Quote: (05-08-2012 09:41 PM)j r Wrote:
I am all for emergency preparedness. You never know when you may have to shelter in place for a few days or get out your house in a hurry with whatever you can carry or throw in your car. The idea that civilization as we know it is teetering on the brink, however, where does that come from? People living today in the developed world have the safest and cushiest existence in the history of the world. I'm not sure why people think we're living in the end of days.
Some random shit could always happen, earthquakes, hurricanes, riots, tsunamis, whatever, but those are temporary occurrences. The key is to survive the event and the immediate aftermath; eventually things go back to normal. Look at the history of the 20th century Europe. There were two world wars, a flu pandemic, depressions, hyperinflation, a few genocides, the Cold War, etc. A lot of people got fucked up in all that, but it wasn't the end of civilization. Most of the cities that were there in 1912 are still there in 2012.
Also, if the black swan comes and the shit does hit the fan, your fate is going to be largely determined by where you happen to be in relation to what's happening. All that said, a general level of physical fitness, familiarity and access to firearms, and some basic survival skills can't hurt, but that's shit you should be doing anyway.
ps - I would kind of like to be a pirate with e mech. No homo.
Except that all those events killed 100million + people. Sure things go back to normal but you being there is no guarantee.
North Americas pillow just means its crash to the bottom would hurt more than somebody who has lived through typhoons and war with humble means. The humble rice farmer in Indonesia has a better chance at survival then a fat HR female from Alabama.
Once the power goes and back up systems fail after a few days water goes untreated and sewer systems get backed up. The average North American City still has shitty infrastructure from the 40-60s. Remember the great blackout if 06? A tiny substation blew and 30+ million were without power. Our western "comforts" are our biggest flaws. Current systems run on tape and glue with slight jolts fucking then up.
Refineries.
Sub plants
Nuke reactors
Water systems
All would stop working in 10 days more or less.
Sit and wait for the Govt to save you? Look how they botched Katrina. Millions of the fat and lazy will over-run their inadequate systems. If you have no game plan or aren't ruthless enough to wield a gun and murk Kats to survive your dead.
In regards to guns tho. It's important but not needed. Remember guns just breeds more guns. You can't eat ammo and I can promise the dude who took time to plan and prepare whom also has a gun but of less importance will have a better shot than you. My homie I talked about earlier does not fuck with guns, he took up a bow and arrow instead. His arrow will hit your neck before you even process to pull the trigger. His reply is that he is 115% prepared and always will remain calm.
"I will be able to remain cognitively sound. I have put in the time and prep that split second advantage I have is all I need to out-do a enemy whom is hungry, thirsty, and ... Desperate. He can have a semi for all I care and still will end up in a pool of blood. Mind always trumps any weapon."