A fair number of members here live in cities. My SHTF scenerio is not bio-agents or nukes or chemical. I worry about what would happen if they took out our power grid. You start to think about dependent our cities are on electricity, and you'll know what I mean.

I live in the Bay Area, and it was weird enough with rolling blackouts last winter. Now imagine that power is completely out for a week or two. Our home is at the top of a hill, no water. Traffic lights, food storage, hospitals etc. Two and a half years ago a repair crew accidentally knocked out power to San Francisco for over 8 hours. I was stuck in a train under the bay for 2 of them. I had to walk 2 1/2 miles to my parents place, because I couldn't go home, couldn't call my fiance. Luckily no civil disturbance! Most yuppies were panicked, they couldn't get espressos! But that was a minor inconvenience.

My neighbor is a line manager with Pacific Gas & Electricity. We talked about this, and he knows it could be trouble. There are very few power lines coming in, and they all run through some remote areas.

I have a rather low expectation of the cohesiveness of the community when most people are voting to get more goodies from government. These people have no ability to function in civilized manner if they have grown so accustomed to having everything handed to them.

Cut power to the cities, and watch how quickly our civilization breaks down. I really want to leave the Bay Area, now just need to find a job paying $100K in some wooded, quiet area.

100k$

i don't know what i would do with that kind of $$ so all i can say is [b][size=6]good luck[/b][/size=6]

You don't need a $100K/yr job if you move to a non-socialist state to keep your quality of life. Land, house, expenses are generally less $$$ in rural states/areas.

HTH
Don

BTW, in most states that would suit your dreams, it is still legal to own and play with evil black guns (the old-timers here in TN LOVE mine!!!)

forget about electricity...think water.

You think people get 'bent' when there is no electicity. It is going to get ugly with out water. I still think if the terrorist wanted to 'hurt' the US and not make a politcal statement they could have attacked the major dams in the West. Imagine if they took out the Hoover damn. No water for Las Vegas, LA, and San Diego.

Even without a terrorist attack, lack water is going to be a big issue. Eco vs People; Cities vs farmers; No Cal vs So Cal; State vs State; Country vs Country.

I have a enough water to last my wife and 2 young kids for a month and in the process of getting another 55gal drum.

That's one of the reasons I moved out of the bay area.  That place is so dense and so many people are wound up so tight that if the electricity went off for a week and water wasn't flowing, it would suddenly be a very bad place to be.  It's also subject to earthquakes on top of deliberate acts.  I lived there my whole life until this year, and I feel much better here.  I'm sure I'll miss the variety of good food and the occaisional fun earthquake, but that's a small price to pay. [:)]

Before I got laid off I was in the low six-figure zone as well and I can tell you you don't need that kind of money in the majority of states. My cousin's daughter bought her first home in MN when she was 25 making $30k a year. Just a few months ago I was looking at my savings and salary and realized I can't afford sh*t in the Bay Area on my low six-figure salary. Anyway, here I am saving for years and making good money, and my little cousin's daughter in way ahead of me in terms of real estate ownership.

In a lot of areas you can live really well on $50k.