Overview
After the resurrection, statues of the Prime Minister have been erected worldwide in every city center, in every house of worship allowed to remain standing. His handsome caring face is everywhere. All of the world loves him.
One Nation Earth is still mostly TL7, with some borderline TL8 advancements. Some of the inner cities resemble the cyberpunk worlds of speculative fiction, while in many devastated areas of the world, things have regressed back to pre-industrial conditions. With new world shaking disasters happening seemingly every day, funds are poured into scientific research firms to combat these threats. Of course, with the advent of demons in the air, these inventors often receive a little "infernal inspiration" from time to time.
Two areas where technology is firmly TL8 are areas of surveillance and entertainment. Sophisticated flying drones can be seen in most urban areas.
The evolution of society under the guidance and protection of the One Nation Earth government is been mankind’s greatest achievement. Cultural diversity, ethnic tradition, and a new sense of interdenominational religious tolerance have rolled up into a new and unified global identity. The Great Disappearance and unspeakable horrors of World War III and the disasters of the Tribulation has led to a global acceptance of human diversity unparalleled in history. Ethnic, racial, and religious differences are simply traits. Homosexual and mixed racial relationships are openly accepted. Men and women share an equal role in social, vocational, and military matters. As the Great Tribulation continues, and infrastructure collapses, the people become more and more paranoid, narrow-minded toward dissidents, and ruthless.
One Nation Earth is a world of mass-media overload. Entertainment and advertising together (assuming there's any difference between the two any more) make up the majority of the sensory input for any given citizen in any given first world country on any given day. And still they cry for more.
Video rules. Joe Average Consumer can choose from literally thousands of video programs at any given moment. There are no more "TV stations," just hundreds of different "programming tracks" that the viewer can tune to - or if he wants to, he can custom-design his own TV schedule from downloadable shows kept on file at the cable company.
Loud, vulgar and excessive are the watchwords of the day. The emerging mediums of virtual reality and 3-D video only add to the overall luridness of it all. The news is frankly sensationalist, with desperate freelance broadcasters all scrambling to catch some lucrative exclusive on the latest disaster or scandal that they can sell to the national news services.
Gladiatorial combat is back. Arena bouts between two human beings (with or without weapons or armor) are among the most popular video fare. Actual fatalities are unusual (though common enough to keep the mob interested), but the blood is real.
On the opposite end of the cultural spectrum, there's the more-talked about-than-actually-seen "snuff art." This is a public performance that climaxes with the suicide of the artist. There's a faction of the artistic anti-establishment that declares snuff art the ultimate aesthetic expression. It's illegal in most countries to plan, sponsor or knowingly attend a snuff art performance. Exits involving self-immolation or high explosives are particularly frowned upon.
The ranks of the book agents and publishers’ acquisitions departments are now filled with young, progressive idealists. Having little or no understanding of history and bursting with radical idealism, they think all literature must support their personal political leanings. And in these times, if any of them expresses a view apart from the rest, they are ostracized and marginalized. Their careers are essentially ‘canceled’. Their goal seems no longer to entertain, but to remake society. They want only manuscripts that check boxes on their political scorecards.