Great Depression of 2016

[Bluebonnet]

Think of all the folks who would go into libraries and steal the survival related books, if your library even has such books. Do you expect libraries to be functioning properly, with folks returning books on time? One survival book for how many thousands in your town? People would starve to death before they could check out a book. Libraries are far more easy to loot too, unfortunately. Radio? How many people today own a functioning radio? What if the grid goes down and there are no batteries? What if our government decides to control that information avenue? Newspapers? They are going bankrupt and we will be lucky to have anything other than advertising junk mail by 2016... if the Post Office is not completely bust by then too. Organizations giving talks when the U.S. is in a panic and rioting? I do not see that happening for safety reasons alone.

The police enforcing the law? Look at what happened after Katrina. They could not stop the mass waves of looters, like stampeding herds of wild pack animals damaging and destroying everything in their paths that the hurricane missed. You can not count on the police to be there to protect you.

We could talk about what happened to Detroit but that would be against the Terms & Conditions. Just look at Camden N.J, Oakland CA., St. Louis IL. and other cities facing the same struggles that Detroit is and I bet you can make the connection. It's the people in those cities, for sure.

Church membership lists are not going to do anyone much good, given that less than 5% of Mormons have the food storage they are encouraged to have. All that will do is serve to make ordinary people targets.

 

[newfoundland]

Actually, if you think about it, you don't need access to survival books, just common sense. After all, everything you need to know about growing vegetables is on the back of the seed packet. We all manage when we try to grow a new vegetable for the first time. I think all governments do exert some control over the media and often news is on a need to know basis. I think that is only to be expected. I think we have to have some faith and trust in people that they will not panic or loot, some will, but the overwhelming majority won't. We have had flooding here since before Christmas and people have been out of their homes for weeks/months, but we have not had looting.

What you describe is a collapse in the moral fibre of society and we have to ask ourselves what brings about such despair in people? Certainly lack of opportunity in education, training and employment is top of the list in my opinion.Until these issues are addressed by governments around the world, some will feel that have no stake in society. I have great faith that society will pull through this economic crisis. Some will ride on the backs of others but most will just get on with it until things improve and they will eventually.

 

[Bluebonnet]

Actually, if you think about it, you don't need access to survival books, just common sense. After all, everything you need to know about growing vegetables is on the back of the seed packet. We all manage when we try to grow a new vegetable for the first time. I think all governments do exert some control over the media and often news is on a need to know basis. I think that is only to be expected. I think we have to have some faith and trust in people that they will not panic or loot, some will, but the overwhelming majority won't. We have had flooding here since before Christmas and people have been out of their homes for weeks/months, but we have not had looting.

What you describe is a collapse in the moral fibre of society and we have to ask ourselves what brings about such despair in people? Certainly lack of opportunity in education, training and employment is top of the list in my opinion.Until these issues are addressed by governments around the world, some will feel that have no stake in society. I have great faith that society will pull through this economic crisis. Some will ride on the backs of others but most will just get on with it until things improve and they will eventually.

How many people own seed packets or the space to plant them? How many seed packets tell you about hybridization or what plants grow well together or inhibit each others growth? How many show soil recommendations or pH requirements? How about what grows well in your zone or what does not? How about dealing with common issues like blossom end rot on tomatoes?

What I have described is from actual experience. I was there for Charley, Francis, Ivan, Jeanne and Katrina. I have made it through a tornado that blew out all of the windows in my house and flooded it with hail and several inches of water. Those were only minor disasters when you consider what a mass panic an event like war or societal collapse would cause here in America.

I have faith and hope that good people will be able to pull through, but history tells that many a criminal has made out more than fair in a bad situation at the expense of his or her betters.

 

[rufus]

Everyone sees it differently. We all live in different circumstances. One Watts riot was one Watts riot too much for me. For the moral fiber of society to break down, there must first be a moral fiber.
Looking to government to provide answers is just looking for more problems. Government is the problem.

 

[Bluebonnet]

Everyone sees it differently. We all live in different circumstances. One Watts riot was one Watts riot too much for me. For the moral fiber of society to break down, there must first be a moral fiber.
Looking to government to provide answers is just looking for more problems. Government is the problem.

Government and a populace that has come to love other things more than the liberties their ancestors died miserably so that they might inherit.

It is a sorry sight all around.

Hope springs eternal.

I worry that the folks who do have a good set up will be forced to contend with displaced persons. Folks who have gone belly up wander in search of green pastures. Look at the Great Depression and Dust Bowl to see all of the wandering people in desperate need of work, only to be told to keep moving.

 

[newfoundland]

You really don't need all that information to grow a few veggies. I have happily grown tomatoes on the window ledge in old baked bean cans. We all know that the root and winter type veg grow well in cooler climates but the warmer climates allow the growth of the more summer veggies like peppers and aubergines. That's just common sense. Seeds cost very little and many can be grown almost anywhere in the smallest spaces. In the big cities of Shanghai and Mumbai, people grow veggies on fire escape staircases and anywhere they can pack them in, they even keep chickens on their balconies. I can't think for one moment that they know or care about the pH of their soil, they just sow, water, tend and harvest.

Like most things it can be as simple or as difficult as people want to make it. I do appreciate that we all have different life experiences and that naturally colours our view of the world. We shouldn't forget though that we elect our governments from amongst ourselves. In our countries they do not impose themselves on us. If we do not like their policies we have the opportunity to vote them out next time. As for moral fibre, I like to believe that we all have that. Some of us may lose our way but surely we are all redeemable. One vital thing that governments can and should do is give people hope that they can, with hard work, improve their lives for themselves and their children. Lately, they have not done this and they have let the people down.

 

[Bluebonnet]

You really don't need all that information to grow a few veggies. I have happily grown tomatoes on the window ledge in old baked bean cans. We all know that the root and winter type veg grow well in cooler climates but the warmer climates allow the growth of the more summer veggies like peppers and aubergines. That's just common sense. Seeds cost very little and many can be grown almost anywhere in the smallest spaces. In the big cities of Shanghai and Mumbai, people grow veggies on fire escape staircases and anywhere they can pack them in, they even keep chickens on their balconies. I can't think for one moment that they know or care about the pH of their soil, they just sow, water, tend and harvest.

Like most things it can be as simple or as difficult as people want to make it. I do appreciate that we all have different life experiences and that naturally colours our view of the world. We shouldn't forget though that we elect our governments from amongst ourselves. In our countries they do not impose themselves on us. If we do not like their policies we have the opportunity to vote them out next time. As for moral fibre, I like to believe that we all have that. Some of us may lose our way but surely we are all redeemable. One vital thing that governments can and should do is give people hope that they can, with hard work, improve their lives for themselves and their children. Lately, they have not done this and they have let the people down.

You need that information if you intend to be able to grow the majority of your own food and not die from vitamin deficiencies from eating just a few container plants and what ever happens to be in their area if food supplies are scarce.

Here in America, there are folks who would smash your container plants for fun or steal them off your patio. I expect cooperation to be practically non-existent in a crisis.

The only time in recent history where Americans have truly banded together was after 9/11.

However, look at all the opportunists who saw that tragedy as a chance to make a quick buck. All the fake charities that sprang up to solicit donations and who made off like bandits or the persons who faked like they lost loved ones to elicit attention and money for themselves.

It is a crazy world we live in.

 

[WooingWyandotte]

I agree with you Bluebonnet, but I don't believe all the people are out there to "get you." There are bad people and an abundance of them, but perhaps a little kindness would go along way; and there are a lot of good people in the cities that are clueless that would happily be a part of a "survival community" if they were shown how. I'm not saying I know how to deal with hordes of people. But if you assume everyones bad and take a gun to them, then you'll end up just as bad yourself and miss out on the good people. Don't get me wrong though, b/c there are instances where I completely condone a gun.

 

[Bluebonnet]

I agree with you Bluebonnet, but I don't believe all the people are out there to "get you." There are bad people and an abundance of them, but perhaps a little kindness would go along way; and there are a lot of good people in the cities that are clueless that would happily be a part of a "survival community" if they were shown how. I'm not saying I know how to deal with hordes of people. But if you assume everyones bad and take a gun to them, then you'll end up just as bad yourself and miss out on the good people. Don't get me wrong though, b/c there are instances where I completely condone a gun.

I do not believe that all are "out to get me", but I do believe that there is a good percentage that would be out to take what I have.

I have all the charity in the world to help those who want to help themselves. There are many who just do not have the means to provide for themselves, particularly the young, elderly and disabled and I would want to help such persons, preferably in a way that is low risk.

Inviting a stranger into your home, high risk. Donating food to a bread line, soup kitchen or something of the like, lower risk.

 

[hemet dennis]

Quote: Why does someone live where they keep getting hit with storms time after time after time after time ?