These are exactly the kind of preparations that Bill's crowd at misc.survivalism -- the online ground zero for survivalists -- would approve of. The newsgroup, which typically overflows with discussions of everything from the merits of crossbows vs. flintlocks to recipes for nutritious food pellets, is now avidly debating how to prepare for any number of terrorist scenarios that might disrupt the system and send citizens of America running for cover.

Their grisly discussions have helped boost the survivalist service industry, scrambling at the moment to keep in stock all the gas masks, chemical suits, booties and gloves now in demand. TheEpicenter.com, an online preparedness depot, already has run out of those supplies, and is now struggling to meet requests for demand for MREs and alternate water and energy sources.

"In the last month we've seen a tenfold increase in some products, maybe sixfold in others," says Brian Nelson of Epicenter. "New stories will come out about the guys hanging out where the crop dusters were -- and gas mask sales will go ballistic. Then it's stories about how vulnerable the water supply is -- and then water barrels, filters, purification systems go ballistic. Then there's a story about the food supply or about daily rations we're dropping in Afghanistan, and then all of the sudden the military meals will spike."

In fact, much of this gear is not likely to be very useful in the event of a terrorist attack. Many gas masks aren't capable of screening out biological contaminants; and the mask, along with the biohazard suit, has to be worn around the clock to be in place for a surprise attack. Doctors don't advise self-diagnosing and treatment with Cipro, either: If you really think you have anthrax, you're probably going to need to visit your doctor anyway.

Still, many Americans under the influence of a government-issue generic request to be "beware of suspicious activities," are succumbing to the advice of hardcore survivalists, tempted by what they have seen and what they don't know, to be deeply pessimistic. And, in the sense that it hammers home the point of preparedness, there is probably little harm in hanging around with the survivalist crowd. Anyone who lives in earthquake, tornado or hurricane territory knows that it doesn't hurt to have at least a few days worth of food, water and candles, warm blankets and first aid kits on hand.

But does it hurt to also stash away military meals, water barrels and a generator? Some say it does -- at least psychologically. If gas masks and guns become the totems of the post-terror America, say critics, Americans give up the pride of pre-terror America -- the freedom to live without fear. And in some ways, almost any preparation can be interpreted as surrender.

Americans may have been naive to believe -- before Sept. 11 -- that we would always be safe at home. But, say those who oppose extreme preparation for future terrorism, we would be equally naive to believe that gas masks and drums of fresh water will somehow, like magic charms, ward off the threat of terrorism. For that, they say, we must do the harder work of helping facilitate geopolitical change.

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