There is going to be Ugly

[Richter]

Since we're all starting to feel like Roman citizens watchign the Ceasars get weirder, more abusive and impotent, I thought I'd throw out a quick note on what can be expected.

When you're in high school, anarchy seems like an idea of a good time.  No rules, no repurcussions, just fly out, bang down a liquor store, get loaded, and go apeshit.  Well, like Alan Moore put it, that is only the "Land of Take What You Want.", not an ideal or beneficial system for any majority of humans.  Any huge melee is NOT your invitaiton to become a drunken master urban combat god, it's a culling.  Large ground engagements opperate via atrition.  Attrition means your cracked head on the ground pitching a seizure while the brain fluid leaks out, for the gain of scratching a riot cop's face shield is PROGRESS.

Better armed and armored police or military WILL gas, stun, spray, hose, beat, curb stomp, and otherwise roll you.  There's not going to be enough ambulances or police cars, so expect sloppy roadside exectutions.  Ammo is a resource, so don't expect it to be pleasant.  Even if you do beat down the local agents of "The Man" what then?  Watch the ending of "Black Hawk Down", while imagining that the people stripping, beating, disfiguring and defiling the soldiers are all white college kids, office workers, or unemployment recipients and you're playign along. 
"Civilized."

Want to do some solo apeshit?  Bad idea.  Sticking with the mob might be safest, and very few folks know how to PROPERLY conduct running destructive mayhem.  Everyone else will likely burn adrenaline for 2 blocks, then double over gasping for breath and blowing chunks.  (drinking and running is a BAD idea.)  Now you're a target, and you don't want to know who is huntign you, or for what.

The city will sleep soundly, one way or another.  Quiet like New Year's Day will greet the next morning.  No confetti, plastic trinkets, or food wrappers to pick up though.  Just trash, smouldering wreckage broken bodies, and a few moaners hurt jsut bad enough to betaking the long way out.  (incidentally, blow off enough adrenaline in one day and you'll have a hangover from the gods the next.)

A city stands on infrastructure.  Without utilities and regular food deliver it becomes a desert of concrete and asphalt FAST.  Guess what's about to get cut off to your urban warfare playground.  How many days supply per person of food and water do you think are in one at any given time?  To top it all off, some silly fucker drank all the beer.  Fun's over. Now you're wishing you knew what the survivalist nuts knew, and trying to figure out what's left to eat.  Meow?

[The Good Reverend Roger]

This.

Also, appendicitis is a death sentence.  Ho ho!  How's that?  Even if you ARE the biggest, baddest monkey in your disaster area, if your appendix goes South, you have about 3 days of agony in which to reflect upon your life.

Oh, yeah, and then winter comes.

[Adios]

I do believe I will try to avoid being in the crowd on that day.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

I do believe I will try to avoid being in the crowd on that day.

I'm thinking basements.

[Adios]

I do believe I will try to avoid being in the crowd on that day.

I'm thinking basements.

And sandbags. 

[Richter]

I do believe I will try to avoid being in the crowd on that day.

I'm thinking basements.

And sandbags. 
[/quote]


Oh look, a few of those clever kids saw "Fight Club", and have set the building on fire with homemade napalm...

[Adios]

Always have an exit strategy.

[Richter]

THIS, THIS, and THIS.

[Epimetheus]

This.

Also, appendicitis is a death sentence.  Ho ho!  How's that?  Even if you ARE the biggest, baddest monkey in your disaster area, if your appendix goes South, you have about 3 days of agony in which to reflect upon your life.

I ain't had an appendix since I was ten! HAW!


So it'll be just the tribal foragers and pastoralists of the world who remain, huh? Considering how dependent citydwellers are on the infrastructure/utilities.
Or will the citydwellers eventually attack them too? The ones that can be found, I mean.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

This.

Also, appendicitis is a death sentence.  Ho ho!  How's that?  Even if you ARE the biggest, baddest monkey in your disaster area, if your appendix goes South, you have about 3 days of agony in which to reflect upon your life.

I ain't had an appendix since I was ten! HAW!


So it'll be just the tribal foragers and pastoralists of the world who remain, huh? Considering how dependent citydwellers are on the infrastructure/utilities.
Or will the citydwellers eventually attack them too? The ones that can be found, I mean.

Naw.  Plenty of people survived the last two dark ages.

On the other hand, they had low tech skills we have forgotten, and a much smaller population base.

And ask yourself this, Epi...If you were in a city and the food ran out, what would YOU do?  Starve to death quietly?

TGRR,
Thinks the collapse will be a bad time to live around Windsor, Ontario, for example.

[Epimetheus]

This.

Also, appendicitis is a death sentence.  Ho ho!  How's that?  Even if you ARE the biggest, baddest monkey in your disaster area, if your appendix goes South, you have about 3 days of agony in which to reflect upon your life.

I ain't had an appendix since I was ten! HAW!


So it'll be just the tribal foragers and pastoralists of the world who remain, huh? Considering how dependent citydwellers are on the infrastructure/utilities.
Or will the citydwellers eventually attack them too? The ones that can be found, I mean.

Naw.  Plenty of people survived the last two dark ages.

On the other hand, they had low tech skills we have forgotten, and a much smaller population base.

And ask yourself this, Epi...If you were in a city and the food ran out, what would YOU do?  Starve to death quietly?

TGRR,
Thinks the collapse will be a bad time to live around Windsor, Ontario, for example.

Makes sense.
I asked in another thread but I dunno if you saw it: Would this event you're predicting be the fall of our civilization, in the historical sense? Or a low period after which it'll rebound?
I still can't get rid of a certain excitement about the idea. Chronic suburban boredom, I guess.   I have no delusions about surviving, though.

[Nephew Twiddleton]

This.

Also, appendicitis is a death sentence.  Ho ho!  How's that?  Even if you ARE the biggest, baddest monkey in your disaster area, if your appendix goes South, you have about 3 days of agony in which to reflect upon your life.

I ain't had an appendix since I was ten! HAW!


So it'll be just the tribal foragers and pastoralists of the world who remain, huh? Considering how dependent citydwellers are on the infrastructure/utilities.
Or will the citydwellers eventually attack them too? The ones that can be found, I mean.

Naw.  Plenty of people survived the last two dark ages.

On the other hand, they had low tech skills we have forgotten, and a much smaller population base.

And ask yourself this, Epi...If you were in a city and the food ran out, what would YOU do?  Starve to death quietly?

TGRR,
Thinks the collapse will be a bad time to live around Windsor, Ontario, for example.

Makes sense.
I asked in another thread but I dunno if you saw it: Would this event you're predicting be the fall of our civilization, in the historical sense? Or a low period after which it'll rebound?
I still can't get rid of a certain excitement about the idea. Chronic suburban boredom, I guess.   I have no delusions about surviving, though.

I would guess that in a collapse there would be a rebound, but not back to the point where it was before. I think I heard that some people projected that it would be something like the late 21st century looks like the 19th.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

This.

Also, appendicitis is a death sentence.  Ho ho!  How's that?  Even if you ARE the biggest, baddest monkey in your disaster area, if your appendix goes South, you have about 3 days of agony in which to reflect upon your life.

I ain't had an appendix since I was ten! HAW!


So it'll be just the tribal foragers and pastoralists of the world who remain, huh? Considering how dependent citydwellers are on the infrastructure/utilities.
Or will the citydwellers eventually attack them too? The ones that can be found, I mean.

Naw.  Plenty of people survived the last two dark ages.

On the other hand, they had low tech skills we have forgotten, and a much smaller population base.

And ask yourself this, Epi...If you were in a city and the food ran out, what would YOU do?  Starve to death quietly?

TGRR,
Thinks the collapse will be a bad time to live around Windsor, Ontario, for example.

Makes sense.
I asked in another thread but I dunno if you saw it: Would this event you're predicting be the fall of our civilization, in the historical sense? Or a low period after which it'll rebound?
I still can't get rid of a certain excitement about the idea. Chronic suburban boredom, I guess.   I have no delusions about surviving, though.

I would guess that in a collapse there would be a rebound, but not back to the point where it was before. I think I heard that some people projected that it would be something like the late 21st century looks like the 19th.

I'm in ECH's camp, with a shorter timeline.  A fall, stabilization at a new low, then another fall, etc.  Eventually an all-out collapse, fall-of-Rome style.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

The thing nobody wants to think about is that you can't be prepared enough. Everyone likes to imagine that their contingency plan, their exit strategy, will protect them, but really all you can do is prepare as well as you can (it's not enough) and hope you're one of the lucky ones.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

The thing nobody wants to think about is that you can't be prepared enough. Everyone likes to imagine that their contingency plan, their exit strategy, will protect them, but really all you can do is prepare as well as you can (it's not enough) and hope you're one of the lucky ones.

Well, that's it, basically.  I'm not letting myself worry about it.  If a crate of bullets and a second chance vest aren't enough, then to hell with it.  I'm going to enjoy civilization while I have it.

If more people thought like me, we wouldn't be in this mess, I think.