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By the author of The Dark Secrets of Survival and the online course SHTF Survival Boot Camp.
“Balkanization is the fragmentation of a larger region or state into smaller regions or states, which may be hostile or uncooperative with one another.” (Wikipedia)
Again the word “Balkanization” becoming popular. Actually, it has been often referenced for several years, ever since people understood that events that happened in the Balkans might happen in their neighborhood too in some form.
Usually people think about that word in the terms mentioned above, fragmentation into smaller parts that are not necessarily friendly to each other.
And that fragmentation might come in many forms that I described and discuss in a lot of articles. Back then, mostly people did not believe in it.
Rarely is it being discussed from one other angle, which is also very important from a survival point of view, and that is something that we might call the duality of the system.
Duality of the system (in the Balkans)
Yes, we still have laws, systems, government, infrastructure, courts, and everything else that you have there in a democratic and functional country. But nothing works the way that should work, and it never did since the war ended, for 30 years almost.
Let’s say you are living in the Balkans, and for example, your kid gets killed by a drunk driver. You may be sure he will stay out of jail if he has a relative in politics or enough money to bribe the judge. You are eating worse food in a lot of cases, toxic, or under the normal standards because normal standards are not existing here. The EU gets rid of cheap and low-quality food here.
If you are sick seriously, you are dead because the medical system works only on paper, and if you are not rich you are dead. Criminal organization members are infiltrated into the government and ruling parties (and vice versa), and there is no real difference between them.
If you are a journalist who writes about it you will disappear. If you are a common man who talks too loud about it you will lose your job.
If you “plug” yourself into the ruling party and obey, you might have a job with a salary just large enough to keep you fed enough not to die, and to keep you in constant horror, wondering are you gonna lose even that poor job and leave your kids hungry?
Now, that duality of the system means that the regular system is not working for you, so there is a “parallel” system to the existing one where you can “swim” and survive.
That means you will have to become a master of networking.
Everywhere, you will have a connection.
You need to have a man in the hospital who will help you either because you will bribe him or you will owe him a favor so you can get things done there if your kid gets sick. Otherwise, if you go with regular channels in the hospital, chances are less good.
You have a man who will sell you food smuggled “without tax” from Germany, so it is better quality. You go and avoid paying taxes to the state. (FFS, for all your pretending, you actually hate the state and system.) You save money in foreign currencies, or gold, and you do private jobs on the verge or even on the other side of the law because this kind of law in this kind of country you do not take as a law.
You are living in a dual system, where on one side, you are plugged into a normal and crooked system, and on the other side, you are living and functioning in a parallel system, because that is the only way to live here.
Duality of the system-it is another type of Balkanization.
Now, if you recognize any of the above “symptoms” in your society, well…welcome to the start of Balkanization.
The SHTF
I mentioned often that SHTF does not necessarily have to mean one sudden and abrupt event after we can say, “OK, it is SHTF.”
We might already be in some form of SHTF, and some spark might only push us to a larger scale (or more serious) SHTF. My time and my experience in the war gave me valuable knowledge and views on life, but equally to that, living in this “dual system” for years and decades also gave me precious knowledge and experience.
People will find ways to get things done IF they recognize what is happening around them.
Do not wait for times of chaos. I am sure some form of Balkanisation is there, or some form of need for a parallel system for you.
If you do not agree with all the government decisions and the latest societal rules and changes (and I am sure you would not be here if you agree with all that government push), then you should not raise your voice in all places since you might lose your job, or your business might be canceled.
That is not the way to resist now.
How to resist
Resist by networking and building this dual system. Things can be done if you have a network and people.
And yes, fuck the government!
This form of Balkanization is something that is slowly becoming visible in parts of the world and places where I would have sworn (a couple of years ago) it was impossible.
There is less and less sense for what people need and more and more push for what some political option or power structures want. Even if the majority of folks are against that, it is still being pushed by more and more violent or repressive methods.
The government will push more things in your face, things that you do not like. The agenda will be more and more against your core values, and you will feel more and more like a stranger in your own land, where “old values” are lost.
You will have the choice either to obey or to be “canceled,” everywhere from getting your account in social media networks shut down to the point of taking your kids from you because you are a “terrorist.”
Balkanization does not like free thinkers, so do not appear to be a free thinker who fights the fights that cannot be won. Choose your fights and use a dual system.
The dual system is coming if it’s not already there.
As a result, we are going to see Balkanization – yes, in the terms described in the first sentences of this article. But before that fragmentation and hostility, we are going to see a form of Balkanization consisting of people living in this “dual system.”
And remember – one of the most accurate prepper definitions is “the person who is always a couple of steps ahead of others,” so think about this before most of the other people and prepare. Set up your networks now.
What are your thoughts?
Do you foresee this kind of Balkanization happening where you are? Are you already seeing evidence of a dual system where you live? Do you have some examples you can share of such a system?
Let’s discuss it in the comments.
About Selco:
Selco survived the Balkan war of the 90s in a city under siege, without electricity, running water, or food distribution.
In his online works, he gives an inside view of the reality of survival under the harshest conditions. He reviews what works and what doesn’t, tells you the hard lessons he learned, and shares how he prepares today.
He never stopped learning about survival and preparedness since the war. Regardless of what happens, chances are you will never experience extreme situations as Selco did. But you have the chance to learn from him and how he faced death for months.
Real survival is not romantic or idealistic. It is brutal, hard, and unfair. Let Selco take you into that world.