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Ordinary mornings in 2042

Anonymous

April 26, 2023

Ordinary mornings in 2042

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7am, March 28th 2042:
My personal assistant wakes me up with my favorite workday song and turns on the coffee machine. An ordinary alarm clock would perfectly do the job, but the automatic coffee machine is convenient after all.
While I brush my teeth, my personal assistant displays daily news on the mirror in front of me. Scientists came up with a new way to efficiently store an infinite amount of energy. I guess we are close to reaching complete carbon-neutrality for electricity production (8 years ahead of the plan!).
The next article reports that the 4-day workweek which was implemented in the EU in 2035 shows promising results. People started exercising more, spent more time with their families, attended more cultural events and participated more in local politics. I would tend to confirm it in my own case.
The following article reports how the unified EU-wide social security system enables workers to swiftly move from one country to another with significantly less paperwork and administrative hurdles. I always wondered why it was not implemented earlier.
The next article discusses an ongoing problem in our society. Biotechnology has enabled humans to amplify their physical and cognitive abilities. These technologies became increasingly affordable (though still quite expensive), and it led to a dualistic society. I keep asking myself what we can do about it, probably nothing. We made a lot of progress in guaranteeing and protecting freedoms to choose our life paths, education, careers, whom we love, how we dress, which god we worship and so on and so on. I guess choosing to enhance our abilities is also part of these choices.
The last topic of my daily news review concerns the increase of retirement age. Apparently it's a side effect of the 4-day workweek. I guess I won't be retired before 2085 or something… But at least most bullshit jobs have been taken over by AI and automated systems and I have all the freedom to choose a professional activity that fulfills my life goals.

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hallo
Uus haridusajastu
One major change would be in the education system. Up to the sixth form, teaching would be as usual, except that a pupil would be assigned a personal teacher, specially trained for young children and young people, who would explain difficult subjects to them if necessary. From grade 6 onwards, each pupil, taking into account his future plans and personal interests, would draw up his own personal timetable, with optional subjects, and, if necessary, professional help and support in drawing it up. This would give him or her a better preparation for studying the desired profession. The fact that the student draws up his/her own timetable would give him/her more motivation to learn. Some classes or courses could be online, giving the possibility of a flexible timetable. Once a student reaches upper secondary level, he or she would have the choice between a regular programme of classes, with electives and a flexible timetable, or an intensive programme over one year. This would give the opportunity for inquisitive students, including those who go on to university, to enter the labour market earlier, for example medical students. Schools and classes would be equipped according to the specific needs of age groups. These are just some of the changes that would take place in the education system.
hallo
Naturfreund
For me, social, communal values were always paramount. Material things were only there to provide the necessities of life. Healthy, simple food, preferably home-cooked, leads to a happy life. The food industry is taking the piss out of us just to secure its profits. It's not about people. All the advertising is falsified. Cooperation on a modest basis must be strengthened again. The focus must be more on people. Children must be taught this in their education.
hallo
Retour sur la logique des choses
I wake up one morning in the new year, 2040. Like any other morning, I'm getting ready for an ordinary day. Today, it's safe to walk the streets. Delinquency shaves the walls, since repression is harsh but fair, a little like in the Middle Ages, but effective (caning, reopening of prisons). Controlled immigration and the deportation of delinquents have contributed to all this. Men have realized that women can do as well as, if not better than, them. That said, parity and quotas are a thing of the past - we live in a world of meritocracy. Women are breathing a sigh of relief, and rapists and sex offenders are being severely punished. They have also understood that if they want to please, they have to accept being looked at, admired and approached by other people of all genders. In fact, there are now only 2, masculine or feminine. Non-binary people, those who feel like a flowerpot every 4 mornings..., are followed up for shrink failure. Society has become fairer, and freeloaders no longer exist. People who live on assistance without ever working are no longer entitled to it. All work deserves a salary, so no work = no income or benefits. Social security is on the mend, since we've stopped treating all the world's misery. Young people are better educated, thanks to ever more innovative new technologies, but above all thanks to a culture of effort and hard work. But above all, we've stopped doing anything that didn't make sense. For example, to import foreign products, they have to meet the same production standards. This encourages "local consumption", reduces carbon impact, and reinvigorates agriculture. Repair shops are to be found just about everywhere: no more systematic replacement, today we repair, just like in my youth. Containers are being reused, thanks to the return of the glass bottle deposit scheme. Tourism has taken a knock, which seems normal to me, but it came late. If you want to preserve places, you have to protect them from man. Apart from that, and it's not bad, I'm happy to have a quality of life like this, better purchasing power, better health, security, justice, well thought-out decisions but above all logic. So, although this future makes me dream, I'm not going to be impatient to get there because I'll be 15 years older :-/
hallo
La paix dans le monde
I'd like to see world peace in 2040, where people can travel and emigrate freely. To achieve this, we need to put an end to dictatorships, the desire to conquer territories, power and material domination, and live in peaceful, intelligent communities.
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