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