by bobaloo » Tue 27 May 2008, 18:15:13
While it's nice to see some optimism from new members, if you're not scared you're not paying attention IMHO. We're in the very early stages of the problem and look around at what's going on, at least here in the U.S. in what used to be a wealthy country.
Most all of my life I've lived the lifestyle advocated for prepping for peak oil. I've lived in the country, grown acres of produce for market and for canning and preserving, heated with wood, raised chickens and livestock, done all my own construction, including homes and barns, plumbing, electrical work, auto mechanics, you name it. If the world goes to hell I could stay on my own property and do fine for quite a long time, IF
it wasn't for other people. I look around and think about what happens when the government checks quit coming in, when the fast food joints are out of food, the grocery stores are stripped clean and the gas stations are closed. Most people don't have enough food to get through the week and don't know what to do with themselves except shop and watch TV. I live in a small town, which gives me one bit of insight, I get to know a lot of people very well, too well in many cases. I estimate that about 10 percent of the population (in a small, rural, agricultural town) will rise to the challenges while 90 percent will be at a total loss and demand to be taken care of. They've been told since birth that they're entitled to live in a certain way and they've been going deeper and deeper into hock trying to maintain that lifestyle.
Even today we're seeing electrical substations shut down because wires are being stolen for scrap, right out of operating substations. I expect transformers to be next. I suspect that we're at the back edge of the plateau, getting ready to head over the cliff. My suspicion is that by the end of the summer we'll have a much clearer idea of where we're headed, the rate of change is really starting to pick up and events are rapidly accelerating. Much of what is going on is being covered up by the mainstream media, but the financial markets are dead, they just don't know it yet, or at least they're covering the holes and claiming it's only a flesh wound. I suspect that we're approaching a nonlinear region of the chart where a cascade function begins to take effect. Once that happens you could see major changes in a very short period of time.
On the other hand maybe our space brothers will show up tomorrow and lead us all to enlightenment and the promised land, but I doubt it. Google up an online book called "The Coming Dark Age", it's a great historical summary regarding the rise and fall of civilizations for the last 6,000 years or so, it will give you a little perspective on how humanity acts under stress.