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Introduction The USA is going down fast. People are worried and have been for many years. Many have adopted a survivalist mentality. Of course these people differ in degree. Some will move out into the country and get a secure home with land and prepare for the worst. Others will stay in the cities and suburbs stockpiling food, weapons etc. Then there are others that keep thinking about it saying the time is coming but it never does arrive. What we are going to do is compare being an expat to being as survivalist and staying in the USA.
The Survivalist Way of Thinking and Planning They correctly believe something bad is going to happen in the USA. This is correct and no one really knows the exact depth or directions the problems will take but it is fairly certain things cannot keep going like they are now. The survivalist feels they need to go be self-sufficient, live off the land etc to survive the future. Yes they may be correct but and a BIG BUT they do not know what they are going to be up against so preparations are difficult at best. The literature and web sites that survivalists read is full of flaws. Most all of these sites are selling survivalist merchandise. This can be food supplies, guns, ammo, gear, solar products, water systems, etc. The book writers are selling books. See there is a serious financial motive influencing these survivalist sources of information. This of course distorts the picture substantially. Lets look at some things that the common information sources do not dwell on.
Some Things a Survivalist Cannot Prepare Against
1. Lack of functioning Hospitals - In the post collapse days the hospitals will not be functioning. What if one needs intensive care as a result of trauma like a gunshot wound, fall from height, or a heart attack, bad birth, etc. What about non-life threatening diseases like ulcers, diabetes, high blood pressure, cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, and the list goes on. The hospitals will be long gone in the event of a government failure. Their supplies will be gone. The power will probably be out. Even if one had access to a doctor without the hospital facilities there would be no workable solution for trauma injuries. Think gunshot accidents or wounds, chainsaw accidents, fire accidents, falls from height, auto and tractor accidents, getting kicked by a horse, knife accidents, broken glass accidents, and the list goes on. There is no way to protect against this. A big weakness in the survivalist scenario. I am aware that alternative health care is at least as effective as conventional medicine for many things but and again a BIG BUT it is not effective for trauma.
2. Trained Survivalist Gangs The survivalist literature always talks about being off the main roads, away from the cities etc. The threat is roving bands of people from the cities or ghetto looking to loot, pillage and steal. The problem is one does not know when this will happen, how many the enemy will have, their skill set, weapons, determination etc. Who wants to live in a farmhouse or rural cabin in constant fear of being attacked? How does one family sleep? They would need to stand watch in shifts. What a life. Other options would be to form a community and take turns standing watch, going on foot patrol etc. If you are in a fixed place and are a presenting yourself as a target, you are at a disadvantage. The enemy can chose their moment to attack.
Ok lets start debunking hard. What if the criminals looking to take you out and get your supplies are determined and educated like a survivalist. They have families. Many of their supplies were destroyed by flood, fire, or perhaps they had their supplies stolen. They are desperate. They too are survivalists and armed. Ok lets say they decide to start laying pungi stakes around your property to take out a few people or cause a lot of distractions to the group this way. Then they decide to use says pits, bear traps, or even ambush some of your patrol persons. They use poison, sniping, stakes, traps bows and arrows, etc to get your dogs if they go out of the compound. Now two man patrols are needed. Then comes sniping. And after 2-4 days of this you and your enclave are a mess emotionally. Some of you are dead, some hurt and others freaking out emotionally. You are caring for the wounded that are possibly in life threatening condition. Pungi stakes usually have dung or poison on them. Then they attack when your nerves are frayed from lack of sleep. This is only a probing attack to see your defenses.
Maybe they are doing this to a few compounds simultaneously. Maybe they are not even thieves but just more extreme survivalists and see too many compounds in the area as a threat to them since more compounds will draw more attention. They might not like to see your smoke in that it can alert others. Maybe they only use fires at night and resent you using fire during the day. Maybe they resent the noise your power tools make. This motivates them to get rid of the other compounds and the reward of more supplies is an added inducement. A criminal street gang straight out of the ghetto would not be that challenging to repel. They would have little staying power, the odds of them finding you would be low and they would not want to press an attack more than a few minutes. The gang that has military skills and a lack of morals is the real threat that the survivalist literature does not take into account because the outcome will be terrible for those in the compound.
The chances of them making it out of such an attack alive would be low; at best they would take bad losses. If a survivalist had a true fort with mortars and artillery to work the cleared 60 yards around the fort they would of course become a much more difficult target but, again a BIG BUT if the enemy also had mortars and artillery then the fort would lose. In place of artillery can be shoulder-fired weapons. This brings us to the next topic.
3. Military Gangs In the most common survivalist scenarios the military would be dysfunctional at best. It is most likely that some gangs would form composed of members of a military unit. They could be cut off, suffer from lack of supplies etc. Problem is they have weapons, skills and can work together as a trained unit. A formidable foe for the survivalist on any level. What if the military gangs use helicopters for spotting targets and transporting members to attack them. What if they have armored cars, or tanks? What if their helicopters have weapons? See the enemy may not be a street gang with Saturday night specials and stolen cars smoking crack.
4. Formal Military Attack This can be from the US government or another government. If the USA falls apart would another government under cover of the UN might move in to restore order? A possibility for sure. What would that be like? Who knows? They would probably have air, satellites and armor. This means the survivalist will eventually be identified, located and dealt with. They would know they are armed and would want them disarmed and registered as quickly as possible. If left alone the survivalists would soon have a common enemy, and then group together and become a more significant threat. The foreign troops will be scared since they never had to deal with a group of civilians utilizing such sophisticated weapons along with the knowledge of their use and determination since they are fighting for their land and families. The foreign troops would not know the language, the culture or the lay of the land. Their advantage would be air support, artillery and armor. They would hit hard and fast those that were armed. The city dwellers would soon be brought under control. Checkpoints, searches, registration and dependence on the invaders for food, water, medical, safety etc. The survivalists if left unchecked over time would be a bad problem for the invaders. Soon militias would form that could run into the thousands. They could start attacking the military and get bigger weapons and this could be the undoing of the invaders who would be left with holding the cities, which would only drain their resources. If there was an active militia resistance another foreign power opposed to the invaders could join in the fight to unseat the invading country. Things can get complex. All that being said imagine trying to rebel a group of 60 trained soldiers well equipped? Think mortars, tanks, flamethrowers, etc. They dont depict this sort of thing in the literature because it is end game for the survivalist and then why would they buy all the survival supplies.
5. Chemical and Biological Attacks After the Government breaks down there may be a play for the nukes and other war toys the USA has stockpiled. We really do not know the extent of their stockpiling but we can rest assured it is vast and not just war toys. They may be chemical and biological attacks on the USA to wipe out the population thus no resistance to those want the nukes and other stored goods. If it is thought that "we the people" can get control over the weapons then a nuclear attack could be the reaction of foreign powers only too glad to be rid of the USA once and for all. Being a survivalist may not be that much fun.
6. Military Coup - Lets say the military wants to overthrow the government and does so. Then what? See what I mean. The literature does not deal with this. How do the survivalists deal with an aircraft carrier fleet? What if the military sees fit to run things as a junta government for a while? What if, what if, what if? See the problems. The military has warships, aircraft, tanks, satellites etc. If they take over this would be a big problem. The ranks of the military would stay together without dissension since they would thus be best able to provide for their families this way. If the military let a constitutional government be formed then it would be fine. Remember the guys in charge of the military were put there by the bankster run politicians, so dream on. Expect a false democracy and eventually a restoration of the same political garbage with a different cast of characters. One of the first things they would go after is the guns and that means the survivalists. The promises would be turn in your guns, register and lets restore order and get a constitutional government. Believe that and you are in trouble. Fight against that and you will have a hard time. A phony military coup is a desperate but effective measure the government could use. The survivalists would cave in under this. They have no defense against satellite detection and helicopters and aircraft unless they want to bury a Winnebago under the ground and live like that.
What will life be like for the Survivalist? They are living detached from the world in a compound. Everyone is under stress. The people are cut off from their friends and family to a great extent. Life will not be so hard in the early months. When the supplies run out then the trouble sets in. There will be no electricity; no Internet, no newspaper, no cable and people will not really know what is going on. There will be some ham radio communications but there may be propaganda radio stations set up by the enemy whoever that may be, to distribute disinformation. The infighting amongst them in the compound will be a big problem. Boredom another big problem. Uncertainty will weigh heavily. Think about cut off soldiers living in the woods after world war two was over for a few years in some cases. Once the government has collapsed they will not know what happens. Very bad scenario psychologically for which there is no real preparation. Stress will be high. If their compound gets surveillance stress will soar. If they get attacked even by thugs from the city stress will go through the roof.
What future does the survivalist have? Not much unless order is restored and they stop becoming survivalists. They will be very untrusting of any new regime. They will not trust anything but barter and precious metals. Integrating back into a society will be hard. Remember they will soon get used to making up their own laws and rules. They may stay like they are until they die off.
Now Lets Look at the Expat The expat left the USA. He sold his house car and whatever he could not take with him and left. He moved his money out of the USA and put it in other countries in offshore banks with internet access and credit cards before leaving. Owning gold he soon found out is hard fro an expat and has a lot of disadvantages. One has to secure it against fire and theft. Not so easy. It is almost impossible to move it cross border today. Gold is not for expats they soon found out. The expat also found out that owning 42 firearms is another problems and sold them before leaving. Same for his ammo collection of 18,000 rounds. No country really cares for people importing firearms. This is something a citizen can do but only in extremely small quantities, like two at most. In general it is far more trouble than it is worth. He also found out that it is best to sell the cars before leaving. Parts are different in other countries and there are import taxes on cars. Used cars are quite affordable in many countries.
The Expat Move The expat isolates a country he would like to live in. There are numerous choices available. Mexico is not a good choice because it is adjacent to the USA and the trouble in the USA will be likely to affect Mexico. They can go to parts of Africa, Central America, South America and the Far East. Europe is out as a choice. This article is not going to discuss the individual countries. He looks for a country that will let him become a citizen either immediately or in a few years (2-5 years). He finds a country that does not have a strong relationship with the USA and their close allies so as to be able to survive when the USA fails. He looks for a country where is substantial freedom.
Analyzing the gun control and tax laws of the country will help a lot as knock out questions. If most drugs can be bought without a prescription this is another indication of freedom. Studying the criminal code is also helpful especially the search laws and probable cause. High taxes and no guns means drop this one and move on. He accepts the fact he may need to learn a language. The expat realizes that the whole world does not revolve around the USA and their close allies. Many countries will continue to thrive if the USA goes under. He picks a country far enough away from the USA so as to be unaffected by roving gangs and nuclear fall out in the event there is a nuclear attack on the USA. This is not Mexico. It is good to find a country that has a lot of agriculture and borders an ocean for seafood. This insures the country will have food supplies. It is also wise to choose a country with at least a nine-month growing season, twelve months is even better. This makes food cheaper and more plentiful. One also needs to look at the hospitals and costs involved. Most of the time medicine and doctor visits will be one fourth to one third of the USA price. Hospital stays and surgery will be equally as cheap or even lower priced. Alternative health care availability can vary greatly and this should be investigated to suit your needs.
The Expat Life The expat can chose to live in a city, on the beach or in the countryside of their new nation. They will have access to food, water, medical, transportation, housing, police protection, internet, phones, newspapers, airports, ports, boating, etc. Compare this to the survivalist in their compound. See the difference. The expat is going to out for dinner and go catch a movie while the survivalist is going to read some novel by the fireplace with no electric lights.
The Expat Survivalist For some just escaping the USA is not enough. The fear of a breakdown runs deep. They are not well advised about nations independent of the USA hardly skipping a beat as the USA chokes to death economically. What they should do is go find a nice warm country with a twelve-month growing season. Get a house an hour or more away from a city. Make sure the house is three miles from a main road or artery. Get a few acres and a nice house. Think $150,000 or much less with the land, the house and barn. Land with rivers, ponds, wells etc are easy in many places. They can grow enough fruit and vegetables to feed a family of four on an acre easily. Remember twelve-month growing season. They can grow their own medicinal herbs as well.
Then add in a barn for cows, horses and goats. Dont forget the chicken coup. The cows, chickens and goats are for meat. Cows and goats for milk and cheese. Chickens for eggs. Horses for transportation. In reality this person would probably wind up with several acres, ten would not be a lot of money. They could have a tractor running on diesel. If it got bad then they could use the horses to plow. This way they would have food to barter with if things got bad there, remember we are in a survivalist mindset now. Once they got permanent residency or citizenship they could get guns. Numerous big dogs would not be a problems and good dogs with papers would be about one fifth the USA price or less. Pitbulls, rots, German shepherds are available just about anywhere. Now before the collapse of the USA they would be living comfortable with electricity, gas tanks being delivered to the farm, internet by DSL or satellite, land line phones, water, cell phones, nearby hospitals, doctors, pharmacies, supermarkets etc.
If the USA went then it would be a warning to be cautious and watch carefully current events for warning signs but they would be better off than in the USA and there life should change precious little. These countries may have some economic bumps in the road is about it. You can have a few hundred gallons of gas in tanks or even fifty-five gallon drums. The problems in these countries would be temporary maybe lasting a few months worst case. Seeing a breakdown in civil order would be very unusual. Shortages or interruptions in supplies would be more likely. In any event you could take care of yourself if you had to but it probably wouldnt come to that.
Assume Things Get Bad in Expat Land Ok first off we are going to avoid the big police states with large armies. I will speak to central and South America (no Mexico, Chile, Argentina, or Venezuela). The armies will be small. They will consist of soldiers from the lowest socio-economic strata. They will be uneducated. Many will have grown up in a home with no computer and no books. They will be trained to a mediocre level. They will have inexpensive assault weapons and lousy sidearms. They will have .223 assault rifles and 9mm pistols. Their communications equipment will non encrypted radios and walkie-talkies. They will not have any helicopters to speak of let alone those with night optics and sophisticated weaponry. Their air force will be close to non-existent. The only satellites they will have access to is google earth. Any tanks and armor they have will be used to guard the capital not roam around the countryside looking for booty. In the event of social unrest they will be protecting the capital and major cities. They might also be called to protect and control borders. The military will be small. The police will be even more poorly equipped and poorly trained than the army. They will have junky 9mm pistols with ball ammo. They will be sorely lacking communication equipment. They will be poorly motivated and in the habit of avoiding trouble and confrontations. They will often drive by a crime in progress. If you call them to your house they may never come or show up hours later. These are not a very threatening force. They will be guarding government buildings, utilities, main arteries, borders etc. In these countries the thought of scouring the countryside looking for food is foolish. There are thousands and thousands of productive farms around. No food shortages. The climate is mild so shelter and clothing is not an issue. You will be most unlikely to encounter armed citizen groups looking to loot and cause problems and even less likely to encounter military or police wild gangs. The government is not hated like in the USA. The government is not mistrusted like ion the USA. People will try to work with the government thus the problems will be much less. In the USA the trouble is the government and this would not be the case. In the unlikely event that the backlash hit your expat country the effects would be minimal, last for a much shorter period of time and the chances of a complete meltdown in civil order are most remote. In the big cities of course there could be some risks if the power went out but again most unlikely and the people are not stupid enough to burn their own neighborhoods. The next mitigating factor is there is not as much of a race card to play in these countries thus again reducing the threat level.
A Word on Guns for the Expat Only in the USA are you going to be able to own the amount of guns and type of guns the USA allows. Assault rifles will be tough to get. Pistols will be easy. Berettas, Sig Sauer and Glocks are common in most of the calibers. Forget 10mm and .45 Gap. Hollow point ammo will be available. Twelve gauge shotguns are easy. Brands like Remington and Mossberg are common for shotguns. Double 00 buck will be available. With shotguns, and pistols one can defend themselves to an acceptable level. A shotgun with a 26 or 28 inch barrel and a suitable choke can be made to reach out to 100 yards. Usually if you are a citizen and make a concerted effort you will be able to obtain assault weapons in semi-auto, even full auto. Learn the language and start hanging around the ranges and gun stores making gun friends. In almost every country concealed licenses will be easy to get. Make real sure you find out what happens if you shoot someone in self-defense. They have preventive detention in many countries where you are in custody but not exactly in jail while the police decide if you are guilty of anything or not. This can be one or two days or months. Varies by country and who your lawyer is in many places. Have your gun friends refer you to a lawyer. Learn the legalities associated with guns.
Closing Argument Clearly the expat is going to be more secure and enjoy a better quality of life. Their chances of survival will be greater by far. Having gunfights to defend your compound is not fun. If you get wounded you arent going to call 911 and go to the ER. You may die an agonizing death that takes a few days or it may come to amputation of a limb and you can forget about prosthesis. In my opinion the survivalist has been fed a lot of truths about some things but also those seeking to sell him things omit many things. They sell things like food supplies, compasses, solar products, water filters, guns, ammo, first aid equipment and anything else you see them advertise on these sites. Then come the books, which are for the personal gain of the author. The more educated choice is to liquidate and leave for greener pastures in another country. The USA is going to fall apart economically and there will be backlash in the form of civil unrest. In the remote chance it recovers you can always move back. Once you commit to being a survivalist you burn your bridges and leaving is no longer an option. But do not think the survivalist game is a good one to play. Everyone is armed to the teeth in the USA. If the egg hits the fan it is going to ugly. Just look at how the people sue each other in the courts. Look how they drive on the freeways. Look how they fight over the kids and assets in divorce court. Look at the divorce rate. The drug use rate, the alcoholism rate. Look at the racial problems. What about the millions of gang members. Now take away laws and police and see what you get. Leaving the USA is the safe harbor. Remember the one that gets out first, gets out with the most.
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