Who will rebuild? And with what....

[QUAID]

I agree with PREPINSU.
The time to train and gather knowledge is NOW.... Spread your knowledge to those who are willing to accept it, the rest???? Well the rest of the zombies can carry on in sheep mode.

I think that a group of people who bond together will eventually get the skills to develop their habitat and build, however....
has anyone any thoughts on:

Some sort of democratic decision making leadership?
Single leader or group decisions?
What kind of rule of law will you as a group develop or stick to? Sharia? Same as now? Military Queens Regulations?
How will the collective food be divided? Ration card system for example?
How do you deal with 'The bad apple' in the group?

Thanks for your answers in advance.

[grenfell]

Some good questions QUAID , not that I think I've got all the answers.
If we are assuming that a number of groups form then I would say that humanity would probably revert to a more tribal system. I've posted somewhere a link that concludes that the "natural" human group size is around 150 so I'll assume that as a tribe size. Strong leaders would probably come to the forefront and democracy would as a result take more of a back seat. In some ways that may very well be for the better as a low tech democratic system would probably result in a lot more debating than deciding. Hopefully it will be decisions made by more than one person , the "group of elders" so to speak rather than a single despot . I sometimes think the duel monarchy of the Spartans was a good idea. Two kings who ruled together for the good of Sparta but with the legal power to kill the other if he acted for his own benifit rather than the nation. How this would translate to a modern post event world is any bodies guess though.
Food and other resources? Yes the ration system makes the most sense and to be honest it would probably help to bring it in now. The crash may very well be softer at least with TEQ's for example.
Bad apples? Justice would probably again become more tribal and brutal but one would hope with a smaller bonded group these issues would be few and far apart.

As a side issue is this thread in the right place or should it be in the What If section?

[Cromicon]

The time to act, as many have said, is now. And many are, although they probably don't realise it themselves. DundeePrepper and Junmist mention some great points and I know I've been to many a local "wilderness fair" where people casually chuck another squirrel on the fire and carve amazingly useful pots, cutlery and decorative ornaments out of wood, so the skills still exist. At Bolsover Castle there were re-enactors everywhere during the jousting shows and one of the main draws to me was the surgeons tent where he showed arrow removal tools amongst other medieval surgical wonders.

I read a post elsewhere on this site that mentioned the medieval folk would have multiple skills, such as home-building, carpentry, archery, baking, farming, etc. It's not beyond our wit to do this and many of us do but perhaps don't realise. I'm clumsily trying to get across that many of us have skills of our own that haven't been put to the test yet. And maybe we should all give them a shot.

I have successfully fished (in coastal waters), gutted, scaled and eaten. I know I haven't killed anything like a rabbit or skinned and gutted one so I'd like to because I think that would be valuable. I like archery and I'm quite good at it (so I'm told) so I know I have an option there. I'd like to maybe join a gun club. My partner and I have kept chickens as well as growing our own veg so we know we have those skills and can do them again... perhaps we need to store some seeds!

What I'm rubbish at is carpentry. The last time I did anything like that was woodworking class at school thirty years ago and I reckon I could just get away with doing a dovetail joint. Other than that and I'm toast so maybe there's something I need to look at there.

That's my point really. Many of you have (and this is more a note to self) but we should take stock of what we can do, what we can't do and make an action point list to get prepared. Not just for immediate survival but for the long term.

[bettersafethansorry]

Some sort of democratic decision making leadership?
Single leader or group decisions?
What kind of rule of law will you as a group develop or stick to? Sharia? Same as now? Military Queens Regulations?
How will the collective food be divided? Ration card system for example?
How do you deal with 'The bad apple' in the group?

Thanks for your answers in advance.

1. Most of the time i believe a natural leader will always step forward but as community grew would have a simple volunteer then votes via a ballet box.
2. a "council" is always the best options in times of peace but a strong leader is more productive short term.
3. Common sense law as well as the principles of current law. and as community grew implement more as needed.
4. less than 50 people... communal eating in mess hall environment. the larger it got the more need for some sort of currency would come in to play to levee skill/jobs and rations/supplies.
5. With law come sentencing so it depends how bad the bad apple is. if its just a scrounging useless person.... there is always remedial jobs. emptying toilets ect.


THESE ARE JUST MY OPINIONS.

-M

[grenfell]

At Bolsover Castle there were re-enactors everywhere during the jousting shows and one of the main draws to me was the surgeons tent where he showed arrow removal tools amongst other medieval surgical wonders.
.

When did you visit Bolsover Cromicon? I was re-enacting there this year while there was jousting on. We were in the inner courtyard and our group has a forge, and bread oven and I'm a woodworker.

[Steveo82]

The time to act, as many have said, is now. And many are, although they probably don't realise it themselves. DundeePrepper and Junmist mention some great points and I know I've been to many a local "wilderness fair" where people casually chuck another squirrel on the fire and carve amazingly useful pots, cutlery and decorative ornaments out of wood, so the skills still exist. At Bolsover Castle there were re-enactors everywhere during the jousting shows and one of the main draws to me was the surgeons tent where he showed arrow removal tools amongst other medieval surgical wonders.

I read a post elsewhere on this site that mentioned the medieval folk would have multiple skills, such as home-building, carpentry, archery, baking, farming, etc. It's not beyond our wit to do this and many of us do but perhaps don't realise. I'm clumsily trying to get across that many of us have skills of our own that haven't been put to the test yet. And maybe we should all give them a shot.

I have successfully fished (in coastal waters), gutted, scaled and eaten. I know I haven't killed anything like a rabbit or skinned and gutted one so I'd like to because I think that would be valuable. I like archery and I'm quite good at it (so I'm told) so I know I have an option there. I'd like to maybe join a gun club. My partner and I have kept chickens as well as growing our own veg so we know we have those skills and can do them again... perhaps we need to store some seeds!

What I'm rubbish at is carpentry. The last time I did anything like that was woodworking class at school thirty years ago and I reckon I could just get away with doing a dovetail joint. Other than that and I'm toast so maybe there's something I need to look at there.

That's my point really. Many of you have (and this is more a note to self) but we should take stock of what we can do, what we can't do and make an action point list to get prepared. Not just for immediate survival but for the long term.

Pity your not in area 10 I could teach you shooting you could teach me fishing.

[Cromicon]

At Bolsover Castle there were re-enactors everywhere during the jousting shows and one of the main draws to me was the surgeons tent where he showed arrow removal tools amongst other medieval surgical wonders.
.

When did you visit Bolsover Cromicon? I was re-enacting there this year while there was jousting on. We were in the inner courtyard and our group has a forge, and bread oven and I'm a woodworker.

It was August 26th. I think I saw some Pikemen in the inner courtyard area and lot's of other tents that had really comfortable beds in with fur throws. It seemed like the real deal. It was a great weekend I have to say. Useful stuff.

[grenfell]

Yeah that's the weekend I was there. I don't have a bed as such other than my mattress under the awing I work under. A couple of furs and some blankets and that's it .If it's colder or there's a risk of rain I drop the front of the awning and settle down amongst my tools, boxes and other assorted crap and snooze away. However, this time I used a pup tent behind the awning as I had my daughter with me , but still used the blankets . We had several kids with us , and some in their 30's , and I seemed to spend time making toys more than anything else, well mainly wooden knives and swords. I made several wooden knives for visitors too , just out of the firewood and made completely with an axe. The kids like that sort of thing as it's quick and they get something to play with.

[dazthechippy]

this is a great post and very thought provoking. I am a site carpenter (house building not a furniture maker).

I like to work old school when i can which means using things like a stanley yankee ratchet screwdriver and other non power tools like hand saws. On site I cant as I cant work fast enough without electric tools but on domestic builds I can - that's the point - I preserve the knowledge and use it where I can and always think about one day there being no power, so it's back to manual tools as a fall back.

Just last week I was doing a refurb when an old boy who's a retired chippy living across the road popped in to see what we were doing - he saw my gear and remarked it took him back to the day when there were no power tools - which in reality was not that long ago - most blokes these days have a I cant use it if you cant plug it it attitude, I can do both and will keep practicing both as each has a place..

[redskies]

I love using old, non powered tools. I've got a couple of bits here. And I make quite a lot of kit, to spec, just with what's kicking about.

I've got my great uncles old lathe, which I intend to refurb, but I keep playing with the idea of building a pole lathe. Something about human powered tools - I already have a spinning wheel, and there's something very soothing and pleasing about the rhythm of it