I don't see the Trump tangent except perhaps election season meaning all the people campaigning online trying to win prepper votes have left now that their government is in, in the house, senate and presidents office. Anti Dem Government sorts may not be as keen to shout down their own people.
While the world is pretty sketchy with Syria, we will see if after Jan 20th a detente with Russia. It is sketchy though as Russia and Nato are sort of fighting right now in conventional war in Syria, probably one of the hotest wars since WWII between NATO and Russia. We are talking 8 SOF dying in one week, not sure how common that was in AF or Iraq for SOF to die in those numbers weekly. Just keeping it in perspective, more people have died in Syria than like US deaths during WWI. over 250,000 people. More people are displaced than tons of other conflicts we are talking Millions of people displaced. It is a big big big war, that has been going on for half a decade now.
I think we need to wait to see how many jobs are actually netted. You know you may hear news about 10000 new jobs but that needs to be balanced with the 110000 that are lost over that same period. Gross new jobs is not the measure of job gains, you need to do new jobs - lost jobs.
However, I think we will see good things in the US with Trump, I think we will see more cooperation between Russia and the US as long as Turkey doesn't pull the US into an actual war. We need to wait to see what Turkey actually has to gain from a war with Syria.
As for preppers leaving your site, no idea. I was banned for 8 or 9 months, I had various government agencies monitoring me, which are less likely to be actively monitoring me these days. However, there will still be those that will pop up whenever I post.
Thankfully in the others sites I've been active with I havn't had the same sort of trolling as I had during the days when I was under open government surveillance, that is not to say the take down operation has ended, I have the feeling they have met a bunch of their goals, so lost interest due to other priorities.
None the less. Usage figures probably just have to do with other priorities. The surge in interest in prepping was likely largely due to popular shows such as doomsdaypreppers.
Personally I've been busy with school and work. I was travelling a chunk of the period I was banned, and my free time is taken up with nightclubs' bouncing these days.
My studies are ending soon though, I may have only 4 months left before I am done, and after that I may be moving and starting relatively fresh, I dont have enough room for my old stuff let alone new stuff. I also feel pretty confident in what I do have, not much room for anything new at this point. I also cant be carrying stuff with me for a chunk of time due to work because there are equipment restrictions while working.
Likewise I am not living rough like I am use to because I was given free housing. I will likely be loosing my properties in the north too because I dont have work up there so I can be up there and my resources are stretched with the rigours of leaving school and not having full time work at this time, and likely moving within the next 4 months.
I have been reading occasional articles but I usually, like right now, get the thought that I will be jumped as soon as I post because the "gang" want to control the board, maybe some people recognize the danger of posting on here because there are some people who will use posts, and that the government may use anything anyone posts, and that they arn't secret posts, they are trackable posts.
I think any "REAL" prepping isn't going to see something like a new pres as a world saver. I think we will need to wait and see what happens in a Trump admin, what direction his gov takes to government programs, what his budget looks like. I think it is clear he will as he can get engaged in a bunch of infrastructure projects, and either maintain or grow the US military, but these are all things we will have to see how he interact with congress to get a budget going. I think his first budget will help.
I think it may make sense that people who have been dissatisfied with Dem government as stopping prepping now that the Republicans have government.
I don't think that is anything, those people were never really preppers to begin with, those are more anti-government types, preppers are people who plan for disasters not overthrow of governments.
I think Trump is putting together a very capable execution team. How that translates into the environment Americans are going to be in is anyones guess. I think it will good to see what the budget provides for.
I am definitely optimistic that Americans will see some awsome new potentials, particularly if they are business people in America looking to market their wares to Americans.
That said I need to travel light these days, and my purse strings are pretty tight. I think the homebees will have more interest in traditional prepping. I just cant do it these days due to other priorities and not being able to take anything with me at the drop of a hat.
I am pretty much getting ready to live out of a bag, not live in a bunker.
I do have to say I tried bulk buying quinoa and buckwheat and few other things. I've opted to prep non-gluten base foods, such as them, and lentils and rice. I am finding it to be a new move I have taken with direction to my meager food stockpiling. However I have never really stocked more than a few months supplies because there has never been a scenario I would be in requiring it.
It doesnt make sense to have much more than I can carry. If I run out others definitely will already be raiding houses in their local neighbourhood by that point. Anything that goes on for more than a month will likely require me to leave my current location.
Member numbers may pick up around budget time.
Donald Trump Wants A Federal Government Hiring Freeze, But It May Not Save Money : NPR