Conclusion

Thoughts and Concerns About The End Of The World As We Know It
Part 13
Either you are defined by the system, or you are defined by your defiance of the system.

Summary

The aftermath of a cataclysmic life-changing event is going to change everything, and providing for the safety and survival of my family and a way of life is paramount. I am not going to put anyone in a box, so I accept the challenge to survive and thrive myself.

I began this journey intending to be the lone wolf, because I was very reluctant to team up with anyone I didn’t know. My main concern, of course, is that others would enter a shared arrangement with their own agenda. Crowds attract attention and I still believe that avoiding attention is critical to survival.

I remain reluctant to team up with anyone I don’t know. However, I can’t shake the feeling that we need people we can trust, because any long-term survival plan must include community. It “should be obvious to the most casual observer”, as it now is to me, that the strength of the community are the individuals, and the strength of the individual is the community.

You don't want to be alone, it's about people. Everything in this world that is worth a dam is about people. The question put forward in Battlestar Galactica was "Why are we as a people worth saving?" That question was answered in Fear the Walking Dead, "No one's gone until they're gone, but when they're gone nothing will ever be the same" (RIP Madison Clark).

I reject the argument that there may be stronger and smarter people who will know what to do; because that is wishful thinking. Relying on someone else to provide for my safety and survival would not be in the best interest of my family and friends. When things turn bad I can’t afford to wait, because if I do all may be lost.

I recognize and accept the various contradictions within this document and emphasize that nothing should be interpreted as preventing me from using all the options for survival, while protecting myself or others from the aggressive behavior of those who have proven themselves as dangerous.

In any serious long-term scenario, we will eventually be forced to relocate in search of a new home, to become in affect, temporary immigrants; but remember that here and there are just labels, it's all one place. In understanding this we should be aware that the majority of today's immigrants are no different, they too are searching for freedom and safety. Yes, there will always be bad people "on the move", but we should fear no one other than ourselves because we carry our worst enemies within us: Immigration should not concern us.

If they can’t be avoided, individuals and groups who actively threaten the safety and health of others must be dealt with; and this includes, but doesn’t necessarily require, the use of deadly force. I accept the fact that good doesn’t always triumph over evil, and that taking a stand may threaten my own survival.

There is good in the world and there is bad in the world, and humans are very predictable. They can and will be incredibly cruel to each other, especially when faced with uncertainty, chaos, pain, and fear. What this means is that eventually I, or my group, will be targeted with force and probably without mercy. I must be prepared to assess every encounter quickly and accurately if I wish to survive.

Specifically, I am going to meet evil in the form of people who let circumstances dictate their behavior, and it’s not going to be pretty. I recognize that evil should not be allowed to flourish: It must be opposed, but I must resist the impulse to let their failure dictate who I become or how I behave.

Experience can be a brutal teacher, but I will use it to discover what works and what doesn’t. So, I must be brave and take risks because nothing will substitute for experience. They say that “Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards”, so it’s important not to be one of those people that just dreams of survival: Each of us must get up every morning and make it happen.

Albert Einstein said, “I never teach my students, I only provide the conditions in which they can learn”. You must provide your own conditions to learn. Don’t rely on someone else’s motivation.

Making mistakes is an essential part of life, and it’s an essential part of every success story as well. Adversity and hardship help us grow as a person, so don’t give up on being the person you are trying to be: Be strong, stand tall, and remember, “If life was easy, everyone would want to do it”.

If humanity is to survive, then at some point in our lives each of us must say, "We may not know you, but we will help you, we will put ourselves in danger for you and fight for you, not as strangers but as family”. That will be the decision that changes everything. It’ll start with one person or a few people and it'll grow from there: To sacrifice for each other, is to suffer and to stand together; to grieve, to give, to love, to live, and to fight for each other.

Once humanity has learned how to survive, then it must learn how to live justly. Punishment and killing should not be the first thing we do or the first place that we go. The conversation that we must all have is, “If we must go to war, one of the things we should be fighting for is the right to say we will not kill unless we have to”.

The truth is, I truly believe that “Everyone is doing the best that they can”. By that I mean everyone, without exception, is doing the best that they can at any given moment; and it doesn’t matter who you are, or what you have done, or where you live, or what you believe. Whether for good or for evil, each of us is compelled to behave by unseen forces; and unable, at that moment, to do anything different.

I’m not talking about pre-destination: I’m talking about reflecting on our lives in hindsight, while living it forward; I’m talking about the experience our daily choices make possible; I’m talking about embracing life as an imperfect person, interacting with imperfect people, in an imperfect world; I’m talking about how all the little decisions we make have the power to shape our future.

What I mean when I say, “Life is hard, and then you die”, is that our own lives or the lives of others sometimes get in the way; our words and thoughts and the things we have done and the things we have failed to do sometimes lead to disappointment; and circumstances beyond our control, and more importantly all those little decisions we make daily, sometimes prevent us from being the person we are trying to be.

Nevertheless, while perfection may be impossible, greatness will come to those who manage to move forward in this imperfect world.

Final Thoughts: Based on a limited supply of drinkable water and food and the desire to live by Biblical principles, who gets what and why is not a decision I can make for others. My decisions are: 1) I believe that the imagined disaster situations are possible; 2) I believe that we should prepare so that we can provide for ourselves; 3) I believe that I cannot save everyone, but I can help others; 4) I believe that family and those in need should have first call on my resources; 5) I believe that I have a moral obligation to oppose evil, with deadly force if necessary; and 6) I believe that I should be wary of those who attempt to enforce a rule of law.

Therefore: 1) I will stand by the command to love my neighbor as myself, and not define who my neighbor is; 2) I will continue to resist tribalism, which will introduce known and unknown risks; 3) I will continue to support compassion, and offer limited support to those in need; and 4) I accept that these actions may put myself and others at risk.

Those who embrace surveillance as necessary for security are working diligently to reduce our freedoms. The implications of technology are staggering, and all our electronic devices can be wonderful servants, but they are also dangerous tools. Prudence requires that we exercise great caution regarding the countless electronic devices that surround us.

Stop letting your devices control your life. Yes, paying attention to the news is important and yes, keeping up with your family and friends is important, but don’t be one of those people living like a zombie, with their head stuck to a screen and their ears plugged with buds. Put your phone in your pocket and pay attention to what’s going on around you. Watch and listen and re-connect with your immediate surroundings. It’s more important now than ever.

After years of avoiding politics, I now realize that progressive minded, movement-oriented people, both young and old, need to stand against politics driven by economics, government principles organized through disunion, and a present and future defined by corporations. There has never been a more important time to rethink the meaning of politics, justice, struggle, collective action, and the development of new social movements.

Remember that each of us is free: Free to live, free to choose, free to think, free to love, free to hate, free to defend, and free to resist. If you don’t choose to get involved don’t say, “I can’t” because it’s not about denying yourself, say instead, “I choose not to” because it’s a personal decision. If you do choose to get involved don’t say, “I’ll try” because by saying that you’ve already set yourself up to quit, say instead, “I will do my very best”, because it’s a personal goal.

The message of freedom continues to stir a passion in me for justice, and as my view of the world has changed it has become my personal revolution. To resist being coerced into living in a state of ignorance, frustration, or emotional slavery, I will strive to share this message daily so that the revolution does not die with me. Short of life itself, the message of freedom is the greatest gift I can give, and it gets stronger every time I share it.

My personal mission statement is (and has been for years), “To leave the world a better place than I found it; by being a positive influence on others, and by doing the best that I can in all things”. It’s not about saving the world all by myself, and it’s not even about saving everyone around me. My job is to stand up for what I believe, remember there is always hope, and never give up: Murphy’s Law isn’t going to!

Win Win

Don’t stop here: Re-think, re-visualize, and re-plan it all again. Hopefully what you read in the previous pages seemed like review, or a summary of stuff you’ve read elsewhere, and if not, then hopefully it seemed like common sense. You are welcome to edit the text to make it more relevant, and you are welcome to edit the lists to make them more personal. You can make this document better.

Carefully re-evaluate your preparedness plans: Don’t just think, “What can I buy?” Think instead, “What can I learn?” Literature, like books on survival craft and non-fiction survival accounts will help, and magazines like Recoil Off Grid and websites like OffGridWeb.com can provide ongoing sources of knowledge. Learn what you can and practice what you learn!

Example: One night, while on a recent trip to the Holy Land, including present day Jordan, Palestine, and Israel, I dumped and reviewed the contents of my day pack. This pack is with me 24 hours per day; whether I'm traveling, walking, driving, or watching TV at home. I was happy with everything in my pack except my first aid kit. It seemed a bit light on first aid supplies and a bit heavy on personal hygiene items. So, when I got home I upgraded my first aid kit.

The fact is, no one will ever be totally prepared; because no one will ever be able to predict the future. I have been unprepared all my life: I was when I began this document and I remain unprepared for any serious TEOTWAWKI situation now. If you will admit it, you are too.

However, I am more prepared now than before because I’m taking the time to understand what might happen, and putting my research into practice. Planning, filling lists, building bags, training for medical and disaster emergencies, and improving my overall readiness. Most importantly, I’m testing my plan and making adjustments as necessary.

Surprisingly, I am less concerned about the future than I was before. Understanding what can happen helps me to understand what I can do, and understanding what needs to be done allows me to plan. As my mental attitude, regarding the art of survival, has improved it has allowed me to focus on tomorrow without the fear of the unknown, and not fearing the unknown allows me to be fully present in my life today.

I hate to sound like a self-help person but here it comes. Every day you don’t do something, it makes it less likely that you will ever do something. So, you’ve got to get started right away. The book On Tyranny has suggestions for things that everyone can do. There are plenty of other great ideas from people coming from other traditions, but the basic thing is changing your daily behavior now.

Whatever you do, don’t obey in advance because you must start by orienting yourself against the general acceptance of things. If you can manage that, then the other lessons such as supporting existing political and social institutions, supporting the truth and so on will come relatively easily. Once you get out of the habit and recognize that this is the moment where you must not behave as you did before, you’ll be able to set your own conduct.

Passively giving up our rights and accepting bad laws and regulations is what we shouldn’t be doing. If it’s not government by the people and for the people, then we need to seriously consider resistance. Those who don’t follow “all the rules all the time” are better examples, because the government needs and wants people to behave, which leads us into a freedom hole that we’ll never get out of.

I agree that we can’t reward bad behavior even from those who are trying to do what is right, but neither can we tolerate bad behavior from those entrusted with leadership. Thomas Jefferson said, “If a law is unjust, a man is not only right to disobey, he is obligated to do so”. Historically, the most terrible things (war, genocide and slavery) have not resulted from disobedience but from obedience.

A recent popular SyFi movie, in which the good guys are disobedient of authority, showcases the hallmark of rebellion. While the movie’s producer is, predictably, trying to inject socially acceptable messages into the dialog to soften the message of pushing back against corrupt systems, it’s important to recognize that protest beyond the law is not a departure from democracy, it is absolutely essential to it.

Gandhi said, “Be the change you want to see in the world”, and Christopher Robin’s words of encouragement to Pooh should empower all of us: "Promise me you'll always remember, you're braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think".

Apologies

Much of this document comes from other sources, and much of that remains just like I found it. As a reminder, I’ve done my best to credit the sources of the information found here.

Please don’t blame the other sources, however, because in many cases I’ve heavily edited their original text. I apologize to those who feel their work has been distorted, and especially to those who remain inadequately credited.

Please keep me posted: If you make changes to this document I would like to hear about them, and I would also appreciate feedback. You can reach me at neale.wade@outlook.com.