Preparing For World War Three

The news is full of scary stuff. That's all you hear every day. Russia wants to bomb us with nuclear weapons. North Korea is inching closer and closer to the Japanese border. A border we help protect. COVID has signed us up for the 'Strain of the Month' Club, whether we wanted to join or not. Society is a tinder box waiting for that spark. It may not be clear what will be the first domino triggering the events, but hopefully, these tips will help us through it.

Shortages

During times of war, the military will likely take control over objects they need to operate. These include, but are not limited to, rubber, steel, and oil. You might not think you use this stuff regularly, but they are secretly a part of everyday life. Rubber is in tires, yoga mats, medical gloves, and toys. Steel is in building supplies, power tools, cars, and jewelry. Oil is a very versatile product and can be found in everything plastic, clothing, appliances, first aid supplies, shoes, paint, and pillows just to name a few.

Ration Stamps

Our food supply will also take a heavy hit. Two-thirds of our food, and over half of our fresh produce, is brought in from other countries. Hopefully, a country with the food we rally on sides with us, because if not then chances are we could lose that source forever. Due to our food lines becoming compromised, and possibly severed, the military will need it more than we do. When this happens, to ensure everyone gets a fair chance, the government will bring back ration stamps. To get these ration stamps you will need to apply at your local Ration Stamps Board. A representative will evaluate your household size to determine how much of which food item you'll get. Nobody will be except because the goal of the project is to make sure there is enough to go around. Just because you have the funds to cover ten pounds of sugar, doesn't mean you'll be allowed to purchase it. It's not just food that'll be rationed with these stamps. Raw materials such as tin, gasoline, and those listed in the 'Shortages' section will also have stamps available that you will have to apply for.

Factory Closures

No, these businesses are going to padlock their doors shut. Most, if not all, factories will be “asked” to help in the war effort. Car plants will make military vehicles. Aircraft factories will make fighter jets. Canned food lines will ramp up production to make sure that they meet military demand. Beverage companies will focus on quashing the soldiers' thirst. Recycling plants will hold drives to collect needed metals and supplies to help relieve the strain on shortages. The employees at the factories will most likely keep their jobs as they switch to military assembly.

The Draft

Since the Vietnam War, The Draft has been looked at with great fear and dread. It is also the largest source of misinformation today when it comes to war talks. The draft is when every male who is naturally born or completed the immigration process to become a US citizen signs up for Selective Service. At this time, women are exempt from it. This is because when they got the right to vote the exception was included in that bill. Could this be changed? Absolutely! Bills get altered every single day. Once one is declared, a National Draft Lottery is set up. It'll start with all men who turn twenty that year. All the dates are put into a drum-like device you see at bingo games, and a date is pulled out. Every man who is turning 20 by that date is given a letter to report for service. The men will then be given a physical and psychological evaluation to determine if they are good for combat. Men declared sick will be except. This is just one of many exceptions to The Draft, but as mentioned earlier these can all change. Men over 26 years old are except because they have aged out of Selective Service. Ordain ministers, and those in training to become one, are except for religious reasons. Full-time students are not fully except, but they do have the option to postpone it as long as they maintain their student status. Conscientious Objectors are people who are mentally and religiously against any form of violence. They are not except but are placed in a non-combat zone. Being against the war happening or citing political views doesn't make you a conscientious objector. Also, don't think fleeing to Canada is going to work. Border Patrol officers are highly trained to stop this illegal activity and will most likely walk you back to the border.

I'm Bored

Disasters and blackouts go hand and hand. So, WW3 isn't going to change that fact. Our entire power structure is operated by three poorly maintained grids called the East, West, and Texas grid. One calculated strike to one of them can take out our entire system. Leading to a blackout that'll last two weeks, if not longer, depending on the damage. Everything in this country is on electricity. Every home, every business, every factory, and even the internet depends on the grids to operate. Yeah, you have a generator but eventually, you will run out of fuel as gas pumps at the station depend on electricity to pull it from underground tanks. You need the sun for solar power to work, so if you live in an area prone to heavy cloud coverage it won't help. This also applies to wind. Thermal power requires coal or some sort of naturally sourced raw material that requires electricity to obtain. At the beginning of a National Blackout, people will find the situation amusing. But, by day three the novelty will eventually wear off, and reality will set in. During this blackout, you'll have a lot of downtime to kill, and no phones to keep you amused. So, it'll be good to stock up on non-battery-dependent entertainment like novels, puzzles, coloring books, construction paper, and other items similar to this.