Lessons from the Societ Union

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Lesson from theSoviet Union

            The
U.S. can expect many of the same problems that occurred in the
former Soviet Union when collapse of the dollar occurs.  Therefore, we have a sort of template to use
for preparation.  It is much like when Hurricane Rita struck the U.S. Gulf Coast in 2005.  Three weeks prior, Hurricane Katrina struck the same coast a couple of hundred miles to the east.  As a result of that disaster, the leaders in Lake Charles,
Louisiana and surrounding communities were able to make preparations and no lives were lost.  The damage was
still immense, but cleanup costs and recovery were minimized as a result of the lessons learned from Katrina.

In
similar fashion, we can learn valuable lessons from the collapse of the former Soviet Union
that should be useful in surviving and even thriving in the aftermath.

The
first lesson we should look at is attitude.
Indeed, after the collapse of the former Soviet Union,
two distinct attitudes emerged, each with benefits and each with
disadvantages.  Some managed to meld
these two attitudes so as to glean from each the benefits while avoiding many
of the disadvantages.  We see both at
play even now in our nation, so these should not come as a shock to many.  The first is an attitude of self-preservation
and the second is of community.  Let us
look at each.

Fight
or flight is a defense mechanism buried deep within the primal section of our
brain.  It is the mechanism that allows
us to take unfair advantage of others when necessary to protect our own life—it
is this drive that helps keep soldiers alive and fighting.  We most often see it in the code of the
streets especially when drug deals and other illegal activity are involved.  This is where we get the axiom, “dog eat
dog.”  Indeed, as a raw survival
mechanism, fight or flight is very effective, but as a means of surviving and
thriving long-term in a civilized society, such a technique can be very
counter-productive.  This is useful in
situations of anarchy such as war, civil strife, and natural disasters whereby
timing becomes vital to staying alive.
But when seeking to gain long-term advantage in a capitalistic manner,
we have found that having a sense of community and cohesion is imperative.

Indeed,
in times of serious economic stress, such as occurred with the Great
Depression, family and community ties become vital to survival.  Fight or flight works well when one is only
concerned with self, but when others are involved, such as family and friends,
this technique is best set aside.  How
doe this information apply?

After
the collapse, people more than ever are going to need community cohesion in
order to prevent the complete breakdown of society.  Complete breakdown, while appealing to
anarchists, is counter-productive.  In
order to survive and indeed really thrive in the new economy people will need
to maintain the same ties that provide support today.  It has been said that nothing occurs in a
vacuum and that is indeed true for an economy.
In order for there to be economic recovery after a crash, there must be
demand and production must occur.  One
person can produce goods and services but if there are no customers (demand)
there can be no economic recovery.  An
economy hinges on those two elements: supply and demand.  Without one or the other, there is no
economy.

So
although some may have a romantic vision of a world like that portrayed in the
Mad Max and other post-apocalyptic movies, such a world would be far from ideal
for most reading these words.  Such a
world could only come about if all social and governmental structures were
eliminated.  Although such a world is
possible as a result of the collapse of the dollar, it is not likely.  Most people like living in a civilized
environment and will work to maintain what they have worked hard all of their
lives to achieve.

All
that said, some of the other lessons we can glean from the collapse of the
formerSoviet Union are as follows.

1. Gold and Precious Metals: Useless during the
   crisis and only valuable after a new economy is built and operating smoothly
2. Alcohol and Tobacco:  Very useful commodity for trading
3. Daily Needs: Stock up because such essentials
   as medications, vitamins, and personal care items (shampoo, soap, deodorant,
   etc.) may become difficult to impossible to obtain
4. Food: Stockpile, plant a garden, raise
   livestock, or do whatever else you can to anticipate a disruption in the food
   supply.

More
will be said on the pages dealing with each of the above preparations but for
now let us examine the lessons.  After the
collapse of the USSR, precious metals were useless during the crisis whereas
commodities such as vodka and tobacco were widely sought after in trades for
foods and other products and services.
Although the Soviets did not have the variety of personal care items as
can be found in America, the supplies were disrupted and soap became a precious
commodity.  Stocking up for both personal
use and trade would be wise.  Finally,
food production and distribution was disrupted.
Once a provincial government was established, butter and produce became
the chief form of “official” currency until money was minted.  It would be wise to plan ahead for this
contingency.

We
encourage you to read each page regarding specific measures that can be taken
to survive and thrive after the collapse of the U.S. Dollar.

Related articles

• The Gorbachev Files: Secret Papers Reveal Truth Behind Soviet Union Collapse. (worldnewsrecord.wordpress.com)