When society collapses, which demographic will be the first to lose their civil rights?

The mentally ill poor/homeless, they are vulnerable.

The wealthy will be enslaved.

The top 1%. The lower 90% will revolt and start claiming property. It will not be pretty.

@LuckyGuy I was thinking the same. When money means nothing those that buy their way out won’t know what to do.

@GloPro Yep. When the power goes off and their battery backups run out, they are done.

The unemployed. They are less resourceful, and many are unmotivated. However, they have the advantage of making do with very little.

It’ll be a playground for the psychopaths. Demographic won’t matter and neither will wealth. The average person who gets up in the morning, goes to work and lives in suburbia in a McMansion or in a trailer park will be in the worst shape. Their resources will run out in just a week or so. Probably less for most people.

Also the developmentally delayed.

I think even if modern society collapsed, there would be factions of people who set up their own societies. People are social animals. They don’t do so good on their own. So in that case, I’d think there would be people of all types that lose their civil rights.

It will probably be divided along lines which do not exist yet.

I’m pretty sure that when the poo hits the fan, all of our civil rights will poof into nonexistence right away. The concept would no longer exist.

The people best off will be the tinkers, tailors, doctors, soldiers, and farmers. People with knowledge and skills that are still useful after the lights go out and the WalMarts have all been looted.

The concept of civil rights depends upon a societal framework for them to exist in. Without society the necessary framework is not there and thus civil rights exist for no one.

When society collapses, which demographic will be the first to lose their civil rights?

The Germans will be 1st on the list.

I’m with @ARE_you_kidding_me. The meek. Will not. Inherit a thing. It will be women and children who suffer the most and there are plenty of examples of this all around the world now and historically. As for ‘civil rights’, it is a joke already in so many places, even with law enforcement and courts of law, but things like the right to marry and justice in the small sense will be non-existent for everyone. If anyone is resourceful, charismatic, sociopath, they will infringe on anyone’s civil rights, or any other rights, they like and there may not be anyone to stop them. I image hoards of morons with guns lynching, raping, stealing what ever they want.

@Dan_Lyons, what are you talking about?

Those that don’t own weapons.

Those who were exploited by the rich and their governments.

I’m not sure, because in total anarchy anything can happen. My first thought would be the weakest being the most vulnerable, such as the homeless, the mentally ill, women, children, teens, the handicapped and the elderly. However, I’m still reasonably certain many morally sound people can form their own communities, and a small social structure to defend others within their groups.

Money and precious metals and stones would have little or no value anymore. Food, water, clothing and shelter would be the new ‘currency’. Technical abilities and survival know-how would supersede everything else.

@filmfann I disagree with that highly ignorant comment. Many unemployed people are actually highly skilled folks who are just struggling with a highly competitive job market. If anything, I think an unemployed person with a great deal of technical skills and survival ability would win out over many of the employed people with their office jobs and business jobs in a totally chaotic environment.

@Paradox25 I wasn’t talking about the well educated here. One of my closest friends worked in the computer field, and hasn’t been able to find employment because he is SO highly educated. When society collapses, he will do well, regardless of his current job status.
Rather, I am talking about those who choose not to work. The ones who dropped out of school, became addicted to drugs and alcohol, and stand at freeway exits with signs asking for hand-outs, like my niece. She depends on others help, and when people can’t help themselves, she will be the first to suffer.
Having had several homeless people in my family has given me more information, so that comment is enlightened, not highly ignorant. I hope you are spared that kind of knowledge.

I love when someone paints entire groups with the same brush stroke, then when called on it, says “oh no, I wasn’t talking about those people, I was talking about those other people”.

@Darth_Algar I believe it’s called the “No True Unemployed Person” fallacy.

@filmfann Don’t you think the drop outs, addicts, those relying on handouts, etc. will be the first to charge the gates of the walled-in wealthy?
It will not likely be a Geoffrey, Sinclair, or a Wadsworth III looting the local Wally World. By the time the WIW leave their castles all the water, potted meat, and canned corn will be gone. How will the Kardashian’s power their tanning beds? ;-)

—My house will be fine for a looong time. Come on over! You can man the wood splitter and cover the West side.property line. I’ll leave the movie projector light on for you.—-.

@filmfann When society collapses, how exactly will your friend’s great experience in computer technology help him?

@Seek Skills of any sort will be useful. A solar cell, and/or wind turbine can supply enough power to keep the computers going so cameras can alert the residents of an impending intrusion, or run the irrigation system, or the lights and HVAC, etc.
The people unwilling to work or contribute will only last as long as the food they can carry out of the Kwik-E-Mart.
Thank you! Come again!

People will need food and water. Those who have the least of that will be most affected.

@filmfann Yes, but you didn’t originally state it like that.

First to lose civil rights? Most likely the not-so-wealthy elderly. Or maybe just poor people in general. Then I’d say seriously mentally ill/physically handicapped. That next one might be tough because of guardians/representatives/caretakers/whoever signs off for them.

Meh. We’ll just have to wait and see.

Actually, when society collapses, we will all lose our civil rights then and there, rich or poor, black or white.
It will be survival of the fittest, whether that is physically strongest or mentally smartest…who knows. that will be determined by the circumstances.

But those both physically strong and mentally clever will fare best.

If and when society collapses, there will not be any government to enforce civil rights, so everybody loses their civil rights.

The gov’t does not grant you rights they can only take them away or attempt to keep others from taking them from you. During chaos you still have them but it’s up to you to make sure you keep them

Nonsense, Jefferson notwithstanding. We are not born with any rights. Check the anatomy of a newborn and show me where the rights are. Rights are a social construct.

Actually @ARE_you_kidding_me is correct. We are born with a whole slew of rights which we must fight against the thugs to keep our entire lives; the anatomy of a newborn notwithstanding.

Rights are an illusion. You have only privileges which are bestowed upon you by the society you live in.

Can you prove this @Darth_Algar? Do you have citations and authorities regarding this matter?

What rights do you believe you posses simply by virtue of existing?

If it can be taken away, it is not a right. If you have to fight for it, it is not a right.

Rights are rights because the society we live in grants them to us. That is all.

@Seek

Exactly.

Nope, not a chance. Rights are universal, privileges are granted and are not. Basically if you have an instinct for it it’s probably a right. If it is something someone else has to provide for you it is a privilege. That said, you still have to earn/learn to keep your rights. You probably have many more privileges than rights. They don’t happen automatically and can easily be taken away. The concept of this is just that though, a concept. There are no hard lines and quite a bit of gray.

The disabled and elderly. They will be considered a liability to all and will be made to feel l glad just to live.