Silver and the Popping of the Debt Bubble, by Hubert Moolman

We have now moved into an era of rising interest rates that is similar to a period that started in the early 1940s. At the start of this period, the Government Debt to GDP ratio was also around 120%, close to where it eventually topped/popped. Despite high relative debt levels and a rising interest rate environment, the US was in a good position due to the US dollar being the premier world currency as a result of the 1944 Bretton Woods agreement. Instead, the US is currently facing a similarly massive debt liability and a rising interest rates environment, while …


JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR: Meme Text: Remember That “Slow Slide Scenario” That Survivalists Warned Us About, 30 Years Ago? Well, Now We Are Living Through It News Links: ‘Rapidly growing’ homeless encampments spring up near LA’s celebrity-filled Beverly Hills neighborhood – where the median home price is $3.5M. Oakland’s largest homeless encampment razed, 700 tons of trash hauled away. Proposed law to ban homeless camps within 1,000 feet of ‘sensitive areas’. Leaders struggle for solutions as safety remains top concern at San Vicente homeless encampment. And from the ultra-leftist CNN: A huge homeless camp will be cleared after …




Editors’ Prepping Progress

To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make both long-term and short-term plans. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities and planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, ranch improvements, bug-out bag fine-tuning, and food storage. This is something akin to our Retreat Owner Profiles, but written incrementally and in detail, throughout the year.  We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in your e-mailed letters. We post many of those –or excerpts thereof — in the Odds ‘n …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God. Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O Lord of hosts, my King, and my God. Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee. Selah. Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them. Who passing through the …


Preparedness Notes for Friday — June 9, 2023

Today is the birthday of Jean Alexandre Francois LeMat (1824–1883), is best known for the percussion cap revolver that bears his name. This clever design has a percussion cylinder that rotates around a central 20-gauge shotgun barrel. On June 9, 1940 Norway surrendered to the invading German army, during World War II. The citizenry was then quickly disarmed by the Nazis, so resistance was limited. (The invaders had access to the Norwegian police gun registration lists.) To limit reprisals by the Germans, King Hakkon the 7th also ordered that only Norwegian troops operating from offshore should overtly resist the Nazis. …


Economics & Investing For Preppers

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. In this column, JWR also covers hedges, derivatives, and various obscura. This column emphasizes JWR’s “tangibles heavy” investing strategy and contrarian perspective. Today, we look at the ESG scheming of the World Economic Forum (WEF) and other pressure groups. (See the Economy & Finance section.) Precious Metals: Gold ETF demand turns positive in May as investors look for safe-haven assets. o  o  o Rick Mills, at Gold-Eagle.com: Gold Revaluation and the Hidden Motive Behind Central Banks’ Gold Buying. …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Since March 2020, we may have experienced the greatest intrusions on civil liberties in the peacetime history of this country. Executive officials across the country issued emergency decrees on a breathtaking scale. Governors and local leaders imposed lockdown orders forcing people to remain in their homes They shuttered businesses and schools public and private. They closed churches even as they allowed casinos and other favored businesses to carry on. They threatened violators not just with civil penalties but with criminal sanctions too. They surveilled church parking lots, recorded license plates, and issued notices warning that attendance at even outdoor services …


Preparedness Notes for Thursday — June 8, 2023

On June 8th, 1955, British computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee, who was generally credited as the inventor of the World Wide Web, was born. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 107 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value), Two …


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, we look at Gen Z’s apparent willingness to be surveilled. Why Gen Z is Learning to Love Big Brother? Reader H.L. mentioned this, published by The New York …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Government programs didn’t arise because the people demanded them or because the free market was unable to provide needed services. They arose because the politicians found them to be a convenient way to buy votes with other people’s money, a convenient way to enlarge their own power, a convenient way to reward their political cronies, and a convenient way to keep people dependent on government.” – Harry Browne


Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — June 7, 2023

On June 7th, 1576, English navigator Martin Frobisher, seeking a Northwest Passage to the Pacific Ocean, departed England, and weeks later he reached Labrador and Baffin Island and discovered the bay that now bears his name. On June 7th, 1776, Richard Henry Lee of Virginia proposed to the Continental Congress a resolution calling for a Declaration of Independence. — I heard from my #1 Son that they’ve just added a number of new listings across the central US at SurvivalRealty.  A couple of new listings of note: Missouri: Multi-family rural getaway. Texas: Versatile Off-Grid Homestead in San Marcos — SurvivalBlog …


SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

This 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. — First up, there is this news item, reported by The Washington Standard: Cop Persecuted by Dept for Exposing ‘Get Out of Jail Free’ Cards for Connected Class. o  o  o While editing today’s feature blog article Exiting Babylon (see Part 1 and Part 2 — up on Thursday), Lily was reminded of …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Where, then, is the warrant for the constantly proposed extensions of legislative action?… In a large class of cases, government measures do not remedy the evils they aim at… in another large class, they make these evils worse instead of remedying them… in a third large class, while curing some evils they entail others, and often greater ones; if… public action is continually outdone in efficiency by private action; and if… private action is obliged to make up for the shortcomings of public action… what reason is there for wishing more public administrations? The advocates of such may claim credit …