[jesus_of_suburbia_old]

You know, it may be impossible for some of you to believe this, but many people have to deal with personal problems/needs.

If you decide to go off on a someone with a peak oil sermon, and they don't immediately kiss your feet for saving their soul, they aren't necessarily living in denial. They may have more immediate concerns in their own life and don't want to talk about the end of the world.

It's unfortunate, sure. We can't all be progressive, foward-thinking people. It would be nice if everyone on the planet could drop what they were doing and solve global issues. But for many, until it effects them personally, it is not a problem.

Being a group of judgemental douchebags really doesn't get us anywhere. Don't hold yourself in some high regard because you are peak oil aware. Don't walk around the mall thinking to yourself, "Well these fags are going to be toast when the dieoff starts." It gets really iritating reading posts about people trashing their family and friends, deeming them as one of the idiot sheeple when they don't acknowledge Matt Simmons as a god.

That's not to say there aren't ignorant, stupid people who will never care about anything but the next season of Survivor.

There is a fake quote from Ayn Rand on the back of the Daily Show's book conver of America that goes something along the lines of "This book is similar to my work in that everyone who reads it is sure to be an asshole for at least a month afterward."

It think the same could be said for some of us who have just learned of peak oil. I know that was the case with me.

Play nice with your peers. I think it's the so-called elites that really deserve the tongue lashings.

[rostov]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('jesus_of_suburbia', '
')Being a group of judgemental douchebags really doesn't get us anywhere.

[jesus_of_suburbia_old]

You've missed the point of the post entirely.

[rostov]

Sorry. drunk again

[PrairieMule]

J-O-S,

Nice post!! Humility over condicending attitudes. I cant save them all but I'll save who I can. Including the non believers.

BTW, on your tagline. Since humans are made in the image of God, I would not be astonished if God is revealed to me as a black woman.

[dogscalder]

I prefer to run from reality.

[Ayoob]

I don't know which side I'm on for this one. IMO, the need to prepare is totally up to the individual, no government entity is going to do the job for you. I just confirmed that for myself over the last couple of days. You should try it some time. Just pick up the phone and call a few of our elected representatives and see what they have to say on the topic.

So. That said, what are you going to do? Are you going to try to get others to understand what's up and see if you can get them to shake off the trance and get some ideas going about what we should be doing? Barely anybody is trying to get the word out. Peak oil is such an obscure little topic right now. How many users are there on this forum plus the couple of yahoo groups? A couple thousand people? I tried to let a couple of my friends know what's up, and a few of them listened, and one of them is now one of us. But that's it. Nobody in my family is hip to this, and only one of my friends is. Maybe two, actually. I take it back, there are three that are hip to the situation, but only one is a doomer, the other two are kind of like Yeah, hmm, that's sort of interesting. How bout them Cubbies?

What are you going to tell somebody who's a little kid today but will be 20 in a few short years? Oh, yeah, I knew all about this at least a couple years before the peak happened, but I didn't tell your mom and dad about it 'cause I might come off like an asshole if I tell them. And, yeah, it's true that I probably should have said something to ensure that your mom and dad had at least a couple years to learn something and decide on a different direction for themselves, but I decided against it 'cause you never know, maybe they wouldn't invite me over for bridge next month because it's kind of a downer to talk about economic collapse and dieoff.

In the meantime, I completely changed my profession, picked up two count 'em TWO cottage industries I can engage in post-peak, and hooked up with a girl that's totally excited about building a house with me out in the middle of nowhere.

But your parents? Ah, fuck 'em.

[jesus_of_suburbia_old]

I think there is some confusion as to the overall message of my post.

I'm not saying you should..

refreain from telling people about people about peak oil.

spare them the consequences that could arise as a result of peak oil.

I'm saying...

don't be an asshole.

don't be so quick to judge someone doesn't latch onto your every word.

don't start declaring everyone who doesn't agree with you a sheep and unfit for survival.

[eastbay]

Well these folks are going to be toast when the dieoff starts." It gets really iritating reading posts about people trashing their family and friends, deeming them as one of the idiot sheeple when they don't acknowledge Matt Simmons as a god.

____________________

Well, except for the Matt Simmons being God part, and the strange trashing of friends, family and others part, the rest of all that bleak and tiresome doomer stuff we read fairly frequently around here is certainly as true and real as it can get.

So the primary question as far as I'm concerned is, 'what are you gonna do about your life and society as we prepare for the new and frightening Post Oil Age?'

The answer to that question has several parts, and each of them has several distinct areas of preparation. First there are the immediate survival needs of all of us individually. Then we must prepare for the survival needs of those of us with whom we are immediately reliant. Thirdly, there is the greater survival need of our city, state, country, or even the world in general.

Each of us must prepare both physically and spiritually on an individual level as we attempt to make sense of the coming disintegration of everything with which we are familiar. We must learn to accomodate our basic survival needs on a far, far reduced level of What-There-Is and to understand how this new era relates to our personal understanding of our personal connection to All That Will Remain.

As collections of people we will undoubtedly be called upon to participate in and help make and support potentially gruesome decisions that will have (to put it mildly) very adverse effects on many as the pie from which we all now feed is increasingly insufficient to feed everyone.

I enjoy reading and contributing to the discussions that occur here because they hit every conceivable facet of this crisis. These discussions never bore or tire me. On the contrary they encourage me because I can tell there are many who are fully aware of this looming disaster and are busy in their contemplation of and preparation for it both on a personal and societal level.