This might sound Tin-foil but I'm sure its not... I been looking at economics, over-population and environmental assets in a logistical sense and not a human one. Here is my findings in a nut shell we are beyond screwed. The US dollar gets its value from oil, yes GPA and jobs per percentage of the country have an impact but we only have such a high exchange rate do to oil being the world reserve currency and being the trade currency of oil. If the UN creates a global currency the economy will have to be backed up by people working so... there is no glass ceiling. Reagan, Bush, Clinton, BUsh Jr. & Obama all knew/know this. Which explains an ever increasing drive to disarm the population and build up a military industria complex. Even before the industrial era, this was marked by the Imprial use of slaves in all empires across the history; Africa, hinese, Egypt, Greece, Rome, British, Spanish, Nazi, USSR & American.
So as the empire grows using an inflated market that inflates the value of currency; in he past this was gold, silver or other precious metal "coin of the realm" given value as official trade tokens. As land owned by the nation becomes more resticted wars to colonize (more specifically conquor a weaker enemy and turn its native land into a "colony") to be exploited for the benefit of the impirial state. In this case we the US are the imperial state btw...
US Foriegn Policy:
We enter smaller countries with a large industrial military and conquor them, we establish "puppet regimes" we are armed & funded by the US but use native soldiers to enforce US policy. Are funding backs tyrannts, terrorists and warlords we control a native population with force. The US maintains its natural resources as much as possible by using foriegn resources; including human resources in the form of workers. Eventually we leave an area with only a small percentage of Americans richer using foriegn resources. Eventually the US pulls out major business which also takes with it much of the US military funding to foriegn militaries. This results in chaos, insurrections and tyrannical regimes within these nations who eventually become our enemy. In trying our own terror tactics; lauching a hell fire missile from an unmanned drone (before that we used strike fighters but Drones are cheaper), that kill an enemy target and take out the nieghborhood with it. This in fact creates guerrilla insurrgencies many of which focus on the terrorist tactic.
Understand that guerrilla warfare has a times use the tactic of targetting civilians to frighten a civilian population into forcing politic change. Most often the terrorist tactic is employeed out of anger toward colateral damage and nothing more strategic. Typically guerrillas (smart one's anyway) gain popular support by aiding the civilian population caught in the cross fire. Either way US foriegn policy like that of the Romans, the Soviets or the British suppresses the value of foriegn goods, then inflates the price in US markets to sell it back to the foriegn "colonies." Eventually, wars to control the psuedo-colonies conquored by the Imperial State become wars by other imperial states over resources. We saw this in Europe before the discovry of the New World. We saw this in Asian during the many invasions of Korea by the Japanese and Chinese, the invasion of Japan by the Chinese & Koreans before that and the vivid history of the many wars and invasions between he Hung Dynasty of China and Siam (modern day Thailand), and more.
Movement into a "world economy" has put everything in a rise and fall of Imperialism and now Industiral Imperialism. The turnin point will be the World Currency for us in the US. Foriegn job markets will close, as the US economy tanks and unspent US funding loses value. So in my opinion the question is not how but, when? Not why prepare but, are we preparing properly? I don't think gold is a bad investment but precious metals is an expensive one nd saving money is a joke if the money devalues suddenly and you don't have millions or billions stashed away. At 1/10 the value the US dollar presently, $1,000 dollar savings would have the spending power of $100.
More importantly I don't blame the nation for dailing this back to secure American power or wealth. I don't mind the greedy politician-economists running the nation if they spread a bit of that wealth and security and don't destory the nation in the process. Exhausting the foriegn "colonies" of resources and allowing them to deal with the while heartless could help secure us as a Super Power for many years to come. However, I see Gun Control, a rising attack on gun owners, religions that preach against the humanist powers (particularly Christians, Jews and Muslims) and a build up of military force among law enforcement which amounts to a build up to use force against a hopefully disarmed civilian population.
The economics is alone is scary? The economics and police state military build up is terrifying. So I ask better question; what skills or items have you set aside for exchange based on the value of needs and can you "resupply" those items/items thats are skills related without currency?
Just some thoughts I had looking at current trends, patterns and policies. Disclaimer I am no expert nor do I claim to be.
