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Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Prepper Myth#3: The Homestead


Posted by FerFAL at 5:56 PM

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I just finished reading a very powerful book about the soviet caused famine in Ukraine in the 1930's called "Execution by Hunger" by Miron Dolot.

As you've pointed out in the past, living on a rural farm can be a death sentence. The government took all of the food and rationed it to those in the cities. The rural farmers were forced to starve. Communists literally searched farm houses again and again while the farmers lay nearby dying. The soviets wanted to make absolutely sure they punished supposed food hoarders.

The men were mostly taken away to prisons. The women and children were not allowed to work, buy food or fuel, emigrate. Even wild game was declared off limits and hunted by government officials to punish the farmers. The communists literally took every choice but starvation away from the people.

y.g.

April 2, 2014 at 10:32 PM
Anonymous said...

Your RSS is not working properly. Latest post in December.

April 3, 2014 at 1:26 PM
Anonymous said...

I think this needs to be more nuanced. In an Argentinian style melt-down, or something similar, I would agree. As you note, similar examples in places like RSA (South Africa) prove the point. On the other hand, in the event of something really catastrophic, such as an EMP/Carrington style event, a nuclear exchange, or something similarly major, it seems to me these criminal types will have starved in short order, developed dysentery, pneumonia, etc. In that case, I wonder if a rural retreat might be better. The case of Mel Tappan is a counterpoint. A well known survivalist of several decades ago, he retired to his redoubt in Oregon, "loaded for bear," as they say Yet, the meltdown he feared in the 1970s never happened, and he had a heart attack and died - probably due to being so far from medical help. Then, as you note, you also need to be able to have a job. It's all well and fine to prepare - and I do, including for more dire outcomes - but while there are varying degrees of probability of dire outcomes (e.g, Yellowstone going off), there is 100% probability that I will grow old and be broke if I don't have a job. So, the goal for me is to find a balance, with possibly some kind of rural retreat. We have property in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, and while not the ideal climate for some it IS moderated by the Gulf Stream, and I can guarantee you in a major meltdown, gangs of ruffians will not be heading THAT direction. I'm not saying there won't be any, but no one will be going that direction.

In sum, I think there are a range of possibilities, and preparedness should start with the ones that have a higher probability, keeping in mind that catastrophic things have happened to mankind in the past (e.g., London lost ~60% of its population to the pneumonic plague 500 years ago). Thankfully, a lot of preparedness has dual use ability (for anything ranging from moderate economic meldown to TEOTWAKI).

April 4, 2014 at 8:10 PM
Anyone said...

The question about the possible collapse in America depends on whether it is from inflation or deflation. If it is inflation, it will be an Argentine style collapse, if it is deflation then we can expect another great Depression. Unlike the inflationary problems like empty shelves and unavailable energy, during a deflation there are lots of goods but no money to buy with. During a deflation there can be food lines cause there is food.

Odds are that America will choose the inflationary path as all the recent Federal Reserve chairmen an women think the Depression can be avoided with easy money. They learn nothing from Argentina.

If America could only understand that if you export less than you import, your wealth is always leaving your borders. And deficit spending only means that some future generation will pay for what you are consuming today, basic credit 101.

I think there is still merit in the homestead even if you have to leave it. It is better to eat until you can't than to be in the city where lines form like we see now in Venezuela. Remember, you can always leave the homestead to go to those lines but you can't go the other way.

April 5, 2014 at 8:23 AM
Burt Gummer said...

If you read Selco's SHTF Survival Course you will learn that in the Balkan civil war it was better to be rural and not stuck in besieged urban hell holes.

I think it all depends on the scenario that plays out; I'll take my chances in rural America verses Urban or Suburban America. I believe the Georgia Guide-stones proves they want to kill Millions, and it will be easier for them to start where the people are most concentrated.

April 5, 2014 at 8:42 PM

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