4 ms·

Having grown up in poverty in a third world country that is extremely chaotic, the doomsday obsession in America is laughable and a little disturbing at the sam

by dmode 10y ago

Having grown up in poverty in a third world country that is extremely chaotic, the doomsday obsession in America is laughable and a little disturbing at the same time. Society doesn't break down like that. Can someone explain why is there such paranoia in the US about societal collapse ? It it video games, movies, media frenzy, hyper partisan politics ? All of it ? I know people who have created bunkers and stock pilled food to prepare for apocalypse. Seriously !!

jly 10y ago
We have an even-increasing supply of dangerous nuclear weapons on this planet, and no short supply of individuals who may want to use them. I can envision a lot of scenarios from that which could lead to societal breakdown.
- maxerickson 10y ago
  The number of nuclear weapons peaked ~30 years ago and has declined precipitously since then: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:US_and_USSR_nuclear_stockpiles.svg#/media/File:US_and_USSR_nuclear_stockpiles.svg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:US_and_USSR_nuclear_... (that other countries now have warheads doesn't make up much of the difference: http://www.icanw.org/the-facts/nuclear-arsenals/ http://www.icanw.org/the-facts/nuclear-arsenals/ )
vkou 10y ago
The wost-case scenario is civil war - in which case society very much does break down like that. Things will have to get much worse before that outcome is likely, though.
woofyman 10y ago
Most of it is due to Fundamental Christian beliefs along with extreme right wing political beliefs.
- Alex3917 10y ago
  > Most of it is due to Fundamental Christian beliefs along with extreme right wing political beliefs. I haven't read the methodology, but supposedly over 40% of Americans believe the rapture is coming by 2050. And the rapture and the apocalypse should be mutually exclusive, in the sense that if you really think Jesus is going to save you then there isn't much reason to be stockpiling cans of spaghettios.
  - bambax 10y ago
    No, but there are great business models based on the "rapture". Some guy somewhere sells insurance for pets: he says he's not Christian and therefore, in the event of rapture, he will be left on earth, where he will take care of your pets -- for a monthly fee that you have to pay right now. That's so perfect.
VLM 10y ago
The topic is example number 258726 of the most photogenic controversial clickbait not really having much to do with the reality of anything. "Society doesn't break down like that." Unfortunately it does, in the USA. See the aftermath of hurricane Katrina for an example of how well we get along when things are temporarily bad. Also the geography of the USA frankly sucks. We're rich and its not because our weather is unusually calm. I live on the border of tornado alley (if you stretch the definition a thousand miles) and if you don't have something heavy to sit under in the basement you're a fool. I've had coworkers houses destroyed by tornado. Closest hit to my house is about two miles in the last decade. Another thing that sucks is we get paralyzing blizzards and occasional ice storms knock out power for days, every couple years. You can prepare for it and frankly relax and enjoy a couple days off work, or you can prepare to suffer greatly. So everyone here has a "bunker" and stockpiled food. Its called "living" not prepping.
- maxerickson 10y ago
  So compared to the actual storm, how much damage did looting do, and how many people were murdered? You are claiming that they are clear evidence of how terrible we are, so I think it is fair to ask you to show the work. Because another aftermath of Katrina is all the help and aid that poured in over the following days, months and years.
  - Arizhel 10y ago
    Katrina only affected a relatively small area: a small portion of the Gulf coast. So of course help poured in. It's not like the entire US was hit by a Category 5 hurricane! An economic disaster is different: it hits the whole country at once, and then other parts of the world because of trade disruption and other economic ties. There aren't going to be any places left to "pour in" help; they're all going to be suffering.
- anigbrowl 10y ago
  Post-Katrina most people focused on helping their neighbors rather than engaging in a struggle to the death.

by dmode 10y ago

jly 10y ago

We have an even-increasing supply of dangerous nuclear weapons on this planet, and no short supply of individuals who may want to use them. I can envision a lot of scenarios from that which could lead to societal breakdown.

maxerickson 10y ago
The number of nuclear weapons peaked ~30 years ago and has declined precipitously since then: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:US_and_USSR_nuclear_stockpiles.svg#/media/File:US_and_USSR_nuclear_stockpiles.svg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:US_and_USSR_nuclear_... (that other countries now have warheads doesn't make up much of the difference: http://www.icanw.org/the-facts/nuclear-arsenals/ http://www.icanw.org/the-facts/nuclear-arsenals/ )

vkou 10y ago

The wost-case scenario is civil war - in which case society very much does break down like that. Things will have to get much worse before that outcome is likely, though.

woofyman 10y ago

Most of it is due to Fundamental Christian beliefs along with extreme right wing political beliefs.

Alex3917 10y ago
> Most of it is due to Fundamental Christian beliefs along with extreme right wing political beliefs. I haven't read the methodology, but supposedly over 40% of Americans believe the rapture is coming by 2050. And the rapture and the apocalypse should be mutually exclusive, in the sense that if you really think Jesus is going to save you then there isn't much reason to be stockpiling cans of spaghettios.
- bambax 10y ago
  No, but there are great business models based on the "rapture". Some guy somewhere sells insurance for pets: he says he's not Christian and therefore, in the event of rapture, he will be left on earth, where he will take care of your pets -- for a monthly fee that you have to pay right now. That's so perfect.

VLM 10y ago

The topic is example number 258726 of the most photogenic controversial clickbait not really having much to do with the reality of anything. "Society doesn't break down like that." Unfortunately it does, in the USA. See the aftermath of hurricane Katrina for an example of how well we get along when things are temporarily bad. Also the geography of the USA frankly sucks. We're rich and its not because our weather is unusually calm. I live on the border of tornado alley (if you stretch the definition a thousand miles) and if you don't have something heavy to sit under in the basement you're a fool. I've had coworkers houses destroyed by tornado. Closest hit to my house is about two miles in the last decade. Another thing that sucks is we get paralyzing blizzards and occasional ice storms knock out power for days, every couple years. You can prepare for it and frankly relax and enjoy a couple days off work, or you can prepare to suffer greatly. So everyone here has a "bunker" and stockpiled food. Its called "living" not prepping.

maxerickson 10y ago
So compared to the actual storm, how much damage did looting do, and how many people were murdered? You are claiming that they are clear evidence of how terrible we are, so I think it is fair to ask you to show the work. Because another aftermath of Katrina is all the help and aid that poured in over the following days, months and years.
- Arizhel 10y ago
  Katrina only affected a relatively small area: a small portion of the Gulf coast. So of course help poured in. It's not like the entire US was hit by a Category 5 hurricane! An economic disaster is different: it hits the whole country at once, and then other parts of the world because of trade disruption and other economic ties. There aren't going to be any places left to "pour in" help; they're all going to be suffering.
anigbrowl 10y ago
Post-Katrina most people focused on helping their neighbors rather than engaging in a struggle to the death.