Alec Cameron wrote in a message to Serge Brouillard:
 AC> There was so much publicity from the US North East blackout 
 AC> years ago, I reckon there should have been very large scale 
 AC> awareness, subsequently. 
Years ago is right!  That was at least 30 years ago,  if not more.  I can 
remember it well,  and where I was at the time,  and we've had another whole 
generation come up since then...

 SB>     By the way, i'm curious about something. 
 SB>     On the internet there is a newsgroup called (misc.survivalism) 
 SB>     and there was a guy there looking for other survivor types 
 SB>     like himself in the suburbs of Sydney. 
 SB>  
 SB>     In the US they have had all sorts of problems with milicia 
 SB>     and fanatical survival groups. 
 AC> I don't know what "survivor" types are. Are these the Rambo 
 AC> types who would blast everyone and everything, to ensure that 
 AC> they may "live"?
That may be a part of a stereotype,  but what these people are all about,  as 
far as I know,  is that they don't expect the existing social order to 
continue to be maintained,  and therefore they prepare themselves in a number 
of different ways (stockpiling of food,  weapons,  etc. and preparing in 
terms of lifestyle) for that eventuality.
 AC> Private Militia, these are only mentioned in connection with 
 AC> training of alleged terrorists for foreign countries.
There are a lot of negative stereotypes about this stuff too,  mostly 
picturing it as a bunch of guys in camo running around in the woods playing 
soldier.  It's actually quite a bit more involved than that,  and while I was 
tempted to correct Serge on his misunderstanding,  I didn't figure that this 
was the place to get into it...
 AC> Political life here is rather tame, there are no significant 
 AC> extremes. 
Matter of perspective,  I guess.  The government there essentially banning 
all private firearms ownership sure strikes me as being pretty extreme.  But 
then, that's also the subject for another echo.  I don't think that the guy 
who flipped out and shot a bunch of people was anything less than extreme,  
but he _did_ break a bunch of laws (against murder,  etc.) while he was at 
it, so I don't think that laws against firearms ownership are going to help 
any,  except for making certain politicians look like they're actually "doing 
something"...
email: roy.j.tellason%tanstaaf@frackit.com 
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