John Malone isn’t the only well-to-do tycoon with a bug out location. The New York Observer, in The New Doom, discusses various reasons for why those in the upper echelons of earnings are worried about a serious economic and/or political catastrophe:

“Life is such a fucking disaster,” a prominent New York hedge fund manager said recently. “We all live in some kind of world we create for ourselves. And I think that what happened is that built into that world were very enlarged expectations about what life was going to be. There’s been this sensation of excessive expectation that, frankly, became unsustainable.”

He had just returned from his ranch in the wilderness of central Idaho. “I just like it because it’s massively low human density. It would be a place you could hole up in. But, gosh, I hope that doesn’t happen.”

…

Humans have this poignant desire to feel that we’re in control,” the hedge fund manager said. “I know there will be abrupt change.”

…

The hedge fund manager said he doesn’t even trust gold. “It’s worthless if the social fabric tears,” he said. “We’re going to have to do something different, before we get down to where it’s really bad.”

Bankers in New York are arming themselves, prominent business men are talking about their bug out locations in mainstream media, and the US government has bunkers and food storage capable of providing for thousands of political leaders and their families in the event of a national emergency.

There is, of course, the chance that the US economy will recover, albeit not very probably. Or that we will stagnate for the next decade. Some suggest we are even in a depression right now, and that we may see negative growth, employment and asset values for a long time to come. All of these outcomes are on the table and are readily considered by mainstream media pundits.

What seems to be off the table is the worst-case. The United States is the world’s sole super power they say. As if they purposefully ignore history, none believe that the super power could become a third world nation; and rather quickly at that.

At SHTF Plan We often discuss the structural and fundamental problems of the US economy. Most would agree that we’re not anywhere close to being out of this mess. But very few want to consider what might happen because of the extreme excesses that have brought us here.

Is it possible that one day the US will have to either significantly devalue our currency or default on our debts? What other options is there, really? All of the knowledgeable economists, analysts and officials tell us it is not possible, but they don’t really explain why, other than harping on a Keynesian theory that suggests the more we spend the faster we’ll come out of it.

And if something like a national debt default or hyperinflation were to happen, and the credit markets completely froze, as would commerce and transportation, does anyone think that the FEMA or local emergency responders would be capable of handling a long-term catastrophic economic emergency that would wipe out our currency, just-in-time food delivery systems, and law enforcement?

Many of the upper class rich don’t seem to think so. And if the federal government’s own emergency preps are a guide, they don’t think they can handle it either.

How willing are you to risk the life of yourself and your family so that you don’t have to consider the worst case scenario?

Tin foil aside, what would you do if the worst happened?