Some of us have been bold and brave enough to speculate about what the collapse of civilisation will bring. Will it be total Mad Max/The Walking Dead lawlessness? I doubt it. What is most likely is that humans, as tribal animals, an anthropological point uber-liberal do not like, will bind together to deal with those threatening the tribe, as it has always been, and is beginning, now:
https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3084816/gangs-terrorised-africas-largest-city-coronavirus-lockdown
“Midnight gunshots in early April in Abule-Egba, a densely populated district in Nigeria’s largest city of Lagos, startled Victor Osadiaye. He stood by his window, watching the scenes unfold in the street outside his home. The violent robbery ended about 20 minutes later. “I have never seen anything like this all my life. It was like war,” he said. “Not just me, everyone was shocked because this doesn’t always happen.” A small crowd of men, women and children gathered in his neighbourhood later that morning, he recalled, and the local community made plans to make sure it wouldn’t happen again. However, Abule-Egba wasn’t the only community targeted by the armed gangs. Since Nigeria’s first lockdown was announced on March 30, crimes soared in places like Lagos – the largest commercial city in Africa with 20 million residents. Low income and densely populated neighbourhoods have been worst-hit. Some arrests were made and weapons seized. But the sheer size of the city, protected by a relatively small police force, has left much of the population without adequate security. That drove some people like Osadeiye to form community vigilante groups to protect their neighbourhoods. “There is no need trusting the security forces with the lives of your family,” he said. “A responsible man should take responsibility for his safety and that of his household.” At sunset, armed with an iron rod and flashlight, Osadeiye joined other young men for night watch duties. After exchanging pleasantries, they would divide into smaller units to patrol darkened streets, occasionally using their rudimentary weapons to hit metal structures they walked past to make their presence known to outsiders. In the past few weeks, Abule-Egba’s neighbourhood watch model has been copied by other streets in nearly other parts of Lagos state after violent attacks.”
Africa is a bit ahead of the curve here, but it is going to happen right across the West given the way things are disintegrating. The coming anarchy catches up:
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1994/02/the-coming-anarchy/304670/
I will email this article off, then quickly pack up my laptop and head back to my tent (the reception there is virtually non-existent). The storm clouds are rolling in across the sky, and lightening has just flashed. The deluge is coming. Brace yourself.