Learning From the Collapse of Earlier Societies

[zsezse215]

Poverty and/or primitive culture is the natural state of the world. The first world countries in the modern world don't make any sense. They all suffer from an advanced case of affluenza and managititis. We are so removed (disconnected) from the basics ie food shelter and clothing, we are losing our humanity. philipnute com

[peakmoment]

@zsezse215, I love your great phrases -- 'advanced cases of "affluenza" and manage-itis"'! How true!!

I think tribal cultures don't live in poverty, really, but rather by subsistence. Directly supplying their needs for food and shelter themselves -- and staying in balance with their environment so their peoples can continue. I think poverty is a term that comes from civilization...which is living way beyond the carrying capacity of the earth.

[vlada881]

Thanks for video

[Hadro2008]

"We" are all over extended?? Are you serious?? No one on the planet has destroyed other cultures or the environment like the USA. Speak for yourselves, that's part of the problem!

[peakmoment]

@Hadro2008, yeah but unfortunately the long hand of the US and other imperialist countries are taking what they want, destroying native cultures and lands.

[gemini4177]

@peakmoment, I would have to disagree. It's not so much as countries but certain corporations that are polluting the environment, and these corporations do so by taking advantage of a lack of regulation from these countries. The US compared with many other countries is regulated to death. However, in some instances there is too little regulation. I believe much of the problem is too much government involvment with its top down approach with everything, basically choosing the winnners, ...

[gemini4177]

@peakmoment... something that it was never meant to do. The governement giving out subsidies to underperforming farms like those that grow corn and to oil companies or bailouts to compaines as well as banks is a corruption of our system. Businesses that adopt poor practices or businesses that provide unwanted goods or services are supposed to be allowed to fail. Failure is fundemental to capitalism. Even in the healthiest of forests trees fall, and when they do, new trees take their place.

[gemini4177]

@peakmoment, The same is true with businesses. What the governement is doing is insane. It's like people going out into a forest and proping up dead and dying trees.

I often feel powerless and overwhelmed by all our societal problems. It's heartening to see people rising to the challenge and becoming independent with their suburban farms. I've found your videos, and those you filmed, very inspirational.

Such ideas are considered liberal but ironically it's what conservatives want as well.

[1gallienus]

Just another doomsayer.... What a shame he is right. I'm 55 now and I know I will see the beginning of the end. I hope we face it with strength and wisdom. Looking at humanity on TV news night after night I fear we will face it with violence and ignorance.

If you are young now and reading this I am very, very sorry for you.

[riverlioness]

What's the goal here?

[tommcreynoldscom]

Natural cycle. THis coming collapse will be the biggest in human history. Millions will die. Those who are awake will survive. unless you are in a big city. Depends on how fast it happens. I feel excited and sick to my stomach at the same time. its a strange feeling.

[EliyahMessageTime]

All this video is attempting to do is find 'justification' for population reduction. This type of mindset is one that wants an elite ruling the world as gods, while the left overs of the population in the world are relearning what fire is. Bible teaches this too.

Over population is simply not true. HOWEVER, I agree with population reduction anyway. Get rid of the brown races, all of whom seem to do nothing but have more babies. The poorest nations burdening the Chosen Race (1 Peter 2:9).

[activedentalfloss]

Or maybe just get rid of all the fatarse greedy whites who hog all the resources.

[EliyahMessageTime]

@activedentalfloss

Since White people make up around 8% of the world population, I think it is an ignorant reprobate that would think WE are the ones consuming all the resources. Like I say, get rid of the brown races, or a large portion of them, save a few for slaves, and you have the problem solved. LOL

[activedentalfloss]

Who the fuck is "WE"? You're nothing to me, I don't share your views & I was highlighting the stupidity of your comments. Linking population percentages to consumption is a fallacy, as the US consists of 4.5% of the worlds population, yet consumes 25% of the oil. You're either inadequate or just lazy if you base your superiority over others purely on your skin colour. If it's about culling the unproductive, maybe humanity should start with you. kindly take your bible and shove it up your arse.

[EliyahMessageTime]

The ruling WHITE, that is who "WE" are, any 3rd grader could have understood that from my first sentence. The TARES that pretend to be true whites, that have this love all, all are equal, idiocy will be rooted out soon enough. Matt 13

What is going to happen is WE are going to shove the ACTUAL teachings and the ACTUAL truth it holds down YOUR THROAT, and if you chock to death on it, well, the world will be a CLEANER place without the trash of ESAU prick minds as yours. Luke 19:27

[activedentalfloss]

ROFL, just as I thought, you are a sad, inadequate middle aged wanker. It's amusing how you've changed your pitch from pseudo-intellectual to rampant hate filled cretin in the space of one post. And whats with the bible qoutes? Jesus was supposedly from the middle east so he was BROWN. Keep digging that hole for yourself you moron. PS, 'choke' is the correct spelling you are looking for, any 3rd grader would know that. Too bad you never completed your education.

[peakmoment]

@activedentalfloss, take it easy. No name-calling, please. I want there to be a tone of respect for one another -- let's agree to disagree.

[taurausbull]

excellent thoughts but the brown people are multiplying like pigs

[jedimasterkyle]

I am very proud of my twin brother to stand up and inform people of what may be. How can we conquer the stars if we can't even conquer ourselves?

[mrzack888]

bullshit, this guy is bullshit. humanity should conquer the stars, not take a fucking 100 steps backwards. nobody likes going back to camping.

[BeanGene]

Better off! Crisis, panic, fights for survival and starvation - this is better off! It is Finaccial, Political, Social and possible Cultural collapes. Only a dissillusioned intellectual would say military dictatorship and gulags will be a future improvement - How very American life in TV land, it will be like "Little House on the Parie" Soviet style.

[peakmoment]

Yes, all of these things may happen and are happening, in societies of every type. It may happen in the U.S. It's possible that a benevolent dictator might get positive actions done more efficiently than what we struggle with in American politics, where legislators are bought and paid for by the moneyed elite, who have their own agenda.

It's sure gonna be interesting.

[peakmoment]

@BeanGene, I'm not saying things wouldn't ALSO be ugly. I'm just saying we need to be open to possibilities we've been taught to dismiss. Do I personally want a dictator? No. But neither do I want the current oligarchy (rule of the wealthy).

[faszika]

sounds good but i need my internet :(

[jbryant13]

Overpopulation is a myth perpetuated by the NWO elite (Rockefeller's etc).

David Rockefeller speaks about population control

watch?v=NEJxr1HxwuE

The problem is not a shortage of food or resources - the problem is control & distribution.

Google "Kissinger Report" or " National Security Study Memorandum 200 (NSSM-200)" - Population control has been official US policy since 1974, targeting 13 countries to exploit their resources.

POPULATION REDUCTION MUST WATCH

watch?v=7awAo6CA5i4

[Mahoivlich]

If you have more people than food you have overpopulation. If you have a kid when you know you cannot feed it well.....

[doctordude]

great videos!

[thomasmatus]

Legend attributes date 480 C.E. (4 yrs after 476 fall of Western Empire) to the birth of Benedict of Nursia, supposed author of the common Rule of western monastics. The "Benedictine Centuries" culminate in the 10th, when the papacy & ecclesiastical structures collapsed (an 18-yr-old boy elected pope...). Cluny stepped in with long-lived & saintly abbots & teachers. Monasteries kept culture, offered space for women as preachers & scholars, exercising leadership etc. Hope: a new monasticism.

[PsyogiBottoms]

Yes... Bush, Condi, Pelosi, Cheney = CANCERS.

Cut them out, heal the wound. They need to be destroyed or they will come back again somewhere else.

[relaxpeace]

As a COOL-DRY period began (even NASA admits it now: 5/1/08) and oil ends, after collapse, only peaceable mutual-aid communities survive, as happened in PEACEFUL 99.98% of humankind history, because cortisol-aggression addiction is self-destructive, brain dissolving.

There are no war scenes in rock-paintings until very recently.

Prepare kids for AUTARKY!

[BlackOakMedia]

Great video!

[peakmoment]

Two writers addressing our response to collapse with depth are Richard Heinberg: "How Do You Like the Collapse So Far?" on GlobalPublicMedia, and Carolyn Baker at CarolynBaker -d0t- net.

[wilsparky]

The idealism of the first speaker is touching but naive. If collapse of society occurs then the strong (violent and muscular/heavily armed and organised) will take control. Only there will not be the structures of social justice which we all have access to at the moment. Islamic gangs will try to impose their will. Black power gangs will try to excert their will. White power gangs will do likewise.

[peakmoment]

I think we may see the entire range of human behaviors, from violence to compassion. It will depend, perhaps, on the speed of collapse. James Howard Kunstler calls this "The Long Emergency" and envisions a gradual, ongoing decline -- as we now see around us.

[wilsparky]

The notion of some agrarian idyll is absolutely absurd. Every gun available will be sought by anyone with any sense. Me include.

[doctordude]

fantastic videos. I love 'em all

[jdhatl]

Please put on some pants

[peakmoment]

Absolutely right. In future I'll wear pants or skirts. Don't want to distract from the guest.

[oggleman]

Yes but we're also going to have to learn how to fight and defend ourselves. Not only will there be wars on a global scale, but there will be theft and other crimes on a local scale. What will we do if someone shows up to our organic garden with a gun and wants to take all our crops?

[postpeakman]

Many people who own properties have guns, either for protection, hunting, or shooting pests.

Anybody who thinks they can make a living by robbing ranchers and farmers will not last long.

The sooner we, as individuals and as a society, plan for the future, the less of a doomer descent scenario we will have to live through.

[fossilman2]

the farmer farms the land and the generals farm the farmers.

[BgnrMdl1]

I normally enjoy watching these videos but this "The world will collapse" type thinking is not a way to go on. This Professor talks like we need to be like the "Noble Savage"; yes we need to lower consumption, yes we need to get into permaculture and self-sustainability. But I believe as humans we can fix are mistakes and learn what are past civilizations failed to see.She thinks we will simply become farmers and be peaceful. No, they'll be wars over oil and energy;most people don't like change

[Mikannika]

Come on.. we don't learn from mistakes of past civilizations. Give me one example that we are actualy doing something substantial about the comming energy crisis, food crisis, climat crises, overpopulation and financial crisis? Nature will fix it for us: evolution made us survivors, but we became too good at it and now it's turning against us... We are so in trouble...

[valhala56]

I totaly agree with BgnrMd1 and Mikannika. The two in the video seem pretty optomistic, I guess when you are looking in an unkown future black hole, optimism can have it's plus's. I like the old saying hope for the best.. expect the worst and you won't be dissapointed. The wars over oil will be international, national and local. Witness truck drivers now stealing fuel from each others trucks. It is hard to imagine what you will do when you are desparate. Go Obama 08!

[Weaseldog2001]

If "The world will collapse" type thinking is wrong, then what style of thinking is correct?

If we're going be pollyannish, then the world will still collapse, but we will not be prepared at all.

Let's say that you're driving down a road and you see the bridge is washed out ahead. Do you act with a positive attitude and pretend that bridge is still there? Do you try to drive across the river?

Or do you change course?

Is the negative thinking of 'the bridge is out', constructive?

[dnHooligan]

perfectly said.

[yellowtreat]

Great video! I can't wait for this ship to sink!

[monymizer]

be careful what you wish for. It is going to be a rough ride. Think of all the people panicking and going nuts because they've lost everything and are now starving. I'm hoping something can be done but I know this is only wishful thinking. They really screwed it up this time. The gov't, the fed reserve, the greedy corps (who also polluted our earth and I'm not talking about global warming) all unsustainable. Good Luck all we need it.

[Weaseldog2001]

This all sounds wonderful.

But the thinking that goes into believing that we can have a human friendly, controlled collapse, is the same thinking that got us into this mess. We want to believe that this time, things will be different.

No civilization has taken control of it's destiny during collapse and gone down in 'civilized' fashion.

Argentina and Venezuela are our best modern day examples of a controlled crash. But they haven't deplete their oil reserves as completely as the US has.

[mreisma]

i like the vids but this guy is a little bit of a nutcrack. mediocre subjects, would've wished to hear something a bit more practical and less 'end of the worldish'.

[slinfolo]

I think it's dangerous to be too optimistic about this. Hope for the best but plan for the worst.

[jakob0815]

that sounds promising...^^

[buckfastbee]

Yes, but we have to change our behaviour NOW and prepare ourselves well to survive the collapse.

We can't expect this to be "just a gentle breeze" of changes, it will be dramatic.

I've started to can all my crops because last year my freezer got broken and we didn't recognize it before all the stuff in it was spoiled. 80 pounds of pork were lost...

So I'm trying to come back to the old methods of the pre-electricity time and it's incredible how much we depend on electricity.

It scares me.