Thursday, August 21, 2008

Silly Stories About Oil

It is an indication of the depths of the US public's denial (as well as their lack of intelligence) that a series of ridiculous falsehoods concerning energy has permeated the zeitgeist, to the extent that many of these are accepted by many many members of the voting (and for sure the nonvoting) public. (No fake: an insurance agent repeated the one about China drilling in offshore Cuban waters to Chaos last week). One has not the time or inclination to spend mowing these down (most especially, when they appear with regularity in one's hometown newspaper), but here's a nicely written article debunking some of the dumber ones. Enjoy...

Surveillance Issue

From the Empire's never-ending quest to monitor and observe the most intimate details of its citizens (read "potential terrorists"), to the ridiculous humiliations now de riguer at the nation's airports, it all keeps spiraling downward. A democratic Congress hasn't been able to stop much of anything, and it is completely clear that the election of an Emperor not the worst President in US history will be a futile exercise. To our theme, then, here are a couple of pieces to sink your teeth into: in the first, we find that the US government will be montoring your border crossings and retaining this information for 15 years or so. For more laughs, read this wonderful column about an airline pilot prevented from taking his airline-issued butter knife through airport security. Don't fail to peruse the comments at the end: alternately funny, scary and outrageous.

Monday, August 18, 2008

A Peak OIl Overview: Dissonance

Here's a fine article on the basics of Peak Oil, and along the way, some excellent thoughts on the dissonance one finds upon fully recognizing the implications. One does not exaggerate in stating that the revelation that the world is at or near peak in oil production completely changes the way one looks at the world. Also notable is the appearance of this article in a somewhat mainstream US glossy magazine (alongside the article is something called The Upgrader: A life-altering guide to the world's best stuff...). Rare indeed is a piece in the MSM that gets its facts right, which this one does (hint: tar sands from Canada won't save us).

Friday, August 08, 2008

The Merger of Entertainment and Politics

You've seen this words necessary. Just another day in Idiot America.

The Political Discourse: Stupidity Works!

Paul Krugman, op-ed writer in nations paper of record, bemoans the stupidity of the political discourse in the Empire today. Being just a tad one-sided (Krugman might be accurately labeled a "flaming liberal"), he excoriates the Republican Party for appealing to the lowest common denominator (the current "drill drill drill" mantra) in the energy "debate." Krugman, of course, doesn't mention that the other side's positions are equally devoid of reason, but the primary reason for our attention to this item is what Krugman cannot say: the reason such silly positions are likely to work is that the American public is stupid. So the title of the column should be "Know-Nothing Public" rather than "Know-Nothing Politics."

Saturday, August 02, 2008

Why Blaming Our "Leaders" Doesn't Work

From time to time, Chaos has noticed an interesting phenomenon: commentators attempting to shift the blame for the current predicament in which the US finds itself onto the political leadership, exemplified by a current editorial in the nation's paper of record. In light of candidate Barack Obama's latest ridiculous proposal (to send everyone $1000, paid for by windfall profits taxes on oil companies), let's check in with this pernicious idea:

"Americans would be using far less gas — and consumers and the automobile industry would be much better off — if Congress had summoned the wisdom and political courage 20, 10, even five years ago to impose tough fuel economy standards on the nation’s transportation fleet." (emphasis Chaos')

Let's think for a moment as to why "wisdom and...courage" would be required of our elected officials. Could it be, perhaps, that taking these actions would result in said officials being turned out of office? (Chaos hopes you know the answer to this question...) Is it possible, do you think, that these same leaders are well aware of this particular dynamic? In light of the extreme differences in fuel economy seen between the US and the rest of the Western nations, Chaos would suggest the following framework for analysis whenever you hear some version of this silly editorial:

1. Elected officials are still elected in the Empire, election manipulation and fraud notwithstanding. An elected officials' first priority is retaining the position; all else is secondary, and the "public interest" likely comes last, or not at all.
2. No leader will remain in the post for very long if viewpoints taken (regarding energy) are at odds with that of the character of the electing public. (Chaos is well aware of such anomalies as Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, but such is the exception which proves the rule)
3. If the character of the public is insane, stupid, delusional, greedy, short-sighted, etc., the elected leaders will reflect this, just as surely as if it were sane, intelligent, clear-thinking, prudent, etc. Such populations exist in the world; just look around (hint: Norway). One potent symbol of this principle is the nature of the political "conversation," i.e., is it intelligent, relevant, sober, or is it silly, lacking in substance, verging on ridiculous, and panders to voters' most base instincts? (Again, Chaos hopes you've been paying attention...)

In light of the above, it is simply unrealistic to excoriate so-called "leaders" for failing to do what the public clearly does not believe in. For the same reasons, changing the current crop of officials will not produce any better results. This also explains the incoherence of the political discussion, whereby gas prices must be reduced, and at the same time, the nation's thirst for energy needs to be curbed (if you think these two propositions aren't inconsistent, please read some more....). Best hopes for less delusional thinking...

The Road Not Taken: How Consumerism Destroys Leisure Time

In the spirit of expanding one's consciousness, or looking at life at this moment in a different way, try this thoughtful history of working hours and leisure time in America. If you've ever wondered why our material wealth doesn't translate into a better life (and if you think it does, do some more thinking), this piece will give you some ideas. In Chaos' view, it is simply tragic that the demands of industrialization have reduced the public to mere "consumers." There's also some interesting stuff regarding the "marketing" of political extreme abomination, in Chaos' opinion.

Friday, August 01, 2008

A Fond Farewell To The Dinosaurs...

It's pretty much a given that the monstrous vehicles preferred by many in the Empire have now fallen out of fashion, not because the populace has awakened and found its previous behaviors worthy of scorn, ridicule and shame, but because gas prices have gone up somewhat (although quite a bit less than they need to). Sales figures for large trucks and SUVs are astoundingly poor, and waiting lists for well-made small cars have appeared. Who better to deliver the eulogy for this symbol of peak oil than San Francisco's Mark Morford, who rivals Rolling Stone's Matt Taibbi in virtuosity. Enjoy, readers, and have an interesting end of week.

The Power of Human Energy...A Funny Parody

If you, like Chaos, are massively disgusted and offended by corporate greenwashing, try this nicely done parody of one of those ridiculous "energy is everywhere-our cleverness will save us-brighter future with oil companies" bovine excrement.