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Friday, October 23, 2009

REPLY: What are you preparing for?


Anonymous said...
If I knew exactly what to prepare for there wouldn’t be any questions. Where are you going to go? The EU seems like an unwelcome place to us gun owners, and I don‘t think North Americans would fit in well. NATO being absorbed by Russia doesn't seem like it would make the EU a nice place. Didn't Spain have just as bad of a housing bubble and price crash as California did with more to come? That doesn't speak well for Spain's future. The EU never came across as an area plentiful with jobs either. Where do you run to avoid a worldwide hyperinflationary depression?

Life here in the Midwest U.S. has not really changed one bit yet, except for the CCTV everywhere and not quite as many jobs, there are still jobs to be had. I guess most who prep, do so for things like expected and threatened quarantine lock downs, farmers revolts and strikes due to the up coming animal ID program, national revolution and martial law or succession and nullification, or $50 per gallon gas prices and or hyperinflation - all stopping the trucks from rolling in and filling the store shelves, and worse case scenario, everything happens at once.

When Argentina collapsed the world was at the peak of good times and “wealth” was easily had by quite a number, now the whole world faces economic depression, things may work out just a little different. It seems as if much of the world will have no wealthy customers to draw from like Argentina did in 2001-2007.

Health wise, just eat right, be in shape and perhaps save some money so healthcare isn’t needed. For thousands of years people got along just fine without health insurance. Works for some, it’s not perfect, and if everyone paid cash for doctors visits, things might be cheaper like they were in the days before Medicare and such drove prices higher. Many doctors are doing cash only business even now with lower prices being the result. Become, or marry, a nurse or doctor would be a nice move too I think.

Teotwawki - not the end of the world, just the end of the world “as we know it” - I like how you say it’s already happened we just don’t know it yet, like the bullet has left the barrel, it just hasn’t gone to the bone yet. The economic worldwide depression and US economic fiat Dollar collapse is already baked into the cake.

Me, I’m not exactly preparing for any one single thing, I’m just trying to be prepared to overcome most anything that comes my way (all without being MacGyver or obsessively irrational) to me, in this area, that’s a normal way of living, it’s why I keep a spare tire and a toolbox in the trunk of the car, some people don‘t do so or even know how to change a flat. Like the colonist on the frontier who managed to survive in spite of hoard attacks, not everyone was killed off or run off, but yes, some were wiped out. Like the early pioneers on the covered wagon trails who pushed on and did so without any modern conveniences, some survived. To be able to do so, not necessarily to actually do so, just to be able to if it‘s required. I’m not rich enough to be able to do much else, I know no one in the EU, and Argentina and the southern cone *was* supposed to be a place to run and hide at, but your dispelling that myth pretty quick. It sort of seems like there is no where to go, no far blue mountains to escape to, so it may be that the only option left is to take a stand where you’re at, and whatever happens, happens.

With a list like above and tornadoes, floods, severe winter snow or ice storms with dangerous temperatures, short term power failure, nuclear power plant and industrial and military chemical plants and railways nearby, and earthquake possibility it’s pretty hard to choose one or be prepared for all of them. I never wrote it down before, it looks like I live in a dangerous place, but - nothing has happened to me so far. Infamous last words eh?

“Have limited M&M’s, will travel.”



Thanks Annon for the thoughtful post. A few considerations to keep in mind.
There’s always a balance. Once again, it has happened before. As US and EU go through hard times, other countries counterbalance and do better. Granted, its not as good as US at it’s best, but others take advantage of the opportunity.
After WWII, Argentina was easily a top 5 country(some say top 3), even started developing its early nuclear power with project Huemul. The project wasn’t successful an supposedly it was all a scam, jet curiously enough just a few years later we had the first running nuclear power plant in Latin America, plants that are still running, legacy of those golden years.
There’s always places to run, but lets just call it relocate. I’ll be meeting next week with a couple Americans that have done just that, people that already feel comfortable with moving around according to circumstances. Argentina maybe wouldn’t be my #1 choice, but its better than freezing and doing nothing. As much troubles as we have, the person that in USA wouldn’t be able to live because of his poor income may do ok here simply because of the exchange rate. Before losing your home, you might as well rent it and move here to take advantage of the 1 to 3.8 exchange rate. I accept Uruguay or even Brazil might be better choices than Argentina though, even if we have better gun laws.
Regarding pioneers and pre modern medicine time, keep in mind that back then people died around late 30’s, early 40s and infant mortality rate was in the street puppy range.
Expect a very short life without modern medicine, and unless you reproduce like a rabbit (like they did back then) you’ll be lucky if you have kids that reach adulthood.
About the myth of moving to Patagonia, the end (location wise) of the world, the myth I wanted to dispel was regarding some very distorted views some people have, mostly real estate locators.
”Move to Argentina and live like a king” “Move to Mendoza, the ultimate survival retreat!”
As we say here, its not gold everything that shines.
The exchange rate is good, yes, but life is still pretty expensive here. A report not long ago showed how it can be more expensive to live in Bs As than to live in Miami. As for the inner provinces, its’ cheaper to live there, San Luis is specially cheap, but they have lots of problems, many you wouldn’t even think of in a place like USA, like medieval times politics where the governor rules like a king. So while it can be done, its not some lost paradise.
But if I have no other choice? Heck yes, I’d relocate.
Keep in mind that while relocating requires money, its much cheaper than the half a million dollars or more a full blown end of the world retreat would cost, and it would be a more realistic choice in a worse case scenario.
Of the people I know that relocated here, except for a retired doctor that moved to Patagonia and spent a nice amount of green, most did it without spending a fortune.

FerFAL

10 comments:

Patrick said...

Maybe Miami is more expense than BsAs if you price everything in pesos but come on, that's such an incredulous statement. I live in recoleta for less than 1000 p incluydo plus another 1000 for food.

Hey what's your take on vaccinnes? I'm going to have a son born here pretty soon and I'm reluctant to accept the official schedule.

FerFAL said...

Patrick, you live in the most expensive neighborhood of Argentina and only spend 2000 pesos a month? Unless by 2000 P you mean 2000 pounds of cocaine I find it hard to believe. :-)
2000 pesos is very much a minimum wage here, kids can’t even move out of their parents homes with that.
As for vaccines, do get them. The ones the gov. pays for are the bare minimum, the ones the gov. pays for after thousands of kids died for not having them. There are a couple others you should also get but have to pay for them yourself, some may be covered by your medical plan. I have Swiss Medical, that alone costs 1000 pesos, another 1000 pesos for my kid’s school. About 1500 for groceries, and then there’s everything else.

FerFAL

Anonymous said...

I have some recommendations:

RE HEALTH:

read the free stuff out there on natural health - ayurvedic, homeopathic, naturopathic etc. You can get cheap herbs and supplements from www.iherb.com. The NOW brand is supposed to be good.

-Anyone with joint problems should get the book 'Pain Free: A revolutionary method for stopping chronic pain' by Pete Egoscue. It's absolutely amazing, check out Amazon's reviews.
Note that a good pair of shoes is essential for proper joint health if you wear them a lot.


RE WHERE TO LIVE, WHAT TO PREP FOR:

Always follow Gerald Celente of Trends Research Journal. He has an impressive track record of his predictions coming true. Canada and Australia were mentioned in the last issue (which he gave for free) as better than most places to live in the future. http://geraldcelentechannel.blogspot.com/2009/10/history-of-future-trends-2012.html

regards,
Sundeep Singh

Patrick said...

I got lucky with a good renting deal and if I´m spending 20 ARS per meal like at a restaurant then we´re talking closer to 2500 a month. I used to live in Monserrat and paid 1500 just on rent and building expenses, I was paying my doorman 250 a month and he made as much as I do! The key to frugality in this country is not getting screwed over by lazy scammers, hah, which is sort of the challenge here.

Anonymous said...

In a way, it doesn't matter what you prepare for - after all, food that you bought just in case of a hurricane will taste just as good if there is a snowstorm, and the tools that you bought to clear the road from fallen trees can be used to cut firewood.

If you are preparing for one thing, chances are your preps will help if something else happens.

jake

FerFAL said...

That’s indeed pretty cheap. You must have gotten a killer deal on that apartment. 1500 is usually a minimum for that area. In Constitucion a small apartment goes for 1000 pesos (in J.B.Justo, the street full of prostitutes, pimps and dealers) Behind Galerias Pacifico, a small office rents for 1500 pesos (3 hambientes, 1 bathroom)
A couple days ago, I spent 56 pesos in a MacDonalds , only bought a quarter pounder and 2 happy meals. 20 bucks for a restaurant dinner is indeed very cheap. In Caballito a couple days ago I went to have dinner with my son’s Godfather, 50 pesos each, (cazuela and a couple cokes)

Jake, I agree with you, yet some preps are more specific, (clothes for winter storms, a canoe for floods, a shelter if living near a nuke plant or military target)

FerFAL

Anonymous said...

http://www.lewrockwell.com/sardi/sardi128.html

A pretty interesting read about vaccines from a different perspective, after reading this I doubt I'll ever get one again, by choice.

Bill in NC said...

One part of Sardi's diatribe against vaccines makes no sense.

He talks about diseases mutating to become immune to vaccinations, but the killer childhood diseases we vaccinate against DON'T mutate.

E.g. once you get the polio or measles vaccine you needn't worry about a mutation suddenly rendering you vulnerable.

For vaccines that don't confer lifetime immunity, e.g. tetanus, you only need a booster every decade.

Anonymous said...

Who knows what they are creating in labs these days or can occur in the wild, a new mutated strain of polio or measles, it seems possible?

It's interesting, that preparing children for the world is much like prepping for disaster. Some things are unnecessary and some are preparing for something that so rarely happens the prep itself could be the real danger while other dangers go unattended to. I have read in some places where they say vaccines are the cause of autism, danger on the right and danger on the left.

Looking on the net, measles and tetanus don't seem to be widespread "killer childhood diseases" - a danger yes, but not widespread killers, and "The Americas were declared polio-free in 1994" - Wikki

"Indigenous measles were declared to have been eliminated in North, Central, and South America; the last endemic case in the region was reported on November 12, 2002, with only Northern Argentina and rural Canada, particularly in the provinces of Ontario, Quebec, and Alberta having minor endemic status."- Wiki

"Tetanus Infection generally occurs through wound contamination and often involves a cut or deep puncture wound."- Wiki

It seems like it might help more to simply don't get cut, keep your surroundings clean and stay healthy so the body can fight the viruses. Who knows... research it.

Eighteen Reasons Why You Should NOT Vaccinate Your Children Against The Flu This Season
http://www.lewrockwell.com/sardi/sardi119.html

Anonymous said...

In case it matters to anyone or makes a difference, I asked the Doctor about what, "Bill in NC" said in the comments above, and the Doctor said Bill didn't know what he was talking about, and that, "the bacteria and viruses that these vaccines protect against
DO develop resistance."