Classifying your neighbors before SHTF

Discussion in 'General Survival and Preparedness' started by CATO, Oct 19, 2014.


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  1. CATO

    CATO Monkey+++

    You can read on the Monkey several places about "getting to know your neighbors."

    This article tells you a possible way to collect information on your neighbors that categorizes them as friend, foe, needs education, inner circle.

    Red Yellow Green Blue — Guerrillamerica

    Red Yellow Green Blue
    Admin Note: Sorry for going so long without posting. It’s full swing into deer season and I’ve been MIA here as a result.

    I’ve talked a bit about Red, Yellow, and Green villages in Afghanistan. They were essentially classifications we assigned to villages as part of a Village Stability Operation (VSO) in order to prioritize our efforts in turning “yellow” villages “green”. Very briefly, red villages were decidedly anti-US/Coalition Forces OR pro-Taliban; yellow villages were mixed or indifferent; and green villages were pro-US/CF OR anti-Taliban. We had to identify these villages, classify them, and then target for influence appropriately. We didn’t waste time on red villages that we were unable to turn. Instead, we focused on keeping the green villagesfor us, and convincing/influencing the yellow villages to support us.

    Going back to thefactthat we can’t kill them all, and that killing one insurgent often creates one or more in his place, we have to align our strategy appropriately. This is the battle for hearts and minds that is won and lost in the villages, on the ground, with the people; not sitting behind a computer saying that it can’t be done.

    As I was looking at a topo map of my hunting unit, I started to classify terrain as red, yellow, or green based on the likelihood of deer there at certain times of the day. It occurred to me that this analysis has a very profound usefulness to the Patriot/Prepper as well.

    We used certain criteria to classify those Afghan villages, and so you should develop your own criteria as to why and how you’re going to classify your neighbors and/or surrounding neighborhoods as red, yellow, or green… I’ll show you how to do that, but first I want to introduce you to blue: that’s decidedly Freedom Forces (FREEFOR). Our purpose today is to learn the process, start labeling our neighbors, and then begin identifying which individuals in our communities we can target for influence. This will involve some OSINT searching and a little time, but I believe that it’s well worth the effort. For an example, take a look at the map below. Start with your street, then your block, then your community. *** Pay special attention to the security caveat at the end of this article. ***

    [​IMG]

    Red.

    One of the first things I’m going to do is identify those who are diametrically opposed to Liberty, or who are the very least prepared (which may be a lot more red than shown on the map above). To begin, these are the communists and socialists, to include those who believe in legal and illegal plunder. How do I find these people? As it’s been pointed out numerous times, look at political yard signs. Check out your local political offices and find out who volunteers for the worst leftist candidates. Your state probably has a way you can purchase voter registration information, so start with your zip code. Again, “red” doesn’t mean that I’m going to inflict violence on them; I just want to know who, if/when given their druthers, would take away my Liberty. Some of these red homes may not be at all political – they could be gang or criminal affiliated. They could be drug addicts. They could be the ill-prepared – people who, when the time comes, might think to themselves that my stash of water, food, and medicine would be a tasty treat.

    Yellow.

    I’m going to use yellow for two categories. The first is for those who I have not identified any political affiliation or preparedness level. That means that there may be lots of yellow on your map, because lots of folks aren’t necessarily political or prepared. The second is for those who are open to hearing the message of Liberty or preparedness, or who believe they should get prepared, but haven’t done anything to prepare. These are folks we can definitely get prepared with the right amount of motivation. Maybe these folks just haven’t formed a bond with a fervent Patriot, and don’t know where to start and have so many questions that they fail to do anything.

    Green.

    Green homes/families are the folks who believe as I do – that Liberty is under attack. They may or not be getting prepared, but, at the very least, they see the threats. It’s our job to act as a coach when they ask. One of the best things we can do in Intelligence ismerely listen. Strike up a conversation. Ask them how they’re doing. Show you care. Build a relationship, then start asking questions about what’s going on in the political world. Ask their opinion. Be interested. They’ll likely tell you, especially if you confirm your belief in what they’re saying. Now you’re building rapport, and you’ll use this rapport to plant little seeds. Pique their interest about a certain topic or about being prepared or about going to the shooting range. Cement the bond you’re building, and introduce them to the concept of a preparedness group, community defense group, or a community watch. Recruit them, then turn them blue.

    Blue.

    As stated above, “blue” homes are ardent Patriots/FREEFOR. These are the folks in our groups; they’re the ones we can depend on when the SHTF (ifthe SHTF). We’re responsible for herding these cats, fostering unit cohesion, and building the skill base of the group.

    This map should give you a pretty good visual representation of the kind of neighbors you have and community you live in. If you don’t know your neighbors, do a little digging on them. Find out some information, then make an excuse to say hello. Just go meet them.

    In the next few weeks, have your group do an “ACE Weekend” where you can spend a few hours, or a day or weekend catching up on all the intelligence activities you should have been doing. Creating intelligence products like these now will pay dividends later. Intelligence drives the fight! It also drives your defense!



    SECURITY CAVEAT.

    Obviously, a map like this in Iraq or Afghanistan would be an intelligence analyst’s wet dream. I wouldlovedto have had a map of a village marking out the pro-CF and pro-Taliban homes.

    To keep things as safe as possible, let’s keep them as analog as possible (re: not digital). Print off a map, and go to Wally World to buy some of those little colored, circle stickers. They come in packs, generally in the crafts or school aisle. If you need to upgrade a yellow to green, or green to blue, then put another sticker on top of it. Keep it in a safe or somewhere secure.

    If you wanted to get really out there, you could find all the communists in your area, and mark their homes as “DEFINITELY A HARDCORE PATRIOT, III%er WHO HAS LOTS OF GUNS AND HATES THE GOVERNMENT… AND POSSIBLY HAS EBOLA, TOO.” Then lose that map somewhere.
     
    Last edited: Oct 19, 2014
  2. ditch witch

    ditch witch I do stupid crap, so you don't have to

    That's an interesting idea. I mean, yeah in my head I kinda have an idea of this house not that house, but it gives you a new perspective to see it actually marked up like that.
     
    Tully Mars and chelloveck like this.
  3. CATO

    CATO Monkey+++

    That's exactly what I thought when I read it as well--"Yeah, I knew that I would have to go talk to neighbors and categorize them as friend/foe/unknown," but, this give me a plan.
     
  4. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    You can probably mark up a Google Earth map of your AO, that is saved on your computer, not in the cloud. Pick your own choice of stick pin color.
     
    Yard Dart and Motomom34 like this.
  5. techsar

    techsar Monkey+++

    What I like around here is the other neighbors testing the waters...yesterday I had one approach me about water storage and Mountain House :)
     
  6. Motomom34

    Motomom34 Monkey+++

    I love this topic. I am always wondering/thinking about my neighbors, I look at their hobbies, skills and the hunters plus those with camping skills. Since it is election time I make note of the political signs in the yard.

    One issue is when you identify someone who would be a threat? I just haven't figured that one out. Loves weapons but is not stable. Bottom-line is I don't want that person in our neighborhood. Hopefully if SHTF he will be vacationing in Florida or something.
     
    Mountain mama likes this.
  7. Tevin

    Tevin Monkey+++

    I find this plan completely ineffective and, quite honestly, creepy.

    If the best you have to go on is a political yard sign and some loose information as to how they spend their free time, uhhmmm, that's not conclusive "intelligence." It's barely more than being the neighborhood snoop.

    And for a website that's supposed to be all about "liberty," it comes off as very Stalin-esque to suggest using this information to determine both moral values and future behavior. Likewise, because someone agrees with you in terms of politics or prepping it does not automatically follow that they are a great choice to ride the storm out with.

    What this scheme also totally blows off is that "liberty people" are not by default more honest/cooperative/dependable than anyone else. I'd rather be in a subdivision of Prius-driving Obamawhores who live quietly and mind their own business (and will dutifully head to the nearest FEMA center when the hour arrives...thereby no longer being a problem for me) than be stuck next to one "patriot" who is just itching for an excuse to run out and be the neighborhood Mad Max. Sorry, but having an NRA sticker on your truck doesn't make you a nice guy who won't bother anyone.

    This color system works in Afghanistan because the Afghans are a very tribal culture and like people go out of their way to group together. It's not that straightforward in the USA.

    I get to know my neighbors by...getting to know them. Not by playing junior spy, picking from around the edges and drawing wild-assed conclusions.
     
    Last edited: Oct 19, 2014
    Ganado likes this.
  8. techsar

    techsar Monkey+++

    I think you may have missed the point, Tevin. Getting to know your neighbors is info gathering mixed with social interaction. As far as that goes, you may think you know your neighbors until TSHTF. Then they become bumbling idiots, leeches or backstabbing hawks.

    Listing which ones you feel are potentially dangerous, be it on a map or in your mind, is a prudent move IMHO. The method to reach this end is up to the individual.
     
  9. CATO

    CATO Monkey+++

    Read the Jakarta Pandemic by Konkoly (sp?). What would you do with "Todd?" I would've offed him.
     
    JABECmfg likes this.
  10. CATO

    CATO Monkey+++

    This is the huge question though eh? Unless you're a Mormon, do you divulge what you have--even just in general (e.g., "All of my food storage is Wise) or act like you don't know what they're talking about. *ANY* information is some information when the SHTF. If someone knows you have food/water and everyone else is starving, you suddenly have a lot of friends.

    Tough decision. Blue dot info only--the circle of trust.
     
  11. techsar

    techsar Monkey+++

    Excellent point! Regarding the Mt House, my response was that I had tried some and they were pretty good. No one outside my house needs to know the entire extent of my preps...and there are some my wife isn't currently aware of ;)

    She'd have a fit if she knew about the other box of Cheetos!
     
  12. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    And you do, of course, rotate your stock?
     
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  13. Gator 45/70

    Gator 45/70 Monkey+++

    Cheetos make pretty good bait...Just say'n
     
  14. Motomom34

    Motomom34 Monkey+++

    @Tevin there were not many details in my statement yet instead of asking and getting to know your fellow monkey you made lots of assumptions. Yeah I think about my neighbors, I never stated what I do with this knowledge. Neighbor X just had surgery, wonder how X is doing, I thought enough to go check on his recovery. When neighbor Y is off camping for weeks and I see someone on their property, wondering who they are I stop and find out- Neighbor Z has a project/hobby that they are trying to complete, I think it should be almost finished. As for the political signs, I make note of them and don't talk politics because it can ruin a relationship. My neighbors deserve their privacy. I respect that so vague posts protect them. Would it make you feel better if I said that we have a phone tree and during storms/ emergencies we call each other and alert each other checking on safety and needs?

    As for the threat in our neighborhood, we all know. Following people home and sitting in their driveway screaming and cursing, pretending to shoot people as they drive by, yeah i really want to get to know that psycho. How about storming out of the house holding a shot gun and screaming at the neighborhood children, to me that is unstable. The sheriff has been there enough to make note and so has the neighborhood.

    Sadly @Tevin you are the monkey closest to me in location and I do not ever see us getting together to have lunch.
     
  15. Tevin

    Tevin Monkey+++

    Wow, uhhm, I'm not sure where you are coming from because I never replied directly to anything you said in this topic. My post was in response to the original topic. You made up the rest. So who is making assumptions here?

    Anyway, my point is that there is a huge difference between being generally aware of who is around you and what they are doing and purposely conducting "intelligence" to the point of digging through voter registration records and volunteer lists, determining the moral character of that person based on their political affiliation, and then carefully charting everything on a color coded map. Yes that's creepy.

    Finally, How do you know where I live? It's not in my profile and I never disclose my location in my postings. Unless perhaps I'm on your map.
     
  16. CATO

    CATO Monkey+++

    Like Jessee Jackson said when walking down a dark street and heard someone behind him, he was glad they were white.

    Why?

    He was using cues--at that time, you were more likely to be mugged by a black person than a white one.

    We all use cues. You can't get to know everyone, so, we must employ cues to guide our responding behavior.

    Statistically, there is a measure (lambda) that when calculated will give you the proportional reduction in error (PRE). So, for example, knowing one's religiosity and race, you might calculate a lambda of .80 for their political affiliation. In other words , I will reduce my error in guessing someone is a Republican if I also know they are a white Christian.

    Knowing that your neighbor flies an American flag, votes Republican, and goes to church on Sunday gives you a huge amount of information about that person. Similarly, someone with a bunch of anti-US, Obama-Biden, Coexist, and equal-sign bumper stickers certainly reduces your PRE by about 90+% knowing that they are:
    • probably not religious
    • not a fan of the Constitution
    • likely to depend on the .gov in times of crisis
    • would rat you out to the feds for some bogus measures (e.g., food hoarding, having a weapon)
    • think they're smarter than everyone else--most libtards do
    You can't remember everything, so, keeping a map along with an annotated notebook makes sense to me. It might not be for you.

    Judge me as a creep, it doesn't bother me . . . I view it more as "information is power." Power to survive by being in the know.
     
  17. Motomom34

    Motomom34 Monkey+++

    @Tevin
    One of you posts here or something from your blog (yes, I read them when you post the link) made me assume that you were near my area. Maybe I am incorrect in that assumption but when you wrote:

    If the best you have to go on is a political yard sign and some loose information as to how they spend their free time, uhhmmm, that's not conclusive "intelligence." It's barely more than being the neighborhood snoop.”

    In my opinion that was a direct response to my post prior to yours. You gave specific examples using my post comments. Either/or I do have my neighbors categorized. I have groups, those with kids, those without, some work and some are home bodies. We have true hermits that want to be left alone vs those that will drop everything and help when you need a hand. I actually have a list of a few neighbors and their numbers posted on the fridge, these are the go to people in case of emergency.

    The article linked IMO was a bit militant but if you boil it down to the basics, people should have their neighbors semi categorized. You should know who is neighborly vs. neighbor.
     
  18. kellory

    kellory An unemployed Jester, is nobody's fool. Banned

    @Tevin
    "Finally, How do you know where I live? It's not in my profile and I never disclose my location in my postings. Unless perhaps I'm on your map."

    You are wrong. You grew up in the suburbs of Chicago. Do I need to get more specific? This is from material you posted.
    @Motomom34 , just picked up on what you wrote. That is not creepy, that is information retention, and an important skill.
    I've picked up locations of several monkeys by their posts. And I am an amateur.
     
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  19. Tevin

    Tevin Monkey+++

    You know where I grew up but you don't know where I live (hint: I've moved since then. Twice.).

    Anyway...carry on.
     
    Last edited: Oct 20, 2014
  20. kellory

    kellory An unemployed Jester, is nobody's fool. Banned

    Just over a mile from your childhood home. (For a starter) you suffer from Barbara Streisand syndrome. I could dig deeper, but have no real interest in doing so. And I hope that is a pen name. A true name would give me your mailing address.
     
    Last edited: Oct 20, 2014
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