Lawlessness rages across parts of the U.S.
What's going on internationally? Well, the news is bad. Rebel forces are emboldened in Nigeria, and blew up more pipelines and took more foreign workers hostage. The Australian secessionist struggle continues. Brazil flexed its new ethanol muscles. Romania - don't even know WHAT is happening in Romania (it borders Ukraine, so, um, yeah). Chinese warships steamed into the Straits of Malacca. Iraq remains Iraq. The only good news comes from Canada, where nothing weird happened. That we know of.
But you don't care, do you? You wouldn't care if I told you that aliens had landed in Grovers Mill. You are focused on what is happening in your city and on your block (or in your neck of the woods if you are fortunate enough to live in one). You've seen the fires and the looting on TV. At least I assume there are fires and looting on TV (I stopped watching myself) because THERE SURE ENOUGH are fires and looting out there in the real world. Here, for example. And here. And here.
Shout out to isnochys for his diligence on tracking the Romanian situation. Keep the reports coming, isnochys, we're watching.
SURPRISE, SURPRISE! PEOPLE ARE ANGRY
We're fielding a lot of questions here about why there are fires and looting, and even more, um, requests that we make it stop. I wish we had that power. All I can say is that people are ANGRY. They've been asked to change too much too fast, in their own opinons at least; they had something that was working for them and it's been kicked out from underneath. I'm not defending arson and looting but I am saying I understand it, it's not that hard.
Who knew that by keeping oil prices low America was risking this? Um, hate to tell you, because now you'll come torch MY little cottage, but it turns out that a few other countries did figure it out beforehand. Many, actually. And you can read a really tidy little summary of the thinking by lecoureurdebois, plus astute commentary by jwiv and jimboboz, in this thread. That's why they are undergoing the same oil shock as us, but riding it out much better.
Is this the American way, I wonder? We follow the market, no matter where it's leading us?
PRIORITIZATION SCHEMES
The tidy little arrangement in Cato is just the tip of the iceberg, folks. Think about it. If oil were passing through your hands, wouldn't you be tempted to tip a little into your car, your mother's car, your mistress's car? To set your own priorities for who gets it and who doesn't? I'm not saying that there aren't honest attempts to ration fuel appropriately, because I'm sure there are many. But will rationing inevitably go the way of Prohibition in the end?
THAT BRIGHT LIGHT IS A TRAIN
Gotta shout it out to Fallingintosin - the girl's got pluck (we knew that) and put it out there to get a great interview with a Top Train Guy. Good questions and some hope there for all of us. Definitely worth a listen: parts one and two.
SEATTLE?
Kansas City? Houston? Boston? Anybody know anybody in these cities?
HONORING CHANGE
Last, a couple of quiet stories, easy to lose among all the shouting: saying goodbye to friends old and new. Are you keeping track of the people in your life? People in this community, like RockLobster? Let us know in your videos, images, blogs, emails and phone calls.
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