CBC’s The Current features Preppers in Canada
Mar 25, 2012 Uncategorized
So I’m listening to The Current on CBC and their show on Preppers. Not even two minutes into it, and I find that they are sensationalizing the subject already.
Daryl Stratichuk, the first Canadian that they interview seems to be a pretty level headed guy, and first makes the assertion that they aren’t really living any differently than many of our parents or grandparents did. Mind you they jump to the bug-out-bag first off. Personally I don’t like the term bug-out. It’s a militaristic term and conjures up images of someone freaking out and running for the mountains.
We don’t stock a bug out bag, because, well, we are where we would bug out to.
Then they go to his stock in the basement, which sounds like a small convenience store, but still is mostly foods that are ready to eat. Freeze-dried foods, mylar pouched portions, water storage in a large bladder. In many ways they’ve bought their way to preparedness. Again nothing against that, they are definitely better off than their average neighbour and I suspect he would be helpful to his neighbours in tough times too. He just sounded like a gentleman.
Next up was James Wesley Rawles, from “somewhere west of the Rockies”. Really James? If any person with half a brain and Google wants to, they’ll find where you live. Don’t get me too wrong, he’s a wealth of information to be sure, and definitely someone who can weather just about anything, yet in my opinion he’s going to sound like a whack-job to the average CBC listener. The first risk that he lists as being a good reason to prepare is global economic failure and collapse. A possible event, but unfathomable to Joe CBC. What is more likely is that you could lose your job, there could be a serious illness in the family, maybe even just a simple car accident! Those are the things that most preppers are focused on in my opinion. Those are the reasons that Joe CBC should think about a preparedness lifestyle or philosophy.
CBC, preparedness is what you do when you get health or life insurance, it’s what you do when you just keep your pantry filled, it’s what you do when the government could pull your funding any day. Ring any bells CBC?
But should I be surprised by the CBC’s attempt to sensationalize preppers? I suppose not. After all, Canada’s top bankers just told the government that more Canadians are paying down debt and not taking as much credit and that’s BAD for Canada’s economy. Did you get that? Basically these bankers said that doing what is logical and smart is going to hurt us and that we should spend more than we have. Seriously? So our government broadcaster is keeping in character by suggesting that critical reasoning and planning is over the top.
All your average prepper does is what your parents or grandparents did. They grow some of their own food, so they’ll always have some food. They save some money for a rainy day. They keep some candles and maybe a lantern handy for when the power goes out. If you can do that, you are well on your way to being prepared.
The focus on what the disaster will be was disappointing to me. It’d be like teaching your kid to swim and constantly telling that they must learn to swim or they will certainly drown one day. You wouldn’t do that. No, you’d teach them to swim because swimming is fun, it can cool you on a hot summer day, it can be great exercise! Then maybe later you might mention something about not drowning. It all goes back to the principle, “If you know how to swim, it doesn’t matter how deep the water is.” If you are prepared for life’s little disasters you’ll be ready for big ones too. Oh, and it is fun, it can be great exercise, and it can give you peace of mind.
Well, here’s the show so you can listen for yourself.
http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/episode/2012/03/23/preppers/
Tags: canada, cbc, Daryl Stratichuk, James Wesley Rawles, preppers, radio, the current
March 26th, 2012 at 5:44 pm
I completely agree with you. I believe that preppers as a whole should focus more on the emergencies that happen on a regular basis rather than preparing for global disaster and a complete breakdown in society. I Write for the Canadian Preppers Network Blog, moderate the forum that goes with it, and have in the past and will again in the near future host a live weekly podcast all in the name of promoting preparedness as a sensible and rather normal way of life. Sensationalists that constantly cry out that the sky is falling upon us all simply damage the reputation of preppers by feeding the sensationalist media.
March 26th, 2012 at 7:19 pm
I emailed Daryl to tell him I thought he did a pretty good job. He told me they did a 2 hour interview and chose some of the least important things to focus on when the show was actually finished – really a survival whistle made it on the show and his opinion that people should prepare for everyday crisis didn’t make it. He was assured that certain things would make the cut but the editors get final say and obviously didn’t care what HE wanted.
I personally declined to be on this show because I was concerned about what would be used and what wouldn’t. I wanted to speak on MY terms – not theirs and that doesn’t happen unless you own the platform!
March 26th, 2012 at 9:23 pm
Daryl did do a good job. Just from the tone of his voice, I could tell he was a sincere guy.
I think I’m naive enough to go on a show like this and think that I could steer questions my way. But then again, they’d probably use none of my interview if I did that. That being said, if any news agencies want to talk about preparedness, I’m game.
March 26th, 2012 at 9:27 pm
The CPN is a great resource and I try to promote it whenever I can. Anita’s blog and CPN contributions are great too. I’ll be linking to her site soon.
I think in the long run your average Dick and Jane will see the sense to what we do as we are their neighbours, friends, and family. When they see us put in a garden, they think a little. When they see that we have power in the snowstorm, they’ll come play cards with us. When they try our awesome jerky or pickles, they’ll ask how we did that. Mwa haha! Our kindness is our secret weapon!
March 29th, 2012 at 6:11 pm
I think Rawles is well advised to describe his location in only the vaguest terms. I wrote a survivalist oriented blog for two years, nothing on the order of his but several hundred hits a day. Because I was careless here and there, people DID figure out where I lived. The result was that I had people inviting themselves up to my property, wanting to put trailers and RV’s up here, and wanting to come and “visit” for weeks at a time. It was difficult to decline these “offers” without injuring feelings and eventually I shut down the blog and deleted it. As for people thinking that Rawles is odd for not disclosing his location, I’m afraid I’d have to say “who cares.” I’m sure he doesn’t, nor should he.
March 29th, 2012 at 9:33 pm
I think you missed my point. What I was trying to say was that if someone REALLY wants to find you, they will. It all depends how much time, energy and resources they want to put into the hunt.
By repeatedly saying that he lives, “somewhere west of the Rockies”, Mr. Rawles has created for himself, in my opinion, a catchphrase that carries certain connotations. That phrase carries with it images of a mountain man, living in the stereotypical tin-hat survivalist manner. If operational security is that important, why bring up location at all?
As for my location, well, since I use my real name I’m pretty easy to find if someone really wanted to. There are others like James Talmadge Stevens and Jack Spirko who use their real name with no ill effect. CanadaPrepared runs around 20,000 unique visitors a month, and I’ve never had a request from a stranger to come camp at my place. I’ve met some of the folks and it’s been great! They’re all unique and genuine people.
I’m also not worried about someone thinking to themselves, “Hey, that Guy McDowell is a prepper. If TSHTF, I’m going to his place to live off him or take his stuff.” In that scenario, I only have to worry about people that are within walking distance of here. Those people would be my neighbours. My neighbours all have varying degrees of self-sufficiency that is far greater than most town-dwellers so they have no need to take from me. We’d work together, just as we do right now.
Your point about “who cares” is on the money though. What Mr. Rawles says or does really isn’t any of my business, and I probably shouldn’t have made such a flippant comment in the first place.
March 30th, 2012 at 11:24 am
I live on a mountain top, surrounded by national forest. I don’t have a tin hat but that made me laugh all the same. I am the stereotypical bearded old man, living in a log house, with outbuildings. I have vast amounts of food, tools, fuel, ammunition and weapons stashed away, but I’m not Ted Kaczynski. I used to publish pictures of the place on the blog and I am sure that had a lot to do with folks wanting to come stay in the wilderness with me. They meant no harm, but I live alone with my ferrets, dogs, cats, and chickens and that suits me. I’m not a personable individual.
I think Rawles is right when he says his place could fill up with displaced preppers if they knew where he was. I know a lot of folks who live in the city or suburbia who have no place to go, and he really is the “guru” of survivalism down here, with all that implies. I think people would say, “if we can get there, he will get things organized and tell us what to do.”
I saw the link to your blog on Survival blog. I will enjoy reading it. I sent my kids to Canada ( Vancouver) for their advanced education but have lost touch with events up there since they came home.
March 30th, 2012 at 10:29 pm
You’re probably one of ten people that could spell Kaczynski right!
If I had to guess, I’d say that folks who live in a manner like you or Rawles are in a minority amongst preppers and even survivalists. Kind of an elite in the sense of self-sufficiency. The unfortunate thing, especially in Canadian culture (we’re modest to the point of sometimes being annoying), is that to hear about preparedness for the first time and then see a Rawles, has the same effect as someone wanting to take high school physics and feeling that they somehow have to be a peer of Einstein. That’s a very high bar!
For most of the emergencies, or life events, that people will suffer from, a more moderate level of preparedness would suffice. Back to the swimming analogy, if you can do the crawl you’re covered for pretty much anytime you’re in the water. To become a Mark Spitz of preparedness just isn’t necessary. Nonetheless, if someone wants to be the Mark Spitz or, for the younger crowd, Michael Phelps, looking at what you and Rawles do is the right place to look.
I also don’t think I have to worry about people showing up because I admit I’m probably the least prepared preparedness guy!
March 31st, 2012 at 12:48 am
I have to disagree with the mindset that ignores the reality of an American government gone rogue..
The circumstantial evidence of a corrupt and subverted government that works consistantly to undermine the people should not be ignored. This nation has been dismantled and it’s soveignty is no longer a gimmee. We have serious issues with the enemy within, the domestic enemy entrenched within. I have the greatest respect for Rawles and his efforts. I just wish his sight covered the political realm, as it is the most dire threat to the peoples freedom.
March 31st, 2012 at 7:14 pm
Without being an actuarial mathematician, I can’t be super accurate with these odds.
Jobs – 10% of Americans are unemployed, more or less. So 1 in 10 Americans don’t have jobs. Roughly 1 in 10 chance you’ll lose a job.
House Fire – 384,000 house fires in America that fire depts responded to in 2010 and roughly 131 million homes. Odds of a house fire: About 1 in 341.
Death – Death rate: 793.8 deaths per 100,000 population. Rough odds of losing a family member or yourself dying: About 1 to 125.
Rogue American Government – ???
It’s just not on the radar as an immediate and imminent threat for most people. That, and I don’t see anyone on this site saying anything about ignoring the state of the US of A and where it might go.
June 18th, 2012 at 2:22 am
I think CdnGuy is on the right track. Preparing for an economic or political Armageddon borders on nonsensical hysteria. A far more rational approach is to look at the region you live in and assess the reality of your situation, i.e., flooding, severe winter/summer storms, drought, power outages, etc.
In my own personal experience, the Ice Storm of 1998 has been the “worst” I’ve been through. I say “worst” because even though we were caught by surprise, we had some basic camping gear on hand and we were able to get through the first few days on our farm on our own. We were able to augment our gear near the end of the first week without electricity, allowing us some comforts beyond mere survival. After 14 days we were very happy to see the lights come back on!
The moral of the story is that with some basic skills and gear you can tough it out for a lot longer than you think. The key is to assess the situation, make a plan and execute the plan. Your plan is going to take into consideration the nature of the disaster, your available resources, and other situational factors such as the time of year, etc.
Be prepared, but be sensible and flexible.
September 19th, 2012 at 10:53 am
I feel that people with their head in the sand, like it appears Steve has his, are the first to starve. Unless one has a private gold mine and a rich uncle they need to be aware of what is REALLY going on political and economical around them.
To trust so fully ANY government is foolish at the least and we all know that hiding one’s head in the sand does not change reality. Yes, lucky people never have more than a ice storm or a loss of employment as their serious “event” however we are living in political times of a much smaller world and need stay
alert to many possible events.
In Sept 2012 we are facing much Steve will miss.