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Page added on July 9, 2018
Kunstler: When Collapse Goes Kinetic
I suppose many who think about the prospect of economic collapse imagine something like a Death Star implosion that simply obliterates the normal doings of daily life overnight, leaving everybody in a short, nasty, brutish, Hobbesian free-for-all that dumps the survivors in a replay of the Stone Age — without the consolation of golden ages yet to come that we had the first time around.
The collapse of our techno-industrial set-up has actually been going on for some time, insidiously and corrosively, without shattering the scaffolds of seeming normality, just stealthily undermining them. I’d date the onset of it to about 2005 when the world unknowingly crossed an invisible border into the terra incognito of peak oil, by which, of course, I mean oil that societies could no longer afford to pull out of the ground. It’s one thing to have an abundance of really cheap energy, like oil was in 1955. But when the supply starts to get sketchy, and what’s left can only be obtained at an economic loss, the system goes quietly insane.
In the event, popular beliefs and behavior have turned really strange. We do things that are patently self-destructive, rationalize them with doctrines and policies that don’t add up, and then garnish them with wishful fantasies that offer hypothetical happy endings to plot lines that do not really tend in a rosy direction. The techno-narcissistic nonsense reverberating through the echo-chambers of business, media, and government aims to furnish that nostrum called “hope” to a nation that simply won’t admit darker outcomes to the terrible limits facing humanity.
Thus, we have the Tesla saga of electric motoring to save the day for our vaunted way of life (i.e. the landscape as demolition derby), the absurd proposals to colonize distant, arid, frigid, and airless Mars as a cure for ruining this watery blue planet ideally suited for our life-form, and the inane “singularity” narratives that propose to replace grubby material human life with a crypto-gnostic data cloud of never-ending cosmic orgasm. The psychological desperation is obvious. Apparently, there are moments in history when flying up your own butt-hole is the most comforting available option.
I expect the collapse to pick up more momentum as we turn the corner around summer. The system that we have most willfully abused and perverted is finance. This monster that so many observers call “capitalism” is just a set of methods for managing surplus wealth — the catch being that nothing nearly this complex has ever been seen before in history and is a pure product of the 200-year-long industrial orgy driven by fossil fuels. That is, the world never before accumulated so much surplus wealth in such a short span of time. We commonly refer to this dynamic as “growth.” When that growth, as expressed in modern GDP terms, slowed dramatically after 2005, we launched an array of clever mechanisms to keep faking it for a while. Racking up immense debt was our way of faking it. If you can’t cover your costs in the present, just borrow from the future. Unfortunately, that works only as as long as there’s some reasonable expectation that debt can be paid back. We’re so far beyond that now, it’s not funny. And that realization alone will destroy the bond markets and anything related to and dependent on its operations to function.
This is a broad outline to the coming end of the Trump miracle economy. It was the after effects of the previous debt blowup — the phony-baloney mortgage bond market in 2008 — that mortally wounded the American middle class and put Donald Trump in the White House. His base is correct to feel swindled. That is exactly what happened to them, and the beat goes on now with securitized sub-prime auto loans. Throw in the horrific burdens of unpayable and non-dischargable college loans that will ruin millions of lives and pricey health insurance with $5000 deductibles and you have recipe for a complete loss of faith in the system.
The next debt blowup will be the end of Mr. Trump’s improbable credibility. It may also be the beginning of serious difficulty in being able to get many of the goods of daily life, because the producers of things will be very unsure of getting paid on delivery of just about anything. A freeze up of short-term lending would quickly lead to empty WalMart shelves and “no gas” signs at the filing stations. That’s when collapse finally goes kinetic, and becomes something more than just bad feelings inane ideas.
91 Comments on "Kunstler: When Collapse Goes Kinetic"
MASTERMIND on Tue, 10th Jul 2018 12:15 am
Nazi vs communist
https://imgur.com/a/53gcBQE
Seize the fucking means!
Makati1 on Tue, 10th Jul 2018 12:17 am
“hoarse” instead of horse and “daddy” instead of dandy. Yep! Either too many drugs or not enough. MM’s mind is slipping.
Slip slidin’…
Cloggie on Tue, 10th Jul 2018 12:23 am
Nazi vs communist
https://imgur.com/a/53gcBQE
Seize the fucking means!
The communists invented the hoax in order to create in hindsight the fake moral excuse for their destruction of Europe and their conquest. Give me the name and proof of a single person who died in a “gas chamber”. You can’t, because there were not any.
The idea that the “good guys” won WW2 is insane. The Soviets had murdered tens of millions during peace time alone. And the bombing campaigns of the Americans were unprecedented, culminating in Dresden and Hiroshima.
The good guys lost.
But it is all coming out now. All the lies of the empire will come down with the empire. LMFAO
Now why don’t you start CW2, as you intend to do and put yourself at the mercy of continental Europe and the Chinese?
Makati1 on Tue, 10th Jul 2018 12:34 am
Cloggie, your turn trying to educate the village idiot, MM. Good luck!
MASTERMIND on Tue, 10th Jul 2018 12:41 am
Clogg
Here ask an actual historian your questions about the holocaust and your WW2 theories..Put your statements to the test of an independent expert..Take a screen shot and show me what they say..
https://old.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/
If you wont take the challenge we both know what that means..
Prove you are a nutjob..
GregT on Tue, 10th Jul 2018 1:54 am
“You don’t think we will just sit back and do nothing?”
There’s that delusional royal “we” again.
MM, I have no doubt in my mind that you will do absolutely nothing. At 30 years of age you can’t even keep a job. You are a useless eater MM, and very few people will even notice you are gone after you off yourself.
GregT on Tue, 10th Jul 2018 2:01 am
“If you wont take the challenge we both know what that means..”
There are plenty of ‘independent experts’ who don’t buy into the official narrative MM. And just because all of the world’s leading experts, for at least thousands of years, believed that the Earth was flat, was not proof that it is.
Theedrich on Tue, 10th Jul 2018 4:04 am
“terra incognito” should be “terra incognita.” Kunstler obviously does not know Latin. “Terra” is a nominative singular of femine gender, and the adjective “incognitus” must agree with it, and thus also end in “-a.” The adjective is a compound of “in” (“not, un-”) and “cognitus,” perfect preterite participle of cognoscere “to get to know,” and means simply “unknown.” The phrase means, thus, “unknown land,” a phrase frequently used on old maps to refer to unexplored territories.
Davy on Tue, 10th Jul 2018 4:47 am
Yea, thee but life is also the feelings in poetry. The grasping for words not adequate to describe something and the resulting breaking of rules. Creativity comes from these places. Try letting go and getting the drift but I do respect your discipline. Without discipline there is chaos.
Simon on Tue, 10th Jul 2018 5:05 am
Hi Greg
Could you name a single expert who discounted the works of Ptolemy and believed the world ws flat.
I m afraid this was a belief of what you would call a ‘deplorable’
MASTERMIND on Tue, 10th Jul 2018 6:08 am
Greg
The fact that you or clogg won’t put your theories to the test..prove that you know both know they will be laughed at..You both are lying scum..Total emotional fantasy..
JuanP on Tue, 10th Jul 2018 6:53 am
Thee, I really enjoyed your explanation of the expression “terra incognita”. I only studied Latin for two years and don’t remember much, but I remember enough to know that you are correct.
JuanP on Tue, 10th Jul 2018 6:58 am
MM, Most historians are just like most other people, they can’t tell what they know from what they believe, but just like you they think they are smarter and know better because they have a degree. Usually, they are simply more brainwashed, again, just like you.
Makati1 on Tue, 10th Jul 2018 7:53 am
Juan, You are correct. Most ivory tower types are so stuck on themselves and some piece of paper that they cannot seethe real world or understand that history is ALWAYS written by the winners and always promotes the winners propaganda.
For instance: The Us claims to have won WW2 but it was the Russians that saved American asses. American only came into the war AFTER Germany was on its way down. Bet you didn’t learn that in school. lol
simon on Tue, 10th Jul 2018 8:40 am
Seriously,
All News is Biased
All Historians are against us
All Experts are incompetent
Them jews run everything
Only the Guys in the pub know the truth.
#Idiocracy
#Brexit
fmr-paultard on Tue, 10th Jul 2018 8:43 am
ww2 was a series of brilliant compains by allies (wihtout russia) which emcompasses market garden, landing in france coasts, and the route of rommel in north africa. not to mention generla patton utter destruction of SS divisions at the arden forrest. it’s tards that believe in alt-tard version of history
Ghung on Tue, 10th Jul 2018 9:27 am
“….“terra incognito” should be “terra incognita.” Kunstler obviously does not know Latin. …”
Don’t be so sure. Kunstler is famous for his play on words.
“Incognito typically refers to intentional anonymity.”
Sissyfuss on Tue, 10th Jul 2018 9:34 am
I went to a national chain store to purchase some black oil sunflower seeds for my wild critters I share the woods with. They were completely out of stock which had never happened in the 30 some years I had been going there. Their excuse was that there was a truck driver shortage so severe they could not find a company to transport said commodity. Not sure if that passes the smell test but I am sure this will become commonplace in the not so distant future.
MASTERMIND on Tue, 10th Jul 2018 10:41 am
U.S. Customs’ ‘Handmaid’s Tale’ Moment: Mother Says She Was Hounded About Why She Didn’t Take Her Husband’s Last Name
https://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/us-customs-handmaids-tale-moment-mother-says-she-was-hounded-about-why-she-didnt?src=newsletter1094159
fmr-paultard on Tue, 10th Jul 2018 10:48 am
supertard jefferson went to war with muslims because america refused to pay the jizya (no i do not sh*t you ok tards?)…nowadays thanks to revisionism a priate is a white guy like johnny depp. sure there are white pirates/outlaws but for all practical purposes the mediterean was a roman lake and then overan by muslims. and what more, johnny depp ceased operations a long time ago. nowadays we have somalian (that’s politicaly correct because it’s muslim) pirates.
ww2 gave master race theedirch such a massive beating his face is shrunken. you see it in his avatard
fmr-paultard on Tue, 10th Jul 2018 10:50 am
i want to welcome back our supertards (swt, pbuh or her) for working hard for safe electricity and indoors plumbing with running water. yes our job is to keep the meat grinder in proper operating conditions and their jobs is to feed it, trying to jam it.
you got that right juantard
fmr-paultard on Tue, 10th Jul 2018 10:56 am
fuhrer said it was unfortunate that germany acquired legacy of christianity, he wished it was islam! that’s your evidence of juche doctrine.
as a jizya paying dhimmi
If the officer throws dirt into their mouths, they must without reluctance open their mouths wide to receive it. By these acts of degradation are shown the extreme obedience of the zimmi [dhimmi], the glorification of the true faith of Islam
and should the collector choose to spit into his mouth, opens the same without hesitation, so that the official may spit into it.
MASTERMIND on Tue, 10th Jul 2018 10:57 am
We are going full blown “Handmaid’s tale” IRL..Next they will ban all abortions, and birth control..Then they will ban all immigrants..And then force all woman under the age of 30 to be sex slaves for the elites..
This is a Republicans wet dream come true..
fmr-paultard on Tue, 10th Jul 2018 10:59 am
why did supertard mount blistering attacks agains tme! i never fight back agains tsupertards. i’m a tard but not a dummy. i only select my enemies carefully. i don’t open up two front wars like fuhrer!
plese supertards if you want to walk into grocery store with bag over your head like you “reverted” to islam then do so. i refuse to learn permacutism ok
fmr-paultard on Tue, 10th Jul 2018 11:17 am
are you kidding me that the roman lake overran by muslims and somehow johny depp was able to operate freely and thus we have “pirates of the carribean” hello, you trying to pull a fast one on a tard and a former paultard, are ya? you tell me jonny was doing this when europe was paying jizya left and right unntil supertard jefferson got tired of it and just started the barbary wars.
look no father, just study what supertard bill warner has to say. the waves of attack in the mediterranian after collapse of rome and then loss of constantinople by supertard constantine. the raids to pick up slaves and white women for breeding the next ruler. a woman only worth if she bears a son. they’re to be held in a court which is serviced by a black guy who is castrated.
minister farakahn is silent about this but slavery of brothers still happen today! that’s like 1 year ago in libya! OK
and slavery of white women went all the way to britain and ireland. it’s called the “harem”…it’s an arabic word
fmr-paultard on Tue, 10th Jul 2018 11:19 am
johnny knew he ran a scam so he took up drinking and lost amher heard. what a dummy. i’m a tard and i don’t score but how could you throw away amher heard knowing you peddle false history and made tons of shekles through it?
Dredd on Tue, 10th Jul 2018 1:02 pm
Everyone is watching for something to fall apart (Civilization Is Now On Suicide Watch – 2).
Theedrich on Tue, 10th Jul 2018 3:21 pm
JuanP – I should correct myself: “cognitus” is the PASSIVE preterite/perfect participle of cognoscere. (Among other things, I teach Latin, and should not have made such a gross error.) By the way, “preterite” and “perfect” mean the same thing: past.
Ghung – On your statement, “Incognito typically refers to intentional anonymity”: In that case, incognito is in the (masculine/neuter) ablative case singular, making it effectively an adverb meaning “disguisedly, in a way (such as to be) unknown.” I know what I am talking about. Kunstler does not know Latin. I belong to a couple of groups that speak it.
Boney Joe on Tue, 10th Jul 2018 6:43 pm
“Market Garden was a brilliant campaign by the Allies.”
Is the staff aware at the loony bin that you are transmitting outside the asylum perimeter?
~~~~~~~
Anyone with an understanding of the Romance languages knows that adjectives have to agree in gender and number with the nouns they modify. Big fucking deal.
fmr-paultard on Tue, 10th Jul 2018 6:51 pm
joe the tard. you must be sock puppet of master race edrich.
Makati1 on Wed, 11th Jul 2018 3:31 am
Amerika today:
“US Debt Explosion & Weimar II”
“US consumer borrowing up $24 billion in May”
“China and Germany sign €20 billion in trade deals in response to US tariff hikes”
“Americans in UK warned to keep ‘low profile’ during Trump visit”
“Rebuild the US minerals supply chain before it’s too late”
“Chinese Refiner Stops U.S. Oil Imports, Turns To Iranian Crude”
http://ricefarmer.blogspot.com/
Davy on Wed, 11th Jul 2018 4:25 am
3rd world are you too lazy to make a proper comment with links that show content? I wonder if you even understand what is in those articles.
pointer on Wed, 11th Jul 2018 4:36 am
So the US has handed over the keys to power to its own Hitler, who is accelerating the destruction that capitalism naturally and inevitably produces. The good news is, like Germany after WWII, the US will emerge from its catharsis as a new and different society, just as post-war Germany did. This transformation won’t be quick, and it is going to be unimaginably painful.
Makati1 on Wed, 11th Jul 2018 5:19 am
Right on, Pointer. Trump is accelerating the decline big time. Alienating all of the Us’ old allies and more. A rogue state in every way.
When the dust settles, it will be an isolated ‘has been’ country with a 3rd world government and economy. Couldn’t happen to a more deserving country. Blow-back is a bitch! lol
pointer on Wed, 11th Jul 2018 6:15 am
“…it will be an isolated ‘has been’ country with a 3rd world government and economy.”
Would “the world’s largest banana oligarchy with a woefully stupid population” fit your characterization, Makati?
Sort of like this place? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqceHviNBC4
JuanP on Wed, 11th Jul 2018 6:19 am
Delusional Davy “3rd world are you too lazy to make a proper comment with links that show content? I wonder if you even understand what is in those articles.”
Mak generously provided article titles and/or links. Follow the links or use Google, moron! Do you know how to use Google? Do you know how to click on a link? I, personally, prefer that people post links and titles. Your posting of whole articles here is a pain in the butt and a form of trolling, as has been pointed out to you already by many people here. If people want to read an article they will follow a link or google the title.
Davy on Wed, 11th Jul 2018 6:59 am
bonehead, I would expect you to defend 3rd world because you are guilty of the same laziness.
MASTERMIND on Wed, 11th Jul 2018 7:08 am
Madkat
You ignore that Europe and Japan are in the exact same boat as the US but worse..you deny that the world is a complex society that is interconnected..When the OECD collapses so does your worthless little shithole island..
I hope stocked up on adult diapers..You are going to need them..when you shit your paints real soon.
MASTERMIND on Wed, 11th Jul 2018 7:21 am
Rise of Italian populist parties buoys anti-vaccine movement
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/11/rise-of-italian-populist-parties-buoys-anti-vaccine-movement
JuanP on Wed, 11th Jul 2018 8:05 am
Delusional Davy “bonehead, I would expect you to defend 3rd world because you are guilty of the same laziness.”
Your childish attacks are very immature. Do you think I care what you call me? You are more deluded than I thought! LOL! You know what is inexcusably lazy, Exceptionalist? Not seeking psychiatric help for your family’s sake! That is immoral and repulsive. You claim to be a Catholic so for you sloth is a capital sin, which means your life must be hell. Only you can fix your problems, Davy. We can help you if you try, but we can’t do it for you.
DMyers on Wed, 11th Jul 2018 6:37 pm
On Theedrich’s appeal to proper Latin, I would give high regard to the input of a Latino. JuanP?