When push comes to shove, ya gotta watch out for number one...

Reminds me of Laura Wilder's "Long Cold Winter" Everyone was
slowly starving, some quicker than others. In the end, sticking
together and risking for others, saved them all. There also was a
lot of bartering etc.
One of the things that kept the peace was the promise of the end
of the winter, and those that gouged others during desperate
times would then lose any business when times were better.

If you think that you would be willing to shoot someone who
would take your kid's food, be sure someone would be willing
shoot you to get it for their kids. It would be pretty tough
to be under siege from the neighbors.

A strong community is the best chance of surviving.

Well put Clearwater. I agree. Cooperation is one of the hallmarks of a civilization. The sooner people get to thinking this way in a crisis, the sooner things get back to "normal".

I believe that when you give, in good times or bad, you get more in return.

+10

-Blast

This is exactly the sort of differing opinions I was hoping for. Thanks everyone.

So the question (scenario) still stands. I've prepared food and water for my family of 4 for 6 months (if we're careful), as far as I know the most my neighbors have prepared for is 72 hours. If we all come together, does that mean we go hungry (and starve) together when MY food runs out after a few weeks of feeding all of us?

Here is where I loose my way, ethically speaking. I talk to my neighbors about preparing. I encourage them to stock up. We are already a close community and I imagine a crisis would strengthen that bond, but the fact is they think I'm nuts for stocking up for 6 months.

The best case scenario in the event of something big happening, is they all have been storing food and just didn't tell anyone else about it, then we'll all have everything we need, at least for a while. I don't believe that would be the case.

I know everything is situational and I believe that Andy is correct that we can't really know how we will react before that situation comes along.

I believe this sort of event would qualify as a singularity. We might be able to see it coming, but it's impossible to see beyond it.

MichaelJ

Evening to all.

In my immediate neighborhood, I built probably 65 to 70 percent of the homes. As such, those that are still occupied by the original owners are a tight group. There is a core group of us that Think Ahead as several call it.

I feel we have benefited from sharing knowledge and we also have a system of shared responsibilities.
Each of us has one of the Texas Tech Safe Rooms that I have described elsewhere, so that reduces my worry of someone banging on my door just as a tornado approaches.

We have doctors (1 GP, 1 Urologist and 1 Trauma Surgeon), Several ER nurses for Medical.
One Dentist
Two H.R. types (Head Hunters) Employment Survival
Multitude of hunters
Multitude of prior service military (pick your branch/job)
Three police officers
Couple of HAM's (commo)
With this group, we feel we can keep the "Think Ahead Group" comfortable for quite some time

This is something we don't advertise, but we do ask around to see if new skills can be added to the group.

We aren't a TEOTWAWKI group of folks, just hope for the best while planning for the worst.

We lack a Chemist / Wild Edibles expert, but nothings perfect.

Notice you can always find a HAM just buy looking at the vehicle antennas and home antennas

That's awesome.

LOL! I was half-way through your post when I started wondering if they'd want a chemist/edible plants expert in the neighborhood!

I'm not sure my neighbors would let me leave, though.

-Blast

Thanks a lot all!

I live in Minnesota, and that's usually how I get people to take me seriously. I ask them if they believe that we'll have a big blizzard in the next five years. They always say yes. Then I ask if they remember a few years back when a ice storm followed by high winds knocked out power all over the city (some areas for several weeks). They always say yes; that was a really big deal here. Then I ask if they are prepared to live for a week of more without electricity in the middle of January. Usually this turns a light on. The trouble is keeping it on.

I agree with BigDaddyTX that I start to sound like a TEOTWAWKI guy, but I don't really fell that way. I do believe that a month without any resupply is possible, if not probable. Most likely though, I imagine using my stores as a supplement (as stated above) if my wife or I (or both) were to loose our jobs.

It's amazing to me how much we (as a society) have forgotten. With the passing of Studs Turkel a few weeks ago, I've been hearing and revisiting his interviews with survivors of the Great Depression. People in general seem to think that it's impossible for something like to happen again. Given the current economic news; I think it IS happening.

That's the benefit of living in hurricane country. A slightly larger percentage of peopl have some preps stored away...maybe 2.5% rather than 1%

-Blast