[PenultimateManStanding]

Got any others you think are better?

[gigacannon]

The gingerbread man eating himself until he runs out of limbs to rip pieces off with.

[PenultimateManStanding]

Only 11 votes, but it seems that the Titianic is the clear choice for best metaphor.

[oowolf]

"Oh the humanity!!!"
Herb Morrison
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindenburg_disaster

[PenultimateManStanding]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('oowolf', '"')Oh the humanity!!!"
Herb Morrison
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindenburg_disaster

[Schweinshaxe]

Religion?

[PenultimateManStanding]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Schweinshaxe', 'R')eligion?

[Schweinshaxe]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PenultimateManStanding', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Schweinshaxe', 'R')eligion?

[12amps]

what does titanic have to do with ANYTHING???

People EASTER ISLAND is by far the BEST PO metaphor.

For them it was PT Peak Trees.

Titanic on the other hand, was about a pompous white star line that build a ship too large with a rudder too small and dumbass LookOuts on the crows nets that lost their fucking binoculars and then add some bad weather (ie calm sea, no breaking water to make out base of iceshit) bad luck (ie if Smith hadn't changed course to 10 miles south in anticipation for bergs he wouldn't have the THAT* large one head on) , freezing waters, dumbass that reverse the engines and cause already shitty turn rate to be even more fucked, ismay trying to make Faux news headlines, scrapping instead of actually HITTING the iceberg (head on would not kill that many people), no close ships in the area and one that didn't respond, and compound that with less than half the lifeboats and guess what people die. Titanic has NOTHING whatsoever to do with PO

Titanic was NOT about a overshoot population problem (it lacked the number of lifeboats but it did NOT overshoot its carrying capacity) Titanic was NOT about resource depletion.

EASTER ISLAND is the winner.

[PenultimateManStanding]

Titanic is the metaphor if you wish to include the hubris angle: "God himself could not sink this ship!". How many of the cornucopians and people who when told of this problems are always saying, "oh, they'll think of something...." seem to basically have that attitude. Kunstler at the Google conference noting the people there saying, "dude, like, we've got technology, hello!". For that, Titanic is perfect, hence the votes.

[Novus]

The Titanic is the best emotionial appeal metaphor. The Titanic would not have sunk if we where not so stupid about. The best part about the Titanic is when the Captain meets with the engineer and the ships designer.

Captain: "How bad are we damaged?"
Engineer: "We have breached seven compartments."
Designer: "The ship cannot sustain that. She will sink."
Captain: "How can this be?"
Engineer: "This ship is made of Iron and will sink as surely as an Iron cannon ball."
Captain: "How long do have?"
Designer: "An hour...two at the most."
Engineer: "There are not enough lifeboats on this ship."
Captain: "My God...(priceless look of fear)...send for the SOS."

That being said Easter Island is true metaphor because it represents peak everything. They had peak trees, peak soil, peak fish, peak clams and snales, even peak human flesh. In the end they were just a hand full of survivors out of a population of many thousands.

[PenultimateManStanding]

How about "dust in the wind".

[Doly]

I like the Titanic metaphor, but it doesn't capture all the aspects of the situation.

What I personally prefer is the North American Indians metaphor: they became sustainable after learning the hard way that you don't screw the environment. The same thing is going to happen to us. Like that American chief said (roughly), after we've screwed everything there is to screw for money, we'll figure out money isn't something you can eat.

I also like the naked Emperor metaphor. It should have been obvious to everybody that our empire was naked. But we hypnotised ourselves into believing everything was fine.

[Strontium_Dog]

Pompeii
The people of Pompeii were quite unprepared for the eruption of Vesuvius - getting on with their busy lives, in total ignorance of what was to come. The signs of impending disaster, though, were there -

[Battle_Scarred_Galactico]

I see PO as an economic issue, so "House of Cards" fits best I think. You simply can't just remove the bottom layer (oil) without the whole thing coming down.

The Titanic is best for peoples' attitudes though, thats' correct.

"She CAN'T sink!"

"Shes' made of iron sir, I assure you she can.."

[PenultimateManStanding]

Interesting breakdown, hmm. 12 that fall on the hot side of titanic shitstorms & divine retribution, 11 that favor the cool side of the house of cards, the most perfect storm, let's wait it out on Easter Island. the charming four in the middle who clusterfuck in castles of sand.

[Doly]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PenultimateManStanding', 'I')nteresting breakdown, hmm. 12 that fall on the hot side of titanic shitstorms & divine retribution, 11 that favor the cool side of the house of cards, the most perfect storm, let's wait it out on Easter Island. the charming four in the middle who clusterfuck in castles of sand.

[PenultimateManStanding]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Doly', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PenultimateManStanding', 'I')nteresting breakdown, hmm. 12 that fall on the hot side of titanic shitstorms & divine retribution, 11 that favor the cool side of the house of cards, the most perfect storm, let's wait it out on Easter Island. the charming four in the middle who clusterfuck in castles of sand.

[oowolf]

Uh..."Easter Island" isn't a metaphor...it's more of a synechdote...or metonymy, I think. Aren't there any ENGLISH MAJORS on this site, PMS (sarcasm)?

Good metaphors would certainly evidence hubris. Complex, interconnected systems that function in permanent-failure mode, i.e. the space shuttle, where any minor malfunction can quickly cascade into total systemic failure with catastrophic consequences.

[oowolf]

another Titanic metaphor from yesterday's Boston Globe:
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0515-23.htm