Survival Asking The Correct Questions PT1

I just finished reading through yet another article about skills and character traits that are hard to find but required in order to survive a crisis situation. While my intention is not to ridicule anybody this article is merely one more of the already to many examples where folks are offering opinions on subjects in which they have zero on the ground experience in. The first nine words of the article are: “I have never lived through a national scale crisis”. Another clear illustration of what’s meant when I say: too many people are learning how to play hockey from coaches that can’t skate.

I know if one looks deep enough there’s something good that can be found in anything so here’s my best attempt at exposing it. The site did have several eye catching ads so I guess westerners will gobble it up. I have to admit I really did like the camouflage pants being offered. Can’t help but wonder if wearing them is really gonna help much when the SHTF but what the heck I liked them.

I’d suggest the brown version over the green though. Brown tends to hide shit stains a bit better for those who accidentally let go from fear and I’m certain by that time laundry detergent will be considerably harder to find. Venezuela comes to mind when I make that last statement.

Again I’m quoting from the article: “Many Americans cannot yet relate to the concept of full spectrum crisis, but most of us have at least experienced localized disasters”.  Many Americans cannot yet relate to a full spectrum crises. Gee you really think so? Another important point that failed the writers consideration is localized disasters are flooded (pun intended) with Government aid within hours after they commence.

I can assure you what lies ahead will not be anything comparable to what the author terms as localized disaster. There’s no one coming with the cute little food boxes and the grey blankets. Once again taking the positive into consideration at least you won’t be seeing Geraldo hounding people for interviews. WHY? Because for once he ain’t gonna be there either.

Fast forwarding just three more sentences: “In order to understand what a national emergency might look like, one simply needs to examine the microcosm of localized disasters and then imagine the same exact problems but magnified 1,000 times”. Same exact problems  WTF! Forget that kind of thinking right now or you’re really up shits creek without a spoon.

There’s nothing that’s ever occurred on American soil that’s even closely related to what’s coming so what do you begin to use as a comparison. This is unlike anything that’s ever occurred so there is no comparison. A global simultaneous financial catastrophic meltdown “Same Exact Problem” I don’t think so. Observing videos of other nations suffering the consequences of war on their soil doesn’t provide you with any experience of what’s required for surviving it. Once again it’s only another movie so you might as well enjoy the popcorn while watching it.

Western medias have somehow gotten their followers to mistakenly believe you can experience balance from a computer. Well I have news for you you can’t. While you may learn what balance is from your computer the only way you’ll experience balance is when you physically lose it. When you’re getting stitched up you’ll have a whole new experience of what balance or lack of balance is all about. NOT BEFORE!

“The same exact problems but magnified 1000 times”. How could the author know this? How could anyone know this if it’s never happened before? One things for sure it will not be the exact same problems. As far as the times magnified show me evidence of it being 1000 times. Heck it could 10 times or 10,000 times magnified. Magnified to what’s never happened before doesn’t even begin to make sense. With out clear cut evidence this entire section of the article is little more than a dogma.

None of us has experienced anything like what lies ahead but here’s what I do know. The catastrophic damage will fluctuate greatly depending on the area folks find themselves in at the time of initiation. I’m aware this article was tailored towards Americans being prepared. Let me inform you what lies ahead is not limited solely to Americans. While it’s true Americans might be at the head of the line when it comes to the uninformed masses trust me when I say Europe, Canada, Asia and a long list of others are not lagging far behind.

However as so many bloggers seem to do once again Americans have been segregated as if they’re separate from the rest of the world. A bit arrogant wouldn’t you think. Americans and the rest of the world. It’s as if they’re two massive yet separate entities. Just remember that when the SHTF. I’m confident so many of you will as that’s the time you’ll begin to EXPERIENCE it’s your fellow Americans who you have to fear the most. This ain’t gonna be similar to witnessing a few angry customers missing the ten o’clock cut off for an egg McMuffin.

Before continuing I first want to make a couple of things clear. The above is simply truth so let’s keep the ego in check and accept it as such. Secondly don’t take the truth and then try to convert it into an insult. Just simply accept the truth and then you decide if you’re willing to change and hopefully adapt. If you’re not don’t sweat it. Soon enough others will be doing it for you and I can assure you that will be considerably more painful than if you do it on your own but again it’s your choice.

Moving forward revealing what may have been previously overlooked it is my sincere desire that these words assist folks in designing a better balanced plan B. A plan B that can actually change on the fly as situations often do. Flexibility in part contains all elements required for changing ones direction with minimal loss of momentum.

I’m letting you know in advance. Some of this information will seem way out of the box for linear thinking mindsets. Therefore I’m certain some of what follows will also be outside of most folks comfort zones. If you’re going to survive the first thing you might want to trash is your comfort zone. If you can’t expand a few things two of which are your comfort zone and your mind you’re probably not going to make it.

Keep in mind these thoughts are not limited to any particular nationality they hold steadfast for all of humanity. I’m no expert in anything but I’ve been through two radical incidents with the most recent being Argentina at the turn of the century. The fact that this is a world event and a fair share of it will be occurring on American soil makes it much more difficult for most to be properly prepared.

It’s one thing when the fight is half way around the world and quite another when it’s right outside your front door. Therefore you will need to have an exit plan. An exit plan already in place before it may be needed. If it’s not needed than consider yourself lucky that you didn’t have to use it. Do not under estimate the importance of this point when the battle is on your home turf.

The following thoughts derive from well over 30 years of on the ground living experience in six different countries. In case anybody’s wondering yes I have more times than I care to remember headed up the chapter in life titled don’t let this happen to you. Experience teaches. Mistakes are a component in the formula that yields experience. Keeping that in mind let’s continue.

Over many years of living experience it’s become my understanding that survival often comes down to flexibility. “It is not the strongest of a species that survives, nor the most intelligent. It is the one most adaptable to change, that survives (Charles Darwin)”. So what do I mean by flexibility? Flexibility is being able to switch directions on the fly with minimum loss of momentum towards the original goal. Therefore it requires preparedness in multiple areas. Hint! start thinking about balance.

Several years prior On our sister site DR Escapes I wrote an article titled: The Perils of a Three Legged Stool. The article did receive wide distribution by means of other sites linking to it and I was pleased that it drew so much attention. The article mentioned if any one of the legs are missing the entire stool topples and shortly after crashes. If you’re already thinking is balance part of flexibility yes balance plays a big part of flexibility. An important part of any balanced plan B must include an exit strategy! The ability to relocate in short notice. While not for everyone expatriation must be given serious consideration when forming any well-balanced plan B. There’s convenience and there’s survival you choose! Even the military issues an exit strategy as part of every plan they conceive. Why shouldn’t you?

As it always does history repeats. Any American doubting the previous line should make a serious attempt communicating with some of the folks over in Europe. Yet again they’re currently being overrun. This time instead of Nazi’s its refugees. Several sections of the nation have completely been taken over. It’s now commonplace for police to avoid entire sections and this seems to be spreading rapidly with no end in sight.

Numerous subscribers have been sending me short videos through Dropbox. Videos displaying how they’re literally stuck in their apartments. The violence has escalated to a point that many can’t even leave their dwelling for fear of being attacked. In many areas it’s become a free for all just to make it to a grocery store. The violence has kept entire complexes trapped in fear of what might happen if they ventured out onto the streets. These videos are being recorded from their balconies. NO EXIT PLAN NO SECOND PASSPORT NO FLEXIBILITY YOU’RE F*UCKED! The three-legged stool topples over and crashes.

It’s at this point I’d like to mention those who do not own a passport already have one leg missing. When the SHTF and if ever evacuation seems the best choice for survival it’s these folks who will rapidly crash from lack of balance. Keeping the aforementioned in mind I thought it be interesting to pull some stats and see what percentage of American citizens actually even have a US passport.

As of 2013 according to the State Department, there are 113,431,943 valid passports in circulation, which means 36% of Americans own a valid passport (and therefore 64% do not). The percentage of Americans who have a valid passport, according to the most recent statistics issued by the State Department in January of 2014, is about 46%. Less than half the citizens of the nation don’t even have a valid passport and they’re talking about survival! I suggest reading your history to rediscover the importance of owning one!

When referring to flexibility being one of the cornerstones to survival not only is it imperative owning a passport from your home nation but every person should have a second passport from another country. Everyone! Picture it this way should travel restrictions (martial law) be enforced consider it as a get out of jail free card. Nations can restrict travel of their own citizens much easier than those of other nations.

Locking down citizens of other nations is more along the lines of an act of war and if at all possible will usually be avoided. Secondly the numbers of foreign passports are so minimal generally it’s not worth the potential problems for the nation keeping foreigners holding passports from the home country restricted from movement.

Remaining with the subject of flexibility and why it should be considered a weight-bearing cornerstone to any well thought out plan B. I next wanted to find out what percentage of Americans currently have a bank account in a foreign country?

I was floored to find out that 99.7% of Americans DO NOT own a foreign bank account. ONLY .03% or less than 1% of Americans own a foreign bank account! What happens if your nation suffers currency control? What if you suddenly needed serious medical care but couldn’t come up with the out-of-pocket expenses because they’ve been locked? We are talking survival right?

If you had a 2nd passport along a foreign bank account you could then access that lifesaving medical care in another country. You’d be much more flexible choosing to leave and therefore survive. I won’t even get into the subject that many foreign banks are far better capitalized than American banks. However they are and that makes them less risky and one more reason to consider using them.

My last full year living in western cultures was 1985. Over the last three plus decades of living in various foreign countries I’ve experienced two full-blown revolutions and have been shot twice. Not being actually involved other than being in the wrong place at the wrong time. What’s been my experience other than when nations are at war is as long as people are fed the violence will not maximize to its fullest potential. Again been my experience that doesn’t mean it will be yours.

It’s also been my experience what triggers the worst full-blown internal revolutions is when children start to go hungry. When parents have their children crying out of hunger it’s at that point that there are no more rules. It’s at that same point when all laws simultaneously get swiped of the game board and it becomes a free for all. I’ve personally witnessed the most passive God-fearing people kill in a moment’s notice to feed their own starving children. You’d be well served by understanding this! It can just as easily happen in developed nations as it can in developing nations. Do not segregate between the two or you’ll be making a huge mistake in your own well-being along with your family’s well-being. I hope you’re all understanding this.

Due largely to advanced cost cutting technologies America only has a three to five day supply of shelved food. Should a supply issue come into play I assure you it won’t be pretty. Most parents reading this article would tend to agree they’d do the same thing if it were their children who were starving. Again flexibility and a logical exit strategy would provide a reasonable solution to by pass the problem.

Over the years many subscribers have contacted me if nothing more just to gain a different perspective on their thoughts and ideas. The different ideas one accumulates from living in several countries over such an extended time span tends to provide several out of the box ideas. I try to make myself available as much as possible. I don’t care to debate on what thoughts are more prevalent and argue who’s right and who’s not. To me it’s all about choices and choices are just another part of flexibility.

When corresponding my only desire is attempting to open the linear thinking mindset. The person who only has the ability to think in a linear fashion will falter as this universe operates cyclically. The above sentence holds true whether we’re discussing survival, how markets function even health and family relationships. In fact it holds true for every aspect of life. The costliest thing one can own is a closed mind. In the long run a closed mind will cost you everything.

From the numerous questions I’ve been asked over the years to me the greatest challenge most people face (aside from sheer ignorance) is asking the correct questions to begin with. There’s just so much misinformation in the abyss and it does get confusing.

Let me provide one or two case in points. Again in the end it’s my desire that this information provides an alternate perspective and is something not previously thought of. If it does then your mind has been flexed and that’s usually a good sign towards shifting towards a cyclical fashion. I’m not asking you to agree or disagree rather simply absorb what might never have been thought of before.

Quite often I’ll get asked something along the lines of: I follow such and such survival site and they clearly mention stay away from areas that have more than X amount of people per square mile. What’s your take? Is it true?

I’d begin answering as I always do by stating I’m no expert in anything. The world is way overpopulated with experts. I don’t necessarily agree with the above claim and then would continue with my supportive reasoning of why.

For me the correct way of looking at population per area is not numerical but rather percentage of population utilizing some form of agriculture. For example you could have only 30 people living within a certain sized area but none of the population is farming. There’s no one growing any food. I can tell you that you’re going to have a serious issue should supply lines hiccup.

Now let’s look at the other side of the above. You have 200 people living in the same size area. The only difference is 20% of them are farming. These folks are using a high percentage of the surplus land for food growing. Remember you can stack living accommodations thus using less ground space. Others have home gardens etc, etc. My point is you’re far more likely to be sufficient which leads me back to asking the correct question which might be: What percentage of the population of the area of my interest is involved in some form of  agriculture? Don’t rely exclusively on the population number. That’s linear thinking and linear thinking is dangerous.

Another popular topic I seem to field questions on is how to best be prepared.  What many term as being prepped. Being prepared covers a wide range subjects which extends far beyond the scope of this article. Multitudes of so called experts have authored thousands of shards of information covering various aspects of this wide ranged subject.

Like I mentioned I’m no expert on anything. However I am better experienced than most folks who are offering their ideas from an air conditioned office. Almost four decades better experienced. Currently I’m living roughly 18 degrees off the equator or about 1200 miles and still don’t own or require an air conditioner. Thought I’d just throw that in for good measure. We live simple and simple living is a close cousin to sustainable living!

I’m also saddened by the high percentage who are offering advice on what it takes to survive in countries they’ve never even set foot in let alone lived in. An equal feeling lands in my lap when one or two weeks have been spent in any given country then promptly followed up with some blown out of proportion Armageddon story solely designed as “click Bait” to grab as much attention from the fearing public as possible. Fear does sell subscriptions so don’t be duped into thinking otherwise. Everything happens in pockets but more about that later on in the article.

Examine the demographics and you’ll promptly discover most of these click bait productions are originating from the most crowded cities. Besides shouldn’t we all know by now that’s not where you’d want to be when the SHTF. If people you know don’t already understand this by now do you think they’re ever going to? Ever wonder why do so many sites keep repeating the same thing over and over?

I’ll tell you why because fear porn sells that’s why. For many it’s as addicting as that first cup of morning coffee. In fact many of these folks actually do enjoy their morning coffee while absorbing their morning dose of fear at the same time. Look you can’t have much of a war or much of a revolution without statistics. I would encourage you to get used to that fact and deal with it however you feel works best.

Here’s what I can say with reasonable surety based on my own experience. Violence is fashioned similar to a pool table. They both contain pockets located in various areas. A vast area of neutral space with the highest percentage of action located around the pockets. That’s how things tend to unfold. Whether you’re referring to violence, markets, agriculture or even whats soon to come. The highest percentage of action will be seen in various pockets rather than evenly spread across the entire planet. Your job is to figure out to what degree will I be affected rather than concentrating on will I be affected. I most certainly guarantee that you will and I don’t guarantee anything very often.

Whenever you’re being told anything is 100% run away. The same holds true for what lies ahead. If it were 100% Armageddon why bother doing anything? Whatever arrives it to will be in pockets and as previously mentioned all continents nations, landmasses, locations and areas will be effected differently. There’s no hidden magic in the previous mentions that’s just how our physical world functions.

In fact I challenge you to find one single occurrence that simultaneously affected the entire planet equally. Besides the flood of Noah and presently I’m not even close to believing that was an actual occurrence I can’t name one. The world wars, Bubonic plague, rise and fall of any nation the dark ages  Spanish Inquisition. I can’t seem to name one. Be watchful of that while ingesting your morning dose of fear.

Many innocent viewers are being told (or should I say sold) what’s due to arrive is a near 100% devastation. Somehow just a few paragraphs later what always seems to follow is the: except by following their personal plan.  Funny how just a couple more paragraphs beyond that and you’re now being offered the discounted limited time offer.

A onetime offer to purchase anything from some sort of survival information kit to the camouflage pants I mentioned at the beginning of this post. Lastly let’s not forget the even prospering in what’s soon to arrive pitch. There’s opportunity to prosper in any given situation WHY? It’s not the event that kills opportunity it’s your minds lack ability to adapt that does. In other words depressions don’t kill wealth they merely transfer it. There goes that flexibility thing again. When I see these types of articles my experience kicks in. It’s just another good reason to be strapping on the Nike’s and start running in the opposite direction fast.

At the time of this post there’s already way too many black swans swimming in the pond. Nobody including yours truly can be sure of anything which again backs flexibility needing be a cornerstone of your plan B. It’s for that reason when folks ask me survival questions about nations I’ve vacated decades ago my response is honestly I don’t know. Really how can I how can anybody?

There’s a lot of misinformation out there originating from armchair Jimmy Johnson’s who’ve never even been in a stock car let alone driven one. What’s extraordinary to me is it’s so often these same people willing to criticize Johnson for not going low on the final lap at Daytona.

Even though the car is running at 220 MPH on worn tires three inches away from at least a dozen others with similar circumstances all while the cars pushing like a dump truck it’s these same people who spew out the most advice in what Johnson needs to do next. Think for a moment the extent of this persons wealth of experience and then picture it as if it’s something to go by. Yet that’s exactly what so many are doing when it come to listening to what’s out there on the net.

Bloggers dispensing all their experienced advice while at the same time sitting in a comfortable armchair under the A/C. What talent these personalities seem to possess all this advice being brought to you while holding a beer in one hand and a slice of their favorite pizza in the other.

Still it’s these same closed minded self-acclaimed experts cursing Johnson for not seeing the opening down low on the final lap. You can bet on it soon enough more words of experience will follow. You’ll soon be hearing more verbal diarrhea “that was the ticket that cost Johnson the win”. “How could the moron not have seen it”?

I have a suggestion you get in the damn car at 220 MPH and then you’ll gain the EXPERIENCE required to understand WHY he didn’t. He didn’t cause the car wouldn’t let him do it! As it’s running longer than expected experience has taught me it’s better to continue this post with a part two. I want to address one of the most common topics I’m ask about. That is the topic of weapons. Catch you in a couple of days.