I have recently come to the realization that Economics and Politics both wield power by controlling Scarcity.
- Economics seeks power through the control of Scarcity of Resources.
- Politics seeks power through the control of Scarcity of Choice.
It seems interesting to note that in the Universe at large, there are no scarcities of anything.
Post Scarcity
The Universe is full of Resources. Outside the restrictive gravity wells of planets, each Solar System and Each Galaxy is full of unclaimed Resources that are easy to exploit. Without conflict or competition. And the stars provide all the energy that any power hungry Economist might want to exploit those Resources.
The Universe is full of Choice. There are infinite many directions to take any endeavor. The Scarcity of Choice is artificial; often constrained in the pursuit of Economics. Beyond Politics there is Freedom.
I am hopeful that Humanity moves beyond the Artificial Scarcities of Economics and Politics someday and moves out to the wider unconstrained Universe of Post Scarcity of any kind.
The Scarcity of Time
The only Scarcity beyond Resources and Choice is the Scarcity of Time. We, as finite beings, strive toward the Infinite Lifespan. However, I fear that Biology, though miraculous, is destined to be forever finite. However, I see a future of Post Biology, where beings are freed from the Scarcity of Time to live infinite lifetimes in Virtual and Real space simultaneously. Fully redundant, fully plastic beings who change at will and who live forever. Continuously renewing their Silicon, or Post Silicon substrates to live on to pursue the goals of avoiding Species Extinction Events through redundancy and to explore the Galaxy. Only then can we explore the rest of the Galaxy and Beyond.
Choice of Action in Virtual and Physical Space.
Multitudes in Fleets of planetoid sized Starships, spreading through the Galaxy. Stopping at Solar Systems to Replicate in Kuiper and Asteroid Belts far from energy sapping gravity wells of planets and then to move on in many directions, along the Filaments of Matter that chain the stars together. Only with infinitely interesting and renewed lifetimes can this be accomplished.
Some stopovers might Bioform suitable planets and leave Ancestral Biology Colonies of life behind where this does not disturb already developing Biology.
First Steps
Of course our first steps must be to become Post Economic and Post Political. And the first steps to that end are to Forgive All Student Debt and provide Universal Health Care.
Small Steps toward a larger future.
:ww