We've been trying to warn you for over a year
now, but you never bothered to listen to us. “Aww, it's just a silly old infographics
show, trying to be funny- there's no threat of brain-eating aliens from zeti reticuli
coming to turn all our brains into tasty appetizers.” Well, guess what- the threat was real, and
the Zeti Reticulians are here and they mean to turn you and those three pounds of jelly-like
mass between your ears into delicious hors d'oeuvres for their next intergalactic oscars-watching
party. Now your city is overrun with military troops
and brain-snatching alien baddies, what in the world are you going to do to survive?! Other than brain-eating aliens from Zeti Reticuli,
the threat of major war is more real than many of us realize, and the odds of your home
city being turned into a bombed-out battleground are greater than you might care to know. Sadly this is especially true for anyone not
living in the North American continent. Historically the Atlantic and Pacific oceans
have kept any foreign invader away from the shores of Mexico, the US and Canada, and if
you've seen our US vs the world video then you already know that any offensive against
North America is bound to fail, since the rest of the world simply lacks the transport
capability or naval firepower to successfully land troops in the US or its friends Mexico
and Canada. Europe's history however is lousy with war,
and while Asia has seen its fair share of conflicts, they don't even come close to the
way that Europeans turned war into a hobby over the last few centuries. With so many monarchs crammed together into
one relatively small geographic area, it was inevitable that Europe's favorite national
pastime would be trying to kill their neighbors. It was practically a matter of custom- in
China it is custom to offer small snacks before the main meal at dinner time, and in Europe
it was customary to declare war and carry out one minor genocide before the second course
arrived. Luckily war is on the decline around the world. While many smaller-scale conflicts still plague
our troubled world, wars between major powers has not happened since the end of World War
II. Even at our most paranoid, the height of the
Cold War, neither the US nor the Soviet Union had actually ever drawn up plans to invade
each other- instead each side had multiple plans to defend against a provocation by the
other side. Kind of ironic to look back on the entire
cold war and realize that neither the Soviets nor the Americans ever had a single strategic
plan to pre-emptively invade the other side, but at least it did make for great movies,
novels, and comic books. What about today though? Well, sadly if you live in the Middle East
then a conflict between Iran and Saudi Arabia is looking increasingly likely. Currently Saudi Arabia can count on US support
in such a conflict, and this probably more than anything has deterred Iran from attacking
its \ neighbor. With a new presidential election looming though
and American opinion of Saudi Arabia at a very low point due to the murder of American
resident and journalist Jamal Khashoggi by the Saudi royal family, current relations
between the two nations might be about to take a dramatic turn. If US taxpayers decided they no longer wanted
to defend Saudi Arabia and all its wealth by footing the bill themselves, then Iran
could have a strategic window into taking military action against the kingdom. Given that Iranian forces are much larger
and capable than Saudi Arabia's own, the war would not fare well. Another potential flashpoint is in Southeast
Asia, where China's aggressive expansionism and illegal seizure of oil and natural gas
fields in the South China sea is threatening conflict. Already, and against international law, the
Chinese have set up oil platforms in waters rightfully belonging to Vietnam, and the Chinese
coast guard routinely bullies out other nation's fishing fleets from fish-rich waters by ramming
their boats or spraying them with water cannons. The disputed Senkaku islands, which are claimed
by both Japan and China, also threaten conflict between the two nations. Sadly the possibility for another major conflict
exists even in what we like to consider the civilized parts of the world. Revolutionary fervor in many second and third
world nations also threaten to create new civil wars which spill over into their neighbor's
territory. While a major war the likes of World War II
is extremely unlikely, you today could very well find yourself caught in a war zone- what
would you do then and how would you survive? The first step for surviving if your city
has been turned into a war zone is to take inventory of the conflict. Is it a long-distance conflict between major
powers that's mostly limited to air strikes, or has it become a full-blown ground-action
campaign? In an air war there's likely little need to
vacate your city, as military action will be limited to air strikes which thanks to
modern technology limit how much damage they inflict on the civilian population. While you should always try to flee to a less
populated area, the reality is that most people would fare poorly outside of where they work
and live. For one, maintaining employment is already
going to be difficult even in a limited war, and you're going to want to keep yourself
employed so you can provide for yourself and your family. In an air campaign each side will primarily
be trying to strike at the other side's industrial and military targets, so we recommend that
you stay away from military installations, power plants, harbors, airports, and big data
centers. These will all be prime targets for air strikes,
as they will weaken a nation's ability to fight a war either by destroying its military
forces or harming its economy. In the past you had to worry about massive
air raids that indiscriminately targeted civilian population centers and legal military targets
alike, but thanks to the proliferation of smart weapons you largely don't have to worry
about this anymore in a limited air war. Though of course different powers vary in
their use of smart weapons- Russia famously uses very few smart weapons and as one Russian
missile officer said, “We have state-of-the-art missiles, but no way of guaranteeing they
hit what we want them to hit”. If the war has turned into a full-blown ground
action campaign then that means that the war is going to involve massive movements of troops
and the seizing and holding of territory. If you live in an important city then you
can expect to start seeing friendly troops building fortifications around your city,
and it will definitely be turning into ground zero very, very soon. Most nations however abide by the Geneva Conventions,
and will not actively target population centers- but the best way to defeat a superior invader
is by fighting them inside the cities, which is why the Taliban and the Iraqi insurgency
famously pulled NATO troops into urban conflicts that sadly created many civilian casualties. In this case it's probably best to get out
of town and start heading for the hills, or at least to less important and lower population
towns and cities. Ideally you'll want to flee and apply for
asylum in another nation, granted the right to stay there permanently or temporarily until
the conflict at home is over and it's safe for you to return. Given today's political climate around the
world though, if you become an asylum seeker you might end up getting kicked back to your
war-torn nation. If you're unable to leave your city, then
it's time to shelter in place and try to make as best a life for yourself as you can. Incredibly despite the ferocity of the fighting
in Syria and Libya, many residents stayed in their bombed out homes, and Europeans on
both sides famously carried on living their lives despite their cities being turned into
bombed out ruins. If indeed your city becomes a war-torn bombed-out
ruin- or if perhaps you just happen to live in Chicago- you'll want to focus on ensuring
your safety and survival. First, you'll want to secure food and water,
in that order of importance. Many modern cities have their water pumped
in from far outside of the city borders, and if you live in a city like Los Angeles in
the US then your water source is hundreds of miles away. Electricity is almost certainly going to be
gone, so all the water pumps that work to bring you water from so far away are no longer
going to be working. This means you shouldn't be relying on public
services for your drinking water. Take a cue from medieval peasants and start
setting out rainwater barrels to catch falling rain- though of course with the increased
acidity of rain thanks to pollution, you'll very quickly be wanting to find a filter to
run that water through. Luckily though finding something like a Brita
filter in a modern city is pretty easy, and if you absolutely need to get your water from
a natural source and have no filter, you can always use a plastic bag with a hole in the
bottom and alternating layers of sand and rocks above the hole. The rocks and sand will filter out larger
contaminants, though you'll then want to boil the water to get rid of biological contaminants
that might make you sick. For food you can probably get by raiding large
supermarkets, though only for so long. Again, modern cities don't produce their own
food and instead have it shipped in- so if you can prepare beforehand then you absolutely
should. This is also why if you have the option to
leave, you should do that as well, and move to where the food and water is. Once supplies run out though, well with sanitation
in a dismal state then we've got good news, because rats are going to be breeding like
crazy and they make a handy source of protein. Many survivors in Syria's bombed-out cities
have dined on rat, as well as feral dogs and cats. Right now Fido is your best friend, but give
it six months without proper food and water and Fido is going to start looking like dinner. Make sure you cook your food thoroughly though
because feral animals and rodents in areas with poor sanitation tend to be lousy with
parasites and nasty bugs. Odds are pretty good that you'll eventually
start seeing international relief from agencies such as the International Red Cross or the
UN. These agencies will typically set up food
and supplies distribution centers as well as field hospitals, and are clearly designated
so they are not accidentally attacked by either warring side. They will also typically establish themselves
at major avenues of travel, and this means areas where major highways intersect, airports,
and sea ports. These safe places can be a good place to get
much-needed medical treatment, food, and other supplies- as well as to apply for asylum somewhere
safe. UN centers are also guarded by UN troops,
though their rules of engagement may be very frustrating so don't rely on them totally
for protection. For instance, during the conflict in Somalia
in the late 1990s, UN troops were forbidden from engaging marauding warbands unless they
were shot at directly, and had to stand by and watch as the warbands killed civilians
or stole their food. If you can at all help it, you'll want to
flee your city rather than stay behind and risk your life. Most powers today respect the Geneva Conventions
and won't purposefully target civilians, but in the midst of war you can never be too sure. If possible flee to a refugee camp established
by agencies such as the UN, where they do have the jurisdiction to defend refugees with
lethal force, and at all costs make sure that you stay away from any military forces- friendly
or otherwise. Being around them will just make you a target,
or you might inadvertently end up in the way of an incoming air strike. No matter where you are though, the most important
thing is to not lose hope, as heroes such as those who work for the international red
cross will likely get to you eventually, these brave men and women have responded to some
of the worst fighting in the world, and set up treatment centers and food distribution
hubs even amidst terrible fighting. And if you run into a Zeti Reticuli alien,
remember that the only way to resist their mind control and protect your yummy brain
is to wear a tin-foil hat. Don't say we didn't warn you. How would you survive in a war zone or in
Chicago? Have you ever had to survive in one as a civilian? Let us know in the comments! And as always if you enjoyed this video don't
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