"OIL SHOCKS in the USA?"
by Andrew Strom.
On Monday I returned from a
third-world country named Southern Mississippi. -At least, that is
how it felt down there - like a 3rd world country had come to
America. It gave a chilling preview of what life here could be like
if just a few of the luxuries we take for granted were disrupted.
-The primary one of course being OIL or GASOLINE. The United States
is terribly vulnerable to any kind of severe Oil Shock. And I want to
describe to you what happens when even a rich state loses its access
to basics like electricity, transport and gas.
I believe that these two hurricanes
have played out before our eyes the fragility of a system that is so
utterly reliant on oil. Those semi-trucks that we see roaring down
the highways everyday - they are like a lifeline to this country. If
they stop delivering supplies to the stores and supermarkets for even
a few days or a week, then the whole system will fall over. It is the
same with the electrical grid. It too is heavily reliant on oil for
power generation. And all of our communications, computers, lights,
businesses, appliances, TVs, radios, etc - all need electricity to
run. It gives me the chills to see how easily America could be shut
down. A civilized nation at the height of her powers - utterly
reliant on a black liquid, mostly imported from the volatile Middle
East. -Unbelievable.
What happens when the gas stations
run dry? -We saw this in Texas. People are trapped. They get stuck on
the highways, unable to get out. And when basic transportation fails,
then business fails also. Without regular supplies by truck, most
businesses would fall apart within a week. All it took was ONE
emergency, and the system could not cope. What happens if there are
MANY emergencies all over the nation?
When I first got to Southern
Mississippi in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, it did not take me long
to realize what a basic issue this was down there. I remember talking
to a lady who was working gutting out ruined homes. She told me that
she was UNABLE to leave the area - even though she wanted to. Her car
had filled with water during the storm - and would never run again.
Her bank (if she had any money in it) was closed - in fact, no
businesses were open at all in the entire area. All the gas stations
were either wrecked or shut down. She was working so she could save
up some money to get out. -And there were MANY people in this kind of
situation. A neighbor up the road from our base lost THREE CARS that
are now parked useless across the street - they had been submerged
and would not run. And thus, people get TRAPPED.
When people lose "civilized"
transport, they have only one option. -They turn to "Third
World" transportation. You see them walking everywhere on foot,
or riding bicycles. And this is exactly what happened.
It is
the same with electrical appliances. Our home base in Mississippi had
been flooded with water 5 feet deep. There is still a 5-foot
water-mark in all the rooms. The place was full of mud when we
arrived. There was water sloshing around in the oven. The washing
machine made funny "sparking" noises - full of water. The
electricity was off and the generator was little help. So what do you
do? -You return to "Third World" ways. You wash your
clothes by hand in the tub or in a bucket. You cook with a portable
gas stove. You sit around at night talking in the dark - or with some
kind of lantern. There are no televisions, no DVD's or stereos
(blessed peace!) There is no hot water, no air conditioning, nothing.
It is just like being in a 3rd world country. There is little of
"modern civilization" left.
In fact, like a lot of
people we even slept outdoors for awhile. Many people slept in tents
because their house was unliveable. We slept in a park across the
street - joining some others that we had met there. The mosquitoes
were terrible, but it was OK.
So let me summarize this "Third
World" American scenario for you. Without gasoline, electricity
or transportation, you lose just about everything. I can tell you
this for a fact, because I have seen it. You return to the status of
a peasant with a bicycle. None of your modern conveniences will work.
Nothing at all. If the gasoline is gone, you cannot even charge your
cellphone in the car. And notice that all it takes to make this
scenario happen is LOSING THE OIL. Every one of our modern
conveniences is ultimately reliant on that one commodity. Makes you
think, does it not?
So are you ready for your REAL "Oil
Shock", America?
I am convinced that God was bringing a
wake-up call to this nation through the recent hurricanes. You will
notice that BOTH hurricanes targeted three basic things. Sin and
hedonism had everything to do with it. In both hurricanes, the
CASINOS and also "SIN CITY" itself - New Orleans - took a
major hit. (Katrina wiped out the Casinos on one side and Rita wiped
out those on the other). Surely this cannot be mere coincidence? And
both hurricanes filled New Orleans with water. It really was
staggering. Surely God was saying something through this?
But the third thing we have to take
note of is that both hurricanes targeted the OIL - and showed up the
terrible fragility that the United States has in this area. It does
not bode well for the future if America fails to heed these wake-up
calls. She is terribly vulnerable in this area - far more fragile
than we have seen in the past. And God is looking for this nation to
REPENT of her hedonism, her materialism and her "worship of
pleasures" before much worse comes upon her. This was clearly
the message of the hurricanes, to my mind. God was showing how easily
America can be "taken out". Do you think this message will
be heeded?
[This issue is being discussed at- http://www.revivalschool.com]
God
bless you all.
Kindest
regards in Christ,
Andrew
Strom.