Who knows about the politics, but about virtual reality, specifically as it relates to space exploration, I think you're quite right something like that may well happen.
Yet all of this already slowed population growth and in some periods it actually declined
Slowed population growth, yes. But decline? Only if there's no scientific immortality in the future. You mention that later, but somehow you fail to relate it to population dwindling.
This assumes I was trying to write the perfect document of the future and I had an agenda. The assumption would be wrong.
I just wrote a stream of consciousness. I dipped my toes into the subjects rather than deep diving into each of them. That would be a books worth of material.
EDIT: It also defeats the purpose of this post. Read the title. There are plenty of dark things I could write about. That wasn't what this post was focused on. Though I do actually think I may write a darker companion piece to this today. However, I am a stream of consciousness writer so if you expect a huge essay with citations, footnotes, and for me to deep dive into every topic in a POST then you will be disappointed. :)
Sorry if the way I expressed myself sounded overly critical! It's just that futurism to me (especially of the hopeful kind) goes hand-in-hand with (scientific) immortality, and it seemed strange that you would mention dwindling population issues at the same time as mentioning immortality. If anything, it's rising in population numbers that would be the problem! I was just pointing out a possible incongruity in those two views. I realize you were putting forth ideas, not writing a thesis.
I actually mentioned population increase at one point due to that as well, but it was very brief. Due to people not dying.
Anyway, I just finished a new post that delves into that a little deeper. Though I also went on a lot of tangents. Like I said I write stream of consciousness style. So it flows from my mind and I write it. It sometimes comes out great, and other times it is a mess. :)
Just realized our new deepthink challenge might be right up your alley! https://steemit.com/deepthink/@steemdeepthink/deep-think-challenge-1
I'll check it out.