[Bill Hicks]

On the surface, Peak Oil and Legalized Gambling would seem to not have anything to do with one another. However, if you look closely, you will see how the peaking of American domestic oil production around 1970 resulted in profound changes to our society--including the idea planted among the masses that is was possible to get "something for nothing."

I find it interesting to reexamine the past 40 years of American history since America’s domestic oil production peaked in 1970 through that lens. Some aspects of that momentous event are clearly obvious—for instance we have since become totally dependent upon oil imports to keep our economy running. Other changes in our society are much subtler—such as the fact that the average working person’s wages when adjusted for inflation have been virtually stagnant since the Nixon administration.

Not coincidentally, I would argue, gambling has in recent years shaken off its Mafia-dominated roots and has ridden a wave of legalization to spread far and wide across the landscape. In 1970, there was only one place in America where you could go a wager your paycheck without the risk of being arrested, and that place was Las Vegas. And it wasn’t the sanitized, Disneyfied Las Vegas of today either. The casinos were grungier, and effectively run by the Kansas City mob. If you failed to make good on your losses, you’d likely get a visit from a couple of hired goons who had a price list of what body part they would break depending on how much you owed.

Beyond southern Nevada, there were a handful of state lotteries, the first one having been established by the state of New Hampshire a mere six years earlier. Gambling was frowned upon by religious institutions who fought vigorously the keep the wages of sin away from local communities.

This all began to change during the first era of economic stagnation in the 1970s. Three years after the first round of gas lines hit the country in 1973, Atlantic City became the second location in America to legalize “gaming” as it came to be known, and began building its own casinos as fast as it could. The rundown New Jersey beach resort would become the first of many locales to try to use Americans’ insatiable desire to get something for nothing as a basis to finance urban renewal. Though controversial at the time, this pattern would become so pronounced going forward as to become routine today.

More at link:

http://billhicksisdead.blogspot.com/201 ... -peak.html

[dorlomin]

It coincides with the dropping of other puritan christian restrictions on freedom.

It seems far far more likely to be linked to that social trend than 'peak oil'.

[Bill Hicks]

It coincides with the dropping of other puritan christian restrictions on freedom.

It seems far far more likely to be linked to that social trend than 'peak oil'.

But isn't that contradictory given the rise of the Christian Right as a political force at exactly the same time?

[The Practician]

It coincides with the dropping of other puritan christian restrictions on freedom.

It seems far far more likely to be linked to that social trend than 'peak oil'.

But isn't that contradictory given the rise of the Christian Right as a political force at exactly the same time?

I don't think it's contradictory at all, even if it isn't my statement. The Christian Right you're talking about by and large falls into the very same category of people wanting "something for nothing"; Eternal salvation in return for not much more than hating people unlike "them". I'm sure that isn't much of a task for many members of the evangelist set.

That said, I don't see any reason not to link Peak oil-- or, more generally energy consumption period-- with social trends. I think the Insanely high per capita energy consumption of North Americans has a lot more to do with the Tea Party type individualist extremism we are seeing these days than some of those types who are peak oil aware are willing to admit.

[Bill Hicks]

It coincides with the dropping of other puritan christian restrictions on freedom.

It seems far far more likely to be linked to that social trend than 'peak oil'.

But isn't that contradictory given the rise of the Christian Right as a political force at exactly the same time?

I don't think it's contradictory at all, even if it isn't my statement. The Christian Right you're talking about by and large falls into the very same category of people wanting "something for nothing"; Eternal salvation in return for not much more than hating people unlike "them". I'm sure that isn't much of a task for many members of the evangelist set.

That said, I don't see any reason not to link Peak oil-- or, more generally energy consumption period-- with social trends. The two are inexorably linked.

Yep...and on a larger scale it has blended right into our national politics...and right now is playing out before our eyes with the debt ceiling debacle, where the choice basically is, fast crash versus trying to extend BAU for a few more years.

[dorlomin]

It coincides with the dropping of other puritan christian restrictions on freedom.

It seems far far more likely to be linked to that social trend than 'peak oil'.

But isn't that contradictory given the rise of the Christian Right as a political force at exactly the same time?

The rise of the hyper politicised christian right is a reaction to the liberalisation of society.

They have slowed the liberalisation of American society compared to other countries.

[The Practician]

It coincides with the dropping of other puritan christian restrictions on freedom.

It seems far far more likely to be linked to that social trend than 'peak oil'.

But isn't that contradictory given the rise of the Christian Right as a political force at exactly the same time?

The rise of the hyper politicised christian right is a reaction to the liberalisation of society.

They have slowed the liberalisation of American society compared to other countries.

I Would argue that They haven't so much slowed the liberalization of America as much as helped push it towards its own special kind of liberalism. For example, The U.S. has a more "liberal" attitude towards depictions of violence than many other societies. It Is also manifested in the very liberal definition of what qualifies as food in your country.

[dorlomin]

I Would argue that They haven't so much slowed the liberalization of America as much as helped push it towards its own special kind of liberalism. For example, The U.S. has a more "liberal" attitude towards depictions of violence than many other societies. It Is also manifested in the very liberal definition of what qualifies as food in your country.

Actually in terms of computer game, film and TV classification for censorship the US is still not as liberal as most other western countries WRT violence. Actually the big difference tends to be in TV and to a much lesser degree computer games, cinema the US is in the same basic place as the rest of the world.

Actaully in terms of TV the advent of HBO has seens a massive change in the US content, it is now able to produce sophisticated and culturally excellent televesion that now not only rivals but is the world leader, where as before it was known for its juvenile and asenine TV.

[The Practician]

I Would argue that They haven't so much slowed the liberalization of America as much as helped push it towards its own special kind of liberalism. For example, The U.S. has a more "liberal" attitude towards depictions of violence than many other societies. It Is also manifested in the very liberal definition of what qualifies as food in your country.

Actually in terms of computer game, film and TV classification for censorship the US is still not as liberal as most other western countries WRT violence. Actually the big difference tends to be in TV and to a much lesser degree computer games, cinema the US is in the same basic place as the rest of the world.

Actaully in terms of TV the advent of HBO has seens a massive change in the US content, it is now able to produce sophisticated and culturally excellent televesion that now not only rivals but is the world leader, where as before it was known for its juvenile and asenine TV.

Fair enough, as long as when you say "the rest of the world" you know you're only talking about the rest of the western world. I still say the so called "conservative" element of U.S. society has let to liberalism manifesting itself in many strange and unusual ways.

As for HBO, One mans sophisticated and culturally excellent television is another mans Big budget soap opera. (just sayin. I do enjoy watching HBO shows, but they are allmost all highly serialized, And looked at from a certain viewpoint, that may not be "culturally excellent" )

Phew... We sure did take this tread off topic fast.

[Bill Hicks]

It coincides with the dropping of other puritan christian restrictions on freedom.

It seems far far more likely to be linked to that social trend than 'peak oil'.

But isn't that contradictory given the rise of the Christian Right as a political force at exactly the same time?

The rise of the hyper politicised christian right is a reaction to the liberalisation of society.

They have slowed the liberalisation of American society compared to other countries.

But that doesn't square with how debased our popular culture has become, for example. In 1970, you could still get arrested for appearing in a porno flick, or publicly exhibiting it. Stuff that is routinely shown on television these days would have had NO chance of getting by the censors back then.

In many ways, our society is more liberalized than ever, DESPITE the Christian Right. Just not in economic issues where it really counts.

[Bill Hicks]

I Would argue that They haven't so much slowed the liberalization of America as much as helped push it towards its own special kind of liberalism. For example, The U.S. has a more "liberal" attitude towards depictions of violence than many other societies. It Is also manifested in the very liberal definition of what qualifies as food in your country.

Actually in terms of computer game, film and TV classification for censorship the US is still not as liberal as most other western countries WRT violence. Actually the big difference tends to be in TV and to a much lesser degree computer games, cinema the US is in the same basic place as the rest of the world.

Actaully in terms of TV the advent of HBO has seens a massive change in the US content, it is now able to produce sophisticated and culturally excellent televesion that now not only rivals but is the world leader, where as before it was known for its juvenile and asenine TV.

Fair enough, as long as when you say "the rest of the world" you know you're only talking about the rest of the western world. I still say the so called "conservative" element of U.S. society has let to liberalism manifesting itself in many strange and unusual ways.

As for HBO, One mans sophisticated and culturally excellent television is another mans Big budget soap opera. (just sayin. I do enjoy watching HBO shows, but they are allmost all highly serialized, And looked at from a certain viewpoint, that may not be "culturally excellent" )

Phew... We sure did take this tread off topic fast.

No, no...I think your first paragraph is very much ON topic. This is a very complex and multifaceted issue.

[Bill Hicks]

On the surface, Peak Oil and Legalized Gambling would seem to not have anything to do with one another. However, if you look closely, you will see how the peaking of American domestic oil production around 1970 resulted in profound changes to our society--including the idea planted among the masses that is was possible to get "something for nothing."

I mostly agree. We lost our oil superiority, we de-industrialized (a consequence of self-chosen environmental laws and liberal free trade) and blue-collar factory work disappeared. Unfortunately the factory worker in American was slow or unwilling to re-educate for the high-tech world and was unable to reduce his expensive life-style. (Suburbia is a very expensive place to live. That will never change.)

Your framing is slightly conspiratorial, i.e. the idea was "planted" (by whom? The illuminati?) into empty vessels (the masses) and resulted in them becoming dumber or morally lacking ("something for nothing"). I think just about everybody in America bought into free-trade and cheap foreign goods. Though there was a kind-of-union "Buy-America" phrase for a while.

No illuminati, I do believe that what's happened has been a coordinated effort by what George Carlin calls the "owners" of this country. But more in a loosely organized class interest kind of way. The owners control the media, and hence the message. Not through outright censorship but making it clear what parameters you have to follow if you work in the media and want to remain employed.

The late Joe Bageant used to call it The American Hologram, and I think old Joe had it absolutely right.

[Pops]

Growing opposition to tax increases was a leading factor in establishing state-run lotteries in the 20th century. In 1964 New Hampshire was the first state to sponsor a lottery, followed by New York in 1967. New Jersey launched the first financially successful modern lottery in 1971. The New Jersey lottery was successful because it stressed frequent action at low cost, and it returned a higher percentage of lottery revenues as prizes. There were also various attempts to legalize a national lottery, but they failed to be passed by Congress.

http://www.library.ca.gov/crb/97/03/Chapt2.html

In CA, the lotto started in the mid '80s after Prop 13 in the mid 70s limited property tax increases to inflation which in turn squeezed schools dealing with the baby boomers and in migration. What was once a local responsibility to support the local schools became more and more a state responsibility and the state needed bucks. What better way than the "stupid tax"?

My guess would be that between the Great Society, the war, and maybe the end of union scale everywhere except government jobs ... and eventually tax cuts to the wealthy... the government needed money and the proles still had some left.

.

[Bill Hicks]

No illuminati, I do believe that what's happened has been a coordinated effort by what George Carlin calls the "owners" of this country. But more in a loosely organized class interest kind of way. The owners control the media, and hence the message. Not through outright censorship but making it clear what parameters you have to follow if you work in the media and want to remain employed.

The late Joe Bageant used to call it The American Hologram, and I think old Joe had it absolutely right.

I do agree there is are several owner classes with shared affiliations and interests. They often work together to keep labor and consumer/dependents in line. But there is no single owner class.

You have resource owners--mineral, agriculture, timber, oil from the Western States who have a disproportionate control of the Senate. Banksters and other Easterners who control the Media and Congress. Anyone else?

The entrepreneur types like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs. The empire and globalization helps keep their costs down and their overseas markets accessible.