Russians have to be as good at defending themselves. If the militsiya cannot do it doing the present time, where is the old Soviet civil defence? Same in the West!

Whether it's widely known or not, there are Western counterparts to this as well.

Both governments of the Russian and American people have failed their citizens in providing adequate protection from natural and man made disasters, as have most governments of the Western World. Switzerland is possibly the greatest exception in the West as their civil preparedness structure was extensive from all accounts I have read. The old Cold War days are behind us and both Russia and America face a different threat in the form of global terrorism and natural disasters. Terrorism does not have the same face as former symmetrical wars (such as The Great Patriotic War or WWII to us Westerners). And with the natural threats of global climate change, along with the realization of the dangers that asteroids pose to all people (Tunguska's disaster many years ago) the citizens of each of our respective countries must provide the level of preparedness we feel is the most likely to face in the coming years. The 'survival' movement is a move to greater independence and self reliance similar to my grandparents on their farm. They always had a supply of food crops for their family plus extra for charity during The Great Depression. Today both our respective countries have a more fragile technological system which can more easily be disrupted for many reasons. Most survival minded people are moving back to live closer to the land and provide for themselves so they don't burden government resources in the time of crisis.

We live in a world where, according to one author (One Second After), a few well placed EMP devices could render the US a third world country and open to tactical attacks by others that have not apparently grown fat and lazy. I do not know if the US has grown fat and lazy but I suspect our politicians have seen to their own needs for the near and long term leaving the rest of us to survive as best as we can. The enemy to me at such a time will not be China or Iran but rather my fellow countryman who will be prowling about seeking to rape, pillage and destroy. I may not be able to defend myself from all of them but I plan to take as many out as I can before they get to me and my family. I guess the question becomes one of just how long do I really want to live in such a world.