Are You “Living In the Plastic”?

Have you bought something that you think you will need at some point in the future and left it in its plastic wrapping? It could be a compass, small water filter or even a medical kit. I call this living in the plastic.

I also use this term to describe people who have purchased a firearm and ammunition only to put them in a safe for “later”. My broader definition of living in the plastic is simple: buying some thing which has instructions or needs training to use effectively but you do not read the instructions or train with the tool ahead of time.

How often have you bought a book but not read it? I doubt that I will ever be able to read all of the books that I have purchased but I highly recommend Battlefield America by John Whitehead and The Survival Group Handbook: How to Plan, Organize and Lead People For a Short or Long Term Survival Situation by Charley Hogwood.

I have seen several examples where someone has purchased an AR-15 rifle and put it away for later. When “later” came in the form of rifle training, the rifle jammed on the first shot. Causes were: carrier bolt not lubricated, lacquered rounds and reloads bought at a flea market. The consequence of living in the plastic in this case can result in death and the possible passage of a rifle into the hands of the “enemy”.

Another case of living in the plastic concerns personal relationships. Are you basing your future security on the expectation that when the SHTF occurs, people will rise up to what the situation requires and that you will be able to count on them? This is a fallacy that also has consequences that can result in death. If you cannot count on them now, are you willing to risk your children’s lives on them in the future?

The last case of living in the plastic or more commonly known as “normalcy bias” is the ballot box option. People want to believe that everything will work out if we just vote for good politicians. After the last election where the Republicans took control of the Senate and kept control of the House, we know that there is no solution at the ballot box. History shows that the next option for us to regain our freedom is the cartridge box. If you believe this, ask people whom you are willing to trust if they believe that the ballot box has been replaced by the cartridge box. When you see the look of incredulity on their face, you will know if they are living in the plastic. You can bring them out of the plastic with one statement: You may not believe it but the federal government believes in the cartridge box solution as shown by the massive amount of ammunition that they are buying.

David DeGerolamo

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