The recent Dungeons and Dragons does something similar well. Independence Day is a classic in that vein. Many/most superhero movies follow that formula as well.
A different scale, but a lot of sports movies have a similarly satisfying underdog/comeback story.
I’ve not seen the movie or read the book but I do know the plot. While the two had different endings I don’t think either of them were happy were they?
About as long as it takes to fall into a diabetic coma. I’ve got my express ticket out. The rest of y’all gotta ride out the storm with the other plebs with functioning pancreases.
Pedialyte, ibuprofen, and weed. I don’t drink much anymore but I used to get the most wicked hangovers that would leave me puking well into the afternoon the next day and unable to keep even water or pills down. Weed is the only thing that helps in that situation.
I’m pretty sure most people would agree USA now is a worse place than USA in the 80s/90s, but austerity measures that hurt almost everyone now but helped the economy in the short term are a big reason why the 80s and 90s were prosperous for many. We’re finally starting to turn away from austerity and unions are growing in strength, but that’s not to say that (relatively speaking) the economy is good here, inflation is hitting hard, and who knows if Republicans win 2024.
The biggest existential threat to the country is the attempted hostile takeover by theocrats, which has been well over 40 years in the making, is nothing short of conspiracy, and quite frankly I think secession talks should get serious if Trump wins in 2024, even moreso if Rs get a majority in Congress. Maybe this comes off as panicky, but there’s a reason women, LGBT people, and non-whites are the biggest buyers of guns now. I can’t afford one.
At this point whether Republicans or Democrats will win 2024 feels like a coin flip. Biden’s polling worse than Trump (neither is polling great) but also Democrats are winning most special elections (usually special elections go to Republicans) and a slue of anti-gerrymandering court decisions are taking effect, not to mention Trump could be in jail (and a bunch of other politicians from both parties are getting sued.)
Back in like 2007 there was a great show called “three sheets” as in three sheets to the wind old sailor term for drunk. Host would travel the world and party w locals then try their local hangover cure
it would depend on luck for the first few days - I’ve got weapons and I know the fastest way to gtfo of the city so I can rendezvous with my family - they’ve got some arable property in an easily defendable, low population area. family isnt prepper level but they’re big into organic gardening/natural remedies - in the late spring through late autumn they dont need to buy groceries, the land provides… there’s plenty of water there in the area, and building a water wheel isnt that difficult, nor is wire wrapping (just tedious) so as soon as we survive the winter of year 0 (and winters are pretty mild) designing a grain mill (flour) and basic electrical generation (parts are just laying around) would just be a matter of a few months. my father is big into black powder tech - i grew up learning how to manufacture it, how to cast lead shot, how to care for rifles. 1700s level tech is very simple (not super accurate but it’s better than limited modern day rounds).
so, end of post apocalypse, year 1: permanent food and water supplies secured. electrical generation secured, electrical grid expanding. base acquired & outfitted. protection/weaponry secured.
years 2 - 45 (probably got another 45 years in me), hard but rewarding survival as I rebuild society. pass the reins onto my very large family. world domination in 250 years.
I hate when people try to brag that they’d easily survive the apocalypse cause they’ve prepped, or hoarded, or trained, or whatever. Like bitch if you’re in the first city to be bombed or patient zero, you dead.
When the pandemic shut a lot of the world down for a bit, I turned into Snake Plisskin from "Escape from LA" like some of apocalyptic Cinderella. Didn't everyone? /s
Army-of-one renegade lone-wolf badass-hero natural-confidence-leader fiction was a cultural mistake.
go back and read the OP to see what we’re discussing. a solar flare has no real impact on animals/people and an emp has even less effect. you’re fucked if you have a pacemaker but in that event you’ve got one foot in the grave as it is and your chance of survival is not realistic. you’re not even statistically relevant. only electrical devices that are powered on and arent shielded would be affected by and emp attack anyway, but the cabling and many of the components would still work just fine.
it’s not bragging to say that I would, with a little bit of luck for the first few days (honestly compels me to admit that I wouldnt need much luck), be able to survive a scenario that would kill 80% of the population - it’s fact. I suppose if my family didnt have property where they do, the experience they do, and I was raised in a different way then I’d probably die in a ditch like the vast majority of my neighbors, but the truth of the matter is that I am just better prepared than they are. basic survival techniques, situational awareness, and an educational mindset will take you a lot further than most things when your life is on the line.
Perhaps I worded it poorly. I quoted you qualifying your success with the necessity for luck. I was applauding the affirmation that even with plenty of skills and preparedness, some things are out of our hands.
No doubt there would be people that had no business surviving but make it on pure luck and the goodwill of others. Though luck favors the prepared.
I agree - I could easily be killed by someone as I make my way to a safe location. there’s a gas station just down the block that gets knocked over every few weeks, crime is a common thing in my area.
I thought it was interesting that this poster started with weapons and protection, when in my mind the first thing to do is find community of people to work together on mutual survival.
Israel wants the land. They’ve been taking Palestinian homes and properties and kicking out the owners for many years. They’ve requested that people in northern Gaza move out, and go south or be killed. They plan to take Palestinian land for themselves, imo.
Depends how prepared you are and how you play the cards you have. Taking care of family/others will definitely slow you down. Gas won’t last and when you start seeing people roaming around, better be somewhere safe!
I swear American fantasies about societal collapse are so frustrating. Everybody assumes people would turn to violence and greed immediately. Either it's because it looks good in movies or they genuinely think they suck.
Meanwhile in real extreme conditions everybody is all "let's get all the famillies together to help each other gather our crops" and "I have too many lemons from my lemon tree, do you want some for free?" "Oh, only if you take some of this fish I got that may go bad instead".
Plenty of assholes everywhere, though. It's not about a moral compass.
That's another weird one, I guess. You get this notion that suggests that rural settings somehow have the moral high ground or something. They don't. Sharing and community building are survival strategies. You help with gathering because you need help with gathering. You drop off the excess fish because at some point something needs to make up for your lack of lemons.
Going into a mad max rampage the moment the lights go off isn't being mean, it's being suicidal.
it largely depends on if you’re in an urban setting (unsustainable population density) or an rural setting. in a rural setting, people are used to working together to make ends meet. in an urban setting, people are used to seeing everyone else as a stranger/potential threat - their social circle is smaller.
I currently live in an urban setting so I would gtfo immediately and go to a rural setting.
That's fair. Having lived in both settings... well, yeah, the fact that food grows out of the ground with minimal coaxing is a distinct advantage if you have to survive a bad time.
But I've seen maps of the US. The fact that this is a culture-wide assumption goes beyond urban vs rural. You need a yard to make a bunker. Not many bunkers around here.
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