[Sixstrings]

is it because I stopped posting?

Looking back, I've posted way too much for way too long and too much politics. I really always meant to focus on the economy and the unfolding mess over the past couple years, but then that leads into politics.

So anyhow I'm tired of posting. So will you guys start talking about peak oil now?

Or did everyone quit. Am I the last one here?

[Ferretlover]

Not surprising when hundreds of thousands of people on the east coast have no power.

[JohnRM]

I'd post more, but many topics are uninteresting, impossible to follow due to too many forums, and most posters don't respond to you anyway. They just wait for their turn to speak.

[PrestonSturges]

I went car camping. I made alcohol stoves using surplus brass burners and I got a chance to try different combos of pots and pans over several days in breezy conditions. Also had one near tornado intensity storm pass close by.

I also saw new wind farms and heard local opinions of fracking.

[kublikhan]

I'd post more, but many topics are uninteresting, impossible to follow due to too many forums, and most posters don't respond to you anyway. They just wait for their turn to speak.

If you are having trouble following topics because of too many forums, you can try this link:

View new posts

If you hit the URL when logged in, you can see new posts since you last visited. When logged out, you can see all recent activity.

[Keith_McClary]

From time to time I do a Google News search on
"peak oil"
and
"plenty of oil"

These searches used to produce a few MSM "Peak Oil" articles and assorted versions of the standard Cornie screed, but currently there is nothing in the MSM and "plenty of oil" is about oil spills or local inventories.

[eastbay]

KM, I have for years received daily Google news alerts via email for key words "peak oil" (used in news together) and, although often it's nonsense and industry spam, a few times a week I receive true gems.

[Keith_McClary]

KM, I have for years received daily Google news alerts via email for key words "peak oil" (used in news together) and, although often it's nonsense and industry spam, a few times a week I receive true gems.

Yeah, but, have you noticed how it's gone quiet - maybe it's just the summer Silly Season or it's pre-empted by other more important news about the economy or geopolitics - nothing to do with Peak Oil of course .

[Pops]

Our hits from search engines are down about 50% right now. Our traffic is much more volatile since LATOC is gone and TOD doesn't post as many articles.

PO.com now comes up number 2 only behind Wiki on Goog / Bing / Yahoo! We place ahead of ASPO, TOD and Energy Bulletin for the first time I can remember.

Too bad the discussion is mostly split between 5 conservatives yelling past 5 liberals and 5 PO/GW "believers" calling 5 "non-believers" morans - and vice versa. Perhaps we might try to be little more adult in our debates and encourage newcomers to take part?

Anyway, congratulations PO.com and big thanks to everyone that does post regarding peak oil and how they are coping.

[Plantagenet]

I think things have been quiet because the main result of oil production peaking hasn't been energy shortages----it has been a global FINANCIAL crisis.

While Colin Campbell and other peak oil visionaries have long predicted that the oil peak would produce a series of financial crises, leading economists and politicians in the US and elsewhere have largely ignored the effect of high energy prices on the economy. Its just not mentioned in the media and its not an issue in the current US campaign.

Peak oil has become the backdrop to current events rather then being treated as a very important current event it deserves to be.

[eastbay]

Yeah, but, have you noticed how it's gone quiet - maybe it's just the summer Silly Season or it's pre-empted by other more important news about the economy or geopolitics - nothing to do with Peak Oil of course .

No question about it. Maybe it's partially because peak oil has now entered mainstream consciousness and therefore there's less need to learn about something so obvious. At first it's a bit of a shock, as most recall, and there's a mad scramble to learn as much as possible ... but after awhile the temper changes to, "well, now what do I do?"

And loitering around in chat rooms and message boards isn't high on the list of preparatory priorities.

[ritter]

I think things have been quiet because the main result of oil production peaking hasn't been energy shortages----it has been a global FINANCIAL crisis.

I think you're exactly correct. Most of the "leisure" class has more immediate things to worry about than peak oil at the moment, like the loss of job(s), underwater mortgage, inflation, nuts-o heath care costs, etc. All are symptoms of peak oil (whether you scapegoat Bush or Obama is really irrelevant at this point), as have been described.

[Plantagenet]

..the loss of job(s), underwater mortgage, inflation, nuts-o heath care costs, etc. All are symptoms of peak oil

Yup. But the dopes in the MSM (and the bigger dopes in Congress and the White House) can't figure it out.

Bernanke printing more money and Obama borrowing money from China and Congress cutting budgets aren't going to solve the peak oil problem. If we go into a double-dip recession and oil demand drops enough to let the price fall again we might see some "green shoots" and the start of a recovery again, but as soon as economic growth starts up again the price of oil will rise again and we'll be talking then about a "triple-dip" recession.

[americandream]

Bernanke printing more money and Obama borrowing money from China and Congress cutting budgets aren't going to solve the peak oil problem. If we go into a double-dip recession and oil demand drops enough to let the price fall again we might see some "green shoots" and the start of a recovery again, but as soon as economic growth starts up again the price of oil will rise again and we'll be talking then about a "triple-dip" recession.

America needs very little growth these days. The whittling away of the state (thankyou Tea Party) removes the infrastructural element from that calculation. The establishment of a strong low cost consumer base removes private growth from that equation. Global capital can do very well with the existing discount model (with manufacturing out of China) for as long as they can keep the pumps working. Now that they have most of the ME under Saudi control, I am pretty sanguine that oil will find a range in due course...with some nice volatility for traders like me.

[Fishman]

Well Pops I'll rise to the occasion as you may have been alluding to ... other posters

."America needs very little growth these days.(Wrong, 9% unemployment and a terrible national indebtedness would indicate otherwise)
The whittling away of the state removes the infrastructural element from that calculation.(Wrong again, worsening economy from peak oil is whittling away at the government. Do you think the government has some magical way to remain large despite peak oil? The Tea Party folks are just pointing out reality, sucks doesn't it? You want infrastructure or free needles for junkies, you just can't have both now )
Global capital can do very well with the existing discount model for as long as they can keep the pumps working. (Wrong again, China is already hurting, the model is one of jagged decline as Plant alludes to)
Now that they have most of the ME under Saudi control, I am pretty sanguine that oil will find a range in due course.(Probably wrong again, but time will tell)
with some nice volatility for traders like me (why you capitalistic pig! I thought you were a communist. Seems the green stuff in reality makes you more like Adam Smith and not Karl Marx)"

[americandream]

."America needs very little growth these days.(Wrong, 9% unemployment and a terrible national indebtedness would indicate otherwise)
The whittling away of the state removes the infrastructural element from that calculation.(Wrong again, worsening economy from peak oil is whittling away at the government. Do you think the government has some magical way to remain large despite peak oil? The Tea Party folks are just pointing out reality, sucks doesn't it? You want infrastructure or free needles for junkies, you just can't have both now )
Global capital can do very well with the existing discount model for as long as they can keep the pumps working. (Wrong again, China is already hurting, the model is one of jagged decline as Plant alludes to)
Now that they have most of the ME under Saudi control, I am pretty sanguine that oil will find a range in due course.(Probably wrong again, but time will tell)

1 The unemployment is merely a balancing mechanism for removing the Cold War premium on American wages. When a garden gnome is capable of being manufactured for a bowl of rice, clearly an unbalanced labour unit cost will succumb, eventually, to capital flight. And capital will continue to succumb to said flight as long as the disparity exists.

2 America's indebtedness harkens back to the popularisation of capital in the US with homes for everyone. Now that said culture is ingrained, that cost of that exercise must be clawed back. A combination of debt funding as well as the use of fiscal collections whilst there is a tax base will do the job nicely. Time is an issue as this project requires completion before US labour has been so transformed that it can self sustain as consumer without the need to maintain a tax base.

3 There is no need for a government funded infrastructure when the object is maximised profit by full commodification including user pays. The Tea Party are useful for articulating that tendency as would the Donkey Party or the Party of Indifferent Housewives.

4 China is hurting only to the extent that the transition of US labour to globally efficient per labour unit costs is underway. All good things take time.

5 I do indeed trade and grateful am I for the capacity to survive in this tank of sharks.

[Fishman]

1 Blah blah blah. So we can get by just honky dory?

2 Blah blah blah Wiener republic

3 "The Tea Party are useful for articulating that tendency as would the Donkey Party or the Party of Indifferent Housewives." But none of those are actually doing it, except the Tea Party, so you agree with the Tea Party?

4 "China is hurting only to the extent that the transition of US labour to globally efficient per labour unit costs is underway". So that means bowl of rice for the US labour?

5 "I do indeed trade and grateful am I for the capacity to survive in this tank of sharks." Translation, all that communist bs AD puts out, its spoken but not practiced.

[americandream]

3 "The Tea Party are useful for articulating that tendency as would the Donkey Party or the Party of Indifferent Housewives." But none of those are actually doing it, except the Tea Party, so you agree with the Tea Party?
4 "China is hurting only to the extent that the transition of US labour to globally efficient per labour unit costs is underway". So that means bowl of rice for the US labour?
5 "I do indeed trade and grateful am I for the capacity to survive in this tank of sharks." Translation, all that communist bs AD puts out, its spoken but not practiced.

There is little point agreeing or not agreeing (except to the extent that the capitalist risks turning your planet toasty warm but not to worry, it wont be your/our problem.) Economic/labour barriers are going to fall, totally. Everything else simply delays the inevitable.

American labour will be casualised, probably with the emergence of a full service economy (tourism for the workers out in Asia probably). Bed and breakfast, prostitution, gambling....that sort of thing where the return from casualisation exceeds the bowl of rice that will eventually be the norm in employment.

What's there to practice. It's not like you can practice being bourgeoise, can you. You either are a mercantilist/capitalist or you're not. Economic systems aren't theatre..you can't go don a costume and be a communist..I think ...they simply reflect material conditions that exist.

[Fishman]

"There is little point agreeing or not agreeing (except to the extent that the capitalist risks turning your planet toasty warm"
"I am pretty sanguine that oil will find a range in due course...with some nice volatility for traders like me."

Ok, anyone else out there see any multiple personality concerns?

[americandream]

Ok, anyone else out there see any multiple personality concerns?

Hahaha! And so he dons his other personality. Psychologist. Oh dear! Is that too touchy feely leftie. OK then. Psychiatrist.