Are Liberals Turning Into Preppers?
When you visualize someone preparing for an uncertain future, do you see a liberal or a conservative?
I would say that a vast majority of us would answer “conservative.” For one thing, preparedness is a clearly intelligent thing to do, and conservatives are clearly more intelligent than liberals.
Let me rephrase that. IQ levels are probably similar, but conservatives are considerably better at using the brains God gave them than liberals are. Many liberals are well-meaning, but clearly they have a screw loose.
Anyway, the reason I’m asking this is because the phenomenon of a Donald Trump presidency – something few people would have even dreamed of several years ago – is causing all sorts of polar shifts in our land.
The latest is that some liberals have decided to start prepping… at least to a certain extent. To them, a Trump presidency is an ‘end-of-the-world” event.
In other words, if something like Trump becoming the leader of the free world could happen, who knows what other world-shaking disasters might occur? They’re suddenly thinking doom and gloom rather than boom and bloom.
Despite the lack of logic here – as I mentioned, most of them have a screw loose – it’s fascinating to see this misguided group of folks suddenly doing something that makes so much sense, even if it is for the wrong reason.
Maybe they’re not going out and buying guns and ammo, but some are stockpiling survival food, buying water filtration systems, acquiring generators and tossing a bunch of loose items such as flashlights, batteries, ponchos, blankets, extra clothes and a first-aid kit into a bug-out bag.
And all it took to get them to start thinking logically was Trump being elected president. Already that election is paying dividends. Just think how many liberals we could bring into our preparedness camp if Trump is re-elected in 2020.
Been prepping for over 20 years as a liberal. We are the quiet majority! We don’t flap our gums too much, just keep on prepping. I was a a Republican for over 20 years and served our country for those 20 years as well. Until the Republicans turned their back on veterans especially us disabled vets (70%SC). But I will still buy from you and others if the price is right!
” Patriotheadquarters.com loves free speech. But please be respectful and constructive. ”
Your blog post here has done you no favors. It has shown critical signs of disrespectful overgeneralization in several places and damaged your public image and impedes your business’s mission. Bottom line, it wasn’t respectfully or constructively presented.
PLEASE consider significant editing to your original post. I’m not saying you don’t have a right to express your thoughts or to have your own opinions, but when disparate, off-hand remarks reflect so unnecessarily negatively, you risk alienating entire segments of the population who desperately need to understand and act on the preparedness message you stand for.
Please be that unifying agent of change that helps grow the preparedness or self-reliance movement. You’ll help us educate, enlighten, and wake up many more to the tragedies our great country is facing.
Respectfully,
Thank you!
I’ve been a preppier since the mid nineties. The problem is neither liberal nor conservative. Corporate greed, ecological conditions, a rescinding of our moral values is adding up to a collapse of our present civilization; if not the end of humans on this planet. Incidentally, I am a liberal.
Many of us provided thoughtful responses here.
Let’s put this energy and enthusiasm into in-person, community meetings, instead, where we can discuss these issues with our neighbors, face to face, heart to heart, in a productive setting.
This forum was not designed for this purpose, but instead encourages our bitter, short, and divisive comments.
I am a liberal. I also just received my years supply of food today. I’ve had a bug out bag for years and I even have purchased property that is my destination. I own both my home and property free and clear. I know something is coming. It has nothing to do with Trump. It’ll either be an EMP or it’ll be the power grid going down. Thinking and being intelligent has NOTHING to do with being liberal or conservative. Stating that it does is just confirmation bias. The ” I am smart, I am conservative, therefore all conservatives are smart. And since I don’t agree with liberals they are stupid.”
This is dividing our country. I am disappointed that 4 Patriots looks to keep the division going when at the end of the day, we are ALL still Americans.
I’m going to have nightmares for who knows how long after reading these comments left or right! I’m a third gen Democrat, a Girl Scout, a liberal and a prepper. I’m proud of all of this. I worked at the WA Dept of Ecology for 28 years before I retired. As far as I’m concerned, these work together. I always figured that if you had both the left and right pissed off at you, you are probably smack dab in the middle. I don’t care who you are or who you voted for; please stop the demonizing people; that happens far too often. If we can stop this for a while perhaps we can get back on some even footing and figure out some solutions to these problems. I prep because I grew up like that. Think! So did many of us. Nuclear war, famines, genocide, environmental disasters; all the dreadful things that can and have happened have contributed to why we believe prepperdom needs to exist. That has nothing to do with politics, just common sense. Let’s keep it that way!
Why were you laid off from your last corporate job?
Got too old?
I grew up in Minnesota. My Dad was born on a second generation family farm, grandson of immigrants and Mom’s Dad was the son of a railroad detective and a narcissist businesswoman in rural Nashville going back to Jamestown. Moms Mom’s family going back to both mid 19th century immigrants and very early immigrants in Massachusetts. Both sides have very early Native American blood. The son of a Confederate Soldier married the daughter of a Union soldier. Both maternal grandparents have lines back into Catholic Maryland and the northen line has Quackers who sent a son into the Civil War. When we look back at who thrived and who struggled it is stupid to label people by location, religeous affilliation, political affiliation or length of citizenship as stupid, lazy or immoral as a group.
Minnesota for most of the 20th century had excellent public schools, a prison recividism rate of less than 10%, full employment and was a damn good place to live if you didn’t mind the cold and gave a damn about others around you.
All my ancesters were preppers including my late parents. Politics were discussed civilly with hyperbole saved for the weeks before elections and nobody shunned anyone else over a politics until 2000 when the two party tyranny stopped pretending they gave a daemploymen the country, the people or the enviroment.employment. They are fracking in HI for some time now. Talk about lemmings.
It makes me sad when preppers are gleefully waiting for a disaster to kill off people they don’t know for whom they blame the coming disaster when it is a decades old secret schemes of the 1% who operate American politics like a cock fight rather than any kind of wholesome colaboration for the good of all.
If there has to be a war to restore the Constitution and justice for all please, please go after the real enemy not fellow victims who have been expertly set up for us to scapegoat.
Smart Liberal!!?? Isn’t that the same thing as a; model prisoner!? Ahhh, I thought so!! ;>)
Reformed Republican here. Not a Libertarian, but fiscally conservative and socially Liberal. When Cheney put Sarah Palin on the ticket I gave up voting Republican. Vote for the person, not the party. Country first.
You would probably want to deport me because I’m an IMMIGRANT (legal), who came here in 1980 (probably before many of you were born), got a green card as soon as I could, became a naturalized citizen (proudest day of my life) while in medical school, for which I took out no student loans, and have devoted my career to the care of women’s cancers (surgical and medical).
Because of my training I have many medical skills that would be important in a crisis, so don’t hate me for being a liberal immigrant. I have stockpiled medical supplies and prescription medications that would be enough to provide for a small battle group.
I don’t understand the concept of protecting your food stores. Remember the loaves and the fishes? It’s about sharing for the good of all!
I agree completely, Sybil. It’s a shame the “other side” is unable to see us as people with a different view, but still Americans, naturalized or born here.
Patriotheadquarters, i will no longer be spending my “liberal” money on your prep gear. I am a young prepper and was hopping to find a compa y to purchase more rations(is that the right word? Idk im a liberal) from to ensure my families survival during the Trump-ocalypse ever so immenient, glad i saw tbis after my first purchase instead of 2 years from now
Products are still among the best. It is hard to read the “Post Cards from the other side”, though, I agree. Forewarned is forearmed.
Sorry to disappoint you, but I’m a liberal who has also been a prepper for over 30 years — long before the word prepper was invented. Your statement that “conservatives are clearly more intelligent than liberals” is just inane. I’ve taught survivalism for over 20 years on a non-profit basis, am a level III paramedic, a NRA instructor, have certifications in both urban and wilderness SAR, etc. Your obvious ignorance has caused me to remove you from my handout list of recommended websites. I do concede you are clearly much more interested in making money than in prepping. There’s a name for what you are all about: industrial greed. Translated, that means you’re nothing more than a money grubber who is driven not by the idea of prepping but by the need to push a political agenda.
Couldn’t agree more.
I am simply appalled at your comments regarding “Liberals”, they show a complete lack of understanding of what Liberal means as well as a total disregard for a huge swath of the business market that you seemed determined to alienate. I’m a liberal gun owner who has been prepping for years – and it had absolutely nothing to do with politics. I live forty miles from the San Andreas fault and take nothing for granted. To answer your question regarding Trump, just look at his statements over the last few days on North Korea to see why many more of my persuasion are nervous and have been ever since he won the primaries: The man has impulsive, vindictive, and knee -jerk reactions all the time, never knowing when to just shut up. Of all the people who ran in the last election, he was the one I trusted least (with the exception of Christie) to control our nuclear codes.
That being said, bringing politics into your business plan seems to be foolhardy. For example, if I had my own business I would never put a Trump bumpersticker (or Obama) on my Company vehicle. Never. That’s just plain dumb. Further, your statement that “conservatives are considerably better at using the brains God gave them than liberals are. Many liberals are well-meaning, but clearly they have a screw loose.” only serves to make this silly but well-meaning liberal with loose scews want to take his business elsewhere. I don’t need this kind of crap and can get the same from Fox News anytime.
I have Amazon open on my laptop right now, and I assure you that they have competitive prices on just about everything you sell – without the politics. Amazon never insults me.
Me, too, David Pyle! You are on point. I requested a catalogue and got a manifesto, so disappointed. Right along with you at Amazon.
I am another “liberal” customer that you have lost due to your bigotry and insults. In the words of my brother, a very politically conservative person, “why can’t we all get along?”. I think that name-calling and stereotyping and looking for an enemy rather than looking for commonalities and trying to support other Americans is the reason. I will now buy my generator (which I was just about to do on your site), water filters, food, etc. From someone else.
Janis, MOST of us can get along! We just don’t need the religious and political nonsense. Right along with you Ill be making my purchases big purchases elsewhere.
Naaaaa they will wait to,the last second then claim free survival supplies should be given to each . But seriously yes they are and it’s based on the entire global threat currently . Put party line aside we have nut jobs around the globe with itchy fingers and don’t give a dam attitude . If we don’t stop this petty end fighting within our own nation we become extremely week . This dumbass party war that’s been going on for a decade has got to stop our nation is not a dam ball game these people have the power to destroy millions of lives . America must straighten up dump the criminal corporations and banks . Since that’s not going to happen everyone had better be prepping because it’s coming folks . History repeats its self nations are built to be ripped apart . In the light of a global war the far far left liberals will grow up dam fast of fade away .
Yeah, that blog post was insulting. I’ve bought a few things from this company, but I don’t think it’s very intelligent and it is pretty “wack-o” to insult parts of your customer base. I served two terms in Iraq. I’m a patriot. I don’t really like to be labeled, but I guess I’m “liberal” bc I want there to be environmental protections, so that my children and grandchildren have clean air and water to breathe! The GOP is so short-sighted on environmental issues; they only care about $$$ for big corporations in the short term! Trump doesn’t put America First; he puts Trump first. He is ANTI-CHRIST. I would not want my children to die in one of his corrupt wars! He is already in violation of the constitution: emoluments clause, conflicts of interest, nepotism, won’t release his taxes, etc… Ok, I’m going to finally unsubscribe from this newsletter and take my business elsewhere. There are plenty of companies with a similar products and they are not so outright hateful and bigoted. Yes BIGOTED- look it up in the dictionary. You are so intolerant of people with different political opinions from you; that you’ll insult and alienate them rather than invite their business. Now, does that indicate an advanced intellect? Grow up!
“Prepping” isn’t new. Just the term, “Prepping”, is relatively new. Don’t forget to have a good supply of toilet paper – with a 25-year shelf life.
I have been prepping for many years and it has nothing to do with Trump! I am a Dem and liberal in many of my views! It does not matter who sits in the WH but rather the congress.
I am ready for what ever comes and have been since the lat 90’s. So stop all this LIB/ CON BS, it is smart people that prep and political views have nothing to do with it.
Each person who can sustain themselves in an emergency, is one less that has to be rescued and one less that is trying to take what I have.
However, I think many, if not most, of these brand new preppers will stop when they realize Trump is not going to destroy America.
I hope they don’t. We are still facing a collapse of some sort, but not because of Trump. This has been in process and planned for a very long time now. I think even Jeanne knows this, or she would not be a long term prepper.
I am not defending the author. There is no name given. He/she was insulting. But I can see where he is coming from. I am not excusing him.
I know a lot of liberals both socially and professionally. In fact professionally, I am always a very small minority. We even have some of them in our prepping meetings that are open to the public. We had some in our CERT classes.
This is what I have observed:
Liberals are known to be in favor of big government controlling our lives. If there is a problem, there should be a law to fix it. ANY De-regulation scares them. Just look at the panic and comments on the internet right now. The opposite would be Libertarian.
Liberals tend to look to government for their security and safety net. This I see a lot: Even when liberals live their personal lives with conservative principles, they tend to believe that no one else can survive without government intervention. For it is the governments responsibility and not their own personal responsibility to do charitable work.
However, I have seen the Overton window moved over so far, that many who claim to be conservative would no longer want to get rid of social security or medicare, even in the face of both of them going bankrupt and bankrupting our country.
My personal opinion is the federal government is one of limited and specified duties and should not go beyond those limits.
Under these principles, it is easy to understand that a liberal may be a prepper, while believing his or her neighbor can’t do it for themselves, and vote that way. There is a certain cognitive disconnect there, but it does not mean they are stupid.
However, every time we have an emergency, it seems some people have to prove that theory. Those are the people dumster diving a mere 2 days into Superstorm Sandy. They are the ones on their roofs awaiting rescue because they refused to evacuate.
I have painted with a broad brush. If this does not describe you perfectly, I am not trying to offend you. But the first step to understanding each other is to talk to each other and listen to each other.
If you want to move to Canada, don’t let the door hit you on the way out. If you want to stay and work to improve our financial stability, I will stand by you and work with you.
As you mentioned, Pogo, “Liberals are known to be in favor of big government controlling our lives.” And that’s one of the big differences in what I’ve seen between conservatives and liberals. Conservatives are all about self-reliance, and as you wrote, that’s “one less that has to be rescued.”
I consider myself liberal. Why do you all insists on believing that ALL liberals are the same. I am liberal in some of my thinking. However, I AM NOT in favor of big government/corporations. I am also smart enough to prep and learn life saving skills. I am also a medic. All things that are useful in case of the SHTF moment. And yes, I am liberal.
I too think it’s time I take my business elsewhere, and all of my liberal friends whom I referred to this site will follow suite.
As one poster said, America will be destroyed by the bickering of our own parties. I’m paraphrasing rather than quoting. The truth is still the truth and that’s the truth.
News flash… you are a Libertarian. Look it up. Fiscally conservative and socially liberal. Let people do what they want and keep the government small and out of the way. Welcome!
Hey! I am one of those liberals you are dissing in your emails! I am also a customer of yours! I also have over 30 years in marketing. Let me explain something to you.
LIBERALS PREP FOR THE SHTF EVENTS TOO! Now, I have long been a prepper and I have quite a bit of your product and have been looking for ways to afford more. But I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to insult your client base or call them names. This is one thing that just doesn’t go along with business. Are you looking to make money and help people survive a crisis or do you just want to help right wing conservatives survive and let the rest go to hell?
Because it looks like that last one is what you are going for. Really?
In case you are more interested in making money, let me explain to you that you are missing a huge (spelled in American English, not Trump’s illiteracy) opportunity to market to a whole lot of people whose hair is on fire, whose minds’ are exploding and who now KNOW that the SHTF November 8 and they have woken up to the need to survive without government, despite government and maybe while fighting said government. I am already making backup plans to move to Canada. Do you get it yet?? Liberals see Trump as the worst thing that could happen to our country and to democracy, rule of law and civilization. The Nostradamus experts have pulled all the quatrains about Trump’s win and the ensuing start of World War !!!. Psychics are unanimous in sounding alarms. New Agers are seeing this as the final nail in the process of ascension.
If you don’t know about any of this, start googling! If you are interested in expanding your business, STOP shitting on the left and SELL to them! They are open to it! But not many would buy from a company that openly acts like they despise the left so much that they wouldn’t even consider selling to them!
So Make it Clear: DO YOU WANT MY BUSINESS OR IS MY MONEY NOT GREEN ENOUGH FOR YOU??
Respectfully,
An unabashed liberal
Breaking news Canada doesn’t want you
Your right Canada doesn’t want them . Just like a liberal it’s ok for liberal businesses to talk shit about conservatives and not sell to them like I’ve seen in the past year but now the shoe is on the right foot their freakin out. Love it
Wow! Intelligence? Are we going there? I could be labeled a liberal, but I grow food, use a wood stove, recycle/compost EVERYTHING and paid off my mortgage. Can’t think of anything more conservative. Oh wait, PEACE. Peace is conservative.
It really doesn’t matter who is President,life is going to End one way or another.do you know what will happen after that!
i was born into a prepping family – gulf coast hurricanes, storms and such. i am a second amendment woman but i am also liberal – to an extent. i have never associated being a prepper with politics before. why bring politics into something when all our grandparents did it just to survive day-to-day. i grew up watching my parents and my grands and not once did i connect politics to what we were doing. it was just our way of life. there will always be people – on both sides – who want to stir the pot and get people upset with each other. i just dont understand.
“When you visualize someone preparing for an uncertain future, do you see a liberal or a conservative?”
Haha, nice opening right there, a great question indeed! :D
Joe
First of all, don’t get me wrong. I AM NOT a liberal, and ALL liberals are not weird wackos. That being said, I think Mr. Trump is going to be good for the USA because his antics are making Everyone stand up and take notice, and become more involved in what goes on at the federal government level. THANK GOD the founding fathers gave us 3 branches of government at the federal level. Each branch with it’s own job to do, and each having to answer to the other 2. Let’s ALL support this system and get involved for the “common welfare” of everyone who lives in this blessed country. GOD BLESS THE U.S.A.
amen!
Maybe we (liberals ) are scared to death that Trump will start something that won’t be so good for anyone. I,for one am scared . I don’t know what will happen. Maybe you could leave off the comments about stupid and crazy and welcome any one with a desire to protect themselves and their families from any bad outcomes. your name ( 4PatriotHeadquarters) should mean you adhere to the original principals of the original Patriots ! Thanks!
Thanks, Kathy! Excellent comment, absolutely on point!
Now to answer Frank’s blog.
Preppers like these, as mentioned above, no one needs in their group. I feel that they would be a danger to themselves as well as others.
If they wish to join my group then they would have to prove themselves first. They would have to show that they are serious about learning to survive. They would have to participate and prove their skill set(s). They need to improve themselves and not just go through the motions. Otherwise, I will drop them like a hot rock and not think twice about cutting them free.
Some may call this tough love, I call it the hard case of reality. I don’t need a want-a-be trying to hinder my family and myself or friends from surviving. Prove to me that you are worthy, willing to learn or move on. This is how I feel about want-a-be preppers.
Wow, shows you aren’t so intelligent. I’ve been a prepper for years. I am a liberal. I knew some nut job like Trump would destroy America. I knew it was coming.