How Can We Prepare for Social Unrest & Civil Disorder?

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I can't sit here and feed this thread, just putting the question out there... I won't be ale to answer anyone 'cause I'm doing taxes anyways. This is more to share my concerns that others might not have thought about how they might cope in times of social disorder.

Are you prepared in the event that there is social disorder in your neighborhood?

I've spent some time looking at economics and the problems we face, started early last year. Because I eat a lot of organic food and was expecting a bad time in some countries where, say, organic brown rice is grown, I stocked up on 2 years' worth of food. I put together 2 years' worth of organic food (mostly brown rice, beans, cans of tomatoes, spaghetti, dried mushrooms and stuff like that) because regular food with pesticides and additives makes me sick, and I didn't want to have to live off regular American processed food in case the organic markets went out of business during bad economic times.

But now I'm glad I did that because the thought of being sick with rashes and food allergies in the middle of social unrest and upheaval is kind of scary!

What is the probability that there will be social disorder or social unrest due to the economic crisis? Who knows? Maybe about the chance of having your town hit by a tornado if you live in Kansas. But even if that chance is small, people who live in Kansas do prepare on what to do if a tornado warning goes off.

Has anyone other than me thought about what life might be like in case of social unrest, war and economic collapse? Do you have family to call or someone in the neighborhood you've been meaning to introduce yourself to and get to know? What would it take to have a few weeks' supply of medications in place? How can we mentally prepare for periods of stress and anxiety, left to fend for ourselves for days and weeks? If stores were closed for a few weeks, or the streets weren't safe in a city, what things do we really need to get by? Do we have our papers in place?

I wish I could find a special article on how AS people can prepare themselves for times of social disorder and emergency... but these have all appeared in the past few days.

Motley Fool: The Four Things You Need (in case there's social disorder)

International Monetary Fund head: "The Financial Crisis Can Lead to Social Unrest and Even War"

United Nations: Unrest looms in Asia-Pacific

The interviewer, Glenn Beck is a radical right crank, but the guy being interviewed is good:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtCMApiRxXU[/youtube]

Like I said, I really can't answer anyone cause I'm doing taxes. I just saw these articles and got a little concerned. This is just a heads-up to the community on these articles I saw.

Read Cormac McCarthys' "The Road," for the delightful human variant responses to crisis.

i would be refraining from cannibalism when all about me would be the munching of human flesh. (it's a values and integirty thing....)

Or maybe not........munch munch.

Cannabalism causes mad cow disease, we don't need THAT along with social unrest, BTW.

Well done.

If it looks likely that there will be a serious threat to supply of goods over the next month or two I'll prepare for it, providing it is a realistic possibility. Currently I don't think that's the case at all, people are worrying far too much.

Back in the old days almost everybody was prepared for the complete collaspe of the governement and we all had massive supplies of food, ammo, secret hideaway cabins and all that stuff. To bad it didn't happen back then as if it had then we wouldn't be in this very deep mess right now and we'd be a good productive and financially responsible society today. The situation is perhaps far worse today than it was 30 years ago but I suppose that is expected since we've let these intrinsic problems slide for so many years. Anyway I'm still prepared and personally I think people are pretty foolish not to be considering the overall poor quality of governmental representation we've had over the decades. Maybe being so hindered with autism has prevented me from being influenced by the propoganda from the dems and republican we're all subjected to.

As someone who lives in tornado country, ice storm country, and the occassional wayward tropical storm country, I always try to be prepared for weather disasters.

Its always a good idea to have food supplies, medicines, water, papers in order, family contigency plans, corded phone, flashlights, TP, beer, etc...I'm reasonably sure everywhere has its own threats; earthquakes, blizzards, hurricanes, floods, wildfires...

We have a tornado shelter (an area of our basement - with no windows - with our supplies and extra sets of clothes and tennis shoes). Whenever that horrible beeeeep-beeeep starts on the TV - we all run downstairs.

As a matter of fact, we are kicking off tornado season as we speak in the Southeast. Storms in TX and LA, heading thisaway over the next two days. This is a good reminder that I need to restock the old preparedness kit.

As far as social unrest - ummmmmm??? Do zombies count? If zombies count, then yes.

Otherwise, I'm just not worried about it. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself (and people who freak out and cause mass panic.)

Maybe some of you remember last year when gas shortages panic struck the Nashville area - and it spread all over the Southeast. People were freaked out here in Atlanta - waiting in lines for hours to top off their tanks at $4+ a gallon. Eventually everything calmed down but it was kind of unsettling to watch these big "grown-ups" freaking out and hoarding gasoline.

Even before Katrina, the people of Florida found out during the 2004 hurricane season. Places like Miami and Ft. Lauderdale went a few weeks without electricity and gas.

Funny - with all the flack South Floridians get for their "quirkiness" - they did just fine. They rose to the occassion and even through tempers flared - they made it through. Christ - if So. Florida can do it - ANY population area of any size can do it.

I'm almost done with building up my firearm collection and will be working on the other disaster supplies soon.

Interesting thread, Ephy! We get natural disasters from time to time. We are advised to have a first aid kit, flash light, important information like purse and driver's license nearby and a portable, battery operated television or radio for instructions. That's for when the electricity is off for an extended period. We are also advised to dress appropriately, long sleeved shirts, jeans, sturdy shoes. This is for natural disasters, not civil unrest. Our number one natural disaster is the tornado.
I haven't thought about civil unrest. I'm unprepared for it. I'll probably cling to others out of desperation if that ever happens. Neighbors and persons like that.

Well what is worse Zombies or politicians. I hate to admit it but I have second thoughts about shooting zombies since they didn't have any say in their condition. Politicians on the otherhand deserve everything coming to them.

I like that user name. My gun collection is complete ( until I buy another ) and I have food and water stashed and several thousand rounds of ammunition.

I've got guns, ammo, food, medicine, facilities for producing medicine, land for producing food, skills for living like that, barter goods, and a family of many people that all have the same (except the facilities for making medicine).

so society can come or go as it pleases.

I'd be caught unprepared in the event of a societal collapse. I'm kind of relying on society being competent. I think, though, that I would be too naive and trusting to survive for long in such a dangerous environment, regardless of how prepared I was.

I am hoping that organized society collapse.