I watched "" this weekend. It really helped solidify several strands of thought I've been contemplating recently.

The film is an examination of the role oil, and the incredibly cheap energy it has provided for the last century, has played in both the rapid technological advances and the global population boom, and explores in particular America's relationship with this energy source. To be sure--oil in many ways has given us an incredible good, and easy, life.

But of course, it's not a renewable resource, and demand keeps growing, esp as nations that previously used little (such as India and China) join the ranks of America, Canda, and Europe in their demand (why wouldn't they? Look at our lives--large suburban homes, cars, air conditioning, modern appliances, etc etc.) So, there's a certain amount available, and at some point quite soon, possibly already, we reach the peak of production of oil. Meaning the point at which we've sucked out half of the world's oil from the earth. From there, we start down the other side of the mountain. In this phase, oil becomes more and more difficult to obtain (see: oil "mining" in Canada)--that is, it's no longer just gushing up from the ground (see: Texas)...and the places where it is still abundant include a whole lot of very unstable nations--who we'll need to make nice with and ignore various atrocities to continue the oil flowing to the US, where we consume 25% of the oil produced in the world daily, or be willing to accept the alternatives. Primarily--a MASSIVE change in our way of life, or a willingness to allow our government to intervene militarily at will to secure oil reserves. That last option--along with the "making nice" option--both are and will be MUCH uglier than the way I just phrased them in reality...the bottom line, continuing our way of life for the next century will require us to ACCEPT and CONDONE extreme violence, repression, bombings, and warfare on the civilian and military populations of other nations. And even with that, the price of gas will rise, and eventually we will deplete our oil reserves.

( a wee bit lengthy, more back here )

And really watching and reading and thinking about all of this I do think a good deal of the debates and infighting in America over oil, and torture, and war, and the environment, and the food we eat, and suburbs and SUVs and car companies and the financial disaster and politics and even race is in some measure, small or large, part of this struggle to define what our future as humans on this planet, in this country, past peak oil will look like.

Man am I ever gonna miss my washer and dryer, if it comes to that. Which is another thing--almost everyone I watch and read who is speaking sincerely and KNOWLEDGEABLY on these issues presents the possibilities--then notes they really really really hope they are wrong. Will our grandchildren ever fly on a plane? Experts say the probability is low...but they really really hope they are wrong. Of course they do. No sane person wants to see chaos, mass starvation, increased violence and warfare as a part of our children and grandchildren's future, as we slide down the other side of the oil mountain. So what to do? What to choose--of the choices left to us?

Raise awareness. Start a garden. Talk to your neighbors.

Plant the seeds.

Cuz I certainly wouldn't want to leave anyone out.

So I've been reading a fair bit lately about the sharp spike in guns sales since Obama's election (hey!  at least one segment of the economy is doing well!), the 2000+ folks new members who joined the neo-nazi organization Stormfront the day after the election, and the increase in racist hate crimes in the past few weeks as well.

here's a post on these topics with lots of links if you are interested.

Oh and of course there's the issue of gay marriage.  Which has resulted in not a wee bit of over the top homophobia on the right.

There is a part of me that sincerely believes we are redefining the future that we want for our country and our planet--that we as Americans would like to go in another direction, a direction that respects both human rights and civil rights, that seeks peaceful resolution rather than war, that wants to heal the planet, not destroy it.  That really and truly wants to change the national and international discourse and make this a better place.

But there appear to be those who are not on board.  Who are so deeply entrenched in their own paranoid fears that teh blacks and teh gays are out to GET THEM that they are fully freaking right the fuck out.

I generally like to give people the benefit of the doubt, to try and see the good in them, and to be respectful of the opinions of others.

But there is a place I draw the line.

And it's right here:  If you actually literally HATE or FEAR the following,

African Americans
Asians
Mexicans/Latinos
Arabs
ok really anyone not white period

Jews
Catholics
Muslims
Pagans
Atheists
Unitarians
or pretty much anyone not Christian evangelical and fundamentalist

Gays

women

poor people

Urbanites

Intellectuals



So much that your response to Obama's election is to buy a gun, commit a hate crime, open fire on a church, and/or join a neo-nazi movement--you are not only completely delusional but in fact--YOU ARE THE MOTHERFUCKING PROBLEM.

YOU.  RIGHT THERE.  YOU ARE THE PROBLEM.

LDS Members resigning from Church in Wake of Prop 8...

This website is a compilation of letters former LDS members are sending "resigning" from the Church of Latter Day Saints.

Powerful stuff.

One two three...am I coming through?