The apocalyptic, "end of modern society" thread

[Saturos]

So, do you guys think it will happen in our lifetime? Living around older folks like my father sometimes bums me out, but it gets me thinking too. Not just him, (or others like him) evidence can be found that the pinnacle of modern society is waning in the U.S. (not sure about the condition of other countries though). Here's four major factors of some of the warning signs that I've heard from people around here that may be the signs that the U.S. is in it's death throes:

• Most of raw material manufacturing has been outsourced to other countries (Some of my college books even say so by describing the state of our service based economy and globalization.)
  
• Many U.S. citizens are described as being "apathetic" to any kind of principles on which the U.S. was founded upon. The president and other leaders are viewed as, "lying, backstabbing politicians with no principles" anymore.
  
• Gas prices have skyrocketed not because of shortage, but because the U.S. owes so many other countries, like China, a substantial sum of international money and hence what some people have called, "The band-aid economy". (International money meaning raw goods like steel, gold, etc. Which is why inflation of U.S. currrency is so prevelent also)
  
• Popular culture around here (the U.S.) has seemed to stagnate as people seem to be more concerned with making ends meet rather than the latest fad or trend in society. Seriously, is it just me, or does it seem things don't seem to change in the way of popular culture as rapidly as it used too? Like every decade or so? The 2000's doesn't seem much different than the 1990's tbh.

and here's a list of things that will dramatically change supposedly if things come to worse, (collapse ala. Postmaster/Madmax and not DeusEx style)

• No longer will IT/computer technology be a major factor in our lives. You'd be lucky to even have electricity and indoor plumbing, much less the internet(s).
  
• Gas prices will drum up to about $10 a gallon. Which also means most petroleum based plastics and fabrics (nylon, polyester, etc.) will be the domain of the super wealthy. Cotton and leather will once again be the main fabric for clothing and such for the common people. No plastics also futher drives the nails in the coffin for computer technology, as most silicon chips are synthetic/petroleum based plastics as well.
  
• Old crafts such as tailoring, shoemaking, saddlers, blacksmiths, farming, metalergy, millwrights will once again be the main market.
  
• Forget cars as a primary means of transportation. Ride'em cowboy!
  
• BTW, money is not paper, metal, nor electronic, but whatever can be used for eating, drinking, and other survival necessities. Basically, a bartering system will replace currency.
  
• and above all, little to no law will be in place. Much like how it was in the Wild West/U.S. Civil War days, law depends on the few assigned to defend the colonies of survivors.

So, are we crazy, or will it happen someday? If so, (and if you guys don't agree that this is how things will turn out) what can we expect? Will the U.S. drag the entire world down with it too? What will things be like in England, Australia, South Korea, etc.?

Last but not least, I am most definately not in cohoots with wadsy or Kathaksung. Just so you know. :|

 

[Sparta]

I seriously doubt anything like this would ever happen, without World War 3 happening first.

 

[Saturos]

I seriously doubt anything like this would ever happen, without World War 3 happening first.

Which it probably will happen eventually. *sigh* Why can't we all just get along? :|

 

[elkaebee]

Why can't we all just get along?

<insert generic cynical statement about the nature of the human race here>

 

[Trevelyan]

I'll just blame the black people.

 

[Avoidist]

There may be a mass power restructuring (ie with China and others on top) but as long as science keeps progressing at a steady pace we should be able to keep the world from collapsing in on itself. Sustainable Nuclear Fusion for example would completely eliminate absolutely every problem we currently have concerning energy in the blink of an eye.

 

[jverne]

i'm not sure how it's gonna end, i just hope we wont see any non conventional weapons used. they scare the shit out of me.



i'd like to add a few thoughts concerning the post apocalyptic life.

living in the wild 200 years ago (or even 100 for that matter) was less dangerous.
the developed world has polluted so much its environment that without technology we'd die really quickly. example

water...main resource for life. most surface freshwater is biologically or chemically contaminated. without cleaning plants most people would die off due to infections or poisoning. pollution in water can remain from 10 to 1000 years.

diseases...modern microbes are far more tolerant to our defense mechanisms, due to the extensive use of antibiotics. many, many people will die off because of that.

the earliest of the post apocalyptic generation would have it the toughest, since they are not accustomed to living without technology psychologically and physically.

growing food...we killed so many natural predators and allowed pests to thrive, mass growing food without chemicals is impossible.

there is not enough arable land (in the developed world) to sustain the accumulated human population. we'd see mass migrations and crime. until most die off, that is.


the picture wont be pretty. especially for the first generation of survivors.

 

[Saturos]

There may be a mass power restructuring (ie with China and others on top) but as long as science keeps progressing at a steady pace we should be able to keep the world from collapsing in on itself. Sustainable Nuclear Fusion for example would completely eliminate absolutely every problem we currently have concerning energy in the blink of an eye.

But what motive would a scientist have if he/she is hungry and money matters not anymore?

Ideology, philosophy, science etc., is a luxury for those who have time to ponder such things and don't have to worry about where their next meal comes from.

i'm not sure how it's gonna end, i just hope we wont see any non conventional weapons used. they scare the shit out of me.



i'd like to add a few thoughts concerning the post apocalyptic life.

living in the wild 200 years ago (or even 100 for that matter) was less dangerous.
the developed world has polluted so much its environment that without technology we'd die really quickly. example

water...main resource for life. most surface freshwater is biologically or chemically contaminated. without cleaning plants most people would die off due to infections or poisoning. pollution in water can remain from 10 to 1000 years.

diseases...modern microbes are far more tolerant to our defense mechanisms, due to the extensive use of antibiotics. many, many people will die off because of that.

the earliest of the post apocalyptic generation would have it the toughest, since they are not accustomed to living without technology psychologically and physically.

growing food...we killed so many natural predators and allowed pests to thrive, mass growing food without chemicals is impossible.

there is not enough arable land (in the developed world) to sustain the accumulated human population. we'd see mass migrations and crime. until most die off, that is.


the picture wont be pretty. especially for the first generation of survivors.

Indeed jverne. I couldn't have said it better myself. Like you, I hope it doesn't happen in my (or my grandchildren's for that matter) lifetime, but highly unlikely at the rate things are going it seems.

BTW, when you say "unconventional weapons", do you mean like swords and bows?

 

[Remus]

Pessimistic much. I seriously roll-eyed all the way through this thread. This forum really pisses me off sometimes. It's almost like some of you want something apocalyptic to happen...:|

 

[Krynn72]

**** yeah I do. I wanna be here when the world ends.

 

[jverne]

Pessimistic much. I seriously roll-eyed all the way through this thread. This forum really pisses me off sometimes. It's almost like some of you want something apocalyptic to happen...:|

well no, i like it the way it is (almost). that's just a thought.

 

[Saturos]

**** yeah I do. I wanna be here when the world ends.

You've really got to be crazy to say such a thing. You'd probably get along with some of the bunch around here then. I swear, I think my father was born in the wrong century sometimes, and there's this older man that lives near us that's strikingly similar to "The Truth" character on GTA:San Andreas. :|

He says he used to work for the government and knows all kinds of conspiracies and such.

Plus, he smokes pot and owns a post-apocalyptic-like dune buggy that looks much like the one in HL2. (not just a little, but alot , and sounds like it too.)

water...main resource for life. most surface freshwater is biologically or chemically contaminated. without cleaning plants most people would die off due to infections or poisoning. pollution in water can remain from 10 to 1000 years.

Just wanted to mention. What about cities during the middle ages that suffered the black plague? Water contamination is likely more prevelent in densly populated areas, but since they didn't have all the cleansing/purification methods back then, much of the water supply wasn't very healthy in larger cities then either.

 

[Dodo]

i'd build a helicopter that runs on funny jokes and fly to tibet or something, nice and quiet while humanity rapes itself : )

-dodo

 

[Saturos]

i'd build a helicopter that runs on funny jokes and fly to tibet or something, nice and quiet while humanity rapes itself : )

-dodo

The funny joke(s) being that you'd actually be "stuck-like-chuck" just like the rest of us as there'd be no possible way to even build a copter that runs on funny jokes? :dozey:

 

[Dodo]

The funny joke(s) being that you'd actually be "stuck-like-chuck" just like the rest of us as there'd be no possible way to even build a copter that runs on funny jokes? :dozey:

says who ?

-dodo

 

[Beerdude26]

It's almost like some of you want something apocalyptic to happen...:|

Well, there's exoskeletons, big-ass weapons that destroy everything that anyone can buy, shitloads of technology that you could use to survive an apocalypse.

Just imagine making your own custom exoskeleton (if they ever become available, or simply stolen from some mining corporation or something) specifically for surviving an apocalypse. It'd be pretty goddamn awesome. Makes you kinda want an apocalypse just to see how far you could get.

 

[Ennui]

If any of you honestly believe that the world is not going to change radically and drastically within our lifetime (in the next 80 years or so) you're simply not looking at the facts. I'm not saying that something apocalyptic is going to happen, necessarily, but things WILL change. Think about all of these factors, for example...

- Population. The population is growing incredibly rapidly, much faster than it ever has in history, and we face serious population problems that we will be forced to address within 50 years if something doesn't change. The projected population for 2050 is conservatively 9 billion - that's 2.5 billion new people in 50 years. Think about our problems with poverty right now, and add 2.5 billion more people to the equation, of whom the majority are 3rd-world inhabitants. The population problem also compounds the issues arising from everything else.
- Resources. Our civilization and society requires a constant source of energy to maintain and progress, and currently relies heavily on non-renewable resources to fulfill that need. These resources - coal, oil, etc - are finite, which means that at some point they will be depleted. Probably not as long from now as you might imagine. When that happens, it will cause major economic destabilization and also immense infrastructure problems with all developed first-world countries... what use is a car if you have no gas to put in it? Even if we come up with a feasible wide-scale renewable energy resource by then that is possible to implement on a global scale, which isn't necessarily likely, there will be deep repercussions.
- The environment. We completely rely, 100 percent, on our environment - the planet Earth. This planet is the reason we exist in the first place and it gives us everything that we have and everything that we need. Our planet is more important, valuable, and necessary to continued human existence than ANYTHING - and we are destroying it. Humanity is forever taking and consuming more from the planet at a rate that far exceeds the rate at which it replenishes itself - on top of which we cause of serious damage to it in the process. Because of that fact, it rationally follows that given the continued proliferation of our species, we will inevitably one day have used and damaged so much that the planet cannot support us any longer. We cannot avoid that (the only alternative being something that either destroys or severely cripples humanity) but our actions now determine how far in the future the 'breaking point' will be. At present, we are doing a lot to speed this process up, and comparatively very little to slow it down. This is bad - once we hit that point we are effectively done for as a species, unless we've developed some way to repair our planet (unlikely) or colonize other planets (advanced spacetravel) by then.
- Technology. Technology has exploded in the past century, and continues to grow and develop at an exponential rate. If you graph all of the major paradigm shifts of recent history (50,000 years or so), the graph is logarithmic - paradigm shifts have become exponentially more commonplace over history, with thousands of years between them at the beginning and mere months at the end. We are currently approaching the asymptote, the point where technological advancement begins happening almost infinitely rapidly. Of course there's no telling what will become of this. Maybe we'll just hit a plateau and not be able to get much further technologically than we have now, or maybe advancement will explode and herald a new age of understanding and capability. Maybe singularity theory will prove correct and our technology will become vastly more able than we are. No-one can be sure what will happen... but no-one can deny that technology in 50 years will be able to do things we can hardly imagine right now, and not necessarily for the better.
- Culture/Society. Humanity's greatest asset, true free will, is also its greatest flaw because it is responsible for the duality of good and evil that drives us. One day perhaps we will be able to banish the evil forever, but we're nowhere close to that presently. In the entire history of humanity there has not been a single day where we have slowed or ceased killing one another in astonishing numbers, despite that we ALL possess the capacity to understand the incredible rarity, complexity, and value of every single human life. After all, sentient life is the rarest thing in the universe. This tendency towards bloodshed may doom us - as a species we are still not mature enough to reliably handle the responsibility that comes with the immense destructive power our technology has provided us with. Thermonuclear bombs and/or biological weapons could decimate most of the world's population and put humanity on the brink of extinction within a few days - all it would take is the push of a button. I don't think it is likely within the next century or so, but it is undeniably within the realm of possibility.

All of those are important, although some not so much within the timespan of a lifetime. Regardless, everything changes drastically over the course of a century - people in 1800 couldn't even imagine where they'd be in 1900, and in 1900 nobody had a clue how different and advanced we would be in another hundred years. By 2100 the world will hardly be recognizable. I hope this will be because of massive advancements in technology, culture, society,

 

[jverne]

Just wanted to mention. What about cities during the middle ages that suffered the black plague? Water contamination is likely more prevelent in densly populated areas, but since they didn't have all the cleansing/purification methods back then, much of the water supply wasn't very healthy in larger cities then either.

well yes, but the water back then came clean and got dirty. nowadays water comes dirty and leaves toxic. so we are handicapped from the start.

 

[Eejit]

diseases...modern microbes are far more tolerant to our defense mechanisms, due to the extensive use of antibiotics. many, many people will die off because of that.

Antibiotics are unrelated to our natural defenses.

 

[jverne]

Antibiotics are unrelated to our natural defenses.

well ok, that's true but what i wanted to say that microbes are more resilient to antibiotics we use. but yes that changes nothing, we'll still die from some plain diseases. but you have to admit that we are physically less adapted for survival.






in other news

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-rice24apr24,0,3320375.story

The global run on food that has led to shortages and riots in Egypt, Haiti and other nations has made its way to U.S. shores.

 

[Eejit]

With the rate at which technology is progressing it's very possible that we may solve all the major problems we've created for ourselves before it's too late.

 

[jverne]

With the rate at which technology is progressing it's very possible that we may solve all the major problems we've created for ourselves before it's too late.

let's hope so

 

[Slug Advisor]

We need a general doomsayings thread.

As for society changing completely in our lifetimes, it will, no doubt, but we'l just have to see whether it's for the better or the worse.

 

[ricera10]

www.storyofstuff.com

It kind of puts what the OP is saying in an easy to understand way.

 

[Krynn72]

We need a general doomsayings thread.

How about the thread titled "The apocalyptic, "end of modern society" thread"?

 

[Terminator]

If you argue against consumerism you must be prepared for the other side, hard work and toil with little of the pleasures you have now, i myself would be hypocritical to have a go at all consumers myself.

I havn't actually bought anything other than (organic) food and about 4 tanks of petrol in the past 2 years, no holidays, no games, no new clothes, no new computer parts, no electronics anything when i check back through my bank statement so in that respect i'm better than most but even my living is greater than what it should be as i use electricity for this computer etc and it's disgusting how some people behave, i mean just plain ignorance, for them however ignorance is bliss and that's the most annoying part.

 

[Saturos]

If you argue against consumerism you must be prepared for the other side, hard work and toil with little of the pleasures you have now, i myself would be hypocritical to have a go at all consumers myself.

I havn't actually bought anything other than (organic) food and about 4 tanks of petrol in the past 2 years, no holidays, no games, no new clothes, no new computer parts, no electronics anything when i check back through my bank statement so in that respect i'm better than most but even my living is greater than what it should be as i use electricity for this computer etc and it's disgusting how some people behave, i mean just plain ignorance, for them however ignorance is bliss and that's the most annoying part.

You sound like you have it rough.

I myself haven't bought much in the way of new clothes or new electronics, computer parts etc., (but maybe a game here or there that wasn't too expensive)

Being a responsible adult sucks, and thank god I don't have any kids, or otherwise I'll probably be naked altogether. (tuition fees are killing me, but my degree(s) in IT are important enough to me to make some sacrifices here and there.) At least I can still buy shirts every now and then. Jeans, slacks, and cargos cost too much money for me these days, as that's what I've been accustomed to buying. Some of my trousers have holes worn in the crotch, and if I don't get some breathing room soon, I'm gonna have to find someone that knows how to mend. Or worse yet, i might have to cut up some of my dragon shirts to use as patches for my trousers. (OH, THE HORROR! :O) Better to be shirtless, than pantless I guess, but I might just let my trousers rot and keep my dragon shirts. :naughty:

My current PC (7800GTs and a single core AMD) was an incredible stroke of luck tbh had I not earned the dough from my internship a year ago.

People in developed countries are spoiled for the most part nowadays, but just wait until times get really tough and becomes a matter of, "where's my next meal coming from" and not, "I'm buying a new i-phone, PC, i-pod etc. today!"

If any of you honestly believe that the world is not going to change radically and drastically within our lifetime (in the next 80 years or so) you're simply not looking at the facts. I'm not saying that something apocalyptic is going to happen, necessarily, but things WILL change. Think about all of these factors, for example... *SNIP*

I couldn't have said it better Ennui. Really, there's nothing here that I've read that won't come to fruition sometimes in the near future. Call me a pessimist, cynic, a dystopian believer, whatever, but I prefer 'realist' tbh. I'm a facts guy, rather than a pipe-dreamer myself.

 

[Terminator]

You sound like you have it rough.

Not at all, i have a job, a roof over my head and food.

I have never been abroad, never had a girlfriend, never eaten at a restaurant, have few friends but i am still happy.

I have no major illnesses, no one trying to kill me, no disruption in my family.

 

[Geogaddi]

I'm optimistic. I think you guys underestimate human ingenuity in the face of crisis.

 

[Saturos]

Not at all, i have a job, a roof over my head and food.

I have never been abroad, never had a girlfriend, never eaten at a restaurant, have few friends but i am still happy.

I have no major illnesses, no one trying to kill me, no disruption in my family.

That's exactly the frame of mind many Americans don't have today though. ergo, the spoiled American masses the middle eastern people go on and on about. (for the most part anyways). Boy is this country in for a rude awakening come thirty years or sooner. Then again, Americans may become desensitized to a weakening economy over time and as such, things won't feel much different as it is today, despite things being noticably worse than it is today. That's my theory.

There's a saying that goes, "The more you have, the more you have to lose, and the harder you will fall" or something like that.

Humans who are hungry with nothing to lose are extremely dangerous indeed.

I'm optimistic. I think you guys underestimate human ingenuity in the face of crisis.

We sure could use some of that 'ingenuity' right now then before things really get blow out of proportion for the worse.

 

[lame-o]

There's so much talk about how the world's ****ed up because of this or that... Never in the history of mankind have so many people talked about so many ways in which the world might be destroying itself, and the news talks about 3 or 4 of those possibilities everyday. What the hell is it?

EDIT: I also believe the world started sucking shortly after 2000: rock died, games have started to become part of the consumerist bs, trance prevailed, people became boring, no-one is wise (honestly, I don't know anyone who's genuinely wise - they're all dead, or I just haven't MET them), art? where did it go? all I see now is speed-painting popular TV show characters, people complain too much, internets is retarded.

 

[Escaep]

I belieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeve that aliens are watching our tiny little blue speck in space, then when they see us in disarray, they will swoop down and save the daaayyyy!!! :cheers:

 

[lame-o]

God, I wish. And even getting killed by aliens would make life more dignifying in my eyes.

 

[Dan]

Pessimistic much. I seriously roll-eyed all the way through this thread. This forum really pisses me off sometimes. It's almost like some of you want something apocalyptic to happen...:|

Agreed; The forum is full of whiny romantics... err I mean teenagers.

 

[Saturos]

Agreed; The forum is full of whiny romantics... err I mean teenagers.

Your just in denial tbh. Nobody wants the s*** to hit the fan (except for Krynn as far as I know of). I think you, as well as the other non-believers, are just trying to cling on to the normal 9:00 to 5:00 life as much as possible before things do go sour. Furthermore, I'm not a teenager. I haven't been for 5 years now.

I would rather stick my head in the sand too, but it won't make things any better, just worse.
So might as well grab the bull by the horns and hang on for the ride, cuz it's gonna be a rough one fs.

My dad's starting to irritate the hell out of me about this too though. He won't even look at computer no more because he's all like, "What's the point? I've never needed the things before, so why bother with them now if they're not going to exist in 15 years or so anyways?"

Best thing to do is not to worry about it until it happens or otherwise you'll wind up being miserable wretch up until that day comes, squandering the last bit of what good life we have left.
What I'm trying to say is, be aware, but don't sweep it under the carpet, nor dwell on it.

 

[Irksome]

/insert inane conjecture here

:frog:

 

[Krynn72]

Not at all, i have a job, a roof over my head and food.

I have never been abroad, never had a girlfriend, never eaten at a restaurant, have few friends but i am still happy.

I have no major illnesses, no one trying to kill me, no disruption in my family.

Woa woa woa. Is this the same terminator as before? How can mother****ing Short Recoil be without a plethora of women?

/mind blown

 

[Terminator]

Modern society is a house of cards, we need to make it a deck of cards.

That is take away our insane, elaborate structure we have at the mo and develop a solid renewable existence, it'll prob take a reduction in population but hey i always say this: If everyone stopped having children tomorrow, within 50 years the population would be less than half.

Whatever happens it's a case of us all mucking in and major changes to our lifestyle, we can either start letting the balloon down slowly or it will pop in a couple of decades.

a 1984 state but not do depressive? sounds better than the human race scraping by in a neo stone age.

With technology advancing this is what i suggest:

-A cap on population and reproduction, harsh but effective, i'm not having kids personally.
-Vastly improved energy efficiency, localization, recycling technology.
-With the improvement of technology virtual entertainment through efficient computers is where it's at, if you could simulate the experience of going on holiday to somewhere tropical why would you need to waste gallons of fuel actually going there? matrix, why fight it?
-Removal of consumerist lifestyles, future generations can be taught the ways of living in harmony with each other and the earth.
-Make every person watch fight club 10 times.
-Improved food efficiency and recycling, upcoming biotechnology will allow 'human fuel' to be produced, various micro organisms that can be used to convert base (recyclable) materials into nutritious foods, or at the very least we can improve food production and the job will be made easier as people die off.
-No more people scraping off 'food they didn't eat' into a bin, i swear to god if i see someone doing this without genuine reason (i.e rotten food) i'll punch their head off, waste really gets to me...it's basically pissing all over the effort gone into making your food.

I think the lack of intelligent people who can't use logic to see what they are doing warrants a 'control system' if you allow free choice of living it's like giving bacteria a fresh agar dish in a warm place.

Woa woa woa. Is this the same terminator as before? How can mother****ing Short Recoil be without a plethora of women?

/mind blown

Women are great n all but i'm greatly incompatible with all i have been with so far, i say i've never had a girlfriend i've had women who have been attracted to me and likewise but it never works out because my lifestyle and philosophies are at odd with forming a relationship, i'm a 'boring android' but that's me, i'm not gonna pretend i'm someone else for a woman, if a woman likes me for who i am then it'll be brilliant.

 

[lame-o]

Modern society is a house of cards, we need to make it a deck of cards.

That is take away our insane, elaborate structure we have at the mo and develop a solid renewable existence, it'll prob take a reduction in population but hey i always say this: If everyone stopped having children tomorrow, within 50 years the population would be less than half.

Whatever happens it's a case of us all mucking in and major changes to our lifestyle, we can either start letting the balloon down slowly or it will pop in a couple of decades.

a 1984 state but not do depressive? sounds better than the human race scraping by in a neo stone age.

With technology advancing this is what i suggest:

-A cap on population and reproduction, harsh but effective, i'm not having kids personally.
-Vastly improved energy efficiency, localization, recycling technology.
-With the improvement of technology virtual entertainment through efficient computers is where it's at, if you could simulate the experience of going on holiday to somewhere tropical why would you need to waste gallons of fuel actually going there? matrix, why fight it?
-Removal of consumerist lifestyles, future generations can be taught the ways of living in harmony with each other and the earth.
-Make every person watch fight club 10 times.
-Improved food efficiency and recycling, upcoming biotechnology will allow 'human fuel' to be produced, various micro organisms that can be used to convert base (recyclable) materials into nutritious foods, or at the very least we can improve food production and the job will be made easier as people die off.
-No more people scraping off 'food they didn't eat' into a bin, i swear to god if i see someone doing this without genuine reason (i.e rotten food) i'll punch their head off, waste really gets to me...it's basically pissing all over the effort gone into making your food.

I think the lack of intelligent people who can't use logic to see what they are doing warrants a 'control system' if you allow free choice of living it's like giving bacteria a fresh agar dish in a warm place.



Women are great n all but i'm greatly incompatible with all i have been with so far, i say i've never had a girlfriend i've had women who have been attracted to me and likewise but it never works out because my lifestyle and philosophies are at odd with forming a relationship, i'm a 'boring android' but that's me, i'm not gonna pretend i'm someone else for a woman, if a woman likes me for who i am then it'll be brilliant.

Population in developed countries is going down btw, so I'd just put the cap on developing countries - and give them real jobs.

 

[MiccyNarc]

#


# Gas prices have skyrocketed not because of shortage, but because the U.S. owes so many other countries, like China, a substantial sum of international money and hence what some people have called, "The band-aid economy". (International money meaning raw goods like steel, gold, etc. Which is why inflation of U.S. currrency is so prevelent also)

Downright false. The gas prices are so high because demand has outstripped supply. Gas has set new records lately even as the dollar has gained some strength.