Sorry about the trash title, couldn’t think of something more elaborate or appropriate. Also sorry if this isn’t the best place to pose this question.
So, given the state of world affairs right now, with the decoupling from US currency, soaring prices, impending recession, possible open war, etc., I want to ask fellow US comrades as well as comrades living in other countries like the UK who will be seriously impacted by this: How do you intend to survive the oncoming possible collapse?
As we all know, any time there is any sort of crisis, the wealthy are completely unaffected and the burden always falls entirely on working class people. Starvation, homelessness, increased violence, looting, etc. will affect everyone. My household has what would normally be a comfortable income and already this shit is starting to affect us. Or at least that is what the growing empty spaces in our fridge and pantry are telling us, and our electricity bill which doubled since two months ago despite the wattage being about the same.
While the collapse of western hegemony will be good for the world at large, collapse doesn’t mean disappearance. After all, the Spanish Empire did not suddenly vanish from the world stage just because they lost sea dominance, the United States still might survive as an independent, reactionary, nuclear armed, ultra-conservative, capitalist, shit hole where now the poor are significantly poorer and all those troops stationed overseas are granted law enforcement rights domestically or whatever.
And sorry my post is so US-centric, but I can only reasonably speak to local conditions and not as much those of other western nations. I’m interested in what those comrades have to say though for sure! While there are certainly differences in local material conditions there are also a lot of similarities, as well as solutions that can apply to multiple problems.
I know (or at least sincerely suspect) that it won’t be some world ending apocalypse or whatever doomers will have you believe, but innocent working class people will die.
So the question again is: How do you intend to survive the oncoming possible collapse, and possibly even help others?
If?
*When the US Empire falls.
Collapse of many Western nations is an inevitability at this point. They simply do not have the resources, leadership, or the land to pillage. No wars to start to save their economy. They are losing their death grip on the world thanks to China. Capitalism will bring failures and ultimately fail as a system, I believe, within our lifetimes.
As for the apocalypse thing, yes. It won’t be a rapid KABOOM goodbye to the world as we know it, but rather a slow descend into worse material conditions, like shittier pay, crumbling infrastructure, increased social unrest, crime, all while climate change displaces and harms millions (and eventually, billions) over. Luckily, this will be prime time for revolution and community.
Sorry for the rambling. To answer your question, I am getting in shape, stocking up on long shelf-life food, rotating it as needed. Will be investing in solar generator and, eventually, weapons and ammunition. Ordering some books on basic survival in the event that power goes out or some kind of insane infrastructure problem takes place. Learning to can, expanding my garden (Midwest USA, so climate change should still allow for good growing) next spring.
For helping people, I plan on having a conversation with people I know and trust about creating a good sense of community and getting out of the individualist mindset. Trying to create a strong, like-minded community is one of the best things you can do and provides the highest chance of survival and successful revolution.
Apologies for the lengthy response!
Edit: Grammar + adding some stuff
You’ve got some good stuff in there comrade. In terms of building your community you should defo look into how to set up community gardens in your area. It helps the proletariat develop skills and systems of self sustenance, planning, and diistribution, as well as building that communal mindset
Much thanks! Yeah, I wasn’t very elaborate on the communal side of things, mostly because I’m not /wasn’t sure where to start. I’ll take your advice. Who doesn’t enjoy growing things?!
Onward, my friend
Got to remember that there’s going to be a whole lot of fascism before there’s a collapse. The problems arising from the US and friends being unable to exploit foreign peoples is gonna start getting solved in the short term by turning the exploitation inwards. Things like anti-abortion laws and the increasing funding for the police are just the begninning for making it easier to turn people into criminals to strip them of their rights.
It’s gonna be easier to bring people into class consciousness but it’s also going to be a lot more dangerous too. People are going to have to choose either “solidarity and mutual aid” or “everyone-for-themselves-fuck-you-got-mine,” and that’s gonna be a huge factor on how quickly you move past Fascism. Unfortunately, from what I’ve seen of American culture there’s going to be an overwhelming amount of people opting for the latter.
I think that’s something alot of people don’t grasp (and I myself am just coming to terms with). It isn’t going to be pretty, nor a grand show with a crescendo. It’s going to be, like my other comment said, a slow decline in just about everything.
I live in America (I cease to call myself “American” anymore, lol) and you’re totally right. It’s been historically proven, most recently by the COVID crisis, that there is an absolute disregard for human life in pursuit of individuality; a truly horrific thing to see.
Honestly, the US has been steering into that fascism skid since Reagan.
The worst times for the working class are the best times to build dual power and prepare for a revolution, when the empire will fall it will be our moment.
Commit myself to organizing as to not be swallowed by despair. Help people in my community hopefully, and being a part of alternative support networks.
Assuming I’m fine.
Celebrate
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Well, full collapse or not, I highly suspect material conditions will only greatly worsen for working class people over the next few decades. I don’t see fuel prices returning to pre-Ukraine prices; the oil companies are siphoning that money out of us like fire siphons oxygen, nor do I see food prices going back for the same reasons. The owning class have found that each crisis for the working class means exponential increases in their personal wealth. And that debt ball is mostly for funding bombs to kill other poor folk.
So while I agree that the shitcan kicking will continue, it’ll still cause life or death situations for many.
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Being afraid of violence or persecution doesn’t make you a coward, comrade. It makes you human.
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Difficult to predict what will happen, but I hope that the popular pressure will be enough to force our government to cut ties with Amerika and start working with China and other anti-imperialist countries
I’m going to make a decent sized bulk order of long shelf life foods and canned goods soon. Dried beans, canned vegetables etc. Probably won’t save me but maybe, at the very least, I’ll have some food up until one of my psychotic neighbors kills me for it. I want to get a generator. I have been looking for one. And also need to look into water filtration. My next door neighbor whom we are close with has a pond so at least, if we can purify it, I’ll have a source of water.
I want to point out that I say all this I will probably just die if shit goes down and power and water are no longer a thing. Maybe not but man, my power was out for about 12 hours the other day and I was like "wow I am just going to die if shit gets bad. Idk how to even cook food right now. No wood burning stove or anything.
Cuba
As a non-American, I’d sleep soundly.
Would you? US has embedded itself quite deeply into the workings of the world. We’re still going to feel the waves, even half a globe away.
Seeing as I’m from somewhere that has suffered under the boot of US imperialism, things can only really get better with them out of the picture.
Okay now I’m depressed and scared 😞
I dunno tbh, hopefully before everything becomes such a shitstorm in the UK the conditions for revolution will be met and we can steer our country away from oblivion for the sake of the working class.
I didn’t mean to scare or depress anyone comrade! I’m sorry my post brought this about. My hope was that by sharing some ideas about how to handle day to day needs in a decaying state that comrades would be empowered with the knowledge to survive and continue to provide for themselves, their loved ones, and their communities.
Don’t apologise its just sad that the UK is so intimately linked with the US that your demise means ours unless something changes.
I think it’s a great idea we build a “how to survive the decline of capitalism” guide for comrades in these situations.
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I’m with you on this. There was a time when slaughter on the level of WW1 was unthinkable, but it happened when the colonial powers felt their grip slipping. Who’s to say the ruling class of USA is not deluded enough to this video it would be worth it? Or at least spiteful enough to try and deny the rest of the world its peace.
The thing that scares me most about the US having them is that not only has the US used them on civilians but didn’t even apologize and still justifies the use to this day
The empire has been collapsing for a long time already. Its not something that happens from one day to the other.
