Suppose the Situation X was large enough, like open rebellion/revolution. When everything was over and done and the time has come to return to a new normalcy. I wonder how many that have gone off on their own (and survived it) will reintegrate back into society.

Will we have a somewhat lost generation? Quite a few Japanese military remained "on duty" on their islands long after WWII. Will we find pockets of lone and small bands of survivalists that won't acknowledge the "all clear"?

How will we, the untrusting sort, validate the "all clear" without significant risk of exposure?

It really depends on the situation. If the event is large enough to cause anarchy and chaos, it will likely take some time to reestablish order to the whole country. I would guess that it would collapse much sooner than reintegrate.

The countries are too large to just say, "all clear" and every comes out of their hole. Likely there would be areas where civil communities form. There would also be territorial and roaming gangs. Some areas would form local governments sooner than others. It wouldn't be clear cut throughout the land until a long time, IMO.

The severity of collapse and damage to infrastructure would predict the time to recovery as a large governed body. Since we don't know those details, we can't really predict the outcome.

I agree... if it is a total collapse of the system for any prolonged period of time... the civilization we now think we enjoy might not ever make it back to what we might like....

All to many people count on the govt. to clear up the mess... but they cannot run the flipping post office so I do not place a lot of confidence on that...

Well no one is a lone wolf, not for long that is...

I think the answer lies in something that's already hundreds of years old...
The Rendezvous

The Green River Rendezvous was an annual event in the 1830s. Mountain Men, Trappers, Travelers and Indians all gathered in a valley "below the Green" river and bartered, traded, sold, and swapped various items such as skins, pelts, guns, jewelry and whatever else they needed. All knew the place where Horse Creek flowed into the Green in the Upper Green River Valley, the site of six Rendezvous. The Rendezvous lasted anywhere from a few days to several months and was a time for getting new supplies, renewing acquaintenances with old friends, story swapping, sharing news drinking and general rowdiness.

When we lived up in Wyoming we went every year... yes they still hold them today and if you haven't been to one go, lots of fun and good folks...
this kind of gathering, with like-minded people will do more to "Sound the All Clear" than any radio TV broadcast could

You would probably find that what we would call a country or nation today would become or revert back to ''city states'', small pockets of civilisation that may or may not want to become a 'national' being once again.

I would say it depends greatly on keeping lines of communication open and opening (repairing) as many as possible, as quickly as possible. This would, of course, also require the power grid (even if only spotty and cut off) be repaired and maintained.

Even at this, if the fit hits the shan in any real simile to the magnitudes that we've talked about on ATS, any communication and/or power issues will most certainly be very local and very isolated at first - spreading as more communication lines were opened from separated (and isolated) power grids.

As you can see, and probably most attest to...practically and realistically, communication is the key to any society's growth, prosperity and well-being...let alone any resemblance of lifestyle.

Of course, we must be prepared, for our values will make a big change, IMHO.

EDIT (after Wotan above): Obviously, I totally agree bud. Beat me to it really.

...and Star and Flag for the OP for bringin' it up.

[edit on 11-3-2010 by lagnar]

Yes, definitely a lost generation. It would probably take 100 years to regain some type of system or network between groups. Those with the most guns & ammo will take what they want AKA the Wild Wild West all over again.

depending on the severity of sit X.

I think a "lost generation" is possible, but I dont expect it to take 100 years or more to regain technology. Unless we have absolute physical destruction, we will regain it back rather quickly. After all, we have instructions all over the place. (Books, hard drives, etc.)

I personally expect that after the devastation, there will be levels of cooperation and unity that human kind has never before experienced. Those that survive will understand fully just how much we need each other, and how fragile our species really is.

Just my two cents.

I don't think it will be that big of an issue actually..

Trade and Barter

Man has always created trade and barter systems and there is no reason to think that would not happen in any sort of scenario..

We are social creatures no matter how much we may want to deny it.

Length of time of the event does have quite a bit to do with it.

But I sort of see these questions as a thought exercise. There are protocols for how to contact a unfamiliar, yet friendly unit in the military. Not following them closely could get you shot, even if you were an escaped POW or a unit joining to reenforce the group already there.

But I was also looking at unknown civilian groups that you happen upon. There may be no real way on knowing their hostility level. Maybe you see a group wanting to make contact with you.

Basically, the thought is how not to end up like Ben in Night of the Living Dead. Killed by the people you had been wanting to join after surviving everything else.