I caught a few minutes of an NPR interview with some guy marketing a 5000 person shelter, deep in a limestone mountain. Its a former quarry which was later used by the US army to hold stuff. Apparently--and this is important, its as big as "the Empire State Building" lying on its side, and only one floor deep. This is the "largest bomb shelter" in the world, the salesman thinks, except "top secret ones" the government has. Thanks to its size--did he mention it can hold 5000 people?--a family of four can shelter there for a mere 20,000 dollars plus a small fee for food. They promise to shelter there 5000 pre-purchased owners for "up to a year" and thus propose to outlast, well...whatever comes.
The interviewer was one of those sweet liberal types who seems to think that just shooting the shit with these guys is enough to clue the listeners in to how crazy they are. I turned off the interview when I saw that she wasn't going to ask the kinds of questions a sane person would want asked.
1) How long is the 20,000 dollar buy in good for?
2) Who guarantees it in the event of a government collapse--after all if you fail to come through with the shelter and food how can one of your clients sue you?
3) You are advertising around the world--how do you advise your clients to get to your shelter in the event of the kind of disaster for which you are preparing?
4) If a client can't get to your shelter before you lock down, have you reserved the right to "give their space" away to a new paying client?
5) What stops you from taking the client's money now and then simply reselling their space later?
6) Are you preferentially including or excluding certain kinds of clients by age, health, sex, or race?
7) How do you propose to guard the exterior of the shelter with your 5000 clients--not all of whom apparently will be resistance and warfare ready?
8) Will you be able to maintain the electrical and ventilation and if so, how?
Etc..etc..etc...http://whatever.scalzi.com/2010/09/26/tax-frenzies-and-how-to-hose-them-down/
