Some experts claim that society will collapse because of inequality. Their thesis is that the well-to-do or the elitist will consume more and more while the average citizen, the commoners as they are called, will experience the equivalent of a famine. Once the average person no longer has access to resources needed to sustain life, society will collapse.
Those same experts also state in their thesis that the country and world is using up all of its natural resources at an alarming rate, and this will contribute to the collapse as well (Brown, 2014).
Throughout the published works, reference is made to ancient civilizations such as the Roman Empire and its ultimate collapse. Rome according to some collapsed because of the excesses and its governing policies, the policies being the decisions made by the rulers or emperor as in later years.
The emperor essentially made all of the decisions for the empire, one person deciding the fate of millions will eventually lead to disaster in any society. One ruler in particular decided that it was good policy to pass out coins and food to keep the peasants well fed. A few coins for the average person to jingle in the markets gave the illusion of prosperity, but those standing in line for their handouts were being set up for a fall because logic would tell you the coins could not be passed out forever. A hungry peasant is a dangerous one in the minds of emperors, so the answer was obvious, feed everyone and the problem goes away.
Farmers were put to work raising grains to make the breads to give away, and livestock was raised to ensure the markets were well stocked, so the coins given away could then be spent in the markets. However, the problem was that the farmers were not paid well if at all for their goods.
Essentially the Roman government was subsidizing the farmers to raise crops and livestock so the government could give it all away. The government was not selling the products of course, so the subsidies were very little, and as it turned out not near enough for the farmers to continue.
A socialist society works well until you run out of money to give away and people can no longer produce goods to be given away, because they cannot be compensated enough, if at all, for their efforts.
Soon many farmers decided it made much more sense to stand in line to receive some coins and bread for themselves than to sweat all day for virtually nothing, raising foods to be given away. The free food of course did not last long because once the producers stop producing there is no more food to give away and no more markets in which to spend the coins that were given away. People of course developed a sense of entitlement over time and when the “free lunch” program stopped, all hell broke loose.
Can you compare what happened thousands of years ago to today? Yes, of course, you can and the similarities are frightening, almost prophetic.
Today’s World
The country technically is broke. If an individual’s debt far exceeded their income, they would be insolvent. Bankruptcy would soon follow. When an individual files for bankruptcy, many creditors are not being paid at all or if paid they are only compensated a few pennies on the dollar.
Who are the creditors of the U.S. Treasury? Creditors are those that have a claim on services of a second party and in this case, the second party is the United States Government.
Many of the so-called creditors are American citizens, because a record number depend on the government for their daily existence, and if the government becomes insolvent, the creditors will not even get pennies on the dollar, so all hell would break loose. If the government stopped sending out checks today, tens of millions of people may not know where their next meal is coming from.
Society Will Collapse but At Some Point the Reasons Why Do Not Matter
The economy may very well collapse if this country stays the current course, and this of course would cause society to fail over time. Any number of things can cause the economy to fail however. War in the Middle East can cause energy prices to skyrocket and make heating oil and gasoline too expensive for the average person. A major terrorist attack could cause it, as well as, a collapse of the power grid. At some point like in Roman times, the producers stop producing, because the cost is too high and no one is left to buy their product.
A pandemic would cause the economy to collapse, people would be out of work because employers would shut down and schools would be shuttered. People would avoid public places like grocery stores, and restaurants. It would not take long for a pandemic to severely damage or collapse the economy in this country.
You have to prepare or otherwise you will not survive. You prepare for the aftermath, because no matter what causes the collapse, the results will be the same. It will mean nothing can be purchased for use, if you do not have it now you will not have it after the collapse. Every item you take for granted today will be gone from the store shelves after only a few days into the collapse.
If you do not see, the need to be prepared, or believe this is all fear mongering then so be it, but to all others, time is of the essence. It is never too late to start Prepping, for what you know is coming.
Brown, A. (2014). Retrieved 2014, from http://www.nationaljournal.com/tech/here-s-how-nasa-thinks-society-will-collapse-20140318