The Oil Drum

The problem is, in an absolutely perfect capitalist society (read, not us), the problem actually would be fixed.  But, I think perfect capitalism requires perfect understanding of the market situations, which we just don't have.  

You have a lot more faith in capitalism than I do. The fact is that there is a lack of social consciousness in capitalism. The disparity between the have's and havenot's is just one example of what's wrong with capitalism.

We COULD correct PO, if we took the right steps.  But, ultimately, the people who hold the pursestrings have to know that there's a problem that needs a solution NOW.  Ultimately, this is where the process has failed.

The problem is that all of the solutions I know of require asking people to make great sacrifices. My contention is that people will fight change at all costs. How many times have we heard that honesty with the American public would be political suicide? Jimmy Carter was honest and look where that got him. So the politicians who are aware of the situation aren't going to make the same mistake. There are just too many other immediate problems to deal with. So they will continue to pass the buck until the buck can't be passed. We may be seeing some initial signs of that now.

Anyhow, my basic point is that "correcting PO" equates to causing social upheaval. If the situation gets bad enough, change will be forced on us. It may not be a very pretty scenario. Sometimes the universe has to give us a little spanking to set us on the right course. Historically speaking progress comes in cycles not unlike economic cycles. Even if things were to get pretty nasty, we will end up being stronger, smarter, and better prepared for future challenges.

What you describe is an outcome of the Adam Smith proposal that we should all "specialize" in one esoteric craft or another. After a while, we come to expect that "the markets" will always provide an approproate solution on a just-in-time basis.

Specialization is inevitable to some extent. Nobody can be all things to all people. Though I think it's good to be well rounded and have extensive knowledge in a few areas.

I, too, think we're on a dangerous path. I don't blindly believe in capitalist dogma. Unfortunately we've dug ourselves into this hole and we'll have to figure out how to get out on our own.

The Pilgrims and progenitors of modern America had to work their asses off to build this country. People still work hard every day, but I would argue that most really aren't doing anything valuable. I don't think service sector jobs are going to launch us into the next era. There is a certain laziness to America now, a sense of entitlement, a sense that everything should come easy just because we exist.

What we should've been doing for the past 50 years is making sure that everybody had a GOOD education. For all of our wealth we should have an absolutely fantastic educational system. Kids should be expected to achieve academic excellence. I have to laugh when I hear about "no child left behind". Many of our crime, welfare, health, and other problems are related to poor education. Education is the single best investment you can make in a child's future.

I'm reminded of that saying about people perishing for a lack of knowledge. If Peak Oil turns out to be a nasty period in the annals of human history, then it will have a lot to do with the feudalization of America. There is no nice way to put it, but that's what happens when 90% of the wealth exists in an increasingly small percentage of families.