Preparing is useless

Many people here seem to believe that they can make it through collapse by learning some skills or preparing for collapse. But the sad reality is that almost all of those things are for no use in actual collapse.

You say that growing food is something we should do? Yes, sure that is a nice thing. Gardening is nice. But what happens if you don't have any source of water? This is something people forget. When collapse hits, the urban areas might not have anymore clean water. Rivers and lakes near major cities are almost always so contaminated that you can't drink from them. And you can't depend on rain in many areas. Also there are simply too many people in the large cities. Urban people are completely dependent on imported food. Without constant import of food and clean water most people in large urban areas would just perish. And there would be constant fighting over food and drinkable water. If you have any food growing during collapse, you are basically first target for the hungry who are willing to kill just to get even some food.

Then there are people who say that "I can make it if I just learn to repair things". No you can't. There are probably thousands of people living near you that can do the job faster and better. When collapse hits, cities are full of highly educated and experienced engineers, mechanics, carpenters and electricians. If you now start to learn something, it's too late. We have only few years left now. Maybe a decade if we are really lucky.

Some people might say that they survive because they have guns. Well, what do you think happens to the army of your country during collapse? The military will form it's own groups which take control of large water and food resources. Having few handguns or a rifle won't make a difference when there are literal armies marching through the streets, taking whatever they can get. And being a Rambo is just a fiction. Post-collapse won't be some Wild West where the best shooter wins.

And hunting or fishing aren't an option. If you are living in an urban area, finding game is impossible unless you can travel great distances to deep forests. Nearly all water areas around cities don't have fish in them. That is no way to get enough food. And all the rural areas will be full of hunters killing away every single animal.

The only possible way to survive collapse, is to be part of some large, self-sustaining, rural community which has it's own paramilitary group. If you aren't already part of one or have deep connections, you don't stand a chance during collapse. But also large criminal gangs can probably make it for a while. If you want to survive you need to be part of armed group that has access to clean water and food. Those groups and their leading warlords take power when state doesn't work anymore. Look at countries like Somalia and you see what happens when society collapses. So, you should start to socialize with the members of your local criminal organizations. They can protect their own during violence and crisis. But of course most of us aren't able to do that, since violence is something we don't want. We have become too civilized.

It's obvious that most of us won't make it, no matter what we learn or do. Collapse is a mass destruction and the odds are that you are one of those who just die. Especially if you aren't physically strong and healthy. If you need regular medical care or medication to survive, you should just accept that you die soon. It is just how history goes. History doesn't have mercy for individuals, no matter how hard they fight. The individualist neoliberal culture has just brainwashed us to believe that we are something more than animals and part of human species. There is no fate or destiny which protects you. No God can help you. We can't even help ourselves most of the time.