by Bobby Akart
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Other Works by Bestselling Author Bobby Akart
The Boston Brahmin Series
The Loyal Nine
Cyber Attack
Martial Law
False Flag
The Mechanics (Fall 2016)
The Prepping for Tomorrow Series
Cyber Warfare
EMP: Electromagnetic Pulse
Economic Collapse
ECONOMIC COLLAPSE
Prepping for Tomorrow Series
A Preparedness Guide by
Bobby Akart
&
The Staff of Freedom Preppers
Copyright Information
© 2016 Freedom Preppers Inc. All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of Bobby Akart and Freedom Preppers Inc.
Table of Contents
Dedications
Acknowledgements
About the Author, Bobby Akart
INTRODUCTION BY FREEDOM PREPPERS
Epigraph
Author's Note
PART ONE THE RISE AND FALL OF EMPIRES
Chapter One The Course of Empire
Chapter Two What is Economic Collapse?
Chapter Three What is Societal Collapse?
PART TWO ECONOMIC THEORY: BASIC ECONOMICS IN MODERN TIMES
Chapter Four What is Economics, and why should you care?
Chapter Five Gold, and its role in Economic Theory
Chapter Six The Great Economists
Chapter Seven Inflation
Chapter Eight Recession
Chapter Nine Deflation
Chapter Ten Stagflation
Chapter Eleven Hyperinflation
Chapter Twelve Depression
PART THREE CASE STUDIES IN ECONOMIC COLLAPSE
Chapter Thirteen The Roman Empire
Chapter Fourteen The Great Depression
Chapter Fifteen The Greatest Market Crashes
Chapter Sixteen Who's Next?
PART FOUR IS ECONOMIC COLLAPSE A REALISTIC THREAT?
Chapter Seventeen Trigger Events
Chapter Eighteen The Decline of Economic Freedom
Chapter Nineteen Can we survive another financial crisis like 2008?
Chapter Twenty Are We On The Brink of Economic Collapse?
PART FIVE PREPARING FOR ECONOMIC COLLAPSE
Chapter Twenty-One Ways to Protect Yourself
Chapter Twenty-Two Barter
Chapter Twenty-Three We Are All Preppers Now
APPENDIX A an excerpt from THE LOYAL NINE by Amazon Best-Selling Author Bobby Akart
APPENDIX B PREPAREDNESS CHECKLIST
APPENDIX C The Condensed Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith
Dedications
To the love of my life, thank you for making the sacrifices necessary so I may pursue this dream.
To the Princesses of the Palace, my little marauders in training, you have no idea how much happiness you bring to your Mommy and me.
To my fellow preppers; never be ashamed of adopting a preparedness lifestyle.
Acknowledgements
Writing a book that is both informative and entertaining requires a tremendous team effort. Writing is the easy part. For their efforts in making the Prepping for Tomorrow series a reality, I would like to thank Hristo Argirov Kovatliev for his incredible cover art, Sabrina Jean, my second set of eyes, with FastTrack Editing, Stef Mcdaid for making this manuscript decipherable on so many formats, and the Team—whose advice, friendship and attention to detail is priceless.
Thank you!
Choose Freedom!
About the Author, Bobby Akart
A two-time Amazon Top 100 Author and author of six #1 bestsellers, in both fiction and non-fiction genres:
THE LOYAL NINE – #1 bestseller in the Financial Thriller category
CYBER WARFARE – #1 bestseller in eight categories including Arms Control; War & Peace; Politics, Social Sciences; Business, Money; Engineering, Transportation; Science, Technology; International Politics
EMP: ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSE – #1 bestseller in seven categories including International Politics, Arms Control; Physics; Politics, Social Sciences; War & Peace; Engineering, Transportation
ECONOMIC COLLAPSE – #1 bestseller in seven categories including Politics, Social Sciences; Economics; World Affairs; International Politics; Business; Money
SEEDS OF LIBERTY – #1 bestseller in three categories including Politics, Social Sciences; Modern History; Sociology
EVIL, MEET OPPORTUNITY – #1 bestseller in two categories including Action, Adventure; Contemporary Fiction
Bobby Akart has provided his readers a diverse range of topics that are both informative and entertaining. His attention to detail and impeccable research has allowed him to write bestselling books in several fiction and nonfiction genres.
Born and raised in Tennessee, Bobby received his bachelor's degree with a dual major in economics and political science. He not only understands how the economy works, but the profound effect politics has on the economy as well. After completing his undergraduate degree at Tennessee in three years, he entered the dual-degree program, obtaining a Juris Doctor combined with an MBA—master of business administration—at the age of twenty-three.
His education perfectly suited him for his legal career in banking, trusts, and investment banking. As his career flourished, business opportunities arose, including the operation of restaurants and the development of real estate. But after meeting and marrying the love of his life, they left the corporate world and developed online businesses.
A life-changing event led them to Muddy Pond, Tennessee, where he and his wife lead a self-sustainable, preparedness lifestyle. Bobby and his wife are unabashed preppers and share their expert knowledge of prepping via their website www.FreedomPreppers.com.
Bobby lives in the backwoods of the Cumberland Plateau with his wife and fellow author, Danni Elle, and their two English bulldogs, aka the Princesses of the Palace.
SIGN UP FOR EMAIL UPDATES and receive free advance reading copies, updates on new releases, special offers, and bonus content. You can contact Bobby directly by email ([email protected]) or through his website www.BobbyAkart.com
INTRODUCTION BY FREEDOM PREPPERS
About Economic Collapse and the Prepping for Tomorrow Series
Because you never know when the day before —
is the day before.
Prepare for tomorrow!
Author Bobby Akart, the founder of Freedom Preppers, has been a tireless proponent of adopting a preparedness lifestyle. As he learned prepping tips and techniques, he shared them with others via his writing on the American Preppers Network website, and in his bestselling book series—The Boston Brahmin and Prepping for Tomorrow.
In The Boston Brahmin series, political suspense collides with post-apocalyptic thriller fiction. Bobby's attention to detail and real-world scenarios immerses the reader in a world of geopolitical machinations and post-apocalyptic drama. Preparedness skills and techniques are interwoven into the plot that provides the reader a real-world scenario to envision.
The Prepping for Tomorrow series is the culmination of Bobby's research and real-world experiences provided in a concise guide
for new and experienced preppers alike. The goal of the Prepping for Tomorrow series is twofold. First, provide a detailed analysis of the threats we face as Americans. Second, give new and seasoned preppers alike the opportunity to enhance their preparedness plan with this knowledge.
What if the preppers are right?
The media shapes public perception in all formats including news, cinema and television shows. It should come as no surprise that everyone doesn't necessarily form a point of view on every subject. Nor should you be shocked to hear that most opinions are uninformed. We can all give countless examples of this. Most Americans are sheeple, unable to think for themselves. They are content to follow, and many are too lazy to do the minimal research required to have an informed opinion. Their reliance on government or media sources for information makes them susceptible to manipulation. It's simply easier to be a sheeple.
As a student of the preparedness lifestyle, I cringe at the media's portrayal of preppers. Initially, the brunt of the ridicule was directed at survivalists. But with the success of National Geographic's Doomsday Preppers, the concept of being a prepper hit the mainstream. Now Preppers are the target of the media's derision. I have my opinion as to why that is the case, and it has its basis in politics. It is my opinion that the media is mostly left-leaning and, as a result, does not embrace the self-sufficient lifestyle that is prepping. So, if you can't join them, beat them down—repeatedly. As a recent example, consider the media's dismantling of the Tea Party movement. I see similar attacks on preppers.
From the Associated Press: "Sandy Hook Shooter Comes from Prepper Family."
From CBS: "Local 'Preppers' Stock Up For Improbable US Ebola Crisis."
From Washington Post: "'Preppers' Convinced Yellowstone Volcano Spells Doom."
But, what if the Preppers are right?
What if?
Escalation of Global Conflict into a World War
Let's compile a list of the strongest, most dangerous bad actors on the world geopolitical stage:
Russia ~ China ~ North Korea ~ Iran ~ Syria ~ ISIS ~ Al Qaeda
What do these seven geopolitical foes have in common? They both hate and disrespect the United States! Think of the Seven Deadly Sins: Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, Pride. All of these relate to the attitudes of these bad actors towards the United States. Is it that far-fetched that one or more of these could band together to bring the mighty United States of America to its knees? Remember the words of the great Chinese General Sun Tzu — the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Except ISIS and Al Qaeda, the five nations comprising this group considers each other allies.
The assassination of an Archduke precipitated World War I, but the underlying causes were geopolitical tensions in Europe. 20 million people died during the war followed by another 70 million post-war due to famine and the Spanish Flu. Are we naive to think that something like this couldn't happen again? Geopolitical tensions - sound familiar?
Tensions arising from invasions of other sovereign territories around the world were the principal cause of World War II. It escalated into a global conflict with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Today, Russia has invaded Ukraine. China prepares to exert more of its dominance in Asia. ISIS is taking over large parts of the Middle East to form an Islamic State. Some might say— not our problem. But what if one of the bad actors mentioned above decide to make it our problem with an attack on the heartland along the lines of Pearl Harbor? Is that so implausible? Remember 9/11?
What if?
America is Attacked
We are vulnerable to attack because of our desire to provide freedoms to all Americans, but especially because of political correctness. We are not allowed to use racial profiling to identify a potential terrorist. Our southern border is a sieve. We refuse to ban flights from Ebola-stricken countries for fear of being labeled racist. Our military has been weakened by prolonged wars and budget cuts.
Our enemies can come at us in so many ways. A day does not go by without news of a cyber-terrorism incident. What if these cyber attacks are just a series of trial runs before one large massive, coordinated attack on our banking, governmental and utility servers? An electromagnetic pulse delivered by a nuclear warhead or a series of electromagnetic pulse weapons fired at strategic locations across the country could bring down our power grid. For the first time, Russia has more deployed nuclear assets than the United States does. Can you say outnumbered?
What if?
Widespread Pandemic or BioTerror
In a recent survey of scientists, the majority of experts agree that a pandemic capable of infecting a billion people, resulting in one hundred and sixty-five million deaths, would occur sometime in the next two generations.
Ordinarily, any discussion surrounding being more prepared in preventing pathogens from spreading into a worldwide pandemic revolves around our first response. Most pandemic experts agree that stepping up our first response to combat outbreaks of a disease is critical. They urge our hospitals to be prepared and have vaccines stockpiled. Further, they recommend the Centers for Disease Control have several teams ready to get to the scene of the outbreak. But that's not preventing these pathogens from emerging and from causing outbreaks. This approach is akin to after the fire has started, then we rush in with our fire extinguishers.
Several years ago, the United States government was intent on calming the fears of the American people as to the likelihood of the Ebola virus hitting U.S. soil. The presence of the Ebola virus came as a result of bringing Ebola-stricken health care workers into the country. Keep in mind that these were people who are experts in treating Ebola and who were provided all of the necessary equipment to prevent contracting the disease. As the CDC was calming our fears, a Nigerian national flew into Dallas with Ebola, potentially infecting hundreds and ultimately dying while in the government's care.
The question has to be asked: What is wrong with a little fear amongst the masses?
Fear is a great motivator—it is designed to be compelling so that we take survival action in the form of fight, flight, or freeze. Increasing the knowledge of the public concerning the threat of a pandemic will help prevent its spread through awareness, hygiene, and limiting human contact.
Bioterror is a form of terrorism involving the intentional release or dissemination of biological agents such as viruses, bacteria, or toxins. There are examples of the use of bioweapons throughout history.
In 1763, the British fortress at Fort Pitt in Delaware was under siege. Letters were exchanged between British General Jeffrey Amherst and Colonel Henry Bouquet as to proposed defensive tactics. General Amherst suggested: "Could it not be contrived to send the Smallpox among those disaffected tribes of Indians?"
By the time World War I began, attempts to use anthrax were directed at animal populations. This proved to be ineffective. Shortly after the start of World War I, Germany launched a biological sabotage campaign in the United States, Russia, Romania, and France. At that time, Anton Dilger lived in Germany, but in 1915 he was sent to the United States carrying cultures of glanders, a virulent disease of horses and mules. Dilger set up a laboratory in his home in Chevy Chase, Maryland. He used stevedores working the docks in Baltimore to infect horses with glanders while they were waiting to be shipped to Britain. Dilger was under suspicion of being a German agent but was never arrested. Dilger eventually fled to Madrid, Spain, where, ironically, he died during the Spanish Flu Pandemic of 1918. In 1916, the Russians captured a German agent with similar intentions. Germany and its allies infected French cavalry horses and many of Russia's mules and horses on the Eastern Front. These actions hindered artillery and troop movements, as well as supply convoys.
In 1972, police in Chicago arrested two college students, Allen Schwander and Stephen Pera, who had planned to poison the city's water supply with typhoid and other bacteria. Schwander founded a terrorist group, "R.I.S.E.", while Pera collected and grew cultures from the hospital where he worked. Although their arrest thwarted
the attack, the two men fled to Cuba after being released on bail.
Then there was the 1984 Rajneeshee bioterror attack. In Oregon, followers of the Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh attempted to control a local election by incapacitating the local population. This was done by infecting salad bars in eleven restaurants, produce in grocery stores, doorknobs, and other public domains with Salmonella typhimurium bacteria in the city of The Dalles, Oregon. The attack infected 751 people with severe food poisoning. There were no fatalities. This incident was the first known bioterrorist attack in the United States in the 20th century.
In June of 1993, the religious group Aum Shinrikyo released anthrax in Tokyo. Eyewitnesses reported a foul odor in a marketplace. Fortunately, the attack was a total failure, infecting not a single person. The reason for this, ironically, was that the group used the vaccine strain of the bacterium which was missing the genes that cause a symptomatic response. The spores recovered from the attack showed that they were identical to an anthrax vaccine strain given to animals at the time.
In the fall of 2001, several cases of anthrax broke out in the U.S., resulting in five deaths. Letters laced with infectious anthrax were concurrently delivered to news media offices and the U.S Congress, alongside an ambiguously related case in Chile.
Biological agents are relatively easy to obtain by terrorists and are becoming more threatening in the U.S. The CDC and private laboratories are working on advanced detection systems to provide early warning, identify contaminated areas and populations at risk, and to facilitate prompt treatment. Methods for predicting the use of biological agents in urban areas as well as assessing the area for the hazards associated with a biological attack are being established in major cities. Also, forensic technologies are working on identifying biological agents, their geographical origins and their initial source.
