[Nano]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Peleg', 'I') am less happy, I am less trusting of alot of things and people. [...]
I have also, oddly found even more peace in prayer after the 'big revelation' about peak oil, but it took a while.

[Arsenal]

Great post Narz. That is exactly the way I feel. Somethings not right with the world. Something big is going to happen. I have felt that way my whole life but could never pin it down. Nuclear war, plague, etc seemed a little to far fetched (but possible) and then I found peak oil a couple of years ago. Everything fit. Not only is this possible but it is going to happen at some point. Not IF but WHEN. So see how out of touch humans are with their environment/food supply, is a little scary. So now it is down to prepping and learning skills like gardening, hunting, building without modern conveniences. To be honest I have never felt better working land and getting dirty.

Arsenal

[ROCKMAN]

How about a short answer: I recently read that Americans spent over $80 billion on lottery tickets in 2007 despite that fact that almost none really felt they had a chance to win. They just enjoyed thinking about the possibility too much to not play.

[Peleg]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('ROCKMAN', 'H')ow about a short answer: I recently read that Americans spent over $80 billion on lottery tickets in 2007 despite that fact that almost none really felt they had a chance to win. They just enjoyed thinking about the possibility too much to not play.

[mos6507]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Nano', '
')I guess when peak oil has become mainstream I'll stop 'worrying' about it.

[Peleg]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Nano', 'T')hen they grow up and forget about it and become good, productive citizens.

[CarlinsDarlin]

I don't ever recall having a thought about oil, the earth's carrying capacity, or any other serious issue we'd face, when I was a child. I knew that I preferred a simple life, and dreamed of a "frontier" life, but I didn't know why it appealed to me. I should say, though, that I grew up in a rural area (hence, low population density), and many people I knew worked the land and grew their food. My father was also an avid historian who loved the Lewis and Clark era of American history. I grew up being exposed to that life on a daily basis.

I was fortunate in that I didn't personally experience the materialist mentality that has doomed this country until I was an adult. Only then, when I was stuck in the middle of it - and living quite out of my element in Houston, TX - did I "feel" that something was wrong.

I was very unhappy and couldn't understand what was wrong. After all, I was single, driving a new car, had a decent job, money to spend, lots of friends, a nice apartment... in short, what a lot of people look at as successful. But it wasn't enough. I remember reading a book called, "Slowing down to the speed of life" which was a sort of intro to the voluntary simplicity movement for me. I thought, "That's what it is. I just need to simplify." I was also homesick, so I returned to Arkansas. Not back to my small town, but back to the capitol city. At least I was closer to home.

As I tried to return to my roots, and embrace a more simple lifestyle, I began to learn the effects of consumerism on the planet. The waste, environmental degradation, and stress filled lives. This knowledge, and my quest to reduce my personal impact on the planet, let me to the discovery of peak oil. Since that discovery, I have indeed returned to my small community and started to re-build the life that I had imagined.

At some point we all "know" that oil is a finite resource, but realizing the enormity of what that really means is beyond the imagination of the majority of people. Until their personal supply is disrupted, they will not even begin to see the big picture, or question the extent to which their lives are influenced by oil. I was fortunate in that my roots gave me a place to return, and in that return, my eyes were opened.

Kathy

[Nicholai]

The average person is absolutely clueless.

Humanity is set to rule the universe...



This is all they know.

There are no limits. We are the peak of evolution. The universe is a human life-support system.

[Nano]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Peleg', 'I') have often found myself thinking about what it would have been like in the days of the homestead act.

[Hagakure_Leofman]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Nicholai', 'T')here are no limits. We are the peak of evolution. The universe is a human life-support system.

[ROCKMAN]

Nano,

You might find the recent (2002?) effort to overthrow the dictator of Equatorial Guinea interesting. It was financed by Marg. Thatcher's son. I worked in EG last year and if there were ever an SOB more deserving of a bullet at the base of the brain it's the current ruler. I'm guessing the oil income is now north of $50 billion making it one of the richest per capita countries in the world: popl. is only 500,000. On the island capital the people are malnourished (lovely sight riding between the air port and our camp). Why lacking protein in the middle of the ocean: the dictator had the commercial fishing fleet destroyed for fear it would be used for another attempted invasion. The previous dictator (his uncle who he murdered) had eliminated malaria from the island with a spraying program. The new leader stop the spraying for a simple reason: easier to control a sick popl.

If I were younger and my knees not failing I might consider joining a revolt. I am not without abilities in this area. Wouldn't be difficult to win either...the leader keeps his military lean....fears them to. But back to your story: how do you keep the next "leader of the people" from being corrupted by the power? In reality, the US Navy could have taken over the country perhaps w/o firing a single shot. We could establish a puppet gov't as we did in post war Japan and in time, hopefully, the citizens could become their own masters.

Wouldn't be a bad biz plan to do it privately funded as Mr. Thatcher had planned. Even splitting the oil income 50-50 would have been a great gain for the locals. But then we're back to the same power corruption potential. There’s actually an old movie out there you could model the plan after: “Dogs of War” with C. Walkins.

[dorlomin]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('ROCKMAN', '
')Wouldn't be a bad biz plan to do it privately funded as Mr. Thatcher had planned. Even splitting the oil income 50-50 would have been a great gain for the locals. But then we're back to the same power corruption potential. There’s actually an old movie out there you could model the plan after: “Dogs of War” with C. Walkins.

[ROCKMAN]

Yes dorlomin: So many different angles to play the same game. At least Thatcher was smart enough to plead out and not be extradited to EG: they had already tortured to death a couple of his flunkies.

DOW is one on my favorites. I've used a paraphrased line from the movie many times to explain my philosophy to clients: "We're mercenaries (consultants). We come in, do our jobs, get paid and go home. You're soldiers, some of you die and the rest get what's left. Any questions?"

I stopped working in EG. Made me just too damn depressed/angry. Good money but fortunately other places to make a living. A bit of trivia if you didn't already know: EG was a Spanish colony so my TexMex allowed me insight from the man on the street. Not a pretty picture as you can imagine.

[turner]

I think lots of people now understand that the age of oil is coming to an end and that global warming is a problem, but the focus now needs to shift to the consequences. It really is very easy for people to be convinced that there are a range of initiatives that are going to solve the problem. eg they read SUV's are dead, there's a wind-farm in their state, solar is being rebated by the government, the papers say hydrogen will work, their friend has bought a hybrid, etc,etc. Everywhere they look it seems that genuine efforts are being made to solve the problems and not too often are they reading that it is too little too late. They don't acknowledge publicly there is a problem because it seems to be in hand, but I bet deep down there are some lingering doubts.