America’s preppers are dismissing Washington’s focus on climate change or Russia’s attack on Ukraine as the biggest threats to the United States and instead fear the loss of electricity, political civil war, and open borders.
In an unusual survey of people who lead the prepper movement, a majority cite the potential destruction of the crumbling electric grid as their biggest worry.
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That, and Washington’s reluctance to address the potential threats against the grid from an electromagnetic attack or solar flare event, followed by an economic collapse leading to civil violence and another pandemic, are the top three fears in the survey conducted by Fortitude Ranch, a growing network of prepper ranches.
“They are not average Americans who pay no attention to risks, these are folks who watch events and read up on threats, so really good judgment,” said Drew Miller, the CEO of Fortitude Ranch, who shared the results with Secrets.
A congressional panel over a decade ago warned that a major failure of the electric grid could lead to the deaths of 90% of those using it. Since then, several U.S. foes, including Russia, China, and North Korea, have reportedly deployed EMP weapons that could destroy the grid.
Over the past 20 years, the movement to prepare for a domestic disaster has exploded and was supercharged by division in Washington, race riots, the COVID-19 pandemic, and a surge in youth crime.
Groups like Fortitude Ranch have stepped in to offer people a place to retreat to in case of civil unrest.
Miller said that the 200 people who responded to his survey were dismissive of existential threats such as climate change and more focused on immediate challenges to American life.
While some may dismiss the concerns of preppers as radical worries, mainstream surveys such as the Battleground Poll have picked up on the majority’s fear of civil war due to the nation’s split politics.
Miller also cited well-known financial experts who have also tuned into domestic concerns. “Of the top five threats, the most unusual is probably 41% listing domestic civil war due to the deep divisions in our country and a potentially violent, divisive presidential election coming up as a grave, collapse risk,” he told Secrets.
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“Those who think a risk of civil war causing a collapse is silly should consider what one of the smartest persons in the U.S., Ray Dalio, founder/CEO of Bridgewater, the largest hedge fund who makes a successful living predicting major events, said that he believes we face a 30% chance of civil war with our divided population, with a divisive election next year,” Miller said.
He mocked those who have touted global warming as the nation’s and world’s top threat, suggesting that wars over issues governments won’t fix will solve those concerns.
“I think the problem will be solved, likely within the next few years. Bad news is that the solution is likely going to be billions of deaths from a bioengineered pandemic, global war or famine, or one of the other increasingly likely collapse events. With the halt in economic activity and huge loss of human life, the man-made effects of global warming will be drastically reduced, perhaps largely eliminated,” Miller said.
