A gentleman I know has written a lengthy article on how to survive “marshal law”. In case you are unaware: Some 9/11 Truthers and other conspiracy theorists suspect that Bush will suspend the upcoming presidential election and institute martial law throughout the U.S. and Canada, buying the global elite some more time in which to consolidate their power and establish the New World Order. Some of them are selling the same kind of emergency-preparedness kits and how-to books that their ilk sold to panicky people in the months preceding Y2K (see the post on Dr. Bill Deagle below this one), while others are simply advising people to stock up on food, water, and medical supplies as soon as possible. My acquaintance falls into the latter category. It is not clear to me why he’s so concerned about martial law, as he also believes that Planet X (AKA Nibiru) will soon pass close to Earth, causing a “pole shift” and resultant climate change that will wipe out most life on the planet. U.S. martial law seems a minor inconvenience by comparison, don’t you think? (the Planet X/”pole shift” nonsense is ably debunked by astrobiologist David Morrison at the Ask an Astrobiologist website and in the most recent issue of Skeptical Inquirer magazine, by the way).
The martial law scenario is unlikely on several fronts, which I won’t go into here. I’m not as disturbed by these warnings as I am by the tone in which they are delivered. After all, there’s nothing wrong with being prepared for emergencies, having extra food on hand, or even taking a survivalist course. It’s quite sensible, particularly if you live in a disaster-prone area.
What bothers me is the lack of balance in the lives of people who are anticipating martial law, and the seige mentality that is developing among them. Alex Jones has told his radio listeners numerous times that he no longer goes to movies or dines out with friends because he’s too busy reading declassified documents and fighting the NWO. It saddens me that a young father and husband is so busy preserving his life that he has forgotten how to live it.
My acquaintance is taking the same path. He writes, “Cut back on frivolous consuming and entertainment. If you buy fictional books and supermarket magazines etc, or Hollywood DVDs, or go to movies or eat out, stop it now. You and your family need to inform yourselves and teach yourself needed skills.”
I often laugh over some of the more outlandish declarations made by the “conspiranoid” community, but when I see this kind of baseless fear taking control of people’s lives I can only feel sadness. Conspiracy theories are not always harmless fun. I am disgusted by the fear-based marketing strategies of paranoia peddlers who advertise their “survival seeds” and gas masks on Patriot radio stations. They are exploiting not just the unease that people naturally feel in times of economic and social crisis, they are pandering to irrational fears that are based primarily on rumour, conspiracy theories, and misinformation. Think about it: If these people truly believe the world as we know it is about to end, why are they still hawking their wares? Shouldn’t they be inside a bunker at an undisclosed location?
You cannot afford to put your life on hold even in the hardest of times. It’s short, and if you spend it waiting anxiously for the sh** to come down, you may someday realize you wasted it. My advice would be this: Stock enough supplies to take care of yourself and/or your family in the event of severe weather, a natural disaster, etc. Then go out and play football with your kids, or dip into a good book, or take a long stroll with your dog. It’s all about balance.
As I wrote a year ago, after listening to Alex Jones castigate his listeners for buying Christmas gifts and watching TV, “I don’t have the luxury of lapsing into gloom-&-doom paranoia as a hobby. I like Spongebob. I will watch TV if I damn well feel like it. I will laugh my ass off at lolcats. I don’t need to submerge myself in crazy endtimes fear-mongering to justify my existence on this planet or to prove I’m not one of the sheeple.
Sure, I’m concerned about defending my rights, but those rights include the right to be frivolous once in a while!”
Swallowing The Camel 
Amen.
I’m prepared for the disruption of service and goods and Ive got my bets on no election’s in the States because…well yes indeed Marshal law is a real possibility. Ive been raising the warning to stock up on food and water for almost two years to friends and family and by promoting it on my blog. I could not care less if it happens or not so long as we are prepared…I think you could be open minded to all the possibilities here , We’ve driven together in our car for going on eight years without an accident and Ive spent over 8,000 in insurance to be sure we are covered for it …Just in case! My friend just spent 1500 on stocking up on groceries, non perishable goods and such…a drop in the bucket compared to car insurance…And she did this to protect her family, just like I’m protecting you… Come on Kiddo, apples to oranges here, They taught us how to be prepared in boy scouts, didn’t you get the same with girl guides? Although I’m not a huge fan of Alex Jones I commend his efforts at encouraging folks to be prepared!
Hey, I just went through Hurricane Ikeand while the National Guard did a lot of good work, there was no occupation. I had some contact with The Guard during Allison, but again nothing like occupation. Chaos is not the usual result of disaster, mostly folks pull together and make things work. This mostly happened even with Katrina. But what if there’s a disputed election? Blackwater is ready to “help’ In a domestic crisis, and the new army home command is a bit scary.
Hawkeyi, don’t forget to mail me my $5 on November 5th! ;)(I forgot about that. Thanks for reminding me SME!)As you already know, I am ALWAYS stocked up for an emergency, but tell me, HOW is stocking up on food going to help matters if martial law is declared? It seems to me that stocking up on guns, ammo, molotov cocktails and the like would be much more practical.Bacopa makes a very good point!
Well, would you prefer that there be NO preparations for domestic crisis? I’m certainly not fond of Blackwater, but it’s better than nothing.I don’t recall any martial law in the hotly disputed 2000 election, so I’m not overly concerned about that possibility. Nor do I think that disgruntled citizens who aren’t faring well in the economic crisis are going to take to the streets with their lenders’ heads on pikes, as some are suggesting. No, I think martial law would more likely be the result of a massive natural disaster or another terrorist attack. And I believe that the best way to deal with martial law would be to sit tight and wait for it to pass…violence would not help the situation!
Very well said! Sadly, there is a growing "we must lead a joyless life" movement within environmentalism also. I've lived an anti-corporate, minimalist lifestyle for 30 years – but I rent & watch movies, watch Battlestar Galactica on tv, love reading graphic novels and have collected numerous forms of pop-culture trinkets (albeit second-hand).
I’m all about keeping things simple, too. I’ve never been a conspicuous consumer. I buy a lot of stuff second-hand, I buy only what I know I’ll use, and I certainly don’t indulge in any girly frou-frou luxuries like manicures and impractical shoes. But I spend a lot of my time researching and investigating some rather heavy sh**, and I know I’d have a nervous breakdown if I didn’t take some time out of my day to de-stress. You can’t convince me there’s any harm in watching 15 minutes of Gumby before bedtime or reading a thought-provoking novel. Also, I support the arts, including film and theatre. Creative expression is an essential part of who we are; after hunting skills, it was one of the very first abilities we developed, and it remains an intrinsic part of us. It flourishes in times of difficulty because we need that outlet, and it should never be put on hold. Would we remember Guernica off the top of our heads if Picasso hadn’t put his thoughts about it to canvas? Should Orwell have huddled in a Commie-proof bunker instead of writing?