Hey, there was lots of time in 8 years to get some things right.

Things one hopes one never has to use.

Because EMP does not take out the food supply, or immediately poison the water, it's a manageable threat. A fruit tree, a garden, a back up generator, a supply of water, a first aid kit, flashlights and batteries (which still work after an EMP) all make surviving a disruption easier.

In the 1890s before AC power, the ICE cart was your link to refrigeration. There were few phones and horses were the transportation of choice next to the railroad. The former USSR put a lot of emphasis on railroads as these are the arteries of a nation that can move supplies, troops or whatever is needed quickly throughout vast distances. Becoming dependent on anything is never good. We need more scientists, electricians and people who can fix things and know how they work. We need to place more factories here and make sure we don't become dependant upon overseas factories. We need more technologies and failsafes that act as back ups, particularly power generation. Our railways should be renovated, routes expanded and more trains put into service. Europe and the USSR beat us hands down in this regard.

Could we be more prepared? Of course. Im worried more about the doping up of farm animals and the rise of bacterial superbugs in our food supply that don't respond to our existing antibiotics.

But as you pointed out the most important thing is to be calm and cool in the face of any adversity. Fear itself is the enemy. Anything can be good. All evil and bad things build strength and if one looks closely good always emerges out of them.

;-)