by liammcglynn » Sun 20 Sep 2009, 18:16:43
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('BigTex', 'l')iammmcglynn, how long have you been aware of peak oil?
Since becoming aware of it, what books have you read concerning the topic of peak oil and the larger cluster of topics peak oil touches on, including overshoot and die-off, technology as a secular religion, fallacies of modern economic thought, etc.?
Just curious where you are on the learning curve.
It takes a while for it all to sink in.
It has been a very long time for me. I have a friend, Frank Kaminski who is an avid Peak Oil advocate. He has reviewed a number of books on the subject. I would guess that I introduced Frank to the subject almost ten years ago and I had been following it for perhaps a few years before that. I have read parts of Kunstler and Simmons but my research has focused on internet data sources.
As for economic thought, I struggled with Classical and Keynesian theories while at MIT. These frameworks lacked symmetry. Peter Schiff's "Crash Proof" struck a chord with me. Though the Austrian School of Economics is not perfect, their aversion to government intervention in the markets and fiat currency led me to a deeper understanding of global trade and exchange rates and this formed the foundation for personal revelations on the flaws in US economic policy. I have also read a number of papers by John Williams (
http://www.shadowstats.com). I am an analyst by training, profession, and nature, so I thrive on critical thinking, accepting very little at face value. I see the economy and Peak Oil as major threats to my well being. My initial objective is to prepare for consequences according to a combination of likelihood and impact. In the economy, I view hyperinflation, a devastating crisis, as sufficiently probable to warrant countermeasures. With Peak Oil, I find complacency almost infuriating given the unimpeachable logic of a pending collapse in supply. I am less prepared for the oil crisis than inflation.
Finally, I feel selfish. Assuming that I prepare successfully for the coming crises, I cannot help but view the suffering of others as some kind of failure on my part. Did they fail to listen or did I fail to impress? Did I even try?
Sorry for rambling.