Guest Post by Jim Kunstler
When I wrote The Long Emergency nearly twenty years ago, I never thought that, once it got going, our government would work so hard to make it worse. My theory then was just that government would become increasingly bloated, ineffectual, impotent, and uncomprehending of the forces converging to undermine our advanced techno-industrial societies. What I didn’t imagine was that government would bring such ostentatious stupidity to all that.
Obviously, there was some recognition that ominous changes are coming down. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have heard so much chatter about alt energy, “sustainable growth,” “green” this-and-that. But the chatter was more symptomatic of wishful thinking for at least a couple of reasons: 1) mostly it ignored the laws of physics, despite the fact that so many people involved in enterprises such as wind and solar energy were science-and-tech mavens; and 2) there was a dumb assumption that the general shape and scale of daily life would remain as it had been — in other words, that we could still run suburbia, the giant cities, Disney World, WalMart, the US military, and the Interstate highway system just the way they were already set-up, only by other means than oil and gas.
Now, we’re finding out the hard way how much daily life must change, and is changing, and how disorderly that process is in every way from the imperative personal adjustments to our spiritual attitudes about them. As with so many things in history, this disorder expresses itself strangely, even prankishly, as if God were a practical joker. Who would’ve imagined that our politics would become so deranged? That there would be battles over teaching oral sex in the fifth-grade? That the CDC would keep pushing vaccines that obviously don’t work (and that so many people would still take them)? That stealing stuff under a thousand dollars in value wouldn’t merit prosecution? That riots featuring arson and looting are “mostly peaceful?” That we’d send $50-billion halfway around the world to defend the borders of another country while ignoring the defense of our own borders? That financially beset Americans would spend their dwindling spare cash on… tattoos?
Notice that all of these strange behaviors have really nothing to with making practical adjustments to the way we live. The collective psychology of all this is bizarre. Of course, mass formation psychosis accounts for a lot of it. Groups of people under duress, suffering from loneliness, purposelessness, helplessness, and anxiety will fall into coordinated thought-and-action if presented with some object or someone to fixate their ill feelings upon.
Donald Trump was such an object. He galvanized about half the country into an intoxicated fury aimed at destroying him. It actually managed to drive him off the scene via a fraud-laced election which many in-power (local officials, judges) deemed a means justifying the desired end. That success reinforced their mass formation psychosis. Alas, having succeeded against Mr. Trump, they were left without a galvanizing object to focus on. So, they adopted one of the devices of Trump-riddance, Covid-19, as the next object of all their distress and anxiety, adopting the mRNA vaccinations as their next savior du jour.
Unfortunately, the vaccination scheme has gone very much awry, and now millions face a future with damaged immune systems. The horror of that is too awful to comprehend, especially by government, which caused the problem in the first place and can’t possibly admit it without demolishing its legitimacy… so it presses on stupidly and heinously with the vaccine program. Already all-causes deaths are substantially up, and in time the recognition of how-and-why this happened will reach a point of criticality.
It will be too obvious to ignore. But by that time (probably not far away), the economy will be so wrecked, the people of America so deranged, and our circumstances so desperate, that the government will resort to a supremely stupid act of national suicide, say, starting a nuclear war. The government under “Joe Biden” seems perfectly disposed to that possible outcome. Which brings us to the spiritual part of the story: those unused to consorting with alleged “higher powers” might consider getting used to prayer.
Lately, a new derangement is overtaking Western Civ, for the excellent reason that Western Civ gave birth to techno industrial societies and is now first to undergo the alarming demise of that system. I speak of the World Economic Forum (under one Klaus Schwab) and its stated ambition to Build Back Better — based on its unstated premise that the current system must be nudged to its death sooner rather than later, and on-purpose. All the governments of Western Civ nations seem coordinated on this.
But it’s not going to happen as Mr. Schwab and his followers hoped, for at least a couple of reasons. First, as already stated, God is a prankster and likes to throw knuckleballs at the human race. Anyway, the “better” that Mr. Schwab expects is an ultra-techno-industrial “trans-human” scheme that is unlikely to come about if the support system of the older techno-industrial system is no longer available to support it. As currently conceived, BBB depends on electric power, and that is one of the major sub-systems of our system that already looks like it’s going janky.
You get the idea, I’m sure, so I’ll cut to the chase for now. About a year ago I had my French easel set up on a country road nearby and was busy painting a motif at-hand when along came a horse-drawn wagon filled with four men in severe black-and-white clothing, wearing beards. They were apparently a bit surprised by the strange sight of me painting a picture and they stopped to chat. They were Amish and had lately moved to the county from down in Pennsylvania, which was running out of farmland for their fruitful people. Not a half-hour later a second horse-drawn wagon passed by. I admit, the incident gave me a thrill — not just the sensory pleasure of the horses’ ripe animal smell, and the gentle rhythm of their clip-clopping along. But since I had lately been writing a bunch of novels about life in a post-economic collapse town like my own (the World Made by Hand series), I enjoyed the strange delight of being transported briefly into a scene of my own imagining — the prequel of my own books.
Many more Amish are landing in the county these days. I hear they go around to the failing or inactive farms with bundles of cash and make an offer, just like that. Evidently the method works. It’s given me a business idea: to start an Amish skills school, buy a few acres with a barn and hire some Amish men to teach all us non-Amish how do a few things that might be good to know in the years ahead, like how to harness horses to a cart or a mule to a plow. (The Amish like to make a bit of cash-money when they can.) That’s my idea of how to build back better. What do you think?
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Just offer to work for free at an Amish farm to learn all those skills and build the muscles/endurance to apply them. Knowing how to do something and actually doing the job are 2 different animals.
” Knowing how to do something and actually doing the job are 2 different animals.”
Not sure what you are trying to convey/impart.
Lots of young’ns cannot read a tape measure. i’ll be the first to admit that it takes some ‘experience’ to identify wrenches, sockets, etc. by eye as far as ‘size’ goes.
Use to be totally opposed to metric, not much choice left these days and seems easier and more logical from a ‘math’ perspective after some consideration, always struggled with math myself.
Tape measure ‘reading’ lesson proven effective?
‘Look. 1″ is the same as one bag/1 oz. 1/2″ same as half a bag. 1/4″ same as 1/4 oz.
1/8″ same as 1/8 a bag, and that you’re poor/ no money mgmt. skills, or buying some exceptional homegrown, ranked #3 in High Times©. 1/8″ is close enough for what your doing, not a finish carpenter installing Crown Molding. ‘Plumb’ is not a fruit, it’s ‘Level’ up & down, ‘vertical’ if you like 50¢ words. The bubble on the level ALWAYS show the ‘high side’. The 3-4-5 rule for squaring things up is easier to say than Pythagorean Theorem. Don’t sweat the details, it’s the plaster/dry-wall crews responsibility to make things look pretty.
“And that’s the way it was”..40+ yrs. ago
I like it a lot. It’s obvious our ‘leaders’ are insane, corrupt and evil. This can’t end well. Trading our factory farm poison for local and healthy food makes sense for me. I live just over the hill from Cambridge, Jim. Let me know when school starts.
Our government IS the long emergency.
They aren’t incompetent, they are doing all this
on purpose and have been for decades.
Ammo up.
Oh yeah.
The whole truth in just 22 words.
If you can’t defend it, you don’t own it. It’s that simple.
On another note, success in system stability is not what the disciples of the Beast are after. They want chaos and massive swathes of the population dead, by any means necessary. Janky is their agenda. JHK doesn’t seem able to grasp this simple concept.
Yes, but in JHK’s defense, 90% of the general population isn’t able to grasp this simple concept either.
well, they want ‘chaos’ of the sort they can control. they probably dont understand how that controlled fake chaos can, does, and will, slip into real chaos, and it cant happen a moment too soon. it will.
the davos crowd and the rest of these psychopaths who think their shit doesn’t stink, have largely drunk their own kool-aid by the barrel. maybe some shadowy cabal behind the scenes haven’t but from whatever’s visible or detctable, yes, the ruling class straight to the top has swallowed their own idea of some techno-fetish fantasy future where they are immortal overlords , the rest of us are chipped, tagged, and tracked slaves in some electronic prison, where they have such absolute power that they can ignore the very laws of physics.
they think they can dynamite sector after sector of the same economy that maintains their power and wealth in the first place, and not bring the whole thing crashing down. it will crash, and they will likely end up being wasted by their own security forces once the latter figure out that on the one hand their paychecks are worthless and on the other, theres nobody to stop them. they will be madly pushing the buttons and pulling the levers on their fantasy technological machinery up to the last minute thinking they control everything in the universe.
right up til the moment that it breaks, they _will_ continue their war of extermination of any free-range humans and their efforts to lock everyone else up in their electronic gulag.
The Amish guys here in Illinois wear the same getups and beards etc. Mostly they drive 3/4 ton diesel pickups and the wives drive black mini vans. A lot of really nice wood furniture and custom wood kitchen stuff in several Amish shops. 25 years ago the Mrs. spent a ton on Amish cabinetry etc when we did an addition on the castle.
Mennonites?
Amish don’t drive trucks.
It’s Mennonites.
We have both groups locally but the furniture guys are Amish. Can’t help it if they aren’t “orthodox” Amish. I have Mennonite friends here and none of them wear the 1800’s get-ups. There are plenty who do but the one church I went to for a wedding, even the pastor dressed in “modern” clothes. 150 miles west we have the Amana colonies where they have the horses and buggies and all that, but again, not all of them.
Interesting. I figured Amish were still like the article depicts:
At one time people were apprehensive about the “Iron Horse”, it would not last , it could not be done, it would not replace the tried and tested horse. Things change. Yes “conservatives” things will change just as the manual typewriter changed to electric. Still, to turn back the hands of time , what a concept.
On the subject of change, suits me well to be completely off the grid as far as a source for electric power. I looked into wind turbines designed for single residence. I did not pursue that idea. And I could probably survive with a horse or two and a buggy thinking the 12 mile trip to wallie world is doable once a week with a horse. Pick up some feed while in town if there is any. Off the electric grid however would be a dream come true. And not the deal where one sells surplus electricity back to the electric provider. I’m talking wash one’s hands completely from commercial electric providers. Remove my account , please. Oh, and come get the smart meter.
Getting completely off the electrical grid is a tough (and expensive) move. You have to minimize your electrical footprint. All LED lights. Efficient minisplit AC units (multiple). Gas water heater and stove. Etc… Of course you still have to have a propane tank and someone who will come to fill it after/when TSHTF. It’s possible, but very expensive. We’ve opted for “redundancy” instead.
We have gas water heater and stove with a 250 gallon underground tank. That will last 9-12 months but we usually top it off every 6 months. We have a whole house generator with a 500 gallon propane tank. If we’re conservative that will give us 4-6 weeks of power depending on the time of year. The price of propane is currently $2.75/gallon in our area so a refill of the 500 gallon tank is quite pricey. Note that they will only fill to 85% of the capacity of your tank. A 22kw generator setup like ours will run you about $12,000 including the full propane tank, concrete pads, wiring, gas connections, and commissioning of the generator (you can’t just connect a Generac and get going yourself, need a licensed dealer to call in with codes, info, etc… or you’ll void the warranty).
Then we have a solar setup that is capable of running my garage and attached mancave year round. Sixteen solar panels, sixteen batteries, 6,000 watt inverter, all hard wired into the panel for that building. It runs AC for the 25’x25′ mancave, all lights, plugs, a large chest freezer, beer fridge, and all power tools and battery chargers for tools. I probably have over $10,000 invested in that system and did the design and all the work myself.
Lastly we have several portable generators and probably could put our hands on about 50-60 gallons of gas on the property (30 gallons in 5 gallon cans, 20 gallons in mowers and generators, and 15 gallons out of my wife’s car). Obviously this option doesn’t keep us running for long but could get us through a week or better if everything else was bust.
Anyway, good luck. I’m sure others have done it differently. There’s no right or wrong. What you can afford and what you feel comfortable with is all that matters… Chip
Not “simple” for certain. We had about 12 hour electric outage over the weekend. A 20kw GE fed by a 330 gallon propane tank is seven years old. Average use per year is around 35 hrs. That includes one 20 minute cycle per week so outages here have been short in duration. The latest 12 hr is the longest. 2-4 hrs has been the longest to date. I don’t let it run the entire duration for an outage like we just had being air cooled. To date 227 hr runtime.
I’ve purchased 100 gal of propane every two years, the minimum delivery. Fills the tank to 60+ %. Last order in November was $3 gallon. The generator is definitely a luxury item and probably paid too much at the time of purchase. The package deal did not include a propane tank , I just lease it , $10 a month, and included two year service agreement plus two year 24/7 service should it not start. Anyone can change, oil, filters and spark plugs, suggested 100 hr service but done once a year regardless. Never had an issue starting so the 24/7 was sort of a joke. I do the maintenance since the first two year service agreement and I did have the company’s technicians check the valve clearances at 100 hrs as suggested by manufacturer. I had to wrestle with the company a bit to get that valve clearance check but per the manual its a routine maintenance item. Anyway, all electric with backup propane space heater we rarely use. I will say although a luxury item and it cost some $$ when temps here are 90-100 with 75 plus humidity the luxury certainly is nice for older folk…the AC.
I’m always looking at ways to cut expenses. One has to.
Life’s stories. 🙂
We had the big freeze here in South Texas sixteen months ago. That weekend I got online and ordered the Generac 22kw (also air cooled). Beat the crowd as others waited six to eight months to get theirs. Ours was delivered three weeks after I placed my order and we had it up and running a month before hurricane season. So far we’ve only had a one hour outage where we needed it.
Yes AC is important especially here in South Texas. To minimize electrical requirements we installed minisplit air conditioners in our two bedrooms. Both on they use maybe 25% of what our whole house unit takes. This allows us to sleep comfortably and does a decent job of keeping the rest of the house decent. Gives options anyway.
I guess we’re lucky, there are no minimums for our propane delivery. When I topped off our 250 last week it only took 85 gallons. Paid like $240 and that is the most I’ve paid since we moved into the house in 2018.
Anyway, I highly recommend the minisplit install in the bedroom. If you’re like us we like it cooler in the bedroom for sleeping. This way we keep the house at 78 and crank the minisplit down to 71 an hour before we go to bed. Don’t have to deep freeze the whole house just to get to sleep… Chip
NE Texas, we recorded -4 degrees when that freeze took place. I was very surprised commercial power did not go down. I was concerned such low temps might kill the battery on the gen. However, it held up.
BTW, that service contract was 3 yrs. thus the valve clearance check. I requested the service a couple of months before the 3 yr expiration with gen at 96 hrs. Initial gen installation included a Intermatic whole home surge device on the transfer box. Lighting blew it out during the 3yr service period. The dealer did not want to replace it at their cost saying the device did what it was supposed to do protecting the gen itself. I agree, however the salesman specifically included that item in the contract for 3 yrs so I wrestled with the company and they did send a tech to replace it on them. I believe the company went back to the salesman and billed him as I I don’t think it was supposed to be included. I can replace that myself so I went ahead and purchased another. The surge protector is now at least $130 online. The contract also extended the warranty on the engine to 5 yrs over the manufacturer’s 3 yr at the time. No service contract now and the 5 yrs has passed, part of what I paid for but I’m not fond of the service and extended warranty things that seem to be offered on everything anymore. The company charges $270 to come onsite and change oil, filters and two spark plugs. Crazy. The tech that checked the valve clearance was very experienced and also checked the water column on the units’ regulator. I’m thinking my requests for the valve clearance and WC checks may have been a first for the company and that many people are unaware of these things. I had to research, talk around and learn myself.
On the propane tank, it was “refurbished” and I could have purchased it for around $900. Close to seven years at $10 a month I could have paid for it. Only thing, by renting the tank any issue with the tank’s regulator or any leaks at tank connections is on the propane company. After a while we began to smell propane. Turns out there is some kind of valve on the bottom that leaked and was replaced. It took two trips for the propane man to figure that out.
Life stories yet perhaps your info and mine will be of use to someone considering purchasing a whole house gen. I would like to put a couple small 110v window units in the house but my lovely wife does not like them sticking out. We do have a small unit in a shop I could move to the house. Not sure what a minisplit air conditioner is. Will research. It’s 70 degrees here now so like in the old days we’ve opened some windows. Almost cold in here. 🙂
Harbor Freight, just big enough to run the well. Sometimes we lose power up to a couple of weeks. Have bigger and smaller gen sets also a diesel but the 6500/5500 units are cheap, run/ last a long time, are very easy on gas and will run the house if everything is not turned on at once..
Run it at first by the manual, change the oil, drain out all the bits.
Not cheap but thrifty.
That’s a long time couple of weeks. There was an outage of that duration some years before I moved here. Evidently a ice storm created havoc on overhead electric lines.
mini-split
Good to know.
Why don’t people go into ground? Almost world-wide, the temp 6 ft under is roughly 50f degrees. Cool enough, certainly, and no big task to heat.
Set yourself up with a Hobbit Hole (not damp with ends of worms, nor dry and sandy…) that means comfort.
Building a McMansion off grid needs all that propane, etc. If you need so many generators so that your kids can still watch disney or netflicks, then you have lost the plot…
I once heard that Mennonites were Amish people with a VCR & a shitty attitude.
I know one, they are pacifists and were persecuted and even killed because they refused to serve in WWI…
Often when Amish are part of the story someone will eventually come along and trash the Amish … that they are fakes, frauds, hypocrites, blahfuckityblah. These people are morans.
Glad it hasn’t happened yet. Hope it doesn’t. But, if it does, please down-vote, and do so with vigor!!
The Amish are pacifists.
They will be quickly overrun by looters, rapists and murderers when the real SHTF unless they quickly change their ways.
Which is why libertarians are losers. If the commies are willing to murder. Who wins?
I think they still use pitch forks so perhaps there is hope for them. /s
They can be persuaded I’ll bet to this day. Gen. Washington did.
Pacifists, but they have firearms, and will probably defend themselves….
Don’t ever think these people are weak because they’re pacifists.
Pacifist does not equal Pussy. I live in Mennonite country. Depending on what sub-sect we’re talking about, you’ll see Horse n buggies, or black cars/vans.
I always amazed at their industriousness. One outfit up here has a world class machine shop in the barn, off-grid via diesel generator. Runs biodiesel or used fryer oil. They make parts for some local autoparts outfit.
They use technology when they can. What and when is a bit confusing.
I knew someone still had to use Bio Willie…the smell of french fried potato combustion.
Government is made up of humans.
Never underestimate the capacity and capability of humans thus government for stupid and evil.
Embrace the Suck, comrades.
Wonder if Putin has any hypersonic missiles to spare?
The world would be forever in his debt. I would consider visiting Mother Russia as soon as the dust cloud settled.
Bugs as a group (?) are supposed to be the largest biomass on the planet. It occurs to me to ask, if they become a human food source, what are the bugs going to eat, as an agricultural input? High protein, supposedly.
James Dale Davidson and Lord William Rees-Mogg wrote about this descent into failure and depravity circa 1993. Except for some of the little things they were right and the race to the bottom is on schedule.
Read it……
Good book. I read the sequel too. From a secular viewpoint it was good but they are like the writer of this one. They think this is just another 4th turning instead of the beginning of the end of 4th turnings.
Just to be clear, you think The End Times are upon us? I ask because I respect your opinion, not because I wish to argue.
Yes. I’ve said it for quite some time now in human time. I now firmly believe we have entered the very beginnings of the 7 year tribulation. I also unabashedly claim we are the harlot of Rev. 17-18. This is even using the dipensationaists favorite the KJV.
No need to watch the part two video if you don’t agree. I can’t make anyone believe what they aren’t willing to accept. This girl does a good job of Girl Splainin (for Stephanie S.)
I have a hard time these days devoting 1/2 hour to someone who may/may not have their head up their asses.
My couple-of-sentence take is that we are more likely going into the Minor Chastisement. A big wake up call for a deluded humanity. God does exist, He wants something, and He is in control. This will be demonstrated shortly.
The minor chastisement has some wars, famines, lots of civil upheaval, plagues, and natural disasters. In Europe it has massive atrocities by Islam. Elsewhere, same, but by other forces. Roughly a third of humanity will pass away.
In the end, though, we will see a massive conversion beneath the umbrella of a renewed and exalted Catholic Church (the return of the Orthodox and our Protestant brethren, the conversion of Islam, paganism, etc.) [Don’t worry: the cleansing of the Church of all pedos, homos, villains, lightweights, losers, and other assorted scum will be violent and bloody enough to delight the hearts of the most anti-Catholic enemies and will, in the end, satisfy them enough that they, too, will come home.]
There will be about a generation’s worth of time that will be peaceful, ruled by a Great Monarch (a scion of European Royalty) and an Angelic Pastor (a truly Holy and Sainted Pope) which allows those remaining to accept and understand God’s presence and providence.
You see, today, we have far too much doubt, and people simply do not know who to believe. While we are all responsible for our personal sins, God would not condemn us to the Tribulation for society at large. No, He will call us back to Him, and make it apparent.
The final Tribulation will only come after this time of peace, when men, knowing that God exists and is in charge, still choose to revolt against Him. That revolt will bring the Anti-Christ and the Tribulation. When men know Him and still refuse, then He will allow the Anti-Christ to take power and abuse them.
And no, there will be no rapture. You’ll be stuck down here dealing with it just like the rest of us (really, you children. If you make it through the minor chastisement, you will die in a peaceful agrarian society, not the Tribulation).
Of course, …I could be wrong….
The books are excellent and were quite prescient. From personal experience, if you shake hands with Davidson, count your fingers afterwards. He’s owed me $400 for twenty years!
Whenever I am in an airport, which is rare, I amuse myself watching people who are returning from their trips. You can usually tell the difference between the business travelers and those returning from their “fun” vacations by their wearing apparel. One thing I noticed is that the only people in a celebratory mood are the flight crews, who are happy that their shifts are over. Everyone else just looks tired, disheveled, and depressed, albeit relieved that their ordeal is at long last over. While reading this column, it dawned on me that most people I see on the streets look like those unhappy traveler. It is confounding. Have they not been amused? Did they not find solace from their sad lives in destination weddings, jetskis, curated dinners, bespoke clothes, pleasure cruises, visits with the kids, endless cable programs, and evenings with the Kardashians? Have not their trips to Pleasure Island been frequent enough? Apparently not. Here is some good news; the party is over. We are all returning from Neverland, where the fruit on the trees grow without effort, and every day is party time. The days of easy hunting are over, my friends. No bouncy house for you!
One of my previous excursions involving an airport I will never do again and that was a round trip from Texas to Portland with connecting flights in San Francisco. SF airport scared the hell out if me. I had seen pics on Al Gore’s internet for years of people that altered their faces to those of lions, and tigers , and bears , oh my…lizards too. I often thought this must be some photo chop thing. It certainly looked “real” in SF and much worse than Portland airport if one can believe that.
I can remember a time in the airports(not to date myself) when people were dressed to the nines and the kids had their going to church Sunday best’s on. Same thing in Las Vegas. My, how far have we fallen?
I decided I’m going to do my part in keeping aviation respectful. There’s a guy at my home airport who flies a Beechcraft Bonanza–nice airplane. When he flies, he’s dressed in pressed slacks, collared shirt and nice shoes. I decided to emulate him-when I fly my plane my dress code is at a minimum collared shirt, nice pants or shorts and decent shoes. No t-shirts, ratty jeans or flip-flops.
A good parachute would seem more important than attire. Pay the extra money and get one with a lifetime guarantee.
Clothing can be crucial at times. Flipped a dirt bike going up a very steep power line one night. For some reason, i didn’t realize that the massive bonfire at the bottom (where the ‘Ladies’ were) wouldn’t provide much illumination near the crest…basically vertical…and i missed the one slot without the shale outcropping.
On a positive note, there were no lacerations, contusions, or brush burns on my feet or shins. Moto-x boots provide exceptional protection. Even fortified with mushrooms and ‘shine’, Serrated metal foot pegs are painful barefoot, found that out during the initial ‘Wheelie’ session around the fire before the ‘summiting’ attempt. Not sure if i envisioned myself as Sir Edmund Hillary…or Tenzing Norgay.
The rest of me…didn’t fare so well, but i didn’t really pay attention ’til the next morning.
LAST time i ever rode a dirt bike naked. Well, at least hill climbing wise. I thought my time in the swimming hole had straightened me up.
Truly, Thank You God. In Jesus’ name i pray.
I can remember visiting my Uncle Tom in the hospital before his prostate operation. Shocked to see him in the hospital bed dressed in a tuxedo.
Said if he was gonna be impotent, he sho’ wanted to look it.
Was it a hospital or a morgue? Could also be he was just being practical.
At this rate, the Amish will inherit the world…if there’s a world left to inherit…
Nah, their flesh burns same as the heathens and the red necks.
Pfizer says they own the government and thus are immune to any law.
If so, what is treason? Why vote?
If any young man or woman learns this, they should emigrate to another country: Russia, the new home of Western Civilization.
I’ll settle for Kelly McGillis teaching me how to can veggies.
Have you seen her lately? I mean I don’t think she’s the Tom Cruise hot older babe from Top Gun any more… Chip
… and the scene in ‘Witness’ of her turning around to face Harrison Ford as she bathed herself …
kek, Have you seen Kelly McGillis lately ?
Doesn’t like males, Lamont
She plays for the other team.
Watch “Stakeland” and you’ll get over that idea.
With the supply chain crisis, gasoline heading toward $10/gal, and inflation spiraling out of control, I’ve been thinking about Kunstler’s Long Emergency lately. His prediction then about things slowly deteriorating and no one can get them back on track seems to be playing out pretty well. Fortunately, I still have the book and I think the book deserves a rereading.
Close relative has moved to a farming area and community around Hillsboro not far from Portland and in the business of farming and horticulture. It sort of concerned me with all the things that take place in Portland. However, I’m looking forward to trying a trip out there, God willing, that always includes sitting on a beach along Oregon’s coast for hours just watching those Pacific Ocean waves rolling in while consuming a few Oregon craft IPAs.
“…just watching those Pacific Ocean waves rolling in while consuming a few Oregon craft IPAs.”
I’M IN!!!! Chip
Been a while here as well, but didn’t it get spicy when someone shipped a nuke in a sea container to a US port, killing the supply chain in one loud bang? Everything after that was lack of in-house resources to maintain, and general WROL, what-did-you-think-would-happen chaos?
I’m thinking of the bikers moving into the landfill, and the warlord downriver (the
river pirate scene in one of the later Rambo movies comes to mind) ransoming people.
WEF in Davos. The past is the past but I’m guilty of recalling some of it especially when it comes to those that have occupied various governmental offices. Some folks told me former Texas governor Rick Perry was the “greatest” governor Texas had known. Nothing against Rick, I mean he is a Texan. It’s just the looking back and asking WHY the attendance at a Bilderberg Group meeting? And with all the concerns about China it was Governor Perry that was most instrumental in bringing China’s Huawei to Plano , Texas. I followed that “deal” closely and only ask , why? Poor ole Rick. “Oops”.
Incidentally, I’m sue everyone knows, Canada is said to have banned China’s Huawei from 5G. Interesting. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/canada-bans-chinas-huawei-technologies-from-its-5g-networks-01652993932?mod=mw_latestnews
They banned it under pressure from some 3-letter agency. I seem to recall there was already a deal signed, and then reneged on. Mr. Castro sealed the deal by arresting the scion of the head of Huawei (wife? Daughter?) who spent the next year or so fighting extradition to US.
Tis all memory holed at this point.
I’ve been sitting on a bunch of Nokia stock which has gone nowhere and removed the dividend. They were supposed to be the Huawei alternative.
In another ten years, maybe earlier, Jim will have learned it is/was actually ostentatious psychopathy, a/k/a evil.
Oh, and we still don’t have any Peak Oil effect – if we even passed Peak Oil already, that is.
We did, and fracking peaked four years ago…The US is a major oil importer…
You mean cheap-credit fueled but [at the time] economically nonviable fracking peaked four years ago… nothing that even cheaper credit and/or exploding oil prices can’t rekindle to new production highs.
Constantly baffling to me the US is said to export an equal amount of oil as it imports. Makes sense though the logistics of it all. Still…
As pain at the pump continues, the U.S. is exporting as much oil as it’s importing
https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/export-import-oil-texas-why-gas-prices-rise/273-e723eb8d-dd11-49dd-bb42-131dca576b17
There are numerous grades of oil with differing characteristics. One that is good for chemicals may not make diesel etc so it’s possible to have a lot of oil that you can’t use for your requirements.
Agreed, and one reason I contend the idea of being “energy independent” in the sense the US will not participate in oil imports is absurd.
We may have reached peak “extraction”. But oil is produced deep in the mantle of the earth (abiotic oil). It’s not dinosaur shit or decomposed plants… Chip
Evidence?
Tons of it out there. But here’s a good place to start… Chip
http://www.engdahl.oilgeopolitics.net/print/Peak Oil.htm
Interesting.
I knew a man in the industry that theorized oil was “put there”.
Beginning to read again a book I never finished, The Tyranny Of Oil by Antonio Juhasz. He also wrote a book titled The Bush Agenda.
Right off the bat at the front of Tyranny:
For the ignorance of the public is the real capital of monopoly.
-Henry Demarest Lloyd
Adding:
Live by the sword, die by the sword.
Sorry Kuntsler, elections are phoney . Same shit all the time from this guy.
When the system collapses the Amish will be among the hardest hit . They are dependent on kerosene , diesel , and gasoline not to mention call the “Englishman” for a ride to Aldis or to borrow a phone. There knowledge of the Bible is pitiful indeed . They have genetically been dumbed down by inbreeding and their overall health and sanitation is atrocious . They are mostly a defeated people subservient to the elders and bishops working for their own ruling class of wealthy overlords . I would watch what I learned from them .
I can second this, even though I don’t want to knock them. I have a relative who lives in midst of their community, and does business with them. While their resilience in a SHTF scenario is likely better than ours, they have picked up many of our White Supremist bad habits. Inbreeding is a thing. Drug use, child abuse, young people blowing off the elders and leaving the community. It’s there, maybe not in social-fabric destroying levels, but….
The church elders run things, and call the shots. And kids work at on-farm businesses, like they’d work for their parents at home, for relatively low or no pay. Pay goes to the parents. Make of that what you may.
I think you are dead right Jim. We are on the same page because my Chapter 13 in ‘The Financial Jigsaw’ predicts exactly as you have imagined. I refer to ‘going back to the 18th century’ or thereabouts.
The 18th century sounds wonderful in a renewed perfect world without sin and Jesus as King.
The really good news is only His true believers and those pre age of accountability will be allowed in.
18th century sounds good with ivermectin and aspirin.
In the immortal words of Bob Spraigue, from now on things are just going to get fucktader and fucktader………
Great idea Mr. Kunstler!
What is the website? Will all the episodes be archived? Not much of a morning person, but i suppose i could drag myself outta bed by 9am if ABSOLUTELY necessary.
Will there be realistic virtual dirt, sweat, and aches and pains? How much will you be paying the attendees? The local mickey D’s is advertising $14/hr to start, but i have some pretty impressive credentials and many yrs. of ‘experience’, so $31.25/hr. and full benefits will be ok for starters i guess. Eliminating the 1+hr commute each way is worth the sacrifice! Should even be able to limit my virtual lunch to 1 hr. , as i can still email, order stuff and pay my bills online concurrent with class attendance. i’ll surf for porn on my coffee breaks, same as always.
i am VERY GOOD with my hands, typed this in no time.
If i excel at the course work, will there be virtual blisters awarded? If so, how much effort will have to be demonstrated to achieve virtual callus status?
Looking forward to hearing from You soon.
Sincerely, Unlimited Potential
Not sure about Amish, but Mennonites are very camera shy, for religious reasons, like folk in a witness protection program. Was told deliberately taking their picture would prevent them from getting into heaven. He’d need a work-around.
https://rightwirereport.com/2022/05/23/chart-of-the-day-american-economic-confidence-darkens-here-is-what-americans-are-doing/
I spent a night and day at my Mennonite friends’ home learning to make bread.. I make great bread,, but six loaves at a time. I have tried to cut the recipe. Six loaves. A weeks worth with a fresh loaf made Saturday for Sabbath.
They moved back to Wisconsin.
Ghosty- Today as I left Amish territory I realized how fortunate we are to live in the midst of these people who still have their heads screwed on proper. Those of us who still know the old ways will be in a far better position to survive, I truly thank God for these things.
Lard based ‘Grandma’s refrigerator dough’ should still be out there somewhere. Recommend the real lard, refrigerated section, ‘seasonal’ around here. NOT the hydrolyzed Manteca? crap in a bucket on a shelf. Same with real yeast cake. Have tried various yeasts from wine & beer shops as well. Good digital thermometer. Digital scale invaluable. Many sites devoted exclusively to bread.
Quick search revealed this: http://brdclc.com/
Search term “scaling recipes up/down bread calculator”
3rd day, (if the batch lasts that long) rise is negligible. Perfect for pepperoni roll production. Don’t forget to rub them with a stick of real butter right out of the oven.
I always bake two loaves, one for us and one to give away (since the freezer space is now exclusively reserved for meat). We always carefully consider who to give the extra loaf to: a friendly neighbor, an elderly friend, someone who is in a lurch and could use some unlurching. It has become a nice family tradition.
Wonderful post Mr Kunstler. I read your excellet and prophetic series ‘A World Made by Hand ‘ some years ago. And now it becomes true.
The Amish would be most welcome where I live in The Glorious Peoples Democrat Republic of British Columbia.
A sequel to the WMBH series is overdue.
Just like after the original civilizations on earth were destroyed. Those without knowledge and wisdom to use it became stone age and the later wizards and lords. Technology and knowledge won’t disappear , it will become rarer like people will. The great culling has begun. The great dimming also. They are killing the biome with their toxic aerosols. One should ask is this really just evil himan leaders at work or something not human at all?
Both. The latter is master to the former.
Just like after the original civilizations on earth were destroyed. Those without knowledge and wisdom to use it became stone age and the later wizards and lords. Technology and knowledge won’t disappear , it will become rarer like people will. The great culling has begun. The great dimming also. They are killing the biome with their toxic aerosols. One should ask is this really just evil human leaders at work or something not human at all? Amish and mennonites are a good start for survival skills. Not sure how they will fair the coming darkness and forced camps and shots. Lifes not going to be easy for anyone. I have hope , were there is a will there is a way, and many will survive and not comply. So many I hope, that they won’t be easy to track down or easily cornered and kidnapped.
Sounds good on paper, but, As soon as you tell some Amish guy your plan he’ll take it and cut you out. Lots of Amish in my area. Nice folks but they really don’t care for the “English”. I’ve had business dealings with some so I’m counting on my fantastic personality and easy going nature to get me into the inner circle of bartering within the Amish community when TSHTF.
The Amish (and Mennonites) have spread all across the farm belt from Pennsylvania to Iowa. My wife’s family share crops with a Mennonite family in northwest Illinois. In Ohio, the Amish county of Holmes is the fastest growing (percentage wise) county in the state.
Some years ago, the Columbus Dispatch did an article on Amish farming vs. conventional farming. The Amish farms were substantially more profitable than were conventional farms, despite lower yields. The reasons were: no fertilizer, no pesticides, no hybrid seeds, no machinery, no fuel, and no debt (no interest, cash only). Amish farming is labor intensive, but it’s all unpaid family workers.
The Amish life style is plainly adaptive in a Darwinian sense, because the Amish population is growing rapidly. Someday you will have to speak “the Deutsch” is some counties. It helps even today.
The life style of the rest of us is plainly, maladaptive, because our birthrate, about 1.8 children per woman, is below replacement. The white population of the US is actually declining in numbers, and whites are a minority in the under 15 age group.
The collapse of the white population means the collapse of the white culture, civilization, and economy. The lunatics in charge are merely greasing the slide. The collapse itself is generated by a sickness in all whites.
So, how many children do you have? You need at least 3 to continue the family into the future. Two children guarantees family extinction.
Don’t really need anything but a wood fire, could come in handy. ‘Clogged up’? Make a new one.
https://www.pottersforpeace.org/ceramic-water-filter-project
“BBB depends on electric power, and that is one of the major sub-systems of our system that already looks like it’s going janky.”
You are goddamn right.
A massive storm with 80 MPH wind gusts smacked us hard Saturday afternoon; it caused millions in damage and killed 10 people, knocked out power lines in 100s of places throughout the city, and has brought down thousands of trees. We just got power back this AM after being blacked out for almost 3 days as we were one of the 170,000 affected, but there are still 70,000 in this City without power and some will be out for a week, possibly longer. Yet our subdivision is less that 10 years old and has all underground service lines. But the distribution lines are another story.
Seems like we are now just like the 3rd world we have been importing, yet with first world tax rates. Every municipality, county, and non-rural jurisdiction in this province seems to have no shortage of money to throw at non-producing “new citizens” and vanity construction projects, but not one thin dime to be found to bury power distribution lines. How ironic and sad to see gas stations out of fuel and/or power to pump it, all stores completely sold out of block or crushed ice, and people lining up at what few gas stations were open to gladly pay the equivalent of $7 US per USG for gas to run their generators. Sustained power outages should be a reminder that cash and fossil fuel running vehicles are still very much needed, yet the local media is covering all the personal tragedies while harping about “climate change” and “more to come” less we change our ways!
Yes, an all electric future would have made this sooooo much better – NOT!!!
The stupid in gubberment and their media lackeys – it BURNS.
I love it! There’s a man in the neighborhood who still farms with a mule. When I first heard about it, I laughed and found it charming. Now, with the price of diesel at $5.39, his set-up makes sense.