We all talk about bunkers, remote cabins, homesteads, off grid etc. But ultimately the one thing that will help us survive best is to replace the thing that collapsed in the first place. Survivalists think in terms of societal collapse due to some sort of disaster usually a war. There is the collapsed civilization with it's smoldering rubble and there is the survivalist in his bunker on the other side of some mountain range. But try as we might it's only a bunker, it might be big it might be filled with all sorts of supplies but it's only a bunker, there are no hospitals, stores, farms, factories inside even the biggest bunker.



What I am proposing is that we go ahead and build all the bunkers or what ever we have worked out but that we seriously consider slowly building a parallel society. Obviously, we have already got the citizens to live in that society. There is also material available,just one old truck in the right hands could ship tons of supplies, plow fields or who knows what else. We have much more available than one old truck. Just think about it. Together, how many vehicles do we actually possess? Just the people on this forum likely have enough trucks, cars, tractors, boats, aircraft to fill a giant parking lot that would cover a thousand acres. That's not counting lathes, computers, plasma cutters, 3D printers and who knows what else. All of which could be bought into play if needed.



So, how do we do it? There are some things we would need. I think that a currency is essential whether we agree to use car wash tokens or silver coins that we ourselves have minted or bought. One idea I had is money from Zimbabwe, it's worthless and we can probably get it from some bank for next to nothing. But, it already has denominations printed, it has the sturdy paper needed, it's counterfeit resistant. Not that this is 100% the way to go but it's a thought. We'd need to assign a value to our currency, I guess match the US dollar? Regardless there are survivalist minded people who might be interested in something like this with considerable financial acumen. It would get worked out, it would be screwed up some, clumsy and like everything else in this world it would never work "right" but it would probably work and we could use it to do what we needed. Unlike relying on the monetary system of a collapsed civilization or some Marxist dictatorship. Perhaps the biggest perk of all is that once you start using such a currency global banks and the people associated with them lose all control. There is no more war on cash, no more locking people out of their bank accts there is no more confiscating money from people , no chips implanted in people to buy or sell or any other such foolishness. That all stops and loses it's power over us as soon as we start using an alt currency. That alone is worth the attempt at the very least. Just think for a moment, that's the very root of our problems solved right there.



After currency the other thing needed is places to earn and spend it, jobs. This is not as hard as some might think. All we need to start it is simply for someone to build something. Or probably to renovate an old barn somewhere. From that told barn, shed or one you and your friends build out of a pile of scrap wood you can start a business. I recommend essential things like maybe a place to work on cars or produce food. A few acres that haven't been ploughed in 50 years could suddenly come under the plough and produce for people once again. Everyone working there gets paid in alt currency and can buy from there with said currency. You now have a food source or a transportation source completely cut off from the corrupt and failed system that is oppressing you. Take that a step further. You might want to preserve what you grow. Now you can go get some more scrap lumber, an old shipping container or order a new steel building what ever you think is best. This becomes a cannery of freeze drying operation or how ever else you choose to preserve the food. You have now created more alt currency jobs as well. That's that many less people out from under the boot heal of a failed government.



Of course as the situation worsens you'll have things like government agents of some type running over your barn with an armored car , just for fun if nothing else. That is why I recommend that this be an international effort and even include the earths oceans. Set up where ever you can, if it's in Peru or Tonga or on a fleet of old sail boats running a sea farm some place. Once you go international you'll always have a place to go when some jack booted thug with a made up title decides to move on your operation. If it's gotten that bad it's time to go. Bonus, you'll actually have a place to go and people and networks set up to get you there, so much better than the gulag.



The biggest and probably most obvious obstacle standing in the way is how much moral muscle do we have? Are we salt of the earth enough to act responsibly and function as a high trust society or will we pull petty scams, to line our pockets? If enough of us are selfish and greedy enough the system will fall flat pretty fast (which is what's wrong with the current one). You get back what you give out survivalism does have the grim aspect of the psycho hunkered down in his bunker with his preps laughing his ass off listening to the screams of the dying on his short wave. Of course he's also all alone and if he's made any mistakes then the unforgiving circumstance comes down on his head too. In the end, we can be civilized men doing civilized things and create something new and solid for ourselves or we can be that giggling psychopathic fool, patting ourselves on the back for prepping when others did not. Granted,It's not like you can keep people alive who just won't listen. I know that Darwin will have his way with some, but we can work together to keep those alive who will listen. It's not as if they have 0 value, their minds, bodies will to survive will form the base of any new civilization that arises form the rubble. Every one who dies is one less person who will form a family work a field, fix a truck, fly a helicopter or what ever else needs doing. People are not expendable, they are important they are us and this should be about saving us.