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Lead:
In some of the past articles, we have discussed how to deal with the crisis, which has sparked a lot of buzz. However, few people really realize how hard it is to live a really hard life. Today, let's travel back in time to the days of the Great Depression and dive into the real impact of the economic crisis on ordinary people and whether the coping strategies we usually offer are effective enough. In the face of a severe economic crisis, the first concern we need to worry about may not be how much money we have on hand, but how to ensure our own security.
How to survive the economic crisis: the truth under the time tunnel
Many times, when we talk about how to protect ourselves in times of crisis, it seems like just empty talk. Facing the real hardship often makes people feel helpless. Today, let's step into the time tunnel and go back to the Great Depression era to delve into the real challenges that the economic crisis posed to ordinary people, and whether the much-lauded coping strategies worked. At this profound moment in history, we need to focus first and foremost on our own security.
Security collapsed at the time: robbery became a queuing game
Looking back at history, we find that in most economic crises, policing problems have worsened dramatically over a period of time, and criminal activity has continued to rise.
This is not alarmist, in the case of the Great Depression in the United States, where unconventional deaths accounted for about 7% of the total population, which is enough to alarm us. In other words, one in 14 people you know during that period may have lost their lives due to social unrest, and the number of injured is impossible to count. Police resources are limited, and sometimes they are powerless when funding and staffing for policing are dwindling, coupled with a surge in crime resulting from a wave of unemployment. Security will therefore be a top priority that we cannot ignore.
The Employment Dilemma: Are Skills and Connections Enough?
Some people think that having skills and connections can give a foothold in a crisis, but this is not the case. When an industry is facing collapse, your skills may only become memories of the past. As shown in The Long Season, whether you're a train driver, a college student, or a factory technician, you can end up in the same situation. Many had to change careers to become taxi drivers, coolies or service jobs. The situation was exacerbated during the Great Depression, when many elites and middle classes even set fire to forests in order to earn a job as a firefighter.
Those lucky enough to find work also accept meager wages and life remains difficult. Many housewives had to try various part-time jobs, washing hair, curling hair, manicures, etc. Desperate, some women even have to put aside their dignity and take part-time jobs that make money fast.
The challenge of material scarcity: when money loses its value
In modern life, we can rarely imagine how difficult life is in terms of material scarcity, and some people are even convinced that this situation will never happen again. However, the reality is often unexpected, as we have seen during the pandemic.
In some areas, people can't buy a single piece of food with money, and no one even cares about raising the price. And when the economic crisis is severe enough to be severe, the situation may be worse. Stop laughing at cash as king, because at that moment, the purchasing power of cash can drop drastically and someone may even refuse to accept your cash. Especially when public order is in chaos, it is unknown whether shops and wet markets will continue to supply goods. These scenes are not fanciful, but real things that have happened in history. In short, in the face of a real crisis, we cannot trust ourselves to be able to cope with everything.
Many historical tragedies have nothing to do with individual ability, but with probability and divine choice. Perhaps the only thing ordinary people can do, perhaps, is pray that we will never experience this day.
Epilogue:
The economic crisis is not an easy challenge, but a problem involving life safety, employment and supplies. Although we can prepare in advance, when a crisis erupts, we may face situations beyond our control. Therefore, cherish the happy life now and pray that we will forever
Far from being forced to face a crisis of this magnitude.
History teaches us that in extremely difficult times, things that we often take for granted can become extraordinarily precious.
However, despite such great uncertainty, we are not completely powerless. When worrying about the future of ourselves and our families, we can learn some valuable lessons from history. First, we need to build a strong community connection, mutual support and cooperation, which helps to increase a sense of security. Second, constantly learn and adapt new skills in order to change careers or tackle new challenges when necessary. Finally, we should cherish resources and avoid waste, because in times of material scarcity, everything is especially important.