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by
Brandon Smith at Alt-Maket.com
With the Crimea referendum passed and Russia
ready to annex the region, the United States and the European Union
have threatened sanctions. The full extent of these sanctions is not
yet known, and announcements are pending for the end of March. If
these measures are concrete, they will of course be followed
inevitably by economic warfare, including a reduction of natural gas
exports to the EU and the eventually full dump of the U.S. dollar by
Russia and China. As I have discussed in recent articles, the result
of these actions will be disastrous.
For those of us in the liberty movement, it is
now impossible to ignore the potential threat to our economy. No
longer can people claim that "perhaps" there will be a
crisis someday, that perhaps "five or 10 years" down the
road we will have to face the music. No, the threat is here now, and
it is very real.
The loss of the dollar's world reserve status
will destroy the only thread holding up its value, namely, investor
faith. There are only two possible outcomes from that point onward:
A) The
U.S. will be forced to default because no nation will purchase our
Treasury bonds and support our debt spending, causing the dollar's
value to implode.
B) The
Fed will choose to restart and expand quantitative easing measures,
confiscate pension funds, raid bank accounts or issue new taxes in
order to keep the system afloat; this will also end in the eventual
collapse of dollar value and hyperinflation.
The consequences will lead to an explosion in
prices - first in commodities and necessities like petroleum,
imported raw materials, food, electricity, etc. and then in all other
goods and services. Austerity measures will be instituted by Federal
and State governments. Cuts to social welfare programs, including
food stamps, are probable. Civil infrastructure will suffer. The cost
effectiveness of maintaining public utilities could become
unrealistic. Anyone relying on such services may find themselves cut
off for days, weeks or indefinitely. Public suffering will invariably
rise, along with public crime.
If events like Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans
are any indication, the Federal government's response will be
inadequate, to say the least. The Federal Emergency Management Agency
clearly cannot be relied upon to provide food, shelter, medical care
or protection for communities. In fact, in the aftermath of Hurricane
Katrina, the Feds did far more harm than good, corralling people into
camps where death was rampant and disarming outlying neighborhoods so
that they could not defend themselves. Tens of millions of dollars in
donated and Federally purchased necessities were never delivered to
aid survivors. Trucks were turned away, and help from civilian
sources was denied.
The point is, if you find yourself in the midst
of a national or international catastrophe, you should assume that
you will be on your own with whatever preparations you made
beforehand. To assume otherwise would be foolish, given our
government's track record.
There are some people who will argue that during
an international crisis, such as an economic war or a world war,
there is no purpose to preparedness. They will argue that there is
nothing an individual or family can do to weather the storm or fight
back, because the scale of the threat would be "too great."
There is no place for such defeatism in the life of the
liberty-minded. The scale of the threat is irrelevant, and only
cowards give up a fight before it even begins. Survival and freedom
require an unwavering conviction. Nihilists will fulfill their own
prophecies, suffering a fate exactly as they imagine for the rest of
us; living in fear, slavery, and obscurity.
That said, it is also important to acknowledge
the truth that the majority of Americans today are utterly unready
for a minor localized disaster, let alone a national or global
crisis. This problem, though, could be easily remedied with a few
simple beginning steps. I find that most people are not averse to the
idea of preparedness, but many have trouble taking the first steps in
the right direction. For longtime preparedness champions, the
information listed here might seem like old-hat. However, I challenge
each liberty movement member to approach at least one friend or
family member who could benefit from the steps below. Prepping
appears daunting to the uninitiated; show them how simple it can
actually be.
Below is a list of goals that every liberty
movement member and American can easily achieve starting today and
continuing over the course of the next month. If enough citizens were
to take the initiative to do these things, all threats - no matter
how imposing - could be overcome.
Buy Three Months Of Food Stock
Food
supply is the greatest Achilles' heel of the American populace. Most
homes store less than one week's worth of food items at any given
time. The average person needs between 2,000 and 3,000 calories per
day to maintain sufficient energy for survival. It takes around four
to six weeks for a person to die of starvation and malnutrition. In a
collapse scenario, most deaths will likely occur within the first few
months, either by weakness and illness, or by looting and violence.
The idea is to at least get through this first catastrophic phase
without becoming a villain, or falling victim to one. One person
removed from starvation is one possible threat removed from the
equation.
Three months of supply is not ideal by any means,
but it will buy you precious time. Start with 2,000 calories per day
per person. Bulk foods can be purchased cheaply (for now) and can at
the very least provide sustenance during emergencies. A 20-pound bag
of rice, for instance, can be had for less than $15 and provides
about 30,000 calories, or 2,000 calories per day for 15 days for one
person. Supplement with beans, canned vegetables and meats, honey for
sugar, or freeze-dried goods, and you will be living more comfortably
than 90 percent of the population.
Food stockpiling is one of the easiest and most
vital measures a person could take. Yet, sadly, it is one of the last
preparations on people's minds.
Buy A Water Filter
Do not count on city water to remain functional.
Even during a drawn-out economic downturn rather than an immediate
crisis, there is a good chance that some utilities will be sporadic
and unreliable. This means you will have to focus on rainwater
collection, as well as water from unclean sources. Boiling the water
will kill any bacteria, but it will not kill the taste of sediments
and other materials floating around. A high-grade survival filter is
the best way to get clean water that tastes good.
The average person needs about a gallon of water
per day to remain healthy and hydrated. I highly recommend the Sawyer
Mini Water Filter, which is a compact washable filter that can
cleanse up to 100,000 gallons of water. It uses no moving parts,
making it harder to break; and it costs only $20.
Buy A Small Solar Kit
Try going a week or two without electricity, and
you may find how dismal life can truly be. The very absence of light
at night reduces one's productivity time drastically, and using fuel
for lanterns is not practical in the long term. Solar power is truly
the way to go for a grid-collapse scenario.
I've heard much whining about the cost of solar
power, but small systems that will serve most electrical needs can be
set up for less than $1,000. Two 100-watt panels, a power inverter,
charge controller and four to six 12-volt deep-cycle batteries are
enough to deal with most electrical needs in a survival situation;
and all these items can be contained in a portable foot locker for
minimal cost. New solar panels are much more effective in low-light
conditions and winter weather as well, making solar a must-have prep
item.
Store A Fuel Source
Twenty gallons of gasoline treated with fuel
saver is not expensive to purchase today, but in the midst of
hyperinflation, it may be impossible to obtain tomorrow. Kerosene is
useful for heating and cooking. Propane can be stored for decades and
runs numerous appliances. If you live in a forested area, dried wood
can be had for free, and can keep you warm throughout the winter
months (keep in mind the your local danger factor when using fire).
It is vital to have a means to stay warm and fed during the most
difficult seasonal changes, especially during a grid down scenario.
Find Alternative Shelter
There are no guarantees during a full-spectrum
disaster. Having all your eggs in one basket is not only stupid, but
unnecessary. Always have a plan B. That means scouting an alternative
location for you and your family in the event that your current
shelter comes under threat. This location should be far enough away
from large population centers but still within a practical range for
you to reach them. It should also have a nearby water source, and be
defensible. Establishing supply caches near this site is imperative.
Do not assume that you will be able to take all of your survival
supplies with you from your home. Expect that surprises of a
frightening variety will arise.
Buy One Semi-Automatic Rifle
At this point I really don't care what model of
rifle people purchase, as long as they have one, preferably in high
capacity and semi-automatic. AR-15, AK-47, Saiga, SKS, M1A: just get
one! Every American should be armed with a military-grade rifle. If
you are not, you are not only negligent in your duty as a free
citizen, but you are also at a distinct disadvantage against the kind
of opponents you are likely to face in a collapse situation.
Buy 1,000 Rounds Of Ammunition
Again, this is by no means an ideal stockpile,
but it is enough to get you through a couple rough patches if you
train furiously. Cheap AK-47 ammo can be had for $5 for a box of 20
rounds. Get what you can while you can, because the prices are only
going to skyrocket in the near term.
Approach One Friend Or Neighbor
Community is what will make the difference
between life and death during a SHTF collapse. I challenge everyone
in the liberty movement to find at least ONE other person to work
with in the event of disaster. Lone-wolf operations may be
strategically practical for short periods of time; but everyone needs
rest, and everyone needs someone else to watch his back. Do not fall
into the delusion that you will be able to handle everything on your
own.
Learn One Barter Skill
Learn how to fix one vital thing or provide one
vital service. Try emergency medical training, gunsmithing or metal
working, as long as it is an ability that people will value. You have
to be able to produce something that people want in order to sustain
yourself beyond the point at which your survival stockpile runs out.
Be sure that you are seen as indispensable to those around you.
Grow A Garden
Spring is upon us, and now is the perfect
opportunity to grow your own food supply. If you have even a small
yard, use that space to grow produce. Focus on high-protein and
high-vitamin foods. Buy a dehydrator or canning supplies and save
everything. Use heirloom seeds so that you can collect new seed from
each crop to replant in the future. If every American had a garden in
his backyard, I wouldn't be half as worried about our survival as I
am today.
Prepare Your Mind For Calamity
The most valuable resource you will ever have is
your own mind. The information held within it and the speed at which
you adapt will determine your survival, whether you have massive
preparations or minimal preparations. Most people are not trained
psychologically to handle severe stress, and this is why they die.
Panic equals extinction. Calm readiness equals greater success.
The state of our financial system is one of
perpetual tension. The structure is so weak that any catalyst or
trigger event could send it tumbling into the abyss. Make no mistake;
time is running out. We may witness a terrifying breakdown tomorrow,
in a year, or if we are lucky, a little longer. The path, though, has
been set and there is no turning back. All of the items above can be
undertaken with minimal cash flow. If you receive a regular paycheck,
you can establish a survival supply for yourself and your family.
There are no excuses.
Take the steps above seriously. Set your goals
for the next four weeks and see how many of them you can accomplish.
Do what you can today, or curse yourself tomorrow. What's it going to
be?
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