Has the industrial lifestyle failed? Some find it easy to answer that question. The results of recent years clearly show that the industrialized countries are in trouble.
However, ask older people who have fetched drinking water from a well or fountain in any climate if they prefer it or if they prefer modern indoor facilities with water supply. "direct" water? Do you know many people who would continue to use a fixture if they had an indoor bathroom available?
Would many people prefer kerosene lamps if they had electric lamps? Do you want to wash your clothes by hitting stones or rubbing your hands against a washing board if you can use a washing machine? Would you go miles to talk to someone instead of picking up the phone and communicating directly?
To get hot water for bathing, many people took buckets of water from outside, heated it with a wood fire and filled a bathtub. (Many still do). Ask an older man if this is his preference, he would rather do it than turn on a hot water faucet in a modern bathroom.
Very few in the world today would choose to go back to the old days on this subject. So there is no doubt that the industrial lifestyle has brought about changes that many prefer. For that reason, there was so much hope that the "industrial revolution" that began around 1600 would translate into a wonderful lifestyle.
Devices that save work, convenience, faster transport and communication are believed to constantly improve lives. Therefore, the technology was enthusiastically received by many. And with the invention of things like cars, airplanes, telephones, electric lamps and radios, more and more people have become convinced that a bright new era is really emerging.
In recent decades, the process has accelerated. Television was combined with computers, automation, space satellites, jets and sophisticated machines of many kinds.
Although the benefits of the machines became apparent, the deeper problems were not initially. The problems seemed to be relatively small. But then they started to grow.
The problems are growing
Until the advent of the Industrial Revolution, agriculture was the common way of life of the people. There were small towns, but very few large cities. Even the few cities that existed had a rural feel without large buildings with several floors.
But the advent of the industrial age changed things. Factories were necessary to manufacture machinery. In order for factories to be inhabited, workers had to move close to the workplace, as there was no way to get to work quickly. More and more people are leaving farms and settling in cities. After all, hundreds of millions of people have gone to cities around the world.
For example, there were about 15 million agricultural workers in Japan before World War II. now the number has dropped to about 6-1⁄2 million. Where previously 400,000 recent graduates remained at the company each year to continue family work, there are today only 20,000. However, Japan's population has exceeded 100 million.
Another worrying step occurred. Before the Industrial Revolution, many artisans could be satisfied with their work, as it involved some of their own initiative and creativity. But the machines dominated the factories and set the pace. Many workers saw this as a kind of mechanical slavery.
In addition, machines often replaced workers whose skills were no longer needed. These marginalized workers have not always been able to find new jobs.
A catastrophic turning point
When these problems developed, it was believed that science and technology would find solutions. At the beginning of the 20th century, humanity was still considered to be entering a "golden age".
Then came a devastating blow. The same machines that would have helped man turn on him in World War I, 1914-1918. Nearly ten million men have died. New gadgets like machine guns, submarines, tanks, planes and the like come at a terrible price.
For the first time in history, combat weapons were available, a direct result of the industrial revolution. On the other hand, the industrial age also contributed to the war: one of the causes of the conflict was that the European powers clashed to conquer the world of raw materials and markets for their growing industries.
Other problems
These men did not know that such inventions and others would cause even more problems in the years to come. In the highly industrialized countries of Europe and America, for example, transport systems are becoming increasingly heavy and independent.
Traffic is extremely congested during rush hour in major metropolitan areas. Millions of people coming and going from work have reduced traffic, pollution, anger and wasted time. The airspace around large cities is also increasingly congested with heavy air traffic.
In the United States as elsewhere, the automobile has proven to be one of the deadliest weapons ever developed. More Americans have died since the invention of the automobile than in the national war!
Hope in vain
Poor living conditions are expected to be eliminated with the advent of industrialization. But this hope was useless. There have always been millions of poor and very poor in industrialized countries.
Other "basic ills" such as crime, pollution, congestion, drug addiction, poverty and hunger have actually worsened. He also suffers from illnesses associated with housing pressures in the industry, such as heart disease, mental disorders and cancer.
Worse yet, the problems caused by technology threaten the existence of the human family. The New York Times reported this finding by a group of researchers: "The stress and strains caused by rapid technological advancements not only outweigh a person's physical and mental adaptability, but also threaten their survival."
Great article