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A Gulch and The Walking Dead

Posted by $ rockymountainpirate 10 years ago to Philosophy
142 comments | Share | Best of... | Flag

I had an excellent lunch last Saturday with an Objectivist, and one of the things we talked about was skills we have to offer to a Gulch. In that vain, I have developed a scenario to hopefully stimulate thought and discussion on this topic.

It's my post, so my rules. Here is the scenario:

It is a post apocalyptic world, either natural or man-made that resembles the 1815's in technology. There will be walking dead. They may not be zombies, but they are out to kill you and take your resources. There is no power sources anywhere in the world other than solar, wind and horse power.

A few fellow Objectivists and I have found and established an invitation only Gulch with all the natural resources we can use. We will send a few people out to recruit new residents, much like Francisco and John were doing.

There are 2 inviolate requirements and rules for Gulchers and prospective invitee Gulchers:

1: All people 16 years and older MUST be willing to truly and honestly, of their own free will, take The Oath. This may require a potential invitee to make a hard choice as there will be no exceptions.
2: The existence and the location of this Gulch MUST be kept secret and it will be defended.

What skills and/or resources can you bring to this Gulch? Why would we recruit you?


All Comments


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  • Posted by $ jbrenner 10 years ago in reply to this comment.
    Our own Dr. Hendricks. Thus far I had only known of one other medical doctor in the Gulch. I am a biomedical engineer, amongst other things, so I am sure we can work together, Leonid49.
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  • Posted by $ jbrenner 10 years ago in reply to this comment.
    If we started our own Gulch, I am sure that we would transport stuff with us as we disappeared as well. I certainly am planning to do so.
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  • Posted by term2 10 years ago in reply to this comment.
    Yeah, there were refrigerators, lots of metal furniture- supposedly in a place where you couldnt just drive to !!! I figured that they ran out of money to produce it and were afraid to drive the cars without colorado license places for fear of getting a ticket from the moocher cops that wouldnt have been there anyway...
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  • Posted by term2 10 years ago in reply to this comment.
    Gardening, cooking, canning are excellent skills for a gulch. I kind of doubt there would be a lot of call for child tending for awhile. Surviving would need to take top priority for awhile at least.
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  • Posted by term2 10 years ago in reply to this comment.
    Dental pain can be really debilitating. I would rather have it pulled than endure the constant pain, tho. Maybe booze would do the trick in an emergency.
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  • Posted by term2 10 years ago in reply to this comment.
    Very valuable skill to be sure !!!! Stockpile meds, as they would be nearly impossible to get for a long time.
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  • Posted by term2 10 years ago in reply to this comment.
    If you havent seen it, you might like the TV series on netflix JERICHO. The story is about recovery from nuclear attack. Replace nuclear attack by "currency collapse" and its very relevant.
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  • Posted by scojohnson 10 years ago in reply to this comment.
    It's rather surprising how much can be reproduced using older technology, as is the craftsmanship and genius of mechanism built over 100 years ago with tools of the time.

    The object to be achieved was the idea and the theory of practice or implementation or operation that comes with an invention, when you already have that, it's not difficult to scrounge some ways to reproduce it.

    The soul exception would be silicon or optical-based computer systems, that would be impossible to build by hand I would think.
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  • Posted by term2 10 years ago in reply to this comment.
    The disaster will be a currency collapse, or apossible (hopefully not) nuclear war. Currency collapse would wipe out most wealth and throw the world into chaos. Knowledge would be harder to obtain as needed, but I dont think it would disappear. Those of us with good memories would be invaluable.
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  • Posted by $ allosaur 10 years ago
    Old dino is kind of unique with a degree in journalism, 7 years experience as a newspaper reporter and 21 years as a state corrections officer at a maximum security prison plus working for four different security guard companies thereafter both full time and part time, Wackenhut the best known of the bunch.
    I can shoot straight but age, arthritis and expertise would make me be more suitable as an instructor/inspector of Gulch security.
    I could write memos on security problems and develop written standard operation procedures for various security posts.
    Hopefully, there would not be criminals among Gulchers in need of incarceration. If so, I'm your old dino.
    We may need to take prisoners when outsiders trespass or attempt to do so. Those we don't shoot? (What to do with intruders can be a whole topic in itself for discussion).
    I am a fan of The Walking Dead. I don't believe in predatory zombies (totally dreamed up for the first "Night of the Living Dead" creature feature) but I noticed that in the post apocalyptic setting of The Walking Dead the most dangerous creatures are humans who become organized cannibals and/or murderous looters.
    Yeah. there's plenty of work for old dino in a post apocalyptic Gulch.
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  • Posted by term2 10 years ago in reply to this comment.
    We would have to give up a lot for a number of years in a gulch, as it was built up. More like Ayn Rands book than in the 3rd installment of the AS movie (where modern cars with colorado license plates (??) were in abundance)
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  • Posted by term2 10 years ago in reply to this comment.
    We do live in a walking dead society, which I think accounts for at least part of the appeal of the TV series. People accept at least on some visceral level that the current society is unsustainable and will collapse. Today our 'walkers" wear government badges and they have the NSA to help them.
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  • Posted by term2 10 years ago
    Everyone has what I call X-men superpowers. As we grow up, we find out what those are. Mine is as a troubleshooter and problem solver. I am a inventor/engineer/entrepreneur at present. My MIT engineering background has helped me a lot over the years to quickly learn whatever what was needed to thrive. A gulch would be cool, but I am a bit skeptical that it could be hidden in this current atmosphere of the NSA powers. I do think that "hiding in plain sight" is a very viable option, wherein people of like mind secretly deal with each other and get at least some of the advantages of a gulch without raising suspicions. I fear a real gulch at this point in time would incur the wrath of our socialist government and be attacked under some excuse like Ruby Ridge or Waco.
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  • Posted by khalling 10 years ago in reply to this comment.
    could be. never heard it. burrito is fairly small still. I tried to give him some cucumber last night-used to give hime some when he was a baby-but he just wanted me to water him. so I did. the little girls next door, the ones who belong to Miss Baja Sur-who is also top in the world for free diving navarro is her name, she has great youtube videos-anyway they squealed when they saw him. it's definitely a fence out policy here.
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  • Posted by Mamaemma 10 years ago
    I can bring medical training and knowledge. I can also bring skills in performing dentistry, bit I hate to think of treating and pulling teeth without anesthesia!!!! I think I'll start keeping a big supply on hand....
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  • Posted by LetsShrug 10 years ago
    I guess my main skills are cooking and teaching small children. I'm also a decent shot. (My husband used to be a mountainman type survivalist for fun, so he knows all things fire building, hunting, brain tanning hides and smoking them over a fire, sewing, guns, shooting....)
    I'm currently working on gardening and after I master that, canning.
    Can I put dibs on living next to Zen??
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  • Posted by Zenphamy 10 years ago
    I was born and raised in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. We didn't have indoor plumbing till I was 14. I'm experienced at obtaining good wood for fuel, finding hand diggable coal, wild animal and food gathering, animal care, breeding, and butchery, homestead farming and canning, and most life skills with little or no tech. I've participated in the building and operation of a wood gas and oil homesteading type of generator. I've got my own guns and bullets and know how to produce gunpowder and reloads manually. I've experience in real life shooting and defense requirements. I'm pretty confident that I can make moon shine whiskey, fruit wines, and brandys. I also own, and have read a complete set of the 12 Foxfire volumes and several others of like Appalachian Mountain history and how to books that fully document the day to day application of how to live a fully independent, no tech life.

    I'm a graduate Electrical Engineer with experience in design, project management, construction techniques and management, and applications of heavy industry- water, wind, and gas fired power generation in underground and surface mining, metals refining and production, and processing, oil and gas production from near surface and underground shale and refining, paper (including toilet) and cardboard production. I've developed and taught Electrical Journeyman training programs and taught at Technical and Community College levels as well as supervised others in the same. I've directly managed budgeting, planning, and implementation of all work at remote site construction and mining projects with manpower up to 1300 men, equipment, and materials procurement in mountainous (9,500ft) and desert areas.

    I'm a fair technical writer, analytical while tempered with common sense, experienced in contracts, dispute resolution, and negotiations. I do well with people that are motivated, intelligent, and learning driven.

    And I'm a self developed, life long Objectivist, and as a direct descendant of Daniel Boone, I've often felt that I was born a couple of hundred years too late. Many that have met and worked with me have described me as a 'Renaissance Man'.

    But I'm kind of a shy and humble man. I also have a pretty good voice, according to some. Lol
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  • Posted by freedomforall 10 years ago in reply to this comment.
    No commercial experience, up to 20 gal. Commercial production has much more stringent sanitization. (Bigger production, bigger risk.) Obtaining ingredients will require significant effort, too. Anyone experienced growing hops and grain?
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  • Posted by $ jlc 10 years ago
    I can identify the species of fungi (molds) that produce antibiotics and test the individual strains for effective output against specific types of bacteria. If freedomforall will give me a hand (since commercial production of beer is technically similar to commercial production of antibiotics) we should be able to turn out medically useful amounts of antibiotics. If jbrenner can produce some stainless steel, this would be a great asset.

    All of this can be done with 19th century tech.

    Jan
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