What If The SHTF? Would You Be Ready?

When I think about it, I like to pretend that I am ready for just about anything. The truth be told, I am as are most Americans woefully prepared for a true Shit Hits The Fan (SHTF) scenario. Yeah, I am probably better prepared than many, probably even better prepared than most, but that does not mean I am properly prepared for a bad situation on a grand scale. Are you?

There are a lot of things wrong in the world today, and an awful lot of those things have converged into concentric rings that have formed around a place called the United States of America. Those rings have a dot in the middle and that dot is the center of the bull's eye - or ground zero for the next catastrophe. Now you may want to call me just another doomsayer, or simply some kind of paranoid kook, but I prefer to live by the motto that the boy scouts gave up so long ago - Be Prepared. In that regard I realize that the price of freedom is more than just perpetual vigilance, the real price of freedom is being prepared to do something about that which you have been watching for all of these years once it actually arrives on your doorstep. That bad thing, that shit that hits the fan, can come in many forms. It could be something like a natural disaster like Hurricane Katrina with massive widespread flooding. It could also be a terrorist attack, something on a relatively small scale such as a small group of terrorists attacking a local shopping mall (something along the lines of the attacks in Mumbai). Maybe it will come as something on a larger scale, something like another 9/11 - maybe this time a dirty bomb, or several of them in various cities cross the country. Or maybe it will be civil unrest like race riots caused by a political assassination. Then again it could be civil war caused by the collapse of our economy, and then spurred on by ensuing collapse of our infrastructure, and the breakdown of our government as it ineptly tries to control the panicked masses who do not have enough to eat. Think that stuff like this is far fetched and that it cannot happen in our lifetimes, so do most Americans.

Then again, maybe you ought to think again because there are some who not only think it can happen but who have predicted the date. One of them, for example, is: Russian academic Igor Panarin. Go here and read this article at the Wall Street Journal:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123051100709638419.html

For over 10 years now Mr. Panarin has predicted that the U.S.A. will collapse in the year 2010. All of a sudden he is being taken quite seriously. After all he is no kook. He has impressive credentials having been a KGB Intelligence Analyst, and now he is dean of the Russian Foreign Ministry's academy for future diplomats. He is a man whose opinions the Russian government take seriously. Sure, I know, there is a lot of anti-American sentiment in Russia, as the article points out, so they give him some extra credence when he spouts off anti-American predictions, but why not take a look at why he believes this country will collapse during a civil war. According to the article he thinks that the main problems that will bring us to that point are: a massive influx of immigrants (regardless of legal immigrants, how about just lack of any control over our borders and all the illegals who are swarming into our country), the decline of American morality (gay unions and marriages anyone, or how about rampant sex parades in the streets of San Fransicko, or how about giving child rapists sentences of a few weeks in jail ala that judge in Vermont about a year or so ago, or how about scheming to sell a senate seat, or how about oral sex from interns in the White House and on and on), and the failure of our economy (need I even point to examples here what with the recent bailouts of the financial, mortgage, and auto industries). Of course I could add a few more reasons for us to arrive at a point where the people might raise up arms in a civil war. How about: politicians who try to strip us of our liberties and rights at every chance they get such as Schumer, Feinstein, McCarthy, Boxer, Richardson, Clinton and the list goes on. What about the anti-American sentiment that comes out of the mouths of some politicos and celebrities - you know the type those who yearn for socialism here in the USA and who praise tyrants such as Castro, Kim Jong-il, or Hugo Chavez. Or how the outflow of our jobs to third world nations leaving us with the worst unemployment in years; no wonder no one could pay for those shaky mortgages. Then again what religious fanatics who have no tolerance for anything but their own visions of how it should be; but mind you they are just the same as ultra left wing atheists who feel the same about their own beliefs. This country has been in a downward spiral for quite sometime now, and even necessary things like the war against terrorism, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have only helped sap our economy of its prosperity. Kennedy was wrong when he said that Iraq is our current Vietnam. Iraq is more akin to our own version of the USSR's Afghanistan. That war sucked their economy dry, just as the Iraq war is doing to us at a time when our economy is floundering for a number of other reasons. Add to that the fact that the OPEC nations are trying to screw us royally by tightening the valves on oil production and the dimwits in our own government are too idiotic to allow for full scale oil exploration and drilling and you should see we are not all that far from a major catastrophe of the type that Panarin predicts. Heck we may also be the prime target of an alliance of nations that want to wage war against us too, that is not all that far fetched either when you consider our country is just about down on both knees without the strength to stand up again.

Now I am not saying it will happen, that is that the shit will hit the fan on that grand a scale. There have been many nations throughout history that have been in dire straits as are we now and that have pulled themselves up by their own bootstraps. Maybe we will be lucky, maybe we will wake up before it is too late, maybe we will win out and again stand tall and strong. Then again, maybe, just maybe, something bad will happen, and it will trigger something else bad, and that will do the same to something else, and the dominoes will start to tumble all over the place and we will be left in a huge stinking pile of shit of our own making. Will you be ready for it? I plan to be ready, because if the truth be told I think it quite possible that a major catastrophe is coming our way on a national if not global scale. One thing I can tell you is that my preparations do not include learning how to speak Russian or French Canadian, or boning up on my Spanish. So what else is there to do, in order to help prevent such a catastrophe or to be ready for it should it come.

I think there are several things, and I was brought up in a world that believed that a big SHTF situation was about to befall us. Yes I survived the Cold War, and I learned a lot about being prepared in a manner of which young folks today seem to have no concept. So exactly what plans do I have:

WATER:
I have spare water in my house to last for about a week, maybe even two weeks. I plan to stock up on additional water. I also plan to buy a water filtration system or two such as used by wilderness backpackers or survivalists.


FOOD:
I also have spare food in my house to last at least for days if not weeks. I plan to buy more, and to buy it soon. I will includes the following in my cache of food: Canned Goods - a supply of food (and water in some types of caned food) that can last for about 3 years shelf life. Canned foods will include all of the major food groups. I will also stock up on dry goods such as sacks of rice and beans; and of course on things like flour, sugar and other baking needs such as shortening and baking powder. In addition I will stock up on high energy foods such as snack bars, nuts, and certain types of candy. Some MREs may also wind up on the menu. I plan to have enough food on hand for a family of 6 to last one month.

MEDICAL SUPPLIES:
I am no doctor, nor a nurse, but I will keep certain medical supplies on hand. These will include several fair to good first aid kits. In addition I will stock up on some medicines even if only over the counter. Things like anti-diarrhea meds, antiseptics, first aide ointments, burn cream, aspirin, ibuprofin, and so forth. I will also keep things like hydrogen peroxide, providone iodine, and alcohol on hand. If I can swing it I will get some wide spectrum antibiotics with a long shelf life, and an extra supply of any meds my family currently requires.


OTHER HOME EMERGENCY SUPPLIES:
Flashlights, batteries, radios, batteries, walkie-talkies, batteries, you get the idea; but I also have candles, matches, and magnesium fire starters (note I said have since I have all of this already). When I can afford one, I'll buy a generator. The thing about a generator though is that if you have one you probably plan to stay on site at your home to use it. I am none too sure that would be the case, but I suppose if an emergency turns out that way, where we can hold up in our home, it would be excellent to have a generator. Of course a generator means you need fuel for it, so some gasoline safely stored would be a good idea, and enough for the generator and a car might be a better idea. In addition extra propane for my barbecue grill will also be on hand. No not because I think I would be able to have leisurely BBQs in my backyard in the event of a civil emergency or natural disaster, but because if the power and gas go out, I'll still have some way to cook without having to resort to trying to find firewood in an urban setting. That grill might also wind up being a temporary source of heat in a cold winter. I also have a camping stoove and a couple of camping lanterns (Coleman fuel types, can also use unleaded gasoline in at least one of the lanterns).

In addition I keep a good supply of tools on hand. Nothing special but things like screwdrivers, wrenches, pliers, saws, a hammer or two and a bunch of hardware like nails and screws can come in handy during a number of emergencies. I also keep scrap wood after completing a project. You never know when you may have to board up the windows or window openings due to an oncoming hurricane, or due to rioters who have destroyed the windows. I also have a decent supply of tie downs such as bungee chords, and nylon ties on hand - they have multiple emergency uses. Finally do not forget DUCT TAPE the all around wonder tool.


EMERGENCY SHELTER:
I have a tent to sleep 4. I only have 2 sleeping bags. I need a few more sleeping bags. They do not have to be expensive mountaineer types, just well made ones that will keep someone fairly warm down to about 0 degrees Fahrenheit.


EMERGENCY BUG OUT KITS:
Ever watch MASH. Yep the sitcom about a American medical unit during the Korean War. One of my favorite scenes was when Colonel Potter yelled 'Bug Out' (happened in more than one episode as I recall) and the camp went into a tizzy as they tore it down to move it somewhere else because of impending doom. If the SHTF too close to home, or too badly near home, well we may just have to up and leave. If we do that we are leaving at least somewhat prepared for several days away from home and on our own. My emergency bug out kit includes grab and go bags (packs), garb and go boxes of food, a case or two of water, temporary shelter, blankets and sleeping bags, extra clothing, first aid kits, bug spray, sunscreen, a few days worth of meds, flashlights and batteries, candles, matches, magnesium fire starters, money, guns and ammo (where legal), knives, compasses, a road atlas, and so forth.

SPECIALIZED EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT:
Gas Masks and filters come to mind here. Think you will never need one, well again I say: "Think Again"! The Department of Homeland Security, the U.S.Intelligence Services, The U.S. Military, and the FBI all believe that a future terrorist attack within our borders is coming, and pretty soon too. They also believe the next attack has a good probability of being chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear. I only have one gas mask now, but plan to buy others within the next few months. My guess is that most people in Israel, Iraq and Iran never thought they would need them either.

Body armor is another consideration. Now I doubt I can afford a new bullet proof vest for every family member, but it is not a bad idea if you can afford them. At least one piece of body armor for the person most likely to find him or herself in a defense situation is recommended (if legal in your area).

SERIOUS ATTITUDE TOWARD PREPARATION:
In other words, I take this stuff seriously even if other family members, friends, neighbors, coworkers or people I pass on the street do not. You can bet that if it comes to a SHTF situation, just think along the likes of New Orleans after Katrina, other family members will be happy you discussed some sort of plan with them, and that you told them what to grab before they get up and go if it comes to that. Along those lines you may also want to tell them were to meet. If you have to sit it out at home, wouldn't it be nice to know that you were safe and sound inside your house, ready to survive at least a week, or even more, if need be.

Believe me folks, I think that a nuclear attack on the USA by the USSR was more far fetched than do I think is the possibility of a serious large scale terrorist attack within our borders in the next couple of years at most. I also believe that Panarin may have something when he predicts mass scale civil unrest or even some sort of uprising within the next couple of years due to our economy and other factors. I am of course hopeful that they will not take place, just as I am hopeful that an earthquake or hurricane will not destroy my neighborhood. Then again, I am also pragmatic enough to realize that should something like any of those happen, my neighbors are not about to feed me and give me shelter when they are not prepared to take care of themselves. As for the government coming to the rescue on a White Steed - forget about it, it will be the government and its ineptness that will likely cause the problem in the first place. Me - I plan to be ready, and if I don't need the stuff, well I can use a lot of it on camping trips, at barbecues, and for pot luck dinners before the perishables reach their expiration dates. Then I can restock just in case because one never knows.

SHTF situations are a reality, they can and sometimes do happen, that is why the Boy Scouts have that motto "Be Prepared". The Boy Scouts though just never told you, or I, for what to be prepared! So I chose to be prepared for just about anything. Remember that other saying too about vigilance because being forever vigilant is a good thing too. Bear in mind though that vigilance is only part of being prepared, it only works to a point. While there are no guarantees you will survive an emergency situation uninjured or alive, being prepared and actually doing something about that for which you were keeping vigil will separate you from those who never had much of a chance to make it through to see tomorrow. While they will have relied on dialing 911 in a panic at the same moment when almost everyone else was flooding the emergency phone lines screaming for help, you will have been ready, willing and able to see it through with your family thanks to your preparations and planning.

All the best,
Glenn B

No Pity For Assholes Idiots

Yep, I said it and I truly mean it. You see, after hurricanes Andrew (remember that one), Katrina and any others to hit the USA within let's say the last 25 years, it should have become apparent - even to the mildly to moderately maybe even to severely brain dead - that hurricanes and there aftermaths are things that one should take seriously, and are things that one should respect and fear. So when ample warning is given that a big one is on it way, and when government officials decide that it is time to issue mandatory evacuation notices days before the hurricane, yet thousands of assholes decide to weather out the storm in defiance of both the evacuation order and the wrath of Mother Nature - then I say to hell with them. I mean it too, and if not literally then at least with regard to paying any attention to them at all once the storm has gotten close enough to make it dangerous for rescuers to try to remove them out of harm's way.

According to the mud slinging news broadcasting company MSNBC at: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26637482?GT1=43001, there were 250,000 morons people who did not flee the path of Hurricane Ike over the past couple of days. Well, as those people were probably betting, Hurricane Ike did not hit land as a category 3 hurricane as was predicted by goobermint government officials. No sireee, thems was schmart peepels, da goobermint were wrong and dey waZ rite. Well only to an extent. You see although Ike was weaker than expected when it reached landfall, it was powerful enough to dump tons of rain, and to push lots and lots and lots of water. There has been a lot of flooding already, reportedly thousands of homes are flooded, just check the news. There are other problems too such as fires breaking out, and roads washing away. Imagine that you good citizens jerks who stayed behind - floods and fires at the same time - houses submerged, roads washed away - what were you all thinking when you stayed. I bet I can guess. You were probably thinking the government is full of assholes idiots and that once they said it would be "certain death" to remain behind, well you just had to prove them wrong. Okay, I'll agree they were wrong. It was not certain death if you stayed behind, and it never turned into a category 3 hurricane as it hit landfall as they had predicted. Now what? Who knows, maybe some buildings will be blown down, just collapse, or wash away too; maybe some of you will get yourselves killed. You see they were at least also partly correct - there has been a lot of flooding.

One thing is for sure about the 'now what' question I just asked. Many of you who remained behind have added to the flood problem by wetting your pants and by crying. You, the big bunch of macho meatheads, who made a conscious decision to defy the evacuation order, are now frantically calling for help. Yep, maybe it was not as bad as those idiotic goobermint officials told you it would be, but it sure was a heck of a lot worse than many of you self proclaimed meteorologists thought it was going to be - wasn't it! If not, then why are so many of you flooding the telephone lines and airwaves (in the case of cell phones) with your frantic calls for help. Why are you looking to be rescued. Why are you, who were so absolutely foolish in the first place as to have remained within the path of the storm, now 100 percent prepared place the lives of rescue workers in danger to save your own sorry behinds? There is no sound reason within the realm of logic that these rescue workers should come to your aid before the storm has subsided completely. While there is no such reason at all, you can bet they will come. Most of them will be from that very same government who's call to evacuate you did not heed, that very same government that you believe to be full of idiots, that very same government you loathe and detest and mistrust. Yet my bet is: that until they come you will cry for help again and again; once they arrive you will scream "here I am, here I am, save me, save me" while you ignore others who need help too; and after they save you and bring you to safety and give you food, water and shelter - you will curse them as if there is no tomorrow for what you will claim to be their incompetence, their sloth in rescuing you, their racism in deciding whom to rescue, their floundering in overall organization, and whatever else of which you can think with which to slam them; and you and the mud slinging media will do so in a harmony that could rival the majesty of any choir with voices loud enough to be heard in heaven.

If I were in charge though things would be different. There would be no rescues; and I mean that. At least no rescues while there was any remaining threat from the storm to the rescuers. Once that threat had subsided, then a roundup could begin. Yes I said a roundup, and I do not mean it as a rescue as much as a mass arrest. Sure, those injured or in need of medical treatment would be rescued. All others would also be taken out of the area. Then all of them would be arrested to face any applicable criminal or administrative charges. Time and time again, it has been assholes people like those who defy such evacuation orders who cause other lives to be put at jeopardy. There is no reason that any first responder should have his or her life jeopardized because of another person's consensual, preplanned, defiance of proper government authority. Now don't get me wrong. Yes I work for the government, but I am no advocate of big government, nor of government sticking its nose where it does not belong. I do however believe that one of the main purposes of government is to protect the people. In that regard government builds up and maintains the military, and they also build up and maintain rescue forces such as the Coast Guard, police departments, fire departments, ambulance corps, search and rescue teams and so on. In that way, the government is 100% justified and right in issuing evacuation orders when the evidence suggests a major natural catastrophe is about to befall its citizenry. If you do not heed the government at times like that, well then you should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

The truly sad thing though is that the government is not likely to prosecute you unless you rape, rob, pillage or plunder during or after the storm. Even then, prosecution seems unlikely because those in government apparently have 250,000 defiant assholes citizens with which to deal. Officials will send out rescuers, yes even into still stormed upon areas, to seek out those in need; those who placed themselves into a situation, and now pull others into a situation, that presents a major threat of death or serious bodily injury. What a friggin shame. And do you know why politicians and other government officials will send in rescuers? They will do so because they are afraid of the yammering that will take place if they don't. You knew that, and that is one of the things that consciously or unconsciously swayed many of you to stay behind - that is you bastards uncaring as to consequence of your actions types.

You also knew that if told to do so, the rescuers would come for you. With the rescuers though, for the great part at least, they do not come because they are afraid of the yammering. You see, they realize that you will yammer, bitch, moan, and complain no matter what, so if they do a good job or a poor job they will still face your wrath after the rescue. They know that most of you will in some way hold them, at least in part, responsible for your self induced ills. They know that the politicians and other officials who ordered them into harm's way are just a bunch of old windbags themselves, and that the windbags will wag tongues at them too. Yes, they know all of this, but yet they come for you. They come for you the defiant, you the moronic, you the foolish, you the complainers, you who put their lives at risk in the first place. They will come because they are brave, because they are ethical, because they are moral, because they are good, because they for some reason, beyond the grasp of most ordinary men and women, see you as being worth the effort, worth the sweat, worth the risk even though it was you who put them at risk in the first place by your own choice. Can even you imagine why they come for you since it was by your decision to remain in the path of the storm and to defy the evacuation order that they will be put at risk.

If it was up to me you would cry for help until the flood waters subsided, until the winds died away, and until the sun had been shining for at least a couple of days. You see, in my opinion, you, and I mean all 250,000 of you combined, are not worth one life of one rescuer or first responder. You are not even worth a single drop of blood that one of them may shed due to a scratch received in the effort to save you. Yet I, and thousands of others no doubt, have already volunteered to come if needed. Why? Well because it is not up to me, at least not up to the purely logical side of me. No, there will be no one forcing me to come if I am needed, as I said I volunteered. Yet as I said, it is not up to me. You see, I live by something called a moral code, and ethical lifestyle, a belief that it is worthwhile to save my fellow Americans of all creeds, etnic backgrounds, sexual orientations, political parties and leanings and so forth. Heck I'll even save, without hesitation, those who are not Americans. Yet those same beliefs make it a gut wrenching experience anytime that I see even one rescuer lose his or her life or get injured while trying to save someone who made a determined and conscious effort to keep themselves within harm's way and just be an out and out asshole trouble maker.

Yes, if it was up to the more logical side of me, the first responders would not be coming for you today, and probably not tomorrow either. It would probably not be until the next day that you would have a chance of being rescued. You see, we would all be better off if the rescue was withheld until there was minimal danger presented to the rescuers. We would be better off if you had to wait days for saving, possibly even a day or two without food and clean water. We would be better off if you suffered for your sins transgressions against logic, law and authority. We would be better off because if the politicians had the balls temerity to do so, well you might just learn a lesson this time around. Then maybe the next time you, and others like you, would not be so ready to put others at risk to save your sorry asses people like you who don't think about the consequences of your actions or who just don't care about those consequences. If so much as one rescuer loses his or her life during the sure to come rescue operations, well then all of you should be held accountable. It is a shame there are people like you out there, and more shameful yet that there are those who bend over backward to kiss your asses bottom ends, and most shameful of all is that someone will be put at risk may lose a life or be seriously injured trying to save YOU. Yet they will come, you know it and I know it; and they will save lives, lives that foolishly put themselves and others at risk. It is one of the great ironies of our times. You ought to be ashamed of yourselves so much so that you never purposely do anything as foolish again, but again we both know it, that is we both you will not be shamed into a change of your ways. Isn't it ironic! You can bet it is.

With hope for the best,
Glenn B