Don't Get Too Excited

The end is inevitable! The writing is on the wall! We're watching it all unfold as we speak! I've been seeing this type of stuff pop up more and more lately because of things like the natural disasters that have been occurring, gas prices and the economy. Part of the problem is the ready availability and ease of distribution of information. This is a new phenomenon. We don't have to rely on the mainstream media to tell us what's going on on the other side of the world, anymore. It's a lot harder to let things go unreported. When a disaster happens we know the details almost immediately after the fact no matter where it happened in the world. Instead of reading about it in the morning paper or waiting until the 6 o'clock news to find out about it we get it all shoved down our throats 24/7 on the internet and on 24 hour news channels. Basically in the last decade or so we've been hit with doom and gloom overload.

Another problem is the fact that the earth's human population is spreading out and growing rapidly. A lot of the places where people are settling are already known to be prone to natural disasters. Then one hits and people are shocked when it kills a lot of people. For decades we knew that Katrina was a disaster waiting to happen. We know that the New Madrid fault will decimate the midwest when it goes. We know that when the San Andreas fault goes it could turn California into an island and Arizona into ocean front property. We know that Yellowstone could blow up and when it does it will likely wipe out a huge chunk of the US and send the rest of the world into another ice age. Then there are the tornadoes and the hurricanes...

These are all potentially devastating disasters that could happen just in the US. When you put things into perspective it's pretty easy to see how fragile we are and how destructive nature can be. Of course when these things happen people will be pointing to Revelations and calling for the end of civilization like they always have. When these things that we've already decided are inevitable finally happen people will act surprised or try to find some type of pattern. It's pretty simple really. The more people there are the more likely that people will be affected by natural disasters. Of course when a huge hurricane travels harmlessly over the Gulf of Mexico we hear almost nothing about it.

Of course this applies to things like news on the economy or virus outbreaks in Asia as well. In a lot of ways information like that is even more scary. That type of crisis could potentially affect every one of us no matter where we are. There are also so many variables involved that we can't really understand the scope of how bad they are. Then there's the fact that a lot of times we just don't understand what's going on (no matter how well we think we do). It's also almost impossible to predict the results.

Obviously this is the kind of stuff that we're preparing for. If you live in Florida then you're bound to get hit by a hurricane eventually. If you live in California then you're going to have to deal with a few earthquakes. Our economy relies on periods of recession where the market corrects itself. There's only so much oil in the ground. Eventually we're going to run out. Big government is getting more and more intrusive in our lives.

You can take steps to avoid some of these things. You can move to an area that's not prone to disasters. You can pay off your debt. You can store a few years worth of food in your basement. You can buy a fortress that's a hundred miles from anyone. Just don't get too carried away with your preps. Do what's best for you. Don't do what might be best for you if the world happens to end someday. Odds are that it won't. You could divorce your sheeple wife, sell your house, buy a trailer, park it on a piece of junk land and live out your life with no stress and no debt.....and no comforts. How happy will you be with your decision after twenty years when society is still chugging along, though? Do you want to buy that farm in the country because you think that it's the only way that you'll survive the "inevitable" collapse or are you really so sick of modern life that that's honestly the life that you want for you and your family?

Comments

Anonymous said…
I agree with this post, except the part about moving into the country.

I've been in metro areas. Living like rats in a rat race. No thank you, not for me. Life is to precious to spend in traffic jams and standing in line.

But I am glad most people think otherwise. That leaves the wide opens spaces for me!
Ryan said…
I agree with this post 100%. As for living in the sticks its great if it is what someone wants to do for reasons except survivalism.

Also notice how doom and gloomers keep pushing that date back.
It's all about compromising and deciding what you're willing to live with. Do what's best for you. Don't make permanent life altering decisions based solely on your feeling of impending doom. Prepping is obviously a wise thing to do and if more people would embrace self sufficiency the world would be a much better place. If the country is where you honestly and truly want to be then what are you waiting for? Get out of the city.
Anonymous said…
Good post. I have believe that it's foolish to predicate everything upon a sudden, cataclysmic crash. What if it doesn't happen that way? What if, as I believe, life just continues to get more and more difficult gradually, over a period of years?

You know, there's one thing the human race in general has been horrible at, and that's predicting its own future. Yes, from a long-term perspective, should we continue on the path we're on as a nation, the entire system will collapse, but that doesn't mean it's imminent; we still have a ways to fall before we hit bottom, thanks, in large part, to the sweat and hard work of past generations.

Just like having a fire extinguisher (and knowing how to use it) on every level in the house makes good sense, so to does having at least a minimal amount of contingency preparations. http://dal357.blogspot.com/2008/02/google-search-for-survival-sites-and.html If one wants to go above and beyond the minimum, that's their choice, as far as their budget and motivation allows.
Anonymous said…
Thanks for putting things in perspective. Like someone commented, prepping is a lot like having fire extinguishers, but we don't have to lose sleep over the possibility of a fire!
Put another way, I heard a slogan that works for me: "One day at a time." We might as well enjoy ourselves in the here and now, but be responsible by taking out insurance.
Thanks for your blog.
riverwalker said…
Total agreement here. I've been prepping on a serious basis for over ten years but feel that you need to adapt to changes as they happen. I was caught off my guard once and don't plan to let it happen again. Life goes on and so do I.

Stay above the water line!

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