What are you gonna do?

[BudAshes]

So America's gargantuan military force just disappears as well? America doesn't need money to survive, we have everything we need to survive within our own borders. The only chance of needing to defend yourself against roaving maniacs is in some sort of natural/nuclear disastor. And then shear luck will be a lot more important than anything else.

 

[clamum]

Originally posted by: NSFW

Originally posted by: Brainonska511

Originally posted by: Gothgar
I figure head south of the border into Mexico... shit will probably get less ugly there...

So you'd go to the relatively less shitty place? Because Mexico is at a pretty shitty state right now.

I'd rather be there than Michigan.

lol, not me. Wait, lemme guess, you live in the lower peninsula? So much fail down there.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Originally posted by: BudAshes
So America's gargantuan military force just disappears as well? America doesn't need money to survive, we have everything we need to survive within our own borders. The only chance of needing to defend yourself against roaving maniacs is in some sort of natural/nuclear disastor. And then shear luck will be a lot more important than anything else.

C'mon, try and think this out. IF, there is a sudden breakdown lasting longer than a few months in oil, communications or, transportation the logistics of running ANYTHING resembling a modern society are fubared. You can have the biggest strongest armed services in the world and they will be useless without the ability to move, feed themselves, be resupplied or coordinate their actions.

 

[TehMac]

Look at the Roman Empire--its army became high decentralized in the period from the 3rd to 5th centuries. At best, there'd be a state or two within the U.S. able to maintain some sort of order, and maintaining their military turned-private army.

 

[mozirry]

i would immediately coordinate a community militia that would periodically police a defendable area to ensure wives/children can take care of the greater good without fear of being intimidated.

#1, take control of food sources
#2, take control of transport sources (waterway preferably), can "toll" the river
#3, educate your "village"
#4, kill those who threaten you

 

[nageov3t]

Originally posted by: MagnusTheBrewer

Originally posted by: BudAshes
So America's gargantuan military force just disappears as well? America doesn't need money to survive, we have everything we need to survive within our own borders. The only chance of needing to defend yourself against roaving maniacs is in some sort of natural/nuclear disastor. And then shear luck will be a lot more important than anything else.

C'mon, try and think this out. IF, there is a sudden breakdown lasting longer than a few months in oil, communications or, transportation the logistics of running ANYTHING resembling a modern society are fubared. You can have the biggest strongest armed services in the world and they will be useless without the ability to move, feed themselves, be resupplied or coordinate their actions.

so by some magic power, the entire electrical grid will go offline, our internal supplies of coal will vanish, we'll lose our oil pipeline with canada and all oil produced within our borders, everyone who knows how to run/support it will either disappear or just not feel like doing it, and every satellite will fall from the sky?

the scenario is so far fetched baring a nuclear attack that the idea of preparing for it is laughable.

 

[nageov3t]

Originally posted by: Modelworks

Originally posted by: MagnusTheBrewer


...and see no value in learning those skills. Exactly correct.

True.
The majority of people can't even cook

I doubt many will be making 5-star meals, but cooking to survive isn't exactly rocket science... apply fire to meat, wait till it looks like it won't kill you.

fishing's easy enough even without our modern conveniences.

 

[Rockinacoustic]

Somebodies been watching too much Sci-Fi channel.

Short of (God-forbid) a home-front war or natural disaster, SWNHTF as you make it out to be.

 

[roid450]

Mexico's right across the border. We already have a house there so that's our plan B

 

[Electric Amish]

Kick-back and fire up a fatty.

 

[BudAshes]

Originally posted by: MagnusTheBrewer

Originally posted by: BudAshes
So America's gargantuan military force just disappears as well? America doesn't need money to survive, we have everything we need to survive within our own borders. The only chance of needing to defend yourself against roaving maniacs is in some sort of natural/nuclear disastor. And then shear luck will be a lot more important than anything else.

C'mon, try and think this out. IF, there is a sudden breakdown lasting longer than a few months in oil, communications or, transportation the logistics of running ANYTHING resembling a modern society are fubared. You can have the biggest strongest armed services in the world and they will be useless without the ability to move, feed themselves, be resupplied or coordinate their actions.

This already happened in the 80's and I don't remember any mass hysteria besides people waiting in long lines for gas. THe U.S. has oil reserves. I'm sorry to rain on your fantasy. If you live in L.A. or in the south though there could be issues soon. Lack of water could make it impossible for large populations to survive together in those areas. So who knows what could happen there.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Originally posted by: loki8481

Originally posted by: MagnusTheBrewer

C'mon, try and think this out. IF, there is a sudden breakdown lasting longer than a few months in oil, communications or, transportation the logistics of running ANYTHING resembling a modern society are fubared. You can have the biggest strongest armed services in the world and they will be useless without the ability to move, feed themselves, be resupplied or coordinate their actions.

so by some magic power, the entire electrical grid will go offline, our internal supplies of coal will vanish, we'll lose our oil pipeline with canada and all oil produced within our borders, everyone who knows how to run/support it will either disappear or just not feel like doing it, and every satellite will fall from the sky?

the scenario is so far fetched baring a nuclear attack that the idea of preparing for it is laughable.

Read what I said again. What happens to the power grid if oil for fuel and more importantly plastics are unavailable suddenly? What happens when communications are lost and the only way to pass info is by foot power? How will you communicate with said satellites without power and/or the proper equipment? Why would the people who currently maintain and operate our infrastructure continue to do so when they are focused on feeding themselves and family? Where will the parts and consumables come from to maintain your way of life? Do you think alternative energy from coal or anything else could be ramped up fast enough to be effective before society falls apart? Your naievity is laughable.

 

[Modelworks]

Originally posted by: loki8481

Originally posted by: Modelworks

Originally posted by: MagnusTheBrewer


...and see no value in learning those skills. Exactly correct.

True.
The majority of people can't even cook

I doubt many will be making 5-star meals, but cooking to survive isn't exactly rocket science... apply fire to meat, wait till it looks like it won't kill you.

fishing's easy enough even without our modern conveniences.

That wasn't the point I was trying to make. I was pointing out how much people rely on other people and infrastructure now. Even something simple like cooking most people don't take the time to learn. They would rather eat fast food. That is fine as long as everything works, but if it continues you eventually end up with a society where everyone is good at one thing and is dumbfounded at doing anything else.

I think it is a shame that basic skills like cooking, sewing, storing food are not passed down anymore . A lot of this stuff is not difficult to learn but does require the individual take the time to learn it.

I don't think people should horde food now or become some crazed end of the world nutcase, but I do think people should look at learning some of the basics more.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Originally posted by: BudAshes

Originally posted by: MagnusTheBrewer

Originally posted by: BudAshes
So America's gargantuan military force just disappears as well? America doesn't need money to survive, we have everything we need to survive within our own borders. The only chance of needing to defend yourself against roaving maniacs is in some sort of natural/nuclear disastor. And then shear luck will be a lot more important than anything else.

C'mon, try and think this out. IF, there is a sudden breakdown lasting longer than a few months in oil, communications or, transportation the logistics of running ANYTHING resembling a modern society are fubared. You can have the biggest strongest armed services in the world and they will be useless without the ability to move, feed themselves, be resupplied or coordinate their actions.

This already happened in the 80's and I don't remember any mass hysteria besides people waiting in long lines for gas. THe U.S. has oil reserves. I'm sorry to rain on your fantasy. If you live in L.A. or in the south though there could be issues soon. Lack of water could make it impossible for large populations to survive together in those areas. So who knows what could happen there.

I assume you're talking about oil rather than communications or transportation. Oil did not stop flowing into the U.S. in the 80's. We're talking about being suddenly cut off from foreign oil supplies for a period longer than 6 months. First prices would rise as in the 80's then rationing would occur then, manufacturing would fail, then infrastructure would fail then, society would fail. 'Course we'd probably go to war before that happened. Our internal oil supplies are nowhere near enough to support our economy. The problems would occur because everyone, especially the government would assume that things would return to "normal" within a short period so, no plans would be put into effect to address the problems if they didn't.

For the 100'th time it's not a lack of resources, intelligence or, willingness to learn new/different ways of living, it's the inability of most people to recognize how precarious our society is. Kinda like the Romans as the barbarians closed in.

 

[nageov3t]

Originally posted by: MagnusTheBrewer

Originally posted by: loki8481

Originally posted by: MagnusTheBrewer

C'mon, try and think this out. IF, there is a sudden breakdown lasting longer than a few months in oil, communications or, transportation the logistics of running ANYTHING resembling a modern society are fubared. You can have the biggest strongest armed services in the world and they will be useless without the ability to move, feed themselves, be resupplied or coordinate their actions.

so by some magic power, the entire electrical grid will go offline, our internal supplies of coal will vanish, we'll lose our oil pipeline with canada and all oil produced within our borders, everyone who knows how to run/support it will either disappear or just not feel like doing it, and every satellite will fall from the sky?

the scenario is so far fetched baring a nuclear attack that the idea of preparing for it is laughable.

Read what I said again. What happens to the power grid if oil for fuel and more importantly plastics are unavailable suddenly? What happens when communications are lost and the only way to pass info is by foot power? How will you communicate with said satellites without power and/or the proper equipment? Why would the people who currently maintain and operate our infrastructure continue to do so when they are focused on feeding themselves and family? Where will the parts and consumables come from to maintain your way of life? Do you think alternative energy from coal or anything else could be ramped up fast enough to be effective before society falls apart? Your naievity is laughable.

coal counts as alternative energy now? :laugh:

 

[xanis]

If things ever got that bad... well I'd just say fuck it, get some beer, and take a front row seat to watch the world fuck itself over.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Originally posted by: loki8481

coal counts as alternative energy now? :laugh:

As an alternative to oil? Yes, coal is an alternative fuel.

 

[Modelworks]

Biggest problem with running out of oil is transportation. It doesn't matter if you had coal, if there was no oil, you have no gas/diesel to get the coal where it needs to go so coal would sit at the mines.

 

[imported_Imp]

Pussy out and crawl in a hole, hope for the best. My family is a bunch of pussies, including me.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Originally posted by: Modelworks
Biggest problem with running out of oil is transportation. It doesn't matter if you had coal, if there was no oil, you have no gas/diesel to get the coal where it needs to go so coal would sit at the mines.

No, the biggest problem with running out of oil is no plastics or composites. Big diesels could fairly easily be converted to running on other fuel bases. But, your point is well taken in that transportation could indeed be a real problem.

 

[ch33kym0use]

Cheese, the cheese? I finds it.

 

[irishScott]

Originally posted by: MagnusTheBrewer

Originally posted by: Modelworks
Biggest problem with running out of oil is transportation. It doesn't matter if you had coal, if there was no oil, you have no gas/diesel to get the coal where it needs to go so coal would sit at the mines.

No, the biggest problem with running out of oil is no plastics or composites. Big diesels could fairly easily be converted to running on other fuel bases. But, your point is well taken in that transportation could indeed be a real problem.

Screw transportation of coal. What about transportation of food? Especially to densely populated areas.

I doubt you could convert enough diesels to alternative fuels in time to meet the demand. Food would be at a premium for a while at best.

 

[nageov3t]

^ cities would probably be f'd, but I think anyone living in the suburbs and beyond would probably be ok as long as they're willing to adapt as needed.

 

[compuwiz1]

Maybe then they can make another Mad Max movie.

 

[irishScott]

Originally posted by: loki8481
^ cities would probably be f'd, but I think anyone living in the suburbs and beyond would probably be ok as long as they're willing to adapt as needed.

Until the starving city people swarm the suburbs, and suburb people swam the rural areas. There'd be gangs and militias that would survive. Best to join/start one of those.