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The issue of economic collapse is now readily apparent to most
people this past month as all the instabilities of the Everything Bubble I
have been warning about for the past few years are rising quickly to the
surface under cover of the coronavirus pandemic. While the
evidence clearly shows that the pandemic itself is a minor threat, a far
bigger danger is the economic collapse that is taking place in
tandem. COVID-19 did not cause the collapse; it was always there
simmering. But the pandemic does offer a perfect scapegoat for
the globalists to pin the crash on, along with conservatives and
nationalists in general.
In other words, we have two separate but immediate threats in
front of us: Future pandemic controls as well as an economic
implosion.
I mainly want to address the economic situation because it is
my top concern for the preparedness community. I don't think there are many
Americans around today who have lived through a full-blown financial
collapse. Most people barely remember the near-miss of the 2008 credit
crash; everything could have gone down right then and there, yet the
central banks decided to drag out the bubble for another 10 years.
Why? Probably because they wanted to create the largest bubble
possible, and thus the biggest collapse in history. The greater the chaos
the more apt the masses will be to accept their "new world order"
solutions once the ashes settle.
This is likely where we are right now... at the very precipice
of full-blown chaos. It is important for people to understand that these
things take time; even when moving quickly they do not happen overnight. We
still have perhaps another year of structure and stability (rule of law)
before a breakdown begins, if the current trend continues
as it has been. Unless there is a sudden and dramatic reversal in the
trend, it is time for preppers to start considering the worst-case
scenario.
The following is a list of the top 10 threats you will face in
the first six months of an economic breakdown, some of them tangible and
some of them psychological...
1) Supply chain collapse
This is the most obvious danger and I think many conservatives
and preparedness people understand the basic premise. However, I see a lot
of assumptions out there about how long this might last. The general public
is mostly oblivious to supply chain stresses, and many of them assume that
if something does go wrong, it will be nothing more than a 2-to-3-week
annoyance. This delusion is going to cripple a lot of Americans and really
hurt them in the long run.
Here is how it will probably play out...
The government will continue emergency welfare packages which
will first feed tax dollars into the corporate sector as well as supply
individual stimulus checks. The problem is, these checks will be limited,
probably lasting about a month at most and new stimulus checks will not be
approved often. At the same time, if new lockdowns are initiated by the
federal government under Biden the supply chain will be greatly diminished
and the stores that do remain open will be limited in the goods they carry.
The government will probably also issue some form of rationing
or EBT-style aid to the public. You may receive a debit card after
application, and this will allow you to collect rations at a centralized
big box store such as a Walmart or a Costco. These rations will start out
as ample and then swiftly shrink over time. Within a couple of months, they
will be highly limited and not enough to keep people from starvation.
Even if you are receiving financial subsidies from the
government there may not be many stores open to purchase goods anyway. What
is left of small businesses will be decimated unless they refuse en masse
to comply with restrictions, and they are protected by their communities.
If the supply chain goes down, financial aid might be useless.
2) Travel lockdowns and checkpoints
This is more of a pandemic-related danger than an economic
danger, but it is important to keep in mind as a threat level marker. If
you see checkpoints going up around your community to randomly compel
testing for COVID, then the situation has become dire. Avoid them at all
costs. If these checkpoints become a threat to your safety or the safety of
your family, they may need to be forcefully removed from your area.
Once travel restrictions are in place, moving longer distances
will be almost impossible unless you want to try to remove every checkpoint
along the way. If you need to be somewhere post-collapse, then you should
be going there right now.
3) FEMA response measures
You will eventually see some kind of FEMA response in your
region unless you live in a highly remote location. They will set up shop
in a centralized area, at first to distribute government rations and some
medical care. In order to get these supplies, you will undoubtedly have to
submit to medical passports, contact tracing, background checks for
political affiliations, etc. They will claim this is necessary because of
the pandemic and "terrorist threats." They will also say that
agreeing to the process ensures you will receive your rations "much
faster." If you have children they will want as much data as possible
on them, and they will also require myriad vaccinations before you are
allowed to sign them up for government aid. Whatever you do, do not sign
yourself or your family into this system if you can help it. And do
not allow anyone to inject you with anything during a crisis
event. There is a greater chance of you contracting an illness from one of
these aid centers than you being protected from illness.
Eventually, FEMA and the CDC will go from philanthropists to
enforcers. In order to get any rations whatsoever, they will require more
and more personal info as well as require you to jump through more hoops.
They will test for any signs of illness every time you pick up rations and
may demand you intern in a medical camp. If left unchecked, these agencies
will start going door to door in urban and suburban areas, just as similar
agencies did in China last year.
Whatever happens, do not allow yourself to become a refugee or
dependent on the government. You are only setting yourself up to be
victimized.
4) Finding out who your real friends are
You might have people you think you can rely on in times like
these, and perhaps you have been discussing preparedness plans with some of
them for years. Most of them will be reliable, but do not be surprised when
at least one or two of your friends or allies disappoints you greatly.
Crisis events bring out the true character in people, and some of them deep
down are just plain lazy, greedy, arrogant, narcissistic, self-obsessed or
even sociopathic and violent, and there's not much you can do to help them
or change them.
The most valuable commodities during a crisis event are
loyalty and dependability. Even if a person has some traits that annoy you,
if they are loyal and dependable then those other issues need to fall by
the wayside. Anyone who is not loyal and dependable, cut ties with them and
let them be on their way. They will find themselves in a world of hurt due
to their inability to see the bigger picture.
Also, watch out for tinpot dictators; people who assume they
are going to be the big kahuna once the crisis hits. Most decisions within
a group are going to be arrived at through reason and discussion, not
handed down by decree. The only situation I can see in which orders must be
given in top-down fashion would be in combat situations, in which case
people with proven experience should be in charge at that
moment and in that capacity alone.
Just because someone was in the military does not mean they
have any combat experience or training, and there are a lot of blowhards
out there that exaggerate their experience. Make sure you identify and
remove any stolen valor fakes from your group as quickly as possible. There
is no room in a crisis like this for frauds and narcissists.
5) Crime rate explosion
Expect crime to continue to rise exponentially, even if the
government is providing some kind of welfare or rationing. There will
inevitably be people who will try to take from others because they refused
to prepare ahead of time. There are even people who will claim they are
entitled to what you have because you prepared and they did not. You will
be called a "hoarder" and people will try to rationalize taking
from you.
If you don't have a group or community kind to rely on for
security then you have limited options if people come for your supplies. I
have met many preppers that still think they are going to go "gray
man" and hide in the mountains throughout the collapse. This is not
going to work. Someone will stumble on you, and your family will be
ill-equipped to handle the threat if they come after you. All the preps in
the world will not save you if you don't have your security situation
planned out.
Understand that confrontation is built into economic collapse;
you will not be able to avoid it. One day a group of people will try to
take your preps. Count on it. Make sure you have family, friends and
neighbors who are prepared, trained and ready for defense when things go
awry.
6) You won't be able to help all people, but be ready to help
some people
If you have a conscience and aren't a sociopath, then like
most of us you will encounter dilemmas and psychological struggles when
people are in need. There are some people that you can and should help, but
there are many people you will not be equipped to help. Knowing which is
which will be the hard part. Knowing your limitations will be key.
I don't personally believe that being unprepared should
necessarily be a death sentence for a person. Not everyone has foresight or
exposure to the same information we do. They may also have a highly useful
skillset that could be traded for goods. It all depends on the details of
the scenario. Children are especially innocent in all of this, and I could
not condemn a child for being unprepared because their parents were
ignorant or arrogant and refused to take the threat seriously.
That said, I recognize that there will be times when I will
want to help someone, but I won't have the means to do so. Hopefully, if I
can't, there will be someone else who can. The world cannot function
without some charity, just be sure that you make your charity count. Don't
let disaster harden your heart. Remain vigilant, remain secure, but also
try to remain human.
7) Local officials
It depends on what kind of community you live in; if you live
in a predominantly leftist state or county, then do not be surprised when
local political officials and law enforcement officers try to assert authority
even when rule of law has gone out the window and they are no longer
relevant.
Some of these officials will be good people and some of them
will try to take advantage of their positions to institute dominance over
the community. Localization and community preparedness are going to be keys
to survival, but only if voluntary. And the people who are in charge now
may be completely unequipped to deal with the reality of the crisis later.
The people who will end up "leading" are the people
who prepared ahead of time; the people with cool heads and the ability to
reason through a disaster. Just because someone was in charge before the
crisis does not mean they will be in charge after the crisis. It might be
necessary for your community to vote in new leadership post-collapse.
8) Utilities go down
Rolling blackouts will be the norm, if not a total electrical
failure. With economic chaos, high crime and government interference, there
is a good chance that utility workers will not be on the job to repair
lines when they go down.
Water is the most important utility, and if you do not have a
way to get water should the grid go down, you had better find one
immediately. Water storage is a good stopgap, but water collection is
needed for the long term. A simple rain collection system using your
gutters and plastic barrels would do the trick, or a large tarp draining
into a barrel. Make sure you boil or filter any water you gather.
If you have a well and pump, make sure you have a generator
with 5,000 watts or more along with as much gasoline as you can store.
Running the pump for 30 minutes a day would allow you to get more than
enough water and take care of any bathing, cleaning and chores.
A small solar system with deep cycle batteries or a backpack
system with a large lithium battery pack can be used to charge essentials
like batteries for flashlights, radios, etc. When utilities do go down,
don't expect them to go back up for quite some time.
9) Organized looters
Basic crime is one thing, but organized looting is another.
What I mean by "organized" is people who are trained and
motivated. There are people out there with combat skills that will group up
to take from others. Count on it. If you live in a rural area with
difficult terrain then you might be safer, but also keep in mind that the
looters that move into these areas deliberately will probably have the
experience needed to survive in them. That is to say, rural preppers will
run into less looting, but when they do encounter looters, they will be far
more skilled and dangerous.
Dealing with these people will require community security,
including ham radio networks and observation posts operating 24/7. You have
to be able to see them coming before they can get close. Dogs and alarm
systems can help, but manpower is what is really needed.
Expect these types of looters to observe for extended periods
of time. They will watch for patterns in your security and in your daily
routines. Make sure you randomize your patterns and security as much as
possible to keep the bad guys guessing.
10) The first winter
The first winter after the crash will be very difficult for
many unless there is some kind of government subsidies and aid, and as
noted, that will come with many strings attached. In spring, summer and
fall there is always food available if you know how to look for it. Wild
edibles even in suburban areas are available and people without supplies
can still survive to a point. Home gardens can be established and even if
they are new, they can still grow enough food to supplement existing
supplies. When the first winter arrives, all of this will change.
Hunters in rural regions will have an advantage here because
animals are still available even in the worst weather conditions. However,
there will be competition, and straying far from home might not be an
option because of security concerns. Unless you live in a very warm
climate, protein from hunting will be the only food that can be gathered at
this time. After a while, finding animals will become more and more
difficult as the surge of hunters drives them to harder-to-reach locations.
Grow as much food as you can in the warmer months. Foods like
potatoes, carrots, onions and other root vegetables will store for long
periods of time. Also, grow sprouts indoors to get vitamins in the winter.
The cold will also bring with it heating issues. If you rely
completely on electric heat, you are in trouble if utilities go down (as we
witnessed in Texas recently). At the very least, get a large propane tank
(300 pounds or more) right now and use it for heating in the winter. People
who live in southern parts of the U.S. will have less trouble with this,
but arctic blasts do travel far south, and they have been doing it more
often recently. Don't take chances, have a contingency plan.
Get propane or perhaps coal in non-wooded regions. Get wood
and a wood stove if you live near the forest. Have saws or a chainsaw ready
to cut and collect fuel for the next winter. Always plan ahead and get your
heat, water and food supplies established well before the first frost
arrives. Once the first winter is behind you, you will know where things
stand, with your survival situation as well as with the country in general.
If you follow the guidelines I have listed above, your chances of survival
will be greatly increased.
To truth and knowledge,
Brandon Smith And
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