Erstwhile Urban Wanderer

January 31, 2009 – Who would have thought a little ice storm could result in the complete loss of all modern services we depend on?

By Dave Eriqat

Every time I breathe a sigh of relief and foolishly believe I’m “prepared,” something unexpected whacks me upside the head and reminds me that I’m not.

A little over four months ago we got whacked by a hurricane, literally. The remnants of Hurricane Ike swept through town, taking out trees and power lines. We were without power for almost a day. With considerable effort I obtained an electrical generator and got through that crisis relatively easily. I figured, naively, that the hurricane was the worst disaster I was likely to face. My misplaced sense of preparedness was also bolstered by the fact that the weather was warm and dry back in September.

On Monday night, January 26, it began raining, and continued doing so night and day for about forty-eight hours. As the rain reached ground level it froze on everything it touched. This is a classic ice storm. Ice may not strike one as a formidable weather phenomenon, but I have to say, besides hurricanes and tornadoes, I think ice is one of the most destructive weather phenomena there is, solely because of the weight of it. It simply crushes trees, bushes and power poles under the immense weight.

Ice-covered tree

See the “little” branch lying in the street in the photo above? I moved it out of the middle of the street, and it must have weighed a couple of hundred pounds because of all the ice on it. Around the base of most trees lies a large pile of such branches.

After the first day of rain, on Tuesday, I started up my generator that I purchased in September and powered my computer and a hot plate to make some coffee. For a time it looked like I might be able to endure the power outage, which I figured would last no more than a couple of days, the damage to my own house notwithstanding. About two hours after starting up the generator it abruptly shut down, perhaps because of the splashing rain even though I had covered the top of the generator to protect it from the rain. What’s funny is that numerous times since September I thought about rigging up an exhaust ventilation system in the basement so I could put the generator down there during rainy weather. Oh, how I wish I had listened to myself.

After losing all electricity whatsoever I decided to bail out and headed to a motel fifteen miles away. Unlike September, it was raining, I was without electricity in the middle of winter, and colder weather on the way. That first day I had my choice of three motels, all of which were accepting guests. By the second day all these motels had “No vacancy” signs taped to their front doors and were saying “Sorry” to the people desperately calling on the phone every couple of minutes. By the second day, neither a motel room nor an electrical generator could be had at any price. As repair workers poured into the region, the competition for motel rooms only intensified. My motel, which is probably one-quarter full normally, is completely full now. The motel is overwhelmed and cannot clean the rooms regularly. Whole families are living in a single room, and ninety percent of the guests here are local residents. Strangely enough, everyone has been really nice and tolerant. Sitting in the motel lobby, chatting over coffee, I’ve gotten to know several of my townspeople who I wouldn’t likely have gotten to know otherwise, which is one of the fringe benefits of this crisis.

After the second day of rain, followed by snow, Wednesday, things got worse. More trees and power lines went down, utility poles snapped in half, we lost all electricity, telephone, cell phone, cable television, gasoline and even water, as the entire town’s water supply was shut off because the electric pumps could not fill the water tanks without electricity. Of course, the gas stations could not pump gasoline, so people were pouring into the town where I’m staying from miles around, looking for gasoline.

Ice-covered iron gazebo

In a matter of forty-eight hours we were teleported back to the nineteenth century, when my house was built, but without the services available to people in the nineteenth-century: wood burning fireplaces, wood burning cook stoves, water wells, oil lamps, horses and horse-drawn vehicles. My neighbor sagely observed that it was surreal that while our town looked like a war zone, just fifteen miles away life was perfectly normal, with few signs of damage. Incredibly, there are regions that fared much worse than mine! Driving down the roads after the first couple of days was like driving an obstacle course. One had to weave left and right, using both sides of the highway to skirt around trees, power poles, dangling wires. A huge, ice-laden branch crashed onto my lane of the highway just a hundred feet ahead as I approached. Thankfully I was driving slowly enough to take evasive action. On the way back down that same highway a couple of hours later a tree had fallen across it and some enterprising blokes with chainsaws quickly sawed it up and traffic nonchalantly resumed flowing. Another time I nearly got snared on a dangling wire that I didn’t see until the last second.

My neighbors, whose house is largely natural gas-powered were living pretty comfortably. Since I wasn’t getting any use out of my electrical generator, I lent it to them and they were soon watching television and using their computer while keeping warm, cooking on their gas stove, and showering under warm water, that is, until the town shut off the water supply. But my resourceful neighbor, who is a farmer, filled a large farm water tank before the water was cut off, so they were able to trudge along even after the water was shut off. I considered buying a gas stove once, but decided on electric because I figured we’d probably never lose electricity for more than a few days. I was wrong. I’m reconsidering buying a gas stove and a gas water heater. With those, I’d have been able to mimic my neighbors and stay put. On the other hand, natural gas is facing the same kind of peak situation as oil, so even it may become scarce or costly in the future.

My poor electric meter ripped from the house

For me, getting through this disaster was not as simple as waiting for “them” to restore the electricity, because my electric meter was ripped from the house by the heavy, ice-covered wires. The electric company quickly severed my wires, leaving me utterly disconnected even if the electricity is restored. The next challenge was getting an electrician to fix my meter, quite a challenge considering that there’s only one electrician around these parts and he was suffering as much as me. I got a hold of him once after the first day, but not in the several days since. In desperation, I called a commercial electrical contractor, which seems willing to repair my house. Like the motel, which has made an exception to its bold “No pets” sign in the lobby and taken in family pets, the commercial electrical contractor is making an exception by agreeing to working on my house.

I really have to commend the repair workers who are making heroic efforts to restore services quickly, despite the collapsing economy. That is an unexpected but welcome surprise. News about when we might see services restored is like a rollercoaster. One day we’re looking at two to four weeks to restore electricity; the next day it might be a matter of a few days; the next, the repair efforts failed and it’s back to a few weeks; the next, someone from town informs me that part of the town does have power. Hopefully, I’ll have power within days, if I can get the contractor out there as soon. And hopefully my water pipes won’t have frozen and ruptured. And hopefully, my freezer and refrigerator won’t have thawed out, destroying a few hundred dollars worth of food, after I just stocked up. Until now that hasn’t been a problem because the house has been colder inside than the refrigerator! But the weather is starting to warm up, so time is of the essence now.

I lived through the 1989 earthquake in San Francisco, then the hurricane here in 2008, which was actually a little worse than the earthquake for me. But this ice storm is by far the worst disaster I’ve lived through. Each new disaster pinpoints where one is unprepared, and this one is no exception. Contrary to my past assumptions, one really does have to be prepared for a complete breakdown of everything all at once. As the economy continues to collapse and energy distribution becomes increasingly unreliable, we will likely see these total breakdowns become more frequent and longer lasting, not that this one is close to being over. And whereas this event was remarkably specific in its damage, leaving one person in eight in the entire state of Kentucky without electricity, nearby regions are operating normally and affording those displaced from their homes with motel rooms and restaurants. A more widespread crisis may not be so generous. In some future crises such as this we may have no choice but to stick it out in our homes.

Update – 01 February 2009

Incredible as it seems to me, I’m back in my house. I have electricity and water and the heater is running. While I was reposing in my motel room, my neighbor called to tell me that the electricity company took it upon itself to repair my electric meter and hook my house back up to the utility pole this afternoon, a Sunday no less. It was definitely a level of service above and beyond the call of duty, and a huge relief. These people who made a heroic effort to restore the electricity so swiftly are awesome and they have my eternal gratitude. In all I spent only five nights in a motel, which is longer than I would have liked but far shorter than the initial prognosis of two to four weeks without power. And thank goodness the weather was cold because I didn’t even lose any food in the refrigerator or freezer. With the house reaching a low of 35 degrees inside, even the ice in the freezer didn’t melt after five days. I hope the people still without power have their service restored quickly as well.

See Also

• A Preview Of Things To Come – Part II

January 20, 2009 – I never thought I’d say this, but I’m officially a redneck now.

By Dave Eriqat

The other day my mother e-mailed me one of those “redneck” photo collections. I always love those, but little did I realize why I’m so fond of them, until today. The reason I feel such affinity for redneck “style” is that I’ve become one! That’s it, this former city boy has officially “crossed over.” So without further ado, here’s my collection of genuine, not contrived, redneck photos.

Redneck central heating

Why waste all that heat that the dryer generates? I simply disconnected the vent hose, covered the end with some window screen, and heat and humidify the house while drying clothes. For real!

Redneck clothes hamper

Just an old cardboard box left over from one of my many household moves.

Redneck exhaust system

I don’t have an exhaust hood in my kitchen, so I rolled up some roof flashing into a cone that fits over my coffee roaster. The board sits in the window opening and a wine bottle cork holds the dryer vent hose tight. It’s quick and easy to install and remove.

Redneck stove top cleaner

I stopped using toothpaste several years ago – see, real redneck here! – but I still have several tubes of toothpaste. So rather than throw them away – I’m loathe to throw anything away – I found that toothpaste is great for polishing my glass stove top, and a lot cheaper than that stuff they want you to buy for that purpose. Baking soda also works well, but I use that to brush my teeth (I was just fooling about not brushing).

Redneck rain gutter

Over the years I’ve repeatedly tried to stop the roof leak in the laundry room, without success. So in the meantime, here’s my rain collection system: a few buckets.

Redneck water pipe support

An old broom makes a great support for a water pipe in the basement.

Redneck doorstop

This closet door won’t latch – one of about a dozen doors that won’t latch – and keeps hanging open, so in the meantime, a barbell makes a great doorstop.

Redneck shoe repair

I’ve been able to keep this pair of shoes operational for a couple of years past their prime, thanks to the miraculous duct tape. In fact, it looks like my shoes are due for another repair job.

Redneck security system

If I leave my house unattended for any length of time, I turn on the high-tech security system: boards over the windows. Look, they’re even labeled. Now, that’s class.

Redneck pest control system

I haven’t had the dubious pleasure of actually eradicating any varmints with this thing yet, but I got close with this one bird that was trying to peck a hole in my roof. And if “supermouse” ever returns – the mouse that entered my house and can cross a room in the blink of an eye, jump three feet in the air, and climb straight up walls – I’ll be waiting…

Redneck cable TV

See the cable?

Redneck desktop organizer

Cheap in-boxes stacked up are an inexpensive and compact way to clean off one’s desktop.

Redneck network equipment rack

It just so happens that those stackable in-boxes also make a handy rack for computer networking equipment.

Redneck bandaid

I saved the best for last. The other day I sliced myself pretty good with a kitchen knife. I have no bandaids in the house, so I made my own – that wasn’t the first time either, by the way. What’s nice about making your own bandaids is that you can make them any size. These would be better if made with that cloth medical tape, but I have none of that either. My choices were masking tape, duct tape or electrical tape. Warning: it’s a little tricky to fabricate one of these suckers while you’re bleeding all over the place, so it’s helpful to have someone else do it if possible.

January 11, 2009 – A dark short story, inspired by a dream.

By Dave Eriqat

My hands trembled as I delicately fingered the envelope addressed so formally to me, incorporating the title of “Mr.,” followed by my full name. My mind raced through all the possible reasons why I might have received a letter from the dreaded Council of Luminaries. My blog posts are carefully restrained, cognizant as I am of what happens to people who run afoul of those in power. It occurred to me, though, that not long ago on another blog I made a comment that reflected somewhat unflatteringly upon the emperor, mocking his economic policies as unsophisticated and likely to fail. Surely that tepid comment wouldn’t have precipitated a letter from the Luminaries, would it?

I sat down on a nearby chair and cradled the envelope in my lap, attempting to summon up the courage to open it. Perhaps its contents was innocuous, I thought hopefully. Maybe it’s just to inform me of some new rules or something, knowing full well that the standard way to announce new rules within the empire was by publishing them in print and on airing them television, not by mailing them directly to people. I was hoping against hope that the contents of the envelope was innocuous. I knew only one other person who ever received such a letter directly from the Luminaries, and he is gone, disappeared.

After my respiration and heart rate settled down a bit, I got up from my chair, gingerly set the still unopened envelope on a table and walked over to the liquor cabinet. Removing the solitary bottle of liquor from the cabinet, a dusty old bottle of vodka, I poured myself a healthy dose to steady my nerves. It was only eleven in the morning, far too early to drink under normal circumstances, and liquor was too darned expensive in those days to drink any old time. But that was one of those rare, special occasions for which I kept this bottle handy, so I availed myself of it.

Finally summoning up enough courage, I neatly cut the envelope open with my letter opener, as if to avoid antagonizing its contents, as if my showing it solemn respect would somehow ameliorate the message within. To my surprise and partial relief, the note within was exceedingly brief and didn’t sound terribly ominous, reading simply,

Dear Mr. David James Fulton,

Your presence is requested at 11030 Montgomery Street, Suite 5A, on March 12, 2012, at 11:30 AM.

Sincerely,
M. Pierce, Secretary, Council of Luminaries

“Your presence is requested”? That’s empire-speak for “you are ordered to appear.” The empire never makes demands of the people that sound like demands. All orders are phrased as “requests” because all such requests are implicitly backed by the threat of overwhelming force in the event of noncompliance. A citizen declines such a “request” at his own peril, which will likely be his abrupt disappearance.

March 12? That was three days away, another common tactic of the empire: let the citizen have a few days to wrestle with his own conscience over whether or not to comply with the “request.” Ninety-nine percent of the time, the citizen decides that submitting to the request is the path of least resistance.

The empire doesn’t hesitate to employ heavy-handed force when necessary, however. In fact, every now and then it makes a spectacular show of force, such as blowing up an entire building while it’s occupied by the squatters who have taken it over, in order to remind the citizens just how powerful the empire is. But force is a funny thing. The threat of force is more frightening than the application of force. Were the empire to rely excessively on force for mundane things, such as compelling citizens to appear at the “request” of the Council of Luminaries, the citizens’ fear of force would be diluted by its banal application. Better to let the majority of people permit their own imaginations to convince them to submit to the will of the empire, and reserve the actual use of force for spectacles and the truly recalcitrant citizens whose public displays of defiance would undermine the authority of the empire.

Ruminating thus, I managed to convince myself that this letter was not innocuous after all, but in fact, rather ominous. Reaching again for my bottle, I poured myself a second generous glass of vodka to calm my nerves. As I calmed down a bit, now a little woozy from two stiff drinks on an empty stomach, I realized that Montgomery Street was familiar to me. I drove down that street about once a month, but never recalled seeing any government buildings along it. My recollection was that it was mostly populated by sterile office buildings and industrial parks.

Since I had three days until I had to appear before the Council, I figured I might as well pay an advance visit to the address cited in the letter. Plucking my car keys from the basket on the kitchen counter, I realized that I was a bit too tipsy to drive, so I decided to eat something and embark on my mission after lunch.

After forcing some toasted bread and hot soup down my constricted throat, and with my inebriation somewhat abated, I headed out the door to locate the address cited in the letter. Montgomery Street was a good five miles across town and the easiest way to get there was by traveling along the city streets, one traffic light at a time. I made tedious progress in the dense traffic, but it afforded me plenty of time for contemplation and observation. The implicit threat to my own wellbeing posed by the letter I received heightened my powers of observation, making me keenly aware of everything around me: the myriad police units in armored vehicles, in cars, on bicycles, on foot, all covered in body armor and carrying both automatic rifles and sidearms; the multiple cameras monitoring every intersection, rapidly pirouetting to scan the cars stopped at the traffic lights, employing facial recognition software to search for wanted persons; the massive billboards and signs all around proclaiming the innate goodness of the emperor, the empire and its soldiers, and admonishing us to be attentive to “threats” from our various “enemies.”

While stopped for the light at one intersection, I observed in my rear view mirror the police swarming a car about three cars back. Evidently some wanted soul in that car had been identified by one of the intersection cameras, which then notified the police waiting nearby, hopeful for any action whatsoever to relieve their boredom. I instinctively looked furtively around me to make sure I wasn’t their next target. After all, I would soon become a wanted man too if I didn’t willingly appear before the authorities. Thankfully, no police converged on my car and I eased discretely through the intersection when the light turned green.

After an anxious half hour of inching through the city’s intersections, I finally arrived at the north end of Montgomery Street, a four-lane boulevard running north and south. I assumed address 11030 was to the south, since there wasn’t much development to the north, so I headed south. Address 11030 was probably going to be on my right side, so I kept my eye on that side, and since the addresses were in the 40000 range, I figure it was going to be a while until I got to 11030.

During the long drive down Montgomery Street it was just as I remembered it, consisting of building after building reflecting the same cold and sterile demeanor. Despite all the cars on the road and all the cars parked around the buildings, the entire street and all its buildings seemed lifeless. I knew from past experience that on weekends, the street was even more lifeless than on weekdays like today. On weekends, one could drive a whole mile down Montgomery Street without seeing another moving car, and all the parking lots would be empty, save the odd car belonging to the misguided worker believing that his or her dedication would be recognized and appreciated. I felt sorry for such people. I had learned first hand that such exemplary work habits are seldom even recognized, let alone rewarded. And the managers of these companies wouldn’t hesitate to capitulate on even a good worker if necessary to save money or appease the empire’s capricious demands. No, it was better to do one’s duty to earn a paycheck and no more. Most of all, it was best that one not draw attention to oneself.

One might wonder, if avoiding attention was so prudent, why I hosted a blog or posted comments on other blogs, particularly comments critical of the empire. I don’t have a ready answer. I am certainly not the type who enjoys flirting with danger or attracting official scrutiny. But somehow it seemed that participating in the blogosphere was the last flicker of personal liberty still burning within me, which at least made me feel alive, unlike the vast mass of people who long ago relinquished any semblance of living in exchange for life. To give up communicating with my fellow independently minded thinkers in the blogosphere would be to acknowledge that I was dead, just like the majority of the citizens. Participating in the blogosphere was simply a risk worth taking since it proved I was still alive.

I didn’t merely write blog posts and comments. I also clandestinely operated a relay node of The People’s Net, which developed after the original internet was taken over – or rather, reclaimed – by the imperial government. After the government reclaimed control over the internet and began ruthlessly censoring its information content and using it to ferret out “dissidents,” a grassroots effort emerged to create a new internet, called The People’s Net (TPN). Not surprisingly, the imperial government launched a War on Subverse in response and began arresting participants in TPN, which then led to its going “underground” and its participants employing alias names and other techniques to obfuscate their identities. (The perpetrators of the War on Subverse initially wanted to call it the War on Subversion, but the emperor himself decided that phrase, War on Subverse, was more consistent with the earlier phrase, War on Terror.) The fact that I used an alias within the blogosphere is the reason I found it difficult to believe my insolent blog comment could have precipitated the letter from the Council. On the other hand, there was ample reason to believe that the government had successfully infiltrated TPN, so one of those infiltrators may have identified me.

When TPN was first established we used old-fashioned analog modems over telephone lines to connect the network. However, since the government was monitoring all telephone calls, it became easy for it to recognize the multi-frequency tones made by analog modems and not merely identify the users of such equipment, but also tap into the data stream. So we had to develop some clever countermeasures, such as using steganography to embed data within prerecorded voice data. That concealed our activities for a while, until the government began scanning every telephone call for hidden data, which forced us to find another way to communicate. One good consequence of using steganography to conceal data within voice data is that it significantly reduced the government’s efficiency in monitoring ordinary voice telephone calls. Eventually we developed a highly encrypted hard-wired and low-power, point-to-point microwave relay system as the backbone of TPN, which the government has not been able to impede, so far. Once in a while the government would find one of us operating a relay node and a grand public show trial would ensue, followed by the disappearance of the “subversive.” Whenever that occurred, the network would be quickly reconfigured to segregate the compromised node so that it led nowhere. Those practices enabled us to keep TPN operating and its users communicating.

Address 12010 – I was getting close to my destination and the buildings still looked the same: bland, looming, glass-encased edifices, their only differentiating feature being the tint of their mirrored facades. Address 11030 – aside from having eight floors instead of four, it looked like all the rest of the buildings along Montgomery Street. I could not believe this was a government building. In fact, it had a high-tech sounding name on the sign in front, which made it appear to be some kind of engineering company. I didn’t realize my car had slowed to a crawl in front of the building, until the car behind me blared its horn. Not wanting to draw attention to myself, I abruptly turned into the parking lot of 11030 and found a discrete place to park, in between a couple of larger vehicles.

From my car I noticed the cameras stationed at the top corners of the building and recoiled from my car’s windows, so as to not be seen by the cameras. The cameras were a bit of a problem. I wanted to approach and enter the building and see the interior, but I was afraid that my presence there, three days before my appointment, might somehow be incriminating. See how effective the empire’s techniques are? By merely sending a single, terse letter the empire can make the recipient feel like a criminal and start questioning their every action, no matter how innocuous. Few people can stand up to the self-imposed character assassination caused by receiving such a letter, and most will quickly come forth, naively seeking absolution from the empire, even if it leads to imprisonment. Even being in prison is a relief from the self-doubt, crushing anxiety and fear of eventual arrest generated by receiving one of these letters.

Reflecting on the nature of the empire’s tactics gave me the courage to exit my car and stride boldly into the lobby of the building, which looked like any other: a security guard podium off to one side, manned by a guard; a couple of elevators; a directory. I purposefully walked to the directory to see what was on floor five, the floor mentioned in my letter. But scanning the directory, nothing at all was listed as residing on floor five or higher, nor did a “Suite 5A” appear anywhere on the directory. Alarmed by this discovery, I froze in front of the directory, perhaps longer than I should have because the security guard walked over slowly, eying me suspiciously.

“Can I help you find something?”, he asked politely, but authoritatively.

Stammering, I attempted to reply as innocuously as possible. Recalling the name of one of the companies I had passed on the way here, I said, “Uh, uh, I’m looking for Tachydyne.”

“Oh, that’s down the block,” the guard said, pointing back in the direction from which I had driven.

“Oh, really?”, I replied, pretending to be surprised. “OK, thanks,” I said, swiftly turning back toward the exit.

Relieved to be back inside my car, but disappointed and a little bit concerned at failing to ascertain the nature of this government office, I headed home. As I drove, my mind kept wondering what was this “Suite 5A” which didn’t even appear on the directory. The tension ensuing from my escapade got my mental juices flowing, and I recalled that the building I just visited had only four floors at one time. In fact, I realized that other buildings in the area had undergone a similar metamorphosis of acquiring additional floors in recent years. I recalled seeing them being remodeled from time to time, but such mundane activity didn’t make much of an impression on me at the time. Now, however, a pattern seemed evident, but what sort of pattern?

The two days following my daring visit to my eventual rendezvous point were hell! I could barely eat, even though I was quite hungry. I don’t know if I slept at all, despite draining my solitary bottle of vodka in an effort to knock myself unconscious. I paced nervously around my apartment, mulling over and over the letter, the building and the possible reasons why I might be of interest. I even neglected responding to e-mail messages, that is, until people started expressing concern that I may have been disappeared, at which point I felt obliged to reassure them that I was still here, at least for the time being. I didn’t tell anyone about my having received a letter from the Council, although perhaps I should have.

By the day of my “appointment” I was a mess. My eyes were bloodshot and dark bags hung heavily underneath, my hair was unkempt, my beard unshaven. I hadn’t eaten properly in days and my stomach was in knots and my fingers were nervous and unsteady. I wondered if imperial psychologists had discovered that three days was the optimum amount of time to let someone stew in their own fears. If so, it certainly worked on me, as I was now a bowl of jelly, and I still had several hours until my 11:30 appointment.

I figured I might as well clean up a bit, so I showered and shaved and selected a suit and tie to wear. Maybe looking good would help my “case,” whatever that was. I also forced down a big bowl of cereal and milk to help calm my stomach, skipping my usual cup of strong coffee since my hands were already trembling. I had a glass of orange juice instead of coffee because I read that it perks up the mind, and I felt I needed to be alert today.

I paced anxiously around my apartment in my suit and tie for another two hours, until shortly before 11 AM, when it was finally time to go. What a relief. Days of waiting and wondering would finally be answered.

Following the same torturous, tedious and time-consuming route as before, I wended my way through the heavy city traffic toward my destination. In contrast to the last time I made the trip, this time I didn’t feel “guilty,” as my presence was “requested” that day. I even brought along the letter I received from the Council just in case I was stopped by a police officer. In fact, I kind of hoped I would be stopped just so I could prove I had a legitimate reason for being on the streets, and perhaps to demonstrate to the officer that I was “important” enough to be contacted directly by the Council.

Our modern system of oppression warps our psychology. We become so accustomed to being treated as puny, insignificant and contemptible creatures, that any official interest in us elevates our self-esteem! It makes no difference if the “interest” the state takes in us is benevolent or prejudicial. All that matters is that the state takes an interest in us, which temporarily negates our insignificance. How utterly twisted and bizarre, like the way long-term hostages come to bond with their captors.

Despite the normal heavy traffic, my second trip seemed briefer than the first, and before long the building loomed up directly ahead on the right. I suppose knowing exactly where I was headed made the trip seem quicker, but also, when one wishes to avoid something, it always seems to arrive much too soon.

I parked in almost exactly the same spot as before and unhesitatingly strode into the building and right up to the security guard podium.

“Good morning,” I said, trying to sound confident and cheerful. “I have an appointment in Suite 5A. Can you tell me which elevator will take me there?”

The guard eyed me for a long time, until I started to feel my resolve disintegrating, and then replied, “Do you have any paperwork?”

Unsure what he was referring to, I nervously presented my letter from the Council. “I have this.”

The guard meticulously unfolded it and read the sparse words printed on it. He then refolded it just as meticulously and handed it back to me without comment. Getting up from his chair, he said, “Follow me.”

Walking past the elevators, the guard led me to a nondescript door, a door which I failed to notice during my first visit. He inserted a key from the key chain on his belt and pushed the door open for me. “In here, take the elevator up to the fifth floor.”

The elevator door was already open, reminiscent of the patient, waiting leaves of a Venus Flytrap. I entered and found a single button, labeled “5,” which I promptly pressed – there was no sense delaying the inevitable. The elevator lurched smoothly and forcefully upward, pressing my feet firmly to the floor. The elevator’s powerful motion struck me as a metaphor of the government’s power and authority, as if I were in the grip of a powerful hand lifting me toward the mouth of a giant beast.

Oddly enough, when the elevator reached its destination and its doors opened, what lay before me was unexpectedly ordinary: a small reception area, staffed by a neatly dressed lady sitting behind a small counter. Walking toward the counter, I started to reach into my breast pocket to retrieve my letter. But before I reached the counter a door abruptly burst open and an authoritative man walked out briskly and right up to me.

“You must be Morgan. I’m Dr. Octavian,” he said, extending his hand. Without waiting for a reply from me, he continued, “Thank goodness you’re here. We’re really shorthanded.” I started to open my mouth to speak, but the impatient, animated man kept talking. “Come. Let me give you a quick tour of the facility and then I’ll show you to your new office.”

Obviously, he had me mistaken for a Mr. Morgan, probably on account of my suit and tie. I wanted to correct his mistaken impression lest I get into trouble, but I was curious about his “facility” and thought that by playing along for a while I might learn something about it. Forgetting all about my 11:30 appointment, I followed the doctor as we embarked on our tour.

“The fifth floor,” the doctor began, spreading his hands expansively around him, “is our administrative floor. This is where your office is.” Then, walking over to the elevator from which I just arrived, he continued, “Let’s go to the top floor. I think you’ll find that an interesting place to start.”

We entered the elevator and the doctor waved his identity badge in front of the elevator’s control panel which evidently harbored some kind of sensor, whereupon the elevator doors closed and the elevator lurched strongly upward. Stepping out of the elevator onto the eighth floor, we encountered the same kind of reception area as on the fifth floor, but completely empty, lacking any plants, chairs, counter or receptionist.

Walking through the door in the reception area was like entering another world. On the other side of the door it was “nighttime,” or at least simulated nighttime. The center of the building consisted of a huge atrium, which was covered by a dark ceiling that showed simulated stars. Noticing my fascination with the elaborate artificial sky, Dr. Octavian explained.

“Ah, I see you are enchanted with our sky. You may recall one of my papers in which I explained how we can increase worker productivity by manipulating their circadian rhythm. A ‘day’ in this facility is 28 hours. In order to accomplish that, we produce artificial cycles of daytime and nighttime, as well as slow down all the clocks. The workers here ‘sense’ that 24 hours has elapsed, when in reality 28 hours has elapsed. Similarly, their 12-hour shifts are really 14-hour shifts. We haven’t yet experimented with longer days, but we may if we need to increase our productivity further. For now, their altered circadian rhythm, combined with the special drug cocktail we add to their food and water, which makes them productive but docile, is sufficient.”

Walking along, with the atrium to our left, we passed what appeared to be dormitories on our right. Only they afforded the occupants little privacy because the walls were entirely made of a blue-tinted glass, which created a glowing, bluish, television-like view of the inside. The doctor proudly continued.

“Yes, we like to keep an eye on our workers. They get used to the lack of privacy. Actually, they don’t really notice because from the inside the walls look opaque, which gives them an illusory sense of privacy.”

Fascinated, I watched the people in the dormitories socializing, dining, watching television, relaxing, all oblivious to their naked exposure. Perhaps because of the doctor’s mention of a drug cocktail, I noticed something else, too. Although they enacted the motions of living, the people didn’t quite seem alive. They seemed robotic, mechanical, docile. I also noticed that one of the clocks in one of the dormitories read 9:30 PM, even though my watch indicated that it was only 11:30 AM. Realizing that I was late for my appointment, I suddenly wanted the tour to end, but the doctor kept walking along the row of dormitories, immensely proud of his domain.

Continuing, the doctor said, “The seventh and eighth floors are dormitories. The sixth is our production center. We do mostly final assembly here in this facility, using components from some of the other facilities in this area.”

As the doctor prattled on, I paused involuntarily at one dormitory. Was that…? No, it couldn’t be. But it was. Alan Wilkerson, my friend, and one of the founders of TPN. I’d recognize that long beard of his anywhere. We all thought he had been disappeared, and sure enough, he had been, to here! A chill of horror swept down my spine as I realized that many of the people I saw in the dormitories we passed looked like “dissident” types. Looked like, but no longer acted like. Now they were docile, obedient workers – robots – too doped up to realize that their entire world was being manipulated to maximize their productivity.

All those office buildings, uninteresting, sterile and ponderous from the outside, were but facades concealing a network of slave labor factories, staffed by former “dissidents” who now robotically manufactured unidentified goods, probably specialized electronic equipment required by the empire. I realized what I had to do: get the heck out of building 11030, disappear underground and warn people about what I had seen here.

Realizing that he had gotten far ahead of me, the doctor turned around and walked back toward me.

“Do you recognize someone?”

“Uh, no. No,” I said, not wanting to betray my true identity.

“Come. I want to show you something,” the doctor said calmly as he resumed the tour.

Arriving at an empty dormitory in one corner of the building, the doctor said, “Would you like to see what one looks like from the inside?”

“Sure,” I said, trying to sound nonchalant, but still deeply disturbed from recognizing my old friend.

Walking into the dormitory, the doctor motioned with his hand and said, “Come on.”

I obediently followed, even though I suddenly felt vulnerable and threatened.

“You see? The dormitories are quite nice. Notice how the window looks perfectly opaque from the inside? All the dormitories have a spacious bedroom, a nice bathroom and a living room with plenty of furniture so our workers can socialize. Until 10 PM, that is. That is, 10 PM, their time. That’s their bedtime.”

“Do you like it?”, the doctor asked.

“Oh, yes, it seems quite comfortable,” I replied, feeling sleepy all of a sudden, even though it wasn’t even noon.

“You look a little tired, Mr. Fulton. Would you like to try out your new bed?”

Failing to immediately grasp that the doctor addressed me as Mr. Fulton instead of Mr. Morgan, and feeling overcome with the urge to sleep, I replied, “Yeah, that does sound nice,” and heavily trudged toward the bedroom. Suddenly I realized that the doctor had also said, “your new bed.” My bed? My brain was getting so foggy and my body felt so heavy that I couldn’t concentrate on these troubling questions. My only interest at the moment was lying down on a nice, soft bed.

Taking my arm and guiding me to the bed, the doctor said, “That’s it. Don’t fight it. Rest. When I shook your hand earlier, Mr. Fulton, I dosed you with a powerful tranquilizer. When you wake up you won’t remember a thing, not this tour, not me, nor your former life as a dissident.”

“Here, let me make you comfortable,” the doctor said as he removed my shoes, loosened my tie and covered me with the blankets, before continuing with his self-congratulatory stream of blather.

“Did you really think we didn’t know who you were? You were identified by the cameras before you even got out of your car. By the way, we also know you were here three days ago, which confirmed our psychological profile of you which anticipated that you would make such an advance visit. My ‘Mr. Morgan’ skit was merely to put you at ease. Did you like it? I’ve been working on it for a while, and I think it’s getting pretty good now. What do you think, does it need some work? You don’t have to answer. I know the drug is kicking in pretty strongly now. Good night, Mr. Fulton.”

---

Chapter 2 – The Reluctant Revolutionary >>>

January 7, 2009 – A cross-cultural effort to promote understanding between the people of Iran and the United States.

By Dave Eriqat and Kourosh Ziabari

This interview is a grassroots effort to promote understanding between the people of two countries, the United States and Iran. Obviously, the governments of those two countries have been at odds with one another for quite some time, but how do the people of each country feel? Speaking for Americans, I think we harbor many misconceptions about Iran and Iranians, which leads to a fearful frame of mind that’s easily exploited by our “leaders.” So my goal with this project is to perhaps enlighten Americans about who Iranians are.

This project was inspired by young Kourosh in two ways. First, I read an essay of his titled something like Inviting Americans to Iran, which led me to contact him. Oddly enough, his essay seems to have vanished from Bellaciao, so I cannot provide a link to the essay. After I contacted him he gathered the mistaken impression from my own writing that I was some kind of journalist with a wide following, and invited me to interview him! Despite my correcting him about my true humble stature, we decided to do this project anyway. Ironically, Kourosh is the real journalist, not I!

We plan a second part of this project in which Kourosh will interview me. The two parts will be published in as many venues as we can think of. Anyone interested in acquiring an in-depth insight in to Iran is encouraged to visit Kourosh’s web site, which is packed with excellent writing.

Interview

These questions are asked in no particular order. They may seem rather simplistic, but that’s deliberate because they are intended to anticipate the questions an average, ignorant (of Iran) American might ask an Iranian, given the opportunity.

History and Culture

Dave Eriqat: I remember when I was in junior high school, one of my best friends was a Persian fellow. I always thought it peculiar that he referred to himself as Persian and his country as Persia rather than Iran, though I never had the temerity to ask him why. Do Iranians prefer to be called "Iranian" or "Persian"? Why the distinction?

Kourosh Ziabari: I can clarify the distinction by giving you a simple example. Consider another major empire which enjoys a same historical background of Iran; the country which we call Greece today. The historical name of that territory was "Hellas" and the people of Hellas were being called "Hellenic" for thousands of years principally; due to the changing social and political conditions, they are now called "Greek".

Persia sketches the same image. It is the historical, ancient name of Iran and manifests 15,000 years of civilization, culture and "honor"; while Iran is the name which at its utmost returns to 73 years ago.

Persia is used mostly by Iranians inside and outside the country to attest the glorious past of Iran as a dominating power throughout the history. It has been renamed by the former Reza Shah and lacks the enough historical backbone; nevertheless, we all respect the name of our country today. Such a problem might be instinctive in historical countries. They undergo various transformations during times and that’s something spontaneous, commonly found in Italy, Greece, China, India and Egypt.

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DE: How old is Persia?

KZ: According to the historical, proved evidences, Iran is enjoying the world’s oldest civilization with an approximate history of 15,000 years. Prior to Iranians, there were some hordes and tribes who had been settling in disparate parts of the world as mere inhabitants without any classified or recorded lifestyle and civilization. Nevertheless, Iranians were the first people to invent the symbols of culture and derive benefits from them. The very early scientists, poets, essayists, inventors, academicians and rhetoricians in the lineage of science belong to Iran and you know most of them; Rudaki, Mevlana, Hafez, Ferdowsi, Rhazes, Farabi, Avicenna and Khawrizmi.

Furthermore, you may have heard that the first charter of Human Rights in the world is the one which was written and compiled by Cyrus the Great, an Ancient Persian king of 500 B.C. This charter is known globally as the "Cyrus Cylinder" and is the first official universal declaration of human rights in the history.

—

DE: A lot of Americans think Iranians are Arabs, probably because Iran is in the vicinity of Arab countries. Are Iranians Arabs or related to Arabs in any way? How do Iranians truly feel about Arabs? Do you personally have any Arab acquaintances?

KZ: Actually, as you said, Iranians are just living adjacent to a bunch of Arab countries, and no more. Iran is among the rare countries in the world which has such as a marvelous and unprecedented ethnic diversity, for you can find all the tribes of Arabs, Kurds, Turks, Azeris, Turkmens, Gileks and Persians in Iran. In the southern parts of Iran and in the vicinity of the Persian Gulf, the Arab minorities of Iran do live, where they have been settling in a peaceful co-existence with the other flocks and races for more than 1500 years and even have some strong national feelings toward Iran, despite their different language.

One interesting facet of the truth about the neighboring Arab countries of Iran is that all of them, except Saudi Arabia, were once a part of Greater Persia. For instance, UAE was the latest of Arab states which has been separated from Iran. It took its independence from us 37 years ago, and we still consider them as our close allies; similarly, the people of Emirates pay abundant reverence and honors to Iranians and designate their country as the second home of Iranians.

As far as the Arab world is concerned, we pay an equal tribute to all of the world nations regardless of which language, color, nationality and religion they cling to. As our religion says, faith, knowledge and science are the virtues that differentiate the throngs of people from each other and put them in a superior position; so we judge on people based on their dispositions, qualities and insight, whether they are Africans, Americans, Asians or Europeans.

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DE: What languages do the people of Iran speak? Kourosh, your English is excellent. Do many people in Iran speak more than one language?

KZ: Dear Dave, I am flattered to be said I am excellent in English. However, we have many people in our country with multilingual competencies. For example, the late Prof. Mahmoud Hessabi, a famous student of Prof. Einstein and the eminent scholar of math-physics, was almost conversant in all English, French, Deutsch, Spanish, Arabic, Hebrew, Aramaic and Urdu. Moreover, we have many students, especially language students, who can eloquently speak English and other European languages as well. The official language of Iran itself if Persian, but we have some fifty local dialects all over the country which are not even a bit similar to Persian! This is again an indicator of unique cultural diversity which you can find in Iran.

Additionally, many of the journalists, almost all of the university professors and political figures are fluent in more than language. It may be surprising, but, President Ahmadinejad himself is conversant in English and French, but he never speaks them officially or in the media, for some reasons which we can anticipate.

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DE: Does Iran make an effort to preserve its architectural and historical monuments? Can you give an example of a recent such preservation effort?

KZ: Definitely! Architecture and cultural heritage in Iran form a major and substantive part of our identity, our past and our future. There are some heavy forfeits decreed for those who harm or damage the national heritage sites and architectural vestiges.

There are a large number of projects underway for the renovation, restoration, reconstruction and perseverance of historical monument. One of the most recent examples is the joint project of Iran and Italy to restore the historical tomb of Cyrus the Great which has been successfully accomplished a few days ago by the removal of metal cages and scaffoldings off the tomb.

Also Iran has shared a stock of joint projects with Portugal and UK for the excavation of ancient castles in the southern Iran which would be some great news for those in love of historical castles, as well!

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DE: How “modern” is Iran? I suspect a lot of Americans have an image of Iranians living in simple brick houses in desert-like environments. After all, whenever we see news of a disastrous earthquake that destroys thousands of houses, it’s always places like that. What percentage of Iranians live like that compared to those who live in modern cities rivaling any throughout the world?

KZ: Unfortunately, in contrast to what the mainstream media portrays, Iran is more westernized than it should have been. Once, I was talking to Prof. Vivian J. Cook, the famous linguist scholar of Newcastle University who had come to my city, Rasht, to attend an international congress of linguistics in the Guilan University, where I study. He was dazzled by the architecture and construction of different facilities of the university and admitted sharply that even the Newcastle University does not enjoy such a modern environment.

You can come here and see that there are some slight evident differences between the Iranian cities and their western counterparts. Elevated towers, impressive edifices, protracted arc bridges, 5 start hotels, 4-band highways and all of the signs which a modern country should have, are found here.

Again unfortunately, the delicate and desirable signs of Middle Eastern architecture are becoming rather rare in Iran, and Milad Tower, which is 4th tallest communication tower of the world located in Tehran, is my proof.

However, the rustic houses have still their traditional and oriental architecture preserved; with spacious courtyards, green hedges and pales, hilltop and gable-shaped canopies, clayish chimneys, earthen walls and stiff doorways made of timber and mahogany.

Family Life

DE: American families are not as close-knit as those of other cultures. In America a sign of “maturity” and “success” is the ability to form one’s own household. So each generation typically has its own household, separate from those of other generations. In fact, family households in America are often separated by hundreds of miles, and family members go months or even years without seeing each other. Does this differ from Iranian households?

KZ: "Family" is considered the most fundamental and essential base of the whole society in Iran and nobody is allowed to "scatter" this cohesion in any way. All of the family members live together until the children marry and go on their own, that is acceptable; otherwise, it would be a sign of impertinence, impudence and offense that you separate your household from the other members of family and establish your own household.

Furthermore, it is an emphatic order of Islam to regularly have relation and association with your near and far family members. This commitment is figuratively called the "Bond of Relatives" and those who abandon it would be "peccant" religiously.

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DE: What is Iranian home life like? In other words, which family members reside at home? Who cooks and cleans? Who goes out and works? Who goes to school? How many meals does the family eat together at home?

KZ: The Iranian home is a pure manifestation of Persian Culture and lifestyle. The most esteemed and blessed components in this home are Holy Quran, Persian carpet, Persian Library which would be containing the prestigious masterpieces of Iranian literature including Shahnameh of Ferdowsi, Couplets of Khayyam and Mathnawi of Mevlana etc.

In the modern-day families, parents and children are the residents, while in some of the expanded families with more traditional tendency, grandparents also do live. Cleaning in the past 30 years was an absolute responsibility of housewife, but today it is shared by the wife and husband, but cooking still is an accomplishment of the thrifty matron. Obviously it is the children who go to school, but they are usually accompanied by one of the parents until they reach the school.

According to unwritten custom, all of the three main meals should be served with the presence of all members who are at home. If, for example, the senior boy is at home, and he does not join the other family members at the dinner table, that would be an unfavorable sign of dissatisfaction and cause indignation and turbidity in the home.

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DE: Do people in Iran own their homes or rent? In America it’s not uncommon for people to spend one-third to one-half of their income on housing. What percentage of their income must Iranians spend on housing?

KZ: The rate of home ownership in Iran increased dramatically during the past 10 years. According to the Iranian Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, 75% of Iranian people hold their own homes and the remaining 25% live in rental houses.

An average Iranian who lives in a rental house should dedicate a same amount of one-half of his/her median income to surmount the payment of renting, therefore it would be evident that those who live in their own homes usually do not spend anything for the housing expenses.

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DE: At what age to Iranians marry? After they marry, do they live with their parents or do they set up their own households?

KZ: Marriage, in the traditional culture and ancient beliefs of Iranian people, especially after they embraced Islam, has played a substantive and eminent role so far. Early marriage is considered as a solution of answering your indigenous and innate needs for which some people choose the unhealthy and illegal relations.

The average age of marriage in Iran floats between 18 and 35, but the religious creeds narrate that it would not be rational, proper to marry after one surpassed 25 for it might have harmful physical consequences for the couple and their children.

The wedding ceremony in Iran is a major concern and the whole family tries its best to provide enough resources and money to inaugurate a dignified, splendid and often sumptuous ceremony for the commencement of a new life.

It’s a sign of weakness and shame for the man to not have an independent home for himself and surprisingly, it’s a crucial precondition of girl’s family to accept with their daughter’s marriage that the boy should certainly have the "primary necessities" of a new life including home, personal car and career. So I can confess, without having any recorded stats, that near to 95 percent of Iranian couples, start their joint life in their own home upon marriage.

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DE: In most two-parent households in America, both parents work. How does Iran compare to that?

KZ: There is not any particular difference here. In some families, both parents work, and in the others, only men do. But it mostly depends on the financial situation of that special family and whether they are able to afford the life expenses by the single occupation of one of them or not.

Food, Entertainment and Recreation

DE: Iran is known for producing caviar. What other foods is Iran known internationally for?

KZ: You know that food is a reflection of culture in each society, and in a diverse, plural society such as Iran which is constituted of several sub-cultures and subdivisions, food is something which could be found in different variants.

For example, in addition to Caviar, which is an exclusive exportable product of Iran, Persian Tea is something which has gained international popularity during recent times. Persian Tea is different from those which are produced in China, Sri Lanka, India or Bangladesh because of its quality, freshness and naturalness. The artificial additions are not added to Persian Tea in order to change or ameliorate its taste; such additional essences that you can find in the tea of eastern Asia contain chemicals which cause negative physical symptoms in the long-term for the people.

Persian Kebab is another globally renowned, ubiquitous cuisine which is irresistibly delicious and tasty.

Furthermore, yogurt, which is a dairy product produced by bacterial fermentation of milk and is nutritionally rich in protein, calcium, riboflavin, is a kind of on-the-table dessert, served alongside the main dishes and is common in Iran, Turkey, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.

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DE: Can you describe two classic Persian food dishes that are particularly popular at home? For example, pizza and hamburgers are a couple of favorites in America.

KZ: Believe that if you test some sorts of Persian dishes, even for one time, you will employ an exclusive Persian cook for yourself to cook you Persian cuisines perpetually!!

You should be wisely selective and astute to name a few among thousands of variants that could be found on the Persian table-cloth. But let’s mention one of the most popular stews here to not empty the battleground!! "Fesenjan" which is a thick, tart stew made from pomegranate juice, ground walnuts and traditionally made with poultry.

The other one is "Kebab Barg", a Persian style barbecued lamb, chicken or beef kebab. The main ingredients of Kebab Barg are fillets of beef tenderloin, lamb shank or chicken breast onion adorned with olive oil.

Traditional Persian cuisine is culturally and nutritionally rich with the most delicious and fantastic foods which one can imagine. As I know, there is at least one big restaurant in each state of the US that serves Persian Foods exclusively. Though in some states, you can find Persian restaurants in every city!

—

DE: From photographs I’ve seen, Iran is a land of diverse climates: deserts, snow covered mountains, magnificent cities. Can you elaborate on the variety of climates and environments in Iran? By the way, to the people in Iran like to ski in the mountains?

KZ: As you mentioned correctly, Iran is the country of four seasons, which means that you can find the climate of all four seasons simultaneously in Iran. For instance, when the citizens of "Hormozgan" province of Southern Iran turn on their air conditioners and coolers in the torrid and astringent days of summer, the people of "Ardabil" tighten their quilts, blankets and ignite the fire of their heaters under the wing of heavy snow.

Iran’s climate ranges from arid or semiarid, to subtropical along the Caspian coast and the northern forests. On the northern edge of the country temperatures nearly fall below freezing and it remains humid for the rest of the year.

—

DE: Are there parks, museums and zoos in the cities of Iran? How much does it cost to visit them?

KZ: According to the latest stats, there are nearly 120 major museums all around Iran and I can name some of the most-visited among them all; e.g. the Museum of Cinematography, the Museum of Ancient Persia, the Iranian Museum of Cultural Heritage, the Iranian Museum of Time, Museum of Coin, Telephone, Post & Telegraph Museum, Mir Emad Calligraphy Museum, National Museum of Iran, Treasury of National Jewelry etc.

The number of zoos and parks exceeds what I could count. Most of these places are free to visit, but the base payment would range between 1.5 to 3.5 dollars.

—

DE: Shopping is dear to the hearts of Americans, and shopping malls are a prominent feature across America. Does Iran have large shopping malls?

KZ: There is an exceptionally large number of large malls and department stores in Iran. Two prominent brands are Refah chain stores and Shahrvand chain stores, each of which has more than 100 branches country-wide.

Also you can find numerous such malls in Qeshm and Kish islands in the Persian Gulf, and it’s prevalent that each province capital has at least one ultra-shopping mall with chains in the neighboring cities.

Religion

DE: How important is religion in Iran? In particular, do all Iranians pray several times a day? What religions besides Islam are practiced in Iran? Are other religions allowed? If so, is it easy to practice other religions?

KZ: Contrary to what is being advertised, the total amount of time that the Iranians spend daily engaged in worship and other religious rituals would not surpass 45 minutes! Also we cannot pretend that all of the Iranians pray daily. Religion is an individual preference in Iran and nobody investigates in the personal life of people to assess whether they practice Islam pragmatically or not. Let’s stress again that only those are scrutinized who insult the religious beliefs and creeds of people publicly, or advertise atheism, irreligiousness and sacrilege; otherwise, the masses of people, unless they offend or are aggressive toward the believers, are free to choose their own religion, to believe in God or not and change their religion to the other official religions which are Zoroastrianism, Judaism and Christianity. The followers of these three religious minorities, which are also mentioned in the national constitution, have 5 permanent seats in the parliament, their own communities and their own social rights.

It would be interesting for you that, Iran has registered the cathedrals of its Western Azerbaijan province to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites; something which you can not find in a Christian country to be applied about the mosques of Muslims.

Education and Work

DE: In America, public education is provided at the elementary, junior high (middle school), and high school levels. Education beyond high school is the responsibility of the individual. How does education in Iran compare to this? In particular, how is a university education made available to Iranians? Is it free? Must rigorous entrance examinations be passed?

KZ: We have different kinds of university education in Iran, which are among the unique types in the world, I believe. After one finished one’s college or high school studies, he/she can apply for the university entrance exam, which is a national examination administered annually with the traditional name of "Conquer". It is said that each year, more than 2 million entrants participate in the competition, but due to the limitation of university capacities, a number of 400,000 ones would be accepted each time.

In each exemplary group (Mathematics, Biology, Humanities, Languages and Theologies), approximately 100,000 persons would be qualified to enter the university as freshmen students; then they could select their desired major according to the exemplary group. For example, if I took the examination of humanities, then I could apply for sociology, journalism, law, management; or if I took the examination of mathematics and I were qualified, I would be allowed to apply for aviation, computer, architecture or other engineering fields.

Depending on the scores which you obtain in "Conquer", you will be designated with a national rank. For example, the person who gains the 1st rank of mathematics is the one who will undoubtedly apply for the Electrical Engineering of Sharif University, which is in this major among the best universities of the Asia.

Those who obtain adequate scores to be classified under a certain amount of rank, for example, all of the students with the rank of under 20,000, will be qualified in the "Daily Courses" which means that they can apply for the best state universities without having a need to pay even a dollar during their B.A. courses. The students with a rank under 20,000 are also eligible to apply for the state universities, but in "Evening Courses," which means that they might pay tuition, which is nearly 5,000 dollars totally.

There also other free, non-profit and private universities with lower scientific validity and a need of more annual tuition, but needless of a strenuous entrance exam which the majority of high-school students are afraid of!

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DE: How many hours a week do Iranians work? Do Iranians have much free time?

KZ: The average working time in Iran is 6 hours a day which starts presumably from 8 AM and lasts until 2 PM, but it varies from job to job. For example, the crews in hospitals, fire stations, police offices and ambulance services would be active 24-hours a day. Friday, which is weekend in Iran, is usually considered as a golden opportunity to rest and revive. Families usually go to city-side, countries, seashores, meadows and historical places on Fridays to spend their leisure time.

Economy and Industry

DE: A lot of Americans have heard of Persian rugs. Is rug-making still a big business in Iran?

KZ: Unquestionably, Iran is currently the world’s leading carpet producer and exporter. According to Iran’s Ministry of Commerce, the value of Iran’s carpet exportation in the last 8 months stands at $M 271.5 which indicates a 5 percent surge in compare with the same period of 2007. It should be interesting to note that Canada and US are the main customers of Iranian carpet, as you mentioned.

Historically, the art-industry of carpet weaving is a national, inbound craft of Iranians and what makes their efforts so worthwhile and appreciated is that the Iranian carpet is not woven by any kind of machines or industrial instruments, but solely with hands. The hand-woven, yarned rugs of Iran are world-renowned.

—

DE: I was surprised a few years ago to learn that Iran designs and manufactures its own automobiles. Is that true? How many domestic automobile companies are there in Iran? Can you estimate the percentage of cars driven that are Iranian versus imported?

KZ: Fascinatingly, the automaking industry in Iran is currently considered as the country’s mother industry following the oil industry. IKCO (Iran Khodro) is the largest auto manufacturer in the Middle East and exports its products to more than 35 countries including Russia, Poland, Turkey, Bulgaria, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Venezuela, Ecuador, Algeria and Egypt which are the regular consumers of Persian automobiles. At the time being, there are 14 private or governmental automaking companies active in Iran and According to UNIDO’s International Yearbook of Industrial Statistics 2008, Iran has currently the world’s 10th largest automaking industry following Japan, US, Germany, France, South Korea, Britain, Canada and Spain, surpassing giant markets of Sweden, India, Brazil and Italy.

Four types of domestic cars (Samand, Souren, Sarir and Miniator) which are totally produced on a national basis of engine and platform are manufactured in Iran and the country also sustains the exclusive assembly lines of Dacia Logan, Suzuki Grand Vitara, Citroen C5 and Peugeot 407 in joint projects with France and Japan.

—

DE: India has a huge moviemaking industry. Does Iran? Are there popular Iranian singers or music groups? If so, what are the names of some of the most popular and the style of music they perform? What about “Western” entertainment? Is it available in Iran? Are there amusement parks in Iran?

KZ: You went through a widespread scope of thought that needs a lot of becoming opportunity and designation to be elaborated; for the matter of arts in Iran have been historically a source of interest, discovery and innovation. Iran is itself a land of multifarious artistic breakthroughs and the fertile soil of nurturing the most fruitful crops of culture. Cinema and music are only two subsidiaries of Persian Culture’s pedestals and every aspect of Iranians’ life could have cultural, artistic dimensions.

However, in order to make a direct response, I should emphasize that the Iranian Cinema is now one of the most flourishing, prolific and successful cinemas in the Asia with the recent victories which it has acquired.

Within the past decades, specially during the 1980s to 2000s, Iranian directors and filmmakers have won hundreds of reputable and honorable awards from international contests, festivals and competitions and therefore, many of them gained an immense international popularity and fame.

Among all, I can name Dariush Mehrjui who has won the Silver Hugo of 1998 Chicago International Film Festival, Bahman Qobadi who caught up the 2004 Golden Shell at San Sebastian International Film Festival, Samira Makhmalbaf who triumphed over the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury at Cannes 2003, France, Jafar Pahani who has been granted with the Silver Bear of 2004 Berlin Film Festival and so many others which needs a "Constellation of White Papers", according to a famous Persian proverb, to describe.

But let me mention that we have some other film producers and screenwriters who are categorically among the everlasting masters of world cinema. Master Abbas Kiarostami whose list of international honors and awards is really much longer than I can elucidate, and you can find the honors of Glory to the Filmmaker Award at the 2008 Venice Film Festival, World’s great masters Award of Kolkata 2007 International Film Festival and Honorary doctorate of Toulouse University in the bill of his CV.

Another definite master is Majid Majidi who has the experience of winning some 33 international awards and 10 nominations for his masterpiece movies. Among his prolonged list of awards, I can extract the Lino Brocka Award of 2000 Cinemanila International Film Festival, Golden Dolphin of Festróia – Tróia International Film Festival, Douglas Sirk Award of Hamburg Film Festival, FIPRESCI Prize of 2004 Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival and the Oecumenical Special Award of 25th Montreal Film Festival. Once he had also been nominated for the Oscar Academy Award of Best Foreign Film in 1998 and was on the brink of landmark prosperity, but eventually lost the final contest to the Italian film Life Is Beautiful by Roberto Benigni.

The same story should be repeated chronologically about the position of music in Iran. You need to listen yourself to the delightful, tranquil Persian music with its majestic and charming captivation in order to grasp realistically that what the art significantly is referred to in the ancient land of Iran, and behold tangibly that the delicate and subtle aptitude of art has taken its roots into the heart, mind and soul of Iranians for a long time.

Master Shahram Nazeri who is the recipient of Légion d’honneur Medal des Arts et Lettres of France Government and Master Mohammad Reza Shajarian who is the holder of The UNESCO Mozart Medal are among the outstanding personalities of traditional music in Iran who enjoy an international notability and you may wonder that a great deal of Iranian youth are the regular fans of these major figures of arts in Iran.

We have also an international Popular Music band in Iran, Arian Band, which has attained a global popularity following its joint performance with Chris de Burgh in 2008 and since then, has been invited to numerous concerts and programs worldwide. The program manager of Arian Band says that the ensemble voyaged to more than 40 countries including Canada, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, Belgium, Italy and England in order to hold concerts for the all of those who are enthusiastic about Persian culture and art.

Collectively, a variety of miscellaneous entertainment is available in Iran such as frequent music concerts by foreign artists who come here upon the invitation of the Culture Ministry or private artistic companies, theater plays, cultural festivals, artistic weeks, giant book exhibitions, artistic contests etc.

The ground of selection is unrestrictedly vast and everybody is free to choose whatever he/she would like or enjoy. If you are fond of Eastern music, you can attend the cultural music concerts of Turkish, Arabic, Russian Chinese or Japanese groups who conduct programs weekly in Tehran. If you want to enjoy the Western music pieces, you can go to the special cultural complexes of Italy, Spain, Germany, Austria and Finland all around the country and relish what they offer you. That’s why I can tell you that Iran is the country of "Cultures" and nothing else!

—

DE: Have the economic sanctions the U.S. has imposed on Iran caused noticeable difficulty within Iran?

KZ: Without even a bit of exaggeration, I should reiterate that U.S. sanctions were entirely constructive and progressive for Iran. If we don’t consider the slim damages that sanctions inflicted on the aviation industry of Iran, which has been recompensed by the contribution of Russia and China afterwards, the rest of embargo was an overall benefit and profit for Iran!

They aroused the sense of creativity and novelty among the researchers and academicians of Iran, and such a provocation would have never happened without the imposition of rigid sanctions. Each time upon the announcement of a specific product’s prohibition of being exported to Iran, Iranian professors, inventors and academics gathered together so that they could find a creative solution. It is estimated that 45,000 inventions have been registered to the National Bureau of Inventions and Industrial Innovations of Iran during the past 3 years. Unbelievable figure, no?!

American sanctions fortified the sense of solidarity and cohesion in Iran, as well. Different political wings, flocks and parties tried to congregate and reach a consensus in order to solve the problematic consequences of sanctions, and today we see that they have prospered!

But we should note that a major part of the so-called sanctions are also "empty rhetoric" and media propaganda. America itself imports a variety of carpets, saffron, agricultural products and handicrafts from Iran each year, and it has been unveiled by the media that the amount of Iran-US economic ties have increased tenfold under the tenure of President Bush!

—

DE: How self-sufficient is Iran? Does it produce all of its own food and necessities, or must it import some goods?

KZ: Iran is moving toward absolute self-sufficiency and it has been anticipated that by the 2050, Iran will be among the completely-industrialized countries alongside US, Japan, France, Germany and UK.

The country produces almost everything which it needs. From energy to agricultural crops, automobiles, computers, cell phones, scientific labs equipments, home appliances and other trivial necessities.

Some kinds of rare fruits which are not adaptable to the climate of Iran, including bananas, pineapples and grapefruit, wheat and rice in small loads, some machinery services and electronic devices of computing industries in addition to redundant productions, i.e. which are not necessary or vital to be imported from abroad including clothes, foreign cars, digital cameras etc. are imported and dispensed regularly.

Believe it or not, Iran is the one of the most influential countries of the Asian continent and Persian Gulf region in all terms of finance, economy, military etc. According to the CIA 2007 FactBook, with a GDP rate of 294,100 million dollars, Iran stands 29th in the world ranking of countries by nominal GDP number higher than countries such as South Africa, Finland, Portugal, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Hong Kong and Croatia.

As the world’s 4th largest oil exporter, Iran’s Forex reserve value is more than that of Switzerland, United States, United Kingdom, Canada and European Central Bank as of May 2008, according to the same source aforementioned.

Social Welfare and Social Issues

DE: How is health care provided in Iran? Does everyone have access to it? What is the cost and quality?

KZ: You may wonder by what I am going to tell you! The last week, I had a guest from Norway, who is a biology student and one of my E-friends which I’d invited to Iran. We talked about a diversity of topics and subjects, but when it came to health services, he complained screamingly about the situation of health care in Norway in comparison to Iran’s.

Surprisingly, Iran benefits from the most enhanced health and biomedical accouterment in the Middle East and some of the hospitals in Iran are among the unique ones in the world. In the terms of pharmacology, molecular biology, cancer therapy and radiology Iran is among the best ones in the world. Furthermore, in the terms of clinical equipment, Iran should be ranked at least 3rd in the Asia.

The cost of healthcare in Iran is almost insignificant in comparison to the neighboring countries of the Persian Gulf. Also, for families with an average income below a specific threshold, costs would be reduced by a 50% discount.

—

DE: How is “retirement” provided for in Iran? Does the government support retirees? Do businesses provide pensions? Do people provide for their own retirement? Do retirees live with their children?

KZ: After a precise number of years during which you have worked officially under the auspices of a particular organization or company, you will be retried. The number of official working years varies from one occupation to another. In cultural jobs, for example, which include journalism, media, teaching, universities, advertisement etc. you usually have to work 25 years to be retired.

The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs is responsible for the matters of retirees. All of the retirees, who have finished their career in a governmental organization, would be paid a specific amount of pension monthly as long as they are alive.

Most of the retirees in Iran live with the children and enjoy their support, but those who have no children, or have their children gone abroad, would be kept in sanatoriums.

—

DE: What happens in Iran if one loses their job? Are they on their own, or does the government provide some sort of assistance?

KZ: There is a department in Iran called the "Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs" which deals with the same concerns. If some laborers, crews or personnel are expelled from their work by the employer for any reason, even because of the occupational deficiency, they should be paid with forfeits. Depending on your working years, the amount of sacrifice might be different. The more working experience you have at the time of being fired, the more indemnity you will receive.

—

DE: What are some of the most pressing social problems in Iran? For example, does Iran have problems with crime, drug abuse, homelessness, illiteracy, inadequate income, etc.?

KZ: The most crucial problem is inflation, which the people know the main reason for, so they try to cope with it. The construction of infrastructural projects, such as sports stadiums, railways and new airports, urban constructions, bridges and dams, hotels, cinemas, museums and auditoriums need the exertion of complex processes, investment and management.

The more you inject cash into such projects, the more circulation of money surges in your society which dramatically adds to the flame of inflation and inflicts negative effects on the price of goods, productions, foods and edibles etc.

The other problem is the unemployment of educated layers. Iran has a high number of physicians graduated from its medical sciences universities. Not necessarily all of those who have graduated from such high-ranking universities can find adequate occupation and job opportunities, so the rate of unemployment would be increased intrinsically.

I think the best solution is to reduce the number of domestic students of medical sciences and attract more foreign students to become physicians, because they can return to their own countries; but in such a situation, we face a load of educated people who have no job! This is something both interesting and sad; Interesting because in most countries, unemployment refers to those who have not sufficient education or academic degrees; sad because it takes a lot of commitment and sacrifice to be solved.

—

DE: Are drugs – like alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana, cocaine, and “harder” drugs – used in Iran? Are they prevalent? Are they legal? Are there severe penalties associated with their use? Are there any drugs that are legal to use?

KZ: According to legislative body of Iran, which is known locally as the "Judiciary Authority", the mass smuggling of drugs and alcoholic drinks is subject to death by execution in public and those arrested during their illegal job of trafficking will be sentenced to death without the allowance of having any attorney or barrister.

No type of drug or alcoholic drink is legally allowed in Iran; however, foreign tourists unofficially use some light beverages and nobody prosecutes them.

—

DE: How about sexual mores in Iran? Do Iranians engage in premarital sex? Are gay people in Iran as oppressed as we’re led to believe?

KZ: Generally, the concept of ethics is highly sensitive in Iran. I know that in religions prior to Islam such as Judaism and Christianity, an immense attention is paid to ethics and premarital relation is strongly denounced. Likewise Islam prohibits its followers from engaging in such diminishing relations and encourages them to fulfill their desires through marriage which builds the healthiest basis of one’s society.

To the majority of Iranians, even those who are not practicing Muslims, premarital relation is abundantly censured, for the ancient Persian Culture itself is blended with moral frontiers and barriers which cautions the people to adhere to some ethic regulations properly in their life so as to not get lost in the well of deviation.

However, those people who do not cleave to such mores are not usually subject to interrogation or conviction unless they publicize their deeds socially. Nobody investigates the personal life of people to see if they adhere to moral frameworks practically, but there are some judicial consequences for those who jeopardize the moral security of society by publicizing their crimes and sins.

Heart to Heart

DE: Finally, how do Iranians feel about Americans?

KZ: Dave! I am enchanted that, in such a short period of time, you have covered such a large number of topics and subjects as would be imaginable for me in a single interview! I had never answered such a mound of questions before; from politics and society, to arts and industry! However, that was really a praiseworthy experience of dialogue between an Iranian citizen and an American one which could undoubtedly lead to reaching a comprehensive consensus and understanding of both sides.

I think there are several links of common interests, grounds and values between the two nations of Iran and US. Although there is a rough and unfair war of words between our statesmen some times, I am sure that the both nations pay considerable tribute and respect to each other, for they are both civilized and cultured nations with deep roots in the soil of history.

There are millions of Iranians in the US, even holding lots of sensitive and pivotal positions; from Microsoft and NASA, to AT&T and GM, from the Harvard University to private laboratories being managed by the Iranian scientists.

Iranians believe in the scientific, cultural and social progression, advancement of America as a developed country and in many cases, set the examples of your country before their eyes as prosperous instances.

However, as a historical and civilized nation, Iranians would not tolerate the external intervention in their affairs. They want not to obtain social privileges, freedoms and concessions by the intrusion of US statesmen, for they believe that White House people have already their own problematic challenges to be dealt with.

But, in a general sense, we praise the people of America, and believe that they are feeling in a same way toward us, especially when we see how respectfully they treat our cultural manifestations; for example when they huddle around to witness the rituals and ceremonies of the New Persian Year Fiesta (Nowrouz) in the streets of NY City, or when they overcrowd inextricably to attend the music concerts of Iranian singers, artists etc.

References

Kourosh’s English web site: Faith Today, Persian: http://kouroshz.blogfa.com

Dave’s web site: Erstwhile Urban Wanderer

Postscript

I’m sure there are many additional questions I could have asked Kourosh, such as about sports in Iran. When formulating my list of questions I forgot that sports is important to a lot of people. My apologies for this oversight and any others.

See Also

Promoting Understanding – Part II

January 6, 2009 – With so many dire forecasts about the aftermath of peak oil, maybe it’s time to examine some of the positives.

By Dave Eriqat

Many of my posts related to economic collapse, civilizational collapse and so forth, as well as many similar posts by other authors are rather dour. The turmoil in which we find ourselves embroiled today is genuine and serious. Worse, our “leaders” are doing everything possible to prolong the agony and delay resolution of these crises and impede the changes we desperately need to undertake. Writing truthfully about the magnitude of the crises we face is discouraging to many people, who unsurprisingly prefer to tune out such dire news and attempt to carry on as blissfully ignorant as possible and hope for the best.

When writing about our serious problems I’ve usually tried to imbue my writings with a sense of my own optimism rather than deliver a depressing tale of doom and gloom. I probably haven’t been as successful in sharing my optimism as I would like, but the truth is I have great optimism about the future, if we are given a chance to work things out for ourselves. I have utterly no faith whatsoever in our “leaders” to solve our problems. Any genuine and lasting solutions will come from we the people.

With respect to the peak oil crisis, the first thing we need to do is relax, take a deep breath, and remember that life before the discovery of oil was pretty darn good and can be just as good, if not better after peak oil. This is the single biggest reason to be optimistic about peak oil.

Brief History Of Oil Dependency

Our over-dependence on oil is actually a very recent development even in terms of our relatively brief human history. Oil production began in earnest in the mid-nineteenth century, so we’ve only depended on oil for about the last century and a half of several thousand years of recorded human history!

Has anyone ever seen the TV show, The Beverly Hillbillies? The premise of that show is that the family patriarch, Jed Clampett, fired an errant bullet which struck the earth, revealing an oil well which made him rich. In fact, I believe that here in the U.S. oil was discovered in Pennsylvania literally oozing from the ground, so the premise of that TV show is not all that preposterous. The discovery of oil was less a case of satisfying an existing need, and more a case of discovering this oily black substance and then searching for a way to make use of it. Little did anyone realize just how many uses we would eventually identify for oil.

Many people incorrectly equate peak oil with running out of oil. The “peak” is merely the point of highest production, after which the supply slowly diminishes (hopefully), eventually “running out.” However, according to M. King Hubbert, one of the first authorities on peak oil, the time between the global peak and effectively running out (reaching 90% depletion) in only about thirty years, or the year 2032 by Hubbert’s estimate. So although we didn’t abruptly run out of oil when we reached the peak of production, which has been estimated to have occurred in the year 2005, it won’t be long until we are, for all intents and purposes, out of oil. What’s more, some countries, notably Mexico, are running out of oil far quicker than anticipated, and in just a couple of years Mexico may no longer be an oil exporter.

Human Achievement Prior To Oil

The point of the brief history cited above is to allay the darkest fears about peak oil by demonstrating that our history of oil dependency is brief! Humanity thrived for many centuries before oil was discovered and can do so again after the oil is gone. Consider how many of our greatest painters, sculptors, composers, writers, philosophers and inventors are from the era before the discovery of oil. Consider how many of our most treasured monuments were constructed before the discovery of oil. Aside from modest technological advancement, our most worthy discoveries and accomplishments occurred before oil was discovered. Arguably, the free and abundant wealth embodied in oil has made us lazy, complacent and unimaginative, temporarily arresting our intellectual and social development this past century and a half.

Problems Ensuing From Oil Dependency

Seemingly in lock-step with our growing dependence on oil has followed the rise of tyrannical governments world-wide; and in the U.S., decreases in educational quality and increases in ill-health despite longer lifespans. We are actually less fit than our ancestors, but thanks to medical science and a cornucopia of expensive drugs, we are living longer, though not better. Witness the explosive growth in the use of drugs to counter mental depression for evidence that we are not living better than our ancestors.

Oil has enabled and demanded an ever more rapacious destruction of the environment, culminating in today’s egregious practice of “mountaintop removal” to reduce the cost of mining for coal. Without oil to power the immense machinery required in such massive mining operations, they wouldn’t be feasible.

Oil has also enabled ridiculous new businesses, such as overnight delivery services. Such businesses are completely unnecessary, the “need” for them having been manufactured by clever advertising agencies. Overnight delivery service had not yet been “invented” when I was a child, but the world worked just fine, better perhaps than today.

Overpopulation

One of the biggest problems resulting from oil dependency is human overpopulation. Many people correctly point out that after peak oil we won’t be able to sustain the overly large human population in existence today. The implication is that the excess population will “die off” rather horribly, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

I’m not going to propose methods by which we might reduce the human population other than to leave the reader with this food for thought. Assuming an average global human lifespan of sixty years, for a nice, round number, if we just stopped having babies for thirty years the population would be reduced by half, without any violence or suffering.

Granted, most people will find defying their genetic programming to reproduce a nearly impossible feat, but I’m doing my part by consciously electing not to have any babies.

Reasons To Be Optimistic

Although coping with and adjusting to a post-peak world will be challenging, there are many reasons to be optimistic about what could follow peak oil.

Return To The Earth

One response I see as a solution to both peak oil and economic crisis is a return to the earth, returning to abandoned rural areas once inhabited by our not-so-distant ancestors, becoming more self-reliant, and reacquainting ourselves with nature and its cycles of life.

Our sterile, self-imposed segregation from nature has made us callous, not only toward nature, but toward each other. Is it any wonder that we hold life, human or otherwise, in so little regard when we have so distanced ourselves from the genesis of life and its cycles?

Speaking for myself, as I alluded in If I Could Live In Any Place And Time, I relish a return to a simpler, sustainable existence and am in the process of inching myself in that direction right now. I can honestly picture myself living someday in a handmade cabin on a verdant plateau in the mountains, relying on a wood burning stove for heat and cooking, a well for water, and my fields for food. I find that dream enticing.

Rejection Of Consumption And Materialism

Between the shortage of money and energy, we will be less able to “consume” in the future. Consumption implies extracting resources from the environment, which is directly degrading to the environment. But consumption also implies production, which pollutes the environment. So consumption is doubly destructive to the environment. Less consumption, therefore, means a whole lot less environmental degradation.

Concomitant with less consumption will be a diminished idolization of materialism. Forced to prioritize needs above wants, and limited by monetary and energy resources, people will have no choice but to abandon materialism and rediscover what’s truly important in life and which can be enjoyed for free: each other, nature, community, thinking and learning.

Restoration Of Meaningful Production

As we abandon the mass production of nonessential toys intended to satisfy artificially manufactured needs, in favor of small-scale production of useful goods, individuals will have the opportunity to regain a sense of self-efficacy as they become the principals behind the new production model. As we nurture our own new and useful skills, we will also acquire an appreciation for the useful skills of others, leading to a renewed respect for one another.

The future products of our labor will not only satisfy a genuine need, but reflect the individuals responsible for their creation rather than arbitrary suggestive imagery created by a marketing firm, giving such people-made products meaning. Which would be valued more, a unique piece of furniture manufactured by hand by a neighbor, or a piece of furniture cloned by the thousands in some unknown factory, in some unknown location, by some unknown individual or perhaps even a robot?

Return To Larger, Multigenerational Households

As people lose jobs in the “old” economy, whether family members or otherwise, necessity will force them to live with others who have houses and incomes. This is, in fact, starting to happen today. I view such a trend as a fantastic development, and always have. I’ve always thought it “unnatural” for each generation of a family to separate from the others and form its own household, even though that scheme is regarded as normal and desirable in the U.S., and probably in many “western” countries as well.

Besides being more efficient resource-wise, larger, multigenerational households offer intangible benefits, such as constant supervision of the children by family authority figures, the dissemination of wisdom from the older generation to the younger, and the necessity for all members of the household to learn to get along. Today, children are shooed off to be cared for by a stranger in a day care center and grandparents are sent to a “home” to be cared for by a another stranger. Why not keep the two generations together in the same house, which would be good for both of them? In addition, individuals today need not learn to tolerate or be civil to one another because they can sequester themselves off in their own homes and cars. Not surprisingly, when people adopt an “isolationist” attitude in their personal lives, it eventually radiates outward, affecting the planet at large.

Another intangible benefit of a larger household is that those who are forced by necessity to seek economic sanctuary in such a household usually have a pressure-free opportunity to take a time-out and figure out what they’d really like to do. Having such an opportunity can be stimulating and lead to the formation of creative new businesses that the beneficiary may never imagined was possible.

Restoration Of Community And Civility

As the old economic order whithers away and government becomes less effectual in “taking care” of us, we will be forced to rely more on our family, friends and neighbors, and they on us. Just as in the past we will find it necessary to share things instead of buying our own.

Of course, you cannot expect your friend, family member or neighbor to be magnanimous toward you unless you similarly show them proper respect and courtesy. So this renewed need to rely on each other will inspire a new civility among people.

Restoration Of Uniqueness And Differentiation

One of the more disheartening consequences of cheap, abundant oil has been the homogenation of the planet. Cultural, dialectical, religious, architectural, economic and judicial differences between regions have been slowly diluted by a combination of low-cost travel available to tourists and corporate dominance of the planet, both fueled by oil-based transportation fuels.

As travel becomes expensive once again, different regions will have the opportunity to diverge and differentiate again, not only producing a more colorful mosaic for us to enjoy, albeit less frequently than before, but also creating a climate conducive to more innovation and creativity.

Renewed Innovation And Creativity

Adversity and challenge have historically been the mother of invention, which is why I feel our lazy reliance on cheap, abundant oil has temporarily arrested genuine innovation and creativity in our species. As the future challenges intensify, we will be forced to become creative and innovative again.

Restoration Of Public Health

I have little doubt that if people spent less time sitting on their butts in front of computer screens (like me) and pushing papers around their desktops, and spent more time moving around, occasionally even exerting themselves, that they’d be more fit than fat and enjoy better mental health as well. Fortunately, the return to a small-scale agrarian and production-oriented economy in the future will necessitate a more active workforce.

In addition, less oil will cause a greater reliance on walking and bicycling for transportation, which will have obvious health benefits for us.

Home-grown food, which will be increasingly necessary, will be more healthful than today’s food, processed, unripe, irradiated and chemical-laden as it is.

A lower standard of living, combined with the inability of governments to fund their lavish health care (sick care) systems means that we will no longer be able to operate a health care system based on expensive treatment, including with expensive pharmaceutical drugs. As people get more exercise and eat better food and our focus shifts from treatment to lower cost preventive health care, they won’t need to rely so much on pharmaceutical drugs. Add in forced abstinence from pharmaceutical drugs due to future economic realities, and I suspect our health will improve substantially.

Restoration Of Freedom

Governments operate on oil, just like everything else does. Without oil-based fuels, governments cannot power their death-delivering ships, tanks and aircraft. Without money, governments can’t fund their domineering, freedom-crushing bureaucracies. Likewise, corporations will be forced to “downsize,” perhaps to the point of nonexistence. Admittedly, tyrannical governments existed before oil was discovered – the Roman empire comes to mind – but those ancient governments couldn’t hold a candle to the tyrannical governments that have arisen since the advent of cheap and abundant oil supplies.

And in marked contrast to the obvious trend today toward global government, a future of oil scarcity may actually produce the opposite trend, the disintegration of large nations into smaller ones, a process that I believe will enhance freedom, albeit at the cost of more personal responsibility, vigilance and effort.

Embracing Or Resisting Change

Change is coming whether we like it or not, so we might as well embrace it while we still have abundant supplies of oil and other fossil fuels. The most prudent use of our dwindling fossil fuel wealth is to apply it toward preparing for what comes after peak oil.

The existing power structure is currently resisting any change whatsoever. That’s what the financial system bailouts are all about, preserving the obsolete status quo. If one thinks about the exigencies of peak oil from the standpoint of those currently in power, they’re not appealing. The decentralized, localized, grassroots model of production and economy demanded by peak oil is anathema to those presently benefiting from the highly centralized, hierarchical society, which is so very efficient at transferring wealth from the masses to those leaders at the top. Obviously, they are going to continue to resist the changes demanded by peak oil with all their might, even to the point of destroying the planet to prevent change. Resistance to change by those in power is, in fact, the biggest impediment we face, other than getting ordinary folks to acknowledge and accept that we must change. The present economic crisis is at least performing the valuable service of waking people up to the need for change, and by change I don’t mean a mere changing of the guard.