What about everybody else?

Defense Minister · Jan 22, 2011

Lot's of things here to think about, and it's good to get so many different opinions. It gives me a good idea of what to expect from my fellow preppers. Some will want to work with me, and some will put a gun in my face and tell me to get lost!

I believe that, for the most part, the moral decision of whether to help people is black and white. But I also believe that if the need is large enough, say an economic collapse of the entire country, and you give a handout to someone, the next day you will have a line of folks at your door that stretches down the block! So, black and white or not, there is no easy answer.

I also believe that if you think you're going to run from the city and live in a rural area, keep in mind that you will have no help defending yourself from roving, violent gangs that are specifically looking for people like you. If you found your way to that place, they can find their way there too. You will also have no access to health care, emergency services, hardware stores, etc. Again using the economic collapse example, some small towns will completely vanish from existance because transporting goods there is not cost effective for trucking companies and distributors due to the economic strain on the country. Again, no easy answer.

One thing is for sure, we WILL need each other. To what degree and the specifics of the situation, who knows...

If you haven't read the blog found in the link below, there's a lot of good information there.

SURVIVING IN ARGENTINA

mauser54 · Jan 22, 2011

+100
Very well put defence minister.

UrbanMan · Feb 10, 2011

I think there are two categories of people showing up on your doorstep after a collapse: Ones you know and People you don't.

If we think about what we can do to mitigate a large amount of straphangers and stragglers seeking our help, really the only thing we can do pre-collapse, is to "witness" the need to prepare at some level to those people (family and friends) who are most likely to come seek our help.
This is a two edged sword. If expose your preps and thoughts to some people then they may not prepare but will certainly show up at your place because they know you did. Can't do nothing about these people now, unless you tell them "Don't show up empty handed",....but to be sure they are other people who will prepare in some fashion simple because of a "fear of loss or being left behind". These are the one's I want to reach.

I have some things put away like stick matches, butane lighters, as well as small amounts of food for those stragglers you move on. I am amused by people who state they are going to chase people off at gunpoint - yes, you may have to, but you create enemies and maybe needlessly so, and I think you can still say no, or help in a small way and maintain your humanity.

UrbanMan
Urban Survival Skills, Survival Equipment, Survival Planning and Preparation

Riot · Feb 10, 2011

Wheeler44 said:
Some folks....No matter the circumstance they wouldn't help anybody without expecting a payoff.......Others don't need any excuse to help another person in distress....Folks is folks.......I hope that all are ready to live with their decisions.

W44

The way I see it is this...everyone on this thread has been pretty civil and nice (for the most part). Nevertheless, you can label it however you want....you can call us cold, you can say we're going to heck, but I will never, NE-VER endanger the lives of my loved ones to help someone else.

What does that mean? That means if it is 2am on a lonely road and I am by myself and I see a stranded motarist needing a ride, I'd give him a ride! But if I had my wife in the car, sorry pal- looks like you're on your own on this one.

Am I cold? Yes, I am. Am I cruel? Sure. But I have my priorities...There is a fine line to being a hero and being a victim. Want to know my biggest fear? Not being able to help a loved one...being victimized and being absolutly helpless (like being tied up and watching your wife being raped). We live in a society that prays on the weak...sure W44, you might have a tight community- everyone all churchy and crap right now, but I garantee that when the power goes out and the cops stop answering the phone, you will have a handfull of problems on your hands. People will resort to their basic instincts and cruel nature....especially knowing that it is without consequence.

Every survivalist I know of will help another person become prepared...tell them how and where to get gear and the lessons that they've learned along the way. No survivalist (that I know of) is sadistic enough to actually enjoy watching another person suffer. Nevertheless, we aren't victims.

We're the guys that will throw a bum a sandwitch rather than give him/her a dollar so they can spend it on drugs/booze. We're the ones that will help a friend change a tire, be a designated drive or help move- but we wont let you stay at our house for free for months on end just because you're down on your luck and don't want to move back with your parents.

We're the sheepdogs...not the sheep, not the wolf. We can help some sheep, but all of them. It sucks, we wish we could just have fun, shoot our guns in peace and never be bothered. But that isn't the world we live in...we're realists, you're not.