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Doomsday Prep for the Super-Rich

newyorker.com

81–90 of 128 posts

Re: Doomsday Prep for the Super-Rich

#81

It's informative to look at actual examples of SHTF scenarios, war zones for example. In Afghanistan, Chechnya, Syria and so on, groups band together for survival. As far as I can tell it isn't particularly about the fortified redoubt. And armed militias seem to be the form that the groups take. I don't think it is the wealthy business executives that rise to head those militias. So maybe these rich peppers will just…

> I don't think it is the wealthy business executives that rise to head those militias.

Wealthy capitalists and other top elites most usually use their resources to protect themselves and relocate before, during, or shortly after the collapse, rather than hanging around to lead militia groups for any extended period after the collapse.

But that still takes resources of the right kind at the ready.

(Though it's often the wealthier of those remaining behind -- usually middle to upper-middle class -- that end up leading groups.)

Re: Doomsday Prep for the Super-Rich

#82
post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The smart looters would identify those spots in NZ now, and loot them when they're relatively unoccupied and not in alert state. You see these OPSEC fails in the middle class, too, with the NRA/AR-15/"Molon Labe" bumper stickers on their cars. Thanks for letting me know you have cool firearms, ammunition, and god knows what else.

> Thanks for letting me know you have cool firearms, ammunition, and god knows what else. I'm pretty sure many of those card carrying NRA members would love for you to show up on their doorstep to take possession of their firearms and survival stash...

* That love pending being home to enact their castle-doctrine fantasies.

It's only anecdotal, but the one thief that I knew loved handguns as they are small, have real value, and are easy to sell.

The fact that no one is going to go into a house to steal stuff if they think someone is there to protect it pairs just fine with the fact that often folks aren't home.

Re: Doomsday Prep for the Super-Rich

#83
One of my favourite Youtube channels at the moment is a guy who opens, and attempts to eat, very old ration packs. And he recently did a review of a new range of long shelf life camping meals.

I didn't really know who the target audience for those meals was, but this article explains it nicely.

I guess there's a market for exclusive, private, lessons about repair and maintenance of generators and air filters and etc.

Steve1989 MRE Info: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2I6Et1JkidnnbWgJFiMeHA

The review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZjCiEjZaw0

Re: Doomsday Prep for the Super-Rich

#84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The loss of the electric grid would throw us back to the 19th century but without 19th century technology. There would be mass starvation and disease.

How exactly would we lose the electric grid? Nice thing about a distributed infrastructure is that it's, well, distributed. Also, (nuclear aircraft carriers and submarines|jet aircraft engines) can be (very|relatively) quickly brought into duty producing electricity locally in every city, way before any pandemics and mass starvation. Longer term, converting from the refrigerated fresh food system of today, to a syste…

Nuke subs are my mental woobie against my top horror scenario, the low-altitude EMP detonation. Run silent, run deep.

However, this response does not scale well.

Re: Doomsday Prep for the Super-Rich

#85
post #77

“A group of centi-millionaires and a couple of billionaires were working through end-of-America scenarios and talking about what they’d do. Most said they’ll fire up their planes and take their families to Western ranches or homes in other countries.” One of the guests was skeptical, Dugger said. “He leaned forward and asked, ‘Are you taking your pilot’s family, too? And what about the maintenance guys? If revolution…

Well, it's lower hanging fruit but, if that anecdote is true, it sure sounds like most of those bourgeoisie don't really have a clue what "end-of-America" would really entail. That is, the infrastructure of people that normally do what you pay them to are all going to have different motives.

The people in this story are still counting on quite a bit of society to exist to ferry them to their fancy secure locations.

Which, to be sure, isn't unrealistic. Just interesting.

Re: Doomsday Prep for the Super-Rich

#86
post #76
post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you're seriously convinced structure has already passed the point of no-return what are you doing commenting here on some internet site?

Not the person you're responding to but being convinced that modern civilization is doomed - even if you're convinced it'll collapse during your own lifetime - doesn't preclude you from enjoying all of its benefits (like the Internet). If anything, it makes you more likely to enjoy them "while they last".

What you meant to say is that you're finding a philosophy that lets you act like everyone else but keep being the edgy kid in the back of the class everyone else rolls their eyes at.

Re: Doomsday Prep for the Super-Rich

#87
post #77

“A group of centi-millionaires and a couple of billionaires were working through end-of-America scenarios and talking about what they’d do. Most said they’ll fire up their planes and take their families to Western ranches or homes in other countries.” One of the guests was skeptical, Dugger said. “He leaned forward and asked, ‘Are you taking your pilot’s family, too? And what about the maintenance guys? If revolution…

I too have always thought about this. If I was a billionaire, I would also have a secret home setup, and I _would_ take the pilot and his family with me. I would also have a maintenance person and his family there.

I would become his apprentice and have him teach me everything he know. What else would you have to do while you're in hiding?

Re: Doomsday Prep for the Super-Rich

#88
post #86
post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not the person you're responding to but being convinced that modern civilization is doomed - even if you're convinced it'll collapse during your own lifetime - doesn't preclude you from enjoying all of its benefits (like the Internet). If anything, it makes you more likely to enjoy them "while they last".

What you meant to say is that you're finding a philosophy that lets you act like everyone else but keep being the edgy kid in the back of the class everyone else rolls their eyes at.

What an extremely toxic comment.

Re: Doomsday Prep for the Super-Rich

#90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Thanks for letting me know you have cool firearms, ammunition, and god knows what else. I'm pretty sure many of those card carrying NRA members would love for you to show up on their doorstep to take possession of their firearms and survival stash...

* That love pending being home to enact their castle-doctrine fantasies. It's only anecdotal, but the one thief that I knew loved handguns as they are small, have real value, and are easy to sell. The fact that no one is going to go into a house to steal stuff if they think someone is there to protect it pairs just fine with the fact that often folks aren't home.

It's not so anecdotal. The majority (70%) of gun homicides in the US are with (cheap) handguns[1]:

Total firearm homicides: 8,454

Handgun homicides: 5,782

Rifles, Shotguns, other: ~700

Which, with other stats, goes to show IMO, that "Assault Weapon Bans" are more grandstanding than anything else.

[1] - https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2013/crime-in-the-u.s.-...

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