Been thinking:
Why does prepping exist as it does today?
What makes it popular or possible based on numbers that participate to a greater or lesser degree?
Humans have been around as a genus species (homo sapiens) about 200,000 years, with civilization of some sort about the last 6,000 years. Industrialization has been around since about the 1800’s. As a planet 85-90 percent of human history has been spent trying to survive long enough to identify and learn basic use of natural resources. The remainder to date has been spent exploiting what we learned for private gain. 90% or more of everything invented since the beginning of time, has been invented in the last 60 years.
When I was born in 1958 there were roughly 2.3 billion people on the earth. There are now roughly triple that. Not only the increase, but the rate of the increase is increasing… That’s exponential. Now add time moving forward, 10 or 20 or 50 or more years.
What does that do, or what is the effect?
It increases competition for resources. It creates cities that have 4-12 million people living in them, in desperation, on top of each other, without enough food, education, medical care or hope.
That is an excellent cauldron for tomorrows diseases like Zika, Ebola, SARS and whatever next. It will definitively be something. History says so, not speculation. Ignoring the fact that some diseases might be created and released either by error or maliciously, the effect is the same regardless.
One symptom of competition for space and resources is a gross devaluation of life.
Socially, even if we know better and when we see too much – even atrocities seem more normal than before. Behaviors we would never have tolerated even 10 years ago have much less impact. That’s how fear works if you have to live with it. Anybody that has ever lived under mortal pressure will know that eventually you can’t worry any more, and you begin to act as though mortal peril is normal, whether on the battle field or elsewhere. As a defense mechanism you believe you are removed from it, because if not, you have to face the fact that you can’t or won’t do anything about it. It’s a way to carry on. I’m not sure what you call it if you ignore it and do nothing when you are not directly affected. I suppose it depends on the situation. Maybe we are so covered with so much that we feel like we can’t change it all so we don’t try until we are directly involved.
Physically, competitive pressure does very strange things to behavior and physiology.
We did some testing in college (biology grad studies), where we increased the population density in a population of mice. The result was a marked increase in disease and homosexual behavior. No I don’t know why, I am not a mouse. Blame the study, statistics, whatever.. it is what it is. I’m not blaming any particular behavior on population density. Just reporting the study observations so remember these are mice, not people. We are supposed to be more intelligent than mice.
Another Study.
On an island in the great lakes that was too far for the deer to swim away or predators to reach, a population increased slowly, until it reached critical mass density. The island was visited regularly for study, so there was a base line over time. One time the visit showed that the entire population was dead. Not gone, dead. Since it was well studied, testing for things like poison, predation etc… were done and compared to the base line. They found that the adrenal glands had vastly increased in size from stress on the population due to crowding. The deer reached a tipping point and catastrophically failed suddenly.
I’m not saying population density causes homosexuality, or everybody is going to die, or the sky is falling. I’m saying that population density and competition as time goes on becomes increasingly negative in effect in proportion to the increase. (RE: Thomas Robert Malthus for demography in (Essay on the Principal of Population – 1798)).
So why should I care?
First more studies …
European ethic origin reproduction is dropping. Something like 2.3 children per couple. Yes I know people who have more too. I also know as many couples that are opting to go childless… and why the term dink was coined (Double Income No Kids). The Hispanic birth rate is higher that European but it has dropped by half over the last few years. Where Middle Eastern reproduction is concerned it’s something like 7-8 children. Not my numbers, go do your own research, and feel free to draw whatever conclusion you like. Do the math on the whole and use facts. The nature of competition includes winning and losing, based on the qualities of the competitors.
What does the long term growth rates with just those three populations (there are more) tell you?
Were the studies that arrived at those number flawed or biased?
Fair question. Probably, since a large number are biased and based as much on who is paying for it and what they want the study to support as facts. Like voting districts or other.
Back to prepping in its incarnations from totally defensive to totally offensive. (Bug in, Bug out, or a variant.) What makes the movement possible?
It’s likely we, of more than a few years, bring a perspective that 20 something’s don’t have. We, whether analytically or instinctively, understand something is up and it drives us to act, to prepare for it. Misguided or not we will act or not. No small wonder an industry springs up to create products, and sell them based on a market demand. It also is not a surprise that some fan the flames to create a buzz to feed the marketing pig. Maybe we feed it, or maybe we read it and take it with a grain of salt, and use more practical approach. Without much doubt, fear, whether of the unknown or the perception of specific threats, is a driver behind why we do what we do.
Prepper(s) are not blinded, are intuitive, and are proactive rather than reactive, to some degree.
They don’t wait, and that causes fear in “leadership” of the US and other countries, because proactive people are not easily manipulated. We need to think about what that fear by Leadership might mean, and how to use that information.
The above premise might build a basis for every political and legal action for the last 50 years, maybe more. Too much noise and it gives the perception of a threat greater than it is, not enough and nothing gets done or changes. I don’t know anyone that wants catastrophic change. Do we want positive change? Absolutely. What positive change means is a whole other discussion. Maybe several, and is the basis for the majority of political discord.
While our leadership is self-serving and not necessarily bright, many of the people analyzing data for them are bright indeed. Never underestimate an opponent in any conflict, or difference of opinion. They have concluded some of what I am describing, in different words probably, with lots of data and charts. Remember they fund the Census, and many other data gathering studies. No need keep it from you, if it’s piled under mounds of other misdirection. Have you seen the search engines lately on any subject?
Something has to be done in order for the planet to survive. It’s really that simply stated.
National/International leadership(s) are making mistakes in trying to manipulate things so they remain in control and in power. Some likely think they are doing the rights things.
The thing about answers gathered from huge amounts of data, is that to get good conclusions, you have to ask well designed questions. What questions do you think they are asking? Did they start with a conclusion and work backwards to get data to support it? Most do when they are more concerned about a predetermined answer instead of a correct answer.
Consider another aspect.
If you were a world leader in any country, U.N., European Union, Far East etc… How would you try to exhibit control? What would you do and why? Remember they might not be bright, and may be very self-serving, but their analysts aren’t stupid.
Without going all conspiracy theory and using bits and pieces of random facts. Let’s avoid ideological divisions just now. What could be done to control a population?
If you wanted control you would likely consider:
– disarmament at a basic level
– control food supplies from reducing inventory and availability through distribution and manipulated crop production
– control the water supply chain. (Remember the U.S. population living today has never known bad water except in isolated incidences)
– manipulate the economy to the point that it is either classless or two broad classes (Upper and Lower).
– subsidize education to control what is taught historically, and limit innovation.
– control medical care and medicines by subsidization through insurance or created shortages.
– implement a system to advocate importation of resources
– export manufacturing
I am sure there are more relating to money supply etc… but it’s a huge topic.
You could enforce all your control measures by withdrawing government subsidization.
Why or how could that be possible?
Who is the largest employer in the US? The various local and Federal Governments.
(Local government is subsidized by Federal government programs.) Include Military and Government retirees as well as Social programs. You also have to include Social security for the private citizen. Don’t follow my rules, I quit paying you.
In answer, I would want to say, “But Social Security is MY money, not something that belongs to the government. I paid for it out of what I earned”. I agree in principal, but you would be both right and wrong. Beginning the day Social Security Trust Fund became more accessible in 1969, the idea that the Trust could be used for something else gained traction. During the Linden Johnson Administration the Social Security Trust Fund began being treated as part of the “unified budget”, then was again turned back off in 1990. In either case, it is only an accounting practice. The actual issue has been a violation of the intent of the Trust Fund by all parties, and the idea remained and became an accepted practice. It never became part of a general fund.
(source SSA.gov. That is the SSA’s OWN website not just me) That means this is solely placed on the shoulders of our politicians, and is party agnostic.
The point being that the Federal Government can leverage the majority of Americans directly or indirectly whenever they want. The only question is to what degree, and how well it will be tolerated? The answer is gradually. Remember how we live with fear.
I’ll paraphrase an axiomatic, saying.
“How do you cook a frog? Put them in a pan of cold water, and turn it up gradually.
By the time it notices it’s already cooked”
So what do you think, are we cooked, or is there still time to do something?
We can choose to act or react.
I have ignored conspiracy theories and parties, or tried at least, but have speculated certainly.
It feels a little dark. I can’t tell if it’s because I “think” it is, or it actually is, or to what degree.
I’ll leave that to you.
You are welcome to any or all of the ideas if they stimulate your gray matter.
I clearly think too much and over analyze. It’s what happens with 3 undergrad degrees and a masters then add in IT and stir actively with time.
Feel free to disagree, or agree to any degree you like. Criticize my word usage, run on sentences, and punctuation. Whatever works for you. The premise of the write-up is to get you to think, not convince you to agree with me. Do your own research, and become engaged. Don’t be satisfied with reading or listening to an opinion of someone else’s opinion.
If you made it this far, you already have what it takes.
Good luck and safe Journey!
Thanks
Goingray58
“If you wanted control you would likely consider:”
GoinGray58, I think you pretty well captured what has been going on in this country for perhaps the last 20 or so years. Our government is gradually implementing programs to achieve each of the points you posted and the “frogs” have yet to realize the water is warming. What is so unfortunate is that the people who see this are like one person trying to stop a tidal wave. So many of us have lost faith in the political system of our country and cannot see an avenue thru that system to make a change. For instance, this presidential cycle. If the two candidates for the main parties are the best available, heaven help us. Our country no longer produces true heroes. Obama has been very successful in stamping out any dissention in the ranks of the military, just look at the long list of officers fired. He has purged that reservoir of talent from which we have traditionally see “heroes” rise.
It’s ironic that the theme song for one of the post apopalytic movies was “We don’t need another hero”, sung by Tina Turner. It pretty well sums up where we are today….
“Out of the ruins
Out from the wreckage
Can`t make the same mistake this time
We are the children
The last generation
We are the ones they left behind
And I wonder when we are ever gonna change
Living under the fear, till nothing else remains
We don`t need another hero
We don`t need to know the way home
All we want is life beyond
Thunderdome”
but in our case, we need a true hero to rise up and save this nation. Heaven knows, we haven’t see one in a long time.
Read more: Tina Turner – We Don’t Need Another Hero Lyrics | MetroLyrics
Good article. I think you can see where we are now most accurately by reading the Communist Manifesto and see how many of there goals have been checked off. Is there anything left? Don’t stop working at preserving your Independence.
When I was a small lad, I remember overhearing a mom&dad conversation, the gist of which was that they would minimize offspring in order to increase resources available to that offspring – and so I was the fortunate one.
I suspect a deep distrust of elected officials and regulatory agencies are a core component of the prepping mindset.
I can remember a time when it was actually illegal for the US Government to engage in domestic propaganda. Now we are inundated with common core messages and NPR pours out its liberal agenda. Every student of history understands the need of governments to ‘control’ the governed however in the 20th century scientific methods were applied to that control. See the many links at: http://research.calvin.edu/german-propaganda-archive/ww2era.htm.
Many of you are probably tired of hearing my recipe for reinvention of the national weal: term limits for every elected office, balanced budget requrement for all governmental and regulatory activities, and user based taxation at all levels of government. To these might be added universal governmental service, either military or civilian (for we no longer know how to work with one another) and an end to repetitive property taxation. The latter would restrict the funds local and state governments require to maintain bloated roles and intrusive regulations and increase discretionary funds. Government is the greatest cause of death in all recorded history.
Enjoyed your thoughtful and insightful post.
PR
Does anyone have a good idea of the age breakdown preppers ? Is this”behavior”practiced predominantly by those of us at the time in our lives that put us in that easiest controlled segment of retirement age,(or close to?) Fair to say with the experience and,(hopefully,)knowledge gathered up to this point, we also have a more definitive opinion/perspective on most everything. Though, quite often in my case, where the spirit is willing……well, sometimes badgering the body has it’s consequences.(Thanks PR for your sharing about Osteo Bi-Flex, has helped immensely!) Seriously, does anyone here have any age related breakdowns of communities like this?
Very provocative article Goingray58….several points that invite much consideration, thanks.
Joyce, glad the OTC is helping. Be sure and take the recommended dose which can vary depending upon which dosage you may have. I’ve had one bottle that recommended two a day and another four a day.
If any interested in the UV (C) penetration of plastic and glass, Rourke can forward a professional opinion. Bottom line, it depends -upon the coatings and chemical composition of the container but neither is expected to far outdo the other – unless the container is quartz or similar which is most efficient at transmission of UV (C).
PR
Looking forward to getting a clearer idea of UV effects in glass/plastic and whatever else you threw in PR….send it my way Rourke/PR. Thanks 🙂
Most preppers I know of started prepping because they felt something wasn’t right and were witnessing bizarre things (political correctness gone wild, wars, terrorism, religious persecution, attacks on liberty, complete abandonment of faith and faith-based morality by massive amounts of people, etc.) take place around them that they would have never thought possible or believed even a decade or two ago.
Often times we feel that we’re “living in the twilight zone”.
This is our sixth sense. We’re being warned of something awful looming on the horizon that we can’t pinpoint or fully explain even. Although we try to play out many possible scenarios including financial collapse, natural disasters, war, etc. to help us cope and begin responding as best we can.
As each day passes, I am becoming more convinced that this feeling of an impending sense of doom is a message from God that something (e.g. Tribulation) is coming our way soon.
I believe this is why prepping has ramped up so much in the last 5-10 years. It may be all for naught, but I think that if none of our prepping was going to matter then we wouldn’t have been woken from our stupor and now feel driven to prepare. There is a reason we are called to prep… we should all pray for clearer understanding and direction on what to do with this insight we’ve been given.
What I find so incredibly amazing is how our society has ‘progressed’ from being able to feed and care for itself. My paternal grandparents raised 12 children without much access to store-bought goods. They kept a large garden, a milk cow, goats, and hunted. When I was small there were always a half wild hog or two hanging around along with the chickens and several coon hounds looking for scraps. Oh, and my my grandparents were completely ‘off grid.’ No electricity and no running water; a well with bucket and pulley out front and a little shack out back. Off to the side were two other little shacks, the wash house and bath house. Water for the weekly bath was heated in large cast iron caldrons nestled on large rocks.
It was at their house I first saw one of the amazing Aladdin kerosine mantle lamps. My father purchased it in 1932 for his youngest sister to study by at night. That light is in my bedroom and I still use it. Grandpa was a preacher and blacksmith and I suspect the latter brought in more money than the former. When we visited from Texas, dad would take them to ‘town’ for store bought food staples, new clothes, ‘factory made’ shoes, and the like. I don’t think they returned to town until our visit the following year. Three things were common in that household – love, respect, and hard work. I think my grandparents would smile and shake their heads at the lot of us so called preppers but do I ever wish I had paid more attention to how they did things when I was a lad.
PR
Going Gray58- Exc. article-thank you. I will need to re- read it to comment. All the responses are thought provoking also.
Lightning
Re the age of preppers -I believe that there are as many reasons and ages as there are preppers. Ones upbringing, ones life exp. with disasters, ones philosophy of life and of faith etc. all contribute.It would be interesting to have each of us share why we have decided to be preppers and at what age . .Rourke could ypou post this as a question please and we can all jump in !! Thanks.Lightning
PS How is everyone doing who was exposed to Hurricane Hermaine?
Great idea Lightning ……..and yes, hope you all along the east coast are safe and able to take a bit of a break this Labor day weekend.
re-reading my article… nothing to add really ..
Joyce
from what I see so far, age 40 -60 is a little over 50%
Open it to 30 on the low side and you get closer to 75%
Open it to 70 and above and you get 95%
As time moves forward the ranges open further that ages have been spreading out..
PR… I always get about as much from your comments and your articles.. (you know stuff)
Indeed we have largely lost the abilities allowing self reliance. We all need to work on our skills and as importantly libraries.. as well as group capabilities.
How many people do you think were on the planet when your grandparents were living when you were a lad?
RCP
God surely has his hand on us .. and perhaps we all have that internal voice and not all are listening to it.
The fact that the topic has made it to mainstream media means we will be under observation. Going gray is a necessity, and that means PerSec (don’t talk it up just walk it) – Self, OpSec, don’t provide information that allows identification location of self, family and group – Others.
Tin hat time
If I want to speculate WAY out there.. What better way to prepare for martial law or some variant than to get your “subjects” to stock up.. since you can confiscate it when needed for the greater good. Remember the NDAA exists.
Reading up on and planning for caching and pre-positioning.. just a thought
now removing tin hat
Thanks for the provoking comments
GG58
Just ducked back here to reread your post since it was highlighted as a “related post” GG58. The scope of your perception is hard to encompass in a single reading it is very nutrient dense…but then, my mind has a “need to know” clause and sometimes it seems to think i don’t NEED to know….wipes the slate before info can make it to the long term storage area i’m afraid. SO, going over materials a second/third time is always productive! Since i don’t receive notification of new comments via email, i miss some very good comments though. Did you say if the ages 40-70 and above are combined, the percentage would be 95% ? Or did that 95% include the 30-40 bracket as well ? If it was 40 and above, that means that the most prepared individuals are also (overall) less physically able than the least prepared…..Mmmmmmm. Experience will hopefully be the best asset as we wade through these muddy waters. Agree about PR, he DOES know stuff…could listen to his comments all day-i always learn something. The bulk of my preps are skills,capabilities and especially my library so it really is frightening to think what little in the way of supplies i have, could be taken…would mean more than lean times. OpSec/PerSec for sure…..do write more, looking forward to it, thanks ! joyce
joyce… I think to much and over analyze (have been accused often).. I do not however get paralyzed and do act when needed.. which means you never get 100% certainty… over 80% is rare IMO.. so you do stuff and adjust as you move.. “no plan survives first contact”
I tend to plan for the worst which often makes me a version of Eor 🙂 So I stay busy and try to have some fun to balance it .. though my version of fun according to my kids is work . Yes the 30-40 bracket was how we got to 95% The majority ( I think it was 55%) of preppers are in the middle age brackets.. Adding ten years to the top gets another 25% then adding the same to the bottom you get the other percentages.
So now I’ll put my analytical hat on.
Like with the elections.. The results of any survey depends on sample size. The design of the questions… yada yada.. It was not a scientific survey, and by definition trivial then.. But if you collect a lot of information you get a feel for it and then add users membership stats on various prepper sites. Also .. what is a prepper ? I suspect out of 1000 people asked you woudl have a dozen definitions or more.. if you only asked people that self identify as preppers.. And some who are, would not identify at all of course. Now add the OTHER parties etc.. and you get a different set of definitions..
Maybe we can get JR to put up an article or we can post as Q&A.
I’d like to see what folks her think it means.
For your consideration:
Translated from German in Wikipedia:(just hit the translate button)
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prepper
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivalism
http://www.theprepperjournal.com/2013/04/22/what-is-a-prepper/
They provide some additional history leading back to the Civil War thru the Cold War… Roll it all together ans see where you fall in the definition.
GG58
Thanks for the additional ( over-analytical 🙂 )info/comments. DH and you would TRULY “get” each other….it took over half of our marriage for me to begin to understand he is in the segment of society classified as not only uber-analytical, but uber-sensitive as well.(Tastes, smells and feels, both physically and emotionally, to a higher degree than most.) It’s a good thing in some aspects but can complicate life. Especially when one of our four kids is the same-the other three only have it to a limited degree, along with a slight case of perfectionism that i share. I also have the WORST case of optimism….i love my life though. Looking forward to checking out the three links you put up, will get back to this thread when i have read. Yep….What each of us thinks in response to any given post would probably be all over the map, though subconsciously, i am processing it as though we are all in one accord. Brings me up short when i realize the broad scope of perspective and thoughts are WAY outside any limiting box i so erroneously constructed. But that also brings out the incredible and diverse array of ideas and approaches to deal with the topic. What i perceive as the answer to “what is a prepper” ( or any other question,) is confined to my experience. Perhaps part of my understanding bisects someone or many someones. But most likely, there are many answers in other spheres i have no idea of because of limited experience in my sphere. (i live such a shelterd life.) Putting the question out there would surely be interesting if only for the benefit of sharpening our own understanding of what we are about.