Can War save us?

by **Korg** » Thu 02 Dec 2004, 13:29:07

Not to be morbid but consider.....

If peak oil causes a major world war where the west wins, but the population is reduced by 50% wouldn't our oil demand also be cut in half giving the rest of us a heck of a lot more time and impetus to solve the energy problem?

Not that this is a preferable outcome but just pondering given how if WW3 does erupt nukes and bios can wipe out alot of people real fast...

by **PhilBiker** » Thu 02 Dec 2004, 13:56:31

How can you not be morbid when thinking about the inevitable massive scale die-off? I personally think death by Megaton or Mega-bio-weapon would be preferable to long slow starvation, but that's just me. Unlike most on this site I have no illusions regarding the survivability of the coming crisis.

by **Permanently_Baffled** » Thu 02 Dec 2004, 14:34:29

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PhilBiker', 'H')ow can you not be morbid when thinking about the inevitable massive scale die-off?

by **Korg** » Thu 02 Dec 2004, 14:46:53

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'T')ruoble is with this tactic is that even if you removed china/india/japan off the world map completely it would only save you circa 14mpd, whats that about 7 years worth of post peak depletion?

by **BlueGhost** » Thu 02 Dec 2004, 15:04:07

As stated in the Asimov novel, if you have an event which wipes out a significant percentage of the human race, whats to stop that event wiping out the whole race?

China has nukes and in all probability bio weapons. I'd rather not see the suggestion that removing 50% of the worlds population though war is a workable idea.

by **Korg** » Thu 02 Dec 2004, 15:10:35

No one is suggesting it is a good thing, just that it could happen given the amount of weapons in the world and if everyone let loose in a final battle for oil it just might.

Question is....might that save humanity or are we doomed to sloooowly starve down to 500 million people? Might it be better to get it over with and move on?

Just wondering.

by **UncoveringTruths** » Thu 02 Dec 2004, 15:47:10

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'Q')uestion is....might that save humanity or are we doomed to sloooowly starve down to 500 million people? Might it be better to get it over with and move on?

by **bart** » Thu 02 Dec 2004, 16:20:19

To me, there is something sick about discussing this as a reasonable possibility or even bringing this topic up.

What's wrong with you folks?

It reminds of my experiences with sociopaths. They would talk of crimes and the suffering of other people, with no emotional affect, just as they would talk about the mother of a famiily dying as if she were a piece of furniture or a worn out stereo.

I've got to think it's because most of us don't have much direct experience of death and violence. Maybe we get our attitudes from video games and the media, in which one participates in violence with impunity. I notice in all these doomsday scenarios, the narrator and "we" always win. Got news for you -- if there's widespread violence, you can't switch the channel. Wars in foreign countries are going to come back home to haunt us.

by **americandream** » Thu 02 Dec 2004, 16:39:44

I agree Bart. I reckon these dudes would piss their pants if the crap hit the wall.

by **Free** » Thu 02 Dec 2004, 17:08:24

Without wanting to sound antiamerican, it seems to me that a lot of Americans think that war and violence will solve problems. Many seem powermad because of the military might of the US. "Nuke em baby, we will show them" etc.

I think its because many Americans just dont know what war really is. For them its a TV-show, like you correctly stated. You had your last war on US soil in the 19th century, and it was even a civil war. You are still "traumatized" because of the loss of the Vietnam War, because you lost a couple of thousand US-SOLDIERS in that war. What are the Vietnamese to do with millions of dead CIVILIANS?

We in Europe lost as many soldiers as you in Vietnam War in some battles of WW1 in ONE DAY! Every country in Europe is deeply remembering what war does, the killing, starving, raping, looting....

I dont want to be condescending, but just reminding you why many people on this planet think that war should be only the ultimate resort...

by **airstrip1** » Thu 02 Dec 2004, 17:51:09

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('americandream', 'I') agree Bart. I reckon these dudes would piss their pants if the crap hit the wall.

by **UncoveringTruths** » Thu 02 Dec 2004, 17:56:57

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'W')hat's wrong with you folks?

by **Coolman** » Thu 02 Dec 2004, 18:58:19

Look people, Peak Oil is a scary situation. It puts all our so called horror movies to shame. We are all going to be scared. I know I will, I am already deadly fucking scared. I have had dreams about Nuclear War and it is scary as fucking hell and the dream is not real. The best thing we can do in the future no matter how bad it gets is not to panic cause when you panic it is hard to think. But its ok to shit your pants, after all no one is Rambo.

by **Coolman** » Thu 02 Dec 2004, 19:00:58

Also this situation is deadly fucking serious, but as Matt Savinar suggests we do need to have a sense of humor because the future is not going to be fun.

by **bart** » Thu 02 Dec 2004, 19:27:26

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Uncovering Truths', '
')It would be helpful if you would address who you were exactly typing to.
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('bart', '
')What's wrong with you folks?

by **fred2** » Thu 02 Dec 2004, 19:41:14

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Free', 'W')ithout wanting to sound antiamerican, it seems to me that a lot of Americans think that war and violence will solve problems. Many seem powermad because of the military might of the US. "Nuke em baby, we will show them" etc.

I think its because many Americans just dont know what war really is. For them its a TV-show, like you correctly stated. You had your last war on US soil in the 19th century, and it was even a civil war. You are still "traumatized" because of the loss of the Vietnam War, because you lost a couple of thousand US-SOLDIERS in that war. What are the Vietnamese to do with millions of dead CIVILIANS?

We in Europe lost as many soldiers as you in Vietnam War in some battles of WW1 in ONE DAY! Every country in Europe is deeply remembering what war does, the killing, starving, raping, looting....

I dont want to be condescending, but just reminding you why many people on this planet think that war should be only the ultimate resort...

by **_sluimers_** » Thu 02 Dec 2004, 23:39:58

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Permanently_Baffled', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PhilBiker', 'H')ow can you not be morbid when thinking about the inevitable massive scale die-off?

by **Korg** » Fri 03 Dec 2004, 12:28:38

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'T')o me, there is something sick about discussing this as a reasonable possibility or even bringing this topic up.

What's wrong with you folks?

by **Olaf** » Fri 03 Dec 2004, 13:07:50

Simply stating that wiping out 50% of the people of the world would allow the rest more time to come up with solutions is a tragic simplification. For example, if we were to somehow manage to bomb China, with no retaliation, which would be a miracle in itself, there would be severe impact on us and the rest of the world. Financially (China is a great financer of our economy), resources and goods (last I checked, we import a fair amount from there). Just scratch off that economy...and everyone elses while your at it.

This does not even bring into slight consideration damage that woud be done to this planet by a strike large enough to do bring about the deaths of half the worlds population.

I too see alot of government and military positioning, not just in the U.S., but around the world. That is the part that scares me. I think that is the darker side of the path we do not want to travel.

Olaf

by **PenultimatMan** » Fri 03 Dec 2004, 13:43:39

PROBABILTY: Human Extinction : 42
PROBABILTY: Industrial Scociety
Extinction : 39
PROBABILITY: US victory : 11
PROBABILITY: China victory : 6
PROBABILITY: US & China destroyed
Europe intact 3
PROBABILITY: Everything hunkydory: 0

I know: rip-off from Alien.

Can War save us?

Can War save us?

Absolutely

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