| On the world stage: • America will still be a strong player, but not completely dominant anymore. • China will successfully assert itself in East Asia, OR force Japan, Taiwan, Phillipines, Vietnam, etc into a strong anti-China alliance. • India and Europe will act more and more independently of the US. • Turkey will seek to assert itself in former Ottoman territories, possibly leading to a period of peace in the Middle East if successful. Technologically: • Nothing groundbreaking in computer hardware. • Still no self driving cars or compelling voice interfaces. • Electric cars gain ground, but other forms of electric transportation become wildly popular. • Having a driving license will become less common. Driving may become something left to the professionals, with more stringent tests and requirements. • Meat alternatives become mainstream. People start to look down upon eating real meat. Socially/economically: • Continued urbanisation of the population. • Continued slowing the the birth rate. • Dwelling places keep getting smaller. • Long term monogamous relationships become more uncommon. • Wage stagnation • Retail shopping almost dies out • Entertainment is mostly online Politically: • Prison abolition movement will become stronger. • Primitivist movement will get much bigger. They will seek to return to the country and a more independent, primitive way of life. When laws and social circumstances don't allow this they will turn to terrorism. |
I really want this to happen. In the past decade, we saw the first mass pardons of people in the U.S. imprisoned for drug charges. This would have been unimaginable during the height of the "War on Drugs." This gives me hope that the imprisonment rate will continue to decline.