Will Another Stone Age Follow The Age Of AI?

“After WWIII, the next war will be fought with sticks and
stones.”    - Albert Einstein

It's hard to imagine how we would survive if our current economic system were to collapse. A World War III or a successful cyber attack on our transportation, energy and other technological-dependent infrastructure, would render most of us helpless. 

In 1930, at the beginning of the Great Depression, around 25% of the population of the US were farmers, and the percentage of people with substantial gardens was significantly higher. Many children grew up learning how to grow, harvest and preserve food, sew clothing and provide for other needs.

So should we be raising concerns about our loss of basic survival skills as we become an ever more modernized, industrialized and urbanized society?  

Less that 2% of our population earn their living on farms and ranches today, and many of these are "factory farms" rather than family farms that produce not only commodities for world markets but much of what the family needs for their own food and other needs.  While 43% of the population today still grow some of their own vegetables, the average garden size is about 600 square feet, according to one source, and provides only a fraction of what is needed to feed a household.

We need more conversations about how we and our children and grandchildren can learn basic survivor skills.

And maybe spend some time learning from our Amish and Old Order Mennonite neighbors.