Wind and Fire: On Various Aspects of the Future

For my generation, things were fairly clear; that we would begin promising careers, own houses in upscale suburban neighborhoods, and bequeath a thriving economy to children and grandchildren was simply a given, the fulfillment of a promise that we, ourselves, had inherited long ago. It didn't work out that way. Now, as the twenty-first century advances into middle age, we can examine those strange winds and fires of change in greater detail, reflecting on various aspects of the future which still hold promise.

On the Recent Burning of Los Angeles

Oddly, when I began drafting this piece, fire had not yet cast shadows of apocalypse over Los Angeles or made the future an expanse of sorrow for thousands. My plan had been to study the decline of middle-class life in America, specifically as it pertains to homeownership--or the impossibility thereof--and reflect on plausible solutions. However, this recent "wildfire" tragedy adds a deeper dimension to the problem; what happens to those who lost homes and will not be able to rebuild?

For those of the middle-class, a home is typically where assets are concentrated, the last mortgage payment representing a glorious milestone. The future of aging parents is thus assured, as is the inheritance of children and grandchildren. This, at least, is the ideal. However, in recent decades, ordinary folk have been touched by economic misfortune, wages stagnating as inflation continues to rise, once lucrative occupations now resembling day labor--think of adjunct faculty members at major universities working night shifts at Walmart to survive. Beyond this, we must consider the manipulations of the housing market which are, admittedly, too complex to address here. Suffice it to say, however, that the job and housing markets have, either by accident or design, created a very hostile climate for middle-class life.

From the Ashes . . .

As a young family returned to survey their ruined home in Altadena, a news crew documented their reactions and (perhaps sincerely) expressed concern over the unfolding tragedy. The parents, both of whom appeared to be in their twenties, described how they renovated the home with their own labor and worked to secure a bright future for their children. Now, faced with paying the mortgage for a ruined property, and absorbing the expense of an apartment that will easily be three to four times more costly than their former home, they are very much at a loss. And this is a common situation in the wake of an uncommonly rapacious fire--one that occurred in winter amid hurricane-force winds. Rather strange, wouldn't you say?

In addition to footage of tearful homeowners who lost everything--including insurance coverage--there are scenes of cars filling the Rose Bowl parking lot in Pasadena, not for an occasion of leisure but for reasons of survival. People simply have nowhere else to turn. And what about Governor Gavin Newsom, with his new $9.1 million home and, no less, the gleeful demeanor he exhibits in the face of human tragedy? Well, we won't go there at the moment.

With many survivors of the Maui fire still unable to rebuild, and numerous victims of Hurricane Helene facing winter frost in tents and donated RVs, we now add thousands of displaced Californians to the narrative of sorrows. And we must not forget the recent chemical fires in Ohio and Georgia, during which many residents were forced to flee their homes.

Here, I reflect on the Book of Daniel, where we learn that the fourth kingdom of history will destroy the earth and break it in pieces. Elon Musk calls it the "Fourth Industrial Revolution." It's quite a bit more than that, as we see with the developing tragedies of the age.

"Reimagining" the Future (without the Middle-Class)

That seems to be the way of things, as the new century unfolds and reveals its character. Now, let us entertain some reflections on why this is the case, beginning with shadows of the recent past.

David Rockefeller--who has since passed away and gone to his reward--vociferously called for the formation of a world government structure, one that should rise by natural right, regardless of any opposition, to assume rulership over all people. Although often described in humanitarian terms, and glamorized with propagandizing language, this hypothetical entity was neither egalitarian nor humane but totalitarian in the extreme--rule by wealth rather than democratic election. Essentially, it is the rulership that presides over the nations already, a corporate technocracy that lacks even a modest covering of legitimacy. At any rate, among the many quotations attributed to him, we find one of particular interest appearing in The Aspen Times. In the August 15, 2011, edition we read Rockefeller's words as recounted in an editorial letter:

Some even believe we are part of a secret cabal working against the best interests of the United States, characterizing my family and me as ‘internationalists’ and of conspiring with others around the world to build a more integrated global political and economic structure, one world if you will. If that is the charge, I stand guilty, and I am proud of it.

Of course, he receives no credit for prescience when it comes to the creation of a world government; the King James Bible already makes it clear, in Zephaniah 3:8, that such an entity will rise. What we can infer from Rockefeller, among other oligarchs, is that the destruction of the nation states must occur first, before the new government can emerge in its totalitarian glory. And, because the middle-class underwrites the sovereignty of nations--typically opposing tyrants and oppression--its ranks will be eliminated in the "reimagining" process. Going further, scripture teaches that the man who will emerge to lead the world, after the multitudes have been battered into submission, will be none other than the false messiah of many faiths, the antichrist.

And what is the good news?

The Gospel (1 Corinthians 15:3-4, KJV):

For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures;

Moreover, according to Romans 10:8-13, KJV, we know that those who confess the Lord Jesus with their mouths, and believe that God raised him from the dead, shall be saved. Amen.

As for the world, countless passages of secular history have been written, speaking to the sorrows of life. However, thankfully, a greater hope awaits our recognition. In Christ, I find joy and peace beyond measure.