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Are you a warlord-in-the-making?

11698 Views 90 Replies 50 Participants Last post by  MikeK
How many of us preppers will take advantage of people when our leadership role is recognized by the sheeple around us, after the SHTF?

The scenarios are all over the map, regarding our future roles as protectors and providers of those who converted (albeit too late) to the prep mentality, and who depend on us for their safety and sanity. No, I do not think I am being fantastic. I am relying on military experience of my own plus that of old veterans back to WWI. There is a risk of being drafted as a warlord.

If you are aware enough to be a prepper, then you probably have leadership qualities, whether you presently use them or not, in this peacetime. What are the chances that you, planning only to provide for yourself and your family, will be tempted to help the sheeple, becoming their leader?

If you snicker at such a thought, empathize for a moment with the sheeple. They didn't expect any of this. Now, they have nothing, and have to choose between serving a stranger (you) or going to camp FEMA, which by now has urban tales and horror stories of its own.

Let's hear it. Where do you stand, what is your price and what will you do, when the temptation and invitation comes from sheeple, whether they be desperate women clutching babies, hungry seniors or ill-prepared families?
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I will nurture them where I can, offer them guidance where I can, and if need be, lead them where I can. I will not follow another. I will not offer more than my family can afford to offer. I will not harm them in any way, but will pay for anything I get in ammo, meds, etc.

I will look for sheeple that have seen the light and try to get those with skills to band together for security. It takes a group to provide 24 hour watches, 16 hour labor, all the skills that would be required, doctor, RN, machinists, dentists, seamstress, farmer, soldier, etc.

Unfortunately, if they aren't contributors, they'll have to be moved on. It will be a rough time and those who cannot contribute will not be afforded comfort because it will put any group at risk. That doesn't mean that the man in the wheelchair can't contribute, it means that the 24 year old jackass that worked at the 7-11 and lived with his parents in their basement who has a pinnacle skill of Xbox 360 operation will be dead. The wheelchair guy may very well be a doctor, a vet, etc. The Xbox guy will be useless.

Women will get more slack, particularly women with children. It will more likely be men who go rogue and are dangerous, women tend to be more communal and communicative.

Ideally any small community will build a wall, put up listening/watch posts, and control their terrain effectively. I could certainly assist in defining fire zones, establishing radio protocol, etc. And would do so, but only for those willing to forgo democracy in the short run.

This is after the first few months, of course. For those first troubled months we'll be bottled up tighter than a one piece on Kirstie Allie.

Let me end that with what I think is LIKELY to happen in this scenario. A couple of people will join our cause, but most will never even know we are there. We will be bottled up until the area is secure due to lack of travelers, either there is no fuel or everyone has died. In the end, I expect we'll have to reach out to find others, not worry about them finding us.
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I can't sing and I can't talk..
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While I believe that this is a grandios idea if there are that many desperate people around that know your well to do i would not be suprised if your defences are over whelmed and they help themselves.
The best thing in my oppinion to do is network like mad pre TEOTWAWKI
so you have a large group of good friends and thus the ability to pull people together quikly into a cohiesive community. Thinking your going to be the ruler of these lost and desperate people will be a big mistake unless they are personaly known to you before hand you also will know what they are able to bring to the table before hand as well
If you are not a leader in your community now, you will never be later.
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I can't sing and I can't talk..
Sure as heck can type, though!
How many of us preppers will take advantage of people when our leadership role is recognized by the sheeple around us, after the SHTF?

The scenarios are all over the map, regarding our future roles as protectors and providers of those who converted (albeit too late) to the prep mentality, and who depend on us for their safety and sanity. No, I do not think I am being fantastic. I am relying on military experience of my own plus that of old veterans back to WWI. There is a risk of being drafted as a warlord.

If you are aware enough to be a prepper, then you probably have leadership qualities, whether you presently use them or not, in this peacetime. What are the chances that you, planning only to provide for yourself and your family, will be tempted to help the sheeple, becoming their leader?

If you snicker at such a thought, empathize for a moment with the sheeple. They didn't expect any of this. Now, they have nothing, and have to choose between serving a stranger (you) or going to camp FEMA, which by now has urban tales and horror stories of its own.

Let's hear it. Where do you stand, what is your price and what will you do, when the temptation and invitation comes from sheeple, whether they be desperate women clutching babies, hungry seniors or ill-prepared families?
Never. That's not ten letters? NEVER!!!
I will be hunting down and killing people with that mentality. Sheeple can be mean as hell when hungry or scared. Someone leading them can only get me into trouble.
You are confusing the innocent with the evil, I think. Someone asking for help should receive it if possible. Someone wanting to take what is yours should be fertilizer. FarmerJohn is right, though, and I am already behind on the powercurve down here in my new chosen homeland. I don't know anyone, if that is the case when SHTF then that is a button up and ride it out listening to the radio sort of event. If there are trustworthy neighbors who don't burn agnostics, then I'd be interested in being part of the local efforts to rebuild and restore security.

Either way, nobody will get my supplies. If they come to take them, I will burn them to the ground before I give them to looters.
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Well, let's take the question a step further. Let's imagine that economically and politically TS has already HTF. How many of our politicians, media moguls, and banksters are basically modern-day warlords today? If they're in charge, then they led us to the mess we see today. Could be that the strongest ARE the warlords.
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If someone called me a "leader" they have just insulted me. I lead no followers and follow no leaders. If there's anything I hate worse than a follower, it's a leader.

That said, I have no intentions of becoming a warlord. My only plans other than surviving is to take out any "predator" types that I see. That's not only for my own self preservation, but to help make it safer for others who might make it.

I can see certain situations where I might would take in outsiders to help us all survive. But they would be fed, housed, and free to leave at will.
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There are two kinds of leaders. One kind is respected and emulated, spontaneously. The other kind exists only within a bureaucracy, is despised by his underlings, and is mainly motivated by a sociopathic desire to control people.
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Well, let's take the question a step further. Let's imagine that economically and politically TS has already HTF. How many of our politicians, media moguls, and banksters are basically modern-day warlords today? If they're in charge, then they led us to the mess we see today. Could be that the strongest ARE the warlords.
That is one of my points. If you have what others want, but they cannot conquer/bargain/shame you into sharing your stash, then they will beg and offer everything they have left, which is... only themselves. Nobody should fool themselves into thinking that the weak will be treated on an equal footing with the prepped, after the event. Ain't happening. So, if a prepper has the least mind at all, that they will help those who need it, then they will become a leader of those people they do help. They have no other source of help. They will become leaders of refugees.

Agreed that the politricksters are warlords. However, there will be no visible government, other than military law, visible to the survivors of the event. Local leaders will have power. That means preppers, because they have the life-sustaining goods the sheeple ignored the need for. Desperate people do stupid things. Walk the streets of Cuba or Mexico, if you have any doubt. Preppers will have what they need to wake up tomorrow morning. That means power. And power tends to corrupt. How do you handle power thrust into motion by events? What would temper your lust to take advantage of people? Or would you simply close the door to aiding anyone, and avoid the issue completely?

Hence, this thread.
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Well, let's take the question a step further. Let's imagine that economically and politically TS has already HTF. How many of our politicians, media moguls, and banksters are basically modern-day warlords today? If they're in charge, then they led us to the mess we see today. Could be that the strongest ARE the warlords.
But here lies the fault in that statement vs the ops question the government has lots of people to enforce its will. We post shtf would not.

If Uncle Suger says were increasing taxes 25% you dont have to pay them but I can garuntee that they will probbably hunt you down and either put you in jail or fine you a hell of alot more than you didnt pay.
If you do not have a large group you cannot impose your will like the govt does.

That is why I would recomend getting involved in social/community groups like your church, the lions club,rotary club, free masons, vol fire dept boyscouts/girlscouts ect.... that way when everything falls apart you have a safty net of people who have similar beliefs/values who can cometogether and work as a large cohiesive unit. (safty in numbers)
Wether or not you turn out to be a leader of the group will be determined by how proactive in getting every one to pull together and form this group post shtf and your personal reputation/charachter in the community before the fall
and how well you can care for those who cannot care for themselves
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This post bothers me a lot.

I don't know what the hell I'm going to do.

I really want to be there for my countrymen, but I'm not about to put my family at risk, either. I'll probably have to keep caches around that I can send people too so that they can have a chance to survive, but not put my group or family at risk. My friend will probably be at my place, and I know for a fact that he would just want to shoot them to keep them from being a security risk. I don't really think that is necessarily the right choice.

This is really a moral dilemma for me. Patriot vs Family man. Honestly, how can anyone watch other children die if they can spare some help?

I don't know. I just don't know. I better get to thinking about it, and either harden my heart a bit or get on those caches when I can.
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Delusions of grandeur.

How many sheeple do you know that consider themselves sheeple?
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Delusions of grandeur.

How many sheeple do you know that consider themselves sheeple?
thats what i said in my original post:thumb:
Roger that. There's headless leadership also. Get a half dozen concerned people sitting around a table discussing issues in their community and decisions can be made by small group.

I've also often thought there is leadership in crisis, and there is leadership in luxury. Crisis leaders are not learned, they're born. Charisma, ability to make snap decisions (not always the best, but usually good enough). And then the luxury leaders -- they're actually anti-leaders in many ways (back to the discussion on bureaucracy-only mid-level manager), they generally sway people away from their own best interests.

So when the OP talks about warlords, context gets very tricky. There are some leaders who aren't warlords, though not many.

But here lies the fault in that statement vs the ops question the government has lots of people to enforce its will. We post shtf would not.

If Uncle Suger says were increasing taxes 25% you dont have to pay them but I can garuntee that they will probbably hunt you down and either put you in jail or fine you a hell of alot more than you didnt pay.
If you do not have a large group you cannot impose your will like the govt does.

That is why I would recomend getting involved in social/community groups like your church, the lions club,rotary club, free masons, vol fire dept boyscouts/girlscouts ect.... that way when everything falls apart you have a safty net of people who have similar beliefs/values who can cometogether and work as a large cohiesive unit. (safty in numbers)
Wether or not you turn out to be a leader of the group will be determined by how proactive in getting every one to pull together and form this group post shtf and your personal reputation/charachter in the community before the fall
and how well you can care for those who cannot care for themselves
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