Societal Breakdown And Collapse – Who Will Be The Most Valued Afterward?
Do you have what it takes to be among the valued and therefore sought-after people after societal breakdown or even collapse of society as we know it today? I’ll get to that in a minute. But first…
Here’s a scenario… Societal breakdown and chaos is advancing and expanding due to a disastrous chain of events. It could be any number of scenarios. In fact, most of you who are reading this already realize that we’re living through a period of societal breakdown, right now. For a number of reasons. Extreme, and I mean extreme divisiveness to the extent I have never seen before. Polarization of views. Authoritarian persecution. Totalitarianism is thriving all around the globe. Most all of it by design. It will eventually lead to further societal collapse, and maybe (probably) eventual ‘breakdown’. But I digress.
Societal Collapse And Lots Of Increasingly Desperate People
Lets say that these events or the results thereof have left a large portion of the population in an increasingly desperate state of being. Poor. Scarcity. Or completely non-existent supplies. People are hungry, thirsty, and becoming aggressive to find and get what they need.
It gets to a point where the realization has set in that this is more than just a temporary setback. Many are anxiously and perilously setting out to find help for themselves and for others in their family or household.
The thing to remember is this: The more desperate the situation, the more likely you are to be confronted or challenged by others who may want what you have…
There’s something that you need to understand… something that’s difficult for most to understand. That is this… how seemingly ordinary ‘good people’ may even hurt others during times of true and deep desperation for survival. Not only them, but, those who are ‘bad people’ to begin with. The reason it’s tough to really accept is because most of us have never been in that very desperate place, so we refuse to let those thoughts in. It’s not pleasant. It may be very uncomfortable to contemplate.
Also, don’t forget about people like “the Governor” as in The Walking Dead series. If government collapses, someone will come in and fill the power vacuum. Local economies may well re-institute and organize around such “warlords”. That’s a very real probability. By the way, I loved the Walking Dead series…
Anyway, I’m getting a little off track. It was just a setup for what ‘could’ happen (as one example) bringing on societal breakdown. My post though, is about who may be of value during such a time or the resulting ‘afterward’.
People Of Value After Societal Breakdown
There will be several significant groups of people with talents and skills which will be sought after following a societal breakdown of modern society.
These primary groups will be made up of those who have contributing knowledge, experience, and skills having to do with our basic and necessary ‘needs’ for long term survival. Within each group will be subsets of skills (some of which will reach across other groups). And these subsets will each relate and contribute up towards the the primary objective of each group.
The first of which may be this one…
Protection, Security
Wow. This one will be important. Societal breakdown will pretty much require increased security for one’s self, group, family, home, etc..
The first weeks to follow societal breakdown, you will especially need water, food, and the ability to keep it.
Anyone with particular experience and skills having to do with all things ‘security’. They will be very much of value. A necessary asset for the safety and production of surviving the aftermath. Those who can establish and implement defensive and offensive plans and procedures dealing with others who may wish to do the unit harm.
There is little doubt that during an all-out collapse that this group will be a very important asset. Especially during the initial timeline when the sheeple have just realized that they’re up the creek without a paddle… and the immediate months that will follow – if they last that long.
While just about anyone has the ability to use a firearm, the best in this group will probably be those with direct experience with such strategic and combat issues… military, ex-military, police, security, etc.
Gardeners, Farmers, Horticulture
Societal breakdown. Once can pretty much assume that food will not be plentiful or exist hardly at all for the masses. If it’s bad enough, many won’t even survive into month two or three if it’s real bad. Anyone with expertise related to the procurement of food, will be deemed valued and important.
Successful gardeners and farmers will be highly valued. Even more than those with hunting skills, because the probable situation will be a diminishing harvest of wild animal resources for consumption after a fairly short while in many areas. The skills for raising livestock will also be important, although these animals will need food and water too…
The fact is, humans can live from the right foods grown in the ground, and those with experience in this area will be providing a life-sustaining asset to the group, and may be one of the most important of all.
A subcategory here would be food preservation experts and those who are adept at cooking from scratch!
Water Management, Environmental Engineer, Plumbing
Anyone who has experience with things having to do with all things ‘water’. Including procuring, storing, and treatment for drinking, waste management, irrigation, and the associated plumbing, construction, and electro-mechanical skills to build, power, and maintain these systems.
Safe drinking water. Sanitation. Watering/irrigating your garden. It’s one thing to deal with this for yourself, but it’s quite another to provide for a group, especially and potentially without today’s modern infrastructure systems.
Someone on the blog once said, “Folks who understand (well) how safe/effective sanitation should work (whether it is a properly functioning outhouse/honey wagons/modern sewers/dig a hole and bury it).
Construction
Anyone with the hands-on skills to build and maintain things having to do with ‘shelter’. Especially those with the ability to work with more primitive methods of building and constructing without electricity. These are the people who could build from materials that are available, things like shelters/home, barns/out-buildings, fences, and other infrastructure.
This group might include people who are knowledgeable in the field of alternative energy, which could be extremely valuable assuming that the associated materials and equipment have been procured and are operational. Utilizing water for energy, the sun, and the ‘how-to’ knowledge to apply it.
Doctors, Nurses, Medical
Anyone having worked in the medical field, especially doctors and nurses, will be a life-saving asset for injuries, which will surely happen.
Without the luxuries afforded us by our modern medical systems (hospitals, high-tech, etc.), any injury could rapidly become life-threatening. Safety should and will become a very important habit in a post-collapse world.
People Skills – Managers
Upon the collapse of modern society, it is the natural tendency of civilized man to organize. To that end, there will be a need for those who can organize people and direct energies. In a chaotic situation, there always seems to be one or more folks who step up and begin to direct traffic, so that individual energies can be put together to create a smoother operation.
Communications Specialists
Those who have, and know, Ham radio. Radio communication. When the SHTF, everything will become very local. There will be a great advantage to be able to communicate among the locality via radio comms. Additionally, Ham radio can be worldwide communication too. A great asset.
Jack Of All Trades
While there is good value in being very proficient at a single trade. There is also great value in knowing enough about many different trades to get ‘most’ things fixed or built. I consider myself among this category. Though I do have some specific more concentrated skills, I can also do many other ‘trades’ – just maybe not as good as the pros. I built a 2-story garage/out-building a few years ago and it hasn’t fallen down yet…
Survivalist
I’m adding this one because many of us may consider ourselves a survivalist. We’ve prepared. We know how to do things in this regard. We have situational awareness skills. Most of us are pretty good critical thinkers. We’ve learned the basics (and more) of being able to, ‘survive’ without present systems of infrastructure to varying degrees. We have an ability to adapt. Overcome. Move forward. We’re self reliant. Some of us are self-sufficient. I would say that we would be a pretty valued lot following societal breakdown :=)
In summary,
Being an able bodied hard working person with critical thinking skills is always desirable….before during and after a crisis.
I know that this is all pretty logical stuff having to do with rebuilding and sustaining a community, but it warrants thought. Many in modern society have skills which would be useless post-disaster. Knowing that…may motivate some of you to learn one or two ‘basic’ skills which may contribute to saving your life IF you ever needed them for real…
While the list above is off the top of my head, there are many others which who will be of practical and useful value following a societal breakdown / collapse. Feel free to add to the list with your comments…