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Sunday, February 6, 2011

Guest Post: Live on the edge of the System, By Northern Raider

Security camera at London (Heathrow) Airport. ...
© 2011Northern Raider

Without wishing to come across as overly paranoid I think on a certain level it would be beneficial for preppers to minimize (sensibly) their exposure to main stream society, and some of the risks involved with that society.  No of course it’s not possible nor desirable to live a completely separate lifestyle from the rest of society unless you fancy living like a hermit or trapist monk, but keeping a lower profile is definitely a prudent step for serious preppers.

I think this may become more relevant as a crisis develops and the way the global economy and political unrest is growing at the moment across the world.

But you can with some consideration and planning lower your radar signature visible to officialdom, the authorities and those who may realize that you are a prepper and likely to have supplies and equipment that they can steal or confiscate.

I don’t have any loyalty cards for shops so they can’t keep track of my buying, I frequently pay for much of my shopping with cash and I also vary which supermarkets I visit. When buying prepper specific kit such as bulk food purchases, survival kit, etc I make sure that no one I know personally is around when I’m paying. I don’t want my neighbor to know any more about my survival supplies than I want him to know I have some new “” borrowable”” power tools.

On the internet I often rotate and change my avatar, contact E mail and online name, indeed I even often build up a completely fabricated identity for web sites personal details files.

When traveling 99% of the time I use my own vehicle and rarely use the same route 2 days in a row, I keep my vehicle  clean and without bling or anything that may interest a traffic cop. When using public transport I always try to board trains at minor stations not larger stations that are more heavily policed or covered by CCTV systems, I try when possible not to alight at journeys end at main stream stations either. I try NEVER to fly if at all possible.

Rather than rock the boat at my son’s school when the subject matter being taught is unacceptable version to me, I simply explain to him my version on that subject in comparison with the schools. Or if the subject matter is beyond my limited educational capability we involve him in private tutorage and home schooling groups.  Its better if more expensive to see your child educated the way YOU choose than for you to attract the attention of local authorities and social workers who do hold completely different beliefs to your own.

You for example may feel very strongly about gun control and are a strong advocate of the right to be armed for self defense. So accordingly you join your nation’s gun ownership advocacy lobby group.   But as soon as you do the guys in charge will make a note of this fact and then you are in the system. Then perhaps after the next election a party that is totalitarian and rabidly anti gun ownership comes to power, by joining the lobby group you have just told your worst enemies who you are and where you are. What a disaster for your personal security you would have better served your cause by simply sending them a donation and remained anonymous.
Its one thing being patriotic but it’s another thing painting a target saying “Here I am“.

I don’t even have a library card and when buying books on the major prepping subjects I tend to buy them in book shops and pay cash for them, I have an extensive library of survivalist and prepper books dating back to the 1970s, many of which in 2011 are probably no longer socially acceptable or politically correct.

Cash is your friend it leaves almost no trail for anyone to trace, this certainly will be of much greater importance if a major incident occurs and say food or fuel availability becomes an issue.
You don’t want the authorities to find a trail of credit card slips showing you have bought over 300 gallons of fuel in the weeks leading up to the crisis happening.

I reduce the risk of being a victim of terrorism by ceaselessly making as much effort as possible in NOT going into large cities and towns, I try where possible to attend meetings away from large conurbations, So be it a meeting with a friend, an RZ with another prepper or perhaps wanting to attend a concert I try to go to the least tactically attractive venue possible usually in some smaller regional town, but never the Capital.

I may have very strong political, religious and cultural beliefs but I don’t not advertise my position by joining a political party, attending protests or rallies etc, you can be 100% sure the authorities have access to every membership list going and we are all more than aware just how many cameras are deployed at every public gathering these days.

In today’s electronic everything era Big Brother is indeed watching us and recording all our buy habits and political affiliations. Big brother can access your shopping habits just easily as your political activities and your travel habits. At the moment you may be of no interest to the authorities but it does not take much for you suddenly to become a person of interest, which is why you need to keep your identity signature as low as possible.
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1 comment:

  1. Excellent points. I heartily concur. These days people know little about privacy, and it will only get worse

    ReplyDelete