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Re:Survival of the Richest by ryandrake on Friday July 06, 2018 @01:03AM (#17468990)
If it's truly a post-apocalyptic environment, your "pre-war" wealth won't matter. Nobody will care how many zeros are in your bank's (non-functional) computer database. Your ability to survive and cause other people to survive would be all that counted. I've always thought of it as "having Mad Max skills."

What are your Mad Max skills? If the nuclear apocalypse comes and you survive, what useful skill do you have that will let you continue to live without the rule of law? Can you build a house? Fix a car? Grow crops? Butcher an animal properly? Land an airplane? I've always though everyone should have at least a few of these practical hands-on skills, in case the shit hits the fan. What good are your computer programming skills when there's no more electricity, let alone functional computers? So, you're a social media marketing manager for a global brand? If that's all you know how to do, you'll end up some local warlord's sex slave.

Why would "security forces" listen to some formerly rich corporate CEO? What has he to offer them?

Re:Survival of the Richest by pmoriarty on Friday July 06, 2018 @01:51AM (#17469205)
You don't necessarily need "Mad Max skills" as long as you're part of a group of people.

The ones to dominate in groups tend to have social engineering skills, or "Ben Linus skills" you could call them.

They don't need to know how to start a fire, or fire a gun, or fix a car. They can just get other people to do it for them -- not for money, but because they can con them in to it, or exploit their weaknesses, set them against one another, or bribe them with promises.

Re:Survival of the Richest by AstralStorm on Friday July 06, 2018 @08:35AM (#17470865)
Someone needs those skills though.

This is a problem is too small group in a survival situation. A viable group should have the size of a village at least - over 100 people of some diversity.

Otherwise it is very fragile.

Obviously enough resources to start with.

Re:Survival of the Richest by bilbo0s on Friday July 06, 2018 @01:43AM (#17469165)
"...Can you build a house? Fix a car? Grow crops? Butcher an animal properly? Land an airplane?..."

You have a SERIOUSLY optimistic view of the Mad Max type aftermath of a nuclear apocalypse. Fix a car? Land a plane? Those questions imply an assumption on your part that an awful lot of support systems will have survived. (For instance, I'm not at all sure that fuel deliveries would continue to be made after a nuclear apocalypse. I'm even less certain that the electronic systems of most planes and autos will survive the nuclear unpleasantness unaffected.)

Re:Survival of the Richest by ryandrake on Friday July 06, 2018 @02:07AM (#17469295)
Sure, there is a spectrum of hands-on skills that could be important or not, depending on how much was blown to bits. My overall point is that "staffing coordinator" and "business analyst" are nowhere on that spectrum. Learn a trade as a hobby.
Re:Survival of the Richest by AstralStorm on Friday July 06, 2018 @07:25AM (#17470530)
They actually are. Plus the person who controls the most force. (And can project it or blackmail.)

Indeed the main item as usual is how to get your army to listen to you. A hard people skill. Logistics is always useful as well.

A trade or skill is a good fallback in case of exile or loss of resources.

Re:Survival of the Richest by balladeer on Friday July 06, 2018 @04:11AM (#17469779)
I think doctors and surgeons will still be valued. A lot. Maybe mechanical and civil engineers too. I am not so sure about software ones though.
Re:Survival of the Richest by sritrisna on Friday July 06, 2018 @04:32AM (#17469861)
In Stephen King's book 'The Stand', he comes to the same conclusion: Doctors and surgeons to keep people from dying. Mechanical and civil engineers trying to get electricity back up etc. Groups of people will fiercely fight for 'this talent' and do whatever it takes to keep it.
Re:Survival of the Richest by rl3 on Friday July 06, 2018 @04:33AM (#17469864)
>So, you're a social media marketing manager for a global brand? If that's all you know how to do, you'll end up some local warlord's sex slave.

Setting aside how loaded that statement sounds, the role in question could easily involve espionage and assassination.