Well, a few things, if I may. . .
First off, In the past 20 years (<sigh>), there have been a LOT of false-alarms. From Y2K, SARS (the first time), Earth Changes, Planetary Alignment, Planet X, the Mayan Calendar and many, many others to what we now face in CoViD, we have faced some nebulous threat, time and again. In the ten years prior to that, it was a veritable minefield of potential threats from Massive Earthquakes to what I would suggest was a time when the threat of Insurrection was at a level only superceded by the late 1760's and 1770's (with notable exceptions during the Whiskey Rebellion and 1860's). People get tired of hearing the bell ringing.
We have also faced one of the greatest onslaughts against those who prepare as part of their general lifestyle in the form of Doomsday Preppers. While this series helped bring the topic to the forefront, they went out of their way to ridicule and sensationalize those who they featured. I stopped watching after they practically butchered one of the most well-known proponents of preparedness as if he were an outright kook (granted, he may have been, but here's a guy who wrote articles and books for decades on sane preparedness topics).
When the average "prepper" is equated with a 450-lb fat guy on a Quadrunner bedecked body armor and helmet that are two sizes two small with his attack Yorkie beside him spouting about how he's going to repel multiple attackers from his "compound," or a self-described "Apex Predator" whose one attempt at a "Tough Guy," MMA-style fight lasts less time than his pre-fight pack of Twinkies, or a chick who claims her level of "super fitness" will make her the victor in any post-apocalyptic scenario (while simultaneously failing her National Guard basic entry fitness test) and how she'll simply "off" her cat with a judicious .22 behind Mister Fluffykins' ear prior to bugging out. . . yeah, the image of prepperdom became a bit tarnished.
But, survivalists/preppers have always been. They tend not to be those who gleefully jump on any bandwagon. As a general rule, they are focused a bit more long-term than the average person on the street.
My wife and I are such people. We jogged this way and that with our preps, over the years. We've had some false starts and some minor modifications, but it's a lifestyle for us, not a fad. We were just as ready 25 years ago as we are today with some rather significant changes.
What we have seen is that the Band-Wagoners do tend to come out of the woodwork when a threat is perceived, though. This is evident usually right before an election (as we're seeing it add to the current frenzy, right now).
In all honesty, it is our opinion that the next four years will probably hearken in a whole new shift in the American Landscape. I don't want to get political, here, but with some of the issues, and how they're being presented by the political actors, if Trump doesn't get elected this next cycle, it's gonna get a whole lot of Chinese Interesting. Even if he does, imagine four years from now when there is no Donald Trump to run against the libs. But, enough of that.
Preppers are and always will be. Band-Wagoners will always jump on and off, depending upon the tune and tempo. When this is all over, you'll have the same people doing the same things they've always done.
Every now and then, someone will gig the conductor on the behind and the band will play louder and faster and more people will hear the music, but it will get old and they'll go back to their Facewebs and Inter-Books and laugh at how silly they are.
Remain. Survive. Live.
The Professor
