Your Future?

Eric S. Raymond on the failure of the "educated class" and what might come after that. Introduces a group of whom I had not heard before, though I have long embraced the general idea: "Preppers."

My parents were both Depression babies and what Mr. Raymond and the Preppers are talking about is nothing new, not even his advocacy for the move to "complex adaptive behavior," including reducing personal indebtedness to as near zero as possible; they are the principles my parents grew up with, tried to teach their children and which I have attempted to apply -- not always well or steadfastly enough -- in my own life.

* * *
Sadly (if'n y'ask me) the Preppers to whom he and I have linked are running an animation atop their page featuring the utterly pernicious "Four Freedoms," to wit: Freedom of Speech (okay), Freedom of Religion (right on), Freedom from Want (say what?) and Freedom from Fear (how's that work?). Though partially redeemed by their tacking on a fifth, "Freedom through teaching others self-reliance," the first four fall recognizably into two radically differing groups: freedom of speech and of religion ask nothing of your fellows save that they let you be, but to be "free from want" requires you get out and work for it; no one owes you a job or a meal or a place to sleep. Nor do they owe you "freedom from fear" past the civility to refrain from abusing your person or property; assuming you are an adult, the one responsible for your own safety is you.

Yes, the Norman Rockwell paintings are lovely; but we must, from time to time, stop to consider what these pretty things signify or the failure will undo us, severally and each. Entitlement thinking rots the mind.

Update: Og on being truly prepared vs. buying a lot of kewl junk. Take it to heart, it's the straight stuff.