What I learned on my trip to

[Ilsa]

California...

My friends there are very smart and self-sufficient people. They know how to do alot. They don't waste alot of time with entertainment and TV.

Their thoughts are that the US govt is so corrupt, that another attack, probably in the form of biological weaponry, will take down society. Their concern is that people who are incapable of taking care of themselves will become desperate.

They feel like if they can survive an initial surprise attack, they'll be able to get by on the skills they've learned (gardening and food processing, hunting, understanding ways to generate power for comfort, etc). They haven't really talked about an underground bartering system, but I suspect they know it will be necessary later.

Perhaps we need a new DU Groups forum: Survivalism.

[MadHound]

1. Your friends in California aren't the only ones making preparations

Many many people throughout the nation are making ready for some serious shit. In fact it was with such possiblities in mind that I bought my modest acreage out in the wilds of Mid Mo. I would suggest that if you are interested in making such prepartions, you would do well to get yourself out to the country also.

A good place to get started, and a great set of how to books is the Firefox series. Lots of great information on the old fashioned ways of doing things for oneself.

As far as a Survivalism group on DU, I think that it would be a good thing to have in order that information could be shared. I don't know how much I would participate, but I would be swinging by at least once in awhile.

[Gasping4Truth]

2. foxfire (NT)

[MadHound]

5. Oops, my bad

I think I need another cup of coffee.

[SouthernDem2004]

3. Do the Progressive survivalist get along with the Far Right survivalist?

Serious question. They are trying to hide in the same areas using the same equipment and methods. Do the survivalist have a community type relationship and all get along and help each other?

[MadHound]

4. Heh heh, no

At least not any of the leftist survivallists I know of. It is not only a question of idealogies, but also a question of priorities. Militant RW survivalists are much more into arming themselves for the purpose of taking over things after the shit has hit the fan, while the leftist, while arming themselves, are doing a lot less of that, and only for the purpose of self defense and hunting game.

In addition, there is the natural division of ideologies that keeps the groups seperate. The rightists are much more into Christian end times, race war, militant bullshit. The leftists are much more akin to the sixties and seventies type hippy communes. Plus, the leftists are much more into interacting with the people around them, while those on the right are almost entirely isolationists, and enforce that philosophy with armed guards at the gates.

[RebelOne]

6. Here is a survivalist Web site that I visited quite frequently

during the Y2K scare. I don't know if they are right or left wing as I didn't pay too much attention to that at the time.

http://www.frugalsquirrels.com/