By Hunter Wallace | 7 Comments |
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Peak Oil and America’s Collapse:
Comments on Michael O’Meara
Editor’s Note: The following discussion by Prozium of Michael O’Meara’s recent review of Dimitry Orlov’s Reinventing Collapse is from the Occidental Dissent blog. Be sure to scroll down and read the sharp comments by Tanstaafl of the Age of Treason as well.
Michael O’Meara has a long review of Dimitry Orlov’s Reinventing Collapse: The Soviet Example and American Prospects. As the title suggests, the book (which I haven’t read) explores the likely future trajectory of the United States in the wake of a Soviet Union style collapse of the global economy. The culprit of this doomsday scenario is Peak Oil.
Although O’Meara fails to mention him by name, the Mad Max Dark Age described in his review owes much to the vivid imagination of James Howard Kunstler, whom longtime readers of this blog are undoubtedly familar with. Kunstler uses the term Long Emergency to describe this future period of national breakdown. In World Made By Hand (2008), he provided a fictional portrait of everyday life in upstate New York under these conditions.
A year ago, I spent a lot of time writing about these issues. In retrospect, the stock market did collapse as predicted; the NYSE lost over half its value. Bear Sterns, Lehman Brothers, and Wachovia went under. The other major big banks and brokerages survived (so far) as a result of taxpayer welfare and massive government intervention in the private sector. GM finally went bankrupt. Chrysler was bought out by Fiat. The official unemployment rate now hovers around 10%. The consensus is that we are in the worst recession since the Great Depression.
In the Spring of 2008, it looked like we were headed towards revolutionary conditions. The price of a barrel of oil (artificially driven up by speculators) was approaching $150. The airlines were going bankrupt, cutting flights, raising prices. Truckers were going on strike in protest of high fuel prices. The economy was clearly tanking as consumers reigned in their discretionary spending. In the Third World, there was famine and food riots. Haitians were eating dirt and overthrowing their government.
If the price of oil had risen, say, another $100 to $150 … what would have happened? It is easy to imagine a massive die off in the Third World; refugees flooding into the West; the just-in-time system breaking down; all kinds of shortages; massive political unrest.
Ultimately, the U.S. economy couldn’t handle $150 per barrel oil and cracked last summer. The price of oil collapsed to around $30 per barrel as the speculators flooded out of the commodites market. The conditions associated with high oil prices were ameliorated, but it was only a temporary reprieve. The rate of oil depletion ensures that it is a problem we will have to face again someday.
In the wake of our economic collapse, Kunstler and his associates have often made an important point: weaning America off its oil addiction isn’t going to be as easy as some have suggested. The havoc in the capital markets and the collapse of oil prices has cut the knees out of alternative energy and future oil development projects.
T. Boone Pickens was on television last fall touting the massive wind farms he planned to build to wean America off foreign oil. His efforts have since come to naught. The volatility of the market continues to stiffle any sort of long term planning for our energy needs. This flaw could one day prove fatal for the capitalist system.
If anything is true, the 2007-2009 recession has proved that the government’s cures for our economic ailments are often worse than the disease. Alan Greenspan’s meddling with interest rates following the collapse of the New Economy/Dot.Com bubble only created a new and even bigger bubble in the housing market. I won’t hazard to predict the consequences of the massive expansion of the money supply under Bush/Obama in response to this latest economic crisis.
The possibility of collapse gives us hope that one day the awful system we live under will one day meet its demise. If Barack Obama’s America is indicitive of our future, that is a fantasy worth clinging to.
Note: Before anyone points out the obvious, I stopped linking to Kunstler months ago over his Zionism and warnings of “cornpone Nazism.”
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Hey, if you all here at The Occidental Quarterly Online like Prozium’s website Occidental Dissent, you’ll very likely enjoy Majority Rights too – http://majorityrights.com/
I’m glad you guys are around. Very grateful.
These are the kind of articles one should print and mull over and write notes in the margins, etc. in an effort to organize one’s own thoughts on what the articles say and how they relate to the big picture.
During lunch today I put on youtube and typed “Hate Crimes” to see what they had.
I watched a couple of them and the oppostion to the bill was very Christian-centered. Meaning, today’s Designated-Religious-Scapegoat got to be the Designated and Levaithan-approved “Opposition.”Anyway, so I wrote this in the comments sections of the videos that would accept comments (some didn’t) and thought I would share it with TOO staff and readers (slightly edited).
This will not just silence Christians.
Come on folks, connect the dots.
Does anyone think
September 11th , Illegal Immigration, Illegal Wars, Illegal and Fictitious Finance Capital leading to a very real Economic Collapse, the Clinton/Bush/Obama Administrations, and the Hate Crime Bill are all unrelated?
Sounds more like a well-organized five-point plan.It should be called
The Passive/Aggressive Anti-White Hate Crime Bill
Because the REAL target is White America! Obviously!
But, of course, if you bring it up, and identify the principal offenders you’ll be accused of………………….drumroll…………. a Hate Crime!“The havoc in the capital markets and the collapse of oil prices has cut the knees out of alternative energy and future oil development projects.”
Interesting and something I actually haven’t thought about. One reason many give for the Collapse of the USSR is that they were not making enough Capital Investments. The main date when things started to come to a head for the USSR is 1985, at that point alot of Americans had Apple IIe-s and Commodore 64s. Alot of businesses were using computers… the USSR had none of this and were falling behind!!
Looks like America is falling behind now!
“The possibility of collapse gives us hope that one day the awful system we live under will one day meet its demise. If Barack Obama’s America is indicitive of our future, that is a fantasy worth clinging to.”
YES! Collapses DO happen! The Progressive ‘linear’ development model that everything is going to go on great on a straight line until we reach Utopia is wrong!
There is an alternative Viewpoint: The Esoteric Indo-Aryan CYCLE of Ages (as articulated by Baron Julius Evola and Priestess Savtri Devi) and its EXOTERIC socio-political expression: Social Cycle Theory!!!
One can take the advice of Baron Evola and ‘RIDE THE TIGER’ until the system Collapses to a point when an Authentic Right can take control!!!
” Consequently the crisis of the modern world could represent, in Hegel’s terms, a “negation of a negation,” so as to signify a phenomenon that, in its own way, is positive. This double negation might end in nothingness–in the nothingness that erupts in multiple forms of chaos, dispersion, rebellion, and “protest” that characterize many tendencies of recent generations; or in that other nothingness that is scarcely hidden behind the organized system of material civilization. Alternatively, for the men in question here it might create a new, free space that could eventually become the premise for a future, formative action. ” — Baron Julius Evola from the Book ‘Ride the Tiger’.
Tanstaafl and Prozium are definitely among the top ten, if not top five, Europid ethnonationalists bloggers out there. I recall hearing an interview of Tanstaafl on Voice of Reason Radio Network in which he displayed a calm, fluid intelligence that is characteristic of his writing and reminded me of the now late Birdman in his interview on the same network. As I listened, an image blazed in my mind as if in neon, “140+ IQ”.
Regarding his commentary on the sly stylings of Auster, it clearly drives Auster up the wall. Auster, at some level, knows damn well what he is doing, but considers it justified, because he believes the deleterious behavior of Jews is solely culturally conditioned, and not a genetically based compulsion. One must have sympathy for Auster, for which of us could bring himself to believe something so wretched of his own beloved people? However, Auster, and all Jews for that matter, must eventually accept the truth about themselves and the necessary restraints that will need be applied to their ethnic aggression. For our own people are no less important and beloved to us than Jews are to themselves. And our people must have life. If not, all the hundreds of generations of our ancestors will have lived in vain, for all the generations of our people to come will not be.
I think it laudable that TOQ has opened itself up, come down from the Ivory Tower so to speak, and, in what I foresee as a continuing engagement, invited those Whites of the necessary moral and intellectual tenor to participate in what is none less than the salvation of our people. There is certainly a range of opinion on which tone to strike in discussing the latter, as there is in how it can actually be accomplished. As GW has stated, Majority Rights is the most radical ethnonationalist blog in the Anglosphere, and concomitantly gives its commentariat and contributors more latitude in expressing themselves. Some like this, some don’t; some think it impolitic, and therefore imprudent, some don’t. As an example in contrasting styles, the traditional Holocaust narrative is openly challenged by many there, including myself. Kevin MacDonald believes such an approach to ripping out the beating heart of the European as demon-seed trope, yes, impolitic, and therefore imprudent. And who cannot at least sympathize with caution as the better part of valor with the stakes so very high. Yet, I cannot help but think – and perhaps it is the no small investment of romance I place in the honor of our people – that the blood libel against my own blood be mercilessly deconstructed for the reason that it cannot stand up to even gently applied scientific scrutiny. And because it is a filthy lie. All the more execrable because it is they, and not our beloved Germanic people, who engaged in the slaughter of the defenseless on a scale not grasped in the darkest imaginings of the decent. May the Bolshevik swine rot in hell. May our rightful honor be returned to us. May those that have none be stripped of the trappings of it they adorn themselves with. May it again be said with sincerity, “Rest easy tonight our beloveds. For we White men guard the gates. Our people will live forever.”
“However, a light suddenly went on in my mind and all the pieces of the
jigsaw suddenly fell into place…”The above is a quote from Lasha Darkmoon’s piece here,
http://groups.google.com/group/total_truth_sciences/browse_thread/thread/54e655d8601ffbaaI think it is another example of the phenomenon of Cultural Convergence as it applies to our individual/collective awakening.
I think it’s very exciting.Happily, lots of people are waking up.
But, it would seem as if we are running against the clock.And they are aware of both of these facts. That is why they are pulling all of the stops.
At this point I would like to make my own assumptions clear.
Personally, I do not see any real difference (once you get past the surface) between
theological and ideological statements.
The common feature is Redemption.
“If we all do this (whatever it is) we’ll be saved.”This is, in my view, the number one addiction of all. Addictions narrow the mind and disable the will. You are either willful or will-less, but either way, the will is ruptured and doesn’t function properly, or reasonably. It’s either ALL “Me, Me, Me” (Willful) or ALL, “You, You, You” (Will-less).
Addictions create a fantasy bond between the behavior and the addict. They are inseparable. You lose your SELF!
You become a Role, an Addict. You become a Category, a Member of a Group – ONLY!
Your value as an individual is worth-less than your value as a member of the group.
And after years of experience with this I am convinced that the worst addiction is the addiction to words in the form of beliefs asserted to be ultimate truths.And we are waking up to THAT too (though admittedly in numbers far too small).
My point is that one of the advantages of looking at life from the perspective of Human Behavior, and it’s context of Cultural History, is that you have a more precise, more reliable, less likely to mislead, perspective from which one can view things. Otherwise you are in great danger of compulsive projection and sincere contention, and finally, denial. In short, you could wind up being dominated by the same traits you object to so strongly in others. Such people tend not to be big fans of Free Speech because their number one preoccupation is Fear of Exposure. And that is why such people tend to be obsessed with power and control.
So, forget ideology, look at the behavior, verbal and non-verbal, and watch the patterns emerge.
Or, what’s that famous line from Matthew? “By their fruits you shall know them.”It’s useful to challenge our own assumptions here.
For example.
Many on the www today interested in the sort of discussion that takes place here are convinced that the notion of “Judeo-Christian” Tradition is a construct of the Jews to reign us in and create a false sense of unity that is really designed to keep us under their control.But what I notice in every – EVERY – case where this is brought up is that they never – EVER – question their own assumptions and when taken to task respond EXACTLY like Jews. ie; Silence or Violence (meaning violation, in this case, aggressive insult).
This behavior answers the question I have before it’s even asked.
The question is, or questions,
Is there something in our behavior that is similar to those we claim to be against?
Or, a more specific question,
Are there common traits between Judaism and Christianity enough to make this claim of a Judea-Christian tradition?And the answer is OBVIOUSLY!!!!!!
Let’s overlook the most obvious fact that they both emerged from the same geographical area (this is never mentioned by those opposed to the notion of a Judeo-Christian Tradition).
One answer is that BOTH emerged from a cultural situation that was aggressively patriarchal and non-democratic, ie; Authoritarian.
Now, the above should NOT be confused with what we get from PC, which is SO ignorant, it has yet to see that it is in direct line with both traditions (Judaism’s Blind Obedience, and Christianity’s The Less Shall Have More).
In fact, once again, from the perspective not of goofy, psuedo-intellectual, conspiracy theories where the participants flaunt meaningless IQ numbers like Jocks in a Gym. How corny, regressive, immature and above all UNHELPFUL!!!!!
But, rather, from the perspective of Human Behavior and Cultural History, let’s ask ourselves a simple question.
What are both of them DOING?????
They are engaged in verbal behavior.
What kind?
Well, the most important kind.
Explanation.
Is there a common feature of both Explanations?
Yes.
What?
Control and Redemption.
Both are attempting to control our behavior, and they justify and validate this behavior by saying that if we agree with their explanation (ie; allow their explanation to control our behavior) we, somehow or other (and at this point they become a little vague) will be magically saved, i.e.; Redeemed!
Hence, Control and Redemption.I think it takes the puniest amount of introspection to see that what we are dealing with at this point in Cultural History is nothing less than
The Death of Redemptive Explanatory Systems.
They are dying, they don’t work anymore.
They only succeed in creating societies, or systems, that are dysfunctional and mal-adpative.
I think this can be seen even in the Economic crisis, where people from Jim Rogers to Gerald Celente talk about The Too Big To Fails, and how they failed exactly because they were never allowed to fail, ie; they couldn’t admit they were wrong! They still can’t, and that is why we are bailing them out!
Enabling would be a better word.
We are enabling addictive behavior that has life-damaging consequences, the PATTERN of all Pathologies.The explanation for this is that because they believe in their redemptive quality, really believe in them, they see no reason to question their assumptions.
So, it becomes a question of My Assumptions versus Your Assumptions.
All of them regress into a Caveman Morality of “Us Good, Them Bad.”
It becomes a competition between two “Truths” and that is one truth too many.All of them function by imposing Moral “Shoulds and Oughts” that, though they may have some merit, can never be questioned and so, end up over time growing a Scorpian’s Tail.
All Redemptive Explanations Impose Moral Absolutes instead of working to increase the realm of Moral Choice!!!!!!!!Or,
Explanatory Behavior operating in the Realm of the Absolute!
So, from this perspective we once again see the similarities between Jewish behavior and that of so many who oppose them.
We truly live in momentous times. The line from Oedipus “right now I sway between hope and fear” comes irresistably to mind.
It’s worth pointing out that Oedipus says that line when he is about to find out the truth of himself, that HE is responsible (ie; that WE have all been addicted to Redemptive Explanatory Systems).
If in this analogy We are Oedipus, than the Oracle should be Reality.
It would be wise to say to Reality what Oedipus said to the Oracle.
“You must speak, and I must listen.”I agree with Dedalus. I am greatful to this site and its contributors for their insights.
However, it is apparent that the balance of analysis and action at this and related sites, is maladaptively shifted towards analysis. We are like chess aficionados who endlessly analyze games, without ever playing.
Any ideas as to how we could encourage our best intellectuals to think more strategically?
Our race has tremendous resources. How could we direct these resources towards impacting public opinion, politics and economics in a peaceful and legal manner?


What the hell is “cornpone Nazism”?
Before anyone points out the obvious, I stopped linking to Kunstler months ago over his Zionism and warnings of “cornpone Nazism.”
I don’t follow Kunstler, so it wasn’t obvious to me, though it hardly comes as a surprise to hear it.
From the bits you cited last year it seemed clear enough that his cornpone jewish distaste for suburbia springs largely from a distaste for Whites. Kuntsler puts too much effort into ridiculing and finding fault with ordinary people trying to make the best of a situation they had no part in creating, and not enough effort into identifying and criticizing the rich and powerful machers at the top.
It’s no wonder why.
cornpone = countrified
He believes White Southerners are a heartbeat away from Nazism. They will call for an authoritarian dictatorship in the wake of Peak Oil.
I believe rootless cosmopolitan anti-anti-semites are a heartbeat away from recreating the NKVD and their gulags. They will call for an authoritarian dictatorship in the wake of any upheaval they can.
I think my belief is more grounded in reality. The bolshevist “hate” legislation passing through congress right now is not supported by even one Nazi senator.