Hugh,
I am writing concerning the post on “Becoming the Bank in TEOTWAWKI [1]” by J.M. I have followed Survivalblog for the past five years and have worked hard to build a large supply of beans, bullets, and bandages, along with a supply of silver, gold, and cash. The posts over the past five years have been very informative, along with the advice from JWR & HJL. We have read that we need to have enough to be able to share as a testament of our Christian walk, and I hope to be able to do exactly that. We have read that we don’t know what the currency might be in SHTF times. It might be silver, or 22 ammo, or toilet paper. I hope I will be prepared for that time. I go back to the country trading market that JWR described in “Patriots”. The local folk would trade this for that, and it might be a combination of goods and silver. My question to the readers and editors would be about those who are not working at being prepared. Even though JM suggested that we would need an adequate protective force for our bank, those who have nothing other than IPads and video games might eventually decide to gang up and take our bank by force. Even in my neighborhood of 25 houses, I hope those few that are not prepping will not rationalize that since we have so much, they deserve to take whatever they need. I don’t think they will just curl up and die. Assuming a low level of “Rule of Law”, how much do you think we’ll be able to be out there and safe? God be with us all. – F.R.
HJL Replies: If TEOTWAWKI looks similar to what you are imagining, there will be a time of chaos in which no “bank” will be able to operate. The ideas laid out in the article will be necessary when society begins to climb out of the hole but as long as there are marauding brigands, survival will be the name of the game. A close knit community will be of utmost importance and that will be where the rebuilding starts– Not with complete strangers like banking relationships today. I do think relationships will broaden over the following years, just like JWR described in his book Patriots [2].