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Thread: The End of civilization

  1. #1

    Default The End of civilization

    I was thinking certain possibilities recently, that went way beyond economic collapse and social upheaval.
    What if we are about to experience the end of our civilization, as we know it.

    The best way to prepare would be to live in a community that was prepared, with it's own currency, economy, government, military, law enforcement and legal system in place.
    A community not overly connected with the society that was about to fall apart.

    A village of like minded people all with different skills and all with the same protective mindset for the whole village.
    An attack on one member is an attack on the whole village, because it weakens the village if members are lost.

    Individuals could find it hard to survive even if they think they are self sufficient.
    No one can be truly self sufficient for the long term, because at some stage they will have to rely on some external resources.

    The people that will survive the worst case scenarios will live in community, not the lone wolves.

    I have seen communities survive the worst economic destruction. They just created there own currency, and issued it to each member of the community as a dividend.
    People sold their primary produce in that currency and sold their labor and crafts in that currency.
    Some communities today sell 50% of their produce in their own currency, and the other 50% in the countries currency. So when they see that their nations currency is hyper inflated or reduced from circulation in a depression, they can easily transition fully to their own currency.

    Paper money and even gold and silver have no value if there are no products to buy and sell. You can't eat gold, and paper is only slightly more nutritional, so really a community can decide what currency they trade their goods and services in.

    In the depression the money supply was contracted by the banks and millions starved to death. Many starved to death in America, when there was plenty of food and products but very little money in the system.
    A community can issue it's own currency and sell it's own produce and labor in that currency.

    I asked one man where they got there gas to run their cars since their was no oil refinery in their system.
    He just pointed to the olive trees and said they made bio diesel to fuel their cars. And the river powered their homes with electricity.
    The electricity will be sold in the local currency too eventually as more people use it.

    Anyway it makes sense to live in community, a community that produces all kinds of products and primary products, to sell in it's local currency.

    An individual can only do so much preparation, and he will eventually fall way short in the worst case scenarios.

    You can either have the mindset that boards the doors and windows and shoots the scavengers that come begging, or you could be a little more intelligent and community oriented producing food and products that help the whole community.

    You can't produce everything yourself, but a community can produce a much greater amount and variety, that far exceeds an individuals best efforts.
    You can't stay awake 24/7 to defend your property, but a community sure can.

    Unfortunately today many are not so community oriented, and are immature lone wolf Johnny rambos, that only think of themselves. The Modern mentality has trained people to be individualistic, selfish, vain and uncaring.

    It will be interesting to see what happens in the real SHTF scenario, and who truly is prepared.
    THERE AIN'T NO EDGE OF THE PRESERVE


  2. #2
    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    I live in just such a community. It's called America. It's a cool place, too.
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  3. #3

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    Quote Originally Posted by Rick View Post
    I live in just such a community. It's called America. It's a cool place, too.
    What do you mean?
    THERE AIN'T NO EDGE OF THE PRESERVE

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    Super-duper Moderator Sarge47's Avatar
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    Cool Hmmmm...

    Printing your own currency? Backed by what? Back in the 1800s banks all printed there own currency, it got to be such a hassle trying to spend it outside the community that the US decided that they would print the currency, backed by Silver & Gold reserves, that would be accepted anywhere in the nation. Sounds like a 'throw-back" situation to me.
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    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Gordy
    The best way to prepare would be to live in a community that was prepared, with it's own currency, economy, government, military, law enforcement and legal system in place.
    Quote Originally Posted by Gordy
    A village of like minded people all with different skills and all with the same protective mindset for the whole village. An attack on one member is an attack on the whole village, because it weakens the village if members are lost.
    Quote Originally Posted by Gordy
    Individuals could find it hard to survive even if they think they are self sufficient. No one can be truly self sufficient for the long term, because at some stage they will have to rely on some external resources.
    You've just described America.
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  6. #6
    Hall Monitor Pal334's Avatar
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    "I have seen communities survive the worst economic destruction. They just created there own currency, and issued it to each member of the community as a dividend."

    Where is this community, and when did it exist?

    Otherwise, I agree with Rick, you have just described the great old U.S. of A.
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    Super Moderator crashdive123's Avatar
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    I too would be curious to know which communities that you have seen that have created their own currency to issue to members of the community.
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    Super-duper Moderator Sarge47's Avatar
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    Cool Well, since you had to ask...

    Quote Originally Posted by crashdive123 View Post
    I too would be curious to know which communities that you have seen that have created their own currency to issue to members of the community.
    It was in the Star Wars movie: "Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace." On the planet Tatoonine. Remember this line? "Republic credits are no good here." Sheesh, don't you guys watch anything?
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    Super-duper Moderator Sarge47's Avatar
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    Cool Also....

    Leave us not forget the Civil war when the South issued there own money. If you go back to the 1800s you can find different sources of currencies existed, but that's as far as it goes. Hey, is this like the "Spud Compound" up in Idaho?
    SARGE
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    Senior Member BENESSE's Avatar
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    There's always bartering. It has been around for thousands of years and it still works. Just make sure you have something useful to barter with. Leave your money under the mattress.

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    Quote Originally Posted by BENESSE View Post

    make sure you have something useful to barter with.
    Or you might end up like the sexy 28 year old lady, marketing Senior Vice President in "One Second After".

  12. #12
    Super Moderator crashdive123's Avatar
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    I'm just curious. I doubt he's been to some planetary system in a galaxy far, far away and doubt he is old enough to have been around during the civil war. He said:
    I have seen communities survive the worst economic destruction. They just created there own currency, and issued it to each member of the community as a dividend.
    I would like to know where and when.

    I agree with much of the post, and as Rick and Pal have said - kind of describes what we are doing now.
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    Senior Member Camp10's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by crashdive123 View Post
    I too would be curious to know which communities that you have seen that have created their own currency to issue to members of the community.
    Ooooh, I know the answer... It's Chuck E Cheese! They give you tokens and they are good for all games and toys inside the store!!
    "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein

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    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    There actually is a lot of private currency being printed. All legal and all above board. I've personally seen it when I was a kid. The coal mines owned a good number of the mercantile stores and they issued tokens that were paid to employees so they could spend them in the Mercantile. That was in the '50s and I don't think the practice continued into the '60s. The employees got wise I guess but I still have some of the tokens.

    Beyond that, there are several communities printing currency today. Berkshares is one such currency.

    http://www.berkshares.org/

    I don't know whether Gordy has seen it and it would be good to offer up an answer. All of these ideals look good on paper but it's a different story when implementing it. Any Revolutionary War Vet could tell you that.
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    Super-duper Moderator Sarge47's Avatar
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    Cool Hmmmm...

    Quote Originally Posted by Rick View Post
    There actually is a lot of private currency being printed. All legal and all above board. I've personally seen it when I was a kid. The coal mines owned a good number of the mercantile stores and they issued tokens that were paid to employees so they could spend them in the Mercantile. That was in the '50s and I don't think the practice continued into the '60s. The employees got wise I guess but I still have some of the tokens.

    Beyond that, there are several communities printing currency today. Berkshares is one such currency.

    http://www.berkshares.org/

    I don't know whether Gordy has seen it and it would be good to offer up an answer. All of these ideals look good on paper but it's a different story when implementing it. Any Revolutionary War Vet could tell you that.
    Very interesting, Rick, what do they back it up with? Gold? Silver?
    SARGE
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    Super Moderator crashdive123's Avatar
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    I know that some communities have done this here in the United States. Been going on a long time. Not all that different from S&H Green Stamps (well, OK - it's different). Gordy indicated that he has seen it and implied that he has seen it more than once. He even said that he talked to people that were doing it. All of this is certainly possible. But - couple those statements with saying that he has seen communities survive the worst economic destruction by doing this?????? Again - curious as to when(s) and where(s).
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    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    Sarge - There is nothing backing the currency. Just the good faith of those utilizing that form of currency. Fiat money is no different and neither is gold or silver for that matter. All of it is arbitrarily assigned a price by a board that governs that particular form of payment. All any of it is, is a more convenient form of barter.

    Crash - Agreed. That's why I'd like to see him offer up an answer as well. Maybe that has been done many times in Australia. I don't know if it has or not.
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    Super-duper Moderator Sarge47's Avatar
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    Cool Well...

    While I agree with both Crash & Rick about the op's statement regarding viewing precidents regarding communities, I still think that the "currency issue" should be examined by the op as well. Gordy, you can start here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contine...ental_currency
    SARGE
    "Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe."
    Albert Einstein

    Proud father of a US Marine....SEMPER FI!

    They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
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    Senior Member hunter63's Avatar
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    No, I do not want to join a like minded community.....after the OP's opening statement, that generally comes next, after a couple of "amens, amens" that is.
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    Member bobzilla's Avatar
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    People form "communities" daily,they collect capital,talent,products,goods,services,etc.
    After pooling these resources they form a corporation,and issue shares.
    The value of these shares is measured in the productivity,goods,services,etc.

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