If the government imposes price controls and/or starts passing out ration coupons, then the suppliers will balk at producing for a loss; the people will demand that the goods be seized, and after they are seized, only government will remain to produce them. Price-controlled goods will disappear off shelves; bread at the real price will be contraband. At least that’s the pattern from the past. A tax revolt has no meaning when the currency crumbles – there’s nothing to tax and government turns to just printing as fast as it can.

If all this happens then an escape plan to get out of the city is a very good idea. There could be widespread rioting, burning, looting, bloodshed and mayhem. This is just starting in other countries already. Don’t overlook the possibility of government using any event as an excuse to declare martial law. Don’t forget about agent-provocateurs inciting idiotic actions by zealous but under-endowed enthusiasts in order to smoke out sympathizers. If things look like a powder keg, I’m taking my survival stuff and heading out away from the big city, before gasoline gets cut off. (I do have a place to run away to, and at least I’ll have water.)

Most people don’t know how to value gold or silver coins, it will take awhile for them to get used to the idea. These will probably be declared to be contraband. I can’t afford to buy gold anyway, so I buy silver quarters. But people will trade for bullets, rifles, cigarettes, chocolate, fuel, and other staples. Having a stash of these might come in very handy in bargaining your way out of a hot spot.

I am suspicious that the one-world-government types can see this coming as well as we can, and I worry that their contingency plan is to give the people what they want if everything collapses — total government takeover of everything (temporary measure for your own good, of course). Current policy seems bent on destroying our division-of-labor economy and the ability of the people to resist right along with it. Test balloons are being floated daily in the press about a new currency. The question before us is how we can stop them from knocking the country over like a straw man and then riding in to the rescue with a fascist make-over. If we can stop it before they reduce us to total subsistence, that would be the best outcome. If we can’t, I’d rather trade with farmers for food than depend on centrally distributed food, water, electricity, and heat. I hope I’m wrong, I hope it never comes to that. But I’m not going to be caught unprepared. And that means well-armed, too.

The only restraint on any government is its estimation of what it can get away with without being deposed. As long as it has the moral sanction of a majority of its subjects, it is safe doing whatever it wants. The trick is in which way the anger of the mob will be manipulated when the current plan ruins their lives.

In the meanwhile, the normal citizen has two choices, become a dependent of the government or learn to work within the system, like Harry Browne advised in his book, ‘How to live free in a repressive society’ (I may have the title slightly off, can’t find my copy right now, but it’s a good read) The full repercussion of the present mess won’t hit for years, in the meantime, learn and teach your kids independence, navigation of red tape, because more and more regulations are coming, learn barter and its related functions. Like my computer is locally built, same case, third motherboard, third hard drive, never outdated. If you go into business, consider developing a second similar business, rather than expanding the one you have, so that you stay under the Federal radar. Since interest rates are artificially low, use credit to your advantage, but carefully. Invest in hard goods, the socialist jungle just requires more planning and CYA (Cover your you know what) Otherwise support the free thinkers like Ilana, so that our kids will have a reference to rebuild on, when the house of cards tumbles.

Myron’s idea of withholding taxes has more merit. In SA a National Taxpayers Union has been formed. The citizens of certain towns are withholding their property taxes due to poor service delivery, and I believe they use these taxes (which are paid into a trust-fund instead) to provided these services themselves. You can read about it here: http://www.mg.co.za/organisation/national-taxpayers-union .
Obviously they are making use of loopholes in the relevant legislation, and you may not necessarily get away with it, but perhaps it is worthwhile getting your lawyers to look into. Of course this only relates to property taxes but there may be possible ways of expanding the scope thereof.
Good luck with any which way to decide on.

Mr. Pauli- Last time I checked, rednecks didn’t shoot up the local Post Office. That grisly task got left to the disgruntled employee fed up schilling for the Federal Government.

I don’t think it’s going down the toilet this time. But if I did… in addition to ammo and canned food, I’d have gold in my possession. Because preceding any serious collapse of the state, it will thrash and trash its currency.

You think $1000/oz is high? (So do I; can’t bring myself to buy; can’t it go down to ‘just’ $800?) But if Ben Bernanke is cornered and fires up the helicopters, and the dollar collapses from kilo-inflation, and no other fiat currency can fill the slack as the world’s money…. we can expect gold prices of perhaps $100000/oz. (Some thoughts and calcs on that here.)

Also, there are some 250 million privately owned firearms in this country. Purchases of what the gov’t calls “assault weapons” has skyrocketed in recent months, and I don’t think it’s all gangsters and thugs doing the buying. I take exception to your characterization of the armed citizenry as “a handful of rednecks.” Shame on you.