h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I have recently read, for the first time, the book 'Brave New World' by Aldous Huxley. The essence of the story is that in the future (about six hundred years after it was written - end of the nineteen twenties) the world will have achieved a kind of 'Utopia' with people genetically engineered for their social roles, and a society where people are constantly distracted by music, drugs and sex. Anyways I'll have more to say later, but for now:

Are we closer to this sort of society - and if so, is it a bad thing?

I would say in ways we are. I will examine some of these later.

Right now what I see is a world still very much divided with some people having no option but to be 'workers' and others who pretty much live off the labours of others.

But we also have a phenomenon not touched on in the story: many people who are unemployed as well.

Also I think we have now the situation where a lot of people can simply drop out of the equation. There is the elite, the people who support the elite, the people who work to sustain *them*, and a bunch of people who are not really necessary, who don't pose any threats to anyone.

There is no single elite, but globally, a network of elites that are to a large degree interdependent.

The middle class poses no threat to the elites, not just because of sex, alcohol/drugs and music/entertainment, but also because they identify with the elite and aspire to elite status.

The workers are largely under elite control. They pose little threat because no matter how they might be organized, the elites are *more* organized with many more resources available to them.

The unemployed and the poorest of the poor are no threat because they are powerless and clueless.

The middle and lower classes are also kept clueless by media distractions and other nonsense.

There is no single global conspiracy, though. There *is* a global system and it is the financial system and the empires of large corporations. Political systems are secondary to this.

We don't have genetically engineered people yet. But we have people who are very predictable. I am certain the elites are watching trends in the 'lower' people all over the world so as to know how to exploit them. Thanks to the internet they get a shitload of information very quickly. Us chumps *give* them this for free and with glee. Elites can therefore always stay one step ahead of the masses. This makes any attempt at revolution very difficult. And also the elite is no longer a single and visible group. Members of the elite are dispersed over the world ... a few of the super-rich may be visible personalities but the majority aren't.

All right ... I'll say more soon.