Gold, Debt And The Inevitable Global Housing Market Crash, by Brandon Smith

Editor’s Introductory Note: This article was written by Brandon Smith and originally published at Birch Gold Group and is re-posted with permission. Maybe the most prominent economic discussion circulating today is the fear that the vast majority of people have been priced out of housing markets for the rest of their lives, regardless of the country they live. Gen Z and even Gen Alpha teens are already planning for a future in which buying a home is impossible. Those that are buying are aiming for cost efficiency and they are buying alone (prioritizing savings and home ownership over marriage). This …


The Editors’ Quote Of The Day:

“And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and …


Preparedness Notes for Friday — May 8, 2026

On May 8, 1792, British Captain George Vancouver sighted and named Mount Rainier, Washington. — Also on May 8, 1792, Congress passed the second portion of the Militia Act, requiring that “…every free able-bodied white male citizen of the respective States, resident therein, who is or shall be of age eighteen years, and under the age of forty-five years be enrolled in the militia.” — Today is also the birthday of Austrian economist Friedrich Hayek. — The feature article today is a guest post from our friend Jennifer Rader — a name that  should be familiar to SurvivalBlog readers. We …


Economics & Investing Media of the Week

In Economics & Investing Media of the Week we feature photos, charts, graphs, maps, video links, and news items of interest to preppers. Today’s map illustrates the economic importance of our nation’s seaports and maritime waterways. It is noteworthy that Lewiston, Idaho is classified as a port city. (It handles a large volume of grain, log, and wood chip barge traffic.) The thumbnail below is click-expandable.       (Graphic courtesy of Reddit.) Economics & Investing Links of Interest Storied toolmaker closes its last hometown plant—and blames its tape measures. Texas emerges as the top destination for companies leaving blue …


The Editors’ Quote Of The Day:

“The free market is not a creed or an ideology that political conservatives, libertarians, and Ayn Rand acolytes want Americans to take on faith. The free market is simply a measurement. The free market tells us what people are willing to pay for a given thing at a given moment. That’s all the free market does. The free market is a bathroom scale. We may not like what we see when we step on the bathroom scale, but we can’t pass a law making ourselves weigh 165. Liberals and leftists think we can.” – P.J. O’Rourke


Preparedness Notes for Thursday — May 7, 2026

On May 7, 1697, Stockholm’s medieval royal castle was destroyed by fire. The Codex Gigas (pictured) — the world’s largest extant medieval illuminated manuscript) — survived by being thrown out a window. — May 7, 1867: Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel patented dynamite in England. This was the first of three patents he would receive for the explosive. — We are running a two-week-long sale in all of our percussion revolvers at Elk Creek Company, with deep discounts. This sale will end on Monday, May 18th, 2026. Please note that there are cartridge conversion cylinders available for many of these guns …


The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

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. 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, more about AI and the anti-AI backlash. Iran War: Global Fertilizer Shortages Looming Reader A.T. send this BBC news piece: Billions of meals at risk due to Iran …



Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — May 6, 2026

On May 6, 1837, US blacksmith John Deere made the first steel plough, in Grand Detour, Illinois. — May 6, 1851: Linus Yale Jr. patented the Yale cylinder lock. — You may already own a SIEGE Stove or a SIEGE Belt from SIEGE Survival. (One of our loyal advertisers.)  I just heard that they’ve added the excellent American-made Fire-Fast firestarters to their product line. (At the SIEGE website, click on “Ferro Rod Fire Steels”.) You can see one of these being tested after four days of submersion, in a YouTube video. Tom Christianson will soon be reviewing one of the jumbo-size …


SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

Our weekly Snippets column is a collection of short items: responses to posted articles, practical self-sufficiency items, how-tos, lessons learned, tips and tricks, and news items — both from readers and from SurvivalBlog’s editors. Note that we may select some long e-mails for posting as separate letters. This week:  Some good news and bad news, on gun legislation. — Some great news: House Appropriations 2027 Funding Bill Ends Suppressor, Short Barrel Rifle Registration. JWR’s Comment:  Be sure to contact both your U.S. congressman and your state’s two U.S. Senators, to insist on their support for this important legislation!  Please phone …



Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — May 5, 2026

On May 5,1865, the first US train robbery occured at North Bend, Ohio. — May 5, 1893: The Panic of 1893 caused a large crash on the New York Stock Exchange. — This is also the birthday of Pat Frank (1908-1964). This was the pen name of newspaper journalist Harry Hart Frank. His 1959 novel Alas, Babylon is a survivalist classic. His personal life was marred by alcoholism, but his writing is admired and still surprisingly popular. (Alas, Babylon is still in print, after 67 years!) As an homage to Pat Frank, one of the settings in my novel Expatriates …


SurvivalBlog’s American Redoubt Media of the Week

This weekly column features media from around the American Redoubt region. (Idaho, Montana, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, and Wyoming.) Much of the region is also more commonly known as The Inland Northwest. American Redoubt Links Idaho is facing a lawsuit regarding new bathroom law, HB 752. Summer wildfire outlook indicates high risk across Northwest. Over at Expedition Rove vlog, a brief recap of their progress at their North Idaho home: Why Did He Leave Everything Behind? 1980s House Transformation Full Walkaround (Ep. 23). It is grand to see how well they’ve taken on their challenges, what great friends that have made, …



Preparedness Notes for Monday — May 4, 2026

On May 4, 1415, reformers John Wycliffe and Jan Hus were condemned as heretics at the Council of Constance. Pictured is Jan Hus at the Council of Constance, in an 1883 painting by Václav Brožík. Hus had traveled to Constance with the promise of safe passage by both Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund and the Pope. But after he arrived the Pope and the cardinals soon ordered him to be thrown into prison. On July 6, 1415, after a ghastly stay fettered in prison and two trials, he was offered either recanting or death, and he chose a martyr’s death. He …