I wrote a series on crisis management about five years ago. But since the whole world was in a state of “peace-induced complacency,” it drew almost no attention, and I eventually deleted it because it felt pointless.
Now, today, the U.S. government is urging American citizens in Israel and elsewhere in the Middle East, in total 14 countries, to leave the region. For those in Israel, the only recommended option is to take a bus and cross into Egypt by land.
The Japanese government has already chartered buses from Israel to Egypt as of yesterday and evacuated Japanese nationals.
In addition, Dubai in UAE, which is on the evacuation list, has also been targeted by bombs launched from Iran. Most of them have been intercepted by air-defense systems, but some have landed. Dubai attracts many of the world’s second-tier wealthy individuals seeking tax havens, but because it hosts U.S. military facilities and facilities cooperating with the U.S. military, it has become a target for Iran.
From the perspective of taxpayers in other countries, the plight of tax evaders has little meaning beyond schadenfreude. However, ensuring the safety of the 2.5 million Filipinos working in the Middle East and sending money home through honest labor is strongly desired.
Many airports in the Middle East are already non-functional, and even those still operating are considered facilities cooperating with the U.S. military, making them targets for Iran. Travel by sea is out of the question. That leaves only land routes, and the best option is to get on a bus while they are still running.
If someone foolishly hesitates until the buses end its operation, the only option left is to avoid major roads—where landmines are often planted—and escape to Egypt by car using side roads. Electric vehicles obviously cannot be charged along the way, so the only choice is a fuel-efficient gasoline car loaded with gasoline, food, water, and medical supplies. But anyone prepared enough to survive such a situation would likely have already left the Middle East by the time the U.S. government granted permission for non-essential embassy staff in Israel to leave last week.
Whatever the reason you are currently in the Middle East, if buses are still available, you must wake up from peace-induced complacency and normalcy bias, and get out. That is the only advice that can be given at this moment.
Distrust to the US government from the international world is more serious than the American civilians imagine. I am from Japan, so I can exhibit some of the Japanese examples.
Very sorry to say this, but the 800+ tons of Japanese gold bullion that are supposed to be held by the United States have likely been stolen by the U.S. government. This is probably why Elon Musk stopped the audit of Fort Knox and why Trump left the matter unresolved.
Even in private precious metals trading, only ETFs that store gold within Japan (such as the "Fruits of Gold" series 金の果実シリーズ) are popular. Not COMEX or LBMA.
While the Japanese government encourages citizens to invest in the S&P 500 and U.S. stocks through the NISA system, those with wisdom choose to buy Japanese stocks (if stocks are the only option).
Americans focus heavily on Treasury bonds issues, but what the U.S. owes to Japan, the biggest creditor, is not on such a "small" scale. Furthermore, while Chinese influencers frequently emphasize Japan's national debt, Japan could pay it off immediately by selling just a "tiny fraction" of its claims and assets against the United States.
It's a serious drag that Japan keeps getting dragged into America's debt caused by overspending. But individual politicians who speak up get taken out, like Nakagawa Shoichi or Hashimoto Ryutaro, so we can't.
If the country as a whole stands up to the U.S. as a matter of national policy, we get hit with economic sanctions and end up collapsing like Venezuela. This is not the worst.
If you keep resisting, you get painted as the villain and pushed into a war that destroys the land.
Bernie Sanders claims that the "top 1%" are oppressing the people. In reality, however, the United States as a whole—including its ordinary citizens—has been invading and exploiting the rest of the world. This disconnect between internal and external perceptions is a phenomenon that historically always appears during the decline of an empire, so we should be very cautious.
Because of the globalism, it's not only the American citizens but all of you that must be affected by the devastating USD collapse. So, buy gold and silver to maintain your wealth. This is only the promising way for thousands of years to survive.