How Vulnerable Is Your Personal Supply Chain?
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VERY, when hundreds of illegals come to take your food, supplies, and home they will overwhelm the most armed homestead!! You can have a ton of ammo, but they will have better and huge numbers! That's why the border is open, they are here to fight the civil war!
Well, after each wave stack the bodies on top of each other and make a wall the next group needs to climb over.
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I like the article, but it doesn't talk about the fact that the city homeless people do rely on the city to survive. Little granddaughter's mom and the boyfriend moved out our way a year ago from the bay area in California, where they lived homeless. They are used to free places to eat, sleep, get supplies, camp for free. Been more difficult finding the same freebies in the closest small city to us, there is one homeless shelter that is small, because that's all that's been needed. They do dumpster dive, but I know it was better pickins in the big city. I've known her mom and the boyfriend for a long time. They will never work, but they would never survive without the city handouts. In many ways, they are in worse shape than non preppers. They rely completely on the community for every bit of their needs...food, shelter, money that's had from panhandling. If the community falls, no more freebies for them.
And "Yet" in an urban or semi-urban environment I would expect them to survive a long time "post" catastrophic SHTF event. They have what most "preppers" lack, Survival skills, a ruthlessness, a priority of themselves over others, a willingness to do ugly and disgusting things to stay alive, and most important they are sneaky, deceptive, covert, and ruthless. To be bluntly honest, they are near the top, of the list of the type people I would not want to engage, or experience post serious widespread SHTF.
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Another perspective I've noticed: I've worked pretty consistently to source most of what we need locally for quite a few years now. Obviously not everything: gas, coffee etc. Over the past year, one of the things I've noticed is others infringing upon my resources. That sounds selfish, greedy, whatever. That's not what I mean. I'm still able to get the things I've needed because I've been a "customer" even if it's from individuals for a long time and they know next year I will want X amount of product again (or next week, month.) I try to be a dependable customer and they know and appreciate it so "got my back" so to speak. This year butcher shops in particular have been slammed. I was still able to get our meat processed (even though there was a mix up - it's resolved.) Anyhoo, as chains breakdown, those who are supplying me might also so I need to be aware but also have a greater resilience. If there are things you can source locally, I would say do so. Also, lessen your needs - that's something I don't see as a suggestion very often. That's something I try to think about now and then.
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Went the pandemic started, alot of city stores were cleaned out, I know they were a mess when I was in Albuquerque. Small towns complained that city people would drive and wipe out their stores, so I get what you mean, LadyL. It's good to have a personal relationship with your local people, even barter, so you can get what you need.
Agree with you there, Sourdough, not the type of people I like to be around. But they are not producers, they are just takers. Couldn't survive in the forest unless there were Walmart dumpsters to raid. And I know that they are scroungers, but survivors? Many are in really really bad physical shape, as well as psychological messes. They have survived so far, but without infrastructure, I don't think for long.
Agree with you there, Sourdough, not the type of people I like to be around. But they are not producers, they are just takers. Couldn't survive in the forest unless there were Walmart dumpsters to raid. And I know that they are scroungers, but survivors? Many are in really really bad physical shape, as well as psychological messes. They have survived so far, but without infrastructure, I don't think for long.
For many of them, the pursuit of vices will drive them. Something to remember is that many will not only be desperate for food, water, etc., but for drugs/booze/tobacco/sex...
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Someone was telling me that she saw that there were 6,000+ homeless in the Denver area. I have seen homeless camps. I drive by some of them almost every day. Yet, the shelters always have open beds. The mayor of Aurora, to the east of the Denver metro area went homeless for a week, to help him understand the issue. You cannot stay in a shelter if you want to drink, drug or have sex, and therefore most on the streets have an addiction. Someone at a dog park told me he had been homeless and had stayed in a shelter briefly. He said they are controlled by gangs and prostitution is prevalent. (Not sure how that works if you cannot have sex in a shelter). Early on in COVID, when things were shutting down, the mayor of Denver decided to close liquor stores. In about two hours, he had changed his mind because of the concern of detoxing drunks filling the ER's.
There is a grocery store in the Denver area, close to where many homeless camps are set up where the homeless go in, fill up a cart with groceries and walk out the door without paying. At one point, this store was said to be losing 100 carts a week and shoppers were having a hard time shopping because they had so few carts. I am not sure how accurate that figure is and how they could sustain that.
Yes, those who are homeless have certain skills, but it will take about 3 days for grocery stores to be vacant. I do know that some people have begun to stockpile more, but I don't think that it is enough to support everyone else.
Daughter and I went to California when she was a teenager. We went to Hollywood and had lunch at the McDonalds on Hollywood Blvd. A man asked if I would buy him lunch. I gave him $5 and he walked out the door. Lesson learned. I had no idea that Hollywood was full of addicts. If I had truly wanted to buy him a meal, I would have gone with him to the counter and paid for the food he ordered. He obviously did not want food. He wanted a fix of something that had nothing to do with food.
https://commonsenseinstituteco.org/the-economic-footprint-of-homelessness-in-metro-denver/
It's not just Hollywood. I've worked all over Cali south of I-80 and homelessness is an epidemic that goes hand in hand with drugs all over. Near the homeless camps there's almost always piles of dirty needles. People are always begging for money or smokes. We've had druggie whores come right up on the tracks and offer their services. I've seen junkies shooting up on the passenger train platforms in broad daylight. I've seen where the homeless crap in Walmart sacks and throw it at abandoned buildings in Oakland. And we had a guy at the Metrolink platform in Montebello, 9AM on a Sunday morning, with his pants around his ankles pleasuring himself. He was so high he didn't even care that there were 40 railroaders working there. That's what Southern California has become...
I noticed an interesting thing when I went to pick up tractor parts it a fairly large town nearby, At least half of the staff at the parts store are on working farms/ ranches, got in an Ag based discussion in the line up at the grocery store, again with staff, and stopped at the hardware store, and ended up talking about calving problems. and of course every time the supply chain crap comes up. one of the bigger surprises is going to be refrigerated trailers last I heard from a friend in the egg transportation industry trailer scheduled to be replaced now have been bumped to 2024 by the dealer, highway tractors just can't be had, parts for the existing ones just aren't there.
People have the freedom to make their own decisions. Along with that comes the responsibility to take the consequences.
Make a decision, choose your consequence.
Make a decision, choose your consequence.
i agree...living off overflow of productive society...theres a lot of that on many levels..personal,county,states,govt and corporate hand outs in various forms.
they wont make it long..supplies dry up all will have troubles...you gotta be in area where stuff is produced.most of items are outside populaion centers as base of everything starts with raw resourcres..mines,timber,agriculture...people dont understand the acreage it takes to feed the population and not to mention producing goods and services.
Keep in mind.........All of this is "Intentionally" designed, planned, regularly up graded, and "masterfully" orchestrated........towards an intended ultimate result.
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Absolutely! And do you know what else is coming? The stoppage of all retirement money, including SS. How many people in America have paid into and are now depending on retirement funds for survival? Way too many of us! And that will be the ultimate way to control so many people, or to starve them to death.
That money will go to the illegals, they will continue to be handed such things!
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Yes, illegals and welfare recipients who have been trained to do nothing and to get paid for it.
They are outnumbering those who work/worked hard for the American dream!! The American dream was to have a career, buy a home, car, raise a family, retire! Now it's sit on the butt with the hand extended for a free ride!!
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It is true, that many are waiting to be fed and taken care of. I know of several people who have worked, but have no sense about money and the wants they have.
When I mentioned that we weren't counting on SS by the time we retired, he looked at us like we were nuts (he leaned left). I still don't count on it. I just look at it like another tax.
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I have a relative who is quite foolish when it comes to money. I told him this about SS many years ago. He tried to tell me I was wrong. I fully expect there will be no SS in just a little bit of time and that people should have other kinds of investments and savings, but we live in a time where people want, want, want, the latest and the greatest, but are not as interested in saving as fulfilling the wants.
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When funds are stopped or cut in half is when the rubber meets the road and people will find out if they chose their location wisely and if they understand how to 'make' their own daily needs of food,water,shelter and security.
As long as they are physically ABLE to do so!
"THIS" is the distinction between those who assign the highest priority to prepping for survival.
yes..but i want to toss in this bit as well...is their knowledge base..just not i know xyz about how to do abc..but actual hands on experience of 'doing the things'.without real world hands on of producing...and i submit producing is start to finish just not part of it. i.e. food growing from seed to harvest to storage and then to kitchen being turned into goods and down our pie holes...i seen a youtube guy grow a nice corn crop..he harvested to early and shelled and put it in buckets thinking it was dry...lesson learned..he showed it all heated up and molded and was dumped. he wanted others to know until you do things you just dont know what you dont know..he said if this was shtf..me and my very large family probably just starved.
want to add in..older people might not go running and gunning and jumping in foxholes and such but many have the patience to do the drudgery of time tested survival things like growing and processing foods. shelling corn by hand,cracking walnuts,pecans,chestnuts etc.canning,drying,pickling and much more..many of all ages will have a hardtime just sitting and doing things..i.e. breaking a bushel of green beans,shelling dried beans as more examples.
i know you know what i am saying..putting to type in hopes of encouraging others to do the things now.
and i submit to you its even more than that..its how complicated a person homestead systems they have might play into this.the more complicated and 'moving parts' the more vulnerable. a guy years ago in new england states showed during a cold snap a piece broke on his high end super fancy boiler broke and not a dealer in multiple stats had the part.he said the old woodstove had been taken out and the simple function of open door toss in wood was gone..he said i made a poor choice. i.e. spring water out a pipe vs. well needing electric and pump..now i know wells can have hand pumps but they do break where as a set up spring with a pipe and box has very little interruptions in its 'system'.
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I will add----Its not just about having a "stock pile", which is essential in short term situations, BUT also knowing how to survive in the wild AND not so wild!!
Finally! I have Hubby reading one of the Foxfire books (blacksmithing). He is only maybe 1/4 way into it & he's commented more than once, "They didn't buy things. They just figured out how to make it or trade for a part so they could make it or. . . " Me to myself in my head, "Yes!" I've tried to explain or tell him of "other ways" but he didn't have a real story or application in his head to link it to. He is also enjoying that he is learning different things about metal and historical ways of working it.
I'm very grateful he's reading at least this one. We have the whole series now, and I told him all of the books were like that. They are educational and at the same time enjoyable to read. We'll see if he reads another when he's finished with this one. Anyhoo, those folks were survivors.
I'm very grateful he's reading at least this one. We have the whole series now, and I told him all of the books were like that. They are educational and at the same time enjoyable to read. We'll see if he reads another when he's finished with this one. Anyhoo, those folks were survivors.
Life stories of how they did things around these parts 200 years ago. Great series BTW
Well kids, my own personal supply chain is working very well, Honey and mead showed up as if by majic, right at my door, and pretty good storytime with the beekeeper
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This thread got me to thinking about it... and that opened my eyes to something I didn't expect. I was watching a news brief on food issues in the US and I noticed one person talking about it revolving around hold up at the border, in fact they talked like all food was imported. As I talked with my wife about it she had the perspective that people have changed, moving away from gardening and self sufficiency. And then I asked her if she realized that when she was a little girl the US population for 160 million and today it is 330 million, that really took her back. When I told her that back then 35% of the people lived in the country but today the percentage of country folks is down to 17%.
So from all that I implied that the country is run by people who don't know where the food comes from and who don't care. Many of them assume that it is all imported and the only thing that matters is price... I think that if they knew that the stores generally only have a 3 day supply on hand at any given time, it would be more than they could grasp or cope with...
It also reaffirms to me that my personal supply line is very fragile indeed.
So from all that I implied that the country is run by people who don't know where the food comes from and who don't care. Many of them assume that it is all imported and the only thing that matters is price... I think that if they knew that the stores generally only have a 3 day supply on hand at any given time, it would be more than they could grasp or cope with...
It also reaffirms to me that my personal supply line is very fragile indeed.
