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The Coming Collision
Is it too late to jump off?
by Stu Engle

The human race is speeding toward a concrete wall and nothing is going to stop the impending collision. The sad thing is that the passengers (us) on this train know the terrible outcome will be devastating, but no one knows how to stop the inevitable. So, we are holding on to our butts and praying we don't have to kiss ourselves goodbye.

When did this get out of control? It happened seemingly overnight when our technology went beyond our understanding, and we were powerless to stop it: We would have liked to use the television remote control 25 years ago to put the world into slow motion, but no one could find the remote and when we did, it was too late.

The computer- cloning- brain chips- robotics- even the microwave-- life seems to have gotten easier, but actually we are living in a complex, even diabolical age that is standing on the edge of a cliff. Some of the moral decisions being thought of today would have been deemed as barbaric only a generation or two ago.

I am not writing about some kind of Y2K scare, although that hoax easily victimized us because we know a disaster is coming. I don't believe the disaster will be this soon.

Why does there have to be this massive, gut-wrenching, tire-squealing, grass-shattering collision? We have simply gone past the center of understanding; nature has a way of lining up both sides of an equation.

What can be done?

Nothing really- when the wheels first started moving, everyone liked the ride better than thinking about the future. The analogy- a roller coaster- The first time a person goes on the newest, fastest, death-defying ride, he is worried about it but he straps himself in and enjoys the ride. When it is over, he enjoys it and wants more. The human race has decided the same thing; we want more. The problem is, this is a longer ride than we had first envisioned. We have developed a headache but we are still enjoying it and we don't think it is that bad.

In a fantasy world, I would believe our leaders could stop it. In reality, they have been powerless to do something; probably no one could have stopped this evolution in our century. The result- technology has outstripped man's preparedness and we have gone too far, too fast and now we are not ready to stop the inevitable.

The wall is there; you are in the car going too fast and you know you are going to hit. What are you going to do? Just what are you going to do?

For me, I guess I am going to just close my eyes just as I do whenever I see a glass falling off the edge of a counter. The crash is going to happen; I just hope I will have enough sense left to sweep up the pieces.

December 5,1999