SO WHADDYA DO NOW?

We've given the same crooks who authorized funds for the illegal war in Iraq a nice pork barrel bailout deal that is now law. Our fabulous Congress, knowing nothing about business and less about economy101 has once again sunk to the depths of venal greed, misunderstanding, and outright lies. And now that the markets are heading south and the groundwork is laid for a depression that should make 1929-38 unworthy of the name, what do you do now?

In the past month here in the Sacramento, California area we have had two shootings over almost nothing. The first was a guy who got shot on a bus stop for refusing to give money to a panhandler and the second was a shooting at a family for refusing to give a cigarette to some guy. The links may be pulled or expired, but I'll include them as a source.

First shooting: 9/23/2008

A woman panhandling in downtown Sacramento Monday pulled out a gun and shot a disabled man who refused to give her money, scattering a terrified crowd gathered at a busy bus stop, police said.

Second shooting: 10/1/2008

Police say a gunman who wounded three people in a northeast Sacramento home Tuesday night started shooting when they refused his request for a cigarette.

The man remains at large today.

The suspect went to a home on the 1200 block of Diamond Avenue, near Marysville and Arcade boulevards, at about 8:40 p.m. and asked for a smoke, Sacramento police Officer Konrad Von Schoech said.

"They told him they didn't have any, and he asked to go inside" to continue his search for smokes, Von Schoech said.

Three people at the home emerged and told the man, whom they recognized from the neighborhood but did not know, to leave.

"Then he walked across the street and turned around and started firing," Von Schoech said.

The man ran away after the shooting.

I include these to demonstrate what is happening BEFORE a "depression" is declared.

What will happen when MOST are jobless or desperate can only be guessed at. I'm not expecting "pretty." And I definitely doubt any resemblance to the first depression in the moral, mental, and physical composition of the population.

However, I do believe that it is time to consider preparation for what could be a global upheaval that is in progress right now.

From time to time I get emails and queries about different aspects of trying to cope with a seemingly unending chain of crises. Plus, of course, wanting some insight into my experience with precious metals, firearms, and pawnshop lending. The stories would fill books, but here are some thoughts as they occur. I plan to update these tidbits as things change, so you may want to check back once in a while.

I post on dozens of forums and these are some items that I use to reply to queries.

In no particular order of importance.


PREPARATIONS
Food: Think of it as insurance. You may not wind up using the stuff, but having it is absolutely essential for survival of ANY catastrophe, weather, economic, or hostile. Small cans of pork & beans make an easy to store (room temp) item and they can also serve as snacks if you happen to like them anyway. (If purchasing survival canned food, it should PRECEDE the need.)
Dry grains such as rice and beans.
Water of course. One of the nice things about water is that it can be boiled to make it safe even if it is not potable to begin with.

Medicine: Keep your prescriptions filled. Refill at half full or whenever you are allowed to refill. Just keep them filled and available. These are necessities of the first order. I would also add some extra aspirin as it is the accepted "first aid" for strokes or heart attacks. As such, it would be a "catchall drug" and possibly provide time for more advanced medical treatment or stand alone as a barter item. If there is an emergency of dire enough consequence, victims of infarction and stroke are probably not going to be around very long anyway, but if it is mild the aspirin could make the difference.

A bag: Often overlooked. Many survivalist publications advocate keeping a "bug-out bag (BOB" stocked with first aid supplies, knife, flashlight, water filter, etc.
Personally, I'm not that organized and just keep a packaged large empty bag in the kitchen and bathroom to SCOOP stuff into if it came time to move out quick. And it will hold FAR more than any BOB you could pre-pack. The big bags are sold as "laundry bags" and they come all packaged and folded. They hold a lot and they load fast.

PERSONAL SAFETY
You MUST have the means to defend yourself in emergencies. This means a weapon. Something you are proficient with and prepared to use to defend your family from any aggression.
One of the absolute BEST items is PEPPER SPRAY! Keep a pocket canister with you at ALL times. Starting TOMORROW. It's cheap and legal. One of the nice things about pepper spray is the legality almost everywhere. In California where I live, the POLICE advice on the use of pepper spray is to SPRAY AND LEAVE. Far better than any other defense as it gets you LEGALLY away from the incident and on your way without the legal requirement to stick around. Check your local regulations.
You should also consider a pocket knife. If your workplace prohibits sharp items, then keep one in your car. Get one that can be opened with one hand. Check your local regulations on "legal" blade length and method of opening. MOST places allow "assisted opening" knives that open themselves once they are started a small bit. These are NOT "switchblades" that are federally banned.

FORTIFICATION
Forget rural areas. This is a myth held by those who believe in self sufficiency in a REGULATED time. A rural residence can NOT be defended from attack. A rural home can be easily penetrated by concentrated distant attack and no amount of fantasizing about "standin em off" will be preparation enough. In the first place, there will NOT be any planting, cultivating, and harvesting in a truly dire situation. In the second place, where do you think a MOB would head for first? Bingo! They've had the fantasy, too. A farm can be a GREAT way to become self sufficient in normal times, but we're discussing exceptionally bad times.
But for EMERGENCY defense, a good building in a downtown area is better. It gives height for visibility and it is closer to lootable supplies and defensible by a smaller group of DEDICATED allies. A building can also be immediately vacated if necessary and other usable buildings are nearby.

ALLIES
Yes, you're probably going to need friends. Like-minded ones. You might even have to make NEW ones. If you are going to establish a cooperative group, it's best to get together and set out how serious you plan to be. Don't ally with anyone who will not take the dedication to the level that you determine is necessary and proper. Individuals in your group will have to be prepared to act immediately and without reservation on ALL actions you agree on. Immediate expulsion from the group should be the only action considered for any who fail to demonstrate their commitment. No second chances. In any conflict, brutality will usually win.

FIREARMS
A gun can be great if you are proficient and know the laws. Laws may or may not be enforceable in a real emergency, but staying within it to the best of your ability is advisable. A gun crime can prevent you from EVER owning another one. If your state is a "shall issue" state, then get a carry permit. Bear in mind that carrying a gun is one of the most dangerous things you can do considering personal liability. Even a "justified" shooting will get you sued (requiring the hiring of a lawyer to defend you) by the relatives or owners of anything you shoot.
However, if you are going to take a firearm into an unknown situation, make it an easy to use and easy to maintain firearm. Almost nothing is better than a firearm that uses .22 long rifle ammuntion. Remember that only fools will be considering deer hunting in a real emergency. Cows are easy to kill and will feed more.
If you want more firepower than exists in the .22 then give lots of consideration to the ease of acquisition of more ammunition. There are billions of .22 LR cartridges around and I would guess that one could not conceive of a better barter item. Food's better, but I don't consider it barterable. It's the one thing people will want GUNS to protect.
If you're buying a NEW gun and its purpose is a survival item, the primary consideration should be availability of ammunition. Calibers the same as the police or military use are always recommended.

PRECIOUS METALS
Gold and silver have been exchangeable in trade for almost the entire history of man. I see no reason for that to change. A consideration that continually sits on the minds of those who keep possession of precious metals is government intervention or confiscation. While that is a definite possibility, I can speak from personal experience as a former coin dealer that the Vietnamese refugees who had gold (even in their more controlled existence) were the ones who were ABLE to come to the US with the means to begin their lives anew. I spoke to several who told of those who crowded into emergency boats to leave the country who did NOT have gold. They were simply kicked off the boat.
Bullion coins in silver and gold are recognizeable anywhere in the world and marketed and traded everywhere. They are really the ONLY "universal" money.
Gold and silver are sought by thieves of every guise. Get creative on how and where to store whatever you may decide to buy. There are many places to hide stuff. "Plain sight" can even be good if any thought goes into it. An old engine block with the heads removed, gold inserted into the cylinder holes and the heads replaced would make an inconspicuous piece of "junk" into a repository for several hundred thousand dollars worth of gold. So also, any old car parts that have hollow areas. They also protect against anyone who might be using metal DETECTORS to discern where you might have put your stash.
Some folks also swear by large capped PVC pipe that can be buried.
If you use a home safe, have a home alarm. And don't get a CHEAP home alarm. Good monitored systems with PANIC buttons only cost 20 bucks or so a month for service.
Safe deposit boxes are good for something, but they are certainly no protection against unexpected regulations that might emerge from a dire enough emergency.

SAFE DEPOSIT BOXES
So what IS a safe deposit box good for? Papers. Deeds, wills, loan documents, pictures, etc. Another use for a SDB is to keep a PICTURE of anything you might HIDE in a SEALED envelope addressed to a beneficiary. Far better than having to have beneficiaries SEARCHING for your ratholed things. A picture is a good graphic MAP.
A good item to have in a safe deposit box is a weapon of any nature. It should be carefully wrapped and shouldn't be obvious to a casual observer. Nuff said on that.

MOVEMENT
If you have a 4WD or AWD vehicle it is optimal. If not, then consider it when you buy your next vehicle. Jammed roads don't stop vehicles with AWD or 4WD. Lawns and courtyards are OUT of the traffic lanes.
A bicycle is not a bad idea. FOLDING bicycles are easy to pack and actually neat to ride any time as they take up so little space even sitting unfolded in a garage or apartment.
I'll reserve recommendation of a motorcycle due to noise, lack of storage space, and lack of protection from the elements. And they are crappy on slick pavement. An exception would be a lightweight offroad bike. Bicycles are crappy on "wet" too, but at least they move slower.

CASH
With "bank runs" now a distinct possibility, it will not hurt to have some cash (real cash money) at home where you can get to it no matter what regulations may apply to banks in an emergency. You be the judge of how much you can afford to keep out of the "system."




I hope to hell that you never need even one of these pieces of information. But knowing them is better than not knowing them. I'll add things as I think of them.