Start of the New Century

By Jeff Gallo

So we’ve crossed over, its new years day, its 2009 and I cant wait for January 20.
the new millennium is only beginning to dawn, the new millennium will find its voice, its
shape, its sense of self through new ideas, through the definition of a crisis of
devastating proportions. However this crisis will likely teach us the true height of human
potential. Potential for ingenuity, for intelligence, for compassion, and for empathy, but
most importantly it will teach us our own capacity to love, and respect all people of our
species for these things. We will likely learn the truth of the civil war slogan “United we
stand, divided we fall” in a context much greater than a single nation.
The world will doubtlessly face down its demise through cooperation and strength
in pursuit of answers and better days. Should the world emerge from an era of shifting
power, the death of the world corporation dream, and a painful acceleration in the
destruction of the Earth, it shall emerge strong and unified. Energy independence does
not mean cheaper, it should mean cleaner. Independence is merely the path to get
there, research and development of solutions like the sterling motor and other
environmentally conscious methods must start with someone. A move back to nuclear
energy can only take us so far, eventually there will be better more sustainable
solutions, or perhaps new hybridization methods to increase efficiency of power-
production in the future. For example, a sterling type engine model, a self perpetuating
system that could be constantly fed more energy through a less effective renewable
source like wind-farms. And this is where the new age shall define itself, through the
development of these technologies and the jobs created by their needs.
Another likely place to see the new world define its goings on is in the new,
everyone-is-a-producer culture of YouTube and the blog-o-sphere. But as the poet
Shihan says, “everyone wants to be in the entertainment industry and pretty soon there
wont be any audience anymore, just a bunch of moneys on stage dancing.” I can only
hope that the days of instant internet celebrity born of stupidity and fanatic obsession
with social networking profiles will end and artists can take control of how we define all
these new media. This is what I can only dream of being a part of in the coming years,
to help to define the world’s view of the place of art in a time when everyone can
assemble and publish anything for all to access. We will see a re-birth of insurgent art.
We all should see the great opportunity we have to speak truth to power through new
and fantastic genres of collaborative art executed by artists all over the globe. Artists
now have the ability to share their work with all the world and find collaborators which in
times past they would never have stumbled onto. In the coming years I hope to see a
new focus on artists and professionals exchanging ideas through internet postings. And
I hope that we can usher in a new generation of artists with all the fearlessness and
tenacity of the previous generation coupled with new appreciation for collaborative work
and cooperation. After all it is our artists who most often define our times, not with out
help from political and technological spheres, but truly the artists are those who frame
these things for world society. It is my sincerest hope that the next ruling generation, the
first generation raised in the internet age will take hold of our failing world and guide it
on a path of righteous equity and strength through community. Many claim the
psychological detriment posed by interaction through the supposed anonymity of the
internet, but truly it is our expression which makes us human. We strive to become
more human by sharing our experiences with each other, and we have never had
greater potential to express ourselves nor to listen to each other.
We shall emerge from the current crisis with a new found global social capital.
With a new strength, a strength not of nations, nor of corporations, but the strength of a
species, the only species on our planet to hold its destiny in its own hands. So I ask all
to please love your families, your neighbors, and love your fellow humans, for they hold
your destiny in their hands. If you are a poet, write. If you are a musician, play. If you
are a painter, paint. If you are a person, love. And always speak truth to power and to
all. We are each of us given a gift, a human experience to share, share yours and listen
to your neighbor’s. Listen to your family’s, to your fellow humans and we will lead each
other in turn hand-in-hand into a new world of peace, acceptance and prosperity