You know, the world is in a crazy mess, and for the longest time I tried to understand it simply by assigning blame. As long as what was wrong was someone else’s fault, it was their mess to clean up, and I didn’t have to assume any responsibility for it. At the same time, it was a perfect excuse not to have to spend any additional time trying to figure out what was really going on either. That didn’t work for long, however. Every entity, person, group of people, or institution that I pointed a finger at ended up being quite incapable of the godlike feats it would take to generate this mind boggling, systemic insanity. No one is that big. And, even though there are just over 7 billion players reacting to the mess by trying to fix it, profit from it, or run away from it, (and the literally uncounted millions just trying to survive it), no one is entirely responsible for having created it.
There are plenty of places to lay blame, though, and aside from those typically associated with economics and politics, the big favorites are any group or individual that is considered corrupt, greedy, oppressive, tyrannical, apathetic, ignorant, arrogant or stupid. Personally, I believe that it has more to do with individual addiction and denial, and that just beneath the addiction and denial is a catalyst so immense, and so misunderstood, that even though very few fully understand its ramifications, I’d bet you a copper penny, almost everyone has heard about it: Peak Oil.
Emotional Speculation
If we can separate ourselves from the reactive feelings associated with highly emotional events, we can learn much more important information than just about the event itself. For example, look at the monster financial machine designed to engage in high frequency trading. Even though it skims off billions of dollars from the stock market one penny at a time, it was hardly noticeable until the day the market dropped a thousand points in a matter of minutes, and was drained of a trillion dollars. In the shock of the crash, no on ran from the floor screaming “Corruption! Greed! Fraud!” What the shock did do, on the other hand, was to beautifully demonstrate our innate ability to create and maintain facades of denial so spontaneous and unfathomable that believing anything different actually feels insane. In short, in response to the shock of the market crash, we were handed the “fat-finger” theory, and even though no one actually believed it, we were sated and it shut us up.
By way of another example, consider the events of September 11. Before the Twin Towers fell and hit the ground, the words “al-Qaeda” and “Osama Bin Laden” were spilling off the lips of every reporter in the country, and probably the world. With that outpouring of finger pointing, we suddenly had an “answer” as to who did this to us and why, and the anxiety began to ease. As the days progressed, we were told about government “protection,” and were given images, names, places, countries and leaders to blame as well. Gradually the shock eased by what we had been told, and guess what - it didn’t make one bit of difference if anything that had been said was actually true. Eventually the discomfort diminished enough to get people back to work, but not so much so that it could not be re-ignited and used for any number of valuable purposes in the future.
Throughout the unfolding of these shock-filled events, I came to realize that emotional speculation is by far the greatest drug for the addiction-driven “shock and ease” phenomenon. Not only does it ease anxiety, it also rapidly pushes the energy off on to the next shocking event, perpetuating the addictive cycle. As for “truth,” it doesn’t matter one little bit. In fact, to this day, I have no idea who is responsible for 911, nor do I know whose “fat finger” hit the wrong key on the day of the stock market crash. But I do know this, emotional speculation itself, is far more powerful than any truth, and infinitely more destructive than any lie. And it has us all by the throat.
Making peace with the realization that I will probably never know the “truth” of any situation, I started to look at the world with a bit less skepticism and judgment. What I discovered there was wholly different than what I thought was there. I learned that the “evils” of the world weren’t “evil” at all. Once they had their agitating and frightening hue removed, they began to look exactly like what they were: a myriad of absurdities driven by pitiful caricatures. Only after the reality of the situation became clear did I realize what I really should be paying attention to, and it wasn’t “fat fingers” or “Osama bin Laden.” Let’s see if we can draw back the curtain and see what’s behind it…
It is known by many different religiously driven names: The Great Change, Armageddon, the Lifting of the Veil, the Second Coming, the Apocalypse, The End of the World, 2012, The Great Enlightenment, The End Times, The Great Tribulation, etc., etc. I believe it has so many different names because even though almost everyone senses it, it can only be understood through the bias of our own, personal and particular cultural determinants. What each name describes, however, is the advent of tremendous change, so life-altering, so huge and so devastating, it must be described in uniquely spiritual terms… because it is so. For my understanding and comfort, I simply call it “The Process.” It is what we will all go through to become something much different than what we have been and what we currently are. If you don’t like any of the terms identified here, call it anything you’d like. Just be sure of one thing, no matter what you call it, we are ALL – the entire world - seeing and feeling the same thing. I am afraid, however, that because we all do call it by different names, there is and will be an incredible amount of infighting, blood and death before everyone can get to the heart of it.
Just as there is the process by which we move through this, there is also a catalyst driving the upheaval. And, although it would be easier to emotionally speculate and point a finger in the direction of some red devil with a pointed tail and spiked horns, the true monster is actually much more devastating and infinitely less sinister… It is, simply, a reduction in the availability of sweet crude.
We have, in fact, passed global peak oil. The effects are very real and measurable, and although they are easily recognized, they are also wholly subject to denial and the “shock and ease” phenomenon. Also, because we have a tendency to look at “effects” and believe them to be motivators of whatever trouble happens to be on the news that day, it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if “peak oil” is never given its credit due. But for the moment, take a look at the effects of having passed global peak oil and see if any look familiar to you:
- Global decreases in employment
- Global decreases in food production and processed food availability
- Global decreases in oil production and processed fuel availability
- Increased global hoarding of commodities
- Increased global violence, civil unrest, protests and revolution
- Increased global fascism and militarism
- The emergence of a global “elitist” class
- Global currency wars, trade wars, class wars, commodities wars, military wars and occupations
- Global economic collapse
- Global currency collapse
- Global starvation and disease
- Global ecological disasters
Remember, “global” does not mean only those “far-away” places well outside of the United States. It means INSIDE of the United States as well, and not only are governments and nations subject to the ramifications of Peak Oil, communities, neighborhoods and individuals, are as well. And this doesn’t mean that there is going to suddenly be a huge “splat” one day that brings down the whole house of cards. No, it is gradual. It plays out as we have seen… a series of events that brings down one card at a time, or quite a few in one fell swoop, with short periods of respite in between. This dance of disasters is known as “the bumpy plateau.”
Passing peak has already caused tremendous loss and pain, with more and more coming our way. But if you can, take comfort in knowing that NONE OF US will escape it. That’s why, for the first time in human history, it is blazingly clear that we are ALL in this together – and not just in some mystical, happy-happy-joy-joy, lofty ideal of “togetherness,” but instead, in a very real and quite tangible way. “We are one” has taken on a new reality.
We can begin to prepare to a certain extent by trying to ignore the shock of peak oil’s manifestations, and start communicating with our families, friends, and neighbors. More importantly, it is time we shut off the noise, specifically the “TV,” and began to listen to our own instincts. By listening to the quiet, we will readily understand what it is we need to do because what is happening around us is also happening inside of us.
When all of this began to settle in my own mind, I felt compelled to study everything I could about seed harvesting, gardening, preserving food, and herbal medicines. (I soon learned that I was not alone in this study.) Eventually, all the hard work resulted in a book that I’ve called Preservation, Volume 1: Gardening and Food Storage, With an Introduction to Medicinal Herbs: Gardening for Those that Don’t Want to, But Need To. You can find it at www.preservationpublications.com or you can download it from Kindle. The second book in the Preservation series, Hunting and Gathering in the New Millennium – Not Having to Live Without the Little Things will be out in late March or early April.
Now, I’d like to make some money from my books because I’ve put a lot of love, sweat, anxiety and passion into them. But, if you don’t buy my book, buy SOMEONE’S book! Get the information, the heirloom seed, start reclaiming the soil in your yards, and start planting food everywhere you possibly can. Plant fruit trees, plant vegetable gardens, plant medicinal herbs… plant, plant, plant! Even if it is just navy beans in containers on a fire escape, or an aloe plant in the windowsill, PLANT something. Since we are all in this together, everything we grow individually does add up and will lessen the hunger that’s coming our way. Expect to hear this mantra frequently from me… PLANT!
Visit our blog and website (www.preservationpublication.com) often for updates and suggestions as to how to prepare for what’s ahead of us all. But today, just for today, research sources of heirloom seeds and order your family’s supply. Make sure you keep at least 10 pounds of organic potatoes and a string of organic garlic in your home at all times – TO PLANT, NOT TO EAT – and try NOT to be just another person that will only have the option of reacting to what’s coming our way. EMPOWER YOURSELF!
For our families, our neighbors, our friends, and our communities… Preservation.
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