Top Ten Ways Not To Survive

[mdcreekmore]

http://www.thesurvivalistblog.net/2009/08/top-ten-ways-not-to-survive-teotwawki.html

[AzLoneRider]

http://www.thesurvivalistblog.net/2009/08/top-ten-ways-not-to-survive-teotwawki.html

There are wise words in that blog post.

[rAcErRicK]

There are wise words in that blog post.

Amen......

[MrGreenJeans]

O i'll tell ya, no. 10 won't getem far around here that's a fact. Thank's good to email to a few brain dead folk's i know. Don't think it will help much but ya never know.

[MissouriFree]

Good post and a lot of truth to it.. I would only take issue with #2 about gold and silver.
You need to do both. to assume you can store enough food, water filters for the duration I think is short sighted. You would need some type of barter or " currency". I once thought gold was the answer but it is to hard to spend, so I am now leaning to older silver coin.. IMHO the barter is going to be some type of currency - old silver coins and bullets of common caliber, until society is reestablished to some degree and there are farmers, coblers, millers, blacksmiths, ranchers. and the land is safe from gangs.



2. Investing In Gold, silver, diamonds etc : These are based on perceived value not actual need. Mainly an attempt by the wealthy to maintain their wealth after the collapse. Don't get me wrong – Investing in gold and silver is not a bad thing, it just makes more sense to stockpile food, water-filters, first-aid supplies, ammo etc. - these are needed items – isn't this the reason you are investing in gold and silver, so you can barter for these items after the collapse

[sonshine]

Good post. Thanks.

Judy

[gunsmoke]

That is a very good article and I especially likedc#2. Gold and Silver do not have anywhere near the inherent value compared to what they trade for.

That proves the author's point about the value of those commodities largely being based on perception.

I have never bought into the idea of bartering silver or gold for food in a shtf situation. WHO is going to give you food for something they cannot eat. It just defies logic, or rather it is the same fawlty logic of the "raider" discussed later down the list.

There is little difference between "I'll take what I need."

And "I'll BUY what I need."

Not if no one is selling you're not!

Skillcraft and the tools to execute them are currency for barter.

[Anon001]

Personally speaking....

In addition to what gunsmoke and others have said, NO country or economy has used gold or silver for trading when their economy collapsed... since the Roman empire.

Also, I seem to remember reading somewhere that it is illegal for U.S. residents, citizens, etc. to own pure gold? Is that correct? If so, then when you buy gold and silver you are buying... what? Coins, medallions, bars, or paper? If you are buying gold on paper, it will also collapse if the economy has a complete meltdown. Who will be willing to accept "coins" of some value? Who will determine it's value? I bet if you buy gold now at $1000 per ounce, it sure won't be worth that in a collapsed economy.

Katrina is a good example and the closest example we have. It wasn't money, gold, or silver people were trading. It was food, water, ammo, etc.

Take a lesson from history. The so called "gold and silver exchanges" are making a mint off the perceived future collapse of the economy.

[gunsmoke]

Paul, BULLION specifically GOLD BULLION was illegal for individual U S citizens from early FDR to President Nixon in 1973.

Industrial users could own it for industrial purposes individuals could own foreign and domestic coinage and jewelry.

Since 1973 it has been legal for U S citizens to own all the gold bullion they can afford.

[gregabob]

Paul, gold has been legal for Americans to own for quite a while now, I think Nixon revoked FDR's Executive Order that stole our grandparents life savings. I'd want to have gold an silver because I think the paper currency will become so inflated that it will lose what value it has now. The dollar has lost 95% of it's value since the formation of the Federal Reserve in 1913. Before then, from before the founding of our nation we had zero inflation for the most part. That's the thing that has me more concerned--that our financial system will collapse further an the Chinese and other holders of our debt will demand payment--and the dollar will cease to be the world's reserve currency, and subsequently suffer a collapse. Hard assets will be worth having then. A good balance is important--plenty of food and a way to produce more, water, shelter, and a means to defend it. And a medium of exchange to get things you can't produce yourself. What more do we really need?

[Anon001]

Paul, BULLION specifically GOLD BULLION was illegal for individual U S citizens from early FDR to President Nixon in 1973.

Industrial users could own it for industrial purposes individuals could own foreign and domestic coinage and jewelry.

Since 1973 it has been legal for U S citizens to own all the gold bullion they can afford.

Thanks for the explanation. I knew that I had read it somewhere, but I didn't realize the executive order had been rescinded.

[Anon001]

So has anyone not thought what would happen to their gold if our economy did in fact collapse and investors demanded payment? I'm wondering why the government wouldn't do the same thing again and outlaw private ownership of gold bouillon basically stealing your investment overnight. If it happened, you couldn't use it for trading without consequences.

[fredfl]

Since our currency is no longer backed by anything there is no incentive for Gov't to outlaw precious metals ownership. The reason Roosevelt outlawed gold ownership was so he could devalue the currency by 50% against gold after he had conviscated it from the sheeple. I think some of you are missing the point of precious metals ownership i.e. gold and silver are always going to be convertable to currency it may not be US dollars but there will always be some currency to convert it to. Granted if there is a complete breakdown in worldwide commerce then a barter system would develop and food would be a primary currency but I think the likelihood of that is very remote and if it did occur the lawlessness would make even barter difficult. If you look at history the value of a 1913 dollar has depreciated 97% while gold has gone from $17.50 an ounce to $1000+ so from that standpoint gold has performed its function as a store of value while our currency has become inflated beyond belief. With that said I don't think it would be sensible for someone with less than $5000 cash available to buy precious metals the short term risks are too high and their money would be better invested in food or other barter type commodities. If you think of the gold/silver price as remaining stable and the inflation of our federal reserve notes dropping in value it might make more sense. By the way the reason I picked 1913 was that was the year the federal reserve started controlling the money supply, prior to that inflation hardly existed.

[Pokeberry Mary]

I'm thinking its a softish metal but would probably still not go down very well. :wink:

[Prairie]

Just a thought here... If the US$ is collapsing or does collapse, would it not make sense right now to trade it for the yuan or euro? http://www.backwoodshome.com/forum/vb/images/icons/icon5.gif

[gunsmoke]

Just as the guy who compiled the list siad I don't think gold or silver coin is a bad idea as an investment but I still don't buy the idea of using it for barter in shtf.

Pokeberry Mary makes the point.

When you think of barter consider what happens when you have run out of what you stashed for barter, whatever it may be. What happens when someone who wants what you had shows up and doesn't beleiver you are out of it. Or what good is that baG OF JUNK SILVER GOING TO DO YOU WHEN A GUY SHOWS UP ONE DAY AND "BARTERS" YOU ONE SINGLE BULLET FOR ALL THE SILVER YOU HAVE.

THINGS do not make good commodities for barter. Once you barter THINGS AWAY THEY ARE GONE!

On the other hand SKILLS and the tools to execute those skills never go out of style and are never consumed. If you welded something last month last week and yesterday you can weld something tomorrow. YOUR SKILLS KEEP YOU PERSONALLY VALUABLE! NO ONE CAN STEAL YOUR ABILITY TO PERFORM A SKILL!

No matter how much silver gold ammo nails nuts and bolts you have there is a finite amount when you are out or someone takes it all from you, you are no longer of any value to anyone.

On the other hand if you can weld or do carpentry, electrical wiring and repair, build repair furniture, machine metal, sheet metal fabrication, bee-keeping/honey production, food preservation, butcher animals, make summer sausages, sew, make and repair clothes, make/craft-in/repair leather, drill/drive a water-well; no one ever knows when they may need your services again. If someone puts a bullet in your head for a welding job where are they going to go when they need another welding repair?

When thinking about barter think about services not things. You'll run out of things sooner or later, but you will never run out of your skills.

[NCLee]

That is a good link. Just got around to reading it. The comments were also an interesting read that had some good points in them.

Lee

[AZTimT]

That was a good list.

I tend to mostly agree with the views on #2 and yet I wonder. I'm not buying gold at $1,000/oz for neither the gold NOR the dollars will be worth that much then. IF one feels they must use or have gold/silver on hand, there are two kinds that I would consider potentially useful for bartering. Jewelry and gold DUST.

I keep in mind that jewelry can be worn/used so it has some value to some people. Just like now, some people will be alive that still don't get it because stupidity and ignorance has been around as long as humans. Some people will still wanna look pretty whether it makes sense or not.

I wonder how many guys in recent times who could afford it, never bought a ring for their wife based on the "you can't eat it" principle? I only mentioned that once to my wife before the wedding... didn't go over too well then, but she sees the light now. I'm not saying women are stupid or ignorant either here, just asking a question about who might hold value on jewelry.


In reading of days long past, gold dust is very easy to measure with a scale so you don't have to carry as much or scrape chunks of it off of a big bar, thus revealing how much more you have than you are willing to give. Gold will still have some value as it has for a very long time despite many countries' demise, but I would be EXTREMELY careful about revealing/using it until things settled down some.

Personally, being a jack of all trades and understanding how to live off the land you live in seems more promising for survival, with or without the ability to barter. Hundreds of years of Native American history without guns prove that much at least.

[farmmilkmama]

Nice link and good discussion. I've often wondered what the point of investing in gold or silver was myself. Tend to agree with the author of the article, but was nice to hear opposing views as well. :)