It seems that trend forecaster Gerald Celente was right (again) about the popular trend he has dubbed “neo-survivalism.” There is a lot of uncertainty in America right now, thus it is no surprise that many are reverting back to the rugged individual roots that existed during the founding of our nation.
The UK’s Guardian Observer says Americans stock up to be ready for end of the world:
Pennington is a “prepper”, a growing social movement that has been dubbed Survivalism Lite. Preppers believe that it is better to be safe than sorry and that preparing for disaster – be it a hurricane or the end of civilisation – makes sense.
Unlike the 1990s survivalists, preppers come from all backgrounds and live all over America. They are just as likely to be found in a suburb or downtown loft as a remote ranch in the mountains. Prepping networks, which have sprung up all over the country in the past few years, provide advice on how to prepare food reserves, how to grow crops in your garden, how to hunt and how to defend yourself. There are prepping books, online shops, radio shows, countless blogs, prepping courses and prepping conferences.
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There are several reasons for the rise of prepping. The first is that, in the post-9/11 world, mass terror attacks have become a fear for many Americans. At a time when US diplomacy is focused on preventing Iran getting nuclear weapons and terror experts continue to warn of “dirty bombs” on American soil, it is no surprise that many Americans feel threatened. Added to that paranoia has come the recession. Suddenly, millions of Americans have been losing their jobs and their homes, reinforcing a feeling that society is not as stable as it once seemed.
If you’ve ever thought that maybe you’re overreacting about being prepared for disasters or emergencies, be not afraid. Tom Martin, of the American Preppers Network, says “millions of people now have the mindset that they want to be prepared for something, but don’t know what to call it.”
Most preppers and survivalists are not preparing for one single emergency, disaster or scenario. Tess Pennington, of Ready Nutrition, says,”There all kinds of disasters that can happen, natural and man-made.”
More and more everyday Americans are waking up to the idea that far-from-equilibrium situations happen. John Milandred of Pioneer Living points out that a prepper can be anyone, “We get inquiries from people from all walks of life. We had a principal from a school asking us to talk to their children. We have doctors and firemen and lawyers.”
The last ten years clearly demonstrate that large-scale terrorist attacks, natural disasters and economic calamities are not at all out of the realm of possibility. In fact, they seem to be more of a regular occurrence than a one-in-a-million chance. But the prepper mindset doesn’t stop at just stocking food, water, guns and end-of-the-world supplies for what the UK Guardian Observer dubbed the end of civilization. It’s a lifestyle that can involve every aspect of one’s life – from fire drills with the kids to self defense training, emergency medical response and learning how to live more sustainably.
If there is one thing we should have learned from recent domestic disasters like 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina, it’s that the emergency response of our local, state and federal governments will not be enough to save everyone who is in the thick of it.
We preppers plan for ourselves, family, friends and community, because if we don’t do it, who will?
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