Re: [Marxism] Re: Peak oil and politics

[Jon Flanders <jonflanders@xxxxxxxxx>]

>    "In the face of fuels
> scarcity, the question for marxists is what to
>  propose. Higher taxes? Rationing?"
>
> There it is, the world according to our peak theorists is coming to an
> end, and all we can muster is higher taxes or rationing.

The last time I checked, one common feature of socialist societies has
been rationing of things in scarce supply. Socialism in Cuba didn't
create oil wells in Havana when the Russian oil stopped coming.
Rationing is the only fair way to do things, wouldn't you say?
I suspect the idea of rationing will gain ground in the US working class
if prices get high enough. Most would prefer that to a depression, I am
sure.  Depression, however will be a capitalist solution to high prices.


We all await your creation of a new energy source. No one is saying the
world is coming to an end. But  we are in the end game of the oil age.
And given the increasing threat of global warming, probably not a moment
too soon.

>
> Or maybe retreating to wood stoves.  Biomass, ah yeah, that's a real
> ecologically sound future-- burning biomass.
>

Such measures are a temporary expedient, none of which are solutions
unto themselves, until humanity figures out a way to function without
endless supplies of fossil fuels.

Of course for you, since geology is not a concern, endlessly declaiming
about the capitalist production cycle taking care of things solves it
all. Or to be fair, the end of capitalist production will introduce the
real cornucopia. SUVs and Hummers for all, down the road without an end.

Jon Flanders



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