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The unofficial universal symbol of "preppers" is the ant (think fable of the ant & the grasshopper). Mentality is more family/community based where a good defense is the foundation for sustainability/survivability planning.
Survivalist is more akin to Mad Max/Waterworld, predator oriented with scorched earth mentality.
Just what I've observed, YMMV.
We usually agree; but I disagree with you on this one. You're describing the survivalist as presented by Hollywood, the vicious and generally dirty and uneducated villain. I don't see it that way as I've known survivalists since the Seventies. They're neither vicious nor dirty nor ignorant nor stupid. The survivalist is more likely to be reading a book on the Byzantine Empire to get background on currency debasement than to be drinking with a group of high school dropouts. The true survivalist has intellectual curiosity.
The prepper, in my experience is a chap who hasn't done terribly well in good times and fears that The situation may become worse. On the other hand, he hopes that he can see the successful people in their nice homes reduced to refugees who will beg him for a crust of bread. He seems to believe that he'll thrive if only he can find a simpler life where everyone lives in poverty or little above it.
The survivalist asks why. Why should I plant a garden? Why should I buy (or sell) some investment? Why will this or that approach maintain my lifestyle. The survivalist is seldom poor. He may be broke; but he's seldom poor. The survivalist may seem to be very similar to typical middle class Americans. He lives in a nice house, drives a nice car, and eats well. Therefore, how is he different?
The answer is that the survivalist plans for that which is unexpected by the herd. He knows that the dollar can tumble, that riots can break out, and that political systems can change overnight without any revolution or constitutional amendment. This last isn't hindsight; the survivalist can look back to the Roosevelt years to see dramatic change in the roles of subject and ruler. The survivalist tries to figure out ways to insulate himself. For the survivalist, having a modest house and garden coupled with the ability to can vegetables and barely survive isn't enough. The survivalist wishes to prosper.
I, too, see an overlap between preppers and survivalists, going from the one end of the spectrum where you find those who store nothing more than canned and/or dried foods for unexpected but temporary food shortages to the other end where you find the paramilitary/militia types who are anti-government, heavily armed and are fully expecting the eventual and complete breakdown of society.
There is also the religious aspect to some "preppers." There are a whole lot of "preppers" around my area who are very wealthy, upstanding members of the community, but store food and supplies according to their religious doctrine. They learn to can and do other food-preservation-related tasks. They volunteer their time to work in local canneries/slaughterhouses. Yet, in no way could they be considered survivalists (at least not in my mind). They may have a deer rifle in the closet (that is dusted off only each autumn), but most of them are deeply religious and wouldn't hurt a fly. I know this because half of my relatives fit in this category. My rich mormon relatives in their upscale McMansions.
Oh, and you don't have to be in a militia to be profoundly dissatisfied with the direction our government is going. I'm anti-government (in its current state), but I simply withdraw from their fleecing game as much as possible and make myself not worth their time. The tall blade of grass is cut first. So don't be the tall blade of grass.
LOL - what is it with pink pistols and camo?!?! Maybe I'm just not a girly-girl, but if I could get any non-standard color I'd want optic acid green, not pink
I watched the Nat Geo show last night and couldn't help but notice that a large number of the people show were morbidly obese. These people are far more likely to die from a heart attack or diabetes than a calamity cause by the earth's magnetic fields reversing. I'm sure there is a fancy term for people who are obsessed with highly unlikely events while ignoring far more likely things. Maybe they are just trying to distract themselves from their everyday problems by imagining themselves as a central player in grandiose world events.
It's funny you should say this because it did cross my mind that I was wondering how many of them are or could be on heart medication. It first struck me with the old with the beard and the woman who was wearing those little rim glasses. Later I saw one clip where a man was making antibiotics and another or maybe the same man who needed surgery. These people are spending so much time and money preparing they aren't considering their health today.
What a joke. It makes us all look like lunatics. We're not, right?
What's so moronic is, each of those people are preparing for a particular calamity, economic, terrorists, EMP's, riots, etc.. I have no idea what is going to happen, I just prepare for anything.
I keep thinking of New Orleans and those people waiting in line, sleeping in that dome. Killing each other. No way. Not me. I will not wait for anyone to protect me, or help me in any other capacity. Rely on the government?
Chris, I'm a little confused... all of the deeply religious Mormons I know hunt and butcher, too!
Yes, most do. What I meant when I said they wouldn't hurt a fly is that they won't be going around murdering one another (killing people), looting, and pillaging like some folks on this forum seem to think is the right thing to do. Personally, if I were reduced to that, I'd prefer death--and that would be what I would deserve. If my self-preservation comes at the price of taking the lives of others (assuming they are not attacking me or something), then I've gone too far. I'm all for survival, but I do think there is a line.
Someone who didn't realize that I live out in the total boondocks asked me what I was prepping for... and I answered "whatever". I think that confused them. I guess when you live in civilization, most people need something to prepare for; but out here, preparing is way of life. Every season brings new possibilities... blizzards, ultra-low temps, flooding, forest fires, freak storms... and earthquakes, large animal attacks, and chainsaw accidents year round. Nearly anything can keep us from being able to get into town since there is only one road and it's over a 3-hr trip... sometimes we go weeks without even getting into the village, and months without getting into town.
So when I see shows like this one where they're displaying folks who are prepping for one very defined, and highly improbable, scenario I just have to laugh as the sadness of it. The real preppers I know are just preparing to maintain a reasonable semblance of their life in the even that something should happen that makes it difficult. It doesn't matter "what" other than a few specifics based on location (I don't have to prep for hurricanes, but my friend in HotLanta doesn't have to prep for 70 below)... they aren't prepping for zombies or alien invasion or societal collapse just plain old random hardship for whatever reason. Duration is really the only factor... most of the non-fad, non-freaky-panicy preppers I know have supplies and plans for surviving short-term without breaking a sweat, mid-term with a little rearranging, and long-term with a little extra elbow grease.
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