If all hell broke loose right now, what would you do?

[Leedo2502]

I'm with the dictator idea. People are notoriously short sighted and vote themselves into comfort and an easy life every chance they get.

In a non-crisis situation a total democracy is a horrible idea, in a crisis it'd end up being a suicide pact.

[Solanine]

there are no "leaders" per se, the representatives don't make the decisions, they relay the will of the people and the majority rules. they wouldn't be disparate communities of people walled off from each other, they would commune together and work together for the colony, the only differrence is that one man would be elected to represent so many people to the colony, as a means of maintaining order.

one final thing on guns (which are very relevant to the end of the world), more people may be shot in the US, but home invasions are much higher in the UK. here, if a man comes in my home by force, i can shoot him, in the UK you can be charged with murder for killing an intruder in your own home. you also look at the number of murders, but what you don't look at is defensive gun use, which some estimates put as high as 2.5 million per year. that's people using guns to defend their lives, even if it's something as simple as drawing down (most defensive gun uses never involve firing a gun and so go unreported).

No leaders sounds like a very easy way to create in-efficiency etc. Possibly the population should vote on a leader with elections every six months (as a start). For major issues eg changes to the law the electorate are consulted but minor things are handled by the leader + cabinet. people would be assigned positions based on experience. So there would be a place for an agricultural minister whom would be elected for a fixed period as well as a defence minister etc etc.

As far as final gun comments go, invading america (assuming you could defeat the military juggernaut) would be near impossible due to its citizens being armed and ready but thats not how you sink the country. Insurrectionism and economics are the tools. if you can turn those internal arms against each other or cripple the infrastructure via economics then you may cause enough chaos that you no longer need to invade in the first place. We rely on our police forces for dealing with crime.If the citizen does not feel safe relying on the police alone he can be trained in unarmed combat at his own cost. Cross bows are quite legal.

[usmcludwig]

At this current time- I'd probably just die

Knuckles are bloody- guns are away, food is low, dehydration at near 80%

Boned.

[stat]

Let's think the hospital scenario through given what we've seen in We're Alive.

During Phase One of a zombie apocalypse you can expect the hospitals to get over run quickly and early. No matter how, or where the outbreak occurs, some of the infected are going to end up being transported to the hospital, where they are going to turn and spread the infection. The first wave of zombies, whether they come in through the doors or they come out of the emergency room, will over run the hospital and in short order it is going to be picked clean of human prey. The key to survival during this phase is to find a good place to hide and secure yourself. I'd suggest locking yourself in the most secure room you can find (radiology labs, store rooms, etc.) and douse the approaches with alcohol to hide your scent.

In Phase Two you can expect most of the zombies to leave in search of places where there is still prey. We saw this We're Alive at The Tower, and The Other Tower, where all but a handful of zombie hangers-on were gone by the time survivors searched the locations. Even Cain Memorial Hospital seemed to be occupied by just a handful of lurkers and malingerers up to the point that the zombie army arrived, presumably from the Stadium. This would be the time to search the hospital to gather supplies, look for other survivors and make your plans. Just be sure to arm yourself to deal with the lurkers!

For what it's worth, you might check home health care agencies during Phase One. Home healthcare workers (RNs, CNAs, etc.) get most of their supplies through the agency, which bills the patient's insurance or the patient him/herself directly. From there, you could take everything from gauze and hydrogen peroxide solution to morphine and saline bags (depending on what the agency has at the time of the attack.) They would have less than a hospital, but there should be enough dressings and such to last you through the initial wave. And unlike a hospital, most of the workers will probably abandon the offices asap. They usually aren't a great place to hide though. Many of them are just offices in strip malls or larger buildings.
Another good place to check would be a skilled care facility (as opposed to a retirement home, which probably won't have a lot of medications or dressings.) Most of the people in that facility are going to be physically impaired. So you could probably defeat them easily even if they are zombies. They will have a lot of pain medications, dressings for wounds, antibiotics and antibiotic creams, as well as blankets, sheets, and other stuff you'll need for daily life. Skilled care facilities for patients with Alzheimer's aren't a bad place to hide out, after you've secured them. They often have fences around them, not many windows that face out, and a central courtyard of some kind. They wouldn't be perfect but they could do in a pinch.

I don't know where else to propose this, so I'll do it here: I would try taking Rifampin or Sulfasalazine because both can change the color of your sweat. This might alter the smell enough to put the zombies off their meal as well.

[Witch_Doctor]

It's not looking good for me. A co-worker and I were comparing items that we have in our bug-out bags. I told him I plan to rebuild civilization. His response, "Please don't tell me you have a bug-out bag full of books."
Well, not only books. I have an ample supply of ketchup and Taco Bell sauce packets.

Also, this morning as I was getting out of bed, my wife was waiting for me outside to the bedroom door. When I opened the door she stood in the door way and said, "Woowoowoo...." To defend myself I made some Wizard of Oz Cowardly Lion-like pawing motions in the air.

I guess those packets of ketchup and taco sauce will make the rest of y'all taste better as I can see now which team I'll be on.

[Witch_Doctor]

I don't know where else to propose this, so I'll do it here: I would try taking Rifampin or Sulfasalazine because both can change the color of your sweat. This might alter the smell enough to put the zombies off their meal as well.

I came across some Human Scent removal soap in a sporting goods store's hunting section. Does this work to mask a person's scent?

[Solanine]

Hmmm, comes back to Bill Murrays survival plan from Zombie Land, act like them and they'll leave you alone.
Although I really don't feel like smelling that way. Angel and Riley didn't seem to take to it.

[Blues_127]

The conversation seems to have progressed, but my first priority would be to get out of my home. Not very Zombie proof. In that home though I have a nice collection of firearms, however, and I would arm my family (they would likely arm themselves as my son has his two rifles in his room and my wife keeps her own shot gun & .38), grab our bug out bags, and head to the desert (behind my house). Thinking lack of zombie food and clear fields of fire would be a good thing. From there, I would link with my dad a few miles away over the desert hills (who is a prepper) and see what he's got going on.

Having gone through hurricanes, floods and earth quakes. I'd like to believe for the most part people would come togethor. In the initial shock of traumatic events everyone would probably be pretty wide eyed not knowing what to do. In the first days it would be a task to just keep everyone alive that you can. Then you could work to seek tools & items and people with specific skills etc.

In the debate between an armed society or not, democracy vs. dictator - look to our ancestors; in most situations where there is little central government and frontier style living there is no question - you are either armed, starving, or dead. All citizens being armed is not a bad thing and would not pre-dispose a dictator. Human Nature & the need for immediate decisive decisions, I think, would decide this for us.

[reaper239]

woah, i gotta bump this, it was like, on the third page or some nonsense like that. post up mi hombres

[Cabbage Patch]

Another good place to check would be a skilled care facility (as opposed to a retirement home, which probably won't have a lot of medications or dressings.) Most of the people in that facility are going to be physically impaired. So you could probably defeat them easily even if they are zombies. They will have a lot of pain medications, dressings for wounds, antibiotics and antibiotic creams, as well as blankets, sheets, and other stuff you'll need for daily life. Skilled care facilities for patients with Alzheimer's aren't a bad place to hide out, after you've secured them. They often have fences around them, not many windows that face out, and a central courtyard of some kind. They wouldn't be perfect but they could do in a pinch.

Excellent points! There are some additional advantages to raiding, or even setting up base in skilled nursing facilities. Here in California they all have emergency food and water supplies (one week's worth for residents and staff) and they are increasingly using shelf-stable packaged food and water storage products to meet this requirement (http://www.hmcomposite.com/nutricopi...s_for_all.html). They also have backup generators that, unlike hospitals, don't come on automatically when the electrical grid goes down, so they won't necessarily be out of fuel when you find them. So as long as the building isn't damaged you could expect decent pickings months, even years after the WA zombie apocalypse.