Collapse of the Petrodollar

[Jshubin]

@Jshubin, I don't think the end of the Petrodollar will end the era of fossil fuel. I think fossil fuel will be around for much longer than we may think or want. I also think new technologies will take a back seat to economies trying to revive themselves. I don't think a new super power will emerge right away, but I would put my money on China or a Russian coalition.

@NH Homesteader, "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." ~Sir Ferdinand Dalberg-Acton

But you are probably right... economies trying to revive themselves will do whatever it takes to build back up again... which would be fossil fuels if they are cheap and available.. otherwise they'll be forced to use whatever is available (coal, bio-fuel, geo, solar, tidal or oxen power) haha

 

[Britesea]

It angers me that our elected officials have lied, cheated, enriched themselves-all at the expense of us. A leading politician recently called an opponent's supporters a "basket of deplorables." The unsaid truth is that our ruling elite looks down on us all as a "basket of deplorables." They sicken me.

Ultimately I dont think humans have evolved enough to live in massive urban, cities, nations all working together... Only insect colonies have evolved to that level of flawless civilization. Humans evolved to live in family and village size units, but our technological and cultural advancements have placed major burden on people to live in massive communities.

Years ago, I read about an experiment conducted at a college involving a fake jail, with (student) volunteer inmates and guards. The guards wore mirrored sunglasses. The experiment had to be cut short because the guards became abusive toward the inmates.
The point to this is that these were all classmates that knew and worked together, but when they were given the anonymity of the sunglasses, they no longer identified with their friends behind bars.

I believe that the same anonymity is at work in our current system of large groups (urban cities, states, and nations as opposed to tribes or villages). How can one expect a person living in Washington DC to know everyone in his or her constituency? Altruism will only take us so far; ultimately that representative (senator/president/bureaucrat) will make decisions that benefit him/herself to the detriment of others.

We as the "basket of deplorables" (Lenin referred to them as "useful fools") have added to the problem by not communicating with our representatives. Maybe if we wrote to them more often, they would realize they did not have that protective veiling of mirrored sunglasses, and they might start paying more attention to us. (and maybe not- it may be a fundamental flaw in the system)

 

[MoonShadows]

I like your post, Britesea, but I don't think writing to our reps would make that much of a difference. It seems the for most, once they are in Washington, it is about them, not us.

 

[Britesea]

I fear you are right, @MoonShadows . As I said, it's probably a basic flaw in the system; there is just too much distance and to many people. When you don't have to look someone in the eye while doing it, it's much easier to hurt or ignore them.