It is still February 2011 and already Dec. 21 2012 is being felt. 2012 has begun to dominate casual conversations. People are already thinking about having to plan, organize and get things ready for the upcoming event. For the last 20 years or more scientists have been warning us of the consequences of industrialization, pollution and overpopulation. No one really paid attention, so why now. What makes the unknown 2012 disaster real, and not the scientific facts we have had for years. Why are people treating hypothetical 2012 disaster as a fact?
I think because there is a date. The same date comes up in many different cultures and histories as an important date. I think that if the early scientists trying to get people to change had provided a dooms day date, even Dec 21 2012, people would have listened more. But I don’t think they would have changed what they were doing until the deadline started looming. It’s not like the knowledge of Dec. 12 2012 has not been around for a long, long time. Only as the “deadline” comes closer are people reacting.
Is it possible that a natural disaster will occur on Dec. 12 2012, yes! But nature for the most part is unpredictable so a natural disaster can happen on any date, or not happen. People on the other hand are a strange mix of predictability and unpredictability. I think 2012 is going to become a self fulfilling prophecy, not a natural disaster. It is more likely that people will be the cause of any disaster, not nature. Fear can be a powerful force. The date is almost two years away and people are already changing. People are already building survival shelters, stocking up on food and other necessities. Others are planning to move to other countries they feel are more likely to survive a world disaster.
As the date comes closer things will become even more stressful, fearful and dangerous as people start to panic. Terrorist’s activity will increase; both the local and foreign terrorists. It does not matter their message, just the feeling that they have a very tight deadline to express themselves and terrorise people. What better time to strike, when people are already afraid and feeling out of control. Besides, if they are going to die anyway on Dec. 21, 2012 they might as well die for their cause, whatever it may be.
People are already talking about what they are going to do when the riots start, as if it is a foregone conclusion that there will be rioting the closer it comes to Dec. 21, 2012. Many people have already started to act as if there will be no consequences for their actions, or lack of actions. Why does anything matter if we are all going to die on Dec. 21, 2012? So why should they go to school, get jobs, practice safe sex, eat right, and generally take care of themselves? Other people are trying to get jobs so they have the money to be ready for anything on Dec. 21, 2012. They want to survive and are trying to figure out what they need to do.
Personally I just want to be away from any major city (including the one I live in) to try and avoid all the panicky people and the things they do in fear and the need to feel in control. I know what people can do in situations like this. I have seen the riots on TV, I know my history and tales of cities burned to the ground as people panic. In the end the disasters’ will have been created by people’s fears, or by people taking advantage of others fears. Like any self fulfilling prophecy we did it to ourselves.
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