Most Americans are still operating under the delusion that this "recession" will end and that the "good times" will return soon, but a growing minority of Americans are starting to realize that things are fundamentally changing and that they better start preparing for what is ahead. These "preppers" come from all over the political spectrum and from every age group. More than at any other time in modern history, the American people lack faith in the U.S. economic system. In dozens of previous columns, I have detailed the horrific economic problems that we are now facing in excruciating detail. Many readers have started to complain that all I do is "scare" people and that I don't provide any practical solutions. Well, not everyone can move to Montana and start a llama farm, but hopefully this article will give people some practical steps that they can take to insulate themselves (at least to an extent) from the coming economic collapse.
But before I get into what people need to do, let's take a minute to understand just how bad things are getting out there. The economic numbers in the headlines go up and down and it can all be very confusing to most Americans.
However, there are two long-term trends that are very clear and that anyone can understand....
#1) The United States is getting poorer and is bleeding jobs every single month.
#2) The United States is getting into more debt every single month.
When you mention the trade deficit, most Americans roll their eyes and stop listening. But that is a huge mistake, because the trade deficit is absolutely central to our problems.
Every single month, Americans buy far, far more from the rest of the world than they buy from us. Every single month tens of billions of dollars more goes out of the country than comes into it.
That means that every single month the United States is getting poorer.
The excess goods and services that we buy from the rest of the world get "consumed" and the rest of the world ends up with more money than when they started.
Each year, hundreds of billions of dollars leave the United States and don't return. The transfer of wealth that this represents is astounding.
But not only are we bleeding wealth, we are also bleeding jobs every single month.
The millions of jobs that the U.S. economy is losing to China, India and dozens of third world nations are not going to come back. Middle class Americans have been placed in direct competition for jobs with workers on the other side of the world who are more than happy to work for little more than slave labor wages. Until this changes the U.S. economy is going to continue to hemorrhage jobs.
The U.S. government has helped to mask much of this economic bleeding by unprecedented amounts of government spending and debt, but now the U.S. national debt exceeds 13 trillion dollars and is getting worse every single month. Not only that, but state and local governments all over America are getting into ridiculous amounts of debt.
So, what we have got is a country that gets poorer every single month and loses jobs to other countries every single month and that has accumulated the biggest mountain of debt in the history of the world which also gets worse every single month.
Needless to say, this cannot last indefinitely. Eventually the whole thing is just going to collapse like a house of cards.
So what can we each individually do to somewhat insulate ourselves from the economic problems that are coming?....
1 - Get Out Of Debt: The old saying, "the borrower is the servant of the lender", is so incredibly true. The key to insulating yourself from an economic meltdown is to become as independent as possible, and as long as you are in debt, you simply are not independent. You don't want a horde of creditors chasing after you when things really start to get bad out there.
2 - Find New Sources Of Income: In 2010, there simply is not such a thing as job security. If you are dependent on a job ("just over broke") for 100% of your income, you are in a very bad position. There are thousands of different ways to make extra money. What you don't want to do is to have all of your eggs in one basket. One day when the economy melts down and you are out of a job are you going to be destitute or are you going to be okay?
3 - Reduce Your Expenses: Many Americans have left the rat race and have found ways to live on half or even on a quarter of what they were making previously. It is possible - if you are willing to reduce your expenses. In the future times are going to be tougher, so learn to start living with less today.
4 - Learn To Grow Your Own Food: Today the vast majority of Americans are completely dependent on being able to run down to the supermarket or to the local Wal-Mart to buy food. But what happens when the U.S. dollar declines dramatically in value and it costs ten bucks to buy a loaf of bread? If you learn to grow your own food (even if is just a small garden) you will be insulating yourself against rising food prices. Storing up freeze dried food can also be a great way to prepare for what is coming.
5 - Make Sure You Have A Reliable Water Supply: Water shortages are popping up all over the globe. Water is quickly becoming one of the "hottest" commodities out there. Even in the United States, water shortages have been making headline news recently. As we move into the future, it will be imperative for you and your family to have a reliable source of water. Some Americans have learned to collect rainwater and many others are using advanced technology such as atmospheric water generators to provide water for their families. But whatever you do, make sure that you are not caught without a decent source of water in the years ahead.
6 - Buy Land: This is a tough one, because prices are still quite high. However, as we have written previously, home prices are going to be declining over the coming months, and eventually there are going to be some really great deals out there. The truth is that you don't want to wait too long either, because once Helicopter Ben Bernanke's inflationary policies totally tank the value of the U.S. dollar, the price of everything (including land) is going to go sky high. If you are able to buy land when prices are low, that is going to insulate you a great deal from the rising housing costs that will occur when the U.S dollar does totally go into the tank.
7 - Get Off The Grid: An increasing number of Americans are going "off the grid". Essentially what that means is that they are attempting to operate independently of the utility companies. In particular, going "off the grid" will enable you to insulate yourself from the rapidly rising energy prices that we are going to see in the future. If you are able to produce energy for your own home, you won't be freaking out like your neighbors are when electricity prices triple someday.
8 - Store Non-Perishable Supplies: Non-perishable supplies are one investment that is sure to go up in value. Not that you would resell them. You store up non-perishable supplies because you are going to need them someday. So why not stock up on the things that you are going to need now before they double or triple in price in the future? Your money is not ever going to stretch any farther than it does right now.
9 - Develop Stronger Relationships: Americans have become very insular creatures. We act like we don't need anyone or anything. But the truth is that as the economy melts down we are going to need each other. It is those that are developing strong relationships with family and friends right now that will be able to depend on them when times get hard.
10 - Get Educated And Stay Flexible: When times are stable, it is not that important to be informed because things pretty much stay the same. However, when things are rapidly changing it is imperative to get educated and to stay informed so that you will know what to do. The times ahead are going to require us all to be very flexible, and it is those who are willing to adapt that will do the best when things get tough.
Do you have any additional tips that you would like to share with us? If so, please feel free to share them in the comments below....
Develope stronger relationships? Why, so my friends can steal all my stuff I’ve packed away for 10 years. You didn’t even mention one of the most important things, and that’s to buy about 3 guns and tons of ammo. What good is your cute little solar panel and your rows of corn and tomatoes if you can’t protect it from the hungry desperate hordes.
#1 & #2
How do we get out from under our house if we have the income to pay the mortgage?
We are dependent on SS and State pensions and we are afraid if we walk away for the house they can attach our income?
We feel trapped in a house where we owe more than what it is worth.
Our house is, basically, our only debt and we want to move to something less expensive for our retirement.
We are really scared of depending on the government for our income and we are looking for ways to earn money, but we can’t seem to find anything that does not compete with big business who charges less.
Thanks,
Karen
Excellent article! I have been a reader of this blog for quite some time and I find your articles extremely enlightening (and thus depressing as that is unfortunately the true state of affairs). This article should certainly quiet those who accuse you of not providing any suggestions!!
About this:
Well, not everyone can move to Montana and start a llama farm
LLAMA?? LOL WTF good is a llama
There is a new rule at my farm, NO USELESS EATERS! All “pet” animals (like llamas) are going, any if I can’t eat it or make it do work, it’s gone!
Besides I heard that LLamas were for Obama in 2008:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxLSa0f4A9s
Yeah…I have a comment.
Don’t vote for incumbents.
Don’t vote for someone because they promise to give (or maintain) benefit or tax dodges.
You brought this on yourselves America.
You’re fat, clueless and materialistic.
You vote for a politician because they promise you something for nothing.
That’s not how things work… and we’re all paying for it now.
11- Buy gold
12- Buy a gun
or
13- Buy a golden gun
Good list. Add to #4, build a compositor or buy one. Anything scraps from your kitchen, except meat and bones can be composted: coffee grounds, peels from fruits and veggies, egg shells, stale bread, it will turn into perfect soil for your garden.
#9 includes defending your neighbor as he/she will defend you. One neighbor has a shotgun, but can’t really afford ammo. He has a shotgun and I have several boxes of ammo for it.
When things get really bad, those who did not prep, will be the first to come knocking at your door and if they are hungry or thirsty enough, they won’t even knock.
I vote #11 should be as Chuck from August 24th stated…
“Invest in precious metals- Gold, Silver and Jacketed Lead.”
Exactly! Great advice and article! As an commodity ex-trader get out of the casino-NOW, get out of fiat currency-NOW, and grow your own food!….Accumulate things of real value! It really is coming my friends-sad to say….
Another government rocket scientist crackin’ wise.
http://thecivillibertarian.blogspot.com/
August 26th, 2010 at 1:52 am
#1 & #2
How do we get out from under our house if we have the income to pay the mortgage?
Dear Karen;
There are 800,000 homeowners currently engaged in strategic defaults. They have simply quit paying their mortgages. The turnaround time is averaging 465 days. That’s the time it is taking banks to foreclose and boot them out. So they are living free for about 15 months. Who pays the property tax? I’m not sure. This million or so homes is part of the “shadow inventory” that looms.
The best strategy for you appears to be a short sale. The property gets re-appraised and the bank agrees to sell it for less than it’s worth.
I’ve been reading about the governments loan modification program that is getting less than rave reviews. But I suppose that’s a possibility.
In the end, the government is backstopping TBTF banks and Fannie and Freddie so taxpayers are picking up the tab anyway. And like everything they touch, that is turning to s#$% as well.
Government intervention…whether its student loans, housing, or any myriad of crap that was never part of their job description…continues to be the biggest problem we face. It may dawn on people, one day, that the single biggest enemy we all have is government. And in fact many folks including Sam Adams and Tom Jefferson envisioned just such a catastrophe many moons ago…
I think you’ve tackled the task pretty well. Every list isn’t tailor made to fit every particular person. More people should start assessing their own needs and THINK for THEMSELVES instead of looking to others for their solutions or directions.
1 thru 10 are good suggestions. Unfortunately, the time to have applied them was about 10 years ago.
Personally, I began appling them 20-30 years ago….and I’ve been preaching this on the web, and to friends/family for many years. Some friends/family have done some things…not near enough IMHO for what I think is coming, but it’s hard for most people to wrap their heads around the concept that our way of life might just change that drastically. It always seemed logical to me that our living “high on the hog” party days as a nation HAD to come with a morning after hangover. NOW that folks are starting to “get it”, there are more and more of these type of websites telling them GET READY.
Well, if you plan to start today, good luck…the learning curve is going to be quite steep. I spent a year alone working on, refining, learning what works and what doesn’t, JUST on some solar power for our place. We’ve spent 30 years gardening, and in the last 10 years, added cows, pigs, chickens, fish ponds, always with the goal of 100% of home raised food..(supper last night was all home raised: roast beef, mashed potatoes, green beans, cantelope)…..you can’t BELIEVE the effort, supplies, tools, knowledge and infrastructure ( you got any clue what it takes to just FENCE 4-5 acres ? )it takes to do that. Then preserving ? Got your root cellar built ? How about canning jars ( assuming you have ANY idea HOW to can ) ? Got enough for a quart jar per day per person in the household for a YEAR between growing seasons ? How about lids ? You think THOSE won’t be more valuable than gold coin come a serious crash ? ( We have over 1,000 jars and 5,000 lids in stock )
I write this NOT to discourage you…BUT TO SCARE THE MORTAL BEJEEZUS OUT OF YOU…..and hope we aren’t past the tipping point, that “they” may manage to string this thing out another 5-10 years ( which I don’t believe )
But you know what most people will do ?
“Oh, it won’t be THAT bad…..I read that FerFal guy’s blog and he said it never got that bad in Argentina….I just can’t believe it could get that bad here”
Well….Argentina was a fairly rinky dink little place, AND the rest of the world hadn’t collapsed, which meant they could turn to outside sources for food and oil….what’s coming now will make that look like a Sunday picnic.
No, most people will simply worry a little, and sit on their hands and do nothing. Well, you people are gonna die early. You are those “useless eaters” ( Henry Kissinger ) that the elites let over breed, and now plan to correct their mistake.
I hope I’m 100% wrong….because life IS good…and I hate to be the guy with the placard “The End Is Near”……but I suspect in my heart of hearts I’m not wrong….and if anything, I’m underestimating how bad it will get.
OK….off my soap box….I’ve got cows and chickens to feed.
What a bunch of loons!
As a female, I will add a few things that affect our jobs in the home. Rip up the carpet and put flooring/tile/laminate down for it will be easier to clean and last longer. Get a hand cranked blender and mini washing machine and a close-line for you won’t be able to afford your drier. Build an adobe oven in your backyard. Invest in a solar oven & pot. Get a CB and learn to use it. Get every family member a bike, remember a larger tricycle for the elderly or those who wobble. (it’s also good for carrying groceries)Have extra tire-tubes on hand. Buy floor fans now before they go up in price- you won’t be able to afford the air-conditioning. Have on hand batteries that can be powered by solar. Get a water filter – a good one…and a dehydrator and start storing your dried food NOW. Oh, and get a shotgun. You just may need it.
Guns, Ammo, and a copy of the Mormon directory
Re #6 – think carefully about the geographical area you choose to buy in. In the larger sense, you need a decent lot and climate for growing a garden (and re #4, also to raise rabbits and chickens), but also you need to think about transportation and distance from a town. Being able to bike or walk or ride a horse to town is important because there will always be necessities that you cannot provide for yourself (for example, salt for food preservation.) The lone gunman holed up with his piles of canned stew out in the wilderness won’t last for long. Humans have always lived in clans: you will NEED other people. The best place to start from is no more than 10 miles outside of a small-to-mid sized town, one preferably already on a train route.
And I agree about the guns – however I would stock up on far more hunting ammo than I would pistol.
11 guns – lots of guns
12 silver – more upside potential now
13 God – we are going to need Him
Has anyone heard of the Fake Food Safety Bill?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHUeyD_KCrI&feature=sub
We need to stop this legislation so we can continue to prepare for the disaster ahead!
This will stop farmers from storing their seed and spend the small farms right out of business. Small farmers are a most for our survival! Please help to stop this bill!
Llamas are very good farm animals for pack animals, plowing, wool, milk and meat. It is a good animal to consider and they don’t need a lot of room.
You can dig a compost to compost meat and human waste if necessary. The center of the compost should be 165 degrees to kill the human disease bacterias. If done correctly there should not be any bug around the compost and you have to rotate the compost to make sure it does compost correctly.
All the things going in the world have been happening for sometime now, not because Obama was elected. It was happening in the Bush administration, that’s where it started. Obama walked into all this debt when he was elected. Blame the people that spend fortunes buying foreign cars, and products made in china because they are cheaper. If you want to support America, buy american made products and hire american workers and stop being so greedy, while making other countries rich.
I also vote for #11. Accumulate physical possession of silver or gold.
No matter what you spend for it today in USD it will be worth more than any amount of USD after the collapse.
I know how you all can save yourselves: raise rats! They breed at an unbelievable rate and some southeast asian breed can grow to two feet!! An unlimited supply of meat that will even eat all the fools that jump off buildings after reading your crap.
11. Learn a trade that can be USED in the coming bad times. There will be a surplus of personnel, such as lawyers, accountants, consultants, and so on. BUT, there is currently a shortage of persons who can fix/maintain things, as well as manufacturing. Right now there is an acute shortage of gunsmiths, as well as locksmiths. There is also a shortage of leatherworkers, those who know how to make quality footgear.
12. Buy gold and silver. Gold is wealth STORAGE, silver is for trade.
13. Buy firearms to protect yourself and your family. A good rule of thumb is: .22 rifle for small animals (Ruger 10/22 is ideal), shotgun for home defense, handgun. Firearms should be in MILITARY calibers, because it’s easier to get ammo. For example, the shotgun should be 12 gauge, and the handgun 9mm Parabellum/Luger. You should also have, at MINIMUM, 2,000 shells per weapon.
14. Buy and read books by Peggy Layton. Layton is the master of home storage, her book, “Home Storage 101″ pays for itself. Layton tells you what to buy and how much. She starts you off planning and buying complete meals for two weeks, then a month, then three, six, and a year.
15. Buy a years’ worth of food for your pets.
16. Don’t forget, its “Beans, Bullets, and Band Aids.” Make sure you have enough medical supplies on hand.
Emily, I blame Obama as much as Bush as much as Clinton as much as Bush as much as all the other Presidents and politicians going back about 100 years, to be honest.
As for buying foreign products, you really have to know what you are looking at.
For just one example: Out of a 2010 all wheel drive sedan, which of these two cars is American?
Ford Fusion
Subaru Legacy
If you picked the Ford – “bzzzzt” WRONG ANSWER. The Ford is built in Mexico and the Subaru is built in INDIANA.
The “Survivalists” got it wrong–
The trick is not to stock up, arm, and try to be totally self-sufficient. The best plan is to have an organization.
I read an in-depth article regarding this. There was also a show, “After Armageddon”that dealt with the break-down of society. They stressed the difficulty for one family in maintaining and defending a home by themselves come a collapse of society. Instead, the best plan is to organize a community that can guard, defend, scavange, and work together.
One lone family, no matter how isolated, no matter how well armed, can fend off a determined horde.
I don’t think I want to be in the US when TSHTF, or once Obamacare, carbon taxes, pension/IRA seizures and graduated income taxes of 50% or more reduce my standard of living to that of a medeival peasant.
There are tons of opportunities for an educated or entreprenuerial person in Asia or Latin America. I would rather be part of a rising tide than a sinking ship.
TnAndy is CORRECT!!! If you are just now getting started it is already too late! Remember, they were two years into the Great Depression before they knew it. What is taking place currently is a slow grind that will get worse and worse. One of the problems in trying to convince people that bad times are upon us is that they can still put gas in their cars and buy beer, milk, bread etc. People are lulled into thinking that “it’s not so bad” because they can still buy “things”. WAKE UP!!!!! This new Depression is not “coming” IT IS HERE NOW!!!
It will be global and it will be massive! Quit watching Oprah, Glenn Beck, Wolf Blitzer et al… they are just distractions that will occupy your mind with false hopes! Start your food storage, weapons training, clan building etc. and above all PRAY!!!!!!
It seems to me the crisis we are in began with the decline of the middle class, caused by the US trade and economic policy, and Federal Reserve financial policy (the Fed is NOT accountable to the US public).
We have lost control of the US government to special interests, primarily large corporations, also NOT accountable to the US public but to their shareholders and overwhelming individual greed.
These are the underlying causes, aggravated by boom/bust cycles, and federal government overspending, including two unsustainable wars in the Middle East. Both political parties are complicit. A new model is needed for the US if it is to re-surface a stronger nation.
Overlay onto this the pending global climate change crisis. Check out weather models for your area to get a sense of what you may be in for.
The only “scary” thing, are the uninformed posters I read on other blogs, that are still fighting against each other as republicans or democrats. It’s all in print how the majority truely believes one party or the other can is responcible for this mess. Because of this, I am completely convinced we are headed into an economic shattering. The only positive is, maybe the Americans that are left, will join together as “Americans”. Verses separating from each other in another ingnorant battle.
Gold, Silver, Guns, Ammo & supplies. You gonna need it all. Get it now.
One more – start living with your parents
Hope and pray for the best, prepare for the worst.
For those advising owning gold, if life as we know it does crumble it may very well be illegal to own gold. Just something to consider.
TO: Goldmember
Not that I am interested, but for whom are you going to buy a Golden Gun. The Banks will buy a Gamma Ray Burster for themselves.
TO: B.F. Jr.
Ag and Au would be of little help for nobody knows how the economic collapse will really look like. Advise 10 is good – A Survival Guide would do better than silver and gold.
RE: The Article
Actually I have a question that I cannot restrain myself from asking. If we take a look, for example, at: http://www.usdebtclock.org
we see that the countries making 75-80 % of the world wealth are bogging into debts. If they are getting poorer, who is getting richer. (I doubt it is Africa and new Zealand).
Neither Germany with the unprecedented economic growth of 2.5% in the first half of the year, nor Japan and the USA with their measures to reduce the interest rates, not even China (which is also bogging into debts and which is also very strange) could stop for the time being the debt clock.
What is driving that clock, and where is the engive?!
Instead of breeding ‘cows & chickens’ maybe some people should analyse the measures how to stop the debt clock (worldwide, for example).
Regards
Something Wicked This Way Comes
Thanks for responding and the advice. What we need to know is if we walk can the bank go after our Social Security or State Pension monies?
Our house is worth less than what we owe and every time I look at our bill it just makes me so mad that 99% of the payment is not even going to the house payment but to interest, etc.. We have had the house for ten years. How can they get away with this?
We feel trapped and cannot afford to sell it for less than what is owed because we would have to make up the difference and that is not possible.
I agree with TnAndy. America is in for the wake up call of a lifetime.
I’m a former city girl gone country for the last 4 years. My husband grew up in the country and hunted for survival. Folks, raising animals, gardening, canning, freezing, and all things sustainable living IS ONE TOUGH JOB!…even using modernized equipment. No wonder all of those early settlers at Jamestown became a “lost colony.” In my previous life, buying everything at the stores in town was definitely easier. But this isn’t about making life easy…it’s about simplifying, learning skills, and hopefully surviving the chaos. It takes years to acclimate. We have been stung, kicked, thrown, horn jabbed, and covered in everything from barnyard muck to poison oak…head to toe! Country living is not for the faint of heart.
Knowing what little I know now, I would not advise a family to run out and buy a farm if they think the worst will be here in a year or two. I personally think people are going to have to band together. The government may try to stop people from growing their own, but more and more small existing farms will become co-ops and CSAs. The future isn’t going to be easy, but working together might be the only means of survival for some.
Start organizing. Planning now will alleviate a lot of stress later.
God bless you all,
Maria from the Shire
Self-sufficency is a desirable thing indeed, but you people take this way too far.
This blog is starting to remind me of poor little Henny Penny “the sky is falling, RUN!”.
I bought another two cases of 12-gauge shells yesterday at Wally Mart, and they were $3.00 cheaper! This, when hunting season is upon us? I remember reading recently that they had dropped their prices. From $23.99 to $20.99 is a significant savings…..Jump On It!
You may be right Jeff…..and I hope so…because you’re literally betting your life that you are.
Vote ALL out of office…………..
If we’re going down, go down with a fight.
Send a huge message to the power elite.
to Karen: you need to talk to a lawyer. I have heard that if you sell a house for less than the mortgage value (a short sale), then you are liable for the difference. Same thing can happen if you walk away and the bank takes the house and sells it–they can still come after you for the difference. I also read that often the bank cannot produce the deed because it has been sliced and diced for one of those wonderful toxic “instruments” Wall Street invented. No deed means they cannot foreclose.
to TnAndy: I have learned to weave my own cloth from a sheep’s fleece and how to can food. Most people have no clue about how much time and effort these things take. I bet a pioneer probably spent all their waking hours just on food and shelter and keeping warm. It’s a lot easier to buy seconds at the farmers market and to get my clothes at a thrift shop. Oh, and if you have wool blankets and a couple of dogs, staying warm is easy.
Karen;
If they agree to a “short sale” then make sure the contract states they cannot come after you for the balance. That once the sale is over, both parties hold the other harmless. If they in fact knew you had a dependable revenue stream, they might very well try to get a judgment for the balance. Or in fact, your original contract may state that you are liable.
Before considering the short sale, please go talk to an attorney specializing in that area of the law. Make sure he doesn’t represent the bank, if its a local one. Attorneys often refuse to disclose conflicts of interest.
I haven’t had to short sale a property. And I sure don’t want to make claims that I don’t know the answer to. A realtor friend, an accountant, or other short salers are additional people to talk to before paying for advice.
Good luck.
I think we are headed for further economic decline, but some people here are really spooked and scared. I cannot imagine needing a gun or having to stock up on food for a years supply. I am all for making adjustments and preparing sensibly for the future, but I think some are going way overboard. I cannot imagine living with that kind of fear. It must be awful.
May I suggest the Survival Pod cast Jack has a lot of good ideas many of them you can implement quickly, he covers weapons to an extent (With out the gun snobbery you find at some places). Firearms have already been mentioned, learn to use it, shotguns are nice but besides skeet shooting ranges anybody found a shotgun range? I would suggest a handgun and rifle a handgun you can practice on at any range a rifle you can practice at most out door ranges. A weapon is no good if you don’t know how to use it especially in a crisis. In getting a weapon for the love of god DO YOUR RECEARCH!!!!!!
Many great ideas in the comments.
Related to # 10 – getting educated. Just in case of the slim chance anyone visiting this site is “investing” in the stock market, you may want to read a good article about how it has become rigged to steal from gullible trusting investors. http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/26958
Also in the article George Soros is mentioned. Another part of becoming educated is being able to identify the people who are major planners of the intentional destruction of the United States. George Soros has his hand on the wheel in many ways. He is an atheist who hates everything the U.S. Constitution represents, and has close ties to or maybe even has control over the bosses of the bankster’s who will soon be going for total world economic control. He is bigtime, in this world at least.
All of our Constitutional Rights will be gone.
Everyone should read up on him best they can. He prefers to keep the majority of his activities unknown for good reason. He has the means to control the MSM even though I’m sure they are happy to help.
> things are fundamentally changing
This is true in every sense. You can’t buy cheap cars from Asia and then complain that Detroit is a mess. By the way, the Big Three auto makers had it coming.
> The millions of jobs that the U.S. economy
> is losing to China, India and dozens of
> third world nations are not going
> to come back.
We had it coming. We put tariffs on sugar cane from third world countries while some of them turned to making electronics. I completely agree with the author of this article in that it’s not over. People slowly begin to realize this:
Luck favors the prepared.
Jeff,
The sky is not falling but the economy is.
Please explain how we are going to recover. Exactly how will jobs come back? Globalism has resulted in millions of jobs disappearing. And many middle class jobs are gone simply due to technology. For instance accounting software and spreadsheets do work that people used to do. The national debt with respect to GDP has passed the point of no return. Taxes and interest rates have no where to go but up which will depress the economy even more. Social(ist) (in)Security and Medicare are massively underfunded and we have barely begun the nightmare that is Obamacare. We have the specter of still more perpetual wars with Iran or N. Korea or even China, if the neocon republicrats and demopublicans have their way. We are either heading for deflation, mass inflation or hyperinflation. Pick your poison.
Maybe in 20 years, there will be a nanotech revolution that pulls us out of this depression. But by then, someone else, maybe Brazil will be the superpower.
Three years ago, a huge lie was exposed. That real estate always goes up. Millions of homeowners are stuck with houses that they will never make a profit on. They became renters whether they like it or not.
Kids hoping for some equity inheritance just got screwed. And the government is waiting, waiting to up the levy rates to get their share.
I’m not sure it’s sunk in yet with the majority. I think they will hope and pray the market rebounds. They simply can’t accept that they got hosed. Some of the commenters here think this is over done. Nope. In fact they are coming for your SS and Medicare, private pensions are next. They’re going to steal that money too. And all the while, there will be these clowns saying that the rest of us are over reacting. If you are one of those clowns let me give you the three stages of truth.
First it is ridiculed. Then it is violently opposed. Then it is accepted as self evident. When are you going to catch on?
There is way too much wealth and income in way too few hands. We can not exist as a country with such gross inequality. Whether or not you like it that is a fact. I advocate taxing the hell out of the rich and corporations and giving workers more power to organize with the employee free choice act.
Clearly tax cuts for the rich do nothing but give the rich tax cuts. We would be in hog heaven right now if tax cuts for the rich helped the economy in anyway. Heck there is no estate tax this year. If it was ever going to work it would work in spades this year.
Tax cuts for the rich=tax increases for the poor/working classes. I would even equate it with stealing from the poor to give tax cuts to the rich. Why in Gods name would you cut food stamp aid to the hungry poor so a rich person can buy a fifth house in the Hamptons with their tax cut?
Thanks you guys!
Just as I thought we are stuck with a house that cannot sell for what is owed and we are trapped.
Karen
One need only check ou the Gerald Celente Channel on youtube to see how bad things are.
The whole western world is going to go under for maybe 20 years (figures vary).
I’ve spent the past 2 years paying off debts, fixing my health problems,learning how to grow food, and stockpiling things that I’ll need when the time comes.
Don’t waste your money on cars, gold etc as who’s going to buy them when everyone’s unemployed and broke ?
Best bet as said is to get off the grid, join a group or commune and do it now.
If people haven’t done all this by now, don’t bother as it’s far too late.
Tip. Canned food can last for a VERY long time. I recently opened a tin of carrots that were in a cupboard for over 20 years (literally) and even though the water had gone the carrots were moist, looked and smelled perfectly ok. I’ve got a videocam record to prove it.
I stopped short of eating them but I’m fairly confident they would have been ok.
Goes to show how long you can store food for.
ie more than long enough for you to grow your own food to replace the tinned stuff.
Do not buy land because it will eventually be confiscated. If you want to know the game plan of the new US Govt. read the 10 planks of the Communist Manifesto. Google it if you have not read it, you will know where our leaders are taking US.
Thanks for the great advice about becoming more self sustainable. Great Blog. If you’re really serious about sustainability, especially food sustainability, check out Aquaponics. It’s one of the best ways to grow your own food. Aquaponics is a food-growing technology that cross-links aquaculture (farming fish) with hydroponics (growing vegetables in water rather than soil) in a recirculating water system that uses 90% less water than traditional tillage farming. You provide yourself and your family with both protein, fish, and vegetables using the same water. Lots of info on my website at: http://www.aquaponicsusa.com
When things go totally south,they’ll make it illegal to use precious metals for barter. Just sayin!
“Why in Gods name would you cut food stamp aid to the hungry poor so a rich person can buy a fifth house in the Hamptons with their tax cut?”
“From each according to his ability, to each according to his need ” Karl Marx
Amazing how ingrained Marxism has become.
We’ve totally lost sight of one of the founding reasons of this country…that all men are created equal….and the implied “and from that point on, the ball is in your court”
Now, it would read “All Men should be equalized”…..the govt should take from those that have and give to those that don’t.
Marxism.
Unfortunately, what works in voluntary charity, doesn’t work as a form of govt….for eventually we ALL go sit under the shade tree and nobody does the plowing.
We’re fast approaching that point now. Got your lawn chair ready ?
I’m thinking that the govt. will take over all the land. That they will either displace us, or raise the rent. Now what?
You plan on letting them ?
The first guy to show up for mine will find it damn expensive….to the point they better have his replacement already hired.
Preperation for a collapse is important, but don’t forget we’re living through a time when a majority of the population has it pretty easy. ENJOY IT TOO!
I’m not saying be wasteful, but if tough times are coming then investing in good memories will be well worth it.
move you and your money out of the country..OH!!! sorry it’s too late. after all the US is bankrupt!
I moved mine out of the country just as soon as Bush got elected. I did not wait…..I’ve been expecting this.
what I would say from here expect the inflation days of the 1970′s and 80′s to come back.
those on fixed income like mom and pop-retired of course will be hit the hardest….don’t be surprised when there are more elderly scams. then they will need to be supported by you.
spend your money before it looses value.
I’m a recent college grad (2007- right when the economy went to utter shit) and have been recently tuned in to this mess that I fear, is fast approaching. I live in a small city in AZ, rent and drive a small scooter to and from work. Problem is… I don’t make that much money. I have been laid off, and forced to take lower paying jobs with more work just to stay ahead.. how am I supposed to afford all the supplies I need??
So far, all I have is a bunch of medicine, a hatchet, matches, a K-bar knife, a solid backpack, a 3 season tent, a small radio, iodine tablets(for water), and emergency fire starter, a multi-tool and a few other small things..
Buying food, a gun (I can afford a pistol .22 caliber), silver, and anything else I might need has been rough. Especially since EVERYTHING costs a lot of my money.
I’ve tried to come to terms that I might never own a house… or that I might never even have a kid if this actually goes down the way people are describing the situation.
Worst of all, my parents and girlfriend think I’m totally over-reacting when I talk about this kind of stuff… so everything has been with my own resources..
I have no debt, but no land. There is water around, but everyone knows where it’s at. Some of you have had years to prepare… you have your own land, guns and a garden. You might even have chickens, cows and pigs and maybe a solar generator too.
What am I supposed to do??? I have no intention of feeding off other people to survive.. but this is the most costly thing I’ve ever tried to do. Pretty scared we won’t be prepared if SHTF
Why would the government take the land; what use would they have for it? And we live in a mixed economy; meaning we have a combination of socialist and capiatlists elements; approximently a 30/70 split. A radical revolution or overhaul would be required for our country to become socialist overnight; a requirement for the government to magically take your land.
Also purchasing precious metals make no sense; because in an economic crash would lead to government destabilization and societal collapse; meaning how would you know the value of gold; or the person trading with you? It would be completely arbitrary and your gold would be of no practical value.
It makes more sense to spend the same amount of money on goods that you need and that people will want to trade; guns, food, shelter(tents, et cetra), batteries; things like that. Even ipods lol