Great Depression of 2016

[Bluebonnet]

I hope we stay out of it. We have no business casting stones at others or meddling in their affairs with the problems we have here in America.

I'm more concerned with the number of our own people on welfare, the outrageous number of homeless veterans, illegal immigration, our school system that has gone from first class to looking like it is designed to house prison inmates with police officers on pretty much every campus, people not being able to make enough to live off of, let alone save or have time to raise a family, the insane corruption and outside influence in our politics and various other issues.

Despite all of this, I can't help but feel that good old fashioned can-do American Spirit!

I trust not in my government, nor alleged Americans to do what needs to be done, but I have faith in my fellow Americans to band together, rise to the occasion and do what is right and in the best interests of our children.

 

[Bluebonnet]

Speaking of the Great Depression of 2016, who here has taken a look back at wartime living through the years?

It is interesting to watch the old rationing videos that were produced by the Allies for WWI & WWII.

Does anyone know if similar videos were produced for the Axis Powers?

Considering that the majority of Americans today are without even a garden to help tide them over through tough times, I believe that things would be much harder if rationing were imposed today.

All it would take to dismantle our food supplies would be a fuel shortage, lack of operational food transportation vehicles, some type of crop failure, pest or disease or some other problem arising.

It is interesting to see how different nations have different components to their preferred ration kits.

In America, our troops have many more options today than they did back then. When I look at the older rations compared to the modern MRE's, I think some of them were much more appealing in terms of their contents.

For example, the old rations used to have Charms candy and Domino sugar cubes, where modern MRE's sometimes come with a sugar packet and M & M's. MRE's are more complete, since they come with utensils, heating packs and can be eaten out of the package. In regards to nutrition, I'm not really sure our new ones, with lots of processed foods, high sodium and calorie contents are really that much better.

Any Military men here who can shed some light on this subject?

I'm willing to bet that even if you are not a 'Prepper' or maintain food storage for personal or religious reasons that this is an interesting and related subject worthy of elaboration.

It seems that wars and depressions generally last 3-5 years and that it is best to prep with that time frame in mind. Having food storage of quality that can get you through the majority of that time is something to keep in mind.

 

[rufus]

Bluebonnet, I don't remember the candy and sugar cubes in the rations we ate in Viet Nam. The best ration was the beef stew. Turn the can upside down and eat it from the bottom. There would be an inch of grease congealed in the end of the can.

If the ration could be heated, it was a lot better. Sitting them on an engine block worked.

I still have a tin of canned deviled ham left. So, it would be about 49 or 50 years old now. Do I dare open it?

 

[Bluebonnet]

Bluebonnet, I don't remember the candy and sugar cubes in the rations we ate in Viet Nam. The best ration was the beef stew. Turn the can upside down and eat it from the bottom. There would be an inch of grease congealed in the end of the can.

If the ration could be heated, it was a lot better. Sitting them on an engine block worked.

I still have a tin of canned deviled ham left. So, it would be about 49 or 50 years old now. Do I dare open it?

Is the can sealed without dents or bubbles? I would not chance eating it, but I would be curious to see how it looks after all these years.

 

[frenchblackcopper]

Hmmm. Again, I find it is amazing that the people pushing legalized marijuana seem to be the same people wanting to ban big sugary drinks.

There are so many articles in the internet that seem to think that we will have a currency re set (collapse?) in April. It scares me because I am retired and barely making it now.

As for surviving what is coming, we have to look at the way the people survived the Japanese occupation of the Philippines. It was hard, but they did it. They adapted and learned to make do without supplies from the mainland. Luckily, they had a lot of resources like fish and poultry. Feral chickens could not be confiscated by the Japanese, but the Pinoys knew how to trap them.

Whenever the Japanese would come into an area, the smart ones would hide out on another island.

How it will play out here, I don't know. I do know that if I put aside a year's supply of food and necessities, the problem will probably last longer than that. How long until order and law are restored is the question. And just what comes after is my worry. I sure don't want to be shipped off to a labor camp or exterminated.

Rufus,,correct me if I'm wrong but under the Patriot Act if you have more than 3 weeks of food stockpiled I think it's illegal. I know some organization can enforce that rule,or law,,

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

I dont think its illegal it just get you flagged as a terrorist....

 

[frenchblackcopper]

Heres one link I found, yes if you have more than one weeks worth of food during a National Emergency under the Patriot Act, you able to be arrested. Read down about 1/2 of this page
http://ppjg.me/2012/01/02/losing-your-right-to-grow-harvest-and-consume-your-own-food/ Now is this law something we as US Citizens-taxpayers had a say or vote on? In a case of a National Emergency it is already known grocery stores can be cleaned out within hours. And if you don't live close to one, or find out about this "Declared Emergency" from the git-go I seriously doubt making a trip to buy food will leave many options if any at all. Do you see how our Govt. has stabbed us in the back? How they "justify" NSA's spying with the reasoning of "National Defense" and terrorism? These secret handshakes done without our knowledge that are now coming to light, and a President that refuses to negotiate and has no real clue what many of us face daily just trying to stay above water.

 

[Bluebonnet]

Heres one link I found, yes if you have more than one weeks worth of food during a National Emergency under the Patriot Act, you able to be arrested. Read down about 1/2 of this page
http://ppjg.me/2012/01/02/losing-your-right-to-grow-harvest-and-consume-your-own-food/ Now is this law something we as US Citizens-taxpayers had a say or vote on? In a case of a National Emergency it is already known grocery stores can be cleaned out within hours. And if you don't live close to one, or find out about this "Declared Emergency" from the git-go I seriously doubt making a trip to buy food will leave many options if any at all. Do you see how our Govt. has stabbed us in the back? How they "justify" NSA's spying with the reasoning of "National Defense" and terrorism? These secret handshakes done without our knowledge that are now coming to light, and a President that refuses to negotiate and has no real clue what many of us face daily just trying to stay above water.

According to The Constitution, I have a right to be secure in my home and possessions. I also have the right to fight back against a government run by tyrants. The Constitution trumps all other laws. The government can pass what ever ridiculous law they want, but if they try to enforce it, they should be equally prepared for the 1 in 3 people in America who are gun owners to enforce their rights.

Same thing if they try to disarm the populace, which is historically the first thing they try to do in a crisis. Just look at what happened immediately after Katrina.

They could not muster the power to get them the FEMA trucks of food that sat spoiling, but they certainly found the power to go and take their guns!

 

[rufus]

Well, I just finished off my supply of pancake mix. Please take me off the terrorist list.

 

[newfoundland]

Bluebonnet when I was a small child, we still had rationing. I think it worked quite well as things turned out. It was what you might call slim pickings, but people became very inventive with their cooking and mostly we got by. Certainly people in the big cities didn't have gardens but you need very little space to grow at least some of your vegetables and every container was pressed into service and squeezed into any odd corner outside. I remember my mum saying that people were healthier after the war, because the rationing did enable everyone to have a balanced, if frugal, diet.