[Revi]

This blog is the best one I know for understanding the economic and ecological implications of peak oil. Read his latest entries. They talk about the economics of peak oil in a way that is really great:

http://thearchdruidreport.blogspot.com/

[TheDude]

Available in book form, too: "The Long Descent" by John Michael Greer (review) | Energy Bulletin. That should give an idea of what Greer's about for those not familiar with his work.



$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'T')hey talk about the economics of peak oil in a way that is really great:

[Leanan]

Greer is probably my favorite peak oil writer. That is, his vision of the future is closest to my own. I don't agree with him about everything (I think he goes overboard with that "narratives" stuff). But overall, I would guess that "catabolic collapse" is our future.

This is the piece that introduced me to Greer:

How Civilizations Fall: A Theory of Catabolic Collapse

[Cloud9]

My secularist world history professor blamed the collapse of the Roman Empire on Christianity. The way he saw it the love thy neighbor, walk the second mile mind set weakened the empire to the point the barbarians were able to walk in and trash the civilization. He went on to attribute the conquest of the empire by Christianity to the moral bankruptcy of the latter day emperors. The way he saw it, the citizens were so dismayed at what they saw in their government that they turned to the faith of those they saw being ravaged in the arena.

I don’t doubt that moral bankruptcy in high places put the empire on a slippery slope. I lament the fact that when I look to Washington all I see are self serving sycophants.

[kjmclark]

The Archdruid has great insights, but I concluded six months ago or so that his writing is a bit too much like catabolic collapse - long and interminable before finally getting to the point. He makes a lot of great points, but often takes eight or ten paragraphs of meandering exposition to get to one. A few times he suggested a valuable insight, but ten minutes later he got to the end and still hadn't managed to make that point.

That was OK when I had more time on my hands, but now I'm fighting a couple of acres of canada thistle and wading through his writing just takes longer than it's worth. If you have the time and patience, I highly recommend his articles regarding history, psychology, and sociology, though I haven't found as much value in his economic writing. Go to the behavioral economists for that.

[Edit] Of course, if you haven't read Diamond's works and Tainter, I'd recommend you spend the time reading those first, and then reading the Archdruid's. I think the Archdruid does a great job putting those other writer's ideas in current context, with valuable contributions. However Diamond is both more rigorous and a better read, and Tainter provides the fundamentals of societal collapse.

[TheDude]

Bryan Ward-Perkins' book on Rome's downfall has an excerpt from a German text listing various causes put forth over the centuries for the Empire coming to an end; some are commonly held, like those pesky Christ worshipers; others are not so well known, like, er, impotence. And this excerpt takes up the better part of a page - and it's just single words. This firmed up my suspicion that no one really knows what the hell is going on, even millenia after the fact, or how to fix it when things go awry. I'm talking to you, Ben Bernanke.

That's funny about JMG's catabolic writing style. Don't agree myself, though, his stuff I find pretty easily digestible. Wasn't nuts about his brief forays into post-collapse fiction though.

[mark]

From the only authoritative source for history - The Urantia Book:

"The great weakness in Roman civilization, and a factor in the ultimate collapse of the empire, was the supposed liberal and advanced provision for the emancipation of the boy at twenty-one and the unconditional release of the girl so that she was at liberty to marry a man of her own choosing or to go abroad in the land to become immoral. The harm to society consisted not in these reforms themselves but rather in the sudden and extensive manner of their adoption. The collapse of Rome indicates what may be expected when a state undergoes too rapid extension associated with internal degeneration."

PAPER 71 - DEVELOPMENT OF THE STATE

Making a judgment from 1500 years hence is a dangerous thing when you don't have all the facts, or even understand real problems of the era.

[evilgenius]

JMG is one of my favorite internet writers. I look forward to every Wednesday. I love the way he uses esoteric references in order to make abstract points and then realizes those points by referencing the modern world. I've known many people who could think and discuss like him, but none that were not tied to a Judeo-Christian worldview. I enjoy his neo-secular worldview.

[JohnDenver]

Greer has a definite tendency to fabricate facts and figures. For instance, he believes that it's impossible to power an economy on non-fossil sources because doing so would violate the laws of thermodynamics. It's classic peak oil pseudo-science. Highly recommended if you like to get your physics information from a religious fruitcake in a robe and dishrag, whose main areas of expertise are magic, monsters, geomancy and secret societies.

[TheDude]

Ad hominems, irrelevant criticisms, false statements.

I do agree that Richard Duncan and friend publishing in some neo-Nazi rag wasn't kosher. WTF is that about?