Thursday, April 8, 2010

Musings on the Economy






Hummas and tortillas up to four dollars a pop? Hell, no! Making my own for next to nothing....freeacre


by Murph

I debated on whether to talk about the economy (in this country and the world) due to the overwhelming amount that is already circulating through the mass media and the internet. Due to what seems to be obvious in data and commentaries, I have been finding it difficult to make sense out of it all because of contradictory claims of authenticity.

The economic crisis that appears to be unfolding right now seems to be divided into two categories; the deflationists and the inflationists. Perhaps more simplified than it deserves, deflation means lowering of prices in real money, (more goods than is in demand) and inflation means rising prices in real money, (the chasing of too few goods with too much money in circulation). No, I am not defending fiat money as being real but only talking about what those dollars will buy.

We have been experiencing at the street level, a combination of the two. The absolute necessities such as food, water, housing (although that area is now in deflation) and fuel have been generally going up in price. Some say this is inflation, others say this is just cost of distribution and production going up due to scarcity. Notice that these items are not included in the cost of living indexes for some reason (which would indicate inflation) and thus the non increase of things like social security payments that are tied to inflation index since excluding them indicates that there is no inflation. We have also been experiencing deflation (lower prices) in imported commodities like electronics machinery and tooling. You can, with careful shopping now, buy a very good computer for less than $400, or a nice thin line HD TV for less than $500. I suppose yachts might fall into this category too, although I have no friends that are thinking of taking advantage of the situation.

One person that I follow carefully is Charles Hugh Smith in dealing with the economy. His book “Survival +” is an excellent primer and if you are not following his blog site, you ought to read his stuff for some different perception and conclusion about the economy. His site is at; http://www.oftwominds.com/blog.html

Charles has provided good evidence that the Fed is unable to print enough money to cause inflation. And, even if they tried, they would have to distribute somewhere in the area of $10 trillion in cash to the bottom economic 90% of the population to have it be effective in creating inflation. Not likely to happen I reckon. The reason that this is not possible is because of the mammoth debt structure (private, commercial and governmental) that we all know about. The fed simply can’t print enough money to cover this, in the realm of multiple tens of trillions of dollars. See his April 2, 2010 article on the subject. A quote from the article:

“But we all know the Fed isn't going to print $10 trillion and give it to U.S. households; it will print trillions and give it away to banks, in a futile attempt to recapitalize insolvent, fraudulent firms which should be forced into bankruptcy. The trillions of "free money" (courtesy of ZIRP, zero interest rate policy) will sit in the banks where it will fund speculations in stocks, bonds, commodities and foreign exchange. A trivial sum will be lent to insolvent consumers with much ballyhoo, and the consequences of deleveraging shoved forward one more election cycle (extend and pretend).”

The inflationists are pointing to the massive amount of money that the printing presses are churning out. Charles points out that with little exception, this is all digital money, not the paper bill we talk about when we refer to the printing presses. And, all of this digital money is being poured into financial institutions to keep them afloat, since it appears from the data I have seen that they are all bankrupt, that is, have more debt than assets due to the implosion of the debt structure, to the tune of hundreds of trillions of dollars total worldwide. In perspective, more than the total world GDP.

The principle problem with the inflation idea is that this country and most of Europe and Asia have become consumerist debt economies, depending on imports and exports to supply the needs of the country. Since, with very few exceptions, the unwinding of all this bad debt structure would take more money that the printing presses could turn out, inflation is impossible. Saw an interesting documentary a couple nights ago on Peru that is following this economic paradigm and has a booming economy, at least for now. But, since it is now obvious that this paradigm is not sustainable, that country will also experience similar economic problems that Europe and the U.S. is experiencing, down the road.

Now, what does this all mean to us as individuals trying to keep things going in our lives? Depending on what analysis you think has the most substance will determine how you deal with it. If you buy into the deflationist concept, then cash will become king, the dollar will not significantly depreciate and you’ll soon be able to buy what you want at vastly reduced prices as the over production of consumer goods tries to unload inventory. That’s also taking for granted that you have a stash of cash to draw on.

If you buy into the inflationist concept, then you need to get whatever cash you have into hard goods now, because the price will only go up, and to put money into inflationary hedges like precious metals.

Do you understand my confusion now? Accumulate hard goods now, or sit on cash and wait for prices to drop even more.

So far, all the supposed money thrown into the financial system has not made a dent in the rest of the economy and there is no real projection I have seen to think it ever will. Banks are not lending and the velocity of money flowing through the economy is not happening, as it was promised it would. Sort of like the Reagan trickle down economics that never really materialized. Instead, capital has simply accumulated at an ever increasing pace into the top 1% of the elites with wages either decreasing or remaining stagnant for the rest of us.

At this site, we have people that have withdrawn from the greater society to the extreme. We also have people that have gone to low population density areas and are promoting community self sufficiency and interdependency. Then we have a population that is trying to stick it out and have a retreat to escape to if things go extreme. Others are already planning to escape to other countries. We have local friends that are planning to do just that, that is, if they have time left to implement it. Due to the new Obama laws just enacted, taking money with you could be a very iffy proposition.

Preparing and attempting to lessen the chaos that will affect us all, for which we all seem to agree is coming, is a real problem. I had an acquaintance just a couple of days ago, tell me that he just bought 1000 rounds of ammo so if things get tough, he could take what I have. I was astounded. Think I would ever even think of trusting this guy on anything? The dude is relatively wealthy and seems to think that he can take or buy anything he wants. I’m sure most of you have had experiences with people with similar attitudes. In my opinion, this is going to be the challenge we all face, how to deal with this on a most personal basis if/when things get really dicey.

It appears to me that there will be no significant changes in how the economy is being managed and exploited. It definitely will not change by working within the system. There simply is not enough popular movement to accomplish this and would have to be by a national uprising, probably revolution. I anticipate that the only significant change is going to come about by a flat out economic collapse and something different in a paradigm comes along that people find helpful in daily living. Of course, I have my own thoughts on what that different paradigm would look like. I can say with some degree of certainty that any paradigm that includes the government being of beneficial nature, especially in dealing with money, will in the long run be another disaster. Putting our faith in the benevolence of government is a vastly misplaced faith in my opinion.

Interesting times we live in.

63 comments:

David said...

The line my wife asks me every morning as she wakes and I'm finishing my morning read of financial news/opinions "Any apocalypse yet?So I guess I've come to the mind that there is no fix to the economic problems of the country by the PTB.The meltdown is pretty much common mythology out there with regards to nothing was fixed and the problems are still the same problems.That in it's self leaves one to wonder"What's next?'.If the problems haven't been fixed and other problems are adding to it i.e..Commercial real estate ,bond sales,bankrupt states and govts.Then the meltdown we had is going to look pretty mild when the proverbial you know what hits the fan.So deflation or inflation?,who knows? a little of both depending on what you are consuming and where you live.Just be prepared for the worst and keep your acquaintances (those Who buy 1,000 rounds of ammo,to be used against you) close within your sites.Be safe and keep good company and always be vigilant.

David said...

Oh yea, the homemade food looks totally wonderful!

stoney13 said...

The whole economic situation seems to be running headlong to one simple conclusion: We are all going to be equal at last! We are going to be equal as the rich man's money will be worth the same as the poor man's money--NOTHING!!! The rich man will just have more of it!

Of course there is still the outside chance that The UN will step in and do something. There is one unequal tasks that Americans perform flawlessly, and that is the mindless consumption of all commodities made anywhere. The rest of The World, who makes these commodities may not be ready to give this grand and eager marketplace up!

China seems to own most of the notes on "George's Misadventures in Oil Land", and right now, they are in no big hurry to call in their marks. China's new dam is finished, and the electricity produced is fueling all kinds of manufacturing that is just now coming on line. The aren't about to pop the magic balloon until they at least break even!

The only other scenario I see is China getting so antsy, that they lose all confidence in the Fed and call in their marks. That would bring about the thunderous crash of the entire American Economy, along with most of the oil markets who would have to find another monetary unit with which to trade. The results of this would probably degenerate into another World War, and the winner would win... nothing.

murph said...

Hey Stoney,

Not sure about that "all being equal" bit. No matter what, the elite have a shit load of non money assets that we don't have. If we have hyperinflation, yes, the elites lose a lot. If we have deflation the value of the dollar will actually increase. That's the "cash will be king" bit.

Yup, mindless consumption. I figure that is going to be going away pretty soon. The debt needed to be generated probably isn't going to happen. Good probability of interest going up also so easy debt won't be there. Recall that in last depression, we had really hard deflation. Man, if you had two dimes to rub together you were doing just fine.

David,

I think our observations are pretty much in agreement. I reckon that depending on just what your economic circumstances are right now, the apocalypse is happening.

Your right, none of the problems have been worked at, lots of white noise coming out of Washington but no real fixes in the works, at least not yet. Problem is, if you are in the camp that says this is a planned meltdown then there sure isn't going to be any fixes in the works. If it was incompetence and stupid mistakes and simple greed, the same people are running the show and they aren't able to fix shit.

I agree, it's gonna get a lot worse before it gets better, if that's even possible now.

stoney13 said...

Just for shits and giggles, I checked out one of the many Tea Party Sites. I believe I read of just such a tea party in my young and formative years. It involved a "Mad Hatter" and a "March Hare"!

Instead of "Tea Party" I suggest that they change their name to "S.W.I.N.E." or "Simpletons Wildly Indignant at Nearly Everything" All they seem to be able to do is scream vehemently at everything done, yet have no plans, or counter plans as to what they would do different!

Anonymous said...

On Wednesday, Rense interviewed Webster Tarpley, and he had quite a bit to say about fixing the economy. Here's a link to his five-point plan.

http://tarpley.net/five-point-program.pdf

Last night, Rense interviewed Gerald Celente. Man, was he hot! The best Celente rant I've ever heard. I would guess that one -hour session will be re-broadcast and archived. I think it's well worth listening to. Celente covered a lot of ground, ending with a warning that Obama and the fascisti bankers are absolutely taking us to war.

-rp

Anonymous said...

http://www.transitionnetwork.org/

Anonymous said...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTBhiKblwck&feature=related

or

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9r8jtC17cRA&feature=youtu.be&a

nor will it be on the internet

murph said...

RP,

Read that link pdf on the 5 point plan. Personally, I can come up with better than a handful of absolute reasons it would never be implemented or fly. Notice that it all contains the same social/financial paradigm as we have now that lead to the consequences we are experiencing.

What's your take on it?

murph said...

Stoney,

Not only do they not have any counter programs to suggest, but they are also stuck in the same old paradigm of thinking that has led up to what we are seeing.

Year ago, I read a neat SF short story on politics. The society was set up so that for a few days each year, open hunting season was declared on all politicians. Sure made the politicians aware of public sentiment. lol

Anonymous said...

Stoney;

Problem with that system is, the pols have the keys to the underground bases. Maybe if we played musical chairs. When the music stops, the shooting starts. Nobody knows when the tunes cease, but everybody's ready, all the time.

-rp

stoney13 said...

Murph,

That's a good idea! That's an idea I could get behind!

I move that the only-three-rounds-in-the-clip law be waived for the duration of the season!

Uhhh, they wouldn't make you haul the meat home like they do when you're moose hunting, would they?

Anonymous said...

Murph; I heard Tarpley spout the five points quickly the other night, but have not read them yet. I will, and respond more in depth later. I think I heard him mention carbon tax, which I found surprising. The Tobin tax sounds like a step in the right direction.

I haven't heard Webster talk much about the economy before, but I regard him and Michel Chossudovsky as two of the best voices able to put current affairs into recent historical perspective.

Man, Celente was so right on last night! I'll see if I can find a tape of that. He's got a new Trends Journal out late next week.

-rp

Anonymous said...

Stoney;

They can't make you haul already bad meat, can they?

wv experity

the state of having once been on equal footing

-rp

Anonymous said...

this ain't an ecomony, its a highjacking!! ... p

mrs p said...

Hey there FA...you make me hungry! Your homemade tortillas and Guacamole looks so beautiful & delicious! The price of tortillas is ridiculous these days and they're usually full of a bunch of stuff we really don't want to eat! And Home-made always tastes better too. Your tortillas get an A+, mine are a C-. Practice makes perfect. I'm going to practice tomorrow! Love & a shot of tequilla! x, mrs p

freeacre said...

Thanks, mrs.p! Those were my first try at tortillas. The secret for me is that little thing in the background which is a tortilla press. Got it from the wonderful Leyman's non-electric catalog for something like fourteen bucks.
The hummas is just garbanzo beans, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and cilantro blended up in a blender. Yum! Makes a great dip or put in pocket bread with avocado and veggies for a sandwich. Now, I am going to learn to make my own pita (pocket) bread.
I know it's still shakin' and quakin' around there. Still sending you warm thoughts of safety....
More coronal ejections coming our way, and just had a near miss from an asteroid.
I get a kick out of your wife, David. We do much the same in the morning. Whoever gets up last will turn to the other on the Net and ask, "Well, is the world still there?" Ha! Good stuff, by the way, on Carolyn Baker's site.

freeacre said...

"experity

the state of having once been on equal footing" I love it! Reminds me that when we were in high school, my boyfriend and I used to make up words and use them in themes and hand them in to see if the teacher really read them, and would notice. They never did. I remember one was "sublagectant," meaning "lower than preferred." HA! Always been a smartass, I guess...

Anonymous said...

Of course, the real meaning of the term didn't dawn on me until I had posted the first explanation.

Experity: the state one finds oneself in upon discovering that nice pet shop owner has sold you a dead perit

rp

Anonymous said...

3200 quakes on the current USGS California/Nevada map.

http://quake.wr.usgs.gov/recenteqs/latest.htm

They only hold the data one week.

-rp

Anonymous said...

From Paul Drockton, on Rense.com:

"...No doubt about it, it just isn't healthy to be a pro-Western leader in any of the former Soviet era Republics. Just ask the Ukraine, Belorussia, Georgia or Kyrgyzstan...."

-rp

ooh, wv= wores (no more)

Anonymous said...

Experity: the state one finds oneself in upon discovering that nice pet shop owner has sold you a dead perit

how much is that blue tick mister,
with the spots all down his back?
he really ain't worth nothin' boy
nobody wants a pup like that.
you see that leg all crippled up?
he's been that way since he was born.
...and as the boy stood watchin'
the puppy stumbled to the floor.

well i aim to take him home with me
and i aim to pay full price!
i made two-fifty mowin' grass,
its your's if thats all right.
and 'bout the rest i owe ya,
how's fifty cents a week?
you sure that's what you want boy?
i was gonna put that pup to sleep.


the little boy choked back the tears
as he tugged up on his pants
to show the man the brace he wears
to help him when he stands.
i'm namin' him de'oohgee...
and as he shoke hands with the man he said,
and you don't have to worry mister,
he's got someone who undertands.

well the emptiness on the old man's face
looked like a dog without a name.
he was overcome with silence,
not sure what to say.
he just pulled somethin' from the madness
that doubled as his desk,
primed a pencil with his tongue,
hooked his glasses on his head

he said, i - i - i need to make this here paper out
so let me ask you son...
where'd you get that name dee'ohgee
and could you spell it for me once?
it don't mean nothin special sir
it just sorta came to me.
and i an't too good at spellin'
but it might... be... D - O - G.

now we've all been well past lonely,
bumed out, down, and blue.
when life feels like a hopelessness
just crashin' in on you.
the devil's won the battle
and no one gives a damn.
ah but, you don't have to worry mister
there's always someone who understands.

maybe exparity was what i was overcome with when i wrote that... p

baz recon said...

The killer of schoolgirl Kirsty Bentley, who died in 1998, staged a crime scene to throw off police, says a top international criminal profiler who has reviewed the cold case.



I have a strange feeling about this murder ...

The All-star american is possessed by a gang-banger ethos when it comes to economical matters. 1,000 rounds of ammo should be sufficient to secure another man's go$d, be it black, yellow, white ...

Self-gratification is the best hedge against conscience. Inflated self-esteem an antidote for remorse. An ever vigilant sentry guarding the truth. Lest the recalcitrant american discover the only commodity he has to trade ... is greed.

Insatiable in abundance ... the american dream turns at last to desperation. All bets are off the table. Economics [sic] of war is all that remains. Underhanded dealings. Proven finally to be all it ever was—artifice, illusory. ‘Pimp my ride!’

A summary examination of the coroner's findings on the corpse reveal as usual—was not being treated as suspicious ... Cause of death was found to be from asphyxiation, caring too much for our world and it's inhabitants. You know, beneficent love misdirected—the kiss of death. Kills even the giver.

Summary of findings: a conclusion reached after examination or investigation:—

“There’s nothing new under the sun, but there are lots of old things we don’t know.” ~ Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914) vatos locos

wv: lacteerr — interesting multiple word configs.

RAS said...

I haven't read the comments yet -I'm just responding to the post. First, all that money is being shoved through the economy even though it is 'digital'. It's being paid out in paychecks to employees of the banks, who are spending it on goods and services and thus propping up other people and businesses. The same for the government. The fed is now buying something on the order of 80% of Treasuries.

There IS inflation going on -I see it every time I go to the store. The food we buy for the tootless old cat we foster went up by $2.00 in a month. Some OTC meds went up by a $1.00 in two months.

What we're experiencing right now is good ole stagflation, 1970s style, though no one wants to admit it.

As for the sociopathic individual you mentioned, I think the best way to deal with those people is to figure out who they are, and, when things start to get that bad, act first if possible.

Anonymous said...

on inflation... got a fax memo from my nail supplier to expect significant price increases shortly. this fueled by increased raw materials. specifically steel. they included a financial times article. can't link it as FI is accessable by registration or scrip only.

title: steel prices set to soar after iron ore deal.

steel accounts for 95% of the world's metal consumption and iron ore is the main ingerdient.

"the benchmark system has ended. there is no going back"

iow, the 40 yr old system by which pricing was negotiated. the balance of power has shifted to the miners.

this came as a result of a pissin contest between china buyers/consumers and miner seller/producers that ended in stalemate. which means the buyers lost!

how much increase? currently 80 - 100% at port of entry.

and we all know where most of our steel products, along w/everything else comes from eh? ... p

mczilla said...

Well, like the Good Book reminds us, "the love of money is the root of all evil". And the one time our Great Exemplar really blew his stack was when he threw the money-changers out of the temple. Now we seem to have recapitulated the final act of that play on a global level.

But it's all way out of individual control. I've come to the point where all I can do is fall back on first principles. Like working on my tortillas and humus, and working with my friends and neighbors. And just in case, I've got my own stash of coins and ammo in reserve - which is where I hope they will stay.

Anonymous said...

Wow, P!

What's that going to do to rebar?

And automobile mfg?

And heavy equipment?

And farm implements?

-rp

Anonymous said...

that is raw ore, POE china. so it doesn't translate to 80 - 100% coming out the other end of the steel plant. which is of course raw material sold to goods mfgrs. so, nowhere near it but it will have a significant impact. the goods guys then turn the sheets, rolls, wires, etc into finished products like nails. and thats the point where finished goods enter the market which often has middles involved. i.e., brokers, whslrs. each of which are operating on a margin. so if they each maintain their margins then the spread increases with each and its significant by the time a box of nails spits out on the counter in front of me. the fax said expect as much as 30%. and this is just the first hit.

oh ya, PT pine is up over 20% over 1st of the year and climbing. very little change in demand here between the bldr (which is near dead) mkt and home owner mkt.

guess what the rep had the balls to tell me was the reason? haiti! where they build out of concrete and adobe... p

wv... unkil. thats what i been screamin and now this!!

rockpicker said...

if only we could 'unkil' all the innocents WE are responsible for, eh?

-rp

rockpicker said...

Gerald Celente is on Jeff Rense tonight, encore presentation. You can catch it by going to American Freedom Radio. 8 pm MST.

wv cation: as in, you will get a 'charge' out of Gerald

Hotspringswizard said...

Nice job on the entry there Murph. Couldn't say I see anything I disagree with. I'm trying to decipher the economic tea leaves myself and things may very well go in directions that were not even considering.

There is alot of pent up anger out there in the masses and one wonders just what the elites have planned up their sleaves to put their facist boots down on it once things really begin to boil. The kind of threats and stuff we saw in the last couple of weeks of course is just the tip of the ol iceberg.

Freeacre those meal items sure look delicious! I love avocado's :-)I just watched Michael Moore's " Capitalism, a love story. Not quite as comprehensive on the subject as I was expecting but I always appreciate Michael's documentaries.

As the world continues to plow through around 84 million barrels of oil a day the vast worldwide economic troubles killed off enough demand to take the heat off of the growing energy crisis troubles for short period. All signs that I see say that we are and have been for a couple of years in the relatively brief plateau period of world oil production capability.

Soon enough the beginnings of the increasingly steep slide down the back side of the production bell curve will bring the world's energy predicament back to the forefront of imminent grave concerns.

The UK had high level meetings on the Peak Oil subject just last week, and consider this:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/apr/11/peak-oil-production-supply

" US military warns oil output may dip causing massive shortages by 2015• Shortfall could reach 10m barrels a day, report says
• Cost of crude oil is predicted to top $100 a barrel "...

As you look around its all such a giganitic circus of deceptions and lies. I see CNN had a special on this weekend and I'd say it was an excercise in propaganda preparing the masses minds for a grand " belt tightening ". You are of course exempt from this if you are a Bankster, the Fed, a Politician, or the Military Industrial Complex.

The MSM Newstainment is so removed from reality its laughable. I just watch it at times to try and figure out what new deceptions they are trying to spin up, like lately they seem to be pushing the " Iranian Nukes " lie alot.

Can anyone really be prepared for what looks to be coming our way. I have my doubts about that. One only needs to drive through the illogical and unsustainable monstrosity of human development that exist in So Cal to get a sense of the grand " pinnacle " of " achievement " we are about to fall hard and fast from.

On a brighter note, I put some new photos up at my Flickr site:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hotspringswizard/

Various things that inspire me and remind me of all the beautiful things in this world, still :-)

Hotspringswizard said...

I hike/walk regularly, and this article at Carolyn Baker's site discusses the subject of this activities importance, and the information resonates well with the purposes and fullfillment gained from my walks in nature too:

http://carolynbaker.net/site/content/view/1600/1/

" Fortunately, restoring mental vitality requires nothing more than commonplace activities in everyday environments. In fact, since everyday nature is sufficient, there may be no special advantage to time spent in spectacular environments. For instance, the simple activity of walking in natural settings, particularly walking mindfully, may be all that is needed for restoration. The article concludes with a series of specific prescriptions for enhancing our ability to cope with the coming transition, which can be summarized as simply to spend time walking outdoors, regularly, surrounded by and mindful of everyday nature. "

Tomorrow it will be one of my weekly hikes, climbing to the top of Turtle Mountain. My mind now knows the familiar route I like to take like an old friend, which frees up the mind for the thinking I like to do when spending such time. There is a photo ( on page 2 ) of Turtle Mountain covered with snow at the Flickr site I mentioned in my previous post :-)

Anonymous said...

You know every once in a while I stumble across an article that peaks my interest for one reason or another. The following link is just one of those and I thought I might like to share it with those of us here.

http://americathegrimtruth.wordpress.com/

Ely

murph said...

Hi Ely,

I guess that article about sums it up. The only question I have is; How much are other countries going to be affected by all the stuff we see coming at us? Other countries may right now be a better place to live, not a hard argument against that concept. But, will they be in 5 years?

Hotspringswizard said...

That article Ely suggested does pose a grim scenario for the US, but when I look around the world I see alot of strife and troubles growing in most major locals you could name. Having risen to such heights of so called " prosperity " we certainly have much farther to fall, thats for sure.

With all of the growing converging dire problems like Peak resources of all sorts, Climate Change repercussions, water scarcity problems, overpopulation, degradation of ecosystems, you know that list is long, I see the stresses building in most all regions. In all these places there are elite groups who practice much the same kinds of corrupt practices, preying on the working classes in their various ways, and these PTB will have the propensity to become more brutal as the conditions deteriorate.

This doesn't mean that there won't be places better than others in various respects, but humanity in general is going to be going through the massive changes that we are on the cusp of.

Americans for sure are in for a rude awakening having lived high on the hog for decades while plundering the world's resources and its poorer people's " slave " labor.

One may think that fleeing to another country will bring you saftey and a better situation. For instance Michael Ruppert at one time thought going to Venezuala was going to be move that would provide for these things, and yet where is he now, back in Los Angeles, finding his brief time in Venezuala to be an experience much differant than he expected.

Moving to another country will work for some, but for most, it would be a very unsettling experience and thats even if they could muster the where with all to make the transition. I'm 52 now and all my family is here. With everything thats happening across the world, I think much of humanity will be experiencing alot of similiar difficulties, so the choice for me is to stay here and make the best of my situation. There are lots of good people in this country, and those are the ones that inspire me, and who I would wish to work with to adapt to the great transitions of our time.

Humans tapped into the super concentrated and abundant hydrocarbon energy battery pack, which provided for lifestyles impossible before, for numbers of people previously impossible to sustain. The mirage of abundance it created was always destined to bring us to this point, where we must now deal with the harsh realities of what we have collectively wrought.

The massive problems these things have created will be faced by all countries in my opinion. For most of us, there won't be any hiding, or fleeing, just the task of trying to find solutions to the challenges, where we are.

RAS said...

Yeah, that article has some problems. He apparently has no concept of PO or resource depletion. *Most* countries are going to collapse in the next few decades. Including most of those with better lifestyles than ours.
Let's see,
Japan has 120 million people on an island that can support 20 million. That's going to end well.

China has over a billion -they need more room, which is why they're buying up Africa and are already in a low-level conflict with Russia, plus they have no concept of human rights.

Most of Europe is entirely dependent on fossil fuels, plus they are in a position to be overran by refugees from Africa and Asia as things really get bad.

Canada -good luck maintaining a good quality of life without natural gas.

Mexico, South, and Central America -most countries are going to collapse and what happens if they decide to blame the U.S.? Do you really want to be the only gringo there? Plus leave all your family behind?

EVERY region has problems, and every one is going to have its own advantages and disadvantages for survival in the coming crash.

Anonymous said...

on ely's link... the writer makes some escellent points that go to the core of the prob...

" Fully 70% of your tax dollars go to the Pentagon, and the Pentagon is the real government of the United States. You are required under pain of death to pay taxes to this occupying government. If you’re from the less fortunate classes, you are also required to serve and die in their endless wars, or send your sons and daughters to do so. You have no choice in the matter: there is a socio-economic draft system in the United States that provides a steady stream of cannon fodder for the military.

"... have you ever heard a major American news outlet suggest that the country could fund a single-payer health system by cutting military spending?"

and finally...

"Members of the working class have been taught to lick the boots of their masters and then bend over for another kick in the ass. They’ve got these people so well trained that they’ll take up arms against the other half of the working class as soon as their masters give the word."


i hear endless jabber that we need to get back to the form of liberty and point of view upon which this country was founded. If we read history we can quickly see that therein lay the problem. i'm not talkin that of our history books. thats pablem designed for the beat to go on. i'm talkin the real history and back stories. the lines between the lines.

point being we have a county of scaredie cats who demand the line be held at any cost. as long as they think they're safe they'll do just about annything asked of them including betrayal of themselves and their neighbors.

collectively we have gotten exactly what the silent majority has asked for. if we really want to change we have to take a hard look at the cold hard facts. RP said it best a couple comments back... if only we could 'unkil' all the innocents WE are responsible for, eh? ...p

Anonymous said...

From Belgium

I am going to nail my colours to whatever it is one nails ones colours to, the mast I think and say I am convinced it was all deliberate and nothing has really changed for a long time, just accelerated. If it wasn't like this then Huey Long would have been president of the world for a good while by now.

When talking of the super rich I have often heard the question posited of 'How much is enough' and the answer is that 'we' who take part are engaged in a zero sum game. If the 'they's' of this world have the ability to take more then that automatically means that we have less. Imbalance brings power and power brings control, so in that sense there is never enough. This doesn't mean that it is like a game of Monopoly where one person or group finish up with all the money and declare themselves the winner. The economic walking wounded still consume and whilst there is still a buck to turn then the game will continue past its natural ending point. It is just that 'we' will have very little to say about it.

One good feature of hyper-inflation, about the only one I can see, is that if you can manage to hang on in the game then you can buy your American dream house with inflated money and demand the deeds back – if they still know where they are of course.

Yesterday I got hit with a massive deflationary item. I take a preventative medicine pill against asthma and this has greatly reduced in price. I will tell you how it works here. When I visit the doctor I pay him about 21 Euros, he gives me a receipt which I take to a 'government dept' (for simplicity) and they give me about 17 Euros back. Similarly, the drug store buys medicines from the pharmaceutical company and the 'government' gives them a kickback which they pass a portion back to the customer in the form of a reduced price. Within the last few weeks a generic version of the pill I take has hit the market and the government will no longer support the patented item. So now I got sixty pills instead of thirty for half the price. Sure I am pleased and also pissed that Big Pharma has been taking me for a ride all this time. Recouping research costs is the way I think they put it. Grrrr!

China may be big and cheap but it is not the only steel producing country around. In fact the present government has dismantled Mao's Cultural Revolution power house of Manchuria in favour of light manufacturing further down the coast. The gaunt old steel mills still stand and are referred to as China's rust belt. As was said (more or less), it is no good looking in Pitsburgh's direction any more. Probably the biggest steel producing nation to the US is Brazil.

I take HSW's point that the US has further to fall economically but the converse is that if you are used to nothing then you know how to survive with it.

I always find the articles that Ely links to to be thought provoking and the latest is no exception. I still have the Argentina collapse article bookmarked.

rockpicker said...

Adrian Salbuchi has a couple videos up on Rense that ya'll might find thought-provoking.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qu1fNYt5cno

I read the piece from the ex-pat, and I believe his assessment was generally true and accurate. On the other hand, like Ras and Hotsprings, I feel it's all coming down globally and it probably doesn't matter too much where one is. If you have assets to trade, you may fare a little better, for a little while longer, here or there.

I can't help dreading our collective karma. The pain and suffering we as a nation of sheep have passively allowed and actively promulgated against a multitude of innocent peoples around the globe will surely condemn us to an especially grievous and well-deserved retribution.

And all it will take to shatter our illusion of grandeur concerning this country's progressiveness is for the grid to go down.

Like a clan or a village, the measure of a nation's greatness can be seen in how well it cares for its people. In that respect, I believe we are arguably wanting.

End of March, Poland informed the IMF it no longer needed its assistance, and even offered to loan them money. Two weeks later, the government exploded in a fireball just yards short of the runway. Not healthy getting uppity with the bankers...

As Ras so maturely suggested 'dealing' with declared sociopathic intentions, we citizens of planet earth need to unite in resistance to Global Evil.

It's either them or us. They declared war. So far, we've pretended not to notice. They DO have every intention of destroying us...

wv-raball

rockpicker said...

From spaceweather:

"...OMG! MONSTER PROMINENCE: The biggest prominence in years has just lept off the surface of the sun. Readers, if you have a solar telescope, look now!"

-wv= unplug

freeacre said...

Yeah, good link, Ely. Thanks. I bookmarked it so I can send it to all these morons who send me hyper "patriotic" (delusional) e-mails about how we are the best country in the world and how grateful we should be, etc. etc. I always feel like I am in North Korea and thinking that our Dear Leader is benevolent and everybody else in the world "hates us for our freedom." I even just renewed my passport because I so often feel like bolting.
But, I'd sure hate to be sitting in Costa Rica or Belize or Peru or someplace, surrounded with people who's native language I don't speak, when the frigging continents drift and we're inundated by a tsunami. But, if I were younger, I'd say, "Go for it." But, at this point, I think it is my responsibility to work against the evilness here at home and respect the collective karma that we have assumed. After all, we have reaped the "benefits" of taking advantage of the weak in order to live the way we have, even if we did not personally make the decisions to be rapers and pillagers of the world's resources.
I've been listening to Jay Weidner's thoughts on TEOTWAWKI, and the possible transformation or enlightenment potential he thinks it has. As the events and people all around us sink into despair and insanity of ever sort, I think it will behoove us to cultivate some sort of centeredness and peace of mind to ward off the panic and fear that will be epidemic. If I can really release my sense of fear of death, then I feel I can live with more of a sense of freedom than ever, despite the reptilian control freaks. Somebody has to make a stand. Might as well be us.

wv: extrialm (hummm.... those who want to leave?)

rockpicker said...

From Zero Hedge, via Cryptogon today;

"While the market cheers on the fantastic job “growth” of March 2010, the more astute of us are concerned with a growing tide of personal bankruptcies. March 2010 saw 158,000 bankruptcy filings. David Rosenberg of Gluskin-Sheff notes that this is an astounding 6,900 filings per day.

This latest filing is up 19% from March 2009’s number which occurred at the absolute nadir of the economic decline, when everyone thought the world was ending. It’s also up 35% from last month’s (February 2010) number..."

rockpicker said...

More evidence that "we are the greatest" is just chauvinistic ignorance. From USA Today:

"Beef containing harmful pesticides, veterinary antibiotics and heavy metals is being sold to the public because federal agencies have failed to set limits for the contaminants or adequately test for them, a federal audit finds..."

Anonymous said...

Hey Murph, I will try to put some meat on this bone…

I like when an article will provoke some extra thought and ensuing discussion.

Hot Springs and RAS I think you have got a good idea of what it will be like when the TSHTF, understanding that this is not a USA problem this a Global problem and it will spread rapidly.

What caught my attention regarding the article was not so much that this person is advocating getting out while the getting is good mentality, and perhaps he is one that has found a place, where all things being equal, he will be treated as the “one of us” when trouble starts. I am not sure where that place will be although he does point to different parts of the globe that this may be possible. What I do know is that when things start to fall apart it is usual for locals and those that “belong” to pull together and deemed outsiders will have to fend for themselves.

What really tweaked me is just how much America has lost, and continues to lose in regard to basic freedoms and rights. How lagging the once proud USA is with regard to education, health care, work benefits and soon to be social security systems. It leaves me wondering what the hell has happened?

I was not of the 50’s but I do remember thinking in the early 70’s how unfortunate I was to have missed those years. I remember in my early 20’s wanting to be an American, live in the USA partake in the dream. Some how I viewed growing up in Canada as deficient especially comparing with my relatives to the south. My cousins with so much left me with a great desire to have stuff. Now I look back at the 70’s with a fondness, knowing well that those times were special. I did not have a lot but I always had enough and now I believe that is all anyone should really desire. Still I have questions….

What has America become?

Where is it going?

How will it get there?

Abandoning ship for a new locale is not the answer, you can trust me on that, I am living in a part of the globe where it is just one crisis away from all hell breaking loose. Regard for human life and the laws that usually govern a civilized society are often taken for granted. Less we be talking about money then that is a whole different affair. In the end it really does not matter how much effort you put into fitting into your chosen foreign society you will always be an outsider. Although unspoken there is still an underlying feel of being a foreigner and often with that is a suspicion of who and what you really are.

to be cont'd

Anonymous said...

Colombia is heading for a situation. There is a run up to see who will be the next president of Colombia and at the moment the choice is well….. who is the least evil bastard of all the lot, and there is a good possibility this country will be set back a decade with the election of the new president. Life in a banana republic…

Belgium you said something that is oh so true here “that if you are used to nothing then you know how to survive with it.” This is what most people here in Colombia live like everyday. They have close to nothing yet they eek out a life despite just that… and even though the Argentine collapse is still fresh in the minds here there is a lot of people here who are living like a collapse cannot happen, yet every month people are caught without access to their money no ATM, no cash with drawls, nothing, usually only for a business day and the report is always a bank system problem but I think it is much deeper than that…this is such a strange land to live…. sigh

I like what Freeacre writes….somebody has to make a stand may as well be us, is what more people need to be thinking. I too believe that to get through what is coming one needs to find local alliances and as a group stand together. Work as a collection of groups to make things better, start to think again, become the so called terrorist and question the propaganda machine, learn to do for yourself and do not expect anyone or any thing to do it for you, and do NOT follow blindly.

As for me rest assured if things go bad because of the USA economic situation, being a gringo here is not a good thing to be, and I am at the ready to get the hell out if and when that moment arrives.

Enough for now….

Ely

rockpicker said...

Fuck Joe Lieberman!

http://newsmax.com/Headline/lieberman-iran-nuclear-attack/2010/04/12/id/355512?s=al&promo_code=9BDE-1

Fucking liar!!

We're not in a war with the terrorists who attacked us on Sept. 11. If we were, we'd drop a bunkerbuster, (du,) on Mossad headquarters!

freeacre said...

Ely, Rockpicker, et al, I ask myself also, "How could it have come to this?" It's a travesty that our country has been ruined, our best leaders killed, our rights repealed. Just because they could, it would seem. We were one of the first countries to get our news from TV, and we are dumber than most because we are so large and our people pretty much isolated from the rest to compare ourselves to.
I must encourage everyone to watch Adrian Salbuchi from Argentina. Now this guy seems to really get it!
http://www.youtube.com/user/arsalbuchi
I think this should go viral.

freeacre said...

Just had a 6.9 earthquake yesterday in China....

Hotspringswizard said...

Great points you make there Ely! I want to mention that the article you brought up did describe with accuracy many of the dire problems facing the US. I sent it along to my brother, though we are both already quite familiar with all of the issues discussed in it.

Even though I feel the best course for my family and I is to face the coming changes here in the US, I certainly have no illusions about the dire potentials of just what it is that will be unfolding, the more clear nature of which we are all trying to discern as best we can.

We live in the High Desert of So Cal and if things get too dicey down here regarding saftey or just plain survivability we have developed a piece of land up near Lake Shasta in Northern Cal which is much more remote, in a heavily forested area ( wood for heat, etc ) where there is plenty of water from wells, nearby streams and the lake too.

But every area will have its own problems. Living remotely may put you away from main populations, but I can see that it could make you an easy target for attacks by those inclined to plundering ways and violence.

Regarding Freeacre's thoughts " Somebody has to make a stand. It might as well be us ", I am reminded of a recent Documentary I saw on Free Speech TV about the history of the antiwar activism during the Vietnam War from those in the US and also very much so within the military ranks themselves. The PTB since that time have done there best to re-write the history of those acts of defiance since these protest actually rose to the level of making a differance, and eventually stopping that war.

Those people of conscience stood up against the evil and lies that the Vietnam War was, and the PTB tried their best to dole out grief in retribution so as to quell the dissent, but in the end the elites failed.

It just inspires me to see how many good people stood up like that, even though there were grave consequences for many. Well with all thats brewing now in this ol world there a monumental clusterfuck growing daily that I think will even overwhelm the elites and whatever plans they may have.

There is going to be uprisings of one sort or another for sure in my opinion. There will be boatloads of angst and blame going in all sorts of directions. I don't see that there is going to be any cohesive mindset in the masses. In today's societies you just have so much complexity, and so many diverse points of view about what the hell is going on, and who is screwing who. Its not like you can all just agree and point out the problem clearly, and then proceed to fix it.

But given that, still, I'm not one to just lay over and cry uncle. I've got a decent head on my shoulders and I know some really inspiring and thoughtful people and if your going to stick around it behooves you to get over the fear bit of what is coming and get down to the business of deciding what you really can do to adapt, and then do those things. Pining away in fear will just melt your mind, but accomplishing things, even small task I find always puts me in a better place mentally.

Maybe the world will end tomorrow, but in the meantime might as well get on with the business of trying to make a go of it, in whatever ways you can bring yourself to manage.

I do find it comforting and helpful to consider the thoughts of others working to understand these complicated issues of our time. With many clear minds thinking and sharing their thoughts, a better understanding will come, of where we stand, and what things we can do.

Well I'm off to my night wanderings in dreamland. The other evening there was one I had where my longtime friend and I were involved in these survival excercises, kinda like eco-challenge stuff, one being sliding down this monsterously big angled waterfall. Another was driving some jeep like vehicle through brush and vegetation at a high rate of speed, getting away from the zombies I would imagine :-)

WV - Hummo: The new tasty crackers we will make out of the elites, kinda like Soyulent Green!

rockpicker said...

Hotsprings; Did you watch the two Adrian Salbuchi videos? Freeacre is right. Everyone in the country should see them and THINK about what he says.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qu1fNYt5cno

rockpicker said...

Think this country wasn't deliberately taken down? Watch this interview Charlie Rose did in 1994 with Sir James Goldsmith. He knew what the result of off-shoring would be!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PQrz8F0dBI&feature=related

It was a treasonous act to encourage industry to remove the means of production from this country, and establish themselves elsewhere simply to take advantage of cheap labor.

rockpicker said...

from spaceweather:

ROBOT TO JOIN ISS CREW: NASA announced today that a humanoid robot named "R2" (short for Robonaut 2) will join the crew of the International Space Station. Space shuttle Discovery will carry R2 to the orbiting outpost in Sept. 2010. R2 will be confined to operations in the station's Destiny laboratory. However, future enhancements and modifications may allow it to move more freely around the station's interior or outside the complex.

what, exactly, is a 'humanoid' robot and how long have we been making them?

rockpicker said...

How many Americans do you suppose DON'T KNOW that significant amounts of nano-thermite, both expended and unburned, have been found in the WTC dust?

When Architects&Engineers held a press conference in Feb., in San Francisco, and exposed this revelation to the world, how did the MSM respond? Total silence! Wouldn't even cover the event.

When Jesse Ventura wrote a short editorial comment and posted it on the Huffington Post, HP took it down after one day, saying they don't support conspiracy theories, not even involving 9/11.

Looks like the 'official' conspiracy holds a monopoly position.

Here's part of the reason:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RC6O8QIcvbo

Hotspringswizard said...

Rockpicker, We don't have a high speed connection so those video's take forever to download. Maybe I'll try downloading it while I eat dinner this evening :-) I did google his name to get the jist of what he talks about. From the looks of what I saw he takes similiar positions to what I feel is going on. Regarding the Alien stuff, I still ain't see one yet :-)

On another subject, it sure seems like the heat is being turned up on the " attack Iran " subject. The MSM news is now just calling Iran's interest in nuclear electrical power in terms like their nukes, nuke program, nuclear weapons program, when there is no evidence I have ever seen that suggest that they ( Iran ) intend on making any nuclear weapons at all.

All of a sudden there's Obama's meetings with the many leaders of other countries about containing nuclear material. Lots of countries are being coaxed into sending their material to the US, for safe keeping of course! Yeah right! Just more ways to disarm any possible advasaries to the US global plundering spree.

Today I see Isreal is suggesting that Syria has supplied the palestinians with scud missiles. What a great pretext to start the Iran attack. A scud from " somewhere " hits Isreal and they tie Syria and Iran together as Isreals advaseries and site that now Iran has crossed the line and an attack on them is imperative so they don't get nukes and attack Isreal.

Then there is McCain's comment today that its time to " pull the trigger " on Iran. If that nut was running the country we would have probably seen that happen already.

I have mentioned here before that I have been seeing very large dark colored military jets doing low altitude runs through the desert mountains and surrounding valleys in our area. Makes me wonder if they are practicing for bombing runs in Iran.

I know many of us have been expecting an Iran attack for some time. I can only imagine the hell that will be unleashed if they do it. It seems like from all the various report that the US economic situation is getting to the desperation point, so who knows, maybe in their ( PTB ) insane logic they may see a new conflict with Iran as some sort of benifit that will keep the coming economic armegedon at bay for a time. Craziness abounds these days, eh?

And Sarah Palin is seen at the Tea Party rally today. God she's so pathetic, and her voice, like nails on a chalkboard it is! And Hannity the Mannity suggest a Palin, Baucman ticket for 2012. The way things are going it wouldn't supprise me, and if they won, that would be just the icing on the cake of this mass FUBAR CIRCUS!

Well I better get back to the internets to see what else is going very, very wrong :-)

WV - Intscuda: The Syrian,s secret name for a Scud Missile :-)

Hotspringswizard said...

Rockpicker, I viewed that first part of the Adrian Salbuchi You Tube. Ten minutes and 19 seconds worth took about 65 minutes to load up. Can you say turtle speed :-)

I'll check out the second part also. I essentially agree with his points about the PTB and the ways they seek to control the populations. But when it comes to some worldwide freedom force coming together to stop the corrupt elites, I don't think anything like that is going to happen.

Just for one thing, there are great percentages of the various populations that would think this kind of info/outlook is way out, nut bag, tin foil hat conspiracy theory nonsense. There are just too few people as a percentage of the population that will ever take these things as valid.

For example I was watching Hannity the Mannity at a tea party gig in Georgia I think. It was shown this evening on Faux Newstainment. Its enough to gag you with the nonsense they spew on shows like that, non stop BS. However the people in the audience where lapping it all up. Those folks would love to throw people who think like us out of the country, thinking of us as un-patriotic scum.

It just comes down to what really is doable, given the various landscapes of populations, and their myriad mindsets. In my own life, I've shared all of this consistently with my wife and she is now seeing and excepting that there are things going on in this world that she was never aware of before.

My brother and I are on the same page completely, but aside from that, its no bother me even talking about this stuff with the vast majority of the people I come across, as they would not except or believe that things could be anyway differant than what the MSM tells them it is.

Like if I was somehow president of the US, and knew what I do, and said to the people, " I'm going to tell you about things that are happening that you are not aware of, things that are making your life much worse than they should be ".

I could show them all the various forms of information that I have gone through in years of research, and when I was done, they would without a doubt, either kill me, drag me off to the funny farm, or if I was real lucky just demand that I was impeached immediatly. I'm telling you that I truly believe thats what would happen!

continued

Hotspringswizard said...

Its like I've tried to share info like this with folks who appear to have intelligence, abilities to be logical and thoughtful, and most of them still will not accept most of this stuff we talk about.

So I'm looking at the task of adapting to the changes in ways that do not involve trying to mobolize a worldwide freedom force to take down the various cabals of corrupt elites who prey on the rest of us. There will not in my opinion be any conhesive worldwide or even national coalition of groups or mass collections of like minded people, an on the same page force of popular uprising.

My efforts will involve working locally to find ways to dis-connect as much as possible from the greater system, to develop a sustainable manner of living, as much as I can, and do these things with other like minded people where and when the opportunity presents itself.

Due to an assortment of factors I think we are in for times of consistently contracting world economies, due to energy and resource scarcity, as well as many other things. The excess spare capacity that allowed for human forays into a kaliediscope of various activities will have to be continually pared back as the world situation deteriorates and humanity has less access to the bounty of natures wealth that they for so long to for granted and used up at unsustainable rates.

More and more most of your time and energy will be required to cope with more immediate and local, basic day to day simple needs, like sustaining food and water needs, housing, simple health care, and some form of income in the new paradigm of dwindling economies, etc, etc. These things will increasingly consume our time, rather than more leisurely pursuits of the more abundant times.

Its all very complicated with endless interelated factors, and we will just do the best we can to communicate what we are feeling about it all in the effort to make some sense out of these changes we see occuring. Well we won't have any shortage of things to talk about, thats for sure :-)

rockpicker said...

I found a link to this website in an article on Thunderbolts. New research ties cloud formation on earth to sunspots.

http://www.thecloudmystery.com/The_Cloud_Mystery/Home.html

rockpicker said...

Another piece, older, with more detail concerning clouds and charged particles. May have significance in understanding with what and why the evil ones are spraying our skies.

http://thunderbolts.info/tpod/2007/arch07/071217electricclouds.htm


wv= micesses, (what the PTB hate to piecesses)

rockpicker said...

Katyn, Katyn,
it rings down through the decades,
like gun shots in the pines...

Hotspringswizard said...

This article I thought was excellent. It has the flavor of Adrian Salbuchi's thinking. I still think its an unrealistic dream to expect that the world's dis-advantaged masses will come together in a large cohesive movment to put down the various cabals of corrupt elites. I fully expect as this article cites in depth that there will be increasing unrest and revolutionary activity, but I don't think it will ever fall under a connected umbrella of organizational control.

Of course the powerful elites, care not about abiding by the various social " rules " that they suggest we, those who would try to be moral and ethical should follow as " responsible " people. They do not seek fairness, and always rig the game for themselves. They will be brutal in their various attempts to qwell the coming social disturbances, that is clear.

As I mentioned before, in nature, survival is the base operating principal that motivates organisms, and this instinct within the human species still remains intact, as strong as ever. The truth is the elites use human civil arrangments created by the human mind to their benifit, and to our detriment. Though many have come to " value " these codes of civility, these ideas we form do have the ultimate consequence of making us easy prey for the " wolves " of human populations, the strongest of which we call the elites.

So you see it does not really supprise me that those inclined toward corruption and deception, generally ascend to more powerful positions within the hierarchy of humanities social positions. Those humans that are preyed upon in so many ways will go through continual upheavels to to fight back, but the corrupt elites will always have more advantages in the game. There will in my opinion never be a grand human awakening that will change the nature of this process. These struggles always emminate from the very nature of our physical construct, the form we came to be through evolution. There will always be inequities between peoples, and we will always fight over it, in one form or another. I know those many of you with religious beliefs will have your own take on this subject.

Here's that article:

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article25229.htm

The Global Economic Crisis:

Riots, Rebellion and Revolution

When Empire Hits Home

rockpicker said...

Hotsprings;

Saw another article by M. Murphy about chemtrail aerosols, and he mentioned your brother.

If conductive metallic aerosols are being sprayed into the troposphere, isn't it possible that instead of reflecting uv back into space, and thereby cooling the planet's surface, that they are instead absorbing light energy and turning it to heat, thereby heating up portions of the atmosphere? Not to mention acting as nucleii for water droplet formation and artificial ion saturation?

Hotspringswizard said...

Rockpicker, regarding this question your posed, " If conductive metallic aerosols are being sprayed into the troposphere, isn't it possible that instead of reflecting uv back into space, and thereby cooling the planet's surface, that they are instead absorbing light energy and turning it to heat ", my brother feels that on days that the dispersed aresols produce hazy clounds, the temperature at the earth's surface actually gets warmer rather than cooler which perhaps is what your implying also. He feels that something about the differant characteristics of the artificial aresol clouds traps more heat below them rather than creating cooling that you think you would getting from the shading affect.

As for the aresols providing nuclei for water droplet formation, seems logical that it would, and as for the second part of that questions about artificial ion saturation, I'm not familiar with what that is.

russell1200 said...

David Hacket Fischer "The Great Wave"

Charles Hugh Links to it in his historical picks.

It will explain in a larger sense where we are today. It is particularly of interest because he is writing as an historian, and not as a polemicist with an axe to grind. It is the only book he writes on the subject, although there is a good bibliography.

At this point in the "wave" you would expect necessities to maintain their pricing while manufactured or craft goods to be reduced in price. In a medieval setting it would mean the blacksmith's horse shoes become less expensive relative to the food or land that produces food. Even economies on the gold standard suffer inflation in the type of setting we are in.

even ignoring the peak oil issue, in a modern economy I would expect fuel to become expensive.

I think Charles is correct in some sense that deflation is the way of the near future. But it is going to be a selective deflation.

The best way to avoid much of the issue is to live within your current means.