Political Lipskip

Self Reliance and Surviving the Government Zombie Crisis

Catchy little title, no? People love zombies and they dig survival topics. Via my sublime understanding of SEO as a web sewer magician I will attempt to lure the bored screen tapper into perusing over 1,000 nicely arranged collection of words.

I believe this country is in trouble economically, socially and politically. That is no secret. The question is what to do about it. I have been hoarding gold, silver, food, water, guns and bullets. Big deal. Prudent people have enough food and water on hand to get through any emergencies that come what may. Prudent people save their money and diversify. Prudent people protect their family and property.

There used to be a time, not too long ago actually, when people in this country were Pioneers. They lived off the land, grew their own food, built their own shelters, cut their own wood, hunted and fished. They were self sufficient. They hoarded food by necessity. My grandparents shopped sparingly at the grocery store once a month. They canned food. Had a couple of deep freezers full of frozen treats. The grew a lovely garden and had half ownership of a farm.

There are some people who are returning to that life of self-sufficiency. Some never left. These folks will be perfectly fine if a financial collapse cometh.

Then you have the zombies. The people that you will be shooting in the face off your front doorstep as they are scrounging for food. These folks buy just enough to get them through the next pay check.  They eat out virtually every meal. They are screwed because they believe the system, the government, will take care of them.

Then, of course, you have those that are losing their minds. I enjoy reading “prepper” blogs. They are vastly entertaining for the fantasy life many engage in writing about. Understand that I believe in preparation. What I don’t care to involve myself in is Mad Max apocalyptic fantasies. Have you read “The Road”? Not pleasant. Denzel Washington is cool as hell in “The Book of Eli”. Your post-apocalyptic life won’t be nearly as awesome.

Preppers talk about “bugging out”. Sounds great until you think….where? OK, sure if I lived in an urban cesspool then I would be thinking about where to go and how to get there in the event of mob rule. Which I don’t discount is coming. Thing is, if you live in the city then you are most likely already a zombie and will be roving around until you get to my front doorstep upon which I’ll have to shoot you in the face.

Preppers talk about all the things they need to survive. The list of items they think they must have to survive when the SHTF. Well, from what I’ve read you’d need a house to store it all in. Are you going to put three rooms worth of survival gear on your back or stuffed in your car? Get real.

Some have a groovy cabin in the middle of nowhere. Great if you live out West. Maybe the roads won’t be too crowded on your pilgrimage to your hideout. If you’re East of the Mississippi then I wonder how you are going get to it with the over-crowded roads. If you stuff all your goods in the cabin, how do you protect it if that is not your primary dwelling?

I think this survival craze is a hobby for many. “Let’s buy a new knife this weekend.” “Check out that camp stove dear!” Look, I love survival gear. I like camping and hiking. But I don’t think for a minute it will be cool to leave my home with a knife, a solar panel, canteen, poncho, a few silver rounds and live in the woods eating grubs and dead cats. Even if there is a crisis, an apocalypse,  mob rule, or similar, I will be barricaded in my home.

What I am most concerned about is the government overlords. The burgeoning police state. An event that sees government over-reaction which includes martial law. Gun confiscation. There is no surviving that. Ask German Jews how they enjoyed the Nazis. Ask Japanese-Americans about their time in the state gulags. The only survival is to leave.

The time to leave is any time before it is too late. Will it come to that? I don’t know. People are certainly making money on folks who believe that expatriating the U.S. is the only answer. The devil is in the details though. It costs money to live in another country. You need savings or a job. And where are you going to go? They say some countries in the Far East are groovy. I certainly loved Singapore. Maybe Latin America. I’m not certain it’s easy monetarily, emotionally, culturally to simply…leave. But then again I’ve been looking at my options.

Like many I have become content with the conveniences of life in the U.S. Maybe things will change as the country converts into a European Socialist utopia. Things may get worse as the collective overtakes the individual. I don’t know. What I do know is I care for my family, friends and church. Those are difficult to simply leave.

I have subscribed to a couple of expat, investing type newsletters. They provide some good information, maybe some actionable items that are reasonable. The problem I find with their advice is they are single dudes or empty nest couples. Traveling the world in a briefcase and a stack of passports is no big deal. Risks can be had because they aren’t responsible to anyone.

I find myself not willing to take those risks because…this is home. Maybe because I AM responsible I should take a risk and leave while I can get everyone out. But it still seems…extreme. Many would argue that it is extreme to live here while the water boils. I don’t know.

My expat newsletter buddies would say I am being overly optimists and naive. That it already is over. Whatever.

I’m not quite ready to give up. I’m not quite ready to let go of Madison’s, Jefferson’s, Adams’, Washington’s republic. The U.S., and the idea of it, is certainly worth fighting for. Why should I be part of the history that lets the leftists, Marxists, Socialists, Occupiers, collectivists take over?

I guess the answer, for now, is to make sure that I can be as self-reliant as possible and not have to grovel for government handouts. To protect my family and property in the event of societal meltdown. To save money in diversified accounts and investments. To surround myself with people I love and trust. To keep informed. To keep the faith.