> TEOTWAWKI Blog: Lessons from Alas, Babylon: Post-TEOTWAWKI Professions

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10/28/10

Lessons from Alas, Babylon: Post-TEOTWAWKI Professions

Finished Alas, Babylon a few days ago. Still one of my favorites.

After the initial chaos has ended, a barter economy develops in Fort Repose. A lot of this economy revolves around trading pre-war goods, but these quickly run out. Then, people are left to barter with their services or what they can scrounge up or make at home.

Those who have a useful skill have a definite advantage. The doctor's skills are obviously in high demand--he can ask for gasoline in exchange for a house call. But others have valuable goods/services as well--a bee keeper who has honey to trade, a family who makes candles and so on. .

Post-collapse, many modern professions stop being needed; most professional positions would be completely useless. Corporations, businesses and other workplaces will close their doors and cease to be.

Where these professions disappear, new ones rise to take their place. The collapse of the modern "grid" takes away all of the convenience that we've grown used to, and so there will be a huge demand for local substitutes amongst survivors. Goods and services of many kinds will be in demand--not so much in the initial disaster/chaos phases, but certainly after things have stabilized. Some basic preps and practice can give you an advantage establishing what you do after TEOTWAWKI.

If you are lucky enough to have a group of like-minded survivors, you can pool your resources and provide greater benefit to the extended community. Or, if you're hiding out in a remote retreat, you will need to be as self-sufficient as possible--there's a huge variety of skills needed to do this, so group members will need to specialize.

Pick out something that you can do (or are interested in learning how to do) and get any necessary tools and supplies that you would need post-TEOTWAWKI. Learn primitive/old-school methods; you'll need to be able to practice your profession with minimal tech and tools. This can be as simple or as elaborate as you want, but it should be something that you enjoy doing and will willingly practice now, when times are normal(ish).

What are your plans for a post-TEOTWAWKI profession? What unique goods or services will you be able to provide fellow survivors?