"Be elsewhere" is a great way of handling collapse.
But it's hard to apply. You can wind up running from every social hiccup. (Did you flee the US for the BLM protests? But maybe there were days when it was wiser to not go downtown.) You have to correctly judge the level of the problem, and not run away from too many of the small ones, and not miss any of the big ones. It's a tough balance. If you can pull it off, though, it works far better than a bunker.
> You have to correctly judge the level of the problem, and not run away from too many of the small ones, and not miss any of the big ones.
That's not really how the emigration math works out in practice. Generally speaking, if the net benefits of leaving are greater than staying, that's enough justification to leave, even if society is still largely functioning and even if you could realistically make a difference(tm).
The idea that one is morally obligated to be responsible for change in their communities is just one aspect of the larger discussion of ethics vs distance: e.g. is it sensible to expect a sub-saharan african to deal w/ the ramifications of civil war while "doing one's part" consists of merely advocating for the homeless in California?
What, then, of africans who go to CA for a better life, and what of those who aren't willing to leave CA to get their hands dirty on the more pressing humanitarian issues in Africa?
There are many wildly different opinions on this dilemma, but IMHO when push comes to shove, individuals will first and foremost look after themselves - Philanthropy comes second to that.
Sometimes this means abandoning one local cause for a better "deal" (in terms of what a foreign society can provide in return for the value brought in by their immigration and their labor); the bigness of the local problem often doesn't even factor into the equation, as by definition, social problems can't be easily solved by one individual's actions alone.
Right, but if I've got a job, and a community, the benefits of leaving almost never outweigh the benefits of staying, unless staying is headed for real trouble. And the question is, how big is the trouble that we're headed for. And, look, the crystal ball's on the blink again, just when we need it...
But it's hard to apply. You can wind up running from every social hiccup. (Did you flee the US for the BLM protests? But maybe there were days when it was wiser to not go downtown.) You have to correctly judge the level of the problem, and not run away from too many of the small ones, and not miss any of the big ones. It's a tough balance. If you can pull it off, though, it works far better than a bunker.