YOU are responsible for your own survivial - no one else.

StoutBroux

Soloprotocol
I'm too lazy for that...If the SHTF i'll just steal from someone who's been Prepping for years...And Yes, If I need to kill them to survive i will..

You and people like you won't last long. Preppers don't just save food. They actually prepare for hostile situations. People who think killing to get what they need will be killed as a matter of natural selection.

I'll do just fine.....you wont even hear me coming.

Again, as in all these survivor threads, the most important thing that they will need is not even considered. It matters none how much 'stuff' you can horde and drag along with you unless you consider how you will survive mentally from a host of issues, stimulation deprivation being one of many. Most of this is due to the inter knowledge that they will never have to do any of things so just talk, talk and talk about how prepared you are-and all the fascinating outdoor skills you have despite never having actually done any of this before.

The majority of survival situations that end in death is almost always suicide-or just giving up. In a survey done in 1997, of all the persons lost in the entire 2000 miles of the Appalachian mountain chain only 4 of 48 persons died from injury. The rest just gave up even though they still had options. The biggest majority of these people had no business being in the woods in the first place however many were 'survivalist' who talked big but had never experienced the mental and physical stress of isolation.

Today's survival TV shows are some what scripted and after Survivalist Les Stroud was almost killed by a Jaguar they simply don't take many real chances. That is not to say that you can't learn from them. All of the host of these shows stress, above everything else, that attitude is your most important thing you need to drag along with you.

The fact that you might endure hardships, misery of one kind or another, loneliness and being unable to cope with no visual stimulation prevents people from even trying a few days of survival so it's best just to talk about it. It's always excuses that I just don't have time, or can't miss some silly TV show or dis, dat and de other thing is stopping me from even pitching a pup tent in the back yard and trying to start a fire with a striker and nothing else.

What is really comical is that peoples minds have been so saturated with media images and tales of fiction that they are actually preparing for a 'Zombie' world in which they will meet Vincent Price right around the corner and Dr. Morgan will tell them all about the plague.

reply to post by TheNewRevolution


It could be argued that these people who have figured out ways to live off of the system are, in actuality, self-sufficient. After all, are they not sufficing themselves? I don't particularly see the difference between some poor urban mother fleecing the system through welfare or section-8, or some big-shot wall street derivatives trader. They are both working within the system to provide for themselves, and whether or not that amounts to self-sufficiency I suppose is a question of semantics. Until we change the system from the ground-up to make it impossible for them to do these things, I don't particularly see the point in castigating them so vociferously.

I have always had this philosophy. The best thing you can store for survival is KNOWLEDGE. People who hoard survivalist supplies are going to be a natural target for all the people who didnt. If you have simple knowledge on how to survive, how to fish, what plants are edible, how to make a water filter with a sock, how to garden, etc, you can pretty much live off of what you find around. Also this makes you much more mobile. I have spent the last few years reading multiple books on surviving in the wild, and how to make the things you need from what is around.The more you carry in your head the less you have to carry on your back and the less of a target you are for have nots. The only thing I will say that is key is that the farther away from urban areas you are the better off you are going to be. Even in the great depression people in rural areas fared better because they could grow a garden, were more likely to know their neighbors and banded together in many instances to survive. In the cities its going to be not a pretty situation.

I would say it can get pretty complicated as far as people being responsible for their own survival. However, as far as the country falling into anarchy or whatever seems to be on TPTB agenda. If you are expecting them to take care of you, I think it will be like a prison situation. Husbands put into one part of the camp, women in another, who knows about the children.
We saw in an actual emergency situation like Katrina how helpful the government can be. The stadium in New Orleans and the crimes that took place there....being prepared so as to not have to rely on the government will be a very challenging scenario. I don't think they will give us the option of not putting ourselves into their "care". This is the main reason I do all I can to make sure my wife and myself are capable of surviving (better) without their help.
90% of the people I know are not prepared to survive on their own. Big mistake. There are plenty of signs to support that something big may be on its way....mainly on the east coast. Back on the actual topic, no many people are not prepared to live without the country's help, in fact a record amount. I think ultimately, the country seems to make it pretty easy to do so. Why? Read the first paragraph again.
Isn't it strange in the 50's people did a lot of prepping, even bunkers. There were government video supporting this behavior. Now it seems you're put on some sort of terrorist list. Why? Read the first paragraph.

CB328
The problem with this is that it is virtually impossible for most people to be self sufficient in today's society. Many people have no land, many have no time, and many don't even have a dollar to spare.

It's easy for you to sit there and criticize everyone else, but unless you are willing to come out against our corporate/capitalistic system and growth obsession and advocate decreasing our population and moving back to most people living in small towns and farms, our society will never survive a catastrophe.

I am a single mom on disability with a special needs son, I am in pain 24/7, and manage to get pots from the dollar store, or free somewhere, save seeds from all my food for years and start growing my own stuff.... if someone can afford a beer or burger, they can afford to start becoming self sufficient...

It is all about educating yourself.

The concept of helping others is of course a religious concept and also an existential idea that stems from the reality of the family unit.

Even animals look after members of their immediate family and don’t have an attitude of “dog eat dog” within their animal-family and often extended—tribal like group.

Once humans evolved from an enviroment that included extended families like a tribal structure a natural concept of the extended family came into being where the group would look after each other to an extent.

When humans extended the tribal structure to a national entity this became more ecomplex and extended dramatically, from a tribe to a larger nation.

Naturally if there are moochers, people who don’t hold up their end of the bargain in work or contributing to the whole then they should be castigated and perhaps ostracized.

But beyond that the concept of looking after each other is a natural process, within the biology and psychology of human experience, and is an extension of the family and tribal unit we all evolved form.

With the advent of philosophies of the rights of the individual came an idea of the sovereign space of the individual...a natural, valid, and useful concept. But with that often comes a yin yang between the collective and the individual where often in post-modern society a conflict arises: No man is an island versus I am an individual

This can be resolved, I believe, by education, tolerance and understanding.

Sorry dude but disability isn't "BS" especially if you're the one disabled. I suppose it's wrong of me to expect any money in return for the 30+ years I paid in to social security? Yeah, I'm sucking the poor taxpayer dry at $1,100/mo, when they automatically deduct $100 of for Medicare that I don't even use.

Have fun in your social Darwinist future because the moment you're sick or maybe just asleep someone stronger, faster or more cunning will take what you have. I'd just as soon be dead as have to worry that every other person out there is a potential enemy. Even hyenas have a higher moral code than that.

reply to post by TheNewRevolution


I agree completely. Which begs the question... what is the point of the government if I'm still expected to look out for myself? If a government's purpose is to maintain public services & infrastructure, then why do I pay so much extra tax to fund things I don't need, want or even care for? What good are the police except for solving crimes which have already been committed? If I got murdered, and they found & arrested my killer, would that make me any less dead?

We rely on the establishment for basic protection far too readily indeed. I think it's time we reappraised our dependency on the "System" entirely. And in fact, I think the implementation of a new TRANSPARENT System altogether is necessary to avoid future social catastrophes.

But I also think it's time we began to look out for one another. Because, although you're right, my own survival is my own responsibility - I have about a dozen close friends & family who I would die without hesitation to protect. And I suspect many of them would do the same for me. So why not survive independently in small communities of like-minded friends?

It doesn't have to be every man for himself. And it doesn't have to be a violent society. But then again, the sky doesn't have to be blue. But it is. There's plenty of things in this life that don't make sense to me. Modern civilization & the human condition are only one part of the profound existential confusion of Earth.

But who cares? If the System collapses, I'll probably get killed and raped by bikers anyway since there won't be any police around to stop them. & so what? We all die. We might as well die properly & with style, right? Better to go out caught in the crossfire between gangsters with a bang, rather than a whimper. But there's no need to rush the inevitable. I'm just gonna enjoy myself in the meantime. I'm too broke, medically-burdened & downright lazy to bother trying to create a reliable bug-out plan. I just don't have the energy to care anymore. If it happens, it happens. Why worry? Maybe it won't. You never know.

This planet is a strange place. Anything is possible in our corner of the cosmos. Maybe peace will just magically manifest itself amongst the people of our world without explanation? Who knows. Weirder things happen all the time. Or maybe it won't, and we're all f#cked. Either way, I've got things to see & people to do. I don't have the time or patience to sit around blindly speculating on what might or might not happen to our rapidly-decaying civilization if we continue down this worn-out path.

Agree 100%. There is only one person that will be there til you die. That is you. Learn to be responsible for yourself. You can do so many things to make a living. Find about getting back to the basics. Find out survival skills. One set for roughing it and one for the current world.

reply to post by TheNewRevolution


You are right, not like us Vets had a contract with the govt that we fulfilled and expect the same.....o...wait..

Soloprotocol
I'm too lazy for that...If the SHTF i'll just steal from someone who's been Prepping for years...And Yes, If I need to kill them to survive i will..

i hope you are one of the first to try and steal from me. so i can remove your hands and feet and nail your still living body on an upside down cross on my front lawn... so you can warn any one else who is thinking about it....

:/ Zombies

Ya'll ain't ready for that. None of you.

reply to post by Panic2k11


You seem to mistake my phrasing.

It is not that I cannot comprehend the right to protest and be pissed off about the situation, but the fact that most have waited only until something selfishly affected their well being to do so.

There are thousands of reasons to be pissed off at the government, but many of the people who are chiming allowed down cite the main reason that they will cease to receive benefits. Where were these people when thousands of others were effected by legislation and usurpation of rights and they weren't? That's right... most of them didn't care because they continue to live in their fantasy land of entitlement.

I am of course talking about our government in terms of a government that has already failed to uphold its end of the bargain on multiple occasions. This government shut down is NOTHING compared to the transgressions against the people in the past decade, yet it seems to be causing the most vocal response. I'm not saying it is bad, I am saying that people do it for selfish reasons, truly uncaring for their neighbor and only caring for themselves.

My right have yet to be personally violated in ways that things such as the Patriot Act and NDAA allow for. However I know people whose rights have been violated and I have been vocal against the government despite the fact that it has not encroached to me.

Trust me, I sympathize with people and their rights. I just question the timing when the time has been ripe far before this dog and pony show.

reply to post by CB328

It's easy for you to sit there and criticize everyone else, but unless you are willing to come out against our corporate/capitalistic system and growth obsession and advocate decreasing our population and moving back to most people living in small towns and farms, our society will never survive a catastrophe.

I am complete against our corporate run faux capitalist system. We are supposed to be a free market yet we are far from it. If the markets were truly free and unregulated to aid large corporations and instead regulated to promote small business and entrepreneurship, then we wouldn't be in the economic situation we would be in today.

Albeit their would be a lot less wealth flowing around in the upper 1%, but I believe that is a sacrifice everyone outside of that percentile is willing to make.

reply to post by Maverick7


People have a responsibility to help the elders.

I question, what happened to the sick and elderly BEFORE government assistance? Were they all left to die on the street? Were they abandoned in their homes with no retirement and no food and left to starve?

No. Families and communities took care of them. Churches took care of them. Organizations were set to help them. The government didn't dangle its teet here and there to give a trickle to them, the people took care of EACH OTHER.

When I am 75 and worked hard, I will expect my family to take care of me and support me, as I have done to them my entire life. I won't expect the community to do so simply because I see what our communities have become. True charity is far and few between.

Nonetheless, I'm not going to work as a government mule to break down my body for the system. When I'm no longer able to walk and take care of myself, I will gladly give myself the bullet to ease the burden of those who have to take care of me. Not many people would.

reply to post by ExquisitExamplE


Being self sufficient means the capability to survive when one or more resources are taken away from you.

In the case of those being self sufficient off of the government, sure, they are. For now.

But take government away and what then? They become poor saps with no real life skills. Whatever skills they do have will be far out of disuse and the mental break from it all will be debilitating.

Your quoting Fidel "The F-Stick" Castro, and your talking about survival? Pretty good, since that's all Cubans who live in Cuba are capable of doing, thanks to Fidel! If the Cubans hadn't put up with having they're country taken away by commies like Fidel (or Obama for that matter) they'd probably be doing awesome right now. However, if surviving is all that your worrying about, you'll do fine, survival is easy!

Fighting back and winning is hard, but there's plenty of us that a ready to go! and to all the "survivors" out there, we won't hold it against you for sitting on the sidelines when the rest of us were out there killing and dying to win our freedom back.

Survival. Apparently you have that confused with "living"

reply to post by Asktheanimals


I am eligible for disability. I am eligible for food stamps. I am eligible for medicaid.

Do I take them? No. Because despite the fact that I could be accepted into these systems, I refuse to rely on another entity thousands of miles away to dictate my survival.

When I was a taxpayer, I was pissed at the entire scenario, but honestly now that I'm not I don't care. To each their own. I don't demonize or ostracize people for taking what is offered to them. I will make them aware, however, of their own impending demise and destruction of self reliance by doing so.

I believe in a world of compassion, not hand outs. If the world every gets to the point where people are slaughtering each other and taking what others have, then that is simply the offspring of the society we have created for ourselves by removing the ideas of charity, community, and self sacrifice to help others who are in need. Instead we have replaced it with these mundane ideas that by paying out taxes, running in some charity marathon, or donating a can of food her or there, we are making a difference in the world. Sure, maybe on the most basic of levels, but the lessons that are needed are being lost in the shuffle.

reply to post by TheAnarchist


You are correct. It does not have to be every man for himself. Sadly, that is just the way society has adapted.

With any hope the society we move backwards towards some of the compassionate days that once existed, rather than forwards into a world of anarchy and violence.

I just base my stance on the current outlook of the world. If is always great to have others to be prepared with you, but I always say to prepare for the worst case scenario. That being - you are alone with no one else to trust but yourself. If you are prepared for such a situation, then you are prepared for any other situation with a community or other group.