[quote=Nervous Nelly]What an essay ! Wish I could write like that. As I was reading the text I could change the Titanic to Greece. People who saw it coming prepared, mainly the elites. Moving their money out of the country to safer banking systems ( Germany, Swizerland). Most of the middle class that could see it coming couldn't do much about except try to make a bank run. The first thing to an austerity program is spending cuts. Anybody that lives off handouts are screwed. The pensioners got hit so hard. I think it was a 50% cut if my memory serve me right. A struggling country slowly getting rid of it's liabilities (the elders are no longer productive in the open economy). Look at what Japan decided to do, inflate by 2%. Energy in bought in US dollars so the energy bill will increase for everybody . Regular pensioners have NO MONEY to spare. It's a daily decision what bill to pay to survive . Meds , food, shelter… push them over the edge. I'm with ao's opinion. Leaders will more than likely use a form of Democide. Even here in USA and Canada we can't afford all those old age pensions. They're going to be reduced one way or another. Elders will survive if they have family to take them in. Remember the three generation household. That will come back big time.
Sonya
[/quote]
Sonya,
I couldn't agree with you more. The process is already starting. Here's an article that will give you a glimpse called "Flavor of the Weak: The New War on the Sick".
http://www.groundzeromedia.org/flavor-of-the-weak/
And one survey I read already shows three generation households are indeed returning so you are right on.
Thank you to Sandpuppy and Mike K for excellent posts! I think Mike K's eloquent and well constructed post perfectly reflects what a number of us here have been saying for a while. There is only one thing is would disagree with him about and that is his statement:
"I dont think they want to hurt anyone, unless that someone is causing trouble to them."
I would take a slightly different tack on that. I think there is no benevolence there for others, only indifference if others comply and definite malevolence if they don't.
There's one poster here who has perseverated about predictive abilities. No one can predict the future. But one can certain see, analyze, and interpret trends. That's what Gerald Celente does, for example. He doesn't claim to be a fortune teller, only a trends forecaster. But another key to understandng future trends is the elite themselves. Numerous individuals, from some very solid ones to ones that are labeled by many as crazy (but very well may not be), have stated that there is a "code of honr" (of a twisted sort) that the elite have where they will tell you what they are going to do in a public manner, albeit not necessarily in the obvious and unequivocal manner. Anyone with eyes to see and ears to hear has noted these pieces of information.
That's why we need to stay aware and not function with our heads in the sead. That's why perspicacity is preferable to naivete. That's why carefully considered reason, mental (as well as physical) discipline, and steadiness will serve us well while impusiveness, reactivity, and volatility will not.
While most here are making working on Preparation and Resiliency from a physical perspective, as I've said previously, I think laying a foundation with psychological and spiritual preparation and resiliency is just as important, if not more so. At the very least, the regular practice of meditation (and it doesn't have to follow any religious direction for those who might be agnostic or atheist)) can be of enormous benefit in keeping calm, clear, focused, and alert while still being rested, peaceful, and joyful. From ancient East Asian warriors practicing Zen to modern Russian Spetznatz warriors practing Systema, developing proficiency in these disciplines can help one to weather the stresses of the storm as they build. I would encourage folks here to investigate this area and find a form that suits you and your personality. Without psychological and spiritual equilibrium, the best plans and preps could easily come apart at crunch time.
Hand wringing about the plans of the "elites" is a waste of time. The writing is on the wall. There is a revolution a foot that has been about for quite some time. The spark awoke in the 50"s with the beat's picked up steam in the 60's and early seventies. Lost some steam and went underground late 70's, 80's and 90's (The empire strikes back). It woke up again and started become more main stream in the 2000's, now is about to break open again.
The economic collapse that is currently underway, (moving slowly seemingly, but historically this is moving fast) will move things into higher gear in this decade. Industrial energy intensive systems are breaking down, diffuse decentralized organic systems are steadily taking there place. In places like Detroit you can see the rediculous capital intensive plans falling flat and grass roots organically based systems taking their place.
The "main stream" news will get worse and worse and the spin to make seem more vialble will get more intense. Meanwhile beneath it all local resilience will be quietly building while going unreported in the "main stream" press. There will be ongoing efforts to dilute and coop aspects of it, but, as has been happening, this will slowly change the nature of the industrial beast until it merges with that which is transcending it.
The source of the wealth of the "elites" will continue to diminish as they will continue to resort ever more openly on drug money, criminality and war as is now becoming more apparent. Their possition will be less tenable and more socially unacceptable as time passes. There will come a point where where crowds and bullets will meet. And when the DHS refuses to fire on there own people, then it will be over. The threat of mass state violence will end. The long political stuggle will then begin to reform the system into something entirely new.
These are very hard times that we have ahead. Hats off to those who seem to choose the political path. Most of us will need to pick up the yoke and build the resilient future brick by brick, step by step by step. Diffuse, democratic, organic systems can easily support the current planetary population without intensive fossil fuel use, our measuring stick of industrial productivity is outmoded and broken. Will many people perish in the transition unnecessarily, who knows, that will be collectively up to us and how hard we will be willing to work.
The hardest thing will be to throw off the old mechanistic newtonian thinking and fear mindset. A willingness to forgive and forget and move forward and believe in our own future will be an enormous challenge as well. Be aware of the darkness but don't let it consume you. Keep your hand on that plow, hold on.
Hi Nate,Is is possible that more power comes from controlling energy than from wealth? I mean sure, wealth is part of it however wealth is primarily based on trust in the system. My thoughts are that some of these truly wealthy control the system to the point where they dont need income, they can simply make it? They control the money supply of every nation through the central banking model?
I think the real power comes from controlling the last remaining easy sources of energy as this will allow them to maintain pockets of civilisation into the future. I am thinking similar to South Africa where it appears that there are wealthy gated communities and then the masses left to their own devices (I have never been there and this impression is based on the little I have heard so correct me if I am wrong!).
I envisage a future where the Elites will have gated communities, maybe as much as gated Cities. They will be heavily micro managed or watched populations within and I think they will leave the rest outside the walls to find their own level? Organically communities will form outside the fences. Energy will be withheld from the masses and it will instead be utilised to maintain the power of the Elite. They will use it for the advantages it provides to run machinery required to defend their boarders and when required exert their authority over some natural resource or another they require?
Globalisation will shift to localisation. It wont be all bad for the masses left outside these gated communities. Watch "The Power of Community - The Cuban Solution" for an uplifting true story of how things could turn out for the masses in this predicament. The main risk and thus driver for preparation is to ensure that you and your loved ones survive the inevitable transition period in which law and order will go out the window and certain individuals take advantage of the situation. Communities will form to counter this and these communities will provide the basics required for a happy life. Shelter, safety/security, water, food, friendship, social cohesion etc etc.
It is not the end of the world, just the end of the world as we have known it. The collapse of the current version of human civilisation will likely be the single most beneficial thing to happen to the planet in its history. The biosphere will finally be given a break from human pressures in many places. Deforestation should be reduced greatly, fishing the oceans will become uneconomical allowing fish stocks to replenish, emissions of a plethora of chemicals will reduce as there is less need for kids plastic toys and plasma TVs etc etc. The Mayans may have been correct. Their date was the end of an age, which marks the beginning of a new age. Its going to be interesting and we all have the privilege of living through what will be the single biggest moment in both human and planetary history to date. Least we wont be bored.
Mike K
[quote=Nervous Nelly]What an essay ! Wish I could write like that. As I was reading the text I could change the Titanic to Greece. People who saw it coming prepared, mainly the elites. Moving their money out of the country to safer banking systems ( Germany, Swizerland). Most of the middle class that could see it coming couldn't do much about except try to make a bank run. The first thing to an austerity program is spending cuts. Anybody that lives off handouts are screwed. The pensioners got hit so hard. I think it was a 50% cut if my memory serve me right. A struggling country slowly getting rid of it's liabilities (the elders are no longer productive in the open economy). Look at what Japan decided to do, inflate by 2%. Energy in bought in US dollars so the energy bill will increase for everybody . Regular pensioners have NO MONEY to spare. It's a daily decision what bill to pay to survive . Meds , food, shelter… push them over the edge. I'm with ao's opinion. Leaders will more than likely use a form of Democide. Even here in USA and Canada we can't afford all those old age pensions. They're going to be reduced one way or another. Elders will survive if they have family to take them in. Remember the three generation household. That will come back big time.
Sonya
[/quote]
Sonya,
I couldn't agree with you more. I had made a previous post but it was censored so I'll try this watered down version. I think you'll find this interesting: The Flavor of the Weak: The New War on the Sick.
http://www.groundzeromedia.org/flavor-of-the-weak/
Hi All,
This is my first post on PP and I have enjoyed this spirited discussion.
Here's how I see it - anything can happen. Over the last ten years I have increasingly come to see national and world events rooted in our collective spiritual health or lack of it. (I am trying to follow Jesus the best I can.) We live in a fallen world. Our leaders, like all of us, are sinful and are often corrupted by power and wealth. It has always been thus.
However, it has not always been possible for us humans to wreak havoc on the global scale that we are clearly able to do today. Our highly interconnected and fragile systems (financial, energy, agriculture, manufacturing, communications, etc.) have developed beyond our abilty to adequately manage them.
As a collective, we are arrogant and refuse to acknowledge that we have created complexity beyond our understanding. In the areas where we see the defects, we cannot take the hard actions necessary to fix the problems. This is a spiritual issue - we lack wisdom, self-control discipline.
I have begun to prepare myself and my family for a broad range of circumstances. (This website has really helped - thanks Chris and all.) I pray for our country and our world often. It's too easy to go negative, but to be honest, things do look pretty scary to me. I don't think a soft landing is in the cards.
I read about what's happening in Greece and Spain - 25% unemployment, riots, suicides - and discuss it with my family. I tell them "don't think it can't happen here." History is full of things that couldn't happen, that people though wouldn't happen, that no one wanted to happen. Yet happen they did.
It often takes a crisis for people to change, and things often need to get worse before they can get better. I know this was once true in my own life (another story), but I am now committed to evaluating myself and changing before the crisis. Unfortunately, collectively our society is not there. We are walking down a bad path and we're not turning around. .
In any event, I remain a cheerful and generally upbeat person. Whatever happens, it sure is an interesting time to be a student or history and current affairs. I do not place my hope in and man or man in general. I trust God, ask for his help, and try to do the best I can to prepare - and enjoy life.
Keep preparing, keep posting, and keep smiling.
Sometimes when I get to feeling like Confused, above, regarding the lack of faith in Mankind, I recall that "hundredth monkey" thing, and a glimmer of hope shines forth. And I keep pluggin' away…Aloha, Steve
ps-welcome to the PP boards, Confused.
It really doesn't matter what is going to happen we will have to deal with it so, for me, it is best to Prepare for it, be as Resilient as possible and live life to the fullest. Everything else is depressing for the moment and hurts my ears and eyes as it isn't necessarily going to be a Mad Max adventure.I have a lot of faith in humankind, in my own humanity and I am no different than the vast majority out there, so YES, hope then.
Life will be enjoyed and lived.
Mr.Callum believes 20 times income, and my math thinks this is a bit much. No debt (a mortgage that can be paid off but I won't just yet) and we live on less than 50% net wages so my numbers are way less. Then again what does the future look like? That's why NOT having your hedge and Inflation protection in Physical Gold and Silver is a bad idea.
My only concern is that the world goes all military, that is my only concern which incidentally has been one all of my life. The financial aspect is NOT. Eating and protecting my home is not what concerns me it's our leadership as they are the one ones that truly worry me.
BOB
LMAO! Also don't trust Uncle Warren. His company is at heart an insurance company (and owns Gen Re who's CEO went to prison IIRC, but Warren did read the report!) so he gets to see financial docs of companies as part of conditions for insuring. Someone please prove me wrong…
The naysayer is always ridiculed. I think you will like the book "Antifragile".