Contemplating the Current Moment

By Andrew R. Duckworth

Lately, I have in some cases kept myself from speaking out on things of a political nature, the economy, etc. Don’t mistake this for cowardice. There are plenty of things that require thought, knowledge, etc. and speaking too soon can lead to an uninformed response or a poorly thought out response. Occasionally, things are so outrageous in this ever-changing world that I fail to control my tongue or my thoughts from escaping too soon on social media. But, at this moment, I am choosing to take a step back and survey the landscape so to speak. I might share sources, etc, but I am choosing to be more careful when I speak on matters of opinion or solutions.

And, often, I find myself struggling to adequately contemplate the current moment, this moment in the world where everything is on edge. Face it: we all feel it to a certain degree, an uneasiness that is difficult to describe, a feeling the world is beginning to turn a bit too… prophetic?

Indeed, prophecy is one way in which I look at the world and current events. How can one not? The words are there and things are beginning to line up a bit too perfectly or imperfectly depending on how one takes it. Those who are closest to me know exactly what my thoughts are. I trust them, they know me, why not be honest? Even if such honesty turns out to be misinformed, those who know me understand that I am attempting to approach things from a place of complete honesty. Occasionally, when putting the pieces together, we find that we’ve put a piece where it doesn’t belong and have to approach the puzzle differently. That is how I’m beginning to view the world: a puzzle that I’m helpless to even begin. It’s even more perplexing when one realizes that they themselves are a piece in this puzzle that requires billions to fit perfectly. And, occasionally, I place pieces where they don’t fit. Why would I declare the puzzle solved before the picture is completed?

And yet, we know the most important pieces: corrupt world leaders, unjust law, those who thrive on their own control and power… and suddenly, the world is much more comparable to a chess board where pieces are used strategically and we are pawns at best, moving one square at a time. I’m not sure if it really matters where one is located- freest nation or totalitarian rule- we seem to all be looking at the same future picture. Down the road, we will be but one pawn facing a queen, bishops, knights, and rooks, the king still well protected. The chess board, as a structure, was never built for us, but we were placed on the board regardless.

Then again, I also can’t ignore that I am bound by my own experiences concerning my view of the world. I come from a culture that has prided itself on how free we are. Much of the rest of the world cannot say the same. Is it possible that I am just now seeing the world differently because in our current moment there is a shift from free to controlled in my own culture and my own land?

However, the moment we find ourselves in seems wholly different. If it was only my own culture and land, I might have a different set of questions. However, it seems a shift towards centralized control is sweeping the globe. It found some places to nest first and then quickly moved on to the next place. And the tools of this control are becoming all the more visible where they once hid in the shadows. Employment is on the line, not because of any one person’s work ethic or ability. It is because there is a new worker, a much more efficient one, an inhuman one. Economies are on the line, partially due to artificial intelligence, but also due to out of control spending, printing, etc. The worst part of it is that it seems there is nothing any of us plebes can do about it. We are helpless and hopeless in this regard, at the whims of our appointed rulers who seem to be making the worst of decisions as they are turning blind eyes and deaf ears to the very people they are supposed to represent.

And so, contemplating this current moment we find ourselves in is frustrating, enraging, and yet, somewhat pointless. Does the average person turn their back to AI? The more posts I see from individuals on social media that have been constructed using AI leaves little hope. Even with the dangers of power and water supplies at the hands of data centers that poison and over-utilize resources, the attitude never really shifts. It seems we are in a liminal space between important and damaging points in time. I keep hope alive, however, that those around me might wake up to the ills present.