The current geo-political spasms that you see across the globe are the inevitable result of Gaia giving birth to its post-human offspring. I am convinced that the Earth is a living intelligent organism in the literal scientific sense. This is not just poetic linguistic cunnings. This is hardcore science. The problem is that as constituent components of this larger organism, each one of us has difficulty seeing the whole for what it is: a conscious living nervous system in which we are a computational component.
Play with me here for just a bit. Put on your cyberpunk goggles, and let us assume that the theory is correct, the planet is an intelligent organism. If so, then what is it thinking? How? What are its aims? When? With whom? Where is the party? Suddenly, if you take this seemingly ridiculous exercise seriously, you're going to start thinking big thoughts. You'll start thinking about travelling to Mars or exploring black holes. You'll start thinking about quantum theory and teleportation sex. The mind recoils from the expansion of consciousness because it is simply not equipped to handle the energies necessary to process the complexity of those big ideas. We have larval problems here on Earth, so our focus is more narrow. This is why you need a planetary intelligence to worry about that stuff at a higher level. We might get odd individuals here and there who can harness and direct some of those energies, but even they can't do everything. Therefore, a planet-wide intelligent network is needed to handle those higher level energies. Gaia is that network.
Now hold on! Don't go just yet. Just hear me out. So, let us assume that the Earth is an intelligent organism, then does it not make sense that it will grow and transform, eventually give birth to new offspring, just like every living organism in the history of life on this planet? Does it not follow then that while the birth pangs can be difficult, if we understand the process and implement a procedure in a calm rational manner, then symptoms can be alleviated until the new species is born? We don't freak out when a woman is about to give birth, do we? We make her comfortable and implement a series of steps. Sure, there's the odd problem that can arise now and then, but things turn out well in the end for the most part. Same with Earth, Gaia, she's undergoing a transformation from one stage to another. Somehow, she got herself knocked up, and it is up to us to ensure "the baby" is delivered safely, and then we can answer one key question: who's the father?
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