View from the Outside

Can We actually do anything about Oil? Everyone wants it, no one wants the aftereffects of it. What ended the Roman Empire–almost All would say Conquest by barbarians. The actual fact was not War, but banditry; the real physical loss of cargo Transport safety. One could not travel anywhere, or send Goods anywhere. Today, We ship Fuel thousands of miles to provide the energy to ship Goods thousands of miles. It is particularly serious as We insist that the Goods must be produced far from home; a double whammy of cheap Wages, and the heavy environmental Costs of close Production. We are several degrees away from au naturale living, and very few alternatives mainly owing to the press of population increase. The question becomes How do We return to a safe livelihood.


I enjoy this imaginative piece, and would share some comments. The Austerians are mostly Right, but believe in Tax Cuts for business; a real trap which will not produce greater Production, only artificial Profits which must eventually be translated into inflation–exactly as the Inflationsitas insist. The New Jack Keynesians call for more Bread and Circuses, they being actually Double Dippers in drag. The One-Percenters are right in intent, but wrong in percentage; the Fed Overnight rate should be immediately returned to 4% in one disastrous blow, propelling death to the new financial instruments like Credit Default Swaps. I know that We are still in the first Dip, but disagree with new Normalers; knowing that the Recession will only be broken by higher Taxation and constant Regulation. I myself must join the Nihlists, though I possess no belief in Gold. We are at the twilight of empires, and will be replaced by ruder, wilder lifestyle as no one believes in communal effort any longer.


We can find signs of the coming barbarism. No one will touch the esteemed Tax Cuts, even when they are recognized as basically nihilist; causing huge reduction of tax revenues when those revenues are essential, while only repaying business for a fall in Consumption–the least Recession affected of Us all. The tendency found is to further deprive Those least able to protest. This reaction will lead to long-term political violence, though the well-fed plutocrats in the Congress will not recognize this until too late. The upshot of the delay will be worsening economic conditions, and less benefit for everyone. I did not mean to make this Post sound so downbeat, but there is little optimism in the view from the Outside. lgl