I bought into all the typical micro arguments about WMD's, Imperialst war mongers, the scourge of religious fundmentalism and where is bin Laden but I kept asking myself, "what is the larger issue?".

The larger issue is that every system in our civilization is dependent on oil and every component in this civilization from agriculture to zoos face a decline that will be unprecedented in recorded history.

Dissecting issues that seem to have the element of human control give us all a foundation of hope. Yet there is no hope of extending the current supply of cheap energy. Even with the possible advent of exotic new power sources I forsee civilization shrinking back to oasis' of modern convenience.

As the four horsemen destroy life as we know it, the instituions of extreme wealth desperatly desire a police state that will "manage" the hungering hoardes. The new technologies of crowd control will amount to a modern equivilent of pouring boiling oil over the castle walls. Eventually the seige will reach deep within the castle keep and claim even the most wealthy noblmen and women.

There are hopeful plans for the coming changes but as for now media has decided that our concerns are crowning the boy king again, Laci Peterson, showing democracy on the march in the middle east and the Survivor series finale.