October 08, 2005
Once again, all flu, all the time
Once again, beating the dead bird, I thought I'd share yet another preparedness list as well as the discussion about ethical dilemmas in disasters from CurEvents, since some of those folks have been thinking about this much longer than I. You might poke around on the website for other good information in your spare time.
Good friends have just returned from two weeks volunteering in Gulfport, Mississippi. They are long time Red Cross folk, but were advised not to wear their Red Cross gear because people are so angry at the Red Cross for their slow response. My friends wrote a heartbreaking, frightening diary which I received yesterday. Then I read The CurEvents commentary from which I quote:
"You might be surprised to learn that TSHTF [don't ask me what that is] has happened dozens, maybe even hundreds, of times in the world's history. It has been common enough to notice certain recurring characteristics. For one thing, it usually takes five to two hundred years. Even when it is caused by a (relatively) sudden event, the people take years to abandon their cities. The fall of Rome dragged on for almost a thousand years.
I say "you might be surprised" because there is an obvious assumption among preppers that there will be some sort of signal, often referred to as "the balloon going up", which clearly indicates the beginning of the end. It doesn't usually happen that way. One characteristic of TSHTF is an "invasion by barbarians", which means people from neighboring countries move in and take over the drudge work of actually running the country. This is also marked by mercenaries, or at least non-citizens, taking over national defense .[note presence of Blackwater Guards in New Orleans] Sometimes there is an actual military invasion, but it is always preceded by an invasion of alien workers. The invasion of the USA has been in full swing for over fifty years now, and the non-citizen enlistments in our armed forces are beginning to be embarrasing. The attempts to get other countries to shoulder some of the load in foreign countries is also a variation of the mercenary example.
At what point in this scenario do you decide to start eating your preps? Do you head for the hills when milk costs $5 a gallon? How about $6? $7? When? Do you shoot your neighbor because you catch him picking food from your garden? What if your Uncle Bob has lost his job and needs a tank of gas to go to another town where he heard someone is hiring? Do you give him the gas, shoot him before he steals it, or leave him stranded where he is? And how are your preps going to help you if this scenario drags on for another fifty years?"
Sounded just like what's happening on the Gulf Coast. And how about the bill to aid oil refineries, shoved through yesterday to shouts on the house floor of "Shame shame shame". Smacks of a third world oligarchy in my book
On a brighter note, you can now purchase your avian flu regalia.Unfortunately, there's nothing that suits my fashion sense . Bumper stickers would be more my style. I must say that I am having second thoughts about mentioning my teeny tiny bit of expertise and my rather larger pile of supplies to anyone. Maybe something more along the lines of a grasshopper costume would be safer .
Photo note: Lord knows, we could use some beauty in the midst of all this preparation. I just remembered, back in my college days, that heavenly blue morning glory seeds were taken off the market because they were being used recreationally . Maybe we should get some for our supply cupboards, since they seem to be available again. In which case, make sure you are among folks with whom you might want to share a hallucination. I thought the chain link fence added just the right amount of irony.