economy least of your problems

ECONOMY LEAST OF YOUR PROBLEMS


I would like to thank our good buddy Creekmore for today’s article idea. If you zip on over to his web site at http://www.thesurvivalistblog.net/ you will read an article on post crash occupation ideas. Nothing fun like I’ve brought you such as honey wagon operator or prostitute, but a few thoughts on what occupations would be suitable. I thought the article mainly covered an economic collapse, and what would be apropos afterwards. He did warn that his advice did not cover a complete collapse. Which is where I come in. The Great Depression, the Argentina collapse, Zimbabwe are of course all the wrong lessons to be learned. The Fall Of Rome is our only barometer as far as recorded history goes. Yes, you do have to contend with an economic collapse. You know, the one we are already in and the one that has its bottom always advancing sometime in the future. But that is just the warm up to the end of the Oil Age.

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This is where I’m parting company with most of my minions. They think green shoots are going to blast out of Obammy’s butt any day. They have to, because otherwise that means the home is in jeopardy, the pension is toast, their SUV will run out of gas and the forests will be stripped of firewood the first winter of the oil import freeze. I might be wrong, but I don’t plan around that fact. I plan around being right. This way I’m prepared for the worse possible scenario. If you act paranoid and nothing bad happens, you can enjoy it. If you act optimistic and bad things happen you will be disappointed. In an Energy Up history, economic collapses ended with the government getting bigger. The government took over some of the private sector activities and paid for it with inflation. The cost to each person was disguised. The means the government used was increased energy inputs ( petroleum, or wheat, the form of energy increased ). In an Energy Down history, power contracts. Your oppressive government never goes away, true, it just changes form. From national or even continental to county or city state or village. Despite the kind of collapse we see, total or simply economic, government will play a huge role in your occupation and other activities.

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In a total collapse, you will see a slight period of time between when the ruled from afar government collapses and when the local bandits fight out amongst themselves who is going to be in charge. Self reliance helps you survive this period. However, after that, you go back to being dependant on others. In today’s economy, you are not allowed to be self sufficient. You are forced to join the money economy and render unto Caesar. After a collapse, you are going to be doing what you are told to do in the brave new economy. Most of us will be serfs farming. While it is going to be swell to have skills, keep in mind we are not going to be free to utilize them. Stop thinking about prospering in the free market ( everyone will need guns fixed, honey, etc. ) and instead think about what it is going to take to either escape local rule or better your prospects with the local king.

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The way I see it, you either go with the Robin Hood idea ( hiding out in an uncontrolled region and stealing from others ) or try for a skill that will be in demand by the local ruler. My best guess would be chemist able to build from scratch ( not pre made stocks brewed in factories using petroleum but processing from raw ore and such ). Or a gun and ammo manufacture. Not repairing what we have but being able to fabricate new and useful weapons. I don’t know if it will have to be black powder. But most of us won’t have access to heavy weapons ( they will be left in Iraq and Afghanistan ) and they are vital for warfare. Of course, then we go back to the availability of nitrates. It isn’t that a gunsmith won’t be useful. He will. But I think rather than a professional being able to corner a market we will instead see it as just another minor skill. The ammo will run out before most guns will need to be repaired. It would be better to be able to replace the powder and primers than to repair the weapons. But don’t fall back into the free market trap. Try to keep in mind that you will be forced to labor as the ruler needs, not as the market does.

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Just because we have a choice today picking a job doesn’t mean we aren’t controlled in that process. Almost all traditional jobs are denied us. They are allowed as hobbies, but because of that few know them. We are only allowed to choose between a certain number of newer tech jobs or services. After a collapse, your choices will be similarly constricted. By government. Before or after, you are told how to live and work. It isn’t a free market paradise in either case. So go ahead and garden now. Don’t worry about a post collapse skill. You are going to be a serf in the fields. Get really good at growing food and you can swing a position as foreman. Then you might get enough calories to live on. Stop by anytime for more cheerful instructions.

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