I've posted before that the irony of longterm survival sites is their short online survival. It's a pretty expansive subject. The 'homesteading' phenomenon of the 70s created a cottage industry of log and timberframing schools, Lehmans Hardware saw their customer base grow beyond Amish families and organic and heirloom seed growers found a market . The books are sadly mostly OOP, but RODALE PRESS was noted for short runs of fascinating titles. As noted, it's a fine line ( about a mule plow wide actually) between survival and some escapist alternate lifestyle. but then again, with gasoline prices I may be duct taping PVC shafts to my car, punching out the wiindshield and hitching my horse to the assembly <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Today the idea of longterm survival seems to encompass the two weeks between paychecks, and I am being half-serious here. Most people can't see beyond the next paycheck. I try, but it is very difficult to do so.

I would be interested in the philosophy and concepts embodied by such a forum, but would not be able to put any into practice. I live in a townhouse development in a heavily developed and rapidly expanding suburb of Philadelphia. It's hard enough to carry a PSK or any belt gear around here without raising eyebrows.

As for really discussing longterm survival, I saw a British movie once called "Threads," about the aftermath of a limited nuclear exchange. It was extremely realistic and totally depressing. During the course of the movie, mankind degenerated into the kind of primitive heathens we read about now in history books and laugh at, marveling at how far we've come.

Wouldn't take much -- a simple EMP, really -- to knock us right back down, flat on our butts in the muck. No electricity, no modern civilization. Nuclear Winter. Middle Ages Part II. Agriculture fails. Starvation sets in. There is no happy ending to this movie. All the main characters die or are killed off. There is birth, but trust me, it is not at all happy.

Anyone else see "Threads?" How realistic do you think it is?

-- Craig

I think it's best to look to the homesteading community for rational discussion of this stuff. I expect any such section on ETS would gravitate to the usual TEOTWAWKI (sp?) madness, and would spill over to the rest of ETS.

Bad choice for a lurkers' first post, but I would read and contribute to an LTS section.

-BigMike989

I would be interested as long as it was heavily monitored, and we had some FAQ's in that area that go over some scenerios not acceptable.

I certainly wouldn't want to see anyone's freedom of speech get trampled, but when people start going off the deep end it gets a little hard to keep straight face. My kill file for misc.survivalism got so long it was ridiculous.

That said, I think there is some value to contemplating TEOTWAWKI. I've just finished reading "The Long Emergency" by James Howard Kunstler, and there is a lot in that book that is difficult to ignore. As an example, one of the topics that has always fascinated me is the subject of investment with societal breakdown in mind. For instance, precious metals, aside from their intrinsic aesthetic and electrical properties, only carry monetary value because complex societies tend to agree that these substances are good media of exchange.

I'm really not interested in hearing the nutcases proselatize (sp?) on whom we can blame all the ills of our modern life, whether it be "Big Business", "Those Damn Liberals", illegal immigrants, gun control advocates, The Project for a New American Century, the Illuminati, or what have you. What I am interested in is what can we do to preserve humankind in the event of a pervasive disaster.

I liked Rambo and Red Dawn and I don't have all that many posts, maybe two or three. That doesn't make me a wild eyed survivalist, just don't have much to say. As to long term survival I have survived longer than most folks on this board

A rather broad topic. I'm not confident that there are distinguishable boundaries between preparedness and philosophies. I do not envy the forum administrator if this is set up.

While the topic is beyond fascinating to me, I'm not certain I would like to see a forum for this.

Tom

>> As to long term survival I have survived longer than most folks on this board <<

An interesting statement - I'll bite: Please elaborate.

I too would be interested in this type of forum, again, as stated, that it would be strongly moderated. It might not be TEOTWAWKI as a most possible scenario, but long term disruption of common services in a regional area due to a terrorist nuke or dirty bomb that concerns me more, and may be a more realistic incident. Either way, longer preparations would certainly be needed.