Future of mankind

There is an eagerly awaited great debate is being held in the LSE’s auditorium today. Two of the world’s most distinguished experts, futuristic thinkers and recipients of the Nobel Peace Price on ‘human behavioral sciences’ are speaking their celebrated views on the future of mankind. They are Dr. Keith Denning, a Professor of Sociology and a proponent of a future utopian world and his opponent, Dr. James Lewinsky, a Professor of Anthropology, who predicts just the opposite. He thinks that doomsday awaits mankind.
Dr. Keith Denning is the first to speak:
“My Learned Colleague, Ladies and Gentleman”, Dr. Denning begins. “Let it be known that the 70s are the foundation on which the future world is built. And this future world is the world that mankind has been dreaming of, thirsty for and working at since the days when humans evolved into having the capacity to reason. The world of tomorrow will be nothing like the world we know today. Human conflicts of various kinds will be be around, but these are eclipsed by the greater promise of shared opportunities, knowledge, equities and possibilities that you cannot imagine. It’s almost an utopian world. Is it possible, you may ask? Of course it is!
Humans have evolved over millions of years. Although mankind’s history is written in bloody conflicts of various kinds; from the primate days of fighting for food in order keep ourselves alive to modern days of conquests, explorations, empire buildings, warfare and conflicts of ideology and religious beliefs, our the human spirit will eventually triumph. Thus, it is an irony to think that such contrasting behavours will change over time. But, ladies and gentlemen, humans are the only creatures in this planet who could think, reason and rationalize and capable of coming up with intelligent, practical and just solutions. In contract, our past history of conflicts is actually the foundation upon which to build on a better future world. People, like Dr. Lewinsky who preach doomsday, live in the dark, cloudy, abstract and mysterious world of doomsday prophecy backed by their inability to comprehend the goodness of human spirit and understand the inner self of the human soul. What further need for truth when we can find it in history itself? Isn’t it true that with each passing millennium, mankind has come out better than the one before him?
Look at the world around us today, ladies and gentlemen. The world is coming together in a way we have never thought possible. The days of territorial domination, slavery, explorations, empire buildings are over. There is increased tolerance among different races, gender equality and ideological differences. All this should augur well for the future world to live in. The evolution of humankind will continue into the new millennium and beyond and there will equilibrium and balance in the order of things. It is possible because of human’s capacity for love and our propensity for knowledge which is applied to solve problems . Love and knowledge are a very powerful combination. Never in the history of mankind has the world changed so much over the last three decades. And this is just the beginning of all things go come ladies and gentlemen. The coming great new world is the result of man’s discovery of the power of technology. Our knowledge of technology and it’s power is only at its primitive stage. Technological inventions will alter our way of life forever. Can you see the new technology which has rolled out in recent years? If colour television you are watching today is revolutionary, watch out for 3-dimension movies; your vinyl records are now replaced by the cassette tapes which could store sounds and data that you did not believe possible; the microwave oven can cook your food in minutes without the use of gas with the push of a button; calculators are giving way to computers, with its microprocessor chip, can process information in speed of seconds; cars can be driven with automatic gears; space explorations open up our imagination to the heavens and many more. There are many technological advancements you see out there today which you do not think possible. But, ladies and gentlemen, you know it’s all true. It’s all happening now. Gradually, technological inventions and innovations will spread to the whole wide world and mankind are very much better because of it. This is only the beginning ladies and gentlemen.
Today, we still witness poverty, knowledge divide, ideological differences, prejudice and discrimination in the world. But all these will change within the next few millenniums, as knowledge becomes more widespread, available and assessable. Of course, there will be conflicts between nations and peoples out of political, social, economical or religious differences. However, such conflicts would not be allowed to develop into conflict of a global magnitude as we have witnessed in the previous two world wars because there will be a central control mechanism, comprised of all nations of the world, big and small and there will be a system of check and balance to ensure a lasting world peace. When knowledge and information become more widespread and eventually channel throughout the whole world, conflicts will be kept at manageable magnitude. With knowledge, there shall be tolerance, compromises and understanding. There will be mutual respect and tolerance among races and there shall be true equality of gender. Women will be equal partners with men in every aspect of life. They will no longer be confined to just taking care of babies, doing house chores and letting husbands making all the important decisions. Instead, women will be equal partners in the world of high finance and politics. Women in the future world will become prime ministers, presidents, CEOs, astronauts, boxers, footballers, soldiers etc. Old customs and traditions will give way to modern practices and thinking brought about by wider and easier access of information. There will be a breakdown of classes. The future world will be a truly wonderful place to live in. Because for thousands of years, a few strong men could dictate the lives of millions, will now be replaced by great numbers of men and women who make joint decisions for the benefits of mankind in a global world.
Dr. James Lewinsky
“Ladies and gentleman”, it’s Dr. Lewinsky’s turn to speak. “My Learned Colleague, like all incorrigible romantics, tend to live in a little fairytale world of make-beliefs. Dr. Denning spoke at length on the history of human conflicts, from their pre-historic animalistic existence to modern day human war fares. And yet, without a strand of proof, he believes that mankind would shed his predatory killer instincts and that we would all end up in a fairytale land of brotherhood. Ladies and gentlemen, the evidence is there for all to see. Isn’t it true that each passing conflict was greater than the one before? The total number of people killed during World War 1 was estimated to be 16.5 million. But, the this was nothing compared to over 60 million people killed during World War II. Before that, and Dr. Denning is right, the history of mankind is written in blood. From the days of Alexander the Great to Julius Caesar to Genghis Khan to Napoleon, men inflicted untold sufferings on his fellow human beings by any unscrupulous means imaginable. They would not hesitate to overpower, capture, kill and annihilate their enemies. Not all the conquered are enemies of the conquerors. Many were innocent peoples living in poor underdeveloped countries who were conquered by stronger nations because these men wanted power, domination and wealth. There were also conflicts arising from religious differences whereby men of one particular faith waged wars against men of different faith, resulting in loss of millions of human lives. The Muslim Conquests between 632–732 AD of non-Arab peoples brought about the collapse of the Sassanid Empire and the Byzantine Empire, the Crusades were fought over a period of nearly 200 years, between 1095 and 1291AD which saw millions of people killed, the French Wars of Religion between 1562–1598AD fought between French Catholics and Protestants with disastrous consequences for both, and the Spanish Reconquista which spanned a period of nearly 800 years in the Middle Ages during which Christians and Muslims waged deadly battles against one another. When men finally got tired of killing each other in the name of religion, the victors from these conflicts began to colonize other countries and its peoples. This period of history from the 15th to the 20th century saw people from Europe established colonies on other continents. During this time, the European imperial masters held sovereignty over their colonies. The colonized peoples were looked upon as uncivilized, sub-humans and some were treated like commodities in the slave trade. The colonialists profited greatly from their colonies many of which were endowed with rich natural resources. They also imposed their way of life on the peoples, including religion and political philosophy. This is a period of unequal relationships between metropole and colony and between colonists and the indigenous population. Men may change their way of live, their lifestyle, their thinking and called themselves progressive and civilised. But, ladies and gentlemen, this is only a facade; men’s inherent instincts of greed, power and domination will always follow him and he will unleash all its darkness when the situation warrants it, as proven men’s history of bloody conflicts. Ironically, a world of inequality has its merits. Consider the world order in which nations have equal information, equal opportunities and equal powers. If conflicts were to ensue , they will be doubly severe and doubly devastating.
There is no denying the fact that the world we live today is enjoying peace, prosperity and progress in large scale never before witnessed in the history of mankind. Even Communism, the incompatible political foe of Capitalism appears to be waning. The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution of China is coming to an end. Communist East Germany is too weak to play any significant role in the world’s the political arena. The Korean and Vietnamese Wars have left these nations bankrupt. Only Russia is left with carrying the Communist torch in a significant but not dominant influence. But, while the West are looking inwards to improve the standards living of their populace, Russia is embarking an arms race against the United States. They have committed immense human resources and costs in this adventure. Their economy suffers and is already faltering. How long they can go on like this is anybody’s guess. But, do not be fooled that the world will be a peaceful and wonderful place to live just because of the decline of Communism. It will be replaced by other forms of conflicts from Capitalism and religion.
I cannot dispute the fact that technology advancements as mentioned by Dr. Denning have brought tremendous benefits to mankind. I also agree with him that this is the beginning of a new technology age which is going to bring impact on mankind on a scale that you cannot imagine possible; the information age will affect the way we conduct business, the manner we communicate, the lifestyles we lead. It will change the traditional values that we embraced so fervently today. But, ladies and gentlemen, don’t be blinded by the promises of these highly acclaimed inventions. They can also bring massive destructions to humankind. Imagine a robot which can think and behave like a human being, but with much greater powers. If millions of them are created to serve mankind so that humans can have a leisurely life, I cannot imagine the destruction they could cause, if monitoring procedures and control systems break down. But ladies and gentlemen, I do not think that the information age will cause human demise. It will a deadly virus. An incurable virus will be borne, caused by an unprecedented population explosion which has gone out of proportions and out of control. It does not take a mathematical genius to work it out, ladies and gentlemen. It takes a night of passion to create a human being in about nine months but this life could live to an average 70 years old. In short, the rate of births far outnumber rate deaths. World population will multiply rapidly, aided by affluence brought about by the information age. While developed nations have long implemented birth control ideas, for example, family planning and the pills, but the larger undeveloped world with countries in the African continent, South East Asia, the Middle East and South America, will produce population in an alarming rate. Many of these countries do not believe in birth controls out of religious beliefs. These countries need their population to develop their economies brought about by the promise of technology. They are driven a desire to outperform and to overtake the developed nations which they have been living under their shadows for so long. Weak men have inferiority complex. This deadly virus can mutate quickly into other non-identifiable forms and no medical doctors, health officials or scientists could identify them and thus there is no medical cure. The virus could go into the human’s nervous system in seconds. Victims would die within hours of their first symptoms through suffocation. The virus is non discriminative. It could strike in urban as well as rural areas and it would infect young and old, male and female. Well, I had mentioned that World War I claimed an estimated 16 million lives. But, the influenza epidemic that swept the world in 1918 killed an estimated 50 million people. One fifth of the world's population was attacked by this deadly virus. It had killed more people than any other illness in recorded history. The next virus will be much more deadly. Our only hope of preserving the human species is outer space. Space explorations have gained momentum over the past two decades. Unfortunately, we have still not found a planet in the outer space which can sustain human life.


“What do you think of their speeches, Ringano?”, Daniel asks. “I don’t know. They are talking about a world that I don’t belong to. I will be gone by then. All I am thinking is life on earth at this moment. I am thinking of my people back home who are fighting to keep our enemies from occupying out land. One day I shall return to fight alongside them.”, Ringano replies with a hard serious expression. “What about your people Daniel?”, he asks. “Well, we are quite a laid back and shy people. We pride ourselves of being hospital and generous. We are not outspoken people, we prefer to listen and learn”, Daniel replies. “Your people are not kind and hospital by nature Daniel”, Shashi interrupts. “It’s because you have been under the British rule for so long that you suffer from this inferiority complex”, Shashi continues. “Dr. Denning and Dr. Lewinsky are out of this world man. Their ideas are so far out, so compelling”, observes their classmate, Tom. “Yes, you are right, they ARE OUT of this world. People like them do not belong here; they can’t stand the ordinary. They have no time for fun, they have no time for women. They are wankers and they are more likely to wank themselves to sleep at night. Let’s get out of here. A beer will do us fine my friends”, they heard another classmate giving his unconventional comment.

Home for holidays, 1972

Daniel bid farewell to Ringano, Shashi and cousin Suan. There are at the Heathrow Airport to see him off. Daniel is going home for a 2 month-vacation. He is eagerly looking forward to see his folks, friends and especially his beloved Janet. Although they keep in constant touch by phone and mails, it’s nothing like seeing someone you missed in person. He remembers the German watchmaker sitting next to him on his trip to London. He still keeps his name card. The person sitting next to him on his return trip is a fellow Malaysian student who is also taking his summer break

“What do you study?”, Daniel strikes up a conversation with him. “Accountancy”, the bespectacled chap replies. “You like it?”, Daniel continues. “No, not really. It’s not my first choice. My first choice is medicine. But my parents can’t afford it, so I chose a cheaper course. I need a qualification”, the young man confides. “I should have come here straight after finishing my Form 5 instead of wasting 2 years in Form 6, you know?”, he rues. “Why?”, Daniel asks. “Well, I found out from one of my Malaysian classmate that his father sent him to London to study ‘A’ levels instead of studying at home, and after 2 years of study, he is entitled to pay only British university fee which is only 10% of what it costs a foreign student to study here, because we come from a Commonwealth country”, he reveals. It’s good to have knowledgeable parents, Daniel thinks to himself. “What about you? What do you study?”, the young man asks in return. “Anthropology”, Daniel answers. “What? What’s that? “, the subject is strange to him. “Anthropology is a wide field. But, to describe it briefly, it is the study of human beings in all their cultural diversity. It includes the study of human evolution, archaeological records, languages and cultures, the relationship between humans and their environment”, Daniel explains. “Can you land yourself a good job back home with this sort of qualification?”, he enquires. “Well, I am not sure. I just follow my instincts and moreover I was offered a British scholarship”, Daniel tells him. “Do you like it?”, his turn to ask him the same question. “.I think in studying anthropology, we can better understand how to find ways to live together in today's world, respecting cultural diversity while building upon common human values.”, Daniel explains with great interest. But, silently, he too wonders whether he could get a well paid job after obtaining such a qualification.

The plane finally touched down at the Subang International Airport. “Brother Daniel!”, his sister waves at him, closely followed by his brother, mum and dad. “You have put on weight, Brother, and your hair has grown longer and you are so much fairer!”, his sister exclaims without stopping. He hugs exchanges greetings with his love ones. “Janet said she couldn’t make it. She would see you when you are home”, his father says to Daniel. “I know, father. She wrote to tell me so.”, Daniel replies. Still, Daniel is looking out for her, hoping to catch a glimpse of Janet, like how he caught her out on the previous occasion when he left for London. On the way home, Daniel noticed there are much changes taking place in the country. Along the Federal Highway, buildings of all sorts are in progress. Dwelling houses, flats, factories and new roads are being built. The country is obviously in a state of economic bloom. But a behaviour which obviously has not changed much is the attitude of the drivers on the roads. They still cut into each other’s lane and horn incessantly. In Britain, it is considered rude to horn. Drivers flash their lights to signal other drivers instead. He feels hot from the dry humid air. Well, at least I have the best of both worlds, he reckons.

‘Welcome home darling. How are you my dear?”, Daniel is listening to Janet’s throaty voice at the other end of the line. “I am just fine, but missing you terribly“, Daniel answers fighting hard to keep in emotions. “When can I see you Dan?”, Janet asks naturally “Let’s go to the Yellow Mountain. I will pick you up tomorrow morning”, Daniel suggests intuitively. Next morning, he took the family car and drove to Janet’s house in Petaling Jaya. She runs to hug him as he gets out of the car. They rush to each other’s arms and exchange a long loving kiss. The spoken words are not necessary. And when they finally break away from each other’s tight embrace, “Gosh, look at you. You have changed so much darling.”, Janet observes intensely. “You have put on much weight and grow longer hair and your skin looks different!”, Janet exclaims, just like his sister at the airport. “It’s the British weather, fish and chips and the British bottled milk I drink every morning. You have changed too, darling”, Daniel tells her. “Yeah? In what way may I know?”, she snuggles up to him. “You have grown a lot more pretty and you have curves in the right places”, Daniel scoops her up and plants another kiss on her open lips.

They walk hand in hand up the Yellow Mountain. Not much has changed here, except there are more food stalls being put up at the bottom of the mountain to cater for increasing visitors and backpackers going up the mountain for their camping trips. It’s also a favourite spot for the Boy Scouts who relish the experience of adventure with nature in the wild. A mountain retreat is a great place for relaxing and getting closer to the nature It is still the familiar brown gravel road they used to walk. The valley is lined with scrubs, rich in fauna and flora, tropical rainforest trees, fresh clean waters flowing from the springs and the familiar crisp air of the mountain valleys. They are walking down memory lane, enjoying the unfolding nature as they take each step up the mountain, without speaking, just taking in the serene environment. Finally, they reach the top of the Yellow Mountain. The view from the top is spectacular and magnificent with skyline stretches endless into the horizons. The mountain contours and terrain are carpeted with beautiful blooming flowers. ‘Hibiscuses’, the queen of tropical flowers smile approvingly, ‘Ixoras’, the sun loving, bright red needle flowers boasting its brilliance, ‘Bougainvilleas’, the paper flowers, landscaping the surrounding with its layer of bracts, colourful ‘Orchids’, growing on wild and dead trees, ‘Fuchsias’, the pendulous bell-like flowers, in contrasting colours, greeting the crawly insects below, ‘Touch-me-nots’, the shy prickly shrubs with bristly stems, spring wildly and its sensitive leaves fold together and droop at the slightest touch, ‘Roses’, the universal flowers of love and the attractive but fragile ‘Chrysanthemums’, displaying their splendours. On this day, the brilliant sky is absolutely clear and blue. Daniel and Janet stand soaked in sublime wonder. It’s very romantic setting for lovers. “Come here”, Daniel grabs Janet’s waist and pulls her close to him, pressing her against the enormous Tualang tree . He kisses her passionately and gently runs his fingers up her back and chest. “No, not here darling”, Janet breaks away, realizing that they could be watched. Instantly, Daniel remembers he wrote their names on the foot of tree trunk the last time they came up here in December 1969. He goes round the big Tualang tree to check. “There we are hun, ’ Janet and Daniel forever’ . Can you see?”. But before he could utter another sentence, he eyes are fixated on the words below their names. It reads, ‘Janet is waiting here, Mar 1971’. “Is that you honey? Did you come up here last year darling?”, he asks in anticipation. “Yes, Dan. I came up here with a group of school children from Convent Bukit Nanas School Girls School. ”, Janet replies. “There are mostly orphans and kids from poor families whom Sister Mary is looking after”, Janet reveals. “Oh, yes, I remember, you did write and told me about your helping out in the School”, Daniel remembers. “How come you take great interest in the Convent Bukit Nanas School”, Daniel enquires. Janet then relates the story of her involvement with the Convent Bukit Nanas Girls School.

”I knew Sister Mary since my primary school days there. She not only helped me in my studies but also taught me manners in behavour and the love of God. Although she is a strict disciplinarian, in reality, she is pious and really soft at heart and because of this, many children get away with punishment by telling her sad moving stories. I go to the convent when I have breaks from the university. Sister Mary is short of helpers, she needs help. She has taken in some orphans to care for them and to educate them and teach them to love God. The Convent is in need of funds too. We organized fund raising activities to raise funds for more class rooms to be built. Three months ago, they built a new school library. Convent Bukit Nanas Girls School is one of the oldest schools in Kuala Lumpur. The School was founded by a group of Catholic nuns, namely Mother St Andre, St Sabine and Sr. Madeline who arrived from Singapore to start the school in 1899. Sister Mary comes from a religious family in Dublin, Northern Ireland. Her brother is a Jesuit priest in Japan”, Janet relates her life without Daniel. “Is the school still run by missionaries?”, Daniel asks. “Yes, Rev Mother St. Brede is the headmistress Sister. She is a workaholic and is responsible for making the school one of the top schools in KL. Convent Bukit Nanas Girls School produced excellent results. Getting a Grade 3 in Senior Cambridge exam is tantamount to failure! In fact, many politicians and VIPs of all races send their daughters to be educated in the school” Janet explains.
The lovebirds talk and reminisce until almost sunset. “Look, the sun is beginning to shed its light and going down the hills”, Janet shouts in amazement. “Yes darling. But, can you feel the awe? The sunset, with its dimming array of colours shining through the universe, is looking so peaceful and tranquil. It is too much to take in, impossible to describe adequately in words. Its out of this world, it’s surrealistic and humbling. It’s like a picture in a postcard. I can gaze at this beautiful sunset for ever, watching the changing colours. The sunset is drinking what is left of a hot day to quench it's thirst before nightfall as it retreats over the mountain. It makes all cares of the day vanish, wipes away all the problems and hardships as you realize how beautiful the world really is. It makes you thanking God for his wonderful creation”, Daniel goes on and on, oblivious to his partner lying next to him. “You have songs in your heart before you left and you came back with poems in your head”, Janet teases him. “Are you drunk darling?”, she continues to tease him. “Yes darling, I am truly drunk in love. It not now, when?”, he pulls her closer and they melt in each other’s sweet embrace, drowning in love..