Quoth Ted Kaczynski, writing as “the terrorist group FS:”
…To make an impression on society with words is therefore almost impossible for most individuals and small groups. Take us (FC) for example. If we had never done anything violent and had submitted the present writings to a publisher, they probably would not have been accepted. If they had been accepted and published, they probably would not have attracted many readers, because it’s more fun to watch the entertainment put out by the media than to read a sober essay. Even if these writings had had many readers, most of these readers would soon have forgotten what they had read as their minds were flooded by the mass of material to which the media expose them. In order to get our message before the public with some chance of making a lasting impression, we’ve had to kill people.
From The Unabomber’s Manifesto. Actually, the first thirty or so paragraphs are basically a cogent (if inartfully written and intellectually sloppy) rant about Leftism that could have come from any number of blogs out there.
“3. If the system breaks down the consequences will still be very painful. But the bigger the system grows the more disastrous the results of its breakdown will be…”
The funny thing about this is, you can’t offer his thoughts any creedence without being derided, but this is a question I think many of us have asked. I asked a few friends after Hurricane Katrina whether they had a “disaster plan” (w/o calling it a SHTF kit, maybe my nomenclature screwed it up), and got some disdainful answers. So many people are dependent on various “cogs” in the figurative machine (including myself) that it’s scary.
– What if you dialed 911 and no one answered?
– What if stores’ supply chains stopped for a week?
– What if you couldn’t leave your house for a week?
– What if the money in your pocket suddenly had little or no value?
– What if you couldn’t purchase with plastic?
– Did you hear they’re cancelling American Idol? (got the most attention)
People’s complacency is astonishing, which foreshadows a really bad result with the slightest disruption in technology and the government they rely on. I don’t know how many times the fallibility of these things needs to be proven before people figure it out.