[jato]

Is this where the common US citizen is heading?

These were taken at a "Mexican village" on a local Indian reservation. Apparently, these "simple" people live "simple" lives. They can afford satellite television, but not running water or sewage.

A few years back, a little girl fell into a cess pit and drowned at this location. Being on an Indian reservation, county codes and other "regulatory law" do not apply. From what I understand, the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has jurisdiction. However, the EPA won't get involved. The property was sold in the past to a non-Indian, so it is no longer under the authority of the local tribe. However, it still falls within "Indian Territory" boundaries.

Every time I drive by, I am reminded of Peak Oil and I wonder what living conditions will be like in 30 years.

[Ludi]

Yes, some of us no doubt will be as insane and demoralised as they are from having our culture destroyed.

[alpha480v]

That's just sad seeing those pictures.What a way to live.Can't help but notice 2nd picture,top house has a rooftop ac unit.So,they can sit in an air-conditioned house,watch tv,and starve.This might be a blueprint for future America after peak oil hits.

[k_semler]

Were these pictures taken in Lapwai ID by any chance? Looks pretty familar!

[DomusAlbion]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('k_semler', 'W')ere these pictures taken in Lapwai ID by any chance? Looks pretty familar!

[gnm]

man I can find places like that all over here. we even had one in the valley I live in - people were living in a plywood shack with raw sewage running out the back - but by god they had thier sat tv...

gotta keep those masses programmed. We got rid of our tv - never had cable/sat. made a nice improvement in our sons behaviour. but we do have internet! we can sit in an air conditioned house, surf and starve...

[BorneoRagnarok]

I see nothing wrong about the pictures. Here in 3rd world country , it is a common sight. At least the Indian have their own land. They don't need to fear for eviction notice.

They planted some fruit trees there. Oranges trees and some vegetables.
The part I don't like is the satellite TV. I boycott TV since 2 years ago. No more junk programmes for me. That's how I learnt some English and know about peak oil.

Here in Malaysia, the natives cultures are also destroyed by modernization. They drink every night until they feel asleep.

[pea-jay]

They may not all be paying for their satellite. I know personally of a ring around here that counterfits the cards and in San Diego, my former collegue's cousin actually "reprogrammed" those puppies for cash.

All channels, every day...

[kpeavey]

I live in a smaller town, pop 10k, county is 60k. While house hunting i came across a property with 4 houses, went to take a look. I found a property which once had one old home, and still did. But the owner of the place just kept on building. Whatever materials could be found for free or had for, apparently, next to nothing, the guy used to add on or build a new structure. The place had 4 houses, 2-4 bedrooms in each house, various sizes, assorted materials. Every one of the places had cable, junk appliances, bugs everywhere. The owner lived in one, rented out the other 3. It was his retirement income.

Although the extra structures brought him an income, more than anything else they only served to remove value from the property rather than add to it. Not a single structure met building codes as far as I could tell.

To give the guy credit, even for his poor carpentry skills, he did manage to build 3 entire houses with scrap materials and someone elses junk.

Although my house is neat and tidy (on the outside) I do have an 8x8 greenhouse build out of leftover studs, a spare door, and some visqueen for a cost of less than $50. It does not look like much, but functions especially well.

[pea-jay]

I do think we must get ourselves acquainted with this "third-world" settlement pattern. In a low energy future, it may be the average person's most likely option. Good-bye zoning and codes, general contractors and virgin materials. Hello organic, unregulated, owner built structures out of salvaged materials. Much of today's construction techniques are energy intensive.

[tmazanec1]

This is what I once called a "cyberpunk" depression. Some ultra-tech available to most people (like Revelations rationing of necessities but not luxuries), and a few people having "hyper-tech", but most in poverty. Like a futuristic sci-fi slum.

[k_semler]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('DomusAlbion', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('k_semler', 'W')ere these pictures taken in Lapwai ID by any chance? Looks pretty familar!

[DomusAlbion]

The reservations do have many different laws but they mostly apply to the tribe and not to us "white devils" that happen to live on the reservation.

There's some really great land on the Nez Perce reservation and the tribe has sold off a lot of it. Their population is pretty low so they don't have much use for the land and most are not into farming or cattle ranching.

I was only going to take pictures of the properties for sale, but I'll take any interesting shots of Lapwai and the environs. We're going out Friday and Saturday. In fact we'll be passing through Colton. I'll wave!

[gg3]

Juxtapose those pictures with the words of whoever it was on this board who said that rich people are rich because they make smart decisions, and poor people are poor because they make stupid decisions.

How smart does one have to be to succeed in any way when born and raised in a place like those pictures show?

How smart does one have to be to succeed in any way when born and raised in the suburbs by parents who both have college degrees and careers?

How smart does one have to be to succeed in any way when born into a billionaire family?

Meanwhile the one thing that's destroying more lives in the Native nations than anything else is alcohol. For whatever reason, and I am 100% certain it's genetic, Native Americans are tremendously susceptible to alcoholism (which is epidemic on reservations) and diabetes (which is also epidemic on reservations), and which *are the same disease.* Both involve the inability of the body to process simple sugars, so you get a high followed by a crash and cravings for more. Alcohol is half of a glucose molecule: the body "burns" it twice as fast as sugar, so the reaction is twice as severe.

As for whether more and more of America is going to look like what's in those pictures, probably yes, but not in quite the same way. Instead it will be suburbs that turn into slums and slowly fester toward ruin. What you'll see is not trailers or mobile homes rotting away, but suburban tract homes rotting away. Sewage won't be running in the streets, at least for another 50 years unless the systems are simply shut down. But the rest of the syndrome will be there. And probably rampant crime to go along with it.

I have a hypothesis that some of the Native nations will actually end up doing better than average in post-peak times. Those that have either conserved their old traditions, or managed to handle the influx of wealth from new ventures such as casinos by investing it in their own infrastructure and education.

But between now & then, when you hear our local social darwinists make smug noises about the self-justification of inequitous conditions, ask them this: What opportunities do the people in those pictures have for capital formation, eh?

[k_semler]

Is the land you are looking at on the clearwater, or is it farther from the river? What rights are included with the deed? Do you get mineral rights, water rights, etc? How about zoning ordanances? Just think, you will be closer to Dworshack, so you can go kokanee fishing easier! And it is about 10-15 degrees warmer down there also, so you will have less snow to deal with during the winter. Also, smokes are much cheaper on the rez, and you can get fireworks too! I have found that the smoke shop that is closer to Orofino is a lot cheaper than the one by the casino. Yes you have to drive 15 more miles, but it is cheaper. does your prospective property come with any structures, and is there already a clean watersource available?

[SD_Scott]

In a highly industrialized economy you can be poor by choice. It looks like they have plenty of TV. Probably alcohol too. No disrespect intended but thats just not the same thing as a post peak era.