Has Prepping Ideology Evolved to Stay Relevant?
Kevin Felts 02.19.19
Is prepping ideology from years ago still relevant in modern times? Some threats stay constant, such as natural disasters and changes in the economy. For example, it seems like every few years there is some kind of economic bubble. Examples of this would be the tech bubble of the early 2000s, and the housing crash of 2008.
Then there are various natural disasters, such as wildfires in California, Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Harvey, and tornadoes in tornado alley. People who live in areas prone to natural disasters know to stay prepared.
However, there are threats that are constantly evolving and changing. Those threats are:
- International relations
- Disease
International Relations
History has taught us conflict can erupt with little warning. Then again, sometimes people downplay or disregard warning signs.
During the Cold War people lived under the constant threat of nuclear war. Chances are everyone had a granny who canned beans, peas, potatoes, and had chickens along with a milk cow. Part of that was based on experiences of living through the Great Depression. Lessons learned from the Great Depression helped people stay prepared for the Cold War.
What has changed int he past few decades? The USSR broke apart, and China rose to be a world economic leader. Since the fall of the USSR prepping for a global conflict has fallen to the wayside.
When the SurvivalistBoards forum first opened, a number of members talked about bunkers, fallout shelters, and nuclear, chemical, biological (NBC) survival. Over a decade later it seems few members talk about those topics. It would appear discussions have shifted slightly from a wide range of prepping, including nuclear war, to focusing on natural disasters.
Hopefully humanity will never face a nuclear conflict. Then again, international relations can change very quickly. Rather than nuclear war with the USSR, it seems the current threats are an evolving nuclear Iran, and China dominating world trade.
Diseases
Besides HIV, humanity has probably never experienced periods of such great health like we have today. We have vaccines for a wide range of diseases, and if caught early enough a number of cancers can be cured. Long gone are the days of Small Pox, Polio, Chicken Pox, and for the most part Measles and Mumps. From time to time small regional outbreaks of Measles or Mumps will show up.
There was once a time when people were told to stay home if they were sick. Now it seems people venture out when they are running a fever. Get sick, just go to the doctor.
Maybe we should ask ourselves if we are ready for an outbreak of a new disease?
Final Thoughts
Over the past few decades it would appear people have drifted away from prepping for an international conflict. Skills such as gardening, livestock, and storing homegrown food seems to have been forgotten.
If the United States were to ever enter into another global conflict, and people had to ration, how prepared would we be for that? With a lot of our electronics being made in China, how quickly could we adapt when our supply of smartphones is cut off?
History has a way of repeating itself; as such one day a new disease will rear its ugly head. What do you mean there is no cure? What do you mean we have to stay home? Nobody is going to tell me to stay home, I am going to McDonald’s.
We have the ability to prep like humanity has never had before as a wide range of information is freely available on the Internet. Want a book on canning and a pressure canner, just order them off Amazon.
Then again, besides natural disasters, how do we know what to prep for? Maybe we should keep prepping like our grandparents did, and add a touch of modern technology.
