Notes from the edge of civilization: November 17, 2024
In the three-ring circus of our modern world, it’s hard to keep track of all the clowns, but don’t worry — Collapse Life is here with the highlights from this week’s global sideshow.
Ladeeeeez and gentlemen, booooooys and girls, children of all ages! Welcome to the greatest show on earth!
Let’s get on with the show, starting in the first ring with this amazing act from Azerbaijan.
Over in Baku, the annual UN climate conference is in full swing. You may remember last year’s conference, hosted by the oil-rich United Arab Emirates. Their minister of industry, Sultan Ahmad Al-Jaber, made headlines when he challenged Ireland’s former president, Mary Robinson, to explain how the world could phase out fossil fuels without triggering a socioeconomic meltdown:
“Please help me, show me the roadmap for a phase-out of fossil fuel that will allow for sustainable socioeconomic development — unless you want to take the world back into caves. Give me the solution,” he demanded.
Robinson’s response? Crickets.
To avoid any more awkward reality checks this year, Robinson and a few of her like-minded colleagues are now pushing for future climate conferences to operate as tighter echo chambers.
Future UN climate summits should be held only in countries that can show clear support for climate action and have stricter rules on fossil fuel lobbying, according to a group of influential climate policy experts.
The group includes former UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon, the former president of Ireland Mary Robinson, the former UN climate chief Christiana Figueres and the prominent climate scientist Johan Rockström.
They have written to the UN demanding the current complex process of annual “conferences of the parties” under the UN framework convention on climate change – the Paris agreement’s parent treaty – be streamlined, and meetings held more frequently, with more of a voice given to developing countries.
“It is now clear that the COP is no longer fit for purpose. We need a shift from negotiation to implementation,” they wrote.
Their suggestion? Slim down the unwieldy annual meetings and give more airtime only to countries that they agree with. Translation: Less arguing, more virtue-signaling.
You can practically hear the conversation behind closed doors: “Remember when we could swoop in on our private jets and preach to poorer countries about cutting emissions, and they’d just nod along because we held the purse strings? Now these pesky petro-states are pointing out our hypocrisy and ruining the vibe. Who needs that kind of negativity? Let’s just keep things cozy.”
Circus equivalent = Seal balancing a beach ball
Meanwhile, in the circus’ main ring:
Today, we feast. Tomorrow, we Make America Healthy Again.
Enter the Avengers of health reform, fueled up and ready to battle Big Ag, Big Pharma, and Big Food. Their secret weapon? A quarter pounder with fries and a Coke.
Nothing says ‘down with corporate capture’ quite like scarfing down its most popular products.
RFK Jr., who campaigned to “Make America Healthy Again” and called out the modern American diet — including Donald Trump’s penchant for “really bad” food — appears to be appropriately skeptical in the above photo op, which has now gone viral. In all likelihood, the fast-food photo-op was a chance for Trump to punk Kennedy and have a sophomoric frat boy laugh.
But it could also be a sneak preview of how the next four years are going to go:
‘Do as we say, not as we do. Look! Over there! A fluffy bunny!’
Circus equivalent = Tightrope walker
Ladies and gentlemen, step right up and prepare to witness the extraordinary, the unbelievable... the most astounding collection of human marvels ever assembled - the grand spectacle of the FREAK SHOW!
In an ironic twist, some ultra-liberal women are embracing abstinence — a stance historically championed by conservatives.
Inspired by Korea’s radical 4B movement — no dating, no marriage, no sex, no childbirth — they’re swearing off men in response to irrational fears of an all-out abortion ban post-Trump reelection. The problem? A nationwide abortion ban is far-fetched, and America’s gender dynamics are worlds apart from Korea’s.
In South Korea, where women face workplace discrimination, rampant violence, and limited opportunities, 4B grew out of real oppression. But in the US, where women excel in work, sports, education, and politics, the movement comes off as performative — a viral trend fueled more by attention-seeking than actual necessity.
While TikTok rants and hashtags have garnered millions of views, critics point out the absurdity: American women enjoy freedoms that make such extreme measures unnecessary. The 4B stance may feel like rebellion, but it’s more likely to deepen gender divides than spark meaningful change.
Circus equivalent = Bearded lady.
If you want an antidote to the circus, check out our latest podcast episode with James Corbett of The Corbett Report on how to consume a healthy media diet and triangulate information to parse truth from fiction.
Will alternative media survive what's coming?
James Corbett is kind of an ‘OG’ when it comes to alternative media. He founded The Corbett Report in 2007 and since then has produced videos, podcasts, articles, and documentaries, amassing a huge following along the way.
Not to compare, but I will ! I'm not condoning what team Trump are about to feast on, that's their choice, and certainly not lead by example stuff. At least they didn't order up thousands of dollars worth of the finest to feed 5 like Trudumb " thats spelt purposely wrong " would via the free flowing taxpayer funded flights he participates in.
The picture with Trump + the gang is hilarious. We had a good laugh about it. It'd make a good commercial for McDonalds but I noticed Kennedy wasn't smiling too much.