I know in my heart that one day we will be among the stars, just the way we witness all the incredible miracles at the palms of our hands today and think, boy, how did Plato manage without a phone. Just kidding - he did just fine, it is not about the technology, it is about the people. I believe that violence takes so much of our focus and energy as species, it is almost like we carry a heavy sack of tumors on our backs. We spend so much time and resources on things like security, prisons, guns, fences, locks, .. and so little on building ourselves a better future.
It will take a set of very determined people to change everyone's mind, just like it took a lot to change our minds on all kinds of things like slavery, women's rights, gay rights, basic freedoms, democracy. It will not take a state but a person or several that will not stop until it is changed, I do not know if these people were born yet but it is coming. It will take for a strong person to say "enough" and turn humanity around.
I believe one day we will use the freed resources to spread among the stars, to travel further into unknown galaxies, to venture into black holes, to cross unfathomable distances and push unthinkable boundaries. It will be so much fun I think, and I have a good time contemplating that future - it will be so much fun to be among the stars with incredible machines and inventions that will keep us safe and traveling into far horizons, zipping among gas clouds and super novas, and swirling down wormholes into unexplored neighborhoods.
We will deserve this future once we outgrow our basic natures, once the enlightened politicians are born, once humanity realizes it is simply too costly to be violent.