SkyPilot: chaplain? I was infantry-related enlisted and only in the Guard except for 13 weeks of initial training at Ft. Leonard Wood.
Thank you for the kind and informative replies. Yes, we’re all to blame. In past generations, Americans saved more. I should have listened more to my grandparents.
On the food stamp issue, quite a few Freepers have mentioned over the past few years that they had no choice but to get the benefits. Here’s the only answer that I’ve found. I’m not on food stamps but not well off for now. It could happen to anyone.
Those of you willing to do so, become more self-sufficient as a hedge against less pay and future periods of unemployment. There are quite a few collaboration efforts that can be found around the Net for building home energy solutions, gardening, making needed tools at home and so on.
Frugality is quite a low tech. science, and some truly surprising things are being done. Work hard, be very frugal and save, when work is available. Put every penny into finding a cheap lot if possible.
Don’t be diverted by the hipster terms often used. For most, they are no more than a cover. Most people involved are trying to get by, save money, avoid trouble with possible shortages and help others to do so (”shortages:” firewood price hikes and scarcities after other energy price hikes, for example). Ruralize, and do it stubbornly. Try, and try again. Don’t let go of that pursuit. Before long, there will be no one to regulate against it.
rocket stove mass heater (very little smoke, very little wood required, safer than wood stoves if properly built and maintained)
http://www.richsoil.com/rocket-stove-mass-heater.jsp
$2K Solar Space + Water Heating — One Simple DIY System
http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/SpaceHeating/DHWplusSpace/Main.htm
Sepp Holzer’s Permaculture
http://www.richsoil.com/sepp-holzer/sepp-holzer-permaculture.jsp
There are also discussion boards for efforts to make castings and many other things.
On prophecies, by the way, there are several older prophecies that mention a trend of folks being deposed to poverty after a period of corruption. So yes, for those willing to do so, old fashioned ways of getting by and even being productive may be worth learning along with some newer ways.
All:
As for defense, there will always be national defense efforts, but we need more of ‘em now than ever. Civilian contractors should also tighten their administration belts and get involved for our nation, before worse times prompt the government to do it for them (see WWII). For one, don’t be fooled by popular propaganda stating that we were more in danger of nuclear exchanges during the ‘60s than today. That danger is becoming far greater each year. We need much smaller government for civilian matters, but much larger portions of our national revenues should also be going to defense.
