Life in the Year 2020: America With 20/20 Hindsight

By the year 2020 we may be in the midst of (or in the early stages of recovery from) a major depression or perhaps even a full-blown socioeconomic collapse. An old saying is: “Hindsight is 20/20.” So here is a gedanken: What will people observe in the year 2020, with the benefit of hindsight? The following is my conjecture on what folks will cite when asked: “What went wrong?” Profligate government spending at all levels Multigenerational welfare Rampant food stamp dependence (1/6th of the populace, as of 2013!) Loss of American competitiveness Declining academic standards and performance Decline in manufacturing …


Pat’s Product Review – X Products Drum Magazines

What is “fire power?” That has been a source of debate with many gun writers and shooters for a lot of years. Now, while I’ll readily agree that, no handgun can really give you “firepower” – I believe a semiauto rifle, like an AR, AK, M1A and many other similar rifles can lay down a deadly stream of bullets towards the bad guys. Some gun writers believe that only a select-fire or full auto rifle or light machine gun can lay down some firepower, while others believe an Apache attack helicopter or jet fighter equipped with 20 or 30mm automatic cannons …


Colorado Flooding Aftermath: A First Hand Report, by Roger I.

I lived in Jamestown Colorado until three weeks ago, and was prepared for various disasters, mostly fire, and I always expected a road system to exist.  Wrong-o! I have a more keen sense of the Lord’s blessings, and they are amazing. The outpouring of support from the various communities that I’m in has been amazing.   I am walking in abundance, but not everybody is. My life has had a hard reboot – I was in some middle-aged doldrums – no more! I anonymized my name and corporate affiliation in the narrative, otherwise, it’s unedited, and reflects my understanding of the …


Letter Re: Living Off The Land: Delusions and Misconceptions About Hunting and Gathering

Jim, This letter is in response to your link to a post by Ross Gilmore: Living Off The Land: Delusions and Misconceptions About Hunting and Gathering.  It’s a well-written article and I’d like to expand upon it. I’ve been teaching Stone Age skills for 29 years and I’ve spent most of my adult life in the backcountry of Idaho and British Columbia.  I never purchased meat or fish from a store for about 20 years, though I consumed a lot.  I’ve lived Stone Age for short periods of time, living completely off the land using only the skills and tools of …


Letter Re: Camouflage Utility Uniforms

Mr. Rawles: You made mention of the Army adopting some Multicam variants for standard [field utility] uniforms; I’m not too surprised by this. The Army’s move from BDUs (and DCUs for deployments) to ACUs, and finally Multicam, has an enjoyable history of stupidity and corruption (hard to imagine with the military, I know). Having worn ACUs in both garrison and deployment/combat, they’re wonderfully light to wear…and get easily torn up and ripped up, unlike BDUs/DCUs. ACU are also terrible at actually camouflaging the wearer, unless you spent all your time in a grayish pastel quarry….which, of course, are rarity in …


Economics and Investing:

Sue C. suggested this: What would a U.S. default look like? The FBI’s Plan For The Millions Worth Of Bitcoins Seized From Silk Road H.L. sent: Property owners in Lake Mead forced to leave their own homes until government shutdown ends. [JWR’s Comment: I’ve often warned about the risk of being a “inholder” on Federal land. Here is one implication that has come to pass.] Items from The Economatrix: ‘You Should Be Concerned’: Obama Warns World Markets There Is No Guarantee U.S. Will Avoid Defaulting On Its Debts Jobless Claims Rise, And Hiring Remains Slow The Rise Of A Semi-Employed …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Fires prompt recall of 15 million surge protectors. (Thanks to H.L. for the link.)    o o o The NPR affiliate in Charlotte, North Carolina reports on The Rise Of ‘Prepper’ Culture, in a 51-minute roundtable discussion. They spend some time semantically hairsplitting between the terms “prepper” and “survivalist.” But based on their definition, many of the “Doomsday Preppers” featured on the National Geographic show of the same name would actually be survivalists.    o o o Seeing “art” like this tripe makes me feel ill. What would be more appropriate would be a sculpture made out of the tens …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"It is our duty to endeavor always to promote the general good; to do to all as we would be willing to be done by were we in their  circumstances; to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly before God. These are some of the laws of nature which every man in  the world is bound to observe, and which whoever violates exposes himself to the resentment of mankind, the lashes of his own  conscience, and the judgment of Heaven. This plainly shows that the highest state of liberty subjects us to the law of nature and  the …


Notes from JWR:

Today is the birthday of science fiction author David Brin. (Born, 1950.) He wrote The Postman, which was very loosely the foundation of a movie by Kevin Costner. — Today we present another entry for Round 48 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A.) Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course. (A $1,195 value.) B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint …


Valuable Prepper Concepts I Learned From My Zombie-Obsessed Teenager, by Mark P.

Any parent of a teenager can attest that those highly coveted, deep and meaningful conversations between child and parent, the ones we wish occurred daily, are actually far and few between.  Try as we might, discussions surrounding topics like school, church, employment, and planning for the future, usually result in blank stares or moans and groans. But a very wise woman (AKA my wife) once explained that when it comes to communicating with your kids, a good conversation on a ridiculous subject is better than no discussion on an important subject.   Sort of a “if you can’t beat them, join …


Two Letters Re: Basic Mechanics Skill and Knowing Vehicular Limitations

Jim, The king of the hill when it comes to breaking loose lug nuts is the four-way lug wrench. It is also called a “cross wrench” by some folks. I have used them since I was a child learning everyday fixes from my father in the 1960s. But beware of cheaply-made imports. I have bent and actually broken a few of the cheap ones while helping friends break lugs loose on their vehicles using their cheap four way lug wrenches that I had told them not to buy, but they ignored my advise and went cheap. Sitting on a desolate …


Economics and Investing:

Brendan D. sent this: How long do we have before seeing hyperinflation? Where’s sense of crisis in a 17% government shutdown? Items from The Economatrix: “The Party Is Over” For Housing — And Bank Earnings: Chris Whalen Heavy Metal: Gold Could Rush Back To $1,425 Says Jeff Kilburg Ron Paul: “The Country Is Bankrupt… The People Are Being Bamboozled”


Odds ‘n Sods:

Michael Z. Williamson (SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large) suggested this: The Truth About Barrel Length, Muzzle Velocity and Accuracy    o o o Reader B.B. sent this headline from one of those Miscellaneous Eastern Nanny States: Massachusetts Police Chief Confiscates Man’s Guns and FOID Due to “Immaturity”    o o o I was recently interviewed by Alan Colmes. He is obviously dubious about individual preparedness, but it was a pleasure to be on his show. Alan mentioned that even after Superstorm Sandy he would feel safer living in mid-town Manhattan that he would be in a place like The Rawles Ranch. …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“I vow to thee, my country, all earthly things above, Entire and whole and perfect, the service of my love; The love that asks no question, the love that stands the test, That lays upon the altar the dearest and the best; The love that never falters, the love that pays the price, The love that makes undaunted the final sacrifice. I heard my country calling, away across the sea, Across the waste of waters she calls and calls to me. Her sword is girded at her side, her helmet on her head, And round her feet are lying the …