Record petrol prices thanks to Labour's Krazy Keynesian Policies

HammerSmashedFace

StevieJ wrote: »

Behave

One thing that bothers me about the analysis is that every outcome is a catastrophe: major population loss due to starvation or disease? Catastrophe! Excessive human population? Catastrophe! Less fossil fuel available to burn? Catastrophe! We find more fossil fuel and release the CO2? Catastrophe!

Of course folk may consider amcluesent and myself as doom mongers or other such adjectives, but I'm sure he's a cheery bloke just like myself. I pretty much have a ball everyday that I wake up. However people like amcluesent and myself realise that it's all going to end within a decade or two, the beginning of the rumblings have been felt for the last couple of years.

The recessions of the seventies, eighties and nineties were all 'overcomeable' due to nature of those times, this one however will not be. It will start slowly to dawn on people when they realise that in 5+ years time they are no better off than they are now, and in all reality, probably worse.

Rejoice, we lived the through the peak of this current civilisation between 97-07, the majority of people from that point on are going to get poorer and poorer as the years slide by and debt grows exponentially across the globe until the whole system collapses.

amcluesent

>Rejoice, we lived the through the peak of this current civilisation between 97-07<

Yep. IIRC it was described as the 'End of History', so complete was domination of the market and Western political and social system.

>I'm sure he's a cheery bloke<

I've decided to spend, spend, spend since fiat currency will be useless in a few years. May as well enjoy it and aim to go out from an excess of good living around 2025 when we'll be spiralling back to inter-War levels of grim, grey, grinding austerity.

Cleaver

HammerSmashedFace wrote: »

Of course folk may consider amcluesent and myself as doom mongers or other such adjectives, but I'm sure he's a cheery bloke just like myself. I pretty much have a ball everyday that I wake up. However people like amcluesent and myself realise that it's all going to end within a decade or two, the beginning of the rumblings have been felt for the last couple of years.

...the majority of people from that point on are going to get poorer and poorer as the years slide by and debt grows exponentially across the globe until the whole system collapses.

Is there not a small bit of you, and just a small bit, that is open to the possibility that humans will come up with an alternative energy source within the next couple of decades? Or find a massive load of coal somewhere? Or just do something? Like they always have done? I'm quite happy to concede that us all perishing is one option, but it's just one option. Everything seems impossible now, because we can't imagine or comprehend new technology or inventions.

I might have shared this thought on here before, but please induldge me...

Imagine you are one of the board of directors at EMI in the late 60s or early 70s. A man from the future desends on one of your board meetings.

"Right folks, I hate to be the barer of bad tidings, but vinyl is on the way out."
"What? When?"
"Within 20 years you need to have invented a digital format. Basically, I need you all to have invented laser technology so that music can be played from a clear plastic disc, via a laser."
"But.... but... we can't do that. How are we meant to do that?"
"You'll have to find a way. But wait, there's more. In 30 to 40 years that technology will be obsolete."
"What, the laser stuff?!"
"Yes, the laser stuff. By 2010 you'll have needed to invent a matchbox size device that holds 50,000 songs on it."
"Wha.... 50,000 songs?! That's impossible!"
"'Fraid you're going to have to come up with it. Oh, and when people are sitting on the bus with this device, you're going to have to make it work so that if they want a song, they just click a button and the song somehow moves through the air, straight on to the device and they can listen to it within a couple of minutes."
"Riiiiigggghhtt...."
"Oh, and lastly this device needs to cost less in 2010 than a record player costs now. Right chaps, get on with the work, you've got about 30 years, the clock is ticking! And whilst you're at it, have a go at making a phone that works with no wires, TV programmes that comes from a satellite in space, a system that means someone in an office in New York can amend a document that is in London and also work out how the solar system was created. That's all got to be done in the next 30 years too. Chop chop."


Everything looks impossible without the benefit of hindsight. I can watch p*rn on my mobile phone for christsakes, I'm sure someone can some up with some wind-hydro-solar-nucleo battery or something in the next 20 years.

Cleaver

amcluesent wrote: »

I've decided to spend, spend, spend since fiat currency will be useless in a few years. May as well enjoy it and aim to go out from an excess of good living around 2025 when we'll be spiralling back to inter-War levels of grim, grey, grinding austerity.

Are you really spending in wanton, manic style? Without a care in the world? Spending every single penny you have so that you have nothing to your name in 2025 because you're so sure of your own opinion?

Or, is this just a throwaway line that's easy to type on an internet forum to look impressive and, in reality, you're actually keeping a good chunk in savings just in case your apocalyptic predictions don't come true?

StevieJ

chucky wrote: »

http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/q?d=t&s=RDSB.L

and it's 2,000 jobs
http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/shell-to-boost-oil-output-as-it-closes-petrol-stations-cuts-2-000-jobs-tele-8c49049da85d.html

LJ may have been alluding to the fact that jobs going may not be a reason for celebration?

baileysbattlebus

[QUOTE=Cleaver;30913797

Everything looks impossible without the benefit of hindsight. I can watch p*rn on my mobile phone for christsakes, I'm sure someone can some up with some wind-hydro-solar-nucleo battery or something in the next 20 years.[/QUOTE]

My neighbour is involved in biofuel work. Biogas made from sh*t in fact. This is the company he set up.

http://www.kingdombio.com/index.html

There will be a lot more like him, looking at alternative sources of energy.

And tbh, there is enough sh*t on this board, at times to power a small town!!

ninky_2

the strange thing with those of apocalyptic vision is they catastrophise on a grand scale yet ignore the far greater likelihood of individual events effecting their lives - cancer, job loss, relationship change for example. imho into is these mini events that have the bigger impact on our own individual lives.

StevieJ

lemonjelly wrote: »

Are you sure? More cost cutting at shell - 1000 jobs to go http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8569758.stm

Looks like those Shell shares are going to be in demand, although it is BP rising today.

http://www.spread-betting.me/royal-dutch-shell-shares-00180.html

http://www.tradershuddle.com/Trading-Ideas/316503182010-is-bp-breaking-out.html

kabayiri

Cleaver wrote: »

....

Imagine you are one of the board of directors at EMI in the late 60s or early 70s. A man from the future desends on one of your board meetings.
...

Interesting post Cleaver

Maybe the problem with EMI is their sustained belief in an income-model based on music which was not responsive to change and technology?

I can never imagine EMI sponsoring a YouTube type construction, with free access for all. They couldn't make the visionary leap.

It's this lateral shift in thinking we seem to be missing.

Why don't we challenge the very reasons we make 90% of these journeys?

Right now, I could be sat at home doing the same work as I am doing in the office. No less security, no less visibility of my output for my boss. By doing so my travel costs would reduce, and the CO2 generated would also reduce.

But almost legacy management outlook dictates many of us still do commute in.

carolt

Apologies if posted already, but it was too good to miss.

On this very subject, one of their best ever:

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/society/hellish-journey-to-job-you-despise-to-cost-more-money-than-ever-201003162560/