Thread: Twilight Exodus
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Old 07-17-2012, 10:21 AM
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Default Philly Exodus and its impact on Central PA

Quote:
Originally Posted by mikeo80 View Post
Jason,
(SNIP)
I agree that "Farmer Joe" is going to be seriously pi$$ed off when the locusts (read city folks) decend on his corn crop. They will strip it clean in a few moments. Probably eat it un cooked.

Realistically, what can "Farmer Joe" do? Yes he can open fire. He will probably kill 2,5,10, whatever. Then he has to reload. And several hundred hungry, desperate people swarm his house. What happens next is best left to the imagination. This scenario will be repeated millions of times.

Then comes the intra-swarm predation. Bill up there got some corn. I didn't. My family is hungry too. I have a gun. Bill is busy eating corn. BANG!!

Once the NG/State Guard/reserves/regulars are mobilized, the damage will all ready be done. And I am assuming that the NG etc show up for roll call. With the nukes flying in the Sino-Russia war and/or Nato-Warsaw war, would you leave your family? Bring them to the Armory? Strike out on your own? Those questions alone are probably worth a thread all to themselves.
My $0.02
Mike
Mike, this ties into what I posted on the Twilight and F&I thread: setting up a series of defensive fortified farms/homes/buildings/small towns to act as a focal point for mutual defense or gathering place in case of attack just as Pennsylvania, Maryland, an Virginia did. It would also help if the local largest town or cantonment could provide a fast reaction force to drive off or defeat any marauders or raiders. These sites could also provide a forward jumping-off point for the sponsoring cantonment or settlement, probably Harrisburg in this case, to keep an eye on the eastern frontier. This would include dissuading masses of migrating survivors of other disaster areas (Philadelphia) from stripping the cropped landscape bare.

Here in central PA I can see the term "Phillie" being used in the place of "Okie" of the Thirties in their migration. I can also see some veterans of the "Ruins of Warsaw" campaign helping out to enable the "Relokies" to stabilize their lives in a productive way--sort of like the 2300AD Zapamoga organization (which the characters may have helped start by their aid and assistance to the refugees while in Poland!). If the local head honcho were smart, he'd have clearing stations set up in the forward areas, to interview potential settlers. Personally, I'd give admission preference to families with older children, able to provide manpower for reclaiming damaged urban areas for their residence, along the lines of Habitat for Humanity--you help others, they help you fix your own place up after you've contributed adequate man-hours in others' service. Also, the clearing stations could find people with needed skills and knowledge, giving them and their families a boost up the acceptance list.For the rest, they have the choice of joining the transient community housing shelters in exchange for labor or needed items (medicine, ammo, working electronics, gold) or moving on out of the area of control of the cantonment. Naturally, there will be disgruntled, panicked, and unscrupulous elements amongst the refugees, which will cause much concern and difficulty to those sorting out the wheat from the chaff. Also, after the sorting has been completed, those who had been rejected may be in the spirit of revenge or covetousness, planning raids or attacks on the "fat corrupt government bureaucrats" that they have been rejected by.

As mentioned glancingly in Howling Wilderness, the Amish and Mennonite population of Pennsylvania, who are eminently prepared and have the skill sets for survival in this situation, will probably need some unasked-for protection from those who would take advantage of their non-violent nature.
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