Posted On: Monday - January 4th 2021 3:04PM MST
In Topics: Elections '16 - '24 Websites Trump Pundits Dead/Ex- Presidents
... just lovely. Commenter E.H. Hail of the Hail To You blog pasted a link in a comment here to Mr. Jason Kunstler's blog with a very long* post of predictions for 2021. Sorry for the cussword in the title - I try to avoid that, but it's in his URL after all, and it's almost as good a blog name as Peak Stupidity.
After a quick intro., the blogger starts off with predictions of political happenings in the short term, as Jan 6th (the date for the voting by our electors) goes by. Just as Mr. Hail noted in his comment from his reading of Mr. Kunstler's post's comments, I got the impression from this portion about President Trump's possible getting satisfaction and winning this re-election, the putting of the Deep State back into its place, arrests of perpetrators of the recent witch hunt against Trump, etc. as a wish list rather than a prediction.
I really like an optimist, so don't get me wrong. I liked blogger Kunstler in the beginning of this post. It's just that, nah, none of that's going to happen. I'm sorry. I'd like to believe half of that. Upon looking at the writer's picture just now, I see he wasn't born yesterday. Maybe he hasn't been following politics as long as this blogger. Otherwise, I don't see how he wouldn't have noticed that a) there's no real rule of law on the high political level in the country and b) States' Rights is ancient history. Even the rights that have as yet been officially still left to the States, the complicated (for a reason) election process, as this example, are NEVER made use of by the States. As Peak Stupidity has noted numerous times, when Big Fed says "jump", State officials say "high high, Sir?!" (Much of the blame for that can be chalked up to the stupidity of the ratification of Amendment XVI, BTW - see also our posts Amendment XVI - Part 2 and Amendment XVI - Part 3.)
Mr. Kunstler gives Donald Trump a lot of credit in his hopes for the near future that I just can't give Mr. Trump credit for. There's no 4-D chess going on. If he were trying to play it, he'd be playing with the black queen and black rooks, bishops, and knights that HE HIRED as the white king!
As for the rest of the post (of which I admit I just skimmed (saving for later, through the last 1/3 of to look for anything about China, I'll say this.
1) I don't agree completely with the Mr. Kunstler's take on oil and the American production thereof, with it being the driver for the economic turmoils of this century. I see this view as seeing cause & effect backwards.
2) I almost had more criticism of everything econ related, thinking "where is any mention of China in here?" However, China is discussed later down in relation to the US economy and Trump, and I think the blogger does a fine job with that.
3) I really like James Kunstler's prepper mindset. However, as he discusses (this is fairly near the beginning) his predictions regarding the American economy going back toward "let's get small", I think he's missing one thing: China. Peak Stupidity has a post coming on this, but let me foreshadow it with this. Mr. Kunstler has discussed his prediction of how the American economy will change, as if we exist in a vacuum. With businesses, equipment (and maybe land too?) selling for pennies on the dollar, does he not see who may buy up this country of ours? Yeah, China can plunder this place as if it's a fire sale** at a wet market in Canton. American financial types did the same to Russia in the 1990s (and there's yet ANOTHER post long-time coming). Our future may not be so much up so us, Americans, as this blogger seems to think it is.
Therefore, I see the financial reset/prepper pep talk portion of the essay as another piece of wishful thinking. Believe me, I like those ideas, but I'm not at all optimistic that outside influences will let Americans go in that direction.
4) There's no mention of large-scale immigration and deteriorating race relations in the post. (If I missed it in my skimming of the final ~1/3 or so, let me know.) These two issues have had major influence on America's economic and political state, and they will after whatever type financial reset occurs, and yes, there will be one.
In summary, I hope our readers here have the time to read the interesting forecast-for-2021 essay on the ClusterFuck Nation blog. Were I Siskel or Ebert, I'd call it a "feel-good" essay. Thanks, Mr. Hail, for the recommendation.
* 7,000 words, per Mr. Hail. Give yourself an hour.
** Mr. Kunstler used the idiom "Chinese Fire Drill", while I'm using "Fire Sale to the Chinese". You'll never run out of good idioms.
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[UPDATED 01/06:] Corrected Mr. Kunstler's name 8 times. Really, that was not intended to be a slur, though it sure would be a good one. (would have left it in, if I din't like this guy) Thank you, Commenter Hail.
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Comments:
Moderator
Wednesday - January 6th 2021 8:24PM MST
PS: Corrected, Mr. Hail. Thank you.
Hail
Wednesday - January 6th 2021 6:11PM MST
PS -
For the record, the spelling is "Kunstler" (James Howard Kunstler, a.k.a. Jim Kunstler).
"Kunst" is 'art' in German, and here is a case where the name fits the personality: He was a journalist in the 1970s-90s, and became an architecture, urban design, and social critic, interested growth, energy, and peak-oil theory at its peak. Apparently some have never forgiven him for predicting, in 1999, widespread chaos because of "Y2K."
For the record, the spelling is "Kunstler" (James Howard Kunstler, a.k.a. Jim Kunstler).
"Kunst" is 'art' in German, and here is a case where the name fits the personality: He was a journalist in the 1970s-90s, and became an architecture, urban design, and social critic, interested growth, energy, and peak-oil theory at its peak. Apparently some have never forgiven him for predicting, in 1999, widespread chaos because of "Y2K."
Moderator
Wednesday - January 6th 2021 11:03AM MST
PS: Yes, it was terrifyingly hopeful, Adam. Yet still, the guy had lots of wishful thinking in there. Interesting times, indeed. Thank you, China Buffet, for that damn fortune cookie, assholes!
Adam Smith
Wednesday - January 6th 2021 10:42AM MST
PS: Good afternoon Mr. Moderator...
It's unusual to read something so hopeful yet terrifying.
It's probably good that most predictions don't pan out.
My thanks to you and Mr. Hail.
☮
It's unusual to read something so hopeful yet terrifying.
It's probably good that most predictions don't pan out.
My thanks to you and Mr. Hail.
☮
Moderator
Tuesday - January 5th 2021 11:52AM MST
PS: There is a big rally tomorrow in Washington, FS, Mr. Blanc. I'd thought about going, but time is limited, I know it won't do any good in the big scheme of things (though those things are usually very uplifting and a good time).
It'd be kind of cool to go to an alternate inauguration rally. on the 20th.
Wait, unless China suffers an internal collapse? (Couldn't tell if that's what you meant.)
It'd be kind of cool to go to an alternate inauguration rally. on the 20th.
Wait, unless China suffers an internal collapse? (Couldn't tell if that's what you meant.)
MBlanc46
Tuesday - January 5th 2021 11:46AM MST
PS I think the only open question about the results of the election is whether or not Trump attends Biden’s inauguration. My guess is that he will, due to pressure from Javanka, and perhaps his wife. But he might just decide to show his displeasure by skipping it, and perhaps holding one of his rallies. I’d make it 70–30. And over the next few decades, China will complete the purchase of the former USA. Unless it suffers from an internal collapse.