Posted on 10/29/2005 10:13:52 AM PDT by Travis McGee
Thoughts On Urban Survival (Post-Collapse Life in Argentina)
My brother visited Argentina a few weeks ago. He’s been living in Spain for a few years now. Within the first week, he go sick, some kind of strong flu, even though climate isn’t that cold and he took care of himself. Without a doubt he got sick because there are lots of new viruses in my country that can’t be found in 1st world countries. The misery and famine lead us to a situation where, even though you have food, shelter and health care, most of others don’t, and therefore they get sick and spread the diseases all over the region.
What got me started on this post is the fact that I actually saw this coming, and posted on the subject here at Frugal’s, months before the new viruses spread over the country and the news started talking about this new, health emergency, which proves that talking, thinking and sharing ideas with like minded people (you guys), does help to see things coming and prepare for them with enough time. So I started thinking about several issues, what I learned (either the hard way or thanks to this forum) after all these years of living in a collapsed country that is trying to get out an economical disaster and everything that comes along with it. Though my English is limited, I hope I’m able to transmit the main ideas and concepts, giving you a better image of what you may have to deal with some day, if the economy collapses in your country. Here is what I have so far:
URBAN OR COUNTRY?
Someone once asked me how did those that live in the country fare. If they were better off than city dwellers. As always there are no simple answers. Wish I could say country good, city bad, but I can’t, because if I have to be completely honest, and I intend to be so, there are some issues that have to be analyzed, especially security. Of course that those that live in the country and have some land and animals were better prepared food-wise. No need to have several acres full of crops. A few fruit trees, some animals, such as chickens, cows and rabbits, and a small orchard was enough to be light years ahead of those in the cities. Chickens, eggs and rabbits would provide the proteins, a cow or two for milk and cheese, some vegetables and fruit plants covered the vegetable diet, and some eggs or a rabbit could be traded for flower to make bread and pasta or sugar and salt.
Of course that there are exceptions, for example, some provinces up north have desert climate, and it almost never rains. It is almost impossible to live of the land, and animals require food and water you have to buy. Those guys had it bad; no wonder the northern provinces suffer the most in my country. Those that live in cities, well they have to manage as they can. Since food prices went up about 200%-300%. People would cut expenses wherever they could so they could buy food. Some ate whatever they could; they hunted birds or ate street dogs and cats, others starved. When it comes to food, cities suck in a crisis. It is usually the lack of food or the impossibility to acquire it that starts the rioting and looting when TSHTF.
When it comes to security things get even more complicated. Forget about shooting those that mean you harm from 300 yards away with your MBR. Leave that notion to armchair commandos and 12 year old kids that pretend to be grown ups on the internet.
Some facts:
1) Those that want to harm you/steal from you don’t come with a pirate flag waving over their heads.
2) Neither do they start shooting at you 200 yards away.
3) They won’t come riding loud bikes or dressed with their orange, convict just escaped from prison jump suits, so that you can identify them the better. Nor do they all wear chains around their necks and leather jackets. If I had a dollar for each time a person that got robbed told me “They looked like NORMAL people, dressed better than we are”, honestly, I would have enough money for a nice gun. There are exceptions, but don’t expect them to dress like in the movies.
4) A man with a wife and two or three kids can’t set up a watch. I don’t care if you are SEAL, SWAT or John Freaking Rambo, no 6th sense is going to tell you that there is a guy pointing a gun at your back when you are trying to fix the water pump that just broke, or carrying a big heavy bag of dried beans you bought that morning.
The best alarm system anyone can have in a farm are dogs. But dogs can get killed and poisoned. A friend of mine had all four dogs poisoned on his farm one night, they all died. After all these years I learned that even though the person that lives out in the country is safer when it comes to small time robberies, that same person is more exposed to extremely violent home robberies. Criminals know that they are isolated and their feeling of invulnerability is boosted. When they assault a country home or farm, they will usually stay there for hours or days torturing the owners. I heard it all: women and children getting raped, people tied to the beds and tortured with electricity, beatings, burned with acetylene torches. Big cities aren’t much safer for the survivalist that decides to stay in the city. He will have to face express kidnappings, robberies, and pretty much risking getting shot for what’s in his pockets or even his clothes.
So, where to go? The concrete jungle is dangerous and so is living away from it all, on your own. The solution is to stay away from the cities but in groups, either by living in a small town-community or sub division, or if you have friends or family that think as you do, form your own small community. Some may think that having neighbors within “shouting” distance means loosing your privacy and freedom, but it’s a price that you have to pay if you want to have someone to help you if you ever need it. To those that believe that they will never need help from anyone because they will always have their rifle at hand, checking the horizon with their scope every five minutes and a first aid kit on their back packs at all times…. Grow up.
Travis McGee Note: This is the beginning of one of the most amazing essays I have read in my life, written by an architect in Argentina, who has lived through an economic and social collapse for the last five years. I consider it one of the most important things that you will read in this or any year. If you're a sheeple, don't bother. But if you see (as I do) storm clouds on America's horizon, do yourself a BIG favor and read it, and pass it to your friends, family, and loved ones.
Thoughts On Urban Survival (Post-Collapse Life in Argentina)
The gold is for after the shooting is over. I've chosen Kruggerands. (coins)
No doubt! The rule would be "Don't EVER show your hand!"
I think in the event of crisis, the first few days or weeks would be the worst. After that, things might gradually return to some sense of normalcy.
If half the folks in my neighborhood are starving, I AIN'T gonna go out on my front deck and start grilling bratwurst!!
I remember reading Pearl Buck's book; The Good Earth*, where the villagers come to the subject's house when they think she has food.
(*Ya, it was the first edition too, written on reed paper)
Even after the initial shooting is over, ya need some lead if you wanna keep your gold!!
You point out many of the reasons (Y2K fallacies) which make this essay from Argentina so invaluable.
I think the Japanese experience with face masks is that they prevent the wearer from blowing his spores all over kingdom come.
If you are in a supermarket etc and everyone is masked, everyone is safer....from each other.
Though ski masks in a convenience store make me a bit edgy...
The problem pointed out in this essay is that "the shooting" might go on for years and years, at a low level. If anyone sees you with a Krugerrand, ever, anywhere, and words gets around, you may be the target of a large coordinated home invasion. In that case, they will torture you and your family to death, on the hope that someone will reveal where the rest (if any) are hidden or buried. His point about common gold rings as survival currency is a good one. Pulling out a gold ring is a plausible "everyman" action. Pulling out a Krugerrand is like paying with crisp $1,000 dollar bills. For that reason, I've also bought pre-1965 "junk silver." A silver dime is now worth about a buck, or a can of soup in SHTF days.
But as the author points out, that's not easy, for a single family guardian to accomplish. You can't be on guard 24/7 and also do life's chores. And if the bad guys get wind of your Krugerrands, food stockpile etc, it makes you a target, BIG TIME. And the idea is to keep a low profile...so just having lots of gold, food etc is great, but keeping it and not being killed for it will be hard.
RE: junk
I have a dealer who specializes in making medallions, etc.
I can buy junk from him for a bit less than melt, I got 300 face yesterday for about 7.40 oz.
You can also get the US or Canadian gold in tenth ounce pieces. Easily concealed, and more in line with buying something like a cord of wood. I've heard about people buying 1000 oz silver bars thinking they can get something for them if the shtf, yeah, you might be able to get something for them, only if you use it to smash the guys head in with it!
Yup, I know. I have old quarters.
Gold "dimes" make a lot of sense, filling the gap between silver rounds and bars, and one ounce gold coins.
I'm getting into this a lot in my new novel. A lot.
Forewarned is forearmed. Guns, gold, geography, etc.
It's interesting, the gold/silver price ratio has historically been about 15 to one. Now, it's about 60 to 1.
But during the oil crisis of the late 70's, when gold rocketed to 850, silver tok off and peaked at about $52 and ounce... which is right in the 16 to one range...
if it were to equalize now, silver would go up to somewhere 30-35 an ounce.
$850.00 an oz then would equal about $2,000.00 an ounce today.
My gold guy said that $2,000.00 will happen about 2008 and about $850.00 in 2006.
bump
I have more than I would ever use in both .22 LR and Magnum. Enough for most purposes in 9mm and 6.5 Swedish Mauser, but not enough for trade. An adequate amount in other calibers.
NW Florida contains enough springs for water for everyone although it might require a little travel. The early settlers all settled near a spring for obvious reasons.
The simple fact is there is not enough food for the entire population to survive until people learn to plant and breed animals. A huge number will starve to death. No way to get around it.
We'll still need to get our generator!
Just a general observation on "food in the pipeline":
In the last 25 or so years, "logistics" and "supply chain management" have become big, big business. An important aspect of this is reducing the amount of material / inventory in warehouses and the "pipeline" (on truck, trains, ships, etc).
Doing this helps reduce the capital tied up in funding this inventory, for a business. Businesses are making an effective, rational (for them) business decision by investing in efficient supply chain management techniques.
Just a good thing to realize, as you improve your long-term-storage food supplies. I had already decided mine needed upgrading, after watching this year's hurricanes. This article, and some of the other items I've come across through it, just cements that.
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