Do you think this book predicts the future?

Bianka Walter · Post by **Bianka Walter** » 08 Aug 2018, 01:57

Dusamae wrote: ↑07 Aug 2018, 20:19 No, I don't really think it a prediction of the future of the United States. My husband and I talked about "what ifs" and we try to decide which corporations would become the super corporations. It was fun but not a prediction.

What were some of the predictions?
I'm sure a lot of tech companies, like Apple and Microsoft.
Can you imagine Facebook running America? Maybe they would come up with tech that you could press 'like' buttons on everything in real life. Wow. Imagine. I would never leave my house.

AnnaKathleen · Post by **AnnaKathleen** » 08 Aug 2018, 06:28

I love science fiction because of the question "what if?" It isn't too hard to imagine a country decaying and losing their power and stance, that is often a recurring theme of the genre. While it is hard to think we could fall down the rabbit hole that badly, the fact that someone has imagined it hits an unspoken fear for many. I think it predicts a possibility, but not a set path for the future.

Side note: I always like to wonder if the reason we have never reached a future like some of the ones we read about (examples: 1984, Uglies, etc.) is because someone has written about the possibilities and shocked us back into awareness and thinking about our current world and life. Does that make sense? Anyone else think like this?

booklysis · Post by **booklysis** » 08 Aug 2018, 07:13

I think yes. The political climate in the U.S. right now is not favorable. The relationship of U.S. isn't very good with other countries as of now.

Nerea · Post by **Nerea** » 08 Aug 2018, 08:06

Yes, the United states as well as other governments in the world will definately lose power in the near future because there is a government already established that will take over power globally.
The world created by Gariffo is anything,but a fact.

Fu Zaila · Post by **Fu Zaila** » 08 Aug 2018, 09:20

Bianka Walter wrote: ↑08 Aug 2018, 01:57
Dusamae wrote: ↑07 Aug 2018, 20:19 No, I don't really think it a prediction of the future of the United States. My husband and I talked about "what ifs" and we try to decide which corporations would become the super corporations. It was fun but not a prediction.
What were some of the predictions?
I'm sure a lot of tech companies, like Apple and Microsoft.
Can you imagine Facebook running America? Maybe they would come up with tech that you could press 'like' buttons on everything in real life. Wow. Imagine. I would never leave my house.

Haha that sounds hilarious tbh. But if you think about it, it's scary in a way. Tech companies running the world would lead to disaster. Apple and Microsoft are strong competitors, and don't forget google. Also, there might be other tech companies which aren't 'leading' yet.

Fu Zaila · Post by **Fu Zaila** » 08 Aug 2018, 09:35

AnnaKathleen wrote: ↑08 Aug 2018, 06:28 I love science fiction because of the question "what if?" It isn't too hard to imagine a country decaying and losing their power and stance, that is often a recurring theme of the genre. While it is hard to think we could fall down the rabbit hole that badly, the fact that someone has imagined it hits an unspoken fear for many. I think it predicts a possibility, but not a set path for the future.

Side note: I always like to wonder if the reason we have never reached a future like some of the ones we read about (examples: 1984, Uglies, etc.) is because someone has written about the possibilities and shocked us back into awareness and thinking about our current world and life. Does that make sense? Anyone else think like this?

Of course, it always stands a chance of becoming a possibility rather than outright predicting the future. I agree with you.

In my opinion though, our world has indeed gone through phases of such crisis, just not exactly in our time. World Wars and Civil Wars are good examples. No matter how forewarned we are about upcoming crisis possibilities, when the time comes, we're always unprepared. Also, if something like that happens, it would be far more worse than the previous ones due to the newer methods for mass destruction technology promises.

lesler · Post by **lesler** » 08 Aug 2018, 14:58

I definitely think this could be the future-especially with how the US is being run today. Corrupt will just get more corrupt, making this realistic.

JoshAtoms · Post by **JoshAtoms** » 08 Aug 2018, 15:47

Well, this book gave a little insight about how the future will look like. If really the debt of US is really high, then US is in trouble, probably the world at large.

AnnaKathleen · Post by **AnnaKathleen** » 08 Aug 2018, 16:38

Fuzaila wrote: ↑08 Aug 2018, 09:35
AnnaKathleen wrote: ↑08 Aug 2018, 06:28 I love science fiction because of the question "what if?" It isn't too hard to imagine a country decaying and losing their power and stance, that is often a recurring theme of the genre. While it is hard to think we could fall down the rabbit hole that badly, the fact that someone has imagined it hits an unspoken fear for many. I think it predicts a possibility, but not a set path for the future.

Side note: I always like to wonder if the reason we have never reached a future like some of the ones we read about (examples: 1984, Uglies, etc.) is because someone has written about the possibilities and shocked us back into awareness and thinking about our current world and life. Does that make sense? Anyone else think like this?
Of course, it always stands a chance of becoming a possibility rather than outright predicting the future. I agree with you.

In my opinion though, our world has indeed gone through phases of such crisis, just not exactly in our time. World Wars and Civil Wars are good examples. No matter how forewarned we are about upcoming crisis possibilities, when the time comes, we're always unprepared. Also, if something like that happens, it would be far more worse than the previous ones due to the newer methods for mass destruction technology promises.

I agree those are also good examples. Technology is definitely a double-edged sword. It holds so much positive promise but can backfire as well.

Poppy Drear · Post by **Poppy Drear** » 08 Aug 2018, 19:16

The book strikes me more as an interesting thought experiment. I feel like when the United States loses power (I mean, even the Roman Empire did eventually), it'll be more peacefully. After all, at one time England ruled the world, but it never devolved into a state of complete anarchy as it lost global power. With the Brexit debacle, though, I suppose that may be changing...

mariacarolinea · Post by **mariacarolinea** » 08 Aug 2018, 20:03

I'm an optimistic person, so I can't believe the books predicts the future. I do think it's interesting how there's a tendency in futuristic plots for the world to become complete chaos after the United States is being replaced by another leading country/force. I very much doubt all this drama and ruin, but I think it's possible for USA to be replaced somewhere in the distant future.

Kendra M Parker · Post by **Kendra M Parker** » 08 Aug 2018, 20:11

Yes, I think that the power of the US is waning. It is clear that the US is no longer the power it once was, and I think that is largely due to becoming satisfied with the status-quo. As a nation, the US no longer has a drive to continue improving itself, and it is generally more concerned with protecting an easy life. That’s a large part of what I think contributed to the political deadlock portrayed in World, Incorporated.

I think that the overall takeover of the supercorporations is a bit extreme, though. It was an interesting thought and economic concept to consider for this book, but I don’t really think that the supercorporations will rule the world the way that this book indicates. In general, I think the companies are too concerned with profit to care about governing people.

Mumanyi · Post by **Mumanyi** » 09 Aug 2018, 04:53

Today, the united state's influence is on the decline.The current government is pursuing isolation policy angering even its greatest allies.

Fozia-Bajwa · Post by **Fozia-Bajwa** » 09 Aug 2018, 05:10

According to the predictions of the book, it may be a possibility that US will loose power in the coming future because the circumstances of political leaders with public are not leading to the brighter view of US.
China can be a ruling power in the coming future according to the observation.

Dusamae · Post by **Dusamae** » 09 Aug 2018, 08:13

Bianka Walter wrote: ↑08 Aug 2018, 01:57
Dusamae wrote: ↑07 Aug 2018, 20:19 No, I don't really think it a prediction of the future of the United States. My husband and I talked about "what ifs" and we try to decide which corporations would become the super corporations. It was fun but not a prediction.
What were some of the predictions?
I'm sure a lot of tech companies, like Apple and Microsoft.
Can you imagine Facebook running America? Maybe they would come up with tech that you could press 'like' buttons on everything in real life. Wow. Imagine. I would never leave my house.

Amazon, and of course, Apple and Microsoft, Walmart, Gas Companies, and those are just the ones I can remember.
LOL, that would be something. Like you, I would never leave my house either.