Preparing for a Euro zone collapse

Posted by: Cauldronborn2

Preparing for a Euro zone collapse - 12/01/11 10:39 PM

Hi folks, I don't know if this is the right place for this thread so mods please feel free to move it if necessary.

I know this could get quite political on the causes but all I'm looking for practical information to ride out a collapse.

After hearing from extended family living in france and looking throught a LOT of news articles from reputable sources & news agencies, including a report from the Bank of England a collapse of the Euro is looking more and more certain.

Even though my family lives in the U.K and are not part of the single currancy, our economy is tied very heavily throught trade with the rest of europe. We are getting very concerned about how this could pan out.

As we live in a rural area about 10-15 miles from the nearest town we tend to keep a small stock in the cuboards, enough for a month . If things were to get very serious for longer period what essentials would you stock up on. As most stores now only seem concerned about stocking Christmas items at present here in U.K .

Many thanks for your time.
Posted by: Hikin_Jim

Re: Preparing for a Euro zone collapse - 12/01/11 11:48 PM

I have heard the rumblings too even though I'm on the far side of "the pond." I hope it doesn't happen since there would probably be a worldwide economic panic and depression that would make 2008 and 1929 look mild by comparison.

In answer to your question:
Well, food, water, fuel, batteries, medicine, and first aid supplies certainly.

If your cooking, lighting, and heating systems are dependent on a a central facility, then invest in means to supply them independently.

You may want to make a list of things you consume in a typical month: everything from apples to Ziploc bags. Perhaps stock up on a few.

HJ
Posted by: hikermor

Re: Preparing for a Euro zone collapse - 12/02/11 01:46 AM

Basically what HJ posted. Consider your stock of tools. How easily can you repair/improvise with what you have on hand?
Posted by: bacpacjac

Re: Preparing for a Euro zone collapse - 12/02/11 02:51 AM

I'm totally on-side with Jim and Hikermor. Start with the basics. Think of protecting yourself from the environment, having water to drink and food to eat, and ways to fix/treat thing when that goes south.)

Stock the pantry with water, long-lasting food, hygene and medical supplies, and prepare to help them last. Gather ways to stay warm, ways to stay dry, and ways to get out of the wind, sun and heat. And start to figure out how you're going to procure this stuff when you run out. (on foot? bike? motor vehicle?)
Posted by: Susan

Re: Preparing for a Euro zone collapse - 12/02/11 04:33 AM

The non-news-media economists like Michael Hudson and other well-known ones whose names escape me right now, have been using the D-word for quite a while.

Two or three years ago, it was said that if even four relatively small countries defaulted on their debts, it would be the beginning of the death spiral of economic collapse, just like pulling the plug in a bathtub. You know what's going on with Greece, but Portugal, Venezuela, Ireland, Ukraine, Lebanon, Croatia, Vietnam, Spain, Hungary and Romania are wobbling financially. And the U.S. isn't in good shape, either.

The whole thing scares me to death, truly!

Like the others above, I would say that what you would need then are the basics of what you use now. No frou-frou, just the basics.

Shelter. People who own their home outright are ahead of the game. If you have to move in with someone else, make yourself indispensable. If homes become vacant, I would be tempted to move into one that would be easiest to heat or insulate. Gypsies have very comfy wagons for homes.

Water. Collect rainwater. Make sure you have the materials to do so. It's cleaner than any groundwater if the collector surface and where you store it are clean, and you shouldn't have to treat it. You have to store it for the dry periods.

Food. Keep it basic simple. Dried beans rather than canned (tinned) beans. The last major U.S. depression lasted 14 years, and no one stores that much food! If you can grow your own, you'll have to know how, and have the means, to process and preserve it. Collect seeds. Collect gardening books.

Medical supplies. Collect the basics if you can. A few good herbal books might be useful.

Fuel. I would think that this is most likely to be wood (all collected and cut/split by hand), coal and homemade alcohol. If you can live in a well-insulated place, it would reduce the amount of fuel you would need for heating.

Look around at everything you use, and ask yourself how you would do it without power. Disposable and short-term use won't fly. Tools will be difficult to get.

I think it's all going to get really ugly.

Sue
Posted by: Paul810

Re: Preparing for a Euro zone collapse - 12/02/11 04:56 AM

I pretty much agree with what's been said. Here's what I would do:

First, Get rid of as much debt as possible. Where people often run into trouble is that they loose their source of income and then can't afford their bills, rent, mortgage, vehicle(s) payments, ect.

[Along the same lines, I would think about maybe speaking with a financial planner about how you could minimize your financial loss should things take a nosedive.]

Next, stockpile as much of the basics as possible (without putting yourself heavily into debt). Think about the things you might go through in a typical year. Obviously things like food and drink come to mind, but you really have to consider all the items you might go though. What would you do if you can't get toilet paper, shampoo, motor oil, diesel/petrol, batteries, replacement tools, seeds for planting/farming, ect? Some stuff can easily be substituted, others you pretty much either have it or you don't.

It's tough to say what to stock and what not to. Your personal needs and perceived standard of living are going to play a huge role. Plus, no matter how well you plan, stuff always happens that is out of your control.

As a final note, while it's a hotly debated topic, I would say it's worth it to have some small stock of precious metals, precious stones, and various currency on hand, if (and only if) your financial situation allows for it. You never know if you might have to stuff it in your pockets and use it to make a fresh start somewhere else.


Posted by: Richlacal

Re: Preparing for a Euro zone collapse - 12/02/11 05:14 AM

I would look into making a still for distillation of water,alcohol for drinkin'& alcohol for burnin'!What is the main fuel of Africa? Charcoal,yes sir,It lasts a good longtime,is multi-purpose & Cheap to make whilst warming the bones,& Is a very necessary commodity!Maybe get some sheep,Wool is the best for staying warm when away from the homefire!A variety of sizes of cast-iron ware,including a cauldron for stewing.A hand crank mill for grains would be an Xlnt investment,as would stainless steel containers for storage.You could build yourself a forge for melting scrap metal,& self-learn some Blacksmithing,during hardtimes that would be an Xlnt position,indeed!Or......Move in with the colonials,We will keep the light on for you! Cheers!
Posted by: Denis

Re: Preparing for a Euro zone collapse - 12/02/11 05:15 AM

Originally Posted By: Susan
Two or three years ago, it was said that if even four relatively small countries defaulted on their debts, it would be the beginning of the death spiral of economic collapse, just like pulling the plug in a bathtub. You know what's going on with Greece, but Portugal, Venezuela, Ireland, Ukraine, Lebanon, Croatia, Vietnam, Spain, Hungary and Romania are wobbling financially. And the U.S. isn't in good shape, either.

My understanding is that it's really the Eurozone countries that are the issue. Normally a country would avoid defaulting on their debts by printing more money; this causes inflation but allows them to cover their debts. However only the European Central Bank can print Euros, not the countries themselves.

Countries like Greece and Italy just didn't figure out they couldn't keep spending and borrowing like in the pre-Euro days.

The other part of the problem is the 2 stable countries in the Eurozone are also the ones that lent a lot of money to the guys that are set to default. So its not simply that the PIGS (Portugal, Italy, Greece, and Spain) may default, but in doing so they would deal a crippling blow to France and Germany.

Back on topic, it might be more important to reduce personal debt as much as possible as soon as possible than it is to stockpile supplies.
Posted by: Susan

Re: Preparing for a Euro zone collapse - 12/02/11 06:22 AM

I'm sure you're right. The economist I was reading at that time was just pointing out even the small countries can tip the first domino enough to set the whole game going.

The entire world is tied together economically to a degree that is unprecedented.

Sue
Posted by: Ian

Re: Preparing for a Euro zone collapse - 12/02/11 02:14 PM

Have a look at:

UK Preppers
Posted by: Glock-A-Roo

Re: Preparing for a Euro zone collapse - 12/02/11 06:05 PM

Sounds like the same preps discussed back before Y2K. Ah, the memories... frown
Posted by: Arney

Re: Preparing for a Euro zone collapse - 12/02/11 07:15 PM

Originally Posted By: Denis
Back on topic, it might be more important to reduce personal debt as much as possible as soon as possible than it is to stockpile supplies.

This balance of reducing debt vs accumulating hard assets is a tricky one. I think reducing debt makes great sense for a more normal economic downturn, but a Eurozone meltdown could turn that rule of thumb on its head.

In normal times, what are we afraid of if we can't pay our debts? Repossession of whatever collateral was used for a loan, such as a home or vehicle? A bad credit rating? Being pestered by phone calls and letters from a debt collection agency? (Granted, things might work a bit differently in the UK so maybe my examples don't apply.) But in a truly major meltdown, maybe these fears don't hold quite the same weight.

As we saw in the mortgage and real estate meltdown in the US (and perhaps this also applies to other other hot real estate markets that crashed outside the US) but a lot of people who were unable--or unwilling--to continue paying their mortgages were able to continue living in their homes for a year, two years, perhaps even longer, as so many borrowers were defaulting and swamping the system. The lenders were either unable to process all these defaults due to the volume, slowed down by legal challenges (like the robo-signing scandal), or else were making strategic decisions to not foreclose on homes and kick out the residents. Another major financial system crisis could similarly "change the rules" of the debt system because so much of that system is thrown out of equilibrium.

You don't necessarily need to pay your credit card bill off in full or don't care if that jet ski is repossessed, but you do need to eat. So, if a truly epic meltdown is what is being prepared for, perhaps I would put supplies ahead of debt service IMHO. Just my perspective.
Posted by: Russ

Re: Preparing for a Euro zone collapse - 12/02/11 09:40 PM

One of my favorite (not quite the right word) guys to listen to on this subject is Kyle Bass (on the greek euro financial crisis). Listened to it again -- near the end he talks about "guns & gold" wink great quotes:
"Buying gold is just buying a put against the idiocy of the political cycle"

Also, take the time to listen to AC2011 Session 1.2 Come Undone: Kyle Bass redux.

It's going to get worse before it gets better. The tapestry is torn.
Posted by: LED

Re: Preparing for a Euro zone collapse - 12/02/11 10:28 PM

Keep in mind we're going through a period of deleveraging and currencies like the dollar and pound may remain high for years. (Bond yields are still at historic lows) So don't forget cash savings in your preps. At least for now.
Posted by: Susan

Re: Preparing for a Euro zone collapse - 12/03/11 04:42 AM

I am inclined to agree with Arney on the debt paydown. Of course, that may be easier for me to say, since I don't have much debt beyond my home and about six bills. My sister and BIL are in debt to their eyebrows... I wonder how much of it would be actually useful after the power went off? *shrug*

I am really having a hard time visualizing what a 'Greater' Depression would look like -- am I over-estimating or under-estimating? The only real comparison we have is the depression of 1930-44, a time period that was greatly different from how things are now.

I'm thinking that water and food will be the Big Problems. Since 1930, we have lost about four of our six million farms. Then, our farms were located all over America, everywhere, local food production. Now, it seems to be centered in California and the Midwest, hardly local, and requires transport.

Our aquifers have been in steady decline for decades. Rain doesn't fall everywhere like it does here in the PNW (and even we might be dry for 4-5 months), or it seems to come all at once. If you can catch it, where do you store it for the dry times, realistically? If you would have to depend on rivers, many are heavily contaminated, so how to clean up chemicals and heavy metals? Is it even realistically possible?

With the advent of the computer age, we've learned to sneer at production and brag about how service-oriented we are. How many computer specialists can we use when companies can't pay their power bills?

In 2008, there were a grand total of 497,100 workers left in the U.S. textile, textile product, and apparel manufacturing industries, and most are in CA, NC, and GA.

How many companies here make gardening hand tools? Small grain mills? Wood saws and axes? Canning jars, rings, lids? How-to books? Milking buckets? Chicken wire & hardware cloth? Sheet metal?

I have the feeling that these kinds of things will be the new 'gold standard'. How long would it take enterprising people to get factories for things like this up, running and producing? Will any existing banks help them, or will it be a community thing?

There are so many questions! But how many answers? Is it going to be a wait-and-see-OOOPS! kind of thing?

Sue



Posted by: Russ

Re: Preparing for a Euro zone collapse - 12/03/11 02:29 PM

For excellent insight as to what is happening in Europe, take a listen to MEP Nigel Farage (Minister of European Parliament). Very outspoken, very against what is happening. Definitely a very rare European fiscal conservative.

How do you prepare? Think survival long term and consider how to keep what you have in a total meltdown of the fiat currency system, where governments can manipulate the value of their currency (devalue through printing more paper) thus reducing the value of your bank account.

If Greece had a printing press they'd devalue and pay off their debt with cheaper currency. But to do that they'd need to leave the EU and the Euro behind, return to the Drachma as their national currency, and then pay off their debt with devalued Drachma. By replacing the Greek PM with their former Finance Minister, the EU stopped (or maybe just delayed) that option. There's lots going on and it gets ugly -- interesting times.


"Buying gold is just buying a put against the idiocy of the political cycle" -- Kyle Bass
Posted by: Blast

Re: Preparing for a Euro zone collapse - 12/04/11 03:48 AM

Nice job everyone on sticking to the non-political aspect of this issue.
-Blast, very pleased with all y'all.
Posted by: Byrd_Huntr

Re: Preparing for a Euro zone collapse - 12/04/11 01:14 PM

My skepticism makes me suspicious of gold as the answer to the coming economic problems. If currency is so worthless, and gold so great, why are so many people eager to trade their gold for my worthless money? Bartering in food staples, implements/tools, and essential services will supplant most currency, stocks, and bonds as investments for most people.

I agree with Susan and several others that a person needs quality gardening tools, food processing tools, handyman tools and more importantly, the skills to use them properly. You can rarely buy 'quality' in a store anymore. You have to get it in an antique store or yard sale. We're the 'preppers'; how many of us have enough hand tools, nails and wood to build even a doghouse on hand?

I found the book "The Great Depression...American In the 1930's" by T.H. Watkins to be very informative. Many of the events and conditions described in great detail in the book are already here again.

My parents and grandparents sorted and saved everything. Wire, string, nails, wood and so on.

What will we trade for food and shelter if our savings and/or dollars are made worthless overnight?

Posted by: Susan

Re: Preparing for a Euro zone collapse - 12/05/11 02:16 AM

Quote:
If currency is so worthless, and gold so great, why are so many people eager to trade their gold for my worthless money?


Let me hazard a guess on this.

First off, money is #1 to many/most Americans. It is more important than anything. ANYTHING. Everything they have is valued by it's cost, including people. Money has become the Great God.

Secondly, I suspect that older people whose parents grew up in the 30s and 40s (and talked about how hard it was) aren't selling much gold or silver. I'll even bet that they have small stashes of things like unfashionable jewelry and some silver coins. Maybe not a lot, but the gold and the silver are more real to them than cash. But they'd best be careful about where they keep it, because as the price of gold has increased, so have thefts of jewelry

Thirdly, younger Americans are very big on NEW, and old stuff has no real value to them. Many of them still have their jobs, and think (unrealistically) they will continue to do so, no matter how bad things get. Most of them haven't really known any hard times. "Hard times" to them is when Mom only gives them enough cash to half-fill the tank of their parent-provided sports car. I know young people who are working, sometimes married with kids, and Mommy is still paying for a lot of their stuff. Shut off the power or cut off the money, and these people are going to have a very hard time dealing with it.

Quote:
What will we trade for food and shelter if our savings and/or dollars are made worthless overnight?


Our folding money is made from cotton and ink, our coins are made from zinc, copper and nickel, and our savings, IRAs and stock market investments are made of faith.

Sue
Posted by: chaosmagnet

Re: Preparing for a Euro zone collapse - 12/05/11 02:29 AM

Originally Posted By: Susan
First off, money is #1 to many/most Americans. It is more important than anything. ANYTHING. Everything they have is valued by it's cost, including people. Money has become the Great God.


I'm grateful to say that I've known very few people who act like this.
Posted by: MostlyHarmless

Re: Preparing for a Euro zone collapse - 12/05/11 08:32 PM

The Argentine blog writer Ferfal has a lot to say about the subject. http://ferfal.blogspot.com/

And yes, he really says it's a very gradual decay process, going from bad to worse.

About gold: I used to hold the view that buying gold and jevelry would be just replacing one useless currency (paper money) with another useless currency (gold). However, now I more think of it as a vehicle for moving wealth: Moving from one country with a rotten economy to somewhere better, or moving in time from a bad economic situation to a truly rotten situation and then to a (hopefully) improving situation. Gold or jewelry could be the one thing that stays insanely expensive through all those transitions, and allows you to keep and move wealth. At anyone time you can exchange some of it back to money and buy whatever service you need. The theory is that since paper money loses its value rapidly through hyper inflation you don't have any more money than you need at any given time, whereas gold cold keep its relative value. Paper money would be reduced to an intermediate medium between the transactions of selling gold and the transactions of buying expensive and vitally important services.

But I don't think you should expect anything to work that flawlessly ... finding someone who will give you good exchange rates for your gold (and not rip you off), the threath of being robbed when you have the family heirloom on your person... I don't think you can come through a recession without losses. But if a bunch of jewelry can act as a buffer that mellows out the real expensive PAY-OR-DIE emergencies then that is good.

Ferfal's advice: Basic preparations first (water/shelter/food etc). Then a bunch of cash. Then gold.
Posted by: Susan

Re: Preparing for a Euro zone collapse - 12/06/11 04:52 AM

I see the real value of precious metals as being a sort of stable, portable bank account in unstable times.

In normal times, you have savings accounts, CDs, IRAs, etc 'for later'. But all those things are dependent on conditions beyond your control.

Gold, silver and platinum all retain some value. Maybe not what you paid for it (gold today: $1,794), but it still has value when the other things have lost theirs.

But you need food to stay alive long enough to use it.

Sue
Posted by: Russ

Re: Preparing for a Euro zone collapse - 12/07/11 02:08 PM

Another interesting article on the Euro-zone problem -- UBS' Advice On What To Buy In Case Of Eu...e Weapons".
UBS' Advice On What To Buy In Case Of Eurozone Breakup: "Precious Metals, Tinned Goods And Small Calibre Weapons"

The part of the article of I agree with is in the title; buy "Precious Metals, Tinned Goods And Small Calibre Weapons". Then he discusses various ways it could play out (Take 1, 2, 3 ...) and none of them are good, which I suppose is the reason he advises to stockpile food, PM's and small arms; it's another view to consider. Gaming this out is good because we do not know how it will ultimately be resolved.
Posted by: Paul810

Re: Preparing for a Euro zone collapse - 12/07/11 02:18 PM

Originally Posted By: Russ

UBS' Advice On What To Buy In Case Of Eurozone Breakup: "Precious Metals, Tinned Goods And Small Calibre Weapons"


Funny how, the only two things I have from my grandfather, who lived through the Great Depression, are his .22 rifle and his gold jewelry/silver coins.

He was very adamant that those two items went to his grandchildren.
Posted by: Susan

Re: Preparing for a Euro zone collapse - 12/07/11 06:19 PM

Quote:
Funny how, the only two things I have from my grandfather, who lived through the Great Depression, are his .22 rifle and his gold jewelry/silver coins.


Your grandfather knew. He was there. We can only suspect.

Sue
Posted by: Russ

Re: Preparing for a Euro zone collapse - 12/07/11 06:36 PM

Another tutorial type article on how we got here -- From state debt to state money by some Dutch guy. IMO the way to prepare for a Euro zone collapse is to get out of debt and stop contributing to the problem.
Posted by: Susan

Re: Preparing for a Euro zone collapse - 12/07/11 11:29 PM

Quote:
IMO the way to prepare for a Euro zone collapse is to get out of debt and stop contributing to the problem.


This wasn't caused by Joe Durchschnitt in Düsseldorf, you know. He will be the one paying the price, but he didn't cause it.

Sue
Posted by: Arney

Re: Preparing for a Euro zone collapse - 12/07/11 11:50 PM

Pretty sobering to read about what regular Greeks are doing with their bank accounts--they're taking their money out. Many have to, due to job loss or lost pensions. Many others are doing it to get their money out of the banking system or even out of the country.

Unfortunately, all bank runs (and this is one in slow motion) tend to become self-fulfilling prophecies at some point. Even if the reality is that the bank is OK, just the perception of weakness can lead to a run, which leads to the collapse of the bank. And even if it doesn't, less deposits means less money to lend out, again, throttling the bank. While big, money center banks have other ways of making money, smaller local or regional banks and credit unions depend on this business model.

You can read about it in Speigel Online here.
Posted by: Russ

Re: Preparing for a Euro zone collapse - 12/08/11 01:04 AM

Sue -- Ja, das ist richtig. The German people in general have been and still are savers; IMO they are the good guys in the EU debacle. Some retired Greek dude would disagree. Unfortunately, in a high inflation (turn on the printing presses) economic environment, savers get slaughtered. That is why the Germans are fighting the ECB turning on those printing presses -- inflation. The Germans should have gone back to the Deutschmark when they had the chance.

Unfortunately, the other option is default which will cause the Greek domino to fall over, followed quickly by France whose banks are too heavily invested in Greece and then it gets ugly. Italy and Spain are already on the edge -- lots of top heavy domino's in Europe.
Posted by: MarkO

Re: Preparing for a Euro zone collapse - 12/08/11 04:17 AM

Originally Posted By: Susan
Quote:
IMO the way to prepare for a Euro zone collapse is to get out of debt and stop contributing to the problem.


This wasn't caused by Joe Durchschnitt in Düsseldorf, you know. He will be the one paying the price, but he didn't cause it.

Sue


Actually, you & I are on the hook here too.

If there is a bad day in Brussels, my 401k takes a hit.
Posted by: Susan

Re: Preparing for a Euro zone collapse - 12/09/11 12:58 AM

World money is so entwined that anyone who thinks a single country stands alone hasn't been paying attention. It's bad all over. Not just the Euro and the dollar.

I heard an interesting radio ad from a gold-buyer on KOMO last night, the commentator (John Carlson, I think) was doing the commercial: something about the dollar being weak, but one good thing about the economy is that the value of gold is so high. INCREDIBLE!

What they're really saying is that your money is close to being worthless, your home is worth less than what you owe on it, but bring your last bit of gold to us so we can give you worthless paper money for it. Jeez!

Sue
Posted by: Russ

Re: Preparing for a Euro zone collapse - 12/09/11 03:04 AM

Speaking of intertwined -- "Why The UK Trail Of The MF Global Collapse May Have "Apocalyptic" Consequences For The Eurozone, Canadian Banks, Jefferies And Everyone Else" is a good read -- http://www.zerohedge.com/news/why-uk-tra...ian-banks-jeffe "Reposting by popular demand, and because everyone has to understand the embedded risks in this market..."
Posted by: Brangdon

Re: Preparing for a Euro zone collapse - 12/15/11 07:55 PM

Originally Posted By: Arney
Pretty sobering to read about what regular Greeks are doing with their bank accounts--they're taking their money out.
That was my thought, too. I don't expect an extreme situation will happen without a lot of warning; I'd expect financial problems first. A sudden panic could lead to the banks closing their doors temporarily until things cool down again, so it would be good to have enough cash in hand to coast for a week or two. If you can afford it: inflation is officially around 5% now so it costs to keep cash.

I am not expecting massive inflation in the UK. Nor in the Eurozone, really. Nor a Euro-breakup. Quite the reverse: a basic problem with the Euro is the diversity of member countries, and they seem to be trying to solve it by imposing more uniformity.
Posted by: Blast

Re: Preparing for a Euro zone collapse - 12/16/11 03:29 AM

Quote:
I see the real value of precious metals as being a sort of stable, portable bank account in unstable times.


Exactly. Gold is of little use DURING the hard times. It a way to move your wealth THROUGH the collapse and have it ready to convert into the new money when the hard times end.

Before my wife's family escaped China they had spent several years turning every bit of spare yuan (Chinese money) into gold rings. When they finally made a break for it (a hell of a story in its own right) the rings were sewn into their clothing. In each country they passed through the gold was easily converted into local currency, something they couldn't have done with yuans.

-Blast
Posted by: Nato7

Re: Preparing for a Euro zone collapse - 12/16/11 04:02 AM

Not certain of the value in retreating to precious and semi precious metals in lieu of other negotiable instruments.

The difficulty with this recession is the lack of benchmarks that were present during the Great Depression or even the recession of 1987. Notably the US dollar would have plummeted in value and gold would be sitting at over $2000/ounce. However, this hasn't happened.

This second roller coaster ride was predicted back in 2008 with the initial collapse.

Also, Canada, being a resource based economy would have taken a much more drastic hit owing to the fact that US is still our largest trading partner. Having said that - commodity values are all over the map. Anyone who attempts to predict the price of oil has to have either a strong stomach or ice water in their veins.

There is still reason to be cautious but I would lean more towards diversification rather than exclusion of the entire market for one form of capital.

Just my two cents.
Posted by: Dagny

Re: Preparing for a Euro zone collapse - 12/17/11 04:25 AM

A British perspective on preparedness and rising fears over an EU meltdown.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-...eady-worst.html

Stocking up for Doomsday: As economists predict meltdown, meet the families ready for the worst

By TOM RAWSTORNE

17th December 2011

"Mr Blake set up Emergency Food Storage in Leeds in 2009. He took his lead from the U.S., where the idea of ‘self-preparedness’ is mainstream.

The American attitude is very different and the government there encourages people to be prepared,’ he says. ‘They see that civil unrest could follow a major disaster. If they encourage people to have food and water it will stave off that civil unrest while they put the infrastructure back on line.’

But in Britain, he says, people remain worryingly blasé about the ease with which they can get food and no longer feel the need to stockpile even basic suppli
es.





Posted by: Paul810

Re: Preparing for a Euro zone collapse - 12/17/11 05:53 AM

Originally Posted By: Dagny


The American attitude is very different and the government there encourages people to be prepared,’ he says. ‘They see that civil unrest could follow a major disaster. If they encourage people to have food and water it will stave off that civil unrest while they put the infrastructure back on line.’

But in Britain, he says, people remain worryingly blasé about the ease with which they can get food and no longer feel the need to stockpile even basic suppli[/color]es.[/i]


That brings up an interesting point. I have family in Germany, and when I visit them I take note that they, as well as other families in the area, tend to have very little food stocked up. They either get their cooking ingredients fresh from the local market or they go out to eat at one of the many local establishments. I'm not sure if that is common throughout most of Europe and the UK or not (at least in more urban/sub-urban areas), but it's just something I've noticed.

On one hand, I feel like that likely contributes to better overall health, as nearly everything they eat is prepared relatively fresh. On the other hand, it means they are heavily reliant on local markets and restaurants to maintain their stock of food. Any interruption in service could be problematic.
Posted by: Dagny

Re: Preparing for a Euro zone collapse - 12/17/11 02:15 PM


Where to put all the stuff would be more of an issue in Europe, according to stats on average home size (this is as of 2003, the subsequent housing boom may have exacerbated the difference):

US: 2,300sf
Denmark: 1,475sf
France: 1,216sf
Spain: 1,044sf
Ireland: 947sf
UK: 818sf
Posted by: Russ

Re: Preparing for a Euro zone collapse - 12/21/11 12:35 AM

submitted without comment wink

Martin A. Armstrong audio on King World News

give it a moment or 4..5..6.. to load
Posted by: Pete

Re: Preparing for a Euro zone collapse - 12/21/11 02:20 AM

Actually ... I think you are perfectly positioned in the UK.

All you really need to do is to wait for the next set of riots in Greece - then take a quick bus trip over to Athens. After those young Greek guys start smashing everything with crowbars, just walk around behind them and pick up anything useful on the ground. You know ... bits of old Greek temples, parts of the Parthenon, and stuff like that. I bet you could make some money if you sell your collection on EBay.

Hahaha !

Pete2
Posted by: hikermor

Re: Preparing for a Euro zone collapse - 12/21/11 10:36 AM

Didn't the Brits skim the goodies from the Parthenon some year ago?(the Elgin Marbles)
Posted by: Brangdon

Re: Preparing for a Euro zone collapse - 01/02/12 12:38 PM

Originally Posted By: Dagny
"Mr Blake set up Emergency Food Storage in Leeds in 2009. He took his lead from the U.S., where the idea of ‘self-preparedness’ is mainstream."
I think a big difference is that in the UK we don't have many natural disasters. We don't get big earthquakes or hurricanes or tsunamis. We have floods, but they are pretty local. We have tornadoes, but they only affect a few score houses. My impression is that US people who don't actually live in a hurricane (et al) area are generally no better prepared than we are.

(As an aside, the Daily Mail isn't a reliable source, and Mr Blake is obviously selling something.)