What's Next?

A League of the South friend sent me a link to an article by Gerald Celente entitled "Food Riots, Tax Rebellions By 2012...Trend forecaster, renowned for being accurate in the past, says." Celente is a well-respected and often accurate prognosticator of future trends. In this article, he predicts that the United States will be in the depths of a severe depression that will result in food riots, tax rebellions, and middle class revolution by 2012. My friend asked for my response to the article, which is posted below. (Go to http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=1ad_1226630673 to read it.)

If Barack Obama succeeds in raising taxes as he plans, then he will be the 21st century's Herbert Hoover and a depression will be unstoppable. Even without tax increases, it may be too late to stop the slide. The major difference between now and 1929 is that, back then, most people were able to grow their own food. We were less urbanized, so many people either had or knew relatives who had farms. Most men knew how to hunt and fish. They might be poor but they had sources of food. Even people who lived in towns and cities usually had vegetable gardens that sustained them. Women knew how to can or preserve food and bake bread. Today, hardly anyone knows how to grow or preserve food. So, Celente is on the mark that food riots and desperation will be more likely in a depression today.

Also, the whole moral fabric of society has broken down. In 1929, almost everyone went to church and had a strong belief in Christian values. The whole extended family structure was stronger and closer. Neighbors helping neighbors was the norm, not the exception. So, despite their poverty, crime actually decreased during the Great Depression. That won't be the case today.

Will we have a revolution or a new civil war? I don't know, although Celente isn't the first to expect one. Frankly, I think Celente is being optimistic in thinking we'll have until 2012 before it happens. The likely response with Obama and his Marxist ideology will be martial law and severe repression by the federal government. Current laws and executive orders allow the federal and state governments to confiscate private holdings in declared emergencies. Read them and weep.

My best recommendation for people is to become as debt-free as possible, keep as little as possible in the bank, and buy junk silver coins. I say silver because it is more liquid and less likely to be confiscated or made illegal again than gold.

I'm already doing what my grandfather did before the Crash of '29. It was preceded by a credit crunch like today. All of a sudden, his business's vendors started asking for immediate payments, and he noticed that, if he wrote their salesman a check, they cashed it immediately at his local bank. Since he and his father had done business with these firms for years and he knew it wasn't because he was a poor credit risk, he deduced something bad was coming. So, he started doing the same thing with his customers. (He was a John Deere farm implement dealer.) If he received a check, he cashed it the same day at their bank. He also withdrew almost all his money from his bank accounts, keeping in them only the minimum needed to operate his business or pay personal bills. He sold the few stocks and bonds he owned. He did this several months before the banks collapsed and the stock market crashed. As a result, he was relatively well off during the Depression and was able to help friends and neighbors during it. I now withdraw most of my disability income the same day I receive it. I keep in the bank only what I need to pay rent, phone, cable, etc. I am being very frugal in anticipation that those checks might suddenly stop coming, and I am reviewing my own survival plans and options.

I also recommend people who have any land at all to learn to grow vegetables and plant fruit bushes and trees. Even those who have only a small yard or patio can grow food through intensive farming techniques. Fruit bushes and trees can replace nonproductive landscaping and still look attractive. Buying a small plot (half an acres or more) of sunny, well drained rural land with a water source would be a good idea, too. It could give a refuge from urban riots and a place to grow food. If I have to camp in a tent, I sure don't want it to be in an urban tent city.

Of course, keeping emergency food and household supplies is always recommended. The Mormons set an example in this regard; they advise their followers to keep a two-year supply of all household and food necessities in storage. Getting off the electric grid, having a water well, saving rain water, and composting are all things one can do to become more self-sufficient. All will help you save money today, be good for the environment, and help you survive a crisis.

If you don't have firearms, get them now along with sufficient supplies of ammunition. Obama and the Democrats in Congress will go against our gun rights very quickly. He has long advocated "confiscatory" tax rates on ammunition sales, so stock up. Besides self-defense weapons (handguns), hunting rifles and shotguns provide food, if needed. Training in hunting, shooting, and other outdoor survival skills are essential. Firearms do no good if the owner doesn't know how to use them safely. One of the best books to have is How to Survive in the Woods. Army survival manuals are good to have in your library, also.

Finally, if you don't already have a passport, get one. Worst case, you may want to leave. It takes 6-8 weeks minimum to get one. It costs $100 for a new one if you have never had one or it has been over 15 years since you had one. There is also a new $45 passport card but it is valid only for land or sea travel (no air) to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda. You can apply for a passport at most post offices. Go to http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/first/first_830.html for complete instructions. Personally, I'm applying for mine before January 20th because history tells me repressive governments put travel restrictions in place very quickly.

Thanks for sending this article. Now is the time to prepare. Each family should assess their situation, determine what they need to learn and have in order to be more self-sufficient, and begin executing their plan so they aren't in panic when trouble comes. Nothing beats being prepared for the worst while praying and hoping for the best. Deo Vindice.