# From our cumulative professions, could the SDMB keep (a prosperous) society going? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 29, 2005, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-our-cumulative-professions-could-the-sdmb-keep-a-prosperous-society-going/333192 "2005-11-29T11:37:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-our-cumulative-professions-could-the-sdmb-keep-a-prosperous-society-going/333192/61 "2005-11-29T19:16:05Z")
> [@YaWanna](#): > > Even if there is no economy or currency, there must be _some_ use for accounting skills! Eventually, the barter system will not be able to work on a one-to-one basis - how much beer does one trade for a dancing girl’s services, and what if she’s not a beer-drinker, etc. How do you keep track of supplies in a warehouse, etc. > > I hope I would be able to earn my keep - I’m sure as hell not a breeder or a feeder. Are you willing to learn a new field to supplement the accounting skill? I think we would all have to learn new things to be fully useful. Warehousing however could be a huge task no matter what form of government we take. If it is just a mass human die-off and all the material goods of this world are left behind we should have a huge amount of resources for an extended time period. Jim ---
**Author:** ![YaWanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/bbce88/32.png) [@YaWanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YaWanna)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-our-cumulative-professions-could-the-sdmb-keep-a-prosperous-society-going/333192/62 "2005-11-29T19:26:26Z")
Willing? - sure, within limits (I will not babysit children. Period.) But even the ancients had accounting, so it’s not like we’re talking about telephone sanitizers here. But many of my skills are broader than just accounting - like organization, data management, etc. I’m sharp, I learn new things pretty quickly. My limitations are mostly physical - I can’t lift or carry much, I’ve got lots of aches & pains & general weaknesses from injuries, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-our-cumulative-professions-could-the-sdmb-keep-a-prosperous-society-going/333192/63 "2005-11-29T19:36:45Z")
I don’t think we have enough criminals to keep all the cops and lawyers and military types happy. ---
**Author:** ![Who\_me\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/958977/32.png) [@Who\_me\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Who_me_1)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-our-cumulative-professions-could-the-sdmb-keep-a-prosperous-society-going/333192/64 "2005-11-29T19:51:52Z")
> [@John Carter of Mars](#): > > There’s a couple or three farmers, some carpenters and heavy machinery operators, brewers and distillers and a civil engineer. Many others with various talents. Yep, we’ve got it made! > > If there’s to be electricity, gasoline and diesel fuel we can rock on! If not, it’ll be a little less pleasant using horses and mules, but we’ll make it. > > I’d suggest locating somewhere around Baltimore. Good farmland on the DelMarVa peninsula and there will be the bounty of seafood and waterfowl provided by Chesapeake Bay. I’m a security professional, which may not be needed too badly, but I worked on a dairy farm as a kid and I love the woods and am not a bad shot with a rifle (I suck with a bow though). I’m fairly handy at carpentry also. PLUS, I’m already around Baltimore… I’ll start scouting sites. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-our-cumulative-professions-could-the-sdmb-keep-a-prosperous-society-going/333192/65 "2005-11-29T19:52:36Z")
I like the Tennessee Valley region, but to be honest, I’d prefer being in India or something like that. Plenty of ready and available farm land, equipment, etc. True, it’s not very modern, but then again, we’d need old-fashioned tools if we didn’t have electricity. And their are five rivers in Punjab; we could build fine civilization there methinks. But OK, TN if you must. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-our-cumulative-professions-could-the-sdmb-keep-a-prosperous-society-going/333192/66 "2005-11-29T20:01:02Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > I don’t think we have enough criminals to keep all the cops and lawyers and military types happy. Cops will be out of luck, do we have any? Lawyers will need to learn and additional trade to go with their knowledge. The Military get to protect us from dangerous animals and prepare for the unexpected. Alien/Zombie attacks, etc. Mostly they use there non-combat skills. I suspect criminals will have a tough time of it in a small society. As I said earlier we can give part time employment to **Bricker, Campion** and a few others as the Judicial. Most lawyers will need to go work with John Carter or learn a useful tech skill. I think programmers greatly outnumber the lawyers on this board. We will need to retrain most of them. I suspect this will be our major pool for power plant operations and other tech jobs. Our actual computer need should be greatly reduced. Programmers and Lawyers both have logical minds and above average learning skills. Retraining should be simple. As far as locations: Here is a list of US Nuclear Plants [http://www.nucleartourist.com/us/address.htm](http://www.nucleartourist.com/us/address.htm) Looks like Baltimore is viable. Tennessee has some advantages; I think they have hydro power, which is probably even better than Nuke for our purposes. Jim ---
**Author:** ![YaWanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/bbce88/32.png) [@YaWanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YaWanna)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-our-cumulative-professions-could-the-sdmb-keep-a-prosperous-society-going/333192/67 "2005-11-29T20:09:57Z")
Hey, I just remembered :smack: - I can draw! And paint! Surely Doper Society can use an artist, even if I’m not world-class. ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-our-cumulative-professions-could-the-sdmb-keep-a-prosperous-society-going/333192/68 "2005-11-29T20:11:38Z")
If society came to an end in the Netherlands, I’d know most native plants. What to eat, what to use. I’d contribute salads, and herbs for soups. I’s also contribute rather…eh… permanent solutions \ to problems like **Bosda** ’s staying “Dictator-For-Life” for too long. ---
**Author:** ![Aangelica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Aangelica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aangelica)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-our-cumulative-professions-could-the-sdmb-keep-a-prosperous-society-going/333192/69 "2005-11-29T20:13:39Z")
Weirdly, for a lawyer, I have a lot of odd post-apocalyptic skills. I can card, spin and weave raw animal hair into fabrics - also dye it. I don’t really sew though - only decorative things, which won’t be all that useful. Plus I can grow food and cook it - and preserve excess in various forms. I can’t hunt, but I’m good at fishing - and preserving fish once caught. Also I’m a fair carpenter - both for buildings and tables and things. I can throw, fire and glaze pottery (as well as build the equipment necessary to do those things - even in a society that might lack electricity). I can tend smaller livestock (not cows and horses, but goats and chickens and sheep for sure). I can use a boat. Without killing myself or others. I have teaching experience. I’m useless with anything mechanical or that plugs into a wall, though. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-our-cumulative-professions-could-the-sdmb-keep-a-prosperous-society-going/333192/70 "2005-11-29T20:22:54Z")
> [@Aangelica](#): > > Weirdly, for a lawyer, I have a lot of odd post-apocalyptic skills. > > I can card, spin and weave raw animal hair into fabrics - also dye it. I don’t really sew though - only decorative things, which won’t be all that useful. > > Plus I can grow food and cook it - and preserve excess in various forms. > > I can’t hunt, but I’m good at fishing - and preserving fish once caught. > > Also I’m a fair carpenter - both for buildings and tables and things. > > I can throw, fire and glaze pottery (as well as build the equipment necessary to do those things - even in a society that might lack electricity). > > I can tend smaller livestock (not cows and horses, but goats and chickens and sheep for sure). > > I can use a boat. Without killing myself or others. > > I have teaching experience. > > I’m useless with anything mechanical or that plugs into a wall, though. I really suspect the carding & spinning will be invaluable and you would have to spend a lot of time teaching. I also believe we will all have to learn some tending skills and carpentry skills. Thankfully I have the last. My wife has animals skills and pottery skills. I suspect that with the surplus of plastics we won’t need pottery for a long time but we better maintain the skill anyway. I would think she would want to learn the carding as she likes to knit. Jim ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-our-cumulative-professions-could-the-sdmb-keep-a-prosperous-society-going/333192/71 "2005-11-29T20:23:37Z")
I’ll tend to the children! ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-our-cumulative-professions-could-the-sdmb-keep-a-prosperous-society-going/333192/72 "2005-11-29T20:41:43Z")
In addition to brewing, I have some small skills with firearms and explosives. These will come in handy when we have to defend ourselves from, or need to take over, a neighboring group. Bosda might also find these skills helpful in oppressing the plebes. 😃 I also can cook, sew, bake, butcher a pig, start a fire by rubbing two Boy Scouts together, and other basic survival skills. Just don’t ask me to deal with cows, other than as hamburger. ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-our-cumulative-professions-could-the-sdmb-keep-a-prosperous-society-going/333192/73 "2005-11-29T21:29:05Z")
I can provide a clean water supply. I can also run various pieces of construction and farm equipment. ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-our-cumulative-professions-could-the-sdmb-keep-a-prosperous-society-going/333192/74 "2005-11-29T21:40:54Z")
> [@Enginerd](#): > > I can provide a clean water supply. You can make it rain on command? How novel. 😃 Sounds like we got ourselves a community. I forgot to add, I’m also a brewer (of wine) and pretty good with the garden and have been known to repair the hell out of a car every now and then. Plus, I can help reproduce. In fact, I’ll volunteer to be the Chief of Reproduction, or COR. ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-our-cumulative-professions-could-the-sdmb-keep-a-prosperous-society-going/333192/75 "2005-11-29T21:49:48Z")
The brewers get first dibs on clean water. Gotta have our priorities straight. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-our-cumulative-professions-could-the-sdmb-keep-a-prosperous-society-going/333192/76 "2005-11-29T21:51:50Z")
A few more questions: Will the gene pool be large enough to maintaining standard pairings? Will we need to have children outside of standard marraige patterns to increase diversity? Will this cause strife? Jim ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-our-cumulative-professions-could-the-sdmb-keep-a-prosperous-society-going/333192/77 "2005-11-29T22:10:04Z")
> [@jrfranchi](#): > > Will the gene pool be large enough to maintaining standard pairings? > Will we need to have children outside of standard marriage patterns to increase diversity? > Will this cause strife? No. Yes. Most definately. The way to solve this problem is to wage war on surrounding groups and **steal their women!** ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-our-cumulative-professions-could-the-sdmb-keep-a-prosperous-society-going/333192/78 "2005-11-29T22:12:44Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > No. Yes. Most definately. The way to solve this problem is to wage war on surrounding groups and **steal their women!** I thought the OP said no other human survivors but the Dopers? I am trying to run through the scenario and look for holes. Jim ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Tonya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/4491bb/32.png) [@Queen\_Tonya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Tonya)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-our-cumulative-professions-could-the-sdmb-keep-a-prosperous-society-going/333192/79 "2005-11-29T22:19:20Z")
My manufacturing and electrical background won’t do much, those are covered pretty well. Retail and customer service skills don’t seem very in demand, either. Has **Bricker** determined if prostitution is legal in our brave new world yet? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-our-cumulative-professions-could-the-sdmb-keep-a-prosperous-society-going/333192/80 "2005-11-29T22:20:33Z")
> [@Queen Tonya](#): > > My manufacturing and electrical background won’t do much, those are covered pretty well. Retail and customer service skills don’t seem very in demand, either. > > Has **Bricker** determined if prostitution is legal in our brave new world yet? We’ll need a lot of electricians. But you can always do both. 😉 Jim [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-our-cumulative-professions-could-the-sdmb-keep-a-prosperous-society-going/333192.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-our-cumulative-professions-could-the-sdmb-keep-a-prosperous-society-going/333192.md?page=5)