Mindset

[The Stig]

So at Sunday School today (for purposes of the lessons) the question was asked "what is your primary source of news".

There were somewhere between 35 and 40 people in the room. Quite a few answered Fox News or Armed Forces Radio. Some answered the local TV news station, and a few others The Drudge Report (The Stig raises his hand). One guy said the local newspaper, and another NPR (gasp).

Forgetting any discussion regarding the quality of the main stream media for a second, here's what got my attention.....

There were 8 or so people who proudly proclaimed "I don't listen to any news. I figure if something bad is going on someone well tell me."

Several more answered "The Weather Channel" or "ESPN" which is akin to being completely oblivious.

So while I was supposed to listen to the good word I couldn't help but remember the lesson this reiterated. There are many amongst us who willfully just don't pay attention to anything. They have the macro-verson of SAOAFR and just be-bop through life.

Frankly, I think these might be some of the more dangerous people we'll have to deal with during a SHTF event. They are the ones that will freak out. They are the ones that will panic and make the absolute worst choice. They are the ones that will cling to you and make you both drown. They are the ones that will make a huge fucking scene that attracts unwanted attention.

And before the SHTF these are the same people who will swear up & down people shouldn't carry guns or have those big evil "assault weapons" because "nothing bad ever happens here". These are the folks who don't want to fight force with overwhelming force. These are the people who'd rather make a stink over some obscure Home Owners Association rule than put extra water on the shelf. They are the ones that will try to make you feel awkward for having emergency supplies. They are the ones worried that police officers are wearing BDU style pants.

But overall it just amazed me that people seemed so happy to live with their heads up their ass.

[LUNCHBOX]

With my job....I've been seeing/hearing this for some time. I would think it sad if I didn't agree with Stig about the threat they will become.

[Optimist]

It follows the old rule that you react as you have been trained, and if you haven't been trained, you panic.... Far too many folks these days have never trained their minds to take in, and process information. As products of the public education and mindwashing system, they have been systematically shorn of their ability to think and react. They will be a constant hazard during unsettled times.

[bacpacker]

You can count on folks being a problem you would never have considered could be. These are very unsettled days indeed.

[helomech]

I disagree. I don't watch any news. Just cant do it anymore, all it does is get me in a bad mood. I am very prepared, but watching the news does nothing to make me prepared. If the SHTF I am hoping I am prepared and there will be nothing I need to do, other than hunker down. Guns are loaded, mags are full, food is here, water is here. Don't see what keeping up with the news will help.

[The Stig]

I disagree. I don't watch any news. Just cant do it anymore, all it does is get me in a bad mood. I am very prepared, but watching the news does nothing to make me prepared. If the SHTF I am hoping I am prepared and there will be nothing I need to do, other than hunker down. Guns are loaded, mags are full, food is here, water is here. Don't see what keeping up with the news will help.

I think the difference is the part where you are prepared but have chosen to tune out the news for your mental health.

These folks are most likely not prepared and tune out the news to avoid reality.

[helomech]

I think the difference is the part where you are prepared but have chosen to tune out the news for your mental health.

These folks are most likely not prepared and tune out the news to avoid reality.

Oh, I just get so tired of hearing on the news how I am being screwed and how there is nothing I can do about it. I just stay on my little compound and avoid leaving it as much as possible.

[MegaCPC]

I usually read news online from a variety of sources. Anytime there is news, it will be biased in one way or another, so I try to interpret things my own way. Sometimes I will watch two agencies cover the same story. The truth is usually somewhere in the middle but you have to cut the crap to get to it.

[Grumpy Old Man]

I have been a news junkie for many years. I read the Christian Science Monitor and the Washington Times. I also read Drudge, listen to Glen Beck, Larry Elder the Sage of South Central, Just Measures Radio Network, and I read...... The Huffington Post, as well as visit MoveOn.org. On my shortwave receiver I listen to various broadcasts, with my favorite being Radio Havana. Even Steve Quayle and Alex Jones have good tidbits of info.

Does get my blood boiling? Yes! Am I better informed and thereby capable of making better decisions? Yes! Does it give me ammo to bring DGI friends around? Yes! as I've stated before I am an information monger and have been for many years, but I don't restrict my sources of info to any one source. To do so is to slant my opinion, and to be candid, I think that is what the propaganda, woops, I mean news sources want to do.

I need to get down and post in the "What is everybody reading" thread that over the weekend on our camping trip I reread "The Five Rings" and "The Art of War". And this morning I started re-reading "Atlas Shrugged". Lord that is a dry read, but that is typical of Russian authors.

Get your news everywhere you can; even the janitor in your office building can be a good source.

[Stg1swret]

I use a number of sources for my news CNN, FOX, ABC, CBS, Drudge and a number of other sites on the web. One can be under informed but never over informed. Once I've seen the story covered by a few sources I ncan get a true picture of what really happened.

[mitunnelrat]

I'm actually not too far off from helomech, though I have realized I need to pay more attention again. I used to follow things closely across as many sources as I could find. The problem was that my friends and family noticed, and one friend in particular was a pain in the ass about it. He'd start a debate with me, never concede a single point, and stay on the soapbox until I gave up and told him he was right. I'm sure you all know the type. It eventually got to the point I decided to quit watching anything. Numerous people kept me abreast of events anyway, and it was better than punching my friend to shut him up.

I quit talking to him some time ago now though, and I'm getting more time behind the monitor at work again, so I've been starting to pay more attention again. I'll have to see what I can set up again. I like connecting the dots sometimes.

[ravensgrove]

I tend to stay away from the news myself...not to say I don't know what is going on in the world, I check my favorite sources online etc...but I refuse to have the news or tv in general in my house day in and out any more. This became a total necessity by the time Big J deployed for the fourth time...now six times later I know without a shadow of a doubt the news only does two things for me: makes me an insomniac, and keeps my blood pressure sky high...besides last time I checked tv news al they were talking about was Lindsay Lohan, Snooky and Angelina Jolie or had endless political pundit after political pundit debating over and over ad nauseum anyhow....none of which have a damn thing to do with my ability to survive post shtf.

[Stormfeather]

I usually scan all the usual suspects for anything that catches my eye. Then I move to the less obvious sources, Al jehzerra,(spelling) BBC, ect ect. sometimes you can get opposite end of the spectrum views and draw the actual story out of what is actually being reported. As far as listening to the news, cant stand to do it, all I do is get pissed off.

[Gunfixr]

"Snooky" ????

I used to be all over the news, but it got way too bad. I ran between totally furious and totally depressed.
Now, I have gone back to checking it, but nearly as often.

Of course, it all comes over the internet, as the tv was cut off back last March. Couldn't see a $150 cable bill, for nothing to watch.

[ladyhk13]

What is so scary is that a great deal of people in this country watch NO news and have no idea who they are voting for. They can tell you who is on Survivor but not who Romney, Newt or Paul are. Which means they are Sheeple and will vote for the current bozo because his face has been plastered all over the place for the past 3 years. They will overwhelmingly vote democrat because they think that they will be taken care of better due to great social programs.
I watch FOX as a rule and then roam for a while but then will totally tune out for my mental health. I know DH will tell me if there is something going on that I really need to know. I also have you guys! I'm going to just keep prepping.

[bacpacker]

I tend to watch too much news and end up doing a running commentary and pissed off. I try and watch fox and some other station to compare and look at a lot of sources online, usually starting with the Drudge Report. I have a few foreign sites I hit as well. Like stormy said some of them tend to balance out the propaganda spouted here with their own stuff.
It is amazing that lots of folks have no clue. I don't buy a lot of what I hear, but it gives me something to search and try to learn about.

[izzyscout21]

What is so scary is that a great deal of people in this country watch NO news and have no idea who they are voting for. They can tell you who is on Survivor but not who Romney, Newt or Paul are. Which means they are Sheeple and will vote for the current bozo because his face has been plastered all over the place for the past 3 years. They will overwhelmingly vote democrat because they think that they will be taken care of better due to great social programs.
I watch FOX as a rule and then roam for a while but then will totally tune out for my mental health. I know DH will tell me if there is something going on that I really need to know. I also have you guys! I'm going to just keep prepping.

well said, LHK:

I hate people that dont give a rat's ass about what's going on around them as long as thier favorite American Idol contestant makes it to the next round. I hate our culture and society right now.

God...........I hate people so much.:mad:
TINA EAT YOUR FOOD!!!!!!!!!

[realist]

I read and listen to anything that I can, FOX, CNN, NBC, CNBC, Bloomberg, Stephen Colbert (for fun) , etc. One that my wife stumbled was the BBC. She called me in one night and we listen as to how Nancy Pelosi and company were responsible for a bunch of farmers in the central valley of California were letting their trees die because of water restrictions imposed by Congress for something like a saber tooth frog or fish. To think that I had to listen to an English (American) program to hear what was going on in my state. I always leave the TV or radio on in the background for that just in case moment......

[ladyhk13]

^You are right realist....they cut off all water to the farmers due to a 2" fish. Can you imagine? I say take the damn fish and put them in aquaraiums to bring up their numbers if they are that few in numbers to protect them and turn on the freaking water for HUMANS! Where do you draw the line of who is more important? Your kids eating and helping your state be self sufficient or protecting a teeny tiny fish that could be relocated until numbers can be increased and brought back. Liberals. :(

[realist]

Everything is all out of prospective. We have wetlands that were declared by the Feds, now people can not develop their lands. Well that is not correct, you can buy pay someone else to turn their property into wetlands, I'm not sure I see the logic in this. They have a salamander that burrows deep in to ground that according to a bunch of experts you will probably never see it. My question is so how do you know it is there? If you do digging for it then you are disturbing an endangered species habitat which is a federal offense. So how do you know?

[Sniper-T]

I watch very little, I read less about the world news. I have a couple of freaks at work who follow the non-mainstream, and I have my forums like this one to put things into perspective.

I work for a MULTI MULTI million dollar company with dealings all over the world. If something major occurs, I usually hear about it, and have to re-route entire jobs through our plant to facilitate it.

That said... the local news depresses me, and helps keep me aware... increased gang activity, increased home invasions, increased MDK's. all put me on 'higher' alert. Unfortunately this seems to be a perpetually increasing scale.

And here I thought that a Perpetual motion machine was not possible...