Why I'm frustrated
If life was just about each of us getting by in our own little corners of the world, then personal accountability would be enough. We'd all make our own mistakes and learn from them and move on.
However I must believe bigger things are afoot. Well, like peak oil.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNjZnRA2m68&NR
It's nice to be an idealist, to think collectively we can make a better world, but that idealism requires something of sacrafice by everyone, at least in the biggest sense.
Take for instance my conviction that higher fuel prices are essential for weening us off from fossil fuels. As long as energy is cheap, people will keep doing what they're doing.
I think of my friends stepping into a mortgage beyond their means or at least beyond their discipline. I mean that's under current circumstances, not under the world I think we OUGHT to be considering, the world we'll face sooner or later regardless of what we want.
How do I save my friends? How do I tell them they ought to pay more for EVERYTHING for their own good?
Democracy doesn't seem to support benevolant inflictions of hardship, much less friendship.
And YES, I know higher prices themselves don't change anything. It only creates new markets for people to get taken advantage through, and may or may not actually improve the long term problems we'll be facing.
Capitalism works as long as most people can get ahead, and in a world of diminishing returns there's going to be a point of diminishing acquiecence to the powers over our lives. When a critical mass find themselves slipping further and further behind no matter how much they do to reverse their decline, what will happen?
Humans like scapegoats. Who shall we blame? Ideally those in power need to find someone to blame besides themselves. Well, unless they have their get-away plan ready and don't need to face the riots against them.
Its perhaps fun to imagine the worst that I can imagine, but really I don't think even my worst is the real worst. I mean I don't even know - is a slow steady failure better or worse that a crisis? A crisis is easier to respond to, easier for people in positions of power to mobilize action in response.
Kunstler's "Long Emergency", by title, suggests something bigger than a crisis, although maybe seen as a long series of crises.
The financial melt down seems the biggie - the one I most fear. If I don't have debt, I can better handle losing my job. My stability isn't worth much, but it can mean a little more I can give to others with more demands on them than me, but money isn't clearly something I'd want to have to make a difference - I don't particularly want to pay off the debt of those who got over their head. I doubt many will step forward. Easier to offer a fish - food for today. Heck that's my philosophy for beggars when I can. At least buying them food I know where its going.
Well, my financial independence day is still far off anyway - not until 2011 if I'm lucky so I must keep plugging away on my own debt and hope for the best.
Are people better off renting? I mean if they're poor? I tend to think yes - at least their budgets are fixed and they can jump ship (move in with parents) as a quick last resort. Having a home you can't defend from creditors - seems too risky.
Sure if the economy falls, everyone fails and the banks'll end up with property they can't sell anyway. The government will end up printing money to pay off the bad debt so better off people can take money from the banks to cover their costs because they lost their jobs. In short maybe it's better to have a house you're going to lose - maybe it's better to have no hope in accumulating equity if the economy crashes.
I wish to see hope in needed change. Mostly I see failed dreams in great need of revisioning - all of us.
However I must believe bigger things are afoot. Well, like peak oil.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNjZnRA2m68&NR
It's nice to be an idealist, to think collectively we can make a better world, but that idealism requires something of sacrafice by everyone, at least in the biggest sense.
Take for instance my conviction that higher fuel prices are essential for weening us off from fossil fuels. As long as energy is cheap, people will keep doing what they're doing.
I think of my friends stepping into a mortgage beyond their means or at least beyond their discipline. I mean that's under current circumstances, not under the world I think we OUGHT to be considering, the world we'll face sooner or later regardless of what we want.
How do I save my friends? How do I tell them they ought to pay more for EVERYTHING for their own good?
Democracy doesn't seem to support benevolant inflictions of hardship, much less friendship.
And YES, I know higher prices themselves don't change anything. It only creates new markets for people to get taken advantage through, and may or may not actually improve the long term problems we'll be facing.
Capitalism works as long as most people can get ahead, and in a world of diminishing returns there's going to be a point of diminishing acquiecence to the powers over our lives. When a critical mass find themselves slipping further and further behind no matter how much they do to reverse their decline, what will happen?
Humans like scapegoats. Who shall we blame? Ideally those in power need to find someone to blame besides themselves. Well, unless they have their get-away plan ready and don't need to face the riots against them.
Its perhaps fun to imagine the worst that I can imagine, but really I don't think even my worst is the real worst. I mean I don't even know - is a slow steady failure better or worse that a crisis? A crisis is easier to respond to, easier for people in positions of power to mobilize action in response.
Kunstler's "Long Emergency", by title, suggests something bigger than a crisis, although maybe seen as a long series of crises.
The financial melt down seems the biggie - the one I most fear. If I don't have debt, I can better handle losing my job. My stability isn't worth much, but it can mean a little more I can give to others with more demands on them than me, but money isn't clearly something I'd want to have to make a difference - I don't particularly want to pay off the debt of those who got over their head. I doubt many will step forward. Easier to offer a fish - food for today. Heck that's my philosophy for beggars when I can. At least buying them food I know where its going.
Well, my financial independence day is still far off anyway - not until 2011 if I'm lucky so I must keep plugging away on my own debt and hope for the best.
Are people better off renting? I mean if they're poor? I tend to think yes - at least their budgets are fixed and they can jump ship (move in with parents) as a quick last resort. Having a home you can't defend from creditors - seems too risky.
Sure if the economy falls, everyone fails and the banks'll end up with property they can't sell anyway. The government will end up printing money to pay off the bad debt so better off people can take money from the banks to cover their costs because they lost their jobs. In short maybe it's better to have a house you're going to lose - maybe it's better to have no hope in accumulating equity if the economy crashes.
I wish to see hope in needed change. Mostly I see failed dreams in great need of revisioning - all of us.
posted by Ares Olympus at 2:44 PM
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