What would happen to you?

OK - I just read a fascinating book by James Wesley Rawles called Patriots - Surviving the Coming Collapse. It's a novel, with a great storyline that just pulls you along, but the whole point of Mr. Rawles' story is to make you aware of what you might do to prepare for a scenario where the fabric of society comes unraveled.

In a nutshell, economic markets collapse, followed by meltdown of law and order and a period of brigandry and chaos. The main characters were prepared for such an event, and are holed up in a retreat with enough supplies to weather the storm.

Relative order begins to return, and people begin to pull together, at least on a regional scale. But then big daddy government steps in with their own idea of how to restore order. Folks band together on a regional scale and sort of declare independence - then have to defend it with their blood when the federal troops come in.

For most of the people I know, this is a must-read. There are a few of you who will think I'm a nut for even cracking the cover, but you'll come around eventually :)