Yet another nail in the coffin....

[1Admin]

Yet another nail in the coffin of the whole "community! Community!" approach to survivalism-

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2011/07/25/geithner_we_write_80_million_checks_a_month.html

"We write 80 MILLION checks a months..."

That's what 1 in 4 Americans getting some sort of gubmint money every month?

Yes I realize some of these are SSI, some are Veteran's benefits, but I bet a pile of them aren't....

I've often said the only place a TRUE community approach to survival MAY work would be in a place where NO ONE took ANY type of gubmint money/assistance, etc. I'm not even sure it's possible to find such a place now!

Not sure if this includes state welfare, "peach cards" type stuff, WIC, etc. I'm sure the numbers are higher than we realize.

[Grand58742]

It's quite the nasty web we've spun ourselves in this nation.

The Government (as it is) cannot cut entitlement (which I hate to use that term since they aren't really entitled to anything) without having severe backlash from the entitlement crowds that have been living on welfare for several decades, had babies for money with no daddy around and generally lying around waiting for the government stipend to come in. And with these severe backlashes, we will have rioting, looting, anarchy and general mayhem in our...100 or more most populated cities. And not everyone of them will be able to keep order.

So bring in the active military, National Guard and Reserves along with police forces. However, the nation cannot secure all those areas anymore since the drastic cutbacks of our forces in the 90s. Additionally, with 200K troops overseas, there's 20 percent of the fighting force gone. Plus, some Guard and Reserves...I'd say at least a third, won't show since they will be tending to their own problems or are already involved as first responders, police, firemen, and medical professionals. So there's another chunk gone. And State Governors will want to keep "their" Guard forces in State, so now you have the States battling the Feds over control of the military.

And the government cannot afford to keep on the Guard and Reserve for long periods without cramming itself deeper into the toilet of debt...and how do you think we will pay them? With promises? The .mil I know won't be fooled by empty promises, there's more of a chunk leaving to take care of Momma.

And in the aftermath of the rioting, looting and general anarchy, insurance companies will suddenly say "we can't pay out the billions (or trillions) of dollars in damages caused by these animals." Which in turn forces the Government to either step in and do another "bailout" and get us to about that bent place in the toilet drain. Or say "we can't afford it" and default on debts owed to the world. And you have more anarchy since they cannot afford to pay bills or service members or just about anything. They raise taxes, but folks aren't working anyway and refuse to pay. Order breaks down even further in the urban areas, reaching the suburban areas now.

And generally the animals move outward into your community looking for additional food, water and resources since the cities are long since pillaged and burned. The national infrastructure breaks down, supplies aren't moving, mass starvation and sickness, feudalism starts in selected areas, other nations economies stutter and collapse, bringing them into the anarchy. And so continues until we hit the bottom of the septic tank.

Yes, quite the web we've spun here. And all because someone a long time ago thought they could reach into my pocket, take money I worked for and give it to someone who wouldn't work, but felt they were entitled to my money. There's more to it, but that's about the gist of it.

Yeah, there aren't many ways out of this peacefully.

[610Alpha]

Well said Grand...the nail was driven into the coffin when the "New Deal" came out, it was new all right, up until that point in time u worked for what you got and you took care of your own (or you're worse than an unbeliever - look it up). Done made up my mind that if my grandparents need food or help financially that I will do the best I can to help them out. Funny thing is my grandfather lived through the Great Depression! He ate blackbird pie, coon, opossum, etc.

[claymore]

Your TRUE community would be one self-contained, made up maybe of folks from this S&P forum, like minded, banded together....like the Amish. Don't know where that came from.

[qrprat77]

The Amish? They came from Germany...

Reality is a strange thing, and affects people strangely. Some people find out how to give and receive hospitality real quick when they face crisis. Some people who think they have their junk together will find out they don't, and real quickly discover they are the people doing the things they swore they would defend against.
I would say more, but don't want to become angry.

[miked2345]

That's what 1 in 4 Americans getting some sort of gubmint money every month?

Ok, when you put it THAT way it sounds bad.... But it's probably not 1 in 4 - You have to figure in the massive fraud that accompanies any gubmint program! So after you weed out all the scammers getting multiple checks, it's probably 1 in 6.

That feels better, right?? :)

[brokedownbiker]

Keep in mind that 24% of our population are children. That means it is more like 1 in 3 is cashing those checks. Yeah....... that makes me feel a LOT better.

[Triple-sod]

I’m from the UK but the situation here is pretty similar if not worse, certainly we have a more socialist system of welfare. To be honest though I don’t think people ‘on the dole’ are much worse than the majority of the sedentary middle class...... Either way, I agree for the most part you’d have to be a fool to go down the 'community route’.