OPR's 3 of 3

OPR’S 3

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note: a minion lovingly gifted me the last Kunstler novel ( harrows of spring, I believe the title is ) and I was quite impressed with it-as far as his series goes I'd say it was the best one.  If not the best, at least as good as the first.  The middle books were not all that great, just adequate.
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It would be easy to simply say, hey, why even talk about surviving THROUGH a collapse.  Real life, day to day, from 1970 until now, life has been all about living through an economic collapse ( a very slow one-which doesn’t mean it will keep going slow.  All it takes is the threshold of too many people and not enough food to be reached and it all comes unraveled.  The difference this time, unlike all of recorded history since the Agricultural Revolution started, is that it isn’t local this time, but global.  Not to mention that little problem called thermonuclear weapons AND their offshoot power plants-and yes, we really are that much of morons.  Did you notice Japan stop using theirs even after Fukishima? ).  It isn’t like we don’t know how to do that.  But that would be falling into the trap of reverting to total pessimism ( this article being about moderating that, remember? ), assuming all is like it was, then, BOOM, sudden collapse and it is all about just surviving in your little corner.  The sad fact is that at one point we will see no jobs, no welfare, but still the nation state government trying to rule us ( even poorer in performance than today, giving zero protection but increased extortion ). 

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Here is the problem as I see it.  You can’t keep paying on your homestead.  Either you lose your job and can’t pay the mortgage, or at today’s insane property taxes without outside income you can’t pay those and the county repossesses.  So, even trying to just feed yourself is going to be an issue.  And the State will be in no mood to hear your problems.  It doesn’t want to give you welfare, nor does it wish you to grow your own food without paying a too high tax.  Think this is impossible?  Look at Venezuela right now.  The mess will get sorted out, but probably after you are a corpse.  And that secondary income you earn?  That self employment that got you through the initial phases?  You can be the world’s best Gizmo repairman.  If none of your customers have money, or surplus for barter ( that comes AFTER the die-off, not during.  You need security for trade, on any level ), you don’t have a viable business. 

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So, all those financial independence moves you engaged in?  Not much help after all.  It is like saving money.  Great in the initial phases, worthless after a certain point.  Stockpiling tangibles?  Not the worst move, but past food and ammo it is just lifestyle retention.  You can’t barter for your property tax.  Finances only work while the system is functioning and barter only after the system is done collapsing.  In between?  This is where you should start to get happy, although the phrase “be careful what you wish for” should be foremost in your mind so wipe that grin off your face.  The in between part is conflict.  Not trade and not finances.  After a certain point, to listen to the authorities will kill you ( before that point, NOT listening to the authorities will kill you ).  I’m certainly not advocating rebellion.  I’m saying that once the government puts you in the position that it won’t protect you and it is actively trying to kill you through its actions, well, what choice do you have?  The nation state has a specific contract with its inhabitants.  You protect me, I’ll pay taxes and follow the rules.  Once the state reneges on that agreement they are just another protection racket that only extorts and doesn’t protect. 

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Despite what the Libertarians tell you, mankind has NEVER lived in a state of anarchy ( and remember, this is an anarchist telling you this ).  There is always a leadership to follow.  Even when you are part of an egalitarian war tribe, you can’t merely do as you please but have certain responsibilities that override your individual desires.  Libertarians try to point out the state is illegitimate.  That it is a protection racket.  Well of course it is, and you can’t tell me you can live without it.  They try to “prove” an anarchist society can survive attacks by nation states because no one central body can surrender for each individual.  And?  When has that stopped nations from attacking, say, guerrillas or terrorists?  In short, you are stuck with some kind of government, always.  You can’t overthrow one and expect to be free, because another WILL take its place ( in the near future, this will be more decentralized.  That doesn’t mean it isn’t a government ).  The only time you want to rebel is when not doing so will get you killed.  Not because “you aren’t free enough”.  You haven’t been free to do much of anything long before you were born.  Stop trying to be macho.

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This took a bit of a detour from pessimism verses optimism, eh?  It almost sounds like yet another excuse for me to advocate even more paranoia.  Almost.  The pessimist part is, the die off isn’t as easy or simple as you desire.  The optimist part is that while the human species drastically shrinking is going to suck, you at least can have a say in how you manage the transition if you can defeat those trying to wipe you out so as to have less pressure on resources.  That is what things are going to boil down to.  Rwanda, globally.  Hiding and waiting out the process in preferable.  Realistically, you might have little choice but to engage in survival via combat.  The problem with most of our plans is that we think defensively.  I’ll survive by keeping a low profile and just defending myself as needed.  Right?  That might not be the smartest default setting.  As far as planning less pessimistically, it doesn’t take more gear.  Gear is, while necessary, also an encumbrance at a certain point. 

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Planning for the period during the REAL collapse ( living standards free falling is not a collapse but a precursor ) means you stop thinking like a consumer ( what worked in the present ).  Stop thinking of the past success of barter and pre-petroleum.  Focus on the devolution of the present prior to the arrival, once again, of the past. 

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