Well it could mean everything you say including smaller and more direct terrorist attacks. Wide open options and there is no shortage of targets or methods of inflicting pain. Only question is, will it occur or will we make it obvious that this is not a bright move on their part and nip it in the bud before it unravels. Your reference to cyber is of course a target rich environment and as it provides a degree of deniability by the perp, it’s a nice one to use, after all, Iran... will say, no it’s not me, must be someone else and because few trust authority, the political wedges can be used against us. It Hits people and impacts confidence in the government and its various institutions, causes enormous economic damage and can easily result in changing governments....

Price of gas going up is mainly one of an inconvenience and a hit on pocket book but increased food costs, loss of tourism dollars...will eventually all hit the economy. Grid down in a city would be a real hoot, or some financial hack and use of peoples credit cards... is another fun day in the park.

There is the obvious one of explosions but beyond the immediate victims, its the subsequent political panic that would effect foreign policy. Will these loons target people sitting in a Restaurent or run people over, strait of Hormuz or will it be cyber and hit a much larger audience? We are all guessing on what if any attack may occur.

Regardless of what games/s will or may be played, I think we have mentioned or are aware all of the things that will screw up life, so it’s a matter of severity. It’s my ever so humble opinion that people underplay or understand how truly fragile our societal structures and way of life are.

As usual, talking about these things will help those who for whatever reason are not where they wish to be and help any of us get moving on our readiness. Some think the trigger will be a pandemic, cyber, weather, crop failures.... but all of these events will impact finance and that will broaden the scope and in turn activate or cause other things to occur.

I don’t think we are in a good financial state, either personal, Wall Street or governmental level, so could terrorist attacks be a trigger for a financial collapse. Financial collapse can be caused by all manner of methods and for me, this is the most likely. A financial collapse imitated in whole or in part by any trigger will have wide ranging impacts.

So as we all know, shelter, water food, safety..

Someone getting run over or explosion in BC, Toronto, ottawa, montreal is one thing but a nation wide impact to finances is a what keeps me up. The reason being is that a financial issue impacts so many things and even if you have money, you can still be a victim ( no meds, healthcare, car jacked and robbed, raped and lose your life or that of loved ones) . One just need look at any war and you see millionaires, scrambling for rotten potatoes or being shot for nothing.

So keep planning and fine tuning ones efforts and we stand a better chance then others who think or wholeheartedly believe the government will take care of them. I for one need to improve cardio, ramp up gardening, solar and preservation of perishables.
Whatever the issue, I hope it occurs during a real nasty cold, snowy and long winter so cityidiots get trapped in the city and burbs.

Interesting Clarence, thanks for your input. I don't think we'd see terrorist acts as a fallout of the current situation, this hasn't been the modus operandi of Shia Militia Groups so far over the past several years. Targeting with "plausible deniability" perhaps as has been suspected in Iraq ("ISIS did it!" they'd say despite forensics determining Iran-manufactured armament...) and could be used here I suppose.

Even cyber wouldn't be covert IMHO. They've just had the equivalent of their Minister of National Defence (or top-General) assassinated. They probably want to grandstand instead of conduct covert ops.

Financial hit for the West (read mostly USA with ripple-effects) is certainly of the realm of possibility. As you point outthe overall western economy isn't the greatest to start with...

Just some reading on what is expected, and more importantly...the questions being pondered that no one really can answer on what will happen. Sometimes...its just preparing for the "what ifs"

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-50980704

https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/world/article238949351.html
"a 5-10 cent increase."

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2020/01/03/iran-attack-soleimani-killing-gas-prices-crude-oil/2803319001/

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/iran-general-airstrike-retaliation-threats-1.5415511

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/iran-general-killing-ongoing-war-with-us-1.5415083

“If’s are a great means of looking at any situation, love them. What if the price of gas went up, Gov social assistance program crashes, power goes out due to weather or a man-made event. We can list thousands of ifs or issues and related trickledown effects. One can’t get distracted with the causes too much. Rather it’s the direct and indirect impacts from the absence of something or the negative impact from others that I focus on. This way, no matter what the “if”is, I have a decent plan (Nuclear being the exception).

I find finance to be huge because it’s the impact on it from the event that will most likely impact us. It’s not always our having or not having money, but its impact on others as well. Assuming things build up slowly and are not looking good, do you or your spouse have enough money to quit a job? Let’s face it, at some point you may have to say, screw this, I am not going into the city, taking the plane for a meeting across the country etc. At that point, should your concerns not come to fruition or the event isn’t as bad as anticipated, one will likely be told to not bother coming into work, so it’s potentially and most likely from 99% of people who prepare, a big concern. Because it can have enormous consequences, its one heck of a hard call to make. That flipping “if” can cause all manner of strife in ones plans.

Here’s one, what about you and your spouse being able to leave but some or all of your family unable to quit their job due to money. Will you leave your children or their families behind? What then of your plans and having your stuff in a remote location. Unless you have lots of money and can equip two locations, with one being in the city and subsequently with less long term options. All these issues have an enormous impact on your ability to get through an event physically and mentally. We (read me) may have it in our logical head that it’s pretty obvious, “come on kids, let’s get out of here or screw work, lets hunker down” well they aren’t kids anymore, so now they have families and I pull my hair at times worrying about them.

For those new to the process and sadly, even professionals I have worked with, many do not know of or appreciate all the side effects of families. Speaking from firsthand experience, I have seen the mouths of smart and diligent executives drop when I present them with all the issues that they will face. Have generator?, yes, just awesome, what about fuel? Oh we will just call and have the office tower tank filled, NOT! Your fuel delivery company has what? Yes people, people who, turn on pumps, operate billing software, drive the trucks etc and they have families. Will they come into work, will the snow plow operators come into work and permit said fuel delivery dude to get to work and then to a site, what will the snow plow driver eat if he hasn’t planned for an event. Oppsies. The “ifs” that will bite us directly and indirectly are hilarious to examine.

Staff are good people right? Do you know how many are able to stay in the office for an entire week and never leave? Say what!!!! f a quarter of them said yes, can you feed them? Or does some forty year old single parent working the control center at a critical provider of services need to pick up the kids at 5:30, do they have a week’s worth of diabetic... medicine in their office or even at home. “IF they run out of meds at home, they wont even be walking to the office to turn on the pumps to the fuel tanks. What about sick parents they need to take care of, any alcoholics or other substance abuse issues? If the event occurs on Sunday evening, will they come to work on Monday morning? Not likely if all the lights are out and kids are home from school or the child has an epilepsy event, no buses, fuel, traffic lights……….

The human element is the weakest link and not something to blow off because you have a procedure book on a shelf. Most plans are limited to what they have or think they have control over and never the impact from outside providers or other risks. There are organizations that should know better but because they believe themselves to be ever so important, they firmly believe that others will give them what they want or need. I don’t care if it’s the military or police etc. at some point they will hit a wall as well, yes they have more power than us, but they will and subsequently we will feel the impact of the “ifs”. So the “IF’s” go well beyond what appears to be the immediate issue and the If’s have if’s of their own in their wobbly plans.

Here’s another example I have encountered with people and plans. I have heard time and time again, I have candles, food water and heat. Cool, but you live in the city or burbs right? Because they have city water or natural gas, they firmly believe the proverbial taps will continue to flow. They say “if” they can’t get to the grocery store for a few days in the winter they will be ok. Can’t say as I blame them, because at work, they being the boss, believe that because there is a generator in the building that all services will run. Kid you not, and it scares the hell out of me, so their “if’s” are focused on key support services or resources being there and they only have to worry about some other “ifs”/incidentals.

Another example is my own situation during ice storm of 98. I had all manner of essentials and even without water from the well pump, I could obtain from the ponds. All good except for the weak link of heat in the winter. Had huge outdoor furnace with 30 cords of wood but no generator to power the pumps needed to circulate the hot water from boiler to house! Busy with young family, building home / shortage of money to buy generator and because the power in Ontario was so reliable. I therefore didn’t give the “if”, of lost power the importance it obviously deserved. So I fell into for various legit but still overly confident reasons the very danger I mention. Guilty as charged!

Lots of visible and invisible “if’s to try and factor into ones plans. I find this site great for all the little things we don’t know about, forget or where to learn about solar power, gardening, canning etc etc. So let’s try and keep at it, it may mean repeating stuff but what the heck, I doubt people can or do take the time to read all the previous posts

Pray for peace, plan for war or grief of one type or another and all it may bring.

Hi folks.. a great site 🙂

Interesting chatter today in light of the assassination of the Iranian general, drawing comparisons to the assassination of Archiduke Ferdinand.

Could Iran retaliate into escalation? They have already flexed some serious muscles in the Middle East of late.

So, what does that mean? Gas supply/ cost problem? Cyber attacks?

If this is a concern to you, what changes or action plans are you implementing?

Not word war 3, as the US wont engage in or with peer forces, only those that cant strike back. I am expecting such... something soon, maybe very soon! It will be his only chance now to try and stay in office. Create a situation to declare a "Emergency".

But even if I am wrong about him trying to create a faux war type situation to stay in power, I still think he will strike somewhere simply because he is a sociopath that wont be able to resist using the ultimate force available to him. We will see...

Interesting chatter today in light of the assassination of the Iranian general, drawing comparisons to the assassination of Archiduke Ferdinand.

Could Iran retaliate into escalation? They have already flexed some serious muscles in the Middle East of late.

So, what does that mean? Gas supply/ cost problem? Cyber attacks?

If this is a concern to you, what changes or action plans are you implementing?

Not word war 3, as the US wont engage in or with peer forces, only those that cant strike back. I am expecting such... something soon, maybe very soon! It will be his only chance now to try and stay in office. Create a situation to declare a "Emergency".

But even if I am wrong about him trying to create a faux war type situation to stay in power, I still think he will strike somewhere simply because he is a sociopath that wont be able to resist using the ultimate force available to him. We will see...

Ok, I’ll bite... “where?”

The world is relatively stable right now. The only countries causing stink right now are Iran, Russia and China. Or perhaps lesser actors who are backed by Russia and/or China. NK’s Kim is going to keep spouting vitriole, but let’s be honest, the country will be turned to dust if they miss behave and, though backed by China, I don’t think China would do much other than saying “you saw it coming!” after NK is flattened.

All the ISIS-like people of the world are laying low, licking their wounds, and recouping to set the conditions for a return to their ways, but it will take them years to re-finance, re-equip and recruit.

Now that the tit-for-that with Iran is done, it’s actually not bad of a world right now, COVID aside that is.

Oh, I have no idea where. None at all. A enemy can be conjured up as needed, as all have before. He will leave firing missiles just as he came in doing. I cant see him doing anything different. A sociopath has to sociopath and will use the tools available. I am sure where ever it is Israel will benefit just as it has in the last 20 years of these Christian wars of subjugation.

HP, least you think my thoughts of his potential to use the military to effect a situation where he can stay in power as being hyperbolic, consider this.

https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-donald-trump-politics-constitutions-elections-c5cdb7b47af3fc91c381f4e59e4ed1d0

Just came out a hour ago. Looks like I am not the only one concerned .When Cheney and Rumsfeld Are rushing out a opinion piece with 8 other former Defence secretaries on a Sunday evening no less. I will say this again, ON A SUNDAY . You can bet your ass they are aware that something is being planed and this release is to preemptively try and stop it.

A very dangerous, well armed, stupid animal is being backed into a corner, 16 days and counting.

EDIT; My thoughts were along the lines of some other, likely darker skinned, other than Christian, and likely speaking a language other than English people taking a blasting though that article speaks more to his directly using the military to hold power. Of the two ways I fully prefer the latter, in fact I 100% support that way. Stop the steal I say...use the military against Americans. I cant think of a better use for them. 4 more years! Make America bloody again!! pass the popcorn.

HP, Just out today, more confirmation my suspicion of his behaviour is shared. After Wednesday when Pence confirms the Electoral votes, Trump only has military options.

https://truthout.org/articles/experts-warn-trump-may-attack-iran-out-of-desperation/

Even if his starting a war fails in securing some type of emergency war powers that could extend his stay in the white house, it will certainly tie the hands of the incoming administration and that by itself is a reason for him to do so.

Well... Iran can’t win against the USA, even without any coalition siding with the US. So Iran isn’t going to make the first move. So if Trump decides to initiate the war, it will be a huge ethical dilemma for the chairman of the joint chief of staff. The president is the C-in-C but the oath is sworn to the republic and the constitution. Gen Miley is a smart man (please don’t let me down on this, Mark!). He has already stood up against the president in the past. I’d like to think that he would see through Trump’s stratagem and purposefully stall the process until the planned Inauguration Day.

So unless Iran’s republican guard and the Ayatollah are keen to be martyrs, they are unlikely to initiate anything. Then, there could be a false flag event to trigger hostilities but this would be condemned rapidly by the international community as wayyyy too convenient to be believable. So the conflict would fizzle pretty fast if it was to occur. EXCEPT if Russia decided to leverage the opportunity of having a “side-conflict” between Iran/USA and a deranged man at the helm (Putin is also a strange cat, BTW), then they could pounce on the over-committed US. China will keep the course as they are already “winning” their world domination without shedding a drop of blood.

I highly doubt any of the super powers have the guts to start a world war right now, or at any time in the near future. They all know what the end result would be. That being said, it would not surprise me if "something" were to come up at the last minute that stalls the transfer of power.
I also highly doubt Canada would let itself be drawn into it. Just like Iraq, if the UN doesn't support it, Canada will keep it's nose out of it.

He just cant stop shooting himself in the foot, after the release of that phone call on the weekend it looks like everyone is trying to step away from the corpse. That was a call much as you would expect the leader of Kazakhstan to say to a vote counter....find me 10 000 more votes! This is just too funny, I am going to miss him, production values are going to fall.

This just gets funnier and funnier, as the evening turns into night the White house sits in total darkness. His coup attempt has failed, you know Mr bone spurs is hiding in his bunker right now. I am so going to miss him. I will have to watch old reruns of the WWF (wrestling) from the 90's to see equal quality theater that has been the last 4 years.

You have to know that had those been black rioters the bodies would have been stacked like cordwood right at the entrances, or the steps going up.