The following is a general summary of my survivalist philosophy:
Modern Society is Increasingly Complex, Interdependent, and Fragile. With each passing year, technology progresses and chains of interdependency lengthen. In the past 30 years, chains of retail supply have grown longer and longer. The food on you500彩票幸运快三怎么看走势r supermarket shelf does not come from local farmers. It often comes from hundreds or even thousands of miles away. This has created an alarming vulnerability to disruption. Simultaneously, global population is still increasing in a near geometrical progression. At some point that must end, most likely with a sudden and sharp drop in population. The lynchpin is the grid. Without functioning power grids, modern industrial societies will collapse within weeks.
Civilization is Just a Thin Veneer. In the absence of law and order, men quickly revert to savagery. As was illustrated by the rioting and looting that accompanied disasters in the past three decades, the transition from tranquility to absolute barbarism can occur overnight. People expect tomorrow to be just like today, and they act accordingly. But then comes a unpredictable disaster that catches the vast majority unprepared. The average American family has four days worth of food on hand. When that food is gone, we’ll soon see the thin veneer stripped away.
People Run in Herds and Packs, but Both Follow Natural Lines of Drift. Most people are sheep (“sheeple“). A few are wolves that prey on others. But just a few of us are more like sheepdogs–we think independently, and instead of predation, we are geared toward protecting and helping others. People naturally follow natural lines of drift–the path of least resistance. When the Schumer hits the fan, 99% of urbanites will try to leave the cities on freeways. The highways and freeways will soon resemble parking lots. This means that you500彩票幸运快三怎么看走势 need to be prepared to both get out of town ahead of the rush and to use lightly-traveled back roads. Plan, study and practice.
Lightly Populated Areas are Safer than High Density Areas. With a few exceptions, less population means fewer problems. hasn’t been repealed.
Show Restraint, But Always Have Recourse to Lethal Force. My father often told me, “It is better to have a gun and not need it, than need a gun, and not have it.” I urge readers to use less than lethal means when safe and practicable, but at times there is not a satisfactory substitute for well-aimed lead going down range at high velocity.
There is Strength in Numbers. Rugged individualism is all well and good, but it takes more than one man to defend a retreat. Effective retreat defense necessitates having at least two families to provide 24/7 perimeter security. But of course every individual added means having another mouth to feed. Absent having an unlimited budget and an infinite larder, this necessitates striking a balance when deciding the size of a retreat group.
There are Moral Absolutes. The foundational morality of the civilized world is best summarized in the . Moral relativism and secular humanism are slippery slopes. The terminal moraine at the base of these slopes is a rubble pile consisting of either despotism and pillage, or anarchy and the depths of depravity. I believe that it takes both faith and friends to survive perilous times. For more background on that, see my Prayer page.
Racism Ignores Reason. People should be judged as individuals. Anyone that makes blanket statements about other races is ignorant that there are both good and bad individuals in all groups. I have accepted with sincerity. “Go forth into all nations” means exactly that: all nations. OBTW, I feel grateful that SurvivalBlog is now . I have been given a bully pulpit, and I intend to use it for good and edifying purposes.
Skills Beat Gadgets and Practicality Beats Style. The modern world is full of pundits, poseurs, and Mall Ninjas. Preparedness is not just about accumulating a pile of stuff. You need practical skills, and those only come with study, training, and practice. Any armchair survivalist can buy a set of stylish camouflage fatigues and an M4gery Carbine encrusted with umpteen accessories. Style points should not be mistaken for genuine skills and practicality.
Plentiful Water and Good Soil are Crucial. Modern mechanized farming, electrically pumped irrigation, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides can make deserts bloom. But when the grid goes down, deserts and marginal farmland will revert to their natural states. In my estimation, the most viable places to survive in the midst of a long term societal collapse will be those areas with reliable summer rains and rich topsoil.
Tangibles Trump Conceptuals. Modern fiat currencies are generally accepted, but have essentially no backing. Because they are largely a byproduct of interest bearing debt, modern currencies are destined to inflation. In the long run, inflation dooms fiat currencies to collapse. The majority of you500彩票幸运快三怎么看走势r assets should be invested in productive farm land and other tangibles such as useful hand tools. Only after you500彩票幸运快三怎么看走势 have you500彩票幸运快三怎么看走势r key logistics squared away, anything extra should be invested in silver and gold.
Governments Tend to Expand their Power to the Point that They Do Harm. In SurvivalBlog, I often warn of the insidious tyranny of the Nanny State. If the state where you500彩票幸运快三怎么看走势 live becomes oppressive, then don’t hesitate to relocate. Vote with you500彩票幸运快三怎么看走势r feet!
There is Value in Redundancy. A common saying of SurvivalBlog readers is: “Two is one, and one is none.” You must be prepared to provide for you500彩票幸运快三怎么看走势r family in a protracted period of societal disruption. That means storing up all of the essential “beans, bullets, and Band-Aids” in quantity. If commerce is disrupted by a disaster, at least in the short term you500彩票幸运快三怎么看走势 will only have you500彩票幸运快三怎么看走势r own logistics to fall back on. The more that you500彩票幸运快三怎么看走势 have stored, the more that you500彩票幸运快三怎么看走势 will have available for barter and charity. Just as important as redundancy are the attributes of versatility and flexibility. A Rawlesian survivalist likely owns as many as four vehicles: One powered by gasoline, one diesel, one propane, and one that is electric. The same individual probably owns a tri-fuel backup power generator that can run on gasoline, propane, or utility natural gas.
A Deep Larder is Essential. Food storage is one of the key preparations that I recommend. Even if you500彩票幸运快三怎么看走势 have a fantastic self-sufficient garden and pasture ground, you500彩票幸运快三怎么看走势 must always have food storage that you500彩票幸运快三怎么看走势 can fall back on in the event that you500彩票幸运快三怎么看走势r crops fail due to drought, disease, or infestation.
Tools Without Training Are Almost Useless. Owning a gun doesn’t make someone a “shooter” any more than owning a surfboard makes someone a surfer. With proper training and practice, you500彩票幸运快三怎么看走势 will be miles ahead of the average citizen. Get . Get the best firearms training that you500彩票幸运快三怎么看走势 can afford. Learn about amateur radio from you500彩票幸运快三怎么看走势r local affiliated ARRL club. Practice raising a vegetable garden each summer. Learn how to weld and buy you500彩票幸运快三怎么看走势r own oxyacetylene rig. Some skills are only perfected over a period of years.
Old Technologies are Appropriate Technologies. In the event of a societal collapse, 19th Century (or earlier) technologies such as a the blacksmith’s forge, the treadle sewing machine, and the horse-drawn plow will be far easier to re-construct than modern technologies.
Charity is a Moral Imperative. As a Christian, I feel morally obligated to assist others that are less fortunate. Following the Old Testament laws of (charity and tithing), I believe that my responsibility begins with my immediate family and expands in successive rings to supporting my immediate neighborhood and church, to my community, and beyond, as resources allow. In short, my philosophy is to “give until it hurts” in times of disaster.
Buy Life Assurance, not Life Insurance. Self-sufficiency and self-reliance are many-faceted. You need to systematically provide for Water, Food, Shelter, Fuel, First Aid, Commo, and, if need be, the tools to enforce Rule 308.
Live at Your Retreat Year-Round. If you500彩票幸运快三怎么看走势r financial and family circumstances allow it, I strongly recommend that you500彩票幸运快三怎么看走势 relocate to a safe area and live there year-round. This has several advantages, most notably that will prevent burglary of you500彩票幸运快三怎么看走势r retreat logistics and allow you500彩票幸运快三怎么看走势 to regularly tend to gardens, orchards, and livestock. It will also remove the stress of timing a “Get Out of Dodge” trip at the11th hour. If circumstances dictate that you500彩票幸运快三怎么看走势 can’t live at you500彩票幸运快三怎么看走势r retreat year round, then at least have a caretaker and stock the vast majority of you500彩票幸运快三怎么看走势r logistics in advance, since you500彩票幸运快三怎么看走势 may only have one trip there before roads are impassable.
Exploit Force Multipliers. Night vision gear, intrusion detection sensors, and radio communications equipment are key force multipliers. Because these use high technology they cannot be depended upon in a long term collapse, but in the short term, they can provide a big advantage. Some low technologies like barbed wire and defensive road cables also provide advantages and can last for several decades.
Invest Your Sweat Equity. Even if some of you500彩票幸运快三怎么看走势 have a millionaire’s budget, you500彩票幸运快三怎么看走势 need to learn how to do things for you500彩票幸运快三怎么看走势rself, and be willing to get you500彩票幸运快三怎么看走势r hands dirty. In a societal collapse, the division of labor will be reduced tremendously. Odds are that the only “skilled craftsmen” available to build a shed, mend a fence, shuck corn, repair an engine, or pitch manure will be you500彩票幸运快三怎么看走势 and you500彩票幸运快三怎么看走势r family. A byproduct of sweat equity is muscle tone and proper body weight. Hiring someone to deliver three cords of firewood is a far cry from felling, cutting, hauling, splitting, and stacking it you500彩票幸运快三怎么看走势rself.
Choose Your Friends Wisely. Associate you500彩票幸运快三怎么看走势rself with skilled doers, not “talkers.” Seek out people that share you500彩票幸运快三怎么看走势r outlook and morality. Living in close confines with other families is sure to cause friction but that will be minimized if you500彩票幸运快三怎么看走势 share a common religion and norms of behavior. You can’t learn every skill you500彩票幸运快三怎么看走势rself. Assemble a team that includes members with medical knowledge, tactical skills, electronics experience, and traditional practical skills.
There is No Substitute for Mass. Mass stops bullets. Mass stops gamma radiation. Mass stops (or at least slows down ) bad guys from entering a 500彩票幸运快三怎么看走势 and depriving its residents of life and property. Sandbags are cheap, so buy plenty of them. When planning you500彩票幸运快三怎么看走势r retreat house, think: medieval castle. (See the SurvivalBlog Archives for the many articles and letters on Retreat Architecture.)
Always Have a Plan B and a Plan C. Regardless of you500彩票幸运快三怎么看走势r pet scenario and you500彩票幸运快三怎么看走势r personal grand plan of survival, you500彩票幸运快三怎么看走势 need to be flexible and adaptable. Situations and circumstances change. Always keep a G.O.O.D. kit handy, even if you500彩票幸运快三怎么看走势 are fortunate enough to live at you500彩票幸运快三怎么看走势r retreat year-round.
Be Frugal. I grew up in a family that still remembered both our pioneer history and the more recent lessons of the Great Depression. One of our family mottos is: “Use it up, wear it out, make do, or do without.” I thank my mother for passing that wisdom along to my generation, and I am doing the same, with my children.
Survivalism is most compatible with the Libertarian mindset. Survivalists value being left alone, to be self-sufficient. Collectivism is contrary to Libertarian ideals. I am opposed to socialism, fascism, communism, and any other “-ism” that uses force to deny anyone else of their, life, liberty, or property. .
Ponder what socialism does: In essence, it redistributes wealth, by force. Even if that force has a friendly American face, under the color of law, with a neat and orderly system of taxation, it is nonetheless still force. The bottom line is that under the socialist model, without my consent, some of my earnings are forcibly extracted from me and eventually put into the hands of another citizen that did not earn them. If I refuse to pay my taxes, then I pay huge fines and/or I will be sent to prison. Period.
Whenever you500彩票幸运快三怎么看走势 see a Federal courthouse, just imagine that there is a dungeon beneath it. (Of course, in reality, the “dungeon” is a sprawling prison, way off in some rural county.) The U.S. has the highest incarceration rate in the “free” world. One contributing factor for the high incarceration rate is our system of taxation.
All of the foregoing is not to say that I don’t believe in charity. Quite to the contrary, I’m part of the small Christian minority in this country that still gives a full tithe (one tenth of my gross earnings) to my church, as well as additional donations to other charities. I do so gladly, as a “cheerful giver.” (And, coincidentally, I’m not alone. .) To extract taxes by force in a wretchedly inefficient socialist wealth redistribution plan is the worst sort if tyranny. It is slavery with almost invisible shackles.
Some Things are Worth Fighting For. I encourage my readers to avoid trouble, most importantly via relocation to safe areas where trouble is unlikely to come to visit. But there may come an unavoidable day that you500彩票幸运快三怎么看走势 have to make a stand to defend you500彩票幸运快三怎么看走势r own family or you500彩票幸运快三怎么看走势r neighbors. Further, if you500彩票幸运快三怎么看走势 value you500彩票幸运快三怎么看走势r liberty, then be prepared to fight for it, both for you500彩票幸运快三怎么看走势rself and for the sake of you500彩票幸运快三怎么看走势r progeny.