I hate to have to say it JAB and ICRCC, but I think you have missed the point. Fifty or sixty years ago every kid knew the source of their food whether they actually farmed themselves or not. Thirty years ago any layperson could fiddle around with an engine to sort out troubles. Twenty years ago if one were to have a degree in any given discipline they would be expected to understand pretty much all of the jargon associated with their field. I'm not talking about the town blacksmith vs the town baker; I'm talking about the basic knowledge of how the world you live in works. It seems to me that it would be impossible to comprehend it all now as it has become so fragmented. I believe that there are people who are prepping today because at some level, they understand that this is what is not sustainable. That this hyper specialization is what has devalued their lives and makes them secretly (or openly) hope for TEOTWAWKI.

I'm a carpenter with a liberal arts degree who likes to read. I think I only have a sense of what the picture looks like and only from a distance. I find it interesting to take these ideas and turn them around to see if they come apart or tighten up.

I think what is missing is education and expectation. 50 or 60 years ago it was expected that you knew about your world and your place in it. There was a practical need to be so engaged. Now there is no need because you can trade money for knowledge. As well there is no expectation that you even understand what you are paying for. In days gone by it was a matter of pride to know how to do things and if you couldn't do them then at least have a basic idea of the theory. Now kids are taught to be dependant and to be disengaged from the world around them. They are taught this by their parents and by the educational system. It is all the pursuit of money and status and very few have the time or inclination to actually TEACH. I agree that it isn't sustainable. The more you surrender your independance...IE knowledge.. to someone else the more you become a slave. There is the old saying.. "Knowledge is power". It has never been more true than it is today. There is a HUGE disconnect between "education" and real knowledge.