Imagine it’s the year 2040. You’re on your porch, with the sunlight glinting off a robot that just delivered your groceries. In your hand is a cup of tea, and your AI assistant, integrated seamlessly into your earpiece, is sharing today’s news: coral reefs blooming back to life off Australia’s coast, a successful cancer treatment breakthrough, and a new peace initiative in the Middle East.
For Turtle Club members, such moments spark reflection on just how far we’ve come. Today’s reality seems like a distant future compared to the last few decades when crises dominated the news: wars, political strife, climate challenges, and opioid-driven public health disasters. But history has proven, again and again, that we rise. And the Turtles? We find the silver lining, build community, and stick our necks out when the world needs us most.
Let’s take a journey back and explore how Turtle Club members have weathered these storms, drawing on lessons from the past, embracing new technologies, and cultivating the resilience to face the future with a sense of humor and hope.
The Legacy of Wartime Turtles: WWII to Today’s Middle East Tensions
In the 1940s, a group of U.S. Air Corps pilots, led by Captain Hugh P. McGowan, faced the harrowing realities of WWII. They were flying bombing missions over Hitler’s Third Reich, contending with death and destruction daily. Together, they founded the Ancient and Honorable Order of Turtles in an officer’s club in England, forming a light-hearted fraternity that offered camaraderie in the face of chaos. They chose the name “Turtles” as a playful tribute to the creatures that bear a tough shell—perfectly embodying the toughness and resilience needed to survive such brutal times. Further, the Turtles must stick their neck out to go somewhere. As aviators who risked their lives to preserve freedom and fight fascism, this seemed an apt metaphor.
The world has shifted since then, yet here we are again, witnessing geopolitical conflict on an unprecedented scale. The tensions in Southeast Asia, long battle in Ukraine and escalating Iran-Israel conflict reminds us of the colossal impact wars can have on innocent lives. But it also harks back to WWII when the Turtle founders sacrificed so much for the ideals of freedom. They were part of a generation that stood against tyranny and communism, taking tremendous risks to ensure a future where people could live freely. Today, Turtle Club members find strength in their legacy, rallying for peace and providing aid to those affected by conflict.
In the present, what the Turtle Club founders couldn’t have imagined is the speed at which we now communicate. As wars unfold, we see live-streamed images, real-time updates, and firsthand accounts from civilians. Thanks to whistleblowers like Edward Snowden, who exposed NSA overreach, and Julian Assange, who revealed the dark side of the military-industrial complex through WikiLeaks, we now have greater transparency about the costs of war and government surveillance. The military industrial complex is being exposed as greedy, evil villains. These revelations, however uncomfortable, sparked movements that demand accountability, helping build a world that respects privacy, freedom, and, yes, even a good riddle or two to break the tension.
Thanks to ambitious research fueled by artificial intelligence we are learning more about our bodies and how to best maintain our vibrance. Broadcast media is sponsored by big pharma which has used that influence to rake in huge profits. Their influence is shrinking as a distributed information network is a tap away. People seek out information through a variety of sources and podcasts like Joe Rogan or Ben Shapiro have larger audiences than any broadcast network. We are getting wiser and healthier as a result. Large corporations like Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Kraft Heinz and General Mills have leveraged the industrial agriculture practices to pad their pocket books as generations of people became hooked on sugar. Look at the rate of diabetes over the last fifty years!
A New Era for Agriculture: Regeneration, Hemp, and Healing
Throughout history, humanity has contended with cycles of boom and bust in agriculture. In the 1930s, the Dust Bowl’s devastation was a painful reminder of our need to care for the soil. We didn’t learn though and doubled down on industrial scale agriculture. Take a look at this chart of topsoil erosion over the same 50 year period.
Sure, we fed a lot of people. It was the best solution at the time to feed a growing population. But now, we’re at a turning point again, embracing regenerative agriculture to heal the land. This approach involves methods like cover cropping, no-till farming, and rotational grazing to rebuild soil health, increase biodiversity, and sequester carbon. Regenerative practices not only enhance soil health but also improve crop resilience, reduce greenhouse gases, and bring prosperity to farmers.
One of the most exciting developments within regenerative agriculture is the revival of industrial hemp. Once sidelined due to misguided policies, hemp is now making a powerful comeback. For eighty years the propaganda machine vilified hemp and cannabis. Fueled by racism and then the money fueled the “war on drugs” as we were sold false hope from big pharma. Drugs like Fen-Phen, Vioxx, Accutane, Bextra and Propulsid were introduced and later recalled as they proved harmful, even killing people. Yet a plant that you can grow in your back yard that provides many proven benefits and zero chance of real harm is prohibited. This versatile crop not only enriches the soil, making it healthier for future plantings, but it also provides alternatives to oil-based products and chemical-laden textiles. Hemp is being used to create eco-friendly plastics, durable fabrics, biochar, food for people and animals, and even biofuel.
Perhaps most importantly, hemp and its cousin, cannabis, are changing lives. Research has illuminated how cannabis-derived products help manage a range of health conditions, from childhood seizures to PTSD in veterans and chronic pain in athletes. The opioid crisis, fueled by companies like Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family, has ravaged communities, creating a health crisis that, in many ways, parallels historical public health failures. Yet, cannabis has proven to be an effective alternative, reducing dependence on addictive opioids. Studies show that cannabinoids can lessen the frequency and severity of seizures in children with epilepsy, ease the trauma of PTSD, and provide pain relief without the risk of addiction that opioids carry. For many Turtles, knowing they can turn to natural treatments instead of synthetic, harmful drugs is a triumph worth celebrating.
Harnessing Technology: AI, Robotics, and Transparency
The dawn of AI and robotics has been met with excitement, and fear, for good reason. Just as the Industrial Revolution brought about a profound shift, AI is redefining every aspect of our lives. Artificial Intelligence is making a big impact to benefit our lives. Healthcare and medicine is using AI for diagnostics and imaging, personalized medicine, telemedicine and virtual health assistants. Environmental Conservation is being helped with wildlife protection, climate change modeling and mitigation, disaster response and humanitarian aid, crisis mapping and refugee assistance. Education and skill development is helped with personalized learning, accessibility for students with disabilities. Business and economic development is helped with fraud detection, financial services, and supply chain optimization (how fast is Amazon now?) Plus, have you seen autonomous wheelchairs in airports? Hop on and you are delivered to your gate.
As with any major shift, there are risks. Countries are implementing facial recognition technology and leaning into AI to prevent crime in a “Minority Report” vibe. Thanks to the revelations by Snowden and Assange, we have a heightened awareness of the surveillance state and the importance of privacy.
Today’s Turtles understand the value of open-source technology and transparency. When we share stories, data, and knowledge, we empower ourselves and others to make informed choices. Technology, wielded responsibly, is a testament to the Turtle spirit—using tools to build community, foster connection, and, when necessary, stand up against injustices.
Healing and Moving Forward: The Power of Resilience
In the 2020s, the Turtle Club watched as communities struggled under the weight of war, environmental challenges, and political strife. But Turtle Club members are nothing if not resilient. In the same way our founders found relief from WWII’s horrors by bonding over riddles and raising a toast, today’s Turtles are coming together to rebuild communities, protect the environment, and demand accountability from those in power.
As we look to the future, we’re reminded of the Turtle Club’s legacy: an enduring fraternity built on resilience, humor, and camaraderie. The Turtle Club has always been about finding light in dark times, sticking our necks out, and being there for each other, no matter what challenges arise. We are a symbol of hope, a reminder that we’re all on this journey together, and a testament to the fact that sometimes, the best way forward is to take life one step at a time.
The future holds the promise of technological wonders, healthier ecosystems, and a deeper sense of global unity. By highlighting major problems from our recent history we hope to avoid mistakes of the past and press on for a greater future. We wish good health, happiness and prosperity to all. The Turtles are here to see it through, proving that when it comes to protecting what matters most, you bet your sweet ass we’re ready.
Keep your eyes and mind open. Stick your neck out. Go forth and procure more Turtles.
You Bet Your Sweet Ass I Am
Dave
