9 Reasons the Second Great Depression Will Be Way Worse

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

The Great Depression was so severe, it completely changed the world, and people still talk about it nearly a century later. In the United States, it led to the creation of things like social security, unemployment insurance, and the 40-hour work week. Despite these programs, hunger and crime were widespread.

Today, our economy is in the worst shape it’s been in for decades, and all signs indicate that it’s only going to get worse. How would people react if a second Great Depression happened today? Would it be better since we now have more technology to help us? Or would it be worse?

In this article, I’m going to make the case that it would be worse. A lot worse. The main reason is that back in the 1930s, many people still knew how to be self-sufficient. So even if they couldn’t find work, they could still grow their own food and make their own things. Nowadays, the number of people who know how to be self-sufficient is a fraction of a percent.

Here are nine reasons the second Great Depression will be way worse.

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1. People Don’t Know How to Grow Food

Food and water are the most important survival items that you need to get through even the first few days of the second great depression. When your food supply runs low, and the water tap runs dry, what do you do? 

Many people today have no clue how to grow their own food. While you may dabble here and there with a vegetable garden, do you know what it would take to grow everything your family would need to survive? Most people can’t name a cool or warm season crop or even know there was a difference between the two in the first place. 

What kind of conditions do plants need to grow in your climate? How do they pollinate and produce food? What kind of bugs and animals could ruin your entire garden?

In terms of water, where can you locate a good water source? How do you know if the water is clean and safe to drink? How can you purify the water without using some kind of chemical bought at a store? 

These are the kinds of questions you will need to ask if you have to rely solely on your land and plants to feed your family.

2. People Don’t Know How to Harvest Protein

In addition to plants, it will be incredibly important for your family to have some sort of protein source. Those nicely packaged chickens in the meat department won’t be there during the second Great Depression.

Even if you can hunt and kill an animal, do you know how to butcher it? What are the steps to take to make the job easier so that you don’t ruin the meat altogether? 

Raising and harvesting a protein source now is the best way to learn. Understanding how chickens act and respond to certain circumstances is vital knowledge. Growing pork and beef now, or at least understanding how to harvest them safely, is something that you’ll need to know.

3. People Lack the Skills to Fix Things

Fancy college degrees won’t fix your broken-down tractor in an emergency. In a world where many of us have a formal education, we also lack the knowledge to fix things at home.

These skills, often passed down from generation to generation, have gone by the wayside as technology has taken over. However, knowing how motors work and what type of tool to use for a job can mean the difference between survival and death in an emergency. 

Understanding the basics of tools and energy will go a long way during the second Great Depression. Use your hands now to fix little things around the house so that you can grow your skills and hopefully have the knowledge to fix things when SHTF.

4. People Are Too Dependent on Medication

Modern medicine has helped a lot of people, but it isn’t sustainable in a Great Depression era. Many of us are dependent on certain medications to stay healthy. We enjoy life under a cloud of drugs that may (or may not) be really helping. However, if the world shuts down and you don’t have access to these medications anymore, what will you do? 

It is a good idea to learn about medicinal ways to help relieve pain and ailments through the power of plants and nature. Study these skills and start practicing them to see what helps your own medical issues. You may just wean off the manufactured medicines because a natural option works just as well.

5. People Can’t Protect Themselves

What will you do when someone dangerous is at your door? When they are desperate to feed their starving children? How will you protect yourself and your family without some sort of force? 

While the use of firearms is always a hot topic, the fact that a firearm will stop someone in their tracks is why we all have them in the first place. No one who responsibly owns a gun wants to shoot anyone.

However, it is crucial to have basic knowledge about firearm safety, how they work, how to clean a firearm, and how to shoot accurately when needed. 

6. People Don’t Know How to Cook

How do you stretch meals so they can fill the bellies of everyone at your table? Do you even know how to work your oven or what kinds of foods go well together to satisfy hunger? Many of us today rely too heavily on pizza deliveries, fast food, and convenient already-prepared meals bought at the grocery store that don’t require any knowledge of food preparation.

Knowing how to cook a meal from scratch was vital during the Great Depression. Being able to make a meal literally out of random ingredients is how our grandmothers and great-grandmothers fed their large families.

Another important piece of feeding a family is knowing how cook on a budget with limited funds. Do you know what kind of food will stretch the farthest in terms of cost and how to use it to feed hungry mouths?

Grow your skills now and learn how to use every last part of a chicken to stretch over multiple meals. Understand the basics of food safety and what foods provide the most calories and carbohydrates. Brushing up on your cooking skills is an easy way to prepare now for the second Great Depression.

7. Children Don’t Know How to Work

While I think that every parent in any generation would agree with this, it is even more apparent in our modern society. Today’s children grow up with the world at their fingertips and a bunch of technology that will do the work for them.

Few children have had to work from sunup to sunset in the summer heat to put food on the table. Many of them can’t even plan on bringing water with them to stay hydrated during a day of work outside. 

Help teach your children how to work hard by including them in your own projects. Children learn best by example and will remember how to work hard well into their old years if you take the time to teach them today. Remove some technology and teach them how to get jobs done the old-fashioned way that relies on brute strength and tenacity.

8. People Don’t Know Their Neighbors

Many people living in suburbs or cities report that they don’t know their neighbors at all. Many millennials don’t even know the names of their neighbors, which is a minimal piece of information.

While it may seem counterintuitive to involve other people in a situation where you are focused on your own survival, knowing your neighbor is vital to getting through the second great depression. Neighbors can watch out for each other and help when needed. They often share their supplies or can at least help lend a hand. 

While you don’t need to be up in everyone’s business, it is important to have a basic understanding of who lives nearest to your home and what skills they could offer in an emergency. Those who try to live through the second Great Depression alone will often fail and miss out on opportunities just by knowing their neighbor.

9. People Depend On Their Cars Too Much

Other than your feet, do you have any other kind of transportation to get around that is not your car? Resources are bound to be scarce in the second Great Depression, which means you may have limited access to fuel. 

Do you even own another form of transportation that doesn’t require purchased energy? Bikes, scooters, skateboards, and strollers are all important ways to get around that require only manual power. Don’t forget about animal power as well, like dogs that can pull wagons or horses and mules that can provide a ride for tired feet.

In today’s world, we rely too heavily on our vehicles, getting us to wherever we want to go at any given moment. We are accustomed to jumping in the car to get that forgotten item at the store or sometimes even driving around town just to waste time.

During the second Great Depression, your vehicle will likely be parked for much of the time, and you’ll need to rely on other ways of getting around. You’ll also make fewer trips and group your errands for a weekly or monthly trip into town for supplies, if there is such a thing.

Conclusion

It may seem like overkill, but all of these items are valid reasons the second Great Depression will be way worse than the first. Our modern society has lost touch with reality regarding how to sustain life and get back to basics.

If you find yourself lacking in any of these skills, do your future self a favor by learning and practicing them now before you actually need them.

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