Expo 67: Visions of a Better World

Though 2017 marks the fiftieth anniversary of Expo 67, its vision of the future can still be used to put our present outlook of the future into perspective. As of today, some of the positive predictions of Expo 67 have indeed become reality, such as the advancement of technology and the continuous improvement of infrastructure. However, the majority of their visions of global unity were simply too optimistic compared to our actual current conditions. In 2016 alone, there were 1 441 terrorist attacks that caused 14 356 fatalities worldwide. Thousands are still fighting in armed conflicts such as the Afghan War. And though Quebec and Canada have indeed become more powerful, we remain far behind countries such as the United States when it comes to technological development and national productivity. By observing the difference between what people envisioned and what actually became reality, it can be concluded that in face of new possibilities, we tend to focus only on the positive aspects of the situations confronting us. Not only does this prompt unrealistic expectations, but it can also cause us to neglect potential flaws in the system and allow them to worsen. Understanding what was overlooked in the past is vital to ensuring a better future, and by learning from Expo 67 and its unrealistic optimism, we may bring attention to the potential consequences of our actions in the present.