Part Four

PART FOUR: ACTIONS WE CAN TAKE

This is your dam-collapse warning. It is time to move to high ground. A vast number of financially astute observers are convinced that market forces will re-set our economy. But it must be said that there are others who seem to think that this dam is unbreachable, regardless how high the load behind it grows. There were also those who thought the Titanic was unsinkable. You must choose who you are going to listen to. According to those who are sounding the alarm, the only choice we have as a nation is whether this reset will come voluntarily or involuntarily. By intervening to cushion previous crises, especially the financial panic of 2008, the government forestalled the necessary economic re-set, which means that the coming crash will be much larger. In other words, they took an institutional-level problem and made it a government-level problem. And because of the United States’ position and interconnectedness with the world, this is increasingly a global-level problem.

This looming meltdown has the makings of a world-wide disaster, unprecedented in history. The collapse may be postponed, but it cannot ultimately be avoided. Back to our airliner metaphor, the question facing us as a nation is whether we want to hit the side of a mountain, or crash-land on the ground in terrain that we choose. As to when this will happen, many forecasters are quite imminent in their tone, predicting anytime between 2013 and 2017, although it is possible that it could take the form of a slow leak, decaying gradually into a state as bad or worse than what we see in Greece today.

Our government has not been able to make correct decisions for quite a long time, so there is not a lot of hope that they will begin doing so until their hand is forced. It seems obvious that by the time that happens, it will be far too late. The democratic nature of our government leads politicians to take the easiest way out, undermining political will and inclining us to kick the can down the road as far as possible.

As for the elite who are in financial and policy positions who could make a real difference, the dark heart of greed is driving most of them to enrich and protect themselves at the expense of the clueless masses. As for the believers in big government solutions, they never seem to be deterred by government failures. Collectivists are determined to believe that their promised utopia lies just beyond the ever-present immediate disaster that is brought on by government central planning. Any mess-up by the government is used to call for more government to fix the problem, while blame is diverted to their opposition. They zealously believe that their nirvana will be achieved only by more of the same policies that have brought on the disaster in the first place. We dare not expect the solution to come from the next election or someplace ‘out there’. We can hope that our nation will wake up and come around, but we cannot depend on this happening. We must act for ourselves, and act now.

As dire as this situation seems to be, it is not completely hopeless. There would be no point talking about these things if there was nothing we could do about it. There actually is much we can do, but the time to do it is NOW. In this matter, it is better to start preparing years too soon than one minute too late.

There are courses of action individuals can take to protect themselves. If you think of it as a dam break, you can move yourself and your family to high ground. If you think of it as a plane crash, you can personally put on a parachute and jump out while there is yet time, whatever the politicians may or may not do.

Here are some clear, simple and definite steps you can begin to implement right now. We’ll briefly list the 7 key action areas you’ll want to think about. These all have much more information and explanation in the ACTION section.

1. INFORMATION --- Open up Information Tracks. The information available to us now is nothing less than astonishing. If you are still depending on the ‘nightly news’, the newspaper, or any other version of the MSM (Main-Stream Media), then you are in the dark and way behind. One of the best ways to get truthful, necessary and up-to-the-minute information is by having your own personal YouTube channel and subscribing to the channels of ‘broadcasters’ you learn to trust. See the ACTION page for details on how to do this and see the VOICES page to find some great sources. You will get information this way that is almost impossible to find otherwise. You can use these sources to share this information with people you care about. Blogs and E-Newsletters are another vital source of critical information. The website will point you to some of the best of these as well.

2. WEALTH PRESERVATION --- Convert Dollar-Based Assets into Silver, Gold and Commodities. This is a strange idea to many of us who have never thought of anything as money except dollars. But when you get your first silver or gold coins in your hands, you will understand the difference in the feeling of real vs. paper money. Because we are so used to being able to go to a nearby store and pluck anything we want off the shelf, the idea of stockpiling supplies of commodities seems strange. But after you give it some consideration, it actually is a very strange thing NOT to plan far enough ahead to be prepared for a supply-system failure in our culture that could happen for quite a number of different reasons. Supply could be easily and quickly cut off, but even if it is not, serious inflation can undermine our ability to buy what we need even as it sits on the shelf. As the dollar loses value, all financial securities based in dollars will go down with it, including savings, pensions, annuities, stocks, etc., and the price of commodities will rise, possibly rapidly. For this reason, whenever inflation is a danger, we preserve the value of our wealth by turning currency into the commodities that we need and use, rather than letting it sit in a bank. Commodities hold and increase in value while currency decreases in value. We do not intend to give investment advice, but we suggest that you think carefully about where you do get your investment advice. Most of the people we respect and recommend will encourage you to have at least a portion of your wealth in precious metals and other tangible assets. The easiest place to start is to buy gold or silver and acquire commodity provisions for your household for a ‘safe cushion’ period of time. Purchasing precious metals online is easy to do. The RESOURCES page provides links to companies that we have either used or who have an excellent reputation for reliable service and competitive pricing. Establish an emergency stash of cash that you keep on hand. Leave enough cash to prepare your family situation to be able to go on emergency-status that living for at least three months. It is good to build an emergency fund to cover a full year or even two, but you would want this to be in precious metals rather than cash in the event of a dollar crash. Of course, the main issue in keeping precious metals or cash on hand is being able to secure them. You will find suggestions about doing this on this website as well.

3. HOME-BASED PRODUCTION. --- We Need to Have the Ability to Produce Basic Necessities. In a severe crash, the availability of goods and services is lost or diminished. We need to be prepared with short-term supplies and be able to produce some basic necessities. This means having both the means and the knowledge necessary to make this happen. Realize that you have become more dependent on the ‘system’ than you know, and you can become much more independent from the system than you would think. It is not only prudent, but it is invigorating to develop the ability to be more self-sufficient. You will love the sense of independence and security it brings. If the idea of gardening and preserving food is new to you, you will find helpful resources for beginners on the RESOURCES page. While it is a worthy goal to become self-sufficient, we will always need things that others produce. This is why local community is so important. Begin building a community network now. Think in terms of local food production and food sources. Visit local farmers’ markets. Meet the vendors and learn about their farms and local co-op groups. You can also network through local state university-sponsored agricultural extension agencies, and local or regional farmer marketing associations.

Take the issue of personal, family and neighborhood preparedness into your own hands. Realize that most people assume that ‘someone’ out there in the government is ‘ready to respond’ in the event of any emergency. Stop and think that through. Emergency response in most of the U.S. is spectacular, but it is designed for limited incidents. In any large-scale event involving many people our emergency response crews will be quickly overwhelmed, and we will be left to our own resources until they can get to us. Just as an earthquake, tornado, flood, hurricane, winter storm or other natural disaster can affect wide areas and thousands of people, a financial crash can bring down whole systems of production, payment and delivery that we completely take for granted. When the chips are really down, the first source of help and supply will start with you and your neighbors.

4. FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT --- Immediately Stop Acquiring Consumer Debt and Begin Living with a Budget. Credit cards and adjustable-rate mortgages are especially vulnerable to a rise in interest rates. When a storm is coming we tie down and cover things up. Getting out of debt is one way to do this in a financial storm. Escape car payments by developing a plan to pay cash for your vehicles. Even though historically being able to deduct mortgage interest has been a tax advantage, it still leaves us with debt on our property. Owning property free and clear has always been a key pillar of financial security. Given the future uncertainty of the mortgage deduction in the tax code, and the benefit of being mortgage-free, it is a worthy goal to aim to pay off your house. Some have suggested that if the dollar crashes, it would be to one’s advantage to have a lot of fixed-interest debt, since one would be paying less and less the more the value of the dollar drops. However, governments have been known to peg interest rates to the rate of inflation, and if this happens one would lose any advantage. Still, fixed-interest debt is much less vulnerable than adjustable-rate loans. Learning to have good financial management is always important and especially so in times of financial stress. You will find helpful resources to deal with debt and finances on the RESOURCES page.

5. AWAKENED CITIZENSHIP --- We Must Learn to Think and Act Like the Citizen-Kings that We Are. Recognize that just as our forefathers threw off the monarchy of Great Britain, and took on themselves the role of ‘Citizen-King’, we must come back to this reality. A totalitarian government can take many forms. Our powerful elitist, bureaucracy-bloated federal government can become just as oppressive as a monarchy. If we go slack on our diligence, watchfulness and personal responsibility there are powerful forces out there ready to scoop up our ‘citizen-kingship’ and take it for themselves. We encourage a re-awakening of individuals knowing and actively using all the resources of their individual citizenship to preserve their liberty and affect the direction of public policy. Go deeper into this concept at TheCitizenKing.com.

6. PEACEFUL HEART --- Know the Strength that comes from Inner Peace. Whatever time we may have on earth, it is good to remember that life is short, but eternity is not. True wealth is ultimately found in spiritual peace. Our ancestors were driven in great part by a strong sense that their ultimate destiny was the next world, not this one. So much of American prosperity and success is a by-product of that vision. It is easy to let panic and anxiety take over in unsettling times. We are not driven by fear in these issues and don’t want you to be either. We’re simply saying that we have come to trust systems that can fail us ---- systems our ancestors didn’t have and didn’t need to survive and take very good care of themselves. The fact that life is short and we will ‘soon return to dust’ isn’t actually a morbid thought if we have a Creator leading us into a greater future.

Although you may be completely cynical or disdainful of talk about spiritual issues, you might appreciate the take on it that you will find at LifePlace.org. At least give it a look. Bear in mind that a lot of forces are at work to discount and dismiss the spiritual heritage of America. It produced the earthly bounty that has come to be called 'the American Dream', motivated by a biblical promise of a great heavenly destiny. Ask yourself whether you’ve ever taken time to give it a fair hearing.

7. INCREASING FITNESS --- Regardless of Your Age, You Can Grow into a Much Better State of Physical Fitness. Our fitness level affects our ability to enjoy and do almost everything else. We are growing into flabby old crotchety people mostly because we expect to. You can change your thinking and work fitness into your lifestyle in such a way that you gain and maintain a great state of physical tone and flexibility. This is a big part of taking control and responsibility for our own lives. We’re not talking about intense workout programs, but patterns of life that are doable for everyone. You don’t have to be an athlete to stay fit and flexible. You find resources to help you learn how to gradually get into shape and maintain a personal pattern of fitness on the RESOURCES page.

CONCLUSION

When I first began digging into these issues, it took me a long time. I’m careful and skeptical by nature. I read and listened for hours and hours over a number of months. I understand how long it takes to get your mind wrapped around these realities. Of course the professional financial people will have a much deeper insight into the issues we’ve talked about here. Among the many voices out there, we have to decide who we’re going to listen to. I’ve discovered a number of financial authorities that I respect and trust. Their links are provided in the VOICES section for you to study on your own. Their perception is based on their knowledge and perspective, and you will have to decide whose perspective you agree with. But realize that even if all of this information proves somehow to misread the direness of our situation, or we miraculously find a way back to economic soundness, by taking charge of your life in a new and robust way you haven’t lost a thing and will have gained an immense sense of personal satisfaction and preparedness.

On the other hand, if these ominous storm clouds do materialize into the oncoming perfect-storm scenario they seem to portend, then we who take appropriate action will be as prepared and alert as is humanly possible.

If this paper has sparked your interest in further study about our economic situation and related issues, you can find helpful topical guides in the ISSUES section of the website.

Article by Grant Fox, Th.M.
April 2013