Foretelling the Future and Unintended Consequences- We’re getting a belly-full
We can’t help wanting to know what lies in the days and months ahead. It’s part our make-up. Here to
discuss unintended consequences of our decisions is author AK Patch
1. What is it about us that we are constantly projecting the future?
A The human condition has not changed- our modern world is fraught with uncertainty- while we
have relative safety and security – people have most of the same concerns worldwide- we want to
move towards pleasure, and away/avoid from pain.
B We’re not so different than people that lived thousands of years ago- The Ancient Oracle of
Delphi- Oracles provided people with the eyes of the Gods- safety security for ourselves, families,
communities- better life for ourselves and children.
2. Are we so different from the ancient people who turned to oracles for predictions of the
future?
We turn to experts who tell us who will win horse races, elections, stock market rises and falls-
when a virus pandemic will cease its devastating toll so we can get on with our lives. We crave to known
what’s ahead to prepare. We projected death tolls. We they be accurate? We’re forced to make our
best guess. We listen to supposed experts- One wonders- are they make accurate than Oracles?
3. What about taking chances and unintended consequences?
A. Human civilization advances by taking chances. People push forward with a
confidence that they can make their lives, the people around them, even
world-wide, the lives of others better. So, unintended consequences can be
positive or detrimental depending.
B. In 1958 Mao Zedong launched the Democratic Republic of China into what
he called “the Great Leap Forward.” Over the course of five years he
intended to transform China from an agrarian society into an industrial
powerhouse.
C. One of the many goals Mao set was the eradication of those species he
deemed to be unwanted pests. Flies, mosquitoes, and rats all made the
hitlist for Mao’s Four Pests Campaign, as did sparrows since they ate seeds
that could otherwise have been used for human consumption.
D. China’s entire population was mobilized in Mao’s war against the sparrows.
There could only be one winner. Within a few short years the birds had
been all but wiped out, with catastrophic results.
E. While sparrows did eat a small amount of seeds, the bulk of their diet was
made up of insects. With the sparrows gone, China was overrun by a plague
of locusts. Entire crops were lost. Mao belatedly realized his mistake and
reintroduced sparrows obtained from the Soviet Union, but by then much of
the damage was done and more than twenty-million people had starved to
death in one of history’s most terrible famines.
We wonder what the short, and long-term effects of this virus will be, and
the effect of the actions we’re taking now? Handshaking?
4. Where can we get your books?
My book series takes place in the past, but it always been moving to our near
future, This series is raw and an often too real. I get to exercise my military
brain muscle from 26 years of service.
If you haven’t started the series with PASSAGE AT DELPHI, please give it a try.
I promise a gritty, rollercoaster-like read, one for entertainment above all, but
also to engage my readers in a thought-provoking experience.
AMAZON
