Do you fear who you are capable of becoming if the SHTF?

See I live in Rural America. Much Safer I think. When / if the scat hits the fan I'm sure a lot better off than those clowns in the streets fighting for that last gallon of milk or the last bundle of wood. I have cows and trees right outside! Granted, Farmer Bob might get mad if he lost a cow, but my family could eat for months.

When it hits the fan I know that I'll beg, borrow, or steal for my family if the need is dire. But kill? Nay. Not unless it's a kill or be killed scenario. Self-defense is way different, mind you.

I don't own a gun. I don't want to. I do know how to shoot though, raised on a farm in Kansas you learn how to swing an ax, shoot a gun, track an animal, ect. I believe that everyone should know how. And the day that they announce that they wanna take guns away from Americans is the day I arm myself. It is the duty of the patriot to take up arms against a tyrannical government.

That's what scares me. Brother against brother, American against American. I don't want to hurt anyone. I just want to survive. After a couple weeks on an empty stomach though, who's to say that my precious ideals won't go out the window?

If your so worried about the splattering when the pooh hits the fan though perhaps look at getting out of the city while you can!

I would reccommend reading this item I found a while ago and posted here on ATS:
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Nope. I am who I am, SHTF or otherwise.

If the SHTF the power and forces of nature re-apply towards humans. Survival of the fittest.

This is the way I see it. Big Brother will try to coral us all together in FEMA camps. Most will go willingly, unfortunatly. In these camps disease will probably run rampant with that large of a population in a confined space. Not an option for me. Or you can "head for the hills". My option. Choosing this option has many consequences and struggles though. I will have to be completly self reliant. Living off the land. Hopefully, Big Brother will not come after me and force me into the FEMA camps. I will die fighting them in this scenario. I will have to gather my own food, supplies, clothing, medicine off the land. Live as a nomad tribesman.

Those who choose to "flee" will encounter times where we have to defend ourselves, our food, our supply, which may result in the death of someone. Do you have to courage to defend lethally if it is absolutly necessary?

Now you have to ask yourself another question. You may eventually run into other "flee-ers" who may not have the knowledge or skills necessary for survival, but they are not a bad soul who will try to forcefully take from you. Will you help them? Yes I would help them as much as possible as long as it does not jeapordize my ability for survival. If it starts to jeapordize my survival ability (slowing me down when movement is necessary, exausting all natural land resources) I may end up abandoning them. Would you stay with them or abandon them? If it came to this, I would teach them as much as possible to give them a better chance before leaving them.

Then you have to ask yourself if you want to accumulate a small group of skilled individuals to maximize hunting and gathering of resources. Yes, this would be preferable. Small, skilled, mobile group of individuals all with the same goal of survival with abilities to defend when necessary and never pillaging the resources of others.

Just some food for thought. This is not meant to cover all areas but merely to stimulate thinking.

Honestly What I fear more then what I will become in a SHTF situation is who I will become if the boredom of the every day rat race wares down my mind and sole. That to me is more dangerous. I am not the only vet feeling like this. The VA is full of us. Mediocrity is the killer of the sole.

It was summed up best by Clint Eastwood in HEARTBREAK RIDGE!!!!

GUNNY: You can rob me. You can starve me and you can beat me and you can kill me. Just don't bore me.

[edit on 20-11-2008 by angryamerican]

For all those who think they are safe living in rural area? Are you nuts? If you live in a farming area, odds are the soil only grows crops every year because of GM crops and petroleum based fertilizers. The dust bowl of the 30s would still be around today if not for this stuff, probably bigger. All that beautiful farmland would be a desert. Your best hope would be to live in a heavily wooded area like Appalachia or whatever. A place where food is RENEWABLE without man spraying fossil fuel derived crap on it. Hunting/gathering might take more skill than farming, and offer less security, but it's far more likely to be possible than turning these raped fields surrounded by suburbs and cities into land.

[edit on 20-11-2008 by Merle8]

Ok, listen very carefully because I am only going to say this once. HUMANITY SURVIVED THE ICE AGE. We have it in us to make it. Thats what the large brain is for. Also I would like to add, that surviving the ice age was not accomplished by killing everyone in sight, it was survived by BANDING TOGETHER in groups. Because alone, you wont make it, you will be picked off by the modern equivalant of wild dogs, hostile tribes, large carnivores, etc. Hence the adage SAFETY in NUMBERS. Where I live we are already talking about a communal garden, fishing, pooling our resources to use the skills to survive. Its a good model, monistaries were largely self sufficient small communities for centuries. Dont start thinking about killing your neighbors, start thinking about how you can keep your neigbor alive to work TOGETHER to improve your mutual chances. buy fishing rods, survival manuals, camping equipment, THINK SURVIVAL, and NEVER GIVE UP, EVER.

Good luck to us all.

reply to post by OuttaHere

You have kids, and you will do whatever it takes to see them safe. That is it, nothing else matters. Life is like that.

To be honest I agree with a large amount of the posts regarding what I would do in that situation. Again I would probably choose to defend my supplies and loved ones with lethal force if needbe however I dont think this will ever come to pass. This whole underground movement in the States is getting out of hand and I think the only time that the system would fall would be either a world wide pandemic or nuclear war. In either of these situations living in the middle of nowhere is a good idea and having guns and supplies is a better one however living like that now in these times is basically living in a way that is both basic and only a semblance of how life could be. And the biggest reason I am not living in the highlands of Scotland in a nuclear bunker is that I believe in enjoying life as much as I can and that maybe I wouldent want to survive and live in such a culture. Better to live a day as a tiger than a lifetime as a mole

reply to post by Merle8

TSHF. Done deal Slung in all directions. Maximum velocity.

Ask yourself a few questions.

Right now, right off the top of your head -

Do you know how to make soap? OK. Fat and lye. What if you don't have lye? How do you make that? Where can I get my fat?

Matches?

Can you start a fire without lighter/matches? Not theoretically - for real.

Best fuel for light?

Can you set a snare? When was the last time you snared something?

When is the last time you zeroed your firearm/s?

Using field expediency and a knife, can you tan a hide?

Can you make a jacket? Mocassins?

The definition of the SHTF can have a multiple of ranges. Could be a significant natural disaster, a biological/disease disaster, or a war/political disaster. You never know what you're going to have available, and for how long.

You wouldn't believe what necessities we can actually do without. Most of our "necessities" are conveniences.

And there won't be any fatasses if TSHG. Not for long.

Just a few things to think about. Soap? So many uses. A good thing to know.

I don't worry about it. Things come along as they do. If it is beyond my ability to fix something I don't try. I know some survival skills, which plants are edible and even down to what creatures big and small are edible and where to find them. I live in a rural town with lots of relatives and friendly neighbors that I believe will work together to survive.

My goals would be to simply take care of my family. If anyone were coming after me or my family then I would do what I had to do. For the most part I would become a hermit and hopefully not ever have to be in the position to have to do anything horrible to protect myself or my family.

Originally posted by dooper
reply to post by Merle8

 

Do you know how to make soap? OK. Fat and lye. What if you don't have lye? How do you make that? Where can I get my fat?


Can you start a fire without lighter/matches? Not theoretically - for real.

Best fuel for light?

Can you set a snare? When was the last time you snared something?

When is the last time you zeroed your firearm/s?

Using field expediency and a knife, can you tan a hide?

Can you make a jacket? Mocassins?


Just a few things to think about. Soap? So many uses. A good thing to know.

Wood ash and water, render down fat, hog or bear works best.

With a flint and steel yes, never had much luck with a fire bow.

animal fat candles, use cotton if you can get it for wicks.

Snare or trap, trap this summer and it worked. Snare you might catch something out of season so I don't use them.

checked zero three weeks ago on three of my rifles and one pistol.

Tan a hide, for fur on use the brains to tan the hide, after fleshing. I use a spoon to flesh the hide. Hair off, soak in wood ash/water mix till the hair slips, get out the spoon. Smoke it for a week or soak in oak bark/water for a couple of weeks. This is a lot of work. Beat the hide till soft. A lot more work.

Wife can make the jacket. I worked in a shoe repair shop I can make the Mocs, they just don't ware long in rockey ground. Use the hide from the withers for soles, its thicker.

Ill probably be one of the first to go in any apocalytpic scenario lol no harm in admitting it....you can all squabble over tins of beans when im rotting in the ground.

In reply to the above, I know I don't have those skills but hope to attain them. If I had them, there'd be no use fearing sit x, as I'd have done everything in my control to help myself.

I am a Christian, and I hold true to the following statement:

He that lives by the sword must die by the sword.

That statement will hold true when disaster hits humankind on a worldwide scale.

We can either live by not using the sword, or use the sword and die by it.

There are two swords. There is the Sword of the Spirit of Christ, and the sword of mankind.

I will choose to use the Sword of Christ for myself, period.
But, if the ones I love are threatened by the sword of man I assure you I will stop them with their own sword.

I have both the power and the ability to accomplish this.

I do not want to sentence anyone to the lake of fire, but if they want to try to kill those I love they are most assuredly going there!

You may say, "That is not a Christian thing to do..." but I tell you, that it is NOT the Christian thing to do by allowing an enemy to harm the innocent! It is a Christian's duty to protect the innocent!

Each Christian is called by Christ to turn the other cheek, but if an enemy wants to hurt those who cannot defend themselves, then it is the Christian duty to protect and defend them from harm.

Say what you will, but I will defend the harmless to the death!

Concerning myself: I will let myself die for Christ before I will kill the enemy and sentence that enemy to eternal death!

I WILL LEAVE THAT AUTHORITY AND DECISION UP TO JESUS CHRIST!

DO I fear it no. Do I want it to happen also a no. I will do what I have to when I have to with out fear but never with out regret.

The Spetsnaz believe that you only ever know what you will do when SHTF, and you have already been through it. I've been there, I know how I'll react.

some scary thoughts. we find out who we really are in a severe crisis.

christians will find out how christian they really are.
people who like to think themselves brave find out they're really cowards.
depressing, but the heart of it is simple- we'll have to do what we have to when the moment calls for it. there aren't many limits to human survival instinct.

I entertain thoughts of all different "SHTF" scenarios, and I know I'm more prepared than most people I know. I try to inform people to be prepared (put food away etc) but it just doesn't seem to work.

Even the ones that think putting some food away every week is a good idea (they don't do it though) don't even consider that food ran out altogether, the last place you would want to be is at home with your starving neighbours around you.

I try to help others by "teaching them how to fish", but if they don't want to learn, that's their free will and I respect that. But I won't be helping them (hate to sound mean) if sitX occurs. My plan is to grab my BOB and go somewhere safe with my immediate family.


[edit on 23/11/08 by NuclearPaul]