[ExI] Pew survey

[Keith Henson]

On Tue, Jun 17, 2014 at 1:31 AM,   "spike" <spike66 at att.net>> wrote:

[Keith]

>>...But what this shows is consistent with a population under stress...
>
> Ja, but the US population isn't under all that much stress.  We are still well-fed, we still have our silly game shows, all the usual stuff.

Spike, I don't think you are justified in dismissing the stress the US
population is under.  As Robert Cialdini pointed out in his book
_Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion_ it's what people have gotten
used to that sets how much a drop in income and prospects of income
sets off their unease with their future.  The subjective prospects of
the average person is the US have certainly taken a major hit in the
last few decades.

> Regarding the current deep divide in the USA, I have some reasonable forecasts, mostly optimistic.  It will blow over, after the symbolic revolution this fall in the form of midterm elections.  The party currently out of power will pick up a pile of seats, but I don't think things will change all that much, even if the senate changes hands.

This is much longer term.  Real wage increases stalled in the 70s.

>>...It's nothing as bad as the stress that tore Syria into waring camps, but it's the typical memetic response to a society getting ready to engage in fratricide...
>
> I hold a more optimistic view Keith.
>
> All the sideshows will settle out, and it will come down to this burning IRS scandal.

Noise.  This isn't a significant issue.

snip

> Then, on we go, right up until the real trouble starts: not enough cheap energy.

We are already there.

http://theenergycollective.com/gail-tverberg/266116/oil-prices-lead-hard-financial-limits

Keith