Compare the previous interview with Michael Ruppert with the later interview above, then move on the the advice he gives about 'disengagement':
Towards a Method of Disengagement
What we should do to get out of the trap of an infinite growth-based econonmy is based on two assumptions, which are actually the key OBJECTIVES of any disengaging strategy:
- We need to be able to make decisions about our lives on rapidly changing, fluid circumstances - we must be flexible enough financially, socially and psychologically to adapt to extreme conditions
- There will be little or no help forthcoming from governments whose contingency plans are all geared towards preserving the infrastructure rather than caring for people, so do not rely on assistance from this source
- There could be a nuclear solution to 'peak oil', but this could lead to further political and economic conflict with the added threat of global armageddon
So here's a rudimentary map or plan of action to help us to 'disengage':
1. Get out of debt
2. 'Balance sheet' : make an account of income and expenditure so as to know where to cut back on spending
3. 'Rainy day account': save a little every week and let it earn interest in a savings account or in a place where it's making something
4. Stay away from all forms of credit as much as possibe (even student loans!), but if you have to get credit, stick to short term, very low (fixed, not adjustable) interest rates
5. Stay away from investing in the stock market
6. 'Investment': Buy gold (and silver) - a tangible asset kept in a safety deposit box or a safe at home
7. 'The home': Do not buy a property, rent one
8. 'Sustaniablity': Find a small plot of land and prepare it for growing your own food - be self-sufficient
9. Insulate your home carefully to safeguard against rise of heating costs
10. 'Network': keep alive the social connections that you trust implicitly - consider re-locating to form a local group or community of friends and family who will take care of each other
11. 'Siege mentality': Avoid hoarding stuff in preparation for any further econimic meltdown, but certainly act prudently enough to safeguard yourself from immediate disruptions
12. If you are fully debt-free, be cautious about how you 'spend' your credit to prepare for short term disruptions (see point 4)
13. 'Liquidity': try to have as much 'cash-in-hand' as possible or something that is quickly transferable into cash (see points 3 & 6)
14. 'Currency': be prepared to use 'regional currencies', instead of the national currency, for exchanging goods and services actively build a local currency for trading things
15. 'Banking': use a small, local bank that re-invests locally instead of a national High St bank whose shares trade in the stock market and whose first responsibility is to their shareholders rather than you - stay clear of credit card accounts from these big banks
16. 'Spending': spend your hard-earned money on local produce and stay clear of the High St supermarkets
17. 'Ownership': create neighbourhood stock corporations - people have joint shares in the stock of the community as a means of determining the value of the stock and their standard of living
18. 'Personal growth': don't waste your energy on converting people who are closed to change - find people who think like you do and work with them to adjust yourself
19. 'Wake up call': educate the young to THINK about the issues of the post-oil era so that they can help themselves and make a good life
20. 'Media': think for yourself and critically assess everthing that you are confronted with through the TV, newspapers, Government initiatives, technological gadgetry...
Remember: this is NOT an exhaustive list. What else could you do?
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