the center does not hold
February 11, 2010 on 8:20 am | In economics, fucking americans, peak oil, politics, world | No CommentsSo, is anyone else getting a sick feeling in their stomach watching events unfold these days?
I just finished reading Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s excellent and provocative “The Black Swan”, so I’m not making any specific predictions on where things are heading, but it seems to me that we’re driving towards some seriously mean looking dark clouds.
A very successful friend and mentor once told me, “The truth is, no one knows what they are doing. The problem is that too many people think they do.” He wasn’t excluding himself or the most powerful people in the world from this statement (and he’s known a lot of important people). I consider this to be a very sharp and profound insight. Viewing the world through this lens has given me a new perspective that often makes me laugh, but usually makes me worry.
Since my daughter was born a few months ago I have not kept up with the news as much, but today seems to be particularly irritating. I see a lot of dots but no one is connecting them.
First off… Obama seems to have gone completely off the rails with a recent statement to Bloomberg about his buddies at JP morgan and Goldman Sachs… essentially that he doesn’t begrudge them their multimillion dollar salaries, given they are both “good businessmen”. Really? Because it seems to me they really fucked up and pretty much took our economy down. I can’t believe that Obama has been so thoroughly corrupted by advice from those assholes Geithner and Summers that he can’t see what a major public relations mistake this statement is. It does not bode well for “change”, or even for keeping us afloat. Seems like we’ve hit an iceberg and most of us are stuck in steerage.
In the meantime, other crises are popping up all over the place.
The tenacious and ever-lucid Elizabeth Warren has just issued a warning that a crash in commercial real estate is coming. I know you’ve all seen the empty buildings… it’s been subliminal but evident for awhile.
And don’t even get me started on the environment. A couple of idiot scientists do something stupid and it gets taken totally off the agenda? You can almost feel the politicians sighing over that one. Seriously though… while the specific outcome of global warming is essentially a Black Swan, we can’t deny that it’s not looking good for human civilization.
So while we all languish in economic hell, dumping our tax money into failing banks, our local cities running out of money, the government pumping the largest share of our budget into the military EVER in the history of our country, while sticking it to us on health care, jobs, and the environment… the guys who helped bring us to our knees are getting a free pass and millions of dollars.
Nice. God bless America.
And…. we’re back
December 30, 2008 on 11:40 pm | In fucking americans, economics, peak oil, politics, world, environment | No CommentsI don’t know if Obama’s numerous cabinet appointees are making anyone else nervous but so far the lustre of “change” is starting to look a little less shiny than it did on November 5th. I’m willing to give the guy the benefit of the doubt - after all he is extremely intelligent, more than qualified, and he hasn’t even taken office yet, but let’s just say I don’t plan on being a cheerleader without cause. So where to begin? There are so many interlocking issues that need addressing. While the term “holistic” tends to conjure images of trendy new age quackery, the idea of a whole approach to our situation seems to be a good one. The economy, the environment, energy, and healthcare are major issues that are all connected, and approaching these problems from a “quality and sustainability of life” perspective would be bold. I’ve been picking up bits of ideas from various sources on the web and what I find is that no one is really connecting all of the dots here (except for Jim Kunstler, and his prognostications are grim indeed).
So what do we do? Here are a few articles I’ve read recently that may help point the way…
http://www.thestar.com/comment/article/557976http://climateandcapitalism.com/?p=588
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/oct/22/climate-change-renewable-energy
http://thebreakthrough.org/blog/2008/12/will_energy_efficiency_stimulu.shtml
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2008/12/26-3
Maybe the Rich are the Problem
October 21, 2008 on 9:44 pm | In economics | No CommentsThis is an interesting correlation between wealth disparity during the 1920s and now… The suggestion being that speculation is an inevitable byproduct of too much wealth concentration at the top. It’s an idea that should gain more traction, as it seems to me to be the best explanation of the situation so far.
The long view…
October 21, 2008 on 9:28 pm | In futurism, economics, fucking americans, politics, world, environment | No CommentsGeorge Monbiot is usually right on… and this is no exception. I’ve always wondered if this development of institutional short term thinking in the populace, while nurtured by corporate powers intent on increasing profit with little regard for the future impact, grew teeth during the cold war era, as a result if the always impending doom of nuclear holocaust. When one expects annihilation at any moment the future is a distant unlikely place. Combined with the decreasing attention spans afforded by TV, the rapid technological change which seems to render visions of future life incomprehensible in a few short years, and you have a population incapable of long term planning. Good article… it would make a great late night debate…
Mike Davis on Obama
October 18, 2008 on 8:35 am | In economics, politics | No CommentsWow. What a crazy month. I’ve been traveling for work so forgive me for the lack of new posts. In addition I’ve been so in awe of economic and political developments that I’ve been mostly struck speechless. Some interesting things going on, plenty of great articles that I would like to post, but I read this one today and had to link it. If you haven’t read Mike Davis’ “Dead Cities” I highly recommend it… it’s a fascinating anthology of modern urbanism’s slow decay. So, while I am a strong Obama suppporter, I find Mike to be insightful, and credible in his analysis. So here you go. Can Obama See the Grand Canyon?
700 billion fluffy little nothings
September 24, 2008 on 9:51 pm | In economics, fucking americans | No Commentsyou have to hand it to Mark Morford… no matter how bleak things get he manages to make you laugh…
Fuck you america, now get back to work
September 22, 2008 on 6:15 am | In economics, fucking americans | No CommentsIs it just me or does this seem like a blank check? Those who fucked up the economy (and their now figurehead Paulson) are expecting congress to abdicate their constitutional responsibilities in order to pass this emergency legislation without question. Since it is an election year you can bet that the discussion will border on blackmail… those who urge caution and clarity will be shouted down, and probably even blamed for the crisis should they not act in concert with the herd. That’s if any of them dare to try… the Democrats haven’t stood up to anything yet so my hopes are low. Worst of all, nothing in the proposal holds any of the Wall Street Boyz responsible. It’s not only a blank check for the Treasury to do whatever they want with our money, it’s a blank check for Wall street to keep doing what it’s been doing… after all, if worse comes to worse the government can always step in.
I’d like to know why the government can step in and come up with shitloads of money to bailout corporations while thousands and thousands of homeowners are being told to fuck off? How is it not completely obvious at this point that these people don’t care about anyone but themselves? It’s all a big fucking mess and it’s going to get worse.
the end of the free market (not)
September 21, 2008 on 7:47 am | In economics, fucking americans | No CommentsGreat article from Naomi Klein. It’s been clear for awhile that the free market ideology was a sham, it’s doctrine preached when convenient, but easily swept under the rug when needed. However - the public has a short memory. Those who parrot the invisible hand mantra will be back in droves and will have (conveniently) forgotten the bailouts of 2008, and the press will not call them out. It will be business as usual indeed.
the mirage economy…
September 15, 2008 on 7:57 am | In economics, fucking americans, politics | No Comments…brought to you courtesy of the party that wrecked America. I don’t think the corporate democrats should be let off the hook but maybe this is the “oh shit” moment that will cause the Palin demagogues to shut the fuck up. Thank you Jim Kunstler.
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