History of the Risk Society

How We Got Where We Are Today

In the 1800s over 90% of Americans lived on their own farm and produced their own food. As of today, 99.9923% of the 130 million American households do not do so; with currently only around an estimated 10,000 households, out of the current 2 million factory farms, are actually living on a farm producing their own food; less than 1% of 1%. The world is catching up. As of 2020, 80% of the world's population has migrated to a densely populated urban area according to GHSL satellite analysis. 

This explains FEMA's estimate that up to 90% of the population of the United States would die within weeks of a long term grid down crisis resulting from an EMP attack, massive CME or major crippling cyber attack. Looks like the same may now apply to the rest of the world, for the most part. 

Timeline

• Original Human Culture (Before 5,000 years ago)

  • Human beings lived a simpler more natural way of life. A way of life that didn't really change for the next 5,000 years until we reached the industrial revolution.

18th Century (Industrial Revolution begins) Urbanization has been influenced by a variety of factors over time. Since the beginning, 90% of the American people were living the Great American Dream; they lived on their own farm with their extended family (tribe). They essentially had no social, economic or security problem other than the normal trials and tribulations inherent to human existence. Here's a decade-by-decade overview from the Industrial Revolution to the present:

• 1760s-1770s:

  • Industrialization: The onset of the Industrial Revolution, particularly with innovations like the spinning jenny, led to the mechanization of textile production, drawing people to cities where factories were located. Men got lured from the farms to the cities with paychecks, bars, casinos, brothels and steakhouses where they were less secure, separated from their friends and family, had to pay for everything like food, rent and transportation, and were forced to work like asses under unsafe and unhealthy working conditions.

  • Agricultural Changes: The enclosure movement in Britain pushed many rural workers off the land, seeking opportunities in urban areas.

  • American Revolutionary War

• 1780s-1790s:

  • Transport Improvements: Development of canals in Britain facilitated the movement of goods and people, further promoting urban growth around key industrial centers.

19th Century

• 1800s-1810s:

  • Steam Engine: Introduction and improvement of the steam engine, especially in transportation (steam locomotives and steamships), began to alter urban landscapes by enhancing connectivity.

• 1820s-1830s:

  • Railways: Early railway development, notably the Stockton and Darlington Railway (1825), started to reshape urban centers, making them hubs for commerce and industry.

• 1840s-1850s:

  • Urbanization Peak: High birth rates, reduced mortality due to public health reforms, and continued industrial expansion led to significant urban growth. Cities like London and Manchester expanded rapidly.

  • 1859 Global Oil Production: Global oil production began fueling the ongoing Industrial Revolution that produced factories in the cities, as well as, oil fields and mines in the rural areas that all needed labor.

  • 1850s The Telegraph

• 1860s-1870s:

  • 1861-65 The US Civil War

  • 1862 Lincoln Issues $Greenbacks

  • 1865 Lincoln Assassinated

  • Migration: Large-scale immigration to industrializing countries like the US, where cities like New York saw population booms due to influxes from Europe.

• 1880s-1890s:

  • Technological Advances: Electricity and steel production transformed urban environments, allowing for taller buildings and better lighting, which in turn supported higher urban densities.

  • 1890s Electricity Generation and Distribution

  • 1890s The Telephone

20th Century

• 1900s-1910s:

  • 1900s The Incandescent Light Bulb

  • Automobile: The introduction of cars began to influence urban planning, leading to the spread of suburbs but also necessitating urban infrastructure like roads.

  • 1913 The Federal Reserve Act

  • 1914-18 World War I 

• 1920s-1930s:

  • Economic and Cultural Hubs: The Roaring Twenties saw cities as centers of culture, entertainment, and economic activity, though the Great Depression slowed urban growth in some areas.

  • 1929-39 The Great Depression

  • 1930 BIS Established

• 1940s-1950s:

  • 1939-45 World War II

  • 1944 Bretton Woods Agreement: The United States Dollar went to the gold standard and gold was fixed at $36/ounce.

  • 1944 World Bank established

  • 1945 United Nations established

  • 1945 IMF established

  • Post-War Boom: After WWII, urban renewal projects in Western countries, coupled with economic recovery, led to urban expansion. Suburbanization also started due to government policies like the GI Bill in the U.S.

  • 1950 Bioweapons Production Era

• 1960s-1970s:

  • 1963 Kennedy Issues US Treasury Notes

  • 1964 Kennedy is Assassinated

  • 1969 The Internet Era (UCLA linked to Standford U)

  • 1970 US Peaks in Oil Production: 

  • Service Economy: Shift from manufacturing to services in many developed countries, leading to urban centers focusing on finance, education, and administration.

  • 1971 US Defaults on Bretton Woods Agreement

  • 1974 US Petro Dollar Era

• 1980s-1990s:

  • Globalization: Cities became global hubs for international business, with financial centers like New York, London, and Tokyo experiencing significant growth. Also, the rise of IT started reshaping urban economies.

21st Century

• 2000s-2010s:

  • Digital Revolution: Tech industries, especially in places like Silicon Valley, drove urban growth. Urbanization in developing countries accelerated due to rural-to-urban migration seeking better opportunities.

• 2020s:

  • Post-COVID Shifts: Remote work has potentially altered urban living patterns, though major cities remain centers of opportunity. Sustainability and smart city initiatives are becoming key drivers for urban development.

  • UN Agenda 21

    1. Sovereignty Concerns: One significant controversy revolves around the perception that Agenda 21 undermines national sovereignty by promoting global governance over local or national control, and loss of local autonomy.  Agenda 21 has been at the center of numerous concerns that it's a covert plan for global depopulation, forced urbanization, and control over land use.

    2. Direct quotes from the official Agenda 21 document discussing urbanization:

       1. From Chapter 7, "Promoting Sustainable Human Settlement Development":  "Sustainable human settlement development...in human settlements...urban areas."

       2. From the same chapter, on urban management: "Urban management is one of the key elements of sustainable human settlement development...aimed at achieving sustainable development in urban areas through integrated planning and management."

       3. Chapter 5 - Demographic Dynamics and Sustainability" talks about sustainable population growth:  "The aim of this chapter is to facilitate the achievement of sustainable development through the integration of population policies with development strategies..."

  • 2010 The Artificial Intelligence Era

  • UN Agenda 2030 SDGs

    1. Global Control and Depopulation Agendas: Similar to Agenda 21, Agenda 2030 has faced allegations that it aims for mass depopulation and global control over personal freedoms through sustainable living mandates. 

    2. Here are direct quotes from the UN Agenda 2030 documents specifically addressing urbanization:

    3. From the "Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development" document:  "We recognize that sustainable urban development and management are crucial... We will work with local authorities and communities to renew and plan our cities and human settlements" (human settlement = city)

1. • From the same document, under Goal 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities):  

"By 2030, enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for participatory, integrated and sustainable human settlement planning and management in all countries." (Defining human settlement as urban area)

1. • From the New Urban Agenda, which complements Agenda 2030:  

"The New Urban Agenda presents a paradigm shift based on the science of cities..."

"The New Urban Agenda...insists on incorporation of all these sectors in every urban development or renewal policy and strategy."

• "By 2030, ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for family planning, information and education, and the integration of reproductive health into national strategies and programmes." (Abortion, contraception, sterilization etc)

• • Agenda 2050 Rockefeller Foundation 

    1. View site at america2050.org and on the Wayback Machine at archives.org

    2. Create Mega-Regions and achieve 100% urbanization by 2050. Discussions around it often revolve around extending the SDGs or focusing on new challenges like climate change, technology governance, and potentially controversial aspects like global population management. 

• • 2019 World Reached Carrying Capacity

  • 2019 COVID19 Pandemic

  • 2021 Agenda: 

  • 2021 Russia Invades Ukraine

  • 2023 Hamas Hezbollah Houthis Iran Attack Israel 

  • 2030 Agenda 

  • UN World War III

  • 2050 Agenda 100% Urbanization

Each decade's urbanization was driven by a mix of technological innovation, economic shifts, policy changes, and cultural trends. This overview provides a snapshot of the complex interplay of these factors over time.