The Many Faces of Armageddon

The biblical version of Armageddon occurs in the New Testament Book of Revelation, generally referring to a coming epic battle between the forces of good and evil on earth. Modern usage of the term has come to mean a variety of end-of-the-world scenarios. During the 1950’s, the primary worry was nuclear annihilation, though the Cold War’s end put that idea on the back burner for a while. These days, there is a plethora of options for end-of-timers to embrace: environmental disaster, global terrorism, biological warfare, and, of course, the trusty old end of the Mayan calendar.

At Holistic Survival, we try to stay grounded in reality while, at the same time, acknowledging the reality of the dangerous world around us. When/if Armageddon comes, there’s a good chance it might be wearing one of the following faces.

Financial Implosion
The European Union (EU) recently agreed to bail out Greece (for the SECOND time) and one has to look no further than rioting in the streets of Athens over the emergency austerity measures to see a potential scenario for worldwide demise. In return for even deeper (and massively unpopular) budget cuts, the EU agreed to loan Greece another $172 billion to prevent a catastrophic default. Is there anyone out there NOT smoking crack who sees these bailouts as good idea? Seems to us that operating on the “too big to fail” policy is the best way to insure that financial insolvency eventually consumes our entire society rather than just taking out the weak segments.

Trust us, financial Armageddon could be right around the corner here in the United States as well. An old saying comes to mind. Sow the wind and you eventually reap the whirlwind. The first thing to go will be the value of our currency. It’s already showing signs of tremendous weakness. Precious metals like gold are a better option, but you’ll still find yourself at the mercy of the holding institution. We suggest a well-stocked food cache, a few guns, plenty of bullets, and a portfolio based in income-producing properties. When everything goes to Hell in a handbasket, those holding real estate stand the best chance of being around afterward to pick up the pieces.

Genetic Manipulation
We’re not here to rain on anyone’s parade about the mind-boggling possibility of increasing the human life span to numbers previously unimaginable, or the prospect of eradicating the most heinous diseases of our time. In a perfect world, who wouldn’t want that? The problem, of course, is the natural human tendency to abuse the heck out of power. Some would say that gene manipulation transgresses blatantly in God’s territory. Call it what you like, but keep in mind that not every soul on this planet has the same selfless approach to implementing scientific advances. Some would (gasp) be more inclined to put a price tag on medically enhanced life spans or (double gasp) turn the technology to more nefarious ends.

Does this mean we think all biological research and development should come to an immediate halt? Don’t be asinine. Of course not. That particular genie escaped from the bottle a long time ago and it’s too late to cram him back. We’re simply saying that biological Armageddon is not an unrealistic possibility, one for which you should prepare yourself. How? Well, a bugout cabin in the woods in Montana is a good start.

Environmental Cataclysm
Al Gore might have a point or maybe he simply has chicken feed for brains. Who are we to decry the inventor of the Internet? The point here is that whether or not and to what extent global warming exists, the fact remains that our planet has a long history of frequent and violent surface change. Earthquakes, forest fires, flooding, drought, snowstorms, hurricanes, tornadoes, and more could plop themselves in your lap without warning. And let’s not forget a little climactic event that ended about 10,000 years ago called the Ice Age. We’re just saying – it happened before and could again.

The Big Point when it comes to pondering the various methods Armageddon is that by the time it starts, it’s probably too late to protect yourself. You’re not going to be able to dash down the street (through wide scale rioting and locust plagues) to snatch a handful of provisions from the local grocery store. The time to prepare yourself is NOW, before it happens. Once the cow manure hits the fan, you’re out of luck. You’re likely to become just another statistic on the evening news. If we even have an evening news.

And don’t forget, it might not be a bad time to run out and get yourself a copy of the Mayan calendar BEFORE December 21, 2012.

The Holistic Survival Team

 

 

 

 

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