You're right unmutual, it probably will happen again. History repeats.............. same as you though, I'd rather suffer than die at this point in time. If the shtf my kids and family and friends have all said they are coming to my place. Picking up on Len's words and thoughts too, I think those rich and comfy folk will be the ones to suffer most having not learnt how to make do and go without. Too used to instant gratification and first world problems. Time will tell.
All jokes aside, if you study history and have listened to the wisdom of the elders, another world war is more a probability than a possibility. We are entering a phase now that closely resembles that of pre WW2. 1929-1939 Stock market crash, great depression, hyperinflation in the Weimar Republic, currency wars, trade wars..................World War. 2007-now GFC, bank induced bailouts, sovereign debt, great depression (lots of Europe, USA 45 million on food stamps, if there weren't food stamps you would again have seen the soup kitchens, high unemployment in most OECD countries), quantative easing in Europe, USA, japan, China, UK which has lead to currency wars (why do you think the aussie dollar is so high?) to make exports cheaper, which leads to trade wars (who can degrade their currency enough to get an advantage? why do you think Germany doesn't want the tinpot economies in southern Europe to leave the eurozone? because they keep the Euro down and Germany can export and fuel their domestic economy)..................so the sabre rattling has started again. But now the weapons are far more deadly, both technically, financially and in the vast array of hideous weaponry that pervades this civilised society. Best to be prepared for anything that develops. History never repeats, I tell myself before i go to sleep...................
For what it's worth... N. Korea's nuclear threat(s)...THERMOnuclear?...HYPER-thermonuclear?...MEGA-hyper-thermonuclear?... Which one makes YOU the most afraid? Are you feeling suitably insecure? I don't mean like the 'T' word, silly - everyone's used to that word now. And in anycase, they 'got' them all in Iraq and Afghanistan. I daren't even type the bally word...(they say 'bigbrother' is watching). Good old Georgie boy was right about that one! We already know that one was a scam - to do away with many of our fundamental rights of freedom and privacy! (Tut-tut! How dare you demand privacy anyway, you MUST be up to something entirely dishonest or illegal!). No, I mean really scared! Scared enough to rush out and spend, spend, spend. Have you rushed out to stock-up on all those extra goodies you'll be needing to see you through the holocaust? You did install a shelter, didn't you! (?) If not, I believe there are some beautiful pre-fabbed models still available, going for a song for only $xx,000. Sorry I can't give you the price in Euros - fluctuates too much and I can't get hold of any in Greece...can't get hold of any drachmas either... (Baftards!) Bargain! Feed your chooks today? Do a bit of chop-and-drop? Dig a swale? Or does it all suddenly appear utterly futile? None of it'll survive! WRONG (or as they say in N. Korea; WONG!) Seriously; I reckon the whole farce is just another, even more desperate attempt by the latest (and probably most idiotic) version of N. Korean dictators to maintain increasingly precarious control WITHIN its own borders. Think about it. Put yourself in their position; Your only 'ally' is China. The Chinese must be secretly fuming at the misbehaviour of this wayward brat Kim Jung-un! And it must be shockingly obvious to him (and even more so to his advisors) that China's future major role in world politics/economics will not easily align itself with a nation governed by a dangerous dynasty of fanatical dictators. So to keep the lid on his situation short-term, he's using the oldest trick in the book; Rattle the spears of war, utter the bellicose war-cries, inspire the mob to arms! Oh yes...history IS repetitive. So...Permaculturists; time to turn OFF the telly, use PLENTY of TODAY'S papers in making new beds, and... GO AND FEED YOUR CHOOKS!!!
I've been waiting for another world war for about 15 years now. Somehow I think it will be unlikely because of globalization(everyone is too chummy selling their crap to other countries). While most people outside of N. Korea think they're nuts, there probably is a method to that madness even if we don't understand it. Besides, what would be the point in launching a nuke against a country that can fire back 20 to your 1? Most 'experts' don't foresee a financial market collapse, but I'll have to take their word on that since capitalist economies make my head spin when I try to make sense of them(I've never been able to wrap my head around supply and demand. It makes absolutely no sense to me outside of items that are rare such as paintings, but then we're talking about culturally significant items that are unique. Besides bleeding people dry, what's the point in raising the price of a can of soup just because you're running out of them? I was taught in school that it was so you can keep a supply, but what's the point in keeping a supply when your job is to sell that supply?). There are just way too many things that can happen on a large scale: war(humans are good at that), financial collapse(the US is still allowing variable rate loans), meteors, global flooding due to warming trends, magnetic pole shift(which is really far off in terms of possibility), super volcanic eruptions(Yellowstone park is overdue, geologically speaking), but if I were to rank possible catastrophic problems, I think I'd rate damage from increasingly bad/more hurricanes as one of the bigger threats(and that's still assuming a lot when it comes down to the natural cycles of the planet), but that just might be because I live in the New Orleans area of Louisiana so it 'feels' more of an imminent problem compounded by the levee system(big fish bowl). You just need a filter for all of this crap. Humans seem to like bad news. I recently got an email(apparently I'm on a republican spam list...not sure how that happened) that pointed to a video(couldn't pause it or see how long it was) and this guy was talking about a very possible US financial collapse. I listened to the first...10 minutes? and it was simply rhetoric about why the US is going to have a financial crisis and that he's a guy you should trust. He didn't really say anything, so I assume he wanted to sell a dvd, book or he was one of those guys that likes to tell people to invest in gold. If it sounds like a commercial or if it has a really long build up to get to the point, it's probably bullshit. Though I have to be honest, I do enjoy watching videos on youtube about 'impending doom' and conspiracy theories. But I also take them for what they are: entertainment.
Willow said it, the movie was on yesterday. How much of this is caused because my forefathers forgot to do what was promised? Hmm, all my current wars and N. Korea. Then again the war on drugs is the biggest farce and war of personal freedom ever but that has nothing to do with current tensions with N. Korea. All meditation teaches me at this moment regarding these planetary stupidity by beings that are not in touch with reality of the planet is. . . "I am a leaf on the wind, I am a leaf on the wind, I am A LEAF ON THE W I N D. . . . . ."
what would be good economically, is if someone did something stupid. all this quantitative easing - it's just like the Zietgiest Movie.... the big comfy ; stimulated national economies - productivity marshalled to the war efforts - manufacturing, mining, construction, hospitality - everything 'turns on' as this colossal demand just appears out of nowhere. community blossoms, essential services get nationalised, youth get direction, advances in education and research..... its like chemo therapy no?
You know, I always thought major infrastructure projects were the way to go to get an economy back on track, but then I realized that it's all about creating vast amounts of new consumerism(you have to fill all those new buildings with 'stuff' after all). So yes, I agree with the chemo therapy analogy.
IMO, it's an ends justifying the means moral quandary. Is it better to eat right and prevent cancer, or is it better to treat the cancer once you get it?
clarification i infer a really really bad medicine, such a bad medicine that it is only taken because there is no other choice- it works by killing off cells - the trick being to survive the killing. horrible memories go with the survival. k
kimbo quite correct - my brother in law is in this deadly dance right now fighting Hodgkins Lymphoma at age 46. A big brash gun shearer, supremely fit and healthy (lucky for him, gives him an advantage). With chemo plus assorted drugs he has an 80% chance of survival. Without chemo he has virtually none. as an aside - chemo trivia: while in full blown chemo treatment he must wear gloves to pee because his pee is so toxic any splashback could burn the skin on his hands (not mention the other soft bits!). Nasty.
