"Today, we need a nation of Minutemen, citizens who are not only prepared to take arms, but citizens who regard the preservation of freedom as the basic purpose of their daily life and who are willing to consciously work and sacrifice for that freedom." – President John F. Kennedy
Today, I’m covering Texas, the 16th of 19 western states in my rankings of states by their retreat potential.
Texas: Population: 20.8 million. Population Density: 77.9 per square mile (Rank 4 of JWR’s top 19 states). Area: 266,800 square miles (rank 2 of 50). Average car insurance cost: $759/yr. (rank 25 of 50). Average home insurance cost: $880/yr. (rank 1 of 50). Crime Safety Ranking: 41 of 50. Boston T. Party’s State Firearms Laws Ranking: 82%. Per capita income: $27,752 (rank 24 of 50). ACT & SAT Scores Ranking: 47 of 50. Plusses: Has a high rating in “education freedom” (ranked #6 of 50), since Texas has relaxed home schooling laws, but the public schools are far below average. …
I’ve mentioned the Asian Avian Flu (H5N1) several times since I launched this blog in August. The risk of mutation of the virus into a form that could be transmitted from person to person (P2P) is relatively small. However, if that were to happen, it would be catastrophic. The folks at WorldNetDaily (one of my daily “must reads”) just posted a story that quotes a WHO official that said that a species-jumping P2P mutation of H5N1 could cause a global pandemic that would likely result in “the deaths of “tens of millions”. Take the time to read this article, and …
Recently North Korea and Iran have both made overtures about dismantling their nuclear programs. Frankly, I’m dubious. The following may be evidence of the”free floating anxiety” that I was accused of having by one of my televised debate adversaries, but I feel convicted to mention it. I believe that the risk of a nuke going off in CONUS is now greater in the post-Soviet era than it was back during the height of the Cold War. There are at least a dozen “backpack” nukes from the former Soviet Union that are still not accounted for. And of course there are …
Jim asked me a while back to write a piece on carrying a concealed weapon (CCW) in hot weather and damp climates. I failed. What you have here simply has to do with CCW overall. I tried to limit it, but after a few false starts I realized there was no way to keep it confined to hot weather without covering the basics anyway. I’m no expert. I’ve carried concealed both in the USA and overseas, and have done so daily (almost without exception) for the last 20 years. In every class I take I usually learn something new, and …
Dear Jim: I read your insightful article on the pending economic meltdown and in it you suggested storing up tangible assets like gold/silver, ammo, and GUNS, etc. My question is concerning the details of purchasing used firearms for barter and trade. 1.) Do you think that used is better than new because private party sales are done with no paper trail? 2.) If so, what types and caliber(s) do you foresee as being the most pragmatic and desired TEOTWAWKI? 3.) Do you recommend equal quantities of rifles, shotguns and pistols or do you have other ideas? 4.) Are their any …
Sir: Can you be more detail oriented and give us your opinion on some of the factors you have mentioned previously? Which areas in the West are not potential deserts and have natural un-irrigated water supplies? Which areas are sufficient wood available? Which have the least population density? I have thought Modoc County, CA would meet this requirements. How about you? – R.Y. JWR Replies: Modoc County has much more harsh winters and a shorter growing season than California’s northern coastal counties. You might be better off on the western slopes of the Yolla Bollies. This region is just as …
Mr. Rawles, In your 09/19/2005 blog, you asked for input on different architectural techniques related to a retreat. Following is information on a type of construction that has some interesting potential. Take a look at the video at http://archnet.org/library/files/one-file.tcl?file_id=1385 . It is a high-resolution Windows Media Player file showing construction of sandbag shelters using very low tech methods and tools. The shelter exceeds all standard earthquake specs for buildings. Very cool idea and a very well done video. The objective was to find shelter for refugees rather than sticking them in tents. Adding Portland cement to the sand makes for …
"Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do." – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Yesterday morning, we passed the one million hit threshold! The more important metric is that we’ve had more than 43,000 unique visits. Yee haw! Not bad for a blog site that is just 45 days old. Please help to continue to spread the word. Just sending a one line e-mail to all of the folks on your e-mail list will make a big difference. Many thanks! Today, I’m covering South Dakota, the 15th of 19 western states in my rankings of states by their retreat potential. Following this series of state-level articles I will begin making specific retreat locale recommendations …
South Dakota: Population: 754,800. Population Density: 9.78 per square mile (Rank 16 of JWR’s top 19 states). Area: 77,100 square miles (rank 16 of 50). Average car insurance cost: $618/yr. (rank 46 of 50). Average home insurance cost: $380/yr. (rank 42 of 50. ) Crime Safety Ranking: 4 of 50. Boston T. Party’s State Firearms Laws Ranking: 69%. Per capita income: $25,958 (rank 34 of 50). ACT & SAT Scores Ranking: 12 of 50. Plusses: Very low population density and crime rate! A low “total tax burden” of 8.9%. Low car insurance rates. Minuses: Cold winters and a short growing …
All of the books in the "Little House on the Prairie" series by Laura Ingalls Wilder are great reads for all ages. Many lessons can be gleaned from their pages. (The books are much better than the sappy television series.) Laura’s "Pa" was an eternal optimist. When he saw the luxuriant prairie grasses he assumed the soil was rich and good for farming. But he did not realize that those plants were designed to survive in the Dakota territories’ weather and its pests and and that cultivated grains were not. He did not foresee the devastating storms and pests that …
I appreciate the link on Captain Dave’s site. I have read your book [Patriots ] ’till the pages are falling out. I have been visiting your blog every day since it was first mentioned on Captain Dave’s. I just wanted to give you a quick A1 “Attaboy” on your advertisers. I have used JRH Enterprises starting in the mid-late 90’s when he was still located in Jacksonville Florida, and he has ALWAYS been a source of good information, honesty, and good deals. If he does not have it he can tell you who does. Bruce Hemming (Buckshot’s) has been a …
I just read Army Aviator’s post on the helmets, et al. He brings up some good points, and perhaps even ones that he didn’t intend to. Just because the Army does things a certain way, doesn’t make it the right way for a survivalist. The main difference is that the Army has a long logistics capability and an individual’s will vary so much that even things that may work for one group, might not work for another. An example is the tarps used on the 5-ton trucks. For the Army, the plastic tarps are a better system to use. They’re …