RE’s Daily Rant- 2/23/2011

Anarchy Metasticizes

Daily Rant Archive

2/11/11, 2/12/11, 2/14/11, 2/15/11, 2/17/11, 2/18/11, 2/19/11, 2/20/11, 2/21/11

 

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Reverse Engineering

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Of Two Minds

 

Rant Lite

Today’s rant looks at the spreading anarchy both foreign and domestic.

 

Quote of the Day

Revelation 6:8

And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

 

 

 

 

 A Tale of Two Depressions

As the Great Depression progressed onward, the early collapse in RE prices made many Banks insolvent, which then precipitated the Stock Market Crash of 1929.

 

Bahrain killings bring Mid-East turmoil to epicentre of world oil supply

Ambrose Evans-Pritchard’s take on the effects on Oil prices of the ongoing revolution in the M.E.

 

Unions Under Fire

Lots of state officials are pressing public employees to shoulder more of their health care and pension costs.

 

   

As was mentioned on Zero Hedge, we are seeing a rapidly decreasing half-life between the time street disruptions start taking place and Goobermints toppling. Took Egypt a few weeks, Libya went down the toilet in round 6 days.

Libya is an interesting case, because rather than run off with the Gold, “Strongman” Muammar al-Ghadaffi has so far chose to stand and fight, and he isn’t bringing a Knife to a Gunfight either. No, he is taking fucking FIGHTER JETS and Helicopter Gunships and turning fire on peaceful and mostly unarmed protestors in his OWN country!

Before moving on with this, HTF do you spell his name anyhow? Every fucking story I read in the MSM there is a different spelling. Is his first name Muammar, Muamar, Moammar or Moosehead? Is it El-Kaddafi or Al-Ghadaffi or elQadafi or el-Kabong? One f or two fs, one d or two dds,does it start with a G, K or Q, do you put in the hyphen or not and WFT is the correct capitalization here? HTF can we effectively Google info on him if nobody agrees on how to spell his name? Is this a plot by the NSA to confuse us?

Anyhow, I will spell it el-Kabong, because he really deserves this nickname based on how he is handling the crisis. He’s just swinging that guitar at anything in sight. It is clear his Military has already fractured, at least 2 Fighter Jockeys flying some VERY expensive hardware rerouted the Flight Plan and headed to Malta. Also reading the fine print in a couple of stories, a couple of Military Bases are in danger of being overrun by protesters, which means if they succeed they will be raiding the armory and equipping everyone with Assault Rifles. Smells like a full on Civil War to me.

[Additional Info in the day since I started this Rant] On Tuesday, while the FSofA was trying to evacuate Diplomatic Personnel by Ferry, they apparently were not able to get to the boats. No explanation for this thus far, just that the State Department will try again tomorrow to get these folks onto boats out of the War Zone. I’m going to make a guess that at least a few FSofA citizens are being held hostage by some faction or another as an Insurance Policy.

Libya has clearly dropped into complete Anarchy now, it is not like Egypt where Twitter was functioning to get some information out, and virtually no foreign reporters are in the country, and those that are probably are cut off in communications. There s so much conflicting and speculative information coming across the internet that you can conclude only that it is a Clusterfuck in Progress. This is not a problem that will be solved very soon.

Meanwhile, late breaking stuff I read just before leaving work has it that now Zimbabwe has broken out into Riots as well. What is significantly different here is that Zimbabwe is not in the M.E., its Southern Africa. Extrapolating on this, knowing that all the central African countries are always on the brink of Starvation in normal times tells me that in fairly short order here the entire Dark Continent is going to be one big fucking Riot. This includes places like Nigeria, which ALSO is an Oil Exporter. Not to mention all those Copper mines the Chinese bought up from whoever was last in charge there a week ago. The Chinese can kiss those Contracts Goodbye as being worth any more than the paper they are written on. Unless the Chinese send over an Army to surround those copper mines, that copper is going NOWHERE.

So here is the situation we have now folks. One of the main central Resource Bases the industrial economy has been using for energy and metals, namely Africa through the M.E. is rapidly falling into complete anarchy. The reason it is occurring so rapidly is because it is being pushed over the edge by the failing economic system. Combine this with real weather related problems in production of basic foodstuffs around the world and it’s the Perfect Storm.

There is not enough slack in the system anymore to to ramp up production in one place when another goes offline. As they now fail in Cascade fashion, we are going to see a rapidly expanding failure of systems moving outward from the center. I believe we are going to start seeing this shit spilling over into Europe in the next couple of months. There is a large population of Guest Workers in all the European countries that are none too happy with their plight, though of course they are for the moment still better off than their relatives back at home.

By no means across the Himalayas are the Chinese safe from the spreading anarchy and Revolution. There is tension on the NK-SK border, and one suspects the NK leadership isn’t a whole lot different then el-Kabong. As in Tunisia with the Fruit Vendor who self-immolated to kick off this whole thing, I have no doubt there is some Buddhist Monk on the other side of the Himalayas quite prepared to do the same thing with the slightest provocation now. I don’t know if China will POP before Europe does, but I don’t give them much more than a couple of months here either.

Its not a whole lot different than the scenario leading up to WWII when the monetary system failed. In that case, the Center was in Europe,and it spread out in waves from there after Credit-Anstaldt failed in Austria. Took a few years after that, but eventually that failure took apart economies as far flung as Japan, and the entire world was in Chaos. Since you cannot do Bizness in Chaos, at this point the Illuminati must try to restore order by Force.

Collapsing M.E. and African Puppet Goobermints is going to seriously hamper if not completely stop the movement of resources out of those places. This is then going to affect our ability to keep our systems running. As a Society, our Leaders are going to tell us that we MUST go in and HELP these people restore Order and Democracy. A job we sure cannot accomplish with a couple of 100K Mercs across such a vast expanse of territory. We have a TON of UE young folks out there right now. We “need” to make the world Safe for Democracy! This is a recipe for CONSCRIPTION. The Draft is Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You.

In WWII we needed a Pearl Harbor to jump out of Isolationism, because at the time we were perfectly capable of feeding ourselves with our own energy reserves. Not so today of course. Without the Lifeblood of Oil flowing out of the M.E., as a society we are in pretty much the same doo-doo they are. So I am not sure we really need a False Flag like Peral Harbor this time. Mere shortages and gas lines at the pumps may be enough to convince J6P it is necessary to send his sons and daughters of to be Cannon Fodder in the War for Oil.

An interesting thing to try to picture in your head here is the amount of sheer havoc and panic going on inside the Bubbleheads in the Obama-sama White House as now in addition to mismanaging the Treasury Department, the State Department also can do some serious mismanagement. Generals and and boneheads from the NSA and CIA re likely having round-the-clock meetings complete with Starbucks Coffee and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts while they keep their eyes glued to their main source of Intelligence, Al-Jazeera. They are so busy with this now that they forgot to goose the Stock Market before closing and the Dow –GASP- lost 170 points or so. Tomorrow it will probably ZOOM up 300 points on the better-than-expected newz that a Nuke did NOT vaporize Tripoli.

On the other hand, maybe the PPT will throw in the Towel here now, since they can now “blame” the Stock Market crash on the Turmoil in the M.E. Has nothing to do with the complete mismanagement of the economy for the last 30 years, we are going broke because the Towel Heads are revolting in the M.E.! I personally will place NO BETS on this one, its just Russian Roulette.

One of the more interesting Tidbits I posted up yesterday in one of the endless M.E. threads here on TBP was the rumour that el-Kabong was sending out the Pretorian Guard to SABOTAGE the Libyan oil fields. There’s a great plan for a struggling dictator, destroy the only source of money you have to pay your enforcers. This is like the kid in the Sandbox who breaks everybody’s toys because nobody will play with him anymore.

There is also apparently a virtual Flotilla of boats heading from Greece and Italy across the Meditarranean to Tripoli to do a vast evacuation of foreign nationals from Libya. Sounds a little like Dunkirk. One hopes anyone expecting to get Steerage on one of these Freightersif they do not have the right Passport has a few bottles of Glenlivet along with some Gold Coins if he expects to Book Passage OUT of that Hell Hole. Consider how fast that shit went down. One day, you figure if you have some money you are safe, you can just book a plane ticket out. Next day, the Airport is closed or just too many other people booked flights ahead of you and you are STUCK in LIBYA! Just a bit worse than being Stuck in NJ. LOL.

Getting Outta Town when things go south here in the FSofA has some different parameters, but because the numbers are so much bigger, even trying to evacuate by car over land gets constricted. See Ike and Katrina for this. My advice on this one is in the unfortunate circumstance you waited a bit too long to GTFO of the Big Shitty, do not try to do it in a Car. The highway system simply isn’t capable of handling mass evacuations of a city over a day or two. In most places, it can barely handle rush hour traffic. In this situation your Mimimum Carry Package becomes VERY important. Don’t go by car. WALK out, or Bicycle if you have a trailer setup for your bike. Gas will be unavailable quickly along the route, anybody in cars will be forced to walk anyhow.

Walking though slower has numerous advantages. You are not constricted by roads at all, you can if need be go Cross Country. You can head direct and shortcut. Most of all, no traffic jams for a walker. Even if you just walk at 3mph, if you do so steadily for 10 hours you are going to get 30 miles outta da Big Shitty. In a week of walking, you are 200 miles out. 3 weeks of Walking takes you from NY Shity to MAINE.

Libya is clearly going to be a War Zone for the foreseeable future. Nobody there has enough Power to take control, because el-Kabong spent the last 40 years staying in power by killing off anyone who might challenge his authority. Now that he HAS no authority its just one big melee. The only way to reestablish order is to bring in a fucking BIG and well organized Army. This isn’t Somalia where you can just let them Rot in Mad Max anarchy, Libya has lots of OIL. Not as much as Saudi Araia of course, but still plenty to export.

Oil prices are of course going BALLISTIC now, which of course means we are going to hit the WALL with another round of Demand Destruction a la 2008. If it does follow the 2008 pattern, then one would expect the Stock Market to start sinking like a stone through the rest of the week, but again Helicopter Ben has his Laptop well tuned by now and could turn it on Full Steam here, who knows?

I did read an interesting piece by Bruce Krasting regarding the Floating Inventory out there of Oil in the VLCC carriers, which kind of drifts around until they finally get a destination port to drop the load. I wonder how large that inventory is compared to say the size of the SPR? How long do Chinese factories and Big Shitty Electric plants and what’s left of the Happy Motoring J6Ps of the FSofA keep going on this inventory? Of course you do have to add in the loss of expanding Piracy also here. Maybe a year is a good guess with sufficient Demand Destruction?

Speaking of Piracy, this would be a good time to remind CLUELESS Yachties with really NICE 58’ Sailboats this is NOT a good time to be Cruising off the coast of Somalia. Use some COMMON FUCKING SENSE and hole up on Gilligan’s Island for a few years, OK?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wh3fV-2rnA4&feature=related

Meanwhile back here locally, Rhambo is now Mayor of Chitown which should allow a steady stream of Funny Money from Obama-Sama to flow into that Big Shitty for a while longer, where he is no doubt building a Bunker beneath Union Station for Obama-sama to retreat to after he gets booted out of office in 2012.

In WI, the Public Unions and Da Goobermator remain at loggerheads, and likely the Pink Slips will start heading out here pretty soon. If they are smart, the Unions should just Stonewall Da Goobernator, get fired and start collecting Unemployment. Then he can figure out how he wil keep running the state with his now reduced workforce. The system will fail quicker this way and the WI can reboot a new Goobermint at some indeterminate future date after their 99 Weeks of UE runs out.

Why shouldn’t they take the pay cuts and give up their collective bargaining rights? Because they are screwed anyway if they do that. They won’t be able to afford their mortgages or the increasing price of gas to get to their Goobermint job. They can hang out squatting n their McMansion for 99 weeks and use very little Gas, going out maybe once a week to buy food at Walmart. Meanwhile, State Tax revenue will continue to drop, forcing the State to lay off still more workers. Totally Non-Violent means of getting rid of Da Goobermint!

Anyhow, whether the Unions capitulate or not, its not going to fix the State Budget deficit, because state revenues will drop as fast as their expenses do. Some expenses will actually INCREASE also, as Crime increases. All Capitulation does is run the Extend and Pretend game a while longer. Better to get it over with QUICK rather than a lingering death. Much like Iceland, its better here to FORCE default. If the Unions hold the line, they will force the State to Default on Bond obligations to the TBTF Banks. If they capitulate, the State can continue a while longer shoveling taxpayer money at the Banksters. Long as they don’t willingly give up their rights LEGALLY negotiated it forces the State to default on its Bonds. Of course they will end up getting a pink slip, but tht is coming down the pipe eventually anyhow, so just get it OVER with already.
The KEY here is to Just Say No to ANYTHING Da Goobermint proposes, because anything it proposes is to either save itself or save the TBTF Banks. If Da Goobermint wants to raise taxes, bombard you Congress Critter with Faxes saying if he votes for that you will vote him out of office, or better yet Tar and Feather him on the way outta town. If Da Goobermint wants to cut Entitlements, bombard them with emails saying your Blind Grandmother with Alzheimers will die without Medicaire and Social Security! Its Win-Win. This will either force Da Goobermint to Fail or it will WORK and your Grandmother will live on while you pay lower taxes and make more money! Since the second one is unlikely to work unless JM Keynes was right, this is the best and fastest way to get rid of your Goobermint in a Non-violent fashion. DEMAND FREE SHIT NOW!

The key here folks is that before Da Goobermint starts CONSCRIPTING up your Sons and Daughters to be Cannon Fodder for an Unwinnable War for Oil in the M.E., you have to FORCE Da Goobermint to fail. Since Keyesians in Da Goobermint think they can Save Themselves by Printing Money, FORCE them to print MORE money. Call this the Aikido Method of Economic Self Defense. Use your Enemy’s perceived strength against him. If Helicopter Ben thinks he can win by sending a few helicopters out dropping funny money on his Bankster Buddies, FORCE him to send out a FLEET of Helicopters dropping Funny Money on EVERYBODY. Trust me, if he does this, he will not last long. Keynes was quite wrong of course.

RE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhPPJ5dolxU&feature=related

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RE
RE

Please read every word of this post TWICE or I will deport you to Libya!

KaD
KaD

I’ve got my bike and trailer ready.

bywoodelementary
bywoodelementary

As Gaddafi said once, you can spell it anyway you like. It only matters in Arabic. (I interviewed him and Jalloud in Tripoli, 1978.)

StuckInNJ
StuckInNJ

Another fine piece. FYI — If you keep writing fine works like this there will be nothing to argue about.

But, I’ll try. Digging deep here ….

I hope like hell Nigeria goes down. At least that way I will stop getting email notices from divorced, one-eyed, abused Nigerian Princesses wanting to send me a bazillion dollars … if only I send them a few grand for processing.

.
The Guest Workers in Europe just better shut the fuck up. Angela “why-won’t-Berluscone-fuck-me-too” Merkel already said multiculturalism was a total failure. Nationalism is on the rise in Germany, Austria, and throughout Europe. So, really, Mr. Guest Worker …. shut the fuck up and lay low.

.
I believe the Chinese are immune from revolution. Don’t let the one-time Tiananmen Square event fool you. Chinese soldiers WILL fire on their own people. There are several millions of Chinese men who are doomed to a life of Flogging the Monkey. A lifetime of No Pussy makes for one mean assed soldier. The Chicoms can increase their military by a million without blinking. And they won’t be shooting blanks.

.
War for oil, and/or a Draft will never happen. Just ask Smokey.

.
Walking 200 miles to Maine at my age and shape (round IS a shape) … are you fucking insane?? At least you could have mentioned horses.

.
The latest (now dead) “CLUELESS Yachties” were actually several hundred miles off the coast of Somalia. More useful advice to that couple (not that it matters since they are dead) is that hey – people don’t fucking want or need your Bibles! I can just imagine how pissed off I would be if some raghead sailed up the Hudson handing out Korans. And I am reasonable, just, and kind. Those people are not!!

.
You said, “The KEY here is to Just Say No to ANYTHING Da Goobermint proposes, because anything it proposes is to either save itself or save the TBTF Banks”. Now that is a very very interesting view. It would take an Act of God for me to side with the unions. But your observation is very godlike in its wisdom …… so I’ll have to mull it over.

StuckInNJ
StuckInNJ

RE — in another post, now languishing in WordPress hell, you provided a link about Potlatch and other ceremonies. Just want you to know I read it and enjoyed it. There was even something in there for Smokey …. that bit about “Raising the Pole”.

If you have a moment please check out the link below and let me know what you think. The author says America needs “Community” not “Collectivism”. I’m curious if your idea of Tribalism matches this author’s view of Community. You know how much I value your input, so thanks in advance.

http://neithercorp.us/npress/2011/01/america-needs-community-not-collectivism/

llpoh
llpoh

“it is currently the Feature Post here on TBP” – since its “promotion” it has gotten exactly ZERO comments. Just saying.

flash
flash

RE -not to take a dump effort your effort,-I very earnestly applaud it- but please grant one favor and get a fucking editor.
Unnecessary verbosity is .,..well unnecessary.
Stick to the subject and get to the point as quickly as possible, Please!
Most TBPers have life outside the blog and don’t have the time to mush through otherwise insightful reading spread out over way to many glee club metaphors.
cut the unnecessary crap.

AKAnon
AKAnon

“May you live in interesting times”. And things just get curiouser and curiouser.

Dave
Dave

RE, you are to well written and intelligent to keep using that dumb Gomer term GOOBERMINT.

flash
flash

@Flash

From somebody who will copy paste an entire encyclopedia to make a point about the CIA, this is a somewhat disingenuous criticism. LOL.

RE- That’s t because I am neither writer nor analyst …just a simple country bumpkim tryin’ to get a handle.
I inject favored opinion where I find it for the purpose of bouncing ideas of the headz of those who may know more than I.
That said, I’ve gleaned an lot of knowledge from your perspective on all things associated with free market capitalism or the lack thereof,.
Glib humor at the expense of content is not necessary..
We’re all friendz here, I don’t spew this this out of malice.
Carry on ….

Kill Bill
Kill Bill

RE goes for a walk:

I left the cabin and then locked all 23 locks with different keys behind after first arming 18 alarm systems with different codes. I took 24 steps across the deck looking for bears, after taking 18 steps at the 12 oclock position, the 11 oclock position the 10 oclock position the 9 oclock position the 8 oclock position the 7 oclock position the 6 oclock position the 5 oclock position the 4 oclock position the 3 oclock position the 2 oclock position and finally the 1 oclock position before repeating the process. After repeating the process 8 times I unlocked the gate, 12 locks, to the stairs down. After managing the stairs I checked the bug out vehicle from 32 standpoints then proceeded to check for land mines around my last frontier then proceeded, some 123 steps before arming the ground sensors.

Kill Bill
Kill Bill

Yanno who else tried, but managed to abolish unions?

Hitler. In May of 1933.

llpoh
llpoh

KB – don’t forget the deadfalls- must be wary of deadfalls.

Kill Bill
Kill Bill

KB – don’t forget the deadfalls- must be wary of deadfalls. -llpoh

And tripwires. Damned anti-frontier types out there sneaking around setting tripwires increases RE’s walks in pristine nature by hours!

llpoh
llpoh

Hitler was a filthy beast, make no mistake.

But that doesn’t mean he was wrong about EVERYTHING.

bigargon
bigargon

sorry RE ;

The government unions are just as big of a problem as banksters. Both are parasites killing this nation. I have nothing against private sector unions ( even though they mostly suck), but public unions have an undue influence on the political process.

Novista
Novista

After decades of experience, I conclude that: companies will screw you for the bottom line and unions will throw you under the bus if it’s to their benefit. The first rule of any organism is self-interest, and all else is way down the priority list.

I’ve been a worker, shop steward, arbitrator, and I’ve been in management. And once, I was a scab. Self-interest decrees family before ‘the greater good’.

I’ve had two really great bosses, and they were more, they were mentors. Ironically, both were sacked for all the wrong reasons by the respective companies. Internal politics. Anyway, what I learned from these two men guided me in being a boss. I’ve been able to pay it forward, too.

I wouldn’t have changed any of it, it’s been an interesting ride.

StuckInNJ
StuckInNJ

@RE

All I did was ask you to comment on an article. You said you would but you didn’t. That’s all fine and dandy but it’ll be the last fucking time I make such a request. I know a “fuck you” when I see one. I can play that game too. Coming soon to a theatre near you.

Surly1
Surly1

Vigorously disagree. Nothing in our society is as pernicious and destructive as TBTF banks and the pirates who operate them. Even if you are deeply conservative, unions are nothing more than a mild annoyance. Look at the comparative amount of money (influence) wielded . . .

But it’s often not about money and power, but about belief. Unions bad… there’s no arguing with a belief system.

If they had ANY power or influence “card check” would be the law of the land, if not a sacrament.

Everyone likes to decry public sector unions. As we come to the end of this Fourth Turning, most people who remember that the “American way of life” was built by labor unions (and a prosperous post WWII economy.) have fallen away, and we are doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past in our headlong descent into the New Feudalism.

The only thing that working people have to bargain with is their labor, Take that away and hasten the fall into fascism.

StuckInNJ
StuckInNJ

Surly — and when a public service union HOLDS ME HOSTAGE ….because they are a MONOPOLY … and because I HAVE NO SAY in the raises and bennies they get …. and my fucking PROPERTY TAXES GO THROUGH THE ROOF …………………………………………… let me ask you ……….

EXACTLY WHO IS THE GODDAMNED FASCIST HERE????

Here’s a 4th turning for you. Fuck you and your public union mama.

MuckAbout

Private unions had a place in the sun 100 years ago. Some workers (miners, steel workers, some odd niche industries that were hazardous) were to the point of almost having nothing to loose by telling their bosses to shove it. So they organized (a bloody affair in itself) and forced change in safety and work rules so they’d be alive to cash what pay check they got. Later they got bigger and fatter and started being a hinderance to even themselves.

Private unions today have very little worth except to protect their own deep dish pie of dues, corruption and ability to bribe politicians.

Public employees have no such “right” or need. Public service unions are an oxymoron in that unions do not serve the public, they serve themselves and when it’s convenient, their members.

Of course, politicians need the money they get from unions so they bend over, pucker up and promise them far more than the tax payer can provide through any reasonable tax base. They also, slowly, through their powers over politicians, move from working for the public to having the public work for them. Legislators pass laws requiring government be involved in brushing your own teeth – you must have a permit for it and only use toothpaste of a predetermined chemical make up, sold only in certified, inspected license toothpaste emporiums.

When, as a dutiful sheeple, you apply for a permit, you find the office is open only on Wednesdays from 2-4PM and Friday from 10- noon. The office is closed on all Federal, State and locally declared holidays – if a holiday falls on Monday, then the office will be closed Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. If a holiday falls on a Friday, the Wednesday and Thursday will also be declared off days for five day weekends..

It grows from there like a cancer, more rules, laws and regulations that REQUIRE government permission, inspection, certification and oversight until the “public” servants outnumber those who they serve – and earn twice as much in the bargain.

Public unions should be abolished and every law passed by any “public” office (from con-gress to the local city council) should expire every year and must be renewed to be in effect. No exceptions.

I will not hold my breath..

matt
matt

The whole private sector vs. public sector/unions argument is a good one. I am a 1099 sales rep who pays for everything myself, including a ton of self-employment taxes. Almost like I am being punished for being somewhat self-efficient. I personally have little sympathy for the union folks, they seem to eat their own in tough times. Not sure how to link this, but I was on http://www.sacbee.com and they have a link to state employee salaries. There are dentists workin for the correctional union making $750.000 per year, and the board of the UC sytem are making a half-million or more per year.
California has a $20 billion budget deficit, between the enormous salary and benefit packages for state workers and the cost of illegals, the budget could be erased in about 15 minutes. But that won’t happen because of one entity, the unions. They buy the votes and the politicians, and the dance keeps going. I have made every possible adjustment to my personal finances, but the public sector unions seem to be above that. As the taxpaying base shrinks, the unions won’t budge, which increases taxes even more on the private sector. I don’t see how this will end until a complete melt-down, which will pit public/ptivate workers against eachother. Another distraction for Bennie and the thiefs to keep robbing us all blind.

StuckInNJ
StuckInNJ

Thanks for the detailed answer. Very helpful.

I’m in a deeply pissed off mood today. The Verizon/FIOS guy is here today. Been here for two hours already and will be here another 2-3. But what really set me off is that yesterday Ms Freud came home with a 40′ flatsceen to replace the bedroom TV … which works PERFECTLY fine!! I HATE replacing shit that isn’t broken. Hate it!! I can’t get her to stop spending money. Well, she used her money on this purchase … but still.

So we’re like not talking to each other since yesterday. And then I have to deal with that massive dickhead known as Smokey. llpoh is sure to pounce on my ass because I don’t like his book list. Boo fucking hoo!! And I just KNOW the fuckin moment Mr. Verizonman leaves the premises my internet won’t work. It rough, I’m tellin ya! Rough!

Persnickety
Persnickety

Very thoughtful comment, RE.

I value freedom as much as anyone (true freedom, not the meaningless consumer crap foisted on much of the US as “freedom”) but there is a lot of truth in the need to share certain values and limit certain actions in order to have a sustainable community (environment, economy, whatever you want to focus on), not to mention in order to live in reasonable decency.

StuckInNJ
StuckInNJ

Didn’t mean to be flippant with my brief “very helpful” comment. It was VERY helpful! lol

I was once part of a small community, “tribe”, or whatever these things are called. It happened while I was stationed in southern CA in 1974. I hooked up with a Christian group and became what is known as “born again”. (Try not to laugh.) It was a small group of people, less than 50. Some GI’s like myself but mostly people known as “Jesus Freaks”. About a dozen lived on the leader’s land … did some farming, some built knick-knack crafts to sell … the rest of us had outside jobs but we spent evenry available moment with the group. We shared our lives and even our money. We looked out for each other. We cried and laughed together but mostly we simply enjoyed each other’s company, for better or worse. Looking back it was like a hippie commune … a spirit-filled hippie commune. That may or may not be like the “tribes” you advocate but I will say … and without any doubt … that was quite possibly the happiest year of my life.

Kill Bill
Kill Bill

Nearly all forms of rule [dictatorial, fascist, communist, monarchy, oligarchy.. etc etc] become collectivist.

When that happens things go awry.

We are nearly there.

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