Anticipating increased tensions caused by income inequality, some of the wealthiest people have created luxury hideaways. “I keep a helicopter gassed up all the time, and I have an underground bunker,” the head of an investment firm said in 2017.
He ushered me through, and, in the darkness, I could see the outline of a vast concrete dome, with a metal blast door partly ajar. I was greeted by Larry Hall, the C.E.O. of the Survival Condo Project, a fifteen-story luxury apartment complex built in an underground Atlas missile silo. The facility housed a nuclear warhead from 1961 to 1965, when it was decommissioned. At a site conceived for the Soviet nuclear threat, Hall has erected a defense against the fears of a new era.
Hall led me through the garage, down a ramp, and into a lounge, with a stone fireplace, a dining area, and a kitchen to one side. It had the feel of a ski condo without windows: pool table, stainless-steel appliances, leather couches. To maximize space, Hall took ideas from cruise-ship design. We were accompanied by Mark Menosky, an engineer who manages day-to-day operations.
Why do our dystopian urges emerge at certain moments and not others? Doomsday—as a prophecy, a literary genre, and a business opportunity—is never static; it evolves with our anxieties. The earliest Puritan settlers saw in the awe-inspiring bounty of the American wilderness the prospect of both apocalypse and paradise. When, in May of 1780, sudden darkness settled on New England, farmers perceived it as a cataclysm heralding the return of Christ. D. H.
During the Cold War, Armageddon became a matter for government policymakers. The Federal Civil Defense Administration, created by Harry Truman, issued crisp instructions for surviving a nuclear strike, including “Jump in any handy ditch or gutter” and “Never lose your head.” In 1958, Dwight Eisenhower broke ground on Project Greek Island, a secret shelter, in the mountains of West Virginia, large enough for every member of Congress.
The “medical wing” contains a hospital bed, a procedure table, and a dentist’s chair. Among the residents, Hall said, “we’ve got two doctors and a dentist.” One floor up, we visited the food-storage area, still unfinished. He hopes that, once it’s fully stocked, it will feel like a “miniature Whole Foods,” but for now it holds mostly cans of food.
He thinks that mainstream news organizations are biased, and he subscribes to theories that he knows some find implausible. He surmised that “there is a deliberate move by the people in Congress to dumb America down.” Why would Congress do that? I asked. “They don’t want people to be smart to see what’s going on in politics,” he said.
Jack Matthews, an American who is the chairman of MediaWorks, a large New Zealand broadcaster, told me, “I think, in the back of people’s minds, frankly, is that, if the world really goes to shit, New Zealand is a First World country, completely self-sufficient, if necessary—energy, water, food. Life would deteriorate, but it would not collapse.” As someone who views American politics from a distance, he said, “The difference between New Zealand and the U.S.
Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Oddest homes in America include the 'Smurf House' and one that's 'legally' hauntedHere's a list of strange homes that exist in America. From properties themed after iconic TV shows and movies in pop culture to odd color choices, decor and architectural builds.
Read more »
Survey: America's nurses are stressed and frustratedThe COVID-19 pandemic has put a lot of pressure on those in the health care industry, especially nurses. The American Nurses Foundation surveyed more than 12,000 nurses and found at least 60% have been stressed or frustrated on the job in the last 14 da...
Read more »
Largest superyacht displayed at North America boat show on sale for $353MThe Ahpo is 115 meters long, which is just a little longer than a standard size U.S. football field.
Read more »
Anthony Mackie Questions Sam's Ability to Lead the Avengers in 'Captain America: New World Order'Anthony Mackie questions Sam Wilson's ability to lead the Avengers now that Kang the Conqueror has arrived.
Read more »
The Best Oyster Restaurants in AmericaHere, a guide to the best oyster restaurants across the country, from Eventide Oyster Co. in Portland, Maine, to Tomales Bay Oyster Company in California.
Read more »
Historians weigh in on battle over birth date of AmericaThe “history wars” have heated up as more schools are debating whether America’s founding goes back to Independence Day in 1776 or to Virginia’s first Africans facing slavery in 1619.
Read more »