Hard Times at Here--Are You Ready? - A WELL REGULATED MILITIA

AWRM

Register Log In A WELL REGULATED MILITIA Forums Survival & Preparedness Hard Times at Here--Are You Ready?

Print Thread

Hard Times at Here--Are You Ready? #100113 08/06/2009 05:19 AM 08/06/2009 05:19 AM
Joined: Oct 2001 Posts: 19,741 A 059 Btn 16 FF MSC ConSigCor OP Senior Member
ConSigCor OP Senior Member Joined: Oct 2001 Posts: 19,741 A 059 Btn 16 FF MSC	This was posted on Survival Blog by JW Rawles. Everyone should take a hard look at his comments. Quote Hard Times at Here--Are You Ready? The hard economic times that I--and many others--warned you about are now here. We are clearly now in the opening stages of a full-scale depression that will last a decade or longer. This news article http://www.sbtinfo.com/article/20090804/News01/908049925/1130 (sent to me by SurvivalBlog reader Eric C.) .about an unemployed couple in Indiana is a microcosm of what we will be witnessing for the next decade. Take a few minutes to read it. Our pampered society is in for a rude wakening. Now, at the risk of sounding unkind and judgmental, the term "white trash" comes to mind. Note that this man in Indiana had no savings, plenty of debt, and obviously no food reserves. Also note that despite his "austere" budget on unemployment insurance, he wastes hundreds of dollars per month as he smokes cigarettes, drinks soda pop, drinks beer (in large quantity), gambles, and pays for commercial car washes. His wife still carries a Blackberry with an airtime contract. Why are they buying disposable diapers, when they could be washing cloth diapers? The article also mentions that the husband has gained 40 pounds in the year since he was laid off. Did he consider planting a vegetable garden? Or washing his own car? (Both would have saved money and provided exercise.) This couple needs a serious lesson in budget priorities. They say that they are worried about their children's school grades, yet they still have a television and XBox games. It is time for a garage sale, to sell those time-wasting gadgets. Then regularly-scheduled trips to the local library, to get their children literate! This gent is in his thirties, yet he has ruined his health with drinking, smoking, and over-eating. He and his wife seem to view military service as a last resort for their high school senior son. Well, I have a news flash for them: Both the son and the father should have enlisted! In 2006, the US military raised its maximum age of enlistment to 42. (BTW, as the economy continues to worsen, I expect the military to raise their standards considerably and eventually begin turning away large numbers of candidates, just as they did in the 1930s.) It is also noteworthy that this man is on anti-depressants. He is not alone. Consider this article that was sent to me by Karen H.: Antidepressant Use Doubles in US, Study finds. That is alarming just by itself, but just consider what will happen if and when the Schumer Hits the Fan, and all those patients run out of their medications. (And their booze, and their cigarettes, and their marijuana, and their MTV, and their Crackberry instant messages, and their chocolate, and their American Idol, and their Dunkin' Donuts, and their porn, and their meth, and their soap operas, and their "Energy" drinks.) This could get very ugly, very quickly, once so many millions of suddenly very cranky, very desperate people start roaming the streets. My suggestion is: Don't be near then, in any significant numbers. Move to hinterboonies. In summary: I had no idea that wallowing in self-pity was such exhausting, time-consuming work. At least they have a comfortable couch and recliner. This old quote mentioned by a SurvivalBlog reader sums up their situation: "The Lord does not bless the farmer who leans on his hoe." Here is my advice for SurvivalBlog readers on how to survive the currently unfolding Depression: * Work cheerfully and diligently. It is slackers that find themselves unemployed first. * Get debt free and stay debt free. Take on no new indebtedness, and pay down the debts you already have. * Learn to distinguish essentials from non-essentials. * Write a budget, and stick to it. Whittle it, as necessary, to avoid debt. * Sell off your useless Beanie babies and assorted knickknacks. * Increase your savings * Build up your food storage * Diversify your investments. Don't put all your money in one bank. * Check your bank or S&L's safety rating at TheStreet.com. Check your stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, and insurers, while you are at it.) * Hedge your investments with some tangibles * Sell off any vacation or rental properties that don't have retreat potential * If you move, then it should be to a place near a secure job, and preferably to a piece of farm or ranch land that provides some self-sufficiency. * Develop a second stream of income. * Release yourself from your addictions. Pray fervently, and if need be, seek help. * Plant a garden. * Stay in shape. * Be willing to accept work that is lower paying or less appealing * Be charitable. * Most importantly: Get right with God. (Believe, repent of your sin, confess Jesus as your savior, and be baptized.) It is time to pray hard, folks! I believe in predestination. If you are reading this, and feel convicted to make change in your life, then you are fulfilling what God has had planned for you since "before the foundations of the Earth." Forgive me for ranting, but that article about the unemployed family in Indiana got me a bit riled up. One suggestion, in closing: If you get laid-off, do not move to a relative's basement in Michigan. Instead, move to where you can find work, even if it hard, "rolled up sleeves" work. "The time for war has not yet come, but it will come and that soon, and when it does come, my advice is to draw the sword and throw away the scabbard." Gen. T.J. Jackson, March 1861

Re: Hard Times at Here--Are You Ready? #100114 08/06/2009 05:53 AM 08/06/2009 05:53 AM
Joined: Nov 2008 Posts: 1,246 North Carolina S safetalker Member
safetalker Member S Joined: Nov 2008 Posts: 1,246 North Carolina	ConSigCor That is what is being repeated all around the country. If someone thinks that they will soon be in this conditions here are some points from a talk show on survival in financial times. 1. Pay those things that you need/have to pay. a. Rent b. Insurance life and auto c. Utilities. 2 Turn in any cars that you can't afford and buy one you can drive.(Buy it on a credit card before you tur the other one in.) 3. If you are out of work you have no credit anyway so ignore the credit cards. Start putting up dry-goods and canned goods. The stimulus plan has options for the taxes if you apply and have moved all your money out of the banks. (good idea incase of the bankster holiday at any length). Perhaps now would be a good time to start making the moves listed even if you still have a job.

Re: Hard Times at Here--Are You Ready? #100115 08/06/2009 06:56 AM 08/06/2009 06:56 AM
Joined: Dec 2002 Posts: 117 USA P PatriotAgent Member
PatriotAgent Member P Joined: Dec 2002 Posts: 117 USA	quote: * Most importantly: Get right with God. (Believe, repent of your sin, confess Jesus as your savior, and be baptized.) It is time to pray hard, folks! I believe in predestination. If you are reading this, and feel convicted to make change in your life, then you are fulfilling what God has had planned for you since "before the foundations of the Earth."* AMEN Brother!! LIFE, LIBERTY, THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS. FAITH,FAMILY,COUNTRY. THE THINGS THAT MATTER.

Re: Hard Times at Here--Are You Ready? #100116 08/06/2009 12:03 PM 08/06/2009 12:03 PM
Joined: Apr 2008 Posts: 648 The West Coast of the East Coa... T Tangalor Member
Tangalor Member T Joined: Apr 2008 Posts: 648 The West Coast of the East Coa...	You guys might not have seen me for a while because I've been doing exactly that: prepping. I lost my job back in February, but my wife works, and I collect unemployment (forced vacation, mass layoffs at the company I worked for). Instead of replying to lots of things, I've been stocking and training, gathering and getting ready. Hopefully others have done the same. I read a lot, and have downloaded almost 1000 .pdfs on numerous subjects, and have printed zilch, which is next on my list: a home library, home made. We're also moving further from the (...lol) 'city' (if you'd call it that) in less than a month. I've volunteered my time with habitat for humanity to get skills in building things, and have always been right with the universe (take no offense, because none is directed), seeming as I'm still alive at this point, having gone through many paradigm shifts within my life. Still, it is not enough. I always crave more information, and more ways of doing things, and I'm always open to what others have to say about these things. Prepping should NOT be a hobby, but a lifestyle. "Those who are able to see beyond the shadows and the lies of their culture - will never be understood, let alone believed, by the masses" - Plato

Re: Hard Times at Here--Are You Ready? #100117 08/06/2009 12:19 PM 08/06/2009 12:19 PM
Joined: Feb 2007 Posts: 1,535 somewhere-where am I? J J. Croft Member
J. Croft Member J Joined: Feb 2007 Posts: 1,535 somewhere-where am I?	Question: what do you do if your survival network collapses? As in not only do you lose your job but infighting, bickering, hustling destroys a circle of people who ought to be cooperating and helping each other out? You're alone and you've lost a lot of your preps trying to stave off homelessness. Be your own leader freedomguide.blogspot.com freedomguide.wordpress.com youtube.com/user/freedomguide

Re: Hard Times at Here--Are You Ready? #100118 08/06/2009 12:32 PM 08/06/2009 12:32 PM
Joined: Apr 2008 Posts: 648 The West Coast of the East Coa... T Tangalor Member
Tangalor Member T Joined: Apr 2008 Posts: 648 The West Coast of the East Coa...	Adapt, Improvise, Overcome. "Those who are able to see beyond the shadows and the lies of their culture - will never be understood, let alone believed, by the masses" - Plato

Re: Hard Times at Here--Are You Ready? #100119 02/16/2010 12:11 PM 02/16/2010 12:11 PM
Joined: Nov 2009 Posts: 57 Eastern MN A ancientskills Junior Member
ancientskills Junior Member A Joined: Nov 2009 Posts: 57 Eastern MN	I find this article and the comments deeply disturbing. It is because this hits way too close to home. I am just going to let loose, and say what I feel I ought to say. I am from Middlebury. I know everyone of the places mentioned in this article intimately. I don't know how to give a rebuttal to the article, or to the comments. First off, unless you have lived down there, there is something you just don't understand. If you want a job, you will have to work for the RV industry. The only decent paying jobs for a 100 mile radius are either building RV's or supplying to the manufacture. Middlebury is a community that put all it's eggs in one basket. Since the 60's men have worked HARD in those factories, and have made well above avg. wages. I remember when you could work in Middlebury for $35/hr. get mad at your boss, walk out on the job, go across the road, and have a new job by lunch time paying $40/hr. The competition was fierce. Only the ablest bodied men could handle those jobs. I worked for Coachmen RV. I loved my job. I made very good money. I had so many benefits, it took an entire day to sign on to them all. Despite the fact I made more than the guy mentioned in the article (in part time hours!) I was not the highest paid RV employee. Many other companies paid much more, but they were hell holes! People took drugs, just to keep up with all the meth addicts on the assembly lines, working 7 days/week. For a clean man, it would kill them to work like that. But that is not my point. When I saw everything going under, I abandoned ship. My plant of 200 was cut to 100 and then to 50. I went to my boss, and told him, I felt I needed to leave, and to give my job to someone else. I left for bible college in Minneapolis. Have you ever looked for a job, where 60% of the populace is LAID OFF?! And the only surviving businesses are cut back to 3 or 4 days/week, including some employees laid off?! White trash? Well, maybe that guy had some issues. But I am going to tell you what Middlebury is like. If you can't work hard, you will not last. My immediate impression the first time I drove into that town was how strappin strong all the men were compared to towns around it. It is not a lazy man's town. But now, every other multi-million dollar factory is shut down, and weeds are growing up through the concrete. And all those fancy houses? (Middlebury is (WAS) an affluent community) Vacant! You see, Middlebury was the most coveted place for professionals to live. It has this dreamy white picket fence, small town, turn of the century feel. It's a trip back in time to the "good old days". The stuff of Norman Rockwell prints. But now it's a trip into the great depression era. Even the Amish are affected by the economic collapse. Many of the Rv factories were manned by Amish who needed those jobs just to pay for their farms. I am outraged that the S. Bend tribune would portray Middlebury like it's a cess pool of lazy white trash milking unemployment. There are only x amout of jobs. When most places go out of business in one year, all of those displaced workers are begging for any work they can find! I left. I saw it all coming, and I said, "It is time to get the Hell out of here!" You would not believe the people who fled! But,...there are many, who could not... for reasons unknown. Family? Heritage? Memories? We are talking about rich, well paid, American dream families here. Not white trash. Yes, at the Winner's Circle, you could expect to find some "losers". It's a bar! But this guys story is not at all representative of the populace. I watched hard working men, stand in line at that food pantry, stricken with shame and remorse. They did not want to be there. I can not describe what I saw. Strong, industrious men, ashamed, heads hanging low...hiding tears, with a hollow look of unbelief, and confusion, hungry, and thinking of their wife and kids' hunger. All I have to say is... this changed my life. It made me aware, that this is REAL. and it can happen to our nation in one fell swoop. So I have said my piece. BE PREPARED. And don't count on that good paying (or any paying) job to be around. John 1:1 Ev apxn nv O loyos, kai O loyos nv TTpos tov 0eov, kai 0eos nv O loyos.

Re: Hard Times at Here--Are You Ready? #100120 02/16/2010 12:23 PM 02/16/2010 12:23 PM
Joined: Nov 2009 Posts: 57 Eastern MN A ancientskills Junior Member
ancientskills Junior Member A Joined: Nov 2009 Posts: 57 Eastern MN	John 1:1 Ev apxn nv O loyos, kai O loyos nv TTpos tov 0eov, kai 0eos nv O loyos.

Moderated by airforce, ConSigCor

.©> ©All information posted on this site is the private property of the individual author and AWRM.net and may not be reproduced without permission. © 2001-2020 AWRM.net All Rights Reserved.

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.6.1.1