The other day, I talked to my partner about the future and how we see the current events panning out around us. During the conversation, I had the idea to perform a thought experiment based on the circumstances from “One Second After” written by the incomparable William R. Forstchen.
In that post-apocalyptic thriller, an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) is detonated over the United States causing all electronics in line of sight of the detonation to stop working immediately. As a result, in the blink of an eye, the east coast is thrust into the Middle Ages.
Some might say an EMP is a bit radical of an idea to consider as a possible plan of action from a foreign adversary. Still, those folks should read this article by the New York Post detailing the successful test of a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile by the People’s Republic of China in August 2021. Or more recently, the supersonic missile reportedly used by Russia. In my personal belief, an EMP would be one of the most catastrophic events to occur in our modern world, and thus it makes for a strong resilience mental exercise.
“America is like an exotic hothouse plant. It can only live now in the artificial environment of vaccinations, sterilization, and antibiotics we started creating a hundred or more years ago,” wrote Forstchen. In truth, Americans are accustomed to getting practically anything we want, within reason. In just a couple of days, if we know the suitable internet sites to probe, everything can be delivered directly to our home. What happens when that system collapses? What comes after that? That is what this thought experiment is all about.
Drinking Water
Let’s start with a simple question: Where does your water come from? It seems so simple because most people, not all, have to say they don’t know. Their faucet? Yes, but how does it get there? For the vast majority of Americans, their water is provided to them by their city or county, and electricity plays a significant role.
On our homestead, water comes from a hand-dug well using a cast-iron hand pump that we have no more than 50 feet from the front door of our 40-ft shipping container tiny home. We also have the tools and equipment already purchased to dig another well, this time connected to its very own solar pump.
When It’s Time to Go
What about your sewage? The vast majority of Americans, especially those on the grid, have their sewage hooked up to their local municipal network, or they have a septic tank. The problem with both of these methods is they become completely useless when the electricity goes out. More than likely, if you’re connected to “city sewage,” your system will back up into your home in a matter of days. The septic tank might give you a little more time, but when that system gets full…you’re literally shit out of luck.
On our homestead, we compost all of our waste, including urine. Christopher David did a deep dive into the subject with his article, “Everybody Poops & What to do About it.” In the article, Chris explores the best method to compost your waste and the benefits this provides your garden.
Medicine
This is a tough one to swallow. Unfortunately, if the electricity grid goes down, some people will not last very long without medication. People on dialysis, diabetics, and others on life-saving medications will not be able to get their refills and will perish. This is sad, but it’s a fact of life in a grid-down situation.
For the rest of the world who are not dependent on medications to live, there will still be challenges faced when you or a loved one has a medical emergency. You will not be able to get in your car and drive to the emergency room, and help will not come to find you.
Recently, I’ve started to familiarize myself with emergency medicine in the context of a catastrophic event. A fantastic book to read on this topic is The Survival Medicine Handbook, The Essential Guide for When Help is Not on the Way by Dr. Joseph Alton, MD, and his wife Amy Alton, APRN. This incredible book walks you through common scenarios you might face on your own when medical help is no longer available.
Another way to help yourself is to learn plants and their medicinal benefits. We are huge fans of tinctures and using plants for their health benefits. Upset stomach? Grab some ginger. Ear ache? Some mullein garlic will clear that up quickly. There are thousands of different plants that you can use for medicines. So, do yourself a favor, start buying bulk dry herbs, and learn how to make a tincture.
Are all your appliances and tools powered? Can you cook without city/county-provided electricity or natural gas? Can you make a cup of coffee without electricity? Can you fix anything without a battery-powered tool?
Food
How much of the food you consume comes from somewhere not on your property? We’ve all been to the grocery stores recently and noticed too many items in short or no supply. In early 2020, the country practically ran out of toilet paper, and everyone lost their collective minds.
How about the impact of rising costs as part of this exercise? The inflation rate in America is the highest since 1990. For some context, I was born in 1990. I’m 31 years old. Coincidentally, the government doesn’t measure everything when determining the level of inflation, including household energy and food. What are the two major expenses of average middle and working-class families? Fuel and food.
The above graph shows me that it’s time to put our personal food production into overdrive. With an EMP, you won’t be able to hop in your car and drive to the local grocery store to buy exactly what you need or want (even if the car works). We (I say we, but it’s been more my partner doing the work) have been building up the soil on our property with compost, a compost tea, old chicken bedding, and mulch. This spring, we are hoping the last two years pay off for us to grow a bountiful crop.
Security
I could go on and on with examples in this thought experiment, but I will leave you with another question and some parting thoughts. What does your security look like? Again, this is answered by a majority of people with: I have a deadbolt on my door and a phone, so I can call 911. If shit starts hitting the fan in your neck of the woods, how confident are you that you’re protected on your property? How big is your property and how many people are in your household that can keep a watchful eye on things 24-7?
One Second After and countless historical examples show us that it doesn’t take much for people to lose their humanity. Look at what’s happening in the world where the vaccinated are being pitted against the unvaccinated. The vitriol spewing from the mouths of these holier-than-thou-hypnotized vaccinated brings to mind a time this world devolved into mass formation psychosis that erupted into a world war, and millions were murdered in the name of a final solution.
A Resilient Family
Who is in your network? Chris and I have been looking for a network for the last couple of years. However, we learned quickly that our network will not consist of our nearby neighbors. We tried and ultimately failed to establish mutually beneficial relationships with them, so we are looking to build a network of people outside of our geographic area with our thoughts about topics and the way forward. (Thank goodness for Peak Prosperity!)
We’d love to hear about your experience with this similar thought experiment in the comments.
– Peak Prosperity –
This article is adapted from a blog post of the same name at NewRevenantSociety.com.
About the Author: Christopher Michael was born into a military family, and lived in North Carolina, Florida, and Pennsylvania. In his adult life, Christopher has lived in Louisiana, Maryland, and now Virginia. Christopher completed a B.A. in Sociology and Anthropology. He joined the Army as an intelligence analyst, and deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2013. After serving overseas, he began working in counterintelligence in Washington D.C., when he became sufficiently disgusted with the government. He recently completed a Master’s in Business Administration, and worked as a healthcare administrator for a year. The expertise Christopher brings to the network includes: security, military operations, project management, marketing, writing, and strategic analysis.
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