Some error occured while loading the Quick View. Please close the Quick View and try reloading the page.
A guide to the decline of the American empire for individuals, families and communities
The United States is in steep decline. Plagued by runaway debt, a shrinking economy, and environmental catastrophes to rival Chernobyl, the United States has been retracing the trajectory of the Soviet Union in the early 1980s toward national bankruptcy and political dissolution. By comparing a collapse that has run its course to one that is now unfolding, Dmitry Orlov holds a unique lens up to America's present and future.
As Orlov's predictions continue to come true, his writing continues to gain mainstream acceptance. This revised and updated edition of Reinventing Collapse examines the circumstances of the demise of the Soviet superpower and offers clear insights into how we might prepare for the events that are unfolding here.
Orlov gives no quarter to prophets of doom and gloom, finding plenty of room for optimism, if only we focus our efforts on personal and cultural transformation instead of trying to perpetuate an impossible status quo. This challenging yet inspiring and surprisingly upbeat work is a must-read for anyone concerned about peak oil, the environment, geopolitics, international relations, and life in a resource-constrained world.
Dmitry Orlov is an American engineer who was an eyewitness to the Soviet collapse and has written extensively on the subject of the impending collapse of the United States.
Dmitry Orlov was born and raised in Leningrad, USSR and immigrated to the United States in the mid-seventies. He was an eyewitness to the Soviet collapse over several extended visits to his Russian homeland between the late eighties and mid-nineties. Dmitry is an engineer who has contributed to fields as diverse as high-energy Physics and Internet security. Starting in 2005, he has written extensively on the subject of the approaching collapse of the United States, and the many similarities and differences between the post-American and the post-Soviet experience. Dmitry sees his mission as a public service: in his numerous articles, presentations and interviews he has argued that collapse of the US, although inevitable, is survivable, given the right attitude and some timely preparation.
Preface to Second Edition
Introduction
1 The Soviet Example
The Collapse of the Soviet Union: An Overview
Back in the USSR
A Rude Awakening
The New Normal
My Premise
2 Superpower Similarities
The Myth of Inclusiveness
Better Living Through Science
Industrial Food Production
Consumer Goods
Information Technology
The Cost of Technological Progress
Militarism
World's Jailers
Evil Empires
Bankruptcy
Collapse of Legitimacy
3 The Collapse Gap
Collapses in General
Energy
Housing
Transportation
Employment
Families
Money
Consumerism
Food
Medicine
Education
Ethnicity
Religion
Inevitable Conclusion
4 Collapse Mitigation
The Collapse Party Platform
Political Solutions
Private Sector Solutions
Activism and Apathy
Boondoggles to the Rescue!
Investment Advice
The Future is Rated "B"
Starve the Beast
5 Adaptation
Loss of "Normalcy"
Smelling the Roses
Comforts and Necessities
Surviving Radical Cashectomy
The Revised Playbook
Lowering Your Standards
Playing the Part
The Settled and the Nomadic
6 Career Opportunities
Asset Stripping
Drugs and Alcohol
Providing Security
Serving Your Country
Alternative Medicine
Alternative Transportation
Social Work in the Home
That's No Way to Run a Business!
The Permanently Unemployed Consumer
How (not to) Organize a Community
Conclusion
Index
About the Author