Material abundance and quality of life progression over time

Bill Gates

Though it seems obvious that we are living in a world which has acquired immense technology and industrialization achieved never in he history of human civilization. It is also believed that today we have more resources, skills and power over nature like never before. Thus we are more powerful, more progressed and more civilized from all the previous civilization on the face of planet. And as Bill Gates says that "the world is progressing and resources are becoming abundant" we have at our disposal technologies and resources that has changed life on the planet earth. Our new progressive world is so attractive and it is filled with so many diverse things that Bill Gates says, "I'd rather be in a grocery store today than to a king's banquet a hundred years ago." This means not only that we have achieved immense technology but also that we have now a range of things to choose from, as our resources are so abundant that we have a lot of things at our disposal.

But I think this is a myth, though I am certainly not saying that the technology that we have is a myth. It is true that we are living in a most technologically advanced world, but it is also true that this technology and other resources in the world are limited to some people and country and that a huge population is outside this prosperity. The fact is that the resources and the technology of today's advanced world is in the hands of few big corporations, like Mr. Gates own "Microsoft" is this profit ridden world and with huge economic gaps between countries only few have access to latest technology. In addition to this those who occupy the technology and it's resources have a power-play, they dictate an determine the whole course of progress, of distribution and the role technology can play. Thus in the hands of few technologies becomes a tool of suppression and restricts human freedom.

Everything is determined by economics these days and this is the dividing those who have technology and those who don't have, it's the same situation of 'have's and 'have not's'. More than half of the world cannot afford the technology and due to exploitive economic systems and conditions more than 80% of the population in the world do not get clean water and are more concerned about their survival. The big corporations have their monopoly and hold on the technology, not only the technology is out of reach for most of the people but also when it comes to them it is either out-dated or replaced by newer technology. United States and Europe have the 80% resources and due to the unjust economic systems there is a huge gap between the nations and we can see clearly those who are extraordinary advanced technology and those for whom it is out of reach. Technology not only discriminates but it also creates a world in which resources are in the hands of few who use it as a tool to maintain their power.