When the @#%^ hits the fan. How will you contribute?

Tyrannabudz

Tyrannabudz

Well-Known Member
A friend of mine told me about a movie he saw I don't recall what the title was. I have'nt even seen the movie, but it got me thinking.

Anyhow the movie was about a post apocalyptic world where the people who had control were the people with actual tangible skills.Doctors,nurses, electricians, plumbers, framers, engineers. Basically people with the skills to rebuild and maintain a new settlement or homestead if you will. All of the white collar people who were used to being in control, found themselves without any way to contribute to the rebuilding process. Mostly because the skill they possess is useless as it is dealing with paper and imaginary numbers on computers.

I myself am a licensed plumber. One evening I was talking with my wife abut the work we do. She works for an insurance company as an underwriter. I asked her what it was like never getting to touch her work. She was confused. I told her that what she does is enter words and numbers into a computer. It only involves handling paper and entering data. There is no real physical aspect to her job. The businesses, cars and other things they insure they never get to see or touch. It is all almost imaginary in a sense. Where as I get to touch my work I get to see the results of my labors. I show up on a job as an empty lot and after months of labor there is an actual physical object there for people to see, enjoy, live in, take shelter in. Use the bathroom in LOL. Then I get to feel the gratification of having accomplished something, something that is real.

When the shit hits the fan as they say what will all these people do? They may have money, but when that is worth nothing, then that is what they will have. Knowing how much interest should be charged or knowing which stocks to buy for your portfolio, is not going to be worth shit. All these kids who are high on going to college so they can score a cushy job in a corner office should perhaps consider obtaining an actual skill instead of an imaginary one.
 
mindphuk

mindphuk

Well-Known Member
Calling them imaginary skills is stupid. It has nothing to do with real or imaginary but useful in a pre-industrial age. Do you really think being a plumber will be as useful as knowing about plants and farming? Carpentry and building skills will be helpful but many people can learn those. Medicine, especially using natural, plant based remedies will be an extremely valuable commodity in a post-apocalyptic world. One of the most useful skills anyone will need is the ability to use a firearm well. Mathematics is extremely useful in everyday life, especially in a society without computers. People skilled at math and science will be valuable as well. They will be the foundation to be able to rebuild a semi-technological society.
 
tafbang

tafbang

Well-Known Member
inb4divorce... lol just kidding...

but yeah, I agree. those alpha males with skills that are useful to the world are the ones who will be praised. It will all go back to nature and animal instincts. where the people who are rich and only know how to count money won't really be useful without knowing an important trade
 
tafbang

tafbang

Well-Known Member
mindphuk said:
Calling them imaginary skills is stupid. It has nothing to do with real or imaginary but useful in a pre-industrial age. Do you really think being a plumber will be as useful as knowing about plants and farming? Carpentry and building skills will be helpful but many people can learn those. Medicine, especially using natural, plant based remedies will be an extremely valuable commodity in a post-apocalyptic world. One of the most useful skills anyone will need is the ability to use a firearm well. Mathematics is extremely useful in everyday life, especially in a society without computers. People skilled at math and science will be valuable as well. They will be the foundation to be able to rebuild a semi-technological society.
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those skills are obviously useful and he is agreeing with what you just said. he's talking about useless things like accounting or being a supermodel... even though models are useful for creating the healthiest of babies.

It's almost like a real life survivor show.... when all your business work is thrown out... only the strongest will survive
 
The Ruiner

The Ruiner

Well-Known Member
I have planned for TEOTWAWKI...I want to think that I will be fine, but at that point there are no certainties.

Anyone seriously thinking about this should check out:

The Mental Militia Forums

&

Patriots: Surviving the Coming Collapse
 
tafbang

tafbang

Well-Known Member
jesus of Cannabis said:
we have guns. we know how to hunt with or without firearms, trapping. We have land and we know everyone around us. we will have no troubles.
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that won't matter too much, what if things were more critical where the few people left had to work as a team and everyone had to provide. some just won't provide.
 
Tyrannabudz

Tyrannabudz

Well-Known Member
mindphuk said:
Calling them imaginary skills is stupid. It has nothing to do with real or imaginary but useful in a pre-industrial age. Do you really think being a plumber will be as useful as knowing about plants and farming? Carpentry and building skills will be helpful but many people can learn those. Medicine, especially using natural, plant based remedies will be an extremely valuable commodity in a post-apocalyptic world. One of the most useful skills anyone will need is the ability to use a firearm well. Mathematics is extremely useful in everyday life, especially in a society without computers. People skilled at math and science will be valuable as well. They will be the foundation to be able to rebuild a semi-technological society.
Click to expand...

Don't be offended it's just a thought. We all know which skills will be useful, so I did not feel I needed to list all the posibilities. And never did I say that I would be the controller of the world because I am a plumber. I was pointing out how most office type jobs and the duties they perform will not be of use anymore. I did not say they could not learn how to adapt.
 
Heisenberg

Heisenberg

Well-Known Member
Show me a person who sits around all day getting high and jerking off on the sofa, and I'll show you someone who isn't causing any problems. - George Carlin
 
Lil Czr

Lil Czr

Well-Known Member
Well, you'd have to hole up somewhere for a couple of weeks (preferably your own stocked up fortified location) to wait for the panic and riots to subside.

After that you may be able to assist in rebuilding society.
 
LightningMcGreen

LightningMcGreen

Active Member
If anybody needs their fallout shelter painted to brighten the mood, perhaps a shade of Seed Pearl or Morning Glory yellow...l'll have my brush ready
 
jesus of Cannabis

jesus of Cannabis

:-)
tafbang said:
that won't matter too much, what if things were more critical where the few people left had to work as a team and everyone had to provide. some just won't provide.
Click to expand...
everyone is planned to provide. SOme have water access, some have solar and/or hydro power and some have other skillz.
It will work cause thats what rednecks in the sticks do, we think of "what if" alot.
 
angrygranola

angrygranola

Active Member
guns are overated. It's my belief/hope that all the trigger happy gunnut/wannabe survivalists will all kill each other over the last few deer in the woods. I don't know how I'm going to contribute, or if I'll be alive to do so. But i'm ready for whatever may happen. I'm almost looking forward to living in the sewers and eating bugs and weeds.

plumbers will be extremely valuable in a post-modern era, even having the basic understanding of fluid dynamics would bring about a better quality of life. irrigation, primitive aqueducts etc. I'm guessing that a plumber would be able to do something like this. I'm in the boat with the OP, I believe that most "occupations" in this day in age are utterly worthless, as in they serve very little tangible purpose and should not exist. while the most fundamental of occupations have all but been erased. for example basic metallurgy. no one knows how to do that stuff anymore. I know how to smelt iron. not many do. It's like the ideas that got humanity this far, have all been forgotten in the last 100 years.

the occupations that will be valuable to post apocalyptic society are the ones that cater to our basic needs as human beings, shelter, food, water, and too a lesser extent, community, and entertainment, and too an even lesser extent, peace of mind, and the satisfaction of the soul (religons)

modern doctors will be worthless, though they understand anatomy, they are but petty drugdealers for big pharma. Hippy natural type doctors might be okay, however, that's assuming they have access to their magic herbs and such. I'd say as far as medicine goes the only modern value could be found in paramedic/first responce types, trauma doctors, and war medics.

anyone who knows how to build a decent "semi-permanent" shelter will be of value. something more akin to a home, than a bush shelter. modern homes will be opractically useless in most areas because of infeecent heating/cooking requirements. even if you have a wood burning stove it wont be practical to burn through X cords of wood every year.

engineers and physics will probably be the only "white collar" career fields that will be worth a damn, even though they deal mostly in paper, and computers, the subject matter is based squarely on the ground, and is usually for practical purposes. I can see them reverse engineering all the garbage that will be around for new uses. jerryrigging bits of engines and generators and the like.

cooks and prostitutes will keep their positions in society, nothing will change for them i'd imagine. if anything their stock will go up, as people will more better be able to put a face with their products.


I love thinking about the apocalypse. it's all but inevitable, I think the things i hear the most is "ooh I live in the woods and have lots of guns" or "I'm going to the woods, and I have alot of guns." which makes me laugh a little bit everytime. To date, and I do alot of research/polling on this topic, no one has said to me, "I'm going to stay put and see what happens" or "I'm going to live in the sewer system and eat bugs" which makes me think those are the best options.

I guess we could say based on experiences in Louisiana that we shouldn't stay put, but on the other hand Louisiana is and was always a deathtrap. so yeah, if you live in a deathtrap perhaps leaving would be a good option. I mean c'mon, even if you had the slightest inclination that a catastrophe could occur, you wouldn't be living in a place like NOLA, or miami, or NYC, or LA... right? so that aside.

I fucking love apocalypse shit. love it, it's the only thing that keeps me going is know that all this fucking garbage shit crap world that assholes have created over the last 10,000 years is going to come burning, crashing, drowning down. And I'm probably going to live to see it.
 
Lil Czr

Lil Czr

Well-Known Member
angrygranola said:
guns are overated. It's my belief/hope that all the trigger happy gunnut/wannabe survivalists will all kill each other over the last few deer in the woods. I don't know how I'm going to contribute, or if I'll be alive to do so. But i'm ready for whatever may happen. I'm almost looking forward to living in the sewers and eating bugs and weeds.

plumbers will be extremely valuable in a post-modern era, even having the basic understanding of fluid dynamics would bring about a better quality of life. irrigation, primitive aqueducts etc. I'm guessing that a plumber would be able to do something like this. I'm in the boat with the OP, I believe that most "occupations" in this day in age are utterly worthless, as in they serve very little tangible purpose and should not exist. while the most fundamental of occupations have all but been erased. for example basic metallurgy. no one knows how to do that stuff anymore. I know how to smelt iron. not many do. It's like the ideas that got humanity this far, have all been forgotten in the last 100 years.

the occupations that will be valuable to post apocalyptic society are the ones that cater to our basic needs as human beings, shelter, food, water, and too a lesser extent, community, and entertainment, and too an even lesser extent, peace of mind, and the satisfaction of the soul (religons)

modern doctors will be worthless, though they understand anatomy, they are but petty drugdealers for big pharma. Hippy natural type doctors might be okay, however, that's assuming they have access to their magic herbs and such. I'd say as far as medicine goes the only modern value could be found in paramedic/first responce types, trauma doctors, and war medics.

anyone who knows how to build a decent "semi-permanent" shelter will be of value. something more akin to a home, than a bush shelter. modern homes will be opractically useless in most areas because of infeecent heating/cooking requirements. even if you have a wood burning stove it wont be practical to burn through X cords of wood every year.

engineers and physics will probably be the only "white collar" career fields that will be worth a damn, even though they deal mostly in paper, and computers, the subject matter is based squarely on the ground, and is usually for practical purposes. I can see them reverse engineering all the garbage that will be around for new uses. jerryrigging bits of engines and generators and the like.

cooks and prostitutes will keep their positions in society, nothing will change for them i'd imagine. if anything their stock will go up, as people will more better be able to put a face with their products.


I love thinking about the apocalypse. it's all but inevitable, I think the things i hear the most is "ooh I live in the woods and have lots of guns" or "I'm going to the woods, and I have alot of guns." which makes me laugh a little bit everytime. To date, and I do alot of research/polling on this topic, no one has said to me, "I'm going to stay put and see what happens" or "I'm going to live in the sewer system and eat bugs" which makes me think those are the best options.

I guess we could say based on experiences in Louisiana that we shouldn't stay put, but on the other hand Louisiana is and was always a deathtrap. so yeah, if you live in a deathtrap perhaps leaving would be a good option. I mean c'mon, even if you had the slightest inclination that a catastrophe could occur, you wouldn't be living in a place like NOLA, or miami, or NYC, or LA... right? so that aside.

I fucking love apocalypse shit. love it, it's the only thing that keeps me going is know that all this fucking garbage shit crap world that assholes have created over the last 10,000 years is going to come burning, crashing, drowning down. And I'm probably going to live to see it.
Click to expand...
So, You've put some thought into this. haven't you?!?
 
guy incognito

guy incognito

Well-Known Member
angrygranola said:
guns are overated. It's my belief/hope that all the trigger happy gunnut/wannabe survivalists will all kill each other over the last few deer in the woods. I don't know how I'm going to contribute, or if I'll be alive to do so. But i'm ready for whatever may happen. I'm almost looking forward to living in the sewers and eating bugs and weeds.

plumbers will be extremely valuable in a post-modern era, even having the basic understanding of fluid dynamics would bring about a better quality of life. irrigation, primitive aqueducts etc. I'm guessing that a plumber would be able to do something like this. I'm in the boat with the OP, I believe that most "occupations" in this day in age are utterly worthless, as in they serve very little tangible purpose and should not exist. while the most fundamental of occupations have all but been erased. for example basic metallurgy. no one knows how to do that stuff anymore. I know how to smelt iron. not many do. It's like the ideas that got humanity this far, have all been forgotten in the last 100 years.

the occupations that will be valuable to post apocalyptic society are the ones that cater to our basic needs as human beings, shelter, food, water, and too a lesser extent, community, and entertainment, and too an even lesser extent, peace of mind, and the satisfaction of the soul (religons)

modern doctors will be worthless, though they understand anatomy, they are but petty drugdealers for big pharma. Hippy natural type doctors might be okay, however, that's assuming they have access to their magic herbs and such. I'd say as far as medicine goes the only modern value could be found in paramedic/first responce types, trauma doctors, and war medics.

anyone who knows how to build a decent "semi-permanent" shelter will be of value. something more akin to a home, than a bush shelter. modern homes will be opractically useless in most areas because of infeecent heating/cooking requirements. even if you have a wood burning stove it wont be practical to burn through X cords of wood every year.

engineers and physics will probably be the only "white collar" career fields that will be worth a damn, even though they deal mostly in paper, and computers, the subject matter is based squarely on the ground, and is usually for practical purposes. I can see them reverse engineering all the garbage that will be around for new uses. jerryrigging bits of engines and generators and the like.

cooks and prostitutes will keep their positions in society, nothing will change for them i'd imagine. if anything their stock will go up, as people will more better be able to put a face with their products.


I love thinking about the apocalypse. it's all but inevitable, I think the things i hear the most is "ooh I live in the woods and have lots of guns" or "I'm going to the woods, and I have alot of guns." which makes me laugh a little bit everytime. To date, and I do alot of research/polling on this topic, no one has said to me, "I'm going to stay put and see what happens" or "I'm going to live in the sewer system and eat bugs" which makes me think those are the best options.

I guess we could say based on experiences in Louisiana that we shouldn't stay put, but on the other hand Louisiana is and was always a deathtrap. so yeah, if you live in a deathtrap perhaps leaving would be a good option. I mean c'mon, even if you had the slightest inclination that a catastrophe could occur, you wouldn't be living in a place like NOLA, or miami, or NYC, or LA... right? so that aside.

I fucking love apocalypse shit. love it, it's the only thing that keeps me going is know that all this fucking garbage shit crap world that assholes have created over the last 10,000 years is going to come burning, crashing, drowning down. And I'm probably going to live to see it.
Click to expand...
Modern doctors won't be useless. They still possess a lot of knowledge most people don't know.

I don't follow the logic that everyone says x, and no one ever says y or z therefore y and z are good options. Jesus already said he was going to stay put. Also you need to go where a food source is. What are you going to realistically catch and eat in the city? Fish? Deer? Or you think "bugs and weeds" would be a better option?

I also don't follow that staying put in one situation proved to be a bad idea therefore it's always bad, without evaluating the specific situation. If it's a flood situation of course you should leave the area of imminent danger and destruction. Same would apply for a volcano.

Do you think people sit down and do a pro-con list of the best place to live? I know I certainly didn't. I didn't have a choice for the first 18 years. By the time I was able to decide where I wanted to live I didn't have the means to go off and do it on my own. I also had established a life here with friends and family. By the time I had the means to go off and do it on my own I had furthered those family and friends relationships and I choose to stay in this shit hole area.

Also why is it a "fucking garbage shit crap world"? If/when it happens are you going to leave behind all the advances our species has had in those 10,000 years?
 
B

budsmoker87

New Member
surviving in a post-industrial world on a global-scale is much more than reverting back to pre-industrial culture. On a small scale, the pre-industrial age of local, organic agriculture is experiencing a rennoisance....but we'll continue to see the dollar continue to plummet...the gap in between the rich and poor continue to expand...but technology will continue to move forward- technology NEVER moves backward

While you may consider some office-jobs to be less-necessary than jobs that require the craftsmanship or physical labor of a handyman, a lot of these jobs are critical to the overall functioning of a complexly-intertwined industrial society.

it's the fact that these jobs will ALWAYS be in demand that makes your skills such a valuable asset- especially as current financial trends continue along their path. people will definately learn to appreciate what they have....and probaby fix what's wrong...rather than dish out the dough to replace it

That said, a lot of "survivalists" i know are caught up in the wrong sort of mentality, IMO...hording guns and ammo, food and water, waiting anxiously for the day that civilization collapses on itself and natural resources cease to exist. LOL. relax, mother EARTH is our home- just look how forgiving and resilient she is.

i undertand the emotional distress caused by industrial civilization- I can empathize with a lot of "survivalists" ...but at the same time, they must understand that surviving in this day and age is about much more than forming a homestead and hording commodities in anticipation of what they forsee as "inevitable"
 
The Ruiner

The Ruiner

Well-Known Member
budsmoker87...really?

Have you read any real survivalists? Do you even know what these people are about?
 
B

budsmoker87

New Member
sure have- most recently, books by Tom Brown. Highly respected guy


the only quarrel i have with many survivalists has to do with their inability to accept the reality of the world we live in. there's no need to shame ourselves for the direction in which we've headed. just make the best of it
 
B

budsmoker87

New Member
i also recently watched Louis theroux's documentary on survivalists....you can find it on youtube. interesting stuff....and as always, Louis is hilarious
 
The Ruiner

The Ruiner

Well-Known Member
Tom Brown doesnt really count...not in my book anyway.

I am definitely more of the James Wesley, Rawles type...way more realistic and pragmatic. And instead of being a quack, he was actually an Army Intelligence Officer...I highly suggest you read his book, and blog. I don't endorse everything about the guy, but I think he is pretty on point.
 
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