In our periodic polling of preppers on what they believe is most likely to trigger a societal collapse (widespread, long lasting loss of law and order), an economic collapse is often the top concern.
A recession may already be underway, with the US economic output falling in the first quarter of 2025, the impacts of the Trump trade war starting to hit. More investment firms are now predicting a recession in 2025 is likely.
There are unfortunately many ways an economic downturn could lead to a collapse, violence and widespread loss of law and order:
- Rising levels of unemployment lead to protests, more stealing/crime, and angry people lashing out
- Political protests and blaming Biden/Trump/Musk/Democrats/Republicans/Rich/Tech Execs, etc. can lead to both violent protests and criminals/gangs taking advantage of police being tied up with political protest control to start looting
- The rising popularity of CEO assassinations could escalate
- As we’ve seen with attacks on Tesla dealers, more crime and violence against Trump supporters may result
- Layoffs from AI are accelerating—yielding more people who are angry at lost jobs and ready to lash out at AI firms and tech billionaires
- Income inequality is huge and rising in the U.S. Combined with the hostility towards Musk and other tech billionaires, some fear that class warfare may result
- With much higher food prices, cuts in government social programs, more economic crime and protests that turn violent are likely
- There are at least a million known gang members in the U.S., possibly far more who are ready and eager to exploit political protests and violence to start looting
- Some of the thousands of Chinese agents in the U.S. could be directed by China to foment violence, carry out attacks under cover of “legitimate protests”
Any of the above factors (most likely several of them) can lead to small scale violence escalating out of control—especially with the power of social media, podcasters and disinformation in the news spreading fear. In 2011 the civilized United Kingdom experienced a collapse event that had no “trigger event” or cause; violence just start in London, and over the next several days spread to every major city.
According to one of the smartest persons alive, huge fund manager Ray Dalio, who made his fortune by correctly predicting future events, a civil war is likely in the United States because of our irreconcilable political divide. This divide is deepening, not healing; and a recession could be the gas toss that sets off civil war. Not a clash of states, but as a Collapse Survivor training exercise illustrated last year, political divisions within states that leads to conservative, rural areas revolting against laws and policies passed and pushed onto them by urban, liberal, Democratic party controlled state governments.
You cannot calculate the probability of a collapse ignited by economic hardship and political protests, but it is very possible, and may be very likely to occur given the sharp divisions and hostility in the U.S. today as this video explains:
Fortitude Ranch is ready to ensure member survival in a collapse. You can also use Fortitude Ranch if a local disaster strikes—political violence or law and order breakdown in your area, loss of your house from a fire or disaster.
More “Mainstream” Media sources are now warning that H5N1 is marching steadily towards a pandemic
Fortitude Ranch has been reporting on the continued mutations in H5N1 for years, often quoting testimony from biologists and experts, including a former Director of the Center For Disease Control, who say an H5N1 pandemic is inevitable and could happen anytime if bad people manipulate and bioengineer a human-to-human transmissible version.
Calling H5N1 “bird flu” or “Avian Flu” is no longer correct. H5N1 is spreading in mammal populations around the world. Despite the continued mutations and spread of H5N1, moving closer to human-to-human transmissible versions, the irresponsible Center for Disease Control continues to label H5N1 “low risk.”
Why is the huge Mount Weather FEMA survival complex for Congressmen Expanding?
The mainstream media is also catching up on other warnings that the Fortitude Ranch newsletter has put out. Over a year ago we reported on the massive construction at Mount Weather, the huge (largely underground) survival facility that is designed for Congressmen and other top elected officials and government executives. USA Today recently reported on the big expansion going on there:
So why is this facility being expanded and improved? Is it because of the “inevitable” H5N1 pandemic that biologists outside the CDC have warned of? Concern over domestic civil war? The loss of U.S. military superiority and growing threat of China-Taiwan war? Our still unhardened, easy to destroy electric grid? Our government refuses to explain why Mount Weather is expanding, or what the threat is. They are working to protect themselves in a collapse, but doing nothing to help citizens survive.
Yes, the Government does have Executive Orders giving government agencies the right to steal food and other resources from citizens in a collapse
It is not a conspiracy theory—for decades the POTUS has issued Executive Orders directing government agencies to take private resources, including your stockpiled food and ammo, when needed in a collapse. Government’s priority in a collapse is “Continuity of Government”—keeping top officials alive and in control. So not only do they provide taxpayer-funded survival facilities for the top elected/government officials, they claim the right to steal from citizens if they need more.
You can google and find copies of many of these Executive Orders—but some are classified. I have seen them, including the written authorization to take resources from private sources. You can read about them in detail in this book:
SHOW RAVEN ROCK
At Fortitude Ranch, while we might give food and support to an Army Guard unit operating near us hunting marauders in a collapse, our Ranch Managers will very likely refuse to turn over food and supplies to government officials. Our mission is keeping our members alive, and we have a Constitutional right, and Natural Rights, to use and keep our private property, as well as the right of self-defense and survival.
Dealing with Waste in a Collapse
This is a new outside toilet that collects human waste to fertilize our grass fields (and avoid overtaxing our septic system) at Fortitude Ranch Texas.
We produced a video on how to construct this that is rather humorous:
If you want to invest in Fortitude Ranch to increase our capacity to save more good Americans, contact manager@fortituderanch.com
New Tour Video shows Fortitude Ranch Nevada
This short video tour shows FR Nevada, but it applies to all FR locations, worth watching.