tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584699251999622098.post8485401307395273333..comments2024-03-16T09:24:45.474+01:00Comments on 22 Billion Energy Slaves: Greece: Part 2Jason Heppenstallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17886109260870545074noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584699251999622098.post-59775316178615217232012-08-20T19:22:43.528+02:002012-08-20T19:22:43.528+02:00Justin -de nada. I think one of the reasons the na...Justin -de nada. I think one of the reasons the narrative is so fearful right now is because most people have so little historical perspective. Throw into the mix the the fact that history is written by the victors - and right now the victors are the promulgators of neoliberal economic orthodoxy - and you've got a fearsome mixture of fearsomeness.<br /><br />Yes, I'm a bit worried about some things from time to time (primarily because I have young kids) - but otherwise I view the future with something like excitement. It's all the economic boom years that I've hated, to be honest. Good riddance to them.Jason Heppenstallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17886109260870545074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584699251999622098.post-54793555462824656252012-08-20T19:11:00.552+02:002012-08-20T19:11:00.552+02:00You're welcome, Claire. I always wanted to be ...You're welcome, Claire. I always wanted to be a travel writer but then travel writing became a branch of marketing and lost all credibility. I grew up reading the likes of Norman Lewis (check him out) and the lesson I took away was that the writer should give a clear impression of the country with all the BS cut out.<br /><br />It's good to hear seed companies are doing well! What always amazes me is that when people start growing their own food then that passes under the radar of economists i.e. GDP contracts, all other things being equal, despite the fact that it's increasing what we might call the 'general good'. One of my worries for the future is that when a critical mass of people start growing their own food then some central authority will impose taxes or otherwise seek to control the activity. So far nobody worries because it is just a fringe activity.<br /><br />Yep - plenty of real estate is on fertile land. Perhaps now is the time to invest in companies that make jack/sledge hammers! Jason Heppenstallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17886109260870545074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584699251999622098.post-62633259494029897902012-08-20T18:34:59.402+02:002012-08-20T18:34:59.402+02:00Jason,
Thanks for posting this! I don't trave...Jason,<br /><br />Thanks for posting this! I don't travel outside of the US so I really appreciate it when you and others who do travel share your impressions of the places you visit. Three cheers to the Greeks!<br /><br />Much of US suburbia is on good to excellent soil and most yards here are large enough to raise quite a bit of food if they were used that way. I'm in just such a situation, with an acre (a little less than a half hectare) of land, and I am learning how to use it well. Seed companies have been seeing good increases in sales in the past few years. While most folks don't yet know how to raise food, there is much info readily available on how to do it. I think we'd be surprised by what people can do when they have to do it - and it probably won't happen till they have to do it. I prefer to plan ahead, many others don't act till the situation demands it. I'm not saying there won't be many difficulties and unpleasantness, just that people generally rise to the occasion when necessary (and not till then).SLClairehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17307602613058790026noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584699251999622098.post-51594914973182612012012-08-19T16:30:20.620+02:002012-08-19T16:30:20.620+02:00Jason,
Thanks for this. I've been trying to t...Jason, <br />Thanks for this. I've been trying to tell people I know that collapse is a perspective. The people who fear it the most are those who have the most to lose. The majority of people are suffering under the current order and a 'collapse' of a military, banking empire would be a relief in many ways. I suspect this has been true throughout history, history is similarly skewed toward the interests of those who have the wealth to afford literacy and education, and written for those who have the power to control what gets said. The dark ages also happened to coincide with the end of slavery, which was revived much later during a colonial era. The collapse of the great military empires of South America likely coincided with the greatest agricultural achievement in known history, the Amazonian rain forest.<br /><br />There is decay in that picture if you look for it. But there is also an abundance of green life if you open your eyes, and the welcome sight of a decommissioned tool of destruction.Justinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02924326177370725150noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584699251999622098.post-40433406874784400492012-08-19T10:01:10.352+02:002012-08-19T10:01:10.352+02:00Lucid - it's a good policy to, what was the sa...Lucid - it's a good policy to, what was the saying, be the change you want to see in the world. It's a messy process and some of us find it more difficult than others, but at the end of the day the world is going to change anyway and those who can't adapt will have trouble surviving.<br /><br />I've come to think of the MSM as a bit like the shadows on the wall of Plato's cave. That is, you can watch it with interest and glean some meaning from it if you are sufficiently able to decode the messages but when you think it is an accurate representation of the real world, that's when you run into trouble. It's good for conveying information about *some* things that it is impossible for it to apply its distorting filter to e.g. major disasters, but otherwise forget it.<br /><br />Far better to actually live in the world and not pay too much attention to shadow plays, methinks.Jason Heppenstallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17886109260870545074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584699251999622098.post-83845007140252168912012-08-19T09:52:54.712+02:002012-08-19T09:52:54.712+02:00Yes - casting my memory back to when I studied eco...Yes - casting my memory back to when I studied economics, the theory of diminishing marginal returns on investment comes to mind. That is, the first dollar or euro spent to satisfy a need (or want) will give a much higher benefit than the millionth or trillionth. You then eventually reach a point where more investment provides no benefit whatsoever. The US had been 'first world' for a good 50 years before Greece managed to borrow itself up to that status.<br /><br />This could be a blessing for countries like Greece, they really haven't had enough time for everyone to lose their useful skills. Granted, it's mostly the older folks who know how to make things work, but at least they are still alive and able to pass on their knowledge to younger generations. The UK and US don't have that luxury.<br /><br />BTW, it's true the UK can't feed itself at current population levels but I'm pretty sure that a severe shock to the energy supply would soon see the numbers reduced substantially.<br />Jason Heppenstallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17886109260870545074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584699251999622098.post-20370072171711712972012-08-19T09:43:09.619+02:002012-08-19T09:43:09.619+02:00Hi Phil - I'm sure there are still many places...Hi Phil - I'm sure there are still many places in Greece that haven't changed much in the last 30 years - the trick is finding them. Ah yes, sleeping under the stars - I tried that on my first visit too (back in 1989) - but to be honest, you can sleep anywhere after a bottle of ouzo.<br /><br />Pity you only have an afternoon in Copenhagen! You'll probably dock at Langelinie Quay but don't bother going to see the Little Mermaid unless you want to be disappointed. It's probably better to just walk down to Nyhavn (perhaps via the palace) and sit outside one of the cafe/restaurants there by the canal. I recommend Cap Horn, which serves old style Danish food (think herrings and schnapps - all organic) - you won't find real Danish food easily, as elsewhere, it's mostly 'international'.<br /><br />Then hop in a cycle rickshaw and head down to the alternative commune of Christiania. You'll like it there, so set aside a couple of hours (there are also plenty of cafes there too). Don't get your camera out on Pusher Street (where they sell hash) otherwise you'll encounter problems.<br /><br />Better still you can get hold of a couple of city bikes and then the city is your oyster (you just insert a coin, like a shopping trolley). http://www.visitcopenhagen.com/transport/copenhagen-city-bike/382<br /><br />I wouldn't really recommend going down Strøget - said to be the world's longest pedestrian street - unless you like tacky chain stores and hordes of giggling teenagers. But otherwise just explore the centre of the city on foot or bike - it's very beautiful everywhere and full of interesting corners.<br /><br />My favourite square (where you can sometimes find me handing out) is the historic Gråbrødre Torv - a cobbled square surrounded by cafes and restaurants. There's a cafe here that is basivally an old city tram inserted into a building - that's a good place for a beer.<br /><br />If you want to try some proper Scandinavian (and Belgian) beers check out De Tatoverende Enke (The Tattooed Widow) - they have some great ones and it's only a few minutes from Nyhavn on foot.<br /><br />http://www.dentatoveredeenke.dk/#!/en/bar<br /><br />Drop me a line if you are around past about 4pm (when I get off work) - jasonhepp at gmail dot com<br /><br /> <br />Jason Heppenstallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17886109260870545074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584699251999622098.post-284751707785183942012-08-19T09:22:09.324+02:002012-08-19T09:22:09.324+02:00Wise words William!
I first realised the same whe...Wise words William!<br /><br />I first realised the same when reading about the history of Laos. The people there (and probably just about everywhere else) subsisted fine with, well, subsistence farming, until the World Bank and IMF came along and made the government slap massive taxes on farmers. This forced them to grow two harvests a year instead of the usual one, and soon enough they were short of money and needed to borrow. Foreign banks moved in and in a few short years you had a country that was basically controlled by a few powerful organisations. Farmers fall into poverty and their kids move to the cities to work in the new factories and get paid slave wages.<br /><br />It's been the standard model of imperial control and capture for generations now - although usually it's dressed up as 'modernisation' and 'aid'.<br />Jason Heppenstallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17886109260870545074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584699251999622098.post-48010522841174791082012-08-19T05:23:15.722+02:002012-08-19T05:23:15.722+02:00America is screwed because it turned in all of it&...America is screwed because it turned in all of it's culture for convenient consumerism. All of the farmers stopped farming and suburban sprawl squirted it's malfeasance all over everything. What is America going to return to? Our young don't even know that there is a world outside of their cell phones. <br /><br />It's interesting how your life changes when you stop paying attention to all of the MSM's propaganda. I want to be a peasant. In fact, I'm trying my damn hardest to be a peasant, and with no help at that (well my wife has recently realized that she wants to be a peasant as well). Your level of fubar as a nation comes down to can you grow your food without petroleum. It sounds like Greece is better off than most industrialized places. <br /><br />I'm finding that the best policy is just to proceed in the world as you want the world to be. I want to be a peasant, and the MSM is not going to help one bit towards that end. I have realized that, and so I don't even bother with giving two farts about it. I could care less what the television has to say about anything. Luciddreamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02128676983998762432noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584699251999622098.post-17379858739038196452012-08-18T20:20:59.908+02:002012-08-18T20:20:59.908+02:00Two thoughts. First the increase in GDP in wester...Two thoughts. First the increase in GDP in western countries, and certainly the United States, since at least around 1990 (and you can argue about the dividing year) seems to have translated remarkably little into an increase in living standards for most people, or the addition of useful things like new metro networks. In the United States, there is one plausible explanation for this in that the entire increase, actually a little more than the entire increase, was appropriated by the 1%. But industrial societies probably also have run up against diminishing returns against how economic growth translates into material improvement in people's lives -once everyone has adequate food, clothing, housing, and entertainment what else do you need to add? Plus much of the new wealth was paper wealth, like all those phantom army units on the 4th Century Roman payroll.<br /><br />The point is that a fall in GDP to the level of 1990 wouldn't necessarily translate into a fall in material standards of living (unless the occasion was used to further cut benefits to the poor and plunder the savings of the middle classes), and could improve them.<br /><br />The second thought is that Greece, as you noted, is a thinly populated country and recently industrialized and so its entirely feasible for people to go back to their farms and fishing villages. This is what alot of Americans did during pre-World War II depressions. It doesn't work that way with a place like England, which can't conceivably produce enough food to feed its population! I don't see it working in the United States, where half the population lives in suburbs -formerly agricultural land which has been turned into very low density and mostly residential urban development, though with a notable absence of mass transit- and about a fifth of the population lives in the old central cities. I don't see how you get back to a nation of peasant farmers from there.<br /><br />Odin's Raven had a good comment on the Archdruid Report that put in mind of this, referencing the U.S.:<br /><br />"If the food producing areas are drying up, the industries have moved to China, and the big cities are inhabited mainly by bureaucrats, welfare dependents and financial fraudsters, and the whole culture is in advanced degeneracy, is there any region that could sustain itself beyond a rather low level?"<br /><br />Greece has the advantage of relative backwardness.Ednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584699251999622098.post-38556508966500441252012-08-18T08:40:11.923+02:002012-08-18T08:40:11.923+02:00Hi Jason, sounds like Greece is still a great plac...Hi Jason, sounds like Greece is still a great place for chilling. I spent an idyllic 4 weeks sleeping on a beach under the stars near Alyki in 1979, birding and living on bread, feta, tomatoes, peaches and water melons. Used to get up when it was too hot too stay in the sleeping bag. I daren't go back in case of the concrete shells...On arrival we sat down in a lagoon side taverna and ordered fish and chips and a bottle of retsina. This was reed rooved with home made furniture from driftwood. The waiter said he was waiting for the fish. We waited and waited, after a couple of hours a boat chugged up and deposited a pile of fish. Ten minutes later it was on the plate, delicious. As you say, the Greek peasants are great people, very patient! and will survive the current troubles, heres to 'em.<br /><br />Not had a holiday this year but come September the wife and I are heading off on a Baltic cruise, calling in at Copenhagen for an afternoon on 25 September. Never been before, any recommendations for the top 3 alternative sights in the centre plus a decent caf?Phil Espinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03291438294869499059noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584699251999622098.post-89267674216921921852012-08-17T17:08:13.244+02:002012-08-17T17:08:13.244+02:00My takeaway from this is, that life will get on wi...My takeaway from this is, that life will get on with the business of living, as soon as we gut the power of the bankers. Global jubilee. Otherwise, we will be in hock to them, until such time as they drag out their final kleptocratic maneuvers, before the whole bloody edifice comes crashing down, for maximum effect, apparently. The world is run by monstrous criminals; the world cannot be "run" by anything but. Beware of the money makers. Look to the earth. William Hunter Duncanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03659156353754825272noreply@blogger.com