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Fear, Anxiety and Doomscrolling

MikeG

Member
Hi Everyone. I am a long-time reader here and a very occasional poster. I have had an interest in geopolitics and world history for about 20 years or so, and I find this site to be a great source for geopolitical information. Lately I've been suffering from fear and anxiety surrounding world events and where I see us heading. I worry excessively about the dollar collapsing, the end of the USA, the possibility of Russia/China teaming up and obliterating or invading us, etc. Some websites/tweets etc have me pretty convinced that we're (USA) not going to make it past this summer, that the other big players in the world have achieved military superiority over us, that the end is nigh, and that it's all pretty hopeless. I was told that this is due to doomscrolling - a term I had not heard before, but it makes sense. My question though is - are things really as dire as some of these websites present it to be? Thanks for reading this.
 
We’ll probably make it through the summer. That said my greatest concern is a severe economic downturn.
Inflation is a growing concern and that can trip a collapse but depending on the current policies and future tax changes not a given.
I used to worry a lot about the deficit spending. If we weren’t doing it we would certainly be in better shape. But part of the dollars stability is the economic trade and effective use of our diplomatic and military power. Those two factors impact the dollar stability.
Those factors are changing and I don’t know how quick these changing inputs will impact our economy negatively.
It’s already happening and not a given, but who knows.

If I was looking at a scenario.
general economic shock in one or more major trading nations, US China EU.
Russias a slow growing economy and hasn’t really bought in to massive borrowing to grow their economy. They sacrifice growing their economy fast for stability. It’s the Russian way and not a bad one honestly.
In any economic collapse tensions and temptations provoke nations to make even worse decisions which can lead to conflict.
If the US boxes China in tohard in the SCS we risk provoking them. Or if US’s economy collapses hard it might be too tempting for China to not risk a military move in Taiwan or who knows.

That doesn’t even cover domestic unrest. We are watching the formation of a renewed states rights move in the US. The constitution is clear aside from a few distinct powers the federal has really little to say about state law or policy. We are a republic not a traditional nation state. That’s one reason Texas has a independent power grid. They did not want to be subject to some fed regulations. In the seventies when the fed mandated 55 speed limit Montana said no. The fed said you will lose fed highway funds. Montana never enforce the 55mph speed limit.
people and states are waking up to this and deciding some of it is not worth it.
This will cause more conflict and social unrest that is unpredictable. Especially so because most of the population actually believes the federal gov has the last word on everything. They don’t they just bribe the states with federal funds for this or that. It’s really something the Income tax takes money out of the states and then tells the states if they want some of it back they play ball.

It took Rome a long time to fall and it was due more to decay that being conquered.
 
are things really as dire as some of these websites present it to be?
No, absolutely not.

"Doomscrolling" is not a term I have heard, either. But it is equivalent to "doom porn," and the such. Scary headlines get clicks.

Is the U.S. in a precarious position? Yes. Will it all fall apart tomorrow? No.

Is Russia going to run roughshod of the U.S.? No. Will China overtake the U.S.? No. Not in this generation at least.

Yes, the U.S. does some really stupid things and there are those in government who really seem to hate the United States and actively work against it.

While there are some things that can not be predicted, your life will pretty much go on as always.

"Hope for the best, prepare for the worst" is the best advice I can give anyone.
 
Is the United States in a precarious position? Yes. Will everything collapse tomorrow? Probably

Russia and China will flout the United States? Yes.
Will China overtake the United States? Yes, by 2028.

Your life will not continue as always, you have to learn to live differently.

The internal division of the United States will lead to a war
civil.

The greatest danger for the USA: itself.

If you want to live in peace
Get these 4 things out of your country
1-your bibles
2-your right to arms
3-Your racism
4-The death penalty
 
Will everything collapse tomorrow? Probably
For the love of your God just stop along with the rest of doom porn worker bees.

The US has faced MANY more sticky, uncertain, crisis, and precocious scenarios than the ones we face today.

@MikeG A lot of people want to see the world Or the US to fail/fall but just because people are miserable (or jealous of the US) and rather see the world/US to end don't make it true!

AGAIN we have faced much worse problems in our past than what we are currently going through....
 
AGAIN we have faced much worse problems in our past than what we are currently going through....
I had come across writings by folks like Sousken, Nyquist, Golitsyn and Lunev years back. The first two are still writing. The last two are no longer with us. They’ve all made compelling cases for - in short - the “perestroika deception” and long term Sino-Soviet plans. It’s always stuck with me and struck me as a possibility, especially as I’ve read that a lot of what Golitsyn was warning about back in the 80s has come to pass. I begin to wonder if we’re in or approaching the endgame when I see articles about the latest Russian super duper weapons or Chinese threats-of-the-week coupled with things like the aging condition of our own nuclear deterrent, weak/indifferent/complicit leadership in DC, and pending this-or-that crises with the dollar. I do believe history repeats itself and humans never seem to learn from it. We may go the way of Rome and slowly rot from within. All our adversaries need do is wait another decade or so because I don’t see much changing for the better at this point in time. However I do think it was Golitsyn though who said the Russians and Chinese had developed a limited first strike + invasion plan, but that was as decades ago, and situations change. I’ve driven myself mad some nights playing scenarios out in my head. I do this too much, and while being prepared for catastrophe to the best of ones ability is never a bad thing, the worry and speculation is probably a waste of my energy that I could use doing anything else. If I am paying attention to our adversaries words and deeds, and you guys that run this site are paying attention, I have to hope that the key folks in our military are also paying very close attention, and advertise that “we know what you’re up to. Knock it off.”
 
Unt
We’ll probably make it through the summer. That said my greatest concern is a severe economic downturn.
Inflation is a growing concern and that can trip a collapse but depending on the current policies and future tax changes not a given.
I used to worry a lot about the deficit spending. If we weren’t doing it we would certainly be in better shape. But part of the dollars stability is the economic trade and effective use of our diplomatic and military power. Those two factors impact the dollar stability.
Those factors are changing and I don’t know how quick these changing inputs will impact our economy negatively.
It’s already happening and not a given, but who knows.

If I was looking at a scenario.
general economic shock in one or more major trading nations, US China EU.
Russias a slow growing economy and hasn’t really bought in to massive borrowing to grow their economy. They sacrifice growing their economy fast for stability. It’s the Russian way and not a bad one honestly.
In any economic collapse tensions and temptations provoke nations to make even worse decisions which can lead to conflict.
If the US boxes China in tohard in the SCS we risk provoking them. Or if US’s economy collapses hard it might be too tempting for China to not risk a military move in Taiwan or who knows.

That doesn’t even cover domestic unrest. We are watching the formation of a renewed states rights move in the US. The constitution is clear aside from a few distinct powers the federal has really little to say about state law or policy. We are a republic not a traditional nation state. That’s one reason Texas has a independent power grid. They did not want to be subject to some fed regulations. In the seventies when the fed mandated 55 speed limit Montana said no. The fed said you will lose fed highway funds. Montana never enforce the 55mph speed limit.
people and states are waking up to this and deciding some of it is not worth it.
This will cause more conflict and social unrest that is unpredictable. Especially so because most of the population actually believes the federal gov has the last word on everything. They don’t they just bribe the states with federal funds for this or that. It’s really something the Income tax takes money out of the states and then tells the states if they want some of it back they play ball.

It took Rome a long time to fall and it was due more to decay that being conquered.
American citizens need to realize they have the final say over their state laws and regulations not Washington.
Case in point: murder is a punishable crime in every American state and punishable by the states. The feds didn’t like how some states prosecuted some cases so they created a federal hate crime law under the guise of civil rights. So if Washington wants to make a splash in a high vis case they charge a person with a hate crime murder. The state very well might be in the process of trying the crime under state law as murder. And the feds retain the “right” to charges the individual with a hate crime for the exact same crime only called something new. “Known as made up law”
1 the fed gov is specifically prohibited in acting in matters delegated to the states. “murder” being one.
2 it places the accused in a position of defacto double jeopardy. Oh the state and a jury found you innocent. No worries the federal gov will take over and try you in another court for the same crime.
Its not allowed in our constitution but we let it happen.
because we’re ignorant and legislators are more worried about recouping federal tax revenue collected from their states for what ? “why thank you grants” from Washington. (They grant us a portion of the money they took from us!) WTF

It was once explained to me like this In HS gov class.
The individual states are the laboratories of laws and policies. As one states policies succeed of fail other states are forced to react and change or not change. If a state doesn’t change for the better people leave to another.
Thus we saw Cali NY and Illinois all lose representatives in this last census. Wonder why?
The problem now is we face a hundred years of gov centralization into Washington. Most can’t even comprehend what it means to be a republic. Free association and commerce, and property rights versus centralized control and bureaucracy. Corrupt one and it will correct itself. Corrupt them all and .... well there you go. their is no easy correction when the corruption is systemic.
We have a systemic infection and fixing it will be difficult
 
see articles about the latest Russian super duper weapons or Chinese threats-of-the-week coupled with things like the aging condition of our own nuclear deterrent
I really don't need to say much because the numbers speak for themselves. The US has more advanced assets than Russia and China combined times a 100 fold.

Really there is no weapons neither Russia or China has that we don't let alone in numbers.

The reason why we don't update our nuclear arsenal is because what we have will still to this day get the job done 1110%. No need to update when they will still do the exact same job as new ones. You don't fix what isn't broken and our nuclear arsenal is far from broken or outdated even if the systems are decades old.
 
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aging condition of our own nuclear deterrent
THE ONLY WAY the US nuclear arsenal becomes useless will be the day Russia or China can shoot down 1000++++ missiles flying at them AT ONCE. Sure we can shoot down missile's but not hundreds or thousands at a single time AND WE AS HUMANITY ARE VERY VERY VERY FAR AWAY FROM BEING ABLE TO SHOOT DOWN 1000+++ missile's in a single severing.....

Which I am glad. I don't want nuclear weapons to be ridded from the world because it is nuclear weapons that has brought the longest global stability in history period. Without nuclear weapons you can bet your ass WWIII would be highly more likely.
 
You have to go beyond war and connect the dots to see what's happening. That is,

There has been a multi-fold increase in armaments production and deployment worldwide, with a greater emphasis on long-range weapons of mass destruction, automated delivery systems, and anti-personnel devices.

Increasing numbers of casualties involve unarmed civilians, and many children and the elderly. Many die because of disease and hunger brought about by conflict.

Many conflicts involve proxy wars, i.e., using weak countries as battlefields, and they include combinations of dirty tricks leading to military intervention, destabilization, military and trade deals, etc.

Ecosystems have been falling apart globally, from fresh water availability to aquatic resource depletion. The main causes are pollution, growing economies, and effects of abnormal natural disasters such as extended periods of cold, droughts, and precipitation leading to floods.

Since 2000, scientists have detected over fifty positive feedback loops driven by global warming and part of climate change. Groups ranging from military forces to insurers to multinational banks have issued reports warning personnel and clients about this long-term crisis.

Since 2010, the IEA has reported that global conventional oil production started peaking in 2006. Eight indicators show that total oil production per capita peaked back in 1979. Various industrial data show that oil, in terms of energy density and petrochemicals, has been the lifeblood of global industrialization and mechanized agriculture since the end of WW2, and more of it will be needed to meet not only basic needs of a world population but even a growing global middle class. The equivalent in terms of total resources and energy needed to sustain growth in the long term is equivalent to around four more earths.

In order to maintain and increase oil production, the industry had to accumulate over 2.5 trillion dollars in debt, and can only pay for that and borrow more if oil prices go up to at least $100 a barrel. But the world can't sustain that cost, which is why it experience weak growth during the past decade.

Some of the groups that issued reports on climate change, such as the U.S. military and Lloyds of London, also issued reports about peak oil and the threat of a resource crunch. That is, because of gravity and physical limitations in the biosphere, then there will naturally be a peak in resource availability, from oil to minerals, and as part of diminishing returns.

Finally, financial debt and speculation are icing on the cake. The level of credit worldwide has been soaring for years, with the notional value of unregulated derivatives alone estimated by one expert at over one quadrillion dollars. "Only" one trillion dollars of that, through subprime lending in the states, was enough to bring the world to its knees in 2008, and there's more where that came from.

From there, connect the dots:

Some scientists argue that a global nuclear war isn't even necessary, as even limited or tactical nuclear war can have unusual effects on climate when coupled with soaring CO2 ppm (over 400, the highest in hundreds of thousands of years, where natural cycles lead to a peak of only 300 ppm).

With oil, globalization, and various wants of the middle class (like accessing forums like this using fancy devices and highly complex infrastructure), extensive supply chains spanning many regions and thousands of miles are needed. For example, most don't know that the very devices they use to go online and become excited over war have no idea that those devices involve dozens of countries and services, with only a few days' worth of raw materials, good in progress, and finished goods available in every town, city, and supply hub worldwide to keep inventory costs down. We've seen what limited natural disasters or wars can do to that system, such as massive floods that wipe out a third of hard drives available or temporarily closure of trade routes for oil. Imagine what full scale war can do.

There's recent news that the current pandemic may have involved tweaking viruses as part of gain of function research by multiple countries (including China and the U.S.), with funding from gov't agencies and private corporations. The viruses also spread through increased vectors due to combinations of the effects of industrialization (from urban congestion to more travel to clearing of wilderness areas for housing and business), natural disasters (extended droughts and floods), pollution (in the water, in the air), resource crunches and breakdowns (in utilities due to natural disasters, urban congestion), etc.

In short, connecting the dots means showing how one or more problems given above amplify other problems.
 
There has been a multi-fold increase in armaments production and deployment worldwide
Not the first time in American History. Technology is achieved in western world and than in time trickled down in Russia & China.

BUT now smaller nations other than China & Russia are getting the trickle down enhancement to weapons technology developed BY the west.

AGAIN not first time the world went through a weapons tech advancement so quickly, we didn't fail than and we Won't Fail Now.

The numbers alone in stealth fighter/&or bombers and stealth naval warships regardless of nuclear arsenals still makes America untouchable by all world players indefinitely at least in our lifetimes.
 
The numbers alone in stealth fighter/&or bombers and stealth naval warships regardless of nuclear arsenals still makes America untouchable by all world players indefinitely at least in our lifetimes.
This comes to mind from another member mentioned,.. which is fact checked:
China has about 20 J-20 stealth fighters, and Russia has about 13 SU-57's. The US has roughly 393 stealth aircraft not including the F-117s which are still flying but not considered active. It also does not include all the F-35's being flown by allies
The battle fields have always changed and sometimes drastically. We hardly failed than and we sure as hell won't now.

We are still a century or more still advanced and more so CAPABLE in every aspect than the Russians and Chinese. It's really laughable if you look at the numbers ALONE......

EVEN IF the Russians and Chinese join forces (which will never happen) we will still out gun and out run them by a long shot.
 
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Increasing numbers of casualties involve unarmed civilians, and many children and the elderly.
Well to be realistic causality in war since WWII conflicts are down ten fold at least by the US. BECAUSE US missiles are 5000% more accurate than any other missile's developed Ever by man.

You are always going to have civilian casualties in war but America has gotten very good about that through accuracy of missile tech.

YOU ARE RIGHT however that the smaller nations are getting their hands on MORE or better tech WHICH DOESN'T MEAN ADVANCED just means nations are able to arm themselves better.

They will in turn use those advancements agaisnt their neighbors and definently won't be as careful bombing their enemies UNLIKE how the US does in its military campaigns. Causing a HUGE uprise in civilian casualties past the recent years.........
 
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Civilian casualties in war or direct consequence of war are not up compared to history except in total numbers. The population of the world is so much larger now more do suffer in some conflicts
The number of civilians taken as slaves in history by nations and tribal peoples is much larger by percent of the total population.
Speaking of actual slaves how many Uighur Moslems are held in camps for forced labor, organ harvesting and forced breeding. Ironically in western China which till the 50’s was once part of Tibet.
 
Hi Everyone. I am a long-time reader here and a very occasional poster. I have had an interest in geopolitics and world history for about 20 years or so, and I find this site to be a great source for geopolitical information.

I agree. When I stumbled upon this site many years ago it really drew me in by the way people interacted & what they were posting was always very interesting or fascinating & most of the time something that the "mainstream media" or many news outlets was not covering or sometimes the news hadn't broke yet. 🤣
 
My question though is - are things really as dire as some of these websites present it to be?

Yes & no that's a sticky question. But it really depends on said website(s) your getting your information thru & said story(s). Most news outlets WANT you in this state of worry. In the end its YOU that needs to set your level of concern.
 
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Not the first time in American History. Technology is achieved in western world and than in time trickled down in Russia & China.

BUT now smaller nations other than China & Russia are getting the trickle down enhancement to weapons technology developed BY the west.

AGAIN not first time the world went through a weapons tech advancement so quickly, we didn't fail than and we Won't Fail Now.

The numbers alone in stealth fighter/&or bombers and stealth naval warships regardless of nuclear arsenals still makes America untouchable by all world players indefinitely at least in our lifetimes.
The FAS was referring to production and deployment, not technology.
 
Well to be realistic causality in war since WWII conflicts are down ten fold at least by the US. BECAUSE US missiles are 5000% more accurate than any other missile's developed Ever by man.

You are always going to have civilian casualties in war but America has gotten very good about that through accuracy of missile tech.

YOU ARE RIGHT however that the smaller nations are getting their hands on MORE or better tech WHICH DOESN'T MEAN ADVANCED just means nations are able to arm themselves better.

They will in turn use those advancements agaisnt their neighbors and definently won't be as careful bombing their enemies UNLIKE how the US does in its military campaigns. Causing a HUGE uprise in civilian casualties past the recent years.........
The reference was to casualties worldwide. They went up, and the major causes were hunger and disease brought about by war.
 
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