permaculture

[venaurafarm <venaurafarm@bellsouth.net>]

On 8/16/2012 1:16 PM, Toby Hemenway wrote:

> It's a good idea to have several months of food in storage; that's a
> really easy way to hedge your bets, as is having a good local food
> network.

All good ideas. Best to supply and grow as much of your own food as 
possible when there is no food network in your area and no possibility 
of starting one (lack of interest, lack of need, etc.).

> My bet is on a brief, extreme currency collapse (loss of faith in the
> dollar) rendering the dollar essentially worthless for a few months
> while things get sorted out. Put your wealth in things that are
> tangible. A currency collapse will wipe out the paper wealth of
> everyone with investments and a bank account--and disrupt commodities
> markets, which can disrupt food deliveries and make farmers plant
> more or less, depending. But, as in the USSR, Argentina, and lots of
> other places, currency collapses get repaired in a few months or, at
> worst, a year or two. You just have to plan to survive that, and
> adjust to the new system. It doesn't fall apart for long.

Could you comment further on what seems to be a pretty extreme 
statement, Toby? (humor mode ON) This is the kind of thing the tea 
party, libertarians and right wing republicans seem to hawk to whoever 
will listen, i.e. conspiracy theories, one sided political rhetoric, and 
the typical agent provocateur propaganda boilerplate (humor mode OFF).

> The US is much more food secure than almost any other nation. We've
> got other things to worry about. Focus on what's likely, not on what
> scares you.

It is very hard to tell "what is likely". What are more of your 
predictions?

Other than that the only things that scare me are copperhead snakes and 
black widow spiders, both in close proximity to me on the home front; 
but then I still don't worry much about them, am just extremely 
watchful, cautious and eternally vigilant, just like driving on the highway.