Hey JM,
Other than a war or natural disaster, I still think 2026-2030 is when our balloon will pop.
There is too much debt all around. The federal debt, while large, is not what will trigger it. It is the debt at the state level that will cause all of the trouble to come. The cries for aid and which state/s gets what aid is what will topple the feds.
Money-hard to imagine a collapsed dollar. as this develops, we can only look to history at what may transpire. When the banks start to have a lot of problem loans, the money dries up, then banks call in loans, then the foreclosures start, then the banks fail. Just look to Malta, Cyprus and others - the people with savings will have a portion of their money confiscated. Can't say for sure if it will go down this way but it is highly likely. Other valuables. Yes, everyone talks about precious metals but they are really only useful if you have some and someone is willing to trade an item they have for your metal. In this scenario, the exchange rate, (a 1/10th oz of gold for 6 eggs or a chicken or a steak or a cow) will be set depending on supply and demand in the local area. Transportation/shipping will also be a major problem after some time because people are so accustomed to our transportation system. What happens when there is not enough fuel. Most americans don't remember the oil embargo, and that was tiny compared to what could happen on a global scale. Again, to buy fuel, we must have something of value to trade for it.
To survive, we should reduce our individual debt. Have your home paid for, vehicles. Have nothing that you need that could be called in on a loan. Have a diverse portfolio of valuables, a little precious metals, hard goods, tools, seeds, food items or the ability to grow/raise items of value, yes even some cash, skills will be essential to help yourself or trade services for something you need. One thing is certain-there will be haves and have-nots. You should be prepared to preserve what you have from others, including the "authorities" of the time.
Other comments in the article - of course the climate is changing, it always has and always will. The best example is the Nile river in Egypt. A long time ago it was the center of civilization and very fertile, for a while. It is not now. Activities by man did not cause these changes. In modern times, yes, the cities we build do affect weather and temperatures, but not that much. More likely is solar activity is heating the planet. I doubt that the authorities will every tell the truth on the climate because it keeps them in control. I do not believe that planes are spraying something in the atmosphere, that is just stupid. I fly a lot and have never seen any aircraft setup for that. The contrails, when formed, are dependent on the temperature of the air, humidity, turbulence/vortex from wing shape, the output of the engine and specific altitude - all have a bearing on contrails and their duration. Others talk about carbon dioxide as a pollutant. Idiots. Carbon dioxide is required by plant life to make oxygen for the other living creatures. More would be better considering the low level of it in our atmosphere.
One thing, when things start to look bad, don't rule out a war. They are a great distraction from bad times as well as a way to acquire/restrict valuables from others (citizens too) in the name of "support the war". Rationing comes to mind.
JM, I am all over the place on this. Hopefully it is what you were looking for.
