I've got to say that it does sound a tad fanciful for Flannery to assume mankind is approaching some sort of fulfilling zenith of connectedness - disconnectedness, more likely.

I mean, let's get real here as far as technology is concerned....good old self-sufficient Western man is reduced to helplessness - is almost totally incapacitated if the power goes out.

And what does connectedness in the this age of marvels denote? It certainly isn't in evidence in general society where local communities have become extinct. We sit chatting on the net and yet we don't know our neighbours - chances are that we don't have any local shops anymore. We travel through our environment encased in capsules for the most part - where is the connectedness in that?

I'd like to ask Mr Flannery how he came to his amazing conclusion. What's changed? Has man suddenly stopped squabbling over territory and resources?

Just because man has developed the technology to allow him to communicate at will doesn't mean he has learned the art of humility or cultivated the virtues of restraint, generosity, tolerance and forgiveness.

Flannery is a New World Order nutter.There will be no democracy but decisions made on our behalf by the scientific/banking intelligencia ie, people of his ilk.It is called fascism.

Arjay,
"Flannery is a New world Order nutter" Spot on!

When he mentions 'We' in the quotes I gave, he includes himself in the governing body. The rest will be the worker ants who will do as we are told. After all they will regulate us. They are the Intelligencia.

Better improve on his predictions about AGW. I recall something about permanent drought, cities running out of water and maybe he said something about dramatic sea levels rising. Or was that one of his alarmist mates. Did not Gore predict there would be no Artic ice by 2013 and kids in UK would not know what snow was.

Best read the quotes again. Did he say super-organism or super-orgasm?

so funny to see the obvious stupidty of outcomes of those who hold to the evolution faith. Mr Flannery is one of the best adverts for creation showing the ridiculous faith that is needed to embrace evolution dogma.

Again we see the faith of evolution being used to explain racism

http://www.couriermail.com.au/entertainment/weird/evolution-of-prejudice-study-reveals-racism-in-monkeys/story-e6frep26-1226036793281

So funny to see these 'scientist' conjure up lies and claim it is science.

Bugsy,
I do like the one big happy family idea, I just don't believe there's any evidence for it, quite the opposite. To continue with Forrest's analogy, if we don't like the idea of the "Borgian" superorganism, presumably the "United Federation of Planets" is desirable (the UFP is not just the would-be intelligence of one planet, but of a federation!)? In which case we should observe that the Federation is a meritocracy and has done away with money. We should also note that the Federation is culturally rich and highly tolerant. Apropos of that, please note what I said above: "In the kind of world Marx envisioned, one not driven by economic rationalism and commodification, genuine cultural and national distinctiveness would logically undergo a rebirth".

So long as we retain our system of aristocracy, there's no hope of our becoming a superorganism, more likely a super disease.

And unlike my conservative chums here, I do think we have a problem.

Forrest Gumpp,
I meant to say above that I did get your science fiction conflation, and you even got the soundtrack down pat! But that's what got be going; it seemed (at a glance) like a great way to send up poor old Marx, this time to conflate him with Flannery's hairbrained ideas.
I am humbled.