In a crisis, people can’t be counted on to keep their word, and rocks and liquid from the ground are hard to counterfeit. In America, agriculture is probably the most internationally competitive industry, and if a collapse comes knowing how to grow food (without intensive energy and chemicals) will not only be essential for staving off hunger but also for trade and earning hard currency for purchase of foreign goods.

Regardless of when or how exactly a shakeup will occur, the best thing individuals can do is simply get off the train that is bound for oblivion. Once off, forging your own path can be a formidable one, but to put things in perspective nearly all the people living in the United States have ancestors who at one point or another left their home country to setup in the current one. The prospects for a civil war are arguably worse, but leaving one city for another (hopefully more rural) county is not. If you believe in DNA, the ability is within you. You just have to have the courage to pursue it, and hopefully the right mindset, knowledge, and people to do it with. Having a network is always key, so don’t for a second not take advantage of modern communication tools to coordinate with other like-minded individuals.

Once setup away from the midst of likely turmoil (i.e., major cities), start working on ways to stay flexible and anti-fragile. Having portable skills that keep food on the table without needing to living in a city are always helpful, and include construction, automotive repair, and medical / EMT abilities. If these is a possibility to do this with others, find ways to share common resources like laundry facilities, daycare, and tools and equipment if engaged in farming and industrial work. Homeschooling is a great option, but if you have to send your children to school, Compsci offers sage wisdom on vetting your children’s teachers: “Among other things related to our new grand daughter, I consulted my son with regard to choosing a school and interviewing the teacher and principal. Request a class syllabus and request that you be notified of any classroom presentations by anyone other than the assigned teacher or variation from the class syllabus by the teacher—no exceptions. Insist that your daughter be sent to the library for independent study if written permission for variation is not obtained. Discuss this with teacher and principal verbally, then follow up with them in writing. (Written instructions will signal your intent to hold them legally responsible for violating your charge.) If the school balks, then you know you must find another school. Most private schools will understand and meet your concerns.”