>>>You make some good points about not every device being effected, however, if there is no “juice” running to your outlets anymore it won’t matter all that much if your (fill in appliance here) is still ok.<<<
You’re correct. However, an infrastructure can be rebuilt - and the EMP isn’t going to remove the wires, just the generators and transformers. The technological knowledge also remains intact. And once the electricity is restored, the workable devices are still there, too.
I just don’t see our culture collapsing completely after an EMP. Partially, sure. I’d imagine that some places would be hellholes. On the other hand, I’d also imagine that some places would be up and running again within days.
Those folks who are either unprepared, either mentally, intellectually, or physically, would also seem to be the folks who will die or panic. Those who survive will already be prepared, and then they’ll go through the trial by fire. The high-fives in Caracas and Tehran wouldn’t last long.
My metaphor for Rome makes sense in my mind. They had a republic which was in constant upheaval from civil war and inner conflict, yet they kept expanding at the same time. When it looked like the republic would collapse, they established an empire. Outsiders look at us and see ferment and a lack of cohesion, but they’re not looking at the culture, and nothing brings about camaraderie than shared sacrifice. An EMP, in my opinion, would be a colossial error by the attacker. Culture isn’t the appliances in the kitchen. On the other hand, I can see some guy boiling water for a year getting more and more pissed off with each water haul, and when the infrastructure is rebuilt, that anger will be directed outward. IMHO