Trying to get the message out

[south ozzie]

Hello to all,
I’ve read of the feeling of isolation and even despair, expressed by a number of writers, both here and at the exquisitely written, Archdruid Report.
All I can say is, my sentiments exactly. I have been trying to get the message out, to those who I feel can probably grasp it, either by talking in a general sense about where we are likely headed, or offering to lend out some of my books on the subject. Unfortunately, I think unless you understand the ecological roots underpining everything, it can often just seem like a mere academic exercise. One more economic theory in a sea of theories. Hey people, this is real, there’s no utopian hideout to flee to till the storm passes! It really is the old it won’t happen to me mentality writ large. Most of the people I know, I don’t even discuss it with. It would be just far too much for them to cope with, mentally, physically, emotionally, any which way.
Tonight I was at my parent’s place, I might add, both I and my small family of pretty much one and a bit generations – we migrated to Australis from the UK in the early 70’s – are all captives to James Howard Kunstler’s infamous suburbia. Anyway, my niece was there and she asked me to go over a couple of pages of a uni assignment she was writing, for her teaching studies. We chatted about a few things too, but always, in the back of my mind was, what does the future hold for her and all the other twenty somethings? Will she land a teaching job in the end? Or will all her hard work and study be for naught? What do I say to her, a lively attractive young girl, full of hope and promise? I fear for my own circumstances, I know it’s hoing to be tough. I live on my own in suburbia, say no more. But I really fear for the broken dreams and aspirations of the twenty somethings. Here in Australia, they’ve generally known nothing but prosperity. How will they react when those dreams are shattered? How do I even begin to explain to my family, with my limited, but still more than most knowledge, what’s coming down the line? Most days I can barely get my head around the enormity of it myself.
Two elderly parents, both brothers living interstate and two sisters here, one married with 3 kids. Thats my family.
I’ve got Nicole’s dvds, I know they need to watch them, but I really wonder what their reaction will be.
Kunstler says, “no more crybabies” and he’s right, but you know really, even all us adults are babies, completely reliant on a super fragile, super complex, global supply chain to spoon feed us. My but we’ve really stuffed things up.
So anyway, that’s my bleat. If there’s anyone out there reading this, living down under, who gets it, I’d really like to hear from you. Being able to connect with a local would do my head and heart a world of good.
I know that many, if not most out there are probably in much worse circumstances than I am, and to you I wish all the grace and peace that Mother Earth can provide.
We will all need large doses of courage.

Kind regards to all.

[bluebird]

south ozzie – We have all felt those feelings of isolation and despair. It is not easy to get loved ones to connect the dots. Years ago, I often talked about what is coming, what needs to be done, but no one has listened. They have other priorities. And I learned…we cannot open their eyes and ears, that is something they need to do on their own. Unfortunately, they may not until it is too late.

In the meantime, continue to read and gain information, learn practical skills, and stock up on everyday items that most likely will be in short supply. When this global financial Ponzi bubble implodes, the people around us will need a lot of love and support, and with our knowledge and skills, we will be in a position to help and guide them.

[Raúl Ilargi Meijer]

South Ozzie,

Using “local” for all of Oz may be a bit wide?!

I suggest you go to http://www.doingitourselves.org/, run by our dear friend Theo Kitchener, out of Melbourne, who among loads of other things did this great video (which I featured as a post not long ago):

here’s the link:

[video width=480 height=315 type=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=euhkIesmW7E[/video]

[south ozzie]

Yes, I realize that, I was hoping that someone might know someone that knows if you will.
Re, doing it ourselves, I was listening to a podcast of an interview Nicole did where she mentioned them and I will check it out.
I live in Adelaide and I don’t think we have the same culture of ‘back to the land’ as the eastern states of Vic, NSW and Qld. In the 70’s & 80’s there was a big ‘hippie migration’ to rural areas in those states and that influence persists to this day
South Australia, geographically, is much drier, more arid, without much in the way of water resoucres. We are the driest state on the driest continent: Also, we have a much more ‘English’ population which tends to be somewhat more conservative in it’s thinking. Melbourne, in particular has a large Greek and Italian heritage, so, altghough fading, some memory of self sufficient village life still persists and is making a bit of a comeback.
Anyway, I’m not giving up, I’ll continue to do what I can as an indivdual- a few more fruit trees in, couple more raised beds, another rainwater tamk and fencing off part of the yard for a few chooks are just some projects on my long list.
The only misgiving I have, is doing all this in suburbia. Unfortunately I have neither the resources, skills or ‘team’ to do the whole farmstead thing, I have to make the best of what I’ve got.
Thanks to you and Nicole for proividing such clear, rational advice.
All the best.
‘

[Nassim]

south ozzie,

I am near Melbourne and also in a suburb like you – in zone 1 so not far from the CBD. I know all about isolation, but luckily there are 5 of us (wife, 2 girls and occasional adult boy). We have been here almost 4 years. We watch almost no TV – just the occasional hard disk recorded movie so that we can skip the adverts.

Last night, I went to a http://www.meetup.com on “Organic Intelligence”. I had no idea what it was all about, but I need to get out and see people. I still don’t really know what it was all about. Anyway, there were four others there. Somehow we started talking about what was going on and three of them had a really clear idea of the fragility of things and of the “business as usual” paradigm. These three were originally from Scotland, Iran and Monaco. The fourth one who had no idea what we were talking about was a born-and-bred Australian of Italian origin – he has never visited Europe. I think you can see why I didn’t learn much about “Organic Intelligence”

All I am trying to say is that there are an awful lot of people out there who are not entirely convinced of the official story. I just happened to mention internet security and it all came out.

I looked up the Adelaide meetups and there seem to be quite a few groups already. You can even start your own and see what happens.

[south ozzie]

Thanks for that, one more thing to look into!

Do you know anything about this mysterious buying of bond business?
I’m really not having any joy. It would appear that it is a lot harder here in Aus, for the individual to purchase them without a middleman.
I had a brief look at this page, but I just don’t get this stuff.

https://www.mywealth.commbank.com.au/investing/breaking-the-bonds-hottopic201301

[Nassim]

Do you know anything about this mysterious buying of bond business?

I am afraid not. I am very much a gold/silver bug.

[south ozzie]

No probs.
Have you ever looked at armstrong economics? He’s a guy that researches cycles. He has some interesting views on gold. His analysis of global marketd seems fairly sound, although, like the majority, I don’t think he factors in ecological limits/energy. His bogeymen seem to be interfering govs, & tbtf banks. Nevertheless very interesting.

[Nassim]

I have been keeping an eye on Armstrong’s output for some years. He was imprisoned for seven years on trumped-up charges. They claimed he had information they wanted and when he “wouldn’t tell”, they accused him of “contempt of court”. He had to plead “guilty” to something or they would never have let him out – too many egos and careers were on the line.

Goldman Sachs was heavily involved in this – they took all his software etc.

I don’t pretend to understand his theories about cycles. I think it is connected somehow to the work of Kondratiev

https://armstrongeconomics.com

I suspect Ilargi can tell you a lot more.

[south ozzie]

Yeh, I read about how he said he was put in ‘the hole’ at one point.
Not surprising, his attitude, under the circumstances.
His charts make my eyes water, but his blog posts are usually pretty interesting.
Having all that knowledge, and seeing how the powers that be, lurch from one cisis to the next, would, I imagine, drive him batty!

[Nassim]

I think he was driving them batty

They must have thought that he was in touch with the supernatural – some sort of Faustian Pact. 🙂

[SteveB]

The shortcoming of ‘doing it ourselves’ is that the ongoing use of money will provide incentives for others who want (what they believe to be) more to keep the dysfunctional system running, even if at a slower pace, still heading toward the cliff. Local currencies, though well intended and of some benefit, haven’t, don’t, and won’t prevent(ed) this. So, for example, growing your own food won’t stop someone else from fracking nearby and contaminating the ground water or from using marketing tactics to entice others into debt, addiction, etc.

Only(? tell us if otherwise) the mass rejection of money/exchange at the global level will put an end to those nefarious incentives. The bright side is that 3D printers and most of the rest of a so-called Utopian vision aren’t necessary in order for it to happen. The Internet would help, of course, but beyond communication it comes down to a choice.

[Author]

Posts