Be the person that nobody remembers

Post by **kenneal - lagger** » 02 Mar 2015, 04:45

We're not allowed automatic weapons in the UK, VT, and most people don't have any weapons at all so defending against the ravening hordes will be difficult if not impossible. Our neighbours, who also live in an isolated spot, recently had their shed burgled and the kids bikes stolen. The next night they saw someone with a torch trying to break in and called the police. The following night the police were patrolling the area but found no one. They couldn't even defend themselves against one burgler! What chance against a horde?

We have a couple of dogs which are usually out until early morning and bark at anything that moves so that keeps most people with dubious intentions away. Trouble is, they bark at the moon sometimes so it is no warning to us. I'll have to get a more discerning dog!

snow hope · Post by **snow hope** » 02 Mar 2015, 11:27

Morning Ken - was the moon out when you wrote this?

Post by **kenneal - lagger** » 02 Mar 2015, 14:47

Probably, Snow! Didn't look but the dogs were inside by then to stop them from waking everyone up.

vtsnowedin · Post by **vtsnowedin** » 02 Mar 2015, 16:26

kenneal - lagger wrote:We're not allowed automatic weapons in the UK, VT, and most people don't have any weapons at all so defending against the ravening hordes will be difficult if not impossible. Our neighbours, who also live in an isolated spot, recently had their shed burgled and the kids bikes stolen. The next night they saw someone with a torch trying to break in and called the police. The following night the police were patrolling the area but found no one. They couldn't even defend themselves against one burgler! What chance against a horde?

We have a couple of dogs which are usually out until early morning and bark at anything that moves so that keeps most people with dubious intentions away. Trouble is, they bark at the moon sometimes so it is no warning to us. I'll have to get a more discerning dog!

Well you don't need automatic weapons to defend yourself or property. A single shot shotgun will do and in most cases will not need to be fired. You do have a problem in the UK if you want to prepare home defense with all the rules and restrictions. If and when social order breaks down you may have to break a few rules yourself to keep from being victimized.

RenewableCandy · Post by **RenewableCandy** » 02 Mar 2015, 20:25

Someone (actually quite a few) people in the USA appear to be reading my blog. Mum says it's the CIA/NSA

But she would.

vtsnowedin · Post by **vtsnowedin** » 03 Mar 2015, 00:46

RenewableCandy wrote:Someone (actually quite a few) people in the USA appear to be reading my blog. Mum says it's the CIA/NSA

But she would.

I'm not a reader of blogs but if I were to venture into the field I'm sure that yours would be among the best.

Post by **kenneal - lagger** » 03 Mar 2015, 02:08

Smarmy git!!

emordnilap · Post by **emordnilap** » 03 Mar 2015, 10:07

RenewableCandy wrote:Someone (actually quite a few) people in the USA appear to be reading my blog. Mum says it's the CIA/NSA

I hope they are. They could learn something of use.

Post by **adam2** » 03 Mar 2015, 10:35

vtsnowedin wrote: Do you expect that in a major disruption you would have no opportunity to grow or gather any food beyond your prepared stores? In a years time with no paying employment you would have about 3000 waking hours which you would have to divide between personal defense and food procurement. I can't imagine many people so inept that they would gain a zero net food supply given such conditions.
The zombi hoards of starving people will come in a wave after your supper markets go empty shelf and benefit cards go useless. Within a couple of weeks they will either be killed by you or they will have killed you and now own your place. After that you should be able to get into your gardens in season and grow your next winters food pretty much un molested.

Yes I do fear exactly that.
To be more exact, one should be able to GROW food, but I would consider theft, looting, or requisitioning of the crop to be likely.
You cant easily hide a few acres of crops, but you CAN hide a years worth of long life foods.
Also the growing of crops anywhere other than on an existing farm would tend to attract attention, the very last thing you want.
"try to be the person that nobody remembered" growing potatoes in a typical garden when no one else is so doing is very noticeable indeed.

Little John · Post by **Little John** » 03 Mar 2015, 11:10

Everybody else will be trying to grow food as well, not just you. And so, pretty damn quick, you would get people banding together for mutual protection and comfort. As for the people without any access to land; they would need to be gainfully employed supporting the activities of those who do and, in return. would earn their food.

It's called coming together and being organised. It's how we survived the 2nd world war.

But, so inculcated are some of you lot in the neo-con narrative of every man for himself that even when imagining hard times, you feel compelled to do so within the pathetic psychological constraints of that narrative. Trouble is, of course, if enough of you daft buggers do it, then you dream your bloody nightmare into existence.

We're not f***ing America.

Yet.

emordnilap · Post by **emordnilap** » 03 Mar 2015, 11:27

I'm not on the side that envisages a 'fast crash'. I see things getting worse gradually, which is optimistic - but that's the way things are going anyway. Slowly, gradually (and hopefully) there may be many more producing food out of necessity.

None of us can simplify the future that much, I admit. But we all know it's going to get a lot messier; people will adapt to each new normal. It won't be Jericho.

Mr. Fox · Post by **Mr. Fox** » 03 Mar 2015, 11:36

Little John wrote:It's called coming together and being organised. It's how we survived the 2nd world war.

Mr. Fox · Post by **Mr. Fox** » 03 Mar 2015, 11:56

^^^ Oops... sorry, wrong poster. ^^^

I'll try again:

Women and children first, chaps!

Seriously, though... the few times I've personally been witness to real, life threatening disaster-type scenarios, I've been amazed at people's ability to spontaneously self-organise to meet the threat.

As I've mentioned before; we're neither naturally competitive, nor co-operative. We're hardwired to be conditionally co-operative.

So, if your first reaction to someone turning up at your door is to point a bang-stick at them, they'll naturally respond in kind.

As LJ implies, you make your own reality.

Post by **adam2** » 20 Feb 2020, 21:11

Time to re-visit and re-read this old thread perhaps.
Many of us are probably already prepared.

If you feel the need to make, or to add to existing preparations in view of the coronavirus, then I strongly advise discretion as suggested at the beginning of this thread.

Post by **kenneal - lagger** » 21 Feb 2020, 07:57

Time to start buying a store of food in as the grain crop this summer will be very small in the UK. Last autumn was very wet and not much winter wheat was planted and this spring looks like farmers won't be able to get on the land either because of the incessant rain. Even if they can get on the land there might not be enough spring seed to sow. Things like field beans might be cheap for us punters to buy though and they will add to fertility for next year.