historical precedent ? None. Zero, Zilch Even the depression wouldn't amount to a complete collapse. Stop the fearmongering already.
I think in an orderly collapse gold might be a good safeguard but if it really gets bad having a food, water and energy reserve will be my choice. try to be 100% self sufficent. pick up some books on the subject. One book I bought several years ago is called "dare to prepare. the book is filled with every bit of information one would need to survive a major world crisis. link http://www.standeyo.com/Our_Books/DTP.html excect and hope for the best, but be prepared for the worst. good trading all
All dynasties (Eygptian, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Ming,Viking, Ottoman, Spanish) have collapsed OR.......... (Spanish, Czarist Russia, Great Britan, French) a shell of what they once were. But, collapse, or shall we term it decay, is a process, not an event. We acquired reserve currency status to replace pound sterling in post WWII. That will eventually change (again) Now, the REAL problem: Picture two graphs. One from the dawn of mankind (either Adam & Eve or Neandrethal your choice) to 1920. We'll call it 50,000 years. The world amassed 1 billion in population over that span. Hence you have a very very long "X" axis and a "Y" axis whose scale is 1 billion. Now, graph #2. It would have only a 90 year "X" axis, but a "Y" axis that's 6 times higher than the scale of graph #1. Each dwarfs the other, but only in one plane. That's the problem (or the root of a lot of problems). 90 years is just one, albeit long, lifetime Furthermore, projections suggest a population of 9 billion around 2040. Pit that against finite resources. Best case abundant but nevertheless FINITE. Yes, yes, lumber is renewable. Corn has doubled yield per acre since about 1964. But requires fertilizer, rotation, and probable irrigation. Fertlizers are primarily, nitorgen, ammonia or potash. First two are petroleum-based. Hence all deplete. Well, we could use bone meal from all starved dead bodies, or a helluva lot of fish heads. If you don't have plagues (Bubonic, Black, Spainish flu, Hong Kong flu) or wars to purge signficant numbers, you have a higher probability of famine. In summary, shit hits the fan in about 30 years. Doesn't mean it's going to be a picnic between now and then. Doomsdayers have always existed. But, even a broken clock is "right" twice per day.
@ Last poster You made sense till you started with the Malthusian crap. @ OP Nice try comparing the slow decline of the roman empire..with collapse......because as we know, The Brits, after losing their priviliged most powerful nation on earth status are starving right now...not that I minimize the pain of claiming The Daily Star as one of their national publications wake me up when somebody with a higher IQ than the Special Olympics qualifying threshold shows up. China is rising, The US is slowly declining....does that mean the best days of the US are behind, Yes. Does that mean people will live in anarchy, off their farms .... senseless load of crap
I am as prepared as I can be. (At this time) I may have to institute "the bubba effect" for best success. Collapse and decline are not equal. The 1999 Argentinian collapse is a real possible scenario. http://www.silverbearcafe.com/private/10.08/tshtf1.html Forecast: http://www.trendsresearch.com/forecast.html Preparation for collapse must be metered with preparation with decline and possible long term stability and apparent market growth; hence I am prepared for all as best as able. 2011.5+ is the demographic crash that destroys any real GDP support. I am hoping to have multiple citizenship's for myself and family by then. I do believe that by 2024-2030 that the USA will be through all the debt cleansing and return to a "Value Driven Market" however ... though that is a long time off and lots of bad or good things can happen by then. And that is if some world government hasn't seized all control over everyone and every place on the planet. Gold and Silver reflect a working economy at a base level. If there is no food or water then food, water, shelter, guns and ammo have greater valuation. Heck ... I can make Beer and have supplies for several years ... No matter what happens in any situation or conflict ... the brewmeister and their family gets treated well.
LMAO you guys are nuts. Are you prepared for aids? Are you prepared for swine flu? What's hilarious is that you're not going to make a damn difference when everything goes down the crapper. Things change and the plan you have now won't be the plan you're going to use. More importantly are you prepared for the Rapture? (seriously). Go out and enjoy life.