Every generation has its nostalgia, that sentimental longing for iconic moments in the past. Yet, when a culture is stressed, depressed, discontent and riddled with pessimism, the appeal and psychological uses of nostalgia are intensified. Entering 2015, we expect to see nostalgic yearnings come to the forefront in cultures around the word, with “new” retro...
Tag: winter2015
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Retrofitting the past
Listen to the millennials. What’s their vibe? Name that tune. It’s a scene-less scene. There has been nothing like it in generations. Hipsters at best, style-less at most. Putting down nothing exciting or original to remember back to as time marches on, and not much to look forward to as the future unfolds. For the...
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New energy goes mainstream
An unprecedented diversity of energy sources and players will come to market in 2015. This breadth of sources reflects the underlying, long-term trend of the world’s shift away from fossil fuels. In US oil and gas, the focus is still on shale development. Producers are beginning to open up the Utica Shale, several thousand feet...
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Classic capitalism is dead
The gap between capitalism based on production and capitalism predicated on sheer gambling has never been wider. Crony capitalism controls every crevice of our political-financial system. By this point speculation has been nationalized and institutionalized through the coordinated efforts of governments, multinational entities, central banks and private banks. The result is that classical capitalism is...
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The grand manipulation
Americans are the most manipulated people in history. Since 2008, the economy has been manipulated for the benefit of a few oversized “banks too big to fail.” US foreign policy has been manipulated to serve the hegemonic agenda of a handful of neoconservatives. These manipulations have undercut the consumer basis of the US economy and have...
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Defeating fear
Imagine growing up in a culture of fear, a culture in which your every action and every written word are recorded, tracked and stored. Imagine growing up in a world where, while going about your daily routines, you encounter heavily armed military troops peering through visors atop armored vehicles as you walk by. Imagine growing...