[quote=debu]I don’t doubt at all that the system is rotten to its core, but I suspect there is little the individual can do about it anymore except prepare on a personal and community level for its demise.
[/quote]
Somehow this attitude of passive acceptance just seems wrong to me.
Depending upon the character of the listener, I think it can either paralyze or galvanize.
I think yanking the driver out of the seat and stomping on the brake would be my choice.
little one,
Well said.
Good information. I liked the connection between the money interests and the military. Good advice to lower one’s life cost.
[quote=ao][quote=debu]
I don’t doubt at all that the system is rotten to its core, but I suspect there is little the individual can do about it anymore except prepare on a personal and community level for its demise.
[/quote]
Somehow this attitude of passive acceptance just seems wrong to me.
[/quote]
All due respect AO but “preparation on a personal and community level” is on the other side of the fence from “passive acceptance”. Passive acceptance is what you do if you are in denial. Action comes from gaining a level of acceptance about our predicament and taking the inititave to do something about it.
Agree but from my experience the ratio seems weighted toward paralysis about 10 to 1. Another factor about those individuals or groups in power … in addition to all of their faults I consider that they suffer in the main from their inability to comprehend the “exponential function”. Of all of the information Chris put into the CC, this one datum, when fully duplicated, is the game changer for humanity IMHO. When a person gets the impact of the math, the rest becomes to a great degree irrelevant. 1000 years from now I estimate that if our species is here at all they will be found in small sustainable communities…just sayin thats my take on it. Send the $.02 to the CM foundation!!
Well speaking of rude awakenings and such, my recent experience while taking an afternoon cruise on a motorcycle in Hawaii was to wake up in the ER of a hospital a couple days later with more tubes coming out of me than I could imagine. Needless to say, I was ill prepared for that eventuality so now preparation has an added meaning. How do you prepare for that which you don’t even see coming? Fortunately I had good friends and family that rallied for me. But I must say, languishing in a hospital or even at home when there is so much to do is a real test of my low level of patience!
So the moral of the story here is to be sure to even briefly evaluate the consequences of the action you are about to take. Go with your gut on it. If I had heeded this advice I would not have had this outcome. I don’t think the issue is really the specific action you are about to take but to be sure you consult yourself on it!! If it doesn’t seem like the right choice, maybe it isn’t!! May the force be with you all.
And for the record, I’m up and about now and will be wearing a brace for a few more weeks and there will be some aches and pains for some time. The damage tally is horrendous: Crushed #11 vertibrea, 12 breaks in 8 different ribs, broken collarbone, broken thumb and lots of miscellaneous small things in addition to now having to take what I normally dish out … what the hell were you thinking? Obviously the answer is NOT!!! Cheers to all.
Coop
[quote=ckessel][quote=ao]
Somehow this attitude of passive acceptance just seems wrong to me.
[/quote]
All due respect AO but “preparation on a personal and community level” is on the other side of the fence from “passive acceptance”. Passive acceptance is what you do if you are in denial. Action comes from gaining a level of acceptance about our predicament and taking the inititave to do something about it.
Agree but from my experience the ratio seems weighted toward paralysis about 10 to 1. Another factor about those individuals or groups in power … in addition to all of their faults I consider that they suffer in the main from their inability to comprehend the “exponential function”. Of all of the information Chris put into the CC, this one datum, when fully duplicated, is the game changer for humanity IMHO. When a person gets the impact of the math, the rest becomes to a great degree irrelevant. 1000 years from now I estimate that if our species is here at all they will be found in small sustainable communities…just sayin thats my take on it. Send the $.02 to the CM foundation!!
Well speaking of rude awakenings and such, my recent experience while taking an afternoon cruise on a motorcycle in Hawaii was to wake up in the ER of a hospital a couple days later with more tubes coming out of me than I could imagine. Needless to say, I was ill prepared for that eventuality so now preparation has an added meaning. How do you prepare for that which you don’t even see coming? Fortunately I had good friends and family that rallied for me. But I must say, languishing in a hospital or even at home when there is so much to do is a real test of my low level of patience!
So the moral of the story here is to be sure to even briefly evaluate the consequences of the action you are about to take. Go with your gut on it. If I had heeded this advice I would not have had this outcome. I don’t think the issue is really the specific action you are about to take but to be sure you consult yourself on it!! If it doesn’t seem like the right choice, maybe it isn’t!! May the force be with you all.
And for the record, I’m up and about now and will be wearing a brace for a few more weeks and there will be some aches and pains for some time. The damage tally is horrendous: Crushed #11 vertibrea, 12 breaks in 8 different ribs, broken collarbone, broken thumb and lots of miscellaneous small things in addition to now having to take what I normally dish out … what the hell were you thinking? Obviously the answer is NOT!!! Cheers to all.
Coop
[/quote]
Coop,
Nasty injuries. How’re things internally? Wish you a speedy recovery. Kudos for even being able to type.
Back to the passive acceptance thing … “preparation on a personal and community level” is only halfway from passive acceptance to truly grabbing the bull by the horns.
Regarding the paralyze/galvanize issue, there are leaders and there are followers. Rhetorically speaking, what do you think the ratio of the former is to the latter? With regards to the exponential function, in the short term on a planetary level, it’s a game changer. In the long term on a universal level, I would venture that it won’t even be an issue.
With regards to preparation for any eventuality, I think the samurai warrior’s preparation for death and the realization that it could strike him down at any time made him more effective. I’m reminded of Ron Speir’s speech to Blithe in Band of Brothers:
“Do you know why you hid in that ditch Blithe ?..You hid in that ditch because you think there is still hope…but Blithe, the only hope you have is to accept the fact you’re already dead, and the sooner you accept that the sooner you’ll be able to function as a soldier’s supposed to function, without mercy without compassion without remorse; all war depends upon it.”
While I’m not advocating Speir’s apparent cold-bloodedness, his acceptance of the ultimate inevitability of death (sooner or later) allowed him to function well under adversity and conditions that stopped others without that mindset.
“I suspect one reason why new energy technologies have not been introduced is the fear that it would support even faster population growth that would be unsustainable for the environment”
She has no idea…
Mike
[quote=ao][quote=ckessel]
All due respect AO but “preparation on a personal and community level” is on the other side of the fence from “passive acceptance”. Passive acceptance is what you do if you are in denial. Action comes from gaining a level of acceptance about our predicament and taking the inititave to do something about it.
Agree but from my experience the ratio seems weighted toward paralysis about 10 to 1. Another factor about those individuals or groups in power … in addition to all of their faults I consider that they suffer in the main from their inability to comprehend the “exponential function”. Of all of the information Chris put into the CC, this one datum, when fully duplicated, is the game changer for humanity IMHO. When a person gets the impact of the math, the rest becomes to a great degree irrelevant. 1000 years from now I estimate that if our species is here at all they will be found in small sustainable communities…just sayin thats my take on it. Send the $.02 to the CM foundation!!
Well speaking of rude awakenings and such, my recent experience while taking an afternoon cruise on a motorcycle in Hawaii was to wake up in the ER of a hospital a couple days later with more tubes coming out of me than I could imagine. Needless to say, I was ill prepared for that eventuality so now preparation has an added meaning. How do you prepare for that which you don’t even see coming? Fortunately I had good friends and family that rallied for me. But I must say, languishing in a hospital or even at home when there is so much to do is a real test of my low level of patience!
So the moral of the story here is to be sure to even briefly evaluate the consequences of the action you are about to take. Go with your gut on it. If I had heeded this advice I would not have had this outcome. I don’t think the issue is really the specific action you are about to take but to be sure you consult yourself on it!! If it doesn’t seem like the right choice, maybe it isn’t!! May the force be with you all.
And for the record, I’m up and about now and will be wearing a brace for a few more weeks and there will be some aches and pains for some time. The damage tally is horrendous: Crushed #11 vertibrea, 12 breaks in 8 different ribs, broken collarbone, broken thumb and lots of miscellaneous small things in addition to now having to take what I normally dish out … what the hell were you thinking? Obviously the answer is NOT!!! Cheers to all.
Coop
[/quote]
Coop,
Nasty injuries. How’re things internally? Wish you a speedy recovery. Kudos for even being able to type.
Back to the passive acceptance thing … “preparation on a personal and community level” is only halfway from passive acceptance to truly grabbing the bull by the horns.
Regarding the paralyze/galvanize issue, there are leaders and there are followers. Rhetorically speaking, what do you think the ratio of the former is to the latter? With regards to the exponential function, in the short term on a planetary level, it’s a game changer. In the long term on a universal level, I would venture that it won’t even be an issue.
With regards to preparation for any eventuality, I think the samurai warrior’s preparation for death and the realization that it could strike him down at any time made him more effective. I’m reminded of Ron Speir’s speech to Blithe in Band of Brothers:
“Do you know why you hid in that ditch Blithe ?..You hid in that ditch because you think there is still hope…but Blithe, the only hope you have is to accept the fact you’re already dead, and the sooner you accept that the sooner you’ll be able to function as a soldier’s supposed to function, without mercy without compassion without remorse; all war depends upon it.”
While I’m not advocating Speir’s apparent cold-bloodedness, his acceptance of the ultimate inevitability of death (sooner or later) allowed him to function well under adversity and conditions that stopped others without that mindset.
[/quote]
AO,
Thanks for the well wishes. I got the cast off my hand last week so I’m happy to have typing as an excuse to exercise. Internal parts are OK now although the ribs into the lungs was a close one. The ribs took the main force. On Maui it is man against lava rock. My friend said I traveled about 40’ (via air Coop which is solo) into a lava strewn ravine. Scorecard: Lava 10, Coop 0.
On the passive issue I’m probably relating to my own experiences here in Sonora as regards community organizing. Of all the things I have taken on in life, this is truly a bull by the horns experience for me.(Lately I’m real cautious about them horns though!!! - joke) It is both very challenging and very rewarding at the same time. Although I have been self employed for over thirty years, the experience of running a business doesn’t hold a candle to what I have been doing since the CC as regards the community, changing awareness and helping myself and others in preparing for change.
I used to consider the ratio of leaders to followers was 10% to 90%. At this time I think leadership is maybe 3% but that is simply pulling out of the hat.
And as for the samurai warrior’s preparation I can say that I have recently had that discussion with myself. When my wife arrived in the ER on the day of my accident she learned I was a stat. By that it was meant that it could go either way and at that moment all was in a balance. It is not a good thing to put anyone through an experience like that (not even yourself) so I have a lot to be thankful for. But I have had a chance to look death in the eye and for now there is more work to be done so I will carry on with the rest of you preppers and expect to be all the better for it!!
In many ways, confronting a lowered lifestyle is difficult for many to contemplate. But when it is put into a different perspective, can be a welcome outcome indeed. Especially when you are surrounded by friendship and good deeds.
Coop
“Why has this site taken so long…”
Chris is one of those who has been raised in and who has ever lived in the golden cocoon; he may be smart, but that doesn’t substitute for worldly experience. Fortunately, he has a conscience and seems to care for the future of his children.
What Chris is still unwilling to say–and unwilling to accept, in his denial of reality–is that: THIS…is all going to end with a seriously violent convulsion, during which most Americans will die…
You heard it here first–just as you heard it here first (two years ago) that the pension funds were insolvent and would never pay anything remotely commensurate with their purported benefits–in purchasing terms… The name (mine) has changed, but my Truth has remained…
Geez Guillotiine, I had a really good comeback-joke for Sager’s analogy, and now you’ve gone and painted a somber mood. Not that I necessarily disagree with the hard landing you anticipate…that’s why ao’s quote really resonated for me:
[quote=ao]
With regards to preparation for any eventuality, I think the samurai warrior’s preparation for death and the realization that it could strike him down at any time made him more effective. I’m reminded of Ron Speir’s speech to Blithe in Band of Brothers:
“Do you know why you hid in that ditch Blithe ?..You hid in that ditch because you think there is still hope…but Blithe, the only hope you have is to accept the fact you’re already dead, and the sooner you accept that the sooner you’ll be able to function as a soldier’s supposed to function, without mercy without compassion without remorse; all war depends upon it.”
While I’m not advocating Speir’s apparent cold-bloodedness, his acceptance of the ultimate inevitability of death (sooner or later) allowed him to function well under adversity and conditions that stopped others without that mindset.
[/quote]
In my own struggle to reach some sort of constructive acceptance beyond despair with our current situation, I have found that the above mindset is useful. I can’t speak for Chris, but I wonder if he may not also be coming from such a place. Maybe he has full awareness of the potential (or likelihood) of a hard-landing, but realizes that focussing on that, and the fear and despair and panic and anger that produces, is not conducive to the type of response he wants to encourage/inspire. I guess that takes us full-circle back to Sager’s bus analogy: do we focus on how horrible it is that we’re going off a cliff, or do we look out for ourselves and our loved ones and get the heck off the bus?
…And since we’re back at Sager’s analogy, Sager, I found out who was driving that stinking bus!! I should have know ZH would have the answer! (Or rather, ZH’s guest poster, Graham Summers, at http://www.zerohedge.com/article/guest-post-road-madness-paved-100-bills ).
Indeed, all of Bernanke’s monetary policies and actions can be traced to his one core belief: that the US Federal Reserve didn’t do enough to stave off the Great Depression. Never mind that this belief is completely inaccurate (as the data clearly shows), it is the foundation of Bernanke’s entire academic and now monetary career. It is the lone road on his mental map of the world. It doesn’t matter that the road is leading us all to disaster, for Bernanke there is simply no other course of action to take. In his mind, the Fed failed to act in the ‘30s and so he MUST act regardless of facts, data, or consequence. Indeed, were any of us to point out to Bernanke that his claims regarding inflation (that it is contained), unemployment (that QE will help it), or economic growth (that we’re in a recovery) are all at complete odds with reality, his answer would be, “well, it would be much worse if I hadn’t acted.” This is the hallmark of an insane argument. It is logic without common sense, reason taken to the absolute limit, unable to consider anything outside the confines of its own understanding. Bernanke will drive us all to ruin, pushing ever harder on the gas pedal and repeating, “I must act, I must act, I must act” under his breath in order drown out the cries of, “stop, you’ll kill us” from the 308+ million of us sitting in the backseat.(Bold mine)
Now is that serendipity or what?
Wow, Coop, I’m so glad you made it through your accident!! The Force be With You, in your recovery, too!!
I must also say, I love this quote from your other post:
[quote=Coop]
In many ways, confronting a lowered lifestyle is difficult for many to contemplate. But when it is put into a different perspective, can be a welcome outcome indeed. Especially when you are surrounded by friendship and good deeds. (bold mine)
[/quote]
I feel that ao’s warrior philosophy, CA Fitts’ “spiritual warrior” philosophy, and your philosophy of community and friendship, are among some of the more important real weapons we will need to arm ourselves with, for the future ahread.
[quote=Damnthematrix]“I suspect one reason why new energy technologies have not been introduced is the fear that it would support even faster population growth that would be unsustainable for the environment”
She has no idea…
Mike
[/quote]
I agree with DTM,
I dont think that we think do anything to slow population growth in any meaningful way, let alone hide technology for that reason.
If we are hiding technology, it would be because of perceived profit in doing so, by companies wanting to maintain the status quo.
John
[quote=TheGuillotine]“Why has this site taken so long…”
Chris is one of those who has been raised in and who has ever lived in the golden cocoon; he may be smart, but that doesn’t substitute for worldly experience. Fortunately, he has a conscience and seems to care for the future of his children.
What Chris is still unwilling to say–and unwilling to accept, in his denial of reality–is that: THIS…is all going to end with a seriously violent convulsion, during which most Americans will die…
You heard it here first–just as you heard it here first (two years ago) that the pension funds were insolvent and would never pay anything remotely commensurate with their purported benefits–in purchasing terms… The name (mine) has changed, but my Truth has remained…
[/quote]
I for one like the fact that Chris stays away from third rail issues like Climate Change, Religion, Capitalism vs Socialism, New World Order and We are all going to die. There are enough flame wars when those items are brought forward by others. (See the Zeitgeist thread going on right now).
When beliefs are challenged, evidence quickly becomes irrelevant. Choosing the battle to fight is very important.
Collectively we may all get to some or all of those understandings, but, it will take time. In the interim there are many steps to understand and to prepare and to include our neighbors and communities without a constant broadside that drives people into their shells.
The fact that we can only accept new realities in small chunks may indeed kill us all as we are hitting the wall at a tremendous speed. Such is life and the nature of the human brain.
John
John
A coup? Like, since the Federal Reserve Act, when were they NOT in control?
I like the focus at this site on the need to take action based on well-reasoned awareness, and I appreciate the diversity of viewpoints in the StraightTalk series; keep it up!
CA Fitts cuts to the chase in Question 6 with some great advice I’m summarizing again below for my own reinforcement. I may not be able to control the “reality” created by others, but there are many choices I still can control:
-Shift time and attention to those you trust (no TV)
-Protect your health
-Lower your overhead
-invest in tangibles
-Organize your life to serve whom and what you love.
“This means that essentially there is no government as many of us think of it.” (I cannot figure out how to do the cool quote-in-a-box thingy)
Wow, this is a strong and powerful statement. I wonder how that idea alone could transform people’s thinking, if only they could clue in…
[quote=aarondenal]“This means that essentially there is no government as many of us think of it.” (I cannot figure out how to do the cool quote-in-a-box thingy)
[/quote]
That’s ok, regular quotes work too. But, you could highlight the text and then click on the (") icon next to the smiley face if you want.
Just a thought or two on the “Conspiracy” discussion…
I’m currently reading a book by David Edwards entitled Free To Be Human: Intellectual Self-Defense in an Age of Illusions. Edwards quotes Chomsky and Herman [p.9]:
'We do not use any kind of 'conspiracy' hypothesis to explain mass-media performance. In fact, our treatment is much closer to a 'free market' analysis, with the results largely an outcome of the workings of market forces.'Edwards then states:
Chomsky and Herman argue that maintenance of control over the media (and society generally) does not even necessarily require conscious planning (although this does take place), but simply 'happens' as the result of 'free market' forces operating to meet the needs of the day....Of course, you can argue that what we have is not a free market system, but you have to remember that those who are calling the shots -- many of them sociopaths -- believe themselves to be operating in such a system. They are not 'conspiring' to do anything but keep the system intact.
I have one simple question, and Catherine raised it in my mind again…
How does one lose 4 TRILLION DOLLARS?
[quote=phecksel]I have one simple question, and Catherine raised it in my mind again…
How does one lose 4 TRILLION DOLLARS?
[/quote]
tequila?
phecksel wrote: I have one simple question, and Catherine raised it in my mind again... How does one lose 4 TRILLION DOLLARS? tequila?Si, claro mucho TEQUILA plus a little bread and circus, who new?
I knew the Bush’s were not Patriots or believed in the Constitution, they are globalists and only mildly different than the socialists currently operating our government. It starting to make some sense why their behaviour has seemed inconsistent and largely enigmatic. The ultimate goal is a global ruling class that controls all the primary means of everything. The vast majority of humanity finally disabused of any notions of individuality, free will, individual rights, will be managed like vast herds of cows mindlessly chewing their cuds while unbeknownst to them their individual fates are decided on an hourly, weekly, monthly basis by those “actors” described in the article above. The elites primary skills, other than having been able to steal vast sums of our money, are their absolute ability to convince us that they are sincere and acting in our best interest when the exact opposite is true. When they have finally stripped us of any and all means of self respect and self defense, then the gorgon will remove its mask of deciet and the horror of horrors.
[quote=majorx]The elites primary skills, other than having been able to steal vast sums of our money, are their absolute ability to convince us that they are sincere and acting in our best interest when the exact opposite is true. When they have finally stripped us of any and all means of self respect and self defense, then the gorgon will remove its mask of deciet and the horror of horrors.
[/quote]
The elites’ other major skill – evidently – is convincing many, many people of the following:
(a) that they’re really in charge and controlling things, and/or
(b) that their takeover is inevitable, and/or
(c) that the rest of us are helpless and without options, and/or
(d) that their dominance is (or will be) without limit or duration.
All of which tends to end at a place of “Oh, so it’s hopeless, then…”
And that’s a mindframe I despise. Actually, IMO that mindset is fatal to any attempt to live a rich and worthy life, since it’s impossible IME to savor a life dominated by despair.
I believe that any system that over-invests in control or domination of its people ultimately sows the seeds of its own destruction – the malinvestment in time, energy, and resources starves the system eventually.
YMMV. Hey, if you prefer a worldview of hopeless despair, I can’t make you look at it differently.
VIVA – Sager