Category: Current Events & Politics

Can the USS America Be Rescued or Will She Founder?, by St. Funogas

Today, in the September 7th in the Snippets column, many of the topics in some of my recent “do-not-publish” essays were covered so I thought I’d share some opinions. I agree with most of the comments and links in today’s Snippets column, as I generally do, but a few I disagree with I hope are worthy of mention, mostly on saving the country from the tyranny which is barreling down on us and becoming obvious even to the oblivious. In V for Vendetta, I love the Guy Fawkes moment at the end, when everything representative of the ruling tyrannical government …


Trump’s “Secret” Documents? A Very Brief Briefing For You

Take a few minutes to read this news story: The Media is Baffled After FBI Raid on Mar-a-Lago Recovers Dozens of ‘Classified’ Folders That are Empty. Let me brief you, briefly. I’d like to explain what is going on. This entire brouhaha is absurd, on its face. The U.S. President is the only individual in the U.S. government that can declassify any document at will, and with no “Mother may I?” declassification panel — or a pre-determined declassification date. That includes collateral Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI), Nuclear Q documents, and in fact any document at all!  President Trump has publicly …


Consequences of 87,000 New IRS Employees, by Toby

I have read and watched a lot of commentary on the Inflation Reduction Act (ironically abbreviated IRA) recently signed into law. I was most interested in the $80 billion added to the IRS budget and the addition of 87,000 IRS employees — mostly agents — effectively doubling the number of IRS agents. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen made the following statement: “Specifically, I direct that any additional resources – including any new personnel or auditors that are hired – shall not be used to increase the share of small business or households below the $400,000 threshold that are audited relative to …


Gold Sees Light at the End of the Fed’s Tightening Tunnel, by Arkadiusz Sieroń

Editor’s Note:  This article, selected by JWR, was first published by Sunshine Profits, and is reposted with permission. — The FOMC hiked rates by 75 basis points in July. However, the recession drums are getting louder, and gold likes such music. Another large interest rate hike! The Fed raised the federal funds rate by 75 basis points to 2.25-2.50%. It was the second such big move in a row, making the current tightening cycle the steepest in modern history. So, the Fed must be hawkish now, right?


Weaponizing the Bureaucracy: Who Will Protect Us?, by John and Nisha Whitehead

“A standing military force, with an overgrown Executive will not long be safe companions to liberty.”—James Madison The IRS has stockpiled 4,500 guns and five million rounds of ammunition in recent years, including 621 shotguns, 539 long-barrel rifles and 15 submachine guns. The Veterans Administration (VA) purchased 11 million rounds of ammunition (equivalent to 2,800 rounds for each of their officers), along with camouflage uniforms, riot helmets and shields, specialized image enhancement devices and tactical lighting. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) acquired 4 million rounds of ammunition, in addition to 1,300 guns, including five submachine guns and …


Should Red States Block Federal Agencies From Operating With Impunity?, by Brandon Smith

The concept of “sanctuary cities” has long been implemented within predominantly leftist states in America. It’s not anything new. Any operations by DHS and ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) within blue states to arrest and deport illegal immigrants are often met with aggressive resistance by Democrat-run city governments. Keep in mind that foreign individuals have no right under the constitution to reside in the US without first gaining citizenship. Leftists say they don’t care and are happy to welcome millions of illegals into the country with open arms in direct violation of laws protecting our borders as well as the …


JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR: To share this, you can find it here: https://www.kapwing.com/videos/62e5c1a3c863cd00c0345acf Meme Text: If The Graduate Were Being Released Today: “Are You Listening?” “Yes, Sir, I Am.” “Magazines. Full-Capacity Magazines.”   Movie Clip Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dug-G9xVdVs News Link: https://www.nraila.org/articles/20220721/take-action-more-gun-control-in-us-house  


A Piece of The Action: Pricing a Gallon of Fuel

As I was pumping $5.96 per-gallon diesel into my pickup’s tank the other day, I marveled at how quickly the dollar digits raced by, on the pump’s display. I began to ponder what costs go into each gallon of fuel. This sent me off on a web-wandering search for some relevant data on what drives fuel prices. Most of that can be summed up in one word: Government. Liquid fuels are some of the most highly regulated and heavily taxed commodities in the world. The reasons for this are obvious: They are highly concentrated forms of potential energy. Think of …


Neo-Feudalism: Klaus Schwab, the WEF, and The Great Reset

The topic of this essay might seem a bit tangential to normal SurvivalBlog topics, but as I will explain, it falls into the category of “emerging threats.” Men have always sought to dominate and forcefully order the lives of others. This is part of human nature. It dates back to before the days of Noah. Early empires sought power and wealth, by conquest. Monarchies and feudalism dominated the Middle Ages in Europe, South Asia, and East Asia. Then, in a consolidation of monarchist power, colonialism was rampant from the 1550s to the 1950s. Only a few large and economically strong …


The Gas Inflation Crisis Is Far From Over, by Brandon Smith

After a single Federal Reserve rate hike of 75 basis points (0.75%) I am noticing a trend among mainstream economists whipping out their crystal balls and predicting an almost immediate reversion to deflationary conditions. In their view, a recession will “balance everything out.” For most of these people, I would suggest that they keep their crystal balls in their pants; they have been consistently wrong and it’s time for them to shut up. If you were predicting that inflation would be “transitory” last year, then you have no right to act like you are an economist today. It’s going to …


A Sign For Our Times: “Not Engaged In The Business”

Bottom Line, Up Front (BLUF): It is time to print a “Not Engaged In The Business” notice to post at your gun show table. Joe Biden has signed a House and Senate-reconciled version of S. 2938, the “Bipartisan Safer Communities Act”. This is the 80-page, ultra-fast-tracked, RINO “compromise” anti-gun rights legislation package. It passed with a 65 to 33 majority in the Senate, and the next day it sailed through the Democrat-dominated House of Representatives with a 234 to 193 majority, in just a few hours. The date of effectivity has not yet been announced. One of the lesser-known provisions …


Combining Three Distinct Sources Of Inflation, by Daniel Amerman

The rolling average 3-month rate of inflation in the United States has now reached 10.7%. This is an important number as it represents the first time that we have a full three months of inflation data – March, April, and May – that include the economic impact of the Ukraine War and the related sanctions. What is being lost in the political and economic talking points is that we have three underlying sources of inflation. As we will graphically develop in this analysis, these three sources can be broken apart, and the stepping up of inflation as the second and …


Slowing Money Supply Growth in 2022 Points to Recession, by Ryan W. McMaken

Editor’s Introductory Note: This guest article was selected by JWR. It was first published by The Mises Institute. It is reposted with permission. The Mises Institute is named in honor of the much-revered Austrian School economist Ludwig Von Mises. (Pictured, above.) — Money supply growth fell slightly in April, falling below March’s eight-month high. Even with March’s bump in growth, though, money supply growth remains far below the unprecedented highs experienced during much of the past two years. During the thirteen months between April 2020 and April 2021, money supply growth in the United States often climbed above 35 percent, …


Gold’s Shine vs. The Long Shadow of War in Ukraine, by Arkadiusz Sieroń

The war in Ukraine brings multiple negative consequences, not only to the world economy. Russia’s invasion also has a wide impact on the gold market. The Consequences Are Vast The war in Ukraine has been ongoing for more than three months. After the withdrawal from the north of Ukraine, Russia has focused on the east and south of the country, aiming to take full control of Donbas and to create a land corridor between it and Crimea. The consequences of a Russian invasion into Ukraine are far-reaching in many areas. The war is a humanitarian crisis. Thousands of people died, …


Why We Need Our Guns, by Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr.

Make no mistake about, brain-dead Biden and his gang of criminals want to take our guns away. And these efforts didn’t start with him. As James Bovard pointed out in 2020, ““’Hell yes, we’re going to take your AR-15,’ declared ‘Beto’ O’Rourke at a Democratic party presidential candidate debate in September. Compelling Americans to surrender their so-called assault weapons is ‘the newest purity test’ for Democratic presidential candidates, according to the Washington Post. O’Rourke and other Democratic presidential candidates, including Cory Booker, Kristin Gillibrand, and Bill de Blasio (now withdrawn from the race, as are Gillibrand and O’Rourke) have all …