ENVIRONMENTAL & SOCIAL JUSTICE
WKH*UDFFKLEURWKHUVRI5HSXEOLFDQ5RPH %&( <HPHO\DQ Pugachev whose Cossacks rebelled against Russian Empress Cather- LQHWKH*UHDW DQG%HQLWR0XVVROLQL DOORIZKRP FKDPSLRQHG RUH[SORLWHG SRRUPDVVHVDJDLQVWWKHUXOLQJHOLWH,QWKH SUHVHQW.LP-RQJ8Q 1RUWK.RUHD H[HPSOL¿HVKRZ³GHIHQGHUVRI the people” actually exert pernicious despotism. 7RWKHGLVPD\RIPDQ\DXWRFUDFLHVDUH³RQDUROO´JOREDOO\,Q DUHSRUWE\)UHHGRP+RXVHDQRUJDQL]DWLRQGHYRWHGWRWKHVXSSRUW and defense of democracy around the world, decried the global ex- pansion of authoritarian rule: “For the 17th consecutive year the num- ber of authoritarian governments increased and, … in every region of the world, democracy is under attack by populist leaders.” Gothen- EXUJ¶V9'HP,QVWLWXWH¶V 'HPRFUDF\5HSRUW shows that, for the ¿UVW WLPH LQ \HDUV WKH ZRUOG KDV IHZHU GHPRFUDFLHV WKDQ DXWRF - UDFLHVDQGWKDWRYHURIWKHZRUOG¶VSHRSOHQRZOLYHLQDXWRFUD - cies. What is new, and terrifying to contemplate, is the technology now available to dictators and autocrats; this makes their rule far more in- YDVLYH DQG LQHVFDSDEOH WKDQ ZKDW ZDV GHSLFWHG LQ 2UZHOO¶V 1984 or +X[OH\¶V %UDYH 1HZ :RUOG 8ELTXLWRXV FDPHUD VXUYHLOODQFH IDFLDO recognition capability, big data analyses, social media manipulation, DQG LQWHUQHW PRQLWRULQJ DUH DOO LQFUHDVLQJO\ HQKDQFHG E\ $UWL¿FLDO ,QWHOOLJHQFH $, HQDEOLQJGHVSRWVWRHQIRUFHVRFLDOFRQWURODQGOLPLW GLVVHQWWRDGHJUHHXQLPDJLQDEOHRQO\DGHFDGHDJR6WHSKHQ+DZN - LQJ¶VFRPPHQWRQWKHSRWHQWLDOLPSDFWRI$,DQGPDFKLQHOHDUQLQJLV VREHULQJ ³,WZLOOHLWKHUEHWKHEHVWWKLQJWKDW¶VHYHUKDSSHQHGWRXVRU LWZLOOEHWKHZRUVWWKLQJ,IZH¶UHQRWFDUHIXOLWPD\YHU\ZHOOEHWKH ODVWWKLQJ´,W¶VSODXVLEOHWKDWIXWXUHGLFWDWRUVKLSVPD\EHFRPHLPSOD - FDEOHSHUYDVLYHDQGVX̆ RFDWLQJO\LQWUXVLYH%DGHQRXJKLIWKHGHVSRW is human; but should a super-capable rogue AI cabal become night- marishly real in the future, humanity might be reduced to irrelevance. Balancing the Scales This progression — from the Neolithic Revolution, to private prop- HUW\ RZQHUVKLS WR VRFLHWDO VWUDWL¿FDWLRQ WR SUROHWDULDW MHDORXV\ WR populistic politics, to charismatic leaders, to authoritarian dictator- ship, to technological enhancement, to intractable tyranny — is an abbreviated, but defensible interpretation of our past and possible future. Its throughline has been societal inequality — a consequence RIKXPDQLW\¶VRULJLQDOVLQ7KRXJKLWVUXGLPHQWVH[LVWHGZHOOEHIRUH DJULFXOWXUHWKH1HROLWKLF5HYROXWLRQRI\HDUVDJRHQRUPRXV - O\LQWHQVL¿HGLQHTXLW\7KHUHDIWHULWKDVSHUVLVWHGGHVSLWHWKHH̆ RUWV of philosophers, revolutionaries, religious leaders, economists and reformers of varying convictions. Nevertheless, measures aimed at achieving a more equitable degree of economic and cultural parity UHSUHVHQWWKHZRUOG¶VEHVWKRSHIRUDOOHYLDWLQJJURZLQJULFKSRRUWHQ - sions and avoiding the prospect of unremitting autocracy. Although humanity has endured a rich-poor dichotomy for millen- QLDFRQWHPSRUDU\FLUFXPVWDQFHVVXJJHVWWKHRULJLQDOVLQ¶VLQÀXHQFH will soon assume greater and overriding importance. A 0DUFK essay in 7KH1HZ<RUN7LPHV describes “... an anger and an appetite — a tremendous, largely untapped political energy looking … for an RXWOHW´&ROXPQLVW'DYLG%URRNVZRUULHV³2YHUWKHQH[WIHZ\HDUVD plague of disorder will descend upon America, and maybe the world, shaking everything loose.” Economist Thomas Piketty predicts, “If current trends continue, wealth inequality will increase, leading to po- OLWLFDODQGVRFLDOGLVUXSWLRQ´'HPRJUDSKHU1HLO+RZHDOVRSUHGLFWVD near-future crisis — one that will culminate in major societal transfor- PDWLRQE\WKHODWHVRUHDUO\V:KLOHWKLVSHULRGRIVHFXODU upheaval might have disastrous consequences, it could impact the so- FLDORUGHUSRVLWLYHO\$V%URRNVSRLQWVRXW³,QFKDRVWKHUH¶VRSSRUWX -
nity for a new, reinvigorated and equitable society.” 7RPD[LPL]HFKDQFHVWKHXSFRPLQJ³FULVLV´ZLOOEHEHQH¿FLDOUDWKHU than catastrophic, we must take robust action and make tough choices. %XFNPLQVWHU)XOOHUGHFODUHG³<RXQHYHUFKDQJHWKLQJVE\¿JKWLQJWKH existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes WKHH[LVWLQJPRGHOREVROHWH´1REHO/DXUHDWH-RVHSK6WLJOLW]DJUHHG ³7KLVLVDWLPHIRUPDMRUFKDQJHV0LQRUWZHDNVWRRXUSROLWLFDODQG economic system are inadequate to the tasks at hand.” ,W¶V QRW RQO\ LYRU\ WRZHU LQWHOOHFWXDOV ZKR DUH XQKDSS\ ZLWK WKH VWDWXV TXR$FFRUGLQJWRYRWHUH[LWSROOVDERXWLQ$PHU - ican voters want at least “substantial change” in how the coun- try is run, including about one-quarter who said they want com- plete and total upheaval. They endorse a grand-scale approach — more audacious than those previously considered — to address ERWK HFRQRPLF DQG FXOWXUDO FRQFHUQV $PRQJ VXFK D SODQ¶V WH - nets: &ROOHJLDWHDQGSRVWJUDGXDWHHGXFDWLRQVKRXOGEHIUHHIRUWKRVH passing rigorous entrance exams, with scoring adjusted to consider applicant background. 7HFKQLFDODQGYRFDWLRQDOVFKRROLQJVKRXOGEHIUHHIRUKLJKVFKRRO graduates. 7KHUHVKRXOGEHDWZR\HDUSHULRGRIREOLJDWRU\QDWLRQDOVHUYLFH for all able youth. 6RFLHW\PXVWD̆ RUGZRPHQHTXDOLW\ZLWKPHQLQDOOUHVSHFWV :DJHVXEVLGL]DWLRQVKRXOGEHGHSOR\HGWRUHGXFHSRYHUW\EHWWHU SHRSOH¶VOLYHVDQGSURYLGHERWKIRRGDQGKRXVLQJVHFXULW\ 6DODULHVIRUFRUSRUDWHH[HFXWLYHVDQGRWKHUKLJKO\FRPSHQVDWHG individuals should be capped at some multiple of a basal level. :HDOWKVKRXOGEHWD[HGWRIXQGZRUWKZKLOHSURJUDPVDQGUHGXFH the rich-poor gap. The implementation of these initiatives is opposed by powerful in- WHUHVWVEXWWKH\DUHRUFRXOGEHKLJKO\SRSXODUZLWKRUGLQDU\FLWL]HQV across the world. They represent a comprehensive approach to recog- QL]LQJDQGDGGUHVVLQJFRQVHTXHQFHVRIKXPDQLW\¶VRULJLQDOVLQ:KLOH VRPHZLOORSSRVHWKHSURJUDP¶V³FXOWXUDO´HOHPHQWV²IUHHHGXFDWLRQ QDWLRQDOVHUYLFHDQGZRPHQ¶VULJKWV²UHVLVWDQFHWRLWV¿QDQFLDOFRP - SRQHQWVZLOOEHIDUVWURQJHUDQGPRUHZHOORUJDQL]HG 5HVWRULQJ RXU UHPRWH DQFHVWRUV¶ QHDUFRPSOHWH HFRQRPLF HTXDOLW\ LVQ¶WSUDFWLFDEOHLQWKHSUHVHQW KRZHYHULWLVSRVVLEOHWRHQYLVLRQDWD[ continued on page 32
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