Yet another brilliant essay. And yes Ben's clarifications are also piecing. Our political and financial systems have been stealing form the future for centuries. Now, as you suggest, there is no there there. Our Ponzi Scheme political economy, will never face the music, and then the music will just stop. I heard a fellow the saying other day "the goddam scientists did this to us". You and I Mike are probably already on the scapegoat list, not to mention we are boomers, and they need us for biodiesel. This is why we are rushing headlong into fascism, the people need to shoot all the messengers and malcontents, to sustain their oblivion.