Memoirs of a Dying Era: Reflections for Descendants and Extraterrestrials

2010s: Echoes of the Steppe - A Tale of Oil Magnitude

When I was about to turn 33 years old, a seemingly mystical age, I decided that it was time to do something meaningful with my life. I always dreamt about it but didn't know how to go about it alone. Then it dawned on me that thanks to the internet, we can unite. Across our vast planet, there are many like-minded individuals who yearn for change. We are millions strong, and together, we can make a difference.

Yes, I was still naive, young, and foolish.

But to make a difference, one needs to learn. So, I decided to radically change my life. Up until then, within capitalism, I saw no other path but to perish quickly in various pleasures, as any activity, even a beneficial one, is just converted into dollars and nothing more. As soon as I made this decision, I was immediately offered a job at the construction of a pump station on the Kazakhstan-China oil pipeline. Of course, not as a laborer but as a representative of the head office, although unlike the workers, this wasn't a rotational method but a permanent stay until the end of the project. That meant going to the steppe for 8 months, devoid of any civilization and women. However, my desire to learn overcame all, and I went.

I lived there in good conditions: a 40-foot container transformed into a small apartment with a shower, kitchen, dining area, bedroom, air conditioning—basically, everything I needed. I quickly arranged for the delivery of all essentials through drivers who went to Almaty at least a couple of times a week. So, they brought me food that I only needed to heat up, marijuana, alcohol that I liked, tobacco (I roll my own cigarettes, so filters, papers), essentially creating as comfortable a living situation as possible.

Naturally, having something to smoke and drink, my cabin became the hangout spot. The entire administration and specialists hung out with me constantly. Being a hospitable person, as all Kazakhs are, I had micro-parties every day.

The pumps installed at this station were German—very high quality, with a 25-year warranty, four pumps at each of the 16 stations, three working pumps, and one backup. But to activate the warranty, the presence of a specialist during the installation of these pumps, a technician from the manufacturing company, was required. While these pumps were being installed, the German engineer lived in the steppes with us. We quickly became friends, as good food, alcohol, and marijuana quickly facilitate bonding. We discussed many things, including politics and the capitalist model. We both were fans of Black Sabbath, which added to our camaraderie.

One day, I decided to ask him a question that concerned me but was classified information. I asked, "Tell me honestly, if you turn on the pumps at all 16 stations at full capacity, how much would oil delivery increase?"

He replied, "Hypothetically, by one and a half million barrels per hour."

I double-checked, "So, this isn't just theory? Can such a volume really be achieved, and the pipes would withstand it?"

He confirmed, "Yes."

And then I was utterly shocked. It was only then that I fully grasped the scale of the fucking disaster happening in Kazakhstan, which most people are blissfully ignorant of.

Reflections: 2010s Echoes of the Steppe – A Tale of Oil Magnitude

Large capital always acts as a united front. First, bankers bribe the corrupt government and give money to pointless projects for the country (like Olympics, EXPO exhibitions and other nonsense, instead of developing production), and all money that goes to "modernization" of production ends up in the hands of big corporations. Which, on privileged terms (essentially for free), export out of the country what they need. In the case of Kazakhstan, it's mainly minerals (including oil and gas). And, naturally, everything that provides people with all the necessities, from housing and communal services to agriculture, electricity and communication, ends up in the hands of big corporations.

Not to mention that all the major corporations, which are involved in the extraction and transportation of minerals, are seated in Kazakhstan, and China, which is right by our side, exports everything that the corporations have not managed to grab for themselves along the corrupt path paved by bankers.

But that's not the whole problem that arises in countries serving as raw appendages. Since corporations act together with bankers, as soon as a large corporation contemplates another project in our country, devaluation occurs in Kazakhstan. Moreover, the head of our National Bank (appointed, of course, by the global bankers) may find out about the devaluation in the middle of the night. Well, we have a 12-hour difference with New York, right during the peak working hours of the New York Stock Exchange.

Imagine such surrealism: you wake up in the morning, and the news tells you that your country's currency has halved in value against the dollar. And the head of the National Bank says: yes, I'm not at all involved, I was sleeping, it happened at 3 o'clock in the morning. And that's it, no more explanations, apart from the nonsense that starts from the official media, claiming it's only beneficial for the country because we will export more goods. But everyone understands that in a country where there is essentially no production (ruined by bankers and corporations), we will only sell raw materials cheaper. And since the country produces nothing, we will buy everything at double the price while maintaining a salary level which was already less than desirable before the devaluation.

Sometimes activists from different countries point to corruption and collusion of corporations with governments from which the oligarchy squeezes the juices, the same "WikiLeaks" often reports on such matters, well as for Kazakhstan, there was even the "Kazakh Gate" process, which was naturally leaked to the surprise and outrage of activists.

Therefore, it is a sad fate for countries that possess any material blessings of value to capitalists, and this country is forcibly integrated into capitalist globalization. The meaning and purpose of which is to plunder and create poverty in raw appendage countries for the well-being of "developed" countries.