"Brace Yourself! The American Empire Is Over & The Descent Is Going To Be Horrifying." -- Chris Hedges

On New Year's Day 2012, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Chris Hedges tells it like it is on C-SPAN's BookTV.

Listen up!

The Great American Wank Up Call: Jerk the Jerkoffs Off the Road

I’m in a LOVE/HATE relationship with cigarettes, alcohol, adrenaline, and the internal combustion engine.  My name is Max Mogren, and I'm a struggling Oilaholic.

Thirteen years ago when I started driving, gas was only 89 cents a gallon.  Talk about cheap thrills!

I remember the day I got my driver's license.  It lingers in memory like the first time I got laid, exceptional trips, mind-blowing concerts, getting shacked, and magic moments shared with good friends in perfect snow.  At the impressionable age of 16, gaining all that POWER and FREEDOM was an intoxicating experience.

It's no wonder most Americans suffer from a nasty driving habit: we were all just kids when we first got hooked.

I love jumping behind the wheel and cruising off on adventures, but hate flushing my money down the tank.  I appreciate the modern conveniences that fossil fuels provide, but hate how lazy and entitled we've become.  Most importantly, the environmental destruction of our collective Oil Addiction is too blatant to ignore, and that same Oil Addiction undeniably prompts our endless, blossoming wars.

Kurt Vonnegut explained our predicament in his last book, A Man Without A Country:

We are all addicts of fossil fuels in a state of denial, about to face cold turkey. And like so many addicts about to face cold turkey, our leaders are now committing violent crimes to get what little is left.

Yours Truly During Dumber Days In Baja: It's not my truck, but I did saw the roof off.

Contrary to popular disbelief, there isn't that much Oil left, especially when you consider skyrocketing global demand.  Chinese consumers bought 8.7 million new automobiles in 2007, 9.4 million in 2008, 13.8 million in 2009, and are expected to buy 16 million more by the end of 2010.  Here in the US, we buy about 11 million new vehicles annually, excluding snowmachines, RVs, motorcycles, quads, viagratized golf carts, and other frivolous crap.

China already uses more total energy than we do, and it’s thirst for oil is rapidly approaching our own.  Factor in everything else dependent on oil, and it’s no wonder that humanity uses 85 million barrels PER DAY.

Despite all the hype, only 3% of energy consumed by the USA comes from “green” power sources like wind and solar.  Ethanol is a cruel joke.  It takes more fossil fuel energy to produce ethanol than one gets from burning it.  Turning all that corn into moonshine drives up global food demand and literally prices the planet's poorest people right out of existence. 

This is no doubt troubling, but what really concerns me is that oil demand keeps rising though global oil production peaked in 2005.  Militaries, governments, and corporations have announced that production will soon start declining.

No matter how deep we drill, how much groundwater we ruin by fracking, or how big the slag heaps of processed tar sands become, we already struggle to maintain adequate supply.  Conservative estimates predict a 3-5% decrease in Global Oil Production annually.

Not One Of My Prouder Moments...

Best case scenario, by the year 2030 7+ billion people are peacefully sharing HALF the oil we now consume.  Worst case scenario, in the near future fossil fuel dependent economies collapse further, and energy issues kick off a global resource war.  Unless a massive shift in consciousness occurs around the world, our lust for Oil will be our destruction.

Across Our Nation, a hundred million people drive like fucking idiots.  They treat their vehicles like extensions of their sex organs and assume throttling around at 75 is a god-given right.  They rarely leave home without an automotive exoskeleton and go barreling through life with no plan and minimal awareness.  These people are JERKOFFS, stroking their egos at the expense of international security.

Mountain towns are by no means immune to this sub-human species.  Each summer we’re visited by hordes of arrogant Wino-Dinos piloting absurdly wasteful RVs.  Year round we’ve got jacked up pickup trucks, suburban assault vehicles, solo drivers in empty cars, and frivolous waste of all kinds.  Even on the sweetest spring days, 95 of a hundred Rocky Mountain people putz around behind the wheel when a bike, skateboard, moped, or their own two feet would easily do the trick.

If driving all over the place every fucking day wasn’t so accepted, our friends and neighbors would stop jerking off with the most precious resource on the planet.  Given the seriousness of the global energy crunch, it is our sacred duty to let them know that frivolous fuel consumption is a Highway to Hell.  I am therefore proposing the Great American Wank Up Call: JERK THE JERKOFFS OFF THE ROAD.

Exhibit A: Foolish Person Jerking Off.

The middle finger is offensive, but the universal sign for JERKING OFF is hilarious.  Wherever you find yourself reading this, go ahead and try it.  If you want to get really sassy, cap it off with a flourishing spurt like Leslie Chow in the desert scene of The Hangover.

When you’re walking, skating, biking, or carpooling and you spot absurd vehicles or wasteful behavior, proudly raise your arm and vigorously alert the community to the presence of JERKOFFS.  Perhaps point at the offender with one hand while stroking the sky with the other.  Once you’ve got their attention throw a spurt into a wave as they roll on by.

If they slam on their brakes to confront you, whip out a digicam and catch their antics for digital distribution.  Try to explain your reasoning as best you can.  If they’re bent on a fight, let them swing first and then beat the piss out of them.  Sometimes tough love is the only way to get your point across.

Peace.

American Veteran Speaking Out Against World War Three...

... and exposing the Billionaire Puppeteers for who they really are.

Foreclosure This!

I personally know several people who've gotten fucked by the big banks' real estate scheme.  These acquaintances are friendly, reliable, hard-working Americans.  All of them are currently employed full-time or more, but -- for one reason or another -- all have suffered pay cuts in the last few years.  None of them went out on a limb and bought outside their means: like so many other people, they're just suffering the ill effects of our ongoing economic DEPRESSION.

Some have been forced out of their homes.  Some are falling behind on their mortgages.  Some are sick of scrambling to pay down the overinflated price tag of a home that they know will continue losing value.  Remember: the bubble popped by DESIGN.

Meanwhile, Wall Street is paying it's minions all-time-record wages to the tune of $140 billion in 2010.  Mind you, this is just the money on the books: I'm sure additional perks and bonuses numbering in the big billions are also being "rewarded" for their hard work in bankrupting the rest of Our Nation.

Frankly, I'm disgusted by people who overextended themselves on a massive mortgage, refinanced to buy a bunch of crap, and, generally, embodied the CONSUMERISM that puts us at odds with the natural world.  BUT I'm even more disgusted by the people who put that system in place, promoted it, perpetuated it, manipulated it, and are now profiting from its collapse.

Bottom line: poor people need homes more than bailed-out banks need additional assets.

Our economic system is inherently flawed and utterly screwed, so we're being forced into the massive change currently taking place.  Instead of fighting over what's whose it makes a hell of a lot more sense to acknowledge our flaws and fix them.  What flaws?

1.  INFINITE GROWTH is a stupid and impossible goal.  Planet Earth can't handle such a fundamental idiocy at the root of several billion peoples' dysfunctional lifestyles.

2.  "CREATING JOBS" for it's own sake is counterproductive because most jobs are frivolous, wasteful, and -- on a planetary scale -- destructive.  90+% of real work is done by computers, machines, and dirt poor people half the world away: it's amazing US unemployment is ONLY around ~15%.

People shouldn't have to work 40+ hours a week doing something they know is pointless just to maintain the fiction of earning one's keep.  Let's use our technology and creativity to LIBERATE people instead of chaining them to jobs.  Personally, I think we should have a work for one year, then take four years off based economy.

Let's acknowledge that labor-saving technology eliminates jobs.  Pay people to NOT have children.  Pay people to NOT drive cars.  Make sustainable living FREE so people's natural tendency is to embrace it.  Otherwise, we'll keep banging our heads against Mother Nature's wall... until it cracks all of our skulls.

3.  Ancient prophecy has no control over what we do right now.  This needn't be the end of the world.  We can use this situation to foster a new awareness.  What awareness is that:

GREED isn't GOOD.  SUSTAINABLE LAZINESS is.  Do less. Buy less.  Waste less.  Be more. 

4.  GOVERNMENT and BIG BUSINESS can't be in bed together.  They need to be equally powerful and at odds to assure that the little guy (and the Planet) don't get screwed.

In case you're still in denial, you're being screwed right now.  Me too.  And future generations?  We're all screwing them together.

Accept the fact that the whole system is SCREWY.  Support the people who have the courage to stand up against it.

Lifeboat Lessons From Summer Camp

For Michael C Ruppert's Collapsenet.com...

I was fortunate to spend a good chunk of my childhood living in an "oil free" environment.  Every summer from the age of 4 to 24 I spent at least a week -- if not three months -- living at a very special camp.  I learned lessons there which grow more pertinent to modern life by the day.

These Folks Were My Role Models.  Staff Summer of 92'

This wasn't some rich kids' camp: the dated infrastructure was perpetually falling apart, and the food was horrible.  We lived packed together in one room cabins with no heat or air conditioning.  A communal bathhouse and a couple rustic outhouses met the needs of 250+ people.  Aside from propane in the dining hall kitchen, a few naked light bulbs in the cabins, and the weekly food delivery truck we lived without modern convenience.  No cell phones.  No computers.

Even the basketball court was unpaved, and all cars remained permanently parked well out of sight.  Transportation was limited to walking, biking, canoeing, sailing, or riding horses.  We learned how to camp out, build fires, shoot guns, fend for ourselves, etc.

We learned how the natural world works and what roles are appropriate for humans within that world.

The staff was almost entirely under the age of 25 -- just kids ourselves -- yet we cared for and mentored over a thousand kids each summer.   Most staff members weren't "tree huggers".  We were just a bunch of outgoing young folks looking to get away from authority figures and have a good time.  The best days of my life were lived at that camp.  Together we shared something truly great: a real, functioning, damn-near-sustainable community.

At the end of every summer I'd experience horrible culture shock as I transitioned back into the "Real World" with it's senseless hurry and waste.  Heading back home to SE Minnesota, we'd have to drive through the sprawling Twin Cities where the chaos would literally cripple me.  Back then I'd think to myself, "Why would anyone in their right mind want to live in a world like this?!"

Now I pity my countrymen for suffering the cancer of consumerism spawned by infinite growth.  That cancer is running it's course, and soon many of us will be living some variation on summer camp once again.  Hopefully it's not FEMA-sanctioned or populated by homocidal maniacs.

As the lies fall away we need truths to replace them.  Hopefully these simple observations from my years at camp can help your lifeboat weather the storm.  Please share your own life lessons in the comments section.

Communal meals build community.  Scheduled community meals are a great way to share information, make friendships, and build a sense of belonging.  They're also a great way to get everyone out of bed and active in the morning.  Back at camp, if your cabin slept in through breakfast you got cold oatmeal and ridicule.  In a post-oil world I imagine many people will want to sleep in.  Scheduled breakfasts are a great way to get the members of your lifeboat up and on the same page.

Never underestimate the power of a bitchin' party.  Every summer the staff would spend a week training and getting to know each other before the campers showed up.  The community was usually cliquey and awkward until after we'd all gotten drunk and rowdy together.  After a solid night of good-natured debauchery we would form a cohesive group.  The lifeboat that smokes together jokes together.  The lifeboat that drinks together thinks together... just do so in moderation or you'll sink together too.

Making music together creates shared meaning.  Sing off key, dance poorly, beat on an old oil drum, whatever.  A community that makes noise together grows closer together.  After a while you might even make some good music.  I think Mike Ruppert's band, The New White Trash, showcases the importance of music to a lifeboat.  If he's got time to make music, you've got time to make music.

People grow quickly into responsible roles.  At camps around the country, it's amazing how quickly young adults pick up the reins and run with their role.  In my own experience, there were, of course, exceptions, but for the most part people who seemed needy, whiney, or incompetent in the "real world" quickly adapted to the needs of our rustic little community.  Anyone who couldn't make the transition was fairly easy to spot.

Lead by example.  Everyone hates a tyrant.  Unless it's a life or death situation, it's worth your while to tactfully guide the members of your lifeboat.  Nothing causes more strain on a community than a dictatorial leader.  Even the best intentions are lost in an overbearing delivery.

Teach with humor.  Nothing defuses nerve-wracking situations like a properly dropped joke.  Keep smiling, nurture your sense of humor, and laugh every day... no matter how bad life really is.

Necessity is the mother of invention. Back at camp things fell apart every day.  With minimal tools or training someone had to keep the place running.  Every disaster got dealt with eventually, and we got along fine.  The more problems you solve, the better you become at problem solving.  Plan as far ahead as you can, but don't stress too much over foreseeable but unlikely problems.  Build a bridge when you get to the river.

Kids work hard if you make it a game.  In a world without TV, cell phones, and video games dealing with children used to those toxic luxuries is equivalent to herding cats.  The same holds true for adults so used to the "real world" that they barely function in reality.  People unaccustomed to hard work will learn quickly if it's at all fun or rewarding.  One thing kids are exceptionally good at is collecting fire wood.

Daily bathing is overrated.  Back at camp, we'd have a contest to see which staff member could go the longest without a shower.  Even when we did shower, it was a one or two minute ordeal because the water was rarely anything but freezing cold.  On a year long sailing trip I went months at a time without a proper shower: daily dips in the ocean served me just fine.  If I wanted to get really clean, I'd lather up and then dump a gallon of fresh water over my head.  All good.

Think of how much water and energy is wasted every day in the "real world" for unnecessary and excessive bathing.  A lifeboat that wastes these crucial resources unnecessarily is not a sustainable lifeboat.

Electricity is not essential.  At summer camp we got by with minimal electricty.  On my sailing trip, I went for months at a time with no electricity at all.  Even if your lifeboat can generate it's own electricity, try to minimize your dependence on it and use it only when you need to.  It is very useful for applications like pumping water, emergency lighting, etc. but it's generally a luxury most of the time.  Waste not, want not.

Cell phones and the internet can make you stupid.  At camp we had no cell phone or internet service.  Though the cell phone and internet can be very useful tools, they can also debilitate you.  Both can inhibit your creativity and problem solving skills.  Also, they can cause information overload and a tendency to focus on things frivolous to your actual real world needs.

The internet is a great tool for sharing information and learning about collapse, but the real growth and preparation necessary takes place in the real world.  Limit your computer time and minimize your dependence on cell phones for maximum reality.

End of the Oil Age Gear Guide: You Need A Solid Bike.

I just finished this one for CleanSnipe.  Whaddya think?

End of the Oil Age Gear Guide: You Need A Solid Bike.

by Max Mogren

October 4, 2010

I couldn't possibly say any of this any better...

"As you can see though from the available information, this winter could be very unsettling. Hold fast, keep educating family and friends, continue preparations, and try to become as independent from this diseased economy as possible. Build meaningful community around you. Provide for yourself and others what the corrupt system will not, and remain free. It doesn’t sound like much, but it is truly one of the greatest contributions you can make towards a better tomorrow."

That's it. That's all. Believe it.

Economic Collapse Update: Acceleration In Autumn

http://neithercorp.us/npress/?p=812

Debunk The Theory That Conspiracy Theory Is Bunk

Just because some conspiracy theories are total nonsense, doesn't mean they all are.  For example...

***

A group of young guys walk into a bar with intent to get laid.  They're dressed nicer than they normally dress, smile bigger than they normally smile, and talk sweeter than they normally talk: from the moment they step through the door, they've put up a false front.  Running into a few women they're friends with, they have a few drinks, share a few laughs, and hatch an impromptu plan to collaborate in carrying out the evening's seductions.

A woman across the bar catches the eye of one of the guys, so his female friends mosey over and strike up a conversation.  A few minutes later the lust-struck guy joins them, gets vouched for by his female friends, buys a couple rounds of drinks, talks a lot of bullshit, and before you know it he's leaving the bar with his new-found lover.

Did he and is friends conspire their way into that young lady's pants?  By the definition of "conspiracy", absolutely.

***

A guy is trying to sell his old car, but it's as piece of junk.  Though a few people have looked at it, there hasn't been a single offer.  He's got someone coming over to look at it in a few minutes, so he hatches a little plan...

The tricky owner is riding shotgun while the potential buyer test drives the hunk of junk.  A conveniently timed call arrives to his cell phone: it's an "offer" a mere $200 less than the asking price!  The caller is actually one of his buddies whom the owner instructed to call at just that moment.

The test driver is led to believe that the car is more desirable than it actually is.  He is also now limited in his bargaining margin.  Surely the tricky owner and his buddy have conspired against the test driver.

***

A college football program needs to win so they recruit ruthlessly, offering clandestine agreements to star high school players.  Once the team is assembled, they devise a book of secret plays which they practice for hours daily.  Every night they watch films of teams they will soon face, analyzing all aspects of the competition's strategy, probing for every potential weakness.  They might even resort to spying on the other team's practices in hopes of learning the competition's secret plays.

On game day, this highly trained squad rallies behind their ruthless leader (aka,the Head Coach) and does everything in their power to crush the competition.  They use secret codes, run deliberately deceptive plays, and hit hard in hopes of injuring key players on the other squad.  In a box up in the stands, several highly skilled assistants analyze the action and radio their findings to the Head Coach.  He is the general, they are his advisors, and the team is, of course, his army.

Have they conspired against the other team?  Is the other team conspiring against them?  Sure.

***

MegaCorp - like any other corporation - is designed to generate as much wealth as it can.  If it's not growing, it's dying.  This growth is facilitated by offering products and services in exchange for money.  Complicating matters, equally powerful competitors are trying to do the same thing.  Thus, knowing competitors' strengths and weaknesses gives a clear advantage while formulating strategies.

MegaCorp has recently been losing sales to ÜberCorp, so a few middle managers hatch a plan to take ÜberCorp down while bolstering their own careers.  They approach a few ÜberCorp employees with access to confidential documents, promising cold, hard cash in exchange for leaked information.  This information exposes a major weakness in ÜberCorp's business plan.  The middle managers share this information (minus it's source) with the top brass at MegaCorp.  MegaCorp exploits the weakness, and ÜberCorp is crippled.  ÜberCorp soon faces bankruptcy and is bought out by MegaCorp.

Obviously, those recently promoted middle managers at MegaCorp conspired against ÜberCorp.

***

One Final Example:

A nation "must" go to war in order to control a crucial resource.  The thought of paying a fair price for it doesn't sit well with the economic and political elites.  Recent history shows the general public won't support an offensive war unless they perceive a "direct and imminent threat to their security".  Thus, the nation's leaders know stating their actual intent for war would be political suicide... so they lie about it.

They demonize the "enemy" and claim - despite evidence to the contrary - that deadly weapons are poised to strike helpless civilians.  With no evidence whatsoever, they blame past atrocities on the "enemy" and do everything they can to plant fear in the hearts of their own citizens.  They claim noble intentions like "spreading Democracy" when actually all they care about is controlling the crucial resource.  They lie to their own people about their perceived enemy.  They trick their nation into supporting an unjust war.

There's no doubt these leaders conspired against not only the enemy but their own constituents as well.  Right?!  I mean they got their nation to go along with them using fear tactics and outright lies.  This sez a lot about their commitment to truth, justice, and liberty.

***

The point of this little exercise was to show how prevalent conspiracy can be at all levels of human interaction.  Whether it's a few people sitting at a bar or a few guys starting an unjust war, the basic concept of deceptively working together to capitalize at someone else's expense is the same.

In everyday matters, people conspire against people.  In business, corporations conspire against corporations.  In governance, political parties conspire against each other.  In international relations, the same is true of whole nations.  So why is it such a stretch to acknowledge that the wealthiest and most powerful people in the world conspire against the rest of us?

In discussing our current cluster fuck with intelligent people, I'm shocked by how many can't make the leap to assigning blame.  With all the technology and wealth currently at humanity's disposal, there is absolutely no reason people should have to suffer economic oppression... but most of us do.  Why is that?

The simple answer is because most of that wealth and technology is held tightly by a very small number of powerful people, organizations, and corporations.

The writing is on the wall in plain English, and all signs point to the global economic elite.  Sadly, as soon as someone points a finger, it triggers a defense mechanism somewhere in the average American's psyche.  The average American writes the messenger off as a batshit crazy "conspiracy theorist" and denies the possibility that the wealthiest and most powerful people on the planet are capable of working together for a common goal.

Apparently - though personally sworn to the principles of planning, hard work, and cooperation - the average American assumes that the wealthiest and most powerful people on the planet got that way though no effort of their own.  Though their fortunes and power are completely dependent upon controlling the masses, apparently the global elites are amateurs when it comes to collaboration, manipulation, and consolidation of power.

Really?!?!  Gimme a break!  Wake up!

The most important thing to understand is this.  In order to control our collective destinies - in order to conspire against the common folk - the wealthiest and most powerful people on the planet don't have to get together and hold secret meetings.  They don't have to formulate grand schemes or cackle maniacally either.  Truth told, all they have to do is continue operating in their own self interest.  Here's why.

The principal of "growth or death" that we saw in the MegaCorp example applies similarly to individual wealth and power.  Once a person gets a taste of godlike power and insane wealth, most of them just want more.  If the 100 most wealthy, powerful and influential entities on the planet follow the basic bottom line and seek their own advantage over all other considerations, they're all on essentially the same page without having to plan anything.  The unwritten mission statement is: BIGGER.  STRONGER.  FASTER.  MORE.

Thus, even without some mastermind behind the scenes, most of the big buckaroos are on essentially the same page.  They get richer.  We get poorer.  And that's that.  No blatant conspiracy needed.  The conspiracy is built into the system.

So the system is broken?!  The system is inherently flawed?!  Yep.  Exactly.  Call me a Commie.  Call me a Socialist.  Call me whatever you want... at least my mentality isn't at the root of humanity's downfall.  Peace.

Lyric of the Day: Aceyalone, MORE

More and more and more and more....
Just a little bit more
just a little bit more
just a little bit more
More and more and more and more...


they always want a little more than they got
never take a little and they always take a lot
didn't any want more cause they never stop
you always on the bottom and they always on the top
they know what to say, you face em every day
always got a place for you in case you wanna play
a fire in the hole couldn't chase em away
they come around and take it all and never wanna stay
gotta have extra, add to the texture
I don't want a lecture but that's a nice gesture
need a bigger portion pile it on my plate
gluttony and suddenly there's nothin else to take
less is more unless you're poor
gimme everything and leave a mess on the floor
want the best score and the rest of yours
they forge and the gorge and they whore just a little bit...


[Hook]


no they not satisfied no it's not enough
make mine bigger pile it up to the roof
over your head I need more bread
even my ego needs to be fed
lock and load headed for the war zone
I need more stones to crush more homes
greedy and lust for em must have been known
we only want everything leave us alone
want you to give up more than you ever did before
open doors so I never get bored
it's never too many, gimme gimme gimme
come on down my chimney and gimme somethin good
add somethin to it super size kick it up a notch
gimme everything that you got in your stock
make it a double I don't want trouble
I'm takin all the rest of these don't look puzzled


[Hook]


it's perfectly normal to not have morals
no more talented they want every morsel
who is the mortal I see every mornin
with more than a little bit he must be important
no I'm not surprised you want more fries
you wanna be formally immortalized
mortified at the borderline
cause this moron got more than mine
I need morphine, I want more things
the mortgage is due and I need more green
to get more high, buy buy buy
take it or steal it or get it with a lie
an eye for an eye, make it more wide
I need more room when I jump the ride
there's more than enough more stuff I can hide
I need all minds in an endless supply


[Hook and fade out]

The Roots of Our Discontent

As I've learned from recent comments, many of you think I'm a paranoid conspiracy theorist or wanna-be doomsday prophet.  Given all the mainstream and alternative press devoted to crackpot theories, your assumption is understandable.


With all the disinformation being spread, it's easy to lump a THINKER like me with the Mayan Calender literalists, Bible literalists, Koran literalists, stereotypical survivalists, whiney bitch liberals, infinite-growth economists, or other DOGMATIC WACKOS.

Perhaps you picture me hunkered down fearfully awaiting a shift in Earth's magnetic field, the eruption of the Yellowstone Caldera, a large meteorite impact, a plague of biblical proportions, or some other massive natural disaster.


That couldn't be any further from the TRUTH.  I couldn't CARE LESS about those commonly held fears. 


My concerns for our collective future have nothing to do with ancient prophecies, astrology, religion, or some variation on god's revenge.  None of us has any control over solar flares, planetary magnetism, super-volcanoes, meteorites, etc.  If one of these commonly feared things were to take us down, I could die happily knowing it wasn't our fault. 


After all,

.

What gets my goat is our collective failure to address glaringly obvious and inevitably catastrophic problems we do have control over.


These problems aren't new or overly-complicated.  We've had solid knowledge confirming their existence for decades.  Hell, these problems are so apparent a clued-in person can hardly escape their awareness... and being aware of them is very painful.  It's no wonder most people spend very little time THINKING about the big picture.


Fortunately, - over the last FIVE DECADES - numerous wise people have addressed these problems and offered brilliant solutions.


Sadly, the rest of us have largely ignored these problems as we ignore so many other inconvenient and uncomfortable truths about OURSELVES.

Here in the USA, the ROOTS of our catastrophic problems are simple and few:


1) Unrealistic economic models,
and
2) Absurdly wasteful ways of life.  Please let me explain...

The inherently flawed Dream in which We Americans have placed our hope is rooted in the concept of INFINITE GROWTH.   Dr. Seuss once explained this to the kid in all of us:

"Business is Business and Business must grow."

The road to INFINITE GROWTH is paved with short-sighted development, wasteful resource consumption, and the buying and selling of a whole lot of unnecessary shit.

INFINITE growth is impossible on a FINITE planet.

The more we develop, the more we destroy.

The wealthier we become, the more we waste.

The faster we move, the more we pollute.

The stronger we git, the more we suffer from arrogance.

Most importantly, the deeper we dig, the less we have left.  

No sane human denies that Our Nation is entirely dependent upon absurd quantities of fossil fuels.  The same TRUTH applies to all industrialized nations.  WE ARE ALL using up massive amounts of irreplaceable energy.


This energy MUST flow perpetually from reliable sources.


If supply can't meet demand, things get ugly.  Shortages result, prices go up, economies flounder, conflicts intensify, "quality of life" drops, and the poorest people suffer most.  Worst case scenario international conflicts escalate which further limits available supply and perpetuates human suffering.


In a modern war - economic or escalated - one of the most effective strategies is to cut off your enemy's energy supply.  History shows this tactic's success countless times.

Not a baby food factory.

Many a castle was seiged with STARVATION.
Many a city overrun by BLOCKADE.
Many a nation crushed through EMBARGO.  
Many a corporation crippled by SUPPLY CHAIN SABOTAGE.


History's most dramatic reminder of this tactic's success is the Nazi defeat in WWII.  A crucial turning point came when well orchestrated Allied bombing cut Axis oil supplies by up to 80%.


After that, the Nazis could barely afford to fly their planes, drive their cars, heat their homes, or run their country, let alone fight a WORLD WAR.

GAME OVER FOR HITLER.

The obvious targets in a MODERN RESOURCE WAR - which could quickly escalate into WWIII - would be oil wells, refineries, pipelines, ports, tanker ships, mines, railways, etc.  Here in the US, much of our energy comes from far flung points on the Earth, offering ample opportunity for enemies to fuck with our shit.

Figures on this 2008 map are in thousands of barrels per day.  Note that the US imported over 60% of the oil it consumed in 2007.  Also note that our known domestic reserves will be entirely depleted in ~10 years if we maintain 2008 rates of production.  If things stay close to the same, by 2020 we will have to import almost 100% of all oil we use.


Clearly things CANNOT stay the same.

Concern over the obvious issue of oil dependency is the reason why many of our most enlightened scientific and political leaders have been SCREAMING - for decades - ...

"WE NEED TO GET OFF FOREIGN OIL."

Even the MORONS have addressed the importance of decreasing our dependence.  In fact, all of our last 8 PRESIDENTS have publicly acknowledged the issue.  Notice that though they made ridiculous claims to the contrary, our dependence on foreign oil has increased steadily.  Check it:


President Richard Nixon (in 1974 with 36.1% of oil from foreign sources): “At the end of this decade, in the year 1980, the United States will not be dependent on any other country for the energy we need.”

President Gerald Ford (in 1975 with 36.1% of oil from foreign sources): “We must reduce oil imports by one million barrels per day by the end of this year and by two million barrels per day by the end of 1977.”

President Jimmy Carter (1979, 40.5% of oil from foreign sources): “Beginning this moment, this nation will never use more foreign oil than we did in 1977 – never.”

President Ronald Reagan (1981, 43.6% of oil from foreign sources): “While conservation is worthy in itself, the best answer is to try to make us independent of outside sources to the greatest extent possible for our energy.”

President George Bush (1992, 47.2% of oil from foreign sources): “When our administration developed our national energy strategy, three principles guided our policy: reducing our dependence on foreign oil,…”

President Bill Clinton (1995, 49.8% of oil from foreign sources): “The nation’s growing reliance on imports of oil… threatens the nation’s security… [we] will continue efforts to…enhance domestic energy production.”

President George W. Bush (2006, 65.5% of oil from foreign sources): “Breakthroughs…will help us reach another great goal: to replace more than 75 percent of our oil imports from the Middle East by 2025.”

President Barack Obama (2009, 66.2% of oil from foreign sources) “It will be the policy of my administration to reverse our dependence on foreign oil while building a new energy economy that will create millions of jobs.”


But We haven't changed anything. We haven't even made a legitimate effort.


In fact - and this is what really SCARES ME - the brunt of Humanity is DOZING OFF as we sink beyond oil's global production peak.  On the downslope of this predictable bell curve the supply of oil available at any future point in time is guaranteed to be less than we currently extract.

This isn't rocket science.  It's basic supply chain management.  BELIEVE IT!


If you need proof, history provides a very clear example of the bell curve oil production follows.  All we have to do is look at US domestic oil production because that PEAKED in 1971.

We're also offered rather conclusive proof that GOOD POPULAR MUSIC is a thing of the PAST.  There's no denying that. ;-)


Here's an interesting graph that lists important countries' oil peaks and factors that into the bigger picture of overall global supply.  Each individual country's DOCUMENTED peak year is listed after it's name.  Note that Alaska is listed separately from the United States, and that it's peak production year came way back in 1989.

By these numbers we're ALREADY A FEW YEARS PAST PEAK OIL PRODUCTION and the downward tend of decreasing production is accelerating.  Since oil is crucial to INFINITE GROWTH ECONOMICS this timing meshes well with the GLOBAL ECONOMIC DEPRESSION we've been experiencing lately.


So yeah, US Oil Production peaked long ago and GLOBAL Oil Production is currently at or beyond it's peak.  There is absolutely NO DOUBT that the amount of oil available at any given future point in time is going to DECREASE both RAPIDLY and SIGNIFICANTLY.  No matter what we do, no matter what technology we develop, no matter how badly we trash the planet trying to suck every last drop of retrievable oil from it, we are guaranteed shortages of our most crucial resource.  That's just the way it is here on a FINITE PLANET.


I'm sorry to burst your precious little bubble of HOPE, but TRUTH is more important.


Meanwhile, global demand for energy is SKYROCKETING as rampantly developing countries - most notably China - mimic our American example and embrace an energy-intensive, CONSUMERISM-based society.

Notice that Chinese energy consumption DOUBLED in the last DECADE.

Now, returning to OIL in particular, let's look at Chinese consumption for the recent past.

Between 1980 and 2006, Chinese oil consumption QUADRUPLED!


If we look at future projections, we witness the TRAGIC DISCONNECT between PLANNING and REALITY which is at the root of our CURRENT DEPRESSION and could very well catapult humanity into WORLD WAR III.

These projections are from 2009.


Despite the fact that we are now at or beyond PEAK OIL, the US Energy Information Administration is putting out blatantly impossible projections of future oil consumption.  SInce  we are already using the maximum amount of oil that we can extract from Planet Earth at any given point in time, it is UTTERLY IMPOSSIBLE for any country to increase their oil consumption beyond current levels without TAKING IT FROM SOMEONE ELSE.  


Take your pick.

Source: BP Statistical Review of World Energy.


An honest projection out to 2030 predicts global oil consumption at LESS THAN HALF of current levels.  In the near future, every nation is going to feel a big pinch in their energy flow.  Instead of voluntarily changing lifestyles to embrace the new reality, a more likely scenario involves more of the same fighting for OIL.


OIL supply goes DOWN.  CONFLICTS over oil go UP.  Guaranteed.


This situation poses a potentially catastrophic dilemma.  Around the world, ~7 billion people not only need OIL to eat, but growing numbers of them are also firm believers in the inherently flawed philosophy of INFINITE GROWTH and the WASTEFUL LIVING prompted by CONSUMERISM.


Our media machine has been pumping out FLASHY BULLSHIT for decades, and the rest of the world has bought into the tragic concept of INFINITE GROWTH under the guise of the GOOD LIFE, aka THE AMERICAN DREAM.


Here in the HOMELAND, we're now starting to suffer for a century of serving as such a BAD EXAMPLE.  What goes around comes around, and this one is guaranteed to bite us all in the ass.


It's frightening to speculate what happens once demand drastically eclipses supply, but many people have looked to the future and offer LOGICAL predictions.  On this site, OILFREEFUN, I will now start offering my own predictions along with suggestions of what we can do as individuals to minimize this catastrophic trend while preparing personally for the worst.


Crazy?  Perhaps... but nowhere near as crazy as INFINITE GROWTH ECONOMICS or the ABSURDLY WASTEFUL LIVES which most of out countrymen have "chosen".


If you're still reading, I'm sure many of you are skeptical and pondering how alternatives to oil factor into the big picture.  My own personal reasoning is this...


If some other source could meet the need that oil currently fills for us, do you think we'd be fighting perpetually to maintain our supply of foreign oil?  If there wasn't oil in the Middle East, none of us would care remotely what happened there.  This war began a long time ago and will continue for a long time into the future.  It is being fought entirely because of OIL.

The fact that we've fought so long and so hard for oil provides ME with all the proof I need to BELIEVE that nothing can realistically replace it.  If there was any other viable option to "Keep America Rolling", I'm confident that our economic and political leaders would have embraced it long ago.  After all, Our Presidents have been soap boxing energy independence for 40 YEARS.


Sadly, THERE IS NO OTHER VIABLE ENERGY SOURCE which is why we get a bunch of BULLSHIT regarding national energy policy.

Coal and Natural Gas can be turned into liquid fuels but the process is very costly and wasteful.    Also, reserves of these fossil fuels are nowhere near sufficient to do what they do for us now while replacing the energy deficit from decreasing oil availability.

Ethanol offers a false hope because it takes huge expanses of farmland and massive amounts of water and fossil fuel energy to produce.  If anything, ethanol production exacerbates our current predicament, contributes to climate change, artificially inflates global food prices, and takes food from the mouths of people who are already starving.  You don't have to take my word for it:

Time Magazine, April 7th. 2008 

Solar, Wind, Hydroelectric, Tidal, and Geothermal power are great, but there is absolutely NO POSSIBILITY of these sources coming anywhere close to meeting our current energy needs.  Right now, the US gets 6% of it's energy from renewable and "clean" energy sources.

Source: NPR, 2009

Unless we somehow come up with TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF NEW ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE almost OVERNIGHT, there is no way clean energy is going to fill the growing void left by decreasing oil supplies.  No other energy source comes close to providing what oil does and no energy source ever will.

If you did your homework, you know that...

THE ONLY TRUE SUBSTITUTE FOR OIL IS A DRASTICALLY DIFFERENT LIFESTYLE.


SUSTAINABILITY gets plenty of lip service, but most people don't even understand what "sustainable" means.  Almost all "green" initiatives are short-sighted loads of crap.

If you haven't personally felt the pinch yet, remember that in a global perspective we in the United States are still relatively rich.  That said, even here in Teton County, Wyoming - the wealthiest county in the United States - many people struggle to find jobs, pay bills, and get by.  Meanwhile, the big buckaroos who've settled here for cushy tax purposes have got more money than they could ever spend.


The NEW DEPRESSION is going to get MUCH WORSE and the gap between rich and poor will continue to grow to UNPRECEDENTED LEVELS.

INCREASING INEQUALITY coupled with RESOURCE SCARCITY and UNAVOIDABLE INTERNATIONAL CONFLICT at a time when the PARADIGM OF INFINITE GROWTH HAS NO OTHER OPTION BUT TO SHIFT is the recipe for MASSIVE GLOBAL CHANGE.


While this change certainly won't be pretty, it doesn't have to be deadly.  Keep reading and I'll do my best to help keep you at least a few steps ahead of the HERD.


PEACE.