One difference between then and now is the Internet. Jerrold Post, director of the political psychology program at George Washington University, said the Internet allows people who would otherwise never meet to form a virtual community, making it easier for extreme beliefs to take root. People who never met face to face are reinforcing some pretty extreme beliefs. In fact, the culture and commerce of Y2K survivalism is alive and well on the World Wide Web, an irony that is not lost on survivalists themselves. Hundreds of Web sites devoted in whole or in part to survivalist issues allow individuals to form survivalist groups and trade tips on long-term food storage and the best ways to convert assets into precious metals.
Companies peddle freeze-dried food and diesel generators.
Books, magazines, and newsletters on survival issues seek out their target audience. Each family will bring its own mobile home, and the group will have access to a cache of survival food that Sayers says he has hidden in three locations off the property, as well as whatever food they are able to grow themselves. Wood stoves, a wood-powered steam generator, and agricultural byproducts will provide energy. A former Navy SEAL with combat experience in Vietnam will provide security for the group, using a robotic vehicle that will patrol the perimeter to detect intruders, chain saws to cut down trees to block access roads if his property is threatened, and firearms for self-defense. The heavily wooded compound includes a stand of trees that will be converted into cornfields, three miles of nature trails, an airstrip, and a small pond with access to Delaware Bay.