Katrina. That was a peek at such a societal breakdown. We instantly saw desperation of the poor and effected, vigilantism of an armed public, a lack of authority to attend to the suffering and manage a disaster, wide-reaching suspicion of authority when it (finally) arrived to help, powerful criminal elements that instantly move in to replace authority, and so on. Tōhoku demonstrated the response of a society that has learned and prepared to deal with living through such disasters as it is a part of life in Japan, even if it is folly to continually risk living in villages and cities hugging coastal low lands. Life is not all rosy in the face of disasters in Japan though. There is organized crime which showed it's opportunistic teeth. We just don't hear much about it since the press can't and doesn't manage to report extensively about it, in-country nor beyond. Overall, Japan had much better response from it's people towards one another, but then the public is not as socially and racially divided nor armed to the teeth as are American communities.
Even the best gunners in the world only have 2 hands. Food yes, and a million gallon water purifier, water drums, a garden.. all more important than metals, but precious metals are not for the transition. They are for those who want to retain wealth and be able to afford the things they run out of if there is no money, or if the money is continually debased. Metals will protect your wealth with or without a collapse. They're not a survivalist play. They're an everything play.
"Even the best gunners in the world only have 2 hands. . . " There will be safety in numbers for both prey and predators. If/when society falls apart PMs won't shoot, keep me warm or feed me or my family. Gardens won't work, the desperately hungry and predators will take food from the garden water from the barrel and clothes from my wife and kids and kill for other needs. There will be no law. Who wants PM when they have no place to stay and nothing to eat? As Krispy wrote - think Katrina.
Oh no Ken! My ears are bleeding now.... thatt song has a word that wasn't used on '50s TV. Better watch out for Zombie-Mods.... Eeek!
How many ends to society as we know it have come and gone with no change in how we live, in the past 50 years? Yes they would. Not many people would know how to go about planting and growing, hunt/fish/trap food.
Surprised all the nationalistic hillbillies haven't started losing it over your comments here. I tend to agree with you though.
Don't forget gathering. Most people wouldn't know what's safe or not safe to eat if out gathering. I'm pretty sure most would die from eating something they shouldn't have.
I think your best bet is to hightail it out of highly populated areas. For me, that's getting away from detroit and into northern Michigan. Then I just live off the land and hide out. But will that scenario come to play in my lifetime? Doubt it. Worst thing I expect is for the U.S. to slip out of the race for being a superpower and people not being able to handle that appropriately.
For those who survive the apocalypse there are the Georgia Guidestones containing instructions for humanity to be read by the survivors. It's presented in numerous languages. The stones were placed there by unknown people in this backwash place in 1980 at considerable expense and effort. The local population considers them to have been placed there by Satan and thus they are often defaced.
The Georgia Guidestone says the population should never excede 500 million...If there are more people than that left, it's going to be a very tense place to live...lol...I think initially, the need for physical stability will overshadow the need for any currency, so farming and barter will prevail...But humans love shiny stuff, so gold and silver will make its way back into circulation. I just hope the copper thing doesn't take off again because I'm tired of finding silver plated copper all over the place...It will only take a handful of well educated people to return most forms of living to status quo...I have hope that these people would have been enlightened by any apocalypse (zombie or otherwise)...The need for common respect amungst the surviors would be crucial to further evolution and these times will be the true test of whether man can or cannot govern himself...It is an unfortunate fact that there are scumbags abound and the creation of a moral and quick justice system will be required....If you think about all of this, you could probably surmize we will be back were we are at in no time...both for the good and the bad...The collectively chosen leaders of that time will require an enormous amount of discipline to refrain from corruption and also to set the moral standards that will be desired for a more prosperous and productive future...A true challenge for humanity....
That is heresy to the growing legions in this nation who believe they are entitled to everything in life without need to worry about how they will "pay" for it. I actually read an article a few weeks back where an apartment owner was being sued. The cause of the suit? He wished to raise the rent. The charge? Econonism, (prohibiting people for renting from him simply because they lacked money). Sad but true.