Oh, the conundrums faced by TPTB.
Consider Ben Bernanke and the other goons at the Federal Reserve Bank: They have to raise interest rates. But they can’t. If they raise them, thereby strengthening the declining American dollar, they destroy any hope for economic growth. And if they don’t raise them, the dollar plunges straight down the toilet (the flush kind, not the composting kind).
Nearly three years ago, I rounded up 30 people for a conversation. The goal: create a community of friends who would survive and perhaps even thrive during the post-carbon years ahead. The conversation lasted about 18 months, after which we were down to 3 of us (counting my dog).
As attentive readers of this blog know, I was in northern California earlier this week, speaking with Willits Economic LocaLization (WELL). And also enjoying the cool environs, talking about fire ecology, attending a Ukrainian Byzantine Eastern Catholic mass, and hanging out on the beach.
A couple days after returning from a trip across the pond, I departed Tucson for northern California. As suggested in my latest entry, I have multiple goals for this trip: (1) There’s no better time than June to avoid the Sonoran Desert; (2) I’m seeing the world while I can, before the Empire dissolves; and (3) I’m facilitating the Fall of Empire, one gallon at a time. In addition, I’ve been asked to speak at the monthly meeting of the Willits Economic LocaLization group (WELL), arguably the people best prepared, at least in this country, for the collapse of civilization. If you’re in the area, drop by the Willits, California community center Monday, 23 June at 6:15 p.m. for a discussion titled, “Thriving in the post-petroleum era.”
Once upon a time, after the ice receded, human settlements spread across a small island. As a result, wars ensued and the natural world was torn asunder. But the relatively small size of the human population, coupled with limited technology, allowed many species to thrive.
I’ll be interviewed on Charles Heller’s right-wing radio show, Liberty Watch, this weekend. I’ve been asked by best-selling author Steve Alten to join him as he discusses his latest book, Shell Game: The End of Oil, The Next 9/11, The Deception of a Nation. We’ll be on the air Sunday, 1 June 2008, starting about 12:30 p.m. and running until 2:00 p.m., Arizona time (i.e., 3:30 – 5:00 p.m. Eastern time). You can call in live at the toll-free number, 1-866-725-5467 (local number, in Tucson, is 790-2040).
As the economic collapse rapidly accelerates, I’ve been thinking entirely too much about post-carbon living. Specifically, I’ve been contemplating my future role in the community I’ll be inhabiting. How will I make a contribution, and therefore justify my continued presence? What will I call my vocation, in the years ahead?