For years the mainstream media and their following of myrmidons have made
a joke out of those who have taken time, effort and money to prepare their
homes, assets and families for “Doomsday” scenarios that may include anything
from financial collapse to natural disasters.
For those who laugh at “preppers” it boils down to the belief
that this time is different from the countless historical examples
showing just how bad things can get. World wars, monetary hyperinflations,
depressions, tyrannical governments, pandemics, Tsunamis, you name it;
according to the experts, these things can never happen, especially not here
in America. Plus, in the off chance that something does go wrong, we can
always depend on our government to bail us out.
But what if, for the sake of argument, something does go wrong? And what
if – just humor us here – the government doesn’t have the ability to
help? What happens then?
The answer is simple and can be summed up in the following picture and
video taken within the last 24 hours in Greece, where their financial and
economic systems have collapsed to such an extent that people are now
hoarding food, gas and even money (if they can get their hands on it).
Do you want to know why your prepper relatives, friends or neighbors are
so adamant about being ready for disaster? It’s because they don’t want to
end up like the hundreds of pensioners shown below. As Zero Hedge notes, the situation was heartbreaking:
1,000 Greek bank branches chanced a stampede in order to open their doors
to the country’s retirees on Wednesday.
The scene was somewhat chaotic as pensioners formed long lines and the
country’s elderly attempted to squeeze through the doors in order to access
pension payments.
As Bloomberg reports, payouts were rationed and disbursals were limited
according to last name.
As you’ll see in the video, it was virtually impossible to get through the
bank’s door and tensions were running high:
Such scenes have played out time and again throughout the course of the
financial crisis since late 2008.
In the following video, shot in February of 2008, Greeks were fighting for
food in the streets:
(Via: Greeks Fight For Food: “I Never Imagined That I Would End Up
Here”)
And for those who would still argue that the American government, through
multi-billion dollar FEMA and DHS initiatives, is ready for such a crisis, we
direct your attention to these images taken in the aftermath of Hurricane
Sandy.
Within 72 hours people were starving, had no clean water, no gas and were
standing in hours-long food lines in the hopes of getting an MRE
(Meals-Ready-To-Eat) from the National Guard. Some were even dumpster diving
looking for scraps:
And this all happened in modern-day America, just a few years ago.
So, if you happen to be one of those people laughing at the preppers,
think about how funny it will be when you’re having to dig through the
trash for your next meal, because that is how bad it can get.
According to analyst Greg Mannarino, the debt collapse could be so severe
that millions of people may die from starvation as credit
lines lock up and the normal flow of commodity commerce ceases.
That may sound impossible, but consider what happens when the food stamp
Electronic Benefits Transfer system goes down for just 12 hours. You guessed
it – complete pandemonium. When the system failed across 16 states
in 2013 one person dependent on these benefits summed it up with this one
statement:
“How Am I Going to Feed My Family?”
The simple answer in a real crisis where our currency crashes or a cyber
attack takes down payment systems?
Your family will starve.
In his book The
Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse Fernando
“Ferfal” Aguirre puts a first-hand perspective on the plausibility of these
types of events coming to pass:
During good times people can afford to be spoiled, lazy, and let others
handle issues that they should solve themselves. Crime rates are low and
“those things” just don’t happen where you live. It doesn’t happen to people
like you, or those around you.
The survivor of the Argentine collapse and hyperinflation of the
early 2000’s explains that drastic changes can come out of nowhere and so
quickly that they seemingly happen overnight:
But one day that changes and it does happen. They guy
next door, a friend or a family member gets hit and you see how vulnerable
you are.
I’m not talking about crime alone. I’m talking about serious problems or
disasters of all sorts. It can range from floods to hurricane, social
disorder or a family member getting sick and requiring medical attention. You
didn’t have the foresight to prepare for it financially and with proper
medical and insurance.
…And you may live like that for years without worrying about a
thing, simply because the system is working better than usual.
But once you realize that our society is based on rather complex
and fragile structures that can fail, or when you see how life just enjoys
throwing you a hardball every now and then, then you see the wisdom in
preparing.
Those who would target preppers with jokes or humiliating one-liners often
suggest that the preparedness community is doing nothing more than creating
fear. But nothing could be further from the truth, as Tess Pennington
explains in her widely popular best seller The Prepper’s Blueprint:
I don’t want to promote distress, or for that matter, teach others
to live in it. Rather than staying in the presence of trepidation, I chose to
take another daring step and search for a way to prepare that promotes the
freedom and gratification we are all searching for. My goal was to be 100%
self-reliant during a short or extended disaster.
Once I adopted this mind-set my attitude shifted from living in
fear to living with courage to face whatever may come.
Tess and Ferfal, like many preppers out there realize that the system
within which we live is fragile and that even a minor disturbance could lead
to widespread implications.
In Greece today there were thousands of retirees lining up at banks. Most
assumed that now that they are retired the government would always be there
to help them. Others assume the government will always find a way to feed
them and provide them with health care.
As we now know the reality is starkly different.
Those who ridicule the preparedness movement may be laughing and
snickering today. But you can be certain that when it hits the fan and
America goes the way of Greece, they’ll be the first ones knocking on the
door looking for help.
Related Reading:
Free: 52 Weeks to Preparedness: An Emergency Preparedness Plan For
Surviving Virtually Any Disaster
Follow Ferfal: The Modern Survivalist
Follow Tess Pennington: Ready Nutrition
Green
Beret’s Guides to Survival
Strategic
Relocation
