Closing the 'Collapse Gap': the USSR was better prepared for collapse than the US

[Prepper1]

I don't know if you've seen this already but its by a guy, Dmitry Orlov who survived the collapse of the Soviet Union its a very interesting website and or presentation.

http://www.energybulletin.net/stories/20...ollapse-us

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Heres my favorite quote off him...

"In the United States, most people get their food from a supermarket, which is supplied from far away using refrigerated diesel trucks. Many people don't even bother to shop and just eat fast food. When people do cook, they rarely cook from scratch. This is all very unhealthy, and the effect on the nation's girth, is visible, clear across the parking lot".

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"A lot of the people, who just waddle to and from their cars, seem unprepared for what comes next. If they suddenly had to start living like the Russians, they would blow out their knees".

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Many people expend a lot of energy protesting against their irresponsible, unresponsive government. It seems like a terrible waste of time, considering how ineffectual their protests are. Is it enough of a consolation for them to be able to read about their efforts in the foreign press? I think that they would feel better if they tuned out the politicians, the way the politicians tune them out. It's as easy as turning off the television set. If they try it, they will probably observe that nothing about their lives has changed, nothing at all, except maybe their mood has improved. They might also find that they have more time and energy to devote to more important things.

[Ghost]

Quote:Many people expend a lot of energy protesting against their irresponsible, unresponsive government. It seems like a terrible waste of time, considering how ineffectual their protests are. Is it enough of a consolation for them to be able to read about their efforts in the foreign press? I think that they would feel better if they tuned out the politicians, the way the politicians tune them out. It's as easy as turning off the television set. If they try it, they will probably observe that nothing about their lives has changed, nothing at all, except maybe their mood has improved. They might also find that they have more time and energy to devote to more important things.

How very very true

[Tarrel]

His book, "Re-inventing Collapse", is superb. He had a unique perspective, having moved to the US in his teens, he then went back to the Soviet Union numerous times during the collapse of the state, and was able to observe it almost as a bystander. He's right; the Russians were better placed to deal with collapse than the West is. They were already used to shortages, and a "make do and mend" culture. (My Dad's from Poland. I travelled there extensively before the fall of the Berlin wall, and it had similar problems). The Russians' better position didn't stop them going through hell though.