after World War II had a basic structural weakness, that is, the prosperity after World War II relied on integrated global production, but lacked global consumption to support it.And this imbalance is exacerbated by the disproportionate decline in raw material prices in third world countries and their own heavy foreign debt burden. In 1, the external debt of the third world countries was close to 1986 trillion US dollars. In order to pay the debt interest, one quarter to one half of the export income was used to pay the debt.To pay interest on their debts, the governments of the countries of the Third World lowered their social spending and imports.However, one-third of the products exported by industrial countries are destined for the Third World, so the decline in Third World imports has caused the number of unemployment in the First World countries to increase.The average unemployment rate in the 10000 OECD member countries was 15% in 1973, 3.4% in 1979, 5% in 1983, and 8.3% in 1995.Rising unemployment, in turn, led to the need for protective tariffs in various countries, a need that is reminiscent of the protectionism that led to the Great Depression in the 11.3s.

These economic problems sapped the self-confidence and cheerfulness of the post-World War II era.Now economists who thought they had driven the boom-bust cycle out of the economy are getting confused.During a meeting of the International Federation of Associations for Advanced Study in June 1983, scholars from 6 different countries agreed that both capitalist and socialist economies functioned largely satisfactorily. "The planet we live on is one of disrupted normal order, based on economic concepts that are out of touch with contemporary realities...We disagree with those basic tenets and try to fix or adjust." In 15 the United Nations International The ILO report mentions that 1996% of the world's workforce is out of work or unemployed, which is ample evidence that revision or adjustment of these beliefs is urgently needed.

Social Impact After the mid-20s, economists were puzzled by some economic setbacks.For people accustomed to a life of affluence, such financial setbacks can be devastating. In the 70s, in order to offset the growing trade deficit, the US federal government encouraged farmers to increase the export of agricultural products.Farmers actively responded to the government's call, and the US agricultural exports increased rapidly from 20 billion US dollars in 70 to 1971 billion US dollars in 80.However, after the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, Washington banned the export of agricultural products to the Soviet Union. Due to the high price of the US dollar, it was equivalent to imposing a 1981% additional tax on exports to the United States in 438, and the governments of third world countries have reduced imports due to fiscal constraints. The US foreign market suddenly shrunk. The price level of US agricultural exports fell by 1984% between 32 and 1981, and the export volume fell by 1983%.

American farmers found themselves in a state of financial strain at this time, especially in response to government calls to produce more, with many borrowing heavily at high interest rates to buy more land and equipment.Bankrupt farmers became homeless, and the number of family farms peaked at 20 million in the 30s, falling to 680 million in 1980 and 280 million in 1994.The U.S. Census Bureau found that the income of farm households was only three-quarters that of nonfarm households in 190, and the poverty rate for those who ran farms reached 1985 percent, compared with 24 percent for nonfarm residents.These led to negative sentiment and social rebellion, which was reflected in suicide rates: In 15, the suicide rate in Iowa's agricultural counties was twice the national average.

Disorder in urban neighborhoods is also evident, as unemployment remains high.Unemployment was low in the 20s and 80s compared with the rate during the Great Depression, but many urban workers still see themselves as poorer now.In the 90s, it was taken for granted that unemployment was cyclical, that it must end with the transition from recession to boom.But today people no longer have such speculation for the following reasons.The first reason is that as factories move from countries with high labor costs to countries with cheap labor costs, Western workers no longer have the luxury of expecting the same high wages as before.Reason two, the "blue collar workers" in factories and the "white collar workers" in offices are replaced by widespread automation and robots. In January 20, the number of unemployed in the Western world was 30 million, which rose to 1970 million in January 1.In fact, although factory jobs are declining, service industries such as bank cashiers, fast food servers, hotel receptionists, entertainment and health service workers are growing rapidly, but wages in service industries are much lower than Manufacturing wages.

The meaning of humanitarianism has been clearly stated in a 1985 statistical report.The report was submitted by a 22-member task force investigating hunger in the United States, headed by J. Larry Brown, dean of the Harvard School of Public Health.In its search for "faces of hunger," the task force interviewed governors, mayors, teachers and social workers in addition to those who suffered from hunger.The investigators concluded that some 2000 million Americans were starving, specifically because they had no money to buy new food and their homes were regularly depleted of food.These doctors said: "Hunger is a national health epidemic in the United States. We judge that in the next 10 to 15 years in the United States, hunger will be more common and serious than ever... We are sure that hunger and malnutrition will It's a serious problem all over the country today. In fact, no matter which city or state we go to, hunger is pervasive."

In October 1993, sociologists at Fordham University released an annual report on the health of society that reflected hunger in the United States.This report assesses social welfare issues based on the Social Issues Report provided by the US Census Bureau.According to the report of the Census Bureau, the United States is currently facing 10 major social problems, including unemployment, youth suicide, high dropout rate, and heavy housing burden.According to the report, the index value in 16 was 1973, which indicated that the social problems were in good condition, but the index value dropped to 77.5 in the survey year. Such a large drop surprised the surveyors.

[-]. The impact on the socialist world

While the second industrial revolution had an impact on the capitalist world, it also had a profound impact on socialism.This far-reaching effect led to the disintegration of the socialist world.The "Five-Year Plan" formulated by Stalin accelerated the economic development of the Soviet Union. In 1932, the Soviet Union became the second largest industrial country in the world.Next, due to the huge loss of manpower and material resources suffered by the Soviet Union during the Second World War, it encountered a serious economic crisis.But as the Soviet economy benefited from a sharp rise in the 20s and 50s, the recovery was swift.With this economic take-off, Khrushchev boasted in 60 that the industrial output of the Soviet Union would surpass that of the United States in 1960.But the facts prove that this is not the case. In the 1980s, the development speed of the Soviet Union slowed down. Not only did it fail to catch up with and surpass the United States, but it fell further behind the United States.

One reason for the slowdown in the Soviet Union's economic growth was the dwindling supply of labor and natural resources, in contrast to the situation under Stalin: the supply of labor and natural resources was plentiful.Another reason for the slowdown of the Soviet Union's economic development was that the continuous expansion of the economic scale led to the gradual complexity of the economic content, which in turn made it difficult to implement the methods originally planned by the central government and had little effect.Perhaps the most important reason for the slowdown in the Soviet Union's economic development was political - Soviet workers, technicians and scientists wanted to fight for decision-making power, not just obeying the orders of their superiors.Stalin dealt with mainly uneducated rural peasants, but today the Soviet Union's construction forces include many highly educated engineers, managers and experts.If you want to participate in the ongoing second industrial revolution, you need to use the creativity of highly educated people.But things did not go as planned, leading to what the dissident Andrei Sakharov, a prominent Soviet physicist and prophetic judgement, called disastrous results.In March 1970, Sakharov and his companions who were physicists and historians put forward a "Proposal Letter from Soviet Scientists to the Party and Government Leaders of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics".In this proposal, the various ills of the Soviet Union are deeply analyzed and are worth citing here:

Why did the Soviet Union not only fail to become the vanguard of the second industrial revolution, but, as we all know, even lag far behind the capitalist developed countries?The capitalist system provides opportunities for the development of its productive forces, does not socialism provide the same opportunities for its productive forces?Is capitalism about to win in the battle between capitalism and socialism?

Of course not.It’s not the socialist system that’s the root cause of our troubles, it’s the way we live our lives that doesn’t fit socialism.This root lies in the old habits of democracy, in the codes of public conduct established in Stalin's time and still in use today.  …

In the socio-political sphere there are many obstacles to our economic development, and measures which do not remove them are doomed to be ineffective. …

In the eyes of foreign friends, we sometimes hear them compare the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics to a large truck, and the driver presses the accelerator with one foot while pressing the brake with the other.Time to use your brakes more wisely!
What else can our country expect if it does not adopt a pro-democratizing approach?It can only watch helplessly as it falls behind the capitalist countries in the second industrial revolution and gradually falls back to the status of a second-rate regional power.

Brezhnev's reign was from 1964 to 1982.In the meantime, Sakharov's advice to "use the brakes more wisely" has been ignored.Instead, people are still slamming on the brakes.Soviet officials rejected successive proposals to dismantle the Soviet economy—to give local governments and administrative departments some initiative.People with the same voice were even imprisoned as potential reactionary factors, and those who visited them were strictly controlled and recorded.

猛踩刹车所造成的影响正如萨哈罗夫预言的那样。事实证明，管理死板和因循守旧与第二次工业革命是格格不入的。当下全球经济的特点是：迅速的技术变革、日趋变化的消费喜好和世界一体化中的激烈竞争。这一切所需要的品质是苏联冗杂的党和国家机关所缺乏的灵活、高效、强适应性。因此1950年至1970年到1971年至1975年，苏联国民生产总值年增长率从5%至6%下降到3.7%，1976年至1980年间又下降到2.7%。结果苏联不仅没像赫鲁晓夫预言的那样超越美国，反而被日本超越了，日本成为世界第二大工业强国。

With the death of Brezhnev and his short-lived successors (Andropov and Chernenko), the Soviet leadership has lost its founding patriarch. In 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev, head of the younger generation, came to power.The younger generation has realized that in the second industrial revolution, as long as one foot is on the brake and the other is on the gas, the Soviet "truck" will be left behind at the end of the era.At the Seventh Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union No.1986 held on February 2, 25, Gorbachev bluntly judged the various abuses of Brezhnev's administration, and his words could not help but remind people of Saha Rove’s cautionary words in 20, and justified Sakharov’s original cautionary words:

Our country's government seems to be stagnant, our productivity is declining, our bureaucracy is rising--these are taking a huge toll... In the 20s, economic distress came with a sharp drop in growth rates... ...the material basis of science and education, health protection, culture, and daily service enterprises gradually fell behind...the prevailing thinking at the time was to be regretted that every reform in the economic structure was contrary to the principles of socialism …We have to change our disadvantaged situation, but can we change this disadvantaged situation without changing anything?
After Gorbachev took power, he immediately revised the policies left by his predecessor with great fanfare in a Peter the Great style.Gorbachev stated bluntly at the Central Committee of the Communist Party in June 1987 that he was determined to make a clean break with the past: "Society is undergoing rapid changes...we are faced with unprecedented and complex problems...we cannot No fault is guaranteed, but I believe the greatest fault is the fear of making one."

Gorbachev's "fear of making mistakes" is very similar to President Roosevelt's saying "There is nothing to be afraid of but fear".The same is true, and Gorbachev's reorganization in the 20s has much in common with Roosevelt's New Deal in the 80s.Both policies were a reflection of Hoover's Great Depression and Brezhnev's stagnation in the face of economic devastation.Both of these changes were carried out gradually from the upper classes by the leaders of the respective nationalities.Roosevelt and Gorbachev did not intend to overthrow the original social system, but to preserve and activate the original system through reform.Although the reform is not aimed at overthrowing the system itself, conservatives are afraid that the reform will touch the original system, and radicals will feel that the external actions that seem to change the soup without changing the medicine have not touched the essence. Therefore, both conservatives and radicals in the country oppose the two leaders' claims.Therefore, in the eyes of the right, Roosevelt was criticized as a betrayer of his class, and the representative of leftist radicals was Louisiana Governor Huey Long, who advocated "sharing our wealth."

Roosevelt and the New Deal he advocated were ultimately saved by World War II.Factories opened during World War II, and the establishment of factories provided jobs and ended the nightmare of the Great Depression.But Gorbachev was not so lucky, because there was no third world war to rescue him from the predicament, of course, this is a lucky thing for the world.So Gorbachev had no choice but to face and struggle with a series of more difficult dilemmas.These predicaments included a unique minority among the Soviet Union's 16 allies, who had grown antipathetic toward the Soviet Union because they suffered economic hardship as severe as the Great Depression in the United States in the 20s.The restructuring plan advocated by Gorbachev has ignited enthusiasm for improving economic conditions.However, things backfired, and the economic situation at this time was worsening day by day.Small businesses had to cut employee salaries or even lay off employees because of their small output, leading to a sudden increase in the unemployment rate.Local people in the United States and Western European countries blamed a small number of immigrants for unemployment and wage cuts. The social unrest brought about by the rising unemployment rate in the Soviet Union also exacerbated racial unrest and wars.

The problems Gorbachev urgently needed to solve piled up. Yeltsin replaced Gorbachev in 1991.A loose political union called the Commonwealth of Independent States replaced the original Soviet Union, and the Soviet Union collapsed.The decision by the people of Leningrad to prefer the czarist name of St. Petersburg is a testament to the rejection of the old communist order.

Gorbachev wanted to do many things, but Yeltsin's reform measures were more - the disintegration of the Soviet Union. Yeltsin hoped to give the Commonwealth of Independent States a new future through these changes.Yeltsin abolished state and collective farms in agriculture.In 1993, one-third of the state-owned industrial enterprises became private industrial enterprises.But an unexpected and unwelcome change is the emigration of many highly educated scientists who lost their jobs during the economic crisis. In 1987, 39000 people left the Soviet Union due to the abolition of restrictions on foreign immigration, 1991 emigrated in 60, and 1992 million emigrated in 100.Most of the previous immigrants were from undesirable minorities such as Jews, Volga Germans and Armenians.Some people worry that because many top scientists emigrate abroad, there is no ability to train the next generation of scientists.

There is also something that many Russians should be vigilant about, and that is the nihility of ideology.Previously, the orthodox Stalinist ideology was able to answer all questions.They were indoctrinated with the idea that, for the so-called true socialism, the government must control all means of production, and the formulation and supervision of economic planning must be decided by the Central Planning Commission.At first, people were happy with this approach.But until 1990, as Sakharov predicted in the 70s, it seemed that the Soviet Union was really going to be reduced to a "second-rate regional country", and people had to face this fact.Russians now face a devastating economic downturn and an embarrassing ideological dilemma.

When the second industrial revolution was developing rapidly, in order to meet the arrival of the high-tech era, the people of the world had to revise their social systems.The difficult and unnerving task of carefully identifying the countless competing social institutions and distinguishing whether they are suitable or not brings people back to a key question that has plagued mankind throughout the ages, that there is a gap between technological change and social change. longer time to adapt.We call this problem: constantly finding a balance between relying on wisdom to expand knowledge and using expanded knowledge.

Thankfully, the task can be accomplished.In this sense, the 20th century can still end in creation and innovation after experiencing many times of extensiveism.But on the other hand, if the 20th century cannot escape the fate of ending in misfortune, the result of the second industrial revolution will be very cruel.The Commonwealth of Independent States was built on the ruins from Northern Ireland to Rwanda, from Bosnia to the post-Soviet collapse, and rampant barbarism sprouted.

[-]. Impact on the Third World

Political victories and economic setbacks have made up the history of the Third World since World War II.The political climax comes when colonial states are destroyed and replaced by independent states.However, at the same time that the living standards of the third world countries have declined, their economies have also declined to the extreme.The impact of the second industrial revolution on the normal life of people in the third world is the most important cause of economic deterioration.

Agricultural productivity was boosted by the new seeds and technologies of the Green Revolution.Except for the farmers of medium and large farms who have the ability to participate in the Green Revolution, most farmers lack the funds to buy hybrid seeds, fertilizers and irrigation machines. They did not enjoy the benefits of the Green Revolution, but capable medium and large farmers Instead of growing food crops, they usually grow export crops that are more profitable.Moreover, medium and large-scale farmers may use machines that can bring more profits for labor. This behavior has forced unemployed farmers to move to poor areas.In the ghetto, they feel as marginalized as in the country.This phenomenon is particularly evident in Mexico, where the fruits and vegetables that are edible in the U.S. during the winter are produced on the most efficient farms in Mexico, but Mexico’s corn and beans are imported from the U.S., and many farmers are going to other farms across the border. States looking for work.At the same time, the population of the capital, Mexico City, reached 1980 million in 1400, out of control, and it is expected to increase by another 20 million in the next 1400 years.

Urbanization is growing rapidly on all continents.So by 2000, there were nearly 40 metropolises in the third world with a population of more than 500 million or more, while there were only 12 metropolises of the same size in the first world. The world's largest metropolises in 1990, ranked by population, are: London, New York, Paris, Berlin, Chicago, Vienna, Tokyo, New York, Shanghai, Beijing, Rio de Janeiro, Mumbai, Calcutta, Jakarta.The absence of accompanying industrialization is an important reason for these global urbanizations. Newcomers have to do jobs that do not make ends meet. At least the jobs keep them from starving, but they do not promote the development of the national economy.These people make ends meet by selling groceries, shining shoes, running errands, pushing carts and riding rickshaws by the side of the road.

[-]. Impact on the world

Societies in all countries were respectively affected by the unique effects of the second industrial revolution, which also had an equally profound impact on the people of these countries.Throughout human history, technological change has profoundly affected people's lives.The change from hunter-gatherers to agriculture brought people from a turbulent nomadic life to a stable rural life.The impact of the first industrial revolution on people is also far-reaching.The impact of the new technologies of the Second Industrial Revolution will be broader and more disruptive.The four most important aspects of global influence are analyzed below: ecology, race relations, gender relations, and war.

Ecological Impact The forces of the Second Industrial Revolution were so great that it left its mark not just on humans, but on the planet on which they lived.The impact on the planet is ecological.In fact, people have changed the environment at any time before, and people have mastered technology because of needs, even though these tools are only stone tools and fire.But the second industrial revolution created an explosion in technology and a population explosion, resulting in an even greater impact on the environment.

There is a nomadic tribe in Malaysia called the Simang, with about 2000 to 3000 people.The comparison between the ecological environment where the Ximang people lived in slash-and-burn farming and the current ecological environment can best reflect this huge impact.Their daily life does not change due to changes in the environment.They bathe, wash clothes, use the toilet, fish, and drink in the river.At the same time, they also burned the jungle to plow the land, used fire to clear the plants on the ground, and then lived nomadicly, collecting the remains of animals in the wild.

According to this way of life, the average daily calorie consumption of Simao people is less than 5000 kcal (1 cal = 4.12 joules) (40% comes from human power, 60% comes from firewood). Thousands of calories.It can be seen that the life of the Simao people is very simple, and there is little impact on the river where they live and the surrounding forest.But machines continue to expand, and the number of people expands from a few thousand to billions, and this behavior will have catastrophic consequences around the world.

Due to the continuous explosion of machines and people, the ecological environment has deteriorated.Increases in agricultural productivity and industrial efficiency are able to feed more people, and advances in medical technology and public health have greatly reduced the death rate, leading to a rapid increase in the world's population.Humans reached 1830 billion in 10 after millions of years, 100 billion after 10 years, 30 billion after 10 years, 15 billion after 10 years, and 11 billion after 10 years. Population growth The speed is getting faster and faster.

If the machines produced in the first and second industrial revolutions were to be used by the billions of people newly added to the planet, our homeland would inevitably be subject to enormous and increasing pressure, which is far greater than that passed down from our ancestors unfavorable situation.Even in the sparsely populated and resource-rich United States, traces of this pressure can be seen everywhere.From Nebraska to the Texas Panhandle, the Great Oglala Aquifer that irrigated the Prairie Belt was depleted; California ranches and Long Island potato fields were destroyed for real estate development; Forests have also been cut down; 99% of the country's toxic waste has not been disposed of in time and is still polluting water sources.

As the second industrial revolution spread, the ecological dilemma is not unique to the United States, it has become a worldwide problem.China is a good example.China has the fastest economic growth and has become the second largest industrial country in the world.This industrialization process is extremely violent, almost entirely driven by its rich coal resources.But coal is the most unclean fuel, and it releases a large amount of carbon during combustion. Therefore, China occupies No.2 on the list of pollutant emissions. Maybe it will "rise to the top" in 2025.There are more than 10 billion huge consumers in China. They want more private cars, refrigerators, home heating equipment, etc., and they want to strive for the same high-quality life as any other consumer in the world.However, they require equipment that takes up and consumes more energy.Some environmentalists have begun to point the finger at these "poor people" for ecological problems, believing that they are caused by their increasing consumption needs.However, former Norwegian Prime Minister Brundtland pointed out that Western Europeans initiated the industrial revolution themselves, which led to the ensuing ecological problems. They have no right to blame those who "have nothing", let alone think that they will "have nothing forever". .

Impact on Race Relations Technology has profoundly affected race relations throughout history by shaping the way populations grow and migrate.For example, our oldest ancestors brought their own technologies to the African tropics, such as making fire to make clothes and building houses, etc., and then expanded these technologies to Europe based on Africa, and finally reached the Americas and Australia.Coincidentally, the first industrial revolution brought advances in agriculture and industry, which greatly increased the population of Europe, from 1650 million in 1 to 1914 million in 4.63, and also led to a large number of European emigration in the 18th and 19th centuries To sparsely populated places like Siberia and America.Now, with the second industrial revolution comes another wave of immigration.It's just that this wave of immigration is from underdeveloped areas to developed areas, and it's going in the opposite direction from before.Mortality rates in less developed countries have dropped dramatically with increased food production and advances in health technologies such as mass immunization, DDT, oral rehydration therapy, etc.The birth rate in underdeveloped countries can maintain a very high level. The average annual population growth rate in developed countries was 1950% between 1970 and 1.1. The population growth rate in the underdeveloped third world was twice that of the developed world, reaching 2.2%.At this point, the population of the third world is mainly young people, and this new model is difficult to change.This situation has great implications for the future.

As stated above, the population of the third world is growing rapidly, and the economies of most countries have ground to a halt, to the point where they are finding it difficult to feed themselves.So, given the opportunity, these desperate people leave their impoverished home countries to seek opportunities in the developed world, and they will accept work of any nature.In its post-World War II heyday, many jobs were open, so some 1500 to 2000 million workers migrated to northwestern Europe—Germany, Britain, France and the Nordic countries.Most of them come from Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Yugoslavia and Turkey in southern Europe, while others come from other continents, mainly in North Africa, Pakistan, India and the West Indies.

At the beginning, Europeans still welcomed these immigrants, thinking that these people would only stay here for a few years and return home with their savings, so they affectionately called them "guest workers", but the Europeans did not do so.As time goes by, these "guest workers" have taken root here, so naturally they don't want to continue wandering.And their children also consider themselves Germans, French or Swedes, not Turks, Pakistanis or West Indians.As the post-war economic heyday came to an end and unemployment became a serious problem for Europeans, the so-called "guest workers" found themselves no longer the favorites.Instead, they are hated and even attacked by other unemployed people.These countries have had to take steps to try to address crippling unemployment by offering stipends to bring home migrants, but few are willing to accept the policy.

Gradually, Europeans were forced to reluctantly accept the fact that what they were facing was not a temporary problem, not simply a problem of alien minorities, but that they were about to accept a new multiracial, multicultural and multireligious continent .Today, these Europeans, who have always kept their cleanliness, have encountered many unpleasant situations.For example, they will see the minaret of the new mosque in their city, hear the loud prayers from here every day, they will have to accept TV and radio channels in foreign languages ​​[-]/[-], and they will have to deal with Muslim children in public schools. Protest against teaching to sing "Upward Christian Soldier".

These similar disharmonious scenarios often occur in the United States: According to the 1995 U.S. census study, 8.7 million people, accounting for 2260% of the U.S. population, were not born in the United States.Twenty-five percent of California's population was foreign-born, and New York's 25 percent were foreign-born.In fact, relevant experts have concluded that there is currently a mixture of races in the United States. If this rate continues, the skin color of most Americans will change from white to brown in a few generations, and children of mixed races in the United States will also be will increase from 16 in 1970 to 50 million in 1990.

This level of racial change has had the same effect elsewhere outside the United States. In 1994, Louis Harris of the United States conducted a census, and the results showed that people of color think that they have fewer opportunities than white people, but even though people of color have the same attitude against white people, hatred and discrimination will also arise among them.The final conclusion is chilling: "If we have diversity and more minority groups, we must overcome more prejudice and discrimination."

Thinking about it this way, it is really chilling, because large-scale immigration around the world has created many ethnic minority groups, and prejudice and conflicts have ensued.But if we look at Tiger Woods' life, we will find that the result of such immigration does not necessarily cause global fear: as a golf masters champion, he is actually a mixed race, a mixture of Thai, African American, Caucasian American and Indian Americans are of diverse origins.

Impact on Gender Relations Throughout history, gender relations have been inseparable, and technological developments have had as profound an impact on them as race relations.In the era of food gathering, women enjoyed equal status with men, because they provided the same amount of food for the family as men.Along with the Agricultural Revolution, women gave up their nomadic life and cottage life. They could no longer provide the same food for their families as men, but spent most of their time at home, focusing on raising children and doing housework. .However, the first industrial revolution was a turning point in the lives of many women, who, in addition to raising children and doing housework, had the option of entering factories and taking paid jobs.

Another sweetness that women tasted was the establishment of public schools later, where they could receive the same education as men. In the early 20th century, women had initially obtained the right to vote. In 1900, women in only one country had national suffrage. By 1950, women could vote in 69 countries. By 1975, this right had been extended to 129 countries.Today, women's suffrage has been extended to all countries and regions in the world, except some Arab countries (Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates).

Like the first industrial revolution, the second industrial revolution had a profound impact on women.With the development of medical technology, contraceptives came into being, which provided the possibility for women to control birth.Since then, they are no longer limited by those traditional settings, and they have also got rid of the social roles of men and women defined by "natural will".Women can accept or reject the role of mother, and the family planning enabled by the contraceptive pill can also allow women to return to their old jobs or find new ones after having children.However, only 50% of women in the world today use contraceptives, and a considerable number of people in this 50% cannot use it correctly.There are of course many reasons for this situation: it may be the opposition of the government and the church, or the husband’s obstruction. They hope to prove that they are still masculine, or they want someone to inherit the family business from generation to generation. a son.

Today, education also opens its doors to women, creating the second biggest change in women's status.Globally, female illiteracy is declining rapidly, at a rate that has caught up with male illiteracy. In 1960, 59% of women in the world were illiterate, and in 1985 it rose to 68%.However, women still face differential treatment in education, which is mainly reflected in the content and quality of education.Girls' early school education is mainly guided to learn relevant practical skills and knowledge in the kitchen and living room, and has little contact with outside social knowledge.Girls study mainly art, literature, home economics and sewing, while boys study engineering, mathematics, physics and mechanics.

The difference in educational content leads to the difference in actual income between men and women.In recent years, a large number of women around the world have begun to participate in the labor force, which is a major change in the role of women. In 1890, only 18.9% of adult women in the United States participated in the work force, but by 1940 and the end of World War II (1945), this proportion had risen to 25.8% and 35% respectively, and by 1984 it was even higher. rose to 54%.

Participation in the labor force is a rewarding and rewarding thing for women.It has made women more independent and broadened their horizons, and given them more opportunities to realize their potential.And more and more women participate in the national economy, which also increases the production and wealth of the country accordingly.Take the United States as an example. If both husband and wife work at the same time, many families can enjoy luxury houses and cars, take regular vacations, and get more educational opportunities for their children.

On the other hand, however, this new status of women has its drawbacks.If a woman leaves the family to work, she has to bear the dual pressures from home and work.In addition to daily work, American women spend an average of 24.2 hours a week on various housework, while men only need to spend 12.6 hours a week.This difference was even more pronounced in the Soviet period: women spent 25 to 28 hours a week on housework, while men only spent 4 to 6 hours.In Japan, even if his wife is also a working woman, a man will not spend more than half an hour a day doing housework.

Women all over the world face not only this economic subordination, but also varying degrees of threats of violence.Violence by men against wives and other women is commonplace, and almost all cultures have deep historical roots in this phenomenon, so it has long been accepted with tolerance.If a man is killed for defending his personal political views, it is often condemned as a violation of human rights, but when a woman is beaten or even killed because of her status or other reasons, it is explained as a "cultural tradition" .However, this is not an isolated phenomenon, nor is it a problem only in backward areas.In the United States, every 15 seconds a woman is assaulted and every 5 minutes a woman is raped.

Female violence in many cultural traditions can even be traced back to before the birth of girls.In response to the intense social pressure to expect children, women in India and China often undergo amniocentesis to test the sex of their babies.This is a genetic test used to detect birth defects, and if it turns out to be a girl, the child is often killed through abortion.For example, if a clinic in Mumbai performed 8000 abortions, 7999 of the babies were girls.The clinic’s adverts for the sex test mirror the motivations behind the technology.The advertisement claims that it is better to lose a girl for 38 yuan than to buy her a dowry for 3800 yuan later.At the same time, China's one-child policy has also resulted in many female infanticide cases. In 1982, in a village in Hubei Province, the male to female ratio of one-year-old infants was 503:100. It is 106:100.

Female infanticide has had dire consequences worldwide, resulting in an estimated 1 million fewer women worldwide.These babies were either aborted, strangled at birth, starved to death by their families, or died of illness due to untimely rescue.If a girl has diarrhea, her family will regard it as an ominous thing; while a boy with diarrhea is regarded as a top priority by the family and needs to see a doctor immediately.An official of the National Family Planning Commission of the People's Republic of China also admitted: "If a boy is sick, his parents will send him to the hospital immediately; but if a girl is sick, the parents will comfort themselves and say, wait, maybe tomorrow will be fine." It's over."

In parts of Africa and the Middle East, there is another form of violence against women - circumcision.The surgery involves the removal of all or part of a girl's external genitalia, brutally depriving the victim of any sensation during sex.Moreover, this form of mutilation not only makes girls suffer from pain and danger during the operation, but they may face greater life-threatening risks in the process of giving birth later.The root of this custom is to reduce the sexual desire of young girls, so as to ensure that they can be virgins before marriage.Many efforts have been made to completely abolish female circumcision in various parts of the world, but they have been hindered by the local area. The reason is that foreign organizations and ideas have endangered "important African traditions".All this, as the Kenyan women's magazine VIA wrote: "There is nothing 'African in character' that is injustice, violence. Whether wives, mothers or paupers are abused, whether they are circumcised or not , men in suits and leather shoes can do all kinds of injustice to women just by saying 'this is African'."

In December 1997, the Supreme Court of the State of Egypt declared that circumcision of women was not permitted in the Islamic religious acts stipulated in the Koran.Until then, women in Egypt were truly liberated.Two million women are circumcised in Africa every year, and the liberation of Egyptian women has greatly encouraged the anti-circumcision movement across Africa.

Impact on War It is not surprising that the most pronounced impact of the Second Industrial Revolution was in the field of warfare.Because it was the military intent of World War II that gave rise to the advanced technologies of the Second Industrial Revolution.Counting the inventions during this war in detail, there are British radar, German ballistic missiles, American atomic bombs and electronic computers.

In this process, as important as technological progress is the integration of the military, scientific research workers and business operators into a highly effective combination, thus forming the so-called "invention on demand".The experience accumulated in actual combat has stimulated the demand for new weapons, so it is urgent to transform existing weapons into new weapons.Tanks, poison gas, and submarines during World War I are all new weapons invented to meet the needs of war.If this demand is connected with the integration of scientific research workers-army-business operators, it can often achieve very good results.Because of this, the development of military technology between the two world wars was unprecedentedly active.

After World War II, because President Eisenhower was touched by the crisis of the "military-industrial complex", he was able to establish the integration of scientific research workers-army-business operators.Integration is reflected in the implementation of the strategic defense plan (ie, "Star Wars"), and the appropriation authorized by Congress in 1983 can also glimpse the consideration of the authorities.As of 1987, 80 universities and 460 enterprises have signed cooperation agreements.Among them, universities are led by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, with a total amount of 3.5 million U.S. dollars; enterprises are led by Lockheed, with a total amount of 10 billion U.S. dollars.

The rapid development of military technology after the war never abated and continued throughout the Cold War.As early as when the world's first atomic bomb exploded, Einstein warned that "mankind is on the verge of disaster, and it will be impossible to deal with it at that time."But people ignored the warnings, and the arms race intensified, with each new military invention creating a corresponding military technology for defense and resistance.For example, the United States launched the A missile in 1945, and the Soviet Union successfully launched another missile in 1949; ; In 1952, the Soviet Union developed an anti-ballistic missile, and in 1953, the United States successfully released the invention.The consequence of this vicious arms race is to turn the world into a giant powder depot containing 1968 nuclear weapons.

Through the joint efforts of scientists from various countries, the hidden dangers brought about by this stalemate have gradually surfaced. In November 1983, scientists from different countries agreed that even if a small part of the existing nuclear weapons were detonated, it would inevitably trigger a "nuclear winter"-a violent explosion would make the sun surrounded by a large amount of oily smoke and dust, and the entire earth would be destroyed immediately. It will be covered in cold and darkness for anywhere from three months to a year, and possibly longer.Global environmental changes are enough to cause the extinction of some animals and plants on the earth.And such a catastrophe will inevitably cause human casualties.

Based on this startling assertion, scientists in several countries embarked on an urgent study.Some people think that the global cooling is not serious enough to form a "winter", but put forward the concept of "nuclear fall" as a compromise.But they agreed on the other hand that nuclear war would destroy the ozone layer and humans would no longer be protected from the sun's ultraviolet radiation.They also warned that if the nuclear weapons were directly destroyed, the radiation would harm millions of people.In addition, one-fifth to four-fifths of the world's population will die from famines caused by food shortages.Therefore, even if there is no atomic bomb explosion in India, a country like this that needs to import a lot of food will still have the largest number of deaths.There has been a dire prediction (1982) that has seriously threatened humanity that the world spends $6500 billion a year on armaments, an average of $100 million per minute.However, even if it costs astronomical sums, it cannot bring people the security they seek, but the coldness of "nuclear fall"-this is already considered good, and it will be even worse if it is "nuclear winter".

Regarding the self-destruction of human beings, people are only talking about the possibility mentioned above, but this possibility actually has a strong sense of irony, just as absurd as thinking that human technology can realize all imaginable things.However, this kind of absurdity is exactly in line with our examination of human evolution, and it implies that "the reason why human violence develops and escalates from personal grievances to large-scale wars is precisely the result of various technological advances and inventions in the past." To".Back in the days of food gathering, humans had no motive for war, nor the means to wage large-scale wars.Until later, with the advancement of technology and the increasing wealth accumulated by mankind, it was already worth fighting, and the means and motives for waging war were also sufficient.Human beings have come to this stage, which is closely related to the agricultural and industrial revolutions.This revolution in agriculture and industry greatly increased human production and created an affluent civilization that was radically different from all societies that came before it.Whether it is fertile farmland, solid barns, or urban centers where wealth can be accumulated, these are the spoils of war for the money-seekers.Because of this, war became a profitable means, and it has been out of control ever since.Roman dictators used wars to open up new continents, nomads were forced to move out of deserts and grasslands, invaders swept across several continents with guns, weapons and crosses, and later people used more advanced inventions to conquer the world and build empires, such as gunboats And mechanical weapons, as well as helicopters and computers that have only appeared in recent years.

But our age is one of great uncertainty.The agricultural and industrial revolutions made war a profitable object, and even made it inevitable. The second industrial revolution may make war unprofitable and a dead end.

It is for this reason that Einstein warned that we were faced with a choice between a new "way of thinking" and an "unbalanced catastrophe."But humans are not the only ones who have to make this choice.Previously, countless populations had also faced such threats, but these populations inherited poor environmental adaptability and were unable to cope with sudden environmental changes such as the Ice Age, so most of them became extinct.But at present, humans are able to use their brains to create living environments to suit our own needs, such as the use of fire, clothing manufacturing and building shelters, which is fundamentally different from those species.However, due to the extraordinary speed of the second industrial revolution, it has brought us great vitality and powerful technology, and also created a living environment for us to adapt to quickly.So our immediate concern is whether we can rationally re-use our minds to adapt to the new world we have invented.Faced with such a serious challenge, we have an advantage over other extinct species. The biggest advantage is that the threats we face now are not unknowable, not as mysterious as the threats of the ice age.If our living environment exceeds our control and vision, our problem is not how to adapt to it, but to make the created living environment more suitable for our needs.

Recently, when the Committee of Nuclear Scientists adjusted the minute hand of the "Doomsday Clock" counting down from 3 minutes to 4 minutes before midnight, people saw the dawn of life and began to think that Bertrand Russell's It is expected to go extinct sooner" This statement may be too pessimistic.However, in retrospect, millions of people have died in the past 21 years, and it is estimated that historians will not question the validity of Russell's statement.But we can't predict which direction the minute hand of this "Doomsday Clock" will go in the 8st century, and we can't predict whether this clock is still just a symbol, let alone whether it will be like the clock unearthed in Hiroshima , even if time goes by, its pointer will always be quietly fixed at 15:[-].

History's Revelation for Today The exploration of the human past has reached its final stage.During the whole process of exploration, when each section ends, we have to stop for a while to sort out what has been studied carefully.We have been asking ourselves a question: "What is the meaning of history to us today?"——We will take this question as the center of our thinking at every stage of research in this book.In this chapter that represents the end, our thinking and answers to this question will be more profound. After all, the world today is different from the past, and more and more historical events are happening continuously. Moreover, we who are wandering in the new historical period It is necessary to summarize the past history in order to transform the achievements and mistakes of human beings into sufficient nutrients for social progress in the 21st century.

This book is based on a wide range of surveys, the most impressive of which is the achievement of human beings over a long period of history that cannot be ignored.At the beginning of human beings, the human race appeared in Africa very early. At that time, human beings were small and fragile, and they were almost powerless in the face of a complex world, and the hope of the future was also fiercely competed for survival. Threat, without any reliable guarantee.We do not have the bulk of an elephant; the strength of a lion; the speed of an antelope; or even the means of self-protection of a skunk, wild boar, or tortoise.But today, human beings have stood at the top of the biological chain and become a higher group that transcends all species. This kind of arduous glory is inseparable from human wisdom. We know how to make the objective environment serve human needs. We will not be like other Adapt to the complex environment like other creatures, but transform the environment according to their own subjective initiative to adapt to our survival needs.

This intelligence is what makes human beings unique, because human beings are creators of destiny, not derivatives.Carl Sagan mentioned this characteristic.The late space scientist believed that the current high-end technology possessed by humans can save humans from many natural disasters. If the asteroids orbiting around the earth explode again, humans will not be extinct; even if the ice age shrouds the world again, Humans can also find a way to deal with it; current technology can predict the trajectory of asteroids, we can use atomic bombs to wipe out the fragments of planetary explosions, and we can also use technology to push asteroids that threaten the earth to other orbits.In the same way, human beings can also use the role of mirrors to concentrate sunlight and avoid the arrival of the ice age.The high-end technologies developed through these researches and explorations can provide protection for human beings. Even if the earth encounters cosmic disasters in the future, human beings can survive alone under the protection of technology and will not become extinct from the earth.These technologies provide the possibility for human beings to settle on other planets: human beings can survive on different planets, which is a higher level of protection measures, so that human beings can survive continuously, even if they encounter future disasters, they will not be too big. threaten.

In this way, the primary task and goal of human beings is survival and safety.Many scientists pin their hopes on a utopian future.Willis Harman of Stanford University, a great professor of engineering and an expert in systems theory, declared: "There are many wonderful things going on on the earth, and they are very creative. People have been building different Same thing, create a strange economy, a new way of development, a new neighborhood. A new society is being formed day by day, it is not any communist movement, it does not belong to any other form, there is no threat to this society .It is a kind of organic world...The present age we live in is one of the most beautiful in the history of mankind. I have absolute confidence in everything that is coming." Highly praised by the times, Harrison Brown said: "It is no exaggeration to say that the power of human beings today is far beyond their own estimates. I believe that human beings are now capable enough to build a perfect In this world, people will have freedom, well-off, creative life... I know that human beings will be able to create a perfect world, and the golden age of Pericles will be insignificant before it. "

However, some popular books in the world at present show a completely opposite attitude to this positive assumption. The titles of these books seem to be very negative, such as "the end of the world", "the end of history" or "the end of the future".It wasn't just books that showed a pessimistic mood.Not long ago, an international team conducted a survey of more than 30000 men and women from different regions. Although these people came from different places such as the United States, Canada, Italy, France, Germany, Taiwan, Lebanon, and New Zealand, the study found that The number of these people with severe negativity is about three times higher than that of their grandparents.

Our times have become complex and contradictory.From one perspective, modern man bravely climbed the Himalayas, but from another perspective, he found that negative doubts about himself made people hesitate in walking.It is not the fear of dying on the mountaintop, but the fear of falling down while walking through the "valley of death".With the hellish scenes that populate newspapers and TV shows juxtaposed with the rosy world that Harman and Brown envisioned, it's easy to understand why self-doubt is so common.This phenomenon has been described in Fordham University's annual report, and the gap between self-doubt and reality is written in detail in the Social Health Index.The report collects extensive data on teen suicide, drug use, unemployment, high school dropout rates, and even housing affordability, which measure the health of American society.A comparison of this index between 1970 and 1991 shows that the health of American society dropped from 75 to 36.The person in charge of the annual report at the time thought the result was "extremely terrible".

But why is there such a big gap between the perfect world predicted by scientists and social reality?And this gap is still widening.Our culture may be the best answer.Almost all national civilizations and cultures have certain restraint mechanisms to regulate the daily behavior of human beings.Culture is constantly produced and accumulated in the process of social and historical development, which profoundly reflects the mechanism of social survival.No matter what kind of cultural values, they are all for the purpose of social unity and social survival, and serve this purpose to the greatest extent.That is to say, generally speaking, the values ​​contained in the national culture are to ensure the maximum possible racial reproduction, material production and military self-defense.

Thousands of years of development have made culture the basic cornerstone of society.Culture lets everyone know how to conduct social activities, and anything that threatens the value of culture becomes serious, like water and food that are needed for basic material production, so people are reluctant to accept the cultural and historical traditions of the times of great change.From the perspective of the long river of history, culture contains hostile and rebellious attitude towards all kinds of changes.Even in today's open world, when the progress of science and technology has a certain impact on cultural traditions, culture still shows a gesture of resistance.Generally speaking, changes in technology are very popular. This kind of technological update will bring a wave of good effects, such as improving people's living standards and so on.But cultural change can threaten traditional practices and values, causing fear and resistance.

The above-mentioned contradictions have always existed in history, so science and technology wash away our material living conditions like a storm, changing people's living methods and living conditions, but the progress of society is slow and lagging behind.This contradiction has also caused violent revolutions and bloody massacres that cannot be ignored in human history.In modern society, this divide also has an impact on our lives, whether indirect or direct, and a quick glance at the news can make it clear.

There is general agreement among working anthropologists that ancient Paleolithic humans were more leisurely than modern people, having more time to rest after gathering food.The food-gathering groups that still exist today, whether they are Australian aborigines or "gong people" in the Kalahari Desert in South Africa, they only spend 15 to 20 hours a week collecting food.This laid-back lifestyle ensures that they have plenty of time for socializing, including making rules for preparing and serving food.A large part of human history has been spent like this, but when the Agricultural Revolution developed, about 1 years ago, this way of life changed dramatically.

It can be said that the agricultural revolution triggered a series of reactions. The breakthroughs in science and technology soon led to the great development of the metallurgy industry, tire industry, textile industry, porcelain industry, and coinage industry. It even became the industrial revolution at the end of the 18th century and World War II. Pioneers of the post-high-tech revolution.The revolutions brought about by technology have increased human productivity, but it is puzzling that these revolutions have also continued to prolong the daily labor hours of people.For example, agriculture requires more labor in tilling, fertilizing, harvesting crops, and raising livestock; workers during the Industrial Revolution worked longer hours, basically each worker worked six days a week, and worked 10 hours a day. ~ About 16 hours.This was later adjusted, and the working day began to decline, from an average of 1900 hours per week for an American in 60 to 1935 hours per week by law in 40.

After World War II, machines appeared that could replace labor, and it was widely hoped that this would reduce working hours. In 1992, William Greene, the former president of the American Federation of Labor, declared: "The only choice we face today is unemployment or rest." Now it seems that the only choice we face is unemployment.Many companies are unwilling to shorten working hours, they think that doing so will further increase labor costs and will make enterprises lose their ability to compete.So a book came into being-"Overworked Americans". In the era of machines and computers sharing the world equally, this problem is very serious.At the same time, the Japanese newly coined a term "death from overwork" to refer to diseases that cause accelerated death due to overwork.Japan's National Institute of Public Health defines this as a disease that causes hypertension to worsen and eventually lead to death.And a more serious fact is that in Japan now, the fatality rate of "death from overwork" is second only to cancer, and it is the second most deadly disease.

Injustice "Karoshi" is not the only problem facing the machine age. The inconsistency between technology and social change has led to deeper problems-social inequity, world-wide poverty and poverty while the world is economically rich. Malnutrition.For a long time in history, people have believed that unfairness is determined by the greedy and aggressive nature of human beings, but psychologists have proved that this is not the case.Humans aren't born cooperative and possessive, new research suggests.Specifically, human nature is still very malleable, and the cultural forms popular in the real society will have an effect on people, and human nature will also be molded into various forms.For example, in the Paleolithic period, it was difficult for people under the influence of nomadic culture to accept the idea of ​​insatiable greed.Because nomads were constantly on the move, the looting and accumulation of personal belongings was not conducive to re-camping.

However, the development of the agricultural revolution made people move from a nomadic life to a sedentary life gathered in villages. The collection of material properties became very convenient, and people's desire for them became very strong.The change from nomadic life to agricultural sedentary life over time in human history created a split between peasants and nobility, and between hereditary nobility and common people.A sociologist said: "Technology and economic development will make society more and more unfair." Now it seems very appropriate.

Moreover, the conclusion of this sociologist can be proved more in modern society. Nowadays, with the continuous development of science and technology and productivity, more and more unfairness is happening in society. According to the United Nations Human Rights Development Report in 1994, in the past 50 years of human development, world income has increased by seven times, and per capita income has also increased by about three times.However, no matter from the perspective of domestic society or international society, income distribution is very irrational.The report states: "Between 7 and 3, the richest 1960 percent of the world's population accounted for 1991 percent of the world's wealth, up from 20 percent previously, while the poorest 70 percent of the world's population The proportion of wealth owned has dropped from 85% to 20%.

This injustice is manifested not only worldwide, but in every country.Larry Brown, president of the Harvard School of Public Health, was the leader of the "American Physicians' Mission Against Hunger Force," which they reported at length in 1985.This organization conducted surveys and interviews with a large number of governors, teachers, ministers, social workers and poor people.They came to a conclusion: there are about 2000 million hungry people in the United States, they cannot afford to buy food, and cannot reach food and clothing on time.Some doctors in the organization believe: "A national disease in the United States is hunger. According to the survey and research of the organization, the current situation of hunger in the United States is more serious than that faced in the past 10 to 20 years. It cannot be underestimated. We believe that hunger and malnutrition are serious problems in every part of the United States today, and the survey can confirm that there is hardly any city or state that is safe from hunger.”

The philosopher Russell carefully studied the problem of "death from overwork" in Japan and the problem of widespread starvation in the United States, and came to a frightening result: "Humanity will disappear faster than expected." Looking at the 20th century, Tens of millions of people died, which is enough to show that Russell's prediction was correct.Moreover, if we regard ourselves as a more important link in the biological chain, our future may become even more tragic.There are still about 4000 million different kinds of animals and plants on the earth now, but in the historical period, there used to be 50 billion to 400 billion different creatures on the earth.In other words, only one-thousandth of the creatures in the world still exist, which means that 99.9% of all species on earth have failed.

At present, although human beings still occupy a central and dominant position on the earth, the disappearance of various creatures makes us have to worry about our own destiny.There is an obvious example. Some organisms once dominated the earth during the historical period, but they failed to adapt to the big changes in the earth's environment, such as climate changes during the ice age, so they died out in a hurry.Wisdom is the difference between human beings and those 99.9% of species. We can rely on wisdom to change the world-this is the unique ability of human beings. We do not change ourselves to adapt to environmental changes like other species.Therefore, only human beings are the creators who dominate themselves, not the derivatives produced by accepting the arrangement of fate.But wisdom does not matter good or bad, it is difficult for us to determine and guarantee that what we do in the process of using wisdom is completely correct: our wisdom determines that we can use reasonable technology to build any perfect world, but so far, human beings have really Have you ever created any world to be proud of?To be more serious, some environmentalists have also warned very clearly, aren't our efforts running counter to it?Are we creating a world unfit for human existence?

If so, how are we different from what astrologer Michio Kaku has concluded?Aren't we replicating a self-destructing galaxy as he says?As Kaku believes, in the galaxy composed of 2000 billion planets, there may be more intelligent creatures on thousands of planets.People on Earth know nothing about the planets 100 light-years away, let alone the explorations that those highly intelligent creatures may or have already conducted.Some scientists believe that intelligent life forms may have developed to a stage where they can extract "uranium" to destroy themselves, similar to the threat of "nuclear winter" that people on Earth fear.Kaku said: "Maybe different from the civilization on the earth, some civilizations tend to self-destruct. This is still an unrecognizable thing, but we are still so barren in the galaxy may explain some problems. Maybe it is time for us to self-destruct now ... maybe one day Earth will become a dead civilization that other civilizations are interested in studying."

There is little basis for the above speculation, although humans have been doing some stupid things since ancient times.But one fact that cannot be changed is that today we have advantages that our ancestors did not have, and this advantage allows us to see hope and light.One advantage is ever-increasing technology and productivity, which has led to global prosperity for the first time in human history.Our ancestors suffered from chronic poverty in the past, and they could only rely on limited natural resources to develop themselves.But today, our natural resources are no longer the focus of our reliance, and the science, technology and knowledge accumulated over thousands of years have become particularly important.So the cakes we can make are no longer limited, and we don't have to fight brutally for survival, nor do we need to focus on politics and ignore spirituality.But traditional politics still exist, as the problem of global inequity points out.

Another advantage is the relatively hot communication revolution at present. The achievements of human progress can be quickly understood and used by everyone through communication.It is no longer necessary for agricultural technology and metallurgy to be circulated and used in the region after thousands of years, as in the past.The achievements of human beings in the past first circulated in one area, and before spreading, they were only known in a small and closed area; then these achievements will continue to develop and change, from the Stone Age to the Bronze Age... so Inherited and developed from generation to generation.

Today, human beings are no longer limited by natural resources.We no longer need to extract gems, minerals, copper and iron from rocks as before, and then use them after expensive processing.Now, scientists will design a certain substance according to specific needs, and this man-made thing will become popular all over the world.In the past, stone tools, bronze tools and iron tools were very popular, but modern society is built on various artificial materials such as synthetic materials and plastic products.

Our new era is based on science, scientists use molecular analysis to construct special things that can be made as hard as needed, cheap, etc., and can also be used as mechanical creations, such as airplanes, motorcycles and Various synthetics (biological substances) can also be used in the human body to make bone transplants, heart transplants, etc.

Human technology has also undergone great changes in saving lives, and life and death have been interfered by human beings.Take the smallpox virus as an example. About 2000 years ago, the smallpox virus first appeared in the Far East. The virus began to spread in Europe around the 8th century AD, and then Columbus’s expedition brought it to the Americas.This virus, which is feared all over the world, spread everywhere with the expansion of European colonies, and a large number of overseas residents were killed as a result.Aboriginal peoples of various continents such as American Indians, Aboriginal Australians, Polynesians and Caribbean islanders have also been plagued by this virus.In Europe alone, the plague caused by the smallpox virus killed two-thirds of the population.

It wasn't until 1796, when Edward Jenner discovered a way to prevent smallpox, that the great English physician vaccinated against smallpox, that the virus began to be tamed.Today smallpox is almost completely out of the question, and only the United States and Russia still have samples of the virus in laboratories in the world. Smallpox in Somalia in 1977 was the last known case of smallpox, and by 1980 all natural smallpox had been eradicated.

Some scientists, concerned about the leakage of smallpox virus, had hoped to destroy all samples of the virus.However, it was finally decided to keep it in case future research needs such a sample for reference.Now, this worry may no longer exist. Scientists have developed a smallpox virus model that is not harmful to the human body. Its DNA and complete genetic map can help scientists conduct research experiments without samples. June 1996, 6 was the deadline for the global eradication of the smallpox virus, which was approved by the Executive Board of the United Nations World Health Organization in January of that year.In this way, human beings once again occupy a dominant position in the living and non-living worlds.

Physicist Werner Hansenberg mentioned in his summary: "In the long river of time progress, the first time human beings met on earth was themselves, and they failed to find other companions or enemies." Where we are The greatest irony of the era is that the self-righteous dominance of human beings is the source of the global mental depression mentioned earlier.After eliminating all potential opponents, human beings have no other competitors, and all that remains is to face themselves.We have a difficult task before us, to defeat the inner self, not the external environment.This not only requires us to absorb more theoretical knowledge and practical operations, in fact, we have long been invincible in this regard, we only need to install an ethical compass on the crown of knowledge to point out the correct direction for the future road.

In the 17th century, the technological revolution began to appear on the stage of history.The British philosopher Francis Bacon reminded people that while tapping its unlimited potential, it is also necessary to guard against hidden dangers at any time.He expressed strong approval for the pursuit of "knowledge and skill" through science, but he also emphasized that it must be pursued with "humility and charity", not just "for joy, or for argument, or for Compared with the superiority of others, let alone fame and power, even the inner substance of these things is for a better life and more life benefits."

Visible on Fordham's Social Health Index and on the news on television screens, we've all noticed the validity of Bacon's warning until now.A key phrase "until now" is mentioned throughout the analysis.The word raises the most fundamental human question: Is our present situation, like many before it, a temporary difficulty that will eventually be overcome?Or is it that the current predicament is based on the natural snatching and greedy talents of human beings, which means that this predicament will not be broken?
Assuming that the determined genes make this fate unavoidable, then the pessimism of the whole world is understandable, but there is no need to prove this matter. Some recent studies have raised doubts about the default fate of human beings.A leading figure in this field is the biologist Mary Clarke, who not only denies the genetically based claims of human predatoryness and greed, but goes a step further and proposes a "human needs theory" instead.This theory holds that "most conflicts occur in society because the cooperation established between neighbors based on the biological needs is disturbed by other social arrangements".The statement that cooperation is more essential to human beings than conflict has been strongly affirmed and supported by Mississippi and the small coastal Illinois town of Neota. During the midwest floods of 1992, condemned black Hispanic drug dealers stationed in the surrounding boot camps were assigned to Neota to reinforce the levees battered by the flood.

When they first arrived in the town, one of the prisoners said with mixed feelings: "We'll see, we'll be called niggers before long." A few months later, the prisoner said based on his own experience that we were Waiting, but the reality is that no one does it at all. "Not only were they not insulted, but they were respected by everyone. During the 9 days of working day and night, the prisoners received sincere thanks and praise from the residents." "They also sent us Pepsi, "They let us rest in the shade, and we could drink from their taps. Everyone was so kind, and we had roast beef and chicken dinners, and unlimited sandwiches and apples," recalled one inmate. Pai, they thank us every night.” Although the media didn’t pay attention to this in the reports about the flood, everyone involved will never forget it. A prisoner even recorded throwing sandbags on the levee Songs I sang:
In Neota they say
The food is delicious

They provide us with two meals a day
Now we are all good friends
oh god no more floods
In Neota they say
people are very charitable

Although our skin color is different
but they don't care
Thoughts have changed in every way, as evidenced by the time to "clean".People living in the city either choose more criminals to go to jail, or choose a group of students to support them.For the people in the prison, the citizens reached an agreement, so in a short period of time, Midwesterners of different ethnic groups will use mutual respect and mutual love to change their usual fear and panic. People who doubt this say that the water level The uplift oppresses the entire tribe to work together, and such behavior just changes the old concept, so this kind of qualitative leap is possible.Obviously, all of this is true, but another truth is that the global water level is also rising, and it may also help human beings around the world to overcome prejudice and panic.The rapid decline of the large body, which has always been in the dominant position in the world, hastened this transformation, but made the individual have to accept the increasingly declining environment.Authority and responsibility cannot once again be securely placed at the center of control, whether it be the White House, the Kremlin or 10 Downing Street.All over the world, there is a serious struggle to reclaim stewardship and build solid houses for society.

The low-level environmentalists in the Soviet Republic of the Soviet Union have conflicts with the Kremlin's decision-making regarding the deterioration of the ecological environment within the country, and the two sides are full of gunpowder.They continued to launch resistance movements, promoted the transformation of the Soviet Republic in the direction of democracy, and finally broke out in revolution.After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the environmentalist movement continued to seek, through the operation of the Social Ecological Association, to find a successful successor leader for the CIS who would continue to be responsible for environmental and human rights issues.

The purpose of every movement of the general public in Sweden is to spare no effort to transform Sweden into a typical sustainable society.Led by some brilliant scientists, government leaders are trying to define nature and sustainable development in detail.They wrote their conclusions in a letter and sent them to residential areas and schools in Sweden in the name of the king.The 49 local governments in Sweden, the Swedish Farmers' Union and 22 large companies in Sweden are all actively involved in the national assessment and integration.

Kenya Women's "Green Belt Movement" established 1500 basic nurseries and planted more than 1000 green plants.Their enterprising spirit has brought a lot of encouragement to women in other African countries, allowing more women to actively participate in such activities.

Israel There is a village with 140 households on the top of a mountain in the middle of the West Bank of the Jordan River in Israel. The name of the village is Dongwei Shalem or Wahat.Shalem means "oasis of peace" in both Hebrew and Arabic.The village is run by a management committee consisting of two Arabs and two Jews.There are also many families who are waiting for the approval of the village before they move to live in the village.Now, a university is being built around the village to teach conflict management. "Peace and co-existence," said one of the early occupants and villagers, "will never be achieved in this country. To teach this, people have to show an 'oasis of peace' like a village to affirm the people. It's achievable."

In the United States, the "self-help and mutual aid" movement is emerging in the United States.People involved in the movement are also facing the same dilemmas and troubles. They not only need emotional support from volunteers, but more importantly, they need support in action.The movement was inspired in part by the mutual assistance "Alcoholics Anonymous" movement promoted by two alcoholics in the mid-20s.The growing number of self-help organizations in the United States can reflect the need for "self-help" and "mutual aid" movements: in the 30s, the number of members was 20 million to 70 million, and in the 500s, the number had grown To 800 million - 80 million.The content of the movement is very extensive, "Anonymous drug addicts", "Anonymous gluttons", "Anonymous impotence", "Anonymous psychopaths", "Anonymous repressed patients", "Anonymous masochists", "Sex addicts", "Anonymous homosexuals", etc. etc., the number and type are too numerous to enumerate.A participating student explained: "People can control some affairs of their personal life through their own efforts. International affairs are not controlled by them, but they can control the repression or asthma among neighbors. People want more than consumption not a participant, but a participant in this society.”

The vitality of the masses can be traced back to the days of Thomas Jefferson the Wise, when the Declaration of Independence was signed two centuries ago, when he proclaimed with joy that eyes were opened or were opening to the rights of man... When men were born No longer saddle-carrying, much less the servants of a privileged few who, God bless, are kicked and kicked and bought and sold legally.Jefferson, who woke up, will undoubtedly find that on the eve of the 21st century, the eyes of every continental plate are opening, not just a few European and American countries; the eyes of every class are opening, not just those educated aristocrats.

This new global awakening and the uniquely limitless potential of modern high technology suggest that modern melancholy is unrealistic.Of course, this cannot be an era of self-deception, nor an era of pessimistic forecasts.This era is an era that requires objective and practical evaluation of long-standing practices and functions, and an era that takes its essence and discards its dross.More precisely, what is going on now?Is it China's ongoing exploration of the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics, or the original planned economy abandoned by Eastern European countries, or is it sparing no effort to preserve the original "safety net"?

The current experiment has tipped the balance between a planned economy and a free market economy, which includes both other forms of capitalism (various unrestricted free enterprise in the United States; diversification in Germany and the Scandinavian countries, emphatically explaining that the welfare state was created by the workers), and other forms of socialism (socialism unique to China; the instability of the Soviet Union, an economist Nikolai Himelev once called his countrymen Do not panic at losing your purity of mind).

The 21st century is a century with great potential and challenges.If historians leave the crystal ball, it is difficult to predict the inevitability and possibility of things happening.But they can accurately predict that the 21st century is a century full of possibilities, neither utopian nor dystopian.It turns out that possibility depends on human beings of high quality and intelligence, not on destiny, to become reality.Just like Bacon's "inferiority" theory, creativity cannot provide certainty if the value that may be created is anticipated in advance.In later days, this tendency may make Russell's dictum that "man would rather die than think" become true.Related to this possibility, there is also a British philosopher, Burke, who once said a wise saying, "The silence and indifference of a good man makes evil succeed."

What should good people do if they don't keep quiet or choose to do things?The wise words of the scientist Albert Einstein can guide us.In his later years, Einstein was particularly concerned with the raison d'être of his beloved science. In the 20th century, Einstein repeatedly emphasized the basic ethical assumptions that Bacon had demonstrated centuries earlier.Science, for Bacon, was "a tool that can be used for the good of life".Einstein also firmly believed: "Creation from the mind is a prayer, not a curse on mankind."

It is obviously not enough if you understand and apply science only for the sake of increasing your contribution to humanity.Only by paying attention to people's self and destiny can we form a lasting interest in various science and technology.Focusing solely on labor organization and distribution of goods will not solve major problems.In fact, creation from the mind is a prayer, not a curse on humanity.Never forget this in your diagrams and equations.

Einstein firmly believed that the "prayer" in his eyes had the possibility of success. He said: "Under the cruel fate of destroying each other and self-destruction, human beings should not be condemned because of their biological constitution." It can be seen from this , he firmly opposes the suggestion that the fate of mankind is determined in advance by genes.

The crazy technology development of human beings has caused them to continue to suffer from various social problems. Although people are not inherently self-destructive as Einstein said, the most important of the various social problems suffered is unfairness: overeating and Obesity is now the number one killer of Americans, yet in some places people suffer from undernutrition and hunger.When a poor, scrawny little African girl is slumped to the ground, completely defenseless, surrounded by vultures who feast on her as soon as she dies, American children are enjoying their mother's over-pampering.

We live in a nuclear age where war is also very serious, especially in May 1998.Immediately after India conducted five underground nuclear tests, Pakistan also conducted targeted nuclear tests.The international community has condemned the South Asian nuclear arms race. However, the demonstrators holding up banners and discussing the advantages and disadvantages of nuclear tests are a topic of public opinion that inspires the people of the two countries.The situation is full of contradictions.

The various reactions of Indians to the government's nuclear tests are all captured in the slogan, which proves Einstein's thesis: "Humanity is not willing to be at the mercy of cruelty and fate." In other words, we can create the 21st century, and we can do it at any time change it.The fact that the governments of India and Pakistan announced in September 1998 that they were about to sign an international treaty against nuclear testing, as the demonstrators wished, also supports this conclusion.

(End of this chapter)