THE Oil Empire Thread (merged)

[perdition79]

Insect life will reign supreme, and millions of years from now will burn petroleum derived in part from our carcasses.

[Newsseeker]

I think the chances are good that it won't matter who is in charge post peak.

It very well could be that a lot of the names up there will be lost to history post peak. Where are all the Romans and Persians?

Around the year 2100 there will be some ambitious warlord with horses that will conquer territory somewhere but the vast empire will be short lived when he is unable to feed the unwashed masses under his control. This will set the stage for a reoccurence years later. I don't see there being enough time left for an Empire to emerge prior to the peak. Otherwise, I'd say China.

[Eli]

Well as PO really gets heated up look for the Chinese and Russians to destroy each other.

They share boarders and have been in conflict in the past, there is already a growing tension between them over resources. That won't get better with a 100 million Chinese starving in the street.

That will happen in the late stages of PO early on they may both rise to greater power. I think Russia has good chance of doing this, China I think will more likely collapse under its own weight.

[peaker_2005]

Yeah, Russia's one of those that just keeps ticking... So is China, but it hasn't been at 1 billion in previous "great" stages.

I think you're right... it can't be sustained.

[Dreamtwister]

為一歡迎我們的新中國霸主

[Cerberus]

You people worry to much. Look at the Roman Empire, the first and last true empire had a 2000 year reign. And what did they build there empire on? Slave labor and ruthlessness, a post peak empire could do the same. Just think with a little splash of modern technology with slave labor and complete domination anything would be possible for the few at the top. The elite in roman had it way better than 99% of the mindless pukes of the world today.

[lateStarter]

Other. FSU and China will duke it out for awhile, but ultimately GCC will have the last word. I foresee the Republic of Siberia (includes Nordic countries, Greenland, and Canada and Alaska as the dominant power in 2100. Antartica will be populated with refugees from South Africa, Australia and a few from South America. Everything else in between will be a no mans-land of hellish proportions.

There will be lots of people in 'the zone' scavenging for food and what not, but their lives will be brutal, dirty, and short.

[kam300en]

Russia will be king post-peak and [more so] post-GW. With vast areas of open space, and vaster areas soon to be opened up, a relatively homogeneous population with the foresight to protect themselves from foreign invaders, and more natural resources than they can use. Russia is king of natural gas, which can be converted to run cars, trains, and even tanks. So russia will have fuel for their tanks and aircraft long after China and the rest of Europe have run dry. Anyone who thinks China is going to be a superpower needs to step back into reality, with few resources and a ridiculously overpopulated country, China will collapse back into isolation and desperate poverty....that is, after a massive die-off off hundreds of millions. I'm guessing there will be little or no die-off in Russia.

[Cynus]

The Savage State


The Pastoral State


Consumation


Destruction


Desolation


Paintings by Thomas Cole

[jboogy]

Excellent!

[Plantagenet]

Recessional (1897)

God of our fathers, known of old,
Lord of our far-flung batle-line,
Beneath whose awful Hand we hold
Dominion over palm and pine -
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget - lest we forget!

The tumult and the shouting dies;
The Captains and the Kings depart:
Still stands thine ancient sacrifice,
An humble and a contrite heart.
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget - lest we forget!

Far-called, our navies melt away;
On dune and headland sinks the fire:
Lo, all our pomp of yesterday
Is one with Nineveh and Tyre!
Judge of the Nations, spare us yet,
Lest we forget - lest we forget!

If, drunk with sight of power, we loose
Wild tongues that have not Thee in awe,
Such boastings as the Gentiles use,
Or lesser breeds without the Law -
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget - lest we forget!

For heathen heart that puts her trust
In reeking tube and iron shard,
All valiant dust that builds on dust,
And guarding, calls not Thee to guard,
For frantic boast and foolish word -
Thy mercy on Thy People, Lord!

--Rudyard Kipling

[Narz]

Water still looks pretty clean in the 5th pic. Not so sure we'll be so lucky this time around.

[alokin]

Provided that it is a given fact, that the US Empire dies, will the process be a peaceful contracting or an explosion of war?
What will happen before the elections or will everything happen after the elections?
No one of the candidates seems to me very promising for managing future foreign politics, but does it make any difference which candidate will win?
There are so many conflicts looming in which war will they run next?

[ohanian]

It would be a very slow and steady death

[kpeavey]

TS Eliot, The Hollow Men

This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but a whimper.

[BigTex]

Great Britain is probably the model we will follow.

No offense to any Brits.

Japan's fall also probably has some lessons for us.

[anarky321]

It would be a very slow and steady death

agonizingly excrutiatingly unbearably slow

if your waiting for post-peak excitement i would seriously consider moving to a poorer country; they will see the fun times years before we will, decades maybe (the poorest are already basking in the glory of post-peak apocalypse)

[mos6507]

The 2nd Death Star gets blown up by Lando.

[alokin]

I don't have to move as I , thanks God, do not live in the US

[killJOY]

It would be a very slow and steady death

Not with a bang but a whimper.

I, too, count myself among the "thousand cuts" school.

Not that this won't be dramatic, mind you.

if your waiting for post-peak excitement i would seriously consider moving to a poorer country

oh, there will be plenty of "fun" here. And: it doesn't matter if you move or not. It could very well be catastophic overseas.


As an American, I feel like the caretaker of a dying parent.

that's enough.