What an amazing post! I have yet to finish reading it, but wanted to discuss this bit without delay.

"...there is much disagreement over what the proper solutions to these many obvious problems actually are, how it is that humanity should collectively proceed, and what the proper way forward should be in order to realize the brighter future the vast majority of us seek."

First, each and every one of us must themselves determine what is right for them. There is no collective truth. There is only individual understanding, even if someone believes they know what is 'The Truth' they have no right nor ability to compel anyone else to believe what they do. Second, this absolutely means that there are many different ways forward that are right - as many as there are people. No two people share an identical view of the world. What each of us views as 'problems' others will view as solutions, and vice versa. There is no one proper way forward, and whatever future you view as bright will be someone else's hellish dystopia.

Humanity will NOT collectively proceed, or it will do so over my dead body. I bet anyone that tries to force you into a collective progression will meet with that same dissent and opposition from you. This is going to be true no matter how much concordance you may have with whatever collective is being imposed, because you will have divergent beliefs you have a perfect right to, and no one has any right to force you to believe any specific thing. Any specific collective progress is the tyrannical totalitarian hellish dystopia each and everyone of us will fight to the death to prevent.

I dare anyone to try to disprove this statement, because no matter what is proposed as THE way for everyone by anyone, everyone else will dissent from some specific details. There may be general agreement as to broad directions by certain demographics, but they will not be universal, and anyone that tried to force everyone to accept any beliefs will be rightfully opposed, and I bet you'd be first on the hill to defend your specific freedom to believe what you believe.

Thanks!