The Great Crisis of 2015 and Years After

Matt Thurman

Mrs. Straub

Advanced Placement Economics

3 March 2015

The Great Crisis of 2015 and Years After

While numerous people quarrel over the issues of child poverty and gun violence and deadly diseases in the States, we lose focus of one of the most consequential events in the nation.  Although looked at by some as a wonderful revolution, others see them as the terrifying threats they are.  Movies upon movies detail their glory, their power, their limitless future, but none show their existence in the magnitude of light in which we must see it.  Their looming suspense dwarfs the suspense of this introduction, but their contribution to the world in the future seems comparable to that of super-conglomerate ThurmanTech (For information on trademarked words by Matt Thurman, visit the only article on this blog: http://thurmania.blogspot.com/.)  Robots.  That’s the surprise.  They’re fun if they’re like Wall-E or Terminator, but worrisome if they’re like Megatron or C-3PO.

The U.S. military appears to be shifting its infantry personnel to robots, which has several positive and negative outcomes.  Clearly, implementing more robots in lieu of humans saves lives, for there are less vital organs at risk in the front lines.  Even though this change increases the risk of damage to one vital organ – the heart, due to poorer exercise habits – it truly does help protect several lives that otherwise would be at risk.  With this decrease in military personnel comes an increase in the workforce, which brings forth an increase in output.  As a result, the United States will experience a healthy rise in real GDP, as well as a decrease in the unemployment rate.  In addition, we’ll enjoy more burly men stateside, as the would-be soldiers could redirect their career paths to other fields.

We must also realize that this government spending, assuming we advance to the stage of Chappie-esque robotics, may reach colossal numbers, which has several effects itself.  Joshua Stewart, staff writer of the Marine Corps Times, explains the consideration of an unmanned tank in the Marines, which would wield a machine gun, various sensors, and remarkable mobility (Stewart).  Named the Modular Advanced Armed Robotic System, this beast of war has no trouble fitting its way into the infantry of the Marines.  This project likely would not be funded from the Jones family’s penny jar, but rather from taxation – with representation, of course.  With the presumed increase in personal taxes, citizens of the United States of America might be hesitant to purchase the latest 3D printer or other general products, which would seemingly lower aggregate demand.  On the other hand, this government spending might be simply an expansionary fiscal policy, which would seek to increase real GDP.  The current situations wouldn’t seem to call for this type of fiscal policy, so this is less likely to be the case.

Of what we can be certain, however, is that robots, especially military robots, will continually advance technologically.  CNN writer Peter Warren Singer (who’s really just an excellent person to meet – find out more about him at http://www.pwsinger.com/) notes that initially human operators had to remotely control robots’ every function (Singer).  Now, and even more so in the future, these robots will be able to act autonomously and defeat nations’ armies single-handedly.  Presumably in the near future, extravagant fictional movies about robots and their impressive abilities will become obsolete, as they will be displaced by documentaries of actual robots destroying battalions of malicious henchmen defending potential Bond villains.

Certainly, subduing enemies sounds splendid.  But can we guarantee that these robots will remain loyal and focused on virtuous deeds?  Can we not believe for a moment that these circuited servants may one day rebel and erase every principle on which this land was founded?  It’s questions like these that make us sit back and wonder, “Are we all just robots ourselves, programmed to live a life void of freedom?”  I’d like to think not.  But does it matter what I’d like to think if the robots reign supreme?  I guess we’ll never know.

Works Cited

"P.W. Singer." P.W. Singer. Web. 2 Mar. 2015.

Singer, Peter Warren. "The Future of War Will Be Robotic - CNN.com." CNN. Cable News Network, 23 Feb. 2015. Web. 2 Mar. 2015.

Stewart, Joshua. "Marine Corps Considers New Unmanned Tank, Micro-drones." Marine Corps Times. 30 Jan. 2015. Web. 2 Mar. 2015.

Thurman, Matt. "Trademarked Words by Matt Thurman." Thurman and the Future of the World. Matt Thurman, 2 Mar. 2015. Web. 2 Mar. 2015.