Comments on: Is the global economy a Ponzi scheme?

By: Shannon

Shannon — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:57:26 +0000

This is a great blog. I love the comments more than the article its self.

By: Cynthia

Cynthia — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 02:03:54 +0000

Loved this blog! I will copy it and send to my relatives. (Also saddened me).

By: James Newberry

James Newberry — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 22:01:17 +0000

1) Much of the economic Ponzi scheme is built on the concept of mined hydrocarbon material resources fraudulently identified as “energy resources.”
2) Revolution is the founding principle of the United States, and we revolve around the sun every second of our lives.
3) The climate is only responding to tragic human actions based on Western thought. The primary cause is burning billion year old resources due to corruption of government. Perhaps only another effort for democracy via elimination of paid (corporate) lobbyists in Congress will suffice.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 15:34:57 +0000

Strigler, you state that “we are a species that functions through Newtonian physics” as if 1 – Newton provided the conclusive, final word on how physics functions AND 2 – we are the ONLY species functioning “through Newtonian physics” as if in a universe apart from all other species. This is an absurd statement and one that reflects the hubristic certitude so rampant in people who view science itself as an idol to worship. Science, with all of its progress over the years, is still a human invention, as is economics. NEITHER would exist if not for the natural world from which both sprang. Get back to basics. Consider that humans have cut themselves off from the inherent wisdom of the natural world…..and thus do not respect it – while forgetting that we are not separate from it. Stupid, perhaps?

By: Bill Strigler

Bill Strigler — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 15:03:45 +0000

I find your appraisal fascinating. However, we are a species that functions through Newtonian physics. In the presence of a stressor, a system reacts in an equal and opposite direction. My historically-based suggestion is similar to Marxian historical theory. We always have a thesis, a current system, that is always subject to challenges that request change, the antithesis, that eventually yield the synthesis, some system that is in between the two. Typically, crisis has yielded a radical synthesis. Think of 9/11, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, even last year’s hike in gas prices and how the lowering of those gas prices has encouraged a resumption of anti-environmental behaviors, especially the sale of SUV’s. Regretfully, we cannot devise an accurate model to test hypotheses on climate change just as we cannot devise models for the current economic crisis because there exist too many inputs from too many sources. When the symptoms of climate change become so radically apparent to a point where the survival instinct kicks in , then everyone will scream for solutions because their greed for money will provide no solace without life, a thesis we have challenged since caveman days.

By: raivo pommer-eesti

raivo pommer-eesti — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 17:46:48 +0000

Raivo Pommer-estonia-www.google.ee

raimo1@hot.ee

Google

Nach jahrelangem Wachstum streicht der erfolgsverwöhnte Internetkonzern Google in der Krise zunehmend Stellen. In den Bereichen Verkauf und Marketing sollen weltweit 200 Jobs wegfallen, kündigte Google in seinem Internetblog an. Das Unternehmen hat insgesamt 20 200 Mitarbeiter. Google habe in seiner raschen Expansion einige Überkapazitäten geschaffen, schrieb der unter anderem für den Vertrieb zuständige Vizepräsident Omid Kordestani im Internet. Seit Anfang des Jahres hat der Konzern bereits 100 Stellen im Personalbereich gestrichen sowie einige weitere in kleineren eingestellten Geschäftsfeldern.

Dennoch sieht das Unternehmen trotz der weltweiten Wirtschaftskrise großes Potenzial für ein weiteres Wachstum. “Es gibt keine fundamentale Kraft, die uns vom Wachsen abhalten könnte”, sagte Google-Mitgründer Larry Page dem Schweizer Wirtschaftsmagazin “Bilanz”. “Ich bin noch immer sehr optimistisch, was unsere Produkte und unsere Marktposition angeht.” Google habe heute mehr Möglichkeiten im Kerngeschäft als je zuvor. Wie lange die Rezession auch noch dauern werde, “wir werden immer mit vollem Dampf vorwärts fahren”, sagte Page. Derzeit arbeite Google an einer Technologie, die das Anzeigengeschäft für TV-Werbung mit Werbeplatzierungen auf der Videoplattform YouTube verbinden solle, berichtet das “Wall Street J.”

By: Jim Bullis

Jim Bullis — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 20:48:43 +0000

Richard Graves,

With the present economy it looks like we will not be passing on the life style we hope for our kids and we will also be messing up the world.

If it appears that the economy is getting better due to financial machinations of the government, watch out, because the cost of these kinds of solutions will also fall to the future generations.

We have to find a way to start producing again if the future is to be anything like we might hope.

By: Richard Graves

Richard Graves — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 06:36:40 +0000

Hey Joe,

You are right. I think that is why so many young people are fired up about global warming. We simply are starting realize that our parent’s generation is robbing us of a livable world in the name of passing on to us the lifestyle they hope for us. If young people around the world can wake up to this fact, we have a chance of bringing political change by speaking for the future generations that are being robbed today.

By: Ivor Manuel prophet

Ivor Manuel prophet — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 04:39:17 +0000

AWARNESS! 3/19/09 from ORLANDO FLORIDA, “CITY of LIGHTS”

Only weeks before the 2004 Presidential Elections, a prophetic book was published at http://www.Aleuzenev.com. It was titled: “The REVELATION for PEACE from JESUS CHRIST to the WORLD.” Somewhere at the beginning on the first page it reads: Expanding Mercy and Love with our World neighbors, and feeding the hungry and the poor is also and order from the Lord to all people; but to those that have received power, the prophet writes: “Health, Education and Feeding the Poor must be their only concern”. But the anti-CHRIST rather ravages the wealth of the people building weapons to kill and destroy; maintaining armies wasting WARS in his own vision of PEACE. The book ends with a Prophesy (Wars melting the Wealth of the people) that has been, and continuous to be fulfilled on our times: And behold; the night vision was now like in a great television screen showing the name: The King of MYTERY BABILON the GREAT; then, there appeared the President of the United States of America; dressed with a tricolor hooded cloak garment of stars. And he had in his head a crown of gold that was melting; and the precious metal was going into his eyes making him blind; and when he walked toward a ceremonial bowl filled with water to clean his eyes; he then tripped his foot against a Stone, a precious corner Stone set by the ceremonial bowl that was filled with water. And as he stumbled and fell, his right foot got caught into the ceremonial vessel and the water turned to blood. The president was trying desperately to get his foot out of the bowl while his back was against the floor; but his foot was caught in the vessel with his greed and egotistical pride; and he was shaking his foot with anger and the satisfaction of force while on his back; but the ritual kettle was boiling over with the sacrificial blood of multitudes of humans and melting his sword. Poor and innocent soldiers from many nations, poor and innocent civilians from Afghanistan and Iraq; the blood of poor and innocents children, women and elders from all over the world was overflowing along his side. And his cabinet along with the republican and democratic courts, and the clergy were there by his side; standing on their knees inebriated with the wrath of his wine; as the American ceremonial vessel became a drowning river of blood. And there came on the screen the words written: “THE LAMENTATION of ABOMINABLE HIPOCRASY.”

Pray for you and Peace for the World,
Ivor Manuel prophet

By: John

John — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 01:03:12 +0000

Refer the Peak Oil point of view combined with the ecologist’s understanding of “Overshoot” and obviously this never to be repeated Ponzi scheme has been fuelled by oil,coal and gas, a never to be repeated “gift” of cosmic quantities of stored energy released by our machines’ combustion engines.
So, we have been able to party it up, like there’s no tomorrow, and for future generations tomorrow will be much less party like! Peak Oilers feel it’s too late to lament the past, but we must now start to adapt to the very different future now fast approaching: E.G. By relocalising food production and practising population control. Most Peak Oilers think easily available oil peaked in 2005 and same plus other sources, like Alberta tar sands and deep sea ,peaked in 2008. Once the current economic deflation starts to inflate again oil prices will shoot up again as supply is topped out and in decline.
So we have to start to adapt to what’s coming and if possible we must all cooperate rather than compete for the remaining “scraps of the 20c great Oil fiesta”. Refer following authors and websites : http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net, http://www.energybulletin.com, http://www.Postcarbon.org,www.kunstler.com,