This is an essay from reader wis.dom project who describes his painful personal journey of connecting dots to achieve awareness of our overshoot predicament.
I was born in 1969, at a time when everything still seemed possible. On July 20, two people walked on the moon, which is probably the greatest technological achievement of man to this day. In my youth, I devoured novels by Asimov, Clarke, Lem, Dick and Herbert. The galaxy’s colonization seemed within reach.
45 years later, I realized that I was a victim of mass hypnosis, what I refer to today as techno-utopia – a belief in the limitless human development, genius and almost divine uniqueness of Homo Sapiens. I realized that industrial civilization, like any other dissipative structure, is doomed to inevitable collapse.
In 1972 – 3 years after my birth, a book titled The Limits to Growth was released by the Club of Rome. It was the first scientifically compiled report analyzing future scenarios for humanity. It indicated that unlimited development is not possible on a finite planet. The book was published in 30 million copies and was one of the most popular at the time. Surprisingly, despite the wide range of my readings, the book did not appear on my horizon for a long time. As if it was covered by another intellectual “Säuberung”. In fact, it was the subject of an intellectual blitzkrieg and relatively quickly evaporated from the media circulation. I experienced this myself by talking to several university professors. Every one of them dismissed the LtG concept with a shrug and an unequivocal, non-debatable conclusion that the theory had long been discredited.
Since then, there have been many other events that have offered an opportunity to change consciousness and thus the trajectory of industrial civilization.
On June 15, 1979, during the ongoing second oil crisis, President Jimmy Carter gave a famous speech in which he announced: “The energy crisis is real. It is worldwide. It is a clear and present danger to our Nation. These are facts and we simply must face them”. Photovoltaic panels were installed on the roof of the White House to symbolize a new trend – energy conservation and an attempt to develop alternative sources.
American people responded by choosing Ronald Reagan as the 40th president of the United States, who had the panels dismantled. Before he did so, he announced: “There are no great limits to growth because there are no limits of human intelligence, imagination, and wonder.” As a result of the use of “intelligence, imagination, and wonder” American analysts probably came to the conclusion that if we do not have the resources ourselves, they should be organized from a different source. Therefore, on his first overseas trip, Reagan traveled to Saudi Arabia, where he probably proposed the following alternative: petrodollar, protection and weapons for cheap oil… or American aircraft carriers will stay anchored in the Persian Gulf for longer – as in the Al Capone quote: “You can get much further with a kind word and a gun than you can with a kind word alone”. Same logic. Following, we got post-colonial globalization with all the necessary tools like the IMF, World Bank, BIS, and Washington Consensus. Pax Americana in full release. A decade of crises had begun.
In 1980, a group of “loyal Americans” constructed Georgia Guidestones, “The American Stonehenge”. On 4 granite slabs, in 8 languages, the authors recommended 10 commandments of a healthy civilization, including limiting the global population to 500 million. This humanist monument was recently destroyed by fanatical terrorists and then demolished by the county authorities for “security reasons”.
In 1984, the publisher of George Orwell’s famous book, which regained popularity as a result of events at that time, advertised it with the slogan “maybe not 1984, but there is always 1985”. We solved the waves of hunger that engulfed African countries with “Live Aid”. The eastern block began to fall apart.
For the growth protagonists, their optimistic belief in progress was confirmed in the 1990’s, after the collapse of the Eastern bloc and another “gold rush”, this time in the oil fields of Western Siberia. Another wave of globalization had begun. The ceiling of the ecological capacity of mankind was raised again, and the extraction of natural resources accelerated to planet limits. China joined the WTO and “the sky was the limit” again.
The digital revolution restored belief in unlimited development, and Hollywood started showing “happy endings” again after years of dystopian themes. However, the honeymoon of unipolar globalization was short. In 2001, cracks started to appear. US president, George W. Bush, announced that the prosperity of the Americans was not negotiable. Invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan clearly showed the intentions of Zbigniew Brzezinski’s “The Grand Chessboard” strategy. After all, the 9/11 organization required remarkable synchronization, and its presentation to the public was another masterpiece of the hypnotic power of mass communication. Undoubtedly, its organizers were aware of the challenges ahead. In 1998, Colin J. Campbell, a highly respected geologist dealing with oil field analysis for companies such as BP, Texaco, Amoco, together with Jean Laherrère published an article titled The End of Cheap Oil. Shortly after, he recalled, gentlemen from the Pentagon / CIA visited him with a proposal to cooperate. They wanted to know more about the impending peak-oil. They knew the matter was serious. Campbell’s relatively precise predictions materialized in 2006, when we reached the peak of conventional oil production.
However, also this time the convulsions of civilization were prolonged. For optimists, the shale revolution, fracking, deep and arctic oil were another confirmation of human genius and the possibility of unlimited expansion of the species. Changing the definition of oil production to ‘all liquids’ and the inclusion of bizarre products such as biofuels once again gave the impression of unlimited resources. For the more inquisitive observers, it was more like “last drops from the bottom of the barrel.” The IEA’s prediction of production scenarios, with a price of $300 per barrel, did not seem to scare the public. For some, they were another opportunity for tempting profits. The oil price reached $147 a barrel in 2007 and has yet to be beaten. However, it had far-reaching consequences in the form of a global financial and economic crisis. In November 2018, we probably achieved the final peak of production of all liquid hydrocarbons. Peak oil has become a fact.
Germany’s Bundeswehr 2010 publication on the consequences of the peak extraction of critical resources has not reached a wider audience. Instead, we got another installment of mass hypnosis in the form of such oxymorons as “renewable energies” (which for semantic precision are not renewable) and “sustainable development” (whatever that means). The energy transformation, changed by all cases, was called a revolution by its followers. Apparently, none of them noticed that revolutions are by nature bottom-up. The current attempt at energy transformation, on the other hand, is a top-down, elite-bureaucratic decree forced into the economy with an enormous organizational, financial and propaganda effort, and has nothing to do with the revolution. Except perhaps the inevitable failure.
Further memes of the Holy Grails of energy appear in the widespread public perception. From nuclear fusion projects, new categories of nuclear reactors, SMRs, large-scale energy storage to the recently very popular multicolored forms of hydrogen. Already every moderately educated inhabitant of Western countries can cite further possibilities of increasing our chance for a vacation on Mars in the near future, a vision presented by Elon, the most popular techno-utopian messiah. The knowledge on this subject is usually so shallow that it only causes confusion. After all, if all these solutions are at hand, why are we living in times of a global energy crisis? Undoubtedly, if not terrorist inclinations, this can at least provoke rage against such inept politicians. Greta is disappointed, as are her millions of unsuspecting millennials. False hope is a source of frustration expressed by aggression. This generation will inspire a wave of radicalism and eco-terrorism in the near future.
So here we are. Pandemic, wars, revolutions, hunger, migrations, financial crisis, stagflation, new cold war, de-globalization – we got a jackpot in this draw.
In 2011, a public opinion research company surveyed Western countries’ populations on the threats to human civilization. 11% expressed the opinion that events that threaten civilization will occur during their lives. I wonder what the result would be today, but I have no doubt it would be significantly higher. Still, the wider population was not frightened by the fact that in 2018 Sweden mailed instructions to its citizens on how to prepare for war, which was also a pocket prepper plan. The city of New York is preparing for a nuclear attack right now. A day like any other, nothing to see here. Yet all over the world there are no reactions, no demonstrations, no prayers for peace. The masses are hypnotized. Most of the younger generation of Western societies fear climate change. Nobody told them that the greatest threat to their welfare is, paradoxically, an end to environmental rape.
A breakthrough on the legendary World3 Model Standard Run is happening right before our eyes. Except the fall, like in Hemingway’s novel: How did you go bankrupt? Bill asked. “Two ways”, Mike said. “Gradually and then suddenly”. “Gradually” was already there, now “suddenly” begins. As if we were watching Seneca Cliff live. Yet most people believe this is just a temporary stumble on the way to permanent happiness and prosperity. Almost every statement of people in the media contains hidden optimism when they make plans for 10, 20 or 30 years, visions of smart-cities, hydrogen-economy, electric cars and universal happiness. Even the so-called pessimists that see the crisis and the forthcoming World War III, believe in the following reconstruction and further progress after the victory of the only right one, i.e. OUR SIDE. Spes decedit ultimo, amorem non moritur.
The pandemic, the genesis of which should be sought in biological weapons laboratories, was presented efficiently and with amazing media synchronization as a natural zoonotic epidemic. At the same time, the health service suffered global Münchhausen’s surrogate syndrome and concluded that injecting 5 billion people with experimental gene therapy is a good idea. And this despite the fact that for the vast majority of them the disease is relatively harmless, while gene therapy turns out to be ineffective and risky. I mean, safe and effective. How the “vaccine”, which should be injected in your body 4 times in 1.5 years is effective, no one explained and few asked.
Meanwhile, the frequency of meetings between political elites, presidents, prime ministers, ministers and a whole host of other notables in various configurations has drastically increased. This could hypothetically indicate greater international cooperation, but I am betting that the number of fires to be extinguished has increased instead. And I’m afraid this is just the beginning. Groups from WEF, G7, G20, BRICS, AUKUS, NATO, B&RI, QUAD, RCEP, ASEAN, to the Bilderberg Group meet to agree current positions, preferences, transactions, exchange information and confirm alliances. The chessboard is dynamically reconfigured. Global industrial civilization, like any dissipative structure, bifurcates. The world will divide. We go back in time. Another Cold War has arrived, and as one California senator noted, the truth is its first casualty. The level of propaganda is so advanced that, as in my youth, we will soon be seeing “TV is lying” graffiti. And this is justified. The elites are trying to prepare for the coming crisis, and this requires the right tools of indoctrination, surveillance and control. We can expect more riots, protests, strikes and demonstrations. More state control. More power of brute force. More epidemic passports, debt, digital currencies, vaccinations, bankruptcies, unemployment and migrations. Less money, food, travel, vacation, products, freedoms, and rights. The polarization of opinions is growing, and the spectrum of the narrative is intensifying the schizophrenia of paradigms. Social discontent will grow. As William Gibson stated, “the future is already here, it’s just not evenly distributed”. Sri Lanka is the proverbial canary in the mine. It’s just a matter of time before it will also show up in my neighborhood. Klaus Schwab from the WEF is supposed to keep me happy, but I only see it in the scenario of Futurological Congress. I can handle “less meat” with pleasure, but a lack of property is a fresh implementation of techno-fascism based on the proven model of CCP. National Socialism has the same imperative regardless of the flag. Klaus’ pupils, the prime ministers of the Netherlands and Canada, are already eagerly implementing the plan heading straight towards Soylent Green. The new techno-utopian prophet Yuval Noah Harari (Noah is quite symbolic in this context) and at the same time faithful to the Great Reset sect defines the challenges facing humanity as, among other things, providing adequate entertainment for these billions of “useless people”. 4th industrial revolution – biotechnology, automation, geoengineering, brain-computer interface, remote control, complete elimination of privacy, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, transhumanism and singularity will save us. In which metaverse, Mr. Harari? Techno-fascism? It looks more like smart-depopulation than smart-dictatorship.
Meanwhile, the war in Europe became a breeding ground for hysterical psychosis, in which a billion people of the Western world decided that preparations for WW3 should begin. Europe has been organizing Seppuku type economic crises on an unprecedented scale since 1929, followed by the depopulation scenario of the anonymous white intelligence agency deagel.com. These two events are another masterful operations on the open brain of global population. Simultaneously the UN forecasts the size of the human population by 2300, and the optimistic scenario predicts 36.4 billion inhabitants of the planet. Are they already implementing Stanislaw Lem’s scenario in their canteens? Is this a pilot?
The process of absorbing this knowledge was painful. The closest analogy is DABDA (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance) described by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross in the book On Death and Dying (also published in 1969). In her description, the stages of dying may occur many times, and their sequences are individual for each person becoming aware of their own mortality. I saw it myself in my loved ones who passed away. This happened to me also in relation to the revelation that industrial civilization is dying. Such awareness is an extremely difficult experience. In addition to its own emotional consequences, it also brings deep alienation. It becomes a natural need to share your knowledge with others, including your loved ones. As much as I could, I tried to avoid it, knowing from the descriptions of others who had previously had such experiences. Sharing such information brings only isolation, mockery, and being labelled as a “depressive-manic supporter of conspiracy theories”. Despite my sincere desire, I did not avoid ostracism and contempt, like many others before me. Kassandra, the social nickname that had been given to me half-jokingly in my social circle, turned out to be only a sign of intellectual gaps of my friends. After all, Kassandra was right in predicting the fall of Troy. I was doomed, like her, to a consciousness that no one would accept. No wonder, eschatology has a long history and the list of Armageddon prophets is long.
As part of my personal DABDA I am trying to decipher the history and its mechanisms. The question “how did this happen?” is lingering. How is it possible that we have brought our species and the planet to the brink of collapse? And there is the question of who was responsible.
The story leading to the LtG conclusions seems quite obvious from my current perspective. David Attenborough provides the simplest explanation:
We have a finite environment— the planet. Anyone who thinks that you can have infinite growth in a finite environment is either a madman or an economist.
After 30 years of studying economics, I came to a similar conclusion. Modern mainstream economics is a scholastic sect that created pseudo-science describing economic mechanisms without considering any environmental factors in their models. Economists rationalized that any limitations related to demographics, resources and pollution will be resolved by the market, and ultimately by another sect – academy of scientific progress in cooperation with mammon wizards, i.e. rulers of the financial system. I am writing this with great respect and admiration for thousands of great scientists. We are also a brilliant species after all. Without them, we would still be jogging through the Central African savannahs. And probably the debt-engineers also deserve gratitude, because as Lloyd Blenkfein, president of Goldman Sachs said at the height of the previous global GFC financial crisis, “I’m doing God’s Work”. In fact, I cannot disagree. Without sophisticated debt magic the pyramid of industrial civilization would have collapsed much sooner.
The population of the planet grew exponentially, and we just recently surpassed 8 billion people on the planet for a while. Paul R. Ehrlich published The Population Bomb in 1968. The book received similar intellectual reception to LtG and was recognized as a Malthusian propagation of fear and defeatism.
In 1959, Aldous Huxley published New World 30 years later: The divergence report. Even then he feared the consequences of overpopulation. His conclusions are being realized before our eyes. The mixture of Orwell’s 1984 and the original Brave New World is more and more obvious, only the proportions change. Orwell is increasingly dominating though, and “War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, and Ignorance is Strength” is increasingly evident in current mass media hypnosis.
So who was responsible?
Politicians? People with sociopathic narcissistic disorders voted in to solve short-term problems? The Kissinger Report was published in 1974 for the President Nixon administration reads:
23. The central question for world population policy in the year 1974, is whether mankind is to remain on a track toward an ultimate population of 12 to 15 billion – implying a five to seven-fold increase in almost all the underdeveloped world outside of China – or whether (despite the momentum of population growth) it can be switched over to the course of earliest feasible population stability – implying ultimate totals of 8 to 9 billions and not more than a three or four-fold increase in any major region.
24. What are the stakes? We do not know whether technological developments will make it possible to feed over 8 much less 12 billion people in the 21st century. We cannot be entirely certain that climatic changes in the coming decade will not create great difficulties in feeding a growing population, especially people in the LDCs who live under increasingly marginal and more vulnerable conditions. There exists at least the possibility that present developments point toward Malthusian conditions for many regions of the world.
The politicians knew perfectly well, at least the well-informed ones. As Deng Xiaoping, chairman of the Communist Party of China and architect of modern China, probably concluded that if China does not join the global economy relatively quickly, it will no longer have a chance to end the Age of Humiliation and “take a central position on the world stage”. In 1992, Fidel Castro delivered this speech at the Rio Environmental Conference.
Hunger and riots have been feared by politicians since ancient Egypt. Because who wants to end on the guillotine? Today, an eclipse is not enough to pacify riots. There are much better methods, as progress can be seen in every area. Alternatives to the horsemen of the apocalypse remain. Eugenics, euthanasia, and birth control were supposedly not humanistic enough.
Financial elites? These people were destined to make more money and power. They try their best playing in the sandbox of techno-utopia. The WEF Great Reset does not look promising either. Rather desperate, though logical. Likewise their contingency plans.
Scientists? In search of clues pointing to our destiny, we can also go back to the discoveries of Prigogin, Odum, Georgescu-Roegen and Lotka, great scientists who brought us closer to the knowledge of what life is. And modern authors describe with high precision our dependence on fossil energy to keep the population alive. Joseph Tainter, Matthieu Auzanneau, Craig Dilworth, Charles A.S. Hall, François Roddier, and many others, described how the world really works and the state it is in. They also failed. Apparently the printings were too small. Science has its own limits, regardless of the symptoms of progressive degeneration to which it is subject, like any large organization. Contemporary philosophers, however, dreamed of this future, but apparently they were not invited to breakfast TVs. Yet they were destined to rule Plato’s state.
Humanity? Each of us with internet access had the opportunity to find this knowledge. Some of us, however, preferred to watch cute cats or modern gladiators running on the trimmed lawn. Panem et circenses.
Philosophers? After all, philosophy, as a love of wisdom, was perhaps the most responsible for the awareness of human destiny. The philosophers were proto-scientists, only with progressing specialization migrated to the role of provincial humanists with an inclination to determine the number of angels dancing on the head of a pin. They also failed. As a result, most of humanity lives in Plato’s cave, waiting for the looming vengeance of Thomas Malthus, the first professor of political economy. What an irony.
Or maybe nobody is to blame, and humanity – as in the Greek tragedy – was destined to follow this last journey of Icarus from the beginning?
un-Denial 
Neither our leaders nor the best experts that critique them understand what’s going on.
“It’s all ass backwards.”
Nope, we’ve hit limits to growth.
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Martenson did some good journalism today on how citizens were manipulated to become vaccinated.
Imagine how many lives could have been saved had they put the same money and energy into prevention, early treatment, and vaccine safety monitoring.
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If you’re sick of doom and gloom listen to this interview by Michael Shermer of Marian Tupy and Gale Pooley on their new book Superabundance: The Story of Population Growth, Innovation, and Human Flourishing on an Infinitely Bountiful Planet.
They argue that we should increase our population because humans, with our incredible ability to innovate, create more wealth than we consume, as proven by the fact that abundance has increased faster than the population over the last two hundred years. When our population was low over the previous 10,000 years, per capita wealth was constant and low.
No need to worry about running out of materials or energy because there are a near infinite number of ways to combine elements from the periodic table and we’ll discover more useful stuff if we have more people exploring different combinations.
All we have to do is vote for smaller governments that get our of the way of innovative entrepreneurs.
https://www.skeptic.com/michael-shermer-show/superabundancee-population-growth-innovation-human-flourishing/
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Rob,
I sure hope you didn’t waste your time listening to this? I clicked on the link just to see what Shermer had. The two guys he interviewed are libertarian (Cato) economist types. Not a science (rational) bone in their bodies. The human ingenuity will solve everything argument – energy is no problem. (If you did listen to it, anything vaguely rational?).
AJ
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I got through about half of it while pruning blueberries yesterday. It was painful but I like to understand how the majority thinks. I was watching for denial vs. stupidity. In their case, it seemed to be all stupidity, although Shermer who I’ve followed for years, is yet another polymath in denial.
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I gave up on Shermer some time ago. I even subscribed to Skeptic magazine maybe 10-15 years ago. The only thing he had that I thought was going for him was that he was anti-religion and supposedly for rationalism. Additionally, I think there was some dust-up about him that alienated a large portion of the skeptic community, but I can’t really remember. Thanks for saving me the time of having to listen to this.
AJ
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Shermer is a smart well-read guy but viscerally detests and denies limits to growth and so is a poster child for MORT.
In the early 80’s I subscribed to a magazine titled The Skeptical Inquirer that debunked ESP, UFO’s etc. I wonder if that was Shermer’s?
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I too subscribed to The Skeptical Inquirer for a time. I’m not sure but I thought that they went out of business or merged with Shermer’s Skeptic magazine. Long time ago, fading memory.
AJ
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HHH again.
https://peakoilbarrel.com/opec-update-august-2022/#comment-745387
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Which means cheap energy for those who can afford it. This is the purpose of most if not all US foreign policy both overt and covert for at least the last 50 years or more. Its called Demand Destruction.
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https://wolfstreet.com/2022/08/31/runaway-inflation-in-the-eurozone-which-kicked-off-in-mid-2021-sets-new-record-wakes-up-even-ridiculously-reckless-ecb/
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https://consciousnessofsheep.co.uk/2022/09/01/a-basket-of-bad-ideas/
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Most of the people I respect and follow think Russia was provoked by the west into attacking Ukraine. They do not necessarily think Russia is a nice country, but they do blame the west and they think Russian will win by taking territory from Ukraine, and they think Europe will be mortally wounded by self-inflicted energy shortages. I agree with these people.
Steve Ludlum, who I respect and have followed for years, and who first explained our energy predicament as the the triangle of doom, is an exception. He thinks Russia is to blame and will lose the war.
It’s always interesting to read a contrary view from a well informed person.
Perhaps I’ve been watching too much Duran. Or perhaps Steve is wrong in this case. Or perhaps Chuck Watson is right by saying that no one really knows the reality of the Ukraine war.
https://www.economic-undertow.com/2022/09/01/z-marks-the-spot/
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I really think you are right and Ludlum is wrong. Many people I respect think Russia is militarily smart and has much more advanced weapons and tactics than NATO (US). Scott Ritter, Larry Johnson, Colonel McGregor, The Duran, Saker, Andrei Martyanov, Bernard and more. Ludlum just parrots the propaganda of the west. The west is losing and that scares me because they are led by a senile old man and a bunch of idiots in Europe. Collapse and disarray anyone?
AJ
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Yeh, if life becomes really tough this winter in Europe one wonders how all those pampered people will respond.
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For almost 8 years Ukraine has been bombing and ethnically killing off Russians living in Ukraine and most specifically in the Donbas region. Russia has had the patience of jobe using every legal channel to stop the slaughter while the rest of the world turned a blind eye. Finally Russia, again using legal channels, legally entered Ukraine to end the humanitarian crisis. They announced it, said what they will do and that is what they are doing.
All the rest of the BS is US, NATO, and EUs doing.
Russia has stated over and over that will sell FFs to any and all who ask, also grains, uranium, and anything else. They have not placed any restrictions until just recently due to western illegal actions.
Any hardship felt by EU, US, or any others is due primarily to US sanctions and bullying.
So sad that Steve from Virg has lost touch so badly.
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Looks like this might be a book that doesn’t include the hopium chapter. It’s just been released but has anyone seen any reviews?
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/aug/31/an-inconvenient-apocalypse-climate-crisis-book
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The author was interviewed yesterday by Sam Mitchell. Seems like a wise guy except he’s not aware of MORT and is wasting his time by not focusing on MORT. Of course it might also be a waste of time to focus on MORT, but nothing else has a chance of helping.
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I came across this review of the book: https://www.resilience.org/stories/2022-08-31/review-an-inconvenient-apocalypse-by-wes-jackson-and-robert-jensen/
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Thanks Mike, good review.
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BenjaminTheDonkey is particularly bleak today.
http://benjaminthedonkey-limericksofdoom.blogspot.com/2022/09/on-suffering-and-end-of-suffering.html
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Every time I look at how Ivermectin was blocked from saving lives it makes me very angry and distrustful of our leaders. I will never forgive them.
Must watch short documentary.
https://rumble.com/v1huyrn-ivermectin-the-truth.html
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Great video, everyone should watch it! Too bad Pfizer exec’s and Fauchi are not in prison for fraud and murders.
AJ
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Alex Berenson today. He concludes with a very interesting question about China.
https://alexberenson.substack.com/p/just-emailed-this-to-a-reporter-i/
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Chuckle of the day.
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Compare Putin’s words to the moronic fact free blather flowing from western leaders.
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The economy seems to be falling apart. The U.S. is led by a senile old man controlled by competing interests. On top of that the West is losing a war that it started and can’t admit it. What could go wrong?
https://www.imetatronink.com/2022/09/the-moment-of-greatest-danger.html.
AJ
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Hi AJ,
Thank you so much for sharing that insightful read about Putin and his Russia, every thought made perfect sense and what came to my mind was the quote about the mills of God grinding slowly but inexorably, vengeance will come in the final analysis. This was a perfect companion post to Rob’s clip of Putin’s speech of economic downfall and the real meaning of wealth. This is the end game for the current global power set-up–I have compared the players as in a chess game and the West has been driven into a corner with the US queen piece hiding behind a few remaining pawns. The only thing missing from the essay that I would like to have gotten his opinion on is the Dragon teamed with the great bear, that is the role of China in the West’s checkmate. China, too, has overlong grievances with the West that must and will be settled, and since most of our economy relies on goods from China being made and shipped, we know who really is in control. Money is pure illusion now, it’s raw materials, both mineral and energy, infrastructure to produce goods, skilled labour force disciplined to work, ability to grow food to feed one’s own population, a governable masses by a stable government, and the military might to make this all happen internally and externally –these are the real assets that determine power and the West is running low or empty on every account. We’ve all been played by the overarching concept of economics that drove everything in our reality, now proven to be nothing but smoke and mirrors to keep us all entrained whilst the infinitesimally few continue to pull the strings and garner ever more wealth. And I am describing all of us who live in the West, we are the few percentage who have exploited resources and human power far beyond our countries’ borders, living by a created monetary system that enabled us to continue to do so. But, all things come to an end as in a cycle, a full circle, or even a grindstone that finally stops when everything is finely ground to dust.
You will know of the Chinese proverb (curse or blessing?) “May you live in interesting times”, we certainly were lucky enough to be born when we were to live out this pronouncement!
Hope all is going as smooth as it can be in the Pacific Northwest for you and your family. I am thinking of the forest you are caretaking and trust it will take care of you, too. To be amongst trees and be able to partake in their bounty is true wealth and health, too.
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Excellent recap of modern history. His concluding warning rings true to me.
What will western leaders do when it is clear their gamble failed?
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The problem with his analysis as i see it is he is coming from the same incorrect assumption that all of the US military exploits have been a failure, bungled, lossed. This is the opposite of reality. Every country we have entered into as well as many surrounding countries are but a fraction of what they use to be. Their economies collapsed, infrastructure destroyed and likely never to be rebuilt. Basically US and its minions have successfully destroyed demand for precious natural resources on a massive scale.
This same M O has been used domestically too. Middle America and all the legacy industrial areas are rotting $hit holes with no safe water and crumbling infrastructure.
The Ukraine thing is more of the same. If the Russians won’t destroy infrastructure then the Ukrainians will do it for them. It is also keeping Russia occupied, slowing down their growth and economy, and depleting their resources and treasure.
He speaks as if it is the US that is controlling all this and that it is being done to keep the US in place but the extremely wealthy elites who are actually controlling things have no country.
It seem clear to me that what is happening is tptb are working at controlling collapse. Poking here and there (pun intended) to get things rolling. They don’t particularly care about the death and destruction of collapse. They only want to insure they are still in their position as the most powerful, wealthy .001% with a degree of control over whatever is left. The faster and sooner they make collapse happen the more that will be left when the dust settles then they and their progeny can dictate how things go from there.
I would predict more of the same only bigger, faster, and more destructive but no one wants Nukes flying so there will be surprise concessions probably instigated by the Elites with allowances for their continued existence and hidden power.
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Interesting perspective. My initial reaction was to wonder if most US wars have indeed left the loser in ruins?
Looking at this Wikipedia summary of US wars it seems you may be right, with the exceptions of West Germany, Japan, Korea and Vietnam. Certainly every war since the OPEC oil crisis of 1973 has left the opponent a mess.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wars_involving_the_United_States
Perhaps US war strategy is all about thwarting the Export Land Model?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Export_Land_Model
I’ve always wondered why the US has such a hate on for Venezuela, Iran, and Russia.
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Euripides understood the essence of Dr. Ajit Varki’s Mind Over Reality Transition (MORT) theory 2500 years before Varki explained the evolution of a uniquely intelligent species with an extended theory of mind that exists because it denies unpleasant realities.
h/t Will Schryver @ https://www.imetatronink.com/
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Very good thread by Dr. Tim Garrett.
His point is obvious when you have defective genes for denying unpleasant realities.
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I would argue that the reason it is taboo is because absolutely everyone, except a tiny hand full of people are telling everyone night and day, on every channel and every web site that renewables are the solution, they are the future. For everyone who understands the reality that they are not there is a million people who believe they are. It is not denial, it is straight up lies and deception.
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Probably true for the average citizen that has no relevant education nor time or curiosity for a deep dive into the issue.
Does not explain how the majority of polymath intellectuals including physicists and climate scientists believe crap that can be debunked with high school physics let alone a PhD.
I have read stuff from most of the famous intellectuals and they usually have a good understanding of most issues except the one issue that matters: overshoot. This can’t be a coincidence. Some very powerful force that overrides intelligence, education, and common sense is in play.
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Tim Watkins today is excellent and takes a deep dive into what the imminent “degrowth” of the UK economy due to unaffordable energy will look like.
Other countries will no doubt follow similar paths of chaos.
Where are the adults?
https://consciousnessofsheep.co.uk/2022/09/06/in-brief-growth-of-a-sort-a-question-of-cascades-energy-and-government-thats-the-point-full-circle/
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Thanks to Mike Stasse for finding this intelligent and humorous video on why EVs are not going to replace diesel for delivering pretty much everything we need to survive.
Which means of course we’ll be going local whether we like it or not.
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This discussion of repo collateral is very interesting.
Our banking leaders either don’t understand how something central to the system they manage works, or they are denying something very unpleasant.
I’ll put my money on denial.
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Just learned I am fixing climate change by using Windows 11…
Settings\Windows Update:
“Windows Update is committed to helping reduce carbon emissions.” learn more
Clicking on “learn more” seems to be a broken link that takes you to an advertisement for a new Microsoft Surface device.
Perhaps the Surface has a super advanced 6G carbon capture chip?
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the hilarious lengths of delusion and denial
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https://www.visualcapitalist.com/cp/mapping-airways-the-worlds-flight-paths-and-airports/
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I haven’t taken a plane flight in 10 years. Don’t miss it and will be glad when it is gone. We are really energy dissipative creatures. Back to a slower mode of life/travel.
AJ
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Hello everyone, just when AJ stopped flying, I really took off. My bad, I know. There just isn’t any other way at the moment for what we’re trying to do but hopefully when we finally make the transition to this subtropical climate (and the decision could be made very soon with the way the world is going), then I will gladly join the ranks of those who voluntarily clipped their wings.
Thanks for sharing that graphic of flight paths–Europe’s lit up like a supernova, kind of ironic now that the energy crisis is tightening around us all, but more so there first. It was also very interesting to see the list of airports which transit most cargo, and the tonnage handled. Let me put this out here–even though we don’t park our bums on plane seats but if we accept and depend on goods that are transported by plane (including food), isn’t that also a point of responsibility? What I’m trying to say is that currently, our whole western lifestyle is still completely dependent on jet fuel, just like it is on diesel.
Talk about back to a slower pace of life–our Australia Postal service has come out today advising people that if they want their parcels to arrive at the intended location in time for Christmas, then it’s best to send them out now, yes, more than 3 months in advance. I guess even Santa is feeling the energy crunch.
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BenjaminTheDonkey today…
http://benjaminthedonkey-limericksofdoom.blogspot.com/2022/09/blog-post.html
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Rather cute and reminds me of Bobby McFerrin’s hit Don’t Worry, Be Happy song in the late 80s when everything seemed possible. The main lyrics state:
“In every life we have some trouble
But when you worry you make it double
Don’t worry, be happy
Don’t worry, be happy now”
Maybe that’s why so many are still in denial; we’ve got that catchy tune ingrained in our brains at a formative time. I never could whistle, though. I’m sure I would be a lot happier if I could and worry a lot less.
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I agree with Art Berman. Big changes underway. It is a lot to take in.
https://www.artberman.com/2022/09/06/energy-shock/
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I am sick to death of people complaining about energy companies “making record profits”.
Like really, is that what you think the problem is eye roll
Britians are complaining the evil electricity companies making profits while grannies freeze. Well you will all bloody freeze the year after if the electricity company goes bankrupt.
If governments want to legislate something, it should be making rules for what energy companies can do with their profits – i.e. you must reinvest in CAPEX, not pay out dividends or help investors bail from the energy sector.
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Well said, I agree.
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A new quote for the sidebar:
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New interview with my favorite biologist, Nick Lane.
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All the big ideas of biology were discussed except one: nary a whisper of MORT.
How is it possible that one little fringe blog with a tiny audience written by a cranky old retired electrical engineer is the only place on the planet that discusses a theory that answers all of the most important questions about the existence and probable destruction of the unique human species?
Even though many times I have consoled myself that denial of denial is the strongest form of denial, I still don’t get why a few big thinkers have not jumped on board.
Have you noticed that Nate Hagens has interviewed over a dozen (much less important) people since asking for an introduction to Dr. Varki? Apparently Varki has still not heard from Nate and I’m very disappointed.
There’s something radioactive about MORT for intellectuals that contemplate overshoot.
I saw it with Nate’s mentor Jay Hanson who employed unethical means to discredit MORT before even understanding it.
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I don’t deny that I for one am proud to be part of this little fringe group and no, I don’t think you’re overly cranky or old, Rob, but that’s all relative I suppose.
How about the denial of the denial of denial as an even more twisted form of denial?
It has occurred to me that maybe the reason why the polymaths that you most admire for every other reason avoid MORT like the plague is because MORT actually means DEATH in Latin and therefore the Romance languages? Maybe it’s a subconscious thing. It’s rather a serendipitous acronym for Dr. Varki’s theory as death is probably the surest certainty that most rather deny, very clever actually.
Anyway, MORT will finally come to us all, let that be a consolation if you will.
Namaste, fellow fringers.
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Thanks Gaia. Glad you joined this little tribe of misfits.
I never thought about the connection between MORT and death. You might be right but I suspect it’s more likely that MORT is too threatening to people who believe we are an intelligent species that only needs more education to do the right thing.
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Some of Nate’s guests have been disappointing. A war criminal who wants to take away free speech. AI proponents (we are about to have massive shortages across the hardware space, and people still think AI is going to progress). AI is the new god/devil for the non-believers. Or as JMG says, progress is just Christianity in drag
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Nate’s a really smart knowledgeable guy and yet after 15 years of trying education to move the needle without success he thinks we need more education.
We’ve got to shift the focus to why 99.9% aggressively deny overshoot.
And when talking about “solutions” we must focus exclusively on population reduction and economic contraction.
Everything else is a waste of time.
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Who was the war criminal?
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Richard A. Gephardt – part of the war in Iraq (maybe I’m too harsh?). He is also a proponent of putting even more speech controls on social media to fight “disinformation”
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New idea at 2:36:00 that I missed or forgot from Lane’s latest book.
It seems another “accident” may be at the root of the emergence of animals in the Cambrian explosion. A fortuitous assembly of sulphate minerals on land was washed into the ocean thus burying carbon and permitting atmospheric oxygen to increase.
Many improbable accidents are required to explain me writing this sentence.
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As I struggle to read his book, along comes this podcast.
Next to Darwin, Nick Lane is my favorite writer.
This podcast although long is well worth the listen. The interviewer leaves something to be desired. Although intelligent it would help if he had a foundation in bio/chemistry or engineering. That said, Nick doesn’t let the occasional inane question get in the way of his intelligent propounding of what life is. His understanding of consciousness (or what’s required to produce it) is better than most everyone else. His understanding of evolution of complex life has no peer that I have read.
Too bad he seems somewhat unaware of how dire the situation with overshoot is. He sees it but thinks we might still have time.
Sadly he seems unaware of MORT.
Rob, you should e-mail him!!!! He seems like he might be more receptive than Nate?
AJ
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Lane does have a great mind with an outstanding ability to connect dots and to see the highest probability explanation for a complicated puzzle.
His ideas are central to my manifesto essay that kicked off this site:
https://un-denial.com/2015/11/12/undenial-manifesto-energy-and-denial/
His latest book is a slog. Too many trees and not enough forest. His previous book The Vital Question addressed a similar theme but was much more engaging.
I should contact Lane but I expect it’s a waste of time. It’s possible I already did contact him years ago. I reached out to many people like him when I was getting started without success.
Not one famous intellectual has engaged on MORT. Not even to argue it’s wrong. I remember being amazed at the silence during the Q&A of Varki’s lectures.
Normal brains REALLY don’t like MORT. It threatens the house of cards that keeps us functioning.
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I know, I know, Mac10’s made the same prediction every week for 10 years but he’s still entertaining and one of these days he’ll be right, and then he can say I told you so.
https://zensecondlife.blogspot.com/2022/09/enter-lehman-week.html
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Joe Blogs’ chaff to wheat ratio has gone way way up since he decided to boost subscriptions by mindlessly echoing the “Russia bad” meme. Nevertheless, his deep dive today into China’s economic problems is very good.
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China has the best understanding of the engineered virus that originated in their lab and they are charting a path that differs from most countries with no mRNA use and zero covid lockdowns.
What does China know that we do not?
Has anyone seen an intelligent explanation for China’s no mRNA + zero covid lockdown policies?
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Chinese leaders are not stupid and evidence is overwhelming that current variants are not serious threats, UNLESS (maybe) you believe Bossche’s theory that we are encouraging the evolution of a MUCH more deadly strain.
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Somehow I get the feeling that a Chinese recession could or will precipitate a worldwide depression/ collapse?
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Blah blah blah blah, mmm… “we’re using less gasoline now than during 2020’s lockdown”.
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Tim Watkins today…
https://consciousnessofsheep.co.uk/2022/09/09/since-when-did-banks-produce-energy/
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First, let me apologize if this little post is too maudlin, it’s not meant to be it’s more a testament.
So first a little background. I’ve had multiple dogs and cats in my life and realize that they are a product of both our culture and the state of our civilization (over abundant fossil fuels). I also realize that at least for dogs they might go extinct with us; who knows about cats? That is of course if we don’t sterilize the planet.
Now I’m going to tell the story:
We have two dogs right now and that’s just plenty, probably too much. My younger daughter who lives with us manages a kennel. About a year and a half ago there was a dog there that had been in the kennel for over 2 months. The owner contacted my daughter and said she was elderly (83+) and had been injured and would no longer be able to keep the dog, that she had raised since a pup. She inquired if my daughter knew anyone who might be willing to take the dog. My daughter, the kind soul that she is, had doted on this dog and the dog reciprocated. Against my better judgment, we accepted the dog. I felt bad for the dog, 11 years with one owner living in the city and then to be basically abandoned. When Lulu (a Havanese) came to our house she fit right in. A small dog, she knew she was the boss and the other dogs put up with it. I don’t know how to describe Lulu’s personality other than to say she had a love of life that knew no bounds. She was the happiest dog I’ve ever known. She would run after deer, 10 times her size with the zest of our Aussie. She would bark me into submission when she thought I wasn’t doing what I was supposed to. She jumped higher than her body length for her dinner every day. It was the most spontaneous love of life animal I have come across. And then yesterday morning she died suddenly, doing one of the things she loved, which was taking a car ride into town (Probably of a heart attack or stroke as we were at the vet minutes after the event).
I realize that all of us are literally balanced on a knife edge and could be dead in10 seconds. That’s what metabolism is. And I realize, based on MORT we have to deny that to move on and keep living ourselves. I was listening to the Nick Lane podcast yesterday afternoon and realized that everything in this universe was set in motion by the Big Bang and the Rules that were established for matter/energy. I don’t think we have enough intelligence to understand how those Rules came about, but they still rule our lives. I also understand that there were 14 billion years from that Big Bang to my existence and that they’ll be infinite time after I’ve died till the universe reaches Thermodynamic equilibrium. I accept that to live by the rules of the universe we have to die, otherwise there can be no replacement or evolution. We are truly dust in the wind. I don’t DENY any of this, it’s just hard at 69 to move on.
Robert Louis Stevenson said it best in his epitaph:
Under wide and stary sky
Dig my grave and let me lie
Glad did I live and gladly died
I laid me down with a will
This be the verse you ‘grave for me
Here he lies where he longed to be
Home is the sailor home from the sea
And the hunter home from the hill
Rest in peace Lulu.
AJ
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I’m so sorry for your loss AJ. Our bond with dogs is deep and strong.
In my late 20’s I had an English Cocker Spaniel that I loved very much. When she died 15 years later I grieved for a long time.
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We’re right here with you and your family in condolence for the loss of your sweet sparkling friend. She may have been small in stature but from your moving elegy, we sense her lion heart. Surely dogs teach us unconditional love and love of life, always eager and grateful for kindness yet accepting of whatever fate gives. It is a blessing that you both found each other, and parted forever changed for having shared a little of the journey together.
‘Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. –Alfred Lord Tennyson
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Thank you Gaia; everything you said is true. We’ve had many dogs over the years and of course many deaths. They are all sad but on one level when the dog is extremely old and very debilitated, death is expected, and in some ways a relief. Such sadly was not the case with Lulu; she was so full of life. I know I’ll never get over her.
AJ
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BenjaminTheDonkey went from dormancy to activity, the end must be nigh. 🙂
http://benjaminthedonkey-limericksofdoom.blogspot.com/2022/09/faster-than-expected-facts-had-long.html
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Update by Chuck Watson, re: Ukraine war
Chuck Watson has done another update on the war. For a U.S. citizen he is one of the best at analyzing the situation in Ukraine’s (USA) war with Russia. No MSM propaganda just analysis limited by the “fog of war”.
https://blogenkiops.wordpress.com/2022/09/11/wacht-am-donbass/
AJ
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Thanks, just finished reading it and was about to post the link. I trust Watson above all others.
Points that stood out for me:
1) Recent Ukraine advances are either a Russian screw-up or a Russian trap. We should know by the end of this month.
2) Expect an escalation of Ukraine infrastructure destruction.
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Denial is amazing. It’s everywhere. Especially on especially unpleasant realities.
https://ourfiniteworld.com/2022/08/23/why-no-politician-is-willing-to-tell-us-the-real-energy-story/comment-page-19/#comment-388433
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I know, it’s like a totally different reality for most people and I am trying to stop myself denying that for them this is really how they experience the world.
Here’s another stupendous example of spectacular denial–every possible explanation to deduce the cause of excess deaths except for the one that must not be named, it’s all just a mystery! At least it is now mainstream that there are excess deaths.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/sep/13/whats-behind-the-mystery-of-thousands-of-excess-deaths-this-summer
Are the trees starting to turn colour in your part of the world? It’s hard to believe that a whole season has now passed since your friend Gail slipped off her mortal coil. Her beloved trees must also stand and face what is coming upon us all, may we be as brave and resolute.
And just wondering if anyone’s heard from our friend the Mandrake lately? The wit and humour emanating from that quarter has been conspicuously silent, hope everything is okay and just taking a little rest. This is a community we’ve created and we care for one another’s well-being. This forum is a great encouragement and comfort, long may it be an oasis in the desert of denial.
Go well, everyone. The best is yet to come, if we have the courage and gratitude to find the best in every day.
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Yes, the trees are just starting to turn color now. It’s a nice time of year, the temperature is very pleasant and the tourists have gone home.
Mandrake was last seen on August 9. I hope he’s ok.
https://un-denial.com/2022/07/18/by-wis-dom-project-regress-in-progress-who-is-responsible/comment-page-1/#comment-66341
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Tom Murphy is excellent today. He takes a fresh look at the fireworks show we’ve enjoyed for the last 200 years.
All indicators are dire. For example, all wild mammals will be gone by 2050 and all forests gone by 2200, perhaps sooner if the economy/fossil energy system breaks down.
Unfortunately he still does not see the centrality to positive change of acknowledging our genetic tendency to deny unpleasant realities.
https://dothemath.ucsd.edu/2022/09/death-by-hockey-sticks/
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Don’t these 2050 and 2100 statistics just leave you feeling like we are so doomed and that our modern industrial society is definitely not going to make it to 2050!
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Yes, the future is very bleak.
For the small minority of aware people, like Murphy, who are still working to make the future less bad, I will continue to point out that all possible good paths first require an understanding of MORT.
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I respect people that are comfortable saying they are not sure. Dr. Malcolm Kendrick on covid is one of those people. Today he takes a close look at all cause mortality in Europe and identifies an interesting puzzle.
Why did deaths spike in England but not in Northern Ireland, Wales, and Scotland, despite all 4 having near identical covid policies, healthcare systems, and population health?
He thinks he knows the answer but leaves us to think about it until his next post.
I’m drawing a blank.
https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2022/09/14/covid19-so-many-questions-so-few-real-answers/
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I don’t know for sure but I’ll bet it has something to do with the fact that England is a much more toxic environment and therefore has a less healthy population in general.
It is not a matter of either germ theory or terrain theory, it is both together.
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Others have suggested a different ethnic mix due to immigration. Or maybe population density.
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Some things made me flinch. He thinks almost everyone in the world has been exposed to/infected by Sars-CoV-2, as though being exposed to and being infected are the same thing. He also forgets that bastion of zero-COVID, China, which may have had more infections than reported but, with its strict approach, could well have over a billion people who don’t fit into Kendrick’s definition of “virtually everyone”. He doesn’t hold much store by official numbers (neither do I) but seems to do a good job of trusting them for the purposes of making some points (particularly about Sweden).
It is interesting to see the differences in all-cause mortality rates for the 4 UK nations but, like you, Can’t think of why that would be, though, the main causes of death aren’t mentioned. Maybe there is something in there.
It was also interesting that Dr Kendrick admitted to filling in 4 death certificates and filling in the cause as COVID-19 when he “had no idea” if that was the cause. Why would a doctor do that?
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I’m amused that these super smart economics guys who seem to understand how the monetary system works better than anyone else, and who continually point out that other analysts don’t have a clue what’s going on, are themselves completely blind to the end of growth caused by depletion of affordable fossil energy.
I left this comment today. Crickets back from them, of course.
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https://www.currentaffairs.org/2022/08/why-the-chair-of-the-lancets-covid-19-commission-thinks-the-us-government-is-preventing-a-real-investigation-into-the-pandemic
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This is a wonderful case study to demonstrate the validity of Dr. Ajit Varki’s Mind Over Reality Transition (MORT) theory.
How is it possible that two intelligent aware people can discuss in depth how best to respond to overshoot and not even mention the one thing that might make the future less bad: population reduction policies?
It’s not possible, unless our species evolved to deny unpleasant realities, as explained by MORT.
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A lot of people I know will talk about overpopulation in person and recognize that it is a real problem. I think it is socially unacceptable to talk about in public, and especially for intellectuals. I have observed the same phenomenon with gender issues. Everyone knows a man can’t be a women, and vis versa. But everyone is too scared to say that in public. It seems the last people to admit the truth are intellectuals. I think MORT explains a lot, as does plain old societal pressures to not offend the people in your ingroup. The higher you are on the socio-economic hierarchy, the more pressure you have to conform with societal norms when in you’re in public.
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I know Hagens would agree with you because he’s told me so.
Nevertheless, to focus on “solutions” that won’t help, and to remain silent on the one action that will help, and to genuinely believe you’re still helping and doing the right thing because your audience can’t handle the truth, is a good example of genetic denial.
It wasn’t so long ago that same sex marriage was toxic. Then it became part of everyday conversation and now the majority thinks it’s no big deal.
We need overshoot aware people to step up and make population reduction part of everyday conversations, because as I said the Hagens, we are out of time for pleasantries.
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I so agree with you! Speaking the truth is the best course of action in the long run
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The thing is, people can talk all they want about actions but I think you’d have to change humans into another species for any significant action to be taken. Since that’s impossible, don’t hold your breath for humans suddenly changing their characteristic behaviour. So, any actions that would, hypothetically, help the situation won’t be taken unless they are also consistent with human behaviour.
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The majority of overshoot aware people agree with you.
A tiny minority are still trying to reduce the coming suffering and I think they should focus on figuring out how to crack our genetic tendency to deny unpleasant realities.
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The thing is, Rob, the only way to change our genetic tendency is to alter our genes. That may be done through genetic modification, like CRISPR, or deep time. I’m not sure many would willingly go for the former.
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We have a genetic tendency to become addicted to nicotine but many are able to kick the habit.
We have a genetic tendency to breed but many choose to be childless and have happy lives.
We have a genetic tendency to believe in life after death but many choose to be atheists.
It seems to me you may be looking for an excuse to not take an unpopular position on population reduction.
Screw what your tribe currently thinks. Do what is right.
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I don’t agree that there is a genetic tendency to addiction or to belief in life after death. There is a genetic tendency to breed and that applies to all organisms (though some reproduce in very different ways). Indeed, life itself and speciation are the products of breeding. Not breeding is not a particularly useful trait for life so the fact that some choose not to is, to a large extent, neither here nor there. I suspect that many of those wouldn’t choose not to if it were not for reasonably abundant birth control methods.
But you wondered how to alter the genetic tendency to make the right decision? If it could be done, then there would be no genetic tendency. If it is done in a forced way, how would the choice be made or would the forcing apply to everyone?
I happen to agree that we need population reduction, desperately. And it needs to be done quickly. War, collapse or pestilence are the only methods that might achieve population reduction quickly. Plateauing at 8 billion is not good enough, we need reductions in the multiples of billions. But I just don’t see how it can be done in any way that people would accept. So, it’s not that I’m avoiding taking an unpopular position, it’s simply that I can’t see any way to do it, even at a snail’s pace.
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Our ancestors created religions with life after death stories and spent all of their surplus wealth on structures like stonehenge, mounds, pyramids, temples, cathedrals to improve their life after death. Consistently in all cultures, geographies, and time. That’s a genetic behavior. It’s also predicted by MORT.
I think if you read up on nicotine you will find we are born with a tendency to become addicted to it.
Glad we agree on the need for population reduction. If we all spent more time discussing why population reduction is desperately required to reduce the coming suffering then some people listening to the conversation would choose to have fewer children with no need for a contentious vote or policies. And that would be a worthwhile success because 6 billion minus 1 suffering is better than 6 billion suffering.
With enough everyday conversation maybe someday the majority would vote for population reduction policies, like they did for abolishing slavery, and women’s rights, and same sex marriage, and trying to keep nicotine away from children.
As it stands not a single overshoot aware person with a platform, except Jack Alpert, consistently calls for population reduction.
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Panopticon’s round-up of global economic news today is sobering (image courtesy of el gato malo).
https://climateandeconomy.com/2022/09/15/15th-september-2022-todays-round-up-of-economic-news/
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Thanks Rob. This guys selected headline articles are excellent. They always remind me of what a complex society / economy has evolved and that the chances of voluntary change in the right direction (less consumption, energy use and reduced population) is incredibly unlikely. Reinforces that my wife and I are on the right track moving towards our own small farm future.
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We are collapsing from the outside in. This one is terrifying for the trees:
“…by the end of this year up to 30mn Africans may no longer be able to afford liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to cook the food they eat. Such a development would mark an economic regression that the World Bank has said may raise the total number of Africans living in extreme poverty from 424mn before the pandemic in 2019 to 463mn this year.”
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If we switched from natural gas and oil to wood for heating our homes the forests would be gone in 5 years. Much sooner if we tried to make cement, glass, steel, etc. with wood.
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Someone who I do not know named Fleabane Rising engaged with me in a discussion on MORT. It doesn’t happen very often, in fact almost never, so I’m copying it here in case it gets deleted.
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El gato malo of late has been too much blah blah blah and too much red vs blue bullshit for my taste, but every once in a while he steps back and writes an excellent big picture summary of the covid insanity.
https://boriquagato.substack.com/p/closing-ranks-against-the-truth
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Does it really matter if we wipe out species we didn’t even know existed by mining the ocean floor for metals to build electric vehicles given the intense pleasure we obtain from accelerating a 6000lb vehicle from 0 to 60mph in 2 seconds?
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Earlier this year Geert Vanden Bossche made a specific prediction that our vaccine policies would encourage the evolution of a variant that is both infectious and virulent and that vaccinated people would be most at risk.
I remember being worried and saying to myself that we should give it until this fall to decide if he’s right. I also remember thinking he was being too confident on the outcome of a process with a large element of chance driving it.
Has anyone seen any evidence that his prediction may come true?
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Hi Rob and friends, I’m thinking that things will come to a head sometime this winter for the Northern Hemisphere populations as they will be challenged again with seasonal tendencies for respiratory infections on top of concurrent damage from inoculations (the 5th dose will be encouraged), not to mention additional stress of enduring more cold and discomfort and less nutrition due to ongoing energy and food situations. It doesn’t have to be the virus that does us in anymore, the cat is out of the bag and other events and repercussions have overtaken the course. I can report that in my experience nearly every other week I hear of someone I know dying or getting sick, either a new illness or worsening of prior conditions. I estimate it’s about 50% of the people I know who have been inoculated who have officially gotten Covid (by RAT testing) and much more unofficially (passed off their winter respiratory illness as colds), and 1 in 3 have gotten Covid more than once and in rapid succession. There are only so many times one can get colds or flu in a season before the immune system is overwhelmed and the organism is energetically depleted, leading to other disease processes taking hold, like cancer and dementia. The increase in all cause mortality and hospitalisations speak loudest for something not quite right that even the mainstream audience is starting to cotton on. So whatever GVB predicted, the outcome is more or less still pointing to a critical state of health decline in a significant portion of the population.
As I have brought up before, should we acknowledge this as an effective and timely population reduction strategy and/or be appalled that the masses did not have a chance to choose such an outcome for themselves, without an understanding of MORT notwithstanding?
Possibly whoever remains to write and reflect history would deem that to exit life on this planet in these transition years is a mercy compared to what fresh hell awaits those who must endure a bit longer.
Solace and purpose I find overflowing still by tending the earth and being grateful for my one chance at consciousness in a physical form at this juncture of time space continuum. And I find much joy and comfort in trying to be kind, giving of service, and cultivating a generous spirit. Did MORT or yet something even more prima facie to humanity allow us to think and feel so? Oh, let there always be mysteries to our being! Namaste and go well, everyone.
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Thanks Gaia for the interesting observations from the other side of the planet. Everything I read (but perhaps because I have such a small social circle, not what I observe) says overall health has declined since the vaccinations started.
My guess is this trend will continue since the software update is permanent.
But Bossche was not talking about vaccine side effects. He predicted a large die off due to a new variant created by our policy of mass vaccination with a leaky vaccine in the middle of a pandemic.
I don’t see any signs of this yet. Maybe we’ll get lucky.
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In NZ we have been having a terrible time with getting sick. It’s causing big problems for schools and businesses this winter. The most likely cause is that when you shut the population down for a year or so, you weaken everyone’s immune system. I’d be hesitant to blame the vaccine (or just the vaccine). Being isolated from the larger community is known to increase your vulnerability to infectious diseases
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Though the population wasn’t shut down for a year or so. The most strict lockdown was a couple of months, maybe. Other lockdowns have definitely been less severe and hardly any lockdown since about March. I doubt that is a factor in weakened immune systems.
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It was a factor because we didn’t get the flu or most colds for two years.
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Yes, it may be a factor but I can’t see how not contracting one or two cold viruses would drastically weaken one’s immune system.
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I’m certainly no where near an expert, but it definitely is an effect. It works in the reverse to how you and i wrote it; The more you are exposed the stronger your immune system has to become. It’s not that lockdowns weaken you, it’s that you don’t get exposed to get stronger. The smaller the population and the more separated they are from the global population, the more at risk they are. That’s why indigenous populations often lose most of their people when they come in contact with globalists. There was an isolated family in Russia that pretty much never saw the rest of world. The few times they went to town, they knew they were risking their life. Eventually the last remaining family member refused to go to town because she knew even a mild cold could kill her
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http://benjaminthedonkey-limericksofdoom.blogspot.com/2022/09/dies-irae-masses-will-soon-be-struck.html
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Rob – You seem to be in deepest denial about the fact and the degree to which the average person is lied to. If there is any genetic disposition unique to homo sapien that has been and still is instrumental in the evolution of the species it is our ability to lie. You can trace virtually all of the catastrofes throughout human history to small groups perpetuating massive lies, indoctrination, propaganda, etc.
In order for denial to be the #1 issue it would require that the majority of people know the truth and CHOOSE to ignore it. First off I would bet my last dollar that less than 10% of the population have even a clue, and of those people maybe 10% of them decide to ignore it so we are at less than 1%.
You and MORT are in deep denial about the realities of the real world.
Please don’t just dismiss what I am saying by stating that everyone else agrees with my position but nothing changes so that must prove that MORT is correct.
The biggest problem with placing denial in the #1 position is that that assumes the majority of people have the proper information but choose to ignore it. Facts disprove this on every level. What is true about the majority of people is the FACT that they are all lied to on a regular basis about almost everything. Please try and disprove this most basic of truisms.
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I agree with you that we are lied to all the time on many issues like economic growth, banking system health, inflation, geopolitics, terrorism, war, safe and effective vaccines, etc. etc.
I see denial, not lies, at all levels of our society on the more important overshoot issues, which also happen to be the most unpleasant issues, where we would expect genetic denial to kick as explained by MORT. These issues include over-population, economic collapse due to resource depletion, implications of ecosystem damage, and responses to climate change.
I could list dozens of examples but will pick one that got me riled up today. Alex Smith of Radio Ecoshock does the best journalism on climate change with weekly interviews of the world’s experts. Neither he nor his expert guests have a clue about what needs to be done. They are not lying. They are good people trying their best but they are deeply in denial when they spew bullshit fantasies about a zero-carbon economy, never integrate peak oil into their models, and never even whisper population reduction. Our leaders are advised by these “experts” so we can expect them to be in even deeper denial.
It’s not a matter of more education. Alex has had guests who have explained the relationship between energy, the economy, and food, and the non-substitutability of fossil energy. I had him interview Dr. Varki so he understood genetic denial at one point in time. All of that knowledge has vaporized and been replaced with the moronic mantra of “we must fight the evil oil companies and go green to achieve a zero-carbon economy by 2030”.
WTF? A zero-carbon economy means 6+ billion people die, instantly.
That’s not a lie. That’s not a lack of information. That’s not stupidity. That’s denial.
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Lying is a kind of denial. Why does someone lie, if the result is catastrophe? Lying requires understanding reality but wanting to communicate a different reality. As the reality is different from the lie, the truth must eventually come out, unless the lie is minor (e..g. a “white lie”). The liar, presumably, seeks to gain from the lie.
It’s the genetic tendency which is the hard bit. If the genes aren’t changed, the genetic tendency will remain (whether it is denial or lying). I don’t see a way out.
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So I’m from central Europe and there was a news story today which, translated, headline was “Real wages likely to fall by almost four percent this year”.
They also cited the following, again translated, “From 1960 to 1990, real incomes fell only once, reported Momentum, citing data from the EU’s Ameco database. Since then, there have been there have been nine years of real wage losses, including 2022. In addition, annual increases in real wages from 1960 to the early 1990s often exceeded 1.5 percent. 1990s were often above 1.5 percent – there have been no such gains since the end of the 1990s. since the end of the 1990s.”
It seems that reality is seeping more and more into the mainstream. I see the same with energy and partial improvement regarding energy blindness. Let me say that users of this site should be aware that nothing, at least constructive, will come from that as the real truths regarding population overshoot will always be denied. It’s still interesting though.
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Hi and welcome, it does seem that energy reality is creeping in. It will be interesting to see what happens if and when awareness that economic growth is over forever takes hold.
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