How Much Longer Till Everything Falls Apart

I was talkin' with a buddy about this very subject this past weekend as we were moving him and his missus from his "in-town" acreage to his "out-of-town" acreage. He was telling me that he is building up a 1976 Blazer as his EMP-proof / anti-zombie / BOV.

We both figure that the the world as we know it will be done in 10 to 15 years and then it will be a "new-age" in humanity - if there is much humanity left after that point-in-time.

 

If anyone can survive the coming FUBAR, which i think won't be ten years away. Might just be able to make it. I think they are smart to get while the gettin's good.

 

It would take considerable political will to avoid some of the likely results of our most recent generations spendthrift borrowing.

It is, however, technically and actually, manageable if those who can do it, WILL do it, and that's difficult to believe.

Enough force, applied correctly, to unkink our fiscal policies and remove the cost of credit as a factor in our daily government operations. .

Enough force to require adequate capital reserves, and adequate investments in local businesses, for banks chartered to operate anywhere in the states..

Enough force to protect R&D and penalize cost overruns and enough force to require one years social service for anyone not joining the military. And anybody wants to write a check and get out of it, it's 50K$.

We need political will. Obama showed what could be accomplished with a professional organization riding a wave of populist sentiment. I can't see you'll whup him with less.

The Tea party may or may not make it to the election this time, Sarah has done her level best to monetize conservative enthusiasm and then cash the check..

as have others. I hope it does make it to the election, without too many nutcases in the front row. Taxed Enough Already.

 

Humm..what will be the tipping crisis

dirty bombs, global cooling in the bread basket reducing crop yields causing starvation, chaos,panic

War say Vs. china, Iran N.korea that goes nuclear

global pandemic with a nasty virus

civil war in the USA ..i think this is closer than many think.

economic upheaval

Peak oil and an end to consumerism, cheap easy energy and comfort

 

How about NOT worrying about it ??
I don't mean not preparing What I mean : prep for the worst and hope for the best.

I am over 50 and so are many of my firends. I have seen enough heart attacks around me so far and I don't intend to join the statistics. Worring about what might happen and how it may happen certainly doesn't help anyone relax. Our daily problems and dealing with so many opposite-minded folks (soemtimes that includes our better halves ) is enough worrying for middle-aged men like us.

So, I suggest we try to give ourselves a break.

 

I agree with Sinbad...

Prepping for the threats that one can see as possibilities, is wise.

Worrying about things that one can't influence is a waste of energy and is truly bad for one's health.

I have prepped as much as I am able, and it is a steady, ongoing process. I sleep good at night and I am able to relax and enjoy life, as I know that I have the means to mitigate whatever affects a local, national, or global disaster is going to cause. :beercheer:

 

:2thumb: I agree. Knowing your prepared for anything is better then not being prepared

 

I think it will come sooner than we think, and no matter what "it" is, all we can do is hone our skills and prepare as best we can. DH and I expanded our garden, expanded our library, and have a few other "skills" in the works. All in all, we started this adventure/change in lifestyle not for if or when SHTF, but because we wanted to get back to a simpler life....but thats a different thread

 

I like your attitude PG, the simple life is the best way to go, if one is living it daily the coming SHTF just won't be that big a deal.

To most Americans a day without a latte is a SHTF day!! for most kids not having a Play Station is a tragedy of horror!! for most discovering the Microwave is out is truly a SHTF, how will we eat??? we can't cook our food!!!!

Folks in a lot of the US really weren't bothered by the Depression, my mom said they were so dirt poor they never noticed it start and were still so poor when it ended they never noticed it was gone.

I said just the other day that if nothing else we can live on eggs and tree rats, not joking!!!.. I think that day we had 21 doz eggs in the fridge, all free range eggs...the best kind... I gave away most of them to friends, now there is 17 or more dozen ... this is truly a SHTF!!!

If your growing your food now and living simple you will be light years ahead of 98% of the rest... keep your head down and don't make waves and your going to be alright.

I've ceased worrying over nukes, if they come I'll do what I can but that's it, I believe not owing money and living simple will help when the Monetary SHTF comes home to roost...

A financial collapse has the potential to drop the entire world to it's knees then we humans will finish the job with riots and war between ourselves fighting for scraps.. and it could happen over night .

 

I agree that having little money sometimes frees you from a lot of stress.

A few years ago I was building my house and spent all my money then on finishing it. Almost none was left in the bank and my stock portfolio was more empty than my bank account.

Then in Feb 2006 , we had a big crash of the stock market. It was baaaad !!!! All kinds of funny and not so funny things happened. There is a U-tube where one guy goes berserk . He stands in front of a bank, pulls down his underwear and ..... you get the picture.

I felt and prayed for those who lost their life saving, but felt a big relief for myself and my family that ALL the money we had went into building materials. We lived paycheck to paycheck but at least we weren't going to hospitals or jails.

 

society has already spiralled down like a semi clogged toilet bowl to a point where your great grand parents would be disgusted at what passes for normal. It will continue to get worse and worse, but a trigger event - such as grid failure or pandemic would only accelerate it. All you can do is enjoy day to day and make every day count to prepare your household for what we all know is coming and what may come. If you want to prepare for the ultimate end game, get right with God.

 

I concur!, but I'm going to be comfortable and relaxed the whole time!:2thumb:

 

I wouldn't consider it worrying You need to contemplate the future in order to prepare for it. The few scenarios i put out there pose some unique issues.

on a side note, In the 1950's, 60's and 70's there was a big survivalist movement in southern Oregon they where certain of impending upheaval/ nuclear war very soon..yet here we are?

 

Completely agree....if McDonald's shut down, life as some people know it will stop! I know more teenagers that without their electronics, they are so completely lost they nearly curl up in a corner and bawl.

Glad I'm not the only one who sees this....In the first 24hrs of collapse, a majority will die from the rioting/looting/panic alone. Those that are left (I'm talking about a "Mad Max" scenario) won't go too far out of their comfort zone simply because they either A: don't have the knowledge/skills to make the cars go too far, or the knowledge/skills to make decent weapons, and I would venture to guess that many that are left will still kill each other off due to lack of organization and survivability. Those of us in the country who posses these skills have no worries.

I say....JMO

 

But ... I have seen several collapses of the financial markets where people have lost "everything" of monetary value and having the debt-collectors come out of the woodwork to reclaim everything that they held dear-to-them. No riots that I know of - but - quite a few suicides did happen - all attributed to their portfolios.

No - I don't believe that the finances will be the key-factor to riots - but - lack of food, lack of water or a real war can bring about riots (and the related zombies).

I believe that EMP is a possibility, but, slightly remote and I believe that preparing for an IceAge is the best way for me to spend my time / money / resources.

 

kbar its not furbar anymore its now BOHICA=bend over here it comes again and i say the same thing 10-20 yrs and we are finished then we have to crawl out of our holes and start over again

 

We live in the country about 8 miles from a town of 8000, 20 miles from a city of 50,000 and about 100 miles from a major metro area. I wish I could share your comfort and feeling of security.
While I agree, there will be a large die off in the cities in a SHTF situation, the survivors will be the stronger of the lot and they're still going to need stuff. The country is where they will be headed. In order to do the everyday things that need to be done on a small farm, some type of full time security will be needed just so you aren't caught off guard by those roving gangs out to take whatever they need by any means necessary. DW and I have talked about this occasionally over the last year or so and still haven't come up with a viable solution to this type of scenario. :dunno:

 

I agree to an extent.....we live 7 miles from a town of 1500. I guess living in a very rural/farm community where everyone owns a gun gives me a sense of security. I am quite proficient with my bow, but I agree, there has to be some type of vigilance. I read a sign somewhere that said "If you can read this, you are in range"....I had to laugh! I'm 2 hours or more from any real MAJOR city, so I guess I'll take it as it comes.

When I see the riots in Greece, over not a collapse but the mishandling of their money, I often wonder what a true collapse would bring. I also read somewhere that one should have a "secret spot" they could go to quickly should the zombies invade their country home. Of course, another option was to make your place look like its already been ransacked, thus deterring said zombies. But this is all off topic.

When will "it" happen? I think very soon.....