Several SurvivalBlog readers recently sent me a link to an article that ran in Britain’s The Independent newspaper: Britain declares war on food waste. So it seems that The Powers That Be have figured out a way to ration food under a novel pretense–the wastefulness of bulk packaging. (I guess they’ve never heard of freezers, dehydrators, and vacuum packing machines. We hardly waste a morsel, here at the ranch. The subtle subtext to this new “war on waste” article ties in to the Fabian Socialist mindset that is so pervasive in England. (And sadly, here in America, as well.) They want to control the masses. The very thought of self-sufficiency offends them. After all, they statist model thrives on the dependency of the electorate.
This discussion naturally leads a larger issue for those of us that are well-prepared. It is the issue of the haves and the have-nots, when times get tough. I’m a big advocate of charity. I stress charity in all of my writings, and I have stocked extra food here at the ranch just to dispense as charity. I have a “give until it hurts” attitude toward charity. But I’ll fight to my last breath deterring anyone that attempts to rob my family’s sustenance by force. That includes both lawless looters, and bureaucrats who might choose to illegally loot under color of law. Both sorts of looters have a common bankruptcy of morals and ethics. And, to my mind, both deserve the same reaction from those that they attempt to rob: the force that looters apply should be immediately met with proportional force.
With that said at the intellectual level, there comes the practical aspects of defending your property from looters. Obviously, there is a continuum of force and resultant continuum of fear. Force can be applied by either party. To use force righteously, you must not be the one who initiates the use of force. If someone breaks into your home and you genuinely fear that they have intent to do you harm, then you have the the right and responsibility to defend your life. In some jurisdictions, this right extends to the right to defend your property, and often there is no requirement to give ground to an intruder. Part of this is the much-debated “Castle Doctrine“, which is in effect in some of the United States. (One caveat: These laws vary considerably, so take the time research the peculiarities of the law and its application in your own jurisdiction. Do not consider anything I’m presenting here legal advice!)
Let’s face it, no matter what the law says, some people in positions of authority may misuse their authority and deprive other people of their rights and property, under color of law. This happened in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and it could happen again, regardless of legal protections under the Disaster Recovery Personal Protection Act of 2006 (and other laws.) History has shown that in extreme situations, laws are simply ignored and rights get trampled. How you will react in this event is up to you. Just don’t do anything that you would be embarrassed to stand up and testify to in court, later. (And keep in mind that it might come down to that!) I recommend that you prepare yourself, prayerfully, about how far you are willing to go to stand up for what is right and lawful.
BTW, speaking of legalized looting, I heard that Ayn Rand’s monumental novel Atlas Shrugged is finally being made into a movie, scheduled for release in 2009. Somehow, I have my doubts that Angelina Jolie can handle the role of Dagny Taggart. But who knows? She may surprise us with a stellar performance. If it results in more people “Gulching“, then I’ll consider the movie a success.