Civilization as we know it is coming to an end soon Matthew David Savinar Part IV: Peak Oil, War and Politics | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 5 |
It may come as no surprise to you that our leaders are doing more to exacerbate the problem then they are to solve it. Rather then developing a reasonable plan for handling the coming Oil Crash, our leaders have decided to make a last ditch grab for what little cheap oil is available by stealing it from the nations that have it. With control over the world's dwindling supplies of cheap oil, they will have the ability to choose who lives and who dies. The dynamics of our electoral system prevents our elected leaders from developing any other plan. In order to cope with the coming crisis, we are going to have to drastically reduce our consumption levels. This means less driving, less fast food, less consumer items, etc. . . Most of our leaders are either former executives from the energy, transportation, or agribusiness industries, or they receive huge contributions from these industries. These are the exact industries that would be hurt by an effective conservation campaign. Consequently, expecting the government to launch such a campaign is futile. We're going to have to do it ourselves. Keep in mind that when we asked for solutions to terrorism, all we got wasa color coded chart, a roll of duct tape, and a video of a bearded, homeless guy getting a free dental exam as solutions to terrorism. In other words, we really are on our own. Why haven't I heard about this on the nightly news? Peak Oil has been reported in the alternative media. If you pay close attention, Peak Oil has also been reported in the mainstream media. However, it is usually confined to the back page of a newspaper or an obscure part of a news agency's website. For instance, cnn.com recently ran an article on Peak Oil confirming that worldwide oil reserves are 80% less than previously thought, that worldwide oil production will peak within the next 5 years, and that once production peaks, gas prices will reach "disastrous levels." There are a couple of reasons why you haven't heard more:
Does Peak Oil have anything to do with legislation such as Patriot Act I, and Patriot Act II? When the cost of food soars, the only way to control the population will be through the institution of a fascist style police state. The Patriot Acts and related legislation are the foundation of that state. Does This Have Anything To Do With the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan? In the context of Peak Oil, the wars in the Middle East are not wars of greed. Rather, they are wars of survival. Given our current infrastructure, that oil is necessary to keep our food and water supply running. You can expect the U.S. to invade other oil rich nations such asSyria, Iran and Saudi Arabia within the next 2-5 years. As you watch the news, you can already notice the hints are being dropped. "Iran has WMD" or "Syria isn't cooperating in the war on terror" or "Saudi Arabia is funding terrorism". "The war on terror will last for decades." The stage is being set so that the American public will accept these future invasions. What's going to happen when recently industrialized China decides it needs what little cheap oil is left as bad as the United States does? World War III What about other "Western" countries? Don't they need oil also? No country is safe. For instance, several high level officials in the Bush Administration are pushing for a plan to force nations to "choose between Paris and Washington." Similarly, Canada is required by NAFTA to sell 60% of its natural gas to the U.S. When Canada begins to experience the energy shortage, they may seek to change the terms of that law. The U.S. is unlikely to allow them to do so. Well at least we don't have to worry about Russia, right? Vladimir Putin has been building up Russia's nuclear capability since 1999. Why the big military build-up? The Russians (rightfully so) fear that the U.S. is trying to muscle in on the oil located in the Caspian sea. As of 2/2004, Russia's nuclear forces reportedly are preparing their largest maneuvers in two decades, an exercise that will involve the test-firing of intercontinental missiles and flights by dozens of bombers in a massive simulation of an all-out nuclear war. You forget about North Korea? Oh yeah, them too. War with Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia, China, France Russia and Korea? Won't that require a reinstitution of the draft? George Bush recently approved a massive increase for the Selective Service's 2005 budget. The Selective Service is currently undergoing a massive overhaul and has been told it needs to be ready to report to the president in June, 2005. This means you can expect a reinstitution of the military draft some time thereafter. A process the military calls "Stop Loss", a.k.a. "Draft Creep", has been underway for some time now. Essentially, every young man has been earmarked as a solider for future oil wars. Thank God I'm a woman. At least I don't have to worry about being drafted. Not so fast. If you are a female and work in the medical field, you may be subject to the Health Care Personnel Delivery System, better known as the medical draft. According to Lewis Brodsky, the acting director of the Selective Service System, "We're going to elevate that kind of draft to be a priority." What type of weapons are being developed for these oil wars? In "Rebuilding America's Defenses", Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz explains that the U.S. will develop "advanced forms of biological warfare that can target specific genotypes." In other words, weapons that target certain ethnic groups. Don't feel left out if you happen to be white, North Korea is developing an "ethnic bomb" that targets whites only. China is developing truly horrific post-nuclear weapons employing "molecular nano-technology." Is there any chance we will resolve this energy crisis without an all out world war? As things stand now, absolutely not. The U.S. Army War College has written that during the 21st century: There will be no peace. At any given moment for the rest of our lifetimes, there will be multiple conflicts in mutating forms around the globe. Violent conflict will dominate the headlines, but cultural and economic struggles will be steadier and ultimately more decisive. The de facto role of the US armed forces will be to keep the world safe for our economy and open to our cultural assault. To those ends, we will do a fair amount of killing. I think I'm going to be sick. . . I know the feeling. In light of the energy situation we are facing, why is the Bush administration spending money and cutting services like there's no tomorrow? From their perspective, there is no tomorrow. Does Peak Oil have anything to do with going back to the Moon and then onto Mars? We're going back to the Moon and onto Mars for four reasons: 1. To Develop Advanced Oil Drilling Techniques: According to Haliburton scientist Steve Streich: Drilling technology for Mars research will be useful for the oil and gas industries. The oil industry is in need of a revolutionary drilling technique that allows quicker and more economical access to oil reserves. A Mars mission presents an unprecedented opportunity to develop that drilling technique and improve our abilities to support oil and gas demands on Earth. 2. To Develop and Deploy Space Based Weapons: According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, the first prototype space based weapon is scheduled to be in orbit by 2007 or 2008 - before the end of a second Bush term. 3. To Mine "Helium-3" In Hopes That It Can Be Used As Fuel: Helium 3 is an element barely found on Earth, but found in abundance on the moon. Researchers see it as the perfect fuel source: extremely potent, nonpolluting, with virtually no radioactive by-product. Helium 3 sounds great, until you find out that a nuclear fusion reactor is needed for it to be of any use. Even after 40 years of research and billions of dollars spent, nobody has been able to build such a reactor. Even if scientists solved the fusion problem, the the economics of extracting and transporting Helium 3 from the moon are particularly problematic. According to Jim Benson, chairman of SpaceDev in Poway, California, "it would be economically unfeasible . . you'd have to strip-mine large surfaces of the moon" The fact that the Bush Administration is pursuing such an unviable source of fuel underscores how desperate the situation is getting. 4. To send more U.S. jobs offshore: Just wanted to see if you were paying attention. I'm having trouble believing that a country as powerful as the United States is on the verge of collapse. Let's look at what has happened to the U.S. in just the last four years: World Trade Center destroyed, budget surplus vanished, dysfunctional health care, honest elections gone, 2.5 million jobs lost, 433 publicly traded companies gone bankrupt, social security close to gone, government oversight of big business gone, weakened infrastructure, shrinking middle class, undermined civil liberties, tainted food supply. On a symbolic level, the fact that the Statue of Liberty is now closed (due to budgetary constraints) tells you all you really need to know about the direction we're heading. Folks, we've taken a beating these last few years. Our bumps and bruises are obvious. The fact that were losing blood (oil) is about to become obvious as well. We won't be the first superpower to collapse. This is what happens when any civilization overshoots its resource base. It isn't a new thing. Over the course of history, the collapse of civilizations has been as inevitable as death and taxes. Any good book on the fall of the Roman Empire will gave you case of deja vu next time you watch the evening news. Those of us lucky enough to live in the United States are like the cool kids who got invited to the big party. Unfortunately, the party's over. |