Actually, you have an opportunity. The military offers training in a variety of useful areas....marksmanship, escape and evasion, survival...sentry removal...that sort of thing. Besides, going to a school is (at least) a change of pace from the usual demands of work.

As for physical items, you can start accumulating pre-1964 U.S. silver coins - obtaining a few dimes from time to time shouldn't stretch the budget too badly, and they're legal in whatever venue you find yourself.

Lastly, I suspect that the oil will be used as a diplomatic tool - rewarding friends, and punishing enemies.

i think the U.S. administration, Bush or otherwise, will use any oil they control to back up their power networks - i.e. military, domestic police, etc. and probably dole out power sparingly to the domestic population which serves a double purpose of inhibiting most people from travel, communication, etc. (but enough to keep them dependent on the grid for as long as possible). i think 'world good' is at the bottom of the list of priorities - i doubt it's really on the list. i think as was said above, that if oil is distributed extranationally, it will be on a reward/punishment basis and at extortively high prices.

sorry hijacking the thread a bit there. i agree with Jack - take advantage of any survival and trade-oriented trading you can get (aside from computers). weapons ,mechanics, et al. the wealth you carry in your head is worth more than most material investment. people like me will be looking for people like you - cause i just don't have time to learn it all - but i hopefully will have time to get some homestead up and running. you can trade teaching for supplies - regardless of the home situation, people will need skills appropriate to their situation.

If oil wars start, I don't know if the military is gonna let you go. My dad had the Navy pay for his medical school, and he would have fulfilled every single agreement for his contract in November of 2001. After 9/11, they sent him a letter saying that he was legally required to inform the military every year of where he lives, what he is doing for a living, and how much money he is making. If he fails to do this, they will put him back on active duty, and in effect, he is currently like a 3rd string reserve. Atleast that's how he explained it to me.

So get comfy with your Airforce job, you may be there a while. If that is unacceptable, Plan B may have to be drastic. Hope things work out...

Oh and let me add, we will never "secure" the Middle East. We'll be at war until there is no oil left to fight over.

it's called the "ready reserve" even a retire's pension is a "retainer" fee of sorts...

You can always get a medical disability.....less drastic than showing up w/ THC in your Urine, or start drinking very heavily.....

Besides Kanada will just return to sender....

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Sorry guys but an AF mechanic is not going to be getting "Sentry removal training" he can change services and put himself in grat danger...but i don't want to suggest he go there...

Just my 2 cents, my 10 cents ain't free....

Much of the advice above is good. No matter WHERE you are stationed, though, there are going to be people (military or civilian) with skills around. Learn some basic mechanics, first aid/medical aid, cooking, canning, mending--anything you can see that could be useful to you and a community when everything unravels! Heck, find a patch of ground at home or on your base, and GROW something there!

Being "ready" also means being multi-skilled and able to contribute to any society that's built during and after Peak. (And, hey, if you're somewhere that takes Euros, convert your money NOW, before the Euro-to-dollar advantage gets even HIGHER. In the short-term, the more you can buy with the currency you've got, the better!)

The marines have the best manual on fixing the m-16.

lot's more to gunsmithing than one shoddy rifle.

You would need to apprentice yourself to amaster or attend school in CO. don't go for the mail/homeschool bunk.

just my 1/2 cent.

Hmm, alot of varied and valued information. To verify some of the posts though, being in the airforce we don't get very much, any?/ survival training or basically any sort of training other than limited electronics, and maybe 20% of the workings of the plane we work on. (my career field anyway) To sum up my two years so far as an enlisted airforce member, I know a little about electronics, and maybe 20% of the electrical/ total workings of the plane (fighter) I work on. Kind of sad really. I can also take a huge amount of bullshit, and not go crazy, but instead laugh. There are some other small plus's though like being able to live anywhere, and learning to adapt to the area. (more away from home itis)

I personally think that the following years are going to be soft, with a fairly slow but constant increase in energy and gas prices. I'm guessing that we have about 7 or 8 yrs of our current lifestyle, before stuff starts to get crazy with the economy, world awareness ect. With the post about possibly being stuck in the military, in the next 2.5 years I don't think that they will impliment anything, but maybe a few years after that they may try and bring us back, if wars start to get serious. I would take the drastic measure, if they tried, unless I decide to contribute to the future mess, for my own selfish desire to fly. Ahh well. I have decided that I am going to minimally prepare for these possibilities, over the next couple of years, and continue to spend my money on flying, while I still can. If it gets that bad in the future, I don't think I will care about living or not.

Hmm, alot of varied and valued information. To verify some of the posts though, being in the airforce we don't get very much, any?/ survival training or basically any sort of training other than limited electronics, and maybe 20% of the workings of the plane we work on. (my career field anyway) To sum up my two years so far as an enlisted airforce member, I know a little about electronics, and maybe 20% of the electrical/ total workings of the plane (fighter) I work on. Kind of sad really. I can also take a huge amount of bullshit, and not go crazy, but instead laugh. There are some other small plus's though like being able to live anywhere, and learning to adapt to the area. (more away from home itis)

I personally think that the following years are going to be soft, with a fairly slow but constant increase in energy and gas prices. I'm guessing that we have about 7 or 8 yrs of our current lifestyle, before stuff starts to get crazy with the economy, world awareness ect. With the post about possibly being stuck in the military, in the next 2.5 years I don't think that they will impliment anything, but maybe a few years after that they may try and bring us back, if wars start to get serious. I would take the drastic measure, if they tried, unless I decide to contribute to the future mess, for my own selfish desire to fly. Ahh well. I have decided that I am going to minimally prepare for these possibilities, over the next couple of years, and continue to spend my money on flying, while I still can. If it gets that bad in the future, I don't think I will care about living or not.

I just drew this graph from the numbers here: http://cryptome.org/mil-dead-iqw.htm



Is there an end game? Is progress being made? Total dead is now 1,375, how long does this number carry on increasing (at increasing rates) before something changes.

The situation appears unsustainable at present - what's going to change and when?

As predicted by just about everyone, the war is easier than the peace. A lot of the troops in Iraq come from poor backgrounds. The Military offers them great opportunities to improve themselves and develop carriers. There is a price if war breaks out however. During a war like this, they pay dearly. Most Americans don't seem to care about the dead or wounded as long as it isn't someone in their own family. Republicans are very willing to give up someone else's life in the name of whatever.

The trendline for wounded is exactly the same. I did a similar graph and got the same result. Will post it later when some glitches with my server are fixed.

I feel sorry for those boys out there. I'm sure most of them actually thought it was for a good cause.

we don't count the "green card" Mexicans, Philipino's etc. or whomever else we can sweep under the rug....

I'll bet the figure is 2X that.

hearsay but I had heard that there were as many as 30,000 "green card" troops - mostly Mexican nationals who are being promised US citizenship if they sign up (and survive) thier tours. As expect causulties are higher in these "expendable" troops and don't have to be reported.

-G