Editor’s note: The riots in France have been all over the news and we’ve watched many beautiful, historic places being destroyed. While the whole thing supposedly started in reaction to an increase in fuel prices, it has turned into something far worse than simple protests. We in the US have long suspected that many of the riots here have been funded and that the rage has been manipulated. In this article, Selco shares his perspective and explained how riots helped start the Balkan War. ~ Daisy
by Selco
Thanks to the situation that is deteriorating everywhere, I think we gonna be witnessing more and more events like the latest rioting in France. I think it is just the beginning.
For this article, it is not really important what was the reason of riots there. The point is that riots like that gonna probably happen “in your town” too eventually.
Why is that?
Without getting too deep into political and economical or any other reason why it might happen to you, two reasons can be pointed out.
The internet and social networks create waves.
The internet as a resource for independent news and opinions is a great thing, but also it may work in a different opposite way. It happens like this all the time so one fake news that is carefully packaged and spun can cause an illogical situation where you have full grown people getting together and involving themselves into something that is actually riot.
So as an end result you are out, together with people who are kicking a police officer or storming the local mall for big screen TVs because you were fueled and raged by something that you read or saw on the internet, something that might be completely false.
So always think, who actually has a use for that big group of people who are rioting outside, stealing and trashing things?
Do you personally have a use for that?
Hopefully, you did not go outside because of TVs or similar.
Usually there is always somebody hidden behind that rioting, and usually, he (or they) are not with you outside, they are safe, spinning things and getting people to act this way.
General feelings of desperation
People riot because of general insecurity, no jobs, bad economic situation, fear, rage, violence…
All that is very easily used for different kind of agendas.
We are all more or less there, feeling anger or concern, otherwise, we would not probably be in this whole prepper movement. But the point here is that being a prepper should be quite opposite of joining a whole bunch of people outside in a loose alliance of demanding something. Because the majority of those people are outside either for fun (destruction) or acquiring items like (again) big screen TVs, hurting other people for fun, and similar.
It is not prepping/survivalism.
I know, there are always exceptions to the rule, and historically a lot of things could not be achieved before a big mass of people go out on the street and demand something. But most of the riots today are actually orchestrated because of other agendas, so I simply do not trust in it.
What you should know about riots
I have been into several riots in my life. Sometimes I was protesting, other times I was there “on the other side”.
All riots have a few things in common:
They can be predicted only to a certain point.
They say that riots have mentality on their own, and from my experience, it is by bigger part the truth. So one moment you are with your buddies, screaming and demanding something or carrying signs with messages (or stealing something from the mall). But then the next moment some unknown man may yell “get that mo******er” and point at you, and a few others may pick up on that, and then you are dead.
Things happened in moments there. It is hard to control and predict things.
Violence becomes easy.
It is a place and situation where the mob leads people. You can see a man who never yelled in his life and now he suddenly leads a group of ten people in kicking someone. Actually, you can be that man.
There is a turning point in every riot when stakes get higher, once when blood is spilled. Let’s say someone gets killed, then all stakes get higher because being involved in events like that with a big group of people gives you a feeling of “these things are right to do” even if they clearly are not OK to do.
Again you can find yourself on both ends of that.
It’s surprisingly easy to find yourself trashing things just for fun. Why? Because everybody around you is doing the same. It is like you are on drugs, it is a feeling that is hard to describe.
Riots from a survival point of view…
Taking into consideration again the state and the problems that we have everywhere today, you need to understand that every riot can possibly be an event that leads to another chain of events.
Every riot can be the start of SHTF.
Again – why the riot started is not the important thing.
The important thing how far it will go and is it going to “flip” at that moment when it leads to something more serious.
It can be football hooligans rioting, or protests and rioting over high fuel prices or similar.
But those riots can be used by some groups to start real mayhem, and you can’t conclude that until days later, not at that moment.
The thing here is do you want to be in the middle of that when it starts or safe at home with your family or maybe bugging out already?
Having your opinion and fighting for it is one thing. Being in the middle of chaos voluntarily is another thing. Usually, it will not work how you would like it to work.
The last riot that I was part of was actually like a spontaneous gathering of people who were demanding more jobs and less corruption. It ended in a violent clash with riot police and torched government buildings.
After the riots, I found out that the majority of protesters were brought to the city by free buses, organized from a political faction (same more or less like ruling one) who wanted to take power. They had clear instructions what to do, they were paid for that. And for days before it happened, we were bombarded on social media with news that fueled rage.
And all of that news turned out to be false.
And nothing really changed.
Now again, I am not saying there are no high causes and reasons to go out and violently demand things. I am just saying that in most cases, it is not worthwhile.
Usually, you are not gonna change things in that way, and you have a high chance to be hurt or killed, and to not to be with your family while SHTF maybe starting.
A long time ago, I witnessed riots between football hooligans, and it ended up almost like a small war in the city.
Years later we found out they (football hooligans leaders) were paid by some government faction to fuel rage between different groups of people as an introduction into a civil war.
And it worked perfectly. Because soon after my own SHTF began.
I found this an unfair assessment of what’s happening in France and a disservice to the French people and their struggle. A disservice to the people of the world, for that matter. Yes, there are elements of Internet frenzy and co-option, but most of the rioting was born of long-term abuse/neglect wherein people are finding it more and more difficult to make ends meet and are getting fed up, not to mention their concern for future generations.
In other reports, many cite the forced immigration as another reason for the outrage. Some see the protests as a last resort. Very sad that infiltrators misdirect their anger and put a blight on real objection. I guess that is the risk that comes with all public events.
I’m half a world a way and can’t prove all motives, but here’s a look back two weeks ago. This is real people saying important things:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpxiKNTiiv4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpxiKNTiiv4
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“In the world it is called Tolerance, but in hell it is called Despair, the sin that believes in nothing, cares for nothing, seeks to know nothing, interferes with nothing, enjoys nothing, hates nothing, finds purpose in nothing, lives for nothing, and remains alive because there is nothing for which it will die.”
— Dorothy Leigh Sayers
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