I'm surrounded by amish people, lol. They aren't preppers. What they are, is poor. Self reliance is just a fun euphemism for human poverty.

The Very Real Amish Man™ in your anecdote might have to pile up taters in the root cellar, sure. Because he has no savings and will draw little to no unemployment benefits. Aside from very early childhood...though, dad getting hurt isn't going to cause a labor shortage for the average amish family.

It's a nice fatherly thought, though - granted.

(March 31, 2020 at 9:00 am)The Grand Nudger Wrote: I'm surrounded by amish people, lol.  They aren't preppers.  What they are, is poor.  Self reliance is just a fun euphemism for human poverty.

You must have a different brand of Amish...


The ones I run into are not poor. Most own some pretty large farms. You see them at farm auctions - and when one goes to pay out - he's at the counter with a wad of cash big enough to choke a horse. 

A Morgan......

The amish are poor. Your anecdote was fine for delivering some moral on self reliance, but it can't change that fact.

I'd say that the amish provide a very good comparison between rational expectations of a subsistence level existence and prepper consumerism, honestly. They're not stocking up on jim bakker food buckets and 5.56...because that would be silly.

(March 31, 2020 at 9:19 am)The Grand Nudger Wrote: The amish are poor.  Your anecdote was fine for delivering some moral on self reliance, but it can't change that fact.

I'd say that the amish provide a very good comparison between rational expectations of a subsistence level existence and prepper consumerism, honestly.  They're not stocking up on jim bakker food buckets and 5.56...because that would be silly.

Nothing like being a stereotyping twat.


Thanks for that insight...

You asked if preppers looked silly. Are you concerned with some steroetype of the amish, or a stereotype of "preppers"? The amish are poor. It's a fact. They live in poverty - below the national norm for poverty...even. They have generally large families, do undervalued labor, and have ideological commitments which prevent them from from either maximizing their wealth or drawing public assistance. That's the demographic.

Preppers....otoh, are nutballs positively defined by their silly behaviors.

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(March 31, 2020 at 7:49 am)onlinebiker Wrote: Do they?

The thing is - I expect things are going to get a whole lot worse for some people. Being forced to stay home really is just an inconvenience. 

Wait till the spring storms knock the power out too. Or the city water supply. 

Then what?

....

Power went out briefly here yesterday. No big deal. I have backup power - a battery bank, inverter and 2 generators.

Being prepared for emergencies isn't paranoid - it's a recognition of reality.

Yep. I know where to go to get all the supplies I need.

My Survival Inventory

-Eight bog rolls

-3kg potatoes

-A pair of stuffed owls

-Six apples

-A pot of cock-a-leekie

-Swiss army knife (corkscrew attachment missing)

-Two narcoleptic cats

-A half bag of walnuts, shelled

BRING ON THE APOCALYPSE, BITCHES!!!

Boru

The Amish I know aren't poor. They also aren't Amish. They are Mennonite. Most of them operate businesses. Large farms, mills (including wood, grains, and cotton), cabinet/furniture shops, and retail stores. A lot of the younger ones get post secondary educations. Mechanics, machinists, welders, even nurses. I've never met a Mennonite doctor, but I'd bet there are a at least a few of them out there.

The farm business model is simple enough. They raise cash crops like corn, wheat, soy beans, and cotton. They use machinery like tractors and powered pumps irrigation so they aren't limited to man/horse power type labor. They produce most of their own fruits and vegetables. They sell the excess in season at their own community markets. They also process a lot of it and sell breads, pastries, canned products, and honey so they have goods available to sell year round. The farms are usually extended family units. They live simply so they are able to save money. When a family unit outgrows a farm they stake some of the younger generation by buying another farm and the process starts again.

I see we've skipped the part where preppers are paranoiac and perpetually unhappy that the world hasn't gone totally to hell so they can act superior FINALLY. There are people who are prepared for stormy weather and there are people who think we live just outside the Great Red Spot on Jupiter.

I think that when it comes to societal collapse, the Travellers have got it beat. They go about in caravans, aren’t fussy about indoor plumbing or running water, and are comfortable enough without electricity.

Boru