[Newsseeker]

This probably isn't a good idea and one which I am going to make an active effort to quit but a cigarette helps me. That and coffee. Please don't flame me for saying this.

[SevenTen]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Newsseeker', 'T')his probably isn't a good idea and one which I am going to make an active effort to quit but a cigarette helps me. That and coffee. Please don't flame me for saying this.

[wisconsin_cur]

Whether you are a hard core fast crach doomer or of long emergency/decline persuasion I think that we can agree that the future is going to very stressful on the majority of the people who are not the least bit prepared psycologicalty or materially. So I come across this story about a scuffle over a parking spot.

While it would have been comical to see (especially depending upon what the assulted woman was wearing) it bespeaks how many people will respond and it is not pretty.

[Roy]

I agree, it will not be pretty.

The innate sense of entitlement present in many of our fellow citizens has created a 'me first' mode of existence.

Hardly the type of behavior that will get us through tough times. I have no interest in living in or visiting densely populated areas because I get sick of the me first -fuck you attitude ever present in those areas.

I have little hope for the mass of Americans if there is some major disruption of our system and the status quo.

How do I cope? Limit my 'screen time' to about 2 hours per day, work outside alot, always trying to learn something new, focus on my kids, my garden, and my dogs.

Someone wrote on another thread "theres fuckall you can do about economic chaos" and that is a good way to put it.

I don't know what the future will bring although I suspect it will be quite a bit different than what we're currently doing. I just continue to learn and prepare as best I can.

If the status quo goes on for another 50 years (about as likely as me winning the lotto, and I don't play) then that means I can continue to live as I live now, which I like quite a bit.

If the status quo goes the way of the Dodo bird, all I can do is hope I"ve done enough to adapt and still be able to provide for my family.

My 2¢, which is becoming worth less with each passing day, or so it seems.

[Ferretlover]

Even for those who can see what is going to happen, this type of stress is one that has not been felt by the vast majority of people. Those who have or are living through war (bombs falling on their neighborhoods, armed groups shooting, etc) may be able to adapt to the coming crisis quicker, but we have all lived in socities dominated by what we were able to develop using fossil fuels and know no other way of life.
Analogy: Peak oil is like knowing that every other country is sending long range bombers loaded with nuclear bombs to strike us. Up until now we only knew the bombers were coming. Now, with the aid of binoculars, we can see the bombers approaching. A few of us are looking for bunkers, the rest are either picnicing on the hillside waiting for the show, thinking that they won't be affected, while the rest are shortly going to begin running around like the proverbial chicken with its head cut off...........

Jeezz, am I depressed or what??.....

[Ludi]

I've never seen those sorts of squabbles in person, so I think they're rare. People are rarely rude to me in person, in fact, I can't recall the last time a person was rude, must be several years.


I've lived in the big city, too (Los Angeles), so I can't chalk it up to living a sheltered life in the country.


I think people will tend to become passive and sit around waiting for help, as was the general response after Katrina. Fighting and looting was rare.

[mmasters]

It's going to be really bad in the first world that's for sure.

I think the way to go is to keep a low profile and maintain surplusses of essentials.

The general public is already stressed and has a faint idea of what's coming. When the unavoidable reality kicks in severe stress will certainly follow. That combined with marginal state of health and finance will make for a lot of weak, sick and dead people rather quickly. It may become too overwhelming for most people to adapt to.

I think the saying is apt that you don't have to outrun the bear you just have to outrun the other people. IMO you'll be miles ahead of the people if you can lay low, live off surplusses and venture out to restock when the time is right. I think avoiding a very stressed out general public may be the best path and it's quite possible you may not have to avoid them all too long before they expire. Then again, we don't exactly know the nature of the bear we're going to be dealing with.

[jupiters_release]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ludi', '
')I think people will tend to become passive and sit around waiting for help, as was the general response after Katrina. Fighting and looting was rare.

[Ludi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mmasters', 'T')hat combined with marginal state of health and finance will make for a lot of weak, sick and dead people rather quickly.

[Ludi]

Here, I'll give a non-Katrina example:

After the Northridge earthquake, violent crime rates in Los Angeles went way down. People were so afraid they wouldn't even go back in their homes, but instead camped out in parks. There was relatively little looting and no rioting. People were under severe stress (fear) and concerned with survival issues such as food, water, and shelter.

In this case there was no martial law beyond a dusk-to-dawn curfew.


Contrasted with the behavior during the Rodney King riots in which people looted even nonsensical items such as potted plants and beanbag chairs, because they could get away with it due to the general chaos, and because they were angry and excited.

[Pops]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ludi', 'H')ere, I'll give a non-Katrina example:

[Jellric]

Having lived through Katrina my belief is that people will react fairly non-violently overall if they have confidence help will eventually come. Now people were hot, tired and pissed but they didn't go apeshit in my neck of the woods. Even though they were in a chaotic situation they knew there was an outside world which would bring help.

With peak oil, people will slowly come to the realization that help ain't coming. That is when TS officially HTF.

[wisconsin_cur]

I can't remember the name of the phenomenon but there is a studied difference between how people react to a sudden state of stress: A (theatre catching fire or earthquake) and one that develops more slowly (a civil war, peak oil). In the first they tend to react like good citizens, no pushing or shoving etc... The exit the scene carefully, they camp in parks and crime goes down. In the second they ethnically clense their rivals etc... there is something to be said for the effect of shock on the mental state. Once the shock is past, however, people can behave badly.

[billp]

You might want to listen, not read, The Road by Cormac McCarthy about what might happen.

Too many BS words to read, but a fun listen on THE ROAD.

We hope the feds are not coping with the stress we are trying to administer.

And settle soon.

regards

[Pops]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('wisconsin_cur', 'h')ow people react to a sudden state of stress:

...and one that develops more slowly...

[POAlex]

This question brings to mind the Israelites wandering the desert, yet the LORD took care of them. You may disagree, but as a believer, this is what sustains me.

"Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved." (Psalm 55:11)

[wisconsin_cur]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('POAlex', 'T')his question brings to mind the Israelites wandering the desert, yet the LORD took care of them. You may disagree, but as a believer, this is what sustains me.

"Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved." (Psalm 55:11)

[aldente]

Just recently we had a water outage here and it is astonishing how fast dishes pile up, toothbrushes run dry and most extreme how fast the water closet becomes useless (luckily we have a back yard).

The WC is the symbol of our civilization, let's face it, more pivotal to the populations so called 'dignity' and more important than anything else in the day to day vanity. Didn't they talk about a toilet aversion in the recent Paris Hilton case, never mind I brought that up...

She as well as we are just ONE flush away....

[Doly]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('albente', 'h')ow fast the water closet becomes useless (luckily we have a back yard).