If you have not yet read Part 1: Is It Time To Prepare For War? available free to all readers, please click here to read it first.

As a preamble, I need to note that I do not enjoy or derive any satisfaction from writing about or spending time on figuring out how to dodge the worst impacts of human behavior.  War sits right at the top of my ‘This is stupid’  list, as war represents the idea that all other attempts at being smart or diplomatic have already failed.  I'm sorry that I have to spend time writing this report, and I am sorry that you have to spend time considering it.  With that said, I feel I have no choice, and somebody has to take on this task.  With a heavy heart…

If the West (meaning the US and Europe) decides to further goad Russia, war may be inevitable. Sooner or later, Russia will have to switch from 'response' mode to 'reaction' mode.  I’ve previous detailed the reasons for this in previous reports here, here and here.

As (sadly) expected, things have only escalated over the past year, not de-escalated. The West has a serious bone to pick with Russia, yet nobody can really explain what it is or why the conflict exists. (As an aside, I think it’s just bruised neo-con egos over Syria, but it really doesn’t matter what the explanation is at this point.) So, here we are in la-la land.

The consequences of an escalated conflict between Russia and the US/West could range from a very minor skirmish fought over some relatively meaningless items of trade, to an attack on financial markets, all the way to an all-out nuclear exchange.

The question becomes: What, if anything, can we do to prepare?

Lots, as it turns out.

No matter where…