Glennda
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Thank you, Raul. I’m so glad you have not forgotten Julian Assange.
Thank you, John Day. For reminding us that we could have this complicit trait within each of us.
Thank you, A from Oz. Those are very good questions about his legal situation. What the h.. is up with that?
Another post of interest is a Book review by David Graeber in the NY Review of Books.
Against Economics by Davod Graeber in the Dec 5 NY Review of Books
It’s a long essay, but the book is very long and somewhat impenetrable with lots of economic graphs. It’s a review of Skidelsky’s book- Money and Government: the Past and Future of Economics.
David Graeber quotes: “Skidelsky drily remarks:
There is a paradox here. On the one hand, the theory says that there is no point in trying to profit from speculation, because shares are always correctly priced and their movements cannot be predicted. But on the other hand, if investors did not try to profit, the market would not be efficient because there would be no self-correcting mechanism….
Secondly, if shares are always correctly priced, bubbles and crises cannot be generated by the market….
” This attitude leached into policy: “government officials, starting with [Federal Reserve Chairman] Alan Greenspan, were unwilling to burst the bubble precisely because they were unwilling to even judge that it was a bubble.” The EMH made the identification of bubbles impossible because it ruled them out a priori.If there is an answer to the queen’s famous question of why no one saw the crash coming, this would be it.
…
Any new, viable science will either have to draw on the accumulated knowledge of feminism, behavioral economics, psychology, and even anthropology to come up with theories based on how people actually behave, or once again embrace the notion of emergent levels of complexity—or, most likely, both.Intellectually, this won’t be easy. Politically, it will be even more difficult. Breaking through neoclassical economics’ lock on major institutions, and its near-theological hold over the media—not to mention all the subtle ways it has come to define our conceptions of human motivations and the horizons of human possibility—is a daunting prospect. Presumably, some kind of shock would be required. ”
Skidelsky says ” Any new, viable science” – he still calls it a Science, when it is obvious that economics is more like sociology or anthropology, and should be looked at as a lot of varying theories.
Glad to see Tulsi is speaking out – truth. She has my support, though I think the DNC will manage to keep her out of the primaries. The DNC will not be able to keep Bernie out, but Elizabeth Warren may get their approval. But I vote Green Party where ever it shows up. They also called out the the ENDless WARS. Hilary really was the queen of war.
I’ve been reading Our Finite World by Gail T. She make some excellent points about Renewable Energy, but her most important conclusion is hidden in the length of her post. That is – when a country collapses like Russia did in the 90s it’s carbon footprint (and some other resource footprints) dropped immensely. The conclusion is if a large federation like the EU or especially the neo-liberal globalization of trade breaks up that will help the Resource drain of the earth. So watching the world plunge into a world wide Depression (let’s call it what it really is) would be the saving of at least some of the earth’s resources for the future 7 generations.
So perhaps the obvious descent of the world economy will be our best hope for the future.
I look forward to part 2 of your essay, Raul. The news is the static showing the slow descent of it all.
I think commercial Media is just the most visible part of the picture. This technique is rampant in “Social” media, where one faction uses the social media to posture as the correct view and paint someone with “guilt by association” and attack someone or group as Not-Doing-Enough-to-Root Out- This-Evil. So it can snowball into a self-righteous promoting of a With-Us-or-Against-Us stance. So people pile on and/or shun or attack the target.
I think it’s the huge fire hose of informaiton that overwhelms quiet thoughtfulness on issues. Heaven forbid that people think for themselves.
How do you like to be addressed? Illagi or Raul or either?
Anyway you say: “any hour I have to spare I’ll sit outside here in Athens with a coffee or a beer. ”
So you are in Greece, what is your thinking on China buying the port of Piraeus? I know the EU thru them under the bus, and the conservative govt. is selling off all it can, but… belt and road? An entry to the EU market. But selling an important money source to China? How can that benefit Greece? Or is this all a short term solution to bankruptcy?Also I too have had old friends go ballistic on me when I wanted to see “facts” about Russia-gate. It seems today all that is needed is a Loud Accusation and presumed guilt. Whatever happened to due process? Now people seem to have forgotten “innocent until proven guilty”. While Trump is obviously guilty of many sleezy business crimes, but Russia? War is bad for business, so I guess Trump is anit-war for that.
Today accusations seem to carry more weight than in the past. Now if I even associate with some one accused of bigotry, then I am tainted too, unless I un-friend them as in FB. Can no one have friends or associates without being 100% in agreement with them? This seems to go both ways – I’ve gotten slammed from both sides of a discussion, if I don’t join a “side”. It’s all “be for me or against me” with no gray zone, no middle. This kind of divisiveness is killing off associations of diverse paths, too much contention. Too much anger floating around. Everything is getting polarized.
I too enjoy reading your blog over my coffee, along with other alt news sources. Thanks for hanging in there. There are too few people who even want to think for themselves.
Thank you for all these years of providing me with real news. I appreciate your clear mindedness in presenting us with info on Julian Assange, Greece, the the steps down that our dysfunctional global economy is taking. I’ll be ready to read what you write after you get your focus clear on it. These are the death throes of globalism. See you on the other side of your choice of focus.
For now I’ll just search on line for Pepe Escobar’s news in the middle east, and for the sorrow of Julian Assange. I’ve appreciated your clear call for proof in Russiagate, and your analysis of DNC and Trump-mania.
Please look for my donation for you to continue your good work.
Thank you for your words, Susmarie.
“What we lack is a translation of the impact of the conditions. That would involve a hearing from/on all sides + empathy. “First seek to understand, then be understood” (Covey). Then what about the process of finding a Way forward? And supporting ONE Another on the journey. So much we can do.”
Too many people are being ‘tried and convicted’ in the court of hear-say. They get into their silos and echo chambers and can’t hear another view point. Too many people are thinking that “if you are not with me, then you are against me”. Too simple for Real Life.
I found the snow leopard. She is not as white as I expected.
On another note – Here is an article about the demise of our small/medium family farmers. This is the exact opposite of what we need to face our dismal future of collapse.
The devastation of farm country is biting us all on the butt
On a more active note – Here is a long essay on how activists are stepping up to the challenge from our young people to fight for a future world that’s not just a tragedy.
https://medium.com/@margaretkleinsalamon/leading-the-public-into-emergency-mode-b96740475b8f
I’ve started to work with some 350 people locally to help the cities locally that have declared a Climate Emergency to work together on chosen goals that can lead to a regional response, with in put from front line communities and activists.
I’m in the flow of doing all I can locally to survive the coming collapse. I also am working with supporters of the GND to spread the idea. The GND may not happen this year, but soon, soon, I hope.
ROUGE STATES – all of them.
No international law?
Heart breaking. Where is the international or US outcry? Why no big demonstrations? Are all these 5 countries accepted as rouge by their people? This is how we descend into barbarism. How can we save Julian Assange?
This is the Great Decline, the Great Descent into fascism.
Thanks, Ilargi. I got to LOL at the final eagle catching the drone. Yes, now what does he do with it?
Kunstler is right on as usual.
Yes, let’s focus on all the wasted energy – all lost wandering around the electrical grid that spans the whole western US, all the energy wasted shipping cheap shoddy pointless plastic across oceans, all the “consumer” items nobody really wants. All that shopping therapy that doesn’t really make anyone happier. All the ads, all the spread out reach of commuting. Wasted energy, it’s like writing checks because there are still checks in the check book with no bothering with the debt mounting.
We really do live in a time of sorrow. Does your accumulated waste/stuff own you or do you really own it?
I think many people are already looking to down size, and not just seniors. Lets talk about Live Simply, so Others may Simply Live.
So yes, lets say Stop producing Waste. This consumer/capitalist world is happy to over produce and sell to the US, and we know we need the newest most wonderful up-to-date gadgets, because the ads tell us that we will be better for it.
I keep hoping the world economy will crash to lower shipping and trucking use of fuel. But it’s more than that, we do need to make a push to stop wasting so much, living like there is no tomrrow. All the young Gretas are right to speak out and call out their elders.
What happened to securing a better future for our children and grandchildren?
For me the key take-away from this article is that LARGE scale renewable projects don’t work. But what about localized small scale ones? While large scale planning may be necessary, perhaps the answer lies in regional grids that don’t try to transmit for miles, and don’t expect uninterrupted availability of electricity. I know some folks think nuclear plants could work, but they never think of the long, long term disposal of used wastes.
Course, this does not include the current need for food to be trucked and shipped huge distances. Again, localize resources of food are necessary. We will need to down size in so many ways.
<“Am I still the only one who thinks this is good news?
• April US Auto Sales Crash 6.1%, Worst Slide In 8 Years (ZH) >That’s the best of news in this dismal time of lost freedom of speech.
I’ve been re-reading Alice Friedemann’s “When Trucks Stop Running – Energy and the Future of Transportation.”
Here in the SF Bay Area people are working towards 100% renewable electricity, but of course the catch is that trucks can’t use electricity without batteries, and the technology for batteries may never allow it become real. So “save” fossil fuels for the truck and decrease single occupancy autos. Gas prices in this area have risen from about $3 to $4 a gallon. People will just pay it. But… we will per-force have to cut back on all the many extravagant uses of fossil fuels. The sooner the better for a “Recession”. A Green New Deal could help, if not nationally, perhaps locally for a just transition of jobs from fossil fuels to rebuilding our infrastructure.
Many city councils in the Bay Area are proclaiming a Climate Emergency, which actually makes state funds for emergencies available. An interesting strategy.
As for 100% renewable electricity – I”m working with local 350 groups, city and county people to have a convening of the many groups in the area to work on the Emergency. We’ll see how that goes, probably very slowly.
We also have a movement to Buy Out PG&E (with a budding Public Bank) which has declared bankruptcy, and make it actually owned by elected officials from counties served by it. PG&E admits negligence in maintaining the needed infrastructure. So it could happen. Additionally the 100% renewable energy electric service costs extra with a “100% carbon free” (that includes Nuclear) as a free option. (No nukes! I’ll be speaking against this option.)
All of these issues are super tricky. I can only hope we can make it work well.
As far as FB and depersoning people, that is the fad of our times. Such a nasty self righteous time we live in. I’ve had to deal with much of this in groups I work with.
Thanks for posting about my hero Assange. I do enjoy reading you as part of my daily morning coffee and news.
Brazza – thanks for the quotes!
“People keep asking me ‘What is the solution to the climate crisis?’. They expect me to know the answer. That is beyond absurd, as there are no ‘solutions’ within our current systems. – Greta
Most people I know are taking the GND as a jumping off place to educate others. Most people realize that using rare earths and ignoring EROI is not a solution, when they stop to think about it. More are beginning to talk about Deep Adaptation, and localization of solutions.
Greta has raised the issue, when elders have not been listened to. She speaks to the kids who will quickly figure out all you have mentioned and more. They will “educate” themselves, and are doing so right now. Her comment is spot on.
“We need a whole new way of thinking. The political system that you [adults] have created is all about competition. You cheat when you can because all that matters is to win. That must come to an end.”
zerosum –
” The majority of the street people/homeless, that I see, are drunk, addicted, and mentally challenged.
They do get help from multiple sources. Yet, they still stay in the street even in the freezing cold.”Those people who stay in the street are medically and mentally challenged, and since we do not have Medicare for All, they don’t get treatment. They may also be those who get out of jail, but can’t find work. Drugs and alcohol are illnesses and ways to ease the pain of their lives. They are the most vulnerble and “expendable” population. This is what the Collapse of our society looks like.
Passing along a great essay by Pepe Escobar on the geo-politics of the Eurasian countries.
http://www.atimes.com/article/erdogan-mbs-islamic-leadership-and-the-price-of-silence/
His onsite essays about Pakistan while there for a conference and now in Turkey are very illuminating. I read everything I can of what he writes. Looks like a fossil fuel alliance of Russia, Turkey and Iran is solidifying while the Saudia Arabia, Israel, US block is in disarray.
I’m not interested in the nasty murder of Kashoggi, except that it’s pivot in power in the Middle East. Will Turkey become the head of Islamic countries?
I’m a regular reader and fan of yours, Ilargi, but demonizing Theresa May with a sexist stereotype really is NOT okay.
“wondering if there’s anyone who doesn’t expect her to straddle a broomstick and fly off at any moment.”
Please, remember that in the US, demonizing left progressives and communists with a witch hunt ruined many lives and was a neo-fascist tool. Please, don’t use racist or ageist or sexist stereotypes to demonize your ideological enemies. You can do better than that.
Interesting intro to our predicament. I think toktomi’s point is important about “7.5 billion souls on board”.
Two possible issues stemming from this are 1 – slavery as humans are going to be more abundant than fossil fuels, and 2 – plagues as our population runs into hard limits in agriculture.
I know we are already wage slaves, but I”m surprised that the wave of anti immigrant folks haven’t recognized the “resource” that they might provide, but with the abundance of “slaves” trying to feed themselves, owners don’t need to bother with taking care of the excess humans. In CA we use immigrants to harvest fields and they move with the harvest. As the fires take out water and land, will these folks be forced into city homeless camps? Yes.
We also are going to be looking at the issue of plague or antibiotic resistant diseases. It’s bound to happen as the homeless/migrant population weakens.
Going back to the land has been one of the Prepper options, but with fires raging they are being forced back to cities and homelessness.
More later – I am very interested in the ideas of Degrowth and have been reading extensively in that area.
Yes, congrats, Illargi – I also start my day reading your blog, OfTwoMinds, and Zero Hedge for my news. MSM is, as you say, too echo-chamber and angry.
You deserve to be acknowledged for your tireless work. Be sure to let us know what you need to continue you blog.
btw I tried to donate the other day and couldn’t seem to manage it, but I was coming down with a flu, so perhaps did not persevere enough. My plan is to mail 2 checks one for Greece and one for you.
And then there is there is the rotting infrastructure – I’ve been deeply concerned about the storage of spent uranium rods from the closed nuclear power plant situated on the river between Sacramento and the Bay Area. Still no provisions for deep storage away from populations and nothing in the foreseeable future.
I agree, “force”. It’s way over due for the capitalist monster to crash.
The cheap garbage/waste that is shipped and flown around the world is not cheap for the environment. Only the rapacious machine crashing will save what we have left of our beautiful mother Gaia.
Thank you, Ilargi. You tie the Russia(phobia) story with Julian in such a clear way. You give me a way of explaining my doubts about the propaganda to others.
What a travesty it all is and so typical of USian hate profiling, a new McCarthyism. This feels like a concerted program by the “intelligence” (?) agencies et al. to form a divisive propaganda narrative. So easy when the accused are not allowed to defend themselves. If I voice doubts about the Russian meddling narrative being the horror story, I get people who have been long time friends foaming at the mouth and shouting at me that the Russians are interfering in our elections. (Like what country doesn’t have some program to influence other countries.) But this US propaganda is much more manipulative than “regime change” or shooting up wedding parties just in case a bad guy is there.
It’s amazing how much power (or is it smarts?), we give to Russia/Putin. They must be the chess masters that are many steps ahead of our “intelligence” agents.
For me this is all part of the magician who distracts while the other hand is really doing the trick. Both sides of our fractured country know what’s ahead. I suspect the US powers-that-be are hiding the crash behind the stock exchange. In that respect our crass president has something right when he works to pull back our reliance on the rest of the world. His military friends have clued 45 in to the real state of the Union so he knows we are going down, and soon.
And poor Julian, how my heart goes out to him. What a hero or is it martyr now?
Good point, VisionHawk. I agree.
I’m currently re-examining “home economics” from the point of view of old denigration of Women’s Work and the need for cheap female workers in the 50s. It may be a time for a re-appreciation of Home Economics.
By buying low or no packaged goods, we can decrease landfill and pointless dangerous plastic in the environment. It’s amazingly hard to buy things that don’t contain plastic. And as Charles Hugh Smith says, a home cooked meal can be a revolutionary act.
I’m looking into a way to cover bowls with beeswax soaked cotton, as a way to avoid plastic wrap, etc.
These are the death-throws of our capitalist system of extraction and growth with no limits and no concern for all the lives trampled by it. We were thrown off the bus long ago. All we can do now is to work with our communities and neighbors to try to make the steps down more bearable for as many people as possible. With active-hope perhaps we can form better foundations that can be built upon for those who survive the dark years ahead.
“Whether it’s Africa or Central America, people flee because of what western governments, military and intelligence services have done to their homelands.”
The Wars for scarcer and scarcer resources, the Climate Change caused by the reckless Industrial Overproduction, the Droughts caused by climate change and big agribusiness, etc. etc. are driving our planet to the Cliff.
Look at the stages of Grief and Loss- denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance – where am I today?
If we accept that there is a cliff ahead, then the Next Stage should be planning and organizing for the Bottom of the cliff, or the Next Lower step in the Decline. Where are you on the last stage towards planning for it? Just being here with others that see the doom ahead, is a good way to get the support we need to forge ahead with what needs to be done, either alone or joining with others.
For me work in organizing the fight against the belching Oil Refineries locally helps. CA is having a Green Capitalism Summit hosted by Brown and Bloomberg in Sept; locally we are working to bring the various threads together to voice an Alternative. My main goal for Sept is to help with expanding a network of local folks who see the Cliff ahead. It’s like prepping for the Big Quake ahead.
This weekend are a host of Marches and Rallies – Anti-Wars at Home and Abroad
Both Sat April 14 and Sun April 15 lots of rallies nation wide. These have been planned for a few months. With the current events we expect many people to show up. Will the MSM cover it? or give accurate counts of people? Not likely. Even with rain here in Oakland CA the afternoon on Sunday, people will march from Lake Merritt to Oscar Grant plaza in front of the city hall at 1 pm. Then it may rain. (We really need the rain as we are only at 2/3 of what we need for rain. )
This will only be the beginning of the outrage against this act of war. Did Congress agree to it?
Will this mark the beginning of the Movement of Movements needed to unseat the Deep State? This and the failing economy are our only hope.
Why is this such a surprise??
We’ve all known they (google and FB) are a big window into our lives for TPTB to search for “key words” etc. And even if we are reticent about our info, they can triangulate in on us thru our “friends”, our blogs we follow, etc etc.Interesting that Jimmy Carter gets little press, even though or because he is the only honest Democrat left. I fear that poor Obama has been seriously tainted by the Demo machine.
“someone will have to call a halt, or at least a pause, to the pace at which they’re getting richer, or their quest for riches will become self-defeating. ”
Yes, but WHO?
Young Bernie fans have gotten politicized and are joining together in groups like Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) which has grown in the SF Bay Area from about 30 to almost 900. Bernie Sanders and a few others may surprise people in the next election results. Like Seattle the Bay Area will soon sprout socialists in office and hopefully the Public Bank of Oakland will take off. This week the Oakland city council has approved some real money to exploring this useful option.
Our governor Brown has sold out our Air Quality to big oil, but the fight will continue. The fight to regulate oil refineries has geared up to keep at the effort to cap increased capacity of refineries to take on dirty Tar Sands oil by the ship load. We must not give up the effort, just because the elected officials are bought out by Big Oil.
While Bannon is taking on the Republicans, the left is going to take on the establishment Democrats.
Thanks, Ilargi, for spelling out the situation so well. I read you blog almost every day to keep my finger on the pulse of the patient.
When I saw your photo of the day, I thought – nuclear bomb.
Shows where the fear scale for me is going. I remember the Cuban missile crisis. I was 18 yrs old and in DC at an anti-war/anti-nuke demonstration when we heard the news. On the bus ride back to NYC (I was a student there), at a bus stop I phoned my father in CA for his political advise and reassurance. He was reassuring, I think that was for me, not the reality of the situation.
Now that I’m semi-retired, it seems like deja vu all over again.
Thank you Ilargi for
The Man who Planted Trees – magnificent. I’ll pass that one on to friends in Climate Justice work.
Ken – Thanks for the great recourse link to climatecentral.org What a great site – how did I miss that one?
Dr. D – Just read that site and it will help you understand that what we have is climate chaos as the earth heats up. Also a 15 mm rise in sea level is enormous, if you look at the extent of the coast lines.
The whole paragraph in the article.
“Global sea level rise surged between November 2014 and February 2016, with the El Niño event helping the oceans rise by 15mm. That jump would have take five years under the steady rise seen in recent decades, as ice caps melt and oceans get warmer and expand in volume. Final data for 2016 sea level rise have yet to be published.”Also the cold weather in Europe and North America was caused by a shift of the weather pattern south, because the north pole was sooo hot.
Born in Aug 1941 here. One reason younger people are not commenting here is that it kinda sounds like a bunch of folks saying “Back in my day it was the Golden Age etc.” They are hunkering down to eking out a living as wage slaves and patchwork jobs. They know in their hearts that things are going to hell, but what can plan folks do?
I had the pleasure last weekend of going to a gathering of about 2400 earth religionists aka pagans. These are reconstruction Celtic, Druid, diaspora, Wiccan etc who honor the earth and know about the coming hard times. This group was not just old hippies, but families, and many many young people. There were lots of social justice workshops along with music, spirituality, how to, etc. The gathering seem to have a lot of diversity combined with community acceptance and support. I know this is probably a very fringe event, but there were seed sharers along with young SJ warriors.
I think the younger people are taking the Peak Oil/Climate Chaos as part of the reality will respond when necessary. Until then, FB, games and watching screens are better than cocaine (80s) and pain killers (today).
Back home the SJ and Climate justice community is preparing for strikes and direct actions on Monday, May 1 and a family friendly event on Sat. April 29. Trump is acting as a catalyst for Waking Up to the Detour Signs ahead — the road is washing out and business will not be as usual.
Thanks, Chris M. I’ve ordered the book by Carl Wilken. These ideas make sense of so much. How frustrating that New Deal regulations were dropped.
Still the way the Plutocracy works makes me suspicious of such a simple solution. The top tip of the pyramid will want to have their increasing share, so where is it to come from, but from the great unwashed base of the pyramid? Perhaps a financial collapse can loosen some of the elite state and corporate strangle hold on the world. Localizing what’s left may make it harder to monopolize.
And Thanks again, Ilargi for providing a place where we can get intelligent discourse.
Paul Craig Roberts is an empty name calling alt-right mouth peice. Where does he get ” the $50 per hour paid protesters” from? What a laugh. The people out in the streets today are all the people from the middle-of-the-road to all the Bernie supporters who donated large numbers of small donations to make Bernie’s ideas be discussed. People want change, but only big money can win.
The demonstrations today will show what strength the opposition to Trump has and the base for the regaining of Congress in 2 years. This is just the starting gun on the race to replace Trumpism. Local state and city candidates will follow where the numbers point them to remove the alt-right from offices.
People seem to forget Bernie Sanders. He was a huge surprise to the left. He also raised tons of money with grassroots donations. I think democratic socialist will only grow stronger under Trump as people see a need for safety nets. He may be a bit too old come 2020, but maybe Elizabeth Warren will step up. Trump will push the left into supporting each other as MLK day will show. Maybe the Demo party will realize that Sanders would have made a better showing against Trump, but not too likely.
The young people who voted for Bernie are now searching for groups and networks that follow his platform. We shall see. I just hope the civil war motif will fade away.
