Wanderling
Member
- Joined
- Nov 21, 2011
- Messages
- 923
Just a rant, after listening to yet another former military buddy who is preparing for what he thinks may happen in a SHTF scenario...
It will not look like The Walking Dead. It will not look like Escape from New York, or a dozen other Hollywood idiocies.
It is all around us today, and it was all around us always. The real SHTF is Detroit in 1992, or Sarajevo in 1993, or parts of what used to be the Soviet Union in the 1990s, the areas south - and perhaps even some north - of the Mexican border today, or Iraq, or Syria, etc.
You will not be rummaging through the rubble for months, unable to find basic tools or clean your rifle. The stores will still be open. The police and military will still be there. The police will likely be openly corrupt and in cahoots with criminals, and the military will treat any armed person as a hostile. There will be mass confiscations of weapons and a thriving black market for guns at the same time. The problem with buying ammo won’t be the lack of availability, more likely it will be outright illegal and buying ammo on the black market would be just like buying a large supply of drugs- possible but illegal and dangerous.
Running around with a rifle in the woods would probably be ok as long as you are careful. Running around openly armed in any populated area would be suicidal unless you are well connected or well protected. The debate shouldn’t be AR-15 vs AK-47 and what parts would be more replaceable after the civilization is wiped out, but what’s the best gun that you can defend yourself with and carry without drawing attention.
It’s pointless to prepare for military style urban warfare unless you expect to be with police or become a gang member. There will still be helicopters and armored cars and night vision equipment and armed drones and well organized and well trained teams of professionals - except that more often than not, the people with a badge will be the same or worse than the criminals.
It will be less about warfare and more about survival, evasion, blending in, situational awareness and conflict avoidance.
Study the real situations, not phantasy ones...
OK the rant is over
It will not look like The Walking Dead. It will not look like Escape from New York, or a dozen other Hollywood idiocies.
It is all around us today, and it was all around us always. The real SHTF is Detroit in 1992, or Sarajevo in 1993, or parts of what used to be the Soviet Union in the 1990s, the areas south - and perhaps even some north - of the Mexican border today, or Iraq, or Syria, etc.
You will not be rummaging through the rubble for months, unable to find basic tools or clean your rifle. The stores will still be open. The police and military will still be there. The police will likely be openly corrupt and in cahoots with criminals, and the military will treat any armed person as a hostile. There will be mass confiscations of weapons and a thriving black market for guns at the same time. The problem with buying ammo won’t be the lack of availability, more likely it will be outright illegal and buying ammo on the black market would be just like buying a large supply of drugs- possible but illegal and dangerous.
Running around with a rifle in the woods would probably be ok as long as you are careful. Running around openly armed in any populated area would be suicidal unless you are well connected or well protected. The debate shouldn’t be AR-15 vs AK-47 and what parts would be more replaceable after the civilization is wiped out, but what’s the best gun that you can defend yourself with and carry without drawing attention.
It’s pointless to prepare for military style urban warfare unless you expect to be with police or become a gang member. There will still be helicopters and armored cars and night vision equipment and armed drones and well organized and well trained teams of professionals - except that more often than not, the people with a badge will be the same or worse than the criminals.
It will be less about warfare and more about survival, evasion, blending in, situational awareness and conflict avoidance.
Study the real situations, not phantasy ones...
OK the rant is over