Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre and his story on Argentina

Discussion in 'Survival Reading Room' started by DKR, Oct 29, 2017.


  1. DKR

    DKR Raconteur of the first stripe

    Per @Motomom34

    FerFal's story would be good to discuss then DL's. FerFal's book is here on the monkey so people can easily access. Sounds good to me.

    FerFal's Lessons of SHTF in Argentina - True Story
    ^^^Mash this line to see story^^^ This will take you to the page holding the story.
    (New link - go to Silver Bear Cafe post set) 11/6/17 - the Silver Bear links are now dead. Don't have any suggestions of where else this might be...


    Background on 'Fer fal' - a blogger of some note.
    Fernando “Ferfal” Aguirre - currently living in Spain, has written a book or two on survival in an ongoing urban collapse. In his case, the disaster that is currently called Argentina. His blog and a Google + page continue his look at urban decay world wide. This, I believe, is the real value of Fernando's writings, his view is not centric to one city or country, but seems to encompass a larger landscape if you will - that of the dying City-State.

    Argentina
    Argentina (/ˌɑːrdʒənˈtiːnə/ ([​IMG] listen); Spanish: [aɾxenˈtina]), officially the Argentine Republic[A] (Spanish: República Argentina), is a federal republic in the southern portion of South America. Sharing the bulk of the Southern Cone with its neighbor Chile to the west, the country is also bordered by Bolivia and Paraguay to the north, Brazil to the northeast, Uruguay and the South Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Drake Passage to the south. With a mainland area of 2,780,400 km2 (1,073,500 sq mi), Argentina is the eighth-largest country in the world, the second largest in Latin America, and the largest Spanish-speaking one.

    United States is about 4 times bigger than Argentina. Argentina is approximately 2,780,400 sq km, while United States is approximately 9,833,517 sq km. Meanwhile, the population of Argentina is ~44 million people (280 million more people live in United States).
    Argentina is approximately 2,780,400 sq km, while Canada is approximately 9,984,670 sq km or 4x bigger . Also of note, the population of Argentina is ~44 million people (9 million fewer people live in Canada). Closer, but still smaller.

    Of note for the upcoming discussions is that Argentina is subdivided into twenty-three provinces (Spanish: provincias, singular provincia) and one autonomous city (ciudad autónoma), Buenos Aires, which is the federal capital of the nation as decided by Congress. The provinces and the capital have their own constitutions, but exist under a federal system.

    So more like the US and Canada than many would want to admit - on paper. The reality is far different. Based on a Spanish culture and language, the culture is very different than found in North America.

    For more history of the decline and fall of Argentina - see
    https://www.economist.com/news/brie...na-was-future-what-went-wrong-century-decline
    Simon Kuznets, a Nobel laureate, is supposed to have remarked: “There are four kinds of countries in the world: developed countries, undeveloped countries, Japan and Argentina."

    And so, we may begin.
     
    Last edited: Nov 6, 2017
    3M-TA3 and Motomom34 like this.
  2. tacmotusn

    tacmotusn RIP 1/13/21

    @DKR okay I will be the first to ask. WHERE IS THE STORY?
     
    Motomom34 and DKR like this.
  3. DKR

    DKR Raconteur of the first stripe

    Buenos Aires (/ˌbweɪnəs ˈɛəriːz/ or /-ˈaɪrɪs/;[3] Spanish pronunciation: [ˈbwenos ˈai̯ɾes]) is the capital and most populous city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the South American continent's southeastern coast. "Buenos aires" can be translated as "fair winds" or "good airs", but the first one was the meaning intended by the founders in the 16th century, by the use of the original name "Real de Nuestra Señora Santa María del Buen Ayre". The Greater Buenos Aires conurbation, which also includes several Buenos Aires Province districts, constitutes the fourth-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas, with a population of around 17 million.

    Please note this - almost 40% of the entire population lives in this one City-State.

    Why do I call this a City-State?
    The city of Buenos Aires is neither part of Buenos Aires Province nor the Province's capital; rather, it is an autonomous district. In 1880, after decades of political infighting, Buenos Aires was federalized and removed from Buenos Aires Province.[5] The city limits were enlarged to include the towns of Belgrano and Flores; both are now neighborhoods of the city. The 1994 constitutional amendment granted the city autonomy, hence its formal name: Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (Autonomous City of Buenos Aires). Its citizens first elected a chief of government (i.e. mayor) in 1996; previously, the mayor was directly appointed by the President of the Republic.

    Please note the "decades of political infighting" In this is always the seeds of self-destruction.
     
    Motomom34 likes this.
  4. DKR

    DKR Raconteur of the first stripe

    Last edited: Oct 29, 2017
    Motomom34 likes this.
  5. arleigh

    arleigh Goophy monkey

    Now just imagine the sea thing happening here except for one thing , more liberals are armed and practicing.
     
  6. DKR

    DKR Raconteur of the first stripe

    How does this happen? How does it start?

    Russia may face a domestic bread shortage in certain markets due to massive wheat exports this year as Russia morphs into an international food superpower. Cities such as St. Petersburg may not have sufficient wheat shipments as the transportation capability is being used to get export wheat to ports.

    The excessive number of carriages allocated for exports is depriving the St. Petersburg milling industry of its own – damaging supply chains, driving up prices and creating a shortage of bakery products, the St. Petersburg governor writes. The letter was sent after St. Petersburg’s most important wheat suppliers, the Orenburg, Saratov, Samara, Novosibirsk and Omsk regions, were included in a list of priority regions for grain export,” writes The Moscow Times.

    With Hugo, it was cheap chicken wings "for the poor".
    The Chavez Spiral
    Buying votes of the 'poor' can cost you your country......
     
    3M-TA3 likes this.
  7. Bandit99

    Bandit99 Monkey+++ Site Supporter+

    I remember reading a story about a guy that went through the Bosnia hell, think he was in Sarajevo. I was there right after the worse of it, and from what I saw and from what I heard from others that went through it, yeah, he spoke the truth, they all did... Anyway, I have a notebook to capture ideas and notes while I read this...

    "After all these years I learned that even though the person that lives out in the country is safer when it comes to small time robberies, that same person is more exposed to extremely violent home robberies."
    This is my greatest fear...and what makes the fear worse is I am not sure I can do much to counter it. Put it in the notes...do what I can to improve security even if it is only procedures...

    "In my case, gold coins would have been an excellent investment, saving me from loosing money when the local economy crashed."
    Oh! This is my second greatest fear. I'm definitely in for nightmares tonight... On the list...

    "the world we once new no longer existed, and that this was not a hurricane, this was an ice age period, it wouldn't just go away."
    Interesting use of words here, 'ice age period', definitely gets his point across.

    "Don't invest all your money in your country. Don't put all your eggs in the same basket, just in case economy goes to hell. Invest in a country in Europe, in Australia, whatever..."
    I am not so sure about this...the more I think about it the more I think that should the states go through an economic collapse then the rest of the world will follow. Dunno. I need to think about this more...I certainly wouldn't trust Canada, China or a few others whose financial interest or geographic proximity is close, certainly not Mexico either...Perhaps Switzerland? But, it's all fiat money anyway and will be affected so...so, I don't know. I think I like the idea of gold better but where to put that gold and it would have to be overseas...I wonder if my Gold would be safe in Canada? No, too close...

    "...stock up on rat and cockroach poison. Services are bad in general, and the garbage collectors are no exception."
    This is something I didn't consider. We take our garbage to a County disposal place which I doubt would stay open very long...so besides having to dig and build an outhouse, we'll have to dig a hole to burn the garbage but actually there should be very little garbage.

    I filled a whole page with notes, thoughts and ideas... Most the stuff I knew but made me realize that it is time I stop procrastinating on a few things... This is well worth the time to read it if for nothing more it puts you in the right state of mind to think about this.
     
  8. Bandit99

    Bandit99 Monkey+++ Site Supporter+

    Frankly, this sounds exactly what is/was happening in Argentina. The wheat is worth more selling it outside the country than inside so outside it goes. It will be interesting to watch how this turns out.....maybe they will just take the rest of the wheat growing land in the Ukraine or their wheat? LOL!!!!! I mean, they did it once before...
     
  9. Idahoser

    Idahoser Monkey+++ Founding Member

    his story was VERY influential when I was first 'discovering' the prepper concept... been a fun ride so far. I have a Glock because of him.

    (any reference to firearms owned by me are purely fictitious and for entertainment purposes only)
     
  10. DKR

    DKR Raconteur of the first stripe

    "..stock up on rat and cockroach poison. Services are bad in general, and the garbage collectors are no exception."
    This is something I didn't consider. We take our garbage to a County disposal place which I doubt would stay open very long...so besides having to dig and build an outhouse, we'll have to dig a hole to burn the garbage but actually there should be very little garbage."

    Not just rats - and mind you, I hate rats. I really worry about feral dogs.

    Feral dog management and control -- paper on methods of 'control'

    SURVIVING IN ARGENTINA: Dog Attacks - and extract from FerFal
    This is what happens when you let aggressive animals run wild unleashed or when you fail to teach them their proper place in the family “pack”.
    “WARNING” These links, they are very graphic but clearly show what a dog can do to a person in just seconds:
    Dangerous dogs in the UK - Dangerous dogs in England - Dangerous dogs in Britain - Rottweilers - Bull Terriers - List of Banned Dogs - Family Pets - Dangerous Dogs Act
    http://northwalesandchestercwu.org/L…anch/Dogs1.htm
    Now, the problem with dogs only gets worse during bad economic times, suddenly you see tons of pitts and rotties and other large or strong dogs running wild. No dog is bad on its own, but they can be dangerous and that’s the case of powerful animals that start running like a pack.

    NOTE -
    the images in the linked article are graphic, but nothing I haven't seen in the ER. The victims in this article were mauled by well fed and taken care of pets.
    When these pets turn into feral packs, the real trouble starts.

    I've gone on two hunting expeditions near Tucson and another in rural Nv - trying to kill as many feral dogs from these packs as possible -- as poison bait isn't allowed, for good reason. A pack of dogs quickly becomes a killing machine of the worst sort..

    [​IMG]
    dog attack in Sofia. One of many in this former Soviet territory...

    [​IMG]
    slum dog pack - India. So bad there the authorities routinely use poison bait. You look the photos up for yourself, they routinely 'cull' 100s of dogs at a time.
    Use India poison dog culling as a search string. I'll warn you in advance, any of the India images are very graphic...

    [​IMG]
    Not just in rural/farm areas - this is part of "about 150" dog pack in/around Fayetteville’s urban center. Besides the danger of an attack, packs serve as disease reservoirs for rabies, and may be considered as a disease vector as well.

    In addition to planning for food, water, heat and so on - ensure your protection plans include feral animals.



     
    Last edited: Oct 30, 2017
    Motomom34, arleigh and ghrit like this.
  11. arleigh

    arleigh Goophy monkey

    Farrell dogs and cats will likely turn into food for a great many people that are starving , enough spices and garlic and you can cover up the taste of about any thing so long as there is some food value in it . Rattle snake doesn't always taste like chicken , but if you hungry enough taste is not that important.
    The danger of attack currently exists in some states dogs run, loose or not . All the more reason to be armed with something substantial.
    Also walking with something substantial in your hands even in the suburbs . I the wine country I live going for a walk I take a walking staff . neighbor dogs get out from time to time defending their turf . (In the street) .
    I don't go with out a knife on me either. A good friend was attacked by his own Doberman pincer, the dog had him pinned to the ground and a mouth full of my fiend's left arm . In the event he forgot about the knife he wears and spent his free hand trying to control the dog , while his legs were around the dog's chest trying to compress it . didn't work.
    A neighbor saw the scuffle and shot the dog finally.
    1. one must possess the will to kill and act with the tools on board .
    Though a knife is a much more personal implement than a gun, an attack is far more personal and needs to be viewed that way.
    It is called a warrior mentality, and it needs to kick in when a threat appears . whether you are scared or not .
    With animals, If all you have is a knife , you should have the practice to make it work, because merely pointing/brandishing it only shows you scared and not going to use it.
     
  12. DKR

    DKR Raconteur of the first stripe

    "How to Wok your Dog" should be a book in your library then, eh? You are correct, in Asia, barkley is def on the menu....
     
  13. arleigh

    arleigh Goophy monkey

    For a while I strongly considered raising ground squirrels.
    Shot one the other day and cleaned it , and all the organs looked good so I cooked it up and had it for dinner, the meat had a nice nutty flavor. better than chicken .
    In a controlled environment health issues can be observed and controlled more closely than in the wild . Especially with handling they can be tame to some degree ,not that you want to make them pets, but even chickens you need to have a trust relationship to handle them for health reasons . proper cage and feeding and spending time with them IF you can get them to breed in captivity in a few generations the fear factor can be tamed down .
    As a kid I partially tamed grey squirrels , I had 5 I hand fed ,never been bit .
     
    3M-TA3 likes this.
  14. DKR

    DKR Raconteur of the first stripe

    Since the Ferfal links are DOA, I have this related article that talks about the impact of public looting as a progenitor to the fall of government--
    Argentina, Territorial Power and the Meaning of Lootings

    which would appears to be founded on fact -
    President resigns after riots leave 22 dead in Argentina | Daily Mail Online

    Looting related to the wide-spread police strike in Argentina
    https://www.economist.com/blogs/americasview/2013/12/looting-argentina

    Looting related to food shortages
    2 dead as supermarket looting spreads in Argentina
    (one of very many)

    https://www.osac.gov/pages/ContentReportDetails.aspx?cid=21427
    Current report on crime in Argentina - it refers to 'seasonal looting' - an odd turn of phrase, to say the least.

    Were does that leave to US?
    Current reports from mainline media seem to indicate that wide-spread looting is seen mostly a consequence of large natural disasters - for now.

    Localized looting associated with "Political protests" have become an increasing problem across the US.
    See List of incidents of civil unrest in the United States - Wikipedia for a listing of riots/looting across time.

    Q:
    Short of avoid being being at "the wrong place at the wrong time", what can we as individuals do as part of our overall preps strategy?
     
    3M-TA3 likes this.
  15. arleigh

    arleigh Goophy monkey

    1.Have property and a well, well out of town .
    2 . Know your neighbors .
    3. Grow your own food .
    4. provide for your daily needs ahead of time, you know what they are.
    5. avoid town , and those you know in town, don't know where you live .
    6. There is not a man more dangerous than one, desperate with nothing to loose, or has a great deal to loose .
    Some one that is complacent is already lost.
    People that laugh at others that are passionate about something , because they are lost.
    Life has lot of distraction , the media work hard to focus attention where they want . Don't get caught up in it .
    Ive been through enough serious events t know not to depend on stores having what I need . If i have the resources, I invest in the future ,knowing it is not a sure thing. Good common sense .
    I know that God watches over me , and I'm not concerned when my time comes , I feel that I have been extended many times.
    I endeavor "not" to take that for granted .
    The future is an unknown , all of us must participate moment by moment .
    I have learned that God watches over me, and I trust Him ,not blindly and certainly not for granted ,and I seek His guidance in my life daily. and He provides it .
    Just as men the Bible learned to listen to God and store for a future event , the storage is not for one's self necessarily , but more importantly the lesson of being obedient to the task , for more important tasks in the future, for the good of the many.
    As God has provided to me things freely and specifically ,there are others in my path the things I've set aside can be distributed when the time comes .
    Every thing I've saved can be lost in a moment. The test is not the stuff, but the act of obedience .
    I don't expect that those with no or weak faith in God can understand this all ,but those of us that do need to keep in mind ,our future is not in this earth.
     
    bagpiper and OldDude49 like this.
survivalmonkey SSL seal        survivalmonkey.com warrant canary
17282WuJHksJ9798f34razfKbPATqTq9E7