The Politics of the approaching energy crisis

In keeping with today's downbeat assessment of things I direct you over to The Oil Drum for a look at the Coming Politics of Peak Oil.

Because, in a petroleum-starved depression-laden economy, people will look to government for assistance, and be willing to give up freedoms and rights for security and food. The poor and even middle class of our country will not have the wherewithal to care about giving up liberties and rights as much as they will be worrying about jobs, food, and energy.

That means people will be willing to tolerate larger government, more redistribution of income, and concomitantly higher taxes. But to what end?

One of the things that most concerns me when I think this through is a drastic change to democracy as we know it.

That's right, liberties and rights will seem less important when you don't have a job and you are hungry. Think about that in relation to what we have already seen the last few years. We have a cabal in power who's only concern is more power. They have already used the 911 inspired fear to consolidate that power and they will soon have another tool at their disposal.