There was a TV show on tonight where a couple in Devon were looking to sell up, move out of their home and move to the country. They were ready to retire I think and their priority was to;
- Find a view
- Get out of the rat race
- Grow their own food and become self sufficient
I find it interesting that many whom I would call ordinary people are starting to look at the situation the way we do. I’m actually also of the belief that many ordinary people would actually be prepared to prepare and become more self sufficient if the idea was floated to them in the right way. We have to accept though that we just won’t get everyone prepping and many will remain ignorant of this option. I’m trying to introduce the idea to many despite the fact most will read a little but do nothing. However, just by seeing what the average person is like today I just don’t see most of them having the logic and common sense to make a decision that involved them making sacrifices and doing without. Sacrifices that are necessary for prepping.
One of my concerns, and I know it is shared, is that if everyone prepared and everyone was able to survive an event then it would be catastrophic for us if there was no recovery. Desperate people with supplies would be able to travel further and live longer stripping the land of everything we would be looking at to survive year two and beyond. The chances of us surviving would drop immediately and although many would survive it wouldn’t be preppers but those with money or low morals who would have much more than we have and a lot of land or a willingless to cut our throats. A risk we must always take into consideration.
The upside of course if that enough people survived and they were able to produce food and supplies to keep enough of us going then we could restore civilisation much quicker.
My view though is that if we were able to make survival more mainstream and get a lot more people doing it then the demographics would change slightly. At the moment some of the poorer among us have a better chance of survival than people like us because they already live on the edge. They won’t be prepared but they will make a tin of beans last longer than anyone else. We want the people prepared to make the sacrifice at the moment when it is generally seen as a tin foil hat wearer’s hobby and they are the sort of people we are, they come from all walks of life and are people we would more than likely get on with.
This whole area is a point of discussion for us as individuals and a varied discussion is had by all. Depending on your location and your situation we know you could easily be in the wrong place at the wrong time and as we all evaluate risk differently some of us won’t want to encourage others, some will and you will not know what is the right thing to do because we just don’t know the future.
As you now I’m trying to raise the profile. Carefully, talking to people I like and those who are actively looking enough to read sites like this. This interest is enough for me to put my head up and offer advice and help. Some of us have expressed concern at this because the UK is so small and would rather keep their heads down. The choice is yours but consider that others will be talking to people and I’m sure you know people, even if it is family, that you would be able to live with, literally.
The only concern I have though is that most of us are Alpha males, we want things done our way. I would guess we would get on better in a wider community rather than a commune. Let us just make sure that we can recognise each other after an event. That is why we need a widen UK community. It will help to know each other before so we can differentiate us from those that have survived because they were lucky. We will at some stage set up RVs or patches and protocols. I’d be happy to meet the lucky ones though, but would need to know more about actually how they survived. They may be people you don’t want to close your eyes around.
Isnt it amazing just how many people and families who when asked publically say they are down sizing, semi retiring, moving for the kids schooling,moving to be more in touch with nature, moving to free up capital etc etc ad infinitum.
But when you get em alone they end up turning out to be part of the white flight phenomina (should be called middle class or professional class flight) Chelsea post codes and Audi TTs are no longer the ” Must haves darlinks” and replaced with a Landy and a small holding in Hants.
In the last 7 years I have made a few tidy commisions and been rewarded most kindly by some families I have helped to relocate away from the Home Counties to become more secure and self reliant in the provinces
If we operate in a wider community we maintain our independence and freedom of choice but can support other preppers via mutual support agreements, But when you move into any sort of commune you inevitably end up with ruling elites and cliques just as are found on some forums and other walks of life.
It’s difficult to make prepping mainstream.
Someone who wants to dip their toe in the water and see what it is about can be put off by some of the topics discussed. It’s not that thes3 topics shouldn’t be discussed but you can see how someone who is thinking about getting into prepping/survival could be put off.
If you then go the other way and try and make it a more sterilised subject so as not to put newer people off then people who are well into the subject get fed up and leave
You’re right about the Alpha male thing as well. Most of us are not shy in putting our views across a bit forcibly, I know sometimes I do, and lets face it a lot of the time we cant even get on with each other now in relatively good times while sat behind a keyboard, there would probably be a massacre if we were all locked in the same room for a couple of months after an event :). Thats why meeting up before ny event is so important, even a loosely connected group of people need to discuss how things would work and lay down a few ground rules i.e. dont turn up with your extended family and expect them to be fed by everyone else etc
I think you are doing a good job SD at offering assistance to people and raising the profile, I just dont think that many people will take you up on the offer, at least not until there has been some major event.
NR,
Sounds a good position to be in. You know where they all live 🙂 That will be handy.
Moving to a closer community is inevitable and if managed correctly may not lead to cliques. However, it must be managed corectly and if done by use we would end up with a better structure. I’ve covered this on the main site, only sticking point is money.
JD,
Some of the topics are a bit off the radar. Especially our cannabilism ones. However, I think there is plenty for all.
As far as the Alpha male part I suspect that most of us would be in agreement about most things. I think we would be less likely to start violence than some socialist trying to take control so everything was ‘fair’
Just look around the web, it is the left who are the first to call for violence against others. They just don’t like it when things don’t go their way.
Alpha Males – the main reason we repeatedly/historically keep getting into difficult/impossible events and failing to learn the vital lessons, or more importantly actually having the courage to address the situation and doing something about it/them. The on going events elsewhere are a classic example.
Coupled with an overpopulated world this is guaranteed to provide an event at some stage.
Look here boys, ther’d be no trouble after an event for one reason and one reason alone…
I’m the boss and dont you lot forget it!!!
Only joking… or am I???
I do think some sort of sew on badge or some such is a good idea, so if we happen accross each other, we dont start a fire fight.
not that we could, because we’ll all be unarmed having no weapons like our masters want…
Iaaems,
Alpha males aren’t the reason we keep getting into trouble. it is the opposite. Politicians look us in the eye tell us to bend over and we just do it. That is not an alpha male response. If we fought back they would be less inclined to do what they have been doing.
Mike,
The problem is it is only the sheep that are disarmed. The wolves have very sharp claws as well as illegal weapons.
“Politicians look us in the eye tell us to bend over and we just do it”.
The Alpha male is the one who told/paid the pottylician to look us in the eye etc. We ‘bend over’ because most of us cannot be bothered/do not have the time to find out who is pulling the lever, or do not know that anyone is actually pulling a lever.
All tyrants over time have had a n other to do their dirty work – they merely bullied/encouraged/bribed the others to carry out their ‘duties’.
Tell you what – let’s all get together in the public gallery of the Commons armed to the teeth with pea shooters and cow dung at PM Question Time – bound to be a full House – and let them know who is the boss. Pea shooters are only toys and the cow dung is a poultice (wrapped in a plastic bag to avoid immediate detection). Can’t be too hard on the poor dears as it’s nearly Christmas. Seems like an appropriate time to be starting an uprising!!