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125 comments on Back from the future collapse
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125 comments on Back from the future collapse
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About 3/4ths of the Economy of Japan is in the service industry - "Banking, insurance, real estate, retailing, transportation, and telecommunications." If they had oil they'd be relying on it unduly, Russia's example should come as no surprise, nor will Mexico's.
It pays to view the world as a whole and think of it as a city. Japan are in the big business district, they of course also cover parts of industrial zoning, which is almost entirely where the OPEC nations reside, albeit with a component which has offices in the skyscrapers. Most of the populace lives in really run down slums.
I wonder if US neocons saw how Japan was getting by and concluded that control, not ownership, of resources was the vital ingredient. Rather than regime change on other countries the Japanese did it by means of minority shareholdings, long term contracts, soft loans and vertical integration of production and processing. But what happens when those resources that cannot be piped or transmitted need difficult physical shipment?
I also wonder if the media has a 'collapse filter'. The rule seems to be don't show closeups of ageing celebrities and don't interview stockbrokers who may never work again.
Boof, control of resources is just as good as actual ownership especially when coupled with control over any tiresome restrictions such as wages or safety... Many countries have done this in the past either by colonising or threatening to take over and some are still trying this route.
Difficult physical shipment was done before the age of steel ships and oil but obviously to a much lesser extent. IMHO as oil, thus transport, becomes increasingly expensive then more "stuff" will be made locally (already happening to a small extent e.g. steel). There will be less discretionay/junk stuff shipped half way round the world.
I think your media 'collapse filter' is basically a "what sells filter", ideally for the media lots of young celebrities tragically cut down in their prime. can i say it's been done for the last couple of thousand years??
Control versus sovereignity:
Was the British exploitation of India more profitable under the East India Company, which controlled everything profitable but left the rajahs with the unprofitable hassle of governance, or under the Raj, which had to take responsibility for everything? I'm betting on the Company. Now of course the Company's racket proved unsustainable: the Mutiny happened because people could see who their true oppressor was, and some of the rajahs joined in.
So it's good while it lasts.
I don't know much about Russia and its collapse - I was only a tangential witness. However, almost every time I bring up TOD, I can see a Russian beauty at the top left of the screen with a link to www.russianeuro.com
I find that very positive. It seems that collapse has a good side to it after all. :=)
Sorry,Alfred,that Russian beauty wants to sell herself to some mug Western male,the wealthier the better and get citizenship in a wealthy mug Western country.The way things are going she could be jumping out of the kettle into the fire.
However,it is a bit of an oversimplification to blame the Russian decline solely on lack of oil revenues.It was a very big ask to convert the USSR from a command economy in crisis to a functioning Russian Federation,nominally democratic, while many of the SSR's opted out,without chaos and suffering.
Neither Gorbachev or Yeltsin was up to the task.The same could be said of most of our leadership in the West at the moment.