I'm afraid he's right. There will be no 'normalcy' as you now know today, safe behind a glowing monitor, pondering this.

I'd like to watch 'The Road'.

When SHTF, it's really every man for himself. And depending on the circumstances, a decline would be that ferocious, if not more so.

The Road never played here, but I have read the book. He forgot to mention plagues though. And people wonder why I don't want to bug in. There is no way I can secure my home well enough. Maybe at first until people realize I have supplies. I disagree however on the seeds, there are ways to conceal your crops. Reminds me to look up what plants grow best in minimal lighting besides fungus.

This is one of those times when I am so glad I have lived in so many countries. Despite the authors reliance on hyperbolic urban legends from Katrina, he paints a fairly accurate (if exaggerated) picture of most of the world outside of the west. The fact that it seems so "shocking" is merely proof of how insulated most westerners are.

However I would disagree with the "get a puppy and desensitize yourself to sadism" line; there's a reason humans domesticated dogs in the first place. And anyone whose ever slaughtered a lamb, chicken, or other food animal will have learned the same lessons .Also the idea of "rustling", anyone who can control such supplies of food will have many willing soldiers. The key word of course being "control"

[edit on 12/22/2009 by Doglord]

My way of life was not so different not so long ago it would seem. I still retain many of the ways of life before "civilization" got here to the Americas. I still know where to look for edible plants, how to track and kill game. How to fashion shelter, clothing weapons and tools out of nothing. I am a savage in every sense of the words and especially now I cannot be more confident in know IF the SHTF. I am not in a position to worry like some. Money never has meant much to so if it goes I wont lose any sleep. But the savagery that is discussed here is a very real thing to consider. Id imagine cites and places where larger groups of people congregate are going to places of horrors. Where I live isnt so remote anymore but we do live in a fairly rual area. I think if people do have hard enough time they will pick up and go someplace else if they dont die first. But another upside to the blood that runs through my veins is the blood of a whole race of survivors that goes back beyond any written history. Many of the modern warfare tactics are created by my people. I have a savagery with in me that will allow me to pass on my DNA to future generations. My heritige has allowed to me to compete literally on the worlds stage against the best in the world and I have world cup trophy to prove it. Beyond that every that involve fighting is literally engrained in my DNA. I am the last a people who whole way of life was not much different than the world discussed here. And in some way where I live it is still the same. You come at someone the wrong way and you may wake up tied to a tree out in the middle of nowhere never to been seen again, or lying out on the prarie face down.

But like stated in the original post many are safe on the other side of the monitor. I think many would die within the first few days of SHTF. Out of pure shock that Leave it Beaver time is over I'd imaing some will drop dead from shock alone. But this means that the true human ALPHA will live, and the BETAS will going the way nature intended. And we can get on with real living.