Originally posted by NotThat
reply to post by LittleBlackEagle
We have learned---
-people won't leave even when told to
-people won't stock up on enough food or water or fuel even when told to
-people will loot/steal if they think they can get away with it
-people will blame the government
-people will threaten/beat up/kill others to get what they want first
-people waiting in lines will become violent
-most people are stupid/ selfish, and impatient
At the risk of sounding harsh, I have to agree with a lot of this. It doesn't change the fact that a lot of people are suffering, and that we feel
bad for them. But...
Plenty of those on the coast, in direct threat, stayed behind even when they were warned repeatedly to leave. This was their choice. I understand that
there may have been instances where it might have been difficult to leave, but in the vast majority of these cases it seems that they didn't do their
homework, or they misjudged and made an incorrect decision. What would have happened if the military had gone in there and forced people out of their
homes? There's only so far a government or state can go to enforce an evacuation, if people chose to ignore it then what the hell is anyone else
supposed to do?
I also agree that plenty in the city didn't prepare either. They are running out of food and water, fuel and so on after less than a week. I could
understand this to a greater degree if it were a sudden disaster, such as an EQ or large fire, but there was a considerable warning as Sandy
approached, they had days to prepare and stock up on all the essentials they need. They chose not to.
I saw one woman on a live broadcast as the storm was rolling in, stopped on the street and asked why she wasn't at home and bracing for the storm,
she said her and her husband were out getting supplies. What were those supplies? A take-out and a box of candles! I don't know how they expected a
take-out dinner to last them, but I'm guessing their "supplies" ran out quickly.
I don't agree with your proposition that people will loot and steal just if they think they can get away with it. This is a minority, and it's a
young minority too. The majority of people will only behave like that if they are pushed to it through desperation. For most people it takes a lot to
push them to the limit. There is a level of "polite society" that we all instinctively live by, we have a sense of community and people do band
together for survival. This is where gang activity stems from - a natural inclination to be a part of a collective to increase our chances of survival
in dangerous circumstances.
I also agree that many are impatient. We live in a world where we can get everything within minutes, hours or days. We've become used to having all
our necessities delivered to us and we don't actually have to do much to secure our own survival. In times when the lack of necessities meets with a
need for survival that patience runs out even faster. While living in comfort without a stable power supply under normal circumstances might be
inconvenient and cause some ranting about it, in this kind of instance it increases to the point of taking physical action to secure it.
There are a few things that I think people should take from this as a lesson.
First, you cannot rely on your government to come and save you.
Second, people should be aware of their surroundings and actually consider the threats to them. It should be logical that if you live on the coast you
face risks from flooding and incoming storms, so why did all these people not realize this obvious fact? It only takes a little common sense to
realize that those areas only slightly above sea level are at risk from a storm surge just as much as those at lower levels, the only difference is
standing water after the event.
Third, everything is delivered to you. Your water and power are out of your control. It's logical that in a large enough disaster you need to prepare
for that eventuality. Water is the biggest problem, because so many natural sources are now polluted and not publicly safe, it all has to be treated
and delivered through clean lines. Even in a disaster you are restricted in what you can do. Have enough to last a few days, rotate it as you would
food. A couple of crates of bottled water can be stored in a kitchen cupboard and rotated just like everything else, and that could last one person a
month or more if rationed.
Knowledge of your threats, food, water, security, and a plan to leave safely if you have to are all people really need to cover almost every disaster
or emergency. But there will still be millions of people who never plan, never think it will happen and will rely on all-powerful government to come
and rescue them when they need it.
