SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods— a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from “HJL”. São Paulo, Brazil is giving us a look into how inner cities might look in an SHTF situation where total collapse has not occurred.
Politics
The Democrat party has given up the moral high ground that they briefly held in the battle over sexual allegations of senators. For weeks, they have called for Roy Moore to step down from the race. Then came the allegations against Senator Al Franken and Representative John Conyers. After briefly claiming the moral high ground by throwing ex-president Bill Clinton under the proverbial bus (20 years too late), the iron faced Pelosi declared her double standard and refused to even engage on the subject of removal of All Franken. The best we get is that John Conyer is voluntarily stepping down from his leadership position.
Middle East
An Arab newspaper Al Jarida has announced that their Israeli source has disclosed that Israel is ready to ramp up operations in the Middle East. The source claims that Israel is cutting a deal with Assad where Syria agrees to create a 40km DMZ in the Golan Heights and Israel will stop their attempts to remove Assad’s regime from power. Israel is reportedly favorable to that deal but will continue to eradicate Iran and Hezbollah from Syria. The article also acknowledges Israel’s humanitarian work in the region with those who have been affected by the war, but says that when Israel treats the rebels, it is the same as working against Assad. There is no official position from Israel on the deal yet. Thanks to G.P. for the link.
Black Friday
This year, the economy is slowly showing signs of recovery and Black Friday an many retailers are finally seeing sales improve. Firearms purchases have been outstanding though. Black Friday saw the single-day record for gun purchase background checks shattered as over 200,000 checks were run by the FBI. The daily purchases had declined since the election of Trump, but in August, the checks again began to claim records. Thanks to D.B. for the link.
Sheepdogs
John Cylc has written an article to explain the sheepdog analogy and elaborate on it. For those that are struggling with having armed men in your church, the article will help you understand why this is necessary (and good) in our society. You are not supposed to be comfortable with the idea that armed men are among you, but it is important to remember that he is there to protect you. When the armed predator shows up, you will be thankful that he is among you.
Sick of Company?
Reader J.J. sent in this article on the building and manning of the St. George Reef Lighthouse. Many a ship was lost due to the reef and in 1882 Congress approved the funds to construct a light house on the reef. The lighthouse was finished in 1891. One storm in particular trapped the operators on the reef for 59 days and their experiences are a good reminder of some of the difficulties you would face in a SHTF situation in your retreat. The stresses push people to the point of breaking and you need to plan on dealing with conflict within your group.
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Reader J.S. sent in this article on the aftermath of Thanksgiving Holiday. The report shows the congestion that travelers heading to LaGuardia Airport were met with. It has been dubbed the “trip from hell” by many. The congestion was so great that many simply abandoned their service cars and walked to the terminals. The Port Authority had issued warnings that the roads were congested and travelers should allot extra time, but this year was ridiculous. Several of the people interviewed said they were going to use Newark Airport next year instead. It’s an interesting read and a prime example showing the vulnerability of people when using these facilities.
Brazil
You might think that American cities have serious drug problems, but reader P.S sent in this article on São Paulo, Brazil where the open-air drug market exists. Authorities have given up on the area and simply attempt to keep the crime contained within its boundaries. This crackland sits on prime realestate forcing many to have to deal with its presence as they use the public transportation and other businesses. It certainly begs the question: “Is this what we can expect from the inner cities as our society crumbles within?”
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Please send your news tips to HJL. (Either via e-mail of via ourContact form.) These are often especially relevant, because they come from folks who watch news that is important to them. Due to their diligence and focus, we benefit from fresh “on target” news. We often “get the scoop” on news that is most likely ignored (or reported late) by mainstream American news outlets. Thanks!