Preppers.........Pay attention to "SOUTH AFRICA"........there are lessons to be learned.

[Sourdough]

There are no guarantees in survivalism. That should be rule #1.

Rule #2........there will come a day when you will fail at survival.
(Yet, still fight like HELL in the interim).

 

[Sourdough]

Another "report" (don't know anything about its "Quality"). But it is more information, or more opinion on information.

Riots in South Africa an Overview, by Mac | American Partisan

 

[Hardcalibres]

For a few decades now, SA has been on a slow road to being like the other nations in Africa. To me the destination for that decline has always been clear - just look at Zimbawe, DRC, Burkina Faso, Somalia, Nigeria, Sudan............

The lesson I (and everyone else should) take from this crisis, is that decline can (and very often does) suddenly move into the fast lane and hit the gas pedal (and can/does at anytime).

Some people left and did the right thing. If I had been born there (with the abnormalcy bias I have), I would have left long before now.

The decision to stay or go, is fundamentally about normalcy vs abnormalcy bias - as it is in any severe crisis anywhere.

The ones that stayed will be regretting staying about now - but they also should have been prepping for something like this. Deciding to stay should have been founded upon the consequent need to live a life of preparedness.

About the most dangerous thing that can happen to locals there now, is to be among the (normalcy biased) panic shoppers at a mall when a big gang turns up to loot the place.

After this crisis is over, things will most likely go back to slow decline with the occasional acute crisis like this one.

Having a survivalist mindset and having visited SA and indeed very many of the other nations on the African continent, I am surprised that anyone (especially who lives there) is surprised that this has happened. I am more surprised that the decline has been as slow as it has, and that crises like this one, occur so infrequently.

But that is just how abnormalcy biased people think I guess.......

 

[Rebecca]

Another "report" (don't know anything about its "Quality"). But it is more information, or more opinion on information.

Riots in South Africa an Overview, by Mac | American Partisan

That's not a bad article, I guess everything is opinion, so that one ranks as a good overview.

On a lighter note he mentioned bootleg wine ...my sister has also taken to making "wine" quite often. Although to be totally honest I'm not sure there is a wine you can buy in the shops with that kind of alcohol content guaranteed headache. Perhaps I should put that in the most redneck thing I have done thread... dared to consume my sisters moonshine booze.

The ones that stayed will be regretting staying about now - but they also should have been prepping for something like this. Deciding to stay should have been founded upon the consequent need to live a life of preparedness.

Yes many are regretting staying now. But it won't fix the normalcy bias. I have discovered that at least in my family, that normalcy bias is impossible to shake off. The things my sister has gone through should have turned her into the worlds most hectic committed survivalist yet once again she finds herself in a crisis and running out of food. Once this all calms down the vast majority of people will simply say that such a thing won't be allowed to happen again, they will use up whatever they manage to panic buy, and return to normal. Basically a rerun of the panic buying in April 2020 they did there. Slow learners I guess.

 

[Hardcalibres]

Yes many are regretting staying now. But it won't fix the normalcy bias. I have discovered that at least in my family, that normalcy bias is impossible to shake off. The things my sister has gone through should have turned her into the worlds most hectic committed survivalist yet once again she finds herself in a crisis and running out of food. Once this all calms down the vast majority of people will simply say that such a thing won't be allowed to happen again, they will use up whatever they manage to panic buy, and return to normal. Basically a rerun of the panic buying in April 2020 they did there. Slow learners I guess.

The irony is that you, someone who left there is better prepared where you live now (which has inherent much lower risk) than the ones who decided to stay (somewhere that has among the highest inherent risks of anywhere in the world).

It should be the other way around.........but Normalcy vs Abnormalcy Bias ensures that it is not.

It does make one wonder whether it is possible to talk people out of Normalcy Bias - when people with a survivalist mindset can't even talk family members into being prepared for the obvious/self evident risks inherent to remaining in a very dangerous place.

It doesn't give one much hope of ever talking people on a web forum into prepping despite their Normalcy Bias........

 

[Tootsie]

I think that people are on these forums to pick up tips and ideas and to grow. The iron sharpens iron kind of thing. We help each other, we help ourselves. And even if we ourselves can’t do much anymore, encouraging others helps all involved.

 

[Aerindel]

It does make one wonder whether it is possible to talk people out of Normalcy Bias - when people with a survivalist mindset can't even talk family members into being prepared for the obvious/self evident risks inherent to remaining in a very dangerous place.

It does.

I'm not sure survivalism 'the feeling' is actually something you can be taught. I generally avoid metaphysical discussions, but I've felt before that unless a person has ever woken up at 3AM with their heart pounding, stepped outside and stared into the dark because they simply had the feeling of something bearing down on them, that all the talk in the world isn't going to convince them.

Normalcy is an amazing bias because its....well.....NORMAL. It's reenforced every day. Prepping on the other hand, is like having a little demon on you shoulder questioning everything you see and do everyday and saying...'But....how long will that last?'

 

[Pearl]

It does.

I'm not sure survivalism 'the feeling' is actually something you can be taught. I generally avoid metaphysical discussions, but I've felt before that unless a person has ever woken up at 3AM with their heart pounding, stepped outside and stared into the dark because they simply had the feeling of something bearing down on them, that all the talk in the world isn't going to convince them.

Normalcy is an amazing bias because its....well.....NORMAL. It's reenforced every day. Prepping on the other hand, is like having a little demon on you shoulder questioning everything you see and do everyday and saying...'But....how long will that last?'

That little demon watches and is aware

 

[Alaskajohn]

I generally avoid metaphysical discussions, but I've felt before that unless a person has ever woken up at 3AM with their heart pounding, stepped outside and stared into the dark because they simply had the feeling of something bearing down on them, that all the talk in the world isn't going to convince them.

Not to derail the thread, but I’ve had a bit of that this summer. A feeling that I am not as ready as I need to be and I just can’t put my finger on the missing parts.

 

[Alaskajohn]

Interesting video that correlates a bit with some of the above discussion of how and why this is playing out. Disclaimer, some consider the lady doing the interview as an “extremist” but I didn’t detect any of that in this interview. As we look at this it is important to consider bias. That said, the video illustrates the significant challenge SA faces.

 

[Hardcalibres]

Interesting video that correlates a bit with some of the above discussion of how and why this is playing out. Disclaimer, some consider the lady doing the interview as an “extremist” but I didn’t detect any of that in this interview. As we look at this it is important to consider bias. That said, the video illustrates the significant challenge SA faces.

Interesting video.

But if government corruption is the underlying problem, then it is worth mentioning that SA has more in common in that regard with the rest of Africa than it does with the US. The other issues in SA are tribalism (just like the rest of Africa) and the number of people who are really dirt poor and indeed see them selves getting poorer (just like the rest of Africa).

When you look at the history of African nations over the time from 1950-now, all African nations have gone through the same transition from colonial times to this new entirely dysfunctional form of government.

SA is just the last nation in Africa to experience this transition.

The majority of failed states on this planet, are on the African continent.

 

[Sourdough]

My understanding from stuff I read........is that China is slowly building a power base throughout many parts of Africa. My understanding is this is somewhat "overt" but there is a large "covert" agenda involved. It is a long-term slow development plan. It might take them 30 or 50 years to mature. They are moving a lot of their people into those countries......as they build infrastructure throughout many regions. They are also leasing large tract of land for China military bases.

I think the writing on the wall is fairly clear as far as Americas influence in the future.

 

[bamadeb48]

I see that Smithfield Foods stops slaughtering pigs at U.S. hometown plant, yep moving stuff off coast will start to impact distribution. I also found that Smithfield is now owned by a Hong Kong organization... The more control we lose the more risk we face.

Not buying Smithfield’s any more, if everyone else would do this ,these companies would go broke, serves them right!

 

[Hardcalibres]

My understanding from stuff I read........is that China is slowly building a power base throughout many parts of Africa. My understanding is this is somewhat "overt" but there is a large "covert" agenda involved. It is a long-term slow development plan. It might take them 30 or 50 years to mature. They are moving a lot of their people into those countries......as they build infrastructure throughout many regions. They are also leasing large tract of land for China military bases.

I think the writing on the wall is fairly clear as far as Americas influence in the future.

China has acquired a lot of mining and agricultural assets in Africa. I assume they see it as a long term source of primary products/raw materials and a destination for cheap consumer goods.

They do very well with aid there too. Western countries are very wary of government corruption in Africa, so when they supply aid, they are careful to deliver the aid in a form that is hard for corrupt officials to steal.

China gets much more mileage/leverage, from much less aid just by delivering the aid in the form of suitcases full of cash. That buys the favor/cooperation of government officials cheaply, but it doesn't buy you the population.

Africa is a hard environment to do business in. They have already seen some signs of this, and their future efforts at modern day colonialism will encounter the same challenges that Western nations faced there when they were doing the same. The Western colonial powers left Africa partly because the wind was blowing that way. But they also partly left because they were tired of the frustrations inherent to operating in Africa.

TIA

This is Africa......

 

[Alaskajohn]

China has acquired a lot of mining and agricultural assets in Africa. I assume they see it as a long term source of primary products/raw materials and a destination for cheap consumer goods.

They do very well with aid there too. Western countries are very wary of government corruption in Africa, so when they supply aid, they are careful to deliver the aid in a form that is hard for corrupt officials to steal.

China gets much more mileage/leverage, from much less aid just by delivering the aid in the form of suitcases full of cash. That buys the favor/cooperation of government officials cheaply, but it doesn't buy you the population.

Africa is a hard environment to do business in. They have already seen some signs of this, and their future efforts at modern day colonialism will encounter the same challenges that Western nations faced there when they were doing the same. The Western colonial powers left Africa partly because the wind was blowing that way. But they also partly left because they were tired of the frustrations inherent to operating in Africa.

TIA

This is Africa......

Africa was a continent that I didn't get a chance to serve in while in the military. My area was Central and South America, then eastern Europe after the fall of the wall. But I did get to train with troops from SA, Sierra Leone, Kenya, etc, in stateside training. Each were very different and with the exception of SA (which were all white at the time) they held their cards very close to their chest. Friendly, but very reserved. So I never had the chance to really form a true impression. I probably should have put more effort into learning their cultures. I have tried hard to learn more about their cultures and have read a lot of books, but Africa is still an enigma for me. Its wonderful to have folks on this forum to help unravel the mystery that is Africa.

I did have immense respect for the SA military that I interacted with. They were, at the time, battlefield tested and a force to be reckoned with.

 

[Hardcalibres]

Africa was a continent that I didn't get a chance to serve in while in the military. My area was Central and South America, then eastern Europe after the fall of the wall. But I did get to train with troops from SA, Sierra Leone, Kenya, etc, in stateside training. Each were very different and with the exception of SA (which were all white at the time) they held their cards very close to their chest. Friendly, but very reserved. So I never had the chance to really form a true impression. I probably should have put more effort into learning their cultures. I have tried hard to learn more about their cultures and have read a lot of books, but Africa is still an enigma for me. Its wonderful to have folks on this forum to help unravel the mystery that is Africa.

I did have immense respect for the SA military that I interacted with. They were, at the time, battlefield tested and a force to be reckoned with.

Travel is a great way to learn about other cultures - sometimes you find out that stereotypes for those nations are wrong - other times you find exactly how they have earned those stereotypes.

In Eastern Central Africa, they have a saying that goes:

The more I see, the more I know. The more I know, the better I see.

I have worked on all six continents.

But I have to admit, the last year and a half, without being able to travel internationally, has been paradise.

 

[Supervisor42]

The media coverage is false. This is not a protest, it is nothing but an excuse to loot and burn.
George Floyd 2.0 .
Check this video and see if you see any people carrying protest signs, and how many do you see just carrying stuff they stole.


Looting and burning, mostly looting. Nothing else.

Starving? I guess the guys toting the recliner at 0:12 must be really hungry :


And more looting:
Thousands Go Looting As South African Law And Order Breaks Down
Half of them don't even know what they are "protesting".

 

[Sourdough]

The media coverage is false. This is not a protest, it is nothing but an excuse to loot and burn.
George Floyd 2.0 .
Check this video and see if you see any people carrying protest signs, and how many do you see just carrying stuff they stole.


Looting and burning, mostly looting. Nothing else.

Starving? I guess the guys toting the recliner at 0:12 must be really hungry:

And more looting:
Thousands Go Looting As South African Law And Order Breaks Down
Half of them don't even know what they are "protesting".

There is a "HUGE" lesson to be learned there. What I and a "few" others have been preaching. You "ain't" safe if you are near other humans when things get "frosty".

 

[Alaskajohn]

And people still question why we prep. Interesting to see how the police were overwhelmed and it was armed civilians banding together that stopped the spread of violence into the communities that stuck together.

 

[Hardcalibres]

And people still question why we prep. Interesting to see how the police were overwhelmed and it was armed civilians banding together that stopped the spread of violence into the communities that stuck together.

Regardless of race, there are two types of people - producers and consumers.

When a bad crisis hits, the people beside you will be from the same type as you.

 

[Terri9630]

Not to derail the thread, but I’ve had a bit of that this summer. A feeling that I am not as ready as I need to be and I just can’t put my finger on the missing parts.

Me too.

 

[Alaskajohn]

Me too.

I’m a lone wolf so to speak as I have no faith in humanity, but seeing diverse people of different backgrounds banding together to fight off evil gives me a bit of hope. But not much.

 

[Sourdough]

Little by little........it is starting to come out, that this was not a spontaneous event. It was planned, well organized, with a "goal".

I guess you could put that on the list of lessons we could learn from, and prepare for.
Still one point can "not" be denied.......never have your body where the SHTF.

 

[Alaskajohn]

Little by little........it is starting to come out, that this was not a spontaneous event. It was planned, well organized, with a "goal".

I guess you could put that on the list of lessons we could learn from, and prepare for.
Still one point can "not" be denied.......never have your body where the SHTF.

Agreed, and we have more evil greedy elites with more to gain or lose here in the USA and other western nations. These evil people would have no qualms about destroying lives and countries to further their wealth and positions of power. It could happen here in an instant.

 

[Sourdough]

It could happen here in an instant.

And that is truly frightening.

 

[Alaskajohn]

A bit basic, but here are some thoughts on the takeaways from the event:

Wake Up Call: South Africa

 

[Sourdough]

"If the president is right and the unrest was planned, the intentions of whoever organized the mass chaos had one objective: dismantle the country's critical supply chains to create an economic collapse".

Excerpt from....... South African President Says Social Unrest Was "Planned"; Violence Recedes As Military Deployed | ZeroHedge

 

[Sourdough]

A bit basic, but here are some thoughts on the takeaways from the event:

Wake Up Call: South Africa

Yikes........Reading that was interesting. Only an hour ago, I was looking for some possible books that might interest someone........reference my ongoing contest....."I got something you Ain't Got". Strangely one is....."Without RULE of LAW" by: Joe Nobody.

So I went to Amazon.com to see if it was still in print, as I was unsure I would be willing to part with my copy, if I could not replace it, later, if I craved rereading it. Looks like there are only a few remaining available, and the book has tripled in price. (looks like there are a few slightly used for $9.95'ish)

And that was a good article you referenced.

 

[Alaskajohn]

Yikes........Reading that was interesting. Only an hour ago, I was looking for some possible books that might interest someone........reference my ongoing contest....."I got something you Ain't Got". Strangely one is....."Without RULE of LAW" by: Joe Nobody.

So I went to Amazon.com to see if it was still in print, as I was unsure I would be willing to part with my copy, if I could not replace it, later, if I craved rereading it. Looks like there are only a few remaining available, and the book has tripled in price. (looks like there are a few slightly used for $9.95'ish)

And that was a good article you referenced.

That book is in my reading queue and has been for a couple years. I have about 3 dozen books that I am just waiting for time to read them. I typically knock out a good dozen books during the long winters.

 

[Alaskajohn]

Speaking of books:

S. Africa looters left one shop untouched...