There is no doubt that
the internet is revolutionary. Like all things, however, it must come to an end.
The only question I have is whether or not I will live to see it.
Neglect to pave a
street, and in time, wild flora will uproot it into the ground. Natural
weathering and erosion will take their toll. My concern, however, is more so
with the prospect of human abandonment and destruction. The Roman Empire is
among my favorite examples – a magnificent construction that had to come down,
but why? Poor maintenance was crucial in its downfall: the lack of legal (constitutional)
safeguards against dictatorial abuse led to tyranny and madness; a disregard
for the integrity of the military and of public office led to widespread
corruption; and a decrepit culture left the empire completely hollow – the
early Christians refused to swear oaths of commitment and the populace had no
sense of vigor or disciple: the military had recruits coming in refusing to
wear their armor, complaining that it was too heavy.
I am not religious, but
I am rather intrigued by the tale of Sodom and Gomorrah – the people had become
so wicked that they invoked the wrath of God, destroying them all as none of
them were worthy of salvation. Similarly, Rome was provoking the barbarians of
the north until it incensed them to deal it the fatal blows. Human nature has
not really change before or after that point. The Library of Alexandria was destroyed
by Caesar and two late Roman emperors and later in the Muslim conquest of
Egypt. Totalitarian regimes of the 20th century censored and burned
books with a wild fury. Today, we have ISIS destroying historical landmarks and
artifacts.
Be it by replacement by
even more advanced technology, human aggression, or the decay of time, the
internet will undergo a similar path. Of course, it may not be any time soon –
we still have plenty of golden years to come, but when the day arrives, much of
what we have will vanish overnight as we plunge into a new dark age.
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