What if Venezeula happened here?

[Ura-Ki]

Faith can come from many sources, its how we act, ether in his light, or in our own that matters! Not all people are "Of the faith" or they share a different faith then you or I! The basics of being good because we know its right, vs being bad because its easy( or any other reason to choose that path) is what makes us human! Ultimatly, you and I alone answer to those choices! Faith ( even from with in our own selves) gives us the strength to do what we all know is right when only darkness presents its challenges!

 

[SUPER X]

Or a similar situation that changed life as we know it. One day it's surfing the Internet, Starbucks drive thru, complaining about the slow waiter who was bragging about his PhD at dinner, the next day all heck breaks loose and the store shelves are picked clean. Rolling blackouts precede weeks long blackouts and fuel is no where to be found. Some speculation on the ATS forum. Would you survive what Venezuela is going through?, page 1.

Things will become gritty. Many if not most of us prepare for such events. Many do not. Mentally, this will be a game changer for society.

I can see it happening here .The way certain people are running things and the dependency on technology . Most the USA raised millennial's and city dwellers have no idea what to do when things aren't at their fingertips. Ive met them that cant even change a flat tire .If it goes down their demanding and protest isn't going to save their hide.

 

[Member 52301]

Yes, it can happen here. Not just IN the cities or with city folk either. Rural areas, small towns and with small town and rural people too.

That downfall of society can happen in any place across this country. IT IS HAPPENING to a large degree now in specific areas of the country. You have some people (.gov folks and flaming FOR THE CHILDREN TYPES!) in various cities 'even in MT' that want to turn it into the bad side of Seattle, the bad side of Portland, CA towns, etc.

Plus add the fact WHO (D/R/etc.) wants MORE U.S. and non U.S. people (Not legally here.) with problems to SUCK UP the money, resources, etc. from the VERY people who keep funding this .gov crapola.

You know people who actually worked their @@@es off all of their life, paid taxes, led an honest life, did without many things in life and SAVED their money when they could even though parts of the country LOST JOBS BIG TIME IN SOME FIELDS, worked extra jobs for some of their luxuries in life, paid their bills on time, etc.

The powers that be from ALL sides cause more wars, conflicts, shortages of ALL things for a stable life, THEY hire $$$$$ economic HIT MEN and many of those people flee those places as we have already seen. But you can't always put the NO blame tag on those fleeing either. They could FIGHT BACK in many ways but they did not and do not. They could elect someone with a CLUE. They could prepare as best as they could but most MIDDLE CLASS people could not do this, if they did do this... they are surviving as their lives went down the toilet of no return with a great big flushing sound that is IF they even had the infrastructure to flush!

ALL you have to do is travel and really OPEN up your eyes to the reality that is out there (Stateside.) and to people that you may or may not like but KNOW personally or OBSERVE people in general.

Bug In would be my plan.

The only way that I would leave the house is if a flood or fire forced me to leave. My MT husband and I have discussed this. (I discussed this with my late husband years ago too. Back east.)

By the way, I know some sane, honest and GOOD and not so 'with it' people (To put it mildly!) who call themselves preppers.

Some of them are people that I consider 'leeches' and bottom feeders on society and people who always relied on someone else to help them out in various situations. Ex husbands and ex and not so ex family members. Friends and ex friends.

I would no more trust those types of people than I would a drunk or dope fiend since they never really exercised personal responsibility in ALL areas of their life. And yeah, some of them ARE in their 50's, 60's and older not just some FILL IN THE BLANK generation! They are the type of people who always want to blame everyone else for their LOT in life even though some of them have never really been exposed to 'tough love' or being cut off from the HAND that feeds them be it a relative, another new husband or with .gov help. Excuses and more excuses and the blame game. Some of them even called themselves 'conservatives' and I call them CON job artists. They can call themselves any name but that does NOT make them one.

I consider myself prepared as I was raised by 1930's depression era parents/mentors. (Parents - 1909 and 1920.) I am a fiscal conservative yet a 'giver' to SPECIFIC CAUSES and people too. I was raised where Christians, Jews, etc. helped other people in VARIOUS WAYS but they TAUGHT people to make their own lives better by WORKING FOR IT and NO JOB was considered beneath a man's dignity. You need something - work for it or learn a new trade or barter. Do something for your meal or warm bed.

I don't consider myself a prepper as some people may or may not call themselves. I consider myself a prepared person.

Are there sane, honest and thoughtful people who prepare for weather related or any other emergency in LIFE or even a 'depression' if the poop hits the fan? YES!

Then there are people who BUY and stock up on 'some things' but they really do not think, plan or prepare to live their life in a responsible manner.

And those people really believe (Delusional!) that they are preppers yet they don't go out and get a job because it may not be in their 'field' and they NEVER had a job in their field but they say that they are looking while they RELY on a couple of relatives and/or 'friends' to put food in their belly, a roof over their head, and clothes on their back. Yet, they buy some things and food and consider themselves 'preppers'. I would say more but it would get too detailed and that does not belong here.

And the sad thing is that some of the delusional con job preppers (NOT really prepared people in LIFE and NOT real conservatives or moderates.) and delusional socialists actually vote!

There are a few people that I would trust and are close to but NOT too many of them live in this state! Fact of life. A couple of them live in the Great Lakes farm/lake country but they are senior citizens too. Two senior citizen relatives that are OLDER than I am live on the East Coast. A sane, honest, and conservative older brother. A goofy older sister who is a flaming 'whatever' lives back there too.

I trust my husband and a couple of people here. But I would NOT rely on any person but my husband and myself FIRST. If it got that bad, as I have been in VERY EXTREME weather emergencies in my life... I would go with what I did in the past in blizzard country - year round bad weather situations in farm/lake country, some bad weather on the East Coast and what I have dealt with here in MT - mountains and valley.

I expect the U.S. money in the bank and credit union to go to NEGATIVE INTEREST RATES like what you see overseas. It is close now but I expect this to happen this year. Right now, if you look at the budget and all of the MIC spending PLUS corporate, farm, people, etc welfare... it can't keep on going unless they keep on printing the currency! ADD in the new people to the mix of collecting freebies and it will all explode.

Yeah, I am one ticked off old lady, I did my taxes a month ago, I or we have the proper deductions taken out and we pay extra towards estimated taxes to the FEDS and to MT. (I have been paying estimated taxes since I was in my early 20's too. Plus I had federal and state deductions taken out when I worked for a few companies. I calculate year round for these financial matters.) I would like to know when some of us, tax paying suckers, get to stop paying taxes for all of the free s_! army folks and WHEN THE POOP HITS THE FAN here, which it will with a huge economic mess, why am I and/or other USA people supposed to keep on paying to HELP other countries and people who hate us and want us dead? That goes for some in the USA and worldwide - leaders and ordinary people.

Bug in - old lady Cate

 

[Member 52301]

PS:

I don't take any Rx medicine other than my OTC Bayer 325 mg. aspirin x 2 and a good multi vitamin/mineral at 68.5 years old. Once in a blue moon - I use Visine. I use a cane on and off.

My MT senior citizen, retired husband takes Rx medicines and is on a breathing machine for part of a 24 hour cycle. He still walks and exercises, eats properly, drinks his water, etc. But he is ON Rx medicines and even though we have some 'extra' meds on hand and we have a generator and fuel and a battery set up for his machine... that would only last so long.

Me? I don't care for myself since I have a medical living will plus my other will, I don't want to be kept alive on freaking !!! machines and I am a DNR.

He feels the same way yet I KNOW for a fact that HE needs his Rx medicine and he needs his 'machine'. So that would bother me for HIM since I am really cautious on HIS NEEDS in life much more than mine.

So yes, that is a big consideration due to his health issues.

I never had children with my late husband. So there is no concern there for me when it comes that issue.

I do consider other people as one person mentioned. I am a Christian and if someone needed help - I would help them TO A DEGREE. Much less at my age now compared to me at a younger age or even a few years ago. I have done that, helped people, in the past for strangers, family and friends. Would I do it again? I would to a degree but I did LEARN SOMETHING IN LIFE with some people.

You do what you can do and what your INSTINCT tells you to do if you are a believer in God or not.

Trust your GUT. Trust your brains. Trust your common sense. Trust your 'senses' and so forth.

"Trust God, He will guide you, and go from there.", is my motto.

I can't speak for other people and what I believe is just that... my belief.

I am not telling any person to think or behave as I do.

Cate

 

[Member 52301]

Maybe not to some, but my faith is the most important thing to me, without it I wouldn't have been able to endure the things I have thus far or what is to come, my strength comes from Christ and through him can I do all things.

Me too. Thank you.

Cate

 

[Member 52301]

I can see it happening here .The way certain people are running things and the dependency on technology . Most the USA raised millennial's and city dwellers have no idea what to do when things aren't at their fingertips. Ive met them that cant even change a flat tire .If it goes down their demanding and protest isn't going to save their hide.

I can see it here too. Plus their whines and protests will not be worth diddly squat!

I have seen this with 'some' rural people too. Same as with some 'city' people too.

Another example that I have SEEN up close and personal since I moved out west. Rural and in town living. (Back east - I saw it but out HERE - I see it a lot more. Maybe since time moves on, beats me!)

What cracks me up is that you can give some people directions but they rely on their computer thing of a ma jig in their vehicle. GPS or whatever.

I had some BIG items for a donation in this MT town. I gave explicit directions and the young people (Workers?!) stopped at the wrong place and said that they could not FIND my house which was at a dead end a FEW houses down from their van parked at the wrong house while they STARED AT THEIR GPS ON THEIR VAN. (I watched them and so did my husband. It was very icy/snowy out so I did not go flying/running down my NO PLOWED street in my bathrobe.) They needed to TURN THEIR HEADS TO THE LEFT and look down the street to the dead end here. NO kidding!

I had the DONATIONS - large items ON MY FRONT PORCH with the PORCH LIGHTS TURNED ON in broad daylight and they said that they could not FIND ME because they did NOT LOOK AROUND, see me waving to them, yelling out to them, etc. I called the donation place, one of several where we help, and told them to return to the house. IT is like they LOOK at a computer system, don't FOLLOW explicit written directions, do not LOOK OR LISTEN to some lady on the porch (Me!) with STUFF SITTING OUT - that was just put out 15 minutes before their arrival, etc.

I wonder how some of them get out of bed, shower and dress in the morning.

Would they survive simple directions when the SHTF? I seriously doubt it unless someone teaches them and they actually want to LEARN A SKILL.

Cate

 

[Diamondback]

Never underestimate the utter cluelessness of a Millennial... lol

 

[Member 52301]

Never underestimate the utter cluelessness of a Millennial... lol

Dang - lol.

I would NOT have believed it IF I had not seen it but my MT husband said that he would believe it even if he had not witnessed it - which he did witness it.

He sees THIS stuff all around town since he does get OUT more than I do in x amount of hours per week! He was born and raised in MT and I asked him if it was a MT THING but he is NOT like that. He said it was just how things are in this day and age with or without a University and even UP north. UP north here in MT - I have seen it in rural areas and in SMALL towns.

It is like someone sucked out their brains and common sense and IF they can't use a GPS, calculator or a computer... look out!

Old Lady Cate who still does her taxes the old fashioned way... on paper. Double and triple checks it with a calculator but knows how to do simple math and follow instructions.

 

[Diamondback]

Hey, be nice, Math is the REASON I became a History major... (Well, that and the politics and BS of the MBA world.)

LOL

 

[Member 52301]

Hey, be nice, Math is the REASON I became a History major... (Well, that and the politics and BS of the MBA world.)

LOL

Ahhh, we love you here. I love history too!

Cate

 

[SUPER X]

Amen brother, amen.

View attachment 557962

Im old enough to remember signs like that posted on peoples property that commonly read (trespassers will be S..T) . Now one would be targeted for a red flag .

 

[Camelfilter]

The problem with these collapse threads is we all talk about our preps but what I'm always wondering about is what about my neighbors. I'm new here and not particularly close to anyone but I like to pretend at being a Christian and denying someone help in an emergency doesn't sit well with me. That said, if word gets out that I have food etc. then I am swarmed and that sits even less well with me.
I'm never sure what the answer is.

Think outside the box.

In the event something happens where you would consider giving stuff to your neighbors, but as you mention, may not want folks to know you have excess...

Go round and offer those same folks donation boxes from your church food pantry, without you having to make a trip to your church food pantry. HINT HINT!

 

[Martini_Up]

Think outside the box.

In the event something happens where you would consider giving stuff to your neighbors, but as you mention, may not want folks to know you have excess...

Go round and offer those same folks donation boxes from your church food pantry, without you having to make a trip to your church food pantry. HINT HINT!

Of all the first had accounts I've read where people are in true TEOTWAWKI, this was one of the major points stressed the most; don't be known as someone who has something as it will get taken.

OPSEC.

Even some of the fiction I've read has the authors making the same point, often indirectly but thill there.

 

[CountryGent]

The problem with these collapse threads is we all talk about our preps but what I'm always wondering about is what about my neighbors. I'm new here and not particularly close to anyone but I like to pretend at being a Christian and denying someone help in an emergency doesn't sit well with me. That said, if word gets out that I have food etc. then I am swarmed and that sits even less well with me.
I'm never sure what the answer is.

It depends. In a short term disaster, I am going to render aid to those who need it, within what I can provide in the form of time, talent, and treasure. I have in the past, and will again, been active in community preparedness efforts.

In a complete collapse, I would not give aid to anyone other than family. The harsh reality is that my tribe (and affiliated) has to be prioritized. Those who are too clueless to prepare now are not my problem and I have zero responsibility to them. And, as you mentioned, handing out stuff is a good way to have others showing up expecting the same. Desperate people do desperate things; I see no need to call in more.

 

[Diamondback]

This is why one of my Powerball Pipedreams is to establish a Prepper Gated Community, where the HOA bylaws REQUIRE each house to maintain a year's supply of food for each resident and the Neighborhood Watch is actively involved in coordinating Mutual Aid plans.

 

[Stomper]

You're referring to an economic migration. those are usually planned in advance and are done quite safely and routinely. A large scale disaster migration would be a be more on the chaotic side. Our basic options would be Canada or Mexico. Or, from our side of the country, points east of us.

So a mass chaotic migration "south" would cause a "human undertow" from the one's sneaking north that would tend to get sand on one's shoes..... yeah?

 

[Diamondback]

So a mass chaotic migration "south" would cause a "human undertow" from the one's sneaking north that would tend to get sand on one's shoes..... yeah?

I vote we invade Canada, get them straightened out and make them the 51st state.

Except Quebec, give it back to France. LOL

 

[Hayharnel]

2020 vote Democrat,
Make America Venezuela Again!

 

[Hayharnel]

Trump 2020
Build It Taller!

 

[Stomper]

2020 vote Democrat,
Make America Venezuela Again!

Yeeeeaaaahhhh..... no.