"There is nothing new in the world except the history you do not know."--Harry Truman
“History teaches us that men and nations behave wisely once they have exhausted all other alternatives."—Abba Eban
“History
never seems like history when you are living through it. Yet, together,
we are witnessing the end of an age — we are living at the end of an
empire.”—J. Robinson
Jerry Robinson writes,
"The Evolution of Energy Since 1700"
"Despite
its increasing global demand, oil has not always been the world's most
important energy source as it is today. In his book American Theocracy,
author Kevin Phillips provides an illuminating look at the evolution of
energy supplies over the last several centuries."
"Phillips
writes about the world's various energy leaders of recent memory and
begins in the 17th century with Holland. Thanks to Dutch ingenuity, they
were able to harness enormous amounts of energy supplies from three
basic sources: wood, water, and wind. As the global leader of energy,
Amsterdam soon became the center of commerce and finance and boasted the
largest share of world trade. And their navy fleets dominated the sea
lanes from Holland to Asia."
"By the mid-18th century,
Great Britain began rising in energy dominance, thanks to the discovery
of coal-fired energy. As Britain began to harness the power of refined
coal, it soon led to the creation of steam power (which would later give
rise to the internal combustion engine). These early discoveries,
including the development of iron-making, gave rise to what historians
refer to as the Industrial Revolution."
"During this
same time, Holland's energy influence began to wane as the new center of
global power began to shift toward Great Britain. Put simply, the Dutch
windmills could not compete with the efficiency of British coal-fired
energy. As the British continued their massive investment in coal, a
second industrial revolution began occurring near the end of the 19th
century. During this new era, the focus moved from the steam engine,
iron, and coal to the internal combustion engine, steel, and
petroleum-based energy. Leading the charge of this new energy source was
none other than the United States."
"As the global
hegemonic power of the 19th century, Britain entered the 20th century
with all of the wounds of an empire in decline: an overextended
military, a failing currency, and an aging national infrastructure.
Their massive investment in coal-based energy meant that converting to a
new energy source would mean starting over. The British remained one
step behind the United States moving into the 20th century and would
eventually give way to total American dominance halfway through the 20th
century. The impact that this second phase of the Industrial Revolution
had upon the world is indescribable."
"The
introduction of petroleum as a viable energy source transformed industry
and commerce the world over. It revolutionized the way wars were
fought. And the influence that it would have upon the American economy
and culture is too widespread to mention in this book.... America's
energy leadership during this new found era meant that our nation stood
to gain the great prosperity that would come from harnessing oil. Today,
the energy produced by oil has made life extremely comfortable. Thanks
to the many innovations it has made possible, the average middle class
family in America lives a life that would have been the envy of monarchs
in centuries past."
"One of the greatest — and most
imminent — challenges looming on America's economic horizon is the
threat of global peak oil production.... The oil trapped beneath the
surface of the earth exists in a limited supply. It is non-renewable,
and therefore its supply is finite. Because the amount of oil under the
earth is limited, eventually readily available oil supplies will
decrease. As it decreases, it also becomes more expensive to extract
from the earth. As the amount of oil available to humanity becomes
harder to extract, it will lead to declining oil production. Declining
oil production will make each barrel of oil more expensive due to
increasing global demand for oil. Higher prices will hurt the global
economy and will eventually require the globe to discover and implement
alternative energy sources."
"Many people have
mistakenly thought that 'peak oil' is the theory that the world is
running out of oil. Let me be the first to say that the world is not
running out of oil. The world has tremendous amounts of remaining oil
supplies to be tapped. In fact, it is highly probably that the earth
will never completely be sucked dry of its petroleum (oil) reserves. So
let me emphasize this point: The problem is not that the world is
running out of oil; rather, the world is running out of cheap oil."
"When
energy extracted from the ground begins to require more energy than
can be produced by the extraction, this is referred to as 'peak oil.'
Over the last several decades, global oil supplies, for the most part,
have been plentiful, readily accessible and, therefore, relatively
inexpensive — or 'cheap.' Oil companies love 'cheap' oil sources
because they increase their profits due to high EROEI [Energy Return on
Energy Investment] by decreasing their exploration and production
costs. Businesses love 'cheap' oil because it stabilizes their costs of
doing business, drives down transportation costs, can allow them to
create or employ innovative technologies, and can generally increase
their bottom line. Finally, consumers love cheap oil because it lowers
their monthly costs, thereby freeing up more money for other types of
consumption."
"In 1970, the year of America's peak oil
production, we imported only 24 percent of our oil from foreign
nations. Today, that number has increased to 70 percent. And it is
growing.... Sadly, America's dependency upon foreign oil has exposed
our nation's obsession with over consumption. Never before in history
has one nation been as dependent upon foreign nations for its own
supply of energy as America is today."
"The US
Department of Energy, in an effort to gain answers commissioned and
sponsored an in-depth report detailing the likelihood of short-term
global peak oil production. The report, entitled "Peaking of World Oil
Production: Impacts, Mitigation, and Risk Management," is also known as
the Hirsch Report. Released in 2005 by energy expert Robert Hirsch, the
67-page report drew several important conclusions. They include the
following:"
"The era of plentiful, low-cost petroleum
is approaching an end. World oil supplies will peak, and in fact already
are beginning to in several areas."
"Without massive intervention, the problem will be pervasive and long lasting."
"Oil peaking will adversely affect global economies, particularly those most dependent on oil."
"World oil demand is forecast to grow by 50 percent by 2025."
"Oil production is in decline in 33 of the world's 48 largest oil-producing countries."
"It is highly probable that when global oil supplies collectively peak, the world will have less than one year's warning."
"The world has never confronted a problem like this."
"The
release of the Hirsch Report further legitimized and solidified the
imminent threat posed by 'peak oil.' In addition, the Hirsch Report
surveyed a number of energy experts regarding what year they expected
the world's oil supplies to reach a peak. Interestingly, an overwhelming
number of responses pointed to the year 2010 as the general time frame
for global peak oil to begin."
"Today, however, there
is very little debate about the reality of peak oil. The question is not
if peak oil is coming, but when. Even the U.S. government has confirmed
the validity of Hubbert's Peak in a February 2007 report entitled
"Uncertainty about Future Oil Supply Makes It Important to Develop a
Strategy for Addressing a Peak and Decline in Oil Production." The
report, issued by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), admits
that the world will reach peak oil production sometime between now and
2040."
“As the American economic empire enters its
final stages of decline, the message that arises will be one of
sacrifice. This coming era of ‘sacrifice’ will do more than simply
reveal the absurdity of America's immoral financial excesses. It will
expose the American Church's reliance upon man-made kingdoms. Instead of
focusing their adherents upon the necessity of the coming Kingdom of
God, the American Church has often misplaced its hope in worldly
kingdoms.”
“When the government is finally forced to
demand sacrifice from the living, the American Church, inebriated by a
false prosperity, may finally awaken to the need for the coming Kingdom
of God. Then, various versions of the message of sacrifice will ring
loudly across the United States of America.”
“What is
strangely missing from the majority of today's churches is solid
teaching regarding the most pressing issues of our day…. Ignoring these
matters does little to reduce their size and their scope. In the midst
of the chaos and confusion confronting our world, the Church of the Lord
Jesus Christ is mysteriously quiet. I am convinced that this silence
exists for a number of unfortunate reasons. I will not go into all of
those reasons here, with the exception of one, which I feel is the most
important and relevant to our discussion: the idea of American Exceptionalism.
“According to the idea of "American Exceptionalism,"
America is such a unique and special nation that it will not face the
same fates as nations and empires that preceded it.” Of course, every
empire that has existed before America has fallen. However, according to
the idea of American Exceptionalism, America will not have to
face those same challenges. Instead, America is an exception to the rule
of history…. America's economy is in peril due to the same poor
monetary policies that have taken down every fiat empire before it.”
“When
America's credit-induced hangover finally arrives, economic sacrifice
will be the only available option. This constraint on needless and
mindless consumption will be more than a huge inconvenience for most.
But this will be especially true for a new American generation who has
never been asked to sacrifice anything for anyone. How America responds
to the coming required economic sacrifice will directly determine our
nation's viability to exist peacefully in the 21st century.”
Are You an "Activist" or Are You One of the "Aware"?
"ACTIVISTS
are Biblically aware but politically motivated. In contrast, the AWARE
are politically aware but Biblically motivated."
"ACTIVISTS
insist that by getting the right political party into office we can
"take back America for God." In contrast, the AWARE realize that no
matter which political party gets elected, nothing can slow man's sin
problem. They avoid political games, knowing their futility."
"ACTIVISTS
think that getting prayer back into America's schools will change the
nation. The AWARE pray with their children at home and do not expect
government-controlled institutions to teach their children spiritual
values."
"ACTIVISTS extol the virtues of man's kingdoms
(political platforms) and follow them with a religious fervor. The
AWARE endure man's kingdoms, all the while praying and longing for God's
Kingdom."
"ACTIVISTS demand "Merry Christmas" be
spoken — even in secular settings, and the phrase "Happy Holidays" is
viewed as religious persecution. The AWARE do not expect non-Christians
to promote Christ."
"ACTIVISTS want "In God We Trust"
to remain plastered on the U.S. fiat currency. The AWARE realize that
fiat currency systems, such as the U.S. dollar, are "unjust weights and
balances" and therefore are an "abomination" to God.
“In
our current environment, leaders who refuse to speak truth, and instead
continue to strive for top placement in popularity contests, will fail
the people that they have been commissioned to lead. Once the American
Church is purged of the career charlatans that control it, it can
finally arise with real answers. Until then, the American evangelical
church will remain a declining sub-cultural phenomenon, a voting bloc
easily manipulated by certain keywords uttered by informed politicians
that are designed to elicit the right response.”
“Until
the American Church desires the coming Kingdom of God as desperately as
it wants the American kingdom to reflect its own glory, it will remain
irrelevant. But despite their irrelevance, the message of sacrifice is
still coming. The ancient principle of ‘sacrifice’— proclaimed by Christ
Himself — will ring throughout this land as America's sins of excess
and immorality become evident through the ‘false weights and balances’
created by its economy. Sacrifice will not be the natural response from a
people accustomed to over-consumption. However, it will be the only
possible response.”
“Today, much of the American
Church has embraced the economic delusion that will ultimately lead to
our nation's downfall. Unfortunately, this blind trust that has been
placed in the American illusion of prosperity has rendered the Church
impotent in offering solid biblical solutions to a clueless public
regarding the economic crisis.”
“Undoubtedly, the
crisis that is unfolding offers the American Church a strong
evangelistic opportunity to expose the modern version of the Tower of
Babel that America has built upon its economic prowess and political
exploits. But while the ‘Tower of America’ stood strong and deceived
many, much of the Church instructed its members with shallow teachings
on finances that rarely pointed to the futility of man-made kingdoms.
When America needed to hear a strong message of ‘sacrifice’ from the
American church, what they got instead was feel-good messages designed
to stroke the ego and stoke the fire of over-consumption.”
--Jerry Robinson. Bankruptcy of Our Nation. New Leaf Press. Kindle Edition (edited).
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