Survive- The Economic Collapse

by Piero San Giorgio

  Always have eye protection (protective glasses) and ear protection (earmuffs, etc.). Equip yourself with cleaning materials proper for each of your weapons and with discreet transport bags. Never stop practicing regularly and preparing yourself by imagining all the possible scenarios.

  To conclude, a weapon is worthless without preparation for fighting: you must be physically prepared, and for this, you must live in a healthy way and consistently exercise with a varied and regular program over the course of your life. You must be materially prepared (have minimal equipment along with a Plan B, a Plan C, etc.). Above all, be mentally prepared for any scenario. Respect the law, of course, and in a case where you must use a weapon, remember the principle of proportionality—but also this old American saying: “Better to be judged by 12 than carried by six.”

  Organizing the Defense of Your SAB

  The ideal is to plan the security of your SAB from the beginning. The first paradox with which you will have to reckon is that of discretion and defensive capacity. The more your house resembles a bunker, the more it will be recognized as a place where the owners or residents want to protect valuables, and the more likely it will be that an organized expedition is carried out against you. The better the location of your SAB is for defense—for example, on a hill like a castle—the less discreet it will be, and the more conspicuous from a distance.

  Ideally, an SAB should permit a vision radius of 100 to 200 meters (300-600 feet), without trees, obstructions, or large objects behind which one could hide. This will keep people from approaching your SAB undercover and thus evading your surveillance. If your SAB remains undetectable beyond these measurements and cannot be seen from a public road, being hidden by trees or a forest, for example, your situation will be even better. You must ask yourself: in case of economic collapse, will the area where you live simply be subject to more break-ins, or might it fall under the control of organized gangs of looters?

  If you have a large garden, make it less visible by surrounding it with hedges, flowers, and bushes in order to give the impression that it is mostly decorative. If a blackout occurs, even a small light could reveal your location. I remember that once at church, the local bishop told us that in times of trouble we should always look for a house with a light on at night. Although he was not using this allegory in the same context, it remains true that those who have an independent source of energy will attract all sorts of people, from refugees to looters. You will want to be better prepared than merely using blinds if you prefer your light not to be seen from the outside. Consider dark tarpaulins or weatherproof plastic curtains. Verify that no light can be seen externally.

  Some people equip their property with external lamps (activated by motion sensors). That’s fine, but this is another way that someone may find you. A more effective solution would be to install infrared lamps connected to a motion trigger. Thus you can “light up” the intruders without their perceiving it, unless they have infrared goggles like you.

  If you can afford to buy a large plot of land, I recommend a system of defense on several levels. At the external level, install walls with barbed wire on top and thorn bush hedges, armed and grated access doors with an alarm system, if possible. This is very common in villas and gated communities in many countries like Mexico, Colombia, Nigeria, South Africa, etc. Then, at an intermediate level, the ideal would be a zone of trees large enough to hide the buildings that make up your SAB, with an area of 100 to 200 meters (300-600 feet) without any obstacles going right up to the house. At the interior level, plant a large thorn bush beneath each window. Ideally, install steel shutters, solid bars on the windows, an armored door, and a heavy chain able to stand up to vehicles a few meters in front of your main entrance, in order to discourage ramming with them. Replace all doors to the outside with reinforced doors.

  Having one or more well-trained guard dogs is a good idea. Dogs are a very effective means of alert and defense, but require a lot of knowledge and responsibility. A dog also involves significant costs and food. So this is a means of defense reserved for connoisseurs. Always keep dogs and all other animals outside. If you have enough persons living in your SAB, put a security perimeter in place; keep it under constant surveillance by guards with a regular schedule of shifts, especially at night. This is fairly easy to organize, but, as with everything else, training and practice are required.

  In general, you must first install preventive (passive) defenses. Identify the weaknesses of your SAB and how to overcome them and make them more secure. Define surveillance zones (windows, peepholes, observation posts in the garden, on a tower, or at the top of a tree, etc.). Then, establish control zones where you can act without being seen, and kill zones to lay an ambush and neutralize any intruder or aggressor. Finally, choose security zones as locations for retreating. They can be rooms with reinforced doors underground or upstairs. You might even construct a shelter, install hiding places or even a subterranean passage way to the exterior or to another building. In such security zones, stock whatever might be useful to you if you are forced to take refuge there for a period of time. If your security zone is a room protected by a resistant door, install the means of communication (battery-powered radio, telephone), water, some energy bars, a first-aid kit, torch lamps, materials for defense (weapons, ammunition, etc.). If it is a small hiding place, think about storing water, energy bars, a pocket lamp, and defensive weapons. As a mental exercise, imagine yourself in the place of the Warsaw Ghetto inhabitants one day in 1943, where they have come to deport you to a certain death. Where would you hide? With what personal effects and equipment? Andy Grove, former CEO of Intel, who comes from a family that survived the deportations, likes to say that “only paranoiacs survive.”

  As we have already mentioned, living in an urban apartment or SAB is not an optimal situation for your security and survival in times of crisis. Defending an apartment is difficult but not impossible. You dispose of better assets if you are the owner of your four walls. Start by strengthening the door you usually use with steel. Remember that the best of doors will not protect you if the lock or the wall around it are not equally solid. Plan on thick curtains and tarpaulins for your windows, since, once again, you will be a target if you are the only person around with lights. If you live on the ground floor or second floor, you must reinforce your windows, install bars and secure your blinds or shutters. In an urban SAB, the most dangerous moments are mainly when you enter or exit. Observe your surroundings carefully before entering or exiting and be on your highest alert. Over the long term, you cannot avoid having your apartment invaded by sufficiently determined people. This is why it is a good idea to set up caches for your food, weapons, and other important material. Such caches should be installed in innocuous places. Keep a minimum of food and objects of value available for possible intruders, because that keeps them from having to go away empty-handed, and, perhaps, they will let you live.

  If you have transformed your villa into an SAB, you must think about reinforcing it and protecting all your doors and windows. Consider installing armored doors, but also reinforce your walls with the help of steel plates, if you can afford that. Always have a temporary solution in case of intruders, such as a “safe room” or “panic room.” Keep it closed when not in use, storing your most important supplies, but also barricade yourself there, if necessary. The best thing is to use your basement for this purpose, or, in countries where they exist, like Switzerland, a radiation shelter (but ensure that the door can be blocked from the inside). As you cannot remain closed in forever, plan on being able to contact the outside world in one way or another (radio, field telephone, etc.). At this stage, it is important not to forget to secure the door of your garage if it is attached to your house. Children’s rooms should be close to those of their parents. Finally, install caches in your house and garden. Hide your small valuables in unusual places. If you want to bury some of your bars of gold or silver coins as well as firearms in the ground, make sure to dig at least
1.5 meters (5 feet) deep to avoid freezing and most metal detectors; and protect your goods from dampness with a hermetically sealed container. And, of course, remember the spot where you buried your treasure!

  One very effective means of defense is also restraining the movements of a potential intruder or aggressor. Such restrictions are called barricading techniques. A band of looters will choose an easily accessible target rather than the one where they will have to overcome numerous obstacles. Barricading techniques represent a possibility for effectively limiting the movements of potential adversaries while increasing your own safety. You must be aware that this is not usually allowed under normal circumstances, and that it can represent a legal infraction. On the other hand, nothing keeps you from preparing such measures and applying them in a crisis once laws and regulations no longer apply. Among the means of barricading, barbed wire is easy to find on the market and not very expensive. You should always attach the barbed wire to the ground with concrete blocks and use at least three interlaced levels to get effective protection. Handle barbed wire with protective gloves. The primary function of barbed wire is to prevent access to a spot, or at least make such access difficult. The effectiveness of barbed wire is increased by adding “bells” (empty conserve cans containing stones or an electronic system) that can act as alarms.

  Sandbags represent another classic and very effective barricading technique. They can be stored as empty sacks to be used in case of an emergency. Plan on buying spades to load sand (or soil, or gravel) quickly. The bags can be made of jute or plastic materials (polypropylene or polyethylene), which stand up better to sun and humidity. In due course, you can fill the bags with sand or gravel. You will need several thousand to cover a house front effectively and protect semi-underground shelters.

  Another barricading technique is to use 200-liter (or 50-gallon) barrels filled with water, sand, or soil. Several such barrels will allow you to barricade a road or entrance very effectively. They are readily available and easy to handle when empty. Be careful not to buy barrels which have been used for dangerous or toxic chemical substances.

  Finally, there are countless possible and imaginable improvised techniques for blocking an entrance, barring a road, etc. It is possible to use an old car or stone blocks as obstacles. Always keep in mind that you may have to remove these obstacles quickly to let in welcome persons or to flee.

  A final point of organization is protecting your SAB against fire. Since the fire department may not be available in times of crises, you will have to handle this issue on your own. Plan on having enough reasonably new extinguishers on hand and learn how to use them. If you can, plan on a manual or electrical pump and a hydrant, so you can organize a little fire brigade. One old but effective technique is keeping buckets filled with sand handy all over your SAB to dowse the flames. If you can, fireproof as much of your walls and roofs as possible.

  How to Defend Yourself Against Animals

  It would take a whole chapter to cover defense against wild animals in a natural environment, but that is not the aim of this book. Of course, it is possible that wild animals could wander onto your SAB area, but there is little risk of being attacked and devoured by them. And in light of your hunting and self-defense arsenal, rare wild animals should not present a problem. On the other hand, domestic animals could become a danger in times of crisis. This is what is happening in abandoned areas of the Ukraine, Mexico, and Nigeria, where wandering dogs rediscover their natural instincts and organize into packs. These will be dangerous to children and homeless persons. Avoid packs: a dog bite is painful and hard to treat under normal circumstances, and can represent a serious health risk (infections, rabies). If you are forced to face up to a pack of dogs, do not try to run away; stay where you are, remain calm, and avoid sustained visual contact. Try to appear larger and more menacing by augmenting your height and size, e.g., letting your jacket fall down your arms, which you can spread out to look like wings. An animal will always hesitate to attack a prey which seems to present a significant risk of injury. If attacked, defend yourself with blows to the muzzle, neck, and eyes.

  In a collapse scenario, avoid areas near zoos. It is possible that the keepers (or animal-activist groups) will not have the heart to let the animals die of hunger in captivity, and will prefer to release them. Imagine lions or tigers at liberty in your town! In general, avoid animals you don’t know: dogs, cats, reptiles, insects... This attitude will help you avoid plenty of injuries and illnesses.

  Defending Yourself Against the Elements

  Defense against natural disasters or the elements is not “defense” properly speaking, since nature does not literally attack us. Still, you must prepare and equip yourself against all eventualities, whether usual (wind, cold, heat, rain, etc.) or exceptional (storms, natural disasters, etc.). Accustom yourself to cold and heat. Wear good-quality clothing, resistant, and functional. Judge clothing by its thermoregulatory properties: rapid drying, proper insulation, resistance to repeated washing and wear; select those that permit mobility, flexibility, comfort, and are relatively light. Think about having an appearance that lets you feel good and pass unnoticed. Choose colors that are suitable anywhere in town (avoid fluorescent pink!) or which do not contrast with the natural terrain (earth tones, or colors similar to the local vegetation). If possible, dress in three layers: one to regulate perspiration, the second to maintain warmth, and the third to protect you from the elements. Dressing in camouflage uniforms is a good idea after a collapse, because it will give the sense of cohesion to your team, but before that it is too striking, and serves no purpose. Get used to wearing hiking boots or military boots of the best possible quality. Make sure they are water-tight, impermeable, and have non-skid soles. Plan on having a backpack with which you can run, jump over walls, or fight. Good ergonomic design is essential, and you should test several before buying one. Plan on putting a bullet-proof plate in your backpack or another kind of a bag to make yourself a shield in case of an emergency. Also remember mini-first-aid kits.

  Alert Levels

  How will you know when the collapse has gotten so bad that you must leave everything and take refuge in your SAB? You mustn’t be fooled, for it wouldn’t be expedient to leave on a false alarm! You must make an effort to stay abreast of what is happening in the world and around you: analyses of the crisis, conflicts, geostrategic positioning, etc.. Skim the news on the social networks as well as on Internet sites that you have identified as well-informed and reliable. All this will help you anticipate riots, revolutions, regime changes, etc. Talk about it with your friends, listen to what is being said on the street and do not believe reassuring statements by the political authorities. Learn to identify spiraling threats, i.e., the way in which violence increases: more frequent break-ins and kidnappings, the use of increasingly sophisticated tools by burglars (ramming vehicles, firearms, military equipment), increasingly sophisticated ruses for entering homes (disguised as delivery men or policemen), or organized diversions to attract the police somewhere far from the real target.

  A good method for managing societal regression toward a serious crisis is to agree on a system of alert levels with your friends and the persons you plan to join in your SAB. Decide upon what each of these levels represents, and on the actions to be taken at each level. Here, I shall offer you a six-level alert system; it’s up to you to adopt it, modify it, or take it as a model for developing your own.

  Level 0 is the normal state: everything is going fine, you are safe in your house, in a family environment, with no particular risks. For the moment, this is the state of most people in Western countries.

  Level 1 is when there is not yet any specific threat, but you start to ready yourself, both in daily life and in preparation of your SAB. You are conscious of your surroundings and observe the people around you carefully, but without any particular stress. This is the state in which you should be today when you go out onto the street, and the minimum level of operation to begin your
preparations.

  Level 2 is when a real crisis begins, and criminality increases in your town or region. Be vigilant when the first serious unrest arrives: if the situation becomes pre-revolutionary, or if there are large demonstrations or external threats. This level corresponds to a period where you can foresee neither the consequences of important events nor society’s reaction to them. This is the level of alert you would have had, for example, when the Berlin Wall fell, during the attempted Soviet coup d’état of 1991, or the 2005 civil unrest in France. This is the level of alert if a war breaks out between India and Pakistan, or at an onset of a viral contamination somewhere. At this level of alert, finish buying foods to stock in your SAB, especially those of short duration (milk, flour, medicines, etc.), check your essentials and survival kit, and pack your suitcases. Remain in contact with all members of your SAB at least twice a day, and especially with members of your family. With a little luck, the situation will improve, and you may lower your alert level again by one notch.

  Level 3 is when there is a proven threat. You must focus on the danger and be ready to make quick self-defense and survival decisions. This level is reached when, for example, wars or revolutions break out, when panicked buyers empty supermarket shelves, and violence has begun. Do not wait: this is the time to leave immediately for your SAB. You will require the maximum amount of mental concentration and expect to confront imminent danger. Contact your family and everyone who is to meet you in your SAB, and leave. How do you prepare for this trip? Group those people who must leave with you, and if you are traveling in several vehicles, plan on a convoy with pre-established rendezvous points. If possible, stay in permanent or frequent communication. Plan on having a charged battery for your mobile phone. It would be good to test the departure plan at least once. Plan several routes in order to avoid obstacles or barricades (imagine that your city is surrounded by a military “sanitary cordon” to keep anyone from getting out). Have several departure plans involving traveling by car, by bicycle, or on foot. Take your passport and ID card with you as well as all your title deeds, especially the one for your SAB, and all other important papers.