True enough ElM. But what you are describing is the transition states of economic development and economic power. When I was young, civil engineering was the big thing, which was great because that was something I had always liked. But, I never did it because I got sidetracked by the oil industry, which was great because the 1970s and 1980s was oil-era writ large and civil engineering disappeared into a hole. It was just luck that got me out of it, plus a choice [Saudi Arabia/Canada = we chose Canada and oil] but I'm happy enough with luck.
Sure, the Biotelecosmictechdot.com bust was a major restructuring for expectations. But the final outcome is still going to be so huge that it will make all of human history, and biological history, look trivial; just a prelude to the main event. The action will not take place in the Amazon jungle or the rust belts of Pitsburgh and Detroit. Nor even in the financial centres of New York and London or silicon valley cybersphere. It will be distributed. But people still have to live somewhere and that has to be somewhere where they can enjoy civil society, at reasonable prices, and with a good climate. It won't be Tehran. Beijing is too dirty [but maybe they can clean up]. Moscow too cold and they murder people they don't like.
Sure, minerals are having a boom due to China and India coming on stream. But minerals are old-time stuff all the same. Biofuel is old-time too. Sure, there's plenty in materials engineering to be done. But the biotelecosmictechdot.com revolution is ...oh, there goes a North Korean nuke test... barely getting under way. It's barely a zygote at this stage. It is not yet a zeitgeist. Most of the world has had nothing to do with it and those involved are still largely on dial-up systems [I think]. Hardly anyone has swishy mobile cyberphone service. If they have, it's still far too expensive. And almost nobody has a Globalstar connection.
The fun has just begun El M. Now get back to work in Tehran and build some mobile cyberspace for them.
Mqurice |
