Survivalism in the 1990s

[kev]

As I think about the past few decades, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s,,, to me, the 1990s was the best decade for survivalism.

Bill Clinton was president from 1993 to 2001. During that time probably he did more to promote survivalism / conspiracy theories then anyone else that I can think of, besides maybe Janet Reno.

1991 we had the Persian Gulf conflict - Desert Shield and Desert Storm. We got to see how well the Russian made tanks held up against the M1 Abrams. We got to see the stealth fighter and bomber. The world saw that the USA can kick some butt and take names later - if there was enough left to even name.

In 1992 Ruby Ridge and Randy Weaver
In February to April 1993 we had the siege in Waco.
NAFTA - even though Bill Clinton said during his campaign that he would not sign NAFTA, after getting elected, he crawfished on the subject and quickly signed the treaty.

Then there the books like Vampire Slayer 2000 - that predicted the new world order by the year 2000.

Chuck Harder was a popular talk show host, who was being broadcast over several large outlets.

American Survival Guide was still being published - I dearly miss ASG.

The stickers on the back side of street signs - those are direction stickers for UN troops - at least that is what the conspiracy theories said anyway.

The assualt rifle ban was signed into law by Bill Clinton on September 13, 1994, which did not help public relations any. The prices of AR-15s doubled overnight. As the assualt rifle ban was being passed, I went down to a local gun store to buy a Colt AR-15. A couple of days before the price was about $750. When I went to buy the rifle, the new price was $1,500. Here we are 16 years later, and AR-15s are still selling for $800 - $900, sometimes as low as $750. Its amazing that so called "assualt rifles" were "supposed" to be banned, but we can still buy then 16 years after the fact.

There was talk of a United Nations invasion, and door-to-door gun seizers. This went along with the assualt rifle ban. Whoever did not hand over their guns, the UN would go to your house and arrest you.

Black Hawk army helicopters were flying low over livestock in some kind of experiment. I never did really understand this conspiracy theory.

The internet was still in its infancy.

I remember an article in ASG about using bulletin boards on the internet. The article went into detail about internet service providers, having a 14kb modem (or slower), compuserve and I think AOL was even mentioned. The article included a picture of an old DOS based computer,,, it sure is strange to look back on those articles now.

Midway used to sell a case of 5,000 9mm bullets. Now I think they only sell cases of 2,500 or 2,000 bullets.

At one time primers for reloading were hard to find. During that time, there was talk about the government wanting to dry up primers so people would use up their stockpiled ammo.

SKS were $75 - $99 dollars.

A case of 7.62X39 (about 2,000 rounds) cost around $75.

You could walk into a gun show with $200, and walk out with an SKS and a case of 7.62X39.

The year 2000 was quickly approaching.

To get ready for the year 2K:

My buddies and I stockpiled thousands of rounds of ammo - to defend our family against the starving hordes.

Collected about 2 cords of firewood - to be able to cook after the power plants went off line.

Stockpiled several months worth of food.

Had some 16 gallon drums full of gasoline - for generator and our trucks.

Had our bug out location ready, with primary and secondary evacuation routes picked out.

Overall, I look back at the 1990s, and I'am glad their gone. I did not like all of the drama and conspiracy theories that went around. It was like every talk show host and every magazine was trying to spread fear. At the camp I have a collection of gun magazines from the 1990s. In just about everyone of the magazines, there is some kind of fear article about some kind of gun ban. And here we are, almost 20 years later, and still no gun ban. If anything, our gun rights have been upheld and expanded over the past 20 years.

There are several things about the 1900s that I miss, like my kids still being little. But they have to grow up sooner or later.

When I see someone come onto this forum and post "when is s going to htf?" I just laugh a little and think back to the 1990s.

[Bullets~n~Beans]

I remember 90's all to well. But you left out the big militia movement in particular MOM.

Yea, I remember someone telling that I just had to have this certain firearm for the coming UN trench warfare. He was so wound up he was visibly shaking and salivating. That was the first and last time I ever stepped into that gunshop.

I'm still loading ammunition from the primers and shooting the 5.56 rounds that I bought back then. Gotta rotate stock don't ya know. :-)

[letsgetreal]

IMO, not sure that the 90's was the decade........the Gulf War was one of the best wars we had since WWII( shock and awe, quick in, quick out).....we could be so lucky to have all wars like that.......afa Waco and Ruby Ridge, that showed the fascism of a socialistic leader......IMO, the 50's and 60's, during the Cold War, folks were more survival minded( to compare to today)......folks were actually building fallout shelters( bunkers), buying gas masks and stocking up on food and water and supplies, etc getting ready for a nuclear attack.

[Ice Axe]

I remember all the talk about FEMA camps. I've still got some pamphlets somewhere warning me about them. They had a giant guard tower on the cover.

[MikeK]

The 90's were turbulent times alright. They shaped a lot of modern survivalism. I still think I prefered the survivalism of the 80's though. When it focused more on survival and less on combat. The weapons choices were different, as were the pack loadouts. Maybe getting out there and setting up a new life was an idyllic dream, or maybe it was that saner heads prevailed. I guess we won't find out until it actually comes crashing down. I don't want to find out that bad.

[Enscheff]

Thanks for posting that rundown. It shows just how outlandish all this fearmongering really is.

It is odd to me that people today are convinced the end is near, just like they were convinced at the end of the 1990s. Nothing happened then just like nothing will happen now, yet people are still frothing at the mouth.

I would be interested to see you post a similar breakdown about the time spanning the Obama administration in a few years. It will be interesting to see how all the unwarranted paranoia ruled again, and will rule again the next time a Liberal President is elected.

[Vergeltung]

Originally Posted by Enscheff

Thanks for posting that rundown. It shows just how outlandish all this fearmongering really is.

It is odd to me that people today are convinced the end is near, just like they were convinced at the end of the 1990s. Nothing happened then just like nothing will happen now, yet people are still frothing at the mouth.

I would be interested to see you post a similar breakdown about the time spanning the Obama administration in a few years. It will be interesting to see how all the unwarranted paranoia ruled again, and will rule again the next time a Liberal President is elected.

way more stuff hitting the fan now. the economics alone make it an apples-to-oranges comparison. but you just keep on hoping you are right, 0-bot.

[Texas Patriot]

Ah,Kev, the memories! That's why when I hear all these people nowadays saying the sky is falling,I remember back to the 1990's as well. I do think there is more of a possibility of an economic hardship today, but who knows. Have you noticed, some of the old conspiracy theories have been dusted off, repackaged , and resold? TP

[DBR]

Originally Posted by kev

There are several things about the 1900s that I miss, like my kids still being little. But they have to grow up sooner or later.

When I see someone come onto this forum and post "when is s going to htf?" I just laugh a little and think back to the 1990s.

Absolutely.

[MikeK]

Originally Posted by Enscheff

Thanks for posting that rundown. It shows just how outlandish all this fearmongering really is.

I am strongly against all the predictions too. They've been going on for decades and nobody has been right yet. So it's of no benefit whatsoever. All it does is damage our credibility and hurt our chances of getting others to prep.

It will be interesting to see how all the unwarranted paranoia ruled again, and will rule again the next time a Liberal President is elected.

Well, maybe we'll get lucky and we won't have any more of them.

[MikeK]

Originally Posted by Texas Patriot

Ah,Kev, the memories! That's why when I hear all these people nowadays saying the sky is falling,I remember back to the 1990's as well. I do think there is more of a possibility of an economic hardship today, but who knows. Have you noticed, some of the old conspiracy theories have been dusted off, repackaged , and resold? TP

I think there's a lot more risk factors today. Or maybe it just seems that way because I'm more aware of them. But there has always been a crisis looming just around the corner. We've just been lucky so far.

The conspiracy theories will always be with us. It's easier to repackage old ones that expend all the effort needed to invent new ones!

[Enscheff]

Originally Posted by MikeK

Well, maybe we'll get lucky and we won't have any more of them.

While we are dreaming let's hope we do away with all political parties, outlaw any and all campaign contributions while finding a way for people to run for office based on their own merits and ideas rather than making every election a contest of who can raise the most money from corporate sponsors and pandering to extremist voting blocs.

Seriously, can we just start making politicians wear the logos of their corporate sponsors on their suits, like the logos on the NASCAR cars, so we know who they are really representing?

[OhioMan]

Interesting history lesson from kev, it make me wonder what's real and what's not.

I have never bought into any of the crash & burn rumors, I would hear about them but just chalked it up to fear mongering and the like. I remember talking with a few Y2K people, I remember thinking "these people really believe this stuff....lol"

Things changed for me over a year ago, I have done my best to look at our current situation as objectively as I can, I have consulted family and friends and business associates to try to gather some consensus. I contacted an old friend of mine from college who is in banking now. I shot him an email and ask for his honest opinion, he called me a couple of days later and he confirmed my worse fears.

I hope I laugh over this in a few years from now....I hope

[kev]

Originally Posted by OhioMan

Interesting history lesson from kev, it make me wonder what's real and what's not.

I dont know if its still going on, but in the mid - late 1990s, the Bloomberg television channel was airing commercials about the United Nations. The commercials showed some UN troops lined up in the rain, with a narrator talking about who you could depend on when things got rough.

There was talk of the UN using those TV commercials to mentally condition people. This was to convince people that the UN acting as a police force was a good thing. So that when the UN went house to house picking up guns, people would recognize them off the TV commercials.

[hank2222]

i remember a lot of things in the 90s are good and bad times for us as a nation ..

[Westfalia]

Thanks for a really interesting post!

I guess that one important lesson is to critically challenge the scenarios that many think are coming. As soon as anyone questions scenarios like economical collapse there is instantly an enormous attack. I think too many survivalists have to strong preconceptions about what is coming and how it’s going to play out. The whole BOB, BOV and BOL concept is in my opinion a strong contributor to this when the concept strongly affects the kind of scenarios imagined. Some new concepts and ideas would be welcome. Maybe survivalists must adapt.

Personally I don’t believe in any conspiracy theory, that UN troops would invade the United States or that a “New World Order” is coming. But there are plenty of real risks and threats to worry about.

I’ve tried to raise the subject in several threads like “What if we are wrong?” and “Time for a new forum section? Moderate Crisis Preparedness / The Bright Side”.

[Mtnman Mike]

I miss the 1990's. Exciting times. There were a lot of Preparedness Expos which I went to a few in the mid nineties until 1999. Lots of things to buy and I did some, mainly books.
Also lots of similar minded people preparing for Y2k and whatever might happen. Good contacts back then, too bad I lost contact with most after Y2k

The main thing Y2k did for me was get me into high gear and build a large woodshed and get my bunker / storm shelter finished more. Especially the summer of 1999 I did a huge amount of work as well as having about 12 people come up to my bol-retreat to visit and help some. One guy helped me carry the two steel doors to my bunker and then never heard from him after Y2k.

I also miss American Survival Guide but this Survivalistboards is Much better with lots of people to get in touch with and discuss things even in pms.

AND I think many more things to be concerned about are happening and might happen soon.

This Oil spill for one. IF it is not contained soon it could become a huge SHTF or worse. All I want to say about that.
I actually wish to just live in peace on my bol - remote mtn retreat but I am also prepared for whatever might happen also, just in case. Hope many others also will be.

[sarge912]

Here's the thing. I remember the '50s, I remember being dragged out of class when the air raid siren blasted and running to the inner halls and tucking our heads down. My folks and most of their friends were children of the depression. Because of that, every basement had pantrys full of sugar, flour, bags of lentils, canned tomatoes and beans. Everyone had canning stoves next to the concrete utility tubs. Nobody had two cars, some families had none. Most moms were home when you got of school, usually in the basement listening to the soap operas on the Bakelite radios while they ironed the sheets and dad's underwear. Fresh bread was cooling in the window, sometimes even cookies. Saturdays and all summer we would disappear to the woods at the end of the street sometimes never returning until dinnertime. Bags of baloney and peanut butter sandwiches were stuffed in brown paper bags or old lunch pails. Water came from the nearest garden hose (we never bothered to ask, everyone knew at least one of the kids in the sweaty, grimy hoard.) No one really talked about survival, at least not around the kids. Most of our dads had already proven their survival skills in North Africa, Italy France Germany, the Philippines or Korea. A few had survived in POW or concentration camps. We all knew how to catch fish, frogs and rabbits. We fixed our own bikes. Mowed lawns for fifty cents. (no power mowers, just push reels) On Sundays, we went to church. No trips to the Mall (there weren't any) almost everything was closed except for the rare drug store (but the lunch counter was closed) and Lawson's Milk stores. You spent Sunday with the family, did jigsaw puzzles and sang around the piano. Sunday evening you might even be allowed to watch a hour of television. The '90s were interesting but give me the '50s.

[letsgetreal]

Originally Posted by Mtnman Mike

I miss the 1990's. Exciting times. /////. Good contacts back then, too bad I lost contact with most after Y2k

The main thing Y2k did for me was get me into high gear and build a large woodshed and get my bunker / storm shelter finished more. Especially the summer of 1999 I did a huge amount of work as well as having about 12 people come up to my bol-retreat to visit and help some. .....

40 yrs earlier, folks were digging, pouring and building bunkers..........BOL's were nothing new.........

[sethwyo]

Get a copy of Duncan Long's Book "Apocalypse tomorow" its a great book about the survivalist movment.