Greece: they must not pass | 453 comments (453 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: Greece: they must not pass (none / 0)

zombie zombie zombie

There's a lot of passionless and idea-less people out there waiting for the world to burn.

you are the media you consume.

by MillMan (millguy at gmail) on Tue Feb 14th, 2012 at 12:04:32 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Greece: they must not pass (none / 0)

I think they are expecting wealth to just keep falling into their pockets, the way it long has. Only when it has blown up will they have any motive to try and understand what happened, and then most will just look for a scapegoat.

"It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."

by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Tue Feb 14th, 2012 at 01:31:56 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Greece: they must not pass (4.00 / 2)

Partly it's the wealthy who have nothing else to do than try to make more money, but I'm also thinking of people like the gold bugs. With them (and others) I think there is a large element working from the "cleansing flood" myth.

you are the media you consume.

by MillMan (millguy at gmail) on Tue Feb 14th, 2012 at 01:10:22 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Greece: they must not pass (none / 0)

One might think what Katrina showed of the 'cleansing power' of floods - decidedly negative. But, if your life is miserable, radical, millennial or apocalyptic change can seem attractive. This has been used to explain the excitement in so many countries at the outbreak of WW I and is likely at work now in many places.

"It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."

by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Tue Feb 14th, 2012 at 03:22:00 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Greece: they must not pass (4.00 / 3)

From my own experience being in very physically run down and negative states - the appeal is the fantasy wherein the source of my stress disappears overnight. And yes, it's also good for cultivating an already chaotic internal state. That's what drew to the peak oil websites - as much as the science side, which I was also on board with, obviously.

It's taboo to acknowledge how physically and emotionally draining modern life can be in the "rich" world. We're actually required to believe the opposite. There is no easy to find, constructive narrative out there to vent this.

For others who have an internal desire to control the external world (I don't), the "righteous punishment of sinners" aspect of the flood myth is in play.

you are the media you consume.

by MillMan (millguy at gmail) on Tue Feb 14th, 2012 at 05:32:21 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Greece: they must not pass (none / 0)

When I was in grad school friends used to joke with me that I was "a real Götterdämmerunger".

"It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."

by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Tue Feb 14th, 2012 at 05:43:57 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Greece: they must not pass (none / 1)

I'm still waiting for your diary about all this, having to make do with the occasional comment.

tens of millions of people stand to see their lives ruined because the bureaucrats at the ECB don't understand introductory economics -- Dean Baker

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Tue Feb 14th, 2012 at 06:05:21 PM EST
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Re: Greece: they must not pass (none / 0)

I'll probably have the time / drive / energy to write something once I'm on the road again later this summer. I'm still bummed that I couldn't get something out in late 2009 / early 2010.

you are the media you consume.

by MillMan (millguy at gmail) on Tue Feb 14th, 2012 at 07:20:25 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Greece: they must not pass (none / 1)

Yes, I used to refer to it as apocalyptical euphoria. If the world goes to hell, then the daily stresses goes away. Future stresses are expected to be more of a do-or-die quality (wheter it is the Revolution, Mad Max, or 1984 that comes along). Seen quite a bit of it in different settings.

Not to go all biological, but maybe many of us are better equiped for the do-or-die scenario with the adrenaline rush and all. But before we get some Eden-scenario, many of the daily stresses comes from upholding our place in the pack and that unfortunately looks like a constant.

Sweden's finest (and perhaps only) collaborative, leftist e-newspaper Synapze.se

by A swedish kind of death on Wed Feb 15th, 2012 at 06:17:15 AM EST
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Re: Greece: they must not pass (none / 0)

Status seeking (upholding our place in the pack) is definitely the big one. Even if you're fine with not playing that game, though, it's very hard to opt out of society altogether. Almost all land on the planet is "owned" and is part of the world economy even if only indirectly.

you are the media you consume.

by MillMan (millguy at gmail) on Wed Feb 15th, 2012 at 04:25:08 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Greece: they must not pass | 453 comments (453 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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