Bruce’s Poor Man Survival Bulletin

A Digest of Urban Survival Resources

For Independent Minded People!

ISSN 2161-5543

Normally, we do not so much look at things as overlook them.

From The Smiling Dog Saloon Files

In This Issue:

1. The Five Stages of Collapse-Survivors Toolkit

2. 13 ways to become a prepper, 10 ways to lower heating bills, H2O Storage in suburbs

3. DIY backyard firepit, Dealing the Un-Prepared

4. A Complete Breakdown of America-Part I

China’s bursting bubble will be the driving force behind the next Great Depression. It’s no longer a matter of “if,” but “when.”

The Five Stages of Collapse: Survivors Toolkit

Judging by the lack of response to my postings about anything regarding economics (Most prefer keeping their head buried in the sand) I almost hesitate to share information about Dmitry’s book and blog site…Nonetheless, he offers up some additional perspectives on our country you might find useful…

In the face of political impotence, resource depletion, and catastrophic climate change, many of us have become reconciled to an uncertain future. However, popular perception of how this future might actually unfold varies wildly from "a severe and prolonged recession," to James Howard Kunstler's "long emergency," to the complete breakdown of civilization. In The Five Stages of Collapse, Dmitry Orlov posits a taxonomy of collapse, offering a surprisingly optimistic perspective on surviving the sweeping changes of the day with health and sanity intact.

Arguing that it is during periods of disruption and extreme uncertainty that broad cultural change becomes possible, Orlov steers the reader through the challenges of financial, commercial, and political collapse. He suggests that if the first three stages are met with the appropriate responses, further breakdown may be arrested before the extremes of social and cultural collapse are reached.

Drawing on a detailed examination of post-collapse societies, including the Somali people of Africa, the Pashtuns of Afghanistan, the Roma of Central and Eastern Europe, and even the Russian mafia, The Five Stages of Collapse describes successful adaptations in areas such as finance, self-governance, and social and cultural organization. These fascinating case studies provide a unique perspective on the characteristics that determine highly resilient communities. Shot through with Orlov's trademark dark humor, this is an invaluable toolkit for creating workable post-collapse solutions.

Dmitry Orlov was born in Leningrad, Russia, and immigrated to the United States. He is the author of Reinventing Collapse and maintains the phenomenally popular blog Club Orlov.

http://cluborlov.blogspot.com/

PM’s Roundup of Useful Resources…

10 Ways to Lower Heating Bills
A properly maintained energy-efficient heating system combined with a few savvy household strategies can significantly reduce your home's energy consumption. Here are 10 tips that can help lower your heating bill without compromising home comfort. Read more.

The Perfect Homemade Biscuit Mix from Food Storage

Water Storage for a Suburbanite (link)

Definitely some good thoughts about water storage and procurement for suburbanites like me, including in 55-gallon barrels, storing water for more than just drinking, for pets, and more. My only question–and I don’t know the answer for sure–is that the article states pool water cannot be used for consumption unless distilled because the chemicals do…

Continue reading Water Storage for a Suburbanite (link)

Low Cost Organic Fertilizer That Makes Your Plants Go Wild (video)

Worms… good for your compost AND for scaring little girls. Apparently this isn’t your normal earthworm but, rather, about mealworms and the amendment (aka. worm poop) that you can buy and add to your soil to boost nutrients……

Continue reading Low Cost Organic Fertilizer That Makes Your Plants Go Wild (video)

Ultimate Food Canning/Preserving PDFs & Video Tutorials

http://www.poormansurvival.com/Pages/urbangarden.aspx

13 Ways to Become an Awesome Prepper (link)

Gaye always seems to have wise advice for us and she’s so humble when doing so… you gotta’ love that! Here’s 13 ways she suggests (and I couldn’t agree more) to become an AWESOME prepper with links to additional articles for more information: “There was a time when I was a newbie prepper and to…

Continue reading 13 Ways to Become an Awesome Prepper (link)

How to Build a Fire Pit for Your Backyard (link)

A fire pit is a wonderful addition to any home, not just for the ambiance but also because it can be an excellent and safe place for an emergency campfire if need be. Here’s how to build one from scratch: “Having a fire pit in your backyard is an awesome way to have a backup…

Continue reading How to Build a Fire Pit for Your Backyard (link)

How Will You Deal with the Unprepared?

The Nanny State- Your Weekly Dose of Government Misinformation

U.S. tech companies increase lobbying efforts related to surveillance, NSA

Technology firms Apple, Google, Facebook, and Microsoft, among other tech powerhouses, are quietly increasing lobbying efforts directed at government surveillance laws as they seek to have a say in what Congress does regarding surveillance reforms and National Security Agency (NSA) programs. Traditionally, tech firms have not pushed for restrictions on the ability of the U.S. intelligence community to collect data, and it is not clear what position these industry leaders will take, whether they plan to take a position at all, or whether they will present lawmakers with a united industry front.

Gun rights groups go after NSA

Gun rights groups are throwing their weight behind efforts on Capitol Hill to rein in the National Security Agency (NSA). The National Rifle Association (NRA) is among a number of groups that have signed on to an American Civil Liberties … Continue reading →

The Parting Thought – Nothing to worry in the land of the free!

A Complete Break Down of America

According to the NAACP, Texas taxpayers spent $175 million in 2009 to imprison residents from a small part of Houston – only 10 zip codes out of 75. As a result, people from neighborhoods that are home to only about 10% of the population account for more than 33% of the state's entire $500 million annual prison spending. These neighborhoods are overwhelmingly poor and African American.

In Pennsylvania, taxpayers spent $290 million in 2009 to imprison residents from just 11 of Philadelphia's neighborhoods, representing about 25% of the city population. On this relatively small urban area, the state will spend roughly half its $500 million prison budget. These neighborhoods are overwhelmingly poor and African American.

In New York, taxpayers will spend $539 million to imprison residents from only 24 of New York City's 200 different neighborhoods. Only 16% of the city's population lives in these areas, but they will account for nearly half of the state's $1.1 billion prison budget. These neighborhoods are overwhelmingly poor and African American.

America has many problems... but these neighborhoods represent more than a society in decline. Life in these places reflects a complete collapse of Western civilization. What's happening in these communities? Most would agree the result has been a breakdown of schools and community.

In Detroit, only 27% of the black male students in the school system graduate from high school. This is not a racial problem: Only 19% of the white male students graduate from those same schools. What's causing this problem? A complete breakdown of society. When communities can no longer teach their children the most basic academic skills, such as reading, math, history, literature, and economics... what future can we expect? And what kind of society do you expect after several generations of total ignorance?

These problems are still found primarily in urban areas, but they are spreading across the country. In Pinellas County, Florida, only 21% of black male students graduate from high school. In Palm Beach County, Florida, you find a similar number. The same numbers are consistent in nearly every major metropolitan area.

What opportunities are available in America to people without even a basic education? The New York Times reports almost 70% of black males without a high school diploma are unemployed in the United States.

According to various studies, black males who dropped out of school by age 16 are four times more likely to end up in jail than those who remained in school. Crime is literally all they know. Likewise, a black youth whose mother was a high school dropout is 88% more likely to end up in jail. These are the two primary reasons nearly one in 11 adult black men are either in jail or on parole.

How did this all happen? How did we end up with expensive schools that can't teach? How did we end up with young mothers who aren't married? How did we end up with entire generations of people who won't – and probably can't – work in the labor force? How did we end up with a skyrocketing prison population? The prison population in America has soared from less than half a million people in 1980 to more than 2.5 million people today. More than 7 million adults are in prison or on parole in the United States. We have an incarceration rate that's seven times higher than any other industrialized nation.

Is this the land of the free?

Let's ask the most basic question: What has the gigantic increase in welfare spending and education spending done for the underclass of America? It seems apparent that growth in federal spending has caused more harm than good. When you study these neighborhoods, what you find is a horrifying story that's been repeated, generation after generation since the early 1960s. It's a story of families who have been destroyed by their dependency on the state.

The truly extraordinary part is that all these things happened after these neighborhoods began voting and electing their own (typically black and Democratic) leadership. The socialism they voted for themselves led most directly to the destruction of their communities. It was their own mayors, ward leaders, and congressmen who chose this path and were often guilty of corrupt practices.

Part II coming in the next edition…

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