If the stuff comes down and some authority figure is empowered, underthe executive orders, or local mandate, to come to my (our) house and take away the food I've stored... hmm, I have a question but I'm laboring under a cold or something.

Basically, that scenario is a possibility. Some days it seems more likely than others. My wife just shrugs, she'd feel safer in a shelter, with "everyone else." If we had to give up our food for the "greater good," that's ok.

I don't like that idea one bit.

Two things: 1) if it comes to that, do any one you have some kind of idea about what we GIs can do to protect ourselves from this gov't confiscation short of fleeing to the hinterlands? Obviously, if it's just me protesting, with my neighbors looking on, wagging fingers and/or laughing, there won't be much I can do, short of bringing out the 12 guage and offering myself up as a martyr to forethought and preparedness. But are there any other alternatives? And if my neighbors all have 3 days or 2 weeks of food (which I doubht they do) will that present a "with it" picture and mean we be left alone?

Second thing: I assume that when Mr. FEMA comes to my door, my goose and yours is already cooked. I also assume that protest is most powerful when visible. If 500 or 5000 of us in Butte County Calif are quietly, seperately seperated from our goods, then the goose is cooked. If however 500 or 5000 were to become visible and present a case of an injustice being done. But I see that won't work: the "injustice" will be that I prepared and my neighbors didn't, therefore no one will feel sympathy for the 500 or 5000.

I recently sent out an email message to about 60 newspaper people in northern California. I sent them a link the Bone report and other factual information. I told them that the govt' had been lying to the public. I told them that if they thought Y2K was hype, then to print out my message and read it later, in January or Feb. If Y2K was indeed no big deal, then they had lost nothing. On the other hand if we were in serious do-do, then please remember the spin job the goverment did, and how the public was screwed. In my message I said that I hope that at least a few of the news people would read, and remember, and have the courage to get the truth out, if it was at all possible.

Maybe some of you across the country could do the same thing? Send a message to the media people, give them facts, ask them to remember, ask them to tell the truth if we get slammed. Many local papers have a "how to contact us" button on the website, or a bulletin board.

-- johno (jobriy2k@yahoo.com), December 01, 1999

Answers

As an aside, that threat is why I accumilated slowly and with cash through KMart, etc my preps.

It isn't feasible to do a house to house, however it is feasible for the govt. to snag the customer lists from Walden, etc and go after the people with the 1 year or more stashes.

And, if they come in sufficient force they will get you, especially if the troops are promised first dibs.

-- Wierded Out (TheTwilight@zone.com), December 01, 1999.

Tell them that you've poisoned 1/4 of your food and only you know which is good and which isn't (I wouldn't really do this but a good bluff can be quite effective). Point out that the troubles they're having now will pale in comparison once people start dropping dead from the food being served by their hands. Make it a no-win situation for them and they just might move on...

-TECH32-

-- TECH32 (TECH32@NOMAIL.COM), December 01, 1999.

Damn, TECH32! I like your style!!!

-- King of Spain (madrid@aol.cum), December 01, 1999.

Thanks KoS.

Btw, I've never mud-wrestled but I did Jello-Wrestle in college once (against two girls)...does that count??

-TECH32-

-- TECH32 (TECH32@NOMAIL.COM), December 01, 1999.

Shrugs. If the knock on the door comes, it means our neighbours are already hungry. We'll get no sympathy, no one will care. That's why I plan to split with my neighbours ASAP so at least we're all in the same boat and I won't be "That damn hoarder."

-- Colin MacDonald (roborogerborg@yahoo.com), December 02, 1999.

what if you have 90 neighborhood homes--as soon as you split your supply everyone gets a snack. that's it, if you live in a big neighborhood.

-- tt (cuddluppy@nowhere.com), December 02, 1999.

I personally plan to defend my supplies. However, if a large force (more than a squad) is here, it's time to boogie. Maybe snipe a few from a distance so they don't know WHO did it. Come back later.

It would be a good idea to cache some supplies. Even if you can't hide a large amount of food, even a few weeks worth is worthwhile, and may enable you to get through the worst of things.

I suspect that if one said that some of the food was poisoned, some asshole would make you test taste the food yourself, or simply shoot you.

-- Bill (billclo@msgbox.com), December 02, 1999.