Don’t talk to your neighbors without reading this!

The Survivalist Blog ^ | 5/16/12 | M.D. Creekmore

[Kartographer]

The problem with approaching neighbors (with whom you have varying levels of familiarity) and/or total strangers nearby, is that the likelihood that you will actually convince these people to make serious efforts to prep is, unfortunately, small. The unemployment rate may be awful and European economies may teetering be on the verge of a collapse that will start a domino effect, but the average American is more interested in keeping track of who is ahead on “Dancing with the Stars.” These types are sometimes referred to as ”sheeple,” and they comprise the great mass of the American population.

So what happens if you fail to produce any changes in your neighbors’ preparedness level? Well, frankly, you have made it very obvious to everyone around you that your house is the neighborhood “supply depo.t” When an emergency occurs, your unprepared neighbors will view you as their source when they need anything if the emergency becomes very prolonged.

Even if nothing worse occurs, can you imagine the chants of “Hoarder! Hoarder!” from those standing on the street in front of your house? From their perspective, a hoarder would be anyone who was wise enough to put aside anything for hard times which they now want to share (in essence, a socialist mentality on steroids).

[Kartographer]

If you look through most any of the Preparedness threads here on FR you will find examples of the two types of people warned about in this article, the “I’ve got lots of guns and plenty of ammo and I’ll just take what I need.” and the “I don’t prep because I don’t believe anything is going to happen, but if it does preppers should share with me.”

Anyone reading these peoples post can easily pick-up the anger in many of them and you will see that it’s not just the Libs that are shocked and infuriated by preppers. Now some the “I’ll take what I want crowd” when confronted will often back off saying things like “I was just joking”, but I don’t believe it. When I read their post I can’t help but think of this quote from one of my favorite westerns ’Open Range’: “Most times a man will tell you his bad intentions if you listen, let yourself hear.” I’ve ‘heard’ their intentions and they aren’t good.

The third type that I warn about, but which are not discussed in the article are those who wish to bring God’s Armageddon into the discussion as if they know that it will be God’s will should some catastrophe befall us. They claim this despite the fact that the history of man is full of direr times which were caused by nature or man himself. History has shown us all too well that men do not need God to help them muck things up to a point were their fellows cry out for God to end it all and relieve them of their misery.

There will be many in this ‘its God’s will’ crowd who will want to see you punished as they will see your prepping as you trying to dodging God’s punishment. This group along with the “I don’t prep, but you should share” group will be among the first to report you and your ‘hoarding’ to the powers that be in their efforts to make sure you too suffer just as they do. The first group because as I said they see you as trying to escape the rightful wrath of God (as if they know the Lord’s mind) and the second because you proved them wrong.

You can be fairly certain that all three groups will hate you as they will be quick to blame you for the ‘troubles’ because in their twisted way of thinking your prepping brought the ‘troubles’ and therefore you need to be punished for your transgression.

As the article points out you need to keep in mind that OPSEC is not just for your Lib neighbors many people that you may think of as being conservative thinkers will be just as dangerous.

We have talked a lot about safety in numbers and that is so true, just remember that not all enemies sail under their true colors.

Beware these people listen to their words carefully and “Listen, let yourself hear.” what they are saying.

[Kartographer]

Preppers’ PING!

[cripplecreek]

My neighbor and I share storage space.

[gundog]

Went to Wal-Mart this morning to check out the “prepper foods.” If I can find them, so can my neighbors. Looks like nobody buys anything locallly but the milk additives. And I think I can get by without any Spiff-E-Whip.

[JudgemAll]

Oh, I had a liberal “hoarding” money in a 401k when Obama was elected, and I told him that he was a hypocrite, and that I was betting against the markets supporting his 401K because Obama was going to trash all that ultimately. He looked at me and gave me a hypocrite capitalist lesson in the needs to save money, all the while attacking capitalists at the DNC and french kissing communists there.

Folkes in AMerica need to take their heads out of their a$$es.

[HereInTheHeartland]

“can you imagine the chants of “Hoarder! Hoarder!” from those standing on the street in front of your house? “

I hear that everyday

[MrB]

I’ve also seen “type 3” justifying their opposition to pre-trib rapture with “why should we escape God’s wrath when the rest of the world is going to suffer”.

Another observation:
When I broached the prepping/collapse subject with my lib-in-law (whom we’ve already decided we’re taking in post-SHiFT despite her libness),
her response was “well, then, we’ll all be in the same boat”.

I really couldn’t get any further clarification out of her as to why this was a “good thing”, or even an answer as to why she (and we, and everyone else) shouldn’t be prepared for it.

[Lurker]

can you imagine the chants of “Hoarder! Hoarder!” from those standing on the street in front of your house?

Would be followed quickly by the sounds of chambers being loaded and safety catches being switched to the "off" position. Anyone who fails to pay heed to that may well end up as part of the food supply.

[Iron Munro]

Rules require this be posted anytime the subject of sharing info about your preps arises:

[dfwgator]

Twilight Zone - The Shelter

Part One
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuj2yuoC3PY

Part Two
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IU7v1Cs-Bc4

Part Three
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSwrIy4IwoU

[JRandomFreeper]

I'm back in the neighborhood that I grew up in, and have known all of my neighbors except a few for decades. We all have our specialties, and not much will change here if there is a severe economic downturn.

There are advantages to being semi-rural and knowing all the neighbors for that long.

/johnny

[Molon Labbie]

You just have to give them a big ol’ wolfish grin, look them up and down and say that you are open to exploring all manner of maintaining your daily protein requirements.

[Ray54]

Where do you hear it?

[GraceG]

[ Even if nothing worse occurs, can you imagine the chants of “Hoarder! Hoarder!” from those standing on the street in front of your house? From their perspective, a hoarder would be anyone who was wise enough to put aside anything for hard times which they now want to share (in essence, a socialist mentality on steroids). ]

What is worse is when martial law breaks out and they give a deadline that really is a “deadline” for turning in your prepper food supplies. Then they go into every house and if they find any food in your house they WILL shoot you in the back of the head in your OWN backyard and if you are lucky they will bury you there, if you are not lucky the animals will eat you.

It is best to have two caches of food, one in the main pantry that can be “given up” and another hidden very very well than can be used to supplement the slop that they will be serving in the “government food lines”.

Although you should not eat very much of your own food, if everyone else is subsisting and you are thriving it will cast suspicion on you and “bullet to the back of the head” after they find the 500 cans of pork and beans you hid in the walls of your house.

This is assuming they have disarmed everyone before declaring martial law.

[GraceG]

[ can you imagine the chants of “Hoarder! Hoarder!” from those standing on the street in front of your house?

Would be followed quickly by the sounds of chambers being loaded and safety catches being switched to the “off” position. Anyone who fails to pay heed to that may well end up as part of the food supply. ]

You may want to run that “additonal protein” through several chains of unreleated animal species before consuming it. I recommend grubs/maggots -> chickens ...

You wouldn’t want to catch “mad lib” disease.

[MrB]

It is best to have two caches of food, one in the main pantry that can be “given up” and another hidden very very well than can be used to supplement the slop that they will be serving in the “government food lines”.

I've been saying this for a while. You need some "giveaway" supplies and your deeper stores to be separate so that when the confiscators come by, give up the former and replenish it with the latter.

Same with firearms. A cheap pistol and a shotgun for giving to the confiscators, and keep your "good stuff" hidden better.

[Copenhagen Smile]

Sad but true article. If things truly go septic, then many people are going to die, and trying to save everyone will simply result in saving no one at all, including yourself.

can you add me to the prepper list please.

Regards,

Cope

[JRandomFreeper]

You need some "giveaway" supplies

A smart man wouldn't want to eat food that I was forced to give away.

/johnny

[MrB]

Indeed, there IS that...

[ottbmare]

Interesting.

I had actually thought of starting a little business of encouraging other single women to do some prepping, but some of these same considerations—not trusting my neighbors—has made me hesitate.

A few years ago we got hit hard by a huge multi-day blizzard, very uncharacteristic for our area in the mid-atlantic region, and some people were stranded without heat or power for five days. I was one of them, but because I had adequate supplies of firewood, food, lighting, solar radio, drugs, cleaning supplies, water, weapons, batteries, etc., I was the only person who was comfortable. (OK, “comfortable” is too strong a term. But I did well and I could have lived that way for the rest of the winter.) A few of the neighbor ladies know that I’m the go-to person when their husbands are out of town and something has to be done.

I thought I could share some of my experiences and encourage more independence, which is not a concept many people in this area have. Could make a few bucks, too. Still, telling strangers that you’re prepared is a risk...