For most of us, just getting through the daily routine, whether it be employment outside the home - or within, child-rearing, studying, reading, writing, exercising, visiting or whatever, is enough to keep us occupied. There are others, however, who are less preoccupied with the "now" that we are experiencing here on our beleaguered planet. They are more preoccupied with the future, and an apocalyptic one at that.
Some sources for this apocalyptic vision derive from eschatological (end-of-time) writings in the three Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam). Others may derive from doomsday scenarios in various non-Abrahamic religions. For a recap of such religious-based beliefs and scenarios, see this article. It also seems that every year, there has been at least one off-the-wall religious figure who has predicted the end of the world with such specificity that he (invariably, this individual is a "he) is left with significant egg on his face. Even worse, many of his subsequently disappointed - and disillusioned - followers acted on his predictions to their personal, professional or financial detriment. This was recently the case with the predictions of Harold Camping in 2011. It was equally the case with similar predictions Camping made in 1988 and 1994.
P.T. Barnum may seriously have underestimated how many incredibly gullible people are born every minute.
In 2012, however, numerologists such as Camping are pinning their hopes on the "magic date" of 21 December 2012, i.e., 21-12-2012. The twenty-first day of the twelfth month of the twelfth year of the second millennium is also regarded as the end-date of a 5,125-year cycle in the Mayan calendar. According to non-mainstream interpretations, the date will trigger a series of cataclysmic and transformative events leading either to the End of Days - or some close facsimile thereof.
There is money to be made on such beliefs, and potentially lots of it. Some, for example, are attempting to do a thriving business by selling Doomsday shelters. One facility based in Nebraska in the US touts itself as the developer of the "largest, strongest and most defensible ... shelter in North America, accommodating up to 900 people for up to one year of autonomous, underground survival" and is selling membership spaces at USD 25,000 per person. Imagine! A family of four can be saved for a year after a cataclysmic event, providing that they can fork over USD 100,000 up front and providing that space is still available. Of course, getting to the location, described as "centrally-located within a one-day drive from virtually everywhere" - which is a real stretch for me here in Central Europe, presupposes that there are drivable roads and functioning gas pumps for fuel. In case one gets bored while waiting for the year to pass, there are potential outdoor activities available. The area is surrounded by "excellent farming, fishing, hunting and water resources." It almost sounds like a vacation, assuming of course, that those "excellent resources" are not destroyed in the cataclysmic events. In case you are interested, you can find a list of the features provided here. I personally love the idea of the "fully-stocked wine cellar." In fact, I have one of those right here so I think I'll pass on relocating.
This is not the only site selling ready-made shelters, as can be seen even with a cursory internet search. The US, probably the country most preoocupied with this 2012 Doomsday phenomenon, is also a nation intensely preoccupied with reality television. It is thus no surprise that there is a TV reality series entitled "Doomsday Preppers," described as exploring "the lives of otherwise ordinary Americans who are preparing for the end of the world as we know it." What is a surprise - to me, at least - is that the series is being shown on the National Geographic Network, up to now considered a comparatively serious network.
I am seriously wondering just how rampant insanity in the US has become.
I was not at all reassured by the real estate section of yesterday's Geneva Tribune. It contained a short article describing a structure being built in Kansas that is probably one logical conclusion of the Doomsday phenomenon, at least for the very wealthy. This structure, a creative use of a former Cold War missile site, will offer luxury accommodations - underground, of course - and will also feature an indoor farm that will provide enough fish and vegetables to sustain up to 70 people for as long as needed. Of course, the price for accommodations here is USD 7 million, making the USD 25,000 per person for the Nebraska shelter seem somewhat paltry. Four buyers have already expressed interest.
Only in America. Sigh.
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