A really good plan always has a back up plan. An excellent plan has a flow chart of back ups and contingency plans. Are you sure you have all your bases covered?
Let's play The Devil's Advocate...
You have prudently considered several of the most likely "stinky stuff through the fan blade" scenarios that will bring about the end of the world as we know it. You have put a lot of thought, time and money into fortifying your stand. You have stocked your stores with enough bandages, beans, bullets and bullion to see you and each member of your unit through a year of hard times.
You listened to the advise of the various experts and didn't put all of your preps into this one basket. You have an EMP proof bug out vehicle in the event you have to beat a hasty retreat out of your stand. You have a well stocked back up location to retreat to and you have several well concealed caches of supplies in case you are forced to beat feet with little more than the clothes on your back.
You have put your spare time to good use by studying a multitude of subjects dealing with self-sufficiency. If you were suddenly thrust into almost any equivalent of a substandard third world country, you would not only survive, you would thrive. And you would have the ability to teach others to do the same; a link in a chain that could help bring about the much better world we all dream of should we make it to the other side of the big collapse.
Ah, if only all of life's little cluster bombs could flow chart down to as happy a resolution as the troubleshooting chapter in a Chilton's automotive repair manual. Unfortunately, life has way too many variables, and a devil's advocate named Murphy pretty much demands that the negative side of the flowchart provide problems that vastly outnumber the solutions on the positive side.
My chart presents what I see as the final problem; For whatever the reasons, all of my efforts have resulted in dismal failure. I am out of food, out of supplies and out of any means to buy or barter for goods. The resolution options are pretty much obvious. Do I turn zombie and take what I need from others, by lethal force, in order to survive or do I succumb to (or precipitate) my own death to prevent that from happening? Does having family, especially children, provide a justification to harm others so that you can provide for that family in such a survival situation?
Don't be bashful. Jump in and let's kick this around a bit.
MikeH.
Let's play The Devil's Advocate...
You have prudently considered several of the most likely "stinky stuff through the fan blade" scenarios that will bring about the end of the world as we know it. You have put a lot of thought, time and money into fortifying your stand. You have stocked your stores with enough bandages, beans, bullets and bullion to see you and each member of your unit through a year of hard times.
You listened to the advise of the various experts and didn't put all of your preps into this one basket. You have an EMP proof bug out vehicle in the event you have to beat a hasty retreat out of your stand. You have a well stocked back up location to retreat to and you have several well concealed caches of supplies in case you are forced to beat feet with little more than the clothes on your back.
You have put your spare time to good use by studying a multitude of subjects dealing with self-sufficiency. If you were suddenly thrust into almost any equivalent of a substandard third world country, you would not only survive, you would thrive. And you would have the ability to teach others to do the same; a link in a chain that could help bring about the much better world we all dream of should we make it to the other side of the big collapse.
Ah, if only all of life's little cluster bombs could flow chart down to as happy a resolution as the troubleshooting chapter in a Chilton's automotive repair manual. Unfortunately, life has way too many variables, and a devil's advocate named Murphy pretty much demands that the negative side of the flowchart provide problems that vastly outnumber the solutions on the positive side.
My chart presents what I see as the final problem; For whatever the reasons, all of my efforts have resulted in dismal failure. I am out of food, out of supplies and out of any means to buy or barter for goods. The resolution options are pretty much obvious. Do I turn zombie and take what I need from others, by lethal force, in order to survive or do I succumb to (or precipitate) my own death to prevent that from happening? Does having family, especially children, provide a justification to harm others so that you can provide for that family in such a survival situation?
Don't be bashful. Jump in and let's kick this around a bit.
MikeH.
...justification to harm others?,only in self/family/home defense(for now)...moral breakdown to petty theft of the likes of stealing a chicken/eggs,raiding a garden,not likely...got my a$$ whooped for those few 'maters and couple eggs at 9 yrs old,i still remember that...my youngest is almost 10 now,he's a boy,we'll make it,the Mrs on the otherhand ??? she wont eat what we eat(?)
ReplyDeleteIt don't justify nothing.
ReplyDeleteBut to feed my children?
The mind boggles at what I would not do to keep them alive.
By 'harm', I am imagining you mean physically causing harm, and I am inclined to say, "When it comes to my family starving or some other, it's going to be the 'other'- and I am inclined to believe they (others) will think the same way."
ReplyDeleteNow, using 'harm' as meaning a non-personal attack, I have to say, "Yes, I will." In this context, regardless one's beliefs, if you are to take someone's food supply, you are harming them- just not slapping them upside the head (as a minimal attack). By taking their food, you've committed them to starvation rather than yourself. So, as I think of it, there is no way to not harm someone if you're after their food supplies (or cold weather clothing or ammo/guns or...) so you have to make up your mind before hand what you will do. Such as now, not tomorrow.
Mine is made up: my family comes first. Sad to say, "It's going to be hell if TSHTF as seriously as some think, and no time for niceties." Whether it be someone raiding my garden- they will recieve physical harm, I don't care how many kids they have starving- they aren't taking food from my kids; or someone attempting to take my BOB and supplies, it'll be a war.
And that is how I see a seeryus SHTF scenario- tho I doubt it'll get that far.
In more peaceful times, I will share with my neighbor, transients, as can be done. But the immediate family first- I have some family members who think they're just gonna wander over and enjoy my largesse when 'the time comes' rather than do their own prepping. Do I have news for them.
Shy III
There are two kinds of bad guys. The first kind lets you know, either out of stupidity or over confidence they don't hide their intent. They are easy to deal with either you stop/kill them or they kill you. The second bad guy is smiling, maybe slick maybe down to earth and they are good talkers with something to say that "disarms" you. They are much worse then BG #1 and they are NOT having any moral arguement with themselves and when the time is right they will act quickly. Let me borrow a well used phrase: Be friendly and professional when you encounter someone and have a plan to kill them without hesitation. I sincerely hope I never have to kill or seriously harm someone but long ago I decided that if I do I will not think twice and will not let my moral upbringing deter me in the slightest. I hope I'm not wrong! I hope I won't regret my actions. But I won't let fear and indecision prevent me from taking action until it is too late. Years ago when home invasions became more common I decided that if it happened to me I would be fighting right from the first second. No doubts, no fear of weapons or size of the agressor. If I have to die I want to do it trying to take them with me not tied up on the floor while getting my ribs kicked in. In a SHTF situation if somene on the street seems too friendly or getting too close I'm not waiting for them to make the first move. Sorry if that all sounds too un-Christian but that's the way it is.
ReplyDelete