Why we prep...

[TWP]

If you are following any of the news, you know about the financial situation in Greece.

The response of the Greek people is an excellent example of exactly why we are making preparations, here.

The current news reports list "hoarding" of food and fuel, bank closure and limitations on cash machine withdrawals.  This is curious in itself, why allow a limited flow of cash from a bank that is closed?  Perhaps to keep crowds of people from storming the banks?

Reports also say that credit cards are being refused.  A cash-only economy is running at the community level.  I do not see any reports of use of gold or silver, but that information may be filtered by the news media.

Needless to say, we can take a lesson from the Greek examples:

Have some cash (even if it is devalued)
Stock foods
Stock vehicle fuel, if you plan on traveling anywhere at all.
Stock cooking / heating fuel
Keep your mouth shut about your preps (OPSEC...)

I will add, being able to protect your preps should be included in your plans ('nuf said?)

Interesting that the internet is still operating in Greece, for the time being.
That means that electrical power remains available.  So far, it is only the banks that are closed, but I do expect this to change as the monetary solution proposed by the Greek government becomes reality.

It would be wise to look closely at how things go in Greece, so we know what can (may) happen here.

Keep your eyes open, please.

[Jerry D Young]

Good advice TWP.

While I do not think it will play out here in the US the same as it did in Greece, I do think we could have a major financial crisis here. And it is just one of the many reasons I prep.

Just my opinion.

[TWP]

Thank you Jerry,

To everyone:

Staying in the same vein, ie; Greece as an example of what may happen here,  I find this thread, with postings by a Greek resident, to offer some vital incites on public responses to the crisis.  Please take the time to read it.

http://shtfschool.com/forums/topic/news-from-greece-an-ongoing-observation-and-assessment-of-the-current-crisis/

In the thread, this post specifically addresses how an "average Greek" is responding to the situation:

http://shtfschool.com/forums/topic/news-from-greece-an-ongoing-observation-and-assessment-of-the-current-crisis/#post-42261

This was the last posting (42261) to the thread, at the time I wrote this.  There may well be more as time goes by...

I do see similarities (and some differences) between the situation in Greece and here.  We have some forewarning and an opportunity to plan, and act on the plan while we have resources.

[TWP]

Continuing my research, I found this article by a John Mauldin, a "financial advisor".

It talks about the Greek situation and prepping.  I found one comment apropos:

"I have studied all kinds of financial crises in all parts of the world, from depressions to hyperinflations. The thing they all have in common is that people who do not prepare get crushed. People who are not appropriately paranoid get crushed."

The article is short and I found the advice to be (IMO) accurate.

http://www.mauldineconomics.com/the-10th-man/it-could-never-happen-here

I do not subscribe to Mauldin's services and I'm not promoting them.

Read the article for the information about our (the world's) situation and how to respond to it.

Paranoia can be a GOOD thing.

[edit]  Yes, I know that I'm "preaching to the choir" here, but we do what we can...

[Clay]

I thank you for the links and information, and I agree it is good to watch and learn. If it never happens here, all the better, but if it does...

FerFAL is talking about this on his blog right now. There are a couple Greeks filling him in on their situation and it's interesting to read. Fernando says it's very similar to what happened in Argentina, which is interesting but not surprising. We shall see how it plays out,  because Greece is a little different and it will effect Europe quite a bit.

[TWP]

Hi Clay and welcome to the group.

I know about Ferfal, but do not have a link to his website.  Could you link it here please?
The name Fernando is less know and I don't have a reference to it...

Greece is providing some lessons to the rest of us and I think it wise to follow it closely.

[TWP]

Continuing about the Greek situation, please note that Greek society is NOT third-world, look at the pictures and you see communities much like ours here.  Now look at what is being reported...

http://news.yahoo.com/sugar-flour-rice-panicked-greeks-stock-essentials-175737930.html

This is what could happen here, as non-preppers hit the stores looking for food and medicine.   I'm not seeing signs of rioting or large crowds, yet.  What I do see is a majority who are not "prepared", even after many months of warning signs and government actions that pointed at the current situation.  I hope that rings a bell with you.

This is happening now, just half a world away, in a country much like ours, which was doing the same things we (collectively) are doing.  The only difference, to my eye, is that we are a larger population and have a bigger "cushion" to absorb the monetary swing.  On the same point, our monetary debt is proportionately larger and we face the same consequences.

So, check your prepping stock and follow the news...

The Greeks have been limited to about E60+ euros a week, unless they had cash "under the mattress", which I suspect few did.  Their banks are closed until sometime next week.  They are not yet into hunger.  Things are relatively calm.  Please watch how they behave over the next few days/weeks.  The lesson is there...

Preaching to the Choir, part 2.

[Clay]

The next few hours should tell quite a bit. The real question is, why would you stay in Greece after all this? It's been a long time coming, and it's pretty obvious what is coming next. I think I would personally bug out now if I were there.

FerFAL is Fernando with an FN-FAL, that's his old frugal squirrels handle from back in the day. His website is themodernsurvivalist.com and it's a good read.

[TWP]

Clay, thanks for the link, it has good current information.

[Clay]

Greece is getting interesting, but there's another problem going now as well. What do you think about this?

China stock market] http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN0PF0DH20150705?irpc=932]China stock market

[TWP]

I've been hearing rumblings about China's stock market for a few weeks.

It looks like they are cranking up the printing presses AND stopping new money from flowing to new business startup.  The intent may be to force money toward the existing stock market.  I'm NOT an expert on this.

I'm also NOT sure how this will effect our own markets or the rest of the world.  I will be watching.

If I had cash, it would be in the "cold well" bank (Not the business named as such).  Or I'd be accumulating Gold and Silver physical metal.

Put the usual disclaimer here.  I am not an investment advisor nor do I play one on TV...

China is a factor to be watched closely.   We may not get much reliable information about how the Chinese people are responding to this.  I'm reading better reports about how the Greeks are behaving than about the Chinese.   And considering the difference in the population size, the Chinese will have a MUCH bigger effect on the world economy.

I do note that the "Eastern" mindset has always valued Gold in times of crisis...  Just as do the people of India.  So watch the gold/silver markets for China and India as an indicator.

[Clay]

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/chinas-stock-market-crashing-chinese-095900183.html

That's a pretty good article about the situation. If Greece crumbles, it may be a tipping point for the others, but if China crumbles it will be a much bigger situation. Really, the story here is that the world's markets and economies have been ransacked for so long they are starting to fail. If by design or not, makes no difference, because the end result is the same. Hard times are coming, sooner or later.

[TWP]

Clay, I agree with your general analysis.  Some of us here (most of us?) are looking for a way to predict the time-line for such a collapse.  Admittedly a hard thing to do.

I'm watching the news (biased, by definition) and attempting to see a trend.  That is why Greece is such a good lesson.  They are similar enough to the U.S. that their response to the monetary crisis is a good example of what to expect here.  Greece is also relatively open to media reporting.

China is, to my mind, a slightly different culture and harder to use as an example.  Plus China is more "closed" to media and the information I see is limited.  I can't see the forest for the trees, in the case of China.  I just know that there is a very large gorilla somewhere behind the bamboo curtain.

The things we are learning and practicing in this group are very worthwhile (thanks Rob and the rest of the team).  Look at what is reported in Greek towns and communities to see what needs to be emphasized to the group.

Towards that end, I also watch the local news and keep my eyes open when out-and-about.  The only item which is trending upward, locally, is the incidence of gunshots.  No media reports on this, just my own experience.  I discount the period on either side of the July 4th fireworks, and still hear more gun fire lately.  Again, this is just my personal experience and may have much to do with the parts of town through which I travel.

[TWP]

To continue with my reports on other countries problems and how they can warn us ahead of need:

China appears to have made their stock market a one-way option.  According to this report, which is corroborated with more than one source, China is forcing fund managers to refuse sell orders.  The relates to retirement funds in China.

http://www.shtfplan.com/headline-news/americans-with-retirement-accounts-beware-if-our-government-does-what-china-just-did-youll-be-wiped-out_07062015

"Financial magazine Caijing reported on Monday that the National Social Security Fund had told its external fund managers they could buy stocks but were not permitted to sell them."

We in this country are still free to buy and sell securities.  If we were to reach this point, I suspect there would be a general revolution as people tried to protect their investments by moving from securities to commodities (read that as Gold and Silver).   
The report specifically talks about Chinese retirement funds, which (I believe) are equivalent to our Social Security fund.  I hope you are aware that our (US) Social Security fund is just a word game, it doesn't actually have any money...

I do note that our banks are now allowed to simply confiscate any money held in account...It is no longer your money if you put it in a bank account.  This is a step down the same road as China is traveling.

Keep your eye on this and consider how much of your money is un-protected in the US.

[TWP]

I'm not the only one beating this drum.  Daisy Luther of The Organic Prepper is talking about how we can learn from Greece.  Her article contains more politics but also five good suggestions about what to do, now.

http://www.theorganicprepper.ca/greece-didnt-refuse-austerity-they-refused-further-debt-slavery-to-the-eu-07062015

I quote from this article:

"We are getting a bird’s eye view of an economic collapse. This is Economic Collapse 101, so I hope you’re taking notes. What are the things that stand out in your mind the most? Here are the two major takeaway lessons that I see:
 

1.) Any money you have in the bank is not actually yours. 2.) The inability to produce is going to be a death sentence."

To the choir, hope you're listening