Definition of a Survivalist
According to Dictionary.com a survivalist is "a person who makes preparations to survive a widespread catastrophe, such as an atomic war or anarchy, especially by storing food and weapons in a safe place." The decision to prepare for the collapse of civilization can come out of a religious tradition or a simple belief that man will easily revert to barbarism and, as a consequence, you need to be ready to protect what is yours. Adopting a survivalist approach can be done as an individual or as part of a group.
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History
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The survivalist approach began to emerge in the 1960s and 1970s. Due to the threat of nuclear conflict between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, as well as a growing lack of confidence in government to be able to take care of its citizens, a small number of people decided that they needed to prepare on their own. This was largely an approach promoted by conservative and libertarian thinkers.
Disaster Scenarios
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There are a number of scenarios for which a survivalist will prepare. For example, anticipating natural disasters like earthquakes, hurricanes, blizzards or climate change can inspire their behavior. For others it is the prospect of nuclear or conventional war. In addition, some survivalists prepare for chemical spills or nuclear disasters, while others fear a pandemic--manmade or naturally occurring.
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Characteristics of a Survivalist
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In preparing for the collapse of society, survivalists are likely to train themselves in a range of special skills from self-defense and emergency medicine to carpentry. In addition, as they are planning for a time when the retail sector is gone and government services unavailable, they are likely to stockpile canned food, bottled water and gold or silver to use as currency.
The homes of survivalists can take on fort-like characteristics and be self-sufficient. If they can, survivalists will build shelters that are completely off-grid, generating their own electricity and finding their own source of water. In addition, in some areas of the country they can become members of a shared shelter designed to withstand nuclear, chemical or bacterial disaster.
Leadership
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One of the most prominent survivalists is James Wesley Rawles. Referred to as a "survivalist guru" by MSNBC, he's seen traffic to his SurvivalBlog.com increase as people seek advice on how to prepare for "the end of the world as we know it." There are other leaders of fringe groups, but Rawles tends to get the most press.
Future Survivalists
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In the first decade of the 21st century, there are aspects of survivalism that have gone mainstream. According to an article in the New York Times (April 6, 2008), due to the tough economy, the housing crisis, the rise in oil prices and the risk of environmental disasters, many average people are thinking about how to prepare for disaster. They're stockpiling food and water, buying gold and silver and trying to identify safe places to go if things get bad.
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