Letter Re: Jared Diamond Predicts the End of Cheap Oil and an 85% Global Population Decline

Mr. Rawles, I found this article informative. A quote: “Cheap, plentiful fossil fuels discovered in the last hundred years (or so) spurred a food bubble, which led to a population bubble. Cheap oil, in other words, created the temporary conditions necessary to support a runaway population explosion that is, without question, unsustainable without cheap energy.” Here is another quote: “complex civilizations are quite fragile, and short-terming thinking can easily doom a society or civilization to irreversible collapse.” The author believes that world population will be reduced to 1/7th of its current size in a post-oil economy. BTW, there are lots …


Economics and Investing:

Do you remember how back in 2007 I described commercial real estate as “the other shoe to drop..”? Matt B. sent this article on how it is indeed collapsing. “Elfin” spotted this: Fed Planning Inflationary Dollar Destroying 15-Fold Increase in US Monetary Base – and then things really go bad! G.G. alerted us to the new video and and audio clips of Peter Schiff speaking at the 2009 Austrian Scholar’s Conference: “Why the Meltdown Should Have Surprised No One”. G.G. notes: “This is very entertaining. Listen closely to last 15 or so minutes for Schiff’s description of what he sees …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Shades of The Magnificent Seven : Rural Mexican villages dig moats to repel gangsters    o o o JRH Enterprises is running another great sale on brand new AN/PVS-14 (Generation 3) night vision goggles. These are the genuine article!    o o o Alaskan volcano Mount Redoubt erupts. To my readers in Alaska and northern Canada: Got plenty of spare air filters for your vehicles? You may need them! (“Panic now, and beat the rush.”)    o o o The recent tragic death of several Oakland, California police officers illustrates that criminals don’t obey gun laws. (The shooter, Lovelle Mixon, …



Note from JWR:

I heard that the official release date for the new edition of my novel “Patriots” . has been moved up to March 25th. In fact, Amazon.com now claims to already have it in stock, and is selling it for just $10.17 per copy. But I’d like to reiterate a special request of SurvivalBlog readers: If you plan to buy any copies, please wait until the “Patriots” Book Bomb day – April 8th. By forestalling orders and having hundreds of them all placed on the same day, we hope to drive the novels’s Amazon.com sales rank into the Top Ten. Please …


Letter Re: A SurvivalBlog Reader at Front Sight

Dear Mr. Rawles: As I write this, I am returning from the four day Defensive Handgun course at Front Sight. I would like to share my thoughts on the whole thing with you and your readers, plus maybe share some advice that others may find of value. First off, if any of your readers are on the fence about signing up for the class, I strongly urge them to do so. When Front Sight says they will get you to a point where you can deliver two shots to the thoracic cavity from a concealed holster in 1.4 seconds, they …


Letter Re: Successfully Trolling Craig’s List

Mr. Rawles, At the risk of turning on my local competition to the positive aspects of the free section of Craig’s List, I thought I would mention a few of the things I’ve picked up in the past couple of weeks. These include: A new round oak dining table and four oak chairs Three boxes of canning jars with lids A commercial fishing net (40′ x 60′), to be used for keeping birds and other critters out of the garden 36 Concrete cinder blocks (approximate value $130) Remington electric chain saw (yes, it works!) 30+ wooden pallets (can be used …


Economics and Investing:

I spotted this linked at Drudge: White House Agenda on Track Despite Worsening Deficits. ($9.3 trillion in deficits projected!) Just as I warned, the Mother of All Bailouts (MOAB) is becoming uncontrollably self-perpetuating. (“If Industry X is deemed worthy, then why not Industries Y and Z?” Down and down we’ll go–down the road to ruin.) From reader HPD: GM, Chrysler May Need Additional Aid, Rattner Says MVR flagged this commentary from the National Post‘s Terence Corcoran: Is this the end of America? “N” mention a piece by Simit Patel, over at the Seeking Alpha blog: Fed Intervention, Market Response Confirm: …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader Kevin A. notes that the recent “Do it to save Mexico” spin on civilian disarmament proposals is still being touted: California Senator Diane Feinstein Urges Tougher Gun Laws to Prevent Mexico Violence    o o o An old friend of mine sent this: EBay’s Omidyar: Obama-backing Hamas-talking billionaire in Hawaii, expecting disaster    o o o Reader Greg I. mentioned that he just got one of these fashion statements. (See today’s Quote of the Day.)


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"It’s not surprising, then, they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations." – President Barack Hussein Obama, describing conservative rural residents, in a presidential campaign fundraising speech in Pennsylvania, April 6, 2008


Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 21 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The contest prizes include: First Prize: Two transferable Front Sight  “Gray” Four Day Training Course Certificates. This is an up to $4,000 value! Second Prize: A three day course certificate from OnPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. Third Prize: A copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, from Arbogast Publishing Round 21 ends on March 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for …


Walk!, by Snolden

If you value your existence and your life, then walk! I am an Air Force brat who did nine years active duty in the Navy. In other words I moved a lot. Eleven states in the first 33 years of my life. I traveled to all fifty states and a few countries. Every one is different, and areas within each are completely different from the part that you live in. Most people that lived in places I have been do not walk any further than a few hundred yards a day. A mile is a “long walk” for most folks. …


Letter Re: Ammunition Shortages in U.S. Might Become Chronic

Hi Jim, A man with the Customer Service department at Midway explained that backorders are expected to continue and there appears to be no reduction in demand. Browsing their web site, I see ‘expected’ delivery dates pushing further into the future, and up to six weeks delay for the less expensive and common caliber hunting bullet, mostly .30 caliber bullets. Many premium bullets are also on ‘back order’ since my last visit. And now, even less common caliber bullets are backordered as well as other reloading components and reloading tools. The shortage at Cabela’s also continues. The Civilian Marksman Program …


Economics and Investing:

U.N. panel says world should ditch dollar. (Kudos to Laura H. for the link.) The Appenzell Daily Bell reports: AIG world of $1.6 trillion derivatives trouble England may be unable to sell all of its bonds: UK overhauls debt issuance protocol. In related news: Dollar falls sharply on Fed statement. And, meanwhile in Japan: BoJ ramps up purchase of government bonds. Sounds like a race to the bottom, to me. (Thanks to G.G. for all three of those links.) Three More Banks Go Down: Teambank, Paola, Kansas; Colorado National Bank, Colorado Springs, Colorado; FirstCity Bank, Stockbridge, Georgia. And in the …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader Mike S. sent this: Gun sales going ballistic: Fears of regulation, crime spur sales of firearms and ammo. Here is an important paragraph was buried near the end of the article: “One northern Warren County resident found out recently the government is paying attention to such ammunition sales. West said a customer of his recently stocked up on .223-caliber rounds, a caliber often used in assault-style weapons. The customer bought 1,000 rounds a few months ago through a mail order company. Shortly after the purchase, he received a visit from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, whose interest was …