The CBS series Jericho and survival...

I found this particular series fascinating, because in a way it shows how totally unprepared the majority of us are, in the event of a worst case scenario, where you are cut off from the world, news, supplies, and no immediate rescue in sight.

In the beginning everyone seems to expect the government to show up and rescue them, but as time goes by, with no news, and dwindling supplies, food and medicine people seem to change, and some even lose their civility.

I wonder if this show could have some how been meant to help prepare people (psychologically) for such a possible "worst case scenario".

Given the current global war on terror, and the real possibility of nuclear weapons falling into the hands of those who would use them inside the USA, an attack such as what is shown in the series Jericho seems far more possible, if not very likely, than it was a few years ago, when the only nuclear threat anyone was really worried about was the Russians.

If anyone has missed the series, you can watch all full episodes here:

www.cbs.com...

What would you do in this Jericho scenario?

[edit on 17-12-2006 by UM_Gazz]

Yeah I watch the show but they do some stupid stuff. Too much to try to explain. So please everyone, don't take your survival schoolin' and firearm handlin' from the TV.

Roper

Originally posted by Roper
Yeah I watch the show but they do some stupid stuff. Too much to try to explain. So please everyone, don't take your survival schoolin' and firearm handlin' from the TV.

Roper

LOL, and don't forget to keep plastic so you can cover your windows to prevent Radiation sickness!

As for the thought that this show being setup to prepare us for events of the future, i highly doubt that. More than likley this was just some producer capitlizing on the fears of the nation and this show really is of little value to survival information as Roper stated

I don't think it's a preparation type of show. It's not gritty enough to be realstic under the circumstances. If you look at it from a adventure show standpoint, it's okay. If you take some of the things that have been done on the show to heart, and use them in the event of the actual situation, you'd be setting yourself up for a royal screwing..

ive watched every episode from the beginning, and while the show itself is pretty entertaining, the only thing i have to say about the folks of jericho is that they wouldnt last too long on ATS. i've never seen a more ignorant bunch of folks in my life. and lucky too. how in the hell are they all still clean shaven and pretty much the same weight as they were at the beginning of the series? and i do love how easy it was to escape denver's fallout. lmao.

if it's entertainment you want, it's not exactly what i would call a complete waste of time. if it's reality you want, check out some of the other more pertinent threads in this forum.

While it is true that Jericho is an interesting concept, it's clear tha the liberal typewriter monkeys in Hollywood don't know what they're talking about when it comes to a problem like this. The situation, as depticted, is far too mild. The view after the bomb is almost rosey.

The fact of the matter is that even those of us who lived through the first Cold War are not as prepared for this sort of thing as we could be. Those of us who did live through the first nuclear terror can remember the preperations that were so common. If the fine folks of Jericho had been so blessed, they would have a different perspective than they are depicted with.

The first season ends nine weeks after the boom. In spite of the realities associated with such a harsh happening, the people of Jericho suffer from few privations. While we have seen local stocks of junk food run out, we have NOT seen complications due to depleted precription meds or even a lack of toilet paper.

For that matter, the locals don't seem to have any trouble bringing in their own crops. As good as all this may sound, it's just not real. It's unrealistic. The veneer of civilization is very thin, even in the best of times. Fights betweeen the haves and have-nots should be much more common. A mechanized agro-town would not transition well in to serf-like working conditions.

The average American would face an empty house in just three weeks. No toothpaste, toilet paper, prescription meds, canned goods, or batterie3s. Those who normally shop once a week in peace-time conditions would fair even worse. Anyone who need diapers would be doomed. Baby formula? Not gonna happen.

That doesn't mean to say that we can't get along without those things. The transition from pre-nuke to post-nuke would be uncomfortable in the worst possible ways. Bear in mind that this say nothing about the refugee problems that this fictional town does NOT appear to face.

Under the conditions depicted in this t.v. show, millions of people would be on the move. With our without cars, they'd descend on the countryside like the praverbial plague of locusts. Individual farmers may hold out in fortified homes, but they'd be overrun and their crops would be gobbled up by more than a few impolite interlopers.

Anyone who has looked at FEMA manuals from the Cold War period can tell you that unchecked refugee travel would be one of the biggest problems faced by rural Americans. Even with the 'bounty' of a local sporting goods store to draw on, the citizens of Jericho would be hard pressed to defend what's theirs, much less hep the migrating hordes. With such a small community, it's likely that they would face a constant trickle of needy nasty people who would wear them down.

In the mid 1980's GDW came out with a para-military game called "Twighlight 2000," which does depict life in America after a mild nuclear attack. The designers borrowed heavily from Cold War sources and literature to put that project together. The picture, as painted, is much more 'real' than what the folks in Jericho face.

Twighlight 2000

I'm not asking for the show to become a total downer. All I want is for the people who never lived through the Cold War to stop writing abou subjects they know nothing about. The chummy social dynamics in that pretend paradise would be much different than they are portrayed. The mercenary marauders who plagued them near the end of season one should've much more on the ball than they were.

This community does not patrol itself very well, and they certainly don't defend what little they have well enough to deserve having it.

Small town survival is a subject unto itself. When you look at it in terms of logistics and geography, this is no small problem for any community to face in the aftermath of a major disaster. Large-scale nuclear attack would bring with it a whole set of problems thatwould be too big for most small populations to easily deal with.

Scarcity of resource is a big deal. When the hammer comes down, you've got hat you've got, and that's all. This civilized state of affairs won't last for more than 24 hours before looting and robbery become common. Mothers will gladly steal to get food for their babies, and fatherws will kill to get food and meds for their wives and children.

The sudden and immediate breakdown of commerce will catch more than 90% of the population by surprise. Stop and think about how much ready cash YOU have laying around, and then consider what that amount might buy in a crisis situation where "inflation" has suddenly kicked in. Whatever you might be able to afford...may be out of reach due to riots at supermarkets or streets jammed with dead cars and angry drivers.

Populations in distress tend to become mobile. Anyone who can drive will leave the major population centers as quickly as they can. Everybody else who fears remaining in an urban war zone will walk. The average person covers 5-7 miles per day on a paved road. Even if they are forced overland or along dirt roads, these displaced persons will have an incentive (weather) to be swift. Factor in the herd mentality of some individuals who feel safer when imitating others...and you've got lots of people on the move who are in no mood to be civil.

Small towns, like the made-up locale of Jericho, have a low population density. Trouble is, they are sprawled out over a large area. It wouldn't be out of line to suggest that that these 300-500 people live on 300-500 squiare miles of land. That'd be one person (regardless of age or gender) for every square mile...if they decided to patrol all of it.

As generous as they might like to be, these small towns don't have the cpacity to support very many more people. By the end of their first winter, most little communities will be depleted from desease and starvation. Those who can will...move on. Hundreds of Jerichos would simply cease to be after the first winter. If the influx of refugees numbers greater than the residents of a town...they might be out of business faster than anyone thought possible.

The truth i that small communities will hve to act with their own best interests in mind. That may very well mean pulling their small population in to a restricted perimeter. To fend off the waves of refugees that might assail them, it would not be unreasonable for such folks to turn their down-town or mainstreet areas in to a fort. This would allow them to defend rationed food and fuel stocks that would otherwise be gobbled up peole passing through who were too cranky to be reasoned with.

As we see in the fictional Jericho, they've only got one gas station. Even if a resourceful and creative township could get the fuel out of th tanks, it won't last long. Most rural gas stations don't stock more than 5,000-10,000 gallons of refined gasoline at any given time. They might have upwards of 20,000 gallons of home heating oil, but that won't last long either. Not when you consider that that 100 homes will slurp up an average of 300 gallons each in one normal winter. Realizing that some of that oil will be used for non-heating purposes, you can see how supplies would shrink...unless they were tightly rationed.

Assuming that a small town did want to agressively patrol its environs--even if we assume that gas for trucks and hay for horses is not a factor--manpower becomes an unbeateable issue. No struggling town could spare the able-bodied men and women it would take to keep their streets safe. Food and ammunition costs alone would be prohibitive.

It may not be out of line to suggest that 10% of the able-bodied persons in Jericho are part of the militia. As good as that may sound, it's worth noting that he who patrols does not work in the fields. When faced with refugees who will themselves be armed, militias will always fight out-manned and out-gunned. Kill ratios of 10:1 may still not be enough to scare off the wandering masses who yearn to be fed and kept warm.

In those cases where a community shrinks its perimeter and fortifies its defenses, there could be hope. Wandering moms and dads and mercenaries alike will think twice before tangling with a town that looks back at them from behind walls, barricades, or stacks of crushed cars. Surrounding farm land will still be at the mercy of looters, but carefully gathered stockpiles will remain in the hands of the people who may have earned them.

The mercenary theat is just as real as any posed by a refugee column. Members of a rod and gun club could band togther to form a raiding party. Survivalist enclaves might carry out pre-planned "shopping expeditions." SWAT teams, National Guard units, and even forward-thinking neighborhood watch committees would all be thinking about who they can get stuff from...and how they might do it.

All of this makes the situation we see in Jericho that much more un-likely. If nothing else, the program should be watched so that you will know what NOT to do in a similar circumstance. If you stop to think about it, any simple precautions you yourself could take would give you such a leg up on those fictional survivors that it's almost silly.

In any crisis, the things you have provide more than options. They provide mental stability. A pocket knife, a pack of gum, or even a book of matches may not seem like much to you now...but...under the wrong conditions, you'd gladly take them from somebody else who had them. Even if you do choose to share, you'll still need to actually have some to pass around. Unless you take active steps to preserve and maintain what you've got...you won't be able to help yourself, or anyone else.

Neither will the folks in Jericho.

Okay, folks. "Jericho" is back on the air. It's time to put fresh batteries in your geiger counter and knock the rust off your guns.

The series opener for this season demonstrated how easily we can be taken by surprise when it comes to acts of terrorism. You'll find plenty of good material in the Survival forum to spark discussion on that topic, so let's move on to other things.

We've now got a much better idea of "what" happened and "how" it was done. The implication would seem to be that atleast some part of the terrorist network that took down so many cities in this fictional firestorm were...home grown.

The fact of the matter is that we're going to see more home-grown hellraisers in the future. I've written about it in this forum, and in other forums on ATS. So have a lot of other people. The domestic nature of this threat means that you yourself could end up closer to the action than you wished.

If "the bomb" goes off in your nieghborhood...or close enough to your li'l bunker of love...to be seen...you're gonna have to move. The folks in Jericho might be cast as overly nice, but that won't be true in other places that you might be likely to walk or drive to. As we've seen in this most recent episode, our potential enemies can be living right next door to us, and we wouldn't even know it.

"As we've seen in this most recent episode, our potential enemies can be living right next door to us, and we wouldn't even know it."

Tonight's episode of "Jericho" gave us a look at several things that might be worth discussing.

The story so far indicates that the Federal government has been decapitated. As unlikely as this is, it would be within the realm of the possible. You'll note that the attack coincided with a major speech being given by the President to both houses of Congress.

As the plucky survivors in Kansas have learned, the country appears to be fragmenting. Individual governors of atleast six States have begun assuming extraordinary powers. The crew from that small town also got a taste of what the new forms of barter and trade would be like. Suddenly, that old salt mine begins to look pretty good.

We've also seen that it's going to be a long winter for the folks on the plains. With fuel in short supply, they're about to get a lesson in Darwin-ism. I have very few doubts that we'll see many more soap-opera elements unfold with are not hard to guess at.

Okay, this was fun but clearly it is time to close the door. Keep your guns clean and your geiger counters charged.

Interesting posts one and all Justin Oldham.

I've been thinking that if there is some large scale nuclear attacks in the USA following some kind of Military action on Iran, how prepared (psychologically) are the American people in general?

Is it possible that the US government and Military have underestimated the abilities the Iranians may have in retaliation to any attack on their nation?

Iran's leaders are Muslim extremists who are convinced that a sacred imam is going to return, and in part there cause even as a nation could be martyrdom. So who knows, maybe they are suicidal enough to do the unthinkable, with their proclaimed "army of God" which they threaten to have in place round the world ready to retaliate against all enemies if Iran is attacked.

What if?

As silly as it may seem, and is purely speculation. Maybe television shows and apocalyptic movies like Jericho are attempting to prepare those who may survive a nuclear attack.

The survivalist mentality, and this forum, and its many fascinating and informative topics may actually help someone some day.

[edit on 2-4-2007 by UM_Gazz]

Originally posted by UM_Gazz

What would you do in this Jericho scenario?

First of all I would try not to waste so much electricity. Having a tv on in every room is not so smart. I would switch off all those unnecessary power consuming items.

Just a reminder to all. Jericho season 2 starts next month. I believe Feb. 12th is the starting date.

Who's going to be watching?

As has been noted repeatedly, as an information source " Jerico" leaves much to be desired.
I would sugest though, that it is not totaly without merit.
As can be seen on this thread, in just critiqing the series, alot of pertinent thinking has been done by those already of a survivalist mind set.
As an instigation to get others to think, " what if", it may have some intrinsic value.
Imagine a young adult, having watched an episode, turning to his or her parents, and asking" Hey, What if that happened to us ? "
The seeds and possible salvation in every survival scenario is that at some point, some one, asked that critical question.
As valuable as this suvival forum is, we are, for the most part, preaching to the choir.
In one evening, a program such as " Jericho" will reach millions of viewers. Of those millions, if only 10% are inspired for the first time to consider thier own personal and family survival, then i think the program has merit.
The psychology of survival may be the most important thing we can take with us into any sit-x.

reply to post by 1ShotDeal


Your post was well put. I agree, Jericho may have it's dumb moments but it's worth watching at least to get people prepare for what lies ahead.

Justin, one thing that you make a point about is that all you have is all you got. Very good point up to a point. In a real world TEOTWAWKI situation such as this scenario, there would be areas that have surplus of extra supplies of one thing and a deficit of others. Whether trade is established or the excess supplies are taken by force, would depend what your excess or deficit is in. For example, you just happen to own a very well stocked sporting good store when TSHTF. You pull your gates, barricade in etc. in a few days, some of your neighbors start forming up and taking stock of the supplies. The town down the road has a Kmart, but no appreciable supply of arms, your town has a diner (useless now except for current stock), your sporting goods store and a Citgo. Hmmm, they have toilet paper and razors, all we have are a bunch of guns and camping gear, and a little bit of fuel. I would reckon that your town would probably quickly acquire an ally, but more probably, just take what your town needs that it doesn't already have.

Also your scenario makes the supposition that automatically people would band together and start systematically ravaging the countryside. Could happen in some situations, but more than likely, it will be EMFH and when strangers meet, if they are not immediately at enmity with one another, I doubt if trust would quickly develop before something causes the initial mistrust to escalate.

In something other than a TEOTWAWKI situation, most of the things on this thread would probably be moot points anyway, but that is what makes these boards so interesting.

I like the show Jericho- alot. Not because I feel it is preparing the country for things to come, or that it has a realistic quality to it. It's a friggin TV show, for goodness sake! I'm not going to sit here and pick it apart item by item, I have much better things to do with my time. My wife and I enjoy it because it seldom has a "happy ending". If anything, I think they should be killing characters off left and right in true Darwinian fashion.
If something similar to this ever happens in my neck of the woods, my family and I will be the primary concern. I could give a crap about the community. We as a family will survive because we have the ability to be ruthless, and keep our heads down. My daughter isn't even born yet, but she'll be raised as if she were one of my recruits at Parris Island. Not because I am cruel or unjust... I want her to be able to listen to orders from a superior (her mother or me), follow them quickly and efficiently, and be able to take care of herself. A chain is only as strong as the weakest link, and I want the entire chain to be titanium.
In other words, only mindless folks that sit on the couch munching chips all day would use "Jericho" as a primer for what to do if TSHTF.

BTW- don't remember the episode #/title, but those "Marines" that rolled into town in the M1A1 would have gotten a warm welcome from me, followed by smoking barrels for dessert. They were so transparent it was funny. Real Marines love smoking out the fake ones- even in real life.

Yeah, I'm so glad this show is coming back. I was so mad when it was cancelled, since it was pretty much the only show I watched at the time, and so happy when they announced a second season, even if it's only a few episodes for now.

While I agree that many aspects of the show are unrealistic, it is still very entertaining. I think the most important lesson that it gives for a survival situation is that people need to work together to increase their chances of survival. The real life specifics may differ, but the idea of working with others in the community is critical.

Originally posted by DragonsDemesne
I think the most important lesson that it gives for a survival situation is that people need to work together to increase their chances of survival. The real life specifics may differ, but the idea of working with others in the community is critical.

See, here's where I beg to differ. Let me give you an analogy: A small pride of lions are stalking a group of Thompson's gazelles. We've all seen this on "Nature" or a like program. Which of the gazelles do the lions choose to single out as their hot buffet lunch? The old, the weak, the slow, the very young.
Which side would you like to be on? The "community" of gazelles, or the small, quick, and adaptive pride of lions.
I'm with the lions, screw the community. I see them as food, figuratively.

[edit on 17/1/08 by cbianchi513]

I finally found this "Jericho" series of DVDs at the local video store. The first season. I checked out six DVDs.

Watching it as many here describe..I was disappointed in the series. I found it to be more of a survival soap opera. I reckon I expected more from Hollywood. Sorry Justin Oldman ..what was I possibly thinking?? Someone kick me please!!

Been working long hours this last year so I did not have any time to watch it on the boob tube when it aired. It will be the same with this year so I will finish it out on DVD again. No hurry here now that I know what the series actually is.

Orangetom