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Where Did We Go Wrong?
Before indulging in a thought experiment as this to determine where we, as humans, as Americans, went wrong, one should first present compelling evidence that we have indeed gone culturally awry.
The first point I think is worth making is pointing to the 2020 Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, their reports known better as the “Doomsday Clock”. First instituted in 1945, this periodical details the progress of the human race towards our own destruction. While purely speculative, it serves as an interesting examination of the general direction our species is headed, our own progression carrying the weight of new means of self destruction.
The bulletin was first created in 1945, in response to the first atomic bomb. Since then, it has largely dealt with just two dangers — atomic warfare, and more recently, the threat of global warming. From time to time, and at least once a year, the group releases their estimate of how close we are to actions that would result in the of humanity, represented by the clock hitting midnight.
“With humanity likely living its final hours, and so many of us living without happiness — especially in…