I am very moved by this thread and I want to thank both Eric and all the other contributors. Not so much for the content, but for the civilised nature of the discussion. I genuinely believe that this thread is the best sign I have see to date f the way this forum has calmed down and become more tolerant of each others views in the last year or so. I have seen threads like this degenerate in the past with people denigrating "survival" or "survivalists". I think they are silly words personally - survivalist has overtones of a gun toting bunker dweller and survival has military "do it because you want to get out of a situation" overtones. Neither I suspect is even close to the truth.
In the spirit of the sharing that has gone before I'm happy to lay out my view point.
I don't hate the modern world - some things mankind has achieved are amazing. I remember when particularly unwell and someone told me the "woods would provide a remedy" I asked them if they would mind "whittling me an MRI scanner". Modern medicine is incredible whatever difficulties we have with the medium of delivery. The Internet is incredible - a world of knowledge, opinion and art at your fingertips.
BUT
I distrust modern politicians - of all political persuasions. I have an intense distrust of the modern "nanny knows best, the state will provide" culture. I dislike the modern "consumer culture" - Delivered Pizza, rooms that are a "space", houses that aren't homes but a rung on a "property ladder", shopping as a leisure activity, personal worth being defined by personal wealth. All these things I intensely dislike.
I really fear the way society is moving - its become one large, complicated, delicate, oil fuelled corrupt machine. One person simply does not have the skills and almost lacks the permission to live a simple, self supporting life. A life that makes a contribution to society but is not dependant on it for every little thing.
We currently live in a simple cottage on a rural farm. We grow our own veg, get water from a bore hole, dress game to eat, use a water filter, cut wood for heat etc. But we are going shortly to move to a more remote location where we can be as self supporting as possible - no mains water, gas, electricity or sewage. Some land to grow things on and raise our own animals. Heating by solid fuel, electricity form solar and wind. we've been variously called "The Good Life", "Survivalists", "Ray Mears wannabe" "River Cottage wannabe" etc. I don't see us as any of those things - we have held high level jobs in corporate life and see just how empty and pointless that is (to us). A simple life will be equally as pointless but, we hope, a little more fulfilling and satisfying.
Does it cross my mind that being able to carry on living comfortably if oil peaks, electricity prices sky rocket etc.? Yup. But I hope those things don't happen as they would impact all the great things the modern world offers. I hope we just get to live a quiet and simple life in the way we want. I hope those who prefer a MacDonalds washed down by a blue alcopop can have the life they want too
Red