Am I the only one?

[Burt Gummer]

^ Normalcy Bias

http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/...en-to-millions-of-desperate-american-families

 

[Thebastidge]

The guy in the first case, has a mountain of gold... weapons, ammo, food, water all things that are of immediate and real world value. While he does have at least some means to protect himself and his stuff there will be significantly more people looking for this guy, than guy #2.

Guy #2 on the other-hand, doesn't have any food or weapons, therefore he will be an easy mark. Other than perhaps being a target for rape or long pork he and his family have nearly zero value. So chances are, he will be passed by at least until he starves or dies of dehydration.

Okay, first of all, nobody's going looking for the first guy. The biggest thing that happens in a disaster is confusion. You're making it sound like the sheeple who aren't smart enough to plan for bad days are smart enough to figure out who has supplies and how to attack them. It just ain't so.

Second, in a bad enough scenario, unarmed people make great slave labour. Especially if you don't really care whether they live or die. If grid power and fuel are not available, EVERYTHNG has to be done by hand. That takes alot more bodies than most people count on right now, which is why so-called "survivalists" who think they can make a go of things on their own, with no friends or family, and no prepared placed with tools and supplies to tide them over are fooling themselves. There's simply no way to live anything close to the lifesyle that we have now, not only in terms of comfort, but mostly in terms of SECURITY and SAFETY without the grid, without ready access to petro-fuels, and without the cooperation of a great many people.

The biggest "fly in the ointment" is that "preppers" are planning for an event which may never come, and are continuing to build huge piles of storage food, guns and ammunition. The problem is this kind of speculation is the exact same thing that got us into trouble first with the stock market in 2000, then again with the housing crunch in 2008. If you place too much value on certain commodities, anticipating their value will go up exponentially when X event happens, you will not be adequately prepared when Y event happens.

True to a certain extent, but a great many preppers are not planning for "an event". Smart preppers make a lifestyle of being prepared, and have many different reasons and scenarios in their minds; like being let go from a job and needing to get along without income for a while. Like a natural disaster that ruins their home, or sets people homeless. Like increased crime rates, or yes: civil unrest and civil war.

That's one reason why I avoid using "when the SHTF" terminology. I'm not plannig for A catastophic event. I'm a prepper by lifestyle so that when unexpected things come up, they're an inconvenience, not a disaster.

On the other hand, while I think it's a minority proposition, I have seen enough instability and insanity in the world and in our country, to not discount the posssibility that REALLY BAD ISH can happen here too.

 

[OregonPlinker]

Yep. Other than electricity and dsl internet we live a lot simpler than everyone I know personally. We dont even have an antenna on our tv. Well I have a ride on lawn mower I guess... We read, work and work around our place. My wife and I enjoy the lifestyle we lead. If the only thing that happens is the technology age crashes... I will be happier. If people get stupid when things head south its gonna suck for them. We get snowed in and enjoy it. If the dams break, well thats one reason we live on a hill...

 

[MissJ]

Holy shiite, dude... YES, there's definitely something wrong with you. ALL of you.

It's called Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and if you go talk to your doctor, your obsession with hoarding freeze-dried food and ammunition will begin to subside in about 2-3 weeks.

Don't ask this question on this board... ask this question on a physicians' board, or a home-makers' board, or a car enthusiasts' board... where normal people can give you a normal response. Seriously- copy and paste your OP into a thread on a mental health board. It's the first step to recovery.

You may have some good points, I'd bet there are some OCD folks among preppers....there are probably OCD folks in most groups, but the ratio of OCD to non OCD might be higher in prepper circles.

An OCD prepper may be helped by getting therapy to help deal with negative emotions and anxiety....but the supplies and skills they accumulate really don't hurt anyone if it's done legally, logically and reasonably.

and besides....just because you are a paranoid schizophrenic, doesn't mean they AREN'T out to get you...

ha ha ha

 

[Burt Gummer]

I prep, give myself 50/50 odds of being alive ten years from now, completely have accepted the coming economic collapse as reality; that I am in fact a slave, but am a happy carefree kind of guy who enjoys life. In other words, insane LOL!

Every conversation that involves the future is prefaced with 'if we are still around by then' ......

To wit, "The Grange Casino might be a fun place to go for the weekend ... if we are still around by then ....."

"We better start saving for junior's education in the off chance that we are still around by then ..."

Once you adapt to the fact that your life is finite it puts things into a better perspective. This ponzi debt fake standard of living that we all enjoy today is going away folks. Buy a wicker basket and practice walking around with it on your head (full of fruits/veggies if you can find them).

Now, while we are still enjoying the fake debt bubble in our wonderful conquering Empire, get your butt out there and enjoy life. Watch the rat race crowd running to and fro frantically trying to keep above their debt. Working, buying, selling, partying to the end.

As the bug said in Men in Black - "they run around totally convinced of their superiority as they go about in their pointless, useless lives."

Most of all, DON'T concern yourself with the fake political election of corporate controlled puppets. Spend your time elsewhere, on REAL things.

 

[mjbskwim]

You have to look at this like the Mormons do.
S can HTF at any time,in many ways
flood
earthquake
wind storm
fire
Anything that blocks roads and the stores and your ability to feed and protect your family.

You need food ,water and shelter to survive. So prepping is for these reasons only.
What can cause you to not have these things?
How can you make sure you have enough?

Heck my niece's boy friend has been listening to me about this stuff and he can't even make her think about a simple flashlight!
How can you make sure all is good for your 2yo daughter,in the dark,without a flashlight?
At least have a weeks food around.Maybe not the usual 2 helpings for you and 1 for the wife and the 1/2 for the kid.
Maybe 1 for you and the wife and 1/2 for the kid for a month.But we need to have SOME extra.Doesn't have to be what we always have either.
Maybe no cookies?
Most of use can do without bread for a bit.
We do get enough salt (and if you look at most of your supplies,the salt content is high enough) in most prepared foods,so how much extra salt do you need to buy?
How much sugar do you really need to store? Come on,look at the sugar content of your stores and THE NUMBER OF HELPINGS on the container
(Hint,a can of pop is 2 helpings,so double the sugar intake)

A lot of stuff can wait.Get the bare necessities of nutrition and wait on the big stores of things that we get WAY too much of. Go to the whole earth type food pages.Get the whole foods and then stock up on the frivolous stuff later.

 

[mjbskwim]

I prep, give myself 50/50 odds of being alive ten years from now, completely have accepted the coming economic collapse as reality; that I am in fact a slave, but am a happy carefree kind of guy who enjoys life. In other words, insane LOL!

Every conversation that involves the future is prefaced with 'if we are still around by then' ......

To wit, "The Grange Casino might be a fun place to go for the weekend ... if we are still around by then ....."

"We better start saving for junior's education in the off chance that we are still around by then ..."

Once you adapt to the fact that your life is finite it puts things into a better perspective. This ponzi debt fake standard of living that we all enjoy today is going away folks. Buy a wicker basket and practice walking around with it on your head (full of fruits/veggies if you can find them).

Now, while we are still enjoying the fake debt bubble in our wonderful conquering Empire, get your butt out there and enjoy life. Watch the rat race crowd running to and fro frantically trying to keep above their debt. Working, buying, selling, partying to the end.

As the bug said in Men in Black - "they run around totally convinced of their superiority as they go about in their pointless, useless lives."

Most of all, DON'T concern yourself with the fake political election of corporate controlled puppets. Spend your time elsewhere, on REAL things.

I made it 3:30 in to his "whatif?" BS
How does anyone listen to that without some good smoke?

 

[BroncoFan]

Anyone who makes ANY effort is way above the curve. The vast majority of deluded folks don't make any effort whatsoever. Normalcy bias is a bubblegum.

Come on, there's a McDonalds on EVERY corner dooode...What more do you need than the dollar menu?!? The lights will always come on when I turn that magical switch and besides, the new season of southpark is on....

 

[novamind]

Being prepared...Whats Enough? Well...When your duece-n-ahalf won't haul it all, When you cannot load it and unload it all twice in one day, When you trip over it on the way to the Bathroom...You may be almost there.

 

[AMProducts]

If you want to determine if you sound insane or not, replace the term "prep" and every reference and allusion to it in this thread with "d-i-l-d-o" if you don't laugh your *** off, especially at burt's posts, you should probably get your head checked.

 

[powersbj]

Prepping is just an insurance policy, it should not take over your life. If your one of the people who think the world is about to end then I think you should start to enjoy how wonderful life is right now.

 

[Sabertooth]

You build a wall one brick or stone at a time and you only build the wall big enough to do the job needed. Basic's of preping.

 

[Hook686]

It is just you. Most people have already concluded that it is not about things. Funny how the more you get, the more you think you need. People afraid never feel safe ... no matter how much they have. Unless you are part of a well organized close family group you won't survive anyway. A big stock pile of supplies will just anchor you down to fixed position where you will be easily overcome. The band that overruns you will be very impressed with all your supplies though.

 

[Burt Gummer]

Yes, prepping in any way, having any supplies, is foolish.

 

[gehrheart]

Come on, there's a McDonalds on EVERY corner dooode...What more do you need than the dollar menu?!? The lights will always come on when I turn that magical switch and besides, the new season of southpark is on....

Guess I better prep! I will not eat at MC-spew or burger hell or any of the fast food joints!..
I dont have TV..
so better I prep then!

 

[FortunateSon]

It's funny how some folks equate prepping to having already given up on living life, in the here and now.

I prep, and am concerned that I may not have enough simply because of the unknown. I don't know what is going to happen or how long I will need to fend for myself. But that does not mean that I am not enjoying the life I have now. If anything, not knowing what may be around the corner has convinced me that I should be enjoying what I have now. And I do.....