Many years ago, I read this haunting account of the sinking of the ferry MS Estonia in the Baltic Sea in 1994, and it left a tremendous impression on me that has shaped my approach to danger, which is kind of an incredible thing to attribute to a single essay but it’s true.
“Survival that night was a very tight race, and savagely simple. People who started early and moved fast had some chance of winning. People who started late or hesitated for any reason had no chance at all. Action paid. Contemplation did not. “
When people talk about “how to prepare” for the many and immense threats we face—the return of global fascism, the collapse of our climate, etc—the best and most practical advice I can think of is something like
“Be flexible. Be ready and willing to take action to survive when you sense danger. Do not worry about looking silly in front of people who will accuse you of over-reacting. Be willing to leave them behind if you have to. Accept that you might need to flee, suddenly and abruptly, and that your quality and way of life might change rapidly.”
Some people are stockpiling guns and food, and some people are building community networks of mutual aid. Millions of people around the world have taught us, though, that fleeing and becoming a refugee is your likeliest option.
But nothing guarantees that we will survive, much less comfortably. A lot of people in the capitalist west have been taught that nothing truly bad can ever be allowed to happen to them, and that we possess the power to effect the outcomes we desire. In reality, all we can do is our best, and hope.
@HeavenlyPossum This article is extremely good, and I've found it very relatable.