A CONTROLLED FAST CRASH AND BARACK OBAMA'S FIRST OFFICIAL ENERGY "LIE"

January 26, 2009, 1:30 PM PST -- I've been hinting at it for weeks now. But events of the last 72 hours have pretty much convinced me of something which adds enormous new regions to our map. Historically, by definition, we have always spoken of a fast crash as a collapse of both the economic and political systems within a two-to-ten year range. We also defined a slow burn as something occurring over a ten-plus year span; hopefully between twenty and thirty years. At the current rate of economic, political and social deterioration I would estimate that the bulk of the current collapse will be over by the summer of 2011 or roughly three years after oil prices peaked at $147/bbl. It now appears that we have a controlled fast crash. In other words, there is a systematic plan underway ATTEMPTING to shut down the global economy in advance of the most serious phases of die-off. Someone else is trying to preserve critical infrastructure and societal cohesion. In "Lord of the Flies" it took a long time for the boys to revert to savagery and -- once they did -- most were irredeemable. That's why a slow burn is particularly dangerous; everything deteriorates so slowly that you don't know it's gone until it is too late. You can't go back to the garden. ("You don't know what you've got till it's gone. Pave paradise, put up a parking lot." Love ya Joanie.)

Previously I observed how all major economies appeared to be imploding at the same rate; i.e., a real controlled demolition. That's a far cry from 9-11 controlled demolition theorists because this is a controlled-demolition for which there is abundant, admissible evidence. Last week I wrote about how Europe's, and in particular Britain's economies were losing consciousness. The most dramatic symptom of this was the fact that the pound was racing downwards towards parity with the dollar. That would have ended the government and possibly, eventually the Monarchy. Today suddenly -- as more catastrophic news hits the U.S. economy, the pound and Euro are soaring. I smell a new and improved version of the Plunge Protection Team here. As long as there are no apparent discrepancies; as long as all nations look at each other and see no parachutes being opened, there is hope that the world stage might be held stable enough to function in for a while. What we are witnessing is a grand, global disengagement where the Indians fleeing vanishing jobs in Dubai are leaving their cars abandoned at the airport; and where Poles and other late-comer EU arrivals flee the UK and Ireland to go home. I am certain that by this point in the collapse of industrial civilization, every sentient nation understands that it is going to be on its own very soon. Instinctively, most animals go home to die; whether they be salmon or wolves or elephants. They may die or they may not, but instinctively they return to the place where they have the most power and support, the most connectedness with life and a piece of ground.

It is a survival instinct that works and it should be nurtured. The global stage will hold together until the first major economy pulls its ripcord. Then all the chutes will start opening.

So that leaves us with that question about whether this is intentional or not; whether the PA fires are a government plan or an outbreak of Jungian mass psychosis. I have climbed high in my mountains and from my perspective I see what the species homo sapiens is doing in response to a life and species-threatening event. What is being revealed now is the soul of our species. Someone once told the story of a stubborn man on the Titanic. He was last seen standing on the
stern as it began it's death plunge shouting, "I am not getting off this ship until I find out why this happened?"... Those of us on this list and from FTW days know why this happened. Whether this is being coordinated or not doesn't change the fact that our first task is to survive it. As we move, as we gather more data, maybe we'll pick up more clues that will reveal new trails. We must be good dancers.

BARACK OBAMA'S FIRST OFFICIAL ENERGY "LIE"

At today's press conference, Secretary Robert Gibb stated categorically that President Obama was certain that domestic oil production was going to increase. I don't think that anyone in the Peak Oil movement from Matt Simmons, to Colin Campbell, to Richard Heinberg, to me would believe that was remotely possible -- except in one case and one case only: Oil at $100. As we all know, that increase would be short-lived and perhaps the last great flicker of a candle. Yet Gibb immediately followed that comment by saying that he was certain that energy prices were going to rise... and soon. Thus arrives, as I wrote some months ago, the last heartbeat of the bumpy
plateau. Those of us who can read the map just got, at best, a five month head start on the rest of those who haven't got a clue.

At present I see only a few signs of what the bottom will look like. We're still too high above the ground and the free fall distorts vision. But I can see global unemployment in excess of 25%. I can see the Dow in the 4000 -5000 range. I can see gold at $10,000 or more. I can see an absolute patchwork quilt of regions in this country with various levels of civil unrest, from paradises to the "no-man's lands". I can see Green Zones being carved out around vital infrastructure where life will remain good for at best five years. Those inside the Green Zones will be lucky. As an example, I can easily see that Los Angeles International Airport, the San Pedro Harbor and north to Malibu will likely be a Green Zone. Green Zones could be protected by regimental to division-sized military units depending on the region's size. Same with San Francisco, New York City, Chicago, Denver, Dallas, Houston... But not all major cities will be so lucky. Not enough personnel... Put a fence around it! I see eventual mass migrations along geographic corridors of unrest and lawlessness. These will become the fault lines for regional disintegration. I see state and local governments dumping their flight plans and assuming massive emergency powers on an ad hoc basis in an increasing vacuum. I see hunger. I see that there are six new bird flu cases in China. And I see all of that regardless of whether the government, or The Powers That Be, or the New World Order, or whatever you want to call it is orchestrating it or whether it is just happening as a result of our unenlightened ways. This is what mankind is doing to itself, right now.

We have a new genius to add to our discussion: Joannie Mitchell (who I once had the pleasure of hanging out with for a few hours). I'm not sure she's human though.

Express your highest good today. Love something... I'm going to play with Rags.

MCR

Could Some of the Nafta Superhighways be Defining Future Borders of Wastelands and Protected Zones?

It certaintly looks true for key coastal regions in the northeast, southeast and west. But, as this map suggests, we can see how CONUS is divided north-to-south. But what will happen east-to-west? Any one got the graphics capability and the data to superimpose a map of FEMA's ten regions over the Superhighway map? That would tell us bucketsfull.

http://open-roadblog.blogspot.com/2006/10/nafta-super-highway-map-httpwww.html


I JUST HAD TO SHARE THIS

So, Rags and I go to our dogpark right after hitting SEND on the last one. While we're there a regular comes up with a clipboard. She's a nice lady... Occasionally I suspect there's a little vacant space between her ears. Anyway, she's all fired up about this petition. It's a petition to complain to the City of Santa Monica about not putting in enough wood chips, not enough lighting and asking for more benches. She was really angry about it... No shit! I really think this falls into the Clueless Beyond Belief category. Imagine my relief when one of my buds who does read the map said, "Yeah, we could use a drinking area with a wet bar." I immediately chimed in, "And a hot tub!"

For some reason, I feel much better now... I'd like to pay public homage to three men who greatly influenced my life. Forgive me guys if I have any of the details wrong. It's been thiry years. Jim Vojtecky was my first LAPD training officer. He had been a 1st Lieutenant/company commander with the 101st Airborne in a place called the Au Shau valley. After I got off probation I had a roommate and occasional partner named Fred Fogarty. Fred had been a LRRP sniper with the 173rd Airborne Brigade in I Corps. And then there was Jack Hoar.If I remember this right Jack had been a Marine with the 5th Marines in a city called Hue. Jack is a legend I don't have words for here. These are the men -- and others -- who taught me how to face death and have an absolutely fanfuckingtastic time doing it.

Can I have my hot tub please?

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Jenna Orkin adds:


2011? I'll take the relative cheeriness of the Mayan calendar.

BTW, the government of Iceland threw in the towel today. Thanks for the heads-up, Nihil Matters. And apparently Great Britain came within three hours of collapsing on October 10.

As some of my foreign students once said, thinking they were proposing a toast, "Up yours!"


Fema's Ten Regions

In the NAFI map, all roads lead to Mexico City. But you're right; there does seem to be some correspondence between the two jigsaw puzzles.
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