[Homesteader]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ludi', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('BigTex', '
')That's a nice piece Ludi. Thanks for linking. He's making a lot of the same points, but with more finesse.

[cipi604]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Cog', 'W')hy the hell don't politicians get this?
...
I'm no genius but I have spent the last three weeks studying PO and now I'm getting a fair idea of just how bad this is all going to get for us. Do our politicians not understand that part of their job is to look at the long term?

[Newfie]

Here is another piece that someone posted elsewhere. As I get it, it is a report called for by Gerald Ford, chaired by Henry Kissinger, and accepted by Jimmy Carter. It deals with the overpopulation issue.

http://www.population-security.org/28-APP2A.html#I

So some people really did get it back then even if they were knuckle heads in other ways.

I think we are actually going backwards in our understanding as we get closer to the brink. 30 or 40 years ago Hippies had a back to the earth movement: whole earth catalog and all that good stuff. Yet we are the generation that brought you Gulf I&II, Bush I&II, and SUV's.

This topic hit home because of some personal events. Without going into details a relatively close friend is now on a tirade because people don't "get it" while she fails to see that for the past four years she has been deaf to my pleadings. That is only the tip of the iceberg.

AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have come to the conclusion that there is nothing to be done for society at large, it will be all we can do to care for me and mine.

[heartandseoul]

Hi I'm rather new (been lurking for a while now though).

I read - or saw- recently where G.W. Bush's Texas ranch, where he is apparently expected to live in retirement, is completely off the grid, completely self sufficient.

Now, my impression of him has really never been of an "environmentalist" president. I see him more of a "survivalist" president.

So, in response to that I have an uneasy feeling that he is preparing for something that he thinks the rest of U.S. are not preparing for, or are not aware of.

Unfortunately I can't remember where I saw or read this information so please correct me if I'm wrong. If the above is true about GWB, any thoughts on this?

[heartandseoul]

Thanks pstarr. I just googled G W Bush paraguay and the first couple links were not available. I did find a little bit of info, but now my uneasy feeling has now been upgraded. or, um, downgraded. whatever, it's just bad.

[BigTex]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Newfie', 'H')ere is another piece that someone posted elsewhere. As I get it, it is a report called for by Gerald Ford, chaired by Henry Kissinger, and accepted by Jimmy Carter. It deals with the overpopulation issue.

http://www.population-security.org/28-APP2A.html#I

So some people really did get it back then even if they were knuckle heads in other ways.

I think we are actually going backwards in our understanding as we get closer to the brink. 30 or 40 years ago Hippies had a back to the earth movement: whole earth catalog and all that good stuff. Yet we are the generation that brought you Gulf I&II, Bush I&II, and SUV's.

This topic hit home because of some personal events. Without going into details a relatively close friend is now on a tirade because people don't "get it" while she fails to see that for the past four years she has been deaf to my pleadings. That is only the tip of the iceberg.

AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have come to the conclusion that there is nothing to be done for society at large, it will be all we can do to care for me and mine.

[vision-master]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('americandream', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('vision-master', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'P')erhaps wisdom never really had a chance, and the experiment in higher consciousness that we represent from an evolutionary perspective may just be swept back into the entropy hopper and nature will start over with something else. Our level of higher consciousness may never again occur in nature, perhaps fundamentally because higher consciousness may be found to have limited survival value once a life form like ours escapes its habitat. Who knows how many times this has happened before?

[Cog]

My level of anger has also increased quite a bit since I've become aware of where we are going. An example today. I roll into the drive-way and there is a guy in a suit standing outside. The following conversation shows my lack of tolerating idiots anymore.

Me: Can I help you?
Lawn Service: I've noticed a lot of white clover outside your house, Would you like us to take care of that for you?

Me: Are you a bee?
LS: Excuse me?
Me: Unless you are a bee making honey then no you can't help me
LS: We have a really good treatment on dealing with white clover
Me: By applying poison to my lawn?
LS: Well, its not poison but a mix of herbicides and fertilizer
Me: What part of, Are you a bee, don't you understand?
LS: Well we are in the neighborhood and asking. Sorry to bother you.
Me: Have a nice day

Now, I admit I felt bad for the guy to run into me but when he was giving his spiel, all I could think about was my backyard and the hard work its taking to turn it into something that will feed my family(albeit only a little). So I guess I was kinda stressed out.

[Pops]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Cog', 'I') think I'll take the wife and daughter for a walk around the neighborhood tonight. I'm not going to discuss PO. Just walk around.

[AnIowan]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Cog', '
')
I think I'll take the wife and daughter for a walk around the neighborhood tonight. I'm not going to discuss PO. Just walk around.

[WildRose]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Cog', 'M')y level of anger has also increased quite a bit since I've become aware of where we are going. An example today. I roll into the drive-way and there is a guy in a suit standing outside. The following conversation shows my lack of tolerating idiots anymore.

Me: Can I help you?
Lawn Service: I've noticed a lot of white clover outside your house, Would you like us to take care of that for you?

Me: Are you a bee?
LS: Excuse me?
Me: Unless you are a bee making honey then no you can't help me
LS: We have a really good treatment on dealing with white clover
Me: By applying poison to my lawn?
LS: Well, its not poison but a mix of herbicides and fertilizer
Me: What part of, Are you a bee, don't you understand?
LS: Well we are in the neighborhood and asking. Sorry to bother you.
Me: Have a nice day

Now, I admit I felt bad for the guy to run into me but when he was giving his spiel, all I could think about was my backyard and the hard work its taking to turn it into something that will feed my family(albeit only a little). So I guess I was kinda stressed out.

[Hermes]

Hi Cog:

May I suggest that perhaps your frustration stems from the disparity between what you believe the "powers that be" are SUPPOSED to be doing vs. what they are doing now?

Indeed if you dig deeper I believe you will find that the president, politicians, etc are doing precisely what they are supposed to be doing. That is to say: they are not here to help people like you and I. They are in place to keep a system functioning. That system is at odds with Peak Oil.

This whole civilization is based on expansion. Peak Oil is about contraction. Peak Oil is one of the handful of large events which will bring about the end of this civilization.

Furthermore this civilization is based upon a commonly accepted "story" or sense of how things work. One of the main themes of this "story" is that "we will always grow (invent, build, overcome, expand, etc) and that the only limits to our growth are our imagination, willpower and time invested". Peak Oil shoots down this part of the "story".

For these and other reasons Peak Oil CANNOT be acknowledged if this civilization is to continue. It cannot. The politicians are absolutely doing their job in not bringing Peak Oil to the attention of the masses.

Upon accepting this to be the case perhaps your frustration level will lessen. Furthermore it could also help you perhaps focus your energies on strategies that are more likely to bring tangible results for yourself and your loved ones.

If, however, you choose to dig deeper into learning about the true nature of this civilization I suggest reading stuff at anthropik.com as Ludi mentioned. And if you're interested in learning more then I suggest Derrick Jensen's book Endgame vols 1+2.

Many people have said that Peak Oil was the "gateway drug" for them. I know it certainly was for me. It begged the questions: "Why isn't anyone talking about this?" and "How is it that this whole civilization can be built on something so fragile, and no one did anything about it?" and led to other questions such as "What happened in other collapses?" and "What are people OUTSIDE this civilization like?" etc.

Each new piece of knowledge brought a new piece of frustration, understanding and enrichment for me. I very much recommend the path that this leads to to anyone with an interest in learning about the true nature of human existence.