Bankrupt Governments Likely To Confiscate Wealth And Independence

Excellent article from Gold Silver Worlds on what appears to be a probability as the US Government not only increase the national debt limit but did not put a cap on the limit on how much the government can borrow. I am not posting this article by Claudio Grass to suggest you run out and buy Gold. Although I believe in having Gold and Silver on hand, it is only one aspect of total preparedness.  I am posting this for overall situational awareness.  

I am also posting this article as it supports the the 100% probability of an economic collapse unless things change drastically and soon.  Whether you call it a financial or monetary collapse or a super depression really doesn't matter.  What matters is the likelihood of the government confiscating not only precious metals but other forms of wealth in order to perpetuate their control.  They (the Government) will have no choice if they want to retain control and power.    


The first Liberty Forum will take place between December 4th and 8th. The conference has a focus on asset protection, wealth preservation and the preservation of liberty. Some off-the-chart successful investors, metals and resource experts, offshore service providers, and international legal and accounting professionals will be on hand to help with personal preservation strategies.

Keynote speakers are Peter Schiff, Doug Casey and Mark Skousen. One of the many lectures will be held by Claudio Grass, a passionate advocate of free-market thinking and libertarian philosophy. Mr. Grass is convinced that sound money, i.e. gold and silver, and human freedom are inextricably linked to each other. In his function as Managing Director at Global Gold in Switzerland he offers investors a safe, convenient and competitive Swiss solution for buying, selling, storing and delivering a variety of physically allocated bullion coins and bars, completely outside of the banking system and protected under Swiss law.

Claudio Grass has written several white papers, research notes and articles. In them, he has clearly explained that the most likely outcome of the current global debt situation is that governments will try to inflate their debts away. That is what has always happened throughout history. The current evolution of events has not changed his view. The latest actions by Bernanke, in particular his decision not to stop QE, underlines the validity of Claudio Grass’ view. “Taking Yellen’s history into account, I am certain she will follow in the footsteps of her predecessor. Therefore, nothing has changed from my point of view.”

The Liberty Forum conference brings up some fundamental statistics about the debt situation

•  The U.S. currently owes 885% of its GDP, more than any other industrialized country.
•  America hasn’t passed a budget since April of 2009.
•  As a country, the U.S. has had a budget deficit in 42 out of the last 47 years.
•  U.S. expenses are 56% higher than its revenues.
•  America expects to double its debt within the next 10 years (the interest on that debt alone will equal $1 trillion a year).
•  Its annual income is $2 trillion, while its total debt obligations are $121 trillion (that’s a debt ratio of 60/1 – typically anything over 1/1 is a HUGE red flag to any investor, indicating that a country is not likely to be able to pay its debts in 12 months’ time).

The true US financial situation remains remarkably underexposed as the mainstream media is mainly concentrating on Europe and increasingly the emerging markets. We asked Claudio Grass about his opinion on that.

German economist Wilhelm Röpke once said: “The theories men construct, and the words in which they are framed, often influence their mind more strongly than the facts presented by reality”.

This sentence nicely describes today’s mindset amongst most people in the western word. It is no wonder because we were raised in a government controlled education system, in which we are indoctrinated from childhood that the path of success is based on memorizing and repeating! We are not taught to question [authority], the reason for this is that it is much harder to manipulate logical or independent thinkers.

This is why I am such a fan of history; our world is the result of thoughts and actions from the past. You see the cause and effect? The problem is that the actual system we live in focuses only on the effects but never discloses the underlying causes, let alone trying to connect the dots. This research needs to be done by the individual. However, research requires a healthy portion of curiosity and bravery as well as independence and self-confidence to stand up for one’s own opinion, which will be in contrast to the story we are told by governments and the mainstream media. The emperor has no clothes; however, it always takes time until the child that reveals it will be heard.

The world reserve currency is still the U.S. Dollar (USD) and more than 60% of all the reserves with central banks are still based on the USD, and only approximately 25% are in Euros. Therefore, many more governments and pressure groups are dependent on the USD and have an interest in not disclosing the truth about the actual state of the dollar. Also, in terms of global trade the USD is still the prevailing currency, especially as long as the USD keeps its hegemony over the Middle East and its oil reserves. In addition, specifically related to the USD, there is a single institution that has decisive power. It is therefore much more reactive than the Euro system with different central banks and different nations, each with their own national political agendas. Therefore, the power of the Euro is much more limited, which makes it also more fragile and vulnerable.

Bankrupt governments likely to confiscate wealth and independence

Claudio Grass goes on to point to a concerning trend: as governments run out of money, people’s sovereign rights to wealth and independence get increasingly trampled. What the world is experiencing for the last 100 years is an ongoing centralization especially in terms of credit – the so called monetary system – and political power in the hands of a few. This is only financeable if existing wealth is redistributed from the bottom to the top, through inflation and taxation. Since 2007 the average U.S. family wealth plunged 40%. Back in 1913 the average government quota was less than 10%. Today, depending on the country, (or the state) government quotas are between 50-70%. The trend is obvious! This system can go on until the remaining 50-30% is nationalized. The result is simple: Slavery!

That’s why it is my conviction that we are going to see “tools of financial repression” kicking in much harder within the next 5 years, which will impoverish most of middle class, but also affluent people. I see some parallels with the Weimar Republic before World War II. Back then, the US government in cooperation with Wall Street, flooded especially Germany with cheap credit by implementing the Dawes and Young Plan during 1924 and 1932. Afterwards it happened what always comes after an artificial boom: destruction and bust. This created a toxic environment for persons such as Hitler, Stalin, Franco and Roosevelt, to name just a few who came to power at about the same time, and more important, promoted more centralized political power and war. People were exhausted and the future was not really bright – and we are facing the same symptoms again today. We have 50 Million Americans living off food vouchers and this figure is still climbing. I believe history does not repeat itself but it rhymes, and therefore people need to understand that within the actual system property-rights do not really exist. People need to realize they are dependent on the whims of government and banks.

The first signs of these trends are already visible. Politicians and mainstream media say that things are improving which does not reflect the above mentioned trends. Most economic reports even expect economic growth. How can expectations be so different while everyone is looking at the same data? Claudio Grass answers that question with a quote of Edward Bernays, Father of Propaganda.

“The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in a democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country. [...] We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of. This is a logical result of the way in which our democratic society is organized. Vast numbers of human beings must cooperate in this manner if they are to live together as a smoothly functioning society. [...] In almost every act of our daily lives, whether in the sphere of politics or business, in our social conduct or our ethical thinking, we are dominated by the relatively small number of persons … who understand the mental processes and social patterns of the masses. It is they who pull the wires which control the public mind.”

Include a monetary crash in your risk assessment

Claudio Grass looks at the mess the world is in today and suggests to include a possible crash of the actual system as part of one’s risk assessments. Therefore, an investment into a tangible asset, without having any counterparty- risk, makes absolutely sense.

It is impossible to foresee when the system will crash. Inevitable does not necessarily mean imminent. However, “I am convinced that this world will look very different in the coming years and what can be said, too, is that it is not developing in the right direction.”

Anthony C. Sutton (British and American economist, historian and notable author, answered this question once by stating: “It will not stop until we act upon one simple axiom: that the power system continues only as long as individuals want it to continue, and it will continue only so long as individuals try to get something for nothing. The day when a majority of individuals declares or acts as if it wants nothing from government, declares it will look after its won welfare and interest, then on that day power elites are doomed.”

I started buying physical Gold and Silver in 2004 and so far it has been a very good investment. At the same time I explored the fascinating history of money; it reads like a criminal novel or even like a horror story in some cases. I personally support a system that is based on free market money where people can freely decide what they want to use as currency – sound money for a sound society. Money stands in the center of how human beings live together. It must be consequently a property title and not a debt promise. Gold and Silver are money in its pure form! They allow people to exchange goods, based on mutual respect and honesty….. With sound money we used to have production and trade and therefore prosperity. With fake money these periods have been dominated logically by corruption and wars; or in the words of Lord Acton, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.”

UrbanMan's comment: I agree with everything in this article except the very last sentence" "Great men are almost always bad men.” This is simply not true.  Great men are most often common men to rise to meet a challenge. 

Dragon Day: A Movie That Will Forecast the Collapse

Dragon Day (the Movie) being billed as "Red Dawn for Intellectuals" just may be predicting how the coming collapse begins. This is an article by James Simpson on American Thinker on Dragon Day which opens 1 November in Theatres and just may serve to take people step by step through this possible? probable? catalyst for the coming collapse.

China, by far the largest single owner of U.S. Treasury debt, has been abandoning Treasury bonds to invest directly in U.S. land, building and businesses. Recently, China entered an agreement with the European Union to swap currencies, forgoing purchases of U.S. dollars -- the world's reserve currency -- to finance transactions. Both of these activities are a consequence of the risk associated with astronomical U.S. debt, almost doubled since President Obama took office. On October 11, China called for the world to be "de-Americanized," its leaders ridiculing Washington over the shutdown impasse.

It is against this backdrop of real events that Dragon Day, a tense thriller set to release November 1st, depicts a Chinese takeover of the U.S. after our government defaults on its debt. Dragon Day Director Jeffrey Travis says, "When I would pitch the film to people, I could rarely finish the logline before the reaction was "Oh my God, that's really going to happen". Our joke was we had to finish the film before it became a documentary.

Given where we are today, that may not be so funny.

The story begins with Ex-NSA engineer Duke Evans, who has lost his job due to the continuing financial crisis. Forced to foreclose on his home, he resettles his family (wife, daughter and sister) in a mountain cabin inherited from his recently deceased grandfather. They have barely gotten in the door when things start happening. Lights go out, the TV goes blank and a huge airliner swoops by at treetop level, erupting in a fireball on the next mountain.

The Chinese have launched a cyber attack. A secret computer virus embedded in Chinese manufactured computer chips has allowed the Chinese military to turn them off remotely. America's entire computer-based infrastructure comes screeching to a halt: power goes off, lights go out, autos and trucks stall, trains go off the rails and planes fall out of the sky.

Evans quickly understands what has happened. He was the NSA engineer who designed a secret government cyber warfare program he now realizes was compromised. He thought he was doing this for his country, but it turns out that many in government have been secretly working for the other side all along. TV service is temporarily restored, and the President announces what has happened, followed by an eerie red screen with the enemy flag symbol and announcement:

THE PEOPLES REPUBLIC WELCOMES YOUR ALLEGIANCE

Evans destroys cell phones and anything else that can lead the enemy to his hideaway. The country quickly reverts to pre-industrial conditions, and the movie offers a fairly realistic window into what would actually happen in such a situation. Stores are ransacked. People begin to starve and die of thirst. Roving bands of thugs begin robbing and murdering.

Anarchy rules. But you are offered escape. If you willingly attach a "Citizen's Freedom Band", presumably you will be spared further anguish. Urgently needed food and water are just around the corner, so you think. But instead it proves to be a high tech dog collar which will kill you if you move out of your assigned zone. Surprisingly, the local sheriff's office has a large supply of these, obviously obtained before the attack occurred.

Unlike Red Dawn and similar fare, there are no absurd heroics, or unrealistic depictions of the town forming a militia to fight off the Chinese hoards. This feels much more authentic. It depicts the kind of anarchy that reigns following major natural disasters, like Hurricane Katrina. Individuals and small groups might band together for good or ill, but organized resistance is nil.

There is no ability to communicate or travel, and food and water are almost nonexistent. Many people do what average citizens would do facing starvation and uncertainty, they put on the bracelets. It becomes obvious that many within government at all levels have conspired with the enemy, but it also becomes obvious that for most, their treason will not pay off.

While some might take comfort in the fact that this is "just a movie," according to Defense Tech, an American-designed, Chinese-made microchip used in defense applications was recently discovered to have a virus hardwired into it. The article states:

Basically, Chinese cyber spies can use the chip's built-in malware to decipher military passcodes and gain remote access to the chip and reprogram it to do their bidding; 'permitting a new and disturbing possibility of a large-scale Stuxnet-type attack via a network or the Internet on the silicon itself,'...

This discovery has led experts to worry that all Chinese manufactured chips may have similar vulnerabilities.

Furthermore, the events depicted in the movie are almost indistinguishable from what would happen following an Electro-Magnetic Pulse (EMP) attack. EMP is the result of either an unusually large solar storm or high altitude detonation of an atomic bomb. It roasts electrical circuitry. As in the movie, aircraft would fall from the sky, transportation would cease, and energy, food and water supplies would vanish. Iran has conducted missile tests believed to be test runs for EMP attacks.

Evans' neighbor Albert, a good friend of his deceased grandfather, has the only vehicle that still works, an old 1976 Ford truck, built before computer chips were used in autos, but this is quickly commandeered by the local police. Like most good characters in a movie however, the truck makes a reappearance later on.

There are some gimmicks the tech-savvy will enjoy. Albert brings over an old short wave radio, but the battery is dead. If Evans can just reach his old NSA boss, he knows he can get help. He rigs up a potato battery to run the radio. Don't laugh; they work! The only thing that bothered me was where the heck did he get all those potatoes?

It also bothered me that they didn't appear to be using the apparently plentiful potatoes as a source of food or water when these ran short. They could have, and did give a few potatoes to two kids who came to the door begging.

But this was a small detail. The movie was fast moving and kept me on the edge of my seat. I appreciated the realism. While watching Communist thugs getting blown away by vengeful high school kids in Red Dawn was gratifying, it was also unrealistic.

A genuine takeover would not go well for such resistors. Dragon Day depicted more of the things that would really happen: friends, neighbors and authorities turning against you -- even the U.S. military, I am afraid to say, as would likely happen in such a situation. At least it would now that Obama has purged patriotic leaders from the military. This movie showed a family doing its best to innovate and survive in a chaotic situation -- much more believable.

I don't want to spoil the rest of it for you so I'll just leave it there. If you are into this kind of survivalist, end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it type film, Dragon Day will not disappoint. The acting is convincing and the entire storyline, right down to the way different people might react in such a situation, really rings true. With all the stuff going on around us in the real world, this movie is all the more frightening. No sugarcoats here. See it in theaters November 1st.

Is the Possibility of Martial Law Now Higher?

I was forwarded another article for comment with a reader asking, "Is the possibility of Martial Law now higher since these and other allegations have came out?"

The article he sent me is an article written by Nancy Smith (see bio at end of this post) who interviewed a writer concerning allegations of the military is being re-configured to conduct operations inside the U.S., and Generals who were being forced to retire if they could not pass a litmus test on readiness to kill Americans, presumably during martial law.

This may be too far out of touch with reality for some people to accept, me included, however I am now being more open minded as recent things such as the potential shut down of our economy (and government) and calls by some legislators such as buffoon turned Congresswomen turned buffoon Shirley Jackson Lee calling for the President to implement martial law. Her idea was to get the military to attack the anti-obama demonstrations, like the veterans demonstration at the World War II memorial after the shameful shutdown of this open air monument. And there is the precedent of the Executive Office using the IRS to go after political enemies.......Plus another thread is new reports on the US Army teaching classes on the radical extremist and political hate groups which included Christian and Family oriented groups.

So I'll post Ms Smith's article and let everyone decide for themselves.

If the government does default the national debt, which would be a perception not a numbers based standard accounting practices reality, what would happen if the Stock Market tanked? What is welfare cards could not charged with federal money and 46 million people could not buy groceries?......

Nancy Smith's article, titled: "Nobel Peace Prize Nominee Jim Garrow: Our Generations’ Paul Revere?"

It’s not like Jim Garrow was looking for the job. But that didn’t stop a retired U.S General from calling him at 5 in the morning a few weeks ago with some ominous news that the General wanted to get out the public, but who also knew he would literally risk his life if he went public with a startling allegation.

The allegation: The president of the United States is asking active-duty officers to pass a “litmus test” to continue their service to our country.

The test: Will you open fire on American citizens if so ordered?

We’ve all seen the headlines lately regarding gun control legislation, shooting rampages and now drone strikes on American citizens. To say it can all become a bit disconcerting would surely be an understatement.

However this news takes the danger to a whole new level. As a long-time friend of the General, Jim Garrow agreed to spread the word, as well as promised to keep the General’s name secret. Since he first posted the info on his Facebook page on January 20, 2013, the story went viral and was picked more than 100 news agencies including: FOX News 19 in Cincinnati-Ben Swann, Operation Freedom Show-Dr. Dave Janda, Next New Network-Gary Franchi, The Examiner, World Net Daily, Alex Jones, and Before It’s News, just to name a few.

One of those news outlets is now Politichicks, because I recently had the honor of interviewing Dr. Garrow via telephone from his home in Canada.

So just who is Jim Garrow?

James Garrow, PhD. is an educator, businessman and author. He has been a college president, a principal of a teachers college, has an earned doctorate degree as well as been given an honorary doctorate from North Carolina College of Theology. He is also the founder of the Bethune Institute, which operates hundreds of schools throughout China. The children of many of China’s top elite in the military and politics attend his schools.

As if that weren’t enough, three years ago Dr. Garrow was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his work through a group called Pink Pagoda Girls. PPG combats female gendercide by rescuing baby girls that are slated for infanticide or abandoned due to the Chinese government’s one child policy. According to his website, Garrow and his group have personally helped to save the lives of nearly 50,000 baby girls!

It Started With A Magazine. What led Dr. Garrow to make such an ominous statement began a number a years ago when Dr. Garrow sat on the board of Crisis Magazine, a Catholic magazine based out of Washington DC. While there he became friends with some of the other board members including Bill Bennet, Secretary of Education under Reagan, Alexander Haig, Sec. of State under Reagan, Bill Simon, Sec. of the Treasury under Nixon and Ford, and others. It was through them that he became acquainted with a particular high ranking military officer and over time the two became good friends.

That is why when Dr. Garrow received a phone call from him saying that he had an important message that needed to get out to the American people in a safe way, Dr. Garrow took it to heart. This now-retired military general went on to say that he had been recently contacted by a close friend, who happened to be another high-ranking military officer who was currently still serving. He called the retired general to tell him that although it was unexpected, he, too, was now retiring and leaving the service. He went on to say that this was not his choice but that he was basically being “shown the door” because he was being asked a question, and depending on how he answered seemed to be the deciding factor as to whether he was to stay or leave.

“Here is the question we are being asked: ‘If in a scenario the military were called upon to go and confront people who were armed, American citizens, who would not relinquish their arms, in spite of the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms, would you follow the command to fire on American citizens?’”

The general told Dr. Garrow that this officer was completely flummoxed at the question and answered ‘No, I would not fire on American citizens.’ He was then forced to resign his commission immediately.

“It has nothing to do with right or wrong, Constitutional or unconstitutional any longer… They are looking for blind allegiance,” Garrow said. He said to watch the headlines for more like himself being replaced in “untimely exits”. He also said that some might choose to remain silent and try to stay in to see what they can do from the inside.

China’s Influence Grows in U.S. To Dangerous Level. Dr. Garrow and his source talked about several other topics over the next hour. These included how China desperately wants America disarmed. He said, “It’s no secret that we owe an enormous debt to China that will be almost impossible to repay.”

“With China in great need of energy resources and the USA rich in coal, natural gas, oil and farmland, we are being parceled off and promised to the Chinese as a form of debt repayment. This is why you are seeing the systematic closing of our mines, refineries, and family farms, etc. through govt. regulation. Once they are closed the Chinese will have permission to come in and run them since no one else will be using these facilities. But the Chinese are very much afraid retaliation by an armed American citizenry. As a result the Chinese fear they will not see their debt repaid. They have offered to help with whatever means necessary to disarm the public.”

Media Hopelessly In the Tank for Obama. Another topic the two discussed was how baffled he and others in the military are by the sycophantic support of the unofficial fourth branch of government, the media. What used to be the vetting watchdogs of corrupt politics have now become the Obama “cheerleaders.” This is why Dr. Garrow was sought out as a trusted messenger to alternate media sources and anyone who will listen. The request to not have this generals’ identity divulged is being taken very seriously. He cited a number of other high-ranking military officials that have shown up dead from bizarre accidents or mysterious suicides when they decided to go public with anti-American government information…

Launches Contest to Give Away 1,000 FMK Handguns. So for now Dr. Garrow will continue to get this message out as best he can. He feels it is important for all citizens to be armed and prepared at this time, and he’s doing more than just talking about it. He is putting his money where his mouth is by joining forces with Next News Network, Gun Owners of America and FMK Firearms to give away 1,000 9calibre FMK Generation 2 handguns through his Pink Pagoda Girls program. Contestants just need to be over 18 and register with his site: http://www.pinkpagodagirls.com/ FMK Firearms is an American owned company and engraves every gun with the Second Amendment.

Our modern day Paul Reveres are sounding the alarm Americans. To be forewarned is to be forearmed.

Ohio PolitiChick Nancy Smith has been very active raising her family of six children and only in the past few years has she become active in politics beyond just the basics. Nancy realized several years ago that our country was headed in the wrong direction on just about every measurement available, and that sense of drift was brought into focus with the 2008 election of President Obama.

Since her options were somewhat limited due to her family's needs, Nancy poured herself into "working from the kitchen table" and built a worldwide base of 5,000 friends on facebook from a wide-variety of backgrounds. That exposure led to a role as a regular contributor on the Conservative Commando Radio Show, and most recently, to a role as a national contributor on Politichicks.tv.

Nancy is a graduate of Northern Arizona University. She and her husband Ron and their family reside in northeast Ohio. You can find Nancy on http://facebook.com/nancysjustright and on twitter @nancysjustright.

Then we have this warning on coming Martial Law

Ex-US Navy SEAL Ben Smith joins Fox News and drops a bombshell on the US government by revealing that the government itself is creating the conditions necessary to impose martial law here in America. This is a must watch video for those who feel martial law is merely believed by conspiracy theorists. Veterans and US Navy SEALS see the same thing!

what would Gold be Worth in the Collapse?

Phil wrote to Urban Survival Skills to ask: "Urbanman I have emailed you in the past on various subjects and I have a question, how will gold and silver be valued in a collapse? For example, todays price is $1300 USd for gold and $21.94 for silver. How will value be assigned? If a decline inflation (of commodities) or deflation (value of the fiat currency) occurs, then it will be assessed against the current dollar value. Years ago on a UN Mission to the Golan Heights the scheckle (did I spell that correctly?) was 124 to the US dollar the day I arrived and was over 400 six months later and climbing. I understand inflation, I suppose a more accurate statement would be what intrinsic value do these metals have and will the yard stick they will be measured against be the failed dollar? Your comments will be appreciated TTFN an old Sojer."

Stephen Lendman, in an article entitled, "Public Banking Avoids Today's Debacle" made some key points which effect the value of the fiat dollar and rise in prices of commodities which effect the value of previous metals, albeit this is before a real collapse. Right now we are seeing:

• rising consumer debt;
• record budget and trade deficits;
• an out-of-control national debt;
• record numbers of personal and business bankruptcies;
• millions of home foreclosures;
• depression level unemployment, poverty, homelessness and hunger; • an unprecedented wealth gap between rich elites and ordinary Americans; and
• a hugely unstable economy lurching from one crisis to another.

At one time, dollar value was defined as 1/20th of an ounce of gold or about an ounce of silver. Spot gold today sells for over $1,300 an ounce. Spot silver is about $21.50. Analysts expect much higher prices. And that is your question,....how much higher will Gold go?

Well, first let's look at the bullet comments above. Are these facts new? Were the figures worse a year ago? Two years ago? I submit that these key indicators are worse or at the very least some are the same as where they were a year ago and two years ago when Gold was selling at a much higher number.

The only thing that has changed is the perception of the people that things are getting better,...but you can only fool the creditors and your accountants for so long.....and you'll never fool the Chinese!

I believe that the value of Gold (and Silver) came down as the "perception" of the strength of the US dollar and the US Economy rose. Just wait until the curtain is pulled back!

Gold is certain to rise. The worse the economy, the higher the Gold value. If the US government does what I expect them to do, and that is to try and confiscate private Gold (and silver) bullion, then Gold will certainly be traded on the black market as prices much higher than the official Government line.

And by confiscate I mean mandate a trade-in for fiat currency, and outlaw private ownership of all but a small amount of bullion, or maybe allow collectors coins with silver content. In any event, we may not see a revolution in this country, but the vast majority of people will hide their Gold and Silver.

I also predict that a national Gold prohibition would come before a comprehensive gun ban - it, the gold ban, would affect less people and would be justified to the masses under a combination of socialist gobbleygook or what rural folk call plain old bullshit.

I think in an economic collapse Gold will easily hit $2000 an ounce and continue to climb, however in a major collapse with communications extinct, regional Gold values or the agreed upon value per barter transaction will vary widely depending on the need for the item being bartered for with Gold. What would you pay (in Gold) for anti-biotics for your wife if she had a major infection? How much per ounce would Gold be if your child needed insulin?

I'm sorry Phil that I can't answer your question more precisely, but their are too many variables. Suffice it to say that while Gold may drop and rise and drop again,...it will certainly rise when the collapse hits. However you still can't eat Gold nor can you protect yourself with it unless you hit someone over the head with a large bar of it. I consider Gold and Silver as necessary components of my survival stocks, sometimes more important than handtools, stored fuel, non-hybrid seeds, and sometimes not as important, depending upon the depth of the collapse and what my current needs would be.

stay safe, cheers

Surviving Home Replicates Likely Collapse

While I finished the book "Surviving Home" over a month ago I didn't get motivated to write about it until I received notice that the third book "Escaping Home" in this excellent series by A. American was available for pre-order. The first book, "Going Home", was a story about a man who found himself several hundred miles away from his family when EMP shut everything down and chronicled his journey trying to get back to his family and community.

Morgan Carter, the main character in this series, is a prepper, married and has a couple children. He was prepared with his Bug Out or Get Home bag, so he was prepared to walk and survive the 250 miles back to his prepared home.

I found the first book pretty realistic on how I envision the collapse environment with the story of Morgan encountering people who "go ugly early" in their attempts to better themselves and their situation through robbery, depredations and control. I had previously wrote a short review on A. American's first book.

The second book, Surviving Home, took up with the main character, Morgan Carter, back in the community and facing several realistic situations:

An unprepared community. One of the many faults with the suburban or community Bug In plan is that many, if not most, of your neighbors will be unprepared for the collapse. Many of these will be burdens on the few that are prepared. Many will resist any leaders stepping up; Many will turn on you because you have prepared and they have not.

Entitiliest community members. Many neighbors, in both A. American's excellent book and what I believe reality would be, will think that they are owed a share of another's foresight to prep. Surviving Home has some realistic scenarios, and dialog between characters, reverting to immoral behavior when faced with starvation. With that fear to imminent starvation and you have a volcanic situation.

Lack of organization. While many communities will not have an existing or "live in" organized law enforcement entity which could generate a basis for organized security, Surviving Home's story line did, although this character was a weak link for organizing a community security plan which of course would normally include procedures, training, and defensive measures. Not only is a sound security plan a requirement but organizing the community for the long haul which include food, fuel, and material procurement,..... water procurement, filtering, sterilization and storage and even short and long range procurement, reconnaissance and security patrols. A solid leader would have utilized all existing community member skills to the upmost. But then again, I say that "Surviving Home" was realistic and it was.

A. Americans novels also have a twist where the main character's is aided by some ex-soldiers now working for the Military to keep Homeland Security from running amok and turning this country into a facist state.  Good story all will enjoy - look for the lessons. 

We, preppers in general, read Survivalist novels such as the "Going Home, Surviving Home and Escaping Home" as well as the well known series of books written by James Wesley, Rawles for several reasons,......they are entertaining,....we pickup situations and tips that we didn't plan for or even think about. So it helps if they are realistic, as well as entertaining. A. American's series is my favorite survivalist series and this includes the ones by Rawles, Joe Nobody and Crawford.

Five Stages of Collapse

I have been hearing the term "Five Stages of Collapse" from a couple different sources, so I decided to look it up and see what people were referring to.  I found references to the 5 stages of collapse from this article from the Market Oracle in the United Kingdom.  Yep, the same United Kingdom who faces many of the same problems we in the U.S. face,......devalued fiat currency, growing radical muslim population, growing poverty population, encroachment of governmental powers. But the U.K. has worse issues than us with their restrictive gun control laws and the physical footprint of living on an island greatly reduces mobility and Bug Out planning.

We are witnessing the beginning stages of political collapse. The government and its leaders are being discredited on a daily basis. The mismanagement of fiscal policy, foreign policy and domestic policy, along with the revelations of the NSA conducting mass surveillance against all Americans has led critical thinking Americans to question the legitimacy of the politicians running the show on behalf of the bankers, corporations and arms dealers. The Gestapo like tactics used by the government in Boston was an early warning sign of what is to come. Government entitlement promises will vaporize, as they did in Detroit, with pension promises worth only ten cents on the dollar.

Total social and cultural collapse could resemble the chaotic civil war scenarios playing out in Libya and Syria. The best case scenario would be for a collapse similar to the Soviet Union’s relatively peaceful disintegration into impotent republics. I don’t believe we’ll be this fortunate. The most powerful military empire in world history will not fade away. It will go out in a blaze of glory with a currency collapse, hyper-inflation, and war on a grand scale.

The day of reckoning for a century of putting our faith in the wrong people with wrong ideas and evil intentions is upon us. Dmitry Orlov provides a blueprint for the collapse in his book – The Five Stages of Collapse – Survivors’ Toolkit:

Stage 1: Financial Collapse. Faith in “business as usual” is lost. The future is no longer assumed to resemble the past in any way that allows risk to be assessed and financial assets to be guaranteed. Financial institutions become insolvent; savings wiped out and access to capital is lost.

Stage 2: Commercial Collapse. Faith that “the market shall provide” is lost. Money is devalued and/or becomes scarce, commodities are hoarded, import and retail chains break down and widespread shortages of survival necessities become the norm.

Stage 3: Political Collapse. Faith that “the government will take care of you” is lost. As official attempts to mitigate widespread loss of access to commercial sources of survival necessities fail to make a difference, the political establishment loses legitimacy and relevance.

Stage 4: Social Collapse. Faith that “your people will take care of you” is lost, as social institutions, be they charities or other groups that rush to fill the power vacuum, run out of resources or fail through internal conflict.

Stage 5: Cultural Collapse. Faith in the goodness of humanity is lost. People lose their capacity for “kindness, generosity, consideration, affection, honesty, hospitality, compassion, charity.” Families disband and compete as individuals for scarce resources. The new motto becomes “May you die today so that I can die tomorrow.”

The collapse is occurring in fits and starts. The stages of collapse do not necessarily have to occur in order. You can recognize various elements of the first three stages in the United States today. Stage 1 commenced in September 2008 when this Crisis period was catalyzed by the disintegration of the worldwide financial system caused by Wall Street intentionally creating the largest control fraud in world history, with easy money provided by Greenspan/Bernanke, fraudulent mortgage products, fake appraisals, bribing rating agencies to provide AAA ratings to derivatives filled with feces, and having their puppets in the media and political arena provide the propaganda to herd the sheep into the slaughterhouse.

The American people neglected their civic duty to elect leaders who would tell them the truth and represent current and future generations equally. They have neglected the increasing lawlessness of Wall Street, K Street and the corporate suite. The American people have lived in denial about their responsibility for their own financial well-being, willingly delegating it to a government of math challenged politicians who promised trillions more than they could ever deliver. The American people have delayed tackling the dire issues confronting our nation, including: $200 trillion of unfunded liabilities, the military industrial complex creating wars across the globe, militarization of our local police forces, domestic spying on every citizen, allowing mega-corporations and the financial elite to turn our nation from savings based production to debt based consumption, and allowing corporations, the military industrial complex, Wall Street, and shadowy billionaires to pick and control our elected officials. The civic fabric of the country is being torn at the points of extreme vulnerability.

“At home and abroad, these events will reflect the tearing of the civic fabric at points of extreme vulnerability – problem areas where, during the Unraveling, America will have neglected, denied, or delayed needed action. Anger at “mistakes we made” will translate into calls for action, regardless of the heightened public risk. It is unlikely that the catalyst will worsen into a full-fledged catastrophe, since the nation will probably find a way to avert the initial danger and stabilize the situation for a while. Yet even if dire consequences are temporarily averted, America will have entered the Fourth Turning.” - The Fourth Turning – Strauss & Howe – 1997

Our Brave New World controllers (bankers, politicians, corporate titans, media moguls, shadowy billionaires) were able to avert a full-fledged catastrophe in the fall of 2008 and spring of 2009 which would have put an end to their reign of destruction. To accept the rightful consequences of their foul actions was intolerable to these obscenely wealthy, despicable men. Their loathsome and vile solutions to a crisis they created have done nothing to relieve the pain and suffering of the average person, while further enriching them, as they continue to gorge on the dying carcass of a once thriving nation. Despite overwhelming public outrage, Congress did as they were instructed by their Wall Street masters and handed over $700 billion of taxpayer funds into Wall Street vaults, under the false threat of systematic collapse. The $800 billion of pork stimulus was injected directly into the veins of corporate campaign contributors. The $3 billion Cash for Clunkers scheme resulted in pumping taxpayer dollars into the government owned union car companies, while driving up the prices of used cars and hurting lower income folks.

Ben Bernanke has peddled the false paradigm of quantitative easing (code for printing money and airlifting it to Wall Street) as benefitting Main Street. Nothing could be further from the truth. He bought $1.3 trillion of toxic mortgage backed securities from his Wall Street owners. He has pumped a total of $2.8 trillion into the hands of Wall Street since September 2008, and is singlehandedly generating $5 billion of risk free profits for these deadbeats by paying them .25% on their reserves. Drug dealer Ben continues to pump $2.8 billion per day into the veins of Wall Street addicts and any hint of tapering the heroin causes the addicts to flail about. Ben should be so proud. He should hang a Mission Accomplished banner whenever he gives a speech. Bank profits reached an all-time record in the 2nd quarter, at $42.2 billion, with 80% of those profits going to the 2% Too Big To Trust Wall Street Mega-Goliath Banks. It’s enough to make a soon to retire, and take a Wall Street job, central banker smile.

“The money rate can, indeed, be kept artificially low only by continuous new injections of currency or bank credit in place of real savings. This can create the illusion of more capital just as the addition of water can create the illusion of more milk. But it is a policy of continuous inflation. It is obviously a process involving cumulative danger. The money rate will rise and a crisis will develop if the inflation is reversed, or merely brought to a halt, or even continued at a diminished rate. Cheap money policies, in short, eventually bring about far more violent oscillations in business than those they are designed to remedy or prevent.” – Henry Hazlitt – 1946

Any serious minded person knew Wall Street had too much power, too much control, and too much influence in 2008 when they crashed our economic system. When something is too big to fail because it will create systematic collapse, you make it smaller. Instead we have allowed our sociopathic rulers to allow these parasitic institutions to get even larger. Just 12 mega-banks control 70% of all the banking assets in the country, with 90% controlled by the top 86 banks. There are approximately 8,000 financial institutions in this country. Wall Street will be congratulating themselves with record compensation of $127 billion and record bonuses of $23 billion for a job well done. It is dangerous work making journal entries relieving loan loss reserves, committing foreclosure fraud, marking your assets to unicorn, making deposits at the Fed, and counting on the Bernanke Put to keep stocks rising. During a supposed recovery from 2009 to 2011, average real income per household grew pitifully by 1.7%, but all the gains accrued to Bernanke’s minions. Top 1% incomes grew by 11.2% while bottom 99% incomes shrunk by 0.4%. Therefore, the top 1% captured 121% of the income gains in the first two years of the recovery. This warped trend has only accelerated since 2011.

When the financial collapse reaches its crescendo, the just in time supply chain, that keeps cheese doodles and cheese whiz on your grocery store shelves, Chinese produced iGadgets in your local Wal-Mart Supercenter, and gasoline flowing out of gas station hoses into your leased Cadillac Escalade, will break down rapidly. The strain of $110 oil is already evident. The fireworks will really get going when ATM machines run dry and the EBT cards stop functioning. Within a week riots and panic will engulf the country.

“At some point we are bound to hear, from across two oceans, the shocking words “Your money is no good here.” Fast forward to a week later: banks are closed, ATMs are out of cash, supermarket shelves are bare and gas stations are starting to run out of fuel. And then something happens: the government announces they have formed a crisis task force, and will nationalize, recapitalize and reopen banks, restoring confidence. The banks reopen, under heavy guard, and thousands of people get arrested for attempting to withdraw their savings. Banks close, riots begin. Next, the government decides that, to jump-start commerce, it will honor deposit guarantees and simply hand out cash. They print and arrange for the cash to be handed out. Now everyone has plenty of cash, but there is still no food in the supermarkets or gasoline at the gas stations because by now the international supply chains have broken down and the delivery pipelines are empty.” – Dmitry Orlov – The Five Stages of Collapse

The Coming Economic Collapse - What Others Are Thinking

The Smell of Collapse is in the Air posted by Deviant Investor on September 19th, 2013 - See more here. See what other financial minds are saying about the hocus pocus on paper wealth and fiat currency - the printing of money out of thin air,....the possibility or probability of a economic collapse.

The U.S. stock market is near all-time highs, while politicians and economists are blathering about recovery, low inflation, and good times, but instability and danger are clearly visible in our debt based monetary system. To the extent we rely upon the fantasies of ever-increasing debt, money printing, and credit bubbles, we are vulnerable to financial collapses. Perhaps a collapse is not imminent, but it would be foolish to ignore the possibility. Consider what these insightful writers have to say:

Egon von Greyerz:
“Debt worldwide is now expanding exponentially. With absolutely no possibility of stopping this debt explosion, we will soon enter a period of unlimited money printing leading to a total destruction of paper currencies. The consequence will be a hyperinflationary depression in most major economies.”

Bullion Bulls Canada:
“So the ending is already clear. The U.S.S. Titanic is about to be intentionally sunk (again), and B.S. Bernanke’s ‘fingerprints’ will be planted all over the crime scene.”

John Rubino:
“…nothing was fixed after 2008, just as nothing was fixed after the housing, tech stock, and junk bond bubbles burst. The response has been the same each time, only progressively more aggressive and experimental. That the financial, economic and political mainstream think that the system has been reset to ‘normal’ because asset prices are back where they were just before the 2008 crash is, well, crazy. With financial imbalances bigger than ever before – and continuing to expand – the only possible outcome is an even bigger crash.”

Bill Holter:
“THIS is where THE REAL BUBBLE is! The biggest bubble in all of history, (larger than the Tulip mania, South Sea, the Mississippi Bubble, 1929, current global real estate and global stock bubble combined then cubed) is the current and total global financial system. EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE is based on credit. In fact, over 60% of this credit is dollar based and ‘guaranteed’ by the U.S. government. The minor little problem now is that we have reached ‘debt saturation’ levels everywhere. There are no more asset classes left able to take on more credit (air) to inflate the balloon. The other minor detail is that the ‘asset’ that underlies the value of everything (the dollar and thus Treasury securities) is issued by a bankrupt entity. What could possibly go wrong?”

Growing and healthy economies mean more people are productively employed. It appears that much of the “growth” in the U.S. economy over the last five years has been in disability income, food stamps (SNAP), unemployment, student loans, welfare, debt, and government jobs – none of which are productive. Examine the following graph of Labor Force Participation Rate – the actual percentage of the populace that is employed. Does this look like a healthy economy experiencing a recovery or a collapse in productive employment?

The damaging effects of 100 years of Fed meddling in the U.S. economy, many expensive wars, 42 years of unbacked debt based currency, and unsustainable growth in credit and debt have left the Western monetary system in a precarious position. The damaging effects of 100 years of Fed meddling in the U.S. economy, many expensive wars, 42 years of unbacked debt based currency, and unsustainable growth in credit and debt have left the Western monetary system in a precarious position.

Using common sense, ask yourself:

Can total debt grow much more rapidly than the underlying economy which must support and service that debt? FOREVER?

Can government expenditures grow much more rapidly than government revenues? FOREVER?

Will interest rates remain at multi-generational lows? FOREVER?

Will a fiscally irresponsible congress rein-in an out of control spending system that our fiscally irresponsible congress created?

Is another and larger (than 2008) financial collapse likely and inevitable?

Do you still believe in the fantasies of ever-increasing debt, printing “money” and credit bubbles?

Are you personally and financially prepared for a potential financial collapse?

Have you converted some of your digital currencies into real money – physical gold and silver? Is it safely stored outside the banking system and perhaps in a country different from where you live?

Do you have a place to stay safe if the economic crisis turns violent?

Do you have a means to protect yourself and your loved ones? Are you competent with those firearms and do you have some ammunition put away but it surely won't be available, or affordable once the collapse hits.

Do you have some food stocked up? If not, why? Do you think you are going to be the golden one's that avoid all the coming bad times? Maybe if you're living in Costa Rica.

Warning from Bob Rinear

Warning from Bob Rinear Robert "Bob" Rinear is a noteworthly financial advisor Robert "Bob" Rinear, who is a noteworthly financial advisor, wrote an article basically making the case for the artificial growth of the stock market due to Bernanke's FED pushing $85 billion a month into the money supply. This last week Rinear was cautioning us that on September 18th, 2013 Bernanke would make a decision on continuing or tapering Quanitive Easing (QE) which could be the long awaited taper of worthless fiat curency being floated into the market.

Rinear's supposition, in part from bogus Governmental reports that the economy was building strength, as that the larger a QE taper, the larger a stock market drop. The stronger the economy, the less need for QE. But at some point in time QE has to taper or stop. When it does there will be hell to pay on the stock market. Stocks and bonds and therefore our pensions plans invested in these will devalue. How much will they devalue would be dependent upon just how far the market drops.

Some of you saying "what the hell dude,.....the stock market has nothing to do with the economy any more. Wall Street is a fraud and just manipulates false values and people's emotions." Well, you won't get an argument from me. But the stock market crashing or tanking significantly will have an impact on our lifes. It could be the catalyst for the long awaited economic collapse that places 100 million of our fellow citizens looking for food and shelter on a day by day basis ( 1 in 7 Americans are living in poverty right now). It also just may not be so bad,...... it may eliminate the middle class,...making us all part of the lower class, making life hard, but liveable.

And Rinear isn't the only one forecasting a market fall. Gina Martin Adams who happens to be a Wells Fargo strategist, watched the S&P 500 add 21 percent. And on this past Thursday's, a day after the FED's announcment to continue pumping money into the system, Adams reiterated her call that the index would close out the by dropping 16 percent erasing all gains this years.

We are indeed in interesting times.

Now the warning from Rinear.

Did you notice Poland just did? At first I thought it was a bad joke, one of the internet rumors gone wild. But it isn’t. Basically they just announced that they were confiscating 50% of all PRIVATE pensions. Did you read that?

Remember Cyprus and the idea of a “bail in” where deposit money will be used to support failed banks? Well Poland is taking it a step further.

Poland has a “debt ceiling” that prevents it from issuing debt over 55% of GDP. Well they were dangerously flirting with breaking that rule in a big way. By confiscating and stealing (“nationalizing”) the Polish citizens’ private pension money, they are now booking that money as a straight-up cash asset on the government’s balance sheet, thus “freeing up room” against the GDP-to-debt threshold so that the Polish government can … issue more debt and spend even more.

When you see banks laying out rules for “bail in’s” and see Governments looking at private pensions as their own little piggy banks, it certainly brings me back to an article I wrote for you all way back in 2011. I suggested that at “some point” Uncle Sam is going to look at the 10 trillion in 401K’s and IRA’s and the almost 10 trillion in annuities and private pensions and “take it”. Hey, look at it like a crooked politician for a minute.

Here’s 20 trillion dollars just “sitting” in accounts. Why not take it, use the money to do stupid things, replace the holdings with Government issuance like bonds, and keep partying like it’s 1999? Poland just saw that light.

The US will do that if necessary and frankly it’s necessary now. So far they’ve danced around the issues, used Fed money, etc, but this won’t last for ever. So while a taper out of the Fed might beat gold and silver down some, I will indeed buy the dip. What is safer, ten boxes of gold coins or some digital receipt that says I have 100K in a 401K at some mutual fund outfit? You know the answer. If Uncle sam wants my physical, he’s going to have a pretty hard time getting it. If he wants my 401K my only defense is a phone call. No thanks.

So Rinear is telling us the possiblity of us losing all our externally stored wealth,....in my case it's just savings...but mnore important is how would migitate the coming effects that an easing of, or a complete stopping of QE would have on the market and therefore our wealth and possible government confiscation of existing wealth in order to keep the government afloat, albeit for a short time? Wow! That's a complication question but he answer is simple but not necessarily easy to execute. The way we mitigate financial market collapse and the requisite economic chaos is through proper management of the Survivalist's Portfolio,........a portfolio that does not relay on diverse holdings between bonds,stocks, mutual funds and 401K plans, but instead ensures that we have enough commodites on hand and physically held such as cash, gold, silver, firearms, ammunition, stored foods, ability to grow food - stored seeds, and the equipment and material we'll need to see us through hard times.

Medical Concerns- Primarily Before the Collapse

A worldwide or at least national pandemic is certainly a threat to be a catalyst for a collapse, especially with the availability of air travel today. In fact, some people go on medical vacation to places like Costa Rica and India just to get treatment that would be cost prohibitive or not even available here in the states. And you know what they say about hospitals,...as much as they exist to treat and heal people, they also pose a risk of contracting diseases that you've never even heard about.

The biggest pandemic threat appears to be from type A influenza or a modified version which jumps ahead of our capability to get a handle on. Already health authorities are predicting a very cold winter and the requisite infections that come with it.

Of course, our common vaccine is basically a three way vaccine that combines different flu strains with H1N1 bird virus. This is giving way to a new type of vaccine that also contains Type B flu strain, but, thankfully will not contain any strain of the swine virus.

So where is the threat? One threat is that these vaccines have not be tested thoroughly, especially against follow on, later disease like cancer. Another threat is that many of us believe these vaccines degrade our immune system as opposed to enhance them. There are many conversations about the flu vaccine being impotent. I think the impotency aspect is due to the vaccines having the reverse effect on people,.......not protecting us, but degrading our immune systems. I have not had a flu shot, nor has my family had a flu shot in 15 years. We remain healthy while friends of ours continue to hope on the vaccine doing them so some - and they get sick.

Now on anti-biotics.

I don't know how many preppers are stocking anti-biotics for the collapse. Practically, the only way you could do so and not run into Federal violations would to get legitimately precscribed anti-biotics then not use them, instead opting to stocking these anti-biotics for later. Even then they will only be good a few short years after the expiration date.

Certainly there is a danger of not having anti-biotics for the major infections after the collapse, when medical support and medications will much less available, if available at all. Another danger related to anti-biotics is a pre-collapse danger related to the over use of anti-biotics.
There are many of us that fear that use or over use of anti-biotics also degrade our immune systems....and not just for a short time either.

A good article on over use of anti-biotics recently came out of the Wall Street Journal On-line, with the article title: "Antibiotics Do's and Don'ts Doctors Too Often Prescribe 'Big Guns'; Impatient Patients Demand a Quick Fix".

In short, the WSJ article said that "Doctors aren't only handing out too many antibiotics, they also are frequently prescribing the wrong ones." As recent studies have shown that doctors are overprescribing broad-spectrum antibiotics, sometimes called the big guns, that kill a wide swath of both good and bad bacteria in the body. Instead, narrow-spectrum antibiotics, like penicillin, amoxicillin and cephalexin, can usually clear up many infections, while targeting a smaller number of bacteria.

Professional organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, and public-health groups such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are pushing doctors to limit the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics. Among the most common broad-spectrum antibiotics are ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin—a class of drugs known as fluoroquinolones—and azithromycin, which is sold by one drug maker under the brand name Zithromax, or Z-Pak.

Overuse of antibiotics, and prescribing broad-spectrum drugs when they aren't needed, can cause a range of problems. It can make the drugs less effective against the bacteria they are intended to treat by fostering the growth of antibiotic-resistant infections. And it can wipe out the body's good bacteria, which help digest food, produce vitamins and protect from infections, among other functions.

In a July study published in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, researchers from the University of Utah and the CDC found that 60% of the time physicians prescribe antibiotics, they choose broad-spectrum ones. "There is overuse of broad-spectrum antibiotics both in situations where a narrower alternative would be appropriate and in situations where no therapy is indicated at all," said Adam Hersh, assistant professor of pediatrics at University of Utah and a study author.

The study, which relied on a public database with information on nearly 240,000 visits to doctor's offices and emergency departments, said illnesses for which doctors choose the stronger antibiotics include skin infections, urinary-tract infections and respiratory problems.

A similar study of children, published in the journal Pediatrics in 2011, found that when antibiotics were prescribed they were broad-spectrum 50% of the time, mainly for respiratory conditions.

Both studies also found that about 25% of the time antibiotics were being prescribed for conditions in which they have no use, such as viral infections.

"This is upward of 30, 40 million prescriptions a year. And on top of it, these are conditions where antibiotics aren't justified—coughs, colds, bronchitis—and the majority of the antibiotics prescribed are the broad-spectrum antibiotics," says Dr. Hersh, also a co-author of the Pediatrics study.

When doctors don't know exactly what type of bacteria is causing an infection they may prescribe a broad-spectrum antibiotic. Ordering up a test to isolate the source of the bacteria can take a day or two to get results. Waiting can risk the infection spreading. Patients also may be in discomfort and not willing to wait.

Experts say broad-spectrum antibiotics are best used for more severe conditions, such as when a child or adult is in the hospital or has already had multiple courses of antibiotics that didn't work. Someone at risk for infection with resistant bacteria because of repetitive or prolonged antibiotic exposure, such as recurrent ear infections, might also fare better with a broad-spectrum drug.

Charles Cutler, an internist near Philadelphia, says women with recurring urinary-tract infections frequently request broad-spectrum drugs like ciprofloxacin because it is what they know. But the over prescription of such drugs has created a lot of resistant infections, he says. It can take 48 hours for a test to determine what is causing a urinary-tract infection and "doctors and patients don't want to wait 48 hours," says Dr. Cutler, who is chairman of the American College of Physicians' Board of Regents.

Bronchitis is another illness for which antibiotics are often overused, says Lauri Hicks, medical director for the CDC's "Get Smart: Know When Antibiotics Work" program. Eighty percent of the time patients come into a doctor's office with acute bronchitis they will be prescribed an antibiotic, and usually a broad-spectrum one, she says. "Bronchitis in someone who's otherwise healthy typically gets better on its own," she says.

Doctors say it can be difficult to tell a bacterial infection from a viral one. A general rule of thumb with sinus infections is to hold off on the early use of antibiotics but consider using them if symptoms persist. Infections like bronchitis, which is mostly caused by a virus, and pneumonia are usually diagnosed by listening to lungs with a stethoscope. If there is doubt, X-rays can often tell the difference.

Experts say patients should question their doctors about the use of antibiotics —both whether they are warranted and why a particular type is chosen.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has emphasized the importance of judicious use of antibiotics. The group this year updated guidelines for treating sinusitis and ear infections to help physicians determine which illnesses will respond to antibiotics and which type of antibiotic to prescribe. Both updates recommended the narrow-spectrum amoxicillin as a first- line treatment when antibiotics are warranted.

Resistant bacteria are often present in the body in small numbers to begin with but are crowded out by other bacteria that are more susceptible to antibiotics. When a person takes an antibiotic, it kills off the susceptible bacteria, allowing the resistant bacteria to grow more easily, says Dr. Hersh.

Jeffrey Gerber, a pediatric infectious-disease specialist at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, recently led a research team exploring whether doctors' prescribing habits could change. The researchers looked at 18 primary-care pediatric offices. In half of the offices, doctors received on-site education about prescribing guidelines for some common infections: pneumonia, strep throat and sinus infections. Narrow-spectrum antibiotics were recommended for all three conditions. The other offices didn't receive any guidance.

"After 12 months we saw overall a nearly 50% reduction in broad spectrum or off-guideline prescribing for these conditions" in the intervention group of offices compared with the control group, Dr. Gerber said. The study appeared in the June issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. He said the researchers are currently examining what effect the change in prescribing habits had on illness control, cost and other outcomes.

So what's our course of action? Being in the best health you can; utilize good sanitation measures - stocking lots of soap and anti-septics; and, have a clear procedure for handling refugees that will invariably find you unless you are in some remote Bug Out location. Even then, plan on how you are going to segregate and assess these potential virus carrying threats to your group.

Survival Gardening Information

I have written a lot of the need for gardening - farming skills in the coming collapse. I have not written any on the "how to's" as I am pretty lame as to producing my own food through growing crops. I have had some small success and many failures. But this is a necessary journey in order to develop some experience to employ when it counts for real.

A couple of good information sites I recently found are:

Building a Small Greenhouse

I have a greenhouse kit, but right now it stays packed up ready to be transported out to our  Bug Out site during a controlled or planned bug out.  But I would not hestiate to construct it if we needed to stay Bugged In and supplement our stored food using my large supply of stored seeds to grow some vegetables.


Fertilizer

Although I have not yet read this book, it will be on my order of next Amazon order. 

Amazon's review: 
In his insightful new book, Holy Shit: Managing Manure to Save Mankind, contrary farmer Gene Logsdon provides the inside story of manure-our greatest, yet most misunderstood, natural resource. He begins by lamenting a modern society that not only throws away both animal and human manure-worth billions of dollars in fertilizer value-but that spends a staggering amount of money to do so. This wastefulness makes even less sense as the supply of mined or chemically synthesized fertilizers dwindles and their cost skyrockets. In fact, he argues, if we do not learn how to turn our manures into fertilizer to keep food production in line with increasing population, our civilization, like so many that went before it, will inevitably decline.


Making your own fertilizer and compost.  Another is this video on organic gardening by making compost.






And yet one more site, in fact an excellent site, pertaining to feeding yourself in the coming collapse is FoodStorageAndSurvival, which posted this information on Dandelions. Dandelion is one of the most recognizable and widespread edible plants. You know that weed that pops up in your yard every spring with its sunny yellow flowers? That lovely yellow flower that then turns into a ball of fluff attached to seeds that get blown across the yard/town/nation by the wind and small children? Well, they are not just weeds, the entire dandelion plant is edible. Here is how to cook dandelion roots.

1. Gather dandelions. Be sure you are gathering from a source that has not been sprayed with herbicide. Younger dandelions are best as the older roots can become woody. The dandelion usually has one long tap root, so you may need to dig down a bit to get as much of the root out as possible.

2. Wash and trim. Trim off the plant tops and any small side roots.

3. Peel the roots. You can peel them with a sharp knife, or peel them like beets using the boiling water method. Put the roots in boiling water for about 2 minutes, then remove them and put them in cold water. Then the peels slip off easily.

4. Cut them into pieces if desired. You can slice them into button sized pieces or leave them long, whatever is more appetizing to you. If the roots are woody, I would suggest leaving them long and then you can strip the tender part of the root off the outside of the woody core as you eat them.

5. Boil the roots 7-10 minutes until they are soft.

6. Season and serve warm. I put salt, pepper, and butter on mine.

I am constantly reminded that I am in the electronic age, but I can't help but like hard copy books for references. While an iPAD or Kindle type device can store a lot of information, I tend to want books as my primary refernce library. In a perfect world, a person would have both. These are some of my favorite books for survival collapse based gardening and farming.

Are State Militias Preparing?

I was sent this article, 14 United States Governors: Prepare State Militia Defenses, To Be Ready Against Obama’s Rogue Federal Forces!, and asked what I thought of it.

I haven't been able to confirm. We know that the federal government can call up and federalized state national guard units and it seems there would be too many indicators if this was true as the article professes.

Obama fearing a revolution against him by the states, has moved swiftly by nationalizing nearly all National Guard Forces in multiple states; Georgia, Alabama, Kansas, Minnesota, Tennessee, Virginia, Louisiana, South Carolina – to name a few. The Governors of the Great States of Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia still have under their Command-and-Control the State Defense Forces to go against U.S. Federal forces should the need arise. Also important to note: There are NO U.S. laws prohibiting National Guard troops from also joining their State’s Defense Forces. This dilemma occurred during the Civil War with many “citizen soldiers” choosing to serve their states instead of the Federal Government.

Obama is angered by the several State Governors who have reestablished “State Defense Forces.” These forces are described as: “State Defense Forces (also known as State Guards, State Military Reserves, State Militias) in the United States are military units that operate under the sole authority of a state government; they are not regulated by the National Guard Bureau nor are they part of the Army National Guard of the United States. State Defense Forces are authorized by state and federal law and are under the command of the governor of each state. State Defense Forces are distinct from their state’s National Guard in that they cannot become federal entities.”

Mr. Obama is fearful of these State Defense Forces, in that he does not have control of said forces, and with the U.S. Military stretched to near breaking from multiple deployments and theatre actions in Iraq and Afghanistan, these State military forces would be under the direct command and authority of the Governors in which states have said forces. In essence, the Governors would have “de facto control” of the United States.

The The Future Not Bright - More Reasons for the Impending Economic Collapse

From an article by Michael Synder, called "35 Facts To Scare A Baby Boomer", posted on the The Economic Collapse Blog, hich is a really good source for,..well,...news, predictions and reasons that we face a economic collapse.



If you have some people you are dripping prepping to, and we all know some of those people. Peeople who are can't stand by themselves,...people on the fence on gun issues, or just don't see the need for "military style" weapons in the hands of the common citizenry,....people who have maybe three days food in their house. Anyway,........without further ado, Michael Synder's excellent article.

If you want to frighten Baby Boomers, just show them the list of statistics in this article. The United States is headed for a retirement crisis of unprecedented magnitude, and we are woefully unprepared for it. At this point, more than 10,000 Baby Boomers are reaching the age of 65 every single day, and this will continue to happen for almost the next 20 years. The number of senior citizens in America is projected to more than double during the first half of this century, and some absolutely enormous financial promises have been made to them.

So will we be able to keep those promises to the hordes of American workers that are rapidly approaching retirement? Of course not. State and local governments are facing trillions in unfunded pension liabilities. Medicare is facing a 38 trillion dollar shortfall over the next 75 years. The Social Security system is facing a 134 trillion dollar shortfall over the next 75 years. Meanwhile, nearly half of all American workers have less than $10,000 saved for retirement.

The truth is that I was being incredibly kind when I said earlier that we are "woefully unprepared" for what is coming. The biggest retirement crisis in history is rapidly approaching, and a lot of the promises that were made to the Baby Boomers are going to get broken.

The following are 35 incredibly shocking statistics that will scare just about any Baby Boomer...

1. Right now, there are somewhere around 40 million senior citizens in the United States. By 2050 that number is projected to skyrocket to 89 million.

2. According to one recent poll, 25 percent of all Americans in the 46 to 64-year-old age bracket have no retirement savings at all.

3. 26 percent of all Americans in the 46 to 64-year-old age bracket have no personal savings whatsoever.

4. One survey that covered all American workers found that 46 percent of them have less than $10,000 saved for retirement.

5. According to a survey conducted by the Employee Benefit Research Institute, "60 percent of American workers said the total value of their savings and investments is less than $25,000".

6. A Pew Research survey found that half of all Baby Boomers say that their household financial situations have deteriorated over the past year.

7. 67 percent of all American workers believe that they "are a little or a lot behind schedule on saving for retirement".

8. Today, one out of every six elderly Americans lives below the federal poverty line.

9. More elderly Americans than ever are finding that they must continue working once they reach their retirement years. Between 1985 and 2010, the percentage of Americans in the 65 to 69-year-old age bracket that were still working increased from 18 percent to 32 percent.

10. Back in 1991, half of all American workers planned to retire before they reached the age of 65. Today, that number has declined to 23 percent.

11. According to one recent survey, 70 percent of all American workers expect to continue working once they are "retired".

12. According to a poll conducted by AARP, 40 percent of all Baby Boomers plan to work "until they drop".

13. A poll conducted by CESI Debt Solutions found that 56 percent of American retirees still had outstanding debts when they retired.

14. Elderly Americans tend to carry much higher balances on their credit cards than younger Americans do. The following is from a recent CNBC article...

New research from the AARP also shows that those ages 50 and over are carrying higher balances on their credit cards -- $8,278 in 2012 compared to $6,258 for the under-50 population.

15. A study by a law professor at the University of Michigan found that Americans that are 55 years of age or older now account for 20 percent of all bankruptcies in the United States. Back in 2001, they only accounted for 12 percent of all bankruptcies.

16. Between 1991 and 2007 the number of Americans between the ages of 65 and 74 that filed for bankruptcy rose by a staggering 178 percent.

17. What is causing most of these bankruptcies among the elderly? The number one cause is medical bills. According to a report published in The American Journal of Medicine, medical bills are a major factor in more than 60 percent of the personal bankruptcies in the United States. Of those bankruptcies that were caused by medical bills, approximately 75 percent of them involved individuals that actually did have health insurance.

18. In 1945, there were 42 workers for every retiree receiving Social Security benefits. Today, that number has fallen to 2.5 workers, and if you eliminate all government workers, that leaves only 1.6 private sector workers for every retiree receiving Social Security benefits.

19. Millions of elderly Americans these days are finding it very difficult to survive on just a Social Security check. The truth is that most Social Security checks simply are not that large. The following comes directly from the Social Security Administration website...

The average monthly Social Security benefit for a retired worker was about $1,230 at the beginning of 2012. This amount changes monthly based upon the total amount of all benefits paid and the total number of people receiving benefits.

Could you live on about 300 dollars a week?

20. Social Security benefits are not going to stretch as far in future years. The following is from an article on the AARP website...

Social Security benefits won't go as far, either. In 2002, benefits replaced 39 percent of the average retirees salary, and that will decline to 28 percent in 2030, when the youngest boomers reach full retirement age, according to the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College.

21. In the United States today, more than 61 million Americans receive some form of Social Security benefits. By 2035, that number is projected to soar to a whopping 91 million.

22. Overall, the Social Security system is facing a 134 trillion dollar shortfall over the next 75 years.

23. As I wrote about in a previous article, the number of Americans on Medicare is expected to grow from 50.7 million in 2012 to 73.2 million in 2025.

24. Medicare is facing unfunded liabilities of more than 38 trillion dollars over the next 75 years. That comes to approximately $328,404 for each and every household in the United States.

25. Today, only 10 percent of private companies in the U.S. provide guaranteed lifelong pensions for their employees.

26. Verizon's pension plan is underfunded by 3.4 billion dollars.

27. In California, the Orange County Employees Retirement System is estimated to have a 10 billion dollar unfunded pension liability.

28. The state of Illinois has accumulated unfunded pension liabilities of more than 77 billion dollars.

29. Pension consultant Girard Miller told California's Little Hoover Commission that state and local government bodies in the state of California have 325 billion dollars in combined unfunded pension liabilities.

30. According to Northwestern University Professor John Rauh, the latest estimate of the total amount of unfunded pension and healthcare obligations for retirees that state and local governments across the United States have accumulated is 4.4 trillion dollars.

31. In 2010, 28 percent of all American workers with a 401(k) had taken money out of it at some point.

32. Back in 2004, American workers were taking about 30 billion dollars in early withdrawals out of their 401(k) accounts every single year. Right now, American workers are pulling about 70 billion dollars in early withdrawals out of their 401(k) accounts every single year.

33. Today, 49 percent of all American workers are not covered by an employment-based pension plan at all.

34. According to a recent survey conducted by Americans for Secure Retirement, 88 percent of all Americans are worried about "maintaining a comfortable standard of living in retirement".

35. A study conducted by Boston College's Center for Retirement Research found that American workers are $6.6 trillion short of what they need to retire comfortably.

So what is the solution? Well, one influential organization of business executives says that the solution is to make Americans wait longer for retirement. The following is from a recent CBS News article...

An influential group of business CEOs is pushing a plan to gradually increase the full retirement age to 70 for both Social Security and Medicare and to partially privatize the health insurance program for older Americans.

The Business Roundtable's plan would protect those 55 and older from cuts but younger workers would face significant changes. The plan unveiled Wednesday would result in smaller annual benefit increases for all Social Security recipients. Initial benefits for wealthy retirees would also be smaller.

But considering the fact that there aren't nearly enough jobs for all Americans already, perhaps that is not such a great idea. If we expect Americans to work longer, then we are going to need our economy to start producing a lot more good jobs than it is producing right now.

Of course the status quo is not going to work either. There is no way that we are going to be able to meet the financial obligations that are coming due.

The federal government, our state governments and our local governments are already drowning in debt and we are already spending far more money than we bring in each year. How in the world are we going to make ends meet as our obligations to retirees absolutely skyrocket in the years ahead?

What is going on in Detroit right now is a perfect example of what will soon be happening all over the nation. Many city workers stuck with their jobs for decades because of the promise of a nice pension at the end of the rainbow. But now those promises are going up in smoke. There has even been talk that retirees will only end up getting about 10 cents for every dollar that they were promised.

78 Survival Skills Everyone Should Know

This is an article written by Jeremy Knauff on "How to Survive It.com"

While I applaude his workmanlike efforts to build a survival skills task list, this list is not complete as Jeremy admits. I don't think one person could build a complete list,...at least not in a short period of time. I decidely to post Jeremy's list and add my own, in italics, as his tasks generated thoughts of my own. Undoubtably the readers of this will have many more.

Jeremy's aticle:

Survival is based largely on two things: a positive mental attitude and knowledge. With those two covered, you can make up for any lack of tools. Knowledge doesn’t break, wear out, and short of forgetting a thing or two, you generally can’t lose it.

Below, I’ve compiled a list of skills I think everyone should know. This is by no means a “complete” list because there is always room to learn more, and the more you know, the greater your chances of survival. But this will give you a solid foundation and a far broader skill set than most people. Everyone should know how to:

Drive a stick shift. Jump start a car; siphon or procure fuel from a disabled/abandoned vehicle.
Swim. Make an improvised flotation device.
Start a fire without matches or a lighter. Use flint and steel, a magnesium fire starter, a magnifying glass and the bow method to build a fire.
Build a garden
Use herbal remedies
Produce beer/wine
Build your local community. Develop an early warning system(s) and communications methods within your neighborhood.
Tan leather
Cure/smoke meat
Make soap
Construct animal/fish traps. Construct and emplace booby traps and early warning devices.
Make activated charcoal
Survive hypothermia. Recognize and treat Hot and Cold weather injuries.
Properly load a backpack
Conduct basic repairs (home, auto, equipment, etc.)
Operate a ham radio. Develop and use a radio brevity code system.
Defend yourself without a weapon
Identify surveillance
Build a rainwater collection system
Weld
Accurately fire an arrow
Dehydrate food.
Construct snowshoes
Build a raft with a tarp
Navigate using the stars. Navigate with a compass (dead reckoning); read a map (terrain features and marginal information; perform intersection and resection using a compass and a map.
Right an overturned raft Build with stone/brick (basic masonry)
Cut down a tree with an ax
Forage for food. Identify edible (and poisonous plants).
Sew and/or make clothing
Pilot a boat
Shoot a firearm accurately. Be able to disassmble, clean, assemble and perform a functions check on firearms. Be able to perform remedial actions on stoppages.
Find water
Utilize camouflage. Build a single fighting position. Build mutually supporting fighting positions. Build a camouflaged and concealed observation/listening post.
Construct a pond
Can food
Ski
Dig a latrine
Build with wood (basic carpentry)
Determine authenticity of gold and silver
Rappel
Follow a trail/tracking. Sterilize your trail - employ counter-tracking measures.
Use less-lethal weapons (baton, stun gun, pepper spray, etc.)
Metal working (blacksmith)
Lose a tail
Operate power tools
Construct a splint. Build a field expedient litter.
Open a can without a can opener
Drive a motorcycle
Construct a net
Identify animals by tracks and/or scat
Patch a tire. Fix a flat by plugging a tire.
Reload ammunition
Build a bow and arrow
Administer first aid. Perform CPR; Treat for a gunshot wound; emplace a torniquet; treat a sucking chest wound;
Identify venomous snakes. Treat for poisonous snake bite.
Accurately fire a slingshot
Make candles
Raise fish (for food)
Distill water/alcohol
Hot wire a car
Cook without a stove. Build a solar oven.
Survive heat injuries
Raise livestock
Find tinder
Create fertile soil. Develop a compost system.
Make charcloth
Properly store food
Survive a riot
Sharpen a knife
Butcher livestock. Field dress and butcher wild game.
Purify water
Make leather products (sheathes, holsters, boots, etc.)
Hunt and fish
Cast bullets
Maintain a bee hive
Use hand tools
Tie a knot. Be able to tie these knots: square knot, bowline and clove hitch


On his site, Jeremy advertises: "Are there any skills you think should be on this list? Let me know (in the comments box below)." Go to the link and give him some suggestions.

Is FEMA Stocking up on Survival Food?

From an article by Shepard Abellas on Intellihub.com titled, "Survival Food Company Urgently Contacted By FEMA – Is a War Or Disaster Looming?"

Not that I'm buying into this right now,...it could be as simple as spending end of the year funds. The way the government agencies work is that they budget funding before the fiscal year and through the next fiscal year they may not need nor purchase what they budgeted for, leaving excess money. And another thing about government agencies,...they do not turn back money as the next year they'll get less. Kinda counter productive wouldn't you say?

Anyway, I'll let the readers decide for themselves about any spending by FEMA, wasteful or nefarious as it may be.

The Article:

Recently my friend who owns a preparedness and survival food company was contacted by FEMA and the questions might scare you. My friend Matt, the owner of MyPatriotSupply.com was contacted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) by way of email, leading on that something is ready to pop off.

Matt being the patriot he is immediately contacted me with this disturbing news. He even provided screenshots of the actual email sent by a FEMA representative. The names and revealing information have been blurred out.

Matt of MyPatriotSupply.com wrote, “here we are, August 2013 and FEMA once again is trying to buy up large stockpiles of food. And they don’t want anyone to know it, and they want to take immediately delivery… I’ve studied history. That is what got me into preparedness in the first place. History has shown us time after time that those who depend on the government to come to their aid during a disaster are the ones waiting the longest for help. Sometimes help never comes…or comes too late.

I do not believe these critical emergency food supplies should be in the hands of the government, stored in some secret warehouse only to be brought out and distributed to their own agencies first, with the rest of us getting table scraps long after we need it.

These life-saving meals belong in the hands of people like you and me. This is why I declined the opportunity to sell to the Department of Homeland Security.

But let’s not forget the most important part of this: Why the sudden sense of urgency? What do they know that we do not?

I’m not one to cry that the sky is always falling, but when DHS/FEMA make a move to quietly buy up emergency food supplies and ask how much we can ship within 24 hours…I think this is far enough outside the realm of what is “normal” to beg some questions.

Fortunately I’ve been in this business long enough to predict what happens next. One or more of the other “survival companies” out there will inevitably see a chance to make a quick buck from Uncle Sam (which is really paid for by us, the taxpayer). This could create a run on many of the core raw ingredients used by emergency food makers that will cause a ripple effect throughout the industry as supply chains become bottle-necked handling the FEMA/DHS request.”

This is extremely disturbing to know.

What is the government gearing up for? A major disaster or war they know is coming?

I myself don’t want to be left in the dark.

Matt’s Preparedness Website here:

More on Community Organization for the Collapse

Anonymous left a new comment on your post Green Beret versus Doomsday Prepper: "I don't really disagree with this story. But I don't agree that 400 neighbors is necessarily better then going it alone. I can assure you some of those 400 neighbors don't like you and some want what you have. If you think politics and human greed will suspend itself until the crisis ends you are wrong. The difference will be that you will have enemies within AND outside. You will not know who is your friend. Those people who openly dislike you are probably harmless while those who dislike you but put on a fake front will probably do you harm. The lady down the street with three kids and a husband thrives on drama and enjoys turning one person against another. That middle aged quiet guy is infatuated with your wife and thinks if he could eliminate you he would have a chance with her. That sullen guy that never talks much is still pissed at you for parking in the street a year ago in a spot he thinks is for him alone. Some of these people will do you harm directly or indirectly and you probably won't see it coming. "

UrbanMan's reply:" I do not disagree with you. Most of us that have ever been involved with some sort of Mil or LE team would rather have a small team of trained and trusted individuals as opposed to having dozens of individuals with suspect motives and character.

Let's say you decide to Bug In. If you make no effort to develop your neighbors into at least a loosely based group for mutual support, then you face, potentially, a much larger close threat. Again, I agree with your supposition that you would have neighbors who dislike you, even hate you and want what you have be it supplies, weapons,...or as you put it "your wife". (side note: he would have no idea what he would be getting into!).

I think there will be several categories of people in your possible Survivor Group:

1. People who would gladly welcome leadership and assistance in the confusing chaos of the collapse. These people may initially be the least useful, but you would need the manpower to do everything from main observation posts and checkpoints; construct necessary things; garden and grow crops; procure and/or filter water; procure (scrounge) necessary items.

2. People who will worthless. Not able to do anything, but expect someone to take care of them because we have bred that into our population the last 50 years. You may be able to make some of the types marginally useful, but the trick is to not let them such up resources at a ratio that far exceeds their contribution.

3. There will be people who disagree with most or everything you would be trying to do such as establish OP/LPS, checkpoints, develop teams to garden, procure, etc. They may be disagreeing out of fear, or out of some character flaw like wanting status and power. There will be people who are jealous of you and your "stuff". There will be people who may exploit the situation to bully or harass or even sexually assault women. You would have to deal with these people in order to develop the bigger team. Use your "spidy sense" in detecting these people if their overt actions and words don't expose them first. Hunkering down by your lonesome, in my mind is not an option.

Let's just say, worst case scenario, you don't do any team building, ......don't interface with your neighbors,.......or anything. Then the collapse starts. Let's say it's an oil boycott, followed quickly by a stock market collapse and within days food deliveries to groceries and stores are drying up and the local government basically collapses as hyper inflation hits. Going to your nearest neighbors, the ones you think are approach-able and asking how they are doing and make some suggestions on security, protection, water storage, food stocks could only build rapport and enhance your standing with them. At a minimum they could become eyes and ears for you enhancing your security.

I have a bunch of FRS radios that I can give out to my neighbors, albeit at the right time, so we can communicate. I can replace their batteries periodically with my solar powered re-chargeable systems. If a neighbor makes comms with me saying he has some suspicious people lurking about, my choices are to address the potential or actual threat now or to wait until they try and loot my house. Me and mine? We're being pro-active.

Who knows maybe your neighbors have some skills that will augment your survival plan. Maybe the old lady down the street grows tomatoes and cans them. Maybe there is a young couple across the street wit hthe husband being a welder and his wife a practical nurse.

It is much better knowing all this before the collapse. It would makes organization much easier knowing your neighbors, having rapport, building respect between you and them now as opposed to when the collapse and therefore panic hits.

You are absolutely right about be wary of the shitheads, but you'll have to deal with them in order to build that community survival group for the benefit of all. Afterall, you can always Bug Out if need be.