These threads always seem to turn into worst-case-scenario worldwide disaster discussions. It's fun to discuss what would happen if society as we know it ceased to exist and all, but really, the chances of that actually happening are slim.
Don't get me wrong: like most guys, I find the thought of staking out my property against zombies with a 12-guage to be somewhat appealing for some reason, and it's interesting to ponder what would happen if the only value left was in the necessities.
It seems like conversations such as this start with a balanced "scale", but then people keep piling more and more weight on the side of the scale that leads to complete anarchy. It seems that this is extremely appealing to some people, myself included, because it taps right into our primal instinct of survival.
Seriously though, it's probably more likely that aliens decide to blow up the earth before that happens.
It'd be more worthwhile to discuss ways to save without too much risk in an economy that isn't going to evaporate.