Prepper vs Activist

cyborg · May 17, 2012

With so much going wrong with the way our government is ran and the laws they are imposing becoming more restrictive, times are getting bad. Obviously we are here on this thread because we have at least an interest in prepping. Whether your desire for prepping comes from concerns more associated with natural disasters as opposed to man made problems it seems many of us would have a desire to get out there and lead efforts to make political changes. I am aware that as preppers many are very concerned about "OpSec" but where do you draw the line between putting yourself in the public eye to some degree because of your desire for political change versus hunkering down and simply quietly prepping for what you determine is inevitable?

It can be a challenging balance to achieve.

Thoughts?

eganx · May 17, 2012

I clicked on this thread by misreading the title. I read Pepper vs Activist.........I was hoping to see an "activist getting pepper sprayed". I am leaving disappointed.

Roxy2711 · May 17, 2012

I'm not sure how being politically active would be an OPSEC concern. You wouldn't have to disclose your location or preps ( or even mention that you have preps) in order to be politically active. I'm sure many people share your political views even if they may not prep.

Are you talking about running for an elected position or just being more active?

kenno · May 19, 2012

OPSEC precludes Public Displays of Disaffection

cyborg · May 20, 2012

Frankly I think that to just survive is not good enough. I think working publicly to change the direction our government is going is something that must be done. Much like the fathers of our country did. If we want our country back the way it was meant to be then we must find our own ways to do this. I think that it is great to take care of yourself and your family but someone has to be brave and stand up and be counted as an unhappy citizen.

Myself, I dont discuss preps with anyone other than trusted friends AND I am politically active thus standing out as "one of them potential troublemakers". The challenge in my opinion is being vocal enough politically and quiet enough about personal preps. We cant all simply silently prep and let our country go to heck around us. Quietly supporting the right organizations that fight for our rights is good but I feel ultimately if we feel real changes must take place we need to be a voice for change.
Sigh......

EZLivin · May 20, 2012

I have a billion times more respect for the folks in this video (ancient history though) then I do for the person who preps, then hides in his hole for fear of being "labeled" by Big Brother. I suppose that is why I don't hate the Occupy crowd as much as a lot of people here do. I may not agree with the target of their wrath, but I admire them for doing something other than just sitting on the couch and whining about their frustration.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuUBCF3KKxc

viehmann7680 · May 20, 2012

Personally I prep because I feel being politically active only solves small problems. Our country has gotten to corrupt and the majority of people just don't care. The only thing the people will be able to do to stop it is a revolution. But as I said before, the majority of people don't care so they won't help restore america. And we've let the corrupt be corrupt for too long. So the unconstitutional laws put in place are active. So anyone from this point on who tries to lead a revolution will be labeled a terrorist, locked away for life or killed without trial and the media will play it off that another terrorist is taken down by our grand leaders. So unless america bands together all at once, nothing will change... prepare for the worse.

knuckle Head · May 20, 2012

Or you will die of natural cause like BREITBART Andrew Breitbart died of natural causes, coroner says - Los Angeles Times

And then if your coroner does play along why well we see what happens to them Breitbart's coroner poisoned to death?

Hook686 · May 20, 2012

With so much going wrong with the way our government is ran and the laws they are imposing becoming more restrictive, times are getting bad.

I have noticed this ever since I was of age to vote. It matter not which party had control of the White house, the House, or the Senate ... all three, or any combination thereof.

where do you draw the line between putting yourself in the public eye to some degree because of your desire for political change versus hunkering down and simply quietly prepping for what you determine is inevitable?

With this observation above in mind, I see no point in seeking relief via political change, as it just seems to be the same stuff by folks that wear different colored ties. With that idea, it seems to me that leaves

hunkering down and simply quietly prepping for what you determine is inevitable?

as the sound choice.

powersbj · May 20, 2012

I don't see how prepping would be an activity specific to one political view... Even if your prepping for a specific event, like a financial implosion, many can argue the cause; austerity or debt.... I can point out the advantages of living a prepared lifestyle to both my left and right leaning friends because it is practical not political.

cyborg · May 21, 2012

"I don't see how prepping would be an activity specific to one political view... "

The so called Conservatives and so called Liberals we have been electing are all continuing the growth of large, intrusive, fiscally unsustainable government. Neither of the parties in power ever work to limit their own power. If I must label my political view it would be called Libertarian. Since I have chosen to step out publicly and display my ....what did the FBI label that red flag of potential terrorism? I think it was something like...."An undue affinity for the constitution". Well as a prepper OPSEC requires that you not engage in what Kenno succinctly stated above..... Public Displays of Disaffection.
OPSEC requires that you not stick your neck out and get the attention of the powers that be. Add the red flags of "More than a month of food stored" and "Large amounts of ammunition stored in waterproof containers" and you have all of the ear marks of the so called terrorist.

The problem with NOT standing up and doing your part to guide the country back to its roots of freedom is that you become part of the problem when you should actually be a strong part of the solution. I cannot in good conscience selfishly hide with my preps and let my country collapse without trying to steer us back. Maybe the best solution for the majority of us is to simply quietly give financial support to organizations that are out there publicly swinging the axe for freedom. In the end we will have to stand up and be counted though and we need to do the best we can. I am just struggling with keeping that balance between being vocal enough without attracting too much of the wrong kind of attention.

knuckle Head · May 21, 2012

cyborg said:
The problem with NOT standing up and doing your part to guide the country back to its roots of freedom is that you become part of the problem when you should actually be a strong part of the solution. I cannot in good conscience selfishly hide with my preps and let my country collapse without trying to steer us back. Maybe the best solution for the majority of us is to simply quietly give financial support to organizations that are out there publicly swinging the axe for freedom. In the end we will have to stand up and be counted though and we need to do the best we can. I am just struggling with keeping that balance between being vocal enough without attracting too much of the wrong kind of attention.

I hear you, and a lot of us do.

But when shtf, some here will have choice give out what they have and feed the sheeple for a week or keep it hid and your family for a couple of years.

I truely wish it came down too hding in cabin or working on rebuilding, the problem be it will either come in fatal swoop or over time, either way it will be thing a of survival, people I know who have a place for a garden have doubled or tripled their garden size this year, they have have extra loads of topsoil, manure brought in last winter and the ground limed. A couple people had extra gravel brough in too build up the drivway because of yearly settling, they said when while I have the money and I can afford it I am doing who knows what tomorrow will bring, these people are not going to take the stores and feed those whoare using their current cash for cruises to the bahama's and have no stores come whammy and winter combined (if it unfolds that way).

Hook686 · May 21, 2012

I sure hope you have a dependable tribe to back you.

Stomper · May 21, 2012

cyborg said:
what did the FBI label that red flag of potential terrorism? I think it was something like...."An undue affinity for the constitution".

Just Jim · May 22, 2012

What you are trying to survive is terminal political stupidity that has been an indoctrination into our educated. Example, a welfare state with open borders. Terminal for the state and just plain stupid. You can't fight indoctrinated stupidity that the educated paid for so best to wait for it's own suicide and try to survive the aftermath.

DoubleTapDrew · May 22, 2012

Frankly I think that to just survive is not good enough. I think working publicly to change the direction our government is going is something that must be done. Much like the fathers of our country did. If we want our country back the way it was meant to be then we must find our own ways to do this. I think that it is great to take care of yourself and your family but someone has to be brave and stand up and be counted as an unhappy citizen.

It required a war to get the change the founders needed. There are a lot of unhappy citizens at all those 99% rallys across the country and all they've accomplished is annoying most people. They haven't gotten any change to take place.

"America is at that awkward stage. It's too late to work within the system, but too early to shoot the bastards." – Claire Wolfe