Year: 2009

U.S. Dollar: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly, by Axel Merk

Russian President Medvedev suggests the dollar is on its way out; Russian Finance minister Kudrin says there is no substitute for the dollar. The Chinese see a need to diversify out of the dollar; the Japanese say their trust in the dollar is unshakable. Let’s look at this puzzle and make some sense of it. It’s usually more productive to look at what policy makers do rather than what they say. Having said that, this time around, the talk also speaks volumes. Notably, world leaders have expressed their concern about the U.S. dollar and a need to diversify, to reduce …


Two Letters Re: Escape From (Fill in Your City Here), 2009

Dear Jim:, All this recent discussion by SurvivalBlog readers about hot-wiring airplanes, and cutting fences and locks is missing some basic, well, let’s just say “applied ethics”. Recall the Golden Rule “Do unto others as they have done unto you”. Flip the situation around and look at it from the property owner’s view: How would you feel if you saw someone stealing your airplane? (Your life savings in an aircraft.) How would you feel upon noticing someone cutting the fence or gate that keeps your cattle off the road? Granted, in a life-threatening emergency you may morally take liberties with …


Economics and Investing:

KAF sent this from Newsweek: Making Sense of Stimulus Spending; How accurate is Obama’s claim of 150,000 jobs “saved or created”? Thanks to Douglas S. for sending the link to a lengthy speech by Dimitri Orlov: Definancialisation, Deglobalisation, Relocalisation. It is was a good and well-intentioned speech, overall, but there were elements that showed that Orlov still has a bit of residual Soviet Era collectivism that he needs to work out of his psyche. Oh, and by the way, I’m not giving up my well-provisioned bunker in an undisclosed location. (The Memsahib still jokes about doing a needlepoint that reads …


Odds ‘n Sods:

North Korea May Fire a Missile at Hawaii “…the South Korean government is bracing for ‘all possible scenarios’ regarding the nuclear standoff. The independent International Crisis Group think tank, meanwhile, said the North’s massive stockpile of chemical weapons is no less serious a threat to the region than its nuclear arsenal. It said the North is believed to have between 2,500 and 5,000 tons of chemical weapons, including mustard gas, phosgene, blood agents and sarin. These weapons can be delivered with ballistic missiles and long-range artillery and are ‘sufficient to inflict massive civilian casualties on South Korea.’”    o o …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

‘There is an old song which asserts ‘the best things in life are free.’ Not true! Utterly false! This was the tragic fallacy which brought on the decadence and collapse of the democracies of the twentieth century; those noble experiments failed because the people had been led to believe that they could simply vote for whatever they wanted . . . and get it, without toil, without sweat, without tears.” – Robert A. Heinlein, Starship Troopers


Letter Re: Advice on Deep Water Wells in a Grid-Down Era

James, I know that I have seen posts about deep water wells, but when I search I really don’t see that many applicable posts. I am looking at a property where water [static level] is about 400 feet down. In a “grid-up” scenario, this isn’t really a problem, but I am looking for “grid-down” options for using a well at this depth. Not knowing much about the specifics of wells, I am not having much luck searching with Google, either. Would you be able to cover some deep well basics and some options for grid down/solar/backup pumping, specifically for deep …


Letter Re: Pre-1965 U.S. Silver Coin Confusion

James Wesley, I have just recently came across your blog. Thank you. I also just started saving nickels. I am a bit confused. Do you save all nickels or just pre-1965? I just finished Patriots this morning. Are the silver pieces used for barter in your novel nickels? Thanks, – Brent H. JWR Replies: You aren’t the only one that is confused about nickels, since outwardly, they appear as if they might be made of silver. To clarify: In general, it is just pre-1965 dimes, quarters, half dollar and dollars are 90% silver. The only nickels with silver content were …


Letter Re: Pros and Cons of Propane Storage

James, Having a lot of propane on hand has some serious issues. Homeland Security via “Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act” (EPCRA) requires anyone that has more than 10,000 pounds of virtually any hazardous material (except for explosives and radioactive materials that have their own unique requirements), to report that quantity to the State Homeland Security Office, the local Fire Marshal, and the Local Emergency Management Manager yearly. These reports are open to anybody that wants to see them. (Now you know how the bad guy knows where the stuff is, all they have to do is ask and the …


Influenza Pandemic Update:

Chem-Bio Daily (hosted by Anser.org) reports: “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other experts have rejected a report that a new strain of the novel H1N1 influenza virus has been identified in a Brazilian patient.” (Thanks to NH for the tip.) Clouded, Suspicious Baxter to Make Swine Flu Vaccine Virus Mix-Up By Lab Could Have Resulted in Pandemic Swine Flu Cases Spring Up in Middle East Bird Flu Virus Can Survive For Two Years in Birds’ Carcasses [JWR Adds an Important Safety Tip: Do not eat two-year old bird carcasses!] Kids May Get Swine Flu Shots First


Economics and Investing:

Readers Greg C. and FJR both sent us this “must read” piece by Chris Hedges: The American Empire is Bankrupt KAF sent this key indicator of some incipient unraveling: Standard & Poor’s cuts ratings on 18 banks From frequent content contributor GG: China sells US bonds to ‘show concern’ Also from GG: Russia’s industrial output drops massive 17 per cent in May despite government reassurances Items from The Economatrix: Californian Hard Times Driving People Back to the “Dust Bowl” US Mortgage Applications Plunge to Near Seven-Month Low That Worrying Wall of Debt “…the leveraged loan market is fixated on one …


Odds ‘n Sods:

A SurvivalBlog reader in Alaska mentioned some commentary by John Derbyshire in The National Review. Don’t miss the last line!    o o o Backyard Chickens On Rise, Despite Neighbors’ Clucks    o o o Popular Culture Update: Preparedness has migrated from your street to Main Street, to Sesame Street.    o o o A reader in Canton, Ohio mentioned a blast-hardened Microwave Repeater Facility for sale in New Philadelphia, Ohio, that might be suitable as a defendable ‘bug-in” group retreat.



Two Letters Re: Escape From (Fill in Your City Here), 2009

JWR: I liked JC in Oklahoma’s reply to Escape From (Fill in Your City Here), 2009 but with all due respect, I would not cut someone else’s lock. Most gates that I have seen around where I live, have a chain with a lock. I would advise cutting a link out of the chain and attaching your lock, like a replacement link. This way you keep the owner somewhat happy and still accomplish the task of passing thru the gate as well as being able to cross back through. Now I need to get out and check what routes I …


Two Letters Re: It Will Be Skills, Not Gear That Will Count in TEOTWAWKI

Jim: I would like to whole-heartedly second Chris M’s article that skills are more important than stuff. A wide basis of knowledge provides you and your family new options as you develop courses of action to solve a specific problem during a crisis. While I’ve been stuck as a suburbanite in the Washington area for the last two years, I’ve exploited my access to military and civilian training to more than make up for my vulnerability. I’ve joined local weapon/hunting ranges, significantly improving my pistol, rifle and bow skills. I’ve become certified as a Level I Combatives Instructor. I’m scheduled …


Letter Re: SurvivalBlog Readers in Antarctica

James, On Monday you noted reaching the 9 million unique visits mark. Congratulations! You also noted having readers on “every continent except Antarctica”. As a former employee of Raytheon Polar Services working in the United States Antarctic Program, I was able to visit two of the three permanent U.S. stations on “the Ice”. Whether the [SurvivalBlog] Clustmap will register it or not, you occasionally have had, and may continue to have people reading your blog in Antarctica. Thanks for the great work that you do, and I am praying for your family. Regards, – J. in Texas