Hoarding is exactly what the government is doing right now by filling the SPR, and frankly it's the best thing that could happen. It drives prices up. High prices encourage demand destruction. They also finance new well development. The hoarded oil gives us a buffer to fall back on once shortages become more prevalent. High prices are what we need in order to adapt to what's coming, and the sooner they happen, the better.
Joined: Dec 18, 2004 Posts: 3867 Location: One Mile From the Columbia River
Posted: Tue Jul 05, 2005 12:00 am Post subject:
"Also troubling is the presumption that even if we manage to pacify this large, violent, desperate place, that such pacification will send a message to other dangerous nations in the region that such a state of coercive pacification is to be envied."
Great quote!
Oh yes, we can already see the other Middle Eastern nations lining up for some of the ever-so-desireable, fresh-from-America, democracy lessons such as those delivered daily to the people of Iraq.
Joined: Jul 14, 2004 Posts: 380 Location: The Motor City
Posted: Tue Jul 05, 2005 6:56 am Post subject:
I just polished off this book over the weekend. I think it is a solid read, and would be a pretty good introduction to peak oil as Kunstler gives a solid recitation of the history of oil and debunks all of the magic bullet "solutions" to the coming global peak problem.
I wish Kunstler would dial down his criticism of the aesthetics of modern architecture and just stick to why it is impractical as fossil fuels decline. I don't give a crap what he thinks is ugly. And, yes, I would be a millionaire if I had a nickel for everytime he uses the terms "cheap oil fiesta," "cheap oil blowout," and "sclerotic." That said, he is an extremely entertaining author and we need guys like this to shake people up and tell the masses what is coming. Kunstler is just the type of guy who can help.
The highlight of the book for me was in the context of his position on race relations, reading crackerass cracka Kunstler's breakdown of rap music and hip hop culture. He believes that this culture is childish, and that since children do not get involved in politics, rap and hip hop are a road to nowhere in terms of helping the cause of black America. I guess he never heard of Public Enemy or KRS One, which were almost entirely political acts. But, maybe he is right. Maybe it is all about money and hoes now, I don't know.
His conclusion with the personal touch of weaving his life and especially his parents into the peak oil story is quite touching.
Last edited by AlCzervik on Tue Jul 05, 2005 3:02 pm; edited 1 time in total
you can not seperate Kunstler's long standing critique of suburbia and modern architecture from his concerns for peak oil. We could have built cities of the future instead of theme parks. We could have built truly green building instead of neo-romantic whore houses. We could have built archologies instead of post-modern jokes. We could have built living machines instead of dead institutional boxes. Kunstler is now rabid because he saw and dreamed about the possibilities before we so permanently Fark it.
you can not seperate Kunstler's long standing critique of suburbia and modern architecture from his concerns for peak oil. We could have built cities of the future instead of theme parks. We could have built truly green building instead of neo-romantic whore houses. We could have built archologies instead of post-modern jokes. We could have built living machines instead of dead institutional boxes. Kunstler is now rabid because he saw and dreamed about the possibilities before we so permanently Fark it.
pete
Other than your first sentence, I completely disagree with you. If there's one thing Kunstler doesn't want (and I agree with him), it's "cities of the future". Kunstler's complaint is that we forgot how to build cities of the past.
you can not seperate Kunstler's long standing critique of suburbia and modern architecture from his concerns for peak oil. We could have built cities of the future instead of theme parks. We could have built truly green building instead of neo-romantic whore houses. We could have built archologies instead of post-modern jokes. We could have built living machines instead of dead institutional boxes. Kunstler is now rabid because he saw and dreamed about the possibilities before we so permanently Fark it.
pete
Other than your first sentence, I completely disagree with you. If there's one thing Kunstler doesn't want (and I agree with him), it's "cities of the future". Kunstler's complaint is that we forgot how to build cities of the past.
Then you don't know Kunstler. One of his principal archectual inspirations is Peter Calthorpe, a founder of the Farallone Institute. These folks wrote the Intregal Urban House, a seminal work on sustainability. In no way does this school offer heartless modernism. It is all about appropriate technology and a blending of old and new.
Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2005 2:09 am Post subject: Re: Jim Kunstler's Dispair
I_Like_Plants wrote:
http://www.energybulletin.net/7383.html
Happy reading!
I like Kunstler; he created a world of linguistic hedonism for me (McMansion, McHouse, McTrash) but he is getting boring and he seems to do all those things that the article says he does. In addition for a guy who buys into PO he sure does fly a lot. _________________ "Nuclear power has long been to the Left what embryonic-stem-cell research is to the Right--irredeemably wrong and a signifier of moral weakness."Esquire Magazine,12/05
The genetic code is commaless and so are my posts.
I enjoy his blog and his books. You've got to have your ear to the ground if you want to hear the buffalo coming, and the kunstlernator has his ear to the ground.
And he didn't invent the term "McMansion" and the rest of those.
Kunstler invented countless phrases, like "sleepwalking into the future" and "cornpone Nazis", that rightfully deserve their place right smack in the middle of the lexicon of this time period. I have a hard time not thinking of the metaphors and terms he uses to chart peak oil when I discuss and think about the topic. That is quite a talent.
PS: Maggie Darling, his most recent novel, comes recommended.
Joined: Jun 12, 2005 Posts: 4190 Location: 1st territorial capitol of AZ
Posted: Sun Aug 07, 2005 2:19 am Post subject:
Kunstler also didn't invent his neocon beliefs and pro-war stance (go read his blog, all of it, on this) but he states them in some entertaining ways too. In fact there's an article out there about these neocon beliefs and stances of his, "The angst or Kunstler" or something, I started a thread on it here but it was removed.
Joined: May 24, 2004 Posts: 1914 Location: Richland Center, Wisconsin
Posted: Sun Aug 07, 2005 1:48 pm Post subject: Merged?
I_Like_Plants wrote:
<snip> In fact there's an article out there about these neocon beliefs and stances of his, "The angst of Kunstler" or something, I started a thread on it here but it was removed.
Are you referring to this http://www.peakoil.com/post147503.html#147503 or something else? _________________ --------------------------------
| Whose reality is this anyway!? |
--------------------------------
(-------< Temet Nosce >-------)
____________________________
you can not seperate Kunstler's long standing critique of suburbia and modern architecture from his concerns for peak oil. We could have built cities of the future instead of theme parks. We could have built truly green building instead of neo-romantic whore houses. We could have built archologies instead of post-modern jokes. We could have built living machines instead of dead institutional boxes. Kunstler is now rabid because he saw and dreamed about the possibilities before we so permanently Fark it.
pete
i would quote this guy all night long! _________________ ree rah rip ram. sunofabitch godamn. hidey didey christ almighty. rah rah crap
you can not seperate Kunstler's long standing critique of suburbia and modern architecture from his concerns for peak oil. We could have built cities of the future instead of theme parks. We could have built truly green building instead of neo-romantic whore houses. We could have built archologies instead of post-modern jokes. We could have built living machines instead of dead institutional boxes. Kunstler is now rabid because he saw and dreamed about the possibilities before we so permanently Fark it.
pete
i would quote this guy all night long!
And we could have created social critics who maintain a consistent perspective. Kunstler views the actions of his own govt in the Middle East through a purely pragmatic lens. When it comes to his own countrymen,however, he speaks from a moral and aesthetic high ground. Hilarious, great commentary, but tragically flawed.
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ree rah rip ram. sunofabitch godamn. hidey didey christ almighty. rah rah crap 
