How many of you really think it is possible??

[Ridgerunner]

My most feared scenario is that inflation gets way out of control. I see inflation coming, bad enough to be a problem, but I don't see it getting to the point where we overthrow the government, other than at the ballot box. I don't think that meets the OP's criteria.

Something else to consider. Up until the recent unpleasantness, many (if not most) financial advisers, investors, whatever had never actually experienced a recession. Their experience was that the stock market always goes up. Recessions were something that happened in ancient history, not present day. A few of us old fogeys had experienced it and realized it could happen again. I think that experience helps.

The way I understand it (and I could be wrong), the OP is talking mostly to college kids. Nothing wrong with college kids. I was one a few decades ago. Their enthusiasm and emotional involvement is a great asset. But their thoughts and ideas are not all that unique. They don't realize it, but we old fogeys had the same thoughts and ideas decades ago. We thought the world as we knew it was going to end in the late 60's/early 70's. The anti-war demonstrations? Read about the New York City draft riots during the Civil War. The sexual revolution? Birth control made a difference but check out the flappers of the 20's. Consider the Alien and Sedition Acts, Lincoln and Jefferson exceeding their constitutional authority, the excessives of the Robber Barons, the debates over the National Bank. We've been through challenging times and constitutional crises before. We are still here.

I'm not criticizing college kids. I am not questioning intelligence or motivation. I am questioning perspective. When was living through the 60's I did not have experience or real understanding of history. I probably still don't have a lot, but from my reading and experience, I am not as worried as some others obviously are. I am fully aware that not everyone that thinks disaster is immediately going to occur is of college age. I know some have a lot of experience. I'm just tossing something else out for consideration and to explain why I still have hope.

 

[Cindiloohoo]

Worry does nothing. All we can do is face whatever happens with whatever we have to face it with and either live through it, or die. That is with financial catastrophe, physical catastrophe, whatever. It just is what it is. I'm not speculating, speculation is a waste of time. I am prepared for whatever. It doesn't matter what you have or don't have right this second. You can be prepared all day long and still have a catastrophic end result. So...why worry? Why speculate? Nobody is getting out of this life alive in the end either way, whether it be today, tomorrow or ten years from now. Do you folks really think you have some sort of security? You best make sure. IMO the best way to have security is to know at any second you're ready to meet your maker. That's all we ever really have control over. The rest is just circumstantial.

 

[Q9]

Quote:
To be honest, the more I study history, the more worried I am. Yes, we are here after Lincoln's dictatorship, and we're living with the unpleasant results. The fact that these things have happened before doesn't mean that they won't happen again, and quite possibly be worse. Our government is continuing to grow in power, we are in the middle of the worst economic depression since the Great one, and unlike then, the Constitution isn't even a minor factor in most debates. Lincoln and FDR are being held up as role models; more than any others, those two did incredible damage to America. Lincoln was the killer of the Constitution and the originator of Presidential tyrrany, and FDR was the one who, along with Hoover, sunk the economy with his programs. What happens if the examples of both are followed?

Also, I'm not sure if it can be said that America as an idea survived Lincoln, let alone the guys after him, particularly Roosevelt, Wilson, and FDR. America as a political entity did, but as a Constitutional nation, not so much.

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Quote:
I disagree 100%.

Only because, take for example, the hurricane Katrina incident; hundreds of people died because they had no drinking water, while being surrounded by 10 feet of water they could not drink. Now according to your logic,

It doesn't matter what you have or don't have right this second

So according to you, you would just give up and die because you had no drinking water, because it doesn't matter what you have squirreled away, because if it's your time it's your time.

WORRYING IS IMPORTANT, to a point, and it ABSOLUTELY matters what you have- even for something as simple as safe drinking water! One of the strongest human instincts (as well as animals) is self preservation. Even cavemen knew that if they didn't store up enough plants to eat they might not make it through the winter... I guess that makes the difference between the people that will survive and those that won't.​

 

[maizey]

Quote:

 

[Q9]

Quote:
I disagree 100%.

Only because, take for example, the hurricane Katrina incident; hundreds of people died because they had no drinking water, while being surrounded by 10 feet of water they could not drink. Now according to your logic,

It doesn't matter what you have or don't have right this second

So according to you, you would just give up and die because you had no drinking water, because it doesn't matter what you have squirreled away, because if it's your time it's your time.

WORRYING IS IMPORTANT, to a point, and it ABSOLUTELY matters what you have- even for something as simple as safe drinking water! One of the strongest human instincts (as well as animals) is self preservation. Even cavemen knew that if they didn't store up enough plants to eat they might not make it through the winter... I guess that makes the difference between the people that will survive and those that won't.​

100% correct, although I don't believe "worrying" is the right term. Worrying is the act of thinking about something that scares you, and doing nothing about it. PREPARING is thinking about something that scares you, then acting to protect yourself from it. Don't know if that's the dictionary's definition, but that's the way I always think of it.

That's actually why we got into gardening and chickens; the economy's tanking, so we decided to become as self-reliant as possible.

Excessive preparedness and paranoia are not healthy, though, and the following quotes sum up my views on the matter of TEOTWAWKI.

"How much pain have caused us the troubles that have never happened." - Thomas Jefferson

"If you see 10 troubles coming down the road, you can be sure that 9 of them will run off into the ditch before they reach you." - Calvin Coolidge

 

[annaraven]

Thank you Q9.
Yes, there's a difference between worrying and preparing. In California, we're supposed to keep water on hand, etc, for aftermath of an earthquake. In Minnesota, we're supposed to be prepared to be snowed in. So yeah, being prepared is a good thing.

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

100% correct, although I don't believe "worrying" is the right term. Worrying is the act of thinking about something that scares you, and doing nothing about it. PREPARING is thinking about something that scares you, then acting to protect yourself from it. Don't know if that's the dictionary's definition, but that's the way I always think of it. That's actually why we got into gardening and chickens; the economy's tanking, so we decided to become as self-reliant as possible.

There ya go!​

 

[maizey]

Quote:

There ya go!

Or not even something that scares you, just something you know is comming. Don't have to be scared to be prepared.

 

[Moabite]

I really appreciate each and every opinion I've read on this thread. I think "Hope" should be the key word for 2011. But the way I see it, is the liquid organic fertilizer has already hit the impeller but in slow motion. I've already closed my eyes and mouth and am in mid leap. There are a lot of good people out there and I'm on their side. I'm devoted to the children so long as I'm alive. Bless you all.