Sold Cloak | Episode 3 - The Unbreaking
Channel: Sold Cloak
Date: 2023-05-23

Website URL: https://www.soldcloak.net
Episode URL: https://www.soldcloak.net/episode-3
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Dan, Ethan, and Jack actually do talk about recovering from collapse in this episode. Good on them. Points of discussion include:

    Assuming there has been a collapse, how would we handle it?
    Ethan’s hypocrisy in adjusting his microphone.
    Just as there are stages of preparation, there are stages of recovery.
    Texas’ more primed posture for secession (er, cot… [https://www.ercot.com/] oops).
    Rebuilding from the smallest unit (individual, family, or homestead), and expanding.
    Going Galt: the anecdote of the missing honest handymen.
    The aging workforce of regular, blue collar jobs, and the shift in public education away from blue collar work.
    Your group, its members, and their skill sets and locations.
    Dan’s droopy mic stand.
    A disadvantage of the “grab the go bag and flee to the lake house” plan compared to the homesteading plan.
    The Walking Hungry – the urban fallout after instant collapse.
    The unfruitful fruit of our modern produce.
    “Apocalyptic” does not mean everyone is dead.
    The long-term fate of the cities.
    Rebuilding Republic: discerning when to connect with other groups, and when not to.

Corrections:

    Ethan stated that Vermont was independent for a couple of weeks. However, the State of Vermont was technically independent for 14 years [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vermont_Republic] but sought to be annexed by the United States and never intended to remain independent.
    Ethan was mostly correct regarding the Texas secession bill, but some of the details were wrong. The results of the referendum would have been non-binding. Even if the people voted to secede, the Texas legislature could still decide not to.
    Ethan needs to catch up on the last 2,355 years of history; the city of Tyre used to be as he described: old city on the coast, new city on the island. However, Alexander the Great built a causeway that eventually became an isthmus making the island a peninsula. The city has spread beyond those ancient bounds. Minus a serious history point for Ethan.

Notes and Links:

    NERC map [https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fe/Nercmap.JPG] showing the power grid regions of the U.S. and Canada; Texas has its own interconnection.
    Texas Independence Referendum Act HB 3596, 88th R.S. (2023) [https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/88R/billtext/html/HB03596I.htm] - 2 year exit strategy. It appears almost identical to the Texas Independence Referendum Act HB 1359, 87th R.S. (2021) [https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/87R/billtext/html/HB01359I.htm] - 5 year strategy.
    An article on state dependence on the federal government [https://wallethub.com/edu/states-most-least-dependent-on-the-federal-government/2700], and an article explaining why such articles can be misleading [https://towardsdatascience.com/american-states-the-federal-government-and-dependency-1d799f9425e] (if you have curiosity and time).
    The different fates of once-similar cities: modern Ashkelon [https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/69/Ashkelon2022No1.jpg] and modern Gath [https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/Cafit030.jpg].