Mad Max 4 Real: Ran Prieur

[jonk77]

I got to say, I think he is going too far by saying 'people'. I dont think he can speak for people in general, that is going too far. I know happy people who work, consume, have families, and are really happy. I think he doesnt need to argue that the world is wrong, its just his place in the world that needed adjusting.

[scruffthemagicdragon]

Probably the most insightful writer on the internet.

[komedydude]

I find this interesting. I've read his site many, many times before, and I agree with most of what he says. I've never heard him speak or seen him in motion before and although he looks and sounds a little creepy, he makes tons of sense, not just in this video, but on his website as well.

[PtAltmVansanTarr]

@EmperorMarcusNovius you sound like a budding fascist, the govt pays people so little on welfare. Not one of those people wants that situation, and I bet if you talked to them, many would have a damn good reason for being the way they are. The employed are lucky that the employed are payed by the govt, currently, if the unemployed weren't, America wouldn't be able to hide the fact it's in a Great Depression

[WSWarthog]

It's like he's licking the inside of my ears.

[sec0f111]

The mad max scenario could probably only play out for a couple of months because gasoline degrades so quickly. Diesel lasts a bit longer but still wouldn't be much use after 3-6 months in storage.

[MrEnergyCzar]

I've prepared by converting my home to a net-zero solar powered home that uses no oil or gas...I made a film about the changes I made..It's called,"Preparing for Peak Oil"....

[gandhi328]

Ran is a good writer-- people ought to read some of his essays whether they agree with everything he says or not.

One thing I don't get is why he think the 'crash' of civilization will be slow. What about resource depletion, environmental damage, massive military power, etc.? Any of those have the potential to collapse the whole thing in less than a year. None of us know what the future holds...

[agentsmythey]

His essays are tolerable, but his fiction is horrendous. It's poorly structured, and he is addicted to badly placed adverbs. And he has no control of tense. I went as far as third paragraph of the story named Apocalypsopolis (shudder), before running into this little gem: "No one would tell Carl -- he was a temp. Wait -- here comes someone." I have edited high school free writing fiction with better diction and style. The fact is that Ran is an intelligent, but largely talentless person.

[erth2karin]

@agentsmythey:

"He has no control of tense" loses its authority coming immediately before the statement "I went as far as (the) third paragraph...".

If you had bothered reading any further, you would have noticed that it was the only instance of tense-confusion.

I prefer Ran's essays to his fiction, (okay, he's no Douglas Adams or Neil Gaiman), and in non-fiction what you say is infinitely more important than how many adverbs you use or how well you place them.

Substance over style ftw! :)

[0rangePete]

Douglas Adams isn't great. I suspect that the only reason people like him is because he was a pioneer at catering to the kind of nonsensical lolrandum sense of humour that every 12 year old now possesses.

[vesperdefenseoutpost]

According to the essay on his site he doesn't rule out a "global supercatastrophe" but focuses on "the scenario that includes only events we're reasonably sure about: the end of cheap energy, the decline of industrial agriculture, currency collapse, economic "depression," wars, famines, disease epidemics, infrastructure failures, and extreme unpredictable weather."

[snowpea011]

ran prieur has lived on his parents couch or on couches of various friends

read his site for backup

if you strip out the ideas he espouses and get down to real life - he is a parasite

he talks well of cublicles and desperation but he is a faker-how can one trust a parasite?

[virtuosoikingpin]

That's what I was thinking. He's just an intelligent bum. The scary thing is that he has a cult of supporters that emulate him.

[snowpea011]

dang i meant thumbs up to virtuoso - can i redo it? anyway excellent point and ya he has a cult-if you want to see a real scary cult check out derrick jensen (writer)

[inferkn0w]

I'd rather be a bum than work @ Wal Mart or contribute to corporations and government in any way, shape, or form.. Now if only I wasn't addicted to all the 'heroinformation' on the net.

[0rangePete]

Pfffff...c'mon buddy. He's hardly handing cups of kool-aid and collecting salvation taxes...

[darlingelf]

Instead of taking the side of the oppressors, you could look at the issue from an other angle: What has gone wrong in a society when so many people cannot find meaningful employment?

I know a family that leads a self-sufficient lifestyle. They grow their own food and also grow the cotton from which they make their clothes. Their need of money is as small as 50 euros a year. These people are called parasites because they refuse to take part in the rat race of paid work and consumerism.

[snowpea011]

Those people arent parasites at all. They work harder than most i am sure and support themselves

Ran lives off people who DO put themselves through the misery of work

But your point about meaningful work is a good one

[asubjectiveopinion]

What is so meaningful about employment?

[ugiswrong]

much love Ran

[redrocketghoul]

It will be far worse. Some of the things not touched by the film makers are the concepts of slavery, serfdom, canibalism, heirarchical feudalism, and the worst horrors imaginable. Insane slave ships, where slaves row for their lives or until they expire. Humans pulling carts loaded with oxen for the market, etc. Scary huh?

[freedomclubLX]

...such are the horrors of civilization

[virtuosoikingpin]

I would LOVE to be outside all day. I absolutely hate staying inside at my desk, or at school. The reality is that it's either say in my parent's apartment or go outside and breath the smoke filled air and fight the masses of crazy people desperately trying to run everyone else over to get somewhere.

[snowpea011]

you are living that way because you are responsible and not a total mushroom

save some money if you can and buy a small place - grow vegetables

[Fredooper]

go Ran!

[Nextdirector123]

I stood up and clapped when this was done, truely good work,

[Revbone450]

"cower in sterile buildings re-arranging abstractions"

wow, very well put

[SubtUtiles]

Ran Rrieur is sooo totally brilliant! I advise anyone who liked "Life at the end of empire" to inspect his blog thoroughly. Greetings from Barcelona, thanks for these clips!

[feralkevin]

"being outside all day, fighting for something that matters"!!