At what point does survivalism become insurgency?

I'm fairly well trained in survival although I'm no survivalist. The biggest change I have made to my life is to move into a low-density population zone that would even my odds a little. I read up on here on some of the survival related posts to stay up to speed but this is a question that is starting to irk me about the survival principle.

Take this as a generic scenario. There's an event, it's big enough for martial law to be declared. The army are coming to your door, they're going to disarm you, they're going to ship you to a 'rescue centre' for your own safety. They have 'work' that needs to be done and you'll be forming the working party.

It's not such an unbelievable scenario.

So at what point does Survivalism become Insurgency? What if you don't want to go to the rescue centre thanks very much, what if your wife and kids are sent to a different centre? Or what if your wife and college kids were elsewhere when the 'event' happened and you and they can't travel?

Is the rule to follow authority? Or to make your own judgement calls? Or is the idea to head for the hills and hideout away from all this kinda business?

apologies in advance if this has been posted as a discussion topic already

Well, that's where the conspiracy theories kick in. Do you trust the government to do whats right for you? Or do you believe they will look out for their own interests first?

I believe that governments will refer to anyone,, who doesn't follow their orders, as Rebels, insurgents, terrorist or whatever media buzz word they decide to use.

Personally i don't trust them as far as i could throw a mountain. For me it would be "run to the hills" time

If you are fighting, then you are an insurgent. It'd really be an academic distinction though, but I'd say, bomb making isn't a survivalist technique, its a warfighting technique.

[edit on 3-2-2007 by mrwupy]

I'd say as soon as you go looking for the troops in order to start a fight you have become an insurgent.

In reality though the chances are your not going to be taken to one of those special camps unless you are an insurgent. Not even America could drag its whole population into camps such as these.

If martial law is ever declaired then its more probable that everyone will be told to stay indoors, anyone acting up will also be taken to the special camps for some personality realignment

no but they can attempt to decree the survival strategy for an entire city

er ......... like New Orleans

and as many discovered there , the " official response " was woefully lacking

IMHO the OP is worried about the very probaly scienario when faced with a " sit x " and his preperation and planning is far superiror to the governments

but in a martial wal / emergency measures environment

the govt is likley to isist that everyone follows thier plan , however dumb it may be

and resistors will be labeled terorists

Survival never becomes insurgency. Survival is about getting out of trouble alive not looking for a fight. You go lookind for a fight you are no longer a survivalist you are a solger/insurgent/terrorist/gorrilla. Different names for the same thing at different times.

IMO its always better to bug out and live then die fighting for your house.

I agree it some extent... But what if there are armed guards trying to prevent you getting out of a hot zone?

Sometimes you have to fight to survive... sometimes you survive to fight...

just a thought

That's why you MUST don't wait for the government to save you, or you'll die. The government don't care about you, especially those in charge right now.

From your point of view survival becomes insurgency when you shift from your survival to their not surviving. From the people in charges point of view survival becomes insurgency when they say it is. They are the government they have the media they define what terms are going to be applied and to whom.

"I'm from the government, and I'm here to help." Ronald Reagan had it right when he said these are the scariest nine words you could ever hear.

A "survivalist" is someone who wants to do just that...survive, and to be left alone. An "insurgent" wants to start a fight. That seems to me to be the primary differance between the two.

Depending upon the government is foolish in any circumstance, muchless in a survival situation such as the past Katrina catastrophe and followup fiasco.

"I'm from the government, and I'm here to help." Ronald Reagan had it right when he said these are the scariest nine words you could ever hear.

A "survivalist" is someone who wants to do just that...survive, and to be left alone. An "insurgent" wants to start a fight. That seems to me to be the primary differance between the two.

Depending upon the government is foolish in any circumstance, muchless in a survival situation such as the past Katrina catastrophe and followup fiasco.