Recent months have seen devastation from hurricanes. The Caribbean area has been the worst-hit. Most of those islands are now, with help from major states as well as from charities and individuals, bouncing back. Puerto Rico is still suffering from the effects, partly because it is the largest of the worst-affected islands, partly because the US Federal Government response has been sluggish.

In Europe, it is unlikely that we shall suffer in any major way from hurricanes, but there is a quite-high chance that our societies will suffer from the dislocations caused by war and/or socio-economic collapse. Many will say that this cannot happen or would not affect at least the more civilized parts of Europe. Are they sure? It is still just within living memory that parts of Europe were devastated twice by the very major conflicts of 1914-18 and 1939-1945. Apart from those wars, there have been others: the war between the Bolsheviks and others from 1918-1922 (Russia, Ukraine, Poland, East Prussia); the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939); the Balkan War(s) of the 1990s. That is not even taking into account smaller armed conflicts such as the Hungarian Uprising and subsequent Soviet invasion (1956) or disruptions of an economic or other nature. The recent and continuing “migration-invasion” of Europe by non-Europeans comes to mind.

An individual or small group within a society, not holding political power, cannot do much to steer such events; neither can an individual or small group easily defend itself either directly or in terms of subsistence. However, there are possibilities, if prepared for in advance. In Puerto Rico, while most of the population suffered (at time of writing many continue to suffer) from shortages of water, food, from lack of electricity, vehicle fuel and medical help, others have been able to weather the storm, both literally and metaphorically, far better.

In Puerto Rico and elsewhere, those who survived without suffering more than they had to were those whose homes were solid, who had stocks of food, fuel and medical supplies and who were as far as possible “off-grid”. Twitter carried innumerable stories of despair and triumph, such as the farmer who powers his farm using solar power from his own solar array. For him, the fact that the electricity distribution network was not working (for weeks) was not directly relevant.

In the UK and across Northern Europe, the same applies. I have blogged previously about how people on farms, country estates and elsewhere might be able, not only to survive social collapse, but also to help to preserve culture and civilization during what could be an extended period without central control, help, law, order. As during WW2 rationing, those best off might be people living in rural areas, especially those already “prepped”:

• electrical power and hot water from solar panels, heat exchanges, small wind turbines, small hydropower plants; there are also ways of producing limited amounts of electricity via pedal-powered and hand-operated wind-up systems; temporary back-up might involve small petrol or diesel generators.
• water purification systems; solar stills; temporary back-up via stocks of bottled water: bottled water lasts, at a minimum, 2 years and in many cases is still drinkable without treatment after 4 –or more– years and even after that can still be used after simple treatment such as addition of drops of potassium permanganate or by running it through a filter and purification system, or by boiling it as required. In fact, most rural farms and estates have access to springwater supplies etc.
• food home-grown or produced. This of course depends on having land on which to grow it and will be much easier if the preppers already do it on their own estates and farms (or the land around ordinary houses). How much land is required is not fixed and depends on the required diet, the land type and quality etc, but can be as little as half an acre per person and quite likely even a smaller area– https://www.smallfootprintfamily.com/how-much-land-is-needed-to-be-self-sufficient . In addition, there will be food backup via stocks of tinned food, dried foods and, for those whose diet encompasses them, foods from fishing and shooting: fish, shellfish, venison etc. A further source would be from permaculture sources: nut-bearing trees, wild berries and so on.
• Internet. This may be interrupted or even cease to exist for a time, though it is likely that service will continue in some form or be rebuilt eventually; a major resource in terms of useful techniques, as well as in holding together spread-out communities and the rebuilding –if necessary– of the wider society. Also, a way of offering or asking for help.
• medical help: as on expeditions etc, you can never have too many doctors or nurses. A further advantage to having doctors on board before disaster strikes the general society is that doctors can order supplies of drugs unavailable without prescription and, should they so decide, stockpile them. While few individuals will be able to afford their own operating theatre, a social-national community might be able to fund doctors to set up one before it is required.
• transport: vehicle fuel can be stored, but may not last very long. Electric cars and other vehicles are still novel; when they are available, anyone with an electrical supply and a charger will be able to charge them and so continue to have the use of cars, trucks, tractors etc.

I have left out the question of arms. As the law now is in the UK, most people are not permitted arms beyond shotguns and in some cases rifles. Obviously, farmers and landowners will usually have such weapons. In a situation of collapse, arms will probably become available. In any event, any larger or more complex weapons (eg mortars, tanks) require persons with the requisite military training. In short, it is unnecessary for the germinal ethnostate to have arms beyond those customarily available to all rural communities in the UK (other European countries are far less strict).

We in the germinal ethnostate will be in a good position not only to survive but to found a new society if we prepare in the right way and in good time.

Notes

https://www.smallfootprintfamily.com/

https://www.theorganicprepper.com/

http://prepared-housewives.com/about-me/preppers/

https://sustainablefoodtrust.org/articles/making-compost-at-blaencamel-farm/