Originally published May 30 2015
Wealthy elitists install bullet-proof safe rooms in their homes as socioeconomic breakdown looms
by J. D. Heyes
(NaturalNews) It was a concept that was popularized by the 2002 hit film Panic Room, but it is anything but fiction.
Increasingly, wealthy elitists in the U.S. and elsewhere are taking extreme measures to protect themselves and the riches they have accumulated by constructing "safe rooms" that are virtually impregnable out of fears that societal breakdown is inevitable.
As reported by The New York Times, these rooms are well-hidden, armored and inaccessible by just about anyone or anything. What's more, the rooms are designed to sustain life for weeks -- if not months -- in a bid to outlast whatever chaos might have consumed the outside world.
Moreover, the paper noted that the concept of the rich constructing a safe room -- a castle keep, if you will -- is not new. Although safe rooms might not be the easiest things to build and design in crowded urban environments, practical (and wealthy) preppers are nevertheless finding a way to engineer some added safety:
For centuries, the best way for the wealthy to feel protected, or at least give the impression, was from behind a moat, a gate or an army. Such options are impractical in Manhattan, even for those who can afford them, yet a number of these property owners are finding ways to feel safe even in the event of a home invasion. When an alarm or a doorman is not enough, advances in designs and materials have made it possible to enjoy the safety of Fort Knox amid the comfort of a Four Seasons suite.
Island getaways, airstrips, remote farmland... and urban castle keeps
"The world is a very scary place right now, especially for people of means; they feel cornered and threatened," Tom Gaffney, the president of Gaffco Ballistics, which has installed a number of safe rooms around New York City, told the Times. "When you have so much to lose, and you can afford to, you put a premium on your safety."
The safe rooms are being designed to blend into whatever venue they are constructed to protect. For example, if cinder blocks are used to fortify a room, they are generally covered by paneling or plaster, often sandwiched between Kevlar sheets and/or steel plates. Some high-dollar preppers will fortify bathrooms or closets while others choose to defend entire bedroom suites.
As NaturalNews has previously reported, the uber-wealthy have been snapping up getaways and hideouts in remote locations, such as faraway islands that can only be reached by large boats or aircraft, as a way to escape potential widespread unrest.
Some are merely planning to take refuge in other remote countries that have historically remained stable and aloof of worldwide chaos, such as New Zealand.
Clearly, the world's elite see something on the horizon, and it's not pretty.
The rich are preparing for something
The president of the Institute of New Economic Thinking, Robert Johnson, told attendees at the recent World Economic Forum in Davos that a number of hedge fund managers and others with the means to do so were already busy planning their getaway.
"I know hedge fund managers all over the world who are buying airstrips and farms in places like New Zealand because they think they need a getaway," he said.
He added that the global economic situation could soon become intolerable for many, including people in the richest nations, because inequality appears to be rising steadily.
"People need to know there are possibilities for their children -- that they will have the same opportunity as anyone else," Johnson said. "There is a wicked feedback loop. Politicians who get more money tend to use it to get more even money."
As noted by Mac Slavo at SHTFPlan.com, "With vitriol and scrutiny directed at Wall Street bankers, corrupt politicians and misdirected notoriety for celebrities and public figures, the consequences of a growing divide, discontent and general unrest seem to be serious enough for people of means to beef up security and looking [sic] for escapes and safe places."
Sources:
http://www.nytimes.com
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0258000/
http://www.shtfplan.com
http://www.naturalnews.com
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