Appendix A: "Survival"

This book is predicting an economic collapse that will leave a significant percentage of the U.S. population broke and homeless. The American people should start preparing themselves today to deal with this possibility and that is what the information in this appendix will help you do.

Survival skills and preparations should not be limited only to the possibility of an economic collapse but also for any manmade or natural catastrophe. Hurricane Katrina exposed us to what can happen if people are not prepare for a natural disaster. And it showed us that we cannot count on the federal government to do the right thing before, during, or after a disaster.

Therefore, it is up to each one of us to make our own preparations to survive a disaster. Every American citizen should start preparing themselves today because many possible disasters will give us little, or no, forewarning.

Education

Regardless of the type of disaster that might effect us the key to survival is education. Not only should we educate ourselves how to survive a disaster but we should educate ourselves how to prosper before a disaster hits. Even if the GOP succeeds in robbing our government and concentrating wealth into the hands of a few corrupt families the people who are going to survival the GOP's new fascist plutocracy government are going to be the people who have advanced degrees and specialized training. Therefore, keep advancing your skills with whatever form of education that appeals to you.

Physical Fitness

The temple of the human body is the mind. If your body is unhealthy your mind will also suffer. Keep your body fit and healthy with regular diet and exercise and you will greatly increase your chances of survival.

"Survival of the Fittest" was Charles Darwin's theory of evolution and it suggest that long-term survival is based on a species ability to change to meet new environments and new dangers. Lets be honest with ourselves, humans are just a species of animal. The only important difference between our species and all others is the size of our brains. The only thing that keeps our civil societies from turning into a dangerous environment of mass chaos is the rule of law. Without the law it is everyone for themselves and only the strongest and smartest can survive that situation, and that is why education and physical fitness are so important to survival.

Preparations

In addition to education and physical fitness making survival preparations is the next key to survival. The squirrel that fails to store a supply of nuts for the winter will probably not survive, but the squirrel who does probably will survive. I believe this reality of planning for the future also applies to humans just as much as it applies to squirrels. We need to prepare ourselves with a adequate supply of money, water, food, and shelter so that we can survive tough times, and there coming so get ready.

Money

Saving some money for the future is not just important for surviving a disaster but also for just surviving life. Social Security may or may not be there for you in the future. Once again, relying on the federal government for help is not a good idea. Try to become more self-reliant by saving for your own retirement and in the process you will be in a much better position to weather any type of disaster.

In some disaster scenarios paper currencies will quickly become useless. During the economic collapse that I'm predicting hyperinflation will make the dollar worthless. In this situation one million dollars in cash won't buy you a slice of bread, but a pound of dry beans could suddenly be worth their weight in diamonds. If you don't believe me just study the history of Germany's economy during the hyperinflation economic collapse of the 1920's. Therefore, don't become over reliant on monetary holdings for survival.

Water

Water is the key to all life on earth. Our bodies are about 70% water. Without water the human body can only live for a few days, maybe a week at the most. However, water can also kill you. Water polluted with bacteria, viruses, chemicals, salts, radiation, and microbes should never be consumed and must be disinfected and filtered before consuming. Otherwise, you may find yourself desiring death to escape the pain of disease, infection, and insanity.

One of the most effective ways to treat suspect water is by boiling it. This will kill most dangerous organisms in the water but it won't do anything for dangerous chemicals in the water. To remove harmful chemicals from water you can filter it through charcoal, or you can aerate or distill it.

Food

Food is the second key to life. The human body needs a regular supply of vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, and proteins to stay healthy. Grasses, nuts, and seeds are enough to keep a person alive indefinitely, but animal meats and fats also provide most of these needed nutrients. Add fruits and vegetables to that list and your have a well balanced diet.

Most foods are perishable and are therefore not appropriate for long-term survival storage. However, unprocessed whole grains, dry beans, and rice can be stored for up to twenty five years or more and still maintain their healthful qualities. Therefore, keeping a two year supply of carefully stored whole grains, dry beans, and rice should be at the top of everyone's survival inventory.

Shelter

A shelter from the elements is critically important, and especially in cold climates. A shelter can be made from a cardboard box placed under a bridge, but with a little prior planning you can vastly improve that living condition.

Most of us consider our homes as our shelters but during an economic collapse, or other disaster, you may lose your home and therefore an alternative shelter should be part of your survival preparation plans.

Personally, I own a minivan that I have designed as a survival shelter on wheels. I took out the back seats and built a raised bed platform (8x4x2) with individual storage compartments below the bed. I have a AC/DC converter, battery, and solar panel for electricity and a small box window air conditioner for comfort. As long as I keep my car legal and running I should be able to move around to safe locations as necessary and survive indefinitely with minimal cost.

The ideal survival shelter is a fully stocked reinforced concrete underground bunker located as far away from civilization as possible. The fewer people that know about your survival bunker the better chance you have to survive.

Other Stuff

There are many other desirable survival supplies that should be considered but the most important is medical supplies. Pain killers (aspirin), disinfectants (hydrogen peroxide and alcohol), and antibiotics are very important to long-term survival. Once again, giving yourself some education about first aid will prove invaluable in a survival situation.

Weapons are also very important, and not just for hunting but also for self-defense. Your survival supplies are going to be very sought after by all the other people who failed to make preparations for themselves. You could find yourself in some type of horror movie scenario, like "Night of the Living Dead", with half living humans coming at you by the hundreds for your priceless survival supplies.

Other survival supplies should include gasoline, electrical generators, shovel, ax, knives, pots, pans, cups, radios, batteries, flashlights, clothing, sewing kit, security monitors, books, bedding, a bicycle, and cleaning supplies.

Beyond these items are other luxury items that probably won't help you survive but can keep some degree of pleasure in your life. These items could include computers, games, hobby supplies, books, CD's & DVD's, and toys.

The Good News

Most of the disasters I can imagine are ones of limited duration. That's the good news. If you can survive a few months, or maybe a year or two you will probably come out of the disaster ok. The economic collapse I'm predicting will probably only last a couple of years before a recovery begins. During that time you should survive just fine if you made the preparations I recommended. If the disaster last much longer than that make sure and keep one last bullet for yourself.