An atmosphere of general uneasiness and malaise has been growing across the leading military and economic power of the globe, since the election of US President Obama. The level of US government debt over the past few years has been growing at unprecedented -- and unsustainable -- rates. This turbo-boost of debt has apparently not helped the US or global economies. And it appears that Mr. Obama has just begun to boost public indebtedness. Are there any potential dangers when the world's most powerful nation must borrow trillions of dollars just to pay for routine operation and political payoffs?
Even if the US were not the world's most powerful nation, the rapid decline in its financial position would be of concern to global investors and global powers. But the fact that the US is the strongest and richest nation makes the decline far more serious, and in need of good solutions.
Unfortunately, we find the public ways being inundated by a veritable scattershot of doom theories -- from peak oil doom to climate hysteria catastrophe to religious armageddon to overpopulation doom to eco-collapse. In such an environment of diffuse hyper-vigilance, workable solutions to genuinely serious problems are less likely to be devised and implemented.
The following discussion is based upon ideas introduced in the article: The Death Spiral theory of civilisational collapse, and expanded upon in this video discussion. Caveat: The above "news stories" and "information videos" -- as informative and intriguing as they may be -- are disguised promotional materials for paid newsletters and more."
Why should we understand this theory? Because this doom theory is gaining in popularity among general populations and members of many other doomer groups -- including faux environmental green doomers, peak oil doomers, climate change doomers, anti-capitalist lefty-Luddite doomers, anti-government doomers, and even religious doomer groups. This "meta-doom" theory is likely to influence someone you know, before long. You will likely be forced to face it, one way or another.
One of the basic concepts underlying this "death spiral" doom theory, is that private and public debt are expanding so rapidly that the economic system which supports modern civilisation cannot help but collapse.
The theory looks at ideas of exponential growth in the public and private financial sectors, as well as theories of exponential growth in demand for food, energy, and a wide range of materials and services.
More economically aware persons, will already be familiar with the ideas of Peter G. Peterson, and will recognise the arguments dealing with the dangers of exponential growth of government debt.
Anyone who has looked at websites such as dieoff.org or limitstogrowth.org will recognise overpopulation and resource scarcity arguments as dating back close to 50 years, or more. In fact, the "death spiral doom theory" can fit into a wide range of pre-existing doom cults and hypotheses.
The "death spiral theory of doom" borrows from all of these older doom theories, and creates an emotional atmosphere of fear which is contagious, inflaming the fears in anyone who is already susceptible, due to pre-existing beliefs, superstitions, and worries.
As you can see, there is doom enough for doomers of every persuasion in the death spiral doom theory. Regardless of their political, religious, or ideological persuasion, most doomers can find something to cling to here.
What is the problem? Whenever a movement contains roughly 5% of truth and 95% of garbage, the truth is not likely to receive the proper attention it needs in order to solve the genuinely serious problems that exist. The mass of garbage tends to overwhelm every other concern, and to lead adherents willy-nilly across the conceptual landscape of doom.
The resulting de-cerebrate mass hysteria is useful to those who simultaneously create and ride the waves of hysteria. The skankstream media, powerful political lobbies, complicit government officials, politically correct academics, doomer cult leaders, etc. But for ordinary people who wish nothing more than to live ordinary lives, this mass distortion of reality is an ongoing disaster which tends to grow worse with every generation -- as exponential debt and demographic decline proceed along.
Doombama happens. Debt and demographic decline happen. There are answers and solutions to each problem. But not if one is caught up in the mass hysteria and short attention span groupthink. The only preventative to being drowned by the mass delusion is to become dangerous.
Dangerous people breed and raise dangerous children. Enough dangerous children will create a dangerous community. Enough dangerous communities together will evolve into a dangerous society and a ultimately into a dangerous civilisation.
Inconceivable? "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means." .... src
There is also - as you eluded to - a lot of popular culture entertainment vehicles that feature post apocalyptic visions of the world like the "Book of Eli", the popular cable show "The Walking Dead" as well as numerous video games and novels. Everyone paints a frightening picture of what life would be like. I often point to a post WWII Germany as a society devastated both financially and infrastructure wise and marvel at how they rose from the ashes. But the truth is they had the U.S. and the Marshall Plan. There will be no such thing after Obama destroys our economy.
ReplyDeleteSomething will happen. Something always does. And, we never do see it coming.
ReplyDeleteNo one foresaw the internet, commercial airlines or the personal automobile.
Something will happen. I am hoping it is practical aneutronic fusion.
Craig: Right. Germany and Japan -- not to mention the UK, France, etc. (even the USSR!) -- were greatly benefited by the excess productive capacity of the US, to help recover from the devastation.
ReplyDeleteMatt M: Technology accomplishes nothing without the human infrastructure to implement it. It would be easy to invent any number of science fiction wonders and not benefit humanity in the slightest.