Good evening TexDanm, My current culture is about the same as a SHTF event at the slowest pace now. This area is different than the Lake Rayburn area. Here, it is dangerous to the point of loss of life - definitely robbery - to stop and siphon gasoline from an abandoned car. Entering an abandoned drug store, eg CVS, Walgreens, will not mean you're entering an uninhabited building. Prior to SHTF this area gets more people because of the evacuations and panics. A SHTF event is "merely" a magnified major disaster coupled to an epidemic. Here, if neighbors die, it's realistic that soon after, their dwelling is occupied by vagrants. Currently, the 2 houses I know of are occupied by Spanish-speaking immigrants. Besides the lethal dangers of getting shot during a confrontation robbery, just the contact with people adds the disease factor. Besides not having the flu shot, they could have tuberculous. The basic rules of survival govern: Adhere to your planning and adjustments to meet the sought objectives (eg GOOD ). Safety is of utmost importance. It's not just the hard hat safety but the infection control. Think of working in an emergency shelter during super-saturation conditions. Those cruise ships with their mass gastro-infections are cleaner and more sanitary.
Good evening Randy, Some of us - at least me - do not use "plans". We/I use "planning". There is a BIG difference. During sheltering in place, my BOP has force multipliers well beyond my land's perimeter and inward all the way to my mildewed stamp collection. During an evacuation, my variables are numerous. I avoid dangers and threats if possible. There's a modified version of the 23rd psalm that could be of value for the religious here: "Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil because I am the evilest son of a b*tch in the valley." Smoke evac masks are multi-functional.
Good evening Randy, I do not use plans. I continuously study the matter and then prepare to accept adjustments as matters develop.
What ever works for folks but do not suffer from "Paralysis by analysis". The best plan is the one actually put into action.
Morality,...it's the one thing that separates us from animals. Right. Wrong. They are there from a young age. Usually our morals are formed as we age (barring mental illness or brain damage) and at a certain point they become absolute. As long as we have control of our lives, absolutes remain. Loss of control can destroy absolutes. No country is ever more than one election/power shift away from destroying moral absolutes. Even the people in favor of the change can have their moral absolutes stripped or trampled by the change. History is full of examples. Venezuela Cambodia North Korea Borneo Cuba Nigeria China Russia Germany Millions have gone from citizen to criminal in one political shift. Then choices become limited. Remain passively and be imprisoned or executed. Remain aggressively and fight till your dead. Run away passively = run and hide/become a refugee. Run aggressively = become a guerilla fighter. Just something to think about. Dale
Survival of the fittest, unfortunately, will sometimes mean that the strong will TAKE what they need from the weak. If I am run off of my place and lose all of my stuff I am not going to just curl up and die and let my family die. Most people don't understand that people are animals and when things go totally bad people will go feral. When you watch your loved ones begin to die you will take what they need from those that have it.
I will not have to worry about being separated from my prepping supplies and going feral . I might be killed protecting my stuff but running is not the plan . If they burn me out it would only make me very pis-- . and revenge or death would be my future . When a hand grenade was thrown into my Colonels houch , exploded but didn't kill him . Out of the hundreds under his command he called in me to get the bastard . I was one hard core and cold hearted guy . It wouldn't be hard for me to revert back to that mindset . I will not need to steal because I already have my stuff .
Poltiregist, How many people in the world have the skill sets the Army taught us? 1%. Less than 1%. I know all to well the mindset you speak of and I pray I will never have to go there again. We know how we will react. It's the rest of society I'll be watching out for. My country is not what it was when I grew up and there are forces at work that I believe are leading the country to a bad place. Hope I'm wrong. Dale
Like you Poltirgist I will die where I am. I am far too old to run. The flight part of my fight or flight reflex parted the scene a long time ago! I was responding to a very specific question that was asked.
people keep going on about supplies but all supplies are finite, my stockpile will last so long but no longer, if someone can only survive on supplies then their time post collapse is also finite.
I have no plan on running either but I have children and grandchildren to think of. Being dead may not be in their best interest. And to be honest anyone that thinks "it won't happen to me" is kidding themselves. Anything can happen to anyone.
Randy t , Lonewolf and Tex are all correct , food stored will last only so long. That is why renewable and a infinite food supply is needed .If a person in a dire situation chooses to make their last stand in the wrong location , they likely will die after their stored supplies run out . Even trying to grow a garden in the wrong location will likely be futile as the starving will harvest it . Trying to sneak onto the neighbors property to steal their domestic or wild animals will likely get you shot . To some that might sound like telling a legless person to run and hide . Yet there are ways to survive , having a constant flow of nutritious milk from my milk goat is one leg of my plan . A neighboring survival group has a similar plan as mine . They have jersey milk cows . We both will be sharing abundant fish from the same creek . We both have enough land that neither will be needing to sneak onto the others property . With proper planning it can be done . I have my bloodhound for trailing down those that might think stealing is the route to go . We have a strong and well armed family group for defending our stuff , The adjoining survival group are also a well armed and large family group consisting of about nine houses nestled in the Ozark hills . If we ever needed to by combining the two groups we would be a small army .
Good morning Poltiregist, Only 1 accident from the labs and the cows and goats might not make it. I remember the Skull Canyon [?] Utah [?] accidental release of something and the area livestock perished. Do you ever factor in elective or required evacuations ? The extra emergency chocolate bars and nuts in the pack might be better than the hard winter wheat harvest that's not available.
No way, no how. I would never steal from a neighbors and they would never steal from me. If they did, they know the consequences... and I would expect the same.
Of course every body knows the consequences but if the consequences are the same --- starving to death or possibly being shot stealing, only one options offers a chance.
I stand on the same side of the line as America's Patriot on this one . I might die but I will not steal . I don't expect to change someone else's morals but I will live and perhaps die by mine .
Empty stomachs lead to poor decisions, research says: https://www.irishexaminer.com/break...d-to-poor-decisions-research-says-951019.html Maslow...? When your basic needs aren't being met, your thinking changes. The here and now over the prospect of a better future, or even the morality of a particular decision perhaps.
The looting continues in South Africa and they haven't any reason to loot. Foreign nationality is but the excuse to "redistribute". This is in "good times". https://www.nairaland.com/5394152/burning-looting-nigerian-shops-south USA, this summer, teenagers
