[albuterol]

The perfect storm: That is what is it starting to look like.

1. Iran
2. Bird flu
3. The Dollar
4. Gold
5. South America
6. China
7. ?

I don't have a lot of hope!

[PWALPOCO]

albuterol

You may as well lob in "Russia .. Natural Gas Control" and perhaps "North Korea Nuclear Ambitions" in on the list.

But yeah , I can see where youre coming from and Im sure there are probably a fair few more here who can kind also see a convergance of things within the same time frame.

Paul

[The_Toecutter]

? = peak oil. That is my guess.

[albuterol]

There is more to it than that=? peak oil. This does not look good and I'm just a nobody, I can read, and read I do, a lot!! I started posting to this site only a week ago or there about, just because things do no look good. It's like people have gone insane the past two years! It's hard to explain and I'm not a good writer. Left, Right, who cares, things need to calm down and everyone needs to take a deep breath! IMHO

[BW3]

global warming-climate change / tipping point and lower food production

[MonteQuest]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('albuterol', 'T')here is more to it than that=? peak oil. This does not look good and I'm just a nobody, I can read, and read I do, a lot!! I started posting to this site only a week ago or there about, just because things do no look good. It's like people have gone insane the past two years! It's hard to explain and I'm not a good writer. Left, Right, who cares, things need to calm down and everyone needs to take a deep breath! IMHO

[Seadragon]

I've generally found that Monte is about three steps ahead of everyone else...I agree with those who are looking at 2006 events with trepidation. Assume the worst, perhaps it won't be quite that bad...this year.

[Gary]

At this time, world, national, and local discussions ought to be focused on implementing permaculture principles as much as possible, population control, powerdown strategies, peak oil protocol, and similiar topics.

We ought to see headlines urgently calling for conservation and for the development of bioregional "lifeboat" relocalisation strategies to be impemented as soon as possible.

But do we hear anything of substance about the above topics from political or mainstream media?

Instead we hear egocentric, polarizing diatribes from religious fundamentalists and sabre-rattling, truisms, and platitudes from political leaders.

And of course the USA launches another strike which kills a number of relatively poor women and children, demonstrating a willingness to be The Rogue Nation to be feared by all. "Pax Americana" or "Pox Americana?"

I feel that I walk through a world of intentional sleepwalkers who are encouraged by those responsible for planning for the future to just keep sleepwalking into the perfect storm.

When will discussion of real solutions (there are truly no military solutions anymore, folks) begin? the longer we put it off the more difficult matters become.

I do wonder if the Neocons are indeed engaging in a program of "Kill Off" in which trouble is intentionally stirred up so as to provide an opportunity for more people to die of war, disease, famine while at the same time providing opportunities to establish eventual control after survivors are rendered helpless. "Die Off" does not seem too far off the mark, so do the Neocons plan to *be* the Horsemen of the Apocalypse in hopes that they will outlast everyone else?

"I'd rather be a hammer than a nail...?"

I'm just watching the front roll in and wondering if this is another opportunity for Neocons to unleash more War and establish more brutal control in the "Homeland" as well.

Still pedaling for a just and peaceful tomorrow... Gary

[Heineken]

The real daily focus of most Americans is on whom the stars are dating, marrying, and divorcing. Global warming? Naah! Overpopulation? Ferget about it! $8 trillion national debt? Wake me in the morning! Peak oil? Nevah hoid of it!

[jesus_of_suburbia_old]

If bird flu goes pandemic, what makes you think any of those other elements will matter? Spanish Influenza ended World War I. You can't have 20-50% of your population sick with 2-5% of them dying and carry on politica/economic affairs as usual. It's the ultimate humbling experience.

[strider3700]

Sometime last summer there was a post about how november was when everything would fall apart mostly basing the date on the end of hurricane season and the bankrupcy changes. The dollar and deficit was mentioned in that list as well. I'm not too sure about iran being there same goes for bird flu. China was mentioned though. Real Estate bubble was almost definitely in there.

Anyways my point is there is a massive list of things that can and probably should wipe out our society but for some reason we keep avoiding the bullet but surely we can't do it forever.

[Leanan]

The credit card minimum payments have not gone up for most people. The credit card companies said they would start gradually raising the minimum payment in October (as soon as it was too late to file for bankruptcy under the old rules, not coincidentally).

But they didn't do it. I think they were afraid it would squelch holiday spending too much, what with high gas prices, etc. Instead, they lowered payments for many people. In October, I was shocked to see my minimum payment cut in half - from 2% to 1%. (Which is bloody insane.)

Many experts have been warning that January is the deadline, and all those credit card companies who put off raising the minimums will be forced to do it this month (from 1% to 4% of the balance in one jump, which will be brutal for some customers).

But I wonder. As I understand it, the new minimums are guidelines, not laws. The credit card companies agreed to self-police in order to forestall legislation that would force it on them.

But will anything happen to card issuers that don't follow the guidelines? The feds may be reluctant to raise credit card bills for millions of consumers already struggling with winter heating and holiday bills.

[TheTurtle]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('BW3', 'g')lobal warming-climate change / tipping point and lower food production

[gg3]

Don't forget domestic tyranny. Look up "unified executive" and get very scared.

My list is:

Bird flu, constitutional crises, major recession, more war, peak oil, climate change. And locally, a major Bay Area earthquake (I'm getting out of here).

Yes, there is the makings for a perfect storm.

Add overpopulation and long-term resource shortages, and increase the probability that some small nation or subnational group will develop a biological weapon and threaten to release it, or actually release it in an act of desperation.

The failure of humans to deal with any of this stuff is downright depressing. Frankly I think we're screwed.

[Revi]

I think we may be sinking, but I don't intend to go down with the ship. Some regions may fare better than others and we can still live a fairly ok life with a bit of preparation. Get out of debt, install solar, get a woodstove and cut your expenses. Don't buy any of the nonsense that they are trying to sell you. There may be no escape from the bird flu, but there are ways of dealing with a dollar collapse and higher oil prices. Use less oil by switching to renewables and switch dollars into hard assets that aren't going down, like a woodlot for example. You can always cut wood off it even if real estate tanks.

I have to agree, the storm is coming. Time to prepare for it. I don't know exactly when it's coming, but I can feel it in the air. There still may be time to get ready before it's time to batten down the hatches.