Survive- The Economic Collapse

by Piero San Giorgio

  When the world economy is in complete chaos, it is probable that the means of communication will suffer a significant breakdown. Is the infrastructure behind the telephone or Internet going to be able to hold out very long? It may be that this is not important to you if you wish to remain isolated in your SAB. However, it is useful and even essential to remain in touch with what is going on in the world. It would be prudent to avoid resembling that Japanese soldier who remained hidden in the jungle on a tiny pacific island for 20 years, not knowing the war was over! More pragmatically, news from the outside world will inform you about possible dangers (nuclear or chemical accidents, pollution, natural disasters, wars, etc.); above all, it will be necessary to communicate with other SABs and other communities in order to form connections, gather intelligence, organize trade, ask for help, and work on reconstruction.

  Plan on having several systems of communication in your SAB: first of all internal systems (which saves members from having to yell in order to call other members!), then external systems connected to nearby and more distant communities.

  For internal communication, you can opt for very simple solutions such as installing an ad hoc LAN (local area network) that will allow you to communicate via Wi-Fi over a moderate distance with computers and telephones. The range can extend up to several hundred meters if you add a few relays. The only problem with this system is that a wireless network can easily be detected by anyone with a modern telephone (with a standard 802.11n receiver). Another simple solution is ultra-high frequency (UHF) walkie-talkies; modern models are hardly larger than a microphone-equipped headset. If you have enough rechargeable batteries, this system is excellent for tactical communication, and its range can extend up to 5 km (3 miles). The field telephone, a product of military technology, is a little more powerful and allows radio communication at up to 15 or 20 km (9 to 12 miles). You will have to stock a very large number of rechargeable batteries and, ideally, a portable solar charger in order to recharge the batteries directly in an observation post or during a reconnaissance mission.

  For communicating over longer distances, the CB (citizens’ band) is a frequency band allotted to radio traffic and open to everyone. (By extension, the word CB also designates broadcasters on the citizens’ band; users are called CB-ers.) The frequencies used by CB are around 27 MHz. Anyone, without passing an examination or having any license, can buy a CB broadcaster-receiver, hook it up to an antenna, and receive and send signals. Conversations are described as “public,” because anyone tuned in to that frequency can receive them. To communicate discreetly you must use coded or encrypted language. There are many Internet sites that discuss radio and other communication; it can be worth the trouble to consult them and get a better idea of your exact equipment needs. Whatever communication equipment you choose, do not forget that you will need electrical energy (and detachable pieces) for everything to work. Figure these needs into your energy calculations, and figure on a lot—including plenty of rechargeable batteries.

  So now you have mastered, in a theoretical fashion, the seven fundamental principles of an SAB, and what you must do to assure yourself a great deal more than survival. Whoever you are today, rich or poor, at the top or bottom of the social ladder, you will have the chance to start again at zero, and can do so in such a way as to count for something, or even take a leading role in the reconstruction of tomorrow’s world.

  *

  Times are hard at the “Francillière,” but morale is good.

  The association’s success has caused many motivated people sharing the same convictions to become voluntary exiles in the household. The first winter was difficult, with a lot of people sick and a stock of food that ran out much faster than anticipated. Everyone just hopes that the harvest will be good at the beginning of spring. All healthy persons are contributing to woodcutting, to enlarging the vegetable garden, and to sowing what can be sown. Relations with the nearby village and farmers are good, although a large number of refugees is starting to present a problem. Fortunately, a group of gendarmes—now without any hierarchy—has taken up position in the village, and is maintaining order within a radius of several kilometers. Since there is no gasoline available, they go on patrol on foot or horseback.

  One day, when snow was falling heavily, a group of Senegalese refugees approached, fleeing a burning nearby town. They asked to be allowed to stay. They were exhausted and wanted a bit of food. It was not possible to feed these 50 extra persons permanently. An inventory was made of their professions. A vote was taken to accept Mamadou and his family, because he is a doctor. The vote barely passed. On the condition that Mamadou and his family accept the rules of the community, they can stay. Mamadou weeps tears of joy for himself, his wife, and their four children. It was a good decision: that spring, two cases of appendicitis were diagnosed and successfully operated. The other refugees, having no useful abilities, had to be on their way, and were escorted the next day to the edge of the SAB’s territory, not without having benefited from a night of warmth, supper, and even a few rations. Perhaps another village further on can do something for them.

  +

  David and Rebecca have finally stopped running.

  They had fled the U.S. for France following mass expulsions due to the war. They would have gladly opted for the U.K., but they are no longer accepting refugees, since that country does not even have the capacity to feed its own people. It is being ravaged by a civil war. After spending a year in a refugee center and being lucky enough to escape the pogroms of last September, thanks to the help from local farmers and fleeing through the countryside, they were finally received into an Islamic SAB on the border between France and Belgium. This communitarian SAB is well-organized, has enough food and good medical care at its disposal thanks to flourishing trade under the protection of the Emir of Lille and his militia (originally financed by Saudi Arabia). David and Rebecca were accepted following the principles of hospitality dictated by Sharia. They were allowed to stay if they agreed to convert to Islam. They didn’t have to, but it was that or the road. It appears that Germany is doing alright thanks to Romanian oil, but that the roads are not safe. Moreover, the winter is approaching. They decided quickly: David is now called Daoud. A former Wall Street trader, he now cleans the latrines. Rebecca, now known as Rafqa, cleans the linens by the canal. They are happy to be alive.

  +

  Colonel Yonni needs to talk to the new recruits of the militia that has now grouped in the square.

  Most are from central Tel Aviv, but some walked as far as Petah Tikva. They are young, mostly boys and girls between the ages of 16 and 18, but there are some old men as well as commanding officers. In total, this year’s “Kfir” militia under the responsibility of Col. Yonni—former Sayaret Golani and war hero—is about 2,000 men and women; they’re ready for training before being sent to various commands across the country. The training was hard and painful, and Yonni wished he had more ammunition available for the fire drills. But he had to make do with what he could get his hands on. Motivation was high, however, and there were very few cases of dropping out—some recruits even lied about their medical conditions…

  The situation is tough. Now a decade past the big collapse, Israel is struggling.

  Sure, there were many high-tech weapons at first; sure, no one dared to attack across the border. Sure, there was a plan to withdraw from the most exposed parts of the occupied territories in the West Bank. Sure, it was painful to close the border to any immigration, including the Jews living abroad. The images of the massacres still resonated in the nation’s collective memory, but that sacrifice had to be made: the country could not feed everyone. Sure, Israel did not suffer as much as other countries, but the situation was still difficult.

  At first, the lack of petrol and spare parts was dire as the country’s heavy reliance on motor transport and lack of railways caused very serious logistical problems. Surrounded by enemies, Israel could only survive by becoming completely autonomous�
�for water, agriculture, defense, and energy. That it succeeded without too much chaos was proof positive of the country’s successful social cohesion, despite the usual “crazies” and their aggressive millenarian actions. Blowing up the Dome of the Rock mosque was not a smart move as this sparked a war with the country’s neighbors as well as massive revolts from the Palestinian and Israeli Arab Muslims. They were managed harshly but fairly . . . and quickly had to choose: fit in, or fuck off into the Gaza-Neguev-Sinaï radioactive wastelands. The choice was quick.

  No, Col. Yonni muses, as he finishes writing his speech, Israel was no place for individualism. Israel was where people, in their totality and with a common cause, succeeded in keeping the dream of their grandfathers alive. Hard work brought self-sufficiency in food and water; Israel is where we were able to maintain basic medical and bicycle factories; small-arms ammunition could be manufactured; and we generated electrical power for hospitals and other important matters. A small fleet of warships kept the coast line safe from the hordes of pirates that infested the Mediterranean. We kept trade open.

  Times are tough, but we will live! Col. Yonni yells to the recruits to close his speech, amidst a roar of applause and cheering.

  +

  Wilhelm has taken in a lot of people at his farm over the last year.

  To lodge refugees from large cities, he linked up with the neighboring farms and established an efficient network to supply food. In order to be fed and lodged, each refugee must agree to work and respect the few simple, collectively determined rules. There were a lot of people who did not, especially at the beginning. Between thefts and fist fights, many were banished. The few who tried to return in order to pilfer were received with blasts of buckshot or were beaten to death by others. This is because food is precious in these difficult times, and not everyone gets enough every day. Overall, they are pulling through. A group of doctors has organized a permanent station on one of the farms. A barter system has been put in place for trading fruit, vegetables, etc., and no one is dying of hunger. Recently, Wilhelm has received two new recruits in his farm, a young man named Henry, visibly battle-hardened but a good negotiator, and François-Xavier and his family. The latter was able to repair an old radio post that a neighboring farm had had since the 1960s, and was able to start communicating with other groups of survivors—some self-proclaimed SABs, others refugees, still other retired and semiretired people—and the situation no longer seems so desperate. In fact, he discovers that even in large cities, neighborhoods are self-organizing and gradually beginning to restore order in spite of the difficult sanitation situation. He already had reasonably good contacts with the Emirate of Lille before it imploded from internal rivalries. The other day, one of his most recent radio interlocutors, Maurizio, explained to him that he is located in a town that is not doing too bad thanks to the trade which has developed along a river. Another SAB, the one whose leader is named Nicholas, has visibly extended its influence by having organized a large valley into an effective defensive system; agricultural production has generated a surplus that is distributed to other valleys and communities to help get them back on their feet. This region seems to have good contacts with Switzerland, which has been almost entirely able to preserve its territorial integrity, and which, like Norway, is working to organize itself so as to produce surpluses to help other regions get through the hard times. Solidarity between regions and groups of persons who have succeeded best is being created. Soon, messengers, chosen from among the most battle-hardened, are sent out in order to seal alliances between these groups and regions. Little by little, civilization is being reconstructed on the ruins. Although at least 60 percent of the world population has died in less than two years, hope remains.

  Where to Install an SAB

  <
  moses isegawa

  writer

  _abyssinian chronicles

  /1998/

  <
  everybody rolls with their fingers crossed

  everybody knows that the war is over

  everybody knows that the good guys lost

  everybody knows that the fight was fixed

  the poor stay poor, the rich get rich

  that’s how it goes.

  leonard cohen

  _everybody knows

  /1988/

  You are almost ready. You have absorbed each of the seven fundamental principles essential to setting up an SAB. Your first—most important—decision was to take your own future into your hands and choose to survive. Now it is time to make your second decision, which will have significant impact on the next few years of your life: you must decide on a place to install your SAB.

  Having read this book up to now, you probably already have certain ideas. By simple logic, you can deduce what places are the best or least suited. You also know that a good place for an SAB cannot be chosen randomly on a map.

  If, as we have defined it, an SAB is a place where one can live safely and soundly, it is not a matter of fleeing to a cabin in the woods. Instead, it is about finding an autonomous location, removed from as many dangers as possible, easy to defend, and with adequate organization and comfort: a place you like, and one that corresponds to your real needs. First, you must imagine it as a castle or monastery: a place of survival, but also one where you can live well. In my view, there are four possibilities for locating your SAB: the mobile SAB, the rural SAB, the urban SAB, and the off-shored SAB.

  The Mobile SAB

  Mobility, of course, means not having a fixed location, which offers greater ability to flee danger. Adventure-loving persons who concentrate on individualism often speak of this solution. But something that might be very nice on your vacation may no longer be so in a time of crisis.

  The first serious problem with a mobile SAB is that you only have what you can take with you and transport on your motorbike, car, camper, barge, sail- or houseboat. Furthermore, there is a possibility of ambush as soon as you run out of gas, or if the road or stream is blocked. What will you do then? You will be forced to stop and remain immobile, except that there won’t be the advantage of having chosen the spot, or of having stocked what you need to survive for long.

  A variation on the theme of the mobile SAB is that of the “100-percent survivalist,” a person used to camping and hiking, who is thinking of setting off into nature alone or with his family, with his backpack, hunting rifle, tent, survival guide, and bushcraft skills. Unless you have vast experience in this field, this is an approach that can turn into a total disaster from the lack of adequate shelter, ammunition, an unbalanced diet (essentially, game), few ways of taking care of oneself in case of accidents, etc. Too many things could go wrong, and there is no plan B if and when they do. Moreover, imagine the number of city dwellers who love to go camping, and will have the same idea as you: it could get crowded!

  On the other hand, it is possible that having a sailboat or another kind of boat moored close to an SAB at a fixed seaside or riverside location could be a good means of transport, fishing, or, in the worst case scenario, a good means of flight. One might well imagine an SAB installed on a moored boat or barge, or, indeed, of having caches of food supplies along a coast or riverbank. Yet this remains an imperfect solution. If, however, you love the sea and choose to install an SAB on your boat or sailing vessel, you must consider the following points:

  In case of crisis, do not remain moored in a port. You do not know whether the authorities might try to prevent anyone from leaving. And remaining stuck in the port of a town may prove dangerous. It is better to hoist the sails early.

  A boat at sea, operated by an experienced sailor, can be a good initial solution for avoiding the most difficult moments of a crisis, and your mobility will give you the opportunity to head to a calm area not yet touched by turbulent events. Your capacity for autonomy would be determined by your
water and food supplies. So, you would need a rather large and spacious boat in order to have sufficient storage capacity. Stock at least two months’ worth of food. Also, invest in a small wind-turbine-driven or photovoltaic seawater-purification system. Thus, you will not have to stock months’ worth of fresh water. But have a large reservoir anyway, in case your system breaks down.

  You must be able to rely on the sea worthiness of your boat easily, especially the hull. You may strike an object (tree trunk, whale) and have to repair it as quickly as possible with the means on board, or in dry dock. It will be much easier to repair a wooden or metal boat rather than one made out of advanced polymers (which require highly specialized tools). Think in terms of durability.

  Plan on having several maps, since a GPS navigation system cannot function without satellites, the lifespan of which you cannot control. Besides maps, learn to navigate as the great navigators of history did: without instruments, or only with basic instruments (sextant, compass, etc.).

  Make sure your boat can navigate in shallow water, for example, in the mouth of a river, so as to be able to conceal it. In order to do this, the keel must be removable. For greater discretion, a quiet motor offers an advantage.

  Equip your boat with a large fuel reserve, a good CB radio, and high-frequency receiver.

  Reflect carefully on the equipment necessary to protect your naval SAB in case of a pirate attack. Can your boat flee quickly? Plan on having powerful high-caliber arms, that have a long range, and are able to pierce the hull of a light vessel and frighten thugs (a 338-caliber Lapua Magnum rifle is perfect for this, despite the high cost of its ammunition). Do not underestimate piracy, and forget about characters in 17th-century “Jack Sparrow” costumes. There will be many pirates. Most fishermen will gladly convert quickly, in the Somali or Indonesian style. Do not underestimate the former naval forces of Third World countries (or rich countries), because these will also need to feed their crews. In all cases, distrust the night—the perfect time for attacks. Finally, plan your mooring point carefully.