Contest Time II

[VINCENT]

Did I win?

[AmericanBTGoG]

Did I win?

Damn, Vin, I'm so sorry. I forgot to tell you that you won, but AA lost your address, and sent the prize to me to give to you. But, even worse, then the dog ate it. Hope you're not pissed off.

[MillenniumMan]

Going it by yourself in a SHTF situation is about as smart as a heart patient eating a block of sugar, not taking their glycerin and jogging for two hours at three AM in a bad neighborhood. Somewhere along the way, you're going to die horribly, painfully and probably rot where you die until someone eventually comes along later in the morning and takes your stuff off you.

-You'll need to know, if not in your own neighborhood, at least in your network of friends close by:
-Medical or EMT training (A doctor is better, but what are the odds?)
-A troubleshooting analyst to find potential security holes.
-Farmers or a nice old grandmother with decades of gardening experience
-A mechanic to keep the trucks and generators working.
-Someone who knows how to make his own squeeze (could apply to the previous person) for fuel and barter.
-Enough irrregulars who won't compromise OPSEC by running at the mouth about what goods and preps not only they, but of the group would have, and who have knowledge in various fields like cleaning and cooking, chemistry, general labor. Basically anything useful for the long term sustainability of each other.
-It's ok to have a Linus or two, just no self important dicks who lay full claim on leadership in non-crisis situations.

@W.Lynn + Tex: He had a premature celebration

[DMH]

Having a group with skills sets and experience is your end goal. But in the mean time, Practice, practice, practice your skills and work on acquiring new ones. All the books and materials in the world, will be useless if, when the SHTF and you try your hand at canning or gardening for the first time and fail you won't have the benefit of "running" to the store or calling your Aunt Pat for help or answering your questions.

[Brett Tamminga]

My family and I currently do not belong to a MAG, but I would really like to learn more obout putting one together.

[AD]

In todays society the left and especially the far left is following Saul Alinsky's play book to the letter. In the "after" they will surely use these tactics to the advantage no matter what position they are in in the left over government or scattered in MAGS.

You mention its easier to strategically split a larger group than a smaller one. I believe you are correct and those frickin weasels will do what ever it takes to gain or regain power no matter the size of the MAG.

http://www.bestofbeck.com/wp/activism/saul-alinskys-12-rules-for-radicals

I still like my MAGs clean and shinny! Is that better Tex?

[Frank]

Since this is a contest I should probably STFU, but... Someone mentioned divorce. I'm divorced also and personal experience tells me that 50% of the products of divorce have a very low level of trust in basic human relationships. Under the best of circumstances it's tough to move through life with anything but cynicism after a bad divorce. I'm thinking people like me should not be in your group. LMAO

[roach2654]

Y'all are my MAG

[MillenniumMan]

Since this is a contest I should probably STFU, but... Someone mentioned divorce. I'm divorced also and personal experience tells me that 50% of the products of divorce have a very low level of trust in basic human relationships. Under the best of circumstances it's tough to move through life with anything but cynicism after a bad divorce. I'm thinking people like me should not be in your group. LMAO

Suspicious minds have overactive bullshit meters. By that same token, divorced mmbers of a mag make more decicive decisions and can pick up on people hiding something like newcomers who have an ulterior motive. They will look for things out of place more than the average fellow.

[southernmom]

This is something I think about often. My family-both immediate and extended tend to be clannish. It's hard to break past that and 'invite' others to be part of our world. My brother, mother and grandmother, while they all have their gifts, they also have their limitations as do we. We all have a pretty broad set of talents but it just ain't enough and even if it was, my God, their ain't enough hours in the day to get it all done, even with a bunch of kids helping.

I have also found that many other families out here are quite similar in that clannish sense. Yet we all sort of have an understanding with each other-you help others cause ya never know when you will need help. We have friendly connections with people our family has known, in some cases, for generations. Whenever we need help, several of these people have come running, and us for them. We also know who to call with questions about different topics or needs. It's an understood responsibility and I am willing to bet should things get bad, a barter exchange would not be hard to set up. and I know we would work together to protect our community as a few of these people worked with my great grandfather to help build this little ghost town back in the day when it was something functional.
We also have a few neighbors who are as self sufficiently minded as we are and have their own skill set that we do not have, and vice versa. Again, I am willing to bet that we would help each other as we have done in the past when hurricanes knocked out power, when cows have run crazy, and when there have been accidents. There has been no real conversation, just over the fence talk, and I admit I don't know how to approach the subject of making preparedness more concrete with them.
I admit our group is more loosely connected than I would like. I am working to make more connections with new people (some of ya'll here) and it is definitely a process-ham radios for communication, expanded farming, etc, these are all things that concern me. It's hard for me to get past my introvertedness (although 3 beers tends to curb that real quick, ha!) and connect in a big way. My family needs to, though, I just have to figure out how.
So yeah, need the book!

[pjwaters]

I think it depends on ones situation, environment, and needs as to whether a MAG or a tribe would best for them. I don't claim to be any kind of expert on the subject, but I will describe what I believe would be best for me and my family.
I live in a small farming town located in the foothills of the East Tennessee Smoky Mountains. We have a lot of land, crops, livestock, and wild game. Most of the families in our town have been able to raise cattle or a certain crop for generation after generation. Some of us can go up in the mountains and kill a bear, whitetail, or hog.
The people in our town have continually helped one another out for years. We may take a neighbor's stray cow home or get together to welcome someone's son home from war.
Our community has somewhat always been a tribe. In that way, I believe tribes are very important. However, I don't think we could have a tribe without several groups, or families, to make it. Every family does their part.
As for MAGs, we need several of them to make a tribe. A good example would be me, my closest like-minded friends and our families. That would be my MAG, and hopefully it will develope more in the near future. I would make sure my MAG was taken care of first, then we could help other families in the tribe.
That may sound like a fairytale if, or when, the sheesh hits the fan, but that may be what it would take to rebuild civilization. In short, I'm saying that both, tribes and MAGs, are important for survival and I don't think anyone can do it alone. -PJ

[reddawnspokane]

When planning a group/tribe I would focus on like minded folks, but also folks that will challenge me to do better. Not to say that I don't want differing opinions. but too many different people and you can start to have large internal group conflict. You want to have people that will put the community first.
You want a good number of people but not so many people that you don't have an idea of what is going on. I think of the big banks that always respond about not knowing what's going on.
I have become very selective about who I include. Someone could have a huge skillset, but can't keep their mouth shut. Loose lips sink ships.

[Gwynmael]

Here's my attempt.

Well.... I just deleted everything I spent the two hours trying to articulate.

Attempting to explain to RD what I was doing boils down to this ----- community. Take care of your family and look out for your friends. Whether they be as geographically far-flung as a lot of us are from each other, your next door neighbor, or sleeping in the same bed.

[BTP]

Start with being a good neighbor, even if you have not up to now. Its not too late!! But I do not think it wise to go bull doze out and try to create MAG from scratch. It seems to me something to bear in mind when conducting yourself in the neighborhood though because the relationships you make now will pay off big time when/if. My street got a good shakedown run 10 years ago when we had 3 hurricanes come through town in a month. Lots of trees down, power out for weeks, and I am happy to say the homes right around me pulled together real well. Fortunately those same folks still live in the same homes 10 years later. I also have friends just a few streets away who enjoy the shooting sports and have hinted at preparedness mindset too but we never dove into it. I held back, they did not press. Mistake? Who knows but for me OPSEC was paramount. By the same token I have also identified a home that will be a problem, heck he already is. All of this will keep me from panicking when/if as well as give my family some stake in the discussions and decisions should things take that bad turn. My advice to the group is get out of the house, say more than hello to your neighbors. If you see them working on a project outside offer to help and then BE HELPFUL not just there. No plan survives first contact but I guarantee that if looters or worse are coming around you definitely want to be part of that cohesive neighborhood gang rather than the ahole who just waves from inside the air conditioned car, closes his garage door and disappears. Things will be so tremendously fluid and stressful shtf and I think the best you can do to prepare is to build this familiar and friendly neighborhood relationships which will make you welcome around any neighborhood backyard fire and you have got off to the best possible start to evaluate who is going to make it in the new dynamic and who is going to be a threat and all without giving away your secrets.

[Tex]

We have several good posts on the subject of MAGS/Tribes and I hope we can get a few more. This is a very important subject, but I don't believe very many actually give it the thought that it needs. Many preppers have a lone survival mentality thinking they are going to head for the mountains and ride out the storm. Most of those people are going to die. Even in our daily life now, it takes community and effort from others for people to survive and flourish.

This contest is going to stay open until Friday and then a winner will be picked. Even if you have already posted on the subject, go ahead and add to what you have already talked about. We are looking for useful and thoughtful contributions on this subject.

Good Luck

Tex