I typed skull fucked into Unsplash, and I guess it doesn’t have any images available with that prompt.
I was talking to someone who was trying to help me with building up a business this morning, and when she asked me about the financial goals for my business, I told her I just need enough to get by until Western Civilization collapses.
It’s always kind of funny/not funny when you tell people that because the conversation gets really weird after that. There’s always the quiet immediately following the collapse statement, and then they recover a little and go back to telling you how to maximize your social media investments, and how to post Facebook ads. No further mention of the end of life as we know it.
I’ve started working on a theory of selective acceptance, this has mostly to do with people who accept certain aspects of the collapse scenario and ignore other aspects. I’ve noticed it in the Covid Conscious groups, who are rightfully worried about Covid but unaware or downplaying the larger umbrella issues of climate collapse, economic collapse, and societal collapse.
If I go into someone’s home, and they have a good job, several Plus Life Covid testers, and several hundred to a thousand dollars worth of air purifiers, I can’t help but wonder what will happen to them if they lose their job or run into some other catastrophe.
I’m using them as an example because, from what I’ve seen, the privileged version of staying safe is a very expensive proposition, largely dependent on the continuation of industrial civilization.
Derrick Jensen mentioned once that he would not survive the collapse because he was tied to the medical establishment for the medications he needed to treat his condition.
I have never seen any posts about what happens to a carefully constructed, expensive Covid safe environment when those people are confronted with having to flee a fire or hurricane or tornado or flood and end up in an evacuation center with other refugees who are largely ignoring precautions.
How is that going to affect their lives?
How are they going to deal with the rest of the unconscious world when they are forced into close contact?
When their bubble is popped, and they realize that none of their home based mitigations are available, will it finally dawn on them that they are helpless in a world that has largely forgotten Covid?
What will they tell their children when they ask why no one is wearing masks, what will they tell their children when they have to explain that the rest of the world doesn’t care if people get sick, what will they tell themselves as the specter of living for an extended period of time in a hostile environment rears its ugly head.
Anyone who lives on the fringe of the system is already prepared for a low rent version of staying safe, but for those who are not, it’s going to come as an unpleasant awakening when they have to face an uncaring world without the benefit of what their privilege has provided.
I’m still trying to raise money for a down payment on a car, since my old one died. I need a car for work. I’m including this link so you can send me money if you can. You will earn my undying gratitude for a small contribution. You can also become a paying subscriber, which will be greatly appreciated.
I suspect many people in the modern world simply can't comprehend just how disastrous a collapse will be. At best, they've watched a few series like The Walking Dead and think they know. Many will just go into shock or panic, even some of those who think they're ready. Others may just sit around waiting for the cavalry to arrive, for NG troops and airdropped pallets of food and water that never come.
I'm doing my preparation, but I know that it won't be enough and that there will be some ugly surprises. There are just too many unknowns. I have a few medical issues that would be problematic in a collapse. Some I can minimize with due care, others there isn't much I could do about. I also have maybe 10-15 years of life left anyway. That makes a difference in my calculations. As the stoics say, change what you can and let go of what you can't.
Michael — you raise a good point about selective acceptance. It’s easy to prep for one kind of disruption while overlooking the bigger structural vulnerabilities that make that strategy possible. I think where I’d push back is on the framing of Covid itself as the central risk. To me, the larger issue isn’t whether people fear a particular disease, but whether their entire resilience plan depends on industrial civilization continuing to function.
Air purifiers, tests, and meds might create a sense of safety now, but they’re only as reliable as the grid, the supply chain, and the healthcare system. When those weaken — whether from fire, flood, or financial collapse — the question becomes: can you still adapt? I hope most people have taken the time to ask themselves this, but I fear many have not.
For some, adapting might mean shifting the focus from disease avoidance toward building health, strength, and redundancy in ways that don’t require Amazon Prime or a functioning CVS. Recognizing that isn't possible for everyone, the point still is that resilience comes from reducing dependence — not just on other people’s behaviors, but on the system itself.