Dark Winter - Energy Lockdowns & Bailouts
Coming to a town near you.
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I read somewhere that an early example of mass psychosis was when Princess Diana tragically died whilst being driven through a Parisian tunnel. The outpour of grief, both by the British and the worldwide public, was extraordinary. This was a woman who was killed in her prime, with two young children, an extremely sad event. But the majority of people who mourned her death only knew her by reading about her in the newspapers. Of course, those of us with any empathy felt sad, as we would when reading about any mother who dies too early, but this was a step further than that. It was verging on being told what to do and how to feel by the media. Step out of line, think differently, ask questions about her death and you were shot down, there must be something wrong with you.
A similar thing happened with 9/11 in the U.S and no doubt other events around the world. Whilst humans have collectively mourned since time immemorial, these events pushed beyond the previous boundaries somehow. As I say, it felt like being told how to feel or think somehow.
The advent of social media and behavioural nudging teams pushed these boundaries even further until the pandemic mass psychosis happened. Gradually though, throughout 2022, more and more people left the mass psychosis and returned to the real world. Fewer masks, less talk about lockdowns and vaccine passports and a gradual return to real science, where the narrative began to be challenged.
I fear that with the death of Queen Elizabeth II, many will return into their mass psychosis, being told how to feel and think and therefore primed how to feel and think about other issues. Whilst at the same time shooting down anybody who chooses to feel and think differently. Already, the country is shutting down “out of respect during this time of national mourning”. Sport is being cancelled, events closed, even the weather has been suspended!
I’m all up for some kind of national mourning for those who want it. Yes, wear a black armband and have some kind of silence but why cancel everything. Firstly, I very much doubt that the Queen, who didn’t enjoy a fuss, would have wanted these events cancelled. And secondly, once again this will hit the poorest the hardest at an extremely difficult time. Cancelled events means people are told not to come to work and ultimately don’t get paid.
Already, individuals and businesses are being hounded to close shop because that is the right thing to do. The greater good has been decided upon and you shall do as you are told or face being outcast from society.
On the day that the new Prime Minister, Liz Truss, announced her plan to deal with millions of households facing fuel poverty next month, the BBC told us that millions of lives were “insignificant” compared with news about the Queen (before being corrected that perhaps the correct term was “overshadowed”).
The cabinet and Parliament met today but with only one item on their agenda, to pay tribute to the Queen. By all means spend an hour paying tribute but the Queen’s death was not unforeseen and all plans to do with her funeral were drawn up years ago. This comes just as we are about to enter a particularly difficult time with other issues that need urgent attention, which leads me on to the Dark Winter.
A rather dramatic name (and riding on the back of Operation Dark Winter) but even with expert guidance and leadership (do we have any?), this may not be dramatic enough. And to try to avert this disaster in the making, politicians are once again turning to the pandemic manual.
The EU President wants to “flatten the curve” for energy demand.
The same slick slogans are being carted out. In Switzerland they are using the slogan “Energy is scarce, let’s not waste it”. Swiss citizens are being advised to have showers instead of baths, put a lid on saucepans whilst boiling water and turn down the heat in their houses.
Germany are capping the temperature of public offices at 19C (66F), shops must keep doors closed, lights must be switched off at night and swimming pools will open unheated. France must also keep their shop doors shut or risk being fined €750. Switzerland are considering fines and even jail time for heating rooms above 19C (66F).
Whilst in public, the UK is saying there will be no energy rationing, in private ministers are drawing up Covid style information campaigns. More nudging incoming, designed by your favourite behavioural insights team. As with other European countries, the information campaigns will encourage people to turn their thermostats down amongst other things.
The National Grid in the UK is running two simulations on 13-14 September and 4-5 October to evaluate how to deal with an emergency gas shortage. Leaked documents have already shown that a worst case scenario of four days without power is being planned for.
Shutting down the global economy over the last two years and turning on the money printers suddenly doesn’t seem such a good idea. But it’s ok, our leaders who shut down the economy and turned on the money printers have a plan…shut down the global economy and turn on the money printers again.
Credit Default Swaps in many banks are once again at 2009 levels but it is the energy companies that are going to be bailed out. Many European countries have already started and yesterday the UK announced that it will cap energy prices for the public, but continue to pay the energy companies their inflated prices, with public money. The public once again being fleeced by disguising the energy bailout by asking them to be happy that their bills will only be double last year’s prices, instead of quadruple, when actually they are paying quadruple through their taxes, without realising it. And this energy bailout is for two years, no matter what the price, potentially costing £200 billion at today’s energy prices. Can you smell the hyper-inflation?
But paradoxically, these energy bailouts mean people will cut back on energy less, which means the nudging and self-enforced energy lockdowns will be brought in. Smart meter monitoring may be used to “incentivise” lower energy use or even to cut it off at certain times.
Furthermore, the energy bailouts won’t dampen demand and will do nothing to supply. With governments guaranteeing payments at any price and if the Russian supply situation doesn’t change, prices will spiral ever upwards with countries out bidding each other for continued supply. mmmm that hyper-inflation smell good.
The energy crisis then quickly spills over into the economy. More and more German companies are having to close and 60% of UK manufacturing companies face closure over the winter. Rising inflation and consequently rising interest rates will further exacerbate this crisis.
And these energy lockdowns won’t even need to be enforced. We are still self-enforcing pseudo-lockdowns with Google mobility data for London showing retail and recreation still down 22%, supermarket and pharmacies down 5%, public transport down 32% and workplaces down 42%. Have a look how your area is doing.
And to top it off, the health care system is in tatters. NHS sickness absence rates are still massively high and this is in the summer.
Waiting times are heading to the moon.
And leaked data to The Spectator show that even in the optimistic scenario things will worsen for two more years.
But remember it has nothing to do with erroneously shutting down the global economy and money printing and is entirely down to Putin. (yes he has jumped on the situation and exacerbated things.) It has nothing to do with ridiculous green agendas and net zero policies and has everything to do with supporting democracy. You saved your granny from Covid by locking down but now she will freeze this winter, it’s for the greater good.
A potential banking crisis, energy company bailouts, industries having to shut up shop, inflation, recession, food shortages and a failing health care system. Dark Winter may be on its way - hold on tight!
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More from the Bank of England. Fortunately everything is so stable at the moment, who needs the bank at work?!
“In light of the period of national mourning now being observed in the United Kingdom, the September 2022 meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee has been postponed for a period of one week. The Committee’s decision will be announced at 12 noon on 22 September.”
what i wonder is, whats being buried? the media and government will use this time of focusing on the royals to do shit we really wont like