The flawed notions of the "Prepper Community"

[SEAM]

Defending What's Mine: A Critique of 'Prepper' Philosophy....

Preppers, survivalists, paranoid boy-scouts who never grew up - whatever you choose to call them - represent a startlingly growing number of people in the U.S. who are actively preparing and planning for the coming collapse, whether that be through war, civil unrest, or environmental disaster. While it is important to note there has always been a survival culture in the U.S., it is the growing popularity, acceptance, and normalcy that accompany this current movement that is raising eyebrows. Whether it's TV shows like "Doomsday Preppers" and "Survivor-Man" or the increasingly common sight of 'survival' products at big-box stores, it is clear that the role of the Prepper is no longer confined to the stereotype of the "Rambo" figure, but is now a regular and socially acceptable part of our society. And while this has huge implications for us in regards to our culture's collective unconscious and what our unsustainable lifestyles are creating, for the purposes of this article we will critique the dominant philosophy and ideology of the current Prepper culture and examine what the practical application of their ideas in a true apocalyptic setting would look like.....

http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/20900-defending-whats-mine-a-critique-of-prepper-philosophy

[conk]

It seems the popularity is being used as a means to marginalize these types of people. They are seldom presented as sane, normal individuals or groups. "Look, your neighbor is hoarding all the supplies. Are you going to stand for that"? And a way for preppers to come out into the open, so that they can be ID'd.

[donk]

Having come from a "prepper" forum (Matt Savinar's now defunct Life After the Oil Crash), I can say that this article captures beautifully the element missing in those that the media exploits to give the "prepper" label a bad name:

Prep #1 (through #100) is community. Nothing else is guaranteed to have any value. And without that, why bother?

The author says it way better than me:


"Great ideas," a Prepper might say, "but totally impractical in the real world. You can only be peaceful and loving to a certain extent, or else people will take advantage of you - there's no way that everyone will just work together and form a giant cooperative farm. It's either kill or be killed. If I'm going to survive a catastrophe, I need to plan to protect and defend myself."
Yes, I agree, given the violence of our culture, our dis-connectedness from each other, and the level of unpreparedness of most people, I do think it is impractical to simply expect people to want to work together. I, personally, have seen the drastic effects that starvation can have on people. I have seen good friends betray and hurt each other for a piece of soggy bread, and I know the level of violence that some people will employ in order to feed themselves and their families. However, in studying and teaching survival courses for years, and in studying the aftermath of hundreds of disasters that have occurred around the world, I have consistently seen that people who are able to work together and form communities have a much better chance at survival, as opposed to those who go it alone.

[Robin]

A good idea to practice is to set aside 20% of everything that you purchase and store when prepping to give to those who cling to fairy-land and fail to prepare. I have a lot of supplies stored, but I am more than willing to do whatever I can to help those around me. We are all in this together.

We are entering an age where we will need to abandon the notion that competition is the only way to run a society. Cooperation is the key to a happy, sustainable culture.

[Sean Cullen]

Thanks SEAM for highlighting this issue.

The "Defending whats mine" policy will only work for a short number of weeks if ever the SHTF...

I think that simply running out of toilet roll (or soap!) will soon bring defensive doomsday preppers into a new understanding of what it really means to be prepared... 'Preparedness' ultimately means being prepared to be unselfish and share. Survival will not be possible without this very simple policy.

Seán

[ThePythonicCow]

While it is true that some preppers, in some localities, will get overrun by mobs (which the main stream media will be happy to publicize with alarming reports), that overlooks (rather deliberately, I suspect) what's important about preparing.

Our monetary/financial/economic system is about to collapse. All that has financial value exceeding its "real" value is about to lose that excess financial value. This includes stocks, bonds, houses, pension funds, insurance plans, debt paper, currency paper, government "social benefit" plans, many college degrees, ... all of which have been inflated by the exponentially increasing flood of debt issued money.

Once the great flood of debt based artificially inflated values recedes, we will see who is wearing a real swimming suit. Food you can eat, seeds you can plant, friends and relatives you can count on, your good health, neighbors you trust or at least work with, tools you can use, clothing you can wear as you work and walk and sleep, shelter sufficient for the local environment, clean water you can drink, fuel, transportation, books, and (I would claim) Internet connectivity ... all these will retain their real value.

The great flood of Federal Reserve "quantitative easing", and the great market manipulations by the Fed, banks and governments of stocks, money, bonds, treasuries, precious metals, commodities, medical insurance, higher education costs, housing costs, ... is not a flood. It is an exchange, of blue poop with green poop. Exchanging bogus mortgage backed securities for bogus Federal Reserve notes adds no real value to this world.

The excess prices on all such items is the result of usury gone bad, as it usually goes in the hands of the powerful. (Well, "gone bad" from the perspective of us peons; used to continue control of humanity from the perspective of the bastards in power.)

My neighbor (a few miles down the road, not in the trailer park I live in) has a fine house valued at $250K. It is newer than, better equipped than, and twice the size of another such house that I know of that was sold two weeks ago in California's "Bay Area" for $650K. That California house in turn is the same size (same square footage, within a few percent) as this single-wide trailer I am sitting in, which I bought, brand new, for $40K. That $250K valuation to some extent, and that $650K selling price to a great extent, are artifacts of the expansion of debt based money and assets over my life time.

That expansion is about to go poof.

Soon we will find out what people actually have of the essentials to a decent living, who can be trusted, and who is still strong enough to work, or savvy enough or caring enough to provide other essential value to our continued existence here.

Or the fear porn, including giving many the excuse not to "get real" in what's "at hand" because "some raging mob of zombies" will steal it and not hesitate to kill anyone in the way, will predominate, and even as the illusion evaporates, it will only be replaced by another illusion, justifying yet more Draconian "Patriot Acts" of tyrannical oppression and wholesale slaughter by the bastards in power.

Just as the bastards in power no doubt incite riots against governments they intend to replace in "third world countries", so will these same bastards no doubt incite riots in Western Europe and the US, so that they can maintain control of the narrative and continue to write history to their own liking.

[MargueriteBee]

Up here in Yelm I have been told by a friend that she was told, by members of a certain cult, that if shtf don't come to them, they will blow her head off.

[Erich]

"We are entering an age where we will need to abandon the notion that competition is the only way to run a society. Cooperation is the key to a happy, sustainable culture."

Amen.

[ghostrider]

The greatest asset will be your ability to adapt and build what you need with your own hands and out of the box thinking ... The media attack of preppers being crazy is just another tool ... they need everyone dependant on them ... in a poo hits the fan scenario the media becomes obsolete overnight ... no electricity , no media ... it would be prudent to make your own food , power , water etc ... anyway you can but, arm yourself first ... it has been said three days without food and a sane person becomes primitive , savage and dangerous ... I noticed that a few years ago there was no such thing as preppers ... the whole thing could be one big psyop ...

[Ron Mauer Sr]

Three days without clean water (http://ronmauer.net/blog/?page_id=178) and most will not need anything else. Clean water is critical. If water is not available, one must move. If there is a stream or lake nearby, water can be hauled and filtered. Blessed are those who have a nearby well and an emergency well bucket designed to fit inside a narrow well casing.

A few more days without food, and the food riots start. The supermarkets will be cleaned out, and the trucks will not run the risk of restocking. Better to stock up on canned goods and dehydrated foods (http://ronmauer.net/blog/?page_id=736) now. It is so easy to dehydrate your own food from any vegetable in the frozen food section of the grocery store. Frozen foods do not require any prepping. Put the frozen foods directly on the dehydrator trays in the evening. By late morning they are done. Dehydration cannot be overdone, so a timer is not needed. After dehydration, food can be vacuum sealed in Mason jars and other containers (http://ronmauer.net/blog/?page_id=2705) if most of the oxygen and all the moisture has been removed from the container and the container is properly sealed. Some, not all, dehydrated foods will last 30 years or more. If older food passes the smell test, then the taste test, it is most likely OK to consume.

The ideal situation is to rotate stored food, last in becomes first out. Store what you eat and eat what you store.

Build or buy a simple sawdust toilet (http://ronmauer.net/blog/?page_id=216) so one does not need to haul water for flushing. But if you do not have food, you do not need the sawdust toilet. Toilet paper may become a luxury item. Make sure you have stored lots of soap and have learned some third world techniques. Use the tabo (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXIlKetfuVQ).

Expect to eat a lot of soup made with dehydrated vegetables, beans and rice. Avoid food fatigue by stocking up on a variety of seasoning and spices. For those who want to prepare a better meal, look at Meals In A Jar (http://ronmauer.net/blog/?page_id=2947) by Chef Tess.

For those fortunate enough to have seed and a garden, make or buy a solar food dehydrator (http://ronmauer.net/blog/?page_id=2383) now, while you can.

Improvised lighting can be made from solar powered walkway lights available at many hardware and box stores. Put them outside during the day and bring them in at night to provide some low intensity light.

Community will be so important, for sharing of skills, resources and self defense.

We can count on those in power, those who have designed this collapse, to do all they can to make life difficult, so that people will give up their freedom and accept the sugar coated pre-designed solutions that will be offered by the control freaks. The solutions offered will be lies.

Maybe the rough times will not last long. Just a little more preparation could make the difference between suffering and joy, slavery and freedom.

Prepping does not always require a great amount of money. One does what one can. A little bit of prepping can wash away a lot of fear.

[toad]

Ultimately the best thing to horde is knowledge.

[Erich]

The greatest asset will be your ability to adapt and build what you need with your own hands and out of the box thinking ... The media attack of preppers being crazy is just another tool ... they need everyone dependant on them ... in a poo hits the fan scenario the media becomes obsolete overnight ... no electricity , no media ... it would be prudent to make your own food , power , water etc ... anyway you can but, arm yourself first ... it has been said three days without food and a sane person becomes primitive , savage and dangerous ... I noticed that a few years ago there was no such thing as preppers ... the whole thing could be one big psyop ...

And you know--even if the poo stays where it ought to, learning more self-reliance is a worthy pursuit. You become a better person.

[T Smith]

Perhaps the author of this article is buying too much into the very kitsch he is criticizing. Doomsday Preppers and Survivor Man are both mediated entertainment; to employ a television show as an accurate reflection of so-called “Prepper” culture is analogous to citing CNN and FOX NEWS to depict an accurate understanding of geopolitics. The emergence of survivor products is indeed a reflection of what is going on in culture, but that doesn’t necessarily speak to the mentality of those who patronize this rapidly growing industry. In my view, that phenomenon speaks more (to paraphrase Paul), to what the nasty bastards in power are doing as they systematically dismantle civilization back to a Dark Age (the motive behind which we can leave for debate). And while I do agree there are some people who fall into the mentality the author describes, I would disagree the dog-eat-dog frequency is the dominant philosophy and ideology of the current Prepper culture.

To “defend what’s mine” begins with one’s very life, if we can assume one’s life indeed belongs to the individual (which admittedly runs counter to current Statist dogma incessantly programmed into the minds of the chattel), so if one is truly alive and even remotely impervious to mind-control weaponry, survival is but a natural response to the subtle designs social engineers have set in motion to cull the herd. It is a response to engineered conditions, often indiscernible on a conscious level, but which render the social order conducive to violence and infighting (to the death) among human subjects. Thus, amid the bombardment of numbing propaganda and other hard weaponry to dumb down the public, i.e., to make it as easy as possible for our predators to take our lives, it is not surprising that there are some who view the instinct to survive as distasteful and a matter for derision. “Rugged Individualism” (a polite euphemism for dog-eat-dog), however, does not necessarily equate to every man or tribe for himself. The author is misinformed. Survival and unconsciousness are two separate things.

I do not consider myself an avid Prepper, but what little I have done to prepare for the ensuing collapse is founded firmly on a philosophy of community and cooperation. But I do not apologize for acting on an instinct to survive (an instinct which extends out far beyond myself and tribe) and for (admittedly) a somewhat less-than-enlightened urge to resist the nasty bastards in power given emotions I am somewhat uneasy with. But this impulse necessitates community, many hands, and skills I do not possess. Survival itself necessitates leadership, cooperation, charity, and helping and supporting less prepared people, even without any specific expectation in return. This is not altruism; it is the instinct to survive. Perhaps it is an example of a higher consciousness, but it is still the instinct to survive, and anyone truly conscious of survival and even an inkling of what the ensuing hell will look like understands this. So were the author ever to read this thread, he could count me as the first “Prepper” who subscribes to this philosophy, but I believe that speaks more to his misjudgment of the overall dynamic of the preparation culture than it does my unique disposition.

As an entirely side issue, I also find it intriguing that those who delight in analyzing effects of human behavior, often in a not-so-flattering light, fail to examine the causes with equal vigor. If people are busy building bunkers, for whatever their underlying motives, be it to provide a stronghold to exterminate any wandering human with an empty stomach with whatever weapon they have at hand, or be it to provide a safe-haven to regroup and rebuild community, why not tackle the cause of such behavior if indeed we judge this behavior so distasteful? It would for once be refreshing to examine why Preppers are cropping up everywhere, and what we might do to band together, as a targeted species, to route out the den of vipers that are inciting this movement.

[donk]

Truth-out is an American political (liberal) commentary/information site, if I remember correctly...and I read the article as aimed at those that buy into that reality show (us nat'l politics) and what comes on the teevee and "popular/legitimate" blogs and news sources that align with their reality.

I believe the writer to be of similar mind to most of the posters' here, and is transmitting an important perspective to those whose ideas of "preppers" is mainly from the mainstream.

[conk]

...It is so easy to dehydrate your own food ...Some, not all, dehydrated foods will last 30 years or more. If older food passes the smell test, then the taste test, it is most likely OK to consume.....Emergency Essentials, seller of dehydrated and freeze dried foods, found a gentleman that had purchased thousands of dollars worth of dehydrated foods during the cold war. This food was 25 years old. They open some and tested it. Amazingly, the food was edible and tasty. Likely some nutrional value was lost, but it was still good.

[sirdipswitch]

y'all sound like those hunderd Monkeys. Get enough people talkin about it and thinkin about it, and it "will" happen. hmm.

I went a difernt route. I returned to my True Spirit Self. I don't need to store anything, and I'm good to go anywhere.

Simple... I like simple. ccc.

[Robin]

y'all sound like those hunderd Monkeys. Get enough people talkin about it and thinkin about it, and it "will" happen. hmm.

I went a difernt route. I returned to my True Spirit Self. I don't need to store anything, and I'm good to go anywhere.

Simple... I like simple. ccc.

I think everybody here would agree with you in that we are also calm and grounded in our spiritual selves. But we are also realistic in that, at least here in the U.S., an economic collapse is inevitable. It is statistically impossible for the U.S. to get out of debt, and once you realize that our situation was purposely created to have it come crashing down, you start to realize that it may be a good idea to prepare some basic necessities.

I for one am preparing because I do not want to get caught up in any chaos that may ensue. I want to ensure that I am safe so I can assist others and continue to spread my love and light now and beyond.

As much as I dislike saying it, chaos is also inevitable. Either on an emotional, mental, physical, or spiritual level, there has to be some level of chaos. Once things start to come forth, the Domino Effect will stop for nobody.

But I also note that we can create our own reality and ease our way into as safe of a transition as possible. This is what I hope for every day. But again, realistically....

Gandhi's peaceful resistence against the British only worked because the British had some kind of heart. But even Gandhi knew that that tactic would not work against Hitler. We are going to be confronted by the Fourth Reich, so peaceful resistence will not work this time, in my opinion.

[blufire]

I read through this entire article 2x’s and for me Jeriah Bowser is just as disconnected from the reality of how life will be in ‘shtf scenarios’ as he feels the Preppers are.

He writes:

In experiencing firsthand this world of Preppers and survivalists, I have realized a startling and discomforting aspect of Prepper culture which has only grown more prominent since I first noticed it. I call it the "defend what's mine" phenomenon.

The "defend what's mine" mentality states that the moment "**** goes down," every other human in the world instantly becomes either a resource to be used or a threat to be eliminated. Whomever you designate as "your tribe" are the only people with any value - all others are simply mindless sheep to be picked off with your shiny new AR-15. Proponents of this mentality frequently either have or wish to have underground bunkers ready to hide in and defend themselves from "invaders," often with such brutal methods as land-mines, flame-throwers, electrically charged fencing, and of course, big guns. They regularly speak of their intention to protect "their land" and to destroy anyone else who would dare want to share that land. Never have I encountered someone who is prepping for the purpose of building a post-apocalyptic community or offering a haven of help and support for other less-prepared people in the event that something terrible does happen. No, the dominant formula for Prepper success seems to be: build a bunker, store a lot of food, water and guns in there, and kill anybody else who wants what you have.

IMO if this man who also states in the article :


As a wilderness-therapy guide, survival school teacher, and naturalist educator who has been living and working in the harsh deserts of the American Southwest for the last several years, I feel that I have a unique outlook on this topic in that I understand what it would actually take to survive and thrive in a post-apocalyptic scenario.

Has never encountered someone who is prepping for the purpose of building a post apocalyptic community or offering a haven of help and support . . . .then sadly I would say he hasn’t really looked into many lives of these peoples he has ‘taught’ or he hasn’t looked beyond his own ‘musings’, because I have met many ‘preppers’ or people that are doing this very thing of building a community that supports a future lifestyle of peace and abundance and true sustainability and self reliance.

And I am one of those people and have stated it many times on this forum.

Also he seems to revile the person that is determined to ‘defend what is mine’ and I find this very sad and disheartening. For me I am very much of this mindset . . . not in the way he seems to define it though. I absolutely will defend what is ‘mine’ or to put it more succinctly what I am responsible for and/or what I am capable of protecting or supporting in times of trouble and hardship and/or even regular mundane times.

Because if I am not of this mindset or within a group or community that has people within it of this mindset then that community or family will not survive . . . even in the best or easy going times.

For me he is insulting or demoralizing the very ‘drive’ within most menfolk. Men have naturally within them the desire or natural instinct to protect, defend and provide for those he loves, his family and those feels he is responsible for. In this day and time though that instinct has gotten very confused and even has gotten to the point it is thought as being barbaric and wrong.

He is also insulting or demoralizing the natural instinct within women to build their ‘nest’ and provide a home where she can nurture, love and take care of her family, those brought her way and those she is responsible for.

I taught my girls as they were growing up to watch the birds in the wild and to emulate what they saw when choosing their future mate/husband and when it comes time for them to start their own family. Female birds will wait and watch the males that are vying for their attention. The males will challenge other males and show the female how they can build nests, protect her and their ability to provide food for her and future family. I have watched males build nests and tear other male’s nests apart for weeks until the female finally makes her choice. It is more often than not the male that is the most colorful, is talented at nest building and has vied for her attention at almost all costs, to show he truly wants her and will provide for her, love her and so she can then (with him) build their family together.

They defend ‘what is theirs’ and what is their responsibility and those they love and care for.

The author speaks very naively and reverently of what he call a ‘tribe’.


Out of the hundreds of groups of students I have worked with, by far the most joyful, content, and ultimately successful groups to graduate are the ones that adopt this model. These groups take the time to learn each other's stories, backgrounds, and talents - they each find their role in the group dynamic. Instead of spending their day competing for the scant resources which are provided to them by the desert, they learn to cooperate and share. Rather than seeing each other as threats to one another's autonomy and independence, they see each other as members of the same community who need each other in order to survive. Becoming bored of petty, artificially-constructed notions of competition, they begin to enjoy each other's company and willingly sacrifice food or resources for the good of their tribe.

What he doesn’t seem to understand in any way shape or form is that in the event of excrement being slung far and wide is there well be a period of time that will be chaotic and brutal. In order for his tribe to remain intact and healthy and with the ability to survive and thrive afterward is they better be ready and willing to ‘defend what is theirs’ . . . which includes the way of life they choose and want for themselves, their family and the ‘tribe'.

He just might be looking up some of his 'Prepper' students that he seems to condemn so strongly . . . . .

A healthy and thriving community or tribe (as he puts it) is made up of all skill sets and abilities . . . including those he ultimately seems to desire and those he disdains . . . .

[Nanoo Nanoo]

when the SHTF our natural scaricy mentalities will hit a peak. This peak is un predictable.

Like all the civil wars i have seen and been in , when the dust settles is when communities may form. and so too the whole thing rolls out again, formation of packs, resource management , the fittest survival mentality.

we only need our own .. till we need to kill our own to survive..

its all possible

whats wrong with prepping ? whats right with being an extremist ?

civil war is already happening and has for ages.. its just he slow escalation we cant see...

pre emtive action , stop waitng for the enermy to let you know its time to start ...

N