[asdar]

I'm a peak believer, but I'm not a believer in the die off of humans, at least not in the U.S. and I think people are too critical of other people.

Maybe it's because of the way I grew up and what I've seen, but I don't think we'll collapse as a society. We may take some large backward steps, but I think the U.S. in particular will keep on rolling.

The reasons I see that happening are that we have the land for food, we have the coal for energy, we have the tech to build nuclear, and we have an infrastructure of railways that just needs to be maintained and repaired and not created from scratch. We also have a military that will keep people from messing with us.

People underestimate our ability to adapt. We're one generation away from being self sufficient. Even modern spoiled Americans can adapt and we have advantages that will keep us from going back to a level of living that's too primitive.

I remember going to family gatherings that were just to can tomatoes and freeze corn. My grandparents grew all of their own food.

My post isn't about the technology we'll be losing or finding a quick cure to the post peak problems. This is about how I think average people will react and respond to Peak Oil.

I think that we will respond as a nation and that we can adapt. Like I said, the U.S. has many natural advantages over other countries. Because we're currently the most spoiled country doesn't necessarily mean that we're the least capable of surviving Peak Oil mostly intact.

[Resurrection]

I wish I shared your faith bro, especially about how the average person will handle it.

[NotMyBlood]

I somewhat agree and I actually welcome these changes. But, I'm beginning to think most in the Peak Oil Community don't want to hear/read/discuss/explore anything but total collapse, paraniod beliefs about Bush/Cheney hiding under their bedds and playing boogie man, etc etc etc....

And lets be honest, those are interesting subjects. But the level of Doom and Gloom gets to be a little too much sometimes....

I do think it will be a "rocky" transition to the environment your describing, but I do think that scenario has as good a chance as any, if not more.

[Ferretlover]

I don't have a lot of faith in people in general, especially when there are enough assembled to develop into a mob with a mob mentality.

It takes very, very little to set off a mob...

Stop the train! Soccer fans must have beer! German national railway halts special train to match when tap fails
link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20155039?GT1=10252

[Pops]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('asdar', 'P')eople underestimate our ability to adapt. We're one generation away from being self sufficient.

[HorneyGeekBoi]

Pure fantasy... What makes you think your neighbour cares what happens to you when their family might starve? Look at the crime stats as it is in inner cities, and were supposed to have it as good now...

[clueless]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'P')ure fantasy... What makes you think your neighbour cares what happens to you when their family might starve? Look at the crime stats as it is in inner cities, and were supposed to have it as good now...

[clueless]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'I') don't have a lot of faith in people in general, especially when there are enough assembled to develop into a mob with a mob mentality.

[clueless]

Asdar don't listen to these doomers on this site. If the US is going to collapse then it is going to collapse, nobody knows how things are going to pan out.

As I say over an over on these forums is life really that great in the USA ? I really get sick of the obsession with consumption, would less of that be so bad ?

I think the Doomers are really the ones that love this way of life and can't face the reality that things are going to change.

And it will change, but that is all we know...

[asdar]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('HorneyGeekBoi', 'P')ure fantasy... What makes you think your neighbour cares what happens to you when their family might starve? Look at the crime stats as it is in inner cities, and were supposed to have it as good now...

[Resurrection]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ferretlover', 'I') don't have a lot of faith in people in general, especially when there are enough assembled to develop into a mob with a mob mentality.

It takes very, very little to set off a mob...

[clueless]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'I') respect all of you though, really. And yes you should not give up, as it's good for your mentality in general if you believe there is hope I guess. Just accept those of us that have much less faith in the western worlds populations to adapt, so abruptly.

[NotMyBlood]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('HorneyGeekBoi', 'P')ure fantasy... What makes you think your neighbour cares what happens to you when their family might starve? Look at the crime stats as it is in inner cities, and were supposed to have it as good now...

[clueless]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'C')lueless, you suggest we take Take 75 million pleasure users offline and make them get jobs (although, of course, many will already have jobs) . Problem with that is, you take Take 75 million users offline and suddenly a very significant amount of jobs disappear. This applys to anything in the leisure industry.

[Cloud9]

What would it take to cause humanity to abandon decency, forget law, abandon his family and run screaming into the streets to shoot his neighbor? I suspect for most, it will take more than the realization that he can no longer afford to operate his automobile.

[clueless]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'W')hat would it take to cause humanity to abandon decency, forget law, abandon his family and run screaming into the streets to shoot his neighbor? I suspect for most, it will take more than the realization that he can no longer afford to operate his automobile.

[NotMyBlood]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ferretlover', 'C')lueless: "My thesis is simple, put the fear of God into the next generation about their future."



Notmyblood: "You may not like the person, but you are going to do whatever you can to help someone out. You know, when I was a kid, I remember the parents getting together and "helping" each other. ... I'm sure that still exists and would return if it were necessary for everybody to get by.."

If things get really serious, no body is going to stop working for their family just to help someone else. The only situation that I foresee people helping each other is that of defense. People may have helped others in the past, but when there are no more things being produced or shipped, people are going to hoard for their own. I would and will.

[TheTurtle]

Let's all try to please stay with the spirit of the OP's premise. Please don't let this turn into yet another die-off/no die-off argument.

Thanks.

[TheTurtle]

I split off the Internet die-off discussion into this thread in the Open Discussions forum.

Please continue your observations about the imminent collapse of the Internet there.

Keep to the original intent of the OP in this thread and remember that this is the Psychology forum. This thread looks to counter gloom, not foster more of it.

Thank you and have a nice day.

[Blacksmith]

I don't know if I can make you all feel happy and filled with hope and joy, but I can perhaps provide a few insights:

(a) Change is a given and generally occur slowly.

(b) People as a whole are very adept at adapting to change if it occurs slowly.

(c) Economists have been predicting for some time a restructuring of the US and indeed the world economy, what they can't agree on is will it be a slow decline or a catastrophic failure.