I live in the US and not only are people light years away from recognizing collapse, there is a good portion still denying the climate crisis and a large portion still supporting Trump. The narcissism here is inherent to the American narrative and culture. To believe in collapse would require the humility to note ones fallibility.
The "American exceptionalism" myth has really worked to injure Americans. It's heart-breaking. Australia is not far behind - the individualism and the "she'll be right" mythology is working in a not dissimilar way
I was discussing this very thing with my husband the other day and I wondered how much of it is built on the narratives Americans and Australians seem to have been fed from birth about their unique ability to create their civilizations in relatively recent history. There's such a huge emphasis on rugged individualism (at least, in the US; I can't speak to Australia).
Absolutely. And I would add here in the US it feels very sink or swim - have success as an individual or feel shame. People are made to feel shame if they can't get ahead: they aren't working hard enough, trying hard enough...this is the land of opportunity! You should be thriving! And when you can't, because student loan debt is insane, minimum wage hasn't moved, the housing market is crippled by private equity ownership, there are not enough social supports in place...well, then, it's your fault.
No disagree entirely - we are very very different from the myth of American exceptionalism. We are descendants of convicts and murderous squatters - we hold shame close and constantly reiterate with tall poppy syndrome. Australia is strange for sure - but we haven’t bought the dream of American exceptionalism - we know we don’t matter.
That may be true in a broader sense. But we definitely have a problematic attitude to accepting the real history of this country and its impact on the original custodians, preferring to adopt individualistic / NIMBYism. You just have to listen to John Howard and his successors to get a taste of that.
I think John Howard was just our version of neo liberalism. And yes we can’t accept what happened on this soil, and while it may be similar to what happened in other settler colonial states, we are not like America in so many ways. It we are all Western countries and it appears we face the collapse of the West (and we are taking the planet down as we go) - none of us get out of this alive and I dont think we should score card our preparedness for collapse. We are all human after all.
We’ve been fed the saviour complex narrative that we are the ‘good guys’ defending democracy and freedom from the bad, underdeveloped world. Money as virtue. Capital as king. Only now are we waking up to the ‘other side’ through postcolonial studies and actually listening to other people’s experiences of the West. A fantastic unintended consequence of the globalised economic system is we can begin to join the dots, if our eyes and ears are open.
I made a lengthy reply and then it went away before I could hit send so if you find a lost message somewhere let me know! 🧐 lol I hate when that happens.
Yes—I live in the US too, and I call it the United States of Denial. Centuries of slavery and the decimation of indigenous societies would have been impossible without massive population-wide denial. It’s baked into our culture, and it makes us vulnerable to all kinds of fantasy—whether American exceptionalism, Ayn Rand acolytes believing only genius lives matter, the religion of capitalism and the invisible hand, prosperity gospel or the coming rapture, beliefs in racial or moral supremacy, cocooning in suburban enclaves, addictions to blot out reality, social justice bullies thinking language wars will solve everything, Fox zombie climate denial. Believers from all over are drawn here. And Trump is the manifestation of both the fantasy narrative built on a fire hose of lies and the desperate need to bury truth in the shadows no matter what it takes. He is the Godzilla of the American id running amok in the world.
Maybe people in NZ and Australia who are struggling with such big things going on but no one to talk to about it over here should form a group. On both surviving mentally and in other ways too or just to talk in general about it all.
There was a post I did some time back where subscribers wanting to talk w others alive to this topic could connect with each other. Quite a few NZ groups were formed. I'll try dig up the link!
I was raised by a mother who kept a stockpile of essentials, having herself been a displaced child during WW2. Since the 1983 bushfire I’ve carried all my essential documents with me whenever I’ve left the house. My car is always stocked with water, a wool blanket and snacks :: here in rural Australia it makes sense to traverse distances with something to sustain you in case of breakdowns or bushfires.
I used to have the blankets and water in the car. I have become complacent since we purchased a smaller car. I am wondering if a survival kit in Australia is an overreaction. I think I am in denial about it getting that bad here. I will bring my scout training to the forefront- Be Prepared ,
I have been an apocaloptimist for the past few decades and as my children have grown (9 and 11 now) navigating the in-betweeness is challenging. That space between tending to the now and dreaming and crafting the next, between keeping the lights on and lighting the path forward. It feels like being asked to survive the end of the world as we know it… while still making school lunches and answering emails. And part of this work is naming, as you do Sarah, that we are already in collapse. Of certainty, of modernity, of the current paradigm in many ways. And that’s exhausting. So we hold space not just for action, but for lament. For quiet witnessing of what’s hard.
And somehow, in that honesty, new energy arises.
It is crickets here in Aus more broadly. The tyranny of distance, the "she'll be right" attitude, election cycle fluff... "oh the footy". But the quiet conversations acknowledging these realities are happening when we question, listen, and engage with care. I know there is certainly more focus and momentum on crafting community resilience in rural and regional areas as climate and ecological risks are more prescient.
I live on Bidjigal and Gweagal clan lands in urban Sydney and it's "consumer as usual" on the surface. Much more brewing and being seeded in the cracks though. Slower contagion through positive deviance.
Thank you Matthew, my children are the same age, and we've been on this journey of awareness since 2017. You put into words exactly what I feel. I'm a local city Councillor in NZ and trying to funnel as much resource into community initiatives and work as I can, because there is no steering a govt ship that is obsessed with road cones and removing words from Ministry documents. They're in their own world, and leaning heavily into the 'rage farming' culture of keeping people perpetually outraged and ready to lash out. I'm out here trying to illuminate pathways and 'on ramps' for people to find communities that will sustain them through collapse, trying to get as many trees in the ground as we can, trying to build food infrastructure in the city, all sorts, while it all unravels...but meanwhile, the school lunches need to be made, the fun needs to be had, the sanity needs to be kept. What a journey!
Sounds like you’re doing the real work of building the social infrastructure to support communities Kaydee! Food resilience is an awesome on-ramp to the world we need to midwife into being as we hospice the old. My partner and I are super focused on that too with Collective Futurecrafting. While also trying to dance and play as best as possible in the in between. What a journey indeed :)
Connecting community is important in that resilience piece- Do you reckon rural or small towns do some of that better than cities? The chats, check ins, meet ups, village events, seasonal fests, conversations, smiles, waves out the car - the steps along the way and the glue that connects is, helps resilience.
Hiya Alex, from what I've seen smaller towns and rural communities tend to do it better. The "rat race" and atomisation of living in the city and urban areas certainly make it more challenging.
But starting small, a little harvest sharing, stopping for a yarn or even just saying hi to the neighbours... all helps.
Here in New Zealand trying to navigate it all while my partners in Europe and I am seeing the full picture. Here no one talks of it. But I do believe there are a number who are concerned but because people are not sure if they can bring it up without looking like a bringer of doom or others might not want to hear we stay silent. But I’m worriedly watching and thinking about it all. Many people who are trying to survive the economic turbulence won’t turn their thoughts to it unless the politicians bring it up or the media and neither really do. I think a lot of my earthquake preparedness stuff that I’m working on might cross over with some of the other stuff but to be honest with all that’s befallen me in the last five years since the pandemic as a result of it I’m having to pull my attention away a bit atm as my nervous systems been a bit shattered. But I guess my learning other survival skills because of earth quake preparedness stuff might help. Hmm learning to light a fire though yr right I need practice! Worrying too if we all started doing that though in dry season!
Your comment has helped me a lot...I'm having to decide whether or not to stand for re-election to Council and it feels so disingenuous to be silent on this during a campaign. So maybe I just bite the bullet and put it out there. Good thing about Kiwis is they (mostly) appreciate calling a spade a spade, and aren't really into BS...so maybe there are lots of people out there who would appreciate someone telling it like it is, instead of selling promises about sustainable growth. The economic turbulence is going to get much worse I reckon, being a non-productive exporter island so far removed from the rest of the world...the international cost/benefit won't hold up, and our infrastructure deficit will get worse. Yet, as you say, the political and media narrative is laser focused on whatever gets clicks, so public discourse is hijacked by road cone hotlines 🤷♀️
Goodness Kaydee - this is incredible to read. What a way to allow the "universe" to make the decision... throw it out there and if it sticks, then you are meant to run again
Oh yes if you can please stand for council! I’ve literally been saying where are the people discussing what’s going n a fervently searching! We need people like you! Because yes I think the public needs to know the real situation and how it affects us so maybe then we can work on it. I’m distraught at the lack of voices speaking up about it. Yup I do think if it’s done in the right way kiwis at least a fair proportion of them will hear. We like authentic truth and we do know we aren’t getting that at the moment. I would love you to be in the ring! I feel like excuse the sheep reference but like lambs to slaughter with our lack of proper info at the moment.
Kia ora Kaydee, thanks for sharing. Sounds like you're doing great work identify and develop the groups and activities we need to develop more of in community - especially in food resilience. Food systems are vital, more hyperlocal growing. It's such a connector, universal, and vehicle to celebrate and share our culture and family stories and rituals.
I'm in Te Whanganui a Tara and have 12 &14yo.
I'd be keen to connect with other followers of Wild / Sarah in Aotearoa - maybe an NZ apocoloptimist club? (Great term from Matthew.)
100% let's do it! We need this. Let's rep the lower North Island. We're planning a series of permaculture events based off the online panel talks for World Permaculture Day, to get some gritty and practical resilience discussions going, with a side of hands on stuff. Maybe we can collaborate!
Let's connect off this platform? Or is there a more private chat channel here on Sarah's substack? Sorry new to this platform so not sure how we can connect more privately but stay linked to this Wild community. I'm happy to mesg you my email.
I have a bit much going on work & life to meet IRL in next 3 weeks but would love to connect, maybe meet online. I'd like to watch one of those Permy festival sessions with like minded peeps 💚
Hi Matthew, thanks for your thoughts. Our children are the same age! So strange to live ‘normal’ life knowing all this. I’m curious if your partner is on board? Mine (Australian though I’m English and we live in the UK) is resistant, partly because his Aussie family are firmly in the “she’ll be right mate” mentality. It’s very tricky to navigate on my own.
Thanks for sharing Amy :) It feels strange when you acknowledge and embody what is unfolding for sure. And super hard to navigate on your own. I’m fortunate my partner is onboard and does work in permaculture, regeneration and holistic medicine and health. The conversations with our extended family are still hard though. The she’ll be right mate apathy and ignorance can run deep. She had a 2hour conversation with my brother and his partner yesterday exploring the alternatives and pathways to bring to life what can support communities through collapse… mostly around food, community gardens and local harvest sharing. Takes time, love and care to tend to these types of conversations. I’ve found that talking about the practical aspects of growing your own food and starting tiny are a good entry point. There is some awesome work being done with the citizens collective many who are based in the uk.
Where would one start on their apocaloptimist journey? I am in a very suburban area in the U.S. the farthest I’ve gotten that even slightly resembles this is with a group of friends w a monthly rucking/hiking club that was formed post Trump 2.0 election. It was a small thing we felt was needed to ensure we maintain and nurture a community we all care about in order to protect and insulate us from despair. And it has to a certain degree been successful in doing that but we need to move on from just getting together monthly. Do you suggest any reading or resources I could go to to help me navigate where to start with all of this? It feels like an intuitive direction to begin to focus on not just from a practical and survivalist standpoint but from a mental health and wellness perspective as well. There has been this internal compass nudging me towards a lifestyle more centered around actual life. Not sure if that makes any sense. Is it that I’ve lived such a comfortable life that I’m yearning for some real work, not the work I do at my desk everyday. Real work. Work with my hands and body, work that brings people together, work that sustains and fills me up. Part of this is my mid life existential crisis. What time to be in mid life, talk about a double whammy of existentialism. I would really appreciate any guidance you can offer. Sending peace and love.
It is a wonderfully paradoxical word Helene :) Which is why I have embraced it. Being optimistic about our ability as human Earthians to navigate the revealing and revelation of collapse of the old paradigms while we collectively craft the new.
Interesting that Australia is so good at putting out info on preparing for floods, fires, cyclones etc but otherwise nilch on other potential threats. There’s a great org in the Northern Rivers, Plan C (“our plan is Community”), I think you’d enjoy their stuff, Sarah. The founder Jean is great (ah, he’s French — of course ha!) It’d be great for you to talk to him. Off the back of Jean’s work and others and post-2019 fires and 2022 floods, there are community resilience groups across the region. Our hinterland road has two radio comms leaders who will then be tapped into the other radio teams across our small area of the hills in the event of comms going down (they just did a test run in the recent cyclone). So, lots of community stuff happening, but zero from government (though there has been lots of disaster resilience funding from govt the past few years) and no discourse on Trump, collapse etc, more around increased climate-induced “natural” disasters. Perhaps our region is quite unique compared to the rest of Australia though.
If anyone is nearby and interested, Plan C and Indigenous org The Returning are running two week long disaster preparedness camps this year focussed on general prep and also the intersection of disaster preparedness and Indigenous ways of understanding community, culture and Country — https://www.thereturning.com.au/culture-camp
Yes... and that is the message we (also speaking from Northern Rivers here) get from government and aligned agencies and funding bodies. We need to be hyper locally connected in our communities because no one is coming to save us. Our disasters have given us plenty of opportunity to practise (ie we recently went many days without power/mobile and were grateful for a community UHF radio network)...but for me the efforts to be locally prepared have also distracted me from engaging at a greater than local level. And by that I probably just mean publicly/on social media. I talk collapse with friends and in community. But struggling to zoom out.
Being in north Queensland and working for local government, I can confirm we do a LOT of community disaster preparedness and despite the climate we live in, still find the majority of people are relatively blase and unconcerned. As for the bigger picture stuff, (which I guess climate change is very much a part of), it's not something really discussed or considered at a community platform...
Hi Blake, I used to work for a North Qld council (maybe with you??) and agree with you. Lots of cyclone and sustainability prep/info but most of the community is unconcerned. As for food resilience Emma-Kate, Townsville (where I worked) has some outstanding community groups in this space and Council supported them. It was a while back, not sure what is happening now.
Hey Blake, I'm interested in knowing whether the Council is looking at resilience post-disaster. ie. what are they planning with their food systems - is there any energy going into regionalising food supply chains?
Hey Emma-Kate. Food supply chains is waaaaaaay beyond the remit of local government, certainly a regional local government that has a small ratepayer base and a large area to cover, we spend the bulk of our funding and resources on roads, waste and water. Certainly acutely aware of the pressures on our supply chains, particularly after the two major road routes were both cut to North Queensland during rain events earlier this year, but all we can do is advocate. I know the previous QLD government appointed a new Food Farmers' Commissioner which apparently has bipartisan support, not sure where we are at with that now though... https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/101457
I've been exploring how to mentally prepare for authoritarian governance, should our election go the wrong way. The US's collapse is coming in the form of an unchallenged, cruel descent into dictatorial fascism. The apathy of Australians makes me wonder if it could happen here too.
Reading the stories of people who have lived through dictatorships, fascism and authoritarianism feels important to me in this moment; to understand how they built community and remained resilient.
And to nurture the courage to stand firmly in line with my morals, even if society at large abandons theirs.
Keep sharing info on this - normalise dissent and "not staying numb". The more of us that speak up the more...others will feel comfortable asking uncomfortable questions. I think in Australia Trump has been a gift (in terms of keeping Dutton out).
Remember that this one is different than previous dictators with the added help of Musk and the techno boys. We will face a lot of the same but also a lot of additional challenges. For me the biggest difference is that this time he literally wants to burn everything down and destroy out of vengeance. Not only thoughts of changing it so he can stay in power and dictate, just to destroy everyone and everything. 😳
Thanks for this Sarah. I felt for a long time like being even a small part of Australian news industry was a meaningful thing. But increasingly I do not.
It’s not even just that it’s obsessed with the cost of living crisis — I think quietly reporters are more aware of the world situation than most other people.
But the news cycle is driven by what gets read and clicked on because that’s the whole business model now, given the tech companies swallowed up our ad income, and so the business now is reflecting the desires of readers who are obsessed with how the cost of living crisis affects their house prices and whether their husbands will keep cushy resource jobs.
This is what a woman shopping at a premium supermarket in a wealthy area told our reporter when saying she did not want to vote for progressive policies.
They are not thinking about Indigenous people or people who are homeless or young people struggling to pay rent. They are thinking about maintaining insane levels of comfort.
I don’t know what the future holds because I don’t know what work I could do that would mean more, but will start upskilling my family now.
And am definitely breaking up with meta and other tech.
Me and some other writers have just launched a new Substack “writing off meta” if anyone is interested.
“They are thinking about maintaining insane levels of comfort. “ - this is so true. Thanks for writing your response. People in Australia seem to feel very uncomfortable with being challenged in anyway and politics reflects that.
Maybe we have been good at making do. I’m from regional Australia originally and it was about that there. However if you had alternate views about things it could be uncomfortable for people and just not be discussed. Not always of course but I noticed that.
I also think Australians are bad at talking about their feelings and having difficult conversations, like we are very emotionally closed off and our British cultural influences are at play there, and it means that even though many people are having those countercultural thoughts, they find it difficult to have those conversations in public gatherings and social occasions because it is just difficult and awkward, so they stick to small talk and the uncontroversial, in case there is an argument.
Thank you for this post, Sarah. Everytime I go for a walk with my sons, 13 and 15, they discuss survival tactics should nuclear war hit. I have been trying to veer them away from such bleak, dystopian discussion, but wonder now if we should get a bit more strategic. We live in Victoria, Australia. If I talked about collapse in my context of friends and colleagues they would think I’m unhinged!
I’m curious to know your age? I live in Victoria too and was a kid when “Tomorrow When The War Began” came out, which had kids everywhere considering bug out plans for an invasion we suddenly believed was around the corner. Since then I’ve always had thoughts in my mind about where to go, what to do.
I’m 42. Loved the “Tomorrow When the War Began” series that I read in my early teens. Didn’t get into the bug out bag craze back then though, funnily enough.
That’s wild, everyone I know had these elaborate invasion plans. I even learnt to shoot on a friends property! I still love John Marsden’s work to this day, but those books had a massive impact on my world view early on.
I am also in Victoria and when I try to talk about it with my friends I get the following reactions: "It won't happen in our lifetime," or reassurance that I've been reading fake news so "Don't worry," or a shrug of the shoulders, "There's nothing we can do so may as well change the subject so as not to suffer worry before it's actually happened."
Having read the title this morning here in Aus (but not your article yet as I’m at work now), I just wanted to comment on the crickets. As an educated and intelligent Aussie woman I’ve been thinking for a while it’s more than crickets... it’s “ignorance is bliss” and an active suppression of truth and sense-making. Not demonstrated by all people, of course, but it seems too common to not note. I actually am starting to think of a future for myself abroad, but who knows.
Here in Aus, it’s certainly a hypnosis or illusion of a kind that plagues us, but it has for a while.
Now we have surfing and the green tech/investment fairytale to solve any real problem.
I’ve been observing an emerging ‘attitude’ in regional areas (I grew up in one) the past decade, which is what I’m thinking is “Mad Maxdom”. The kind of behaviour that is increasingly accepted and perceived as the cool status quo (i.e like crop dusting your neighbours, building illegal levy banks to flood your neighbours crops, and driving erratically to intentionally run people off a shared one-way road). That kind of thing.
Maybe I am too harsh. Open to other people’s observations and thoughts and research.
What you describe is tragic. I have felt it being in traffic here in Australia - the aggression is shocking. The individualism is rendering us not what we hold ourselves up to be and not what we have valued.
It is, Sarah. My heart is heavy most days and I long to speak to people about these collapse things weighing on my heart & head. I feel like an alien in my own country often and I’m very grateful for all the voices here in your Substack community.
It seems to me like innovation (i.e climate tech) is niche here in Aus and I wish it was more localised and widespread so resilience could expand. I’ve been trying to push projects where I can, but people/leaders haven’t grasped the urgency yet.
I have been trying to learn more about herbalism to expand on my nutrition science degree. I’m also interested in the native bushtucker growing on my family’s farm. I’m starting to make a bit of a ‘Simplification to-do list’ also
I have just spent weeks in South Africa where the sense of community is so strong. Built out of need. Based on poverty and inequality, people love and care with all their hearts for one another. It was profound. We have lost that in Australia 😞
We stacked up on the essentials as recommended by the German governments website, over the years we installed photo/thermo-voltaic incl battery and storage systems that enables us to store and use the solar energy from the panels on our roof. We have been collecting rainwater for 20+ years in an underground tank in the garden, mostly used in washing and garden. We grow lots of our own food, we have a strong neighbourhood barter and social support system, we communicate in person, we dance and eat and play music with our neighbours. We hope for the best. This has neither been initiated by recent Russian cyber war attacks in Europe nor the aggressive Russian attacks on Ukraine. We are just old hippies.
I think Australia is like, 10 years behind the current thinking in Europe and the US right now. Jem Bendell released a provocative blog the other day, suggesting all of US's policies right now are just disguised as collapse preparedness. Looks like the US are battening down the hatches, without trying to raise alarm among the masses. I made a decision to start being a lot more explicit about collapse in my day to day professional interactions - if people write me off as a luny - so be it.
100% agree , they are slowly exiting stage left. Trying to rebuild an internal production system and ramping up defences. And burning everyone else and weakening them as they leave.
The kind of pricks who don’t bring snags or beer to a bbq and then leave with a left over 6 pack from the fridge 😅
Also, I wanted to share that the first 'collapse club' meeting was held here in Brisbane on Sunday - we're hoping to do more work together, but how great that we met here on your substack, Sarah?
Do you have any details on the Bris collapse club? Do you take new members? I used to live in Bris while at uni, but am now based a few hours west. I travel to Bris every now and then
Australians still think that their geographical remoteness will give them some protection, and maybe it will against some threats, but not the technological ones you talk about. We rely on technology as much as anyone, and when it goes down everyone is vulnerable. Thanks for opening my eyes to the discourse in other parts of the world. Time to listen to French news again!
Canadian here. It’s the biggest story there is, with Elbows Up resistance all the way. Consumer led boycott of US goods and US travel. National election where the key issue is who can best stand up to Trump. Which is resuscitating the Liberals from a near death experience! Pivoting in defence spending to increase total spend, partner with others for new kit. eg Australia. “Review “ purchase of American military equipment and alliances. Which are no longer functioning. Protecting our sovereignty from credible threats of annexation. Selling off US T-bills as fiscal leverage against wackadoodle tariffs.
Ie a middle way that is not denial and not caving in to fear.
As an American, this is all so horrifying to so many of us. Idk how we got where we are but it’s terrifying. I tend to try to move on as is for now, making lunch every morning for the kids, go to my monthly bookclub, make time to get outside, move, eat healthy. But I also find myself avoiding the news and trying not to cry every day. Not exactly in denial but not exactly being proactive (besides voting when I can and talking to friends). Being proactive feels scary - I have a family to protect. What can I get away with? Will this comment come back to haunt me? It’s wild that we even have to worry about it. To those of you in Canada, Europe, the rest of the world… I’m sorry. I’m sorry America is making a mess. I’m sorry you are worried about the safety of your families because of our choices (not mine or my friend’s choices, but still America’s choices). There are a lot of good people fighting and standing up everyday. I will work harder. I will educate myself, I will fight for what is right.
Ak, moved by your share. Apology accepted. The first step in any relationship rupture, whether personal or collective. To be followed by repair. I am feeling like a lot of this is unacknowledged collective shadow or unconscious, erupting with force so it is no longer invisible. We must all deal with it. Of course self care and family care. Followed by… small acts of courage. Which can also be contagious, in a good way!
Planned immigration policy has been a cornerstone of Canadian society for decades. A “point based” system to attract those with skills and assets needed. Also a refugee stream. Reasonable social supports for the difficult challenge of landing here as a newcomer. (I’ve worked with social agencies doing this work ). The result has been a broad acceptance of the value of multiple cultures. (Somewhat strained recently). Of course , we’ve been protected by geography of 3 oceans and a long border with usa. So not a lot of migrants crossing our borders. Unlike parts of Europe and America, there is not an understandable anger from people feeling that national borders are porous.
Kia Ora from Aotearoa/New Zealand...where .....hmmmm.... crickets everywhere. People just look a little freaked out if I mention anything about collapse. Most of us feel so far away from conflict, US politics,etc but we are increasingly experiencing climate change events and the downstream effects of global politics. Its expensive. We all have to get on planes to visit family in other countries and have grown up thinking nothing of long haul flights. I think alot of Kiwis feel nothing we do will change global politics in any way, so my friends who think the same way are investing in just doing what they can in their local communities. And protesting about things going on here.
I fear for my children who are living overseas. We like Australia are experiencing a rise of far right rhetoric, and personally I have never protested as much as i have in the last 18 months of this chaotic government we have.
I find your writing extremely interesting Sarah, thank you for sharing and I wish I could attend one of your events.
Thanks for that Sarah, so interesting between areas how thinking plays out.
Lets go back to the times of 2001-2002 and terrorism, and Australian prime time TV campaigns aired in the wake of the terrorist acts urging Australians to remain calm, alert, and report any suspicious activity featuring Steve Liebmann. Be alert but not alarmed!
Terrorism had a scary turban wearing bearded face the media could help us poor simpletons out with putting a "face to a name" so to speak.
Amazing when we go forward to today and the nearing of midnight on the doomsday clock, and not a cracker in the media telling us to be on any kind of alert. They haven't quite nailed what "face" to portray it all.
Australians have their heads down buried in the Bunnings catalogue with an eye on real estate and episodes of Married at first sight, while we get angry about increasing immigration to divert our focus.
Luckily we have a fleet of Virgin pilots to keep an eye out for impending Chinese forces : /
BTW, any good survival kit, add a few pair of Op shop reading glasses. Nothing worse than having the wisest people in the group not be able to read a map due to losing their glasses in the rush.
At the risk of backlash there’s another aspect of this. There is a certain colonialist attitude that underlies this commenting on Australians. It arises from a baseline idea, maybe unconscious, that we are culturally inferior to Europeans. There is a long history of this attitude that probably relates to our convict past. It’s been present my whole life. I’m 65. For a while I too was encultured with the idea that the culture of Europe was ‘superior’ and as a young person couldn’t wait to go there. It was wonderful but not helpful in many ways. I didn’t know at that time how ancient this land was that I was birthed and grew on was. Nor much of the Indigenous culture that had continuously cared for this place. I now know. I find much being said here whilst ‘well intended’ reflective of a colonised point of view. Part of the bigger problem that has lead us all to the brink of social and ecological collapse. Strikes me as very ‘white’ to think that war prepping will save you!
Ahh the hypnotic smugness of Australia. I’m married to an Australian but we live in the UK. He can’t fathom collapse affecting us directly. I joined the dots a few years ago but he is so resistant to even thinking about it - and his parents are virtually climate change deniers. It feels like living in different realities.
ahh 'hypnotic smugness'. yes yes ... such a validating definition. its so challenging to not rage against the ignorance but remain that island of sanity - sometimes an island seemingly so adrift in such a different ocean where others refuse to acknowledge the wet.
Yes Nat, I feel this. It’s completely maddening. And a challenge to be an island of sanity 🙄. Plus we have kids and it’s difficult to prepare on my own as he still thinks I’m overreacting.
Thank you. That’s why the online community are so important! As well as local. I can only think of one person that I know of in my neighbourhood who is willing to talk about it (to be fair, I don’t bring it up much beyond dark hints 😅).
I used to live in Paris. My cohort were so engaged, active and frankly, worried! It was intense and I sometimes felt out of my depth, but I loved it. I now live in an Australian Bayside bubble where there has been a total shift in reality. We discuss renovations and new builds and schools. And not only is collapse not discussed, I have noticed a tone shift in the other direction- at a dinner last month someone said they never actually believed in climate change, almost like that opinion was now edgy. I am looked at like I am in a cult or mentally unstable if I go anywhere near the collapse topic.
I am not denying I can feel complete overwhelm by the state of the world at times, it is hard to look at the horror of what is going down at the moment. But I would rather manage that, than to skate on the surface and talk superficial shit all the time, that is more soul destroying. I found this post so validating, thank you Sarah xx
I live in the US and not only are people light years away from recognizing collapse, there is a good portion still denying the climate crisis and a large portion still supporting Trump. The narcissism here is inherent to the American narrative and culture. To believe in collapse would require the humility to note ones fallibility.
The "American exceptionalism" myth has really worked to injure Americans. It's heart-breaking. Australia is not far behind - the individualism and the "she'll be right" mythology is working in a not dissimilar way
I was discussing this very thing with my husband the other day and I wondered how much of it is built on the narratives Americans and Australians seem to have been fed from birth about their unique ability to create their civilizations in relatively recent history. There's such a huge emphasis on rugged individualism (at least, in the US; I can't speak to Australia).
I think that's actually very much what it's about.
definitely relevant to Australians! It's this hubris that comes with settler colonial mindset that we can do anything.
Absolutely. And I would add here in the US it feels very sink or swim - have success as an individual or feel shame. People are made to feel shame if they can't get ahead: they aren't working hard enough, trying hard enough...this is the land of opportunity! You should be thriving! And when you can't, because student loan debt is insane, minimum wage hasn't moved, the housing market is crippled by private equity ownership, there are not enough social supports in place...well, then, it's your fault.
No disagree entirely - we are very very different from the myth of American exceptionalism. We are descendants of convicts and murderous squatters - we hold shame close and constantly reiterate with tall poppy syndrome. Australia is strange for sure - but we haven’t bought the dream of American exceptionalism - we know we don’t matter.
That may be true in a broader sense. But we definitely have a problematic attitude to accepting the real history of this country and its impact on the original custodians, preferring to adopt individualistic / NIMBYism. You just have to listen to John Howard and his successors to get a taste of that.
I think John Howard was just our version of neo liberalism. And yes we can’t accept what happened on this soil, and while it may be similar to what happened in other settler colonial states, we are not like America in so many ways. It we are all Western countries and it appears we face the collapse of the West (and we are taking the planet down as we go) - none of us get out of this alive and I dont think we should score card our preparedness for collapse. We are all human after all.
We’ve been fed the saviour complex narrative that we are the ‘good guys’ defending democracy and freedom from the bad, underdeveloped world. Money as virtue. Capital as king. Only now are we waking up to the ‘other side’ through postcolonial studies and actually listening to other people’s experiences of the West. A fantastic unintended consequence of the globalised economic system is we can begin to join the dots, if our eyes and ears are open.
I made a lengthy reply and then it went away before I could hit send so if you find a lost message somewhere let me know! 🧐 lol I hate when that happens.
Yes—I live in the US too, and I call it the United States of Denial. Centuries of slavery and the decimation of indigenous societies would have been impossible without massive population-wide denial. It’s baked into our culture, and it makes us vulnerable to all kinds of fantasy—whether American exceptionalism, Ayn Rand acolytes believing only genius lives matter, the religion of capitalism and the invisible hand, prosperity gospel or the coming rapture, beliefs in racial or moral supremacy, cocooning in suburban enclaves, addictions to blot out reality, social justice bullies thinking language wars will solve everything, Fox zombie climate denial. Believers from all over are drawn here. And Trump is the manifestation of both the fantasy narrative built on a fire hose of lies and the desperate need to bury truth in the shadows no matter what it takes. He is the Godzilla of the American id running amok in the world.
Yep. Denial where I live in Canberra Australia, too…
Maybe people in NZ and Australia who are struggling with such big things going on but no one to talk to about it over here should form a group. On both surviving mentally and in other ways too or just to talk in general about it all.
There was a post I did some time back where subscribers wanting to talk w others alive to this topic could connect with each other. Quite a few NZ groups were formed. I'll try dig up the link!
Thank you so much for this!
Here it is!
https://sarahwilson.substack.com/p/community-thread-creating-islands
I was raised by a mother who kept a stockpile of essentials, having herself been a displaced child during WW2. Since the 1983 bushfire I’ve carried all my essential documents with me whenever I’ve left the house. My car is always stocked with water, a wool blanket and snacks :: here in rural Australia it makes sense to traverse distances with something to sustain you in case of breakdowns or bushfires.
I used to have the blankets and water in the car. I have become complacent since we purchased a smaller car. I am wondering if a survival kit in Australia is an overreaction. I think I am in denial about it getting that bad here. I will bring my scout training to the forefront- Be Prepared ,
Thanks everyone.❤️
And to accept the end of American exceptionalism
I have been an apocaloptimist for the past few decades and as my children have grown (9 and 11 now) navigating the in-betweeness is challenging. That space between tending to the now and dreaming and crafting the next, between keeping the lights on and lighting the path forward. It feels like being asked to survive the end of the world as we know it… while still making school lunches and answering emails. And part of this work is naming, as you do Sarah, that we are already in collapse. Of certainty, of modernity, of the current paradigm in many ways. And that’s exhausting. So we hold space not just for action, but for lament. For quiet witnessing of what’s hard.
And somehow, in that honesty, new energy arises.
It is crickets here in Aus more broadly. The tyranny of distance, the "she'll be right" attitude, election cycle fluff... "oh the footy". But the quiet conversations acknowledging these realities are happening when we question, listen, and engage with care. I know there is certainly more focus and momentum on crafting community resilience in rural and regional areas as climate and ecological risks are more prescient.
I live on Bidjigal and Gweagal clan lands in urban Sydney and it's "consumer as usual" on the surface. Much more brewing and being seeded in the cracks though. Slower contagion through positive deviance.
positive deviance! yes!!!!
Model it for it to be mimicked in memetics.
Thank you Matthew, my children are the same age, and we've been on this journey of awareness since 2017. You put into words exactly what I feel. I'm a local city Councillor in NZ and trying to funnel as much resource into community initiatives and work as I can, because there is no steering a govt ship that is obsessed with road cones and removing words from Ministry documents. They're in their own world, and leaning heavily into the 'rage farming' culture of keeping people perpetually outraged and ready to lash out. I'm out here trying to illuminate pathways and 'on ramps' for people to find communities that will sustain them through collapse, trying to get as many trees in the ground as we can, trying to build food infrastructure in the city, all sorts, while it all unravels...but meanwhile, the school lunches need to be made, the fun needs to be had, the sanity needs to be kept. What a journey!
Sounds like you’re doing the real work of building the social infrastructure to support communities Kaydee! Food resilience is an awesome on-ramp to the world we need to midwife into being as we hospice the old. My partner and I are super focused on that too with Collective Futurecrafting. While also trying to dance and play as best as possible in the in between. What a journey indeed :)
Hi Matthew - thanks for sharing your peespective.
Connecting community is important in that resilience piece- Do you reckon rural or small towns do some of that better than cities? The chats, check ins, meet ups, village events, seasonal fests, conversations, smiles, waves out the car - the steps along the way and the glue that connects is, helps resilience.
'Collective futurecrafting' really conveys positive collaborative change making!
Hiya Alex, from what I've seen smaller towns and rural communities tend to do it better. The "rat race" and atomisation of living in the city and urban areas certainly make it more challenging.
But starting small, a little harvest sharing, stopping for a yarn or even just saying hi to the neighbours... all helps.
Here in New Zealand trying to navigate it all while my partners in Europe and I am seeing the full picture. Here no one talks of it. But I do believe there are a number who are concerned but because people are not sure if they can bring it up without looking like a bringer of doom or others might not want to hear we stay silent. But I’m worriedly watching and thinking about it all. Many people who are trying to survive the economic turbulence won’t turn their thoughts to it unless the politicians bring it up or the media and neither really do. I think a lot of my earthquake preparedness stuff that I’m working on might cross over with some of the other stuff but to be honest with all that’s befallen me in the last five years since the pandemic as a result of it I’m having to pull my attention away a bit atm as my nervous systems been a bit shattered. But I guess my learning other survival skills because of earth quake preparedness stuff might help. Hmm learning to light a fire though yr right I need practice! Worrying too if we all started doing that though in dry season!
Your comment has helped me a lot...I'm having to decide whether or not to stand for re-election to Council and it feels so disingenuous to be silent on this during a campaign. So maybe I just bite the bullet and put it out there. Good thing about Kiwis is they (mostly) appreciate calling a spade a spade, and aren't really into BS...so maybe there are lots of people out there who would appreciate someone telling it like it is, instead of selling promises about sustainable growth. The economic turbulence is going to get much worse I reckon, being a non-productive exporter island so far removed from the rest of the world...the international cost/benefit won't hold up, and our infrastructure deficit will get worse. Yet, as you say, the political and media narrative is laser focused on whatever gets clicks, so public discourse is hijacked by road cone hotlines 🤷♀️
Goodness Kaydee - this is incredible to read. What a way to allow the "universe" to make the decision... throw it out there and if it sticks, then you are meant to run again
Oh yes if you can please stand for council! I’ve literally been saying where are the people discussing what’s going n a fervently searching! We need people like you! Because yes I think the public needs to know the real situation and how it affects us so maybe then we can work on it. I’m distraught at the lack of voices speaking up about it. Yup I do think if it’s done in the right way kiwis at least a fair proportion of them will hear. We like authentic truth and we do know we aren’t getting that at the moment. I would love you to be in the ring! I feel like excuse the sheep reference but like lambs to slaughter with our lack of proper info at the moment.
Kia ora Kaydee, thanks for sharing. Sounds like you're doing great work identify and develop the groups and activities we need to develop more of in community - especially in food resilience. Food systems are vital, more hyperlocal growing. It's such a connector, universal, and vehicle to celebrate and share our culture and family stories and rituals.
I'm in Te Whanganui a Tara and have 12 &14yo.
I'd be keen to connect with other followers of Wild / Sarah in Aotearoa - maybe an NZ apocoloptimist club? (Great term from Matthew.)
100% let's do it! We need this. Let's rep the lower North Island. We're planning a series of permaculture events based off the online panel talks for World Permaculture Day, to get some gritty and practical resilience discussions going, with a side of hands on stuff. Maybe we can collaborate!
Kia ora Kaydee - I spotted that World Permaculture Day is next Sunday 4th.
I found this week long online festival happening - looks great https://permacultureeducationinstitute.org/permaculture-festival-wild-ideas/
Let's connect off this platform? Or is there a more private chat channel here on Sarah's substack? Sorry new to this platform so not sure how we can connect more privately but stay linked to this Wild community. I'm happy to mesg you my email.
I have a bit much going on work & life to meet IRL in next 3 weeks but would love to connect, maybe meet online. I'd like to watch one of those Permy festival sessions with like minded peeps 💚
Do you know Stephen Muslin? (Sp?) Wrote / illustrated the graphic book Ultrawild. Catching up with him in the next few weeks.
Love it! When is World Permy Day?
Permy Day in Palmy 😀
I've DM'd you, keen to connect ☺️☺️
Oh it’s so nice to hear from other New Zealanders on this thread. It’s hard here with no one to talk about these worries with !
"Quiet witnessing of what is hard." Thanks for putting that into words Mathew.
Thanks for acknowledging :)
A felt and shared identity. Being with the grief, pain, joy and active hope and all that's in-between.
Yes, and reminding each other we're in the hardness together
Remembering.
agreed
Hi Matthew, thanks for your thoughts. Our children are the same age! So strange to live ‘normal’ life knowing all this. I’m curious if your partner is on board? Mine (Australian though I’m English and we live in the UK) is resistant, partly because his Aussie family are firmly in the “she’ll be right mate” mentality. It’s very tricky to navigate on my own.
Thanks for sharing Amy :) It feels strange when you acknowledge and embody what is unfolding for sure. And super hard to navigate on your own. I’m fortunate my partner is onboard and does work in permaculture, regeneration and holistic medicine and health. The conversations with our extended family are still hard though. The she’ll be right mate apathy and ignorance can run deep. She had a 2hour conversation with my brother and his partner yesterday exploring the alternatives and pathways to bring to life what can support communities through collapse… mostly around food, community gardens and local harvest sharing. Takes time, love and care to tend to these types of conversations. I’ve found that talking about the practical aspects of growing your own food and starting tiny are a good entry point. There is some awesome work being done with the citizens collective many who are based in the uk.
Where would one start on their apocaloptimist journey? I am in a very suburban area in the U.S. the farthest I’ve gotten that even slightly resembles this is with a group of friends w a monthly rucking/hiking club that was formed post Trump 2.0 election. It was a small thing we felt was needed to ensure we maintain and nurture a community we all care about in order to protect and insulate us from despair. And it has to a certain degree been successful in doing that but we need to move on from just getting together monthly. Do you suggest any reading or resources I could go to to help me navigate where to start with all of this? It feels like an intuitive direction to begin to focus on not just from a practical and survivalist standpoint but from a mental health and wellness perspective as well. There has been this internal compass nudging me towards a lifestyle more centered around actual life. Not sure if that makes any sense. Is it that I’ve lived such a comfortable life that I’m yearning for some real work, not the work I do at my desk everyday. Real work. Work with my hands and body, work that brings people together, work that sustains and fills me up. Part of this is my mid life existential crisis. What time to be in mid life, talk about a double whammy of existentialism. I would really appreciate any guidance you can offer. Sending peace and love.
You might find my collapse series that i just finished here on substack helpful...I mostly cover things from the mental health, philosophical POV
Hi Yvette, I found this resource a really helpful start and a useful map for the future thegreatsimplification.com/frankly-original/82-power-vs-life
Nate also has lots of useful info on his website 😊
Thank you!
It is a wonderfully paradoxical word Helene :) Which is why I have embraced it. Being optimistic about our ability as human Earthians to navigate the revealing and revelation of collapse of the old paradigms while we collectively craft the new.
Interesting that Australia is so good at putting out info on preparing for floods, fires, cyclones etc but otherwise nilch on other potential threats. There’s a great org in the Northern Rivers, Plan C (“our plan is Community”), I think you’d enjoy their stuff, Sarah. The founder Jean is great (ah, he’s French — of course ha!) It’d be great for you to talk to him. Off the back of Jean’s work and others and post-2019 fires and 2022 floods, there are community resilience groups across the region. Our hinterland road has two radio comms leaders who will then be tapped into the other radio teams across our small area of the hills in the event of comms going down (they just did a test run in the recent cyclone). So, lots of community stuff happening, but zero from government (though there has been lots of disaster resilience funding from govt the past few years) and no discourse on Trump, collapse etc, more around increased climate-induced “natural” disasters. Perhaps our region is quite unique compared to the rest of Australia though.
If anyone is nearby and interested, Plan C and Indigenous org The Returning are running two week long disaster preparedness camps this year focussed on general prep and also the intersection of disaster preparedness and Indigenous ways of understanding community, culture and Country — https://www.thereturning.com.au/culture-camp
Hey Natalie, I've recently connected with the Mullum Seed crew and they're coming to visit us in Brisbane next week to chat food systems resilience!
Mullum SEED are so great!
This is all so heartening and inspiring.❤️
Will look them up 👌🏼
Yes, that region has experienced it first hand. And i guess same cld be said of Europe - war and mass unrest is real and recent history.
I don't think we will get support from governments - it's about communities.
Yes... and that is the message we (also speaking from Northern Rivers here) get from government and aligned agencies and funding bodies. We need to be hyper locally connected in our communities because no one is coming to save us. Our disasters have given us plenty of opportunity to practise (ie we recently went many days without power/mobile and were grateful for a community UHF radio network)...but for me the efforts to be locally prepared have also distracted me from engaging at a greater than local level. And by that I probably just mean publicly/on social media. I talk collapse with friends and in community. But struggling to zoom out.
Being in north Queensland and working for local government, I can confirm we do a LOT of community disaster preparedness and despite the climate we live in, still find the majority of people are relatively blase and unconcerned. As for the bigger picture stuff, (which I guess climate change is very much a part of), it's not something really discussed or considered at a community platform...
Hi Blake, I used to work for a North Qld council (maybe with you??) and agree with you. Lots of cyclone and sustainability prep/info but most of the community is unconcerned. As for food resilience Emma-Kate, Townsville (where I worked) has some outstanding community groups in this space and Council supported them. It was a while back, not sure what is happening now.
Hey Blake, I'm interested in knowing whether the Council is looking at resilience post-disaster. ie. what are they planning with their food systems - is there any energy going into regionalising food supply chains?
Hey Emma-Kate. Food supply chains is waaaaaaay beyond the remit of local government, certainly a regional local government that has a small ratepayer base and a large area to cover, we spend the bulk of our funding and resources on roads, waste and water. Certainly acutely aware of the pressures on our supply chains, particularly after the two major road routes were both cut to North Queensland during rain events earlier this year, but all we can do is advocate. I know the previous QLD government appointed a new Food Farmers' Commissioner which apparently has bipartisan support, not sure where we are at with that now though... https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/101457
I've been exploring how to mentally prepare for authoritarian governance, should our election go the wrong way. The US's collapse is coming in the form of an unchallenged, cruel descent into dictatorial fascism. The apathy of Australians makes me wonder if it could happen here too.
Reading the stories of people who have lived through dictatorships, fascism and authoritarianism feels important to me in this moment; to understand how they built community and remained resilient.
And to nurture the courage to stand firmly in line with my morals, even if society at large abandons theirs.
Keep sharing info on this - normalise dissent and "not staying numb". The more of us that speak up the more...others will feel comfortable asking uncomfortable questions. I think in Australia Trump has been a gift (in terms of keeping Dutton out).
Remember that this one is different than previous dictators with the added help of Musk and the techno boys. We will face a lot of the same but also a lot of additional challenges. For me the biggest difference is that this time he literally wants to burn everything down and destroy out of vengeance. Not only thoughts of changing it so he can stay in power and dictate, just to destroy everyone and everything. 😳
In my collapse book I refer to pretty much all of them.
Mans Search for Meaning, Simone Weill, Hannah Arendt, etc x
Thank you for sharing. Just came across you today and appreciate your perspective.
Lisa, do you have any favourite Resistance fiction you would recommend?
Thank you Lisa :)
Thanks for this Sarah. I felt for a long time like being even a small part of Australian news industry was a meaningful thing. But increasingly I do not.
It’s not even just that it’s obsessed with the cost of living crisis — I think quietly reporters are more aware of the world situation than most other people.
But the news cycle is driven by what gets read and clicked on because that’s the whole business model now, given the tech companies swallowed up our ad income, and so the business now is reflecting the desires of readers who are obsessed with how the cost of living crisis affects their house prices and whether their husbands will keep cushy resource jobs.
This is what a woman shopping at a premium supermarket in a wealthy area told our reporter when saying she did not want to vote for progressive policies.
They are not thinking about Indigenous people or people who are homeless or young people struggling to pay rent. They are thinking about maintaining insane levels of comfort.
I don’t know what the future holds because I don’t know what work I could do that would mean more, but will start upskilling my family now.
And am definitely breaking up with meta and other tech.
Me and some other writers have just launched a new Substack “writing off meta” if anyone is interested.
Thanks for writing as always, Sarah.
share some of your posts here for everyone!
Our first post just went live!
https://writingoffmeta.substack.com/p/were-writing-off-meta-join-us
Excellent work. Go further
Thank you 💕
Would extremely appreciate a share from you, but totally ok if not!
“They are thinking about maintaining insane levels of comfort. “ - this is so true. Thanks for writing your response. People in Australia seem to feel very uncomfortable with being challenged in anyway and politics reflects that.
Australia used to be great with discomfort...it defined our character.
Maybe we have been good at making do. I’m from regional Australia originally and it was about that there. However if you had alternate views about things it could be uncomfortable for people and just not be discussed. Not always of course but I noticed that.
I also think Australians are bad at talking about their feelings and having difficult conversations, like we are very emotionally closed off and our British cultural influences are at play there, and it means that even though many people are having those countercultural thoughts, they find it difficult to have those conversations in public gatherings and social occasions because it is just difficult and awkward, so they stick to small talk and the uncontroversial, in case there is an argument.
That attitude prevails in the US as well.
Meaning-seeking is such a big part of how I feel right now, you aren't alone.
Checking out your Substack - great name!
Thanks, Laura! Xxx
Thank you for this post, Sarah. Everytime I go for a walk with my sons, 13 and 15, they discuss survival tactics should nuclear war hit. I have been trying to veer them away from such bleak, dystopian discussion, but wonder now if we should get a bit more strategic. We live in Victoria, Australia. If I talked about collapse in my context of friends and colleagues they would think I’m unhinged!
And yet so many of us are here feeling the same!
I’m curious to know your age? I live in Victoria too and was a kid when “Tomorrow When The War Began” came out, which had kids everywhere considering bug out plans for an invasion we suddenly believed was around the corner. Since then I’ve always had thoughts in my mind about where to go, what to do.
I’m 42. Loved the “Tomorrow When the War Began” series that I read in my early teens. Didn’t get into the bug out bag craze back then though, funnily enough.
That’s wild, everyone I know had these elaborate invasion plans. I even learnt to shoot on a friends property! I still love John Marsden’s work to this day, but those books had a massive impact on my world view early on.
I agree Kate! I’m in Victoria too and feel almost scared to discuss this with some groups for fear they would think I’m being unnecessarily worried
I feel grateful to have found this community for that reason.
I am also in Victoria and when I try to talk about it with my friends I get the following reactions: "It won't happen in our lifetime," or reassurance that I've been reading fake news so "Don't worry," or a shrug of the shoulders, "There's nothing we can do so may as well change the subject so as not to suffer worry before it's actually happened."
Having read the title this morning here in Aus (but not your article yet as I’m at work now), I just wanted to comment on the crickets. As an educated and intelligent Aussie woman I’ve been thinking for a while it’s more than crickets... it’s “ignorance is bliss” and an active suppression of truth and sense-making. Not demonstrated by all people, of course, but it seems too common to not note. I actually am starting to think of a future for myself abroad, but who knows.
Here in Aus, it’s certainly a hypnosis or illusion of a kind that plagues us, but it has for a while.
Now we have surfing and the green tech/investment fairytale to solve any real problem.
I’ve been observing an emerging ‘attitude’ in regional areas (I grew up in one) the past decade, which is what I’m thinking is “Mad Maxdom”. The kind of behaviour that is increasingly accepted and perceived as the cool status quo (i.e like crop dusting your neighbours, building illegal levy banks to flood your neighbours crops, and driving erratically to intentionally run people off a shared one-way road). That kind of thing.
Maybe I am too harsh. Open to other people’s observations and thoughts and research.
What you describe is tragic. I have felt it being in traffic here in Australia - the aggression is shocking. The individualism is rendering us not what we hold ourselves up to be and not what we have valued.
My heart feels heavy
It is, Sarah. My heart is heavy most days and I long to speak to people about these collapse things weighing on my heart & head. I feel like an alien in my own country often and I’m very grateful for all the voices here in your Substack community.
It seems to me like innovation (i.e climate tech) is niche here in Aus and I wish it was more localised and widespread so resilience could expand. I’ve been trying to push projects where I can, but people/leaders haven’t grasped the urgency yet.
I have been trying to learn more about herbalism to expand on my nutrition science degree. I’m also interested in the native bushtucker growing on my family’s farm. I’m starting to make a bit of a ‘Simplification to-do list’ also
I have just spent weeks in South Africa where the sense of community is so strong. Built out of need. Based on poverty and inequality, people love and care with all their hearts for one another. It was profound. We have lost that in Australia 😞
I yearn for community that love and care for each other with all their hearts! I fear individualism has muted our capacity for such love.
'comfortably numb' is the term that comes to mind...
Interesting, I notice this in the regional US too
We stacked up on the essentials as recommended by the German governments website, over the years we installed photo/thermo-voltaic incl battery and storage systems that enables us to store and use the solar energy from the panels on our roof. We have been collecting rainwater for 20+ years in an underground tank in the garden, mostly used in washing and garden. We grow lots of our own food, we have a strong neighbourhood barter and social support system, we communicate in person, we dance and eat and play music with our neighbours. We hope for the best. This has neither been initiated by recent Russian cyber war attacks in Europe nor the aggressive Russian attacks on Ukraine. We are just old hippies.
Ah ok. old hippies...many decades to realise it's just the best way to live anyway
I think Australia is like, 10 years behind the current thinking in Europe and the US right now. Jem Bendell released a provocative blog the other day, suggesting all of US's policies right now are just disguised as collapse preparedness. Looks like the US are battening down the hatches, without trying to raise alarm among the masses. I made a decision to start being a lot more explicit about collapse in my day to day professional interactions - if people write me off as a luny - so be it.
Ah, you able to share the Jem link?
Isolationism is def part of the plan....but the "plan" is not really about protecting Americans...American billionaires, yes.
Yep here it is https://jembendell.com/2025/04/11/is-trump-preparing-for-global-collapse-even-if-he-doesnt-realise-it/
100% agree , they are slowly exiting stage left. Trying to rebuild an internal production system and ramping up defences. And burning everyone else and weakening them as they leave.
The kind of pricks who don’t bring snags or beer to a bbq and then leave with a left over 6 pack from the fridge 😅
the old pulling up the ladder behind them trick
That analogy is SO relatable.. I love it 😆
Also, I wanted to share that the first 'collapse club' meeting was held here in Brisbane on Sunday - we're hoping to do more work together, but how great that we met here on your substack, Sarah?
Oh, I love that!!! Do you have photos?
Unfortunately we forgot to take one! Next time :D
Hi Emma-Kate,
Do you have any details on the Bris collapse club? Do you take new members? I used to live in Bris while at uni, but am now based a few hours west. I travel to Bris every now and then
Hi Emma! We’d love you to join! DM me your email & I’ll add you to the group :)
also Dm'd you Emma-Kate :)
I also DM'd you :)
Hi Emma, can you add me as well?
Hi Emma, can you please add me too 🙏🏻
Australians still think that their geographical remoteness will give them some protection, and maybe it will against some threats, but not the technological ones you talk about. We rely on technology as much as anyone, and when it goes down everyone is vulnerable. Thanks for opening my eyes to the discourse in other parts of the world. Time to listen to French news again!
I'd say Australia relies on tech even more heavily than most places - Aust has always been ahead with tech and is now more reliant on it than most.
Yes! I agree with you Saskya!
Canadian here. It’s the biggest story there is, with Elbows Up resistance all the way. Consumer led boycott of US goods and US travel. National election where the key issue is who can best stand up to Trump. Which is resuscitating the Liberals from a near death experience! Pivoting in defence spending to increase total spend, partner with others for new kit. eg Australia. “Review “ purchase of American military equipment and alliances. Which are no longer functioning. Protecting our sovereignty from credible threats of annexation. Selling off US T-bills as fiscal leverage against wackadoodle tariffs.
Ie a middle way that is not denial and not caving in to fear.
my understanding is that Canada has been ahead with a few things before all this - addressing migration, for instance.
As an American, this is all so horrifying to so many of us. Idk how we got where we are but it’s terrifying. I tend to try to move on as is for now, making lunch every morning for the kids, go to my monthly bookclub, make time to get outside, move, eat healthy. But I also find myself avoiding the news and trying not to cry every day. Not exactly in denial but not exactly being proactive (besides voting when I can and talking to friends). Being proactive feels scary - I have a family to protect. What can I get away with? Will this comment come back to haunt me? It’s wild that we even have to worry about it. To those of you in Canada, Europe, the rest of the world… I’m sorry. I’m sorry America is making a mess. I’m sorry you are worried about the safety of your families because of our choices (not mine or my friend’s choices, but still America’s choices). There are a lot of good people fighting and standing up everyday. I will work harder. I will educate myself, I will fight for what is right.
Ak, moved by your share. Apology accepted. The first step in any relationship rupture, whether personal or collective. To be followed by repair. I am feeling like a lot of this is unacknowledged collective shadow or unconscious, erupting with force so it is no longer invisible. We must all deal with it. Of course self care and family care. Followed by… small acts of courage. Which can also be contagious, in a good way!
Planned immigration policy has been a cornerstone of Canadian society for decades. A “point based” system to attract those with skills and assets needed. Also a refugee stream. Reasonable social supports for the difficult challenge of landing here as a newcomer. (I’ve worked with social agencies doing this work ). The result has been a broad acceptance of the value of multiple cultures. (Somewhat strained recently). Of course , we’ve been protected by geography of 3 oceans and a long border with usa. So not a lot of migrants crossing our borders. Unlike parts of Europe and America, there is not an understandable anger from people feeling that national borders are porous.
Kia Ora from Aotearoa/New Zealand...where .....hmmmm.... crickets everywhere. People just look a little freaked out if I mention anything about collapse. Most of us feel so far away from conflict, US politics,etc but we are increasingly experiencing climate change events and the downstream effects of global politics. Its expensive. We all have to get on planes to visit family in other countries and have grown up thinking nothing of long haul flights. I think alot of Kiwis feel nothing we do will change global politics in any way, so my friends who think the same way are investing in just doing what they can in their local communities. And protesting about things going on here.
I fear for my children who are living overseas. We like Australia are experiencing a rise of far right rhetoric, and personally I have never protested as much as i have in the last 18 months of this chaotic government we have.
I find your writing extremely interesting Sarah, thank you for sharing and I wish I could attend one of your events.
Bravo to you for protesting!
I've heard same about NZ....
Thanks for that Sarah, so interesting between areas how thinking plays out.
Lets go back to the times of 2001-2002 and terrorism, and Australian prime time TV campaigns aired in the wake of the terrorist acts urging Australians to remain calm, alert, and report any suspicious activity featuring Steve Liebmann. Be alert but not alarmed!
Terrorism had a scary turban wearing bearded face the media could help us poor simpletons out with putting a "face to a name" so to speak.
Amazing when we go forward to today and the nearing of midnight on the doomsday clock, and not a cracker in the media telling us to be on any kind of alert. They haven't quite nailed what "face" to portray it all.
Australians have their heads down buried in the Bunnings catalogue with an eye on real estate and episodes of Married at first sight, while we get angry about increasing immigration to divert our focus.
Luckily we have a fleet of Virgin pilots to keep an eye out for impending Chinese forces : /
BTW, any good survival kit, add a few pair of Op shop reading glasses. Nothing worse than having the wisest people in the group not be able to read a map due to losing their glasses in the rush.
At the risk of backlash there’s another aspect of this. There is a certain colonialist attitude that underlies this commenting on Australians. It arises from a baseline idea, maybe unconscious, that we are culturally inferior to Europeans. There is a long history of this attitude that probably relates to our convict past. It’s been present my whole life. I’m 65. For a while I too was encultured with the idea that the culture of Europe was ‘superior’ and as a young person couldn’t wait to go there. It was wonderful but not helpful in many ways. I didn’t know at that time how ancient this land was that I was birthed and grew on was. Nor much of the Indigenous culture that had continuously cared for this place. I now know. I find much being said here whilst ‘well intended’ reflective of a colonised point of view. Part of the bigger problem that has lead us all to the brink of social and ecological collapse. Strikes me as very ‘white’ to think that war prepping will save you!
Thank you for saying this Bernadette. In fact let us focus a bit on the other wisdom we get from being blessed to be here during this time.
Ahh the hypnotic smugness of Australia. I’m married to an Australian but we live in the UK. He can’t fathom collapse affecting us directly. I joined the dots a few years ago but he is so resistant to even thinking about it - and his parents are virtually climate change deniers. It feels like living in different realities.
I think I'd go mad!
it is completely maddening as a cherry on top of the clusterfuckery.
It’s certainly a challenge, especially with kids in the mix and feeling on my own with how to prepare…
ahh 'hypnotic smugness'. yes yes ... such a validating definition. its so challenging to not rage against the ignorance but remain that island of sanity - sometimes an island seemingly so adrift in such a different ocean where others refuse to acknowledge the wet.
Yes Nat, I feel this. It’s completely maddening. And a challenge to be an island of sanity 🙄. Plus we have kids and it’s difficult to prepare on my own as he still thinks I’m overreacting.
I have that from my family, being called a Doomer. Never doubt Amy, they will be glad you did the ground work.
Thanks Susan - I really appreciate it 😃. It’s hard, isolating work.
It is hard Amy, thats why you are so capable at this task. Remember you are not alone and all you do contributes to the whole 💖
Thank you. That’s why the online community are so important! As well as local. I can only think of one person that I know of in my neighbourhood who is willing to talk about it (to be fair, I don’t bring it up much beyond dark hints 😅).
I used to live in Paris. My cohort were so engaged, active and frankly, worried! It was intense and I sometimes felt out of my depth, but I loved it. I now live in an Australian Bayside bubble where there has been a total shift in reality. We discuss renovations and new builds and schools. And not only is collapse not discussed, I have noticed a tone shift in the other direction- at a dinner last month someone said they never actually believed in climate change, almost like that opinion was now edgy. I am looked at like I am in a cult or mentally unstable if I go anywhere near the collapse topic.
I am not denying I can feel complete overwhelm by the state of the world at times, it is hard to look at the horror of what is going down at the moment. But I would rather manage that, than to skate on the surface and talk superficial shit all the time, that is more soul destroying. I found this post so validating, thank you Sarah xx
And here is a great poddy on a survival kit!
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-wirecutter-show/id1762217793?i=1000669914438
Ah wirecutter is New York Times. Interesting.
Kylie, that's terrifying that there is any kind of "edge" to thinking climate change is a non-thing.
This is an article the podcast links to which seems quite comprehensive:
https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-gear-for-your-bug-out-bag/?utm_source=wirecutter_podcast&utm_medium=episode_number_06