Topic: Amidst a Gathering of Your Peers (the 7%)

[Pablo de Fleurs]

I have a question for everyone.  I read lots of books: books on leadership, mental conditioning, the Bible, Christian Apologetics & a little history. The number of citizens concerned enough to A. discuss these forum topics, and B. Rally-Organize-Speak to others, etc. is generally estimated to be anywhere from 5% to 7% (across all generations & periods of history). One would think that the number would have jumped dramatically since the inception of our country…but it stays pretty much the same.

Here’s the question:

• When you’re out & about, or at church or a school function with other parents: is anyone in your peer group concerned enough to discuss & take action – or do they relegate you to the fringe & attempt to place this into the “Religion & Politics” sector about which they’re unwilling to speak?

It boggles my mind that, with tyranny staring them into the face point blank...that very few are prompted into any sort of action.

[pisskop]

I think people are willing to face the demon they know over the uncertainty and effort they don't.  Its easy to believe that with globalization and the apparent invasion of privacy that somebody else will 1) be better informed, know what is happening better than you, and 2) that somebody will share your sentiments and take care of the issue without your intervention.  Part of this is likely due to the deemphasized concept of personal accountability and responsibility, but I think its a natural reaction; a bystander effect.

"All that is required for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing."
Edmund Burke

Its too easy to forget that information sharing with our technology is misleading.  There are separate worlds, separate lives and (intelligence) networks we will likely never see, and the media, in part, serves to placate us.

[Libertas]

Rarely do I come across people wanting to initiate a serious discussion of such topics, but when it happens I do not hide truth as I see it, some may be uncomfortable with the honesty and choose to avoid such topics in the future, others may try to tease with a poorly prefaced approach meant to create a "gotchya" moment that seems to validate a weakly held argument...occasionally some may be genuinely interested in your perspective.  The vast majority avoid any controversial discussions and stick to safe topics, but as we all know libiots often cannot refrain from adding a twist to a seemingly safe topic to include an off-hand jab at those-not-like-them, they cannot help it, and they usually like it when they find agreement to their off-hand remark by another libiot, thinking that they are safe from enemies within even a small pack of their own...that usually doesn't deter me from taking a swipe at their buffoonery.  Sometimes that period of stunned quiet after a well-placed smackdown is a savory treat.
 

[IronDioPriest]

I think we have literally millions of people like us, who are informed and alarmed as hell; who realize that our nation is in the midst of an existential crisis, and who understand the nature of it, even if not completely so.

I get the sense that people are unwilling to pledge their "lives, treasure, and sacred honor" because "all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed."

Everybody is waiting for someone else to make the first move because a) they don't want to act, and then have everybody else sitting around continuing to suffer the abuse, b) they are afraid to lose everything, including their lives.

What we really, truly need is another wave of "Tea Party" protests, and we need them to be so massive that the government is compelled to tip its hand. The American people will not move en masse until they see the horror of the US government turned against people in a way with which they can personally identify.

[LadyVirginia]

 

I agree with IDP --there are those who are interested but they are waiting.  No one wants to be the first.  What's the point of taking a stand if no one is going to back you?  It will only work if a group joins together with a plan. You can't go it alone.  You don't make your move until you do have the group support. That's what the founding fathers did.

(Group support can be intentional or organic--like those town hall meetings.  I think many are waiting for that to happen again rather than working to put together a group.)

[Weisshaupt]

I agree with IDP --there are those who are interested but they are waiting.  No one wants to be the first.  What's the point of taking a stand if no one is going to back you?  It will only work if a group joins together with a plan. You can't go it alone.  You don't make your move until you do have the group support. That's what the founding fathers did.

(Group support can be intentional or organic--like those town hall meetings.  I think many are waiting for that to happen again rather than working to put together a group.)

I think things will still need to get worse before groups really form.  There are a lot of people like us - 7% of 300 million is 21 Million.  But that indicates that  roughly 1 in 10 is paying attention - and yes, I think that number is about correct from my personal observations.  We have a Self-reliance expo in Denver- A friend and I have been going for a couple years now.. and tone is changed - Used to be all hippies with solar wind and aquaponics, , now its bunkers, survival supplies and the same  hippies who I am sure still can't make heads or tails of it being unable to grasp that using govt guns to make people live your way is wrong, but are probably just pleased as punch that more people are "getting back to the land".

But we are going to have to have that event.. the one where blood is shed, be it over access to a monument, fishing, or your own house on leased (giving you legal access) land or a gun grab or an attack on a militia group that is already there.  And if none of those things happen, there is still your lot line. At some point the fight is coming to you, even if you don't go to it.  At some point the govt will decide to make someone "first" and then its up to you and others to make sure there isn't a "second" - and the government has its own "first" problem... after its becomes plain that they will meat armed and lethal resistance willing to die, how many thugs involved in the first event start thinking twice about being "first" in on the "second"? Its all fun and games till someone looses a eye. And then it will be an eye for an eye, and they owe us a lot of eyes for the last 10 years.

[Dan]

Weisshaupt, does that expo travel to New England at all? Is there an organizational website you could post, please?

As to the topic, many here in my town in MA are concerned with rearranging the deck chairs, so to speak, and are, as far as I can tell, unaware of the looming catastrophe. Many, however, quite surprisingly, are very receptive to my invitations to take them shooting, and more still are already gun owners, more than I realized, even after knowing them for years, albeit only in passing at kids events, etc. But when I broach the subject of the need and purpose of firearms, as opposed to the sporting use, I get some blank looks and even denials of the dire situation.
At least they'll know which end to point at the bad guys when the time comes....for me to tell them who the bad guys are!

[Weisshaupt]

Weisshaupt, does that expo travel to New England at all? Is there an organizational website you could post, please?

It seems to be a Denver thing : http://www.selfrelianceexpo.com/
Wow even a Patriot Supply logo on the main webpage. That wasn't there 3 years ago.

[Libertas]

They may not travel but I know there is an occasional prepper show that rolls into our area, usually in StPaul IIRC, and that attracts a wide range of subject matters of interest.  Best thing I guess is to check out all the convention site webpages for your surrounding area and see what might be rolling in.

[Dan]

Thanks