After the breaking point

As the economic collapse of the United States continues, we are getting very close to the point at which no amount of propaganda will conceal the magnitude of the problem. Rational observers are now experiencing a peak of cognitive dissonance as every corrupt “news” organization bleats out upbeat evaluations of truly dreadful economic statistics. After the breaking point is reached, the general public will share the stunned, disillusioned, and alienated outlook of the well-informed.

What happens to society in a state run by discredited propagandists? If the history of the Eastern Bloc totalitarian regimes is any guide, we can expect serious societal decay: alcoholism, drug abuse, family disintegration, and rising crime. When people no longer believe in the soundness of their government, they regress to more primitive (criminal) security arrangements, and often withdraw to the minimalist state of society, the Hobbesian war of all against all.

I fear that America will endure a dark era in which it slowly purges itself of the endemic dishonesty and corruption that destroyed its prosperity. People who have always taken the easy way out are about to learn that there is no easy way out. Still, we live, and so we must prepare for what is coming. Try to do the following.

1. Turn off your TV and never turn it on again.

2. Make backup arrangements for Internet connectivity in case your ISP fails.

3. Keep a spare computer and parts available.

4. Download and install a Linux operating system and Mozilla browser on your spare computer.

5. Buy tools and learn how to use them to perform useful services and maintain your environment (e.g., table saw, sewing machine, socket wrenches, multimeter, garden tools).

6. Invest in improving your relationships with family, friends, and neighbors. You will need their good will.

7. Practice honesty and reliability in all of your dealings with others.

8. Participate in the Internet community by sharing all useful information you have.

9. Avoid contact with and reliance on anyone who knowingly makes false statements.

10. Minimize your dependence on cash transactions.

The money culture is slowly collapsing. It will eventually be replaced by a culture based on esteem. Cultivate esteem and disengage from money to help rebuild our society.

11 comments

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    • Edger on May 9, 2009 at 04:59
    • kj on May 9, 2009 at 14:35

    watching the writing on the wall and it’s pretty clear that the on-going merger where i work is going to result in closing our facility some months down the line.  we all know it’s coming.  i guess the bullshit of the last so many years has hardened me more than i realized, because i’m neither scared or angry. it’s just coming. another fall off the cliff.

    good list.

  1. One small addition from me:

    When one cannot rely on one’s government to truly protect oneself, one has a duty to self, friends and family to learn some form of self defense. Pick a style that you are comfortable with philosophically and spiritually – but DO IT.

    • kj on May 9, 2009 at 16:07

    active homeless population in this city.  i say ‘active’ because the camps are known to a few select people in ‘power’ and they are kept secret, but visited, with provisions.  you know, gloves, blankets.  (sigh)

    Rate of Job Loss Slows Moderately, Unemployment Rate Rises to 8.9 Percent

    ~~by Dean Baker, truthout.

  2. There are all sorts of options for what is known as ham radio, but the point of all of them is the ability of individuals to communicate with individuals with out the need of an outside agency such as the internet. It takes awhile to become proficient, and licensed, but well worth while if “The Road” becomes prophetic rather than speculative.

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