SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods. This column is a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from JWR [1]. 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. In today’s column, satellite ‘dogfighting’.
U.S. and Chinese Satellites are ‘Dogfighting’ in Orbit
Blog staff member Tom Christianson suggested this Washington Post article: Why U.S. and Chinese satellites are ‘dogfighting’ in orbit [2]. Here is a Fair Use pericope:
“Satellites whizzing by each other at close range, maneuvering to gain strategic advantage, is a new development in the militarization of space — and increasingly important. Satellites are vital for maintaining military supremacy, and tensions are rising amid growing technological competition between major powers.
Australia to Bar ISIS Members from Owning Some Rifles
Daniel Greenfield, at Front Page: Australia to Pass Gun Control Laws Barring ISIS Members from Owning 6 Rifles [3].
Ford Scaling Back Their Electric Car Push
Reader C.B. sent this, from Breitbart: Ford Admits Defeat After Trying to Force Americans into Electric Cars and Trucks [4]. The article begins:
“Ford said Monday it expected to take about $19.5 billion in charges as it retreats from the electric vehicle business, a massive hit as the automaker pivots to traditional gas vehicles along with hybrid and plug-in hybrid models in place of EVs.
The Wall Street Journal reports [5] that in a stunning blow to the U.S. auto industry’s ambitious EV plans, Ford Motor announced on Monday that it expects to incur approximately $19.5 billion in charges, primarily due to its struggling electric vehicle business. The staggering write-down marks the largest impairment taken by a company in Detroit’s history and underscores the challenges faced by automakers as they grapple with lackluster demand for EVs.
Faced with mounting losses totaling $13 billion in its EV division since 2023, Ford has decided to shift its strategy, focusing on bolstering its lineup of gas-powered vehicles while transitioning to hybrid and extended-range electric models that incorporate onboard gasoline engines. The move aims to pull back from loss-making assets and redirect capital to more profitable models.”
More “Conspiracy Theories” Confirmed by NYT
New York Times [6] Now Admits These ‘Conspiracy Theories’ Are True.
Relearning Situational Awareness
Reader B.B. in Florida suggested this essay by David DeMay, over at American Thinker: Why America Must Relearn Situational Awareness [7]. An excerpt:
“America has drifted into what security professionals call Condition White: relaxed, distracted, and unaware. In an era when threats are opportunistic and often collective, that posture is no longer merely naïve. Instead, it is dangerous.
Situational Awareness Is Not Paranoia. The argument here is not for panic or permanent fear. There is a critical distinction between situational awareness and hypervigilance, and confusing the two has left many Americans untrained and exposed.”
The Quantum Apocalypse Is Coming
Mike in Alaska sent this: The Quantum Apocalypse Is Coming. Be Very Afraid [8]. This troubling article begins:
“One day soon, at a research lab near Santa Barbara or Seattle or a secret facility in the Chinese mountains, it will begin: the sudden unlocking of the world’s secrets. Your secrets.
Cybersecurity analysts call this Q-Day—the day someone builds a quantum computer [9] that can crack the most widely used forms of encryption. These math problems have kept humanity’s intimate data safe for decades, but on Q-Day, everything could become vulnerable, for everyone: emails, text messages, anonymous posts, location histories, bitcoin wallets, police reports, hospital records, power stations, the entire global financial system.”
AI Industry Insiders Fear Their Creation
At Futurism: AI Industry Insiders Living in Fear of What They’re Creating [10].
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