The only thing that I would add, is that even if you 'grow your own' the prevailing gov can come in and take it all away.

Reader George:

(Here is a transcript of a recent discussion friend and I had regarding what we might face n the nation when there is an economic collapse for whatever reason. GE

our society....or should I restate that and say- the society...it is truly dumbed down and brainwashed and/or propagandized to the point where objective thought and logic are no longer tolerated.

Most do not realize this, but we are headed for a deflationary depression as well. We are going to witness a financial wipe out sometime in the next six months to a year- unlike anything seen since the last great depression- but this one will be multigenerational. Cash money will be the king and we will see most retirement funds crash....due to derivative bubbles. Having No Debt and/or very low debt at a fixed rate of return will provide winning hands. Society has transformed and will continue to go in the directions we have witnessed. A smart man simply steps out of line and stays away from people to a large extent.

As a final note, I think this greater depression will be manageable, and it will not be auntie and thunderdome, but I would not live in urban areas. There will be a semblance of peace and order, as the human community moves toward some new and different social experiment with controls and oversights still uncommon today. mike

my answer:

Those that don't have as many bills maybe better off for a while, but when people lose things they go to zero, regardless how much they lost. Zero is zero, whether a home is $50,000 or whether you lost a $200,000 home. So, when two families are living side by side and living in homes, does it matter how much it is worth when they can't pay for it? The guy that doesn't owe on a home may actually have the same as someone that doesn't pay on a home anymore. What makes the difference at that point is how they adapt to living with less. How they defend their families, and if they have the tools for gardening, and the seeds and canning equipment. etc. - and the choice of where you live is very important, the stance you are taking, and your options.

If you have $50,000 in the bank but you are not allowed to take it out for 5 years, etc. what good does it do you? If you have $20,000 under the mattress or buried in the ground, and hyper inflation hits the nation and a hamburger costs you $25 one week, and $50 the next week what good will it do?
There are too many variables to a collapse. The only answer is to stay as independent as possible and self sufficient, so whatever happens it has little affect on you. And to band together with like mind people as a protective colony. If you can raise your own food, can and store food, and put back seeds for the next year, you need very little from the stores. If you have your own solar panels to generate electricity you can have an electric car or bike to travel with. That way you no longer need to buy gas. To disconnect from the system as much as possible is the only long term solution. And that is the one thing no one wants to do, because it requires sacrifice and investment.

George