The ongoing SHTF

[cosermann]

So, how do you think Houston, Dallas, Phoenix, San Antonio, San Jose, Jacksonville, Indianapolis, and Austin stack up with the cities mentioned in the article (since they're all in the top 15 cities by population [1])?

In other words, how do you think Houston, Dallas, Phoenix, San Antonio, San Jose, Jacksonville, Indianapolis, and Austin as a group. . .

compare to. . .

New York, Boston, Washington, Los Angeles, Detroit, Cleveland, Baltimore, Memphis, New Orleans, St. Louis and Oakland as a group.

[1] - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_cities_by_population

 

[roisigns]

I have told my family members over and over to get out of debt and prep.

If SHTF, why be out of debt when debt can be used to buy 'beans, bullets & bandaids?'

 

[OneShotFOGE]

So, how do you think Houston, Dallas, Phoenix, San Antonio, San Jose, Jacksonville, Indianapolis, and Austin stack up with the cities mentioned in the article (since they're all in the top 15 cities by population [1])?

In other words, how do you think Houston, Dallas, Phoenix, San Antonio, San Jose, Jacksonville, Indianapolis, and Austin as a group. . .

compare to. . .

New York, Boston, Washington, Los Angeles, Detroit, Cleveland, Baltimore, Memphis, New Orleans, St. Louis and Oakland as a group.

[1] - List of United States cities by population - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Well Phoenix is the kidnapping capital of our country so maybe you should move them to the other list. Also Chicago is more dangerous than Afghanistan.

Kidnapping Capital of the U.S.A. - ABC News

 

[The Bubba Effect]

If SHTF, why be out of debt when debt can be used to buy 'beans, bulltes & bandaids?'

There are different types of shtf.

There is the cliff version where the lights go out and never come back on. In that type, holding a bunch of debt wouldn't be a bad thing. The debt would likely become a complete non issue.


There is the hyperinflation version where borrowing a bunch of money and buying beans, etc could work out. Paying back the debt with valueless money later makes debt is not a bad thing in this version either (barring legislation to protect lenders by recalculating debt to "new dollars", which is not unlikely considering our government's track record of protecting the banks at all costs).



There is also the slow burn version where you borrow a bunch of money, then lose your job because everything is just crumbling (including the economy), but the lights stay on and deflation catches up with or passes inflation. In this scenario, holding debt will drag you down and take everything you have (it is not impossible that in such a situation bankruptcy laws will be radically changed to make most any debt non dischargable).

All in all, you can bet on debt, but I would rather kill it.
PS: Dave Ramsey is my homeboy

 

[zippy23]

What is alarming is the upturn in "retail violence" rather than the more-or-less constantly ongoing gang troubles or organized crime efforts. People killing relatives or going on a killing spree, then killing themselves. I don't know when this idea started to become palatable to people or what has popularized it, but it's a bad sign for the society as a whole.

The media makes these wackos FAMOUS, they go on for months about these mass murderers, give them all the press in the world, then policy makers write all kinds of new crap, i think they do it to have an impact on the world. They have no fame, they have no money, they are just another fish in the pond and want to leave their "mark" on society, and since they are nuts, they go and do this crap, and try to out-do the last guy and make it worse than ever before. its sickening but yeah, i think a huge part of it is the media play they get.

 

[Cozy439]

I've lived inside I-465 along west 38th street since 1986. I've never had a close call until 2013. I've had 3 occasions this year where I felt at risk.

I'm along I-465 @ W. 38th right now for 3 days............... What did I get into?!?!?!

 

[churchmouse]

I'm along I-465 @ W. 38th right now for 3 days............... What did I get into?!?!?!

It does not matter anymore where you live. Those who would do you harm are everywhere. They move freely among us.

I am not to far east of you. Any where there are large groups of apartments you will have issues.

 

[Cozy439]

It does not matter anymore where you live. Those who would do you harm are everywhere. They move freely among us.

I am not to far east of you. Any where there are large groups of apartments you will have issues.

I made it out alive!!! Back to Milan Ctr.

Can it be you (and those like you/us) are the only ones to notice that?

Its true, they are everywhere, but more concentrated in certain places. I work in one of those areas, and we show up when bad things happen. Hopefully, all the bad is done or at least the calvary is inplace to secure the area. It is refreshing to head home to the country, garden, river, neighbors I can count on, family, etc...

 

[churchmouse]

I made it out alive!!! Back to Milan Ctr.

Can it be you (and those like you/us) are the only ones to notice that?

Its true, they are everywhere, but more concentrated in certain places. I work in one of those areas, and we show up when bad things happen. Hopefully, all the bad is done or at least the calvary is inplace to secure the area. It is refreshing to head home to the country, garden, river, neighbors I can count on, family, etc...

I have been around this area off and on my whole life. Lived out in the country for a while (to darned quite for a city boy) and back on the west side. I have family and friends in every section of town from the hood to gated areas. There are still those we call "Wanderers" rolling by and looking at your stuff. You know they do not live around there. You know they are looking for something to steal or just trouble in general.
Before my father died he lived in a court off of a side street in a nice area west of girls school rd. Never failed to see a car load of "Wanderers" roll by at least daily when I was mowing his grass or just visiting. He had his door kicked in one night and was beat up a bit before he could get to his browning and run them off. No, they were not from the area. He recognized the car from earlier in the day when he was in the yard. We looked for that rig everywhere....no joy.

 

[Sfrandolph]

It is going to get awhile lot worse. Just wait until Barry destroys the dollar and then stops handing out welfare. It's going to happen. Those on welfare and unprepared will just sit there stupefied. Others will prey on others nearby. The elite will sit behind their guarded walls and wait for the majority to be killed off or die of hunger. Then they will take over by force anything and anyone left. Slavery will be back in fashion.

 

[churchmouse]

It is going to get awhile lot worse. Just wait until Barry destroys the dollar and then stops handing out welfare. It's going to happen. Those on welfare and unprepared will just sit there stupefied. Others will prey on others nearby. The elite will sit behind their guarded walls and wait for the majority to be killed off or die of hunger. Then they will take over by force anything and anyone left. Slavery will be back in fashion.

Hope not to see this in my lifetime. The kids may have to deal with it but I doubt I will. Getting a bit long in the tooth for all out urban war-fare.

 

[88E30M50]

The rate of decline does seem to be accelerating. I've been in Greenwood for 18 years and there has been more crime in this area in the last 3 months than in most of the preceding 17+ years. Just last Saturday, there was an attempted robbery on the south side of my neighborhood that fortunately did not turn out well for the thief. That was just over 5 doors from my sister's house.

I think the scum that feeds on itself in the city is starting to realize that there's more to be had in the suburbs.

 

[churchmouse]

The rate of decline does seem to be accelerating. I've been in Greenwood for 18 years and there has been more crime in this area in the last 3 months than in most of the preceding 17+ years. Just last Saturday, there was an attempted robbery on the south side of my neighborhood that fortunately did not turn out well for the thief. That was just over 5 doors from my sister's house.

I think the scum that feeds on itself in the city is starting to realize that there's more to be had in the suburbs.

A lot of the crime in my area is being done by thugs from other areas. They bus in, find a car and drive it home.
There have been a crew that cruises the area and looks for targets, comes back after dark and hits that target. They caught the idiots doing the break ins and they were east side.
We did have a group we called the 3 stooges that were causing a lot of issues but they have been rounded up and now gone. The neighborhood ran the family off.
The rental down the street had a nest of zombie's in it but again, the neighborhood ran them off.
A lot of idiots coming out of the Apartments causing issues. When they are caught they do not live in the complex, they are visiting.

The world is going mad and it is getting worse fast.

 

[The Commissioner]

A problem even bigger than what we are dealing with now is an expansion of the desire to get a 'check' rather than getting a 'job.' As the Baby Boom advances into retirement, an abnormally large part of the population will be living off the fruits of their labors but the underclass will see their life of leisure as the result of a monthly check from the .gov. Many younger folks successfully scammed the Social Security system and got on the rolls of the disabled. They too get a monthly check. Then there are the unemployable who get a check. Pretty soon, everyone wants a check without having to work for it. And those who do work will want 'jobs' in the underground economy where taxes to pay for those checks are not deducted.

It's unnatural and unsustainable which is why it has to crash. It could be many years before that happens. On the other hand, 'black swan' events are known to occur. Be prepared!

 

[churchmouse]

I am seeing this more today myself. As I draw closer to retirement we are getting our ducks in a row. My wife is credibly disabled and after a year of fighting with them she has received her disability. She worked long and hard her whole life paying into the system. At 54 she can no longer work a regular job. At 63 I am still out in the streets doing my thing just a bit slower than I used to.
We have knowledge of folks who are scamming the system and also know some people who need the help and can not get it. WTF is happening to this country.

 

[roisigns]

WTF is happening to this country.

 

[churchmouse]

+1...............rep inbound

 

[docapos]

You can't forget the cities that are going as far as putting their public service into danger such as DC DC Fire-EMS members sent to patrol high-crime areas and that was 2 years ago.

 

[cosermann]

Well Phoenix is the kidnapping capital of our country so maybe you should move them to the other list. Also Chicago is more dangerous than Afghanistan.

Kidnapping Capital of the U.S.A. - ABC News

Good catch, I think Phoenix suffers a bit in this regard due to it's close proximity to the Mexican border. We'll pull Phoenix.

What about the other cities? Just eyeballing the list, there seems to be a significant difference between liberal big cities and more conservative big cities (or such cities in respective red/blue states).