James Wesley:
It has been said that you can boil a frog to death by putting it in a pan of water then putting the pan over a burner. However, if you drop the frog into a pan of boiling water, it will instantly jump out. I’ve never tried this experiment, but the metaphor for The End of the World as We Know It (TEOTWAWKI) seems appropriate.
Too many of us fit the first scenario. We’re “comfortable,” even though we recognize that the water is getting hotter and hotter. By the time we realize it is way too hot, it will be too late.
Many Preppers fixate on threshold events that will usher in TEOTWAWKI overnight. Whether asteroid impacts, super-volcanoes, or electro-magnetic pulses, we find the romance of extreme events irresistible. We imagine what we will do to survive when the lights don’t light, the faucets don’t flow, or there are marauders in our front yard. And, what if it is an even more likely event such as martial law (e.g.: New Orleans in the Hurricane Katrina aftermath) where U.S. soldiers arrive to confiscate your firearms or to tell you that your home has been commandeered?
These are exciting things to ponder, but the greatest threats are on our doorsteps right now. Hyperinflation, for example, doesn’t happen overnight, it starts with creeping inflation. The government says that inflation at this time (March, 2012) is about three percent, but anyone who buys groceries, pays rent, or puts fuel in their cars knows better. Look at the cost of peanut butter (and the size of the container) today compared to the same time last year. Hyperinflation is just one TEOTWAWKI journey that we are already starting.
Preparation is a wonderful philosophy. “Be Prepared” is the Boy Scout Motto. The part we often miss, however, is what we could be doing to avoid catastrophic events in the first place. We can’t stop a comet impact, an EMP, or a super volcano, but we can influence the affairs that lead to even more likely TEOTWAWKI events.
Are you involved in community affairs? Think of your school, church, and local government as your redoubt community. Do whatever you can by participating to keep your community strong. Something as simple as organizing a community watch program for your neighborhood might keep the bad guys away from your door right now and make more extreme threats less likely.
The same principle applies to Federal government issues. Study the issues, understand the implications, and make your best efforts to keep our republic on a course away from TEOTWAWKI. It matters little whether you are Democrat or Republican, Liberal, Conservative, or Libertarian. Common sense is the standard.
Pay attention! And notice that the “World as We Know It” today is nothing like we knew even 10 years ago. We can only keep from boiling to death by turning off the fire or jumping out. Jumping out is a tough option that might work for dedicated preppers, but is awfully drastic unless there is no alternative. Let’s work on turning off, or, at least, turning down the fire. – K.L.F.