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One Second After Questions -Chapter 1-4

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  • Clay

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    Good Morning Everyone,

    The first few questions are below. Please CLEARLY identify which response corresponds to the question. If you need anything, drop me a PM. Good luck and I look forward to your responses! -Clay


    1) What existing knowledge did you have regarding an EMP prior to reading the book?

    2) Do you believe the book is an accurate portrayal of the state of readiness the USA maintains for an EMP?

    3) What would be your response in the scenario John Matherson is facing?

    4) With the limited knowledge of chapters 1-4, are there any new approaches to prepping that you're applying in real life?

    5) If the USA just had the lights turned off as it appears to have happened, how do you perceive a dystopian society impacting government, judicial systems, politics, environmental concerns, medical treatments, mental health issues, religious freedoms,etc. (a dystopia is the opposite of a 'utopia' for those not familiar with the term-Hunger Games, Equilibrium, Fahrenheit 451-all movies about this topic )
     

    MsChief

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    1) What existing knowledge did you have regarding an EMP prior to reading the book? I have known about EMP's but never really thought much about them being an actual threat to how I live my life. I mostly thought that it would suck, but that could never happen. Until this book. And then I saw a video of these 2 huge solar flares a couple weeks ago. I had no idea that solar flares could cause an EMP, so that is another 'oh shit I need to prepare' factor that hadn't occurred to me before.

    2) Do you believe the book is an accurate portrayal of the state of readiness the USA maintains for an EMP? I believe that the US is WAY MORE prepared for an EMP than portrayed. Granted, not prepared to take care of all the citizens and I do believe that everything would go into marshal law, much like NOLA did after Katrina (of course on a much larger and worse scale). I think that initially, a lot citizens in metro/urban areas would loot mostly for greed instead of survival. Then after a few days of no help, then would begin the people realizing that all the stuff they stole doesn't hold any weight and then would start going after the people that are somewhat prepared or leaving the city to the suburbs, then on to smaller towns thinking that there would be more supplies since it isn't as densely populated. Military would come in and taking what ever they need and want. I think that there are secret locations built to sustain life and the necessities to start building again and that there are certain criteria for people that would be chosen for these locations.

    3) What would be your response in the scenario John Matherson is facing? I think he is doing right by his family. If I had a running vehicle and no one else around me did, I don't think I would become a taxi for anyone. I struggle with this the more I think about it. What if there are small children needing help, etc...but if you take the child, then you have to take a parent/guardian. Then you took them, so what about others. It would just snowball into an uncontrollable situation. Therefore, I think I would just protect my own. On the note about the Edsel, that car would have been swarmed with people, not like in the book where most are keeping their distance. People would constantly be trying to steal the car for themselves and if you were fortunate enough to keep citizens away, then I think the police force/government would try to come in and push their weight and confiscate the vehicle. As for medicine for his daughter, gotta do what you gotta do. That would be the worst. Gathering enough supplies to keep your child alive long enough for the situation to blow over and things return to normal. My youngest son has asthma and pretty bad allergies. Prior to reading this book, I have already hoarded medicine for him just in case of hurricanes or the like. And I keep Rx's even if they have expired for those 'just in case' situations. John does seem to be getting into a position where people are going to start looking to him for answers on how to survive as a whole town. I for one would keep to myself/family and bug out. Let someone else try and figure out logistics on mass population survival. As for recusing his FIL...man, this is another horrible ordeal. But I think I would have ended his suffering right there. I wouldn't have attempted to rescue him in THAT situation. I feel confident knowing that would be the right thing to do even if it were my own father. Heart wrenching. ugh.

    4) With the limited knowledge of chapters 1-4, are there any new approaches to prepping that you're applying in real life? Bug out bags for sure. I already like to keep water, snacks and some kind of knife/saw in my vehicle at all times. Need to add more stuff to keep in the truck. This past weekend, we cleaned and organized the garage. Made a tub full of supplies that we could take with us in case of an evacuation. I plan on stockpiling items for our family to survive on for at least a couple of weeks. Which isn't a bad plan considering the hurricane threat here. With Ivan, I was without power for 13 days and no running water for 3 days (which isn't too long, but when you take it for granted like most do, it was an adjustment). There is more, but baby steps...

    5) If the USA just had the lights turned off as it appears to have happened, how do you perceive a dystopian society impacting government, judicial systems, politics, environmental concerns, medical treatments, mental health issues, religious freedoms,etc. (a dystopia is the opposite of a 'utopia' for those not familiar with the term-Hunger Games, Equilibrium, Fahrenheit 451-all movies about this topic ) Government - like I stated earlier, I'm sure they have plans for this. Marshal law will go into effect. They will come into metro areas and make people evacuate. Make claims that they can find more supplies in surrounding areas. There will be no judicial systems, maybe there will be attempts to keep it somewhat civilized, but not for long. No politics. People are going to do what they want to do. Gangs will form and there will be power struggles within those. Medical treatments - if you're lucky enough to have someone in your family that knows that stuff, yay! If not, make good friends with someone who does and learn about it yourself. Pick up a book or 5 about natural remedies that can be found growing wild. Mental health - this will be profound. Aside from the people that were diagnosed prior the the EMP, there would be so many people that would fall into extreme depressions, shock, etc. How to deal with that...I have no idea. Religion - I'm not a religious person, but I know a lot of people would turn to the church/God for help and guidance. I'm not sure how this would turn out either...

    I do have a question: If you worked in the public service field, be it healthcare, LEO, local government, what would you do? Would you stay and help like Caroline or leave and take care of yourself and family. Would you try and help keep order?
     

    ilintner

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    If any of this is disjointed or doesn't make sense, it is because I wrote it in between tasks at work.

    1) What existing knowledge did you have regarding an EMP prior to reading the book?

    Very little, my knowledge of an EMP attack was limited to what I saw in video games and movies. In the games and the movies I had seen an EMP used in ( oceans 11, call of duty etc ) EMP attacks had short term effects and were recovered from quickly. Generators and back up power sources were in place, unaffected. I had never considered the possibility of an EMP having widespread, or completely debilitating effects. Prior to the book, what an EMP strike meant to me was along the lines of no TV, power, and cell phone for a little while until the authorities and power company got things under control.

    2) Do you believe the book is an accurate portrayal of the state of readiness the USA maintains for an EMP?

    A childhood friend of mine works in missile defense, he designs target rockets to simulate possible threats. I called and spoke to him about this, and he is of the opinion that with our current missile defense program that we are are well protected against missile attacks, even in the upper atmosphere. I would like to think that he is right, and that the entire premise that the attack would be successful, is very unrealistic.

    As far as preparedness in the case that a strike were to make it through our defenses, I think that what unfolds following the disaster is probably quite accurate and that our country is wholly unprepared for that type of event.

    3) What would be your response in the scenario John Matherson is facing?

    In his position my first priority would be to collect as much food and water as I could and then protect my assets, primarily the vehicle (I think a running vehicle would have garnered a lot more attention than it did in the book). I would be armed at all times and to protect myself, family, supplies and and of course the vehicle. With the limited supply of insulin that John encountered, I believe I would have considered broadening my search for medication. After I initially gathered as much as I could in terms of supplies, I would hunker down and keep a low profile.

    4) With the limited knowledge of chapters 1-4, are there any new approaches to prepping that you're applying in real life?


    One of my primary concerns in regard to an event like this, is related to the electronic lock on my gun safe. I now feel the need to either have a mechanical backup, or have some cutting torches on hand in the case that my electronic lock is disabled. The thought of not being able to easily access my weapons, magazines and ammunition has me worried.

    The other concern that I don't quite know how to address is what would be my lack of suitable transportation. I work ~50 miles from home, this would create a pretty substantial problem for me if my late model vehicle were disabled. Storing a bicycle here at my shop seems like the best solution to this problem, although it would be a very long ride home.

    My wife hoards food, and I hoard guns, so I would imagine that on the short term we would be ok.

    5) If the USA just had the lights turned off as it appears to have happened, how do you perceive a dystopian society impacting government, judicial systems, politics, environmental concerns, medical treatments, mental health issues, religious freedoms,etc. (a dystopia is the opposite of a 'utopia' for those not familiar with the term-Hunger Games, Equilibrium, Fahrenheit 451-all movies about this topic )

    Our government relies on communication and if that is broken from town to town, county to county, state to state, region to region things would simplify themselves in a hurry. Leaders would rise and followers would follow, I think that it would become somewhat of a free for all until some control was established on local levels.

    In this total breakdown of our communications, I would imagine that more rural communities would likely become very simple in a very short period of time. I could see areas closing themselves off, compartmentalizing, becoming almost tribe like. I imagine neighborhoods and areas having leaders and followers, accumulating resources and distributing the resources among the "members". I think that everything else would become secondary to survival.

    In more densely populated areas, I see it as more people and much more complication and trouble. I would imagine that things would devolve into complete mayhem in a very short period of time. Without the communication or transportation at their disposal to control the populace, police would not be able to control the situation and it would get ugly. I think that you would see what is left of the population after the initial shock, looting and riots, spread out and become more evenly distributed as everyone tried to find a place to hold up.


    If you worked in the public service field, be it healthcare, LEO, local government, what would you do? Would you stay and help like Caroline or leave and take care of yourself and family. Would you try and help keep order?


    I would replace every last windshield until the very end... you guys can count on me :D.

    Seriously though, If I were in that type of situation, I would leave and take care of my family. I think that in the event of the break down of "the system" that my duty would be to them, not my profession.
     

    Clay

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    I need some time to respond to both of you and have kids to feed and baths to give,however, I am extremely impressed with your responses. You both are very intelligent,articulate,philosophical and reflective peeps. Seanpcola is a sharp cat too with similar characteristics. What an awesome group of contributors.

    Way to set the bar, I'm thrilled. Clay
     
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    Stanley13

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    Startin On chapter 4 now!!!! Nothing real interesting yet but has potential to get crazy maybe.Waiting till done to read yalls question and replies
     

    Seanpcola

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    I cheated and copied and pasted questions #1 and 2 from an earlier response. I'll re-read my responses in the morning and clean up, add to or expand on anything I missed.

    What existing knowledge did you have regarding an EMP prior to reading the book?

    I've read a few books before that dealt with EMP peripherally. I've also done some technical reading on the internet. I'm not a hard core prepper but I have explored the various scenarios and EMP comes up occasionally. I also have a couple of friends that are tech types and they have discussed it at length.

    Do you believe the book is an accurate portrayal of the state of readiness the USA maintains for an EMP?

    Probably fairly close to accurate IMO. I'd like to think the military is more prepared than portrayed here but I'm always optimistic about our military's capabilities, technologies and strategy. Most likely a good bit of Federal level infrastructure is hardened, at least somewhat. No doubt that down on a local level everything would be shut down.

    3) What would be your response in the scenario John Matherson is facing?


    I'd like to think I would do as well as he does. Would I? I don't think I can honestly say. The point that struck me the most this far into the book was the denial of what was going on, the incredulity, the tendency to want to not see the clues in a "worst case" way. This made me stand up and pay attention. I could envision that state clearly though. If this happened I probably would blow it off at first thinking it was local. That lost precious time that could have been utilized better. Guess that is the whole point of the book in a broader sense.

    I agree with the other members here on the vehicle angle. I too would have conserved assets and kept a very low profile. In fact this book got me thinking about that situation. We have several restored cars around from the 50's and at least those would be operable. Guess I'm evaluating more now.

    Prescriptions and medical: This book made me pause and reflect. What I realized was that virtually no one in my family with the exception of my 82 YO dad is on any meds and his aren't really life threatening. No way to project what might be needed in the future but for my continuing prep I will focus more on first aid and sterility/disinfectants. Buy bleach! Oh, a stockpile of various antibiotics would be nice. As for serious issues, the Diabetes thing scares the crap out of me considering the age of his daughter. Blood pressure and cholesterol might be somewhat self correcting giving the lack of food. Gotta say one thing, it would lean down and toughen up a lot of folks that are otherwise relying on modern medicine to mask sedentary lifestyles and ready access to junk food.

    Water: If we were able to hunker down and stay home that is the one thing I'm good to go on. I have a 4" commercial well at the casa that has a working hand pump in line. I check it often. Works like a charm. Water is tested once a year and it's better than what comes from the county. In fact I've been considering tying it in to the house with a valving system for an alternate. I don't mind using the county's stuff for bathing, cookware cleaning and such but if/when we have to rely on it for consuming I'll take my well over the tap.

    Food, I'm stocked better than some but I intend to step that up............a lot.

    MsChief covers it very well. It's gonna have to be family first. Between my household and those of my dad and my kids/grandkids we have a pretty darn good crowd. Everyone is healthy, used to physical labor and are fairly well prepared. Not to go into details but what happened to Mrs. Seanpcola and I during Ivan in 2004 woke the whole gang up. We were wiped out. House destroyed, everything went out to sea. (Not complaining here, awesome support group and we done good in the long run) but all of us learned a lesson from that. In fact, in reflection I'd say it might have been a good thing. Priorities changed, what really mattered most came to light, a true awakening across the board.

    I am not 100% satisfied with my prep, but then I probably never will be. Wife and I have been slowly stockpiling for the worst. She may have some advantages on me. She was born and raised on a horse ranch in Oklahoma. Raised 5 kids without the help of a huge income. Didn't need it. In a lot of ways she lived in, if not the 1880's, then the early 1920's. They grew and canned a lot of their food. Modern amenities have never been much of a priority for her. She loves old Westerns and often expresses her despair that she didn't live back then. I usually counter with "Think about the medical" end of it and she does agree but in the end she feels that we can,, and maybe should, concentrate on the basics. She may be 100% right. If something like what happened in this book goes down she may be the "John" in the family. She understands canning, home remedies and conservation of supplies probably better than I ever will. Quite a woman.

    Home defense and personal protection. I may have concentrated too much on that (if that's possible). Unlike John in the book, I, like most of us on here, am pretty well covered there. I am not a hunter (No, zero problem with it, just don't have anyone to go with). Pretty sure I can take down anything I can find but in my way of thinking, the squirrels, rabbits, coyotes and deer around here won't last more than a couple of weeks at best. As for protection I do believe I am maxed out. Also, everyone in my family is very familiar with firearms operation, SD and home security. Check my avatar, that is my youngest grand daughter, 6 YO and she can hit a target at 75' pretty consistently and can clean that 10-22 blindfolded. Not saying that I have any wild ideas that we're the best, but we sure ain't clueless around here.

    4) With the limited knowledge of chapters 1-4, are there any new approaches to prepping that you're applying in real life?


    I'll have to defer to my answers on #3.

    5) If the USA just had the lights turned off as it appears to have happened, how do you perceive a dystopian society impacting government, judicial systems, politics, environmental concerns, medical treatments, mental health issues, religious freedoms,etc. (a dystopia is the opposite of a 'utopia' for those not familiar with the term-Hunger Games, Equilibrium, Fahrenheit 451-all movies about this topic )

    Again, I refer to the 1800's. I certainly see society breaking down into small communities as the book portraits. In a way I don't see that as a bad thing. I personally believe that one of the big problems today is that we rely on Big Brother in D.C.. And, like 2 centuries ago, we would revert back to survival of the fittest. I know it's not PC, and I certainly wouldn't want to see it happen, but with a total breakdown things like caring for the mentally ill, sustaining "quality of life" and environmental concerns will have to be secondary. No matter how we all want to think humans are the Alpha animal and survival will be job 1.

    Judicial: Well illustrated in the book. No room for coddling criminals. It's all sweet and light to reform murderers, rapists and anarchists but survival of the herd trumps all of that. Unfortunately we are NOT advanced enough as a race to consider the preciousness of human life to have the luxury of tolerance when everything comes crashing down around us.

    Medical: You can only do what you can with what's available.

    Religion: I was raised a Christian (though I admit to many, many failings) but I have always had faith. It would be even more important to me. Might be the only thing that would keep some folks sane. Religious Freedom.: Absolutely no doubt in my mind that there would be an abundance of folks piling in to fill the void for personal gain. Certainly there is a thousand Jim Jones out there waiting for the opportunity to cash in on tragedy. Religion may well be the big issue that would spark regional confrontations. After all, it's been doing so for thousands of years.
     

    Seanpcola

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    I need some time to respond to both of you and have kids to feed and baths to give,however, I am extremely impressed with your responses. You both are very intelligent,articulate,philosophical and reflective peeps. Seanpcola is a sharp cat too with similar characteristics. What an awesome group of contributors.

    Way to set the bar, I'm thrilled. Clay

    Clay, we all know you wuz off playin' around all weekend.

    Just kidding you. I really hope your jaunt through the sticks went well. Please don't look at this book club as a job or responsibility. It's supposed to be fun and there is no need to put pressure on yourself.
     

    ilintner

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    Great response Sean, I agree that in the early stages of this type of disaster, a lot of very valuable time could be wasted coming to the realization that there really could be a very serious problem.
     

    Seanpcola

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    Great response Sean, I agree that in the early stages of this type of disaster, a lot of very valuable time could be wasted coming to the realization that there really could be a very serious problem.

    And I am concerned that there appears to be no preparation for that. I mean, sure, we can all have our BOBs ready and plan for the worse but unless you saw a mushroom cloud or had communications (which we wouldn't) there's gonna be some lag time. I think we would all be thinking "OK, don't panic yet, don't go off half cocked". That wasted time might well be the difference between survival and defeat.
     

    Clay

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    1) What existing knowledge did you have regarding an EMP prior to reading the book? I have known about EMP's but never really thought much about them being an actual threat to how I live my life. I mostly thought that it would suck, but that could never happen. Until this book. And then I saw a video of these 2 huge solar flares a couple weeks ago. I had no idea that solar flares could cause an EMP, so that is another 'oh shit I need to prepare' factor that hadn't occurred to me before.

    2) Do you believe the book is an accurate portrayal of the state of readiness the USA maintains for an EMP? I believe that the US is WAY MORE prepared for an EMP than portrayed. Granted, not prepared to take care of all the citizens and I do believe that everything would go into marshal law, much like NOLA did after Katrina (of course on a much larger and worse scale). I think that initially, a lot citizens in metro/urban areas would loot mostly for greed instead of survival. Then after a few days of no help, then would begin the people realizing that all the stuff they stole doesn't hold any weight and then would start going after the people that are somewhat prepared or leaving the city to the suburbs, then on to smaller towns thinking that there would be more supplies since it isn't as densely populated. Military would come in and taking what ever they need and want. I think that there are secret locations built to sustain life and the necessities to start building again and that there are certain criteria for people that would be chosen for these locations.

    3) What would be your response in the scenario John Matherson is facing? I think he is doing right by his family. If I had a running vehicle and no one else around me did, I don't think I would become a taxi for anyone. I struggle with this the more I think about it. What if there are small children needing help, etc...but if you take the child, then you have to take a parent/guardian. Then you took them, so what about others. It would just snowball into an uncontrollable situation. Therefore, I think I would just protect my own. On the note about the Edsel, that car would have been swarmed with people, not like in the book where most are keeping their distance. People would constantly be trying to steal the car for themselves and if you were fortunate enough to keep citizens away, then I think the police force/government would try to come in and push their weight and confiscate the vehicle. As for medicine for his daughter, gotta do what you gotta do. That would be the worst. Gathering enough supplies to keep your child alive long enough for the situation to blow over and things return to normal. My youngest son has asthma and pretty bad allergies. Prior to reading this book, I have already hoarded medicine for him just in case of hurricanes or the like. And I keep Rx's even if they have expired for those 'just in case' situations. John does seem to be getting into a position where people are going to start looking to him for answers on how to survive as a whole town. I for one would keep to myself/family and bug out. Let someone else try and figure out logistics on mass population survival. As for recusing his FIL...man, this is another horrible ordeal. But I think I would have ended his suffering right there. I wouldn't have attempted to rescue him in THAT situation. I feel confident knowing that would be the right thing to do even if it were my own father. Heart wrenching. ugh.

    4) With the limited knowledge of chapters 1-4, are there any new approaches to prepping that you're applying in real life? Bug out bags for sure. I already like to keep water, snacks and some kind of knife/saw in my vehicle at all times. Need to add more stuff to keep in the truck. This past weekend, we cleaned and organized the garage. Made a tub full of supplies that we could take with us in case of an evacuation. I plan on stockpiling items for our family to survive on for at least a couple of weeks. Which isn't a bad plan considering the hurricane threat here. With Ivan, I was without power for 13 days and no running water for 3 days (which isn't too long, but when you take it for granted like most do, it was an adjustment). There is more, but baby steps...

    5) If the USA just had the lights turned off as it appears to have happened, how do you perceive a dystopian society impacting government, judicial systems, politics, environmental concerns, medical treatments, mental health issues, religious freedoms,etc. (a dystopia is the opposite of a 'utopia' for those not familiar with the term-Hunger Games, Equilibrium, Fahrenheit 451-all movies about this topic ) Government - like I stated earlier, I'm sure they have plans for this. Marshal law will go into effect. They will come into metro areas and make people evacuate. Make claims that they can find more supplies in surrounding areas. There will be no judicial systems, maybe there will be attempts to keep it somewhat civilized, but not for long. No politics. People are going to do what they want to do. Gangs will form and there will be power struggles within those. Medical treatments - if you're lucky enough to have someone in your family that knows that stuff, yay! If not, make good friends with someone who does and learn about it yourself. Pick up a book or 5 about natural remedies that can be found growing wild. Mental health - this will be profound. Aside from the people that were diagnosed prior the the EMP, there would be so many people that would fall into extreme depressions, shock, etc. How to deal with that...I have no idea. Religion - I'm not a religious person, but I know a lot of people would turn to the church/God for help and guidance. I'm not sure how this would turn out either...

    I do have a question: If you worked in the public service field, be it healthcare, LEO, local government, what would you do? Would you stay and help like Caroline or leave and take care of yourself and family. Would you try and help keep order?


    Great submission Mrs. Chief. I also look at Katrina as a model for human behavior in crisis situations. I firmly believe that horrible situation provides clear indications as how folks will respond when the SHTF. City folks don't run to the country to pillage, they stay in their comfort zone and don't necessarily have the skills or means to survive outside of it. I also agree with your approach to ending the suffering of the family member, that has to be difficult decision but ultimately it's much more humane than letting someone string along for days or weeks.

    As per the question you posed, I think that's a personal decision that can't be predicted until the time of crisis. I know that during 9/11, I worked with people who literally abandoned their posts. I also have seen this as recently as last year with tornadoes in this area, folks just left work to go home, get their kids from school, etc... I know I place my family first and will do whatever I need to do ensure their safety. As per religion, I think many will consider an event like this to have biblical interpretations and leave their fate to God, this could result in people sitting idle and waiting to die.

    Look forward to more from ya- Clay
     

    ilintner

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    Great submission Mrs. Chief. I also look at Katrina as a model for human behavior in crisis situations. I firmly believe that horrible situation provides clear indications as how folks will respond when the SHTF. City folks don't run to the country to pillage, they stay in their comfort zone and don't necessarily have the skills or means to survive outside of it. I also agree with your approach to ending the suffering of the family member, that has to be difficult decision but ultimately it's much more humane than letting someone string along for days or weeks.

    How much of people staying put during Katrina do you think was because they were stranded due to the widespread flooding and destruction?
     

    MsChief

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    If an EMP happened, just as many people would be just as stranded, maybe even more so because there wouldn't be a constant flow of buses evacuating people to surrounding areas. Granted, people wouldn't necessarily be stuck on their roofs...or, are all the levees operated electronically somehow?
     

    Stanley13

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    I knew nothing other than what it stood for (EMP) and had only heard of it on movie fast and furious from when cop shot car with blast and it shut down.

    I think the USA is slightly more ready than this but only on Military side not normal community wise.

    I think John should keep that pistol in his pants. Why not have at Pharmacy and now has a bad cut and a infection could render him unable to take care of family. Plus what about gas in car? He is not conserving it from what they have displayed with joy rides to look around.And damn it why not bring the hot chick home even if for no reason she is a nurse??

    Only thing i have been considering is getting dads old truck running asap since it will work and keeping my old ATV i was gonna dump soon.Maybe go get some rock salt and antibotics from feed store. And a crap ton of .22 bullets LOL.Maybe a compatant dog to have for securty of kids or to eat at last option.Horse would b great since dont need anything but grass but will have to steal that when SHTF because not gonna keep one now.
     

    b747fp

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    1) What existing knowledge did you have regarding an EMP prior to reading the book?

    Most of my knowledge is from movies, video games, etc. I knew EMP's could happen, but was really unsure on how they came about, and most of all the scale that they could effect the country. I knew the movies weren't correct in their portrayal, especially how they 'control the size of the emp blast' (I'm looking at you Ocean's 11).

    2) Do you believe the book is an accurate portrayal of the state of readiness the USA maintains for an EMP?
    It brings up a very interesting point with the readiness, because a few characters had mentioned they had training drills for dealing with an EMP, but how do you train for going back to the stone age? I think's pretty close as far as the portrayal of it, especially when they start talk about rumors being started, and creating mass panic because of said rumors.

    3) What would be your response in the scenario John Matherson is facing?

    Like Ian mentioned, I would be safe guarding that vehicle like no tomorrow, just the looks he gets when he's driving through town would make me very uneasy. I also would be stocking up on whatever medicine my child(ren) needed. MsChief had mentioned that our younger son has pretty bad allergies, not as bad as Jennifer being a diabetic, but it still hinders him quite a bit, so stock piling meds is one of our top priorities. MsChief and I had quite a talk about John's decision to go get Tyler (his Father in Law), and it would really be quite tough to do. Do you end his life there, which was only 5 days without power, not knowing when the power would come back, or do you try to take him home, and make him more comfortable. I really don't know what I would do in that situation, I love my FIL like he's my own dad, so I don't know if I could just end his suffering, but at the same time, I think he would want me to, because he knows he would more of a hindrance than help.

    4) With the limited knowledge of chapters 1-4, are there any new approaches to prepping that you're applying in real life?

    Oh man.....this is probably the most expensive book I have read, makes me realize how much more we need to secure. I have to stop reading at night because I need to stop, and calm down after reading a chapter, my anxiety goes through the roof. We have really changed the way we are doing things, and started thinking for a SHTF scenario. I think we are pretty good on our firearms, but could always use more ammo. We are currently working on making bug out bags for everyone in the family, and will slowly start stockpiling more food, and water. I want to eventually get like Seanpcola, where we have a plot of land, and have a hand pump for a well available. We are also in process of rebuilding a 90 Bronco, which will be carbureted and have a mechanical fuel pump. I'm not so much worried for an EMP, but more so a solar flare that can still knock out power across the country. Also working on having a good truck gun, and pack in the truck where if something happened, and we had to leave the truck, we would be ok for a few days.


    5) If the USA just had the lights turned off as it appears to have happened, how do you perceive a dystopian society impacting government, judicial systems, politics, environmental concerns, medical treatments, mental health issues, religious freedoms,etc. (a dystopia is the opposite of a 'utopia' for those not familiar with the term-Hunger Games, Equilibrium, Fahrenheit 451-all movies about this topic )

    I think society would collapse pretty quick without some type of authority and/or communication. I think smaller towns would be the place to go, as everyone else would want to go to the bigger cities looking for a hand out (much like the Super Dome during Katrina). Our plan is too see which direction everyone is heading towards, and go the exact opposite.


    MsChief's Question
    6) If you worked in the public service field, be it healthcare, LEO, local government, what would you do? Would you stay and help like Caroline or leave and take care of yourself and family. Would you try and help keep order?

    If I saw that I was not going to see any support from over head command, I would be outta there. I do have quite a bit of faith in the wife being able to hold the fort down while I am not there, but in the long haul, I want to be with my family, and know they are safe.
     

    FrankT

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    1) What existing knowledge did you have regarding an EMP prior to reading the book? ALL about it including what Boeing is doing now, much more advanced

    2) Do you believe the book is an accurate portrayal of the state of readiness the USA maintains for an EMP? Yes, no community is ready and the goobement is less than ready


    3) What would be your response in the scenario John Matherson is facing? He did well, with a small family and respect in the community and College. Few are prepared and they came to the correct conclusion more quickly in the book that it would be in real life

    4) With the limited knowledge of chapters 1-4, are there any new approaches to prepping that you're applying in real life? NO other than the ammo and guns i already have and my hurricane supplies

    5) If the USA just had the lights turned off as it appears to have happened, how do you perceive a dystopian society impacting government, judicial systems, politics, environmental concerns, medical treatments, mental health issues, religious freedoms,etc. (a dystopia is the opposite of a 'utopia' for those not familiar with the term-Hunger Games, Equilibrium, Fahrenheit 451-all movies about this topic ) What gooberment? Locally they would try but w no communications and being out numbers/poorly trained to deal w this as we all would be.
     

    Clay

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    How much of people staying put during Katrina do you think was because they were stranded due to the widespread flooding and destruction?

    I'm no expert, but growing up outside of Philly, coupled with my professional background, I feel somewhat confident saying urban populations don't migrate during times of crisis. Urban families are more likely to reside close together, multi-family homes dominate low socioeconomic populations and combined with being limited in means (not a lot of people living in BIG cities have cars), raises the question, where are they going to go? Go visit Uncle Chester in the country?

    If an EMP hits and all methods of transportation are deactivated, how are they getting anywhere? No trains, no buses, no taxicabs, etc. Katrina was NOT an immediate crisis, people had 4-5 days to prepare and evacuate and they chose not to follow instructions and stayed put. I think that if the lights go out w/out notice, this exacerbates the 'nesting' syndrome that we saw in Katrina-like areas. People feel safe in their own environments, even if it's horribly unsafe. If given a heads-up and the masses chose to wait it out with ample opportunity to evade danger, as we saw in Katrina, what will prompt them to leave with no warning?

    I think by the time the gravity of the situation would present itself, the infrastructures would be such a clusterf##k that options would be terribly limited. SO, what sedentary people with medical conditions, limited physical capabilities, possibly poor work ethic, higher obesity and mortality rates and I dare say average-to-below-average intelligence have the capacity to survive without assistance? Hell, they can't survive now without assistance. There are 100 million people on welfare, of those I think the rural folks will be much better off as their accustomed to living by little to no means, supplementing their existence via hunting and surviving. The large pockets of urban populations will die within the first 30 days in staggering numbers, it's gonna be anarchy in NYC, NOLA, Philly, LA, etc..but me and my family will be rocking out in our new go carts, here's me taking a test drive. - Clay

    toilet-go-cart-2.jpg
     

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    Seanpcola

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    Stanley, In this situation gas isn't a problem. Thousands of gallons sitting around in abandoned cars. I'd be more worried about wear and tear on the car, tires and so forth.

    A couple of random thoughts while I'm poking groceries down my pie hole:

    I kind of hope that in the event of something like this that the city folks stay where they are. I don't exactly live out in the sticks but close to it. I know most of my neighbors and do believe we would rally together. As for authority/gov't I don't believe they could be counted on at all.

    Bugging out: Probably not an option to me. You'd probably drive into a worse situation, or at least I'd call it an unknown situation. I have a really good optional bug out spot that is 10 miles from my house but would have to really think about leaving home. Maybe if I had a hardened cargo van pre-packed with survival stuff. I'm more inclined to hunker down at least for short term.

    Masterchief: IRT my well setup. In a SHTF situation I would certainly do my best to share water with everyone but I almost wonder if that would make me a target? Right now the hand pump, though functional, is more of a lawn ornament. It's out front about 100' from the road. A lot of folks have similar pumps for decoration but I'm pretty sure few are fully functional. I'm almost thinking my best bet would be to remove it and seal the opening and store the mechanism for emergencies.

    Hope this makes sense, typing on the fly.
     

    ilintner

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    Excellent points Clay, I was feeling a bit vulnerable with my close proximity to Mobile and picturing droves of people wandering across the bayway in search of sustenance. I hadn't considered a lack of means to travel and desire to self sustain, makes me feel a bit better.

    Are those toilets armored? If so count me in for a handful of those go-carts... :D.
     

    Clay

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    Excellent points Clay, I was feeling a bit vulnerable with my close proximity to Mobile and picturing droves of people wandering across the bayway in search of sustenance. I hadn't considered a lack of means to travel and desire to self sustain, makes me feel a bit better.

    Are those toilets armored? If so count me in for a handful of those go-carts... :D.

    Thanks Ian, I make one a week and this was it. I'll tell ya, last night I had a dream of my family and I on a sailboat. Outside of pirates, I think that may be something to consider...solar water stills, plenty of abundant sea life to eat, very low populations of people.....I don't know shit about sailing, but I see I can a get a 30-35' Catalina or like for 5-8K...I live on the bay, if I can get one with a raised keel as outback is maybe 3ft in winter, I'm gonna do it. Now who can teach me to sail? lol...

    Yes, the go carts have Teflon coated bowls for the nights we pillage the Chinese buffets....

    Sean, good point on the well. I'd buy, borrow or steal as many 55 gallon drums as you can, fill them w/ h20 and bury them. Or one of those reservoirs use on farms. If you're gonna stay put, water, food and ammo buddy....along with beef jerk, gun porn and bourbon
     
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