Posted on 02/12/2012 7:41:15 AM PST by blam
THREE MILLION PREPPERS IN AMERICA Are Getting Ready For The End of the World As We Know It
Mac Slavo
February 11th, 2012
In the autumn of 2008, as Presidential hopefuls sparred over whether we had entered a recession or not and well before the onset of the most serious global crisis since the 1930′s, trend forecaster Gerald Celente advised his Trends Journal subscribers to prepare for the worst and plan for the best. “It will be,” warned Celente, “like nothing we’ve ever seen in our lifetime.”
The aware and prepared … those understanding just how out of control society would become, and those who had acquired the skills for survival would stand the best chance of navigating the chaos safely.
But Americans were not prepared. Not by a long shot
Very few had the foresight to predict that the economic system and social fabric of our nation would be threatened with upheaval and disarray. But some, whether through independent education or through intuition, deduced that there was a real possibility of a system shock so significant that life as we know it could be on the verge of a major paradigm shift – perhaps even a complete collapse of our economy and resource infrastructure.
As natural disasters around the world took the lives of hundreds of thousands, space agencies warned of solar disruptions that threaten our power grid, the economies of the world slid further into depression, and tensions between the world’s financial and resource super powers grew, more and more people began to realize that the stability we have come to depend on to live our daily lives was nothing but illusion.
With very few places to turn for support, most headed for the internet, where communities had popped up to discuss possible disaster and collapse scenarios, and ways to minimize the impact on oneself and family. That it was happening or could happen was no longer the question.
The real question was how to survive it when it finally came to pass.
With none of us ever having experienced (or even imagined) such a possibility before, many turned to guidance from experts in their fields – people like Gerald Celente or Marc ‘Dr. Doom’ Faber, who had an uncanny ability to see developing trends, and authors like survival expert James Rawles who wrote the popular economic collapse and survival cult classic Patriots and William Forstchen who penned One Second After, a frighteningly realistic look at what life without the grid might look like. First it was thousands, then tens of thousands of concerned Americans who began learning the essentials of survival by learning from each other with resources offered at web destinations like the American Preppers Network, Doctor Prepper, Survival Mom, Off Grid Survival and Ready Nutrition.
Those who chose to insulate themselves against coming disaster were often vilified or dismissed as lunatics by friends and family alike. And while many chose to ignore the trend which had become quite apparent, those who had the willingness to consider a different reality than had been painted by the powers that be just kept on preppin’.
As global malaise continued and the people began to lose confidence in political platitudes and corporatist solutions, the movement towards preparedness, survival and self reliance grew. After having seen what took place in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, many came to the conclusion that if the worst were to happen there would be no government to help, no 9-1-1 to call, and no emergency management agency to distribute food or water.
Today, at the cusp of possibly the most trying times in human history, more Americans than ever before are preparing for the possibility of disaster.
As many as three million Americans now fall into the category dubbed ‘preppers’ – people who are making detailed plans for the end of the world as we know it.
The preppers are an ever-growing group of survivalists who take extreme measures to prepare for a major catastrophic event.
…
More than 300,000 people a month visit the movement’s website, survivalblog.com, which catalogues how people are preparing for the worst.
The website has been set up by James Rawles, a former US Army intelligence officer, who is one of the movement’s leading figures.
Speaking to The Times, he said: ‘Should the worst happen, it’s become apparent that the Government can’t provide for everybody. And now that realisation is becoming more widespread.‘
…
‘People invest so much money in life insurance,’ Mr Ralston told National Geographic. ‘This is life assurance.’
He is like some of the people featured on National Geographic’s new show Doomsday Preppers, which chronicles a new prepper each week, delving into their conceptions of the end and what they’re doing to prepare for it.
‘It’s not a hobby, it’s a lifestyle,’ Gloria Haswell told National Geographic. She and her husband spend 50 hours a week getting ready for a climate shift in the poles.
…
‘These are not just a handful of people living in the mountains,’ National Geographic Channel’s executive vice president of programming Michael Cascio told the Wall Street Journal. ‘They’re everywhere.’
…
The Journal notes that Nat Geo has begun appealing to a growing subculture that has seen the past disasters – from last year’s tsunami and earthquake in Japan to riots to economic uncertainty – and have wanted to prepare the best they can.
‘The last few years have probably exacerbated the doomsday fear,’ Mr Cascio told the Journal. ‘The world is changing.’
Source: UK Daily Mail
This week the National Geographic series Doomsday Preppers debuted to an audience of four million, a testament to the fact that preparing for disasters – regardless of the kind – is a growing trend, and one that’s popular even among those that have been affectionately dubbed the sheeple. No doubt some of those watching the show, who never considered the possibility of far-from equilibrium events, will take to preparing right away.
Most seasoned preppers will agree that those first few weeks and months of preparedness are the most stressful, with emotions being described by newbies as anxiety and panic. For those just getting started, you should feel better knowing that it’s better late than never.
What you may be experiencing today isn’t panic. It’s a sense of urgency, and that’s a positive motivator that can, with focus, drive you to quickly and effectively achieve your goals.
Panic is what we’ll see from those remaining 99% of Americans who have failed to take measures to protect themselves from the coming devastation.
There is good PREPPING advice on some of the links that Kartographer provides. I'm sure he will be glad to direct you to other sources too.
One trick I've discovered for saving money (on non-food items) is garage sales. I purchased two full 20 pound propane tanks this Saturday for five bucks each. I've bought camper stoves, Coleman lanterns, chain-saws canning pots/jars and power generators, etc for pennies on the dollar.
There is good PREPPING advice on some of the links that Kartographer provides. I'm sure he will be glad to direct you to other sources too.
One trick I've discovered for saving money (on non-food items) is garage sales. I purchased two full 20 pound propane tanks this Saturday for five bucks each. I've bought camper stoves, Coleman lanterns, chain-saws canning pots/jars and power generators, etc for pennies on the dollar.
One hopes not, but at any rate, one cannot dispute that we are always getting closer :-)
Ezekiel 16:49
Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.
Most people have no knowledge or training of this
Exactly correct. I am not able to afford the expensive dehydrated stuff either. But canned foods last a long time too. So every time I shop I spend 10 bucks on canned foods that will make a meal in a pinch. I’ve been doing that for a couple of years and I am at the point where I am not longer worried about food in a meltdown. Also if you have the land to have a garden do that too. The biggest worry is water, I am lucky to have a water well on my property. Spend a little time thinking about how to secure water should the gov supplied water stop flowing for some reason.
You must be auditioning for the title “World’s Leading Amateur Human Being”.
You may find this interesting. I've posted this to the archaeology/anthropology threads for years.
"In the past there have been numerous theories for the cause(s) of autism, Asperger's syndrome, ADHD and Tourette syndrome. Most of these theories can at best explain small parts of these diverse syndromes. Many of them extend their findings in spectacular ways to be able to claim to explain larger parts of the autism spectrum with little success."
It's been recently reported that the DNA of Europeans and Asians (not Africans) is about 2% Neanderthal.
My DNA haplogroups are R1b and 'V'...probably more than 2% Neanderthal too, lol.
Canned Food Last 30 Years Or Longer
"Among the canned food items retrieved from the Bertrand in 1968 were brandied peaches, oysters, plum tomatoes, honey, and mixed vegetables. In 1974, chemists at the National Food Processors Association (NFPA) analyzed the products for bacterial contamination and nutrient value. Although the food had lost its fresh smell and appearance, the NFPA chemists detected no microbial growth and determined that the foods were as safe to eat as they had been when canned more than 100 years earlier. The nutrient values varied depending upon the product and nutrient. NFPA chemists Janet Dudek and Edgar Elkins report that significant amounts of vitamins C and A were lost. But protein levels remained high, and all calcium values 'were comparable to today's products.'"
"NFPA chemists also analyzed a 40-year-old can of corn found in the basement of a home in California. Again, the canning process had kept the corn safe from contaminants and from much nutrient loss. In addition, Dudek says, the kernels looked and smelled like recently canned corn."
That’s some rant!
Are you against other types of insurance as well?
You may wish to review my just Updated Preparedness Manual Rev J available for FREEE down load at:
http://tomeaker.com/kart/Preparedness1j.pdf
Re: your post. Nice to see someone with some sense on "Prepper" threads.
Some prep = good sense. Generally, I'm prepared for the most likely castastrophe (likely weather-related, in my area), plus a little bit. I do surf through these threads once in awhile - occasionally there's a good idea or two. Other people can certainly disagree, everyone has their own definition of "reasonable".
But waking up every morning disappointed because there's another day without hordes of zombies to repel from my walled-in compound of underground bunkers? No thanks, I'll pass.
I've always wondered what these extreme preppers would do, if their worst-case scenario actually happens - to them. As in, the meteorite the size of NYC lands on THEIR bunker filled with 5 years of food, their armory, etc etc etc.
Man, that would be irony defined, right there.
‘Bout time!
I was gittin’ tired of “i”
;o)
P.S.....thanks for all you do!
Nope, just sane as opposed to DELUSIONAL, like you lot.
that's "prepping" of a sort...
you can't deny that inflation is eating away at our money....
we bought junk silver back in the Ruff days...sure, it might have been a stupid thing, but we still have those coins...if nothing else ,our grandkids can play with them...
don't eat out...that is a big money waster...
I guess the good side is that with your money down maybe you're kid will be eligible for govt grants..
God bless...
most, like my kid, have a hard enough time counting money,figuring out times,understanding that a checkbook isn't endless money...lol....
that's the way it used to be done and is still done today in many countries and in our country among immigrant populations....
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