Question for Optouter: Hmm, so are “Preppers” actually just a specific type of “Hoarders,” do ya think? Karen
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Karen,
Actually, that is something I have thought about for many years. Whatever we think of “preppers” or “survivalists” what they are doing is virtually the same thing more primitive cultures and tribes did thousands of years ago and Mormons have been doing for over 100 years. They store stuff (mainly food and things to grow food) in the event of an emergency. Centuries ago it might be a drought or a war or a siege or a plague of locusts. But until modern times, there was no Red Cross or FEMA or National Guard to bring in potable water or Port-A-Potties or pork-and-beans or medical supplies. As recently as my lifetime in southern Louisiana we endured half a dozen direct hits from hurricanes in the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s which knocked out power and thus water for a week or more as well as most of the systems that bring us food, sustenance and comfort. Back then people got by with the provisions they kept on hand. They were taught by example of their elders to think ahead and gather together both the consumables they needed as well as prepare themselves emotionally and physically for what was coming. As a result folks were far more resilient and resourceful back then. As a result, they were less stressed during emergencies, cooperated more, were less fearful, and bounced back sooner from the emergency. But that was then and this is now.
We are far more systems dependent now. Fast forward fifty years and society is much different in that most people now expect government to rescue them from not only privation but from discomfort and bring them ice and bottled water and hot food and even toilet paper and portable showers. And in a democracy we citizens get what we want which, in the final analysis, is to tax those who have the good sense to live in safer areas. And we more prudent citizens get the guilt trip and the duty of taking care of those who choose to live in areas much more prone to floods and tornadoes and Hurricanes. (All barrier islands around the US, the areas immediately adjacent to oceans, the Missouri, Tennessee, and Mississippi river valleys, etc.) But before I wander into a quagmire of political discourse, back to hoarding.
IMO, a fairly significant percentage of Americans today do not have much faith in government’s ability to take care of them in an emergency and that is healthy. Or, they choose deliberately to take care of themselves and their families in tough times and that is another healthy thing to do. They do so by purchasing and storing ahead of the emergency almost anything they think is practical or necessary to avoid dependency on others, or privation or even death. Those things can include food, water, water purification techniques, tools, medicine, fuel, money, guns, seeds, booze, books, candles, kerosene lamps, whatever they think they will need or want badly or that they can trade to get by.
At this point I come to the defense and admiration of these people regardless of their motivation. But I often consider the motivation and thinking of a lot of them to be misguided and paranoid. Regardless, their gathering all this stuff ahead of the emergency is not hoarding if they gather it gradually and carefully and ultimately use it up. By doing so, preppers or survivors or whatever one wants to call them, make things significantly better for everyone in a number of significant ways when things suddenly go from ok to bad to worse:
1. They are safely at home taking care of themselves, their families, and possibly even their immediate neighbors,
2. They are not out there engaging in road rage and bumper pool in the parking lots of big-box stores to fight over the last loaf of bread, quart of milk or gallon of gas,
3. They are not inclined out of desperation to grab as much of anything they can get their hands on depriving others of some share of what is left,
4. They are not putting a burden on already overburdened government emergency systems whether community, local, state or national,
5. They are not taxing the economic supply chain to bring in more stuff than it can provide at one specific time. Supply systems are build and managed to meet a normal and predictable flow. Increasingly, supply systems are designed for “just-in-time” so there is little or no reserve in the pipeline. In an emergency, such highly cost effective and efficient systems likely will break down.
6. By purchasing stuff in advance, the economy can anticipate the need, make it, ship it, and distribute it far ahead of an emergency. Miners, shippers, manufacturers and distributors have the incentive and time to resupply itself with whatever is needed to produce the final goods.
7. By stockpiling usable stuff preppers help reduce price spikes and resulting price gouging.
8. Overall, fear and panic are reduced in a community or culture where individuals prepare for emergencies. People are more inclined to cooperate than compete,
9. Everyone is better off — including those who do nothing to be self sufficient!
10. Best of all, no one is harmed by preparing for emergencies.
Over the past 35 years I have watched the media predictably and repeatedly characterize those who prepare for emergencies as “hoarders”. Use of such a term characterizes us as selfish and even evil and mentally unbalanced. The media does that because it sells advertising. And it also resonates with the majority of citizens who desperately want to be titilated and feel smarter and superior to someone else -- especially morally superior. So never allow yourself to be put down by such characterizations. You are doing them a favor and they don't even know it.
Carry on,
Optouter
——————–
Karen,
Actually, that is something I have thought about for many years. Whatever we think of “preppers” or “survivalists” what they are doing is virtually the same thing more primitive cultures and tribes did thousands of years ago and Mormons have been doing for over 100 years. They store stuff (mainly food and things to grow food) in the event of an emergency. Centuries ago it might be a drought or a war or a siege or a plague of locusts. But until modern times, there was no Red Cross or FEMA or National Guard to bring in potable water or Port-A-Potties or pork-and-beans or medical supplies. As recently as my lifetime in southern Louisiana we endured half a dozen direct hits from hurricanes in the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s which knocked out power and thus water for a week or more as well as most of the systems that bring us food, sustenance and comfort. Back then people got by with the provisions they kept on hand. They were taught by example of their elders to think ahead and gather together both the consumables they needed as well as prepare themselves emotionally and physically for what was coming. As a result folks were far more resilient and resourceful back then. As a result, they were less stressed during emergencies, cooperated more, were less fearful, and bounced back sooner from the emergency. But that was then and this is now.
We are far more systems dependent now. Fast forward fifty years and society is much different in that most people now expect government to rescue them from not only privation but from discomfort and bring them ice and bottled water and hot food and even toilet paper and portable showers. And in a democracy we citizens get what we want which, in the final analysis, is to tax those who have the good sense to live in safer areas. And we more prudent citizens get the guilt trip and the duty of taking care of those who choose to live in areas much more prone to floods and tornadoes and Hurricanes. (All barrier islands around the US, the areas immediately adjacent to oceans, the Missouri, Tennessee, and Mississippi river valleys, etc.) But before I wander into a quagmire of political discourse, back to hoarding.
IMO, a fairly significant percentage of Americans today do not have much faith in government’s ability to take care of them in an emergency and that is healthy. Or, they choose deliberately to take care of themselves and their families in tough times and that is another healthy thing to do. They do so by purchasing and storing ahead of the emergency almost anything they think is practical or necessary to avoid dependency on others, or privation or even death. Those things can include food, water, water purification techniques, tools, medicine, fuel, money, guns, seeds, booze, books, candles, kerosene lamps, whatever they think they will need or want badly or that they can trade to get by.
At this point I come to the defense and admiration of these people regardless of their motivation. But I often consider the motivation and thinking of a lot of them to be misguided and paranoid. Regardless, their gathering all this stuff ahead of the emergency is not hoarding if they gather it gradually and carefully and ultimately use it up. By doing so, preppers or survivors or whatever one wants to call them, make things significantly better for everyone in a number of significant ways when things suddenly go from ok to bad to worse:
1. They are safely at home taking care of themselves, their families, and possibly even their immediate neighbors,
2. They are not out there engaging in road rage and bumper pool in the parking lots of big-box stores to fight over the last loaf of bread, quart of milk or gallon of gas,
3. They are not inclined out of desperation to grab as much of anything they can get their hands on depriving others of some share of what is left,
4. They are not putting a burden on already overburdened government emergency systems whether community, local, state or national,
5. They are not taxing the economic supply chain to bring in more stuff than it can provide at one specific time. Supply systems are build and managed to meet a normal and predictable flow. Increasingly, supply systems are designed for “just-in-time” so there is little or no reserve in the pipeline. In an emergency, such highly cost effective and efficient systems likely will break down.
6. By purchasing stuff in advance, the economy can anticipate the need, make it, ship it, and distribute it far ahead of an emergency. Miners, shippers, manufacturers and distributors have the incentive and time to resupply itself with whatever is needed to produce the final goods.
7. By stockpiling usable stuff preppers help reduce price spikes and resulting price gouging.
8. Overall, fear and panic are reduced in a community or culture where individuals prepare for emergencies. People are more inclined to cooperate than compete,
9. Everyone is better off — including those who do nothing to be self sufficient!
10. Best of all, no one is harmed by preparing for emergencies.
Over the past 35 years I have watched the media predictably and repeatedly characterize those who prepare for emergencies as “hoarders”. Use of such a term characterizes us as selfish and even evil and mentally unbalanced. The media does that because it sells advertising. And it also resonates with the majority of citizens who desperately want to be titilated and feel smarter and superior to someone else -- especially morally superior. So never allow yourself to be put down by such characterizations. You are doing them a favor and they don't even know it.
Carry on,
Optouter
