A new study released has found that there has been a rise in doomsday prepping. But the study claims that its the United States media’s “culture of fear” driving prepping, as opposed to having a desire to be ready for anything.
Prepping has actually been steadily on the rise in the U.S. over the past decade and the media continues to report that those who take their own survival into their own hands are somehow batcrap crazy conspiracy theorists. This new study is no different and claims those who prepare are simply thriving off the mainstream media’s “culture of fear.”
Potential situations commonly worried about by preppers, according to the new study, include possible economic depressions, terrorist attacks, cyber-attacks, pandemics, or environmental disasters. Furthermore, researchers say that frequent recommendations from the U.S. government on how to prepare for potential disasters, such as when residents of certain communities are advised to stockpile water in preparation for a hurricane or blackout, have also contributed to the rising number of doomsday preppers in the United States.
But as preppers, we know it’s about providing our own insurance in a world where anything can happen. So why all animosity toward the prepping community? It’s difficult to say, other than perhaps the powers that shouldn’t be don’t really want anyone to take care of themselves while striving to create a culture of dependence. Self-reliance is shunned while taking handouts is now acceptable. It is certainly easier to control people who are hungry and impoverished by offering to fulfill those needs. That means preppers are unlikely to be controlled by others since their survival isn’t dependent on outside forces.
While fear could certainly play a role, speaking for myself, fear is not actually relevant at all because I know I’m prepared for a lot. Nothing scares me and let the chips fall where they may. But perhaps that isn’t the case for most preppers or those who participated in this study. If fear is the driving force, that’s all it is, and that’s hardly a bad thing. At least those who prepare are doing so so they can permanently eliminate any fear. They aren’t sitting around waiting for the opportunity to raise taxes on their neighbor in the hopes the government will use that money to somehow magically save them.
The cold reality is that literally, anything can go wrong. A massive blizzard could take out the grid for days making the roads impassable, and if you don’t even have a few extra cans of food or a way to get clean water in the winter without electricity, you could be up the proverbial creek without a paddle. This, in my experience, is how most preppers begin. At one point, something went wrong and now they want to make sure their survival is not dependent on any event or situation.
Self-reliance and personal responsibility are at the core of every prepper, yet the demonization of these virtues continues. When the S finally HTF, to whom will those who made fun of looked down upon the preppers turn to? Those who have prepared, those they laughed at for storing extra canned goods, that’s who.
Across the ages, in every survival story, a disaster of some sort plays a prominent role. Sometimes the part is played by the government, sometimes it is played by Mother Nature, and other times, the role is taken on by a random mishap. If we have learned one thing studying the history of disasters, it is this: those who are prepared have a better chance at survival than those who are not.
becoming well supplied and getting the required Know How to be self reliant isn’t crazy or abnormal. Its being reasonable and prudent. And If nothing happens and you never have to rely on you preps that’s a great outcome.
“Prepping” was normal life a few decades ago. City turds made that name up I think. It’s called being responsible, something not many people are nowdays.
Genius, I was prepping before the word was even invented. Most people today wouldn’t know responsibility if it knocked the shit out of them.
Old Guy, agreed. I only recently made my ultimate dream of finally getting out of the city come true. I’m in a 3000 sq. ft. cabin with some supplies and all the rest are in a 5000 sq. ft. storage building out back. I’ve got 5 years worth so I’ll be just fine. I feel like a whole new man now. I’ve been stockpiling forever and still stacking.
I’m coming to your place!
Yohan, don’t even think about it. It’s all I can do to take care of me and my own.
DR,
Wrong attitude my friend. You (or any of us) won’t make it on our own. We all require a community. You can’t stay awake 24/7. Anybody who brings their own supplies should be welcome – more or less (but you get the point)
😉 Stu wants to come.
Measure people, based on their relatedness or their contribution. I don’t care what you do, from there, so long as you’re doing it, on purpose.
DR,
That is one hell of a spread!
I’m not going to crash your place.
But I have two houses, a studio, and a shop.
that is about half the SF you have, and I can barely
keep up with maintaining it all.
At least I don’t have to heat or cool it.
Ocean does that for me.
Downside, EVERYTHING oxidizes.
Everyone in the world is a prepper. One makes sure they have work clothes ready for work, go to the grocery store to have something to eat over the weekend, fill up their gas tank for the week. The way I see it, most of us here are just simply better at it than the others.
Off topic; Anyone here ever had a yamaha rhino? 04-06 type. How did you like it? Looking at a 660 sport edition. Thanks for replies!
I don’t have one but there is a guy at my (little grass country) airport who uses one to run around constantly. Seems to be bullet proof. I’ll ask him this weekend. Any major issues I’ll let you know.
It isn’t just being prepared, once considered not just normal but virtually required, everything is upside down. Modern culture can best be described as normal inverted.
Kevin2, agreed. Most people today have been brainwashed with the idea of having others take care of them instead of taking care of themselves like they ought to. They have no clue what they’re really in for.
If you don’t have it on your shelves, it doesn’t exist. If the grid goes down, no EBT cards, looting will be a way of life for the masses that depend on others to take care of them.
Only brain-dead-fools think prepping has anything to do with a “culture of fear”. Take a few history or economics classes and it is readily apparent that tragedies & economic crashes happen on occasion. Only those raised in an environment of “everyone gets a trophy” could possibly have a world view this naive. Must be Demonrats and/or ignorant-Antifa-fools.
Q — What if noone’s coming, ever? And, there is no country. And, the utilities won’t work. And, the jungle neighbors are eyeing you for a meal. And, it is a low trust society, so I cannot trust any consumer products?
A — Buy this flimsy, Chinese, pegboard, party favor, at the press of a button. It will come in the mail, so you can live outside.
Someone, who I personally liked, who I would check-on, who had failing leg surgeries and corneas… said his plan was to walk the 5hr roadtrip to his BOL, like in the “Book of Eli” movie, to grow wheat berries in the sand, with no independent water source.
It’s a moral vice, like pornography or radicalization or the Blue Whale Game, when you put strange ideas in the heads of people who can’t fully separate facts from fiction.
There was an icebucket, and light yourself on fire, and eat a spoonful of cinnamon, a dangerous selfie and survivalist dare.
While the US is in a media inspired doomsday prepping mindset, spare a thought for us living in the UK. Here the media and social media is ridiculing the emergency services for suggesting people have a grab bag to hand.
There again in the UK the government provides and protects all here.
(I promise I’ll stop laughing at that one in an hour or two).