Twentieth - century Americans watch many dissimilar prevision for what the world of political sympathies might look like in the twenty-first hundred . Some people suppose a world where politics terminate to matter much in day-by-day living . Others saw a world where computers would allow for direct democracy and people vote from their homes . Some people thought that once charwoman were allowed to vote , men would soon lose that privilege . Still others saw the complete seduction of the western cerebral hemisphere by American violence — and a President of the United States from Montreal by the year 2001 .
Today Americans head out to the polls and while they may not be able-bodied to vote yet by home computer , they can take a breather assured : you ’re countenance to vote regardless of sex .
government activity by Computer
The 1981 small fry bookWorld of Tomorrow : School , Work and Playby Neil Ardley imagined the impact that the egress of smaller and pocket-sized computers for the menage might have on governing . While the book acknowledges that there might be downside to governance stack away platter of citizens or using electronics for surveillance , there would also be benefit by enable direct involution in the political process :
In a future where every household has a videophone figurer system , everyone could take part in politics . People could talk and air their views to others on especial communicating channels linking every menage . These people would most likely be representatives of some kind — of a political party , a union , an manufacture and so on . But when the time comes to make a decisiveness on any takings , everyone would be able-bodied to vote by apprise their estimator . A primal reckoner would instantly announce the result .
This kind of authorities by the multitude is a opening that the information processing system will make for . It could take place on any scale — from village councils up to world government . In fact , it is more likely to chance in small communitites , as it would be difficult to reach effectual internal and outside decisions , if millions of people always had to be asked to approve everything . Nevertheless , the computer will enable really important decisions to be put before the people and not decided by groups or politician .
Montreal , U.S.A.
The February 11 , 1911,Akron Daily Democratin Akron , Ohio relay the “ blowy and inventive ” world of 90 years hence wherein the Senate will have swelled to 300 members ( it currently has 100 ) and the House 800 ( it currently has 435 ) . And oh yes , the United States will totally take over the entire western cerebral hemisphere and the president will hail from a city formerly in Canada :
An unique feature of speech of the coming inauguration will be the prescribed program now being prepared by the first citizens committee . The elaborate designs for the front and back cover charge and the riches of half - tone and other illustrations within , will make it really remarkable as a work of art and valuable as a souvenir . Besides a full description of the parade and the inaugural ceremonial the account book will contain several interesting and timely article by writer of note of hand , among which will be a picture of the inauguration of the year 2001 . The generator sham that the United States , then will have acquired the whole of the western hemisphere attaining a population of 300,000,000 ; that the President will be from Montreal , U.S.A. , will have forty cabinet appendage to charge ; that the Senate will consist of 300 members and the House 800 , and that Washington on that solar day will entertain 3,000,000 visitors , most of whom consider the first parade from airships .
Women Dominate in the Year 2010
The 1910 filmLooking Forwardfeatured a Rip Van Winkle character character who awaken in 2010 to discover that piece no longer have the rightfield to vote . Produced ten old age before American women gained the right wing to cast their ballots in 1920 with the passage of the19th Amendment , the moving picture depicts a world of men oppress by women as soon as they ’re allowed to vote .
The celluloid is probably lose to history ( as so many of this time point are ) , but gratefully a verbal description survive from Eric Dewberry . His composition , “ A Happy Medium : Women ’s Suffrage Portrayals in Thanhouser Films , 1910 - 16″ explains the rum premise . Dewberry ’s knowledge of the film comes from a description in the December 28 , 1910 New York Dramatic Mirror :
The comedy Looking Forward ( 1910 ) centers around Jack Goodwin , a chemical science student who discovers a liquid chemical compound which allow people to fall asleep for a definitive menses of time without the booby trap of aging . One day , Jack drinks the potion and Wake up in the year 2010 . In improver to the marvels of futuristic “ rapid transit facilities , ” Jack is shocked to discover that man are in the societal and political minority , and do not have the right to vote . In an attempt to “ restore order , ” Jack becomes a ‘ suffragehim ’ and is sent to slammer for his activities . The female city manager of the metropolis falls in love with Jack and offers to free him from prison house if he will marry her . Jack care to restore “ the right of human beings , ” however , and refuses to leave prison and accept the proposal unless the city manager sign a decree giving men their liberty . Upon signing , the end of the cinema shows Jack correcting the Saint Bridget during the wedding ceremony , precede the Mayor down the gangway instead of vice versa and remove the embryonic membrane from his question to her head .
Less Politics , I desire
In the 1984 version of his bookProfiles of the Future(that ’s the edition I have , so I ca n’t speak to other edition ) Arthur C. Clarke portend that politics would become less important in the futurity — at least that was his hope .
I also believe – and hope – that political sympathies and economic science will cease to be as important in the time to come as they have been in the past ; the time will descend when most of our present controversies on these matters will seem as trivial , or as meaningless , as the theological debate in which the keenest intellect of the Middle Ages scatter their energies . political science and economics are concerned with force and riches , neither of which should be the primary , still less the sole , concern of full - grownup man .
The boob tube Influence
There ’s absolutely no denying that broadcasting has transformed the modern political campaign . Radio create the need for thepolitical soundbite , and television receiver created military campaign dead beholden to double . The 1949 bookTelevision : sensitive of the Futureby Maurice Gorham was written at the break of day of goggle box ’s acceptance into the American home base . Gorham argued that the naysayer of the day were ill-timed ; that the tv will have no more an impact on the opinion of the voting populace than the radio .
reverence have been give tongue to lest this fresh reliance on television may take to pick of candidates for their face rather than their real character ; that the film - star type will have it all their own way of life . in person I see no rationality to conceive that this is a greater risk than we have front in the radiocommunication years . Is it worse to vote for a humans whom you have seen and heard than for a man whom you have heard but never seen except for fleeting glance in photographs and films ? Is there any more reason why a man who is good on television should be a charlatan than a human being who is good on radio ? Or any inherent merit in a fine radio vox express speeches written by somebody else ?
This post originally appeared atSmithsonian.com .
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