BETWEEN THE LINES: The future is not ours to see
Shortly after graduating from college, I read the bestselling nonfiction book "Future Shock" by Alvin Toffler. The premise of the 1970 work was the rate of change would continue to accelerate, creating stress on both individuals and society in general, as America transformed from an industrial society into a technological one.
It was an innovative prediction, but little did I know it would translate into something called a social network. If someone had told me in my teens that one day I would have a hand-held portable phone that could take pictures and then send them to another phone, I would have thought I was in Rod Serling’s "Twilight Zone."
Every generation in the 20th century could not have envisioned what the future would hold. Change can be expected, but the specifics remain rather vague.
Another bestseller along the same lines was John Naisbitt’s "Megatrends," which was published in 1982 and also can be found in my library. The author contends societies can only handle so many concerns at a time. The 20th century brought an evolution of the worker from a farmer to a laborer to a clerk.
What will the 21st century bring?
Change creates a feeling the individual is no longer in control and that external forces are working against us. This, in part, explains voter apathy and a certain degree of disinterest by the general public. Too much information to process coupled with a growing distrust of politicians have left us with a skeptical public.
Some trends are discernible based on current and past happenings. Recently, Pat Buchanan wrote an interesting article on Germany, Europe’s most prosperous economy, that seems to be singlehandedly keeping the European Union afloat. Buchanan brings forth some statistics that reveal an imminent economic decline for the Germans.
Between now and the mid-century, it’s predicted Germany’s population of 82 million will fall to 72 million, the over-65 population will increase from 20.5 percent to 32.5 percent and the life expectancy will increase from 80 to 84, thus creating an ever-increasing strain on the taxpayer.
The former Republican presidential candidate poses the question as to whether the German people can really afford in the long run to prop up the European Union through the issuance of long-term bonds in the hopes Greece, Italy and Portugal can somehow come to grips with their increasing deficits.
Some changes are predictable and can be managed with proper forethought, while others will be difficult to anticipate. For example, the Social Security shortfall easily could have been avoided simply by not spending money that was in the Social Security Trust Fund.
Maybe Doris Day had the best answer to our dilemma in the lyrics of her 1956 hit "Que Sera, Sera" when she sang: “Whatever will be, will be. The future is not ours to see.”
The Christian world takes solace in that this world is not our home, we are just passing through on our way to a better destination. However, that does not mean we are not interested in making the world a better place to live while we are here.
Laughlin is a Christian Libertarian. He is an economist, teacher, father, husband and most recently a grandfather. He has written a weekly column for The Tribune for 12 years. He and his wife Gina reside in Meadowlakes. To contact him, email ablaughlin@nctv.com. He is an independent columnist, not a staff member, and his views do not necessarily reflect those of The Tribune or its parent company.