[aldente]

There were a few threads started about articles written by William Engdahl, but this interview is so good (eventhough dating back to fall 2005, right around when his book was released) that I thought it needs a seperate thread in the hope that it gets the attention that it deserves.

[Zardoz]

Great piece by Engdahl:

The viciousness of the corn ethanol scam

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '�')��We’re looking at competition in the global market between 800 million automobiles and the world’s two billion poorest people for the same commodity, the same grains."

...The same cast of characters who brought the world the Iraq war, the global scramble to control oil, who brought us patented genetically manipulated seeds and now Terminator suicide seeds, and who cry about the “problem of world over-population,” are now backing conversion of global grain production to burn as fuel at a time of declining global grain reserves. That alone should give pause for thought. As the popular saying goes, “Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t out to get you.”

[eastbay]

Great find Zardoz... I've emailed this around.

[Cobra_Strike]

This will do wonders to reduce others need for fuel. They will have starved to death, and no longer need it.

Strategic ass raping of the poor countries, as it moves up the food chain.

[chuck6877]

I knew something was wrong when Bush started believing in "Global Warming".

He's helping the Rockefeller's make money on ethanol and helping the future "Population Reduction" agenda which is what "Peak Oil" is.

I also think the "Global Warming" movement is going to prevent the much needed "Coal to Oil" plants from being built in the U.S.

This is probably designed as well to help make the population crash more and assist the decline of civilization which is nearing...

Population Reduction is the goal of the elites. How low can the population go? They want to see. They'll probably also unleash diseases just to assist in the depopulation. After the chaos a New World Order will emerge....

There's not a shortage of resources. There's too many people!

Chuck

[eric_b]

{...}

time for decaf

[savethehumans]

I think I'm gonna stock up on pasta.

[Cabrone]

I think most people on here know that the oil industry, backed by the administration, aren't going to give up the power that they have without a fight and ethanol is just another version of that control.

[meemoe_uk]

Has anyone noticed pringles corn snacks are now made out of rice? 'Lower in fat' they say. Should have said 'used because those in control are ushering in food shortages that're already effecting our business ' , but I guess that didn't fit in the space available.

[Ayame]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Shannymara', 'I') thought Pringles were mainly made of potatoes?

[Pops]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Shannymara', 'E')thanol is just another money making scam, and as usual it's the world's poor who get the short end of the stick.

[wisconsin_cur]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Pops', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Shannymara', 'E')thanol is just another money making scam, and as usual it's the world's poor who get the short end of the stick.

[Ludi]

In our area the farmers are very much into what's new from Texas A&M. So if A&M is pushing corn for ethanol, they will try to grow it here, likely.

[Pops]

Of course you are right. I was just poking fun at the conspiracy folks.


Considering that corn-based ethanol is probably going to be around a while regardless of how much we rail against it, let me also point out one positive consequence:

A big influx of money into rural communities.

This has been discussed here before and is somewhat off topic, but just quickly here is my scenario.

Boom time in Cornburg,
More jobs, more businesses, more opportunity.
People move to Cornburg to live and work there, not just to commute from there.
Some actually buy a little land and start growing and selling stuff locally.

Accidentally Cornburg becomes a little self-sufficient.

Doesn’t seem any more far-fetched to me than the Rockefeller's Grand Population Reduction Scheme…

[Pops]

The key line in there is that Cornburg becomes a little more self sufficient with a better infrastructure than it has today.

Today there is no one in Cornburg, the crops are shipped far away to be processed, the schools and governments and local businesses have shuttered the windows and closed the doors as everyone moved to the big town and the farmers are left to also trade at the walmart in the big town.

OTOH, local ethanol plants, feedlots, and packinghouses make perfect sense in an atmosphere where fuel prices are rising – only the finished products are shipped away; that is exactly what is happening today. Each of those industries employ people who also are constrained by high fuel costs AND do not commute to town so would be more inclined to shop locally.

Finally, when and if the whole thing collapses Corburg is left in a far better place than it is today. Basic infrastructure and population have improved and

The land is still there…

[gnm]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Pops', 'F')inally, when and if the whole thing collapses Corburg is left in a far better place than it is today. Basic infrastructure and population have improved and

The land is still there…

[Pops]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('SpringCreekFarm', 'I')t seems to me that we need to find a way off that treadmill and get people back to Cornburg to start up lots of little farms instead of huge farms, so that we get the soil back to a sustainable level, if that is possible. I know you read Gene Logsdon, Pops, his reasoning in his books is sort of my way of thinking too. I don't know how it is to be done but I think it is vital we don't let this ethanol thing take off on anything but a small scale.

[mgibbons19]

I like Pops' thinking here, originating from CornState myself. It has been heartbreaking to watch the decline of the small cities and towns in my region over the last 30 years.

While they are still (obviously) as reliant upon petroleum as we are (in BigCity), it's worth pointing out that local networks are what they were using before the oil era. So pops is right in thinking that beginning the rebuilding of social networks, local economies, and local infrastructure is going to be a step in the right direction.

Silver bullet? No. Of course not.

[Tyler_JC]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('gnm', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Pops', 'F')inally, when and if the whole thing collapses Corburg is left in a far better place than it is today. Basic infrastructure and population have improved and

The land is still there…

[Pops]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('gnm', 'T')he land is denuded (1), erosion is rampant (2), fertilizer is not available (3), electricity is intermittent so pumps are seizing (4)...