“In many of the more relaxed civilizations on the Outer Eastern Rim of the Galaxy, the Hitch-Hiker's Guide has already supplanted the great Encyclopaedia Galactica as the standard repository of all knowledge and wisdom, for though it has many omissions and contains much that is apocryphal, or at least wildly inaccurate, it scores over the older, more pedestrian work in two important respects. First, it is slightly cheaper; and secondly it has the words DON'T PANIC inscribed in large friendly letters on its cover.”
― Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Other than the words, "don't panic" this post has nothing more to do with Douglas Adams' works. But recently, gauging from the number of YouTube videos that suddenly appeared on my feed, there was considerable interest in Former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino urging his podcast listeners to keep 30-days worth of food and water on hand, the near simultaneous preparedness advice from the UK, and War Secretary Pete Hegseth introducing FORTRESS America--a program intended to make U.S. military bases in the U.S. self-sufficient for at least 90 days in the event of damage to or loss of civilian infrastructure.
The Tactical Shit blog has a couple articles addressing these and advising to not panic:
- "Panic Kills, Preparedness Doesn’t: What Dan Bongino Told Listeners About Food, Water, and Power."
- "The Real Story Behind the 90-Day Blackout Headlines."
In the first article, the author simply notes:
Bongino’s take was simple. If the military is building Fortress America at the base level, households should be building Fortress My House or Fortress My Apartment. Neighbors are going to be busy taking care of their own kids. They’re not going to have a spare case of water or a bag of rice sitting around for you.
After discussing some government and NGO recommendations, he adds:
The gap between official 72-hour or “several days” guidance and a 30-day household buffer is real. So is the gap between what the Pentagon is doing for bases and what most people have sitting in a closet. You can start with the Red Cross numbers and stretch them. One gallon of water per person per day is the baseline. Non-perishable food your family will actually eat. A battery or hand-crank radio. Extra batteries. A way to purify water. Copies of important documents. Cash in small bills. Medications. If you have pets, they need their own plan too.
None of this requires buying everything in one weekend. Add a little extra on regular grocery runs. Check expiration dates. Rotate the stock. Practice turning off the water main or cooking a meal without the stove. Download the FEMA app and the Red Cross emergency app. Pick an out-of-area contact. Write the numbers down on paper.
In other words, don't panic, but do be methodical.
The second article discusses the FORTRESS military preparation and the sources of some of the numbers, and then explains:
For civilians, FORTRESS is a window into how the military now sizes up infrastructure risk, not a warning that a 90-day blackout is coming. ... The initiative does underscore existing worries about grid cybersecurity and concentrated supply chains for critical minerals, electronics, and fuel.
The practical takeaway for civilians is unchanged from years past: critical systems can fail for days or longer because of weather, cyberattacks, or other causes, so basic household preparedness lowers personal risk. There is no public timeline, cost figure, or civilian order attached to the 90-day military standard.
No comments:
Post a Comment