[SeaGypsy]

The privilege to even think about such issues as opened here is rare indeed. Most places, people have much shorter and narrower views of things.

In the Philippines, as with most in the developing world, people still have no real understanding about supply issues and complexity of markets in global commodities reflected in pump prices. All they consider is the price they are paying. Blame for rises is apportioned to the government via the popular MSM in these countries. I was in the Philippines when the prices went crazy a few years ago. I found myself facing blank stares nomatter who I tried to explain what was really happening. "The Government should DO SOMETHING" is the ordinary response; even though the same people have no faith at all that the Government can effect the most basic changes in the corrupt beaurocracy. It's cognitive dissonance all over, even worse than what we have in 'rich countries'.

If you have a life where you have choices about how you will go about making a living, surviving, you are relatively free indeed. We probably should not take this freedom for granted. That's where I see success here, the folks who could easily hang on in the top global percentile income wise, but have utilized their capacity for choosing a life more sustainable. It has to be done very carefully. If not well planned or resourced, the result of a fumbled attempt can be a serious personal disaster. But it can be done, as some folks here can attest.

[Ferretlover]

What I know: HHmm.. I am over 60, so I know a lot.
What I do? Nothing much, being retired. I am here a lot, occasionally learning from the wiser of our posters, and occasionally whacking some whippersnapper that has gotten out of line.
As far as prepping, I slip things into conversations and just let them simmer. I learned long ago that people will accept only what *they* decide is correct, especially on a life-altering subject such as peak resources.
I shop for stuff that does not require a source of energy other than elbow grease, or, that I cannot make myself.
As far as my family, Christmas and birthdays are great times for giving prep gifts. I think this year people are going to find cheese-making kits, and "artisan" bread cookbooks.
I plan to have walmut and almond trees planted in the back yard next year. I just keep doing what I can do, without scaring the bejesus out of my family. Being overwhelmed is not condusive to quality prepping.

[rockdoc123]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'A')ll they consider is the price they are paying. Blame for rises is apportioned to the government via the popular MSM in these countries. I was in the Philippines when the prices went crazy a few years ago. I found myself facing blank stares nomatter who I tried to explain what was really happening. "The Government should DO SOMETHING" is the ordinary response; even though the same people have no faith at all that the Government can effect the most basic changes in the corrupt beaurocracy. It's cognitive dissonance all over, even worse than what we have in 'rich countries'.

[Newfie]

How wide is my gap?

Let's start here.......

I pretty firmly believe that in the relative short term there will be a drastic reduction in human in population. Short term being in under 100 years.

But that is still a big time in human life spans. Also I am 61.

Thus I feel a certain pressure to prep, but there is no certainty as to what to prep for. A large population crash is likely to bring such huge changes that one can not accurately anticipate the various pitfalls.

Thus my mantra has been to value flexibility. Unfortunately not all in my immediate family are sufficiently like minded. Thus I have contradictory pulls.

Given these views and pressures I believe I have done as well as can be expected.

Early in life I was pretty type A. After a rugged start, divorce, and tough early years we were able to achieve some financial and professional success. I graduated college at 39 and achieved professional certification at 49. This gave us some freedom to prep. In this regard we have been fortunate.

We have an adequate bug out place where I have family roots and will likely be accepted. I have the boat as a way to get there, or elsewhere if that makes more sense.

I managed to get dual US and Canadian citizenship, providing more residence options.

We have invested in a small rental building that will provide relatively passive income for as long as the economy holds together.

Our debts are minimal being limited to the apt building mortgage which has 5 years to go.

I have reduced my incom, and my expenses, learning to live happily on less. I have reassessed what it means to be successful.

I have stepped from the rat race, or nearly so. Looking back it is just such sickness.

We dumped the TV, thus severing the intravenous feed of cultural amalgamation that so enslaves us.

In the meantime I am trying to enjoy life by using the boat to travel and meet interesting people. I also read a lot, which is liberating.

In summation, for my personal view of the future, and for the family situation I have, I think I have been doing Ok.

Perhaps the hardest thing to do is to watch the train wreck unfold, knowing you can do nothing, and being OK with that. Very difficult indeed,

[ralfy]

Actually, failure to understand "supply issues" works across the board, especially for the global middle class, which thinks that as long as there's enough money then lots of resources will be available. The same goes for people in Third World countries who want to earn more money so that they can buy what the middle class has.

[Ferretlover]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('ralfy', 'T')he same goes for people in Third World countries who want to earn more money so that they can buy what the middle class has.

[Newfie]

Yeah, I call it the expectation gap

[ralfy]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ferretlover', '
')And, boy are they going to be mad when they can finally afford the middle class life resources, and there aren't any left.

[Pretorian]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('rockdoc123', '
')Everyone wants the government to look out for them. My latest experience post retirement has been with Argentina where it is almost bizarre the lengths the gov't has gone to be popular with the voters. They have kept the price of natural gas to consumers to ridiculous low levels ( I know people who leave their air conditioners on all the time and don't worry about any other sort of power consumption simply because it only costs them the equivalent of about $10/month). At the same time the Argentine gov't is paying up to $14/MMBTU for gas from LNG which means they are spending billions to subsidize energy prices each year.

[Ibon]

There is definitely cognitive dissonance in emerging countries of seeing their governments as debilitating parasites at the same time as they expect them to provide solutions to serious problems.

The one difference most of us are aware of though when compared to "1st world" nations is that governments in emerging countries are historically so corrupt that there isn't and never was very much outrage over their incompetence.

In the US on the other hand we have only recently got acquainted with "3rd world" governance. Related to that sense of self entitlement comes more outrage.

[SeaGypsy]

Watching politics in the developing world is amazing. Anyone who bothered half following the recent impeachment trial of the Philippines Chief Judge of the Supreme Court, would have noted the quality of debate being comparable with that of a group of pubescent children. Actually intelligent people do not want to do politics in places like the Philippines, because they know they will simply be 'eliminated'. My wife could have got into it, through being an Aquino distantly related to the current President, a background in local politics. She was given the 'tap on the shoulder' when we married, that politics was now out of bounds to her, as having help from a westerner would ensure she was perceived as unfairly elected: a death sentence in the Philippines. The same families are in power there who have been in power for 400+ years. Every election cycle results in dozens upon dozens of murders. People kill each other over "Barangay Captain" positions.

Our political circus is much better organised

[ralfy]

This amid decades of military powers involving a global financial elite and powerful governments preying on weaker countries to control resources and leading to tens of millions dead, while the sheeple "intelligent people" cheer them on in exchange for tax cuts, easy credits, and tens of trillions in play money.

In contrast, the "political circus" in the "developing world" is small potatoes.