Crowds to stay away from

Ol' Remus
VERBATIM

The survivalist knows things could go on like they are for the rest of his life, after all, ships get scrapped with their full compliment of life boats all the time. They zigged when Murphy's Law zagged and good on them. But if you're reading this you've already fled the "everything's going to be okay" crowd. Next up will be the "everything's going to be okay in six to eight weeks" crowd. They'll matter even less then than now, come a real catastrophe there are more dangerous crowds to stay away from. Chief among them is the "Official crowd". More crowds to avoid are upcoming but this crowd is well positioned to dominate at the outset so it deserves the first look.

The improvident by choice, whose only plan is, and always has been, for someone else to take care of them, have a powerful ally you can't afford to ignore: federal and state officialdom. Not only will their agents forcibly take your stuff for 'redistribution' to them—they call it "social justice", and not only will they commit other real injustices, they'll publicize them to be seen as doing so. They've sourced the care and feeding of hostile parasites to you for so long they believe it's your lawful duty to be picked totally clean on their behalf. Self-sufficiency smells like evasion to them, and evasion is actionable. They're also trained to believe persecuting the provident expresses solidarity with the "least among us". It's a fundamental part of their career track. Avoid them, they're serious about this, federal and state agencies alike.

The states are, in practice, administrative subdivisions of the central government and states don't have to pretend to be about external threats. They're closer the the problem too, which would be you. Law enforcement at the local level, county and smaller, is more likely to be helpful simply because officers and deputies are local people. In fact, in a societal breakdown the military equipment your sheriff or police chief received from the federals may be used—how to say this?—to serve his own community rather than to serve state or federal interventions. This is one reason it's wise to elect a "less qualified" but proven local man as sheriff over an outsider with dazzling qualifications and influence in high places. Influence works because it works both ways. It's also wise to support local candidates for chief of police.

Federal and state officialdom will mismanage any emergency, lie to you and work against you. It's useless to get all indignant about it, it's just what they do. Treat them as another aspect of the calamity, the only predictable one, fortunately. Don't poke the bear in the eye. When interaction is unavoidable be civil and courteous. Comply to the extent you must. Take the instructions and list of no-nos and such they, ahem, offer. You don't have to be Stepin Fetchit, just the grateful ingenuous. The Moscow Rules at left are a pretty good guide for this stuff. Give them no reason to notice or remember you, then be rid of them lest they decide decent people need protection from you in particular.

Take special note of the Department of Homeland Security. It very nearly stands apart from government proper. The 'best fit' is the Sicherheitsdienst , with a touch of Red Cross for cover.The DHS repeatedly reveals itself as malevolent, incompetent, devious and gratuitously violent. It's beyond libel, no surprise, the place is a honeypot for ambitious political preeners, affirmative action incompetents and time-serving misfits, in short, a settling pond for overachieving sociopaths and their sycophants. You'll have no difficulty so bad they won't make it worse and feel good doing it. You have no rights DHS is bound to respect and it has a talent for inventing new forms of terrorism to discover. Also be aware the upper reaches of DHS have a reputation for preferring aggressive sexual deviants, currently displayed most overtly in the weird bullying and outright molestation of innocents by the TSA. With the absolute power a national calamity would confer on them, and assuming continued support from a reportedly compromised White House , the entire DHS is poised to become an armed pimpocracy.

Skepticism isn't enough, the rule is: no voluntary contact with the DHS. If avoidance fails, know in advance what you will and will not do to appease them, after all, adequate preparation allows for setbacks. But if all options lead to total submission, bail. Bail any way you can.