Maryland Congressman Roscoe Bartlett is preparing for the end of the world. Root cellar, propane stove, isolated cabin in West Virginia: he's got it all.
Bartlett believes that people have become far too dependent on each other, and on existing technology, rendering them incapable of coping with a potential calamity.
This video features a selection of Bartlett's recent comments on his belief in survivalism. It is drawn from two documentaries on the subject, America's Cities and Urban Danger, which feature him.
"The less people are dependent on the system, the stronger we will be," Bartlett said in America's Cities. "The average city has three days of food in the city. If the trucks don't run, the food is gone in three days."
Bartlett urges Americans to secure a year's supply of food for their families, as well as a large amount of silver to be used for bartering purposes, before investing in anything else. He reported having $250,000 - $500,000 invested in precious metals on his 2011 personal finance disclosure. This was Bartlett's largest declared asset.
However, even though the 86-year-old Congressman could probably survive a large-scale electrical grid failure, he appears ill-prepared to weather this November's Election Day. Redistricting favorable to Democrats has placed his seat in danger, reported the Washington Post Friday. Bartlett might be wise to turn his attention from surviving electromagnetic pulse attacks to defeating Democrat John Delaney, if only momentarily.