“Selfish behaviors are reward driven and innate, wired deeply into the survival mechanisms of the primitive brain, and when consistently reinforced, they will run away to greed, with its associated craving for money, food, or power. On the other hand, the self restraint and the empathy for others that are so important in fostering physical and mental health are learned behaviors – largely functions of the new human cortex and thus culturally dependent. These social behaviors are fragile and learned by imitations much as we learn language”.
-Dr. Peter Whybrow
The majority of Peak Oil writing and discussion centers around the upcoming date of an all liquids peak and how steep the subsequent decline rate might be. There’s also active debate on how to best replace the coming shortfall in fossil energy with renewable flows. Fewer discussions are about relocalizing a global economy dependent on cheap transportation fuels, and how best to structure a world with lower density energy. Yet fewer still delve into who we are, how we got here, and what and why we use energy, and seemingly want more of it every year. Essentially, most of our energy conversations, at conferences, schools, institutions, and the blogosphere, focus on the means, and not the ends. The ends have generally remained unquestioned. There seems to be an implicit assumption that worldwide energy demand will continue to grow something akin to a natural law, and that solutions should focus on ways to increase supply and/or efficiency of energy. But in an economic system based on self-interest on a finite planet, the true drivers of demand will need to be better understood beyond the microeconomic mantra “price will change behavior”.
This post examines our own history on the planet, outlines how the ancient-derived reward pathways of our brain are easily hijacked by modern stimuli, and concludes that in very real ways, we have become addicted to the ‘consumptive behaviors’ linked to oil. “Traditional” drug abuse happens because natural selection has shaped behavior regulation mechanisms that function via chemical transmitters. Just as an addict becomes habituated to cocaine, heroin or alcohol, the ‘normal person’ possesses neural architecture to become habituated via a positive feedback loop to the ‘chemical sensations’ we receive from shopping, keeping up with the joneses (conspicuous consumption), pursuing more stock options and profits, and myriad other stimulating activities that a large social energy surplus provides. In order to overcome addictions, it is usually not enough to argue about which year the drug supply is going to begin its decline. It’s a better path to understand the addiction, admit it before one hits rock bottom, and either begin the cold turkey process or become addicted to something else.
Declassified U.S. Documents show that American officials KNEW that Saddam was USING CHEMICAL WEAPONS AGAINST THE KURDS & the Iranians, but decided to support Saddam anyway…first in secret, then formal relations were restored in November 1984.
Not only that, they secretly okayed shipments of CHEMICAL PRECURSORS TO IRAQ and instructed the American UN Delegate to garner support from the Wetern Countries for a motion of ‘NO DECISION’ on a draft UN Resolution to condemn Iraqi use of Chemical Weapons…or failing that to ABSTAIN (& EFFECTIVELY VETO THE RESOLUTION) !!!!
Source: George Washington University
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A United States Declassifed Document from Nov 1, 1983 states:
“We have recently received additional information confirming Iraqi use of Chemical Weapons.”
“in order to maintain the credibility of US policy on CW,” it would be a good idea to mention these measure to Iraq in an effort to “reduce or halt, what now appears to be Iraq’s almost daily use of CW”
In December 1983 Donald Rumsfeld (in full knowledge that Iraq was using chemical weapons on a daily basis & had gassed the Kurds) met & shook hands with Saddam:
Rumsfeld has since claimed he mentioned US dissatisfaction with Iraqis use of Chemical Weapons at the meeting - HOWEVER - there are no mentions in the detailed notes of the meeting:
On March 4, 1984, a Dept of State Cable from George P.Shultz to the U.S. Interests Section in Iraq shows that a shipment of 22,000 pounds of phosphorous fluoride being sent to Iraq via Europe was being held back pending further advice;
It requests the interests section advises the Iraq Ministry of Foreign Affairs that;
“We anticipate making a public condemnation of Iraqi use of Chemical Weapons in the near future”
On Iraqi use of U.S. chemicals to make CW:
“When we become aware of attempts to do so, we will act to prevent their export to Iraq.”
(Something the American’s know fine well that Saddam is doing)
The Iranians drafted a UN Resolution about Iraqi use of Chemical Weapons.
The Dept. of State sent a cable to the Mission to the European Office of the UN instructing the U.S. delegate to;
“work to develop general Western position in support of a motion to take ‘No Decision’ on Iranian draft resolution on use of chemical weapons by Iraq.”
Failing to get support for such a motion, the U.S. “should abstain” (effectively vetoing the resolution).
Reagan took Saddam off list of States sponsoring Terror:
THE WORLD IN SUMMARY; Readjustments In the Mideast
New York Times
February 28, 1982
“Apparently without consulting Congress, the Administration has quietly dropped Iraq, a virulent foe of Israel, from a list of countries barred from receiving American weapons because they ‘have repeatedly supported acts of international terrorism’.”
Remembering the Dead: Reagan Armed Iraq and Iran in 1980s War That Killed Over 1 Million
Democracy Now
June 09, 2004
“First on Hussein’s shopping list was helicopters—he bought 60 Hughes helicopters and trainers with little notice. However, a second order of 10 twin-engine Bell “Huey” helicopters, like those used to carry combat troops in Vietnam, prompted congressional opposition in August, 1983… Nonetheless, the sale was approved.”
“In 1988, Saddam’s forces allegedly attacked Kurdish civilians with poisonous gas from Iraqi helicopters and planes. U.S. intelligence sources told The LA Times in 1991, they “believe that the American-built helicopters were among those dropping the deadly bombs.”
Messrs. Rosen and Weissman are accused of getting classified documents from a Pentagon analyst, Messr. Franklin, and then passing those documents to Israeli “diplomats” and “journalists”.
Two former American Israel Public Affairs Committee employees facing charges of revealing classified information won a procedural victory June 20, when a federal appeals court ruled against the prosecution’s request to lower the burden of proof in their upcoming trial and against attempts to hold the trial behind closed doors.
The ruling was applauded by several Jewish groups, marking a slight shift in the position of the organized Jewish community, which until now has generally avoided making its voice heard on the case.
Steve Rosen and Keith Weissman, the two traitors, were indicted in 2005 for giving away classified information to israel. The two former Aipac officials are accused of receiving classified information from Pentagon analyst Larry Franklin and passing it on to Israeli diplomats and journalists. A final trial date for the investigation, which became public in August 2004, has not yet been set.
I don’t understand what the matter is with the courts. These are traitors. Hang them. And Ban AIPAC.
AIPAC is an organization whose main, sole, and only function is to promote Israel and Israeli goals in American life - including the TV, radio, newspapers - but also, perhaps most importantly, exerting great pressure on our elected (and yet to be elected to other, more powerful positions) politicians.
DId you know the shocking thing? The national anthem of the state of Israel is sung at AIPAC conferences, and it was only stopped in 2005, because… of the two AIPAC spies being arrested by the FBI, and singing an Israeli national anthem when two AIPAC high ranking members were tried for betraying USA’s secrets to Israel… “would raise suspicion of Dual Loyalty” according to Rosner’s blog.
But the Americans are uninformed about this trial, AIPAC and the role of the pro Israel Lobby, and so the singing of the Israel national anthem was resumed at AIPAC conventions, and Americans continue to die and come back without arms, legs, eyes, fingers… from Iraq… and soon Iran.
Taking classified, secret documents from the Pentagon, and passing them to Israeli spies, is not treason - because American and Israeli interests are the same.
And you know what is the funniest thing in all of this? –> The American Court system agrees!!!
This is madness. The United States of America has been hijacked. The neocons have destroyed what America stood for, and defended all these years. The whole world laughs at American ignorance…
