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Clueless in America

A forum for discussion of regional topics including oil depletion but also government, society, and the future.

Re: Clueless in America

Postby Rogozhin » Thu 03 May 2007, 19:50:24

As a country we are clueless. I've been telling everyone I can about peak oil and only my brother and father have taken any initiative.

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Re: Clueless in America

Postby joewp » Thu 03 May 2007, 19:53:54

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('clueless', 'Y')ou guys called me ?????


Nothing personal, I'm sure. 8)
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Re: Clueless in America

Postby seldom_seen » Thu 03 May 2007, 20:06:24

Americans, since they were tiny slobbering infants have been programmed, incessantly, perpetually that they live in a "world without limits," with "infinite possibilities."

The use of "no limits" in marketing propaganda is so pervasive that it is like background noise. It's such a common assertion that most people probably never even notice it.

So the idea that oil supply could be limited, unable to meet demand, or actually go in to depletion? Hah. That's funny...maybe in an alternate universe, but not this one. There will always be more, in ever increasing supplies. That's what we've been told since day one. That is the world we live in, and that is the truth!

Horn of plenty baby! Horn of plenty!

To suggest otherwise, well you're a loser. Most likely you will just be ignored, otherwise scorned. A neo-malthusian, a luddite, a freak. A PESSIMIST. You're no fun go away...
But how the world turns. One day, cock of the walk. Next, a feather duster.
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Re: Clueless in America

Postby bshirt » Thu 03 May 2007, 20:17:20

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Zardoz', ' ') It'll be progressive, and it'll take a while, but the masses are going to attain an enlightened state. They'll be kicking, screaming, and squealing all the way down the road to enlightenment, but they'll get there. Be patient with them. Give them time to catch up.

lol!! Good one. :-) It very well may be far to late for the vast majority of them but I'll agree with you that they'll figure it out sooner or later. :-)
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Re: Clueless in America

Postby retiredguy » Thu 03 May 2007, 21:35:30

And, what, pray tell, will "enlightenment" resemble?

As I look out over thousands of acres of farmland being tilled and fertilized with diesel-powered tractors, I can't seem to visualize these same acres being worked by happy "enlightened" peasants.

Sheb is dead on. Look in the mirror for who is to blame. Some of us figured this out on our own, but what good is it going to do us in the end? Anyone got a spaceship that can take us to that new planet that was just discovered?
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Re: Clueless in America

Postby Zardoz » Thu 03 May 2007, 21:43:01

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('retiredguy', 'A')nd, what, pray tell, will "enlightenment" resemble?

In this case, enlightenment refers to a light bulb coming on over their heads, and realizing that the end of the oil age is not all that far away.

They'll get it, and fairly soon, perhaps. They'll deny it as long as they can, but they'll all come around eventually.
"Thank you for attending the oil age. We're going to scrape what we can out of these tar pits in Alberta and then shut down the machines and turn out the lights. Goodnight." - seldom_seen
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Re: Clueless in America

Postby clueless » Thu 03 May 2007, 21:51:28

Zardoz - I have to ask: Coming from person (me) that lived in Southern and Northern Cal since 1985 until 2006, knowing what you know how can you function down there ?

I bailed out of the Bay Area when Katrina hit and the Bay Area is nowhere close to the train wreck that will be occurring down there in a couple years. Are you planning to ride things out down there? My friends down there say things are close to chokepoint.
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Re: Clueless in America

Postby cube » Fri 04 May 2007, 04:20:40

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('seldom_seen', 'A')mericans, since they were tiny slobbering infants have been programmed, incessantly, perpetually that they live in a "world without limits," with "infinite possibilities."...
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Re: Clueless in America

Postby SevenTen » Fri 04 May 2007, 09:31:17

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Zardoz', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('retiredguy', 'A')nd, what, pray tell, will "enlightenment" resemble?
In this case, enlightenment refers to a light bulb coming on over their heads, and realizing that the end of the oil age is not all that far away. They'll get it, and fairly soon, perhaps. They'll deny it as long as they can, but they'll all come around eventually.

6.5 billion enlightened people still will continually have less and less gas for their cars, less fertilizer and pesticides for their fields, less drugs for their diseases, less food in their bellies, all in a continually shrinking economy. Enlightenment will resemble havoc, war, and chaos, I imagine.
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Re: Clueless in America

Postby Sheb » Fri 04 May 2007, 10:14:55

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('SevenTen', '
')Enlightenment will resemble havoc, war, and chaos, I imagine.


This has been a theme echoed as far back as Hellenistic Greece. They had a term for it...Pathe Mathos (Learning through pain/suffering).
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Re: Clueless in America

Postby Zardoz » Fri 04 May 2007, 10:25:10

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('clueless', 'Z')ardoz - I have to ask....

Are you planning to ride things out down there ???

My friends down there say things are close to chokepoint.

Like everybody else, I've been thinking about this a lot. I've come to the conclusion that there are very bad possible scenarios that you can write for just about any place on this earth.

The "ideal" places, for instance, are without question going to be completely overrun with refugees if, in fact, the shit actually does hit the fan. Those who think they're going to have those spots to just themselves and their buddies are childishly naive.

I could go on and on, but I'm sure you get my point: There is no foolproof solution. A case can be made for and against anything you might try to do to "prepare" for what may, or may not, be on the horizon. We can only be sure of one thing: We don't know what's coming.

Our biggest challenge out here in Tinseltown is water. Some say the Sierra snowpack is in real trouble, others are saying it may not be after all. My take is that we have no idea what's going to happen to it, given all the variables.

It's the elephant in the room, though. That's for certain. Everything else, even earthquakes, pales in importance compared to that.

I've used the future-is-a-fogbank analogy before. We don't know what's in the fog, and once we're in it, we're going to be even more clueless. I figure staying put and "riding it out" on familiar turf makes as much sense as anything else we might try to do.
"Thank you for attending the oil age. We're going to scrape what we can out of these tar pits in Alberta and then shut down the machines and turn out the lights. Goodnight." - seldom_seen
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Re: Clueless in America

Postby vision-master » Fri 04 May 2007, 10:29:24

When lost in the wilderness, hunker down. Try walking out without knowing where to go & you're a dead man.
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Re: Clueless in America

Postby Uninspired123 » Fri 04 May 2007, 10:39:29

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Zardoz', 'L')ike everybody else, I've been thinking about this a lot. I've come to the conclusion that there are very bad possible scenarios that you can write for just about any place on this earth. The "ideal" places, for instance, are without question going to be completely overrun with refugees if, in fact, the shit actually does hit the fan. Those who think they're going to have those spots to just themselves and their buddies are childishly naive.
I could go on and on, but I'm sure you get my point: There is no foolproof solution. A case can be made for and against anything you might try to do to "prepare" for what may, or may not, be on the horizon. We can only be sure of one thing: We don't know what's coming.
Our biggest challenge out here in Tinseltown is water. Some say the Sierra snowpack is in real trouble, others are saying it may not be after all. My take is that we have no idea what's going to happen to it, given all the variables. It's the elephant in the room, though. That's for certain. Everything else, even earthquakes, pales in importance compared to that. I've used the future-is-a-fogbank analogy before. We don't know what's in the fog, and once we're in it, we're going to be even more clueless. I figure staying put and "riding it out" on familiar turf makes as much sense as anything else we might try to do.

I agree with you, I don't know how people on this forum "plan" to get ready for a future which has so many variables. things could change in an instant. My 'plan' would be to wait until i really actually see things starting to change for the worse and then go from there. At least by that point i'll have more 'data' and will see how things are going in society and will know whether it's right to bail out or if sticking with the system a little while longer will bring me more benefit. As much as I know im dependent on the city around me to live, at the very worst, all i need is some running water and a little bit of time to get out if need be.
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Re: Clueless in America

Postby clueless » Fri 04 May 2007, 10:42:19

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'L')ike everybody else, I've been thinking about this a lot. I've come to the conclusion that there are very bad possible scenarios that you can write for just about any place on this earth.


I actually am planning for a slow burn, which pretty clearly is happeing now - The Boomers may get to third base or so, but the twenty somethings are toast, and they are going to be none to happy when they put two and two together.

There is no sense in planning for a collapse becasue there is nothing we can do about it anyway. I looked at issues like cost of lving and the potential for crime in bad times...Obvioulsy LA/OC would be worst than most.

You are the second person that has mentioned water int he last couple weeks, it will be interesting to see how they do that. Are you in OC, LA or SD ?
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Re: Clueless in America

Postby SevenTen » Fri 04 May 2007, 10:59:59

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Zardoz', 'I')'ve used the future-is-a-fogbank analogy before. We don't know what's in the fog, and once we're in it, we're going to be even more clueless. I figure staying put and "riding it out" on familiar turf makes as much sense as anything else we might try to do.

The future is a fogbank only as to "when", not "what". You know that there will be fog. You know that your livelihood depends on water, food, gas, and waste disposal, and you know that all that and much more depend on a resource of depleting petroleum.

You will beat yourself up when the time comes, knowing that you could have prepared better, and didn't. Here's something to get you moving. Picture in your mind people you love. Now picture them in ten years, looking at you with a dirty face, malnourished, persistent infections.

They say to you, "if you knew this could happen, why didn't you do anything to prepare"? What will you tell them? What will you tell yourself? How about, if in ten years, you have to visit your loved ones at a grave? How about, if they have to visit you?
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Re: Clueless in America

Postby Cyrus » Fri 04 May 2007, 11:03:02

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('clueless', 'I') actually am planning for a slow burn, which pretty clearly is happeing now - The Boomers may get to third base or so, but the twenty somethings are toast, and they are going to be none to happy when they put two and two together.
There is no sense in planning for a collapse becasue there is nothing we can do about it anyway. I looked at issues like cost of lving and the potential for crime in bad times...Obvioulsy LA/OC would be worst than most.
You are the second person that has mentioned water in the last couple weeks, it will be interesting to see how they do that. Are you in OC, LA or SD ?

Excellent post!
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Re: Clueless in America

Postby Eli » Fri 04 May 2007, 11:36:12

Na, ZArdoz has this right. We are all clueless. The so called plans people are making are futile. The areas that provide the most resources will be overrun by people attracted to those resources.

Think about the dust bowl in the US the Midwest dried up and parts of Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas literally blew away. What happened? People picked up and moved to resource rich California.
If Phoenix, Las Vegas and all of Southern Cal run low on water that wave of humanity will pick up and destroy the best thought out ecovilage.
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '1')3 Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.
14 The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.
15 Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity.
16 For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man? as the fool.
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Re: Clueless in America

Postby clueless » Fri 04 May 2007, 11:41:28

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'T')he so called plans people are making are futile. The areas that provide the most resources will be overrun by people attracted to those resources.

We will, no doubt, use the last of our available resources to exploit the last remaining resources (like ethanol)...And take the country over the edge. Running is futile.
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'A')nd the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.
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Re: Clueless in America

Postby retiredguy » Fri 04 May 2007, 11:58:26

Look for a place with ample water, arable land, lots of trees and low population density. And maybe a harsh winter to discourage migration.
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Re: Clueless in America

Postby Eli » Fri 04 May 2007, 12:14:24

Yeah right if it is a place where there is chance that a person could find food water and shelter, you can bet there will be a million or so other people with the same flippin idea. Where are you going to go? where are you going to hide? It will be a lot like an African drought that has hit the entire world.

During the dust bowl people picked up and moved their entire families because of rumors that there were jobs and food to be had in California. I think people do not understand the level of desperation involved with that. To pick up and take your children across the country simply based on hope is incredible. There is nothing new under the sun, people forget that this has happened before.
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