An American Survival Guide
How to keep your sanity in a country and world that seems to be falling apart
🚨 Warning: this article talks about self-defense, firearms and other weapons. 🚨
I’ve been in a malaise since the election. I had a hunch it would turn out the way it did, yet I still didn’t want to believe it. When I woke up the morning after all the votes had been cast, I checked my phone. My heart sank, and I felt sick to my stomach.
Since then, I’ve alternated between numb and anxious. I’m medicated for anxiety and PTSD, and I’ve gotten pretty adept at regulating myself throughout the years. These days, all of my devices and coping mechanisms are falling short.
This is worse than anything I could have conjured on my own. That’s quite a feat; I am a talented catastrophizer.
I have to keep reminding myself that not a lot changed with the election. I know that will ruffle a few feathers, but any student of history knows it’s true.
We Americans were already well down the road of fascism. Many of us just didn’t know it or didn’t want to believe it. We’ve been on a treadmill of consumerism, non-stop work and crazy busy. Lather, rinse repeat. That’s caused a sort of somnambulance that’s allowed us to ignore reality.
Billionaires and special interests bought our country long ago. The putrescent two-party system we’ve been tethered to since our founding insures corruption. Countries like Russia, Israel and Saudia Arabia have been interfering in our elections and political process for far too long. Donald Trump and the criminal interests who own him bought the Supreme Court. Then, we lost Roe and plenty of other rights.
We continue to foment hate and political unrest all over the world with our meddling, covert operations and warmongering. We’re complicit in genocides on multiple continents, and we’re rightfully losing our dominant place in the world because we’re repugnant, arrogant and can’t be trusted.
On a human level, we’ve abandoned working families. We’ve stymied a living wage and reasonable cost of living at every turn. We’ve dismantled unions, brought back child labor and continue to abuse migrant workers. We’ve allowed healthcare, clean air and water and safety from gun violence to become options instead of table stakes for a legitimate society.
Now, we’ve hammered what feels like the final nail in America’s coffin by electing Donald Trump and giving oxygen to his legion of pay-to-play minions, clowns and crooks. I expect this mistake won’t just affect the next four years. We’ve elected a man who will behave as a petulant king. Remember: kings rarely abdicate the throne.
I know…it’s overwhelming. So, what’s a rational, peace-seeking human being to do? How do we survive this era of the American experience and not allow ourselves to lapse into a hopeless depression?
I only know what I intend to do. I share this with you in the spirit of ideas and helping you get started with your own plan. As with all plans, mine is a work in progress and will undoubtedly be iterated on many times. Plus, as my father used to say, “No plan survives first contact with the enemy.”
Mindset
We need four things to cultivate the right mindset for this journey: 1) community to count on; 2) something to know; 3) something to feel and 4) something to believe in. Together, these four things are a compass for strong minds.
Community to Count On. Lone wolves will not survive the era we’re in. We need to band together to get through this. Not only will community be our arsenal for action, but it will be the salve to soothe our hurt.
Find your people and connect with them frequently. Get involved with your local food pantry, shelter for the unhoused, school board or other organization. I like Code Pink and Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Or you can join the community I’m forming, the Collective for Good. We’re 70 strong and just started meeting over Zoom. Our goal is impact through mutual aid and other forms of support.
Something To Know. What do you know for a fact based on your lived experience? What has been proven to you time and time again? This is something you can count on no matter what. Mine is that I’ll figure it out. Whatever happens in my life, I always figure it out and adapt. That doesn’t mean I always get what I want or expect. On the contrary, I often adjust in ways I never anticipated. But I know that no matter what happens, I have the resolve, curiosity and tenacity to figure it out. By the way, most human beings are really good at this.
Something to Feel. Having something to feel is when we allow ourselves to be guided by our emotions. When we allow ourselves to feel deeply, we can perceive something deep in our bones. We can’t necessarily prove it, but we know it to be truth. Because of that, we won’t easily discard our something to feel.
As my deep listening coach likes to say, emotions are data points. Yet, in our white supremacist, quantitative world, we’ve dismissed emotional intelligence as soft and less than. Trust me, I know this dismissal well. I dedicated my career and life to quantitative analysis at the expense of listening to my emotions…emotions which were often screaming at me to listen up and take notice.
These days, I’m much more willing to listen to my emotional brain and weigh that data alongside my rational thoughts. In reality, the two are nested and shouldn’t be torn asunder.
My something to feel is that people are inherently good and loving. Boy, has the universe been testing me on this in the last month. Nevertheless, I still believe in the inherent goodness of humans.
Something To Believe In. We each need something to believe in, that core philosophy that drives us through life. It’s like our engine, ever-present and persistent, chugging along no matter what.
My something to believe in is self-determination and the universality of human rights. Our liberation is collective and intertwined. None of us are truly free until all of us are free. That’s what I believe in, and that’s what keeps me chugging along day in and day out.
Knowledge
Feeding our minds is more important than ever. Most of us have been lied to and indoctrinated for a lifetime. Now is the time to start unraveling that indoctrination and building a new base of knowledge and understanding. That will require us to ask new questions and reject things we took for granted. It will require us to be infinitely curious. But that curiosity and learning is only useful if we turn around and teach it to others.
Independent Media. The first thing to know is that mainstream media is not your friend. It hasn’t been for a very long time. Sure, it’s populated by people who call themselves journalists. At one point, they probably were journalists. That’s no longer the case because those institutions are predicated on propaganda and burying truth. Their shareholders demand it.
These days, every major media outlet is owned by corporate interests. Those corporate interests are controlled by oligarchs. I know, we usually call those people mere billionaires here in the US, but let’s call them what they actually are. An oligarch is defined as a very rich business leader with a great deal of political influence. Sounds like Musk, Bezos, the Redstones, the Murdochs, the Roberts, John Malone and the whole lot of them.
These oligarchs care about one thing: growing and preserving their wealth. They will lie to all of us to do that. Divest from what they’re selling. You can’t learn anything useful from it.
That means dumping your subscriptions to The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and the like. It also means saying goodbye to your television subscription. There is nothing worthwhile to be learned on broadcast or cable TV.
Redirect those funds to independent media and journalists. Here’s a starter list of worthwhile outlets and journalists:
Let’s Address This with Qasim Rashid
Podcasts. If you find yourself not understanding how deep the systemic rot permeates American and other institutions, I recommend reeducating yourself on history. The Throughline Podcast from NPR is a good place to start. The Reveal podcast from the Center for Investigative Reporting is another insightful resource.
Books. Here are some books to help you level set on the reality of our shared situation:
Hiding in Plain Sight: The Invention of Donald Trump and the Erosion of America, Sarah Kendzior
They Knew: How a Culture of Conspiracy Keeps America Complacent, Sarah Kendzior
On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century, Timothy Snyder
Surviving Autocracy, Masha Gessen
Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present, Ruth Ben-Ghiat
Simple Rituals
Rituals are powerful tools for preserving your peace. There’s something about the familiarity of regimen that soothes the human soul. Some of mine include the following:
Journaling. I journal three pages every morning. I use a fountain pen that I only use for journaling. It has violet ink cartridges. There’s something about that color that signals to my brain that it’s time to thought dump on the blank, unlined pages. There’s no enforced form to my journaling. Sometimes, I journal in full sentences and paragraphs. Sometimes it’s just words and phrases in bullets. Occasionally, I will doodle. I view my journal as a holding pen for my thoughts. Often, simply getting them on paper is enough to change them from worries to fleeting ideas.
Morning Coffee with Intentionality. Every morning, I make an espresso in one of four cups. I bought these little pottery cups from a local artisan. There’s an intention carved on the bottom of each one. I purposely chose these intentions because I struggle mightily with each of them: vulnerability, abundance, chop wood and loyalty. I struggle to be vulnerable with others and think with an abundance mindset. Loyalty is a problem for me because I’m often loyal to others and not loyal to myself. Chop wood is my reminder to do the boring but necessary hard work required to accomplish worthwhile things.
Each morning, I choose a cup at random, and that becomes my theme for the day. When my aversion to the intention pops up, I stop, reflect and course correct. Similarly, when I’m thinking and acting the right way, I note it and reward myself with a mental gold star.
My husband and I enjoy having coffee together every morning. For a time, we put our phones down and just talk. We talk about current events, what we’re reading, what scares us and what brings us joy. In the warmer months, we do this on the back porch while watching our four golden retrievers play. When it’s cold, we sit in front of a crackling fire and enjoy the meditative pull of the flames.
Hikes. Living in New England is heavenly, as we have so many places to hike. I love hiking in every season. Yes, that includes winter. There’s something about the crisp air and the glistening snow that conveys pure peace. I love to watch birds and other wildlife in their element, just doing their thing. It always reminds me of how small I am in the grand scheme of things and how temporary everything is in life. For some reason, that brings me tremendous comfort.
I also love to zoom in on patterns in nature. The natural world is the ultimate textile factory with a rich tapestry of designs and colors. Often times, I’ll take photos with my iPhone, print them out when I get home and include them in my daily journal.
Birdwatching in the Backyard. I’ve officially become a birdwatcher. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I would find pleasure in watching birds. In fact, I used to be somewhat afraid of our winged friends. What can I say? I saw the movie The Birds when I was a little kid, and it left a disturbing impression.
I always lived in cities and never paid much mind to birds. I only started to notice them when we moved to our little farm in 2019. I started putting out suets and the rest is history.
We have a robust bird population in central New Hampshire, and they seem to love our backyard – especially our apple trees. We get visits from woodpeckers, gold finches, purple finches, cardinals, black-capped chickadees, blue jays and eastern blue birds – just to name a few. We also get ample drop-ins from hawks and owls.
I use the incredible app Merlin Bird ID to identify species by sound. It’s like facial recognition but with sound for birds. And it’s absolutely free.
Watching birds infuses a sense of wonder into my day that I can’t achieve any other way aside from traveling. It lets me know I’m connected to nature, and I’m just a tiny speck on this big, spinning ball.
Afternoon Tea Time. During the pandemic, I started a tea ritual. My energy typically starts to wane around 2pm, and I was looking for a way to recharge that didn’t involve more coffee. I started sampling all different types of teas. Through trial and error, I figured out that green and herbal are my favorites. There’s something about the earthiness of each type that I quite like. And I get to slow down and recharge to finish my day. My tea time has become a mellow reboot switch in my day.
Sticking It to the System. Do something small every day to stick it to the system. That can be as simple as unfollowing a vacuous celebrity on social media or doing away with harmful social media accounts altogether. Instead of shopping for everything at Walmart, just buy staples like milk and bread there. Those tend to carry the lowest margins for giant retailers. Shop for higher-margin goods at smaller regional chains or local shops. Do away with Amazon Prime. Cancel your cable subscription if you haven’t already. Forgo that Starbucks (a known, loud genocide supporter) for a coffee at your local shop. These are just some ideas for tiny, subversive steps you can take to eschew this rotten, extractive system.
Logistics
This is the hard stuff no one wants to talk about. I’ve always found having some semblance of a plan soothes my anxiety.
Have Your Documents at the Ready. Make sure every person you love has a valid passport. If you need to get one or renew one, do it now. Do it before Trump takes office. Similarly, make sure you have hard copies of birth and marriage certificates in a handy place.
Have a SHTF Plan. Have a plan for what you plan to do when the shit hits the fan (SHTF). I recommend having a short-term, mid-term and long-term plan.
For example, in the short-term, my husband and I are planning on selling our farm early next spring. We’ll take the winter to do repairs and get the place ready for sale.
Once our home sells, we’ll buy 50-100 acres of land 10 miles from the Canadian border. We plan to build a tiny house and a few other tiny units for friends and family. The idea is to build a refuge of sorts with our own water source and solar. In selling our current home and opting for cheaper and smaller living accommodations, we’ll be mortgage-free and in a sustainable environment – a good place to be in an economy that will likely be volatile.
If something happens and we have to leave the country quickly, Canada is our choice. Being only 10 miles from the border will make it easy for us to get there.
Currently, you can stay in Canada for up to 6 months without a visa. That 6 months will give us time to investigate the reality of either staying in Canada or going to another country. Note that many countries will let you stay for 3-6 months visa-free. I recommend investigating which ones appeal to you and which ones you can get to quickly. That’s our mid-term plan.
Our long-term plan is to either stay in Canada or go to another country like Italy. My great grandfather was an Italian citizen, and I may be able to obtain citizenship iure sanguinis or by right of blood. I’ve started investigating that now.
Tamp Down Your Spending. I have very little faith that the Trump economy will be a strong one. Trump’s dream is to tank this economy. Per Sarah Kendzior’s sobering book Hiding in Plain Sight, he was quoted as saying as much in 2014. As Voltaire once said, “The comfort of the rich depends upon an abundant supply of the poor.” That’s Trump’s plan.
In a downtrodden economy, people are desperate and do whatever they can to secure work. That means working for low wages in unsafe and abusive environments. Giant companies are rubbing their hands together in anticipation for this. They won’t rest until the middle class is completely eradicated and America has two distinct classes: the rich and the poor. We’re well on our way to that reality.
Between the almost $5 trillion in planned tax cuts, endless wars, tariff pissing matches and corporate welfare for Trump’s cronies, I don’t have much hope for a healthy economy. Add to that the missing 11 million immigrant workers from the US workforce and things are likely to get tough. Inflation may get much worse.
I’ve already cut way back on spending and I recommend others do the same. For our little family, that means gardening, canning and eating more beans, rice and tofu. It means an all-out stop on purchasing things that aren’t absolutely essential. No more Amazon, fast fashion or eating out.
Save your cash. That rainy day may come sooner than any of us want.
Keep Cash on Hand. If you can afford it, cash is always helpful to have stashed away for emergency situations. Get a small safe and bolt it to a part of your home. You can keep your passports, birth certificates, etc. in the safe too.
Have a Go-To Weapon. I know this feels like you’ve happened upon some prepper/survivalist newsletter. I promise that’s not the case. My intention isn’t to scare you. It’s to make you aware and ready. The recent spate of men chanting “Your body, my choice” has me in an extra vigilant mood.
First, if you can, don’t go out alone – especially in unfamiliar places. There’s strength in numbers. If you’re venturing out, take a buddy — or a few.
Next, if you’re a person in the global majority, immigrant, member of the LGBTQ+ community or a woman, you need to have your head on a swivel and be ready to defend yourself. My motto has always been this: I’m not looking to start trouble, but if trouble finds me, I’ll respond.
Every person has a different preference for self-defense. I own both long guns and handguns. I don’t carry a handgun outside my home unless I’m going to a range. I personally don’t want to walk around with a handgun for a multitude of reasons.
If you’re new to firearms and considering one for home defense, I recommend a pump shotgun. It’s easy to use, and often the mere sound of you racking it will make an intruder think twice. By now, you’re probably wondering why this nerdy, leftist, former CEO knows so much about guns and other weapons. I worked at The Outdoor Channel for seven years and learned from the best.
I do carry a small, concealed dagger. I originally bought it for going on hikes alone. More times than I care to count, I’ve run into creepy dudes on remote trails. Before you go this route, be sure you know the knife laws in your state and abide by them.
Other options include pepper spray and these cat-shaped self-defense keychains.
Once you decide on your ideal weapon for home and personal defense, have a plan. Visualize what you’re going to do and set things up to execute on that vision.
For example, where will you stash that shotgun? Will it be loaded or unloaded? How quickly can you get it loaded in an emergency? If you’re using a knife, dagger or sharp keychain, what are you aiming for? My Vietnam vet dad taught me eyes and throat.
You likely won’t have to use any of this. Having a plan is just insurance.
If you’ve read this far, thank you. Also, I’m sorry. You’ve gotten a front row seat to my brain. Admittedly, it’s a mixed bag. I don’t profess to have all the answers or even some of them. I do spend a lot of time thinking about strategy in a disappointing and scary world.
I’d love to hear your additions to this survival guide. What would you delete? Drop your comments and recommendations below.
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Can you link to the community you formed - Collective for Good?