Shaping the Collapse of the Empire

One of my starting assumptions when thinking about the future is that the collapse of industrial civilization is inevitable. Occasionally, there is a debate among Peak Oil aware circles about whether we are facing a quick collapse or a slow, grinding, long collapse. (There are some who say that Peak Oil does not equal collapse in our present context, but they can be safely ignored.) The question I propose to address here is: if we could choose, what sort of collapse would be most desirable (or, more accurately, least awful)?

There are some who argue that a slow collapse would be better, because it could mitigate some suffering, allow us to prepare for a better social organization post-collapse, etc. The problem I see with this point of view is that is presumes that we will retain a reasonable political order all the way down the collapse curve. However, it seems more likely that we will face political turmoil and potential collapse earlier rather than later in this process. The history of the Great Depression in Europe, and particularly in Germany, is instructive in this regard. What arises may almost certainly be, in some form, a malignant political order that does not respond well to the efforts of individuals who are outside the systems of power to effect positive change.

On the other hand, a quick collapse, while distinctly unpleasant, at least has the virtue of taking out more of the systems of state power before they can be used in bad ways against the populace. It also will probably be better for ecological systems, in that the ruthless exploitation that industrial civilization practices will come to an end sooner than it would in a slow collapse. If we all become poor relatively quickly, there will certainly be violence, injustice, and hardship, but that will be more manageable if most state power has collapsed as well, rather than if we continue to extend and pretend in a way that props up, as much as possible, industrial civilization and state power turns into something diabolical.

Having established that I would prefer a fast collapse to a slow collapse, what, if anything, can individuals ethically do to bring this preferred option about? Here are some of the ideas I have:

• Shine a spotlight, using all available means, on the nature and abuses of Imperial power, so that ones friends and neighbors understand why it is crucial to withdraw their support. As Wikileaks is proving, daylight is the mortal enemy of Empire.
• Discharge all indebtedness - preferably by paying it down and not incurring new debt, but default may be acceptable as well. The Empire's economic system relies on indebtedness and interest payments to function. In conjunction with this, find ways to preserve your assets outside the banking (and credit union) system.
• Withdraw, to the maximum extent possible, from the money economy.
• Find your life's purpose and meaning in something besides materialism.

I do not advocate for violent resistance to the empire, because by pursuing violence, we would simply turn ourselves into that which we claim to oppose.

Videos You Must See

Jon Stewart on Foreclosuregate

Chris Hedges on the Death of the Liberal Class (Also the title of his most recent book)

What the Federal Reserve is up to

JP Morgan About to Crash in Failed Attempt to Manipulate Silver Markets?

J.P. Morgan Getting Squeezed In Silver Market? (San Francisco Chronicle)

J.P. Morgan Silver Manipulation Explained (Youtube Video)

And there are now rumors circulating about shortages of physical silver on the market.

Not a Good Week to be Poor

Of course, there never is a good time to be poor.

But in the past week we have Holidays about survival as jobless benefits end:

Congressional opponents of extending the benefits beyond this month say fiscal responsibility should come first. Republicans in the House and Senate, along with a handful of conservative Democrats, say they're open to extending benefits, but not if it means adding to the $13.8 trillion national debt.

But apparently unfunded tax cuts for those earning millions annually are an acceptable reason to add to the deficit.

And in Olympia, the nominally democratic governor is proposing elimination of the state's Basic Health Plan, which exists to serve those who otherwise simply won't have health coverage.

Apparently there are a whole lot of people currently in politics who think that Hoover had the right ideas in 1931.

ETA: Apparently the Congress and the President have reached an agreement to extend both unemployment benefits (for people who desperately need them) and tax cuts for the top 2% (definitely not needed).

Where Are We Now?

I am starting this blog as a way to chronicle the events in the world and in my little corner of the planet, Cascadia, as the crises of the Long Emergency begin to appear with increasing force and urgency. From where I sit, here are some of the major stories that are unfolding even as we speak:

• Global oil production is at least 2 or 3 years past peak, and it is highly possible that totally global energy production is past peak. This one fact will lead inexorably to economic and political disruptions for decades to come.
• The United States of America is more and more clearly an Empire in all but name, and a declining one at that. This Empire will refuse to collapse in an orderly manner, resulting in much hardship around the globe and at home.
• The grand experiment of Europe, the European Union and the Euro, is on its last legs. The ahistorical peace and prosperity that Europe has enjoyed since the end of World War 2 is fast becoming a relic as the normal pattern of European history reasserts itself.
• It is increasingly clear that the financial system of the Empire (and by extension, that of most of the world) is based on fraud and swindles. The system is past reform and will collapse, most likely in a very messy and damaging manner that will impoverish many ordinary people.
• Democracy in the Empire is a sham. The financial and corporate worlds control all the essential parts of government. The voice of the people is only allowed to manifest itself in government in topics that the corporate world does not care about, mostly hot-button social issues.