Hypothetical Doomsday Scenario

toppop52 · Jul 30, 2012

Preppers, UFOligists, spirit talkers, etc... at least the ones that consume an inordinate amount of time and resources on these things that can best be described in most of them as obsessions, have an emotional disconnect from reality. I say this from experience, my oldest brother living in NC has a room full of non perishables, his reasons are the SHTF du jour. It could be the one button push or another, military coup, swine flu epidemic, whatever he sees as the reason. He used colloidal silver until his teeth turned gray, he was on the vitamin of the month deal for years, low carb diet, etc... All the while smoking 2 packs a day, which he finally quit at 67 or so. He's not crazy, retired as a floating rig operator on nearly $90k a year retirement, mows for commercial property owners, has an 18 year old daughter and 50 year old wife, rides his Harley, etc... But to prove the emotional disconnect, he voted for Obama! :laughing:

Car Doc · Jul 30, 2012

Rural people tend to be more prepared than city folks its a way of life a lot more so than city folks deal with having stores close by. City folks usually get the power back on quicker then we do out in the country. We are just more in tuned with the necessity to fend for our self's and most of us do so.

I agree some of the preppers on TV have radical ideas I learn from the practical ones but I have a hard time wrapping my mind around some of the far fetched ideas.

But hey good for them its a free country for now. I am prepared for a lot but not any more than I am physically able to do we are not going anywhere in an event we will be staying at home. I haven't spread my stuff all over the place like some do haha.

ozley · Jul 30, 2012

Check out the news in NEW DELHI 300 million without power.

RoyJackson · Jul 30, 2012

ozley said:
Check out the news in NEW DELHI 300 million without power.

Yeah...most of 'em probably didn't notice...

MasseyWV · Jul 30, 2012

Car Doc said:
City folks usually get the power back on quicker then we do out in the country.

Ain't that the truth. It takes forever for them to get the power back on in some rural areas.

BobRip · Jul 30, 2012

MasseyWV said:
Ain't that the truth. It takes forever for them to get the power back on in some rural areas.

Maybe we should guarantee a certain minimum power outage time every year. That way people could prepare if it bothered them.

newbury · Jul 30, 2012

BobRip said:
Maybe we should guarantee a certain minimum power outage time every year. That way people could prepare if it bothered them.

I thought my power company had that!

MasseyWV · Jul 30, 2012

BobRip said:
Maybe we should guarantee a certain minimum power outage time every year. That way people could prepare if it bothered them.

Where I live, the power is usually out for at least a week each year, or at least that's the way it's been for the last few years. We quickly learned to be prepared...

toppop52 · Jul 30, 2012

Before most of the area lines went underground we lost power every time a dark cloud came by. Now it's far more intermittent but still fairly regularly and the ones we do get last longer.

dave1949 · Jul 30, 2012

toppop52 said:
Preppers, UFOligists, spirit talkers, etc... at least the ones that consume an inordinate amount of time and resources on these things that can best be described in most of them as obsessions, have an emotional disconnect from reality. I say this from experience, my oldest brother living in NC has a room full of non perishables, his reasons are the SHTF du jour. It could be the one button push or another, military coup, swine flu epidemic, whatever he sees as the reason. He used colloidal silver until his teeth turned gray, he was on the vitamin of the month deal for years, low carb diet, etc... All the while smoking 2 packs a day, which he finally quit at 67 or so. He's not crazy, retired as a floating rig operator on nearly $90k a year retirement, mows for commercial property owners, has an 18 year old daughter and 50 year old wife, rides his Harley, etc... But to prove the emotional disconnect, he voted for Obama! :laughing:

Well, one of my brother's rides a Yamaha and voted for McCain. My other brother owns two copies of one of Glen Beck's books, I'll do a two-fer-one swap on brothers with you :laughing:

Seriously though, inordinate prepping for events that are extremely unlikely to occur is obsessive behavior, although for some it may be more like a hobby, and hobbies can get expensive too.

Surely some tribe of primitives off in the middle of nowhere has a much better chance of surviving than any prepper and they don't have to prepare, it's what they do everyday. If survival is the ultimate goal, and disaster is a given, then clearly your best chance is to buy your one-way tickets to nowhere and leave today. Why mess with stuffing food under your bed?

Staying in civilization among the most dangerous critters on earth -- humans -- is like trying to have your cake and eat it too.