We Are All “Preppers” Now

“Preppers” were once seen as fringe weirdos.

These were folks preparing for the apocalypse.

Unlike most of my readers, they weren’t interested in investing, finances, or a life abroad…

They were focused on vegetable seeds, water purification tablets, survival gear, and guns and ammo…

These days, however, we’re all preppers.

Concern about the viability of our social, ecological, and economic arrangements is spreading like wildfire… And that’s producing new types of preppers.

The first shift in “prepperism” came when Silicon Valley gazillionaires like Peter Thiel started buying properties (and purchasing citizenship) in places like New Zealand. These super-rich believe it could be the ideal location to avoid civil unrest, climate change… even nuclear war. Since then, it’s become fashionable for tech entrepreneurs to invest in boltholes far from the places where they’ve made their fortunes.

This isn’t the classic “flee to the hills” prepper approach. It’s based on the assumption that some parts of the world will remain “civilized,” and that prepositioning yourself in one of them is a good idea.

And this idea is starting to spread beyond the billionaire market…

For example, someone who consulted with me asked my opinion about a group called EcoVillages. It has three “communities,” one in Panama and two in Nicaragua.

These places aren’t what you would typically associate with preppers. They look more like golf estates. Residents can choose from several off-plan house models. Individual plots are serviced by paved roads, water and electricity connections, and waterborne sewage. The developments include schools, clubhouses, pools, tennis and volleyball courts, digital workstations, art studios, and a range of community agriculture projects.

They also appear to be surrounded with high-security fencing and guarded access.

Digging into the philosophy behind these projects, you can see some themes…

First, although they assume things will get worse in future, these are not post-apocalyptic preppers. They are “pre-apocalyptic.” They recognise that society and the environment are under intolerable strain, so likeminded individuals must work together to secure the basics like food, water, and energy. Their ecological focus is rooted in self-preservation as the planet deteriorates, not concern for the planet as such. Nothing about them suggests an assumption that economic activity and trade with the broader world will disappear.

Second, these communities emphasise freedom and seek to avoid “divisiveness.” Residents can opt out of communal sustainability activities if they choose. The person who asked me was interested because he’d heard they didn’t require residents to be vaccinated. Their promotional materials emphasize that, “If what you do in your free time doesn’t harm others, then you should be free to do it without interference or overreach”—a classic libertarian sentiment.

Third, although there will be a formally constituted housing associations, day-to-day governance will be via so-called “Decentralised Autonomous Organisations,” or DAOs.  This is a blockchain-based consensus-building mechanism where people constantly vote on options directly rather than choosing representatives to do it for them.

The EcoVillage approach thus draws on the “flight to safety” approach of someone like a Peter Thiel, the “grow it yourself” ethos of classic preppers, a quasi-libertarian modern tech philosophy, and a price point accessible to upper-middle-class people.

The big question is whether communities like these are viable long-term. Would they be a good idea for someone like you?

In next week’s article, I’ll be looking at that question in detail…