Indeed. Really the concept, questions extend to the present moment.
Whatever the date, and whatever the standard, there will be suffering and work to do. Today's work is monumentally important. At this very moment we are laying the foundations for the future. Everything really hinges on the choices being made today.
That's why I'm so stoked to see not only the technology, but the community which has emerged around it. So much of building the future boils down to creating the maps of that future and consensus as to what it will be.
I think a life under a Bitcoin standard would be one of true liberty, and one of wonder and discovery. The Singularity is nearer.