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Spider Jerusalem

(21,786 posts)

11. What is it about the collective American psyche that's made this a thing, there?

Sat Oct 26, 2013, 06:45 PM

Oct 2013

When it's not a phenomenon that exists anywhere else? Sure, there may be a few isolated nutters outside the US with this mentality, but nothing like what you see in the States. Is it the relatively weak central government compared to most other countries? The relative isolation of American rural communities (and in many cases suburban communities) because of low population density? The influence of apocalyptic millenarian Christianity? The third-world infrastructure that makes things like 24- and 48-hour blackouts a routine occurrence? The "rugged individualist" frontier myth? Some combination of "all of the above"?

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Oh fun, another Doomsday Prepper snuff film: American Blackout [View all] NickB79 Oct 2013 OP

It's no accident Galileo126 Oct 2013 #1

If it gets people to stash away some extra food and water and do a LITTLE emergency planning, kestrel91316 Oct 2013 #2

I keep supplies on hand because I've gone through 3 events in just the last few years. NutmegYankee Oct 2013 #3

I lost power for 22 days @home after Andrew, & 18 days @ work. Mika Oct 2013 #7

Given the mass forest cover of Conn, we'd not get power for months with an Andrew like event. NutmegYankee Oct 2013 #10

In my experience, people come together after something big like that. knitter4democracy Oct 2013 #4

THIS!^^^^^^^ hedgehog Oct 2013 #8

I've noticed a general trend of fearmongering as well. AverageJoe90 Oct 2013 #5

If too many people stopped living in a blind panic, they might begin to notice Egalitarian Thug Oct 2013 #6

I learned from an ice storm that took our power 2 weeks and blocked the roads for 7 days LiberalArkie Oct 2013 #9

What is it about the collective American psyche that's made this a thing, there? Spider Jerusalem Oct 2013 #11

I'm hunkered down for a Maine winter magical thyme Oct 2013 #12