It is my wholehearted opinion that the year 2018 will become the decisive year for the future of life on this planet. Culminating in an all-out nuclear war at worst, or ground war at best. Things as they stand are untenable for much longer. I am not advocating one position or plan over the other with this brief writing and I am not stating that violence or harming others should be considered. I am merely offering a wide variety of situations and possibilities to bring about different thoughts and ideas.
Long Gone is Political Leaders’ Desire to Promote Public Good
Long gone is integrity, honor, and a desire to promote the public good from political leadership, only to be replaced by self-serving hucksters hell bent on regime change, wars, and U.S. hegemony over the entire world. In most cases, the whole purpose of our “prepping” is in anticipation of events caused by this mindless leadership that will ultimately lead to societal breakdown and an “every man for himself” attitude. Unfortunately, while we prepare, others do not. The question for preppers becomes, can we realistically hold down the fort and protect what is ours in an onslaught of humanity bent on taking what we have at all costs?
Those Who Prep Desire To Protect Families and Survive
That’s not to say that those who do not prepare are evil or start out with malicious intent; most people simply have a desire to protect their families and survive. Ignorance or economic disadvantage may have prevented their putting things back. Even if we isolate ourselves at a so-called bug out location, can we honestly keep the hordes of humanity at bay, especially after they may get a whiff of a meal cooking at our place? It seems ludicrous to believe that one can hold off starving hordes from overrunning your location over time. Yes, you can fight them off for a time, but as bodies pile up, disease will become rampant and ultimately you will likely succumb.
Can You Realistically Survive In Place?
If you are determined to stay put out of desire or necessity, can you realistically survive? Can you eat without creating cooking odors? Do you have a renewable source of water? Can your children or infants remain quiet enough so that you can remain undetected? Can you count on outside help to replenish your supplies? The more people that would know of your location, the better chance you would be compromised should that person need a bargaining tool to save their own skin.
Books with Insight Into Bugging Out In Place
A quick read of The Diary Of Anne Frank or Corrie Ten Boom’s The Hiding Place will give you insight into these conditions. In the end, bugging out in place, especially in a large city, is unrealistic. Once discovered, a never ending wave of humanity would be constantly trying to get at you and what you have.
Starving Masses Professing Loyalty To Whomever Can Feed Them
On the other hand, I envision the starving masses willingly professing loyalty to whomever can feed them. This raises another question. Would it make more sense to prep with the mindset of buying loyalty at such a time it is needed? Buying loyalty seems to be the only possible solution to sheltering in place.
As we read in the plethora of post-EMP and other apocalyptic novels, the masses immediately race to local stores to obtain food, water, and anything else that can be thrown into a shopping cart. On the other hand, the hero always seems to be prepped to the gills and can wait out the crisis pretty much undisturbed. If at such a time as lawlessness takes over and law enforcement breaks down, should an armed group strive to protect the finite resources, such as grocery stores, gas stations, and the like? This would be out of necessity, because usually the first to arrive try to take as much as they can possibly carry with no concern for those who follow behind.
Latecomers Enraged At Greed of those Who Came Before
As supplies in said stores dwindle, the latecomers become enraged at the greed of those who came before them, and fights immediately ensue. Being that this is likely the only and last goods the store will ever see, do we better serve ourselves and community by protecting and fairly doling out these now golden assets or simply allow the lucky early birds to go off with their shopping carts full of canned goods?
Vast Majority of Population Wandering to Stave Off Hunger
As we see in various conflicts across the world, the vast majority of the population will wander around in a never ending effort to stave off hunger. It will consume them and become the focal point of their existence. If we liken that scenario to the popular Walking Dead television show, with the dead being the starving masses, a very realistic scenario emerges.
An Elevated Sense of Smell to Detect Food Odors Over Long Distances
A starving person develops an elevated sense of smell and can detect food odors over long distances. Once detected, like in the Walking Dead, they will keep coming and coming and coming. One might think that after a week or two the masses will simply die out, but I see it differently. It could take months before the area becomes devoid of anything edible.
A Barter Economy
The other alternative that many profess to see occurring is the creation of a barter economy after the purge of humanity. This would surely be the ideal situation, but many things would have to be in place for it to come to fruition.
- First, like-minded people would need to be in proximity to one another.
- Both parties would need trade-able assets, and
- Conflicts, which would surely arise, would require someone to mitigate them.
- Value of goods, silver, gold, and other valuables would need an established value.
The best scenario I can liken this to is America during the mountain man era. Each person would bring their trade-able goods to the trading post, and exchange would take place. Over time, small communities may re-establish.
A Frightening Scenario– America Invaded by a Conquering Force
However, another much more frightening scenario can emerge, which little thought is given to. This scenario is America being invaded by a conquering force, much like the Red Dawn movie. For all of our braggadocio of American might, our military has been decimated by previous administrations. It takes time and money to bring it back to force. While that is the least likely scenario, it bears consideration.
Foreign New Generations of Weapons
If the news can be believed, both China and Russia have developed new generations of weapons that can get past our own latest technology. Even North Korea and Iran have done extensive experimentation on the use of EMP weapons. Another insidious weapon that is sitting idly by waiting to be activated is cyber attacks.
State Alert
In 2014, the Department of Homeland Security issued an alert stating that a variant of the malware program known as Blackenergy had infiltrated the SCADA systems that control critical infrastructure, including oil and gas pipelines, water distribution systems, and the power grid in the U.S.
SCADA stands for Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition.
Blackenergy is the same malware blamed for the recent attack on the Ukrainian power grid, and apparently it is embedded to the point it cannot be removed.
What’s Your Prepping Goal?
In summary, what is the goal of your prepping?
- Do you try to control local resources, buying loyalty and thereby building a small army (based on the number of resources available) or do you simply leave, hunker down, and sit at the window waiting for the inevitable masses of humanity to arrive?
- What about a body disposal plan, should you need it when the time arrives to bury the dead?
- Do you know people you can trust, should your goal be to protect local assets such as grocery stores?
- How will your children be able to cope with the upheaval that an event would bring?
- If your spouse is not on board now, how do you prevent them from simply “shutting down” when the time comes and you need them the most?
- If you plan to shelter in place, do you have access to renewable food, water, and other necessities? Will you tell anyone of your plan to shelter in place?
- How will you keep children and infants quiet, if you hunker down in the city?
- If you stay in place, do you have an emergency exit from your place? Can you kill?
- It sounds like a simple question, but the implications are huge. Can you pull the trigger on another human being who is intent on harming you?
- How will you occupy your time?
- It is easy to think you may start a garden, tend animals, or other nondescript activities, but at any time you could have Ba hundred starving eyes on you.
Bottom Line!
The bottom line is that whatever we are facing in the near future will not be good. Our personal alternatives are not ideal, and even with all of our prepping, things could come crashing down should a baby cry at an inopportune moment, a sneeze, cough, or even a snore during an otherwise silent night. Remember, we are as strong as our weakest link, be that a child, infant, sick family member, or elderly parent, no matter how much we prep.
If nothing else, I hope this brief offering will help you evaluate all that is important to you and your family.
SurvivalBlog Writing Contest
This has been another entry for Round 74 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $11,000 worth of prizes for this round include:
First Prize:
- A $3000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from Veteran owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the public.
- A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,095 value),
- A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
- DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
- Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
- A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
- Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value), and
- American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
Second Prize:
- A Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
- A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
- A gift certificate for any two or three-day class from Max Velocity Tactical (a $600 value),
- A transferable certificate for a two-day Ultimate Bug Out Course from Florida Firearms Training (a $400 value),
- A Trekker IV™ Four-Person Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $250 value),
- A $200 gift certificate good towards any books published by PrepperPress.com,
- RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site.
Third Prize:
- A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
- A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
- Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
- Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
- Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances, and
- Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
Round 74 ends on January 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.
Our Maintenance staff was just discussing this very topic over coffee and doughnuts this morning at shift change. And you are very correct. There is much to consider. Spiritual guidance, I believe, will kick into full gear, meshing with our preps and abilities. Any scenario will not be for the faint of heart. It will be tough. But I will be determined to survive and help to make things better. God help us all.
One big concern I have is the increasing surveillance state. This includes cell phones, the Internet of things (refrigerators, tv’s) and how they keep track of the inventory of food, and the GPS autonomous run vehicles (cars, tractors, trucks). This is a huge concern to me, and yet literally no one is talking about it. Modern cars are not even owned by the buyer anymore. The manufacturer sells a right for the buyer to drive it as long as the manufacturer feels like letting them drive it. If they choose to change an oil filter, they must go to a dealer who will enter a code into the car computer to unlock the car.
This is also true of modern farming equipment. If during the SHTF the PTBs tell John Deere to shut down their stuff, they can and will do it.
For me it’s not so much the “how” it’s the “when”. I had thought we’d already be in the middle of WTSHTF. It’s going to happen it just depends on how long the powers that be can keep juggling the books.
I am as prepared as I can reasonably be and still live a normal life. I never allowed the sense of urgency to spur me into debt in order to acquire the necessary property ,tools and goods to survive in a grid down scenario.. We are better prepared than most, But probably not as well as others with means. We have the ability to shelter in place,( PLAN A ) But also our retreat 3.5 hrs away in rural North Idaho ( plan B ). As our family likes to say: Dont forget the more important member of your group while you are preparing. God.
Remember, it’s called survival “fiction” for a reason. The author of one of the most popular EMP attack/walk home novels didn’t last more than 48 hours during his attempt at survival on the show “Alone”. History has shown that short of an extinction level event, whatever comes will most likely be regional and short-term.
Good article Hugh. Very thought provoking.
“Can You Realistically Survive In Place?”
Can you realistically survive bugging out? If you become a refugee does your chances of survival increase or decrease? Can you and your family survive for long with only what you can carry on your back?
“It is my wholehearted opinion that the year 2018 will become the decisive year for the future of life on this planet. Culminating in an all-out nuclear war at worst, or ground war at best.”
I too sense a quickening of the nuclear threat and fear that the inevitable day when nukes are used in a world wide war might be fast approaching. But a real nuclear war would leave the U.S. devastated with probably 1/4 to 1/2 the U.S. population dead in the first week with perhaps 50% more dead within a month. The odds of you surviving regardless of if you choose to bug in or bug out is so low to be incalculable. Survival in a nuclear war will be the result of pure chance and geography. If you really want to survive the coming nuclear war then move to sub Saharan Africa, probably the only place on earth that will be un-nuked. However unless you are a native after any international ROL ends you will be a prime target.
In other words; in the event of a major nuclear war all bets are off and the totally unprepared will have just as much chance of survival as those with bunkers and 5 years of food in the cupboard.
RE: Barter Economy. One additional bullet needs to be added before you’ll be able to establish a barter economy, reasonable security and respect for others. The American frontier was often a lawless place, and the combination of the Army and state law enforcement (Texas Rangers, Arizona Rangers, etc), was the foundation of moving past anarchy into a semblance of structure. Today, all 57 states have a militia section in their Constitution and 23 have standing State Guards/Self Defense Forces. Rapid expansion of those during TEOTWAWKI will provide a nucleus of stability. I fully expect the active Army to engage external forces as required, the National Guard to police the major cities, and the State Guard and Sheriffs to enforce peace in the countryside.
My dad has expected total collapse and martial law to be “about three weeks” away for almost 20 years. Needless to say, he wasted those 20 years of his life. I like hunting, camping, and guns, but I’ve seen first hand what living in fear can do to a person. I won’t do it.
Collapse Fatigue:
http://twoicefloes.com/collapse-fatigue/#more-14488
Someone on here once said that the one thing most preppers fail to prepare for is simply dying of old age.
That’s a great post. Thanks!
Or getting to a point that their age doesn’t let them maintain their retreat any longer and that they need a hospital close by…It’s sad that they end up having to give up everything they have put their whole life in too because they didn’t have the foresight to plan on that eventuality…
Phil, you are absolutely correct. In spite of what I’m about to say I totally agree with you. However the exact reason so many died when the Titanic sunk is because they didn’t think it could happen and did not prepare for it. The exact reason 6 million jews died in Germany in the 30’s and 40’s is because they didn’t think it would happen and did not prepare for it. The reason the great hurricane in 1900 killed 12,000 people in Galveston is because they didn’t prepare for it. I could go on like this for 10,000 words. The bottom line is that it is incredibly brilliant to prepare for negative events and incredibly foolish to not.
I sympathize with your Dad, no one should live in fear. But while TEOTWAWKI may be unlikely, there are plenty of other things to be concerned about. Natural disasters, accidents/serious injury, loss of employment, sudden illness, these types of things happen all the time. Having a years worth of food and living expenses is more or less within everyone’s reach.
I don’t live in fear, but I know that bad things happen to good people and it’s my responsibility to take precautions. My philosophy is to trust in G-d and hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.
I stay economically engaged while putting by and enhancing my skills. Learning to garden, can, weld and bounce a signal off the ionosphere have been fascinating. Manhood hangs significantly on being highly capable. Fear is not my motivator.
No offense but I think RM’s assessment of US military power is vastly wrong. We spend more on “defense” than the next 9 largest military powers combined and most of those other powers are our allies.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_budget
I think the coup Obama executed in Ukraine was preparation for our elites to conquer Russia — and take its vast natural resources.
People really do not appreciate how the US news corporations lie to us on a massive scale. They are not so clumsy as to tell obvious falsehoods — they simply cover up and hide major “inconvenient truths”.
Our billionaire elites quest for Empire is a threat to the American People. Russia is weak except for its nukes and our elites are putting 200 US cities at risk by holding a knife to Russia’s throat. (Of course, our elites are buying up massive bunkers for themselves while providing no civil defense for urban residents.)
More importantly , if our elites conquer the world then they will have no further need for us. We will be enslaved along with the foreigners — just read Tacitus’s account of how tyranny evolved in the Roman Empire after the Republic was overthrown. If the world is ruled by one dictator then that dictator will feel under constant threat and will go to great lengths to detect and exterminate any possible threats. Read the accounts of Caligula, Domitian etc to see where that paranoia leads. Jesus was nailed up on a cross because Pilate was terrified that even a rumor of dissent would drift back to the brooding Tiberius in Rome.
Unlike the Romans, however, we will have no German invaders to overthrow our tyranny. Read the account of the Christian priest Salvian circa 440 AD:
https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/halsall/source/salvian1.html
Noise discipline for Children:
How should children be taught about noise discipline?
I remember reading books about the Seminole Indians teaching their children and babies that skill. USA soldiers would walk with ten feet of a village and not detect it because of the noise discipline.
A few years ago, I asked a Seminole Indian how they did that, but he said that he didn’t think that the noise skill had been retained.
When I ask parents that, I get either, why would you want to, or just give them a smart phone.
I found the author’s viewpoint “interesting” and “thought provoking” but didn’t like the need to apply mental filters to parse the EOTW rhetoric.
I would like to hear more detail on the HOW aspect of prepping for such an event (acknowledging that it is a possible scenario). I can find more than enough (TMI) distopian literature on the ‘net and in books. I don’t need more. Give me suggestions on how to prep, how to deal with such a scenario.
I would encourage the author and all readers to build a strong mental point-or-view which will prevent (or at least control) a call to panic…
WOW!! What a negative article. I’m a prepper with 2 years worth of food put away, a renewable source of water and live in a very remote area. What I also have is a positive attitude about the future. I’m prepared but live my life for the moment. There are madmen running around in this world; always have been. But I see a bright future and refuse to worry about things that are out of my control. If trouble comes I’m prepared but in the mean time I’m going to enjoy life.
Amen to that brother.
For all these people that say “Don’t forget the God factor”, it sure wasn’t showing in the article.
Anyone that reads the Bible should know that it says Jesus DOES NOT come again until after the third temple is built,& 3 and 1/2 years after a peace agreement.
Anyone that reads real news and has kept up with world affairs should understand we dodged a bullet in the 2016 elections. Plans for global dominance over the US screeched to a halt, and hclinton & barry sotero’s plans for a worldwide forced healthcare system that embraces the rfid chip are coming to a slow stop.
Jeff Sessions, who opposed moslem supporter Elena Kagan, for Supreme Court, is a smart cookie. [Elena Kagan took $20 million from Saudi Arabia to establish a sharia law dept at Harvard while she was dean]
He sent Gayle Elieson to Nevada, as a message to Judge Navarro to knock off her biased behaviours. Elieson, who graduated from Brigham Young Law School, is from Texas: where Gov. Abbott warned the BLM they’d have a fight on their hands over BLM’s attempted Red River land grab.
Good things are happening. Don’t feed on ashes.
Now to get 77 year old Hammond out of jail.
Under Dept. Interior rules, Hammonds should NEVER have been charged:
“This section shall not apply in the case of a fire set by an allottee in the reasonable exercise of his property rights in the allotment,” 18 U.S.C. § 1855
“In 2010, before the statute of limitations ran out on the 2001 fire, the BLM brought the Hammonds into federal court, indicting them on 9 charges relating to both fires.”
“Rather than charging Dwight and Steve under the BLM’s own land-use statutes,
prosecutors instead maliciously charged them as domestic “terrorists” under the Antiterrorism Act of 1996.”
(note: Amanda Marshall, who had studied in china, had only worked in the child advocacy dept a few months before she was hand-picked
and catapulted to Oregon’s head attorney position, where she filed the appeal to put Dwight & Steve back in prison)
“This time the BLM succeeded in obtaining a conviction against Dwight Hammond, Jr., now 78, and Steven D. Hammond, 50.
However, the government did offer to drop all charges if the Hammonds would simply sign over two-thirds of their ranch to the federal government.”
“Significantly, the Interior Department avoided bringing charges under their own statutes
which specifically provide an exception for crimes attaching to fires started by ranchers
who own grazing allotments in certain circumstances:
“This section shall not apply in the case of a fire set by an allottee in the reasonable exercise of his property rights in the allotment,” 18 U.S.C. § 1855.”
Certainly highlights the dangers of sheltering in place in a populated area. I agree the die-off could take months, not weeks. In the absence of organized civil government and law enforcement, those remaining groups that have survived several months in large population centers will be very difficult to deal with when they start heading into rural areas looks for resources. These will not be the remnants of peaceful church groups but violent gangs and desperate people. If you’re fortunate enough to have a rural retreat, your security plan should be multi layered and be flexible to adapt to the changing threats that will emerge over time.
It seems obvious to me that the author lives in a densely populated area, at least the observations made lead me to believe that. And so in answer to your questions, you are most definitely in trouble.
Living as a prepper isnt about living in fear, its about prioritizing your values and beliefs. Its about living closer to the land and probably not making the money you could make living in the city.
But for today Im not going to worry about nuclear war or world wars or the economic collapse. I’m going to go collect the chicken eggs, feed the horses a few flakes of hay, enjoy the warmer temperatures and the scenery. Thats the way I add up my wealth in the redoubt.
“And so in answer to your questions, you are most definitely in trouble.”
Even if the author does live in a densely populated area, he may be no worse off than if several dozen Topol-M’s target Malmstrom AFB and the 150 missile silos located in Montana. It’s all a matter of perspective. I agree, no need to live in fear on a daily basis.
The author focused on suburban rather than rural survival. Necessary, because more people are in urban or suburban areas. But many of us in rural areas are facing our own eotwawki event – our increasing age. I’ve been on the lookout for several years now for a like-minded younger person or couple who would like to live in the country & not need too much in the way of modern amenities, and would be strong enough to do the work we are starting to have trouble with. So far – no luck.
DD, there’s a lot of debate in military circles on whether the Russians or Chinese would waste a warhead on what would likely be an empty silo by the time the warhead arrives. The US has a relatively small number of replacement Minuteman III missiles, plenty of replacement warheads, but it takes weeks to months to repair the silo after use. Does it make sense to use a warhead that could be used elsewhere, or kept in reserve? I don’t think I would waste one.
Understand one thing about our nuclear weapons. There is no plan that would allow us to fire them until after nukes actually hit continental U.S. targets.
As to would Russia or China “waste” a nuke by firing it at any U.S. target. There is only one way to fight a nuclear war and that is with overwhelming force. Every military target in the U.S. would be hit and most would be hit by two or more nukes. Many, many civilian targets would be hit as well simply to keep them from being used as an asset in the war. If China or Russia decides to nuke us the first strike will be between 2000 – 4000 nukes. The second strike will be as needed. They are not the slightest bit worried about “wasting” a nuke. They are worried about our retaliation, period.
“The only way to win is not to play.”-W.O.P.R
@OneGuy One reason for the hesitation is that there have been MULTIPLE occasions when glitches in NORAD software showed a major attack coming at the USA when nothing had been fired at us. So Presidents are understandably hesitant to destroy the world just because of a software bug.
Absolutely, although it has been Russian doctrine for some time to target each silo and command center within the US with at least two warheads. With military installations and bases being primary targets, seclusion from “the city” doesn’t guarantee survival if you live near these bases. Let us pray that we never find out, and our grandchildren laugh at our stash of Ramen noodles and canned goods safely from the future.
FEMA disagrees. Their 1990 Nuclear Attack Planning Base showed the Redoubt glowing in the dark under 15,000+ rads of radiation. (Without hospital treatment 400 rads would probably kill you.)
http://www.backwoodshome.com/columns/pix/benson0201-5.gif
And you can forget the radiation declining if you are planning to hike out. While fallout radiation does decline by a factor of 10 for every 7 fold passage of time, it can still kill you even at low levels if you are exposed for 2 to 3 months. And early cancer is likely even at low levels — although that is more a concern for the young since the elderly are likely to die of other causes before the cancer hits.
FEMA thought the Russians would do counterforce strikes because every Minuteman they take out is one less to destroy Russia.
If I want the federal emergency MIS management agency’s opinion I will give it to them.
ZERO trust when comes to FEMA!
Once again I read misinformed and uneducated observations on how a nuclear war would be fought. What most laymen and the willfully ignorant don’t seem to get is this: any real nuclear power is going to target the weapons that would be used in a counter strike on the country that hits fisrt. So let’s say the Russians ( everyone’s favorite bogeyman ) plan to hit us with a first strike. Their nukes would target our bases and similar nuke sites that would be used in any retaliatory strike. Not our cities. That would just be nuclear suicide. Would several millions die, initially and from some fallout later, sure. But the country would be largely intact. The Russians and the Chinese know this, and also know they cannot realistically take out all of our stuff with a first strike without the sure nuclear conquer attack that we would follow with. That is why they won’t pull the trigger. Far more likely would be a nuclear conflict involving India/Pakistan or Israel/ Iran ( if they get nukes ).
1) I would note that the experts are sometimes also misinformed. An example being Defense Secretary Robert McNamara — who thought only the President could launch ICBMs with the supersecret codes in the Football — the briefcase that a military aide carries. The nukes being locked with Permissive Action Links requiring the supersecret codes to unlock.
2) Many years later, a reporter who had done military service in a Minuteman silo informed the retired McNamara that the Air Force generals set the supersecret code to “00000000”.
3)The theory used to be that the US and Soviet Union would not attack urban populations in the initial stages –only the other side’s military and nuclear capabilities.
Not out of humanity –but to leave the enemy’s cities as Hostages in order to restrain the enemy’s counterstrikes.
4) Unfortunately several things have greatly undermined MAD. One being that the nuclear arms talks and economic recession have greatly reduced Russia’s nuclear forces — to about 17% of what they were in the 1980s. Plus US deployment of missile defense systems might take out some Russian ICBMs on launch. So Russia no longer has the assurance that she has plenty of reserves. So Russia now has a lot of incentive to destroy 200 US cities –and 70% of the US population — to ensure that we can never rebuild. That we are permanently destroyed as a threat. No economy — no military. Note that CHINA has a great incentive to covertly provoke that conflict between Russia and US.
5) The most significant thing undermining MAD has been Obama’s coup in Ukraine — 300 miles from Moscow and Russian ICBM sites. Another major thing has been US development of broadband stealth drones like the RQ-180:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northrop_Grumman_RQ-180
6) Suppose a swarm of RQ-180 stealth drones were loaded with 500 kiloton nuclear warheads instead of reconnaissance gear. Suppose those drones were launched from Ukraine one night and timed to detonate over Russia ICBMs at the same time. Taking out Russia’s nuclear defenses in a First Strike.
7) Sure, we might get our hair mussed. But look at the great prize for our elites. Not only Russia’s vast natural resources — at a time when many of ours are running out. But also PERMANENT global domination.
NOTE that satellite comm links to human pilots would NOT be needed for many of the drones — they could be automously guided by GPS. Links to human pilots would only be needed to track down the mobile ICBMs — and innovations in robotic artifical intelligence may one day remove even the need for that human guidance. Searching a railroad track is not that hard, after all.
8) Another option for CHINA is to have her North Korean puppet launch an attack to destroy much of the US economy –including several EMP nudets. With a safe, luxury refuge for Kim in China while the US Air Force turns North Korea into green glass.
Bot exactly. Nuclear war is a one off proposition. You either get it right or you do not and your chance to fix it before you get yours is slim. Every airport is a target. Every heavy factory is a target. Every system that can support any retaliation or rebuilding is a target. You don’t give the enemy 24 hours or a week or 4 weeks to do whatever they can you knock it all out in the first strike with followup strikes as necessary.
More worrisome is a dirty bomb or EMP Kind of an event.I don’t think the Russians or Chinese are a problem.More likely a rogue group or some nut like the leader of NK. Muslim wack jobs are a worry also.
I tell folks to have a lot of camping gear and some extra food.Living in fear is no good.I think living in city’s is a bad idea to start with.In any kind of SHTF situation, they will become unliveable.
I still wonder about an economic collapse given our debt and no will to tackle it.
1) One thing to note about our deceitful news media is that they spent the past year bashing Trump over unimportant things — while keeping utterly silent about Obama making American into debt slaves to foreigners.
2) Our NIIP –our net debt owed to foreigners after subtracting what they owe to us and our foreign assets — soared under Obama from $2 Trillion to $8 Trillion. Almost 40% of our entire GDP.
3) One way by which a very weak Russia could conquer us would be for Putin to offer to exterminate our elites in exchange for only $10 Trillion in tribute. Given our $20 Trillion federal debt, that would put the average American citizens about $10 Trillion ahead.
To sweeten the deal, Putin could tell America’s young people that he will not require them to make good on the Democratic Party’s $10 Trillion in unfunded promises to the baby boomers re Social Security and Medicare.
Of course, that would make the old baby boomers angry but old farts are not much of a military threat.
I saw this on twitter. It was posted on the WRSA website: Why invade a country when, through control of its institutions you can turn its women against its men, make transvestites of its children, but keep it alive to send the wealth generated by its labor overseas, then introduce a foreign army as ‘refugees’ to finish it off?
We are being invaded as I write this and have been invaded for the last fifty years. I saw it as a Peace Officer in SoCal. They have not assimilated. They have brought disease, crime, and horrendous tax burdens to me and the rest of the working Americans.
They are aided and abetted by the Catholic Church, the Lutheran and Baptist NGOs and “Charities” who are sucking up federal money to “resettle” them in your neighborhoods. They are the dirty bomb. Deal with it.
DWEEZIL THE WEAZEL:
Hot dog finally someone else who wants to my drum……
Bang on brother, bang on and on and on…..
I am right there with you I’ve been beating this drum for years ( and my younger brother ) this one bang wagon that has lots of room and the more the merrier! God, country, corps. Semper Fi!
There is a lot of us out there banging that drum Brother…
I would really like to see the U.S. replace it’s silo based missiles with something more mobile, maybe even more submarines or bombers.
In this day and age, it just seems like they are sitting ducks. Plus, the contamination of some of our most productive farm land due to surface or subterranean silo busting.
Sir/Ma’am,
I can tell by your language that you are a city person.
I was once you, living in denial.
It makes no difference whether its 2018, or 3018.
It might happen, it could happen. It will happen.
How much do you risk?
Answer honestly, towards God, your creator; and his second in command, the Lord Jesus Christ. Accept Jesus, as your Savior.
Then Pray.
When you ask about 2018, you will be answered. Act upon this answer. Ask about what you need and…
Trust in the Lord,
Blessed New Years to you, Brother/Sister, Father/Mother,
I was once told by a submariner that 2 nuke subs, One in Maine and one in Alaska could about destroy every country on earth.From their docks. I also once saw a map online that showed that about 25 nuclear bombs spread out across the U.S. Would be all it takes to wipe out our country.I think there are hundreds? Thousands? Aimed at us right now.
I still think our debt will be our downfall.The countries thug culture and the information fed to people is really bad also.
The article started with the premise that 2018 would be the decisive year but the author did not develop that thought very much IMO.
I am not sure one way or the other. On the one hand I see continuations of many (what I view as) unsustainable trends. NK and the national debt being two. On the other hand I see Trump, while saying some questionable things, returning us to the rule of law in many areas. I see some economic improvement. As a Christian, I see his open support of Israel and particularly Jerusalem as potentially positive. Who knows?
My personal opinion is that 2018 will not be the year it all comes crashing down. I view it as a decisive year. A year of internal conflict that will determine what future years look like.
And I am so confident in my opinion that I can tell you this. My opinion and about $2 or $3 will get you a cup of coffee. That is it’s amazing worth!
I remember the stories my people told of starvation and disease and freezing to death in the Canadian winter . I am 99.7% Irish if you put any faith in modern dna testing , and my people have learned some lessons about prepping from the past . 2018 is looking like the preps will be getting used one way or another . I’m not selling any of the 1000 doses of K2 I have stored either .
The risk of an actual invasion by a foreign power is remote. What makes the US military so powerful isn’t our combat power, it’s our ability to project and sustain force. No other nation on the planet comes close to our ability to do that. A much more likely scenario is an EMP strike by a “rogue” (i.e., proxy) nation or group in order to cripple our infrastructure and prevent our response to a disputed region (Korea, Taiwan, Ukraine, etc.). Neither China nor Russia are interested in conquering the US. They’re interested in hegemony over their parts of the world and expanding their influence. That requires diminishing our influence and capability, but it does not require conquest.
I think 2018 is going to be a great year. It will be full of surprises.
The idea of total collapse or nuclear Armageddon is unrealistic.
I see many comments about trusting in Almighty God, and I do, but the end of mankind’s sinful reign is clearly spelled out in Scripture.
However, the timing of The Lord’s return is not for us to know.
From the great wisdom of Solomon;
Ecclesiastes 13;
“The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments because it applies to every person”
Our economy is on fire. Don’t go and hide from it. My day job is independent insurance agent and we have a pile of people setting up businesses and expanding businesses. Get busy and engage.
The Trajan quote applicable is “If you want peace, prepare for war.” That is what is going on.
The tax cut and the entire atmosphere in the economy is very positive. Just don’t leave yourself vulnerable to the banks. Cycles will happen.
RV:
Dam straight, sir! I could not agree more!
I have a customer who is long retired, but was on loan from the US to the UN as a negotiator in the 80’s. He explained to me that the threat of a nuclear exchange between China, Russia and the US in the 21st century is vastly overblown by the media. Our Countries are so economically intertwined that even a conventional war would amount to the offending nation putting a gun to their head and squeezing the trigger, let alone a Nuclear exchange.
Part of any nations strategy of cohesiveness is economic trade, Russia trades heavily with Europe, and China with us. Our allies play a huge role in security through economics. I think these facts get lost in our desire to be prepared. All of this talk about nuclear exchanges between China/US and Russia and the US doesnt serve the prepping community well.
It’s almost idiotic to plan for bombs to drop on Montana missile silos,
I’m wondering how this would work, Do the Russians make sure their windows 10 software update is complete before pushing the button?… Do the Chinese make sure their I-phones are hardened in case Apple I-tunes decides to stop sending them updates?.. I’m just curious because I don’t think people are thinking things thru..
China owns a number of large US companies across the US.. they gonna nuke those cities? what about the fallout from their own people who happen to have loved ones living in the US and going to School? or Russians who have family in the US?.. This aint the 1940’s..Millions of Chinese and Russians live in the US, they all gonna board planes and leave?.. So how does that train wreck look? like a Christmas vacation rush? Thanksgiving travel, airline nightmare?
That said, the NORKS should be the focus, But I doubt even they are much of a nuclear threat on the scale some people think they are… The nightmare will come from within, and our future will be how we rise from the ashes, and the lessons we learned from allowing ourselves to be hijacked by the real enemy… Ourselves.
1) I disagree. Historically, commercial competition has encouraged wars, not deterred them.
2) In 2014 , Our lying news media averted its eyes from an obvious question re Ukraine: WHY was Obama rebooting the expensive Cold War and destroying the nuclear arms reduction process for the sake of a bankrupt, deeply corrupt manure hole located 4500 miles from Washington DC and practically on Moscow’s doorstep?
3) One reason, of course, is that Exxon and Chevron have invested $50 billion in the Caspian Sea region and they need a way to export oil and gas from that region. See Wiki re the Transcaspian Gas Pipeline. Turkmenistan has the world’s 4th largest reserves of natural gas and its South Iolotan gas field is the world’s second largest.
4) Plugging that pipeline into the Ukrainian gas network –that currently transports Russian natural gas to the EU — would save US Big Oil a huge amount of money. No need to build a 1000 mile long pipeline up through Italy to Austria.
5) The EU is heavily dependent upon Russia natural gas — and Big Oil in the USA thinks it is deeply unfair that Russia can earn hundreds of $billions by selling Russian gas without Houston getting a cut. Of course, Big Oil felt the same way about Saddam Hussein and Iraq’s huge oil deposits.
6) Russia was raped by Clinton -supported oligarchs during the Yeltsin era. Not just my opinion. See Congress’s 2000 report on how Bill Clinton’s administration –led by Larry Summers — supported massive corruption in Russia before the rise of Putin.
https://fas.org/irp/congress/2000_rpt/russias-road.pdf
7) Nobel Economist Joseph Stiglitz gave a scathing judgment on Fat Larry’s Russian policy:
http://progressive.org/magazine/interview-joseph-stiglitz/
An excerpt:
“Q: How did U.S. Russia policy develop?
Stiglitz: In the early 1990s, there was a debate among economists over shock therapy versus a gradualist strategy for Russia. But Larry Summers [Under Secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs, then Deputy Secretary of the Treasury, now Secretary] took control of the economic policy, and there was a lot of discontent with the way he was driving the policy.
The people in Russia who believed in shock therapy were Bolsheviks–a few people at the top that rammed it down everybody’s throat. They viewed the democratic process as a real impediment to reform.
The grand larceny that occurred in Russia, the corruption that resulted in nine or ten people getting enormous wealth through loans-for-shares, was condoned because it allowed the reelection of Yeltsin.
Q: What effect did the policies pushed by the United States and the IMF have on the Russian people?
Stiglitz: Both GDP and consumption declined. Living standards collapsed, life spans became shorter, and health worsened. Russia achieved a huge increase in inequality at the same time that it managed to shrink the economy by up to a third. Poverty soared to close to 50 percent from 2 percent in 1989, comparable to that of Latin America–a remarkable achievement in eight years.”
For extra credit, compare and contrast how Fat Larry’s helped crooked oligarchs rape Russia under President Bill Clinton with how Fat Larry’s helped equally crooked oligarchs rape America in 2009-2010 under President Obama.
Don Williams:
Like most politicians it is about Power and Money, Money and Power. The two go hand in glove always have probably always will. Clinton and his/her ilk are the epitome of absolute power corrupts absolutely and have been in bed with the Russian elite for decades!
We The People need to get involved and keep our “employees” in line!
LO:
What you say has a HUGE amount of merit. And I like what you say about “from within”!
We The People need to keep our “employees” ( politians ) in line. Hold there feet to the fire! Even President Abraham Lincoln said the only way the U.S. will fall is from a enemy within.
“All of this talk about nuclear exchanges between China/US and Russia and the US doesnt serve the prepping community well.
It’s almost idiotic to plan for bombs to drop on Montana missile silos,”
The threat of nuclear war is the very origin of the prepper movement, created during the Cold War era. To say a discussion of it has no relevance or doesn’t serve the community is to deny the reason that this blog and the entire prepper culture exists. We can trace the roots and the entire game plan of preparedness back to the original constructors of underground shelters who stored food and other survival items in the 60’s. If the idea of planning for attacks on US missile silos, military bases, and command centers is idiotic, then your argument should be with the United States government that has spent Trillions of our extorted tax dollars preparing for this very thing by constructing underground bunkers and missile defense systems. Raven Rock, Cheyenne Mountain, Mount Weather, and the Warrenton Training Center are all examples of bunkers the United States government has built for the sole purpose of surviving a nuclear attack.
The number of Chinese who were born in China but now live in the US is approximately 2.2 million. That represents .00169% of the 1.3 Billion citizens of mainland China. To a country that still treats most of their population like slave labor, they wouldn’t give a second thought to their safety or evacuation during an attack on the US.
The fastest supercomputer in the world, TaihuLight, was built by the Chinese using their own processors. To believe that the Chinese or Russians would rely upon Windows or any other US based technology for their nuclear and/or defense program is simply naïve.
I agree. Actually, nuclear war as a motivation for survivalism goes back even further. In 1945, Robert Heinlein wrote “How to Be a Survivor: the art of staying alive in the atomic age”. His recommendations covered most of today’s survivalism concepts.
His article is available on the Internet.
For those of you who are unaware- there is a storm going on right now. Big characters are getting arrested and are in jail. Find your favorite Big Character’s Twitter and check and see how long it’s been since they posted. Most of them are 5+ days several are 7+ days when they normally post every day.
MSM (Mainstream Media) is keeping you sleeping. You may hear of some major tragedies in the coming days, but rest assured, as long as our President is safe, we will carry through.
Even Alt-Media is not covering what is going on to any great extent, but the information is out there if you want to dig for it. Big Man is posting as Q on anonymous online forums and posts are connected to Big Man’s personal account by 5/10/15 minutes as well as embedded clues. Q has been posting since around the first of November, if you find the compilations, you will find about ~500 posts to look through.
If you want some more history, check out the Gray Champion and the Fourth Turning. We are on the cusp of a Turning and the current Big Man is THE Gray Champion of our times.
Don’t trust MSM. Those of you who don’t understand may never understand until it is laid out in detail in the State of the Union address coming up. The next ten days will be decisive for our country. Pray for the President!
A.M. :
Good to know info.Thanx for the heads up.
I would like to thank everyone who responded to my offering…both pro and con. The main reason I wrote it was to spark conversation on areas of prepping and possible future outcomes that may not be discussed as much as others.
I don’t see it as a right or wrong way of preparing. Every circumstance is different and every prepper has different goals and capabilities.
If my offering has given you something new to think about then I was successful.
Haver a great day.
Randy