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[FDD]

What is a “free market”?

Here are my thoughts on it.

The ability to trade goods, for goods.

Weather that be FRN, gold, silver, or other goods.

I was reading in another thread about how China could cause the collapse of the US economy.
By dumping it holdings of US Treasury notes.
If they did this, no matter how much gold they hold, they would be hurting their biggest trading partner. Who else would they trade with and move their goods as they do with the US?

They export more than they import, and the most of their exports is to the US.
Now if, someone else was to start importing more goods from China than the US, then they would not need the US, and could start to sell off their holding of US T-notes.

So what does that mean for us here?
So the US dollar goes to shit, TP becomes more valuable than the dollar.
Does that mean the US stops working? No.
The people in the cites, will find it harder to live in. But people who have work their way away from the FRN’s will get by just fine.
Most will go back to bartering for goods and services, some may start to take gold or silver for their goods.

But the ones that can live and do for themselves now, will keep on doing well for themselves.

We have talked here about what we can do, and what we may need to do to improve ourselves and our ability to take care of our own.

Those that think they need the “Government” to take care of them, will be the ones dying off.

So ask yourself, am I doing all I can? Am I ready to be on my own? Can I take care of my family, with what I have now?

If not, then when?   

[MamaLiberty]

The free market = freedom of choice and responsibility for those choices

The free market can't stand alone, of course. In order for a free market to be possible, individuals must make individual liberty and self government, self responsibility a reality in their lives.

[knobster]

For me the free market means a return to trading goods and services for other goods and services.  A medium of exchange will come from that, preferably precious metals.  Gold, silver, lead, copper, brass.  Brass filled with powder and topped with lead (heh heh).

For those that have skill sets that other people need then they will do well.  For those that get degrees in 'General Studies' or Philosophy will quickly find out how little they have to offer.  My engineering degree may not be the best for emerging from the pile of ashes post TEOTWAWKI but my side skills of reloading, gardening, chicken raising, hunting, etc should fill that void.

Am I doing all I can to survive and even thrive in such a society?  I'm sure working on it...

[DiabloLoco]

What is a “free market”?

In a truly free market, there is no government regulation. No labor laws. No trade barriers. No monopoly on what is acceptable as a means of exchange. And most of all.......NO CENTRAL BANK! Until the Fed is burned, drawn and quartered, stabbed, shot, electrocuted, poisoned, and all it's remnants shot straight into the damned sun, there will never be a free market. Never.

I was reading in another thread about how China could cause the collapse of the US economy.
By dumping it holdings of US Treasury notes.
If they did this, no matter how much gold they hold, they would be hurting their biggest trading partner. Who else would they trade with and move their goods as they do with the US?

They would still trade with the US as well as anyone else that wanted to do business with them. The main difference would be that China would then have the hegemony that the US dollar currently enjoys. Without that hegemony, the US wouldn't appear as wealthy as it does. The US also wouldn't/couldn't have a $20 trillion national debt, and over $100 trillion debt in unfunded liabilities.

China plays a long game. In the past, they have shown that they are willing to take massive short-term losses for the promise of long term gains. There is absolutely no reason why anyone should assume that they wouldn't dare undertake such an action now.

So what does that mean for us here?

To me personally, it means that one must take care of themselves and those that they consider to be in their "group", and screw everyone else. Leave emotions out of it. In such a scenario, empathy is for those that will pass quickly. Get your B's in order and hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. Advanced preppers should definitely consider bullion/barter items after the other B's are taken care of. IMHO, to completely disregard PM's as a prep item is wholeheartedly foolish.