Welcome back to
the Liberty Insider.
00:00:02.34\00:00:04.12
Before the break,
remember I was talking
00:00:04.13\00:00:07.07
with author, Scott Christensen
00:00:07.08\00:00:08.81
about his book,
"Planet in Distress."
00:00:08.82\00:00:10.86
Yes, and I'm
sure like all authors
00:00:10.87\00:00:13.62
you're ready to talk for
hours and hours on this book.
00:00:13.63\00:00:15.83
We only have a
few minutes to go,
00:00:15.84\00:00:17.23
even though
half-hour program is not long.
00:00:17.24\00:00:19.94
But-- you know,
00:00:19.95\00:00:22.79
how can we pick this up again
00:00:22.80\00:00:24.71
on the
significance of this collapse?
00:00:24.72\00:00:28.93
Where do you think this leaves
00:00:28.94\00:00:31.12
Christians and those
that are really perceptive?
00:00:31.13\00:00:33.69
What can I do about it?
00:00:33.70\00:00:35.47
Well, you know, the
bottom line message.
00:00:35.48\00:00:39.05
The bottom line message is
that Jesus really is coming
00:00:39.06\00:00:42.10
and He really is
coming very soon.
00:00:42.11\00:00:44.09
And for those who
know what to look for,
00:00:44.10\00:00:46.46
we can see the signs.
00:00:46.47\00:00:47.85
It's very interesting to know
00:00:47.86\00:00:49.76
that thought
leaders, scientists,
00:00:49.77\00:00:53.00
people that are very perceptive
00:00:53.01\00:00:54.02
around the world
who aren't Christians,
00:00:54.03\00:00:55.91
have looked at what's
going on in the world,
00:00:55.92\00:00:57.70
have seen the
collapse of the systems
00:00:57.71\00:01:00.70
and its impact on
society and they're panicking.
00:01:00.71\00:01:04.24
Men's hearts are
failing them for fear.
00:01:04.25\00:01:05.64
Absolutely, right now
00:01:05.65\00:01:06.90
because people can see
what's coming on the earth.
00:01:06.91\00:01:09.07
And it's slowly seeping
00:01:09.08\00:01:10.35
into the general consciousness,
00:01:10.36\00:01:11.50
but it's not seeping in
from a Christian perspective.
00:01:11.51\00:01:14.15
I'll say this facetiously
00:01:14.16\00:01:15.58
because I
actually agree with you,
00:01:15.59\00:01:17.09
but if you believe some of
the popular person in the U.S.
00:01:17.10\00:01:20.04
seems at the moment one
particular political party
00:01:20.05\00:01:23.33
having trouble seeing it.
00:01:23.34\00:01:24.76
Yeah. But I think
they're in denial.
00:01:24.77\00:01:26.48
This will, you know,
00:01:26.49\00:01:28.47
there will always be the
case of different perspectives
00:01:28.48\00:01:31.84
and people seeing--
What is the Bible say--
00:01:31.85\00:01:33.38
It'll say that all
things have continued
00:01:33.39\00:01:34.86
from the beginning of creation,
00:01:34.87\00:01:36.05
but clearly that's not so.
00:01:36.06\00:01:37.47
We're living in most
unusual times. We are.
00:01:37.48\00:01:40.06
We're living in
most unusual times.
00:01:40.07\00:01:42.73
But those that are
looking at this know that
00:01:42.74\00:01:45.90
clearly something is
happening and you're right.
00:01:45.91\00:01:47.91
I read a lot of
the current events
00:01:47.92\00:01:49.54
and leaders are preparing
for all sorts of contingencies.
00:01:49.55\00:01:52.75
Like for example at
the moment one of our
00:01:52.76\00:01:55.62
camera crew here mentioned
before we begin the program.
00:01:55.63\00:01:57.84
You know, I hope
we don't attack Iran.
00:01:57.85\00:01:59.89
What's in about in Iran?
00:01:59.90\00:02:02.32
I don't think
myself that is primarily
00:02:02.33\00:02:05.06
the panic and the rush
to some sort of actions.
00:02:05.07\00:02:08.43
It's not
primarily whether or not
00:02:08.44\00:02:09.95
Iran gets a bomb
and destroys somebody.
00:02:09.96\00:02:13.72
I think it's all about this
00:02:13.73\00:02:15.60
geopolitical need
to husband resources.
00:02:15.61\00:02:18.25
Right, to lock in
the oil in this case
00:02:18.26\00:02:21.54
or to have a secure environment
00:02:21.55\00:02:23.34
where you can survive
00:02:23.35\00:02:25.66
as the time of
stress comes even deeper.
00:02:25.67\00:02:28.56
You know, when I was young,
00:02:28.57\00:02:30.62
when I was 12
years old, all right.
00:02:30.63\00:02:32.37
The world changed overnight.
00:02:32.38\00:02:33.80
How many decades ago?
Oh, I never mind that.
00:02:33.81\00:02:36.97
When I was
young-- well, it's 1972,
00:02:36.98\00:02:38.84
so you could figure it
out, you could do the math.
00:02:38.85\00:02:40.91
But when I was 12 years old,
00:02:40.92\00:02:43.44
there was the Arab
Oil Embargo so called
00:02:43.45\00:02:45.66
that's what the media
call it, the Arab Oil Embargo.
00:02:45.67\00:02:48.86
I remember that very
well. I was a young man too.
00:02:48.87\00:02:49.84
Well, and-- you
know the gas prices
00:02:49.85\00:02:52.36
skyrocket and people panicked.
00:02:52.37\00:02:54.11
And I lived in Loma Linda
00:02:54.12\00:02:55.43
at the time Southern California.
00:02:55.44\00:02:57.11
And I remember riding
my bicycle home from school
00:02:57.12\00:02:59.80
and I rode
passed the gas station
00:02:59.81\00:03:02.11
and I rode down
the line of cars.
00:03:02.12\00:03:05.01
The line of cars had
to be a half a mile long.
00:03:05.02\00:03:07.35
And back then
what they did to try
00:03:07.36\00:03:09.07
and make it so that the gasoline
00:03:09.08\00:03:10.85
that was in the tanks lasted,
00:03:10.86\00:03:13.44
they would count off
the number of cars in line
00:03:13.45\00:03:15.27
and they'd hang
a little sign say,
00:03:15.28\00:03:16.70
last car in line they'd hang it
00:03:16.71\00:03:18.11
from the license plate--
00:03:18.12\00:03:19.15
And I don't
remember that. But that--
00:03:19.16\00:03:20.44
Oh, no-- They had to.
00:03:20.45\00:03:21.80
Because without doing
that I know there were cases
00:03:21.81\00:03:24.37
people would wait all day almost
00:03:24.38\00:03:26.53
and get there no gas and
then a few people got violent.
00:03:26.54\00:03:29.06
There would be violence,
there would be a lot of--
00:03:29.07\00:03:31.02
But I stopped and what I
saw shocked and scandalized me.
00:03:31.03\00:03:35.61
They were upstanding
members of the community
00:03:35.62\00:03:37.88
and up standard
members of the church
00:03:37.89\00:03:39.70
that pulled into the line
00:03:39.71\00:03:41.11
and furtively moved that
tag to their license plate,
00:03:41.12\00:03:45.33
so that they were
the last car in line.
00:03:45.34\00:03:47.07
And the point being
that resource shortages
00:03:47.08\00:03:50.13
fundamentally changed the
way humans and nations behave.
00:03:50.14\00:03:54.19
We are moving into a situation,
00:03:54.20\00:03:56.58
we're on a global basis,
00:03:56.59\00:03:57.81
we have a number of
converging resource shortages,
00:03:57.82\00:04:00.77
and it's going to change
00:04:00.78\00:04:01.96
the behavior of
nations and people.
00:04:01.97\00:04:04.04
Now is the time--
00:04:04.05\00:04:05.77
Even more than
now because already--
00:04:05.78\00:04:07.18
Much, much more. Oh, this is--
00:04:07.19\00:04:08.46
They already seen the change.
00:04:08.47\00:04:09.47
And we've seen
nothing so far, yeah.
00:04:09.48\00:04:12.10
You know, we're told in Prophecy
00:04:12.11\00:04:13.89
and we're told in
Spirit of Prophecy
00:04:13.90\00:04:15.19
that there will be
chaos in the cities.
00:04:15.20\00:04:17.53
When you get a
bunch of people together
00:04:17.54\00:04:19.37
that that rely on
tremendous amounts
00:04:19.38\00:04:21.74
of inputs, food, energy,
00:04:21.75\00:04:23.85
all these other things that
are now at the tipping point
00:04:23.86\00:04:27.41
and beginning to
decline precipitously--
00:04:27.42\00:04:29.40
Yeah. It's a very significant.
00:04:29.41\00:04:32.61
We flew not on the same
flight coming for this program,
00:04:32.62\00:04:36.87
but we flew pretty
much the same time.
00:04:36.88\00:04:38.66
But on my fly, we flew
across the Mississippi River
00:04:38.67\00:04:42.76
on the way to St. Louis
00:04:42.77\00:04:43.88
and then drove
the other direction,
00:04:43.89\00:04:45.18
that's another story.
00:04:45.19\00:04:46.22
This place should be
little closer to civilization.
00:04:46.23\00:04:49.44
But we flew across that
00:04:49.45\00:04:51.36
and it's fair
amount of water this year,
00:04:51.37\00:04:53.35
but I flown
across the Mississippi
00:04:53.36\00:04:54.85
when it was essentially dry
00:04:54.86\00:04:56.80
and the badges were
sitting up on sandbanks.
00:04:56.81\00:05:00.11
That was shocking.
00:05:00.12\00:05:01.96
But with all of
these system breakdowns,
00:05:01.97\00:05:04.95
sort of getting worse and worse,
00:05:04.96\00:05:06.47
when something like that happens
00:05:06.48\00:05:07.68
which happens cyclically anyhow.
00:05:07.69\00:05:09.95
The effect of that
could cascade very rapidly.
00:05:09.96\00:05:13.31
And a huge shortfall in
corn production in the U.S.
00:05:13.32\00:05:16.70
now has effects
on curiously enough
00:05:16.71\00:05:18.97
even on gasoline prices,
00:05:18.98\00:05:21.87
cereal prices, and food prices.
00:05:21.88\00:05:23.93
There will be riots
in third world countries
00:05:23.94\00:05:26.82
where we ship excess grain.
00:05:26.83\00:05:28.88
So these things
just snowball now.
00:05:28.89\00:05:31.32
They always have to some degree
00:05:31.33\00:05:32.38
but now it's much more extreme
00:05:32.39\00:05:33.90
when this crisis will
intersect with another one,
00:05:33.91\00:05:36.81
global warming,
perhaps in other country,
00:05:36.82\00:05:39.27
they're in a drought already,
and then we have problems.
00:05:39.28\00:05:42.76
You know, what
you say is so true
00:05:42.77\00:05:44.53
and most people
don't realize it.
00:05:44.54\00:05:45.82
There were rice riots
only two years ago in Asia.
00:05:45.83\00:05:48.24
Yeah, a small
short fallen production
00:05:48.25\00:05:50.40
leads to a big shortfall
in people's basic needs--
00:05:50.41\00:05:53.63
You know, what cause that one?
00:05:53.64\00:05:55.11
I heard the article
there was rice speculation.
00:05:55.12\00:05:57.65
Well, there's, well there's--
00:05:57.66\00:05:58.76
And it was India as I remember
00:05:58.77\00:06:02.12
changed the government
plan on the number of--
00:06:02.13\00:06:04.80
the amount of rice that
they would have in reserves,
00:06:04.81\00:06:06.82
so they brought up the
rice, ran the price up.
00:06:06.83\00:06:09.90
And then in countries
where people are subsistence,
00:06:09.91\00:06:12.95
the rice price
propelled and went up double
00:06:12.96\00:06:15.10
and so there
was mass starvation,
00:06:15.11\00:06:17.07
there was
speculation that just--
00:06:17.08\00:06:19.17
It really was not a crisis
00:06:19.18\00:06:20.78
that was directed
to a crop shortfall,
00:06:20.79\00:06:22.81
but some at the best
times we have these things now.
00:06:22.82\00:06:25.51
Then if you did have
at the same time is that
00:06:25.52\00:06:27.63
a real shortage
could be unstoppable.
00:06:27.64\00:06:31.98
And one of the interesting
things about system decline
00:06:31.99\00:06:35.52
is that any
decline in one system--
00:06:35.53\00:06:38.55
Affects the other.
Affects all the others.
00:06:38.56\00:06:41.01
And right now we
have a declining--
00:06:41.02\00:06:43.46
downward spiral that--
00:06:43.47\00:06:46.18
the impact of which
cannot be overstated,
00:06:46.19\00:06:49.41
because it fulfills prophecy.
00:06:49.42\00:06:51.75
Now I mentioned before,
00:06:51.76\00:06:54.15
I don't want to be like
a college professor here.
00:06:54.16\00:06:55.62
But I do remember studying
00:06:55.63\00:06:58.68
back in high school
about Thomas Malthus'
00:06:58.69\00:07:01.19
theories of food
production and population.
00:07:01.20\00:07:03.91
And most people
if they know about it
00:07:03.92\00:07:06.83
think that he's
being proved wrong.
00:07:06.84\00:07:08.44
He really wasn't.
00:07:08.45\00:07:09.69
What he couldn't have known
00:07:09.70\00:07:11.36
where a modern
technology and superphosphates
00:07:11.37\00:07:15.85
and other things that
up the food production
00:07:15.86\00:07:18.80
way above historic
norms very quickly.
00:07:18.81\00:07:20.83
Yeah, but generally speaking,
00:07:20.84\00:07:22.79
things like acreage of
farm production goes on,
00:07:22.80\00:07:26.28
you know, you
might add 10% this year
00:07:26.29\00:07:28.16
and another 10% that year.
00:07:28.17\00:07:29.27
You can't just
double it instantly
00:07:29.28\00:07:31.01
and then double that four times,
00:07:31.02\00:07:33.51
which would be the next year.
00:07:33.52\00:07:34.88
But population
works that way. Right.
00:07:34.89\00:07:37.07
You know, population can
be doubled in this period,
00:07:37.08\00:07:39.46
it could be doubled that again
00:07:39.47\00:07:40.94
which is now four times
so goes up and up very quick
00:07:40.95\00:07:43.42
where food production
is on a flatter cycle.
00:07:43.43\00:07:46.46
But it works in
reverse. It works in reverse--
00:07:46.47\00:07:48.83
That's what we're
soon to discover--
00:07:48.84\00:07:50.50
When you go over the peak.
00:07:50.51\00:07:51.70
Once you get over the peak,
00:07:51.71\00:07:53.35
the problem that may
have been a long time coming
00:07:53.36\00:07:55.82
will accelerate in
intensity very, very quickly,
00:07:55.83\00:07:59.24
basically on a
logarithmic curve.
00:07:59.25\00:08:01.28
Yeah. Yeah.
00:08:01.29\00:08:02.68
The last of ends will
come suddenly we know that.
00:08:02.69\00:08:05.87
That's--where have I
read that-- where have we?
00:08:05.88\00:08:08.42
Once you go over,
it's like a roller coaster.
00:08:08.43\00:08:10.98
Once you go over that peak,
you go downhill very quickly.
00:08:10.99\00:08:14.21
It was dealt with
Ellen White writing
00:08:14.22\00:08:15.31
to Seventh-day
Adventist said many years ago.
00:08:15.32\00:08:16.81
That is exactly
what Ellen White said.
00:08:16.82\00:08:18.38
The last movements
will be rapid ones.
00:08:18.39\00:08:20.22
It will be very rapid ones.
00:08:20.23\00:08:21.23
And you know, it's very
interesting what you say
00:08:21.24\00:08:22.50
because what you refer to it
00:08:22.51\00:08:24.66
something called
the green revolution.
00:08:24.67\00:08:26.12
Now the green revolution,
00:08:26.13\00:08:27.61
there were back in the 60s
and early 70s to some degree,
00:08:27.62\00:08:31.19
people were panicked.
00:08:31.20\00:08:32.45
Because it was obvious
00:08:32.46\00:08:33.47
there wasn't enough
food to feed the world
00:08:33.48\00:08:34.98
and we had a much smaller
population then by the way.
00:08:34.99\00:08:37.75
And so very bright
people came together
00:08:37.76\00:08:39.77
and they created
or they engineered
00:08:39.78\00:08:43.57
new strains of plants
00:08:43.58\00:08:45.17
and what they really did was?
00:08:45.18\00:08:47.30
They massively
increased fertilizer use
00:08:47.31\00:08:49.46
all over the planet
00:08:49.47\00:08:50.74
and suddenly there
was a lot more food.
00:08:50.75\00:08:53.49
But here's the problem.
00:08:53.50\00:08:55.46
We by use of so many
00:08:55.47\00:08:57.25
fertilizers and
pesticides on the land,
00:08:57.26\00:08:59.79
we've really poisoned our soil.
00:08:59.80\00:09:01.62
There have been a build
up of salts over the years.
00:09:01.63\00:09:03.99
And what we're actually
seen is declining production.
00:09:04.00\00:09:06.46
And we've also
got crops that require
00:09:06.47\00:09:08.53
that-- We have to--
00:09:08.54\00:09:10.06
These are not
the genetic originals
00:09:10.07\00:09:11.55
that could sort of cripple
on with normal nutrition.
00:09:11.56\00:09:13.92
Right, right.
00:09:13.93\00:09:15.63
These hybrids
required that and without it,
00:09:15.64\00:09:20.03
I think they might be
worse than the regular crops.
00:09:20.04\00:09:22.70
Well, the amazing thing is
00:09:22.71\00:09:23.94
because we had so much
food for a period of time,
00:09:23.95\00:09:26.32
our population grew.
00:09:26.33\00:09:27.67
It's something
like a natural law.
00:09:27.68\00:09:29.56
You know, if you have a
bowl full of bread flour--
00:09:29.57\00:09:33.38
I don't know why, but
that makes me to think
00:09:33.39\00:09:34.59
of wars and rumors of wars.
00:09:34.60\00:09:35.73
Well. I think
that's what will come.
00:09:35.74\00:09:37.31
Whenever there is
a population stress,
00:09:37.32\00:09:40.02
I think partly is
a matter of planning
00:09:40.03\00:09:42.10
and partly just this
happen stands to the upset.
00:09:42.11\00:09:44.86
There will be wars
and population cutback.
00:09:44.87\00:09:47.80
Countries and you see them
positioning themselves now.
00:09:47.81\00:09:51.36
Countries that
have resource strengths
00:09:51.37\00:09:53.63
and we're talking everything.
00:09:53.64\00:09:54.70
We're talking oil.
Our production has peaked.
00:09:54.71\00:09:57.96
We're talking food.
We're talking fresh water.
00:09:57.97\00:10:00.70
There are number of countries
00:10:00.71\00:10:02.29
that we expect to see
freshwater conflicts on.
00:10:02.30\00:10:04.98
But countries position
themselves for conflict
00:10:04.99\00:10:07.56
when they enter
resource shortage scenario.
00:10:07.57\00:10:10.17
And why, we're
running out of time,
00:10:10.18\00:10:12.84
we'll have to have
another program on this.
00:10:12.85\00:10:14.30
But you know, why do
I, as you say these things
00:10:14.31\00:10:16.86
I think waterboarding torture,
these are all expedients,
00:10:16.87\00:10:21.03
these are that sort
of bubble up naturally
00:10:21.04\00:10:22.88
where we're in this,
this greater sense of stress.
00:10:22.89\00:10:25.60
I think it
diminishes the hold on civility
00:10:25.61\00:10:30.71
that even the western world has.
00:10:30.72\00:10:32.27
Exactly, upstanding Christians,
00:10:32.28\00:10:35.77
cheating their
way into a gas line.
00:10:35.78\00:10:37.75
Right, that's a good example.
00:10:37.76\00:10:39.30
You know, it's a small
thing but behavior of nations
00:10:39.31\00:10:42.91
and people changes.
00:10:42.92\00:10:44.01
So civil liberties,
religious liberty--Absolutely.
00:10:44.02\00:10:46.12
We know it's threatened.
00:10:46.13\00:10:47.85
I was in a conference recently
where there everyone agreed.
00:10:47.86\00:10:50.24
Religious
liberty is in worse shape
00:10:50.25\00:10:51.59
this year than the last.
00:10:51.60\00:10:52.93
But what you're saying
about system degradation?
00:10:52.94\00:10:55.17
I think it's very, very true.
00:10:55.18\00:10:56.44
You know, we
will come to the point
00:10:56.45\00:10:59.03
where we will wish
that we had taken advantage
00:10:59.04\00:11:04.39
of the time and
resources that we had.
00:11:04.40\00:11:06.66
So that we could
witness for Christ,
00:11:06.67\00:11:08.84
so that we could proclaim Christ
00:11:08.85\00:11:10.61
to our neighbors and friends,
00:11:10.62\00:11:12.28
when it was easy to do so.
00:11:12.29\00:11:14.82
It's harder to do so
today than it was yesterday.
00:11:14.83\00:11:18.14
It'll be harder to do
so next year, next month,
00:11:18.15\00:11:21.41
and next year than it is now.
00:11:21.42\00:11:23.44
This is a wakeup call, we
need to witness for Christ,
00:11:23.45\00:11:26.64
we need to know the Bible
00:11:26.65\00:11:28.47
and we need to
grow close to Christ.
00:11:28.48\00:11:30.18
As this surely a
"Planet in Distress."
00:11:32.17\00:11:35.46
Many years ago, I
remember reading a book
00:11:35.47\00:11:38.05
called "Planet in Rebellion."
00:11:38.06\00:11:40.05
And in some ways
there is a common theme
00:11:40.06\00:11:41.87
because its sin that set us
rebellion against God and sin
00:11:41.88\00:11:45.60
that started this global system
00:11:45.61\00:11:48.00
meltdown that we part of.
00:11:48.01\00:11:50.48
This program talks and
focuses on religious liberty.
00:11:50.49\00:11:54.50
And when I look at
global system decline,
00:11:54.51\00:11:57.48
I know already from experience,
00:11:57.49\00:11:59.80
but projecting forward I
know that this is going to be
00:11:59.81\00:12:03.57
a severe test for those
that want to remain true
00:12:03.58\00:12:07.40
to their
conscience and true to what
00:12:07.41\00:12:09.38
God is led out in His word.
00:12:09.39\00:12:11.29
Another words, we are looking at
00:12:11.30\00:12:13.36
global religious
liberty meltdown.
00:12:13.37\00:12:16.53
I think, it's very important
for all who value these
00:12:16.54\00:12:19.08
most important
freedoms to realize
00:12:19.09\00:12:21.61
that it is not just something
that exist in a vacuum.
00:12:21.62\00:12:25.15
All that happens in
this swirling cacophony
00:12:25.16\00:12:28.15
of a world
situation based on our ability
00:12:28.16\00:12:32.62
to not just to remain faithful,
00:12:32.63\00:12:35.26
but to recognize the
situation from what it is.
00:12:35.27\00:12:38.67
It's a confusing
maelstrom of collapse
00:12:38.68\00:12:42.18
to use a mixed metaphor.
00:12:42.19\00:12:43.55
For Liberty Insider,
this is Lincoln Steed.
00:12:46.55\00:12:50.15