Category: Current Events & Politics

Letter Re: Armored Window Shutters, Ayn Rand, U.S. Military Organizational Structure

Dear Mr. Rawles, My copy of your book [Patriots] has been read by so many people that the binding is falling apart. I’ve read it three times myself. Are there photo examples of the retreat doors and shutters? Sorry, I cannot post pictures, due to OPSEC. I did my best to describe the shutter and door ballistic upgrades in detail in the novel. (In narrative form.) If you want to construct something similar, just be sure to take the weight into account when sizing the hinges, and remember that the hinges need to be attached to some substantial framing or …


Letter Re: Watch Out for Martial Law

Hi Jim, Thanks for doing a great job on SurvivalBlog… very informative, easy to follow and obviously attracting some pretty bright folks. Having spent nearly 40 years “working” for Uncle Sam in a variety of military and civilian posts (I retired as a senior IRS field agent), I have a deep-seated mistrust of the feds. We, The People, are one episode away from martial law and the end of the United States Constitution. As retired General Tommy Franks put it… “the worst thing that could happen” is if terrorists acquire and then use a biological, chemical or nuclear weapon that …


Letter from a New Yorker Re: Two-Faced Politicians

Jim, I get a chuckle out of your terms “When the Schumer Hits the Fan” and “Schumeresque.” I am unfortunately, stuck with ol’ Chuckie [Schumer] as a Senator. The biggest laugh is, as you may know, we have a CCW permit system here [in New York.] Schumer is very anti-gun. A state trooper told me years ago, he was accessing the permit log and found that Schumer himself has a permit, and there were, at the time, two guns listed on it. He couldn’t say what [models] they were, but there were two. Probably more, by now!!


Letter Re: Report from New Orleans

Jim, I got back into the National Guard (I got an ‘old man’ waiver). I am with the [Deleted for OPSEC]th Military Police (M.P.) Company. I am presently deployed with the hurricane relief. Even though I have been a ‘survivalist’ (whatever that means) for years, I have learned quite a bit this last month, some of which may move me more from ‘armchair’ to active survivalism. Our M.P. Company was activated and we are helping with the hurricane relief not far from New Orleans. We have not seen much nastiness where we are, but our daily ‘police sheet’ sounds like …


Letter Re: Firearms Laws as Criteria for Retreat Location Selection

Mr. Rawles, I see that when evaluating retreat locations you consider the state’s gun laws. It appears that the more favorable the gun laws, the better the state as a potential retreat. Your site seems concerned primarily with the “SHTF” or “TEOTWAWKI” scenarios. Should either of these come to pass, I don’t see where gun laws would matter one way or the other. Who’s going to enforce them? Regards, – J.G. JWR Replies: I strongly disagree. You still have to live and to train/practice with firearms somewhere in the interim. Why subject yourself to living under bad laws? And what …


Zimbabwe’s Tragedy Continues

If you want to see a full scale “slow slide” economic collapse in action–one that rivals the severity of what I portrayed in my novel Patriots–then just look at modern day Zimbabwe. Comrade Mugabe and his ZANU-PF cronies have absolutely ruined a once prosperous nation. Please take the time to read the August and September letters archives at the Cathy Buckles web site. IMHO, Zimbabwe needs our prayers, and a vigorous counter-revolution!