Tuesday, November 11, 2008

"THE GAS IS ON THE PAVEMENT"

Victoria H. commented "The gas is all over the pavement, now all that is needed is the spark."

I envy her eloquence.

Between the Bloomberg suit (which is being largely ignored by the ms), and the auto industry... AND the brilliant stuff that Peter N. found on tax breaks in the bailout, that was some of the best dialogue and thinking I have ever seen. I will try to offer a response equally as eloquent.

We are so F-CKED!

The tax breaks being given to banks, Wells Fargo being one of the largest, to keep them alive are taking maybe hundreds of billions in tax revenue right off the top next year. There goes our chance for infrastructure change in the face of Peak Oil. The Dems will do everything possible to save Detroit and that's what they have to do. There are no easy choices now and none will change the End Game. It'sanybody's guess as to how much each choice, right or wrong, will delay or accelerate it. The only game being played is "forestall the inevitable": the collapse of industrialized civilization. I really do believe and am sensing that it is starting to sink in, in some very important circles. Those of us who made FTW, Rubicon and this amazing blog have greatly facilitated that.

And in the midst of all this Bush/Cheney are playing their own end game.

Stop calculating the deficit, it's a spinning meter now. Stop calculating the national debt. Fuggedaboudit! There is only one thing to do when a debt becomes so large it can never be repaid: go bankrupt and liquidate. We saw the first signs when rumors surfaced (and were quickly quashed) that Hyundai, I think it was, was looking to buy parts of Chrysler, including the Jeep line. There again, is something we described for years as en route at FTW and in Rubicon...

Hooray! The map is accurate.

Oh shit! The map is accurate.

I wonder how long before rumors surface that Disney and Coke are having trouble. The American brand name is dead.

Look guys, this is it. It can't possibly be long now until j6p and the rest of us get our teeth kicked in. And man is he going to be pissed off. Those of us who prepared to whatever extent will have it much easier than almost everyone we meet. I am so grateful that so many of you have let me know in so many ways, that you got it. You changed your lives because of the work I and the FTW gang did. Now we must realize that we have a blessing and ask how we can use it to best serve the rest. Go watch "Schindler's List", identify, and then understand that we won't be able to help everybody. Forgive yourself and do it now. The tension is surely getting to all of us, as it should be. Don't try to deny it or pretend it isn't there. Embrace it and respect it. It is something that bonds us to our fellows. Give yourself room to act and respond differently and don't judge yourselves too much if you screw up. I know too many in our not-so-little movement and we all share common traits. I acted out recently and really wounded someone who was and remains very special. Amends were made and accepted but our paths parted way too soon. --I'm sorry LB.

We must keep the human part of this process involved in all of this for our own health. I don't think anyone could ask for a better support group than what we have in this blog and beyond.

Now I'm going to go pester my agent about selling a book which really needs to come out soon.

FWIW -- I believe that's in God's hands -- a God who looks after all religions and peoples.

MCR
***********************

JO writes:

From The Writing On The Wall Department
Russia Signals Depreciation of Ruble

The central bank faces the danger that, by signalling a devaluation may be on the cards, it may spark a run on the rouble. Russia's stock market on Tuesday fell more than 10 per cent, and trading was halted briefly.
The Two Faces of Money
Insider Crimes, Funny Money and Options Rackets
They Made a Killing: The Use of Knowledge of Covert Operations in the Stock Market

54 comments:

Rice Farmer said...

Oh man, are we on the same wavelength. It's now easy to see what has been predicted for some time: Industrial civilization's days are numbered. There's no need to invoke Olduvai Theory now.

One more important thing is bankruptcy. I see it as a virtual certainty that the US will default on its debt next year. If you are waiting for the Big Tsunami, that's going to be it. Of course, everyone already knows that the US dollar is about as worthless as used toilet paper, but with governments around the world having so many dollars, they are compelled to maintain the fiction that the dollar is actually worth something.

Phlutor said...

I had a fantasy the other week that the US went bankrupt and Russia bought us.

I wonder now how close this is to being true? Or whether it might be China instead of Russia?

Peter J. Nickitas said...

The 12 November 2008 Financial Times has a story on the IEA report on oil production and consumption.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/bde7a8ba-b0b2-11dd-8915-0000779fd18c.html

The link has a link to the IEA executive summary.

The IEA executive summary does not include the phrase "peak oil." The IEA predicts a production peak in 2030, with the assumption of increased OPEC investment. The IEA also admits to field-by-field production declines.

This amounts to more nonsense. Previous rumors of a more dire IEA report may have precipitated anesthetizing and misleading changes to it.

The bottom line is this: Peak Oil is here, the OECD cannot do anything about it, and no illusions can delay the peak.

kiki said...

this is interesting; it would seem they have thought about the 'little' things too:

http://www.truthout.org/111108S

titled:

The Midnight Deregulation Express
from the Washington Independent

nov 22 an important date

what else besides whats in the article will be deregulated?

kiki said...

it's impossible to keep up with these guys;

http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/81037

is there any privacy anymore?

kiki said...

'dumb it down please'

http://www.alternet.org/mediaculture/106551/?page=1

Luckymom said...

Michael,

In Rubicon you wrote that the middlegame was ending and now the players were preparing for the endgame.

http://www.europac.net/externalframeset.asp?id=14618

It looks as if China is strategically fortifying their position while the US continues to sacrifice their pieces into an attack that has a losing strategy. Our king will surely be left in the middle of the board undefended.

sunrnr said...

Unbelievably incompetent, greedy b#()$#ds.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27677764/

Committing economic and political blackmail in broad daylight. What did they threaten Congress with to get passage of TARP?

namaste

kiki said...

sunrnr, i watched the whole news conference - at one point, referring to the bailout bill he made reference to what powers the bill gave the treasury - almost as if that was the original intent, moreso than the money.........if anyone can access seeing the whole 'show' - see what you think

sunrnr said...

Kiki,

With your insight I'd say that fits the pattern. Manufacture some crisis, whether it be Pearl Harbor, Afghanistan, Iraq, 9-11 to scare the bejesus out of Congress and the American public.

With that they can push their agenda in the name of "securing, saving, strengthening" America?

TPTB must fear the American public enough and the laws of the land just enough not to outright take control (yet). They need to make it seem legitimate to the rest of the world also?

Do we have any alternatives other than put up the stockages, gather in the crops and the animals and hunker down until the dust settles?

Can we as a people do something to take more control of the situation? With the run on guns and ammunition that I've personally witnessed, I'm very frightened that those playing with matches without adult supervision will indeed roll one into that puddle of "gasoline on the pavement".Things will go wildly out of control at that point.

I'm guessing TPTBs' planning has been done far longer and is more extensive than we would be able to do in the short run. Is that why they appear to stationing and moving troops within the US?

What next?

namaste

Al Czervik said...

Paulson: Government won't buy troubled bank assets.
http://tinyurl.com/5d6qcl

Wasn't that the whole point of the plan?

Anonymous said...

The International Energy Agency's (IEA) annual World Energy Outlook (WEO) for 2008 as reviewed by The Oil Drum.

Oblivion95 said...

Hello, This my first post here.

Has anyone read the new book Guilt By Association by Jeff Gates?

Apparently its setting the academic and political worlds afire.

http://www.1888pressrelease.com/noam-chomsky-breathless-just-reading-it-pr-81665.html

Peter J. Nickitas said...

This comes as little surprise.

GATA tracks the case well.

Derivates and credit default swaps (CDS)? Think of Nathan Detroit and Sky Masterston betting on which raindrop falls down the window pane first -- except the stakes are astronomically higher.

http://www.gata.org/node/6864

Ellen H. Brown's Web of Debt blog has a good piece on this "It's the Derivatives, Stupid," that corroborates GATA.

The Mob's Commission was just "a police department for wise guys." So said Henry Hill of "GoodFellas" fame. The Bush/Cheney/Paulson Regime, with the Bernanke FEDeralini Family? It's just a super police department for super wise guys.

I see the primary mission for us is defense by exposure of them and self-preservation of ourselves. If each of us can reduce debt, do it. If each of us can reduce petroleum usage, DO IT. Save money. Can you buy silver coins for silver (about $4,200 for a 1/4 bag at a local dealer in Mpls.), do it. Have some seeds for the spring? Save them and plant them. Have neighbors? Get to know them. Offer to share needful projects, like maintenance, lawnwork, and neighborhood watches. Have a voice, hands, thought processes, or any combination thereof? Use them to pray as you do the above and more.

One other point comes from the IEA story: the 9.1% production drop has not been refuted or repudiated by IEA.

Consider Camus's "The Plague". Those who denied the plague's existence died fast. Those who denied the plague's magnitude died later. Those who invested too much in their own constructed legal or moral reality (i.e., the magistrate and the archbishop) died later. Those who looked at the danger squarely in the eye (Dr. Rieux), those who did their job (the assistant clerk), and those who loved deeply (the journalist), survived. The black marketeer (Cottard) also survived, but he went mad as soon as the plague lifted. Let us use our ears to hear, our eyes to see, do our jobs,look forward to a new day after Peak, and love deeply. That does not guarantee success. It increases the odds of success and enables one to meet genuine people on the way.

kiki said...

Al Czervik, in the news conference a reporter asked him if he had lied to congress because what everyone understood 'then' has now become something different - he answered saying no, this fits into what i said and then quoted the words he used before congress - appears he is using semantics as a defense

martypantsROK said...

Al Jazeera has a nice article on the Oil industry not being able to meet demand.

No direct mention of "Peak Oil" but I doubt the MSM will pick up on this.

Oil
Could Reach $100

Rice Farmer said...

Oh baby, look at this.

Tight credit slows food and energy shipments
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-mon-crisis-shipping-1110-nov10,0,725739.story

Of course this was long predicted. $147 oil brought the system to its knees. Now even though oil has declined to less than half the peak, the damage has been done. Tight credit? Yes, indeed. Just remember where all that money came from in the first place. What oil giveth, oil hath taken away.

Gardengate said...

Hi Jenna,

I read Rubicon, was a subsciber of FTW, and my wife and I saw Mike speaking in Eugene, Oregon in May of 2005. We are lifeboat builders and could sure use a helping hand. I wrote this short article about Peak Oil Prepardness that was on Culturechange.org a couple of months ago.


Off the Sidelines and In the Game
By David Kost

When we embarked on this journey six years ago, I never would of believed how difficult it has been to network with people considering the amount of resources we have to work with. We have tried for the last five years to work with people in our community, well over 100 and the list is growing.

When we talk to people about peak oil/peak resources, climate and ecosystems collapsing, collapse of the financial system and our infrastructure, we find people think we’re nuts.
Some are aware of these things, but they’re not concerned because they think they won’t be around to see it happen. Others know it but just won’t do anything and are too lazy, and then there are those who are in it for the money (capitalism with a smile).

It is strange to me if I was to preach hatred and bigotry I would be a valuable commodity and have people flocking to my doorstep. However, offering people a chance to live self sufficiently, responsibly, peacefully in a sustainable manner is more difficult to accomplish. The latter requires hard, physical work something most people don’t know how to do.

Even though we expected this to be our last move, now after retirement at ages 52 and 50, we are once again thinking the unimaginable, relocating. We know that with our skills and dedication we would be a welcomed addition to someone who is trying to accomplish what we have failed to do. We must begin to build avenues to connect people with certain skills and assets; trying to educate people is not enough. Like the documentary Power of Community states, what happened in Cuba in the ‘90s was not so much technological change as it was human. Sharing responsibilities and costs will be very important in our future, as well as utilizing our resources wisely.

We have not been farmers all of our lives; we are somewhat new to this. Our lives have been nothing like the stereotypical American way. We were married at the ages of 21 and 19, not out of necessity, just young and in love. We had our two daughters five years later, and our roles have been reversed most of the time. I was “Mister Mom.” We lived on one meager income because childcare in this country is deplorable. It was our responsibility and no one else’s to raise our children.

While at home I grew some of our food, did fundraising for kids activities and field trips at school, volunteered in the classrooms as well as coaching boys and girls basketball and girls soccer. Because of living on one income, I learned to barter with men 25-30 years my senior in Rogue River, Oregon where we lived at the time. One example: I roofed and painted my friend’s house and he and I built a 20’ by 24’ recreation room from start to finish. No money changed hands, just good times and friendship.

Up until six years ago, most of my life I was what one would consider a “Jock.” I loved sports, mostly hockey, football and basketball. I knew all of the stats and trades, I watched for over 40 years of how championships were won. I saw many types of styles and philosophies of play come and go. They were always in the context that you are only as strong as your weakest link. That the teams success depended on each individual player given their maximum effort and no one player regardless of how great they are, can win by themselves.

After 911 something changed in me and I gave up my addition to sports. In the past seven years I have read hundreds of books of authors such as: Vandana Shiva, David Korten, Arundhati Roy, Kevin Phillips, Michael Ruppert, Eckhart Tolle, George Monbiot, James Lovelock, Richard Heinberg, Matthew Simmons, James Howard Kunstler, Wendell Barry, Barbara Kingsolver, Howard Zinn, Daniel Quinn and Kurt Vonnegut.

I realize now that we were lied to. As George Carlin said, they call it the American Dream because you have to be asleep to believe it. All this and more caused me to take direct action.

We downsized to one car, paid off our mortgage, turned off the “idiot box,” installed an indoor clothes dryer (made by a local artisan that works with iron), and our garden that started out for fun and food became much more of a purpose and a way of life. We have hauled in tons of manure and organic compost to build up the soil creating a working system based on raised beds, crop rotation and cover cropping.

We now have fifty 4’ x 26’ raised beds and a 10’ x 15’ greenhouse allowing us to do starts and grow more than enough food for three or four families, plus rows of berries as well as fruit trees. Currently we grow and process 60% of our food.

We knew all along that we would never be able to learn everything that was needed as well as do all the work ourselves. That’s why we have tried to partner up or find other like-minded people to begin together the hard work ahead of us.

I remember Richard Heinberg saying that they figured there was 1% of the population who was woken up and they had hoped to wake up to 5%. He also stated that we needed 50 million farmers for the long slog ahead.

I feel blessed that my wife of 31 years and I are on the same page. We had always planned to work together after her retirement knowing that we needed to have some income. We enjoy being around each other. We believe in this day and age when people are losing their homes, in debt, bankrupt and pensions disappearing, that we can and should be able to find partners that are hard working, in good health and have some valuable skills/resources that would help us become a complete team together. There is so much to learn and adjust to, as climate change alone is already affecting the way we grow food in Oregon.

Last year at this time, I processed well over 500 lbs of tomatoes, drying and canning. As I sit and write on this Labor Day, I have not canned one quart of tomatoes -- not many in the area to be found. This is one of the main staples in our diet.

We would like to have partners living on the property that can help make this work into a functioning way of living, saving resources and growing food for five or six families. We would also like to incorporate livestock, and renewable energy. But attracting willing partners has been most difficult, to the point that we despair and might move away.” Neither of us want to leave what we have built thus far, but if we can't find others who can help, then maybe its time for a different arena with some new players who wants this team."

As life as we know it begins to collapse, we need a prototype system that can be easily duplicated to show others how to grow, process and store food. People will begin to act irrationally when they or their families have little to no food, so I would like to give them a choice on how to feed themselves without the violence.

In all of my years of watching and playing sports, I have never felt the sheer joy and fulfillment that I do while working in the garden. Watching a butterfly as it lands on me or feeling a hummingbird zing past my ear. The great wins I chalk up now in the CHAMPIONSHIP column are at the end of fall when cupboards are jammed to capacity, standing room only with filled canning jars, the garage walls draped with garlic and onions, and the freezer stuffed full with berries and nuts. What a SWEET VICTORY! It is time for us all to give up our additions, and live the life we were meant to live.

I have no illusions about saving the world, I would just like to be able to have a chance of living in peace and sharing before Mother Nature kicks our ass.

Ideas to ponder

Connecting people that have different assets:
1) Resumé Bank of people's assets, skills, knowledge and ideas.
2) Such as:
- Land, money, water, resources
With people that don't have this but have technical knowledge
- Such as:
Knowledge on farming, solar, sustainable building
3) People moving from one area of the country/state
- Such as:
A person moving from metropolitan area wanting to relocate to an area that's more sustainable, trading work for his or her stay.
4) Sharing tools/resources
5) Sharing skills such as:
- Preserving of food, cooking, sewing, repairs (home), survival skills

Investment
1) Such as:
- Someone with money that they would like to get out of the stock market/retirement funds and invest in local businesses, someone starting a business, solar energy, alternative energy and farming and manufacturing.
2) People with money who want to set up old style mercantile involving local farms and artisans for manufactured goods, clothing, etc.
3) Advising people on how best to utilize their land/resources.

We have received little to no results. We thought you might be able to help other lifeboat builders like ourselves who have resources and want to help others that are willing to do the hard work that is necessary, but we do not know how to reach each other. We came up with this ad:

We are located 25 miles northwest of Eugene, Oregon in a rural area, and 10 miles from the nearest city. We live on five acres of all useable land.

We are not rich landowners looking for serfs, but rather equal working partners. We are retired in name only. My wife worked for 30 years with a large corporation recently retiring. We still need to generate some income.

We're trying to find another person/persons to live in separate living quarters on our property (unfinished at this time). We want to work together to find ways to utilize our property, share living expenses, grow and process our food, share our collective talents, ideas, and experiences to grow a small business together.

If we had three or four people working and living together in a low cost sustainable way it would allow us all to enjoy free time and to live a much more spiritual life. Some ideas we have thought of:
Learning Center, renewable energy/alternative building, commercial kitchen to process food, making or building something, starting a small CSA, or opening a small co-op/mercantile.

Looking for person/persons that are healthy in body and mind, and able to do hard physical labor, that have financial resources and/or income. They have knowledge of farming, mechanical, carpenter, sewing, renewable energy or any other valuable skills or resources to help make this a sustainable and fun place to live and learn.

Sorry about the length of this, but any help would be greatly appreciated.

Myster said...

Hey Mike,

When I purchased 4ounces of gold bullion back in 2004 upon your investigative work & advice, I wasn't totally sure everything would pan out as you 'speculated'.

I was 18 at the time and everyone I told about your work labelled me a "conspiracy theorist" and too "doom & gloom".

Thank fuck I got that gold sitting in my safety deposit box. Lord knows how much that will help me out in the coming years. Watching the news today is like watching a movie based on a book I've already read.

Thanks Mike.

Your work helped saved my ass :)

MCR said...

You're quite welcome.

:-)

MCR

NB Patton said...

Everyone ready the big camping trip?! Yay!

Myster,... Friendly word of advice, take it out of that box before the bank accidentally looses it for you.

Rice Farmer;
Sweet day in the morning... Just to make sure here, everybody should read the article Rice Farmer posted.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-mon-crisis-shipping-1110-nov10,0,725739.story

Isn't this where a horror sticken coyote slowly raises a "Yipes!" sign, just before gravity kicks in?

Unknown said...

Mike-

Your recent posts have really moved me. I have been a long time reader. I used to use the URL copvcia.com not FTW! When you put out the call for needing funds on FTW all those years ago, I whipped out my credit card and donated $100. And I'm cheap as hell so that is saying something about how important I think your voice is. I haven't been back to your blog for awhile and I glad I did. It sounds like you are feeling much better. I wish you all the best. If you get around to posting on it, what ever went down in Ashland? I've been looking into Oregon for property. Is Ashland a bad choice?

Love.

tim said...

Dmitry Orlov has written "5 stages of Collapse" at countercurrents.com. He mentions FTW and Mike.

tim said...

sorry, countercurrents.org

Anonymous said...

I find your articles insightful and interesting, Mike, but there's one thing I'd like to point out, if I may. I would appreciate it if you would make more of an effort to distinguish between actual Christians who try to live and love as God intended and those who only call themselves Christians, such as Bush and co., and do things in that name while not following the faith itself God intended it to be. I'm a Christian myself, but I can't condone what they've done, nor would I ever. And nor would the God they claim to serve.

It's true enough that there are many who simply call themselves Christians but either don't try to live it out or twist it into something it was never meant to be. As Jesus said, you'll know a tree by its fruit - good trees produce good fruit, and bad trees produce bad fruit. The same is true of people and their actions, Christians included. We're not perfect, and real Christians understand and admit that. Real Christians understand the distinction between sinner and sin, and know that they themselves will always stumble and fall just like anyone else. They try to love others, regardless of who they are, because that is God's mandate, to share his love and truth.

It's true God holds us to a certain moral standard, but at the same time it has no meaning if it's forced upon others. For it, or any other part of God's code or message to have any meaning, it has to be freely chosen, freely accepted. That's why real Christians understand that they're only supposed to be seed sowers, not soul winners - God is the only one who can change a heart, not us. Christians are only supposed to share his love and message and let him do the rest, but unfortunately it's easy to lose sight of that fact
and get overzealous. I've been guilty of that myself at times, but I try as best I can to respect people's right to choose. Our free will is, after all, one of the most important things he's given us.

Anyway, I'm sorry for going on like that, and I respect your work and the things you've done. I just wanted to bring this to your attention in hopes that you might consider it. It's just that sometimes the articles at FTW tend to feel like they're throwing all Christians under one label without making it clear that there are many believers who would never agree with what our supposedly "Christian" leaders have done.

Oh, and I live in an apartment complex so I'm not sure how I ought to prepare for what may be coming. I don't really have any land to plant on and I don't have a lot of space to stockpile things. We only have one car, though, and our jobs are close by, so fortunately we don't have to use much gas to get around.

Also, does this collapse mean that all tech should be considered dead now? And the internet itself? Or will they still function in some limited fashion after the crash? I'm a relative newcomer to this whole thing so I'm still trying to sort it all out.

Thanks for listening!

Anonymous said...

I used to be an avid copvcia and then FTW fan. I've supported the cause, read Rubicon, and over many years I've taken the bull by the horns and conducted thousands of hours of personal research, investigation, and compilation of data regarding the current crisis.

Mike - I followed your posts for years. Your stories, your research, peak oil, and more.

Without writing a book of my own (by now I could probably offer a graduate degree in policy and how we got here!), here is my bottom line explanation for the financial crisis.

It starts with a simple word called parity. In Mirriam-Webster dictionary, parity is defined as "equivalence of a commodity price expressed in one currency to its price expressed in another b: equality of purchasing power established by law between different kinds of money at a given ratio".

We live in a world with complex yet convergent power structures - primarily founded in global finance, who have been instrumental in the control and manipulation of global economic markets. Among their stated goals is the implementation of regional economic/governmental blocks under UN and World Bank guidelines.

The European Union is their most advanced example. There is also ASEAN (Asian and southeast Pacific), the AU (African Union), NAFTA, CAFTA, MEFTA, and UNASUR.

And ultimately, with the formation of each of these regional economic/government structures, one of the goals is an equalization of formerly sovereign and national economies into a single regional economy. Parity.

Those nations who are poorer will have equal access to the manufacturing base and economic base of the wealthier countries, and vice versa. And how does that effect manufacturing and quality of life? The answer is simple. Manufacturing trickles down to the lowest cost locations and the lowest cost labor forces. Over time, there is parity between all participating nations within the region, with economies of scale balancing out to be equal to the lowest common denominator, due to competition.

Only there is a very serious problem. It's called patriotism and national sovereignty. In the US, we have a population base who simply loves the US Constitution. When lawfully adhered to, the US Constitution promises individual liberties like no other on earth, and a representative system that provides 100% assurance that no democratic majority can opress a minority.

Because the US people are protected by such an awesome document, those who are busy creating and implementing the policies of regional integration have found themselves faced with a dilemna. They have a huge nation that is virtually an armed camp, ready and willing to band together and take on anyone who tries to unilaterally take their rights or their Constitution away from them. How do you convince such a people to integrate into a regional government? Easy. Do the same thing that you do to draw them into a foreign war. Introduce a compelling threat.

So, over time you establish agreements that send industrial might and good jobs out of the country. You implement unregulated investment markets and you de-regulate the markets that are already existing. You use deregulation to entice homeowners and bad risks alike to indebt themselves as you fool them into believing that all of the shiny things can belong to them.

And then - you pull the rug out from under them. You've divested yourself overseas, you've integrated with foreign central banking systems, and you're ready for a party to congratulate yourself as you find ways to justify taking hundreds of billions more dollars from taxpayers - to get you out of the crisis that you intentionally created.

In the meantime, you bastardize Constitutional rights, you create enmity between citizens and the ruling class, and you take steps to discourage confidence among citizens in their own government process.

And what's the goal? Parity. You need to bring the American people into economic parity - or worse - with the nations they must unite with in the form of a regional economy/government. Because you know that the Americans won't give up their Constitution unless they're on their knees, begging for food, clothing, and shelter for their babies.

That, my friends, is the story behind our financial collapse. 9/11 is simply one of the tools used to generate our support for the militarized removal of non-secular governments who oppose regional integration. Like MEFTA in the Middle East. Go back to Brzezinski and the Grand Chessboard. He spells it all out. And the Obama Administration has point blank promised to make it a success.

But please - buyer beware. For every solid truth there are 100 distractions to what is really happening. They blame it on the environment. They blame it on the zionists. They blame it on Islam, on energy, on everything else under the sun. But if you conduct your research carefully, and if you are wise to the frauds, the gatekeepers, and the false prophets, you will see what is happening.

So I wish everyone the best of luck. The empire is definitely on the march. They've turned their coin over and offered a new face in the US, but there has been virtually zero change in value. We all know that there is only one party, and it's called corporate globalism. Surviving their agenda will be the greatest challenge humanity has ever faced.

Andrew_The_Fox said...

So when do we start throwing molatov cocktails and stuff?

in_the_light said...

Shorebreak,

I'm not sure that is a whole truth. I think much of what you say is accurate, however, I think it might just be half of it.

That may well have been the plan. However, collapse is extremely difficult to control. Its not like a building. We are talking about human beings that act in ways we don't always expect.

When the SHTF, or as you put it we beg in the streets for food, not even the powers that be will have control. Those of us with intentions that are good at heart need to be on the look out for ways to break apart the system and help us, the people in the streets, get back the power that the gov't has been stripping from us. This is true whether or not what you say is true as well. However, I think it is important to note that behind closed doors, there is some major sweating panicking going on from people who always thought they would have no need to sweat.

Our oppressors are not so strong. Their best defense is to hide that from us.

mat

Dave Z said...

Peter,

One thing that is important to point out in regards to our future (from a Christian point of view) is that the reality that God places before us in our lives may or may not be defined by a map that others have drawn. He is in control. It is a mystery to us why he allows evil in this world, but he will only allow it to a point, as seen in the book of Job. Why he allows evil to flourish today, I don't know, but the Prince of Lies will not rule this world forever. That we know.

So, even though it may be a fact that Peak Oil is here or that the powers that be have some sort of handle on the control panel of this world. God still has sovereignty and can lay out his map for your/our future.

There are those that have moved out of the city to places less populated in hopes that they will survive, but we can't tell what exactly will happen. It may be that those who are isolated (even isolated within a small commmunity) will have unforeseeen trouble. In the city, there are roles that are extremely important. During difficult situations, events unfold in strange and miraculous ways. Prayer is essential.

The other thing that is important to realize is that Jesus' map is the one we should follow. The Sermon on the Mount explains precisely how to read that map.

The map that powers that be are plotting along may or may not be accurate.

For Christians, our map leads to the cross, no matter which way we go.

Jesus is Lord.

Jagannath said...

Dear Michael if you believe that 9-11 was an awful crime against the American people and a milestone in the long term project of PNAC, do you think that those who did it will simply leave the field and go back to their homes? Don't you think that their endgame is not only about the economy but also about terrorism again?
I'd like to know your opinion.
Regards

Arraya said...

No sure if this has been posted. Kinda big though...

http://news.theage.com.au/business/us-no-longer-king-pin-currency-sarkozy-20081114-66fo.html

The US dollar can no longer claim to be the sole world currency, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said on Thursday before a weekend summit on the global financial crisis that has its roots in the United States.

"I leave for Washington tomorrow to explain that the dollar, which at the end of World War II was the only world currency, can no longer claim to be the sole world currency," Sarkozy said.

agape wins said...

I posted this in Oct, it received
little attention at the time,
possibly because I have no by line as a reporter has!
It states what Rice Farmer found:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-mon-crisis-shipping-1110-nov10,0,725739.story

My slant is local, & about how it is affecting us here & now!
Think localizing, shipping will
cost a lot.
Read "the Omnivore's Dilemma",
for insight into locilizing!

Blogger agape wins said...

Heads up everyone,

It seems everyone has an area they want to fix, or one thing they expect to cure everything!
I own a Retail Store, including bulk foods & Grains, we stock 40,000 items.
Things are more dire than a quick simple fix, every order we place with our major supplier has a larger out of stock list, this week out of a total $6,000 order $2,000 worth was out of stock,
some of our Grains, & Seeds have been listed as "long term out"
The World's Reserves are being used up, suppliers are cutting back, producers are trimming items which do not move, & shipment is becoming more complicated.

http://www.tristateobserver.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=10121ttp://www.tristateobserver.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=10121

Where do we go from here, thousands of acres of Farmland contaminated by Katrina, & now thousands more contaminated from the north by this years flooding? This is saying nothing about the Organic & Non GMO crop land that will take 10 years to be certified again!

In the Bible, Joseph stored up grain, we empty our store houses in preparation for another disaster!
Is this just happening, is it planned, or is no one in charge?

We are near the limit of usable Water, with Millions more having unsuitable water after the treatment plants fail.

DNA has proven that the begot (small b for their shortsightedness), is ranting about their
brother, while praising someone with the DNA of "That -----"!
FTW has always been open,respectful,informative yet Positive,&thought provoking (one
phrase!). Of late we have attracted some comments which are negative, distractive, &
hateful; all of which we need to avoid, if we are to survive the change we are going through.
The Captain of this Titanic (TPTB) seems determined to find an iceberg, while some Passengers,
want to drink the bar dry!

aprilfool, posts an accusatory twist to Mike's comment about Katrina, & Weather Change.
Nowhere does Mike say what the cause of the weather is, what is changing it, & even downplays
the possibility of interference as distractive!

Yes Carbon is important, so is CO2, & Alcohol; in balance, AND used properly they are GOOD,
but more of a good thing is not always positive!
Picking at one another is also not Constructive.

3:25 AM

Anonymous said...

Shorebreak, I agree entirely. The British financial consultant Jonathan May, who was able to gain insights into the inner manipulations of the IMF and the Trilateral Commission, exposed the goal of the corporate globalists already in the mid-eighties; they back then called their world design "System 2000".
Look for "Syndrome of Control" on google video. An audio file of May´s testimony is also downloadable:

www.gndzerosrv.com/Web%20Pages/Jonathan_May_1986.wma

soprano13 said...

Did anybody catch the plans for the G20 summit this weekend? To devalue ALL world currency to wipe out debt, coming up with 3 common currencies for Europe, Asia and America, AND...

...drum roll please...

revaluing gold. Up. Way up. Astronomically up.

We're making all of our survival preparations and buying some gold before this all goes down. I didn't get in when it was a total bargain, but at least it's not too late.

Great job, Mike! My husband and I have simply made up our minds that we're going to survive, and that's that. You saved our asses with your map.... cheers, guv!

Tanya said...

Mike,

I have followed you for years. I really miss FTW, but at least we occasionally still get your guidance. If you ever pass through Denver, you always have a place to hang your hat (and your critters, too.) Tanya (zitort@att.net)

Carlos said...

Remember Ron Paul's question for McCain in a not-so-recent Republican debate?

"What is the President's Working Group on Financial Markets?"

McCain spluttered, stalled, and made himself look stupid.

But here's what the group does:

http://www.theinternationalforecaster.com/International_Forecaster_Weekly/The_Fallen_Natures_of_Men_Took_Control_Of_The_Economy_And_Destroyed_It

Any pretense of a free enterprise system of capitalism ended when, in the aftermath of the Stock Market Crash of 1987, which crash was orchestrated by the Illuminati during Paul Volcker's term at the helm of the Fed to provide the excuse needed, President Reagan signed an Executive Order forming the President's Working Group on Financial Markets, also known as the Plunge Protection Team, or PPT, which has, ever since, totally and completely dominated and manipulated virtually all markets worldwide on a 24/7 basis.

The PPT's authority and mandate are illegally abused on a daily basis. This group of Illuminist players, which include Caligula, as President, Hanky Panky as Treasury Secretary, Buck-Busting Ben as Fed Chairman, and firms like Goldman Sachs as financial henchmen, are supposed to step in during a crisis. They are not supposed to be sticking their nose into everyone's business on a daily basis worldwide. We have become the envy of Russia and China, because Illuminist control over our markets exceeds their control over their command economies by an order of magnitude.

We have perfected the corporatist, fascist business model.

gaelicgirl said...

Shorebreak, while I'm sorry I could not read your post all the way through (I've got a sinus infection, and my attention span is zilch), I did catch your opening statement about "parity". Having been a long-time reader of Acres, USA, I'd tend to agree that the concept of parity is absolutely crucial to understanding what is going on now. The master at understanding parity is Charles Walters, editor emeritus of Acres, USA, a radical farming and gardening newsmagazine which has been around for many years. Charles Walters himself has been around for many years
(82), has seen the dustbowl first hand, and is still going strong writing a monthly column in the magazine now run by his son. His writings, analysis and perspectives are well worth reading....see acresusa.com. The finest farming magazine around, in fact IMHO, the only one worth reading cover to cover as soon as it arrives.

ramjam said...

I can sympathize and understand your comments about saving yourself. I am selling a book about surviving the collapse of the United States and have actually given away more copies than I have sold.

Of course one aspect you have overlooked about forgetting about everyone else is that you may have to point a gun at a person you once called friend. A drowning man will cling on to any flotsam he can find. But a drowning man may drown his rescuer out of panic. What will happen when the grocery stores are bare of food? A lot of panicked soccer moms will become murderous in their intent to find food. This coupled with the unfortunate fact that the suburbs are not sustainable in terms of growing their own food. Their small patches of what passes for yards do not have the area to grow enough food for a years time. The suburbs will be bad but the cities will be zones of death.

Many people do not believe that things will go to hell and this is simply a bump in the road, albiet a large bump, but a bump none the less.

When the people who have never had to do without actually have to do without, well, that is when you will see the true nature of people for good or bad.

Guy Fox said...

I've been telling people for years that George W. Bush, the EX-Governor of Tex-ass (a.k.a.: the Death Penalty $tate) is a dry drunk $ociopath with the compassion and insight of a jackal. And PRESIDENT Cheney is just plain evil. Pure evil!

Here in my neighborhood, there's talk of identifying the Amerikans who supported Bush et al... and then hunt them down and shoot them as we would shoot rabid dogs. People who supported Bush are traitors to American ideals and American constitutional precepts.

The $tewepid Amerikan people shall now reap the terrible collective karma that they have earned for putting a vicious criminal like Bush in the White House. Forget Obama. He can't save ewe folks. It's too late! Prepare for a long term economic depression lasting at least two decades.

gaelicgirl said...

And how could I forget Charles Walters epic book on parity "Unforgiven". See it here:

http://www.acresusa.com/books/closeup.asp?action=search&prodid=754&catid=&pcid=2

Jenna Orkin said...

PNW free thinker wrotes in part:

Finally have a moment to share my thoughts...

I realze not all conspiracy accounts are true, but here are a few that connected some dots for me...

Here is a software technology I came across watching a video by a man who believes he is being gang stalked by the Government because he claims to have discovered how to make nearly free solar energy... His video was a bit weird, but how many people who seem crazy & paranoid are actually true victims of harrassment by TPTB... I wonder. With MK Ultra and other government actions, and the many who claim that modern Relativist Physics is being used to hide the path to "free" (unmeterable) energy... And the threat that that "free" energy would represet to the existing corporatocracy, it seems less farfetched to my mind.

http://www.inet.saic.com/inet-public/

(My thought upon looking at this page, after viewing his vide, was how PROMIS like their technology seems.)

He also claims that the government has the abiliy though technolgy by another company to project sound straight into our heads, whichwould be a great tool for driving people one wants to supress... crazy... So that any information coming from them can be dismissed as the ramblings of a crazy person. Their LRAD technology is generally described here with it's military applications page listing
Supported Missions:
Enforcement of exclusion zones
Critical infrastructure protection
PSYOP
TCPs/ACPs
Interdiction Operations
Checkpoint Operations
Detainee Operations

http://www.atcsd.com/site/content/view/37/47/

And their "retail product" HSS
http://www.atcsd.com/site/content/view/34/47/

I noted that datasheets are password protected for both, and the tech backgrounder PDF was password protected as well...

I truly believe that there is technology envisined by Tesla, the genius inventor of our modern electrical power systems and so much more, that is being hidden from us to keep us under the thumb of meterable energy systems. I know michael does not believe this sort of thing.....

As for the editing of comments, I am one who is not prone to dismiss someone entirely just because I don't agree with everything they say... so I hope that the fact that the Idaho Observer website has some of the anti Obama stuff questioning his lineage and citizenship is not reason to edit that part of my post and eliminate the Nazi/bush/tesla article link...

I certainly agee with moderation of comments that incite violence, racism, or hatred, as that is against the stated purpose of this blog. This blog, michael, you, and so many otherprofessional and amateur researchers who choose not to ignore that which is ignored by most are about all of us helping each other by sharing information, and you have the judgement and authority to deem what is helpful, and what is hurtful...

agape wins said...

I vote for censorship!
the last several posts by NB PATTON, & ANDREA MURRHTEYN,while informative, have not furthered
us along the road to the future. If I was interested in advice about being naked, or having better orgasms, I would seek
another Blog! Andrea never gets
this base on her own site, why pollute Mike's Blog? She is not
Despised, OR/& Opposed as much as
sifted to find the Gold in the
Gravel, she has an interesting
slant on life, which I find incorrect! The two involved in
this exchange need to wake up!
America has never been the land of Milk & Honey, it was corrupt and
unjust from the start, those who
still Dream need to read or at least review "The Lies MY Teacher
Told Me". If you are hoping the
Future will reflect the past you
are living in a Nightmare and think it's normal!
Our Money is just a reflection of
our whole system, everything is due for a change!! The CIA is
the USA.

NB Patton said...

Agape,

Check your fire!

I find your entire post full of anger and contempt, why and for who? If like minded people get bullied by their own kind in a forum promoting human fellowship then we have no hope, do we?

And if you really meant what you said then might you be supporting the censorship of your own message? How did your message "further us along the road to the future."? Who's future, yours? So everyone must conform to your idea of what the future will be or they can't post?
A future filled with intolerance?
No thanks.

You know, I was going to spend the time to discredit your entire post but the whole thing just reeks of an insecure bigot and anyone with a lick of sense will see it for themselves.

Even so, I wish you well.

PNW free thinker said...

May I ask what it was about my link to the Idaho Observer Article that prompted the removal from the bulk of my text, that I may better craft my comments in the future?

I see multiple possibilites as to the reasoning, and I would like to know whether it was the source, or the subject of Nazi links to to the bush family... or free energy?

Jenna Orkin said...

it was the dubiousness of some of the links and lack of substantiation of some of the claims.

PNW free thinker said...

Thank you for your rapid answer...

I do find that to be true myself, that many make claims that are unprovable... and I do not purport to represent the information as true... But I do find it interesting to consider... I realize that you have a duty to maintain your standards of investigation and research. The unprovable is, however, not aways false...

Equally unprovable is the assertion by many that people who have invented highly efficient systems, or even free energy have been suppressed. There are those researchers who believe it...

Tesla claimed to have developed new energy generation technologies... So revolutionary that they would have threatened major industrial interests.

If true, that information could certainly change the peak oil game if people could actually rediscover these alleged "lost" energy technologies...

However, I see that this information could also be a diversion deigned to make us think everything will be OK in our energy future.

If untrue, it could be considered a diversion t people actually preparing realistic solutions based on current technology.

I like to believe that it (free energy)is out there, but I am still preparing for peak oil, global economic collapse, and the like... and I truly appreciate your dedication to helping all of us prepare...

Thank You...

PNW free thinker said...

And in the spirit of sharing that which might help us all survive

I suggest anyone who knows someone dyin of cancer that the medical establishment couldn't cure go to youtube and look up "Run from the cure" the Rick Simpson Story... About a guy from nova scotia that believes he has found the cannabiniods in marijuana cure cancer...

and more info can be found from Dr Robert Melamede Ph.D
in his Dr cannabuzz videos, he believes cannbis to be a natural panacea, useful for so much more than just fighting nausea from Chemo.

As quite a few in my family have died after ugly fights with cancer using the best "modern" medicine had to offer at the time, this gives me hope that after things have collapsed, we may be able to cure ourselves idependently of big Pharma...

Peace, health, and happines to you all.

moontheworld said...

Hi All,

I'm relalively new on the scene, but have devoted hundreds of hours in recent months to untangling the web. I'm a cynic by nature and was already on top of the peak oil and climate change issues, but I was not watching the connections to the economy, nor was I fully aware of the depth of corruption nationally and internationally. Finally after much research, with Rubicon, the FTW website and this BLOG as major contrigbutors to my understanding (thanks to Mike, Jenna and all of you), I've come to terms with a lot of what's gone on and what is upcoming. It's been quite the greiving process, but I now feel ready to deal with reality and what we all face.

I'm probably screwed financially, as I don't know how to enter the silver / gold market and things are moving fast. If someone could point me as to where to start to do research on silver and gold purchases that would be very helpful.

My niche in this world has long been as a community educator, organizer and agitator -- and my sense is that my skills are going to be needed soon to get myself and some others through this next chapter, or turn in the map...

We have land with great soil and flowing water nearby, and can pretty easily grow all our own food (and we're darn close already) and we have the capacity to grow food for dozens of families if there were enough hands to do the labor. So we're fortunate in some ways.

My primary question is this:

Can someone please post a list of books and / or websites that you've found helpful in preparing for SURVIVAL. I'm not interested in a list of books to understand this mess we're in, as I feel like I have a good enough handle on what we're likely facing in terms of unraveling. What I need to learn is stuff like running effective community councils that empower people, info on how others have set up community currencies, info on bartering systems, info on the possibility of community banking run by the people (not even sure if this is possible, but if it is...), info on small alternative energy systems that are portable (in case we're forced to move), etc.

If anyone can help out with some book suggestions in support of my learning I would be grateful.


Thank you.

MTW in WA

Jenna Orkin said...

m wrote:

"As for the editing of comments, I am one who is not prone to dismiss someone entirely just because I don't agree with everything they say... so I hope that the fact that the Idaho Observer website has some of the anti Obama stuff questioning his lineage and citizenship is not reason to edit that part of my post and eliminate the Nazi/bush/tesla article link..."




"It would be worth noting for the readers that "Idaho Observer" also runs articles promoting Holocaust denial and 9/11 "no planes" disinfo. There might be bits of truth on their site, but it's an unclean visit to find any potential gems, if any are actually there."


"If Tesla technology actually could provide so-called free energy, that would not eliminate the need to tear up parking lots to grow food and "powerdown" our lives."


=

Jenna Orkin said...

hi moontheworld:

re gold/silver see www.nwtmint.com or 'the money changer' franklin sanders' site. www.fromthewilderness.com has a page recommending books, including about survival.

Melanie said...

Where is the stuff about nudity and orgasms? Has it been deleted? Don't tantalize us and then snatch it away!!

On a serious note, start digging yourself a root cellar and fill it with the fall harvest.

My daughter has commented that the vegetables we buy from local farmers taste markedly better than the supermarket stuff. Even after five months in storage.

Jenna Orkin said...

melanie

no it hasn't been deleted. when in doubt, google, i always say

tim said...

pnw free thinker;
Tesla essentially invented the Alternating Current power grid. Westinghouse built it, for the most part. He was also working on a power generator via the airwaves that was being funded by J.P.Morgan. Yes, the original J.P. Morgan. Tesla promised it would power low-current devices, like clocks and ticker-tape machines. It would not provide enough power for a steel mill or oil refinery, not even close. Morgan stopped funding this project, and it lead to many theories about supression of Tesla's work. That was about 100 years ago. High-current airwave transmission is not feasable, but gravitational-electro-magnetic engines are. We are too spiritually immature to use this, however.

Anonymous said...

Lovely thread. One note. Survival just for the sake of survival is just more materialism. There must be some higher motive, power, and spirit involved.