Interview with Selco & Toby Part 2: Surviving the New System

By the co-authors of SHTF Survival Bootcamp

Yesterday, we posted an interview between Toby and Selco as they looked at how supply chain shortages spread, what they mean, and how to prepare for them. Today, their discussion continues, as they look at how one adapts to a rapidly changing world. The full video of the interview can be found at the bottom of this post.

Toby

So super, super happy today to let you know that Selco is joining us. I know it’s been a while since Selco has been able to upload anything here on Patreon. So it’s fantastic to get him here. I know it’s been a challenging time for you so, really appreciate you coming, Selco. How are you doing first of all?

Selco

Oh, not bad. Not bad. Thank you. Oh, I guess same lucky. Yeah, good.

Toby

Good answer. Discreet. Yeah, um, yeah. So the last post I put up on Patreon, which you’ve seen, was my assessments looking forward to 2022. Which there were three and in – in the main, you’re not disagreement any of those, but you’ve got a fourth option assessment that you wanted to start with today. So I’m just going to just ask you to just let us know what you think. What’s your take on where we are moving forward?

Selco

Yes, sure. First, let me say I do not think all those assessments are wrong or cannot happen. But I have kinda my own that – that for me make more most sense. It is going to happen. It is going to be like that, I think. So basically, we can call it, or I can call it like slow-simmering really long event. Again like to go a step back to the folks who listened this it is going to – he’s going probably to be a completely different thing that than most of you are most of us are prepared for.

I do not expect worldwide or third world – third World War to happen. But I’m expecting to see a lot of, let’s say small, civil wars in different – in different parts of the world. I expect actually one of those to happen here where I am right now expecting to happen pretty soon. What do I expect for – for, for folks that are not going to be to see some serious Civil War? I’m expecting to see more liberties and rights taken away from you. Why? Well, it is simple. And I’ve mentioned this many times before as situation go auditory eight over the long period of time.

People majority of people get into that position where they’re going to ask whoever or when they go into to say things like, “I’m really sick of all of this. What we need to do to get things better? Or what we need to do to get things to the old – old way of life that we had before?”

And most probably a system going to tell you okay, “You need to surrender some of your liberties for greater good.”

Now, this may sound like science fiction scenario, but it goes it usually goes like that because when people get sick of everything there, they tend to not to pay attention to something a lot like – like what rights are being stripped away. So I’m expecting to see a worldwide deterioration in some parts of the world. Like my part – or part of the world. That – that means Civil War or or something similar to that. For majority of – of you who are listen to this, that means deterioration of rights and freedoms and more oppression from the system. That does not necessarily mean that there is no possibility for you to see some kind of violence over there. It is possible? Yes, but I do not expect to see a full blowout or war for a majority of you relish in this.

Toby

So I think we could almost sort of split it into two parts now, like the Civil War, which by definition is already there, or at a lower scale. Like just internal conflict, right? So it’s not necessarily a civil war, but there’s – you’re just gonna see, you’re gonna be seeing or accessing violence more regularly in your society for various reasons.

Selco

Yes, and again, it is by big part, we are talking right now about what preppers are prepared for – for four years or decades that they 99% of them or us are prepared for flash. Instead of that, we got slow, grinding, long event that might not be necessary. If you look at a period of one day, that does not mean – that does not necessary look like something really bad. But it grinds us over the period of years. And it takes us – take from us some even more important stuff.  Because we are tending not to take – to pay attention on some things. So it is slow, slow event. But it’s bad.

Toby

So that sort of that grinding effect is almost a distraction in your mind. It’s like just that everyday existence becomes challenging. So you don’t see that bigger picture of these rights. And these freedoms and these liberties are being taken away from you, or they’re being done. As they have been for the last two years, slowly and incrementally. It’s not this one big power grab. It’s just this, you know, incremental movement forwards, right?

Selco

Yes, definitely. And that – that kind of event affects us on many level. And some of those things are really, really basic stuff that we should know better, like, topics like OpSec. It is kind of topic that – that is almost like number one in any prepping moment or philosophy. But over if we are, if we are in middle of this long, grinding event, things like topics like OpSec are kinda deteriorate, or all likelihood is really, really simple. We are getting really, really sloppy. Because it is very long event and it grind us. So we are getting sloppy, will not pay attention on important things like we should.

Toby

Yeah, and I think I just – just want to review something we’ve discussed. You know, of course, many times before, and that’s the thing with a lot of this, this is not the first time we’ve covered this ground. It’s just becoming more relevant for a lot of people. But it is about that blending with the rules of the place, right? Finding baselines and now we see certain things have become incredibly politicized.

Mask wearing is one of them, you know, to wear a mask or to not wear a mask. And that’s, that sort of that’s – that exactly what you said about OpSec, isn’t it? That you’ve sort of got shortcutted. That you’re now going to make your political statement to wear or to not wear a mask. Instead of just looking at the baseline saying, “Is there more mask wearers than not? And I should wear a mask? Or is a less and then I shouldn’t?” You know, it’s not about the politics, it’s about blending, so you don’t stand out. Otherwise, you just painting a big, big target on yourself. Right?

Selco

Yes, yes, definitely. Event like this kinda – kinda asked from you to go out and say and express your own opinion to everybody. For example, on some social network, while OpSec clearly says to you, “Shut up and blend in,” simple like that. Because maybe in six months, somebody’s going to take paper and write down everybody who express wrong kind of opinion. And he’s going to round up that people. So it’s simple and common and very basic object. And everybody’s kind of forgetting on that because everybody’s tired and angry at everyone. Everybody wants to log in social network and say his precious opinion. Guys, here is one ugly truth, or nobody cares for your opinion on social networks. I’m sorry, it’s like that. So just watch what you are saying to everybody.

Toby

What we could say is the people that care are not the people you should be showing your opinion with because they’re the ones effectively formulating the lists, right?

Selco

Oh, yes, very good. Sorry, guys who are – who care for your opinion should be got folks should be folks that – that are in your inner circle, survival circle. Those are not guys who are going to express your opinion publicly on Facebook. So save your opinion to that inner circle survival circle. And actually, you should share your opinion with that circle but not with that huge circle on Facebook. Because at that moment, either nobody cares or guys who cares for your opinion are not good guys. So do not share your opinion with them.

Toby

I just want to add a little bit to that… the folks whose opinions I value, it’s been very interesting to know in the last eight months (most noted last six months) are now just withdrawing off social media entirely. They’ve closed their accounts, they’re just not on any social media platform. They’re in sort of messaging apps end to end encrypted. And that’s how we stay in touch. But they’ve sort of realized that – that it’s a game. You can’t win effectively. And even if you’re sort of passive, you’re not writing your opinion, but you’re just liking certain things that profile view is still being built. So it is, it is definitely a game that’s being played, right?

Selco

So I will take this a bit further into – into, I’ll be kind of a bit drastic here and use what you just said. Guys are being – guys are being passive, even being passive is opinion. So even being passive or silent is opinion. Because by being passive and silent, publicly, you are clearly not agreeing with guys who are yelling out there. So what’s best, I’m not saying you need to close up your house and hide in fear. Now, just be smart. Just do not be there where people are yelling or sharing those big opinions or sharing secure inner circle. Because again, even if you are passing in big circle of people that – that is opinion, that – that can be problem even for them.

Toby

I just want to ask you one specific thing. As the situation deteriorated in the Balkans nearly 30 years ago (obviously internet and social media wasn’t there), you found people writing lists making the polarizations choosing sides in this setting the other? Now with the advent of social media, do you think the situation can deteriorate that much more quickly? Because that information is so much faster to gather and collate? Or do you still think the human nature part of it means certain things are always going to take a certain amount of time to come to a head or to come to the surface? Does, does my question make sense?

Selco

Oh, I think it makes sense. Oh, actually, I think I understand what you’re trying to ask me. Oh, I’ll be honest here. And I, I will answer which I’m not sure. That’s my honest, honest answer. Why? Because on one way, information is out there clearly available. Like through information from – from guy on the ground. You can find out information real. On the other side, there is a whole army of people out there online who are producing information, but false information based on who pays more or who need that information.

So for the common simple, man. It’s – it is matter of source of information. Again, I will kind of answer this question. Still, I will answer the question. This question is comment or one, one of the guy here. He made that comment like a year ago, and comment was about start of the Balkan War. And he says, “If we had Facebook in that time, war couldn’t happen. Because one morning I woke up, and it was in 1992.”  He says, “well, one morning I woke up and I hear the news that ten – 10,000 Enemy soldiers are coming into ours – in my region. And that information or news was actually ignition for mobilizing huge force in his side.

He says, anyway, he says, “If – if I had Facebook in that moment, I will sit on my computer and ask my friends on the other side, guys, do you know anything about 10,000 of your people coming to my region to attack us? And they will say to mark what kind of time we know, that’s a lie.” And he says “Work – wouldn’t happen if you had Facebook.”

So if you look at that site now, yes, he says, “If you’re looking for sorry, I think if you’re looking for index that size, there is a sources forum for it for real information, but I need to look it also from other side. That other side says, with huge access to oh, let’s call it electronic. And I will kind of rude here which huge access to electronic people tend to be more stupid than they used to be. So there are much more. There are a larger number of kind of stupid people today. I mean, all kinds of stuff.

Toby

You know, I’ve always used the phrase that you know, you need to master technology or become a slave of it. Right? And of course, definitely emotional self-regulation is a big part of that. But that’s really interesting, just as you said that I remember last week. I saw a circuit social media particularly outrageous looking story from the USA. From Boston, and I was really like, I cannot believe this is a thing. This just seems too far for me.

And then I remembered, you know, there’s a guy I know in Boston in that area, too. So I just jumped on Messenger. And I was like, “Hey,” I won’t mention his name, “Now. I’m seeing this, like, Is this really a thing?” And he’s like, “Oh, yeah, absolutely, like, so you know,” and he gave the backstory in this angular. And so that ability to actually sort of verify that information or get the backstory on from a guy on the ground was incredibly useful. Because that was one of those sort of baseline sheets for me was like, “Oh, this, this is looking super not good.” And I would have, without any verification or communication would have easily dismissed that as like, “Now this is just outrageous.”

And then he actually updated me two days later and is like, “Yeah, this has gone to vote, and it looks like it’s gonna pass this and the other.” So I think it’s easy to kick social media and blame it for the ills of the world. But like you say, actually, if we use it properly and regulate our emotions, it can actually help us verify or dismiss certain information and then make better decisions, right?

Selco

Yes, again, as I said, all comes back to the source of information. If you use that this huge social networking to connect with guy on the ground, guy that you can trust, it is that social network is great thing. But if you use it to connect to the, to the powerful news network, that that is what say, obviously, influenced by something or someone and trust completely to that network. But that – that is not necessarily good thing.

Toby

Understood. And I think that’s, that’s been sort of fairly consistent throughout history that we’ve seen. You know, the large media involvement is always gonna be driven by agenda and or money. And that’s nothing new under the sun, quite simply, we’re just seeing in different platforms and different formats now.

Selco

Yes, and let me get back to this guy who made this statement a year ago. He was influenced, not only him hold, but his whole region was also influenced by were influenced by TV news, with pictures or videos of enemy army, closing to hit to their region, and whatever. At the same time, all of that was lie. And they, they realized that years later, all of that was like, if he had, like, 2030 100 friends on Facebook, in that time, friends on the art, let’s call it other side, all those friends, through conversation, videos, pictures, photos, could prove to him “Hey, what are you talking about? Nobody’s attacking you.” So this is a good example, you know.

Toby

Without getting too distracted, how did they realize that? In the end, you said years later, they realize it was a big lie. Did that get revealed by the media? Or is it just enough time had passed that people were talking to each other again and said, like, “Why did you all stand up and start to fight?” They’re like, “No, no, you started at first” and then sort of figured out amongst themselves.

Selco

Actually, that is kind of how a lot of battles happen here. In his case, he started to realize that maybe month later, because of that news, he was actually mobilized into the army. And he was attacked that other side, who was like preparing 1000s of people. And he was telling me, or much later that as soon as they conquered that other region, he realized, or there was not any army over their people in civilian clothes defending that region.

There was not like 10,000 of armed people know nothing. He started to realize. Then it was like propaganda. But then it was too late. Right? Of course, yeah. But years later, he realized that every site was bought by propaganda, some more than other. It is propaganda. It works, and do not make mistake. It works. Same today, just maybe on different with different means. Propaganda boss, same today.

Toby

And I think it’s important for folks at home to remember that – that again, this is nothing new under the sun. We often refer to what’s called the playbook, you know, the, no one’s writing these rules as they go. This is all very established in, you know, neuroscience or psychology or whatever. And tracking back even till the late 20s, early 30s. There were people pioneering these techniques of mass manipulation, and wrote about those works extensively, and they’ve just been refined. You know, Goebbels obviously refined it during the 40s or so the 30s and 40s. All we’ve seen is, is a higher quality level of propaganda in recent time, but the foundational principles are exactly the same. And they’re effective, right?

Selco

Of course, of course, it is effective. And as I say, again, as I say, again, maybe means to do propaganda be changed, but the basic principles are completely same. Today we have social networks, yes, but basic principles of propaganda are same. And there are always same things involved in that like fear, the humanization and stuff like that. Hate, all it is always – say, if you – if you bombard people with for which same information for months, they are going to start to fear. From fear, you can easily lead them to hate. From hate, you can easily lead them to polarization. Or to sorry, to dehumanization of that others and stuff like that.

It worked like that before it will work again. And I will mention it again. Especially in this kind of event, when event is happening on rarely on really prolonged timeline. Propaganda can really work. Good on that way. But here’s the simple question. Is somebody told you tell you today that, for example, I’m not sure? I don’t know your neighboring country is hate you and it is going to attack you tomorrow?

 You are going to say, “Nah, no way.” But if somebody is bombarding you with that information for a period of six months. And your only source of information is that one source who is telling you that you are going to start to believe that it may sound ridiculous. But yes, you are going to start to believe in that thing. Because that’s the only source of information that you have.

Toby

Again, also, you need to count on think that people today are much more dependent on quick and fast news than they were 30 years ago. For example, people today have that need to find out what’s happening as soon as possible. Everything from some ridiculous news from – from I don’t know about music, for example, to political news. Everybody wants to have information as soon as possible. And that’s – that’s the other danger of propaganda.

If you can play on that fact that people have this sort of addiction to the speed of information, and so will very typically accept the first version that’s presented to them. So even if it might be backed up or retracted later, that – that’s irrelevant because that initial story is the one that stuck in their mind, right?

Selco

Yes, yes, of course. People always were, let’s say, addicted on information. Or people were the depending on information always. And lack of information is something that I experienced. So it is really bad when you are cut off of any information. And that’s the time where misinformation and propaganda jump in really bad. People need information, but modern way of life addicted us on kinda need of any kind of information. Even not important one already closed one, or junk kind of information. We want to have information as soon as possible. That’s the modern way of life.

Toby

So knowing that we’re not talking just about future events now that you know, we’re two years into some of these things actually happening. Have you got any advice for people on sort of how to best protect yourself or mitigate against propaganda or being propagandized to say?

Selco

Yes. First thing, as lame as it may sounds, I always advise actually, when, when it comes to something that may confuse you or something. When it comes to something that may kind of paralyze you. Always advised that you need to step back to the basics. So whenever you don’t do not know exactly what you need to do or what is happening, stop and go back to the basics and recheck those basics or actually to simplify it more. Stop and think what – what is most important things in prepping? Go back to those basics pillars, let’s say. And go again through those pillars and be sure that you cover everything.

Second thing most of the things on – on greater level, you cannot change. So stop investing your, let’s say energy, yes, energy into the illusion that you can. That your opinion, your voice, your healing can change something now. Most probably, it can change nothing. Not only – it cannot change, it can actually harm you. Because you are again breaking or destroying that very basic offset that you should know better than you do propaganda. And this kind of situation change, change all kinds of other aspects of our life. As you can see, probably worldwide or at least in my part of the world, this kind of prolonged event drove on the surface, I will say right elements.

Now, what I mean by that right elements, maybe this world, right political elements are something completely different over there where you are from. So I need to explain what I mean by saying right elements. Drawing to the surface political options that want to solve things on drastic ways. That is what I mean by saying right elements. And really real, real danger of death is kinda a possibility that people will welcome them. Why, again, because people are tired. And again, expecting to this event going to last for more time, I would like to say right, like, for years, for more time. And as it goes more into the duration, people going to be tired. More, who will see chance, there where people with hard solution.

If you – if you if political oxygen emerged today, and say, okay, we can solve all of this, all of these any, all every each of these problems we can solve. But it is going to take big price, price is going to be stripping away all of your freedoms. Or even some more drastic measures on some elements of population. To not make a mistake, make mistake, a lot of people would say, “Okay, I agree with the price. Because I’m tired of this.”

So worldwide, or at least in my, in this part of Europe, I see that kind of danger, that people are going to welcome that kind of drastic measures, and do not again. I’m not saying I’m not talking here all only about some beers political options. It doesn’t necessarily need to come from we’ll predict political motion, it can come from your system, or today that you find out that you vote for, and you think it was democratic and whatever, it can change. It can change in matter of week. It all makes sense to you.

Toby

But it doesn’t. And the only thing I was going to follow up with the question is, you know, often when we talk about politics, people really sort of get locked at like the national scale. But of course, there’s local politics. So don’t – don’t ever underestimate the fact that those extreme solutions might present themselves in the beginning very, very locally, you know. It’s not necessarily going to be right at the national level. It might – there’s historical precedent for that, but it could just be within this area becomes particularly militant or virulent, or whatever the case may be. And at the local level, you know, either there’s just a polarizing figurehead, and it’s sort of vigilantism. We’re just going to go do this thing. And oh, they actually enable the political process or manipulate the political process and still get the same result, right?

Selco

Usually starts locally actually, it usually starts locally, and people who joined let’s yeah, let’s say like this people who joined that – that let’s say moment, do not see it. Actual do not want to see what is that moment about they only want to see okay these guys going to change things. These guys going to bring our old good way of living or whatever. And what is real danger here and what is really connected with whole offsetting propaganda and – and being online and everything is that those guys usually those kinds of moments are looking for or was what’s the Word? Word? Escape Goat is that word? Yes.

Toby

And, it can be you. It can be preppers. It can be guys who are fighting for freedom of having flow of right to having a weapon. It can be you. So why go on Facebook and yell that you have a right to own weapon? I mean, just exercise. That’s right and keep quiet. That’s it. But that doesn’t you have right today, maybe tomorrow, you’re not going to have right? And just all tomorrow’s too late to not share your opinion. That’s the point we’re making. Now. Isn’t it like that? If you say, “Oh, if it gets that bad in the future, then I’ll be quiet.” That’s too late. You know, because you’re already sort of on somebody’s record somewhere of having held that position. Right?

Selco

Yes. And people cannot, people cannot stay quiet. I understand why this all takes too long. And everybody’s tired. And not only tired, but people are also angry. People are angry with all of these people; they people want the old life back. But here’s the thing, all those people do not understand that it can be – it can easily be worse than this. So count on that. It can very easily be worse than it is today. Yes, come from that.

Toby

I just want to go back to a point that you previously made. Just expand on the ever so slightly from my viewpoint as well. Because that you’re saying when you sort of see something, and you’re not sure it’s worrying, or it’s causing great concern. Go back to the basics, review your seven pillars go there. And that’s the sort of grounding exercise. And certainly, I’m aware, you know, from my time back in the intelligence community, there was something that used to sort of prowl the halls called analysis paralysis, right? Where you’re sort of so locked onto something, and you just, you know, you’re still trying to figure something out. And everything else sort of pales in comparison. And so you’re actually not getting that broad perspective anymore, you’re sort of locked on this problem. There is – there isn’t mission-focused.

So what we used to do, or the sort of the civilian incantation of this, if you’ve got something and you’re thinking, “Oh, this is really, really terrible, I’m really, really concerned about this.” I just put yourself in that position and ask yourself the question, “Is this going to affect me in the next 24 hours? In physical terms?” Alright. Yeah. And then is it going to affect me in 48 hours? Is it going to affect me in 72 hours already talking longer than that? And that just kind of helps you prioritize things. And quite simply if it’s on the 72 hours or out? Fine, be aware of it? That’s it? You know, I’m only looking for that stuff, that the stuff that’s really concerning.

You know, am I bugging out all night? Is this gonna affect me in less than 24 hours? And other than that, sort of compartmentalize it accordingly. Because, of course, the new cycles, we know, once that addiction, that they want that linger time they want the engaged twin rage, that’s all part of their strategy. So, of course, the more emotive you are, the more you’ll sort of stay to see what everybody else is saying and what’s going on. And that’s just wasting valuable time…go and look at the seven pillars. It’s like, you’ve got your information, don’t waste any longer on it, or follow it up by source confirmation. And I’m sort of saying, as an addition, and an overlay to that is like, you know, just because you feel emotion, that moment, is this actually a threat to you? And just, you know, just give yourself that 235 minutes, switch all the noise off, possibly even go outside, take a small walk, or go grab a coffee and just actually think, “Is this as big a problem as I think it is?” And just, you know, compartmentalize it appropriately, right?

(For more information on bugging out, check out our free QUICKSTART Guide on emergency evacuations.)

Selco

Yep. Here’s the kind of sad truth about all of these guys. This is kind of a new world that we are living into. And you cannot change that world too much, actually not. Let’s be honest, you cannot change it. You are too small for that. Work on yourself, bend yourself, bend yourself, change yourself, accordingly to the new world, a new situation. And that’s it.

Toby

And I think that acceptance and adaptability has always been a staple of what we’ve taught is that thing, you know? Things will change, and just stomping your feet and insisting that goes back. We’re beyond that now. You know, and we spoke offline. Without getting too far ahead on this subject. It’s you know, people are sort of frothing at the mouth and screaming that, you know, everyone’s turned to communism, and they’re going to turn into China.

And this suddenly, then, we hope it doesn’t, but if it does, listen, 1.3 billion people live in China today. I’m not going to say they’re happy, but they figured out a way to survive. And they’ve figured out the rules and figured out how to sort of just get about their business. I’ve got friends over there. They’re American-based scientists working out of China. And they just say it’s entirely just parallel systems. Everybody’s got iPhones. Yeah, they’ve got the one that the government tracks in the one they behave on the one, they do all the right social media to get their credit score, and then they’ve got everything else going on. And it’s complicated, and it’s awkward, and it’s annoying, but it’s life. So whilst we hope not to adapt to that viewpoint, what we do have to understand as a species, we are highly adaptable unless we hold ourselves back on our insistence of something that quite simply isn’t going to happen. Right?

Selco

Oh, everybody’s talking about one. One thing, everybody keeps saying that repeating in survival world, and the world is adapted. And when it comes to adapting, nobody wants to adapt now, why? Oh, but this sucks. Of course, it sucks. We are talking about STHF situation call-ups. Surviving. Did you really think it is going to be interesting and cool? Oh, maybe you did

Toby

I think a lot of preppers. Yeah. Sold and marketed themselves on that. It’s gonna be cool. And you’ll be the hero. And now there’s a lot of people to the fact like, well, I don’t matter in this, I’m getting just steamrolled by the system. Yeah. They sold you the shoulder event that is going to be flashy, and where you are going to be hero and defend your doorstep, and your family and you and your house. And guess what? What you got is event that you might lose your job, that you must, might lose your weapon that you might lose, lose a whole bunch of your freedom.

But guess what? You’re still going to have to survive. You are not going to take a gun and shoot your family and blow out your own brain. No, you are going to survive. How? By adapting. Are you going to like it? Of course not. Of course not. But you are going to survive. And you are going to, let’s say fight, for your own all the world. But fight word fight can mean lots of things does not necessarily have to mean going out with your assault rifle and shooting onto people onto robots, should you, it is about adapting. And very much in the long term. I think that’s the few conversations about over the past few weeks, is that adjusting the expectations of the timescale of this in your mind? And for the last two years, people have been thinking the solutions coming in weeks, possibly months? And now? Yeah, if it does great, but be prepared for months and years? Quite simply.

Selco

Yes. I advise you to be prepared for years. years of not so good situation with tendency to go to very, very bad situation

Toby

And effectively fit for you. That’s what it’s been like, isn’t it since the war ended? It’s it things improved to a point. And I’ve just never got beyond that. So you’ve just been in this grind for three decades?

Selco

Yep. Yep, it is kind of society that we in, or if you want me to put it to if you want to explain a bit more things that you’re experiencing right now. I’m experiencing it for last 30 years, because in kind of society that is not working on good way. Is it possible to survive? Of course, it is possible, you just need to adapt and adopt is point of survival.

Toby

So this, this is something I really want to labor because I think this is an important point, because, you know, we’re like a couple of Grumpy Old Men right now. Right? So we’ve got, we’ve got to get that. That positivity in the actionability. So we mentioned the playbook exists for sort of propaganda and mass manipulation. But of course, there’s different models out there in the world that we can access as individuals to help us cope in our circumstances. So when we sort of say that knowledge affecting your society, you can be facing more violent actions more frequently, I’m referencing a lot of people to my instructors in South Africa. And saying, “you know, look at how they live their lives. Look how they organize their community, look at how they defend their homes,” because that’s the situation you’ve got there.

And they are light years ahead of everybody else. And they’ve already refined everything, you just need to tap into information. So it’s not about driving around in a cool Jeep with your minigun on the top. And on. Because that doesn’t exist that it’s, you know, much more discreet, much more aggressive, much more mobile. And the same with, shall we say, less well-functioning societies. There’s many of them, yours included, you know, that’s why we go to that region to do our training. So we’re not just telling them. We’re showing them this is how society functions here. But it functions people get by some people even thrive, there’s still beauty to be appreciated. There is still fun to be had, but you just understand these be the rules now so that there’s not this necessarily unknown.

It’s just what? What’s the model of your future country by country? And then where should you be looking to access that credible information to get ahead of the curve? Because ultimately, that’s all preparedness is, isn’t it? We’re, we’re not living in this insulated bubble. We participate in society, but saying, the more we can get ahead of the curve, the more we can tempt, despite the problems coming, the more we can train for specific scenarios, the better prepared we are and the less stressed we are when those arrive. I think that’s a fair course.

Selco

Yes, it is. It is kind of point of everything. It is war, be ready to be prepared to know what is coming. It is not only about time to have 10,000 of cans or ammo, but also to be quite aware in what kind of society you will live in. You’ll be live tomorrow, how can you look on some other sites that are being out there, it is not like it never happened. It happened, and it is happening all the time, worldwide.

Toby

And this is very much for us going forward to 2022 is where some of our focus is going to be. Because the preppers fear is always anchored in their lists and their purchasing their checklists. And, and we’ve sort of played that game to a point. But now we’re moving beyond that. Because no one’s necessarily buying their way out of this or bunkering their way out of this.

You know, if you’re going to do that, you’d have done it already. So if you’re going to participate, society moving forward, now we’re going to bring those examples not necessarily from your experience, from the war, but since the war into the modern-day. Because yeah, that’s the relevant stuff. And certainly for me, in my travels, it’s like, you know, my wife’s in India right now. And, you know, everything there is 40%, white money, 60% black money, that’s just how that society functions.

Everything’s about bribery and corruption, and contact and network and everything takes time. And then you buy your way out of it. But if you spend too much, you’ve got a bigger target. And now you’re in a new – in a new pond with bigger sharks after you. So it’s a massive, faff, really see this, like more painful to get anything done, but you do it. But you also have to do it by the sort of the unwritten rules. And so first of all, you have to learn those. And that’s when you reach out into a wider network and a bigger community.

Selco

Oh, what I want to say something that is not really a pleasant or nice to hear, or maybe some of the folks might even be insulted. But it is true. Your society, society of most of the people that are listening to this right now, is going down. Society and system that you knew for last decades over there is going down. What you are going to see over there is something that looks more like my society here for last 30 years that have a lot of common things. Again, it is not Mad Max society, there are not going to be people with crazy cars and strange haircuts shooting, maybe, but it is not going to be –

A couple of places that make it that big, but not in the mainstream. Shall we say that that’s going to be under three years, right? Okay. Yes, it is going to be society that is going, that is going to work of different ways. Much more corruption, much more education connections, much more much where it is going to be much more important to new people. And that’s something that’s helping us yes to no people. Sorry.

That’s something that I mentioned before, you cannot be successful solo survivor. If you do not have some, at least some kind of network of people. You need to build that network because there is going to be time very, very soon, where you’re going to finish or most of your business by connection to people. That is how you work here. And that is high going to work at least to some extent, or over there more and more indexed periods of time.

Toby

And I just went to emphasize a point really, really around that of why we’ve always pleaded the Swiss. Why we always stay neutral. Why we always say engage with every party inside that you can for exactly that. You can’t choose which connection or network is the one that needs to help you. Okay, so, depends, you know, now we’ve got to see beyond skin color, beyond religious affiliation belong beyond politics. If that’s the person that can solve the problem. And you can make a connection and not mess it up by being an idiot. That’s how it’s gonna work.

But if you’re going to insist so much, this is my stance, this is my righteousness. This is my side. If you’re not on it, I don’t want to deal with you. Guess what? No one’s gonna deal with you. And then you’re gonna hit massive hindrances and hurdles and problems very, very frequently. Right?

Selco

Exactly. And simple like that. Yes. And that’s definitely not going under that word adapt. It is survival. You just need to adapt. You just need to adapt.

Toby

Simply adapt. We like that word. Yes. Yeah, yep. I do.

Selco

Oh, again, I might be boring, with repeating the same thing. We are not talking about end the world explosion or whatever we are going we are talking about. Right now, we are talking about end of the kind of endogenous system that you used to. So, again, again, the word is ADAPT. And adapt means that you learn about that new system around you.

Toby

And nothing to do with that is acceptance isn’t its adaptation and accepting that new world is coming and saying, “Okay, how do I work in that space? How do I work in that realm?”

Selco

Of course. And you mentioned good acceptance, accepting that word, by going online and yelling about new stuff that you do not like that. That’s not accepting. I’m not saying you need to like or love the new system and society and the world. No, you need to accept it. When you accept it, you still can hate it, but you can work with what you have. Watch when you accept it.

Toby

And if you cannot accept it, I think that’s what we’re talking about next in the next recording. So we’re gonna stop it there. Guys, thanks so much for listening. And ladies, of course, and Selco. Great to have you back. Thank you so much for your time. I know it’s hard to get online right now. So it’s this stuff is really, really helpful, and useful. So cheers dude.

Selco

Thank you

What do you think?

What adaptations have you had to make to the new systems evolving around the world? Have you seen changes where you are? Do you agree with Selco and Toby? Share your thoughts in the comments.

VIDEO

About Selco:

Selco survived the Balkan war of the 90s in a city under siege, without electricity, running water, or food distribution. 

In his online works, Selco gives an inside view of the reality of survival under the harshest conditions. He reviews what works and what doesn’t, tells you the hard lessons he learned, and shares how he prepares today. He never stopped learning about survival and preparedness since the war. Regardless of what happens, chances are you will never experience extreme situations as Selco did. But you have the chance to learn from him and how he faced death for months.

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