Let's create a holiday

[Cognisant]

I had a fun idea on the way to work, what if we created a holiday to commemorate an event that hasn't happened yet but in all likelihood probably will?

There's a lot of speculation around what the technological singularity will entail but the fundamental premise is that there's a point in time after which we don't know what will happen. Not that we know exactly what will happen tomorrow with any real certainty but generally speaking we can have some reasonable expectations, but after the singularity point you can't reasonably expect anything, nothing on a human scale anyway.

Now it's going to seem really disingenuous to make this whole song and dance about how we won't be able to predict things after the singularity point then immediately make a prediction of my own but I think it's a very safe prediction. I think things will change, specifically I don't think this capitalist democratic status quo isn't going to last, heck I think we're actually in a plutocratic oligarchy and that definitely isn't going to last once people get wise to it.

So to the point of the thread lets devise a holiday commemorating the date on which the current world order is overthrown as both an implied self fulfilling prophecy (to threaten politicians with the possibility of a popular uprising if they don't get get their act in order) and to satirize the concept of an AI takeover. I mean wouldn't that be a fun spin on the Terminator franchise, Skynet is coming and this time we're trying to make that happen so it can save us from the politicians and plutocrats.

Events like Halloween Xmas and Easter each have their traditions and special games and special foods and clothes and decorations and songs and stories, etc, y'know it's not just the event itself or the reason for the event it's the whole culture around, I want to create that event and a the culture that goes with it and I'm asking you for suggestions.

• What should it be called?
• What date would be most appropriate, decided randomly maybe?
• What food (or lack thereof) is associated with this holiday?
• What clothes (or lack thereof) are associate with this holiday?
• What themes do the songs/stories tend to revolve around?*
• Is there gift giving, if so what kind?
• What traditions are there? (what do people do, e.g. games, making things, visiting people)
• What decorations are used and do they signify anything?

*: keep in mind the premise of this is that we're pretending to be people from the future celebrating how much better off and/or smarter we are than people from the past, it could be a utopian future but I personally like the idea of an apparent utopia with subtle hints of terrible origins, for example pinatas that look like politicians and spill out red candy and the burning of a human shaped effigy while we pretend to be oblivious to what that represents.

That's just where I want to go with this, I'm under no illusion that if I actually get this metaphorical ball rolling I'll almost immediately lose any control over it, culture is after all for better or worse created by the majority rule.

 

[EndogenousRebel]

This is a lot of thinking to be had.

If the "plutocratic oligarchy" have gotten to where they are based on merit I feel like this will turn into a holiday where gods have become a reality. What is the word for theism except it's real? Praise be to realism!

 

[Cognisant]

If a plutocratic oligarchy was based on merit it wouldn't be a plutocratic oligarchy.

Governance by AI would be an autonomous autocracy.

 

[EndogenousRebel]

I guess I'm trying to express my fear that we will not all reap the benefits of AI. I have doubts about a singularity suddenly radically changing everything. I mean, think about our journey towards the singularity, the people funding it are likely gonna keep it close to the chest. Unless it's an overnight change that solves all our problems, people in power aren't going to like everyone suddenly being on the same level. It'll be just like any other technology, where access to it will start with the highest classes and trickle down to the bottom over time.

If we do reach utopia though I think the holiday thing is a good idea. It should serve as a grounding/humbling thing, respect to all those that came before that made this a possibility. Show the fragility of life and what connected us all as human beings. Like most holidays the date is arbitrary just that everyone celebrates it at the same time.

 

[peoplesuck]

That wasnt' thought out at all, I will come up with something better later.