Reading the prepper ping list articles I know I am one who will die quick when the SHTF. Someone posted an article yesterday about Argentina after 2001. It’s more of a “partial” SHTF than the one “selco” posted from Bosnia, which was pretty much total anarchy while two armies squared off with them in the middle.
Ours will more likely be like Argentina. I doubt there will an organized rebel movement to take out the corrupt old government. We’ll be stuck in poverty, using black markets, worried about criminals breaking in and killing us and violating our kids and wives. Paying bribes to get out of tickets, because the officers (and everyone else) would rather have the bribes.
It won’t be pretty. It won’t be temporary in the short term. It will be long term. We’ll be stuck with perpetual kleptocratic, incompetent, ineffective government.
We will be a third world nation. “Welfare” and other checks from the government will dwindle, even that will be harder and harder to get for those not friendly or related to officials or bureaucrats.
Imagine those on food stamps getting $350 a month suddenly finding that because of skyrocketing prices (at least that won’t count as inflation, lol) they effectively are now getting $35 or $50. It will be the same for those on social security and other fixed incomes. It’ll bribes (barter?) to even see a doctor, even with government healthcare.
Many won’t survive. People won’t be able to pay their mortgages and their savings are becoming worthless. Private savings accounts could literally be nationalized (Argentina). As the Argentina article points out, the justice system will be crippled, crime will be rampant, kids (and women?) won’t be able to go outside without (armed) supervision.
In the Bosnian warzone under seige selco found that gold bullion would have been pretty useless. Butane for filling up lighters was like a goldmine. I think I am recalling that correctly.
So with total ‘local’ collapse gold coins are kept until its over and you can trade with the outside world. Unfortunately for us, there isn’t likely to be an outside world to restore order and re-engage with. Right now it looks like EUrtopia will collapse first.
Butane for filling up lighters was like a goldmine
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My understanding of that part of his story was that they figured out a way to fill them with gasoline.