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Could You Survive Another Great Depression?
Townhall.com ^ | July 21, 2011 | Paul Kengor

Posted on 07/21/2011 12:33:22 PM PDT by Kaslin

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To: FreedomPoster
I'm really sick of seeing kids sell lemonade at garage sales, what I would really like to see them selling would be ice cream sundaes or something like that, they would probably make a fortune off of it if you could keep them from eating all the ice cream themselves, and that would be the downfall of the whole idea.
81 posted on 07/21/2011 2:31:33 PM PDT by ReformedBeckite (3 of 3 I'm only allowing my self each day)
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To: reed13; reed13k

bfl


82 posted on 07/21/2011 2:36:39 PM PDT by reed13
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To: Kaslin

Ran an experimental garden this year. Learned a lot. In my prior life I ran some cattle and had fruit trees, but I knew squat about gardening. Next year will be better.


83 posted on 07/21/2011 2:39:18 PM PDT by Scotsman will be Free (11C - Indirect fire, infantry - High angle hell - We will bring you, FIRE)
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To: Kaslin

Debt free (small-time independent) oil & gas stripper well + farmer/rancher-guy here. It’s a two hour drive to any town bigger than 100k people.

I’ll be fine. Hit me with your best shot.


84 posted on 07/21/2011 2:39:36 PM PDT by OkiMusashi (Beware the fury of a patient man. --- John Dryden)
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To: EBH

If it comes to that, nobody is gonna worry about permits, licenses, etc. including me. I’m gonna shoot whatever I want for chow whenever I need it.


85 posted on 07/21/2011 2:41:55 PM PDT by Scotsman will be Free (11C - Indirect fire, infantry - High angle hell - We will bring you, FIRE)
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To: EBH

And you better not put in a garden in your front yard!

And the rooster gets it.


86 posted on 07/21/2011 2:42:36 PM PDT by fightinJAG (Please stop posting "helpful hints" in parentheses the title box. Thank you.)
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To: Kaslin
"I use his article on the Russian collapse in the 1990s, which Zuckerman showed was worse than our Great Depression...I can't say we're teetering on that precipice,..."

Try studying "nonpolitical politics" (Vaclav Havel, Czechoslovakia).


87 posted on 07/21/2011 2:43:02 PM PDT by familyop ("Wanna cigarette? You're never too young to start." --Deacon, "Waterworld")
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To: upchuck

Alas Babylon was a great Novel! I also recommend Dies the Fire.

The thing as I see it is in any scenario involving Massive Societal Collapse would be in surviving the first month then the next six months. Anybody who survived a year should be able to make it all the way through.

Also if the production of electricity is curtailed or even stopped then really all bets are off. Surviving the first month becomes problematical even the Amish I know would have a difficult time without electricity for their farms.

Their homes may be electric free for the most part. But their businesses? Yeah some of them, not all, are very electric dependent. It’s not a matter of preferences. It’s economic, machines using fuel or electricity are just more efficient than just straight unassisted man power.


88 posted on 07/21/2011 2:54:01 PM PDT by The Working Man
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To: upchuck

Alas Babylon was a great Novel! I also recommend Dies the Fire.

The thing as I see it is in any scenario involving Massive Societal Collapse would be in surviving the first month then the next six months. Anybody who survived a year should be able to make it all the way through.

Also if the production of electricity is curtailed or even stopped then really all bets are off. Surviving the first month becomes problematical even the Amish I know would have a difficult time without electricity for their farms.

Their homes may be electric free for the most part. But their businesses? Yeah some of them, not all, are very electric dependent. It’s not a matter of preferences. It’s economic, machines using fuel or electricity are just more efficient than just straight unassisted man power.


89 posted on 07/21/2011 2:56:23 PM PDT by The Working Man
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To: the lone haranguer
"Not only can a vast majority of Americans survive another Great Depression, WE SHOULD.

We should take the pain now to remove the onus from our children and grandchildren.
"

Yes! Well said. And we will, in a few years. You see, Democrats serve mainly federal employees and other federal recipients. Republicans work for many teachers, planners, social workers, police, other municipal, county,...local government recipients. Import and merchant interests also want to keep the debt regime going as long as possible. It keeps them on top as the most favored constituents in politics. Sustainable revenues come mainly from domestic manufacturing. ...not a whole lot of that going on here.

This has happened before in other countries.

The hordes of politicos with incomes from various levels of government, services that depend on them as customers and many others will see to it that this debt regime goes on as long as it can. So the default will come a little later and be far worse than most people can imagine (anyone who hasn't seen squalor outside the resorts of poor countries).

There will probably be several more terms of leadership (if you can call it that) from the kinds of politicians that we've been seeing for decades (those who serve the aforementioned). Many of them in the near future will probably resign after very short times in office.

But after that, we may see leaders more loyal to our country and more faithful to their own American neighbors in office.

In the meantime, we're going to find out who the most hard thinking, hard working and generally resourceful Americans are.


90 posted on 07/21/2011 2:57:01 PM PDT by familyop ("Wanna cigarette? You're never too young to start." --Deacon, "Waterworld")
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To: Kaslin

“Could You Survive Another Great Depression?”

Now? Maybe. Gimme a year and it’s a definate yes.


91 posted on 07/21/2011 3:01:24 PM PDT by Grunthor (Faster than the speed of smell.)
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To: Gondring
...if we cared about our children, we'd be using up foreign oil FIRST

WE do, and we have been. If you don't maintain a sufficient supply here to get by with, you won't be tapping any if outside supplies get cut off. It isn't a question of self-sufficiency--we're farther from that as things are than we've been in decades past. It is a question of having the people, the know-how, the tools, the equipment needed to drill for and produce what we have. There is some 'low hanging fruit' out there, locked away in Federally-owned proscribed areas, and we've developed the skills, tools, and ability to produce oil from formations elsewhere which could not be produced in years past.

With few exceptions, Americans are on the cutting edge in oil production technology, because of what we have developed here, and because of that, we have access to more fuels than ever before if we need them and the government opens up the areas it has closed.

If the dollar tanks, if our money isn't worth the paper it is printed on, we will still have the skills and tools and toolmaking capability needed to supply our energy, even at a reduced rate, which is far better than nothing.

92 posted on 07/21/2011 3:05:00 PM PDT by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly. Stand fast. God knows what He is doing.)
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To: Red Badger

One of my all time Bocephus favorites. CD is in my truck and I crank it when that track comes on ~!


93 posted on 07/21/2011 3:06:13 PM PDT by simplesimon (Thomas Paine is weeping. Common sense is gone.)
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To: concerned about politics

I have a deep water well (over 100 feet deep) that I just put a hand pump on, water seems ok but there are a lot of suspended solids in it. Any idea on how to get those out of the water? My plan right now is to let the water sit in a primary fermenter for a few days. I think that would work but something quicker would be nice. Can’t really afford an expensive filtration system.


94 posted on 07/21/2011 3:13:35 PM PDT by jpsb
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To: EBH

People will simply NOT listen to any government figure because respect for such will be GONE.


95 posted on 07/21/2011 3:15:48 PM PDT by Biggirl ("Jesus talked to us as individuals"-Jim Vicevich/Thanks JimV!)
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To: Kaslin

My grandfather had a car during the Great Depression and he used it to ferry people and supplies around, in the city and out into the country. He got paid a lot of times with foodstuff, like a bushel of corn or beans, maybe a hog or some chickens. He was always looking out for the odd job to do. That helped him and my grandmother to raise 10 kids, including my mom.


96 posted on 07/21/2011 3:15:58 PM PDT by rawhide
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To: Texas Fossil

AMEN to that!


97 posted on 07/21/2011 3:16:42 PM PDT by Biggirl ("Jesus talked to us as individuals"-Jim Vicevich/Thanks JimV!)
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To: sodpoodle

You know why the South never ran out of gunpowder?

Because they mined the saltpeter in WVA, right under the Union’s nose. Literally. For a few weeks, a Union Division was camped on top of the mine. Production never even slowed.

Sulpher and charcaol you can get anywhere - but saltpeter - well, either find a good mine, or get ready to go outhouse-crawling.

Still, lots & lots of americans have produced their own gunpowder for hunting, using nothing more than “night soil”.

And there is enought lead for balls around (Tire weights) to last generations.


98 posted on 07/21/2011 3:17:19 PM PDT by patton (I am sure that I have done dumber things in my life, but at the moment, I am unable to recall them.)
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To: jpsb

” Can’t really afford an expensive filtration system. “

Plastic funnel (around $1) and generic paper coffee filters (4 or 6 at a time - around $1 for 150 or so) should easily handle suspended solids in otherwise potable water, for drinking water.....


99 posted on 07/21/2011 3:19:35 PM PDT by Uncle Ike (Rope is cheap, and there are lots of trees...)
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To: fightinJAG
"And you better not put in a garden in your front yard!

Oh no, now you tell me!

100 posted on 07/21/2011 3:20:53 PM PDT by jpsb
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