[seldom_seen]

Think of a base jumper. As he leaps off a cliff nothing is happening, he's just floating, flying through the air. The ground is rushing in on him, and fast. Before it's too late he wails on the rip cord and the chute breaks open and jerks him back and he starts a controlled descent and a soft landing on to the ground with a big smile on his face.

Now think of another base jumper who falls off the same cliff without a parachute. Not only does he not have a parachute, he's so inibriated from petro-chemicals that he doesn't even know he fell off the cliff. The ground is rushing in on him. Yet nothing is happening...

[Fergus]

Nothing is happening.

I see the same lines of migrating SUVs, the same hideous shopping strips a la Kunstler, the same knock-down and pave-over of forests and meadows for rows and swirls of identical oversized houses.

The same glittering seas of cars gathered at major consumption nodes.

The same endless suburbs growing more endless.

The same bottomless spew of predictable, manipulative hash from our "leaders."

The same lewd and garish "reality shows" cluttering TV---just one step away now from outright freak shows and public executions.

In response to Peak Oil, Peak Water, Peak Health Care, deforestation, global warming, overpopulation, fiscal lunacy, runaway militarism, and a kind of creeping fascism, we are doing pretty much what we've been doing all along---NOTHING.

Nothing is happening.

What can we do. You think America will hand over the keys to the SUV's and go moped? You think China and India will decide not to industrialize and become the energy hogs they are gunna become.

Till tough times dictate tough measures, till the government mandates change, there will be none. The sheeple of the US are trained to scoot through life and pay taxes. The Sheeple tend to leave policy and dicision making to the elected officials. They are more conserned with keeping up with the Jones and one-up-manship 'anything you have I can have better'.

The sheeple will indeed give up eating out, entertainment, even eating at all before they will relinguish their status symbols, the SUVs, the 2nd home in the hamptons, the private jet and golf courses.

It almost seems like pple just dont want to know anymore. To consumed in their own lives to worry about you or tomorrow.

If your expecting a new world where we wake up and start taking lunches to work, giving more to the community and generally assessing the future world of our children, well, I think you might wanna go get a few snickers bars cause your gunna be here awhile. Go ahead, take the SUV to the corner store. Ride in style while you can.

[zberry]

My own personal litmus test is the neighborhood newspaper delivery person, who continues to deliver newspapers in a Hummer H2. As long as I see the Hummer used to deliver newspapers, I know people aren't changing behavior.

[Heineken]

My own personal litmus test is the neighborhood newspaper delivery person, who continues to deliver newspapers in a Hummer H2. As long as I see the Hummer used to deliver newspapers, I know people aren't changing behavior.

Ah, the psychology of previous investment, one of the major culprits underlying our hopeless stasis. The paper boy can't afford to give up that stupid Hummer---it will be prized only from his dead, news-ink-stained hands.

I used to deliver newspapers, long ago, but did so on my own two feet.

One of the most stupid, revolting sights I ever saw was an enormous Hummer covered with American flags, driven by a fat redneck who glared challengingly at me as he clambered out of it in the Food Lion parking lot.

[Battle_Scarred_Galactico]

Nope nothing is happening, while the biodiesel enthusiasts run about on the tank of unleaded they just brought from shell.

The Titanic is just too massive to turn, even if anyone wanted to. I like the BASE jumper analogy, except I'm afraid for the first jumper, pulling your ripcord 2 seconds before impact does not a safe jump make.

Also if we were a jumper, we don't even realize theres' a cord that needs pulling!

[Heineken]

Pulling your ripcord 2 seconds before impact does not a safe jump make.

That's a superlative analogy; I'll remember it. Yep, that sums it all up beautifully.

My own analogy is giving up cigarettes after learning you have advanced lung cancer.

[SoothSayer]

The West is chugging along as normal ... not good, but perhaps we can power down when required.

However China worries me ... it is a monster devouring resources as fast as it can find them.

That particular train wreck will be spectacular ... but will it take other countries with it?

[Heineken]

The West is chugging along as normal ... not good, but perhaps we can power down when required.

However China worries me ... it is a monster devouring resources as fast as it can find them.

That particular train wreck will be spectacular ... but will it take other countries with it?

It's not just a matter of powering down, given that the environmental damage we've done, incuding runaway global warming, is irreparable.

How do we feed, water, and clothe an exploding population while powering down? Not likely.

No, we're on a collision course nothing can avert.

[MountainHiker]

As I commute to work in my little Scion XB, I can't help but notice that most of the other commuters can barely comprehend the fact that they are driving, let alone the more complex issues of Peak Oil, Global Warming, erc...

The self-styled, idealized visions of Americans standing for freedom and being industrious and resourceful may have applied to another generation, but not this one.

Expect no proactive planning or preparations for anything. It will be nothing but overreactions to problems beyond repair. It's become part of our culture.

[SoothSayer]

The West is chugging along as normal ... not good, but perhaps we can power down when required.

However China worries me ... it is a monster devouring resources as fast as it can find them.

That particular train wreck will be spectacular ... but will it take other countries with it?

It's not just a matter of powering down, given that the environmental damage we've done, incuding runaway global warming, is irreparable.

How do we feed, water, and clothe an exploding population while powering down? Not likely.

No, we're on a collision course nothing can avert.

After in-depth analysis I can only say ...

[Andrew_S]

Nothing is happening.

<Heineken's gripping post - pared down>

Nothing is happening.

Precisely. Very well said. In fact more than ever is happening: peak stuff, peak crap. All the more reason to believe we are approaching or are at peak.

Maybe one day even Heineken will peak! Dread the thought.

[FoxV]

Nothing is happening.

patience, the pace is slow but things are changing. You may notice a lot of for sale signs in your area and Opra has started doing programs on people saturated in debt.

Don't worry things are falling apart as we speak. I think why you may not be noticing is that for the most part the sheeple have no choice but to keep going on. Too myopic to know they need to change or to even know they can change.

But those that can change are changing. This can be seen in Fords latest announcement of a $250M Q2 loss, soon to be followed by a similar (but greater) announcement by GM.

As for Peak oil, Peak water, Peak etc.

don't expect anything to happen until there is an actual shortage, and Reality cuts through all the excuses. And when that happens, man is overshoot ever going to be a bitch

stay tuned

[seldom_seen]

However China worries me ...

You should probabaly not spend much time thinking about China.

China is a very sad combination of totalitarianism and slavery, combined with terminal overpopulation and ecological armadeddon.

The toxic rivers and trade in bodily organs should give you an idea about the future if you don't already need one?

Sincerely,
Seldom Seen
International Logging Mining and Industrial Agression Associates

[Torion]

The down side is the longer we go w/o change the hard the fall will be. THATS what scares me!

That's what I'm afraid of as well.

[NEOPO]

Soothsayer must be infected with the "China meme" !!!

Everyone back!!...............Pads!!............Clear!!!;-)

I like what Napoleon said about China yet uhm I cannot remember the exact wording................

Things are changing - some people are realizing - just not enough fast enough for most peakers.
You gotta feel somewhat sorry for the ignorant masses yet I understand the anger and frustration as well.

One of my friends said he was trying to live a STRESS FREE LIFE so he did not wish to talk about geopolitical tensions, peak oil or anything else that may cause him stress.........

Yep Foxv - Real change will require an actual shortage and the more sustained a shortage the better.

As one of the latest articles posted here on po.com points out - our gasoline demand is not as elastic as most economist and/or professors of finance dream it to be and I might add that is the case "AT ANY PRICE".

The worst part about this whole thing - all things being considered is that it appears there is a very serious shortage of parachutes and parachute making material.

[Heineken]

Some member's signature says, basically, "We'll keep doing what we're doing until we can't do it any more." I think that's a right-on view of how the future will shape up.

[Heineken]

Nothing is happening.

<Heineken's gripping post - pared down>

Nothing is happening.

Precisely. Very well said. In fact more than ever is happening: peak stuff, peak crap. All the more reason to believe we are approaching or are at peak.

Maybe one day even Heineken will peak! Dread the thought.

Yes, Peak Heineken is inevitable. Perhaps I can brew my own . . . if brewing supplies are still available . . . unlikely.

Anyway, who wants warm beer?

[Andrew_S]

Yes, Peak Heineken is inevitable. Perhaps I can brew my own . . . if brewing supplies are still available . . . unlikely.

Anyway, who wants warm beer?

Wot, no fridge?

Reminded me of when I worked in London in the early '90s. Heatwave, mid 90s F (we're not used to that), working in the lab all day. Straight to the pub after work, dripping with sweat: I actually asked the barman to put some ice in my bitter! It certainly helped - and I wasn't even ashamed.

[SoothSayer]

I actually asked the barman to put some ice in my bitter! It certainly helped - and I wasn't even ashamed.

You rogue! Warm beer is fine.

[aflurry]

i've been following PO for a couple of years now. it is all very convincing... the center cannot hold etc etc. but until the center actually ceases to hold, we are the fools hunkered down in a bunker while the sun continues to shine outside and people play frisbee.

as a for example. 6 or 7 years ago i had stock options worth a bundle and was considering buying property in the outrageously priced (so i thought) bay area. but my caution and apocalyptophilia got the beter of me because i thought, "there is no way in hell these housing prices will hold. i'll just be throwing my money away." so i didn't play. i stayed put ready to ride it out. of course, the lesson is, you can't not play. my stocks crashed and housing prices took off like a rocket. and yet i still believe, "these prices can't hold." And on one level, i know i am right. However, there was and still may be time for me personally to do just fine.

the only point to this is, for each SUV on the road, there maybe some kind of human-sheep hybrid at the wheel, but there may be a calculation of the relative sacrifice of quitting your job, packing up and heading for the hills, or just letting it ride until necessity puts you out on your ass. it's a personal choice and every choice comes with an opportunity cost.

some people don't want to be the guy who sold everything for a beet farm and a laptop or 10,000 MRE's, and has to sit around complaining that the apocalypse didn't come on time.

there's something screwy about investing too heavily in bad times, because if you lose you lose and if you win you lose.

too many facts seem to be known about the future around here. we know the suburban mcmansion will be a death trap, that gold is the one true source of value in the universe, that knowledge of ancient skills will be at a premium, and that people who don't know what we know are stupid.

Harper's has a silly little article about peak oilers this month that spends too much time lumping them in with every other doom cult in history that perished into obscurity. it makes a serious mistake of taking Hubbert for some fortune telling guru and then describing peak oilers as backpedaling off of his prognostications. for that to be true you have to mischaracterize his projections as prophesy, which is a strawman argument. projections can be revised without the theory that formed them suffering.

however, on this board there are too many prognostications. this is an unprecedented event and we have no idea how things will turn out or economically, cuturally, or environmentally.

every time i read the word "sheeple" i feel like i am the one who is becoming stupider.