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Christianity and Physical Preparedness
I occasionally get e-mails from SurvivalBlog readers, asking about how I can
justify active preparedness in light of my Christian faith. Some cite the "Lilies
of the Field" passage in Matthew 6:25-34:
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat
or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important
than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the
air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father
feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying
can add a single hour to his life?
"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow.
They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor
was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field,
which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more
clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?'
or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all
these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first
his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you
as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about
itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
In my view, people are misinterpreting these verses. These are verses
about worry,
not about work or preparedness. Never
does the Bible teach that we should laze about and not provide for our families.
Earning our daily
bread is the Godly way to live. We are taught not to be lazy or dependent
on others. Yes, we are to trust in God's providence, but nowhere do the scriptures
absolve us of the responsibility to work or to save up for lean times.
Consider these four verses from the book of Proverbs:
He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies
lacks judgment. Proverbs 12:11, NIV
All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty. Proverbs
14:23, NIV
The sluggard's craving will be the death of him, because his hands refuse
to work. Proverbs 21:25, NIV
The plans of the diligent surely lead to plenty, but those of everyone who
is hasty surely to poverty. Proverbs 21:5, NKJV
Food Storage
The Bible encourages storing food. Look at Gen. 41:47-49: "And in the
seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls. And he gathered
up all
the food
of the
seven
years,
which
were
in
the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field,
which was round about every city, laid he up in the same. And Joseph gathered
corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering; for it was
without number." And then see Gen. 41:53-57: "And the seven years
of plenteousness, that was in the land of Egypt, were ended. And the sevens
years of dearth [drought] was
in all lands; but
in
all the land of Egypt there was bread. And when all the land of Egypt was famished,
the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians,
Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do.
And the famine was over all the face of the earth: and Joseph opened all the
storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the
land of Egypt. And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn;
because that the famine was so sore in all lands.
The preceding is a good example that illustrates the need for food storage.
As I write this in 2008, a growing portion of the world is already experiencing
famine. You should recognize that
famine could
just a well come to stalk America, Europe, the British Isles, and Australia.
(The
areas
with
the
largest SurvivalBlog readership.) It is prudent and
Biblically supported to stock up during good times in anticipation of lean
times.
Prov. 6:6-15: "Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:
Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat in the summer,
and gathereth her food in the harvest. How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard?
When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to sleep:
So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed
man. A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a forward mouth. He winketh
with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers; Forwardness
is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord. Therefore
shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy."
The lessons from scripture are clear: Don't be lazy and lax. Store up in good
times for future lean times. Ponder this Old Testament passage: Psalm 34:9-10: "O
fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him. The
young
lions
do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the
Lord shall not want any good thing." And then look at this New Testament
passage:,
from
1
Timothy
5:8: "But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially
for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever."
One of the many names of God is Jehovah Jireh,
which means God Who Provides. As I Christian, I believe that God will provide
for his covenant people. I believe that one of the many gifts that the God
has provided is a conviction, by the Holy Spirit, to be well prepared. I realize
that we are only on Earth for about 80 trips around the sun, and that is just
the twinkling of an eye versus eternity.
Where
we
end
up
after this brief life is far, far more important in the grand
scheme of things.
We
will
spend eternity
either
in
heaven
or in hell. But how we spend our +/-80 year life on Earth is up to us. (And
the most important thing that we do in the is life is make ourselves right with
God, though his Grace, to accepting eternal life in heaven. But stepping back
to this temporal world: The
Bible
makes
it
very
clear
that
we
are
to
be
good
stewards
of
the
blessings
that
God
provides
us. I
therefore feel strongly convicted to not just share the gospel of Christ, but
also to physically prepare
for
my
own
family, and store extra to dispense as charity. The bottom line: I can't continue
to share
the
gospel
if I starve to the point of achieving room temperature!
Self Defense
Other readers question how I can justify owning guns for self-defense.
Some Mennonites, for example, eschew all means self defense and decry
even
the
willingness to defend oneself or one's loved ones. That, in my opinion
is taking "turning
the other cheek" (Luke 6:29) to an extreme that
is not
sculpturally
founded.
Exodus 22:2 provides Biblical justification for killing someone if he intends
to forcibly rob or kill another man: "If a thief is caught breaking in
and is struck so that he dies, the defender
is not guilty of bloodshed." (Exodus 22:2 NIV)
And Jesus teaches that it is wise to be armed, in Luke 22:35-36: "Then
Jesus asked them, 'When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack
anything?'
'Nothing,' they answered. He said to them, 'But now if you have a purse, take
it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy
one."
In an article titled: What
Does The Bible Say About Gun Control? Larry Pratt keenly
observed the difference between self-defense and vengeance:
Resisting an attack is not to be confused with taking vengeance which
is the exclusive domain of God (Rom. 12:19). This has been delegated to the
civil
magistrate, who, as we read in Romans 13:4, ". . . is God’s minister
to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword
in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him
who practices evil."
Private vengeance means one would stalk down a criminal after one’s life
is no longer in danger as opposed to defending oneself during an attack. It
is this very point that has been confused by Christian pacifists who would
take the passage in the Sermon on the Mount about turning the other cheek (which
prohibits private vengeance) into a command to falter before the wicked.
Let us consider also that the Sixth Commandment tells us: "Thou shall
not murder." In the chapters following, God gave to Moses many of the
situations which require a death penalty. God clearly has not told us never
to kill. He has told us not to murder, which means we are not to take an innocent
life. Consider also that the civil magistrate is to be a terror to those who
practice evil. This passage does not in any way imply that the role of law
enforcement is to prevent crimes or to protect individuals from criminals.
The magistrate is a minister to serve as "an avenger to execute wrath
on him who practices evil" (Rom. 13:4).
Jesus taught both to turn the other cheek and to be well-armed
to defend oneself. The important factor is having the wisdom to know when
to employ either approach depending on the circumstances. I pray, for wisdom,
discernment, and discretion, daily.
I don't seek out trouble, and in fact I have moved my family to a remote, lightly
populated region in good part to avoid trouble.
But if unavoidable trouble comes my way, I want to have the option of
resisting force
with force. And I only have that option if I am armed and trained.
Some critics of armed preparedness cite Matthew 26:52-54, which
descries how Jesus responded when Peter cut off the ear of a s
high priest's servant, using a sword: "Then said Jesus unto him, Put
up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish
with
the
sword. Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently
give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the scriptures
be fulfilled, that thus it must be?"
In context, Jesus is telling Peter that it would be suicidal to fight in that
particular situation, since they were quite outnumbered. And of course Jesus
knew it was
in God's plan for him to be arrested, tried, crucified, and resurrected. Jesus
told Peter to put his sword in its place –which was
back in his belt. Jesus was telling Peter in effect that "there is a time
to fight, and this, my friend, isn't it." He
didn't command him to "throw that sword away", or "surrender
it", or to "stop carrying it".
After all, according to Luke, Jesus had just recently ordered the disciples
to arm themselves. The reason for the arms was obviously to
protect their own lives when traveling--not to protect His own life,
which He intended
to sacrifice, to pay for our sins, once and for all.
The Old testament teaches both to be armed, and to be trained. We read in
Psalm 144:1:
Blessed be the Lord my rock
Who trains my hands for war
And my fingers for battle.
Yes, as Christians our battles are mainly spiritual, but we must also be
prepared to defend our lives, and the lives of our loved ones, against evildoers.
Charity
Charity--both in time of plenty and in times of disaster--is a Christian
responsibility with its roots in the Old Testament tradition of Tzedaka.
This responsibility--particularly for the support of widows and orphans--was
repeated in the New Testament, such as in Acts 11:27-29:
"And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch. And there
stood up
one
of them
named Agabus,
and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth [drought] throughout
all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar. Then the
disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief
unto
the brethren which dwelt in Judea."
The Biblical approach to survivalism is to avoid trouble, but to be ready
for it nonetheless. And when trouble does come, have extra stores on
hand, so that you can dispense copious charity. Give
until it hurts!
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The Precepts of My Survivalist Philosophy
In the past week I've had three newcomers to SurvivalBlog.com write and ask
me to summarize my world view. One of them asked: "I could spend days
looking through [the] archives of your [many months of] blog posts. But there
are hundreds
of them. Can you tell me where you stand, in just a page? What distinguishes
the "Rawlesian" philosophy from other [schools of] survivalist thought?"
I'll likely add a few items to this list as time goes on, but here is a general
summary of my precepts:
Modern Society is Increasingly Complex, Interdependent, and Fragile. With
each passing year, technology progresses and chains of interdependency lengthen.
In the past 30 years, chains of retail supply have grown longer and longer.
The food on your supermarket shelf does not come from local farmers. It often
comes from hundreds or even thousands of miles away. This has created an alarming
vulnerability to disruption. Simultaneously, global population is still increasing
in a near geometrical progression. At some point that must end, most likely
with a sudden and sharp drop in population. The lynchpin is the grid. Without
functioning power grids, modern industrial societies will collapse within weeks.
Civilization is Just a Thin Veneer. In the absence of law
an order, men quickly revert to savagery. As was illustrated by the rioting
and looting that accompanied disasters in the past three decades, the transition
from tranquility to absolute barbarism can occur overnight. People expect tomorrow
to be just like today, and they act accordingly. But then comes a unpredictable
disaster that catches the vast majority unprepared. The average American family
has four days worth of food on hand. When that food is gone, we'll soon see
the thin veneer stripped away.
People Run in Herds and Packs, but Both Follow Natural Lines of
Drift. Most
people are sheep ("sheeple").
A few are wolves that prey on others. But just a few of us are more like sheepdogs--we
think independently, and instead of
predation,
we are
geared toward protecting and helping others. People naturally follow natural lines
of drift--the path of least resistance. When the Schumer hits
the fan, 99% of urbanites will try to leave the cities on freeways. The highways
and freeways will soon resemble parking lots. This means that you need to be
prepared to both get
out of town ahead of the rush and to use lightly-traveled back roads.
Plan,
study and practice.
Lightly Populated Areas are Safer than High Density Areas. With
a few exceptions, less population means fewer problems. WTSHTF, there will
be a mass exodus from the cities. Think of it as an army that is spreading
out across a battlefield: The wider that
they
are
spread,
the less effective that they are. The inverse
square law hasn't been repealed.
Show Restraint, But Always Have Recourse to Lethal Force. My
father often told me, "It
is better to have a gun and not need it, than need a gun, and not have it." I
urge readers to use less than lethal means when safe and practicable, but at
times there is not a satisfactory substitute for well-aimed lead going down
range at high velocity.
There is Strength in Numbers. Rugged individualism is all
well and good, but it takes ore than one man to defend a retreat. Effective
retreat defense necessitates having at least two families to provide 24/7 perimeter
security. But of course every individual added means having another mouth to
feed. Absent having an unlimited budget and an infinite larder, this necessitates
striking a balance when deciding the size of a retreat group.
There are Moral Absolutes. The foundational morality
of the civilized world is best summarized in the Ten
Commandments. Moral relativism and secular humanism are slippery slopes.
The terminal moraine at the base of these slopes is a rubble pile consisting
of either despotism and pillage, or anarchy and the depths of depravity. I
believe
that
it takes both faith and friends to survive perilous times. For more background
on that, see my Prayer
page.
Racism Ignores Reason. People should be judged as individuals.
Anyone that make blanket statements about other races is ignorant that there
are both good and bad individuals in all groups. I have accepted The
Great Commission with sincerity."Go forth into all nations" means
exactly that:
all nations. OBTW, I feel grateful that SurvivalBlog is now read
in more than 100 countries. I have been given a bully pulpit,
and I intend to use it for good and edifying purposes.
Skills Beat Gadgets and Practicality Beats Style. The modern
world is full of pundits, poseurs, and Mall
Ninjas. Preparedness is not just about
accumulating a pile of stuff. You need practical skills, and those
only come with study, training, and practice.
Any
armchair
survivalist
can
buy a set
of stylish camouflage fatigues and an M4gery Carbine
encrusted with umpteen accessories. Style points should not be mistaken
for genuine skills and
practicality.
Plentiful Water and Good Soil are Crucial. Modern mechanized
farming, electrically pumped irrigation, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides
can make deserts bloom. But when the grid goes down, deserts and marginal farmland
will revert to their natural states. In my estimation, the most viable places
to survive in the midst of a long term societal collapse will be those with
reliable summer rains
and rich
topsoil.
Tangibles Trump Conceptuals. Modern fiat currencies are generally
accepted, but have essentially no backing. Because they are largely a byproduct
of interest bearing debt, modern currencies are destined to inflation. In
the long run, inflation dooms fiat
currencies to collapse. The majority of
your assets should be invested in
productive farm land and other tangibles such as useful hand tools. Only after
you have your key logistics squared away, anything extra should
be invested in silver and gold.
Governments Tend to Expand their Power to the Point that They Do Harm. In
SurvivalBlog, I often warn of the insidious tyranny of the Nanny
State. If
the state where you live becomes oppressive, then don't hesitate to relocate.
Vote with your feet!
There is Value in Redundancy. A common saying of my
readers is: "Two
is one, and one is none." You must be prepared
to provide for your family in a protracted period of societal disruption. That
means storing up all of the essential "beans, bullets, and Band-Aids" in quantity.
If commerce is disrupted by a disaster, at least in the short term you will
only have your own logistics to fall back on. The more that you have stored,
the
more
that
you
will have
available for barter and charity.
A Deep Larder is Essential. Food storage is one of the key
preparations that I recommend. Even if you have a fantastic self-sufficient
garden and pasture ground, you must always have food storage that you can fall
back on in the event that your crops fail due to drought, disease, or infestation.
Tools Without Training Are Almost Useless. Owning a gun doesn't
make someone a "shooter" any more than owning a surfboard makes someone a surfer.
With proper training and practice, you will be miles ahead of the average citizen.
Get advanced medical
training. Get the best firearms
training that you can afford. Learn about amateur radio from your local
affiliated ARRL club.
Practice raising a vegetable garden each summer. Some skills are only perfected
over
a period
of years.
Old Technologies are Appropriate Technologies. In
the event of a societal collapse, 19th Century (or earlier) technologies such
as a the blacksmith's forge, the treadle sewing machine, and the horse-drawn
plow
will be
far easier
to re-construct than modern technologies.
Charity is a Moral Imperative. As a Christian, I feel morally
obligated to assist others that are less fortunate. Following the Old Testament
laws of Tzedakah (charity
and tithing), I believe that my responsibility begins with my immediate family
and expands in successive rings to supporting
my immediate
neighborhood
and
church, to my
community, and beyond, as resources allow. In short, my philosophy is to "give
until it hurts" in times of disaster.
Buy Life Assurance, not Life Insurance. Self-sufficiency
and self-reliance are many-faceted. You need to systematically provide for
Water, Food, Shelter, Fuel, First Aid,
Commo,
and, if need be, the tools to enforce Rule
308.
Live at Your Retreat Year-Round. If your financial and family
circumstances allow it, I strongly recommend that you relocate
to a safe area and live there year-round. This has several advantages,
most notably that will prevent burglary of your retreat logistics and
allow you to regularly
tend to gardens, orchards, and livestock. It will also remove the stress of
timing a "Get Out of Dodge" trip at the11th hour.
If circumstances dictate that you can't live at your retreat year round, then
at least have
a caretaker and stock the vast majority of your logistics in advance, since
you may only have one trip there before roads are impassable.
Exploit Force Multipliers. Night vision gear, intrusion
detection sensors, and radio communications equipment are key force
multipliers. Because
these use high technology they cannot be depended upon in a long term collapse,
but in the short term, they can provide a big advantage. Some low technologies
like barbed wire and defensive road cables also provide advantages and can
last for several decades.
Invest Your Sweat Equity. Even if some of
you have a millionaire's budget, you need to learn how to do things for yourself,
and
be willing to get your hands dirty. In a societal collapse, the division of
labor will be reduced tremendously. Odds are that the only "skilled craftsmen" available
to build a shed, mend a fence, shuck corn, repair an engine, or pitch manure
will be you.and
your family. A byproduct of sweat equity is muscle tone and proper body weight.
Hiring someone to deliver three cords of firewood is a far cry from
felling, cutting, hauling, splitting, and stacking it yourself.
Choose Your Friends Wisely. Associate yourself with skilled
doers, not "talkers." Seek out people that share your
outlook and morality. Living in close confines with other families is sure
to cause friction but that will be minimized if you share a common religion
and norms of behavior.You can't learn every skill yourself. Assemble a team
that
includes members with medical knowledge, tactical skills, electronics experience,
and traditional practical skills.
There is No Substitute for Mass. Mass stops bullets. Mass
stops gamma radiation. Mass stops (or at least slows down ) bad guys from entering
a home and depriving its residents of life and property. Sandbags are cheap,
so buy plenty of them. When planning your retreat house, think: medieval
castle.
(See the SurvivalBlog Archives for the many articles and letters on Retreat
Architecture.)
Always Have a Plan B and a Plan C. Regardless of your pet
scenario and your personal grand plan of survival, you need to be flexible
and adaptable. Situations and circumstances change. Always keep a G.O.O.D. kit
handy, even if you are fortunate enough to live at your retreat year-round.
Be Frugal. I grew up in a family that still remembered both
our pioneer history and the more recent lessons of the Great Depression. One
of our family mottos is: "Use
it up, wear it out, make do, or do without."
Some Things are Worth Fighting For. I encourage my readers
to avoid trouble, most importantly via relocation to safe areas where trouble
is unlikely to come to visit. But there may come an unavoidable day that you
have
to
make a stand to defend your own family or your neighbors. Further, if you value
your liberty, then be prepared to fight for it, both for yourself and for
the sake
of
your progeny.
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The Four Gs Update: Have You Got God?, Groceries?, Guns?, Gold?
In the next few paragraphs I'll be tackling four issues that for many years,
I've labelled "The Four Gs." One of my contemporaries, Richard "Doc" Sweeny,
even made the concept into and acronym: GGGG,
for "God,
Gold, Guns, and Groceries."
God.
I consider faith in God the cornerstone of my family's preparedness. Faith in God's sovereign control of the future gives my family hope and peace in these troubled times. If there is no hope, then why prepare? Our hope is in Christ Jesus.
Groceries.
There are continuing reports of shortages around
the country of wheat flour, corn meal, rice, and cooking oil at some of the "big
box:" stores
such as COSTCO and
Sam's Club. This phenomenon is not uniform. Some readers tell me that
it is "business at usual" at their local stores, while others report "one
bag per customer" rationing signs have been posted, and a few report empty
shelves. With galloping wholesale prices and shortages at the wholesale level,
I expect these spot
shortages to continue.
I've had a half dozen anxious e-mails from readers in the past week, complaining
that their storage food orders have been delayed, that they can't get a
firm answer on delivery dates from the vendors, or that the vendors won't even
return their calls or e-mails. In nearly all of these instances, the
companies in question are not SurvivalBlog advertisers. I've
heard from several vendors that the big packing and canning outfits like Mountain
House and Alpen Aire are essentially sold out of stock on hand, and
that their order backlogs are at least 30 days, and growing. The problem is
that in "normal" times, these companies serve a "niche" clientele.
They just aren't scaled to handle the order volume when more than 1% or 2%
of the population places orders. I witnessed a similar situation back in 1999,
just before the Y2K rollover.
Some good news that I can mention is that several of our advertisers such as Ready
Made Resources actually still have some storage food on hand.
It is actually on the shelf ("in captivity") and ready to ship. For
any of their items that are back ordered, just be patient. You may
have to wait four to six weeks. The other good news I can offer is
that our advertisers all have good reputations. (If they didn't, then they
would not be allowed to advertise on SurvivalBlog.) The most reputable food
storage vendors will not bill your credit card until the day that your
order is actually shipped. Beware of small "fly by night" vendors
that don't keep any inventory on hand and that will bill your credit card weeks
ahead of when they know they can ship. If you buy from a vendor that is not a
SurvivalBlog advertiser, my advice is simple: pick your order up in person
only from
stock on hand, and pay cash on the spot. If you are taking delivery
personally, then there is no need to leave a paper trail. Buying with a credit
card is advised, in instances where immediate delivery is not promised.
In that case, your credit card's "charge back" buyer protection policy
could protect you if you are
defrauded. Keep in mind, however, that a charge back complaint often must be
made within 30 days of the time of purchase.
Guns.
The next presidential election is huge question mark:
Will the Democrats take the White House? And if they do, will another so-called "assault
weapons"
and "high capacity" magazine ban be legislated in the US? (Something
similar to the
1994-to-2004 Federal ban.) At present, these possibilities are
difficult to predict. But even if the "worst
case" (namely,
another ban with no sunset
clause) doesn't come to pass, I still consider battle rifles, full capacity
magazines, and ammunition to be good investments and excellent barter items.
If nothing else,
like other nonperishable tangibles, they are good hedges on the falling dollar.
Stock up, but do so quietly. If it is legal to do so in your jurisdiction,
make all your gun purchases from private parties with no paper trail. Keep
your eye on the local newspaper classified ads, as well as ads from sellers
in your own state on GunBroker.com (on-line
auctions) or GunsAmerica.com (fixed
price sales--usually more expensive) Search only for
sellers from your own state. That way, you won't run afoul of the Federal law
that prohibits
the transfer of
a modern
(post-1898)
gun
across state lines,
except
through a FFL dealer. It might also be worth your time
to drive long distances to some of the larger gun
shows in your own state. Once there,
you should of course buy guns only from private parties.
The upcoming Heller
v. US supreme court decision should be interesting. I suspect
that instead of striking down all Federal gun laws--which they rightfully
should--the supreme court justices will pen a decision that is tightly worded
and hence will only apply to just that one gun ban in the District of Columbia.
OBTW, for any of you that think that my advocacy of gun ownership and training
is somehow un-Christian, all that I can do is direct you to Christ's
words in Luke 22:36.
Gold.
I'm addressing gold last, for a reason. You've undoubtedly
seen the recent headlines like this one: Gold
at $1,000 on Weak Dollar, High Oil. Keep in mind that $1,000 is a psychological
barrier. This might trigger some profit taking that could push the spot price
of gold down as far as $920 per ounce. Take advantage of such dips. However,
don't get caught up in precious metals buying fever. Your key responsibility
is to provide
for your family, not to be a speculator. Don't even
think about investing any of your money in precious metals until after you
have all of your crucial "beans, bullets, and Band-Aids" preparations
well in hand. If you don't have an honest one year
food supply, then stop wasting your time hitting reload at the
Kitco web site! (You probably won't get the web page to load with any regularity
anyway. The recent spike in gold and silver prices have generated so much web
traffic that it has nearly crashed Kitco's server. You might have better luck
at
the Swiss
America web
site.)
Remember: You can't eat gold! There may come a day when you
need to barter for day-to-day essentials. In such times, barter goods
like common caliber ammunition or one-gallon cans of kerosene will be more
sought-after than gold. Recognize precious metals for what they are: storehouses
of wealth and hedges on the dollar. Think of them as a "time machine".
They can be trusted to preserve your wealth from one side of an economic collapse
to the other.But do not expect them to keep your family fed
in the midst of a socioeconomic collapse.
An afterthought: Perhaps I should add a fifth "G"", for Ground.
I have long been a proponent of buying productive farm land. The nationwide
market for real estate
is clearly in
a tailspin, and probably won't bottom for several more years. But I firmly
believe that the price declines will not be nearly as significant for good
farm ground.
Just be sure to be a wise buyer. Study local markets thoroughly (including soil
surveys), and don't feel rushed into making a purchase. In today's
market, time is on your side. I now recommend keeping a close eye on foreclosures,
using services like Foreclosures.com or RealtyTrac.com.
« Letter Re: How to Win with Asymmetric Warfare, by Robert R. |Main| Note from JWR: »
Letter Re: Retreat Group Recruiting and Organization
Mr. Rawles,
One subject that seems vastly under-represented in the bulk of survivalist
literature is that of organizing and recruiting.
It's fairly obvious that in a real WTSHTF scenario,
a lone wolf, or small family would be in a precarious position regardless of
how well armed and well prepared they may be. A group of three or four would
be hard pressed to maintain any real degree of security while going about the
[gardening and other self-sufficiency] work required for basic survival.
In my experience, it's hard enough finding someone that's even "like
minded", let alone skilled or intelligent. There's also a tremendous element
of trust involved in attempting to organize. Approaching someone to join your
survival group is a fairly risky proposition, because you've basically advertised
the fact that you're preparing for a worst case scenario to that person, and whomever
they decide to tell. There's a further degree of trust necessary for making
mutual purchases, storing equipment at a centralized location. etc. etc. I'm
sure you can think of the hundred different concerns that come into play when
it comes to increasing your membership.
In your excellent novel "Patriots",
the organization element of the story sort of "fell into place" with
a cadre of intelligent, like-minded individuals, possessing complementary skills
assembling [partly] by chance meetings. It was also convenient that none of
the group members had small children, elderly dependents or chronic health
conditions.
Another complication which wasn't addressed was that of group members with
other "attachments". None of the characters in the book came to the
retreat with an uninvited guest, like a sibling who had experienced a miraculous
change of heart upon realizing that their "survivalist nut" brother
was right all along.
This is the single most frustrating element of my preparedness efforts. I know
that it's going to take more than a tiny group of people to survive a prolonged
catastrophe, but all of the potential complications involved in finding new
members makes it very difficult to do any recruiting. I can acquire skills
and assemble materials to the best of my abilities, but in the end, there won't
be any real substitute for a few more rifle-wielding warm bodies.
Any insights, strategies or suggestions you might have for filling the void
would be much appreciated. Sincerely, - LW
JWR Replies: The situation I described in my novel actually
mirrored my personal circumstances at the time that I wrote the first draft,
in early 1990. I had just been married three years, and my wife and I had not
yet had any children. Although I consolidated things a bit to avoid
having "a cast of thousands", the majority of the characters in the novel
were based on real-life friends, and "The Group" paralleled a group that I
had associated
with since
college.
When recruiting for any retreat group, proceed with prayer.
To supplement your own extended family, try to find folks with the same religious
background and representing a good mix of skills. My novel "Patriots:
Surviving the Coming Collapse" describes some of the specific
skills that would be ideal for a group retreat--like a doctor, a mechanic,
a machinist/welder, a farmer, a combat veteran, and so on. If you are already
living at your intended retreat, it is probably best to recruit locally. If
not, then you should probably recruit regionally looking for preparedness-minded
people that have the same long-term relocation destination, or at least the
willingness to be flexible about where they relocate.
As previously mentioned in SurvivalBlog, I recommend three web sites (two
paid, and one free) for making connections--whether you are looking to join
or form a retreat group, or even for someone looking looking for a "prepper" spouse.
They are:
Conservative Match (a
paid matchmaking service--based on shared conservative political/social views)
Liberty Mates (a
paid matchmaking service--based on shared libertarian views)
The
Survivalist Groups ["Meet-up"] web page--(a free service courtesy
of the folks at SurvivalistBooks.com. If you use this service, then please
give SurvivalistBooks.com some
business!)
Needless to say, use discretion when using these services.
As a prepared individual, you have more to lose than most folks. For your safety
and security, it is better to go through a long series of correspondence and
to do some background and reference checking before revealing your locale and
details, or meeting face to face.
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Mental Preparations for Survival, by jc
For many people preparing to survive has become an obsession; a pursuit placed
above all else in their lives. Others feel as if survival prep should be
more of a priority if they could only afford to do more. Still others feel
as if they may have already gone overboard in their preparations. Preparing
for survival after TEOTWAWKI can make you feel overwhelmed, under-supplied,
overspent, under-funded, over-your-head, or under-the-gun (no pun intended).
There are those who have the ability to purchase a retreat, stock it with
supplies and equipment for a year or more, and have enough to share with
those in need
at will. They expect to support parents, siblings and spouses, nieces and nephews,
grandkids, and several families of friends, and have already stocked their
retreat with all the food, water, and supplies for all of them to start completely
over. Most of us, however, fall far short of that ability, and hope that we
can simply prepare for ourselves and our immediate family.
Please understand, I am not criticizing those who are able to prepare in this
way. That’s what this country is all about – the chance to make
and keep your fortunes. As Christians we don’t believe in luck, but we
do believe in hard work and good fortune. We can only hope that most, many,
or all of these fortunate people have the Christian outlook of sharing with
those in need.
Whether you are a preparedness guru (PG) or a “newbie” (NP – for
New Preparer), getting prepared to survive after any disaster, or even a total
collapse, seems like a daunting task. PGs know just how expensive and time
consuming preparing can be, and many NP’s have become discouraged as
they begin to realize what they are facing. It is for that reason that mental
preparedness (MP) is so important.
Mental Preparedness involves many aspects and the first and foremost of these
is an individual’s Spiritual preparation. Are you a Christian? Have you
accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? Are you ready to die if that’s
what God’s will for you is? Christianity – that is, evangelical
Christianity (Christians who believe that Jesus died for their sins, was buried,
and rose again as a living Savior sitting at the right hand of God) offers
living hope for our future. We worship a living Savior, one Who has gone before
us to prepare a place for us in heaven.
If you have not already done so, accept Jesus into your life as Lord and Savior.
It’s so easy to do. Any good Christian can help you or go to www.sbc.net
and click on the small green link at the top of the page “I want to know
Jesus.” Until you make Christ real in your life the rest of the preparations
are just going through the motions.
Once you are Spiritually prepared, the next step is prayer. Ask God to guide
you in your preparation, to give you insight into the survival mindset, to
lead you to the resources you need to get your mind ready for the preparation
task, and to guide and help you in the decisions that must be made to prepare
yourself and your family for survival. Ask Him how you can become a better
Christian and person through this process – He will show you if you are
open to receiving the answers. Finally, ask the Lord help you communicate the
urgency and necessity to others to prepare to survive.
Is there Biblical mandate for survival? For preparation? Yes, God has given
us instructions in His Word for survival and preparation. Following is a list
of Scriptures for you to look up for yourself rather than quoting them here
for brevity, but please take the time to look up each one and understand what
God is trying to tell us, tell you, about being prepared and surviving.
Proverbs 6:6–11 – tells us that we are responsible to do the work
of preparation while we are able.
2 Thessalonians 3:10 – basically says that if you don’t work, you
don’t eat. Of course that does not include the sick or the aged; those
should be taken care of by family or Christian charity. It plainly teaches
that indolence or laziness should not be rewarded. In other words, if we could
have prepared for the crisis but we didn't, we can’t expect anyone else
to take care of us. It is a principle that applies in every-day-life or in
crisis situations.
1 John 3:17 – 18 – exhorts us to help others in need. Yet, you
can not help someone who is in need if you haven’t prepared for or can't
help yourself. If we are to obey this verse then some sort of preparation is
not only called for, but required.
Some great thoughts from another (unknown) Christian author:
“
With regard to fleeing from life-threatening situations - what one brother
sarcastically refers to as ‘hidey hole’ theology - Both Peter and
Paul escaped from life-threatening situations. Peter fled from Jerusalem after
his miraculous deliverance from prison by the angel. Paul was let down over
the walls of Damascus when a plot against his life was uncovered. Both of these
were escapes from the physical persecution that arose against them because
of their testimony and preaching of the Gospel. Are we supposed to believe
that God is only interested in preserving His people if they are in danger
as a result of their following Jesus? That if the shortsightedness or greed
of the world, places Christians in danger, that somehow that is not sufficient
reason to escape in order to continue to serve, worship and love God and those
around us? I can't speak for others, but I know my purpose in preparing for
eventualities. It is not merely to save my hide; it's not worth that much anyway;
but to do what Christians have done throughout the centuries, namely to maintain
a living witness to the redemptive love of God in Christ, and to continue nurturing
the Church which God has called me.
Some Christians believe that it is wrong to leave your urban or suburban home
to find a rural setting where survival would be more likely. Again, this is
called, ‘hidey hole’ theology. Yet, after the stoning of Stephen
much of the Church in Jerusalem dispersed precisely to preserve their lives,
to continue to care for each other and spread the Gospel in the new surroundings.
God called Stephen to martyrdom, but not the whole Church. The Church in Rome
met in the catacombs. Some lived in the catacombs. Was that ‘hidey-hole’ theology?
When Jesus began his ministry He read from Isaiah in the synagogue, ‘The
Spirit of the Lord is upon me....This day the Scripture is fulfilled in your
hearing.’ They wanted to kill Him, but He ‘passed through them.’ He
escaped. Was that ‘hidey-hole’ theology?
In 1 Kings 17:8 - 16, Elijah instructed the widow of Zarephath to give him
her last cup of flour and last bit of oil. He told her don't be afraid, God
will provide. God caused there to be a daily miracle provision of flour and
oil for her survival. But another widow and her son in 2 Kings 4: 1 - 7, were
instructed by Elisha to gather many containers, for God was about to provide
for her needs. There was an immediate miracle of multiplication of the oil,
part of which she was told to pay off her debts with, but the remainder she
was to store. Thus, there was preparation, provision, and then storage in order
for this woman and her son to survive. Sure, the provision was miraculous;
but her use of God's provision was quite normal and mundane. Nor did Elisha
criticize her for storing her oil for her family’s future needs. [This
author adds: it could be that your provisions may be provided in an equally
miraculous fashion.]
Am I stupid, sinful and unbiblical because I want to see that my family survives?
Am I supposed to believe that God doesn't want me to do anything about the
survival of those whom I love, whom He has given to me? Have I no responsibility?
Do I just stand with my eyes scrunched closed and say, ‘OK God, you take
care of me and mine?’ Survival is not the ultimate value or goal for
me or my family. It never was or will be. ‘Glorifying God and enjoying
Him forever’ is. If God wants me and mine dead, so be it, and may He
be praised forever. But I don't see that glorifying God and staying alive are
mutually exclusive, especially when He seems to be graciously giving us advanced
warning precisely so that we may continue to survive, so that we may serve
Him and others.
And you, O mortal, do not be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns
surround you and you live among scorpions; do not be afraid of their words,
and do not be dismayed at their looks. Ezekiel 2:6
The clever see danger and hide; but the simple go on, and suffer for it. -
Proverbs 22:3.
A closing thought (on Spiritual Preparedness): "When Noah built the ark, it
wasn't raining.”
Get your life right with God and prepare for tomorrow.
Many other aspects of survival require mental preparation as well. Too many
people believe that because they witnessed some depravity that man had wrought
on an individual, or on others, that they are now prepared to go through the
hard times a severe crisis or even TEOTWAWKI can bring. Witnessing a tragic
car accident, a shooting or murder, a knife fight in a bar, a shootout with
the police, or even trying to help a rape victim can not begin to prepare you
for the mental anguish of long-term crises. For the few who have had to kill
in self-defense or seen the starvation and disease in some Third World country
first hand as a missionary, these only begin to understand. If you served in
combat – Iraq, Afghanistan, Korea, Vietnam, or WWII – and you had
to kill or be killed, you had to care for a wounded and dying fellow soldier,
or you had to survive as a prisoner of war, you understand some of what will
be faced in an end of the world situation. Many of you may have loved ones
or
know someone
who suffered with or still suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
and can understand the mental stressors the individual endures. Unless you
have been through it too you can’t really comprehend all that this individual,
these individuals, is/are going through.
So how do we prepare ourselves for what is to come? Everything starts with
planning! And, it all hinges on organization. If you’re a NP, start a
list of preparations that need to be made. Do research on the Internet to find
lists of the things you will need to do and what you will need to have on hand.
Don’t be overwhelmed by the lists of supplies – all of these things
can be obtained one item at a time. Remember, if you start today you’re
still ahead of the majority of people. Continue to remind yourself that whatever
you do today to prepare, won’t be a need tomorrow.
Prepare your mind through the research you do. Read everything you can get
your hands on about preparedness and survival, but read with a “grain
of salt” so that you can discern good advice from bad. Read books and
articles that are recommended by friends or reliable sources. Even other people
who are preparedness minded can get and give bad advice – proceed with
caution, but proceed.
One reliable and trusted Internet resource is www.SurvivalBlog.com, written
and maintained by Jim Rawles. He is also the author of one of the best survival
preparedness books on the market called Patriots – Surviving the
Coming Collapse. While the book is a novel, there are
many, many good references and teachings throughout. He has numerous other
resources of his
own and others on the web site.
To continue mental preparations for survival the NP must understand that they
are basically on their own. Of course, they may have a supportive spouse, other
family members, or a friend or two who understands survival prep, but beyond
that you won’t find individuals who are willing to open up their homes
or retreats and say, “come see how I’ve done it.” Because
of the secretive nature of our preparations for ourselves and our families,
and because we want to protect those preps from those that would steal them
or want to show up at our front gate when TSHTF, we just don’t let others
know what we’ve got. Thus, we are on our own. It is a very difficult
position to be in when a best friend refuses to recognize the importance and
urgency or preparation. PGs understand this and have developed techniques and
questions to discern how a person feels about preparedness and survival without
really asking. Only time, practice, and mental preparedness can help in this
area.
Preparing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that outline what every family
member will do in a crisis will ease your mental state as your preps continue.
SOPs are nothing more than written directions to cover every contingency for
every person. Make sure you have instructions written for all members
who will be with you in a disaster situation. Different situations call for
different
SOPs – try to cover all the bases for at least 72 hours. This is not
something you will accomplish overnight or even in the first few weeks. As
you study and prepare you will continue to rewrite and edit your SOPs. Some
may take years to finish while others may never be done.
Once your lists are in order you should begin putting together a BoB (Bug-out-Bag).
This is a bag – a backpack, a duffel bag, a pillow case (although I think
you will discover that a pillow case just isn’t big enough) with everything
in it you’ll need to survive for three days to one week (or more). Every
family member should have his/her own BoB, even children (as long as they are
big enough to carry it). Weight for each BoB is obviously determined by each
individual’s size and ability. When you know everyone has the things
they need to survive for several days, your mind is much more at ease.
The BoBs are like everything else involved with prep and survival – they
will evolve through shrinking and growing for months before you are satisfied
with all the preps for them. Only you can determine what is best for you to
carry in the end, but there are literally 100’s of list suggestions for
BoBs on the Internet. Again, be prepared to sift through and decide what is
best for you.
By prioritizing your purchases you can buy a little at a time – in fact,
you can buy one item at a time if that is all your budget (or your wife [I’ll
address this issue further down] will allow). For instance, water must be a
top priority for everyone in preparing for disaster. You can go for days without
food but only hours (in comparison) without water. If you have a free-flowing
spring in your yard then you are obviously covered, but for most of us water
is something we must prepare for. Do we try to store enough bottled water for
our family? Do we depend on our neighbors? (I think we know the answer to that
one – remember, we depend on no one but ourselves) Storing bottled water
is impractical for long-term preparedness. Water is needed at the rate of at
least one gallon per person per day. In hot or humid conditions or if you are
working outside strenuously, you will need more – maybe even twice that
amount. So, a water filter, with extra filters, is an obvious priority. You
may have to save for a couple of weeks or more to buy one, but since it is
an important item it will clearly be worth it.
Food is a relatively easy category to begin to fill out your supply of. If
you will make a list of items that you and your family regularly eat (in dry
or canned items) and then begin to buy one or two extra items each time you
go to the grocery store, you will find that your food supply will grow quickly.
Don’t forget things like toilet paper, tissues, baby items, feminine
products, and the like; if you will buy these two at a time when you need them – one
goes on the shelf to be used and the other goes in the prep closet or tub.
These type products will also add to your stash quickly. P. S. You can never have enough toilet paper if TSHTF (no pun intended).
Continue to move down your Priority List is similar fashion and you will suddenly
find yourself short of space to store things and your mental attitude eased
by the fact that you are becoming prepared much quicker than you ever thought
possible. Remember, organization is the key. Once you begin to buy items for
prep or survival you must be organized. Lists are required, and keeping up
with them is paramount for making sure you get what is necessary. It is very
easy to buy things twice (or even more) if you are trying to keep up with your
purchases by memory, or to think you bought something and miss the chance to
buy it. Use lists!
Lists and organization are important to your MP in other ways as well. If you
have your mind cluttered with mental lists, past or future purchases, and trying
to keep up with all of your preps, family, work, etc., your going to be stressed
beyond belief. Good MP calls for good organization.
I mentioned above that I would address the problem of a spouse who is a non-believer
in preparedness or survival. When you want to talk about prep or survival all
they do is change the subject or patronize you quickly and then dismiss it
as unnecessary. They don’t want to waste money on it.
Many spouses believe there’s plenty of time to get what’s needed
if an emergency comes up later. Some will say that God will provide for us,
so we don’t have to do that. And, the excuses and objections goes on
. . .
My own wife is one of those, or was one of those types. I went ahead with some
small purchases a few years ago and she would question them, but I never hid
my purchases from her, lied to her about them, or dismissed her inquisitions.
I simply explained that I had bought the item so we would be prepared in case
of an emergency and what it was for. I would try to talk to her about it each
time SHE brought something up, but she always changed the subject or said we’d
talk about it another time. I never forced the issue. Whenever she would hear
a news story about some crisis situation (hurricane, tornado, lost hiker, violent
robbery or home invasion) I would take the opportunity to point out the lack
of preparation on the part of the individuals involved or what they needed
instead of what they had, and I would say, “You know, I think I’ll
get one of those (whatever was mentioned that someone else needed) for us next
time I get a chance so we won’t be caught unprepared.” She would
usually agree we needed it, and the next day (or even that very day) I would
buy whatever it was and add it to my supplies. She never questioned those purchases
and eventually became (a little) more interested in our preps. I’m now
trying to get her interested in a piece of retreat property by explaining the
exact things I’m looking for (wooded acreage with room for house, barn & garden,
a spring or free-flowing creek, isolated, defensible, etc.) and why. It has
caused a few arguments (of course, the making up is fun), and she still won’t
read "Patriots" or any of the other books I’ve bought on the subject, but
our (my) prep supplies are steadily growing and she’s beginning to understand
slowly. I’m still open to new suggestions in this area if anyone has
any, but I know this has worked for me so far.
Mental preparedness for survival is very important if you are to ever feel
like you’re well on the way to being prepared. I’m one of those
who believes that you can never be 100 percent prepared, but you can be well
prepared. You can get to a point of calling yourself prepared and feeling good
about your preps as long as you continue to monitor expiration dates, rotate
fuel supplies, grow and can your own crops, and have all the things needed
for starting over after TEOTWAWKI. A survival mindset is the first step. Making
lists, prioritizing those lists for purchase or acquisition, and organizing
the lists and acquisitions will help to keep you mentally prepared for survival.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Reader Poll: Your TEOTWAWKI Resume -- 100 Words and 100 Pounds »
Letter Re: Advice for a Preparedness-Minded ROTC Cadet
Hi,
I appreciate your advice. Here is my situation: I attend college full time
in a post-industrial [Eastern United States] city that has had a 50% population
decline in 30 years. Most people here are on welfare, and the largest employers
are prisons. I am in a bit of a predicament because I only make about $6,000
per year, so I cannot really afford to spend much on supplies. My goal if
things go downhill is to do a ruck march (assuming EMP,
otherwise I would drive) with my ROTC-issued
[TA-50]
equipment to my family's summer home in farm country on a lake. The home
is located about 40 miles from where I go to school. Going home is not feasible
as I live in Massachusetts which would take a full tank of gas, and is entirely
highway and there are several choke points, including driving through Albany,
Springfield, Worcester, and into the high-density suburbs.
At school, one of my best friends is also into survivalism and he also has
experience. We share the same goals and are both Baptist. Additionally, we
are both known on campus as people who have everything, tools, water, food,
etc. which means that if there was a situation, we would likely be inundated
with requests from others to help us. We keep a small, verbal list of people
we would accept, and keep it to five people.
What would you recommend I do in this situation? If you need more information,
please do not hesitate to ask. Thanks, - Sam
JWR Replies: I recommend that you form a survival
retreat group. That is exactly what I did 25 years ago, when I was
an Army ROTC cadet. Stock your retreat as best as you can, given your limited
budget. Prioritize your purchasing. Water purification
and food storage should be at the top of your list. Set group standards for
communications gear
and
guns.
For short range tactical coordination,
I recommend the modestly
priced MURS transceivers,
since they use a little-used band. This is particularly important in the signal-dense
northeastern United States, where using CB frequencies
would be almost impossible WTSHTF. For advice on firearms selection, see my Survival
Guns web page, and my novel "Patriots:
Surviving the Coming Collapse".
Be very selective
about who you bring into your group. Unlike
building a group based on an extended family,
you can
be
choosy.
Be dispassionate in choosing new group members. Evaluate each candidate on
their stability, motivation, and their mix of skills. Friendship is a great
thing,
but the guy
or gal who
is presently your dormitory buddy may not be your best choice for a survival
group member. Look at their weight, health, and physical fitness. Consider
their religious background. Are they moral and trustworthy? Are they intelligent
and adaptable? Do they have valuable skills? Are they hard working or will
they just be "talkers" or "strap hangers"? Avoid people
with extremist views or anyone that suggests making any preparations that are
illegal. Ask
yourself the
key question:
Am I willing to trust my life to this individual? If any candidates don't pass
muster,
then keep
looking.
In the long term, try to develop a retreat that is in a less densely populated
region.
When you
graduate,
direct
your
job search--assuming that you will be a reserve officer--to
a
region that is suitable for self-sufficient retreats. (For
details, see my Retreat
Areas web page and my book Rawles
on Retreats and Relocation.) Odds are the group that you form
in college will have a considerably different composition five or six
years from now,
once your
friends change locales to pursue careers. In fact, depending
on where you end up, you may be teamed with an entirely different group
of people.
If you are destined to go on active duty, then tailor your "dream
sheet" of preferred duty assignments (after OBC)
to posts that are in the western U.S. (You didn't
mention if you had been branch selected
yet.
That
could make
a
big difference
in the locale of your eventual posting.) I suggest that you consider posts
like Umatilla Army Depot, Fort Carson, Rocky Mountain Arsenal, Tooele
Army
Depot, Dugway
Proving Ground, Fort Lewis (possibly permanent party at Yakima Training
Center), Fort Greely, Fort Wainwright, or perhaps
Sierra Army
Depot. Army PERSCOM branch
managers are often willing to accommodate requests from junior officers that
state a preference for posts that their peers
would
consider
"backwater" assignments. (Let everyone else ask for
a posting in Germany, Fort Meade, or Fort Devens.) Your branch manager
may exclaim to his co-workers:
"Holy cow! This lieutenant asked to be assigned to Umatilla
Army Depot!"
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Poll Results: Why are You Preparing to Survive?
Here is the second round of responses to this question: Those who are well
educated enough to see a societal collapse of some sort or another in the making
fall into two groups, the merrymakers and the preparers. The merrymakers don't
see life worth living post-SHTF, so
they live it up now. We on SurvivalBlog are the preparers and have chosen to
survive, but why? Our children? To rebuild civilization? Because the collapse
will only be temporary? Because we can and we're stubborn with a stronger than
normal will to survive? The following is the second batch of
responses. A few of the following poll responses exceeded
the one paragraph limit, but they had substance so I decided to post them,
regardless:
Jim,
The survival seed was planted at when as a young boy I entered our Ohio basement "fruit
cellar" and noticed the stock of canned goods, candles and other necessities.
My mother explained that we might need the items if the "weather turned
bad". We never did need those items in the 1950s but the idea stuck.
For my family [living] in Alaska, it just makes sense to provide yourself with
comfort items should the SHTF. We have a self sufficient setup which is accented
by
a complete, mobile camping outfit and further enhanced with ultralight backpacking
gear. We are experienced in the use of this gear.
Silly as it may sound, if hard times come we do not want to be inconvenienced.
That is the simple answer. And that includes begging others for help and standing
in line to ask that the government do something.
Most important, we have incorporated preparedness into a normal enjoyable lifestyle.
And it just plain feels right.
--
Life is tough. Challenges abound. Success is a drug that there is no anti-dote,
only garbage that clouds the “vision” to succeed.
Why prepare? When reading the responses to this poll, I noticed a common
reference
to a “near term” disaster such as “Katrina”. This truly
is a short term disaster. There is no reason that most of us can’t survive
any short term disaster. Let’s look back to the late 1920s
and early
1930s, or better yet, back to the original settler’s challenges,
those were Longer term, affecting several generations. Why do we make reference
to
the near term problems rather than the historic obstacles? I think it is a protective
mechanism that allows us to relate to “recent history” rather than “necessary
history”. Imagining a multi-generational collapse I admit is not in my
thinking, (to protect my fragile mind). But the labors of my grandparents and
their grandparents are not to trivial to be memorialized. History repeats
itself.
In the late twenties, a vast percentage of the population was “semi-self
sufficient” and lived in the rural area’s trading with neighbors
for the items needed that they did not produce themselves. Fast forward 80 years
and a scary few minorities produce the knowledge to be productive and have the
land to do so. Our forefathers could plan and survive even though difficult at
times, they did it. How will we as city dwellers with no productive skills for
the basics survive a similar economic tragedy? History repeats itself.
If more of us do not prepare, the likelihood of reverting back to the wagon train
era is inevitable. If we can do more now, it is prudent to the survival of this
great nation. This Nation is deserving of all of our love, and the things that
we don’t agree with can be politely demonstrated against, or we can use
the power we wield by voting for change. History repeats itself.
This country feeds the world, yet we squander it away in the pursuit of riches
by greed. What a disappointment to our forefathers to have what others want,
move it at all costs to further one’s pocket book, and not hold enough
back to help our family and friends. If everyone in this nation had a year’s
supply of food, then the vulnerability of this nation would greatly lessen, (see
the history of the noose that was placed around Russia and the tens of millions
that perished because of such starvation) After a “collapse”, our
productivity would be multi-generational leaps rather than microscopic advance,
if in fact we had the basics squared away. To get this great country back on
her feet, we need to first, take care of our needs so if the tragedy of life
happens, our focus can be productive, focused, and our return to glory inevitable. History
repeats itself.
Am I am optimist? Am I a pessimist? Am I aware of how things really are so delicate?
Do I love the country I live in enough to help bring her to her feet?
Be part of the solution, not part of the problem,…. An old saying is: “…problems
always work themselves out…” I don’t
want to be “worked out”, I want to help re-build, and not stress
in the basic needs of my family and friends, I want what I have now, the ability
to do much, and hopefully be surrounded by like minded friends no matter what
the economic situation of this country is. I love this country, I love my family,
I love the teachings of history even though history repeats itself. I love what
I have learned, and pray for what I have not. God Bless the USA.
--
Jim,
It occurs to me as I read the responses to this question that while I share
most of the reasons I am reading, including it is kind of fun, I also fear
that
I have within myself the capacity to do great evil if the need to provide
for my family in times of trouble comes and I am not prepared. In fact
this is
one of the questions I ask people whom I approach when they tell me something
vague about being okay. I ask them if they will really be able to sit by
and watch as their children starve? I get interesting looks and statements.
--
I first became interested in the whole survivalist concept as an ER doctor,
early in my career in the late 80's. What I saw is that the government cannot
help people prevent problems, it only "cleans up" and tallies data.
The police are the best examples of this (call the police when a burglar
enters your home and they will gladly come and take a picture of your dead
body). Although I had hunted since childhood, I only became interested in
concealed carry, etc., after seeing case after case in the ER where people
died or were maimed, while hoping/waiting for the cops to come. The cops
did come, but always after the bad guys had done their deed. So much for
that.
Over the past decade, my lack of faith in government "Helping" has
grown more pervasive (in part due to working as a DOD doctor
during Desert Storm I) and now focuses on Peak
Oil (about which the government
will never
inform
you in any truthful way until its too late) and the US Dollar (which the government
and its goons (e.g. Kudlow et al on CNBC) say is just fine, along with the
economy as a whole). There will be no functional oil by 2030, and by 2015 (that's
just 8 years away), we'll see $10 per gallon at the tank, if we're
luck and if China/India do not grow any faster than they already
are.
All h*ll will have broken lose by then, as nearly everything we use comes from
oil or is related to it (think antibiotics, clothing, food,
not to mention our incessant "happy motoring" to go to work and take
kids to/from school and other activities). We will not be able to depend upon
transport
of veggies from 1000's of miles away and may have trouble even getting water,
depending upon where you get yours, just for starters. The sheeple, as another
writer on this forum pointed out, will become wolves. The goal is to be a better
prepared wolf, with stores of food, medicines, farming and mechanical equipment,
guns and ammo.
Oh yes, the US Dollar (USD); it has dropped about 30% in the past three years.
Yes 30%! China has announced that it will diversify out of the USD, as has
most of OPEC, Russia, et al. Only Saudi and Japan continue to support the $USD
for oil scheme, and that won't last much longer. When the USD drops below
80 on the USD index, that's it; we'll see 30 or 40 within a year or so, and
that will be a 50%+ devaluation from present levels. If you
look at every country in the world that has had its currency devalued (always,
BTW a sure result
of over use of the printing press), social degeneration has followed. Ordinarily,
governments become totalitarian when that happens, but I suspect that the Peak
Oil situation will prevent our government from doing anything but jawboning.
Cops won't be able to enforce anything at $10/gallon gas.
Peak Oil + USD devaluation = total social/economic breakdown. And, BTW, I
agree with other writers who have pointed out that its "pie in the sky" to
think we'll "simply return to 1890 and live happily ever after." 1890
technology could not support a highly urbanized, work challenged and bloated
population like ours. 10,000 BC is more likely, only with pockets of technology,
and ammo,
and a much smaller population. The only question left is when, not if, and
when is likely within a decade.
--
Because no one with any sense of self respect likes being a loser.
--
Hi Jim,
My family prepares for bad times because it is inexcusable not to prepare.
Bad things happen all the time - job loss, illness, accidents, etc., - as
well as all of the possible natural and man-made
disasters that could occur. Preparation is insurance that your family will
get through a rough time. Not preparing is a deficiency of character and neglectful
to your spouse and kids. Being able to
survive more easily through bad times will greatly improve your physical and
mental situation if it happens. In addition, you will be in better shape to
help others should you need to. If nothing ever
happens in my lifetime I will be thankful and will enjoy having a bit less
stress in my life because I did everything I could to keep my family safe and
protected.
--
Beside the fact that I've read the last chapter in The Book (Revelation),
there's peak oil & the coming die-off as petrochemical resources become
scarce, population stresses, a government that seems hell-bent on totalitarianism
of one flavor or the other (I keep praying that cooler heads will prevail,
but the past couple decades' experience doesn't build much hope.), external
political & economic turmoil, pollution, terrorism, a resurgent Russia,
Chinese war drums, froggy dictators with nukes, a weakening dollar, the list
goes on and on. The worst part is each one of these either feeds off or feeds
into the others. I'm betting that my children & grandchildren will live
in a much different world than the one I grew up in. My prayers are that it
will be a better one -- but I also realize (and in some cases, I'm very thankful
for the fact) that sometimes God says "No!" So, I prepare -- and
I attempt to prepare my sons to live in a world that looks more like their
Grandparents' world during the Great Depression than the one I grew up in.
Keep a stiff upper lip & watch your Six!
--
First off, I love your novel "Patriots".
Regarding the survey: We prepare because of the core morality we have: that
we aren't victims
and
we
don't want to depend upon the government for our welfare since that would
make us slaves. I believe every other political view we hold comes out of
this core belief, be it regarding the 1st and 2nd Amendments, welfare reform,
public education,
taxes, business regulation, Federal Reserve policy, etc.
--
As to your query about why planning and striving to survive. At first I paused
and asked myself that same question...Why Survive? For what purpose? What will
I do when/if I do,
and when will I know that I have "Survived". I guess that initially
it came down to personal and immediate family survival. Our extended family
is fairly large and we are, what I consider to be, relatively "close" as
a family unit.
Although my immediate family considers me "alarmist" and "extreme" I
have still been planning and stockpiling as best that I can (afford) for all
of us when the SHTF.
(Whether the next "emergency" is natural or man-made.)
My personal survival is only to ensure the safety and well-being of my daughter
and to stand as a resister/witness against the "Anti-Christ".
National survival (the sovereignty of our Constitutionally-based government)
is doomed by the fact that the globalist cabal have already (over the last
couple of centuries) put into place people, politico-financial-industrial networks
and the military might to enforce their will, that resistance will be short
lived and futile. Our best effort will be to resist honestly and honorably
being witnesses against the evil that is closing its trap upon the unsuspecting
mass of sheeple. Although, conceptually, I can understand their reasoning,
I cannot in good conscience support their end result.
Survival, not just being a biological instinct, but in humans - a choice, we
are presented with not only mere physical requirements and consequences, but
also moral and ethical repercussions as a result of our choices. The faculty
of conscience, whether intact or corrupted, is a characteristic of God imbued
into mankind to act as a "moral compass" to influence and guide one's
actions. Our mind's/personality/character's (the soul's) decisions and consequent
actions are the basis upon which we shall be judged. So survival is not just
a matter of how we achieved it, but also how well we
achieved it.
Survival isn't just to get by, but to be able to provide the basis by which
our "way" of living (hopefully by the freedoms outlined in our Constitution)
continues into (at least) the next generation. We must do as much as we can
and as long as we are able. My personal "religious"/"reality" views
are that we all will "survive"; (continue on as beings) and that
our further existence will be far greater than that which we experience
now.
--
I prepare because I am responsible for my family. I also realize that even
if our government is able to respond, they will not be able to do so immediately.
Just look at the response times for police and fire departments. Three to ten
minutes is not unusual and that is when the phone system is working and there
is no snow storm or other disaster such as [Hurricane] Katrina.
--
I will survive because I'm too mean to die. Survival is a choice. Many people
choose to die rather than suffer the hardships that survival often requires.
In the next 10-to-15 years, the world population will almost certainly decrease
by 3-5 billion people for various reasons (mainly famine related to Peak Oil).
I plan to be one of the people who live. I don't have much interest in religion,
and I have no interest in leadership. People want to be sheep: let them follow
someone else to their doom. I will do what is necessary to survive and hopefully
enjoy the process as much as possible while I quietly duck away from trouble
others feel compelled to fight head on (and die in place). If you die for a
cause, you have failed at survival. Always remember that.
--
Because when I first heard the story of "The Three Little Pigs" I
got it. Make you house strong so the wolf can't blow it down. Do it right from
the beginning and the wolves wont get you. I have had a Survivalist mentality
since as early as I can remember. I think people have to be blind and deaf
to all around them not to catch on to the obvious, our lifestyle in
America is not stable. And no culture/society has ever been
stable. All the great ancient cities failed, USA is no different. 1 year or
1,000, USA will end. I am 30 years old and have seen many Third World countries.
I do not want to end up like that! I wish I could get everyone
to see what the real world is like and what we stand to lose. Incidentally,
my wife is
from one of those Third World countries. So in the end, a hand dug well, no
toilet paper and a dead 42 inch plasma TV suits us just fine because we know
we can
take care of ourselves. Being a Survivalist is the closest thing to being stable,
a Survivalist community is the closest thing to a stable society.
--
I was in the Coast Guard during Hurricane Hugo and I saw how few people were
prepared, it made a huge impact on me. People were driving one hour for ice!
I also know that is my God given responsibility. Reading your book only reinforced
these thoughts. Thanks for all you do to wake up the sheeple.
--
In response to why I am planning to survive. Is there any other rational choice?
I am preparing from a personal sense of mortality. Selfish as it is it is my
survival and hat of my immediate downline that I am concerned about.
Being the victim of a massive Stroke several years ago that left me partially
paralyzed on my left side, and disabled from my corporate America job. My earning
capacity went from $100K per year to less than $36K, in a stroke,
yes pun intended. With more time on my hands I see many many ways to do things
differently.
Our nation is an anchor to world events and I see that we are on a downward
spiral. We feel that we as Americans have in our scant 250 years of existence
gained the knowledge and expertise to control the whole world, by debt. I see
the collapse coming, and am in survival mode right now as to go from $100K
per year to less than $36K per year requires retooling. I think that much more
retooling will be required in several years
when we mostly all go from Dollars to Skills and actual work. The
one who owns a shovel can get some one to operate it for him, If you don’t
own the shovel, then you will be the one shoveling for me! Shovel long enough
and I will let you shovel it a while for yourself.. That is the way it is supposed
to work.Real work for real value. This is the legacy I am
intending to leave
for my kids.
--
Because the prophets have said to. Because [LDS] President Gordon B. Hinkley
and the 12 have said to. Because I know it is the right thing to do. Because
the
Spirit tells me it is the right thing to do. To protect my family and loved
ones from the storms that will rage and be poured out without measure. And
because I want myself, my family, and others to hopefully make it through all
the tribulations in order to see the Second Coming of our Lord and Savior!
--
Like one of the previous writers – I grew up in the 1950s when
Nuclear Was and bomb shelters were the norm. My dad made sure we prepared ourselves
for survival back then and I took over that responsibility after he died in
1967, as the sole surviving son in our family. It was ingrained in me and taught
as a responsibility – and it’s one that I take seriously. I am
now an ordained minister and believe that God has called us to prepare ourselves
spiritually, mentally, and physically for whatever comes our way in the future.
As I prepare my family for TEOTWAWKI or
whatever else may come, I am also preparing to share with others in need. As
I buy, make, grow or otherwise acquire I put
aside extra for charity and barter. I hope each and every survivalist, preparer,
and/or provider will do the same. Preparing to survive is not just so we can
live while others suffer or die; it is a duty and responsibility we have been
called to by our Creator. And, besides, it’s so much fun!
--
I choose to prepare so my children will have a chance to live a full life.
By "full life" I do not mean a materialistic, consumption driven
competition to amass "more". I do not wish to ever have to look at
them and say there is no more food, I do not wish their lives cut short because
I chose not to prepare for what I know is coming. Many may think I am "strange",
but ever since I was a child I have always been drawn to acquiring knowledge
of natural food sources, survival skills, etc, and I have always known a time
would come when you can't just go to the grocery store when you need something.
I believe things will get very bad, I don't know for how long, I also believe
that "we" shall emerge at the end of that time, (after what I'm sure
will be an enormous "die-off"), and begin to put together a new society.
I prepare so that my children will have the chance to make it through the worst
times, become self sufficient, strong, and capable of building a new future
for themselves.
--
There are a myriad of reasons why my family prepares, and most of them have
been mentioned (Religious leaders instruction, Boy Scout motto, seeing the
writing on the wall, American self-reliance) and all of them have a great deal
of merit. Although I don't think any of us can totally prepare for TEOTWAWKI
there is a great deal we can do to prepare for the end of electricity/oil/food/water
as we know it.
I have few axioms that I live by that have served me well.
* If you are not prepared to care for yourself, be prepared to rely on the generosity
of others.
* I would rather have it and not need it. Than need it and not have it.
* You can never have too many knives or flashlights.
* Preparation is cheap insurance.
I love your site and have derived a great deal of information from it that I
pass on to others. Thank you for all of your hard work that you share with others.
--
I guess many reasons, most likely though it was triggered when I was going
through a hard time in 1998 and Y2K was
coming. It just got me to thinking more about the future then the present.
Then I happened to come upon "Patriots" and
it started to motivate me to do more, then 9/11 hit and Like everyone else
I got a bit excited and started doing all sorts of things for prepping. There
are many other reasons too but those were my first ones. Namely now I do all
I can to get my mom and myself ready, mainly for a Bugout as we cannot survive
in the urban place were at. I also have taken up a bit of time with posting
flyers with a small 3 day kits explained and priced, by just going down to
the local Dollar store. Lastly, I want to die from old age not starvation or
an injury or by [be killed by] a nut, post-SHTF.
--
Back when I first heard of survivalism, my first reaction was not "They
must be crazy!" like most of my fellow liberals, but "That's a good
idea." I realized that prepared people are our nation's life insurance:
if America falls apart, the survivors will revive it. I still had faith in
the government, but I admired independent people. After the Oklahoma City bombing,
I realized that if the government can't even protect its own workers from a
single man, it'll never be able to save us in a true disaster; I had to prepare
for disaster myself. When I learned that McVeigh was a survivalist, I saw that
thinking "the survivalists, whoever they are, will rebuild after I die
in the collapse " was as naive as thinking "the government, wherever
it is, won't let anything bad happen." Our nation is only as good as the
people in it. If some evil people will survive a collapse, then I have to make
sure that the good people who survive will outnumber them. I prepare because
I want to be one of the good survivors. It's my God-given duty to be a part
of this great nation, and if America breaks down it will be my duty to rebuild
it as an even better nation.
--
Our founding fathers created this great Republic to be a beacon of hope for
humanity. Every day that we exist we prove their point that when government
is small people are big – then miracles happen.
--
When you see the rain coming, you take an umbrella. When it rains, you open
it. How can I not prepare to survive with so many storm clouds clearly visible:
economic maladjustment, hedonistic society, government growth into incompetency,
and imminent crop failure, both in the US and abroad? Sticking my head in the
sand is a death warrant. Period. Maybe not all of the storms will hit but all
have the potential to be nasty...very nasty. I have a chance with a plan and
some extra supplies. Without a plan, I would wander aimlessly or panic, becoming
easy pickings for the predators that will certainly arise. With a plan I have
fortitude of spirit and the knowledge that most of those I interact with in
troubling times will not have a plan, leaving me with an advantage. Maybe a
slim advantage, but that may be all I need to come out alive. I pity the countless
souls that will come to a sad end because they didn't or wouldn't pay attention
to the gathering storm clouds.
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Poll Results: Why are You Preparing to Survive?
Here is the first round of responses to this question: Those who are well
educated enough to see a societal collapse of some sort or another in the making
fall into two groups, the merrymakers
and the preparers. The merrymakers don't see life worth living post-SHTF, so
they live it up now. We on SurvivalBlog are the preparers and have
chosen to survive, but why? Our children? To rebuild civilization?
Because the collapse will only be temporary? Because we can and we're
stubborn with a stronger than normal will to survive? The following
is just the first batch of responses. I plan to post at least one
more batch. Please send your responses (one paragraph or less) via e-mail,
and I will post them anonymously.
The survivalist is an optimist -- not
merely because he/she thinks he'll make it through the crisis, but because
of the
(possibly
subconscious)
hope
that
something good will emerge in the aftermath. It's the logic of any kind of
apocalyptic thought... Theological systems that have a conception of a climactic
struggle or an "end times" imagine that, after Armageddon, we'll
see the dawning of a new age. Not surprisingly, a lot of Hollywood movies follow
this script, too: After the aliens are defeated, for example, in "Independence
Day", mankind stands united, having put aside their differences; After
catastrophic weather changes in "The Day After Tomorrow," the planet
begins to heal itself, etc. Heck, this theme can be seen, too, in your fine
book, "Patriots". In the same way, I plan to live not only because
I'm stubborn and have a finely-tuned sense of justice -- and thus hate the
idea of turning over the planet to looters, thugs, and others who would prey
on the innocent -- but also because I'm both curious and hopeful about what
will emerge as society reconstitutes itself.
--
My modest preparation springs from the knowledge that I and the Lord are
the protectors of my family (there are five of us). Our ultimate trust is in
Him,
but it is on me to do what I reasonably can do to protect my family from in
the event of hardship and/or disaster. (After watching [Hurricane] Katrina,
it seems apparent that the government cannot do that.) Anyone reading your
web
site
thinks that
there is at least a fathomable chance that our nation's run of blessing/luck
will end (or be suspended) at some point in the future. Nothing lasts forever.
If and when that time comes, I would never forgive myself if my family suffered
unnecessarily because I did not take reasonable steps to prepare for such a
time. In addition to that, it's just plain fun to learn about this stuff. (Anyone
who says otherwise is lying!)
--
Because the alternative is inconceivable to me!
--
I’m currently going through some things in my life that are agonizing
(but subject to change) and make things feel almost hopeless for me at times,
yet every day I wake up again and thank God that he breathed the breath of
life into me. I won’t waste that breath. I’m motivated to prepare
to survive and overcome by many factors. Here are some examples:
I’m a 7th generation descendant of a settler in my current state and I’m
motivated to survive by the risks my settler ancestors took, the struggles they
went through, the multiple battles they fought in, the children they lost prematurely
and the price they paid to be here. I recently visited some of their graves for
the first time. I see it as my responsibility, honor and duty to live freely
and survive. The stock I am from is cut out for it.
I prepare to survive because I’m ultra conservative, at times feeling like
an endangered species or “minority” and I’m tenaciously defiant
to those who would like to see my “kind” exterminated. I am equipped
with a few trusted friends that are peers in regard my views (though mostly surrounded
by sheeple) and have inspired some to begin to prepare. I discern a negative
spiritual force is taking action to see my country’s sovereignty given
away. I am motivated to be a hindrance to that spirit. My country is worth saving.
I prepare to survive because as a young man I swore an oath to uphold and defend
the Constitution of the United States, despite the fact that there have been
some truly sorry individuals working to undermine that Constitution since before
I was born. I intend to see my oath fulfilled.
I prepare to survive because I read "Patriots", awoke to how fragile our economy
really is and saw how foolishly I’d been behaving in the past (assuming
life would always be normal) and am in the process of repenting of any residual
foolish, sheeple-like attitudes and habits I have.
I prepare to survive because I’ve been in a city where gasoline was temporarily
not available and walked through the local grocery store at 3:00 AM (less crowded)
and have seen the store shelves stripped of food for a short period of time.
It’s
pretty convincing you need to prepare when the fuel in the tank of your vehicle
and few 5 gallon cans (at the time) may be all you’ll have for a while.
I prepare to survive because if things ever Schumerize I have multiple skill
sets that can help a number of people in a number of survival situations. I believe
I was created to help people, when possible. I gather info, educate, discuss
and leave food for thought for those who are unprepared, but willing to listen
and consider my views on the subject.
--
Why an I preparing? For the simple reason that I live in the middle of the
midwest. Bad winters, heavy snow, and ice storms. The rest of the year heavy
rain , floods, tornados, et cetera. You can't depend on the government to
come through
when needed, so if you don't have what you need than you are SOL!
You have to
be able to get by on what you have or fabricate something to do the job needed.
I haven't depended on the government to help and I really don't think they
have the capacity any more if ever. It will be your self and friends and
neighbors
pulling
together that will make the difference. I prepare for me and mine so that we
may be able to help others if need be. I've traveled extensively in South America,
off the beaten path, and if you don't have what you need or can fabricate
it than you should not be there. The same goes for having all your ducks
lined
up at home.
--
I'm a Jesuit educated 38 year old Bachelor, Eagle Scout, USMC Gulf War Vet,
working for a major aerospace company in Seattle. The reason I'm preparing
is I inherited
~$500K from my grandfather, who sold the family farm in California to housing
developers. He worked hard for all of us and I don't want that blessing of
wealth to be squandered. I'm preparing because being prepared is what's been
beat
into my
head since I was a kid. You can't play the "victim" card on the Four
Horsemen.
--
Why do I prepare? Probably because I read too much science fiction as a
child! Probably because surviving is so much more interesting than succumbing.
Born
in the late 1950s, I remember bomb shelter salesmen and diving under my desk
during A-bomb drills. I always assumed something, a war, or a pandemic, could
change life as I knew it. It never occurred to me not to want to survive. Both
my parents were alive during the depression, and that contributed to not taking
food/housing for granted. Perhaps my uncle, who survived Bataan, or my aunt,
who was a prisoner of war in the Philippines, might also have had something
to do with my mindset?
--
Because I believe that life is worth living, and I have no intention of
simply "biting
the dust" unless I give it the old college try. I believe that trying
and ultimately failing is far better than not trying at all.
--
Bottom line: I owe it to my family to be prepared. I could not bear to look
into their eyes as they look to me for help and have to say "Sorry."
--|
I am a preparer. Not because I'm smarter than anyone else, but because from
what I see, there just is no other choice. I do it for my family; my beloved
husband who humors me but thinks I'm slightly nuts, my grown children who love
me but roll their eyes whenever I speak about what is happening around us.
look, I don't have any college degree or any fancy smarts, no one would call
me well educated. But I can see what I can see. I read, study, research and
from my angle, we are gonna be toast and I bet my surly one eyed cat that it
will be ugly. so I plod along doing the best I can when can. I don't have
a retreat, I don't have a bunker or fallout shelter, I don't have 10 acres
or two years worth of food. But I've got God. I keep plodding on doing the
best
with what I have and I know He takes care of the rest.Will we survive the whatever
that comes? Heck if I know. But I'm a fool if
I do not give it my best shot.
--
As a man of firm Christian beliefs, I believe all our days are numbered
and have value. In those number of days we are to protect and provide for our
our
own selves, our families and so on. Examples in scripture are numerous how
people were commanded to defend their homes, their cities, their neighbors,
and their land. Unless we (like some were) are destined to go into Babylonian
captivity I see no other proper choice.
--
I am taking what steps I feel necessary to survive in a societal collapse of
infrastructure because I realize that the more intricate a system of living
becomes, the more possible facets of failure are therefore created. As the
machine known as Society grows in scale and complexity, so do the required
aspects of its function; increasing the number of things
that can go wrong, thus eventually causing a critical failure of the system.
With the statistical (and historical) inevitability staring one in the face,
how can someone not do everything within
your power to be prepared?
--
I feel its my duty to four fathers, kids, grand kids, friends, although they
are getting harder to find these days, an it just feels like the right thing
to
do,also its interesting,fun, a great learning expense,i spend hours on your
site an i want to really thank you for it. I'm sure you make money off of it
an you should, but I'll bet you are the type of person that really believe
in what you do. I love my guns an have about 25 [of them], I try to go to
the
range at least three times a week, its the most relaxing time in my life ,by
myself or with someone, I'm sure a lot of people don't understand, I love
the military
weapons a lot, I have .303s, Mausers, and others. I'm proud of my beliefs,
thanks.
--
I consider preparing my Christian duty. I'm also stocking up lots of extra
food, clothing, and so forth for charity, which is also my Christian duty.
--
Myself, I am what would be called a "millennialist" based on my
beliefs from the Bible. The majority of mankind is stupid and sinful. Thousands
of years and we are still doing the same mistakes over and over. I do not believe
in any Gene Roddenberry vision where mankind, by its own efforts, rises from
the ashes and evolves into a benevolent
a Star Trek society. Nothing sort of divine intervention will save us in the
long run from permanent self-destruction----Now aren't I a cheerful one to
invite to a social gathering?;)
Just for the record, I'm not one of those nuts that believe in trying to hasten
or encourage the Second coming The world is dong a fine job all by itself.
--
While I had read about survivalism and planning for a couple of years, the
importance of having some sort of plan didn't hit me hard until I was living
in the South, had a new baby, and [Hurricane] Katrina hit. All of a sudden
the importance of having an evacuation plan, supplies, and a known destination
to retreat
to were very important. I am not as prepared as many of the readers, but I
know
where to go and what I'll do when I get there. Also, thanks to some great books
on small farming and some great advice on here I know how to avoid some real
pitfalls.
--
I’m preparing to survive for my wife and my children, because I can
and because it gives me a feeling of confidence. I say “because I can” since
most of my acquaintances don’t have a clue of the probable upcoming changes
in society, but of those that do have a clue they can’t prepare for survival.
They can’t prepare for survival because they’re financially tapped
out by having been brainwashed into living on credit today figuring somebody
else will take care of them tomorrow, but it won’t be me.
And it drives me nuts. A 45 year old single female friend of my wife owns a
boat, owns a camper, had two vehicles, bought a scooter and recently bought
a house within the last two years. When I first started preparing for survival,
my wife made a comment to her about it and her friend said when the SHTF “we’ll
all be as snug as a bug in a rug.” I said“What do you
mean we? I think you need to make your own preparations.”
I used to try and educate our acquaintances but have started taking more of
an inquiring approach with regards to what they think are the possible upcoming
changes in society. A couple we know refinanced their house to buy a travel
trailer but they only camp within 45 minutes of their house because they can’t
afford the gas and their tow vehicle is not reliable. I asked the husband what
he thought was coming in the future, he said he figured things were going to
get pretty bad. But then they just put down a deposit on a trip to Hawaii so
I’ve got to figure you just can’t help people like this.
And it’s not that I wouldn’t help anybody, I saw value in a comment
on your web site with regards to helping neighbors and I will. (Is it okay
if I only help the ones I like?). We live in a conventional neighborhood and
I
wish we didn’t but at this point it would take too much of our resources
to move to a property with more land. So our best defense is to bond with the
good neighbors but I don’t want all our irresponsible acquaintances coming
to live with us.
We have a good life and are lucky to be able to make preparations for what
may come. And I am thankful for every additional day I have to get better prepared.
--
I am preparing to survive because I believe the threats to our way of life
are manifold. We are in a global war. China strength's grows, our borders are
not protected. Our government is shredding the constitution. Natural disasters,
environmental concerns, the basic depravity and selfishness of man--its reason
enough. I was a volunteer during [Hurricane] Katrina. Not one person who
had preps, was sorry. Many other equivalent societies in this century have
fallen,
why is
America better ? It is inevitable, one disaster will prove the wisdom of preparing.
--
1. Life is worth living.
2. I want to be around if there is any defending of this nation to be done.
3. Who said one can’t prepare and merrymake? (I guess it depends on one’s
interpretation of ‘merrymake’).
--
It's something that was raised in me. Whether it was the Boy Scout's motto
of always being prepared, or just the human instinct of survival, if I see
something
on
the horizon, I won't back down. Not to mention I get to justify spending a
lot of money on camping gear and guns, my two favorite hobbies.
--
We are trying to prepare because it is the right and responsible thing to do
for our family, friends, neighbors, and country. If we all became part of the
solution, then there would be no problem.
--
Jim, I grew up in the bomb shelter/Cold War era. A neighbor two houses down
actually dug out their front yard to install a bomb shelter. My folks had a
rudimentary bug-out bag and we always kept a month's worth of food on hand.
Hey, for the 1950s, that was progressive thinking so I guess I come by being
into preparedness naturally.
I hold advanced degrees but my education does not get in the way of exercising
common sense. It is obvious that our complex society is too interdependent
to survive major interruptions and we have numerous examples to look at (the
L.A. riots, Hurricane Katrina, and such). To believe that a major interruption
of services could not occur is delusional. The empirical evidence is right
in front of us. The family which is prepared has far fewer worries.
Do I believe we are headed for TEOTWAWKI?
Not particularly. Do I believe that we will see significant disruptions that
will affect us for 10 days or so?
Yes, definitely. Disruptions lasting to 30 days or beyond? Less likely, but
I maintain a "year's supply" nonetheless. Also, my Church has preached
being prepared for years. Our leaders have constantly cajoled us to have a
year's supply of food and other necessities and my guess is they know something
we haven't heard yet.
--
Most pundits state that human beings are constantly evolving. The point they
have ignored or can't see is that the evolvement of the human race in the last
50 years has been a deterioration, not an advancement. We survivalists are,
quite frankly, throwbacks to the pure genotype that got us to this point in
time.
--
I prepare because the end is nigh (at least TEOTWAWKI), and there will be
a lot of merry-makers who suddenly changed their minds, post-collapse. If you're
prepared and you decide the going is too rough, you can always quit,but if
you're not prepared, your options are zero. You're done. Besides, my family
is Finnish, and we're stubborn SOBs. You can always tell a Finn, just not
much...
--
I prepare to survive because I see it as part of the natural cycle of human
civilization. Something in us wants to forget the lessons of what makes us
a great society and start living on borrowed riches and capabilities. Eventually,
that living beyond our means catches up with us via a natural disaster, economic
collapse or societal conflict.
If we were not to prepare to survive then we are doomed to fail and live miserably
under the dictates of someone else. If we prepare we are not guaranteed to
have prepared for the right situation, or enough, but at least we have a much
better than average chance. In the end, I am an optimist. No matter how bad
things get they will eventually get better. We can speed up our own recovery
and that of our community’s by preparing now. If we do not, then we may
end up wallowing in misery and struggling for the barest necessities. Is that
the kind of life God wants for us? I think not. I believe God wants us to live
wisely and prepare to prosper under all conditions. That takes discipline and
short-term sacrifice.
--
Jim, your blog rocks. I only hope that I can learn and earn fast enough to
take advantage of the incredible information that your forum provides before
TEOTWAWKI.
I have a beautiful 6 month old son who is totally innocent to the ways in which
TPTB (the powers that be) are systematically destroying nature, American Democratic
principles and threatening the survival of humanity. He deserves a chance in
this life, regardless of whether or not he'll ever get to visit Sam's Club,
get a college scholarship, drive a V-8 or own an iPod.
When things start to get dicey, and as the world as we know it begins to fall
apart - most likely permanently- he will be just coming up in age and entering
what should be the most wondrous years of a child's life.
For him, and for my future children, I will fill their youthful imaginations
with nature, tools, projects, outdoor adventure and practical knowledge. Before
I let the idiot-box and America's media-driven junk-culture destroy their understanding
of their place in God's kingdom (and the animal kingdom), they will know
what to eat and how to hunt it, how to garden, how to fix stuff and how
to avoid trouble in a society that in the future will eventually fail entirely
by trying to eliminate all risk of failure here in the present.
They will be encouraged to learn practical trades: veterinary sciences, engineering,
construction, medicine and alternative medicine, martial arts, food production
and off-the-grid technology solutions.
No bankers, real-estate agents, financial analysts, politicians or computer
graphic designers in this family, Jim. No sireeee bubba.
I have always believed that those people who want to throw God's gift of life
away through risk, recklessness, attempted suicide or plain old bad lifestyle
habits are doomed to live longer.
I have also questioned since1987 when the U.S.S. Stark got hit by our"allies" escorting
black gold in the Persian Gulf how long our cheeseburger-driven, cheap-oil,
fiat-money, fake-friends and fear of loss-driven society can keep going.
Therefore I will survive this impending paradigm-shift in human existence in
order to see my children prevail into adulthood, and for my morbid curiosity
to see how all thi
