TWO VIEWS OF THE FUTURE - Herbert W Armstrong - August 1975

Herbert W Armstrong

Nobody knows exactly what the future will bring, but most people have an opinion. At the second general assembly of the World Future Society in Washington, D.C., June 2-5, futurist Herman Kahn, founding director of the Hudson Institute, presented two characteristic (and largely opposing) views on the future. Kahn asked these of us at the futurist conference to indicate the viewpoint with which we would most closely agree. Interestingly, the response was about equally divided between the two scenarios. Below is a shortened adaptation of Kahn's original presentation. The left side contains the "bad news," a rather pessimistic neo-Malthusian appraisal of man's future. On the right side is the more optimistic "post-industrial society" as viewed by many. Plain Truth invites our readers to consider both columns, and, if you're so inclined, let us know why you favor one and not the other. We'll discuss your responses in a reader's forum, and we'll further analyze these visions of the future in forthcoming issues of Plain Truth. - Information Supplied By: Herbert W Armstrong Library