Your personal preparations for the incoming war

Well, it appears as though homeland security is EXPECTING an offensive against mainland US, likely through one of the several terrorist networks. We are already starting to hear warnings about preparation, must prepare ahead of time, get out the plastic sheets and duct tape!

What is everyone doing for yourselves, in your own homes? Or are you even going to bother? Being a generally suspicious person myself, I am starting to get a bit freaked out about all of this.

mkultra

Living in the upper east side of Manhattan... wife and two teenage wankers... working in mid-town... having clients on Wall Street.... HELL YEAH this is a freak-out! I feel like I have a bulls-eye on my head.

Today, while on the (6) subway, it stopped extra long for some reason at Grand Central 42nd Street... everyone on the train was getting a little uneasy... then the doors closed and the train moved on... suddenly, a discernable collective sigh of relief.

-sigh-

While I'm concerned what could happen, I think it's 99% psychological at this point... but it's that 1% that pisses me off. We're getting an extra large order from Fresh Direct tomorrow.

yeah we're getting warnings in the UK at the moment.
most of us are preparing by ignoring them.
Its too close on the back of Blairs massively unsuccessful interview, and most people regard it as pure propaganda.

Personally, a threat against one's life, no matter how *unlikely* should not be taken lightly ...


I'm taking whatever step's are needed to ensure my saftey and that of my family. If my government tell's me to expect an attack soon, you bet your arse, I'll do so!

Those countries who have been told to prepare for one, please do so. Our government's know ALOT more about what will happen than we do... don't ignore them ... There only trying to help us get through this as best as possible.

hmmmm, I find it hard to accept that.

how exactly do you intend to prepare?

are you intending to stay out of tall buildings?
avoid tap water?
not fly?
only buy tinned food?
stay indoors until the threats passed?
avoid major citys?
not walk down the street without body armour and a kevlar helmet?

If either of our respective governments knew what form an attack would take they'd tell us and ~then~ I'd take precautions.

However they don't know.
as such, all they're doing is fostering paranoia.

My advice is to just go about your every day routine and stay calm, try not to let this "threat" effect you in any way.

Sure, you may end up getting blown up by a car bomb, but your just as likely to get gassed on the tube whilst avoiding your car.

the media keeps telling us we "live in uncertain times" they're right. no ones certain if when or how an attack might come, Its all going to come down to luck.

[Edited on 12-2-2003 by Lupe_101]

we can't be idiots about this. you have to be prepared and not just cause the government says so. even before these "uncertain times" i was taught to have a survivial kit in my home and car. refusing to assemble one is not an act of defiance it's kinda stupid. anything can and will happen. no one is saying be terrified to the point that you go crazy and spend your savings. just have a plan. too many people are reactionary instead of proactive and that's okay when the situation isn't life or death. i applaud FEMA and the Bushies for trying to get folk to prepare the list is limited and prolly wouldn't even get you through a snow storm, but hey.

If there was a survival kit that could save me from an act of terrorism I'd carry one.

I carry lots of bits abnd bobs I find usefull, some scalpels, a pocket knife, change etc, but none of these will save me if a car bomb goes off, and nothing in your kit will save you if they gas a tube train.

terrorist acts are designed to cause disruption and enforce a regime of paranoia and terror.

To my mind anything that disrupts my usual way of doing things is a victory for the terrorists, as such, yes, I do see not being particularly bothered about it as an act of defiance.

I still look both ways when I cross the road, I still try to stell out of Mosside after dark and I still don't tend to aprouch salivating men with wild eyes wielding machettes.

but apart from those day to day things we've allways done in order to maintain all our limbs, why bother disrupting any other aspect of your life trying to save your self from somthing that your not going to be able to avoid if it happens

Originally posted by Lupe_101 I still don't tend to aprouch salivating men with wild eyes wielding machettes.

Hmm... exactly how many of those do you see every day?

I firmly believe this current scare is purely psychological. However, having a family we're taking steps to have cerain items on-hand... after all, even intense psychological terrorism can disrupt services for a day or so.

Australia is still laid back about the whole thing. They have started putting terrrorism ads on TV, but apart from that the t attitude here is fairly casual. No one is worried about being gassed in a subway or a building being blown up.
As far as survival kits, shelters, guns, gas masks etc, there doesn't seem to be an overwhelming community need to stockpile these things.
In my opinion a major terrorist attack here is unlikely, we are simply too small to warrant the effort. As well as pushing Australian public opinion firmly into the US camp.

like Lupe said (OMG, did I just say that...???), it's hard to be "prepared" for a terrorist attack. However, my prep is always having my car full of gas, so I don't have to pay more every other day as the price goes up! Other than that, I keep standard emergency gear in my trunk, and always have storm rations and emergency gear (we get hurricanes, etc., so that's always kind of stocked, as we never seem to actually get hit by them).... And of course, one of the best tools...a cell phone.

I guess it is because I used to be a boy scout, say 20 years ago or so and their motto was be prepared. With the additions of two handguns and a new chemical composting toilet that I bought yesterday I am pretty much set.
It doesn't matter what kind of emergency arises, give me about 30 seconds to load everything up and I am prepared to (if necessary) relocate my family, if need be to one of the many wild caves here.
Some people say that they want to be prepared to survive, I am set up to thrive. No wondering are we going to make it, or where are we going to get food. Beyond having enough rations to take my family and me through about 3 weeks, I have taken the time to learn all the basics, ie hunting, trapping, and every plant in this vecinity that can be eaten.

paranoid=prepared

excerpt from KO_S Diary found near his mangled corpse.

January 14th 2004

After terrorist attack have taken wife and kids up to nearby cave. Was startled to find it full of Al Quaeda.
funny, thought it would be the last place they'd be...

;P

the "threats" that are being described now are for taking out nuclear plants which are situated all over the US. sure, there is no way to prepare for getting gas'd in a subway or a truck bomb exploding in a metro area...but, if contamination of food, air, or water was to occur there are ways to prepare for that. i know my company has enough chemicals to take out 10 city blocks if ignited and what's left would be highly toxic. just imagine a truck bomb placed at some target and a secondary explosion happening that leaves you without access to your daily survival needs. not to mention a bio weapon or radiological weapon being set off. (also, part of the recent "threats" being recieved)


i'm not for running out to buy generators and the like. just, storing flashlights, blankets, batteries, first aide kits, canned food, and water. and of course guns and ammo...just in case your neighbor is like lupe and refused to prepare as an act of defiance.

I prepared by enlisting in the Marine Corps. Instead of waiting around for something to happen I'm going to help cut those bastards off at the source. If I had a wife and kids though, I'd get a generator, lots of canned food & Soup (Lobster Bisque mmmmmm), complete biological suits, an entire armory... keep portable radios and set up a neighborhood watch and assistance program (who also have their own armory) The protection of our families and friends is what is important. But I'm young and expendable right now, so I will be of use in that way.

I didnt realize the large volume of people who are seriously going crazy and buying whatever they can until I went to work to do some office work today. Like every other customer was buying these items:
1.tape
2.paper towels/toilet paper
3.huge economy packs of water
4.mini flashlights, matches, firestarter, etc.

im not sure of exactly what some of this was to be sued for but *everyone* was buying it . I havent noticed this until today, before this morning people did not seem to even care about any of it.

any idea of why people just decided to go crazy with buying this stuff just as of today??

I think they said on the news yesterday to store up enough food and water for 3 days. Guess people are worried.

and also what is the use for the tape??? people were buying tape like they had never seent ape before!

Just found this ...

www.washtimes.com...

The number of "Soft" targets we have is enourmous. No way that we can defend them all.

I also heard something that to protect yourself from biological attacks tape along the seal of your windows... Too bad there is a hell of a lot more ways for air to get into your house than the windows.... and if you do manage to completely seal it off.... you probably only have a few days of fresh air

ahhh i see. wow its amazing the numbers of people that realize what a problem this is now versus the number that realized this problem just yesterday. the medias ability to hype things is amazing

The reason a lot of people are not panicing is because we have only ever been attacked on the mainland (US) like twice (I think).

And the people don't expect they will be attacked again. They think the government has it under control.
(I hope they do)

But, if it were a nuclear or bio attack on the more populated areas of the country, I would head for Canada. (did I say that?)

I see that as the only possibility of saftey. (I think I did say that) Canada is not their target, the US is. (for now)

From there I would lock myself in a cabin near the mountains, with plenty of ammunition(and a gun, or six), and some non-perishables.

I can garuntee(sp?) you that I would not go down easy if Canada was invaded either.

All I have to hope for is that the jetstream stays flowing the way it is for a while.