Keeping Up Appearances

There's plenty of discussion bantered around these days about climate change, peak oil and the economy. And plenty too, about cutting back. Various media are full of stories of people eating out less, using coupons, driving less, cancelling vacations, buying goods second hand, and turning down the thermostat. While each of these actions has their benefits all of them support an underlying theme in the American psyche. Maintaining the status quo.

Last night one of the networks (maybe ABC) had a piece on how this lousy economy is affecting people's ability to live the American dream. One family chose eat out once a week instead of twice; another rationed snacks. And recently I read a blog that talked of stocking up on hair gel, makeup and hair dye. Both of these are indicative of our insistance on perpetuating "normalcy" while ignoring, or being clueless to the real problem - belief and participation in an exponential consumer driven economy.

I've got news for you all. It's not sustainable. The heavens may go on forever but the planet's resources do not. And globalization is not the answer. For starters, it makes all of us more dependent! When you can't get produce and products from 3,000 miles away and the shelves go empty and you haven't planted a garden or raised your own beef or supported your local sawmill or blacksmith just what will you do? Wait for the delivery truck? Ah, you say you've stocked up for just such a time. Great. How long will it all last? Not to mention how will you protect it? Guns and ammo, you say. Fine, what about when it runs out or there's more blood to wipe up than its all worth?

I've heard it said that preppers are one step ahead of the sheeple. True, they are. But, if a prepper is not examining how they live, what they consume and learning how to adapt to TEOTWAWKI no amount of beans, bullets, bandaids or hair gel in the world will keep life "normal."