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 “JWR”. Our goal is to educate our readers, to help them to recognize emerging threats and to be better prepared for both disasters and negative societal trends. You can’t mitigate a risk if you haven’t first identified a risk. Today, we take a look at the ongoing “slow slide” Venezuela.
Lessons From Venezuela: Violence, Crime, & Gangs When SHTF
Reader H.L. Suggested this over at Zero Hedge: Lessons From Venezuela: Violence, Crime, & Gangs When SHTF. A snippet:
“Gangs have been a pain since a long time for everyone, when in the 60s and 70s crime started to band together to gain strength. This was probably related to the appearance of the urban guerrilla (Castro-promoted), who kidnapped and commit crimes all over the country to destroy the stability and the democracy of the country. They recruited members with criminal experience to assist them in the resources collection to finance their political activities, and this started a lot of other criminal actions, on a more serious level. In the barrios, with a large amount of Chavez supporters, these gangs saw where the power balance was, joining to the “cause” and gained impunity and power, oppressing the opposition people.
This said, gangs roamed all over the different regions of the country, respecting each other terrains, enjoying the loot of their crimes. One of the most famous was the called “El tren de Aragua”, dismantled by live fire by death squads some time ago.”
A New York RINO Defects on Gun Legislation
Mentioned by reader C.B., and also seen linked over at Whatfinger.com is this troubling news: Rep. Pete King is the first Republican to sign on to the assault weapons ban. Here is a quote:
“The Assault Weapons Ban of 2019 was rolled out in February by Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.), with 190 other Democrats onboard. An additional 11 lawmakers signed on after mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, left dozens of people dead and many more injured, with King being among the most recent.
King had been the lead sponsor of a bill improving background checks when Republicans controlled the House and was already one of a handful of Republicans backing that bill now.
He had already been considering the assault weapons ban, but the shootings in Ohio and Texas raised the level of urgency.
“I think the assault weapons ban is timely now, especially in view of the shooting in El Paso and Dayton,” King said.”
JWR’s Comment: So much for standing on principle and your oath to defend the Constitution, Mr. King! You sound like a weatherman reporting that a barometer has shifted. Law-making should not be based on media-driven sentiment.
Seriously, folks: You need to contact both of your senators, and your congressman, repeatedly, regardless of their party affiliation. DO NOT consider them “safe” just because they are Republicans! Remind them of their oath, and that the Second Amendment is an absolute. The magic number of votes on the House side is 218, and 51 on the Senate side. Don’t let them get there!
Presently, both a Federal Red Flag law and a private party transfer criminalization (H.R. 8 “Universal Background Checks”) seem to be in the fait accompli category. The Democrats are now asking: “How much more can we get?” They are hoping for a combined “assault weapons” and 11+ round magazine ban. Don’t let them get it!
How Long Can Your Keep Your Magazines Loaded?
Ol’ Remus of the great Yer Ol’ Woodpile Report linked to this article: How Long Can Your Keep Your Magazines Loaded?
The Real Threat Posed by Red Flag Laws
Over at Don McAlvany’s web site: What’s Wrong with Red Flag Laws? After All, They Don’t Apply to Me! Here is a key quote:
“Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) joined with John Lott, president of the Crime Prevention Research Center, to expose Colorado’s recently enacted red flag law. Under that law, ‘anyone at all can make a phone call to the police. They don’t even have to be living in the state. There is no hearing. All the judge has before him is the statement of concern.’
Red flag laws have nothing to do with mental health. Only one of the seventeen states now inflicting red flag laws on their citizens even uses the term. Wrote Massie and Lott: ‘It’s about figuring out who is going to commit a crime (or suicide). This is the realm of science fiction.'”
Patreon Says They Control Your Brand – We Are Leaving!
From Jon Patton of TGC News: Patreon Says They Control Your Brand – We Are Leaving!
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I live less than a block from Gary J. Willis in Anne Arundel County MD. He is the one that was ‘shot’ while the county police were serving him with the Extreme Risk Protective Order (Red Flag Law)-which is not a law BTW. What is not told about the background of this situation was the mental state of the person who ‘filed’ the order with the county police. It was his sister who he had taken in off of the street.
This is how you can ‘murder’……oopps….’kill’ someone by proxy.
My brother had his guns confiscated several years ago after his mentally disturbed wife accused him of abuse, It took several years to get them back. My son-in-law had his guns confiscated after his daughter called 911 after she was disciplined by him. Tes he hit her but not in a way that was malicious. Both live in Harford County.
And today’s news. Baltimore used reading tests to quality new police applicants, and those resulted in diversity inequality in hiring. Mmmm. Not sure what to say here.
Where does red-flagging end and swatting take over? What’s to prevent reports being made on persons for non-crisis personal or political reasons?
Perhaps now there will be more bipartisan support to curtail practices like no-knock warrants and other swat tactics.
Sorry, no offense meant, but you’re dreaming.
No offense taken. We can still dream.
For those who hve been life-long Democrats: it is time to exit the Party. Not just voting against them, but changing your Party affiliation to either Independent, Republican or Libertarian. If enough of us do it, even the media will not be able to ignore it.
I ask myself this question (among others) about Red Flag Laws which I consider ILLEGAL. Question, How soon does someone who has had all his/her firearms removed, but has CACHED a firearm no one knows about, and learns that it is a spouse, relative or friend that called the Police. Then, decides for whatever reason to take that hidden firearm and use it on that TRUSTED friend of relative! Someone who may not seem mentally ill, everyone likes him or her, but has LOST their firearms. Revenge is likely to happen. Perhaps a long time later, or by a hired 3rd party. Someone who has always been a peaceful person, but feels horribly betrayed, especially if it was a spouse or close relative. Those that really have no FIRM reason for using the Red Flag Laws, better really think long and hard about what they might be getting themselves into.
I have to agree whole heartedly with this assessment of a very probable scenario of revenge on a person that initiated a Red Flag action. This is a most predictable reaction of an unintended consequence that legislatures never seem to think about when they react with knee jerk legislation. Where can we find public officials that are not self serving jerks with a modicum of common sense?
First of all you are assuming your dealing with someone who thinks properly and has thought of all the consequences for their actions/behavior.
There has the be the (snitch) laws passed to divide and in-fight the populace. The intent is to cause us to revenge each other. We are to be focused on each other rather than standing together. The wicked and easily sacrificed self worshipers will be used by the State to Judas their own brethren. Then later the solution will be (as in the past law making) to protect the snitch by cloaking the snitch.
The snitch is already cloaked. You never actually get to face your accuser. The State becomes the accuser of record. All this law is designed to do is sanction, legalize, swatting. Start preparing to disappear your weapons. (Oh officer, I sold those YEARS ago. I really don’t remember who I sold them too. Besides, it was legal then to privately sell my firearms. Sorry I can’t be of more help.) Stay very low key.
Then that Person had not the character or personality that legitimized him to own and use weapons or other dangerous things like cars and his trusted friend, spouse etc did the right and necessary Thing to get him disarmed.
this Person was and most likely is a danger to other People.
It would make me extremely happy if somebody in Washington could tell me what an assault weapon is. You can change the stock on a Ruger 10/22 rifle which is a very small rifle and make it look like an assault weapon are you can take any what you consider assault weapons and put a different stock on it change the Cosmetic and it won’t be an assault weapon anymore where does the idiocy stop. It seems like our politicians have no idea what is considered an assault weapon please post what it is on the internet so people can find out.
Vernon, good comment.
I do not believe we want the ignorant individuals living in the gated community writing definitions.
In Washington State the 1639 bill attempted to define “assault weapons” as basically any semi automatic rifle.
This line of “thought” by the rule writers could lead to completing a 4473 to buy a baseball bat or a butter knife.
We the people need to continue to work through and support legislators who believe in and defend the Constitution.
I can answer that for you. The intent is to restrict/outlaw all semi automatics. They will use any name for the bill that sounds reasonable to the most people but the wording will outlaw semi-automatics and large capacity magazines (that is in excess of 5 shots). When you see the bill that will come out of congress THEN you will understand the intent.
Vernon, it is very simple, anything they don’t like or understand or fear is a “assault weapon”. Assault rifle,assault pistol,assault knife(UK especially),assault rock,assault freedom,assault thought,assault microtrigger(college campus zone)
Grey, RE: Gary J Willis in Md. Did the sister who red-flagged her brother get to keep his home, after he was killed? Totally agree these laws are unconstitutional!
Magazine springs…
Y’all worry bout them “red flags” and getting gubbermint “orifice” holders to vote your way. We care more about the functionality and performance of the season. And without SPRING there is no getting the lead out for the Fall.
Loved the old 1911 story ~ thanks.
Vernon:
https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/66/text
Of course from Diane Feinstein & band of misfits. Very short list of ‘approved semi-automatic centerfire rifles’.
Once said- The Pen is mightier then the sword….
Therein is the true ‘assault weapon’,
when used against the individual freedoms of the masses.
Please, everyone who believes in GOD and our original constitution beliefs stand strong against the scared little wusses who want ALL the good guys to give up their guns so only the bad guys have guns! If any of them were actually in a life or death gun related situation and a good guy pulled out his concealed carry gun and saved his life, they would ALL reconsider their stand! Bless our Police and Veterans!
Re magazine storage: In 2003 my father gave me his WW II bringback pistols. Eleven of them, different makes and calibers. They had been in storage, loaded magazines, since the late 1940s. That’s more than half a century.
They functioned flawlessly.
Re: Springs
If I remember my physics correctly, springs function fairly linearly until their tolerances are exceeded, and then their performance falls off a cliff, so to speak.
That being said, every time they are flexed, as with any piece of metal, it will result in micro-stress fractures between the crystalline grains of the metal itself until the cracks become macro and the object fails (i.e. If you bend a paperclip enough times it snaps). Ultimately, much depends on the quality of the metal(s) used in the spring, but they have a service life like everything else.
Long-winded way of saying, I think there are so many different answers on the spring question because some springs are/ were junk.
@ JWR
When you said don’t let the vote get to 218 in the House, don’t the Democrats already have 235-ish seats in the House?
I would think the remaining battle is in the Senate?
We need to point out to our elected officials and others that these red flag laws are NOT about “safety” of our communities the are 100% just about gun control. It makes no sense to me that if Big Brother deems someone such a threat that they can violate their 2A rights but we leave them on the streets to use a car to run over people in a crowd, buy gas and make Molotov cocktails to fire bomb people, why did we leave these people with their butcher knives and axes? If big brother was “really” concerned that someone was about to go “postal” they should be placed on a psychiatric ward but the there is due process there isn’t there.
1) Contacting your members of Congress will do no good unless you have a $100,000 check enclosed.
2) You should be spending your time and money contacting your fellow Americans and convincing them to utterly exterminate the current Democratic caucus in the 2020 election.
3) And when I say fellow Americans I mean everyone — urban dwellers, rural dwellers, Democratic voters as well as Republican voters, female voters, male voters, black Americans , Hispanics and whites.
4) Because everyone has been stabbed in the back by the Democratic leadership and their billionaire owners– Democratic voters most of all.
5) Obama stole $60-$80,000 out of the Social Security accounts of working women, chose to dump 8 years of high unemployment onto them, let the corporations steal hundreds of $billions out of women’s pension funds and did not lift a finger to provide better protection to women in areas with high rape rates even though he spent $1 Trillion a year on “security”. Then the Party leaders mounted the fake MeToo campaign to divert women voters attention away from who was really stabbing them in the back.
6) As I’ve noted before the same thing was done to black voters — it wasn’t the Ku Klux Klan who dumped 8 years of 15% unemployment onto black Americans , failed to lift a finger to protect blacks living in areas with some of the highest murder rates on the planet. Then tried to con black voters by shedding fake tears over Trayvon Martin when it was the Democrat’s Big Bailout that spurred high unemployment, high crime and ultimately killed Trayvon. Only British Reuters reported the true story of what happened in Sanford and George Zimmerman’s black neighbor defending him while NBC News lied through its teeth.
In fact, I wonder why the Klan hasn’t given honorary memberships to Obama, Pelosi and Harry Reid.
7) You can’t expect the voters to care about your rights if you don’t care about them.
8) The Democrat billionaires are the real enemy — and must be destroyed with massive tax hikes and hostile anti-trust laws. And since Republicans billionaires are not lifting a finger to stop Democrat predators, I think they should be wiped out as well.
Criticism of Congress here is hilarious — Congress has become nothing more than a pack of low-paid prostitutes. They decide nothing — they do what they are told. Voting them out does nothing if you don’t eliminate their masters — for every Congressman you vote out there are 10 sellout prostitutes happy to take their place.
And lets all remember that it was the Libertarians who promoted the Billionaires’ agenda — arguing “money is speech”. Saying government is the enemy while being careful to never point out the real enemy as it increased its share of the national income from 8% to 25% while we were diverted by fake battles and trivia.
These red flag laws have me thinking about 2 things:
1) How legal/illegal is it to store firearms at your home for friends & family? For example if you mother in law had you lock a rifle in your safe for her because her house flooded and was being repaired?
2) If you had firearms that legally (through documents) belonged to someone else, and a red flag law had LEOs coming to take your guns, would they take all the guns or only the ones that belonged to you?
Re: Selective Confiscation?
They will take everything want, even the Red Rider BB gun for spite. It is SOP to take it all. It is CYA, and it penalizes the accused, who is assumed to be guilty until proven otherwise. Under the color of law, they can do more than they should. Discretion should be the better part of valor. Neither exists. They do not give thought to what they do.
This is why is good to have pre-1899 antiques, but those will be taken as well in a raid, if found with modern firearms. However if caught hunting with one latter, it may improve the chances of being put away for a long time. You should expect to be punished for having even something that resembles an evil ‘fire stick’. Rabid anti-gunners and those unthinking PC puppets, will not differentiate, but the court may be forced to recognize the difference. However, at some point, neither the law, or argument will matter. I would have paper to document the fact the antique is an antique, and not a firearm, or at least understand what features constitute a distinction, but also be prepared to deal with lunatics.
The more nut shells, the harder it will be to get them all. They will only get my junky non functioning stuff, cobbled together as decoy, and not even a working BB gun. But do have something they can walk away with as a prize. It will serve as an insult latter.
Mr. rawles, toward the end of defecting Rino, article, you wrote ” Don’t let them get there “, and ” Don’t let them get it”
Having fled Connecticut after the post Sandy Hoax draconian legislation kicked in, and previous to this, folks were saying a similar things, like, vote these people out, remind them of the oath they took, etc. And look what that accomplished…..more draconian gun laws passed.
My point is, there is an agenda to slowly disarm legally owned gun owners, and/or dilute the 2nd Amendment rights to a point of virtually being disarmed.
Politicians who subscribe to this agenda and political correctness, could care less about your e-mails, letters, and calls to stand up for gun rights. This is not working. Heck, President Trump who ran as a pro 2nd Amendment advocate, has folded several times regarding gun Liberty.
Something else has to be done to “stop” politicians from infringing on the 2nd Amendment, because what we are doing now does not seem to be working.
They came for the full autos and sawed off shot guns in 1934. After all no one needs a full auto rifle or a sawed off shot gun. Then there was the assault weapons ban of 1994. At least that one had a sunset clause. Now it’s assault weapons and standard capacity magazines, and scary looking furniture and appliances.
They won’t ever stop. Next will be bolt action rifles and the rifle scope. After all, the bolt action rifle with a scope is really a sniper rifle. No one needs to have a sniper rifle, do they? So they ban the scoped pistol or rifle, or maybe just the scope. Next will be the lever action rifle. Like the bolt action rifle, they used to be military grade weapons. It doesn’t matter that it was 100 to 150 years ago.
Red flag laws: You must have a mental problem if you want to own a firearm, of any kind. Somehow that may end up on the 4473 form, so you can still apply, but never get because you must be freaking crazy.
Welcome to America, land of the once free, home of the slave.
It’s 507 days to the next President and new Congress. That is the time to really prepare for a full on assault on all Americans rights.
It seems no matter who is elected they violate their Oath of office about defending the Constitution from all enemies foreign and domestic.
And for most of the DC politicians the 2nd Amendment is low hanging fruit to dismantle.
I agree with not calling and writing anyone in DC since they do not care. That is obvious by now.
The political hate runs deep and I do not see it ever healing to be one nation anymore.
It just might be a time for freedom and constitutional States to leave the Union. Since the basic rule of law is dead, what really would stop a State from not complying with any unconstitutional orders from DC?
Past law? It’s irrelevant now.
RE: “Red Flag” laws – What a stroke of genius by the Haters-of-Liberty! What sane person could argue against such a “common sense” approach? What could possibly go wrong?
Well, if “civil forfeiture” scams (I just can’t call them “laws”) weren’t enough to convince Americans that their masters were now totally ignoring the basis of our jurisprudence, one should consider how, exactly, the accused is supposed to face his/her accuser in “red flag seizures”? Remember the 6th Amendment? Of course not – hasn’t been mentioned in pubic schools since FDR was prez: the accused has the Right to “…be confronted with the witnesses against him..”. Yes, specifically this pertains to “criminal prosecutions”, but the principle remains bedrock. Our enemies have a way with words!
Practically speaking, I know proud liberals who (when the time is right) would initiate the process against “friends” only to “help” with the “noble cause” of ridding our society of evil GUNS! Furthermore, they would do so with the approval of their own conscience. Remember, “righteous indignation” is their most prized virtue (and I have noticed, it cannot be had without a heapin’ helpin’ of ARROGANCE).
I have recounted in a previous comment of the liberal grandparents who DISOWNED AND DISINHERITED their son’s family, including their juvenile grandchildren, for the heinous offense of voting for Trump (guess he should have kept it secret). I know this guy – this isn’t something I read on the net! If these anti-American ideologues can dump their own grandchildren (whom they had previously adored and spent much time with) over libtard beliefs, I can’t imagine they would misuse a “red-flag” law….can you?
So, what could possibly go wrong, eh?
That’s a great explanation. Spare springs can also be purchased. A partially loaded mag is less likely to make a spring take a ‘set’ , and will last longer. Load more mags up with each with less, until the total round count is achieved, and have the same number of unloaded mags to rotate in and out, greatly reduces the chance of failure. And keep a minimum number mags that are not in the rotation. My minimum number per rifle is 20. I wish I had more.
He who has the most mags has a greater chance to win. Attackers can only bring so many to the fight, but defenders can work off of piles distributed tactically, and avoid using mags on their LBE (load bearing equipment), and thus carry a lighter load, or a heavier load, until one needs to draw on that. I need to be a light as possible. One may be able to pin them down and run them dry, or prevent maneuver, or force them to funnel up. Have two rifles per position, and a pile of mags, and you can provide a wall of lead if need be. Rifles get hot and must be rotated or they cook off rounds, or if one fails, you still got one.
It is hard to have too many mags, especially if they must be on standby for long periods of time ready to go. A 30 down loaded to 25, may provide the reliability, or peace of mind needed.
All of these bans are counterproductive and a means to confiscation and dictatorship as history has proved. Not one firearms manufacturer or organization has ever promoted mass shootings. The video game industry promotes nothing but mass killing and desensitizes children to this activity. Every mass shooting I have heard about was committed by this very age group who play these perverted video games….it’s time they go after the video game industry and Hollywood for the violent movies they produce. These industries have desensitized children to all sorts of perversion and violence, not the firearms industry.
I will have to disagree. If you look at it logically, “mass shootings” done by a lone shooter seemingly randomly (meaning not gang related or tied to another crime like robbing a bank) seem to be on the rise over the past 25 years. Yes video games have also been on the rise over that same time period. So has television hours watched, the divorce rate, the amount of money spent on welfare, the amount of student loans, and so on.
Correlation does NOT equal causation. Please don’t give in to the main stream media and start blaming an inanimate object. Video games that are violent have a warning on them. If parents raise children to understand the difference between real life and video games, or heck if parents just raise their kids instead of letting the TV, video games & public schools do it for them I feel like 90% of the social problems would go away.
Waiting for ME and the investigation to release the fact that a lot of the people killed and wounded in the Dayton shooting were actually shot by responding law enforcement.
80% + cash + buy local = no bank card dozier. Other than that, the third box, the jury box/ jury nullification. Refuse to condemn those exercising their Rights under the Constitution. Do not discuss it among the other jurors, you do not owe them any explanation as to why you are voting not guilty, just vote not guilty.