Preparing for An Obama Depression Down Under

Interest in surviving through hard economic times to a new prosperity at the other end is not limited to North America. Australia is enjoying a similar interest in survival skills and planning. The concluding section of the article below, talking about group co-preparedness, is particularly important to keep in mind.

"There has been a surge in interest recently," says Simon Beer, whose website, survival.org.au, has practical tips in bush skills, fire starting and food gathering. "Climate change, peak oil, the economic situation - people are seeing we're headed for catastrophic changes." In 2001, he moved from McMahons Point to the Blue Mountains, where he grows his own vegetables and collects tinned food. He says: "When resources become scarce, people fight, nations fight."

Traffic has also been brisk on Aussurvivalist.com, which has a graph showing the group's opinion "as to possible causes and likelihood of a major catastrophe in the next 10 years". Economic collapse rates at 87 per cent. The website's founder, John Monico, would not talk to the Herald but writes of being interested in survivalism ever since watching The Day Of The Triffids and reading John Christopher's post-apocalyptic novel, No Blade Of Grass. "I have stepped up my level of preparedness," he writes, "due to increasing global uncertainty and the needs of my family."

Most Aussurvivalist members are white and male: more than a third are ex-military or serving. There is a lot of discussion about guns, coupled with a lingering contempt for wider society.

However, Russ Grayson, co-founder of Transition Sydney, says: "We can accomplish more by co-operating in groups and communities rather than acting alone and heading for the hills".

Formed last year, Transition Sydney has several hundred members, and affiliates in Brisbane, Adelaide and the Sunshine Coast, who are preparing for a post-oil world by developing local solutions to food production and distribution, clean energy, water harvesting and recycling.

"We develop prototypes that can be scaled up in case of emergency," Grayson says. "Survivalists are usually on the fringe, but this is a mainstream movement. That's the only way [we can] meet the challenges ahead, by working together." _AustralianSurvival

Being a part of a larger group that has developed its survival and "make-do" skills will increase one's odds of survival immensely. The need for a Society of Creative Apocalyptology is growing to critical levels, and Al Fin should be chastised for his tardiness in widely implementing a full-scale SCA.

Special Bonus: The ATAX and the Survival Keychain tools will give you the multiple survival functions that may make the difference between surviving the attack of the Obama zombies, or being another statistic of the O.D.

Basic Survival Keychain

* Leatherman Squirt, 2oz, $40
* Princeton Tec LED Light, .23oz, $4
* RadDetect PRD 1250, .9oz, $129
* black mini-Bic in leather, .5oz, $1
* Whistle/Compass, .7oz, $6
* Benchmade Rescue Hook, 1.2oz, $18
* CRKT KISS serr/tanto, 2.2oz, $15
* Buck 754 NRG Knife/Bottle Opener, 1.2oz, $15
* Fisher Stowaway Pen, .17oz, $8
* Peter Atwood's Titanium Prybaby, .8oz, $60
* mini Al 'Biner, .1oz, $3
* ___________________________________
* Total: 8.5oz $289
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