Page 38 - 200901 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - January 2009

38 US Survivalists await worse 38 US Survivalists await worse Thought things were Thought things were bad? US survivalists bad? US survivalists await worse await worse NEW YORK (AFP) — Sick of worrying about the future? Then spare a thought for Jim Rawles. Rawles, 48, is one of a rising number of "survivalists" -- Americans hunkering down for what they predict will be a nightmare of economic failure, mass terrorism, pandemics and social chaos. "The movement's definitely growing," Rawles, manager of the site survivalblog.com, told AFP by telephone from what he described as a survival-ready ranch "somewhere west of the Rocky Mountains." Survivalists have a long history in the United States. But what used to be the preserve of anti-establishment loners, cultists and gun nuts has gone mainstream. Government agencies are encouraging citizens to prepare evacuation plans and food supplies in case of myriad disasters. Firearms, gold pieces, and long-storage food are reportedly flying off the shelves, and the Internet is flooded with sites like survivalblog.com, where the like-minded exchange tips on everything from marksmanship to cheese making. "We're seeing three times the number of readers we had just nine months ago," Rawles said. "The cross section of the readership is changing too. Before, most of my readership was conservative Christians. We're seeing a lot more left of center." Experts say sparks for this phenomenon include the 9/11 attacks of 2001, government incompetence during Hurricane Katrina in ammo, food, livestock, equipment, etc." the Department of Homeland Security want 2005, and now recession: people are more "SHTF could be a natural disaster, a people to prepare for trouble, even if there is no afraid and less trusting in government. terrorist attack, something which again would official mention of EOTWAA and SHTF. The more radical survivalists are getting cause panic and rioting, lawlessness, and thus, The ready.gov website urges citizens to ready for what they call EOTWAA, the End-Of- put my family at risk." store at least three days' worth of water and The-World-Armageddon-Apocalypse, or the These fears may seem over the top to food, to prepare an escape plan from their city, niftier SHTF, as in Shit Hits The Fan. some, but they are increasingly part of the social and to have means of filtering out contaminated Some literally expect the world to end. landscape. air. They have a date: December 21, 2012, which is National Geographic Channel runs a "Practice earthquake and tornado drills based on expiry of an ancient Mayan calendar television series called "Aftermath: Population at home, school and work," ready.gov says, also and predictions of rare astronomical activity. Zero," examining what the world would be like warning that pets will not be allowed into public Others are readying for economic and without humans. evacuation centers. social breakdown, the kind of anarchic "Imagine if one minute from now, every New York-based specialist Aton existence depicted in the "Mad Max" films, or, single person on Earth disappeared," the show Edwards says the government's stand proves more recently, in Cormac McCarthy's poetic, asks. An interactive website lets you do just survivalists were right all along. terrifying novel "The Road." that, annihilating New York and other "People ran away from it at first, saying One hardcore survivalist reached by landmarks at the click of the mouse. it was alarmist and fearmongering. They didn't email via a specialist website told AFP: "The Publishers have also jumped in. realize that the government is saying much the vast majority of such folks are simply trying to Among the many books on the subject is same thing," he said. become less dependent... and not dependent at "Wealth, War and Wisdom" by Barton Biggs, a Yet Rawles estimates that not more than all on help from the government if a former chief global strategist for Morgan five percent of Americans are ready -- at least crisis/disaster was to ever occur." Stanley. He offers commonsense advice like by his high standards. Reflecting the secrecy, if not outright setting aside money for medicine, seeds, and "I'm surrounded by national forest. A paranoia, common in the milieu, this survivalist canned food. river runs through the back end of the property, ended the message abruptly: "We have no wish Websites hawk vacuum-packed food, so there's no shortage of water and no shortage to continue communications." camping gear, medical triage kits and of fish or game to shoot," he told AFP. A survivalist who agreed to answer respiratory gear. "If Western civilization were to collapse emailed questions, but only gave his first name Many also feature information clearly tomorrow, I'd have to read about it on the Jon, told AFP he has a farm and is moving into aimed at beginners. Need to survive a tsunami? Internet. I just wouldn't notice." [] "a bigger, stronger, castle-type structure... in the "Stay away from the beach," survival- immediate near future." warehouse.com helpfully advises. THE ‘X’ ZONE RADIO & TV SHOW The survivalist, who said he is currently Big government bureaucracies like the Monday - Friday / 10 pm - 2 am EST with the US military in Iraq, is stocking "arms, Federal Emergency Management Agency and www.xzoneradio.com / www.xzonetv.com