The Precarious Human Condition

It’s always interesting to me to watch the same story play-out regardless of where geographically a tragic event occurs. Doesn’t matter where or what demographic is involved, whether it is a short-burst event (e.g. hurricane, quake) or drawn-out impact (e.g. a war) the same result ensues, a distasteful and often deadly aftermath of looting, rape, pillage, murder, etc. Same shit, different day and that human reaction is never going to change regardless of the level of societal maturity attained prior to the event (plan well).

Board communities often toss around the proverbial SHTF scenarios; we discuss them from positions of bravado, humor, sincere concern, realism, some wear the tin-foil, etc. but at the end of the day, think about it, world populations can and do deteriorate rapidly under chaotic circumstances.

I’m no pessimist when it comes to the ever-advancing Human Condition but when those nightmare spikes hit, "what a fucked-up thing the human being really is, eh?"

[insert any of your many examples here] but yet again; http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,587616,00.html

And people wonder why we should own guns....

It's amazing how fast people go bad when the SHTF.

It can happen anywhere and anytime...

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/2476137/la_riots_begin/

http://www.rbgtube.com/play.php?vid=2010

People especially in more populated areas have less of a connected feeling with society in general. Add to that lower self-reliance and I think it's no surprise how bad things get. It's probably worse than ever. If all you know how to do to feed, shelter, and clothe yourself is to go to the store, that's where you'll go. Scary too is how many "Where is the government?" comments you hear out of each disaster. Getting people to depend on the government or at least think they do is the most effective gov't program ever.

Hey Chile, I'm really happy for you, and Imma let you finish, but Haiti had one of the most devastating earth quakes of all time!

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Originally Posted by Stuart

Hey Chile, I'm really happy for you, and Imma let you finish, but Haiti had one of the most devastating earth quakes of all time!

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What distinguishes a natural disaster from a natural event? You've defined it. How devastating to it is to a society of people.

Bottom line is, if things get that bad for any reason there will be lots of predators out there trying to relieve us of whatever we have that they need/want. And you won't be able to dial 911. Of course, the anti-gunners prove constantly that ignorance is bliss.

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Originally Posted by Stuart

Hey Chile, I'm really happy for you, and Imma let you finish, but Haiti had one of the most devastating earth quakes of all time!

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Not really, They were both pretty close on the richer scale.. The truth lies in what Jason said.. And, how the locals handle it.. Although, does sound like the looting is starting in Chili now..

ETA: Hati= 3rd world dung heap that even after the last big one they had,, took no steps to prevent the same damage from happening.
Chili= after the last big one they had, took those steps in upgrading building standards that prevented the same amount of damage..

You guys are killing me here.

http://files.sharenator.com/selectio...-22459-580.jpg

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Originally Posted by Stuart

Hey Chile, I'm really happy for you, and Imma let you finish, but Haiti had one of the most devastating earth quakes of all time!

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lol

Reminds me of the Watts riots. I lived in Hawthorne at the time which boarders Englewood where it got ugly. I could see the smoke just blocks away. My uncle got caught in the middle of it. When the mob mentality hits people will use any justification to steal and injure. Scarry stuff. I need more ammo.

No such thing as too much ammo!

Civilization is hideously fragile... there's not much between us and the Horrors underneath, just about a coat of varnish. ~C.P. Snow


There are many humorous things in the world, among them the white man's notion that he is less savage than the other savages. ~Mark Twain, Following the Equator, 1897

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Originally Posted by Marlin

"...truth lies in what Jason said.. And, how the locals handle it...

Chili= after the last big one they had, took those steps in upgrading building standards that prevented the same amount of damage..

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Just an observation and some added comments on that point...

Exceptional [and the hoped for] reaction, those preparedness steps taken by a learned nation...can't speak highly enough of a society that responds accordingly. That said those measures address infrastructure, fiscal impact, death-rates, and many other benefits to include promoting a healthier psychological state of a populace coming-out on the back-side of a catastrophic event (they are better positioned to handle the outcome as a result of the investment and pre-prep) but with all that, you have an element of the human race that no matter how established and prepared they may be, brutality, ignorance and social decay ensues immediately (interesting phenomenon, at least to me).

I condone the use of the term predator mentioned previously in association with the short-term reactionary turds we so often hear about, those “low-enders quick-to-become rogue impediments to response & recovery and that darken every tragedy with their selfish & disgusting presence.” To me, those are typically the bottom-feeders that probably deserved a bullet in the skull long before any catastrophe ever occurred anyway. Can I say that without being over-the-top and called everything disgusting under-the-sun? Note: I "get" the long-pull chaos, the psychology and experience is very different when subjected to long-term circumstances, not rationalizing or justifying, just acknowledging that fact – does that make sense?

[Sarcasm]
But since I’m now a conditioned US resident-lemming** and fully believe that my government (Fed, State and local) will protect me in all instances, I have nothing to be concerned with nor do I need to be prepared as an individual. Thankfully for us, everybody is nice, good at heart and deserves every opportunity I can give them to show their true colors when Hell moves in next door. Right?

[/Sarcasm]

On a serious note, I’ve experienced more “good than bad” in people during chaos, and I’ll never forget that, but that doesn’t overcome the 1 in 100 (to pick some numbers) that are intent on banding together and turning a bad situation into a true shit-fest. Doesn’t matter where it happens, what it is that happens, how severe it is, how prepared they/we are…those same friggin’ turds show-up…an interesting lot those humans.

** Here I am on vacation at the beach: [NoClue]

http://www.guy-sports.com/fun_pictur...head_sand2.gif

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Originally Posted by Troublco

No such thing as too much ammo!

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Apparently there is, Graves is getting rid of 2K rounds! HAHA.




Hi Graves![Beer]


What gets me is something like this:

Bob: Come on Fred, there is no electricity, people are dying, and you don't even have a house anymore... do you REALLY need to steal that $4K stereo?
Fred: But it's pretty!

HAHAHAHA.

Mobs of looters and armed thugs or squads of california highway patrol, armed with automatic weapons, that want to disarm you and remove you from your home for "safety"


If the S really hit the F here I don't know which would be more dangerous and scary...

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Originally Posted by Elhuero

Mobs of looters and armed thugs or squads of california highway patrol, armed with automatic weapons, that want to disarm you and remove you from your home for "safety"


If the S really hit the F here I don't know which would be more dangerous and scary...

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Sounds like you're SOL either way, I'd do like the ostrich there but dig further and cover the hole.[Peep]

Sure there's people who will take advantage of the situation to steal, and the more they believe that their poverty-ridden existance is due to having the cards stacked against them the worse it gets. Given the opportunity, there's plenty of criminals in poor areas. I never see them film the "Bait Car" show in a neighborhood like mine.

Running down the street with a TV on your back is one thing; stealing bottled water is another.

A high rate of complete unpreparedness due to ignorance and/or lack of money to keep the pantry full is probably much more rampant in depressed urban areas. I understand why the cops in New Orleans didn't stop people from grabbing food & water.

I would never expect that my neighbors would be breaking into my house if a big snow storm hit, but on the other hand most of them would never expect that the lights and water wouldn't come back on eventually. I hope very much that there's enough of them that understand that working together makes everyone safer and stronger in the short and long term.