Category: Current Events & Politics

Letter Re: Normalcy Bias

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Hugh, According to Wikipedia, “The normalcy bias, or normality bias, is a belief people hold when facing a disaster. It causes people to underestimate both the likelihood of a disaster and its possible effects, because people believe that things will always function the way things normally have functioned.” It may refer to a disaster, but surely it has a cousin that causes people not to see or consider a “sea change” in technology and its impact on life and politics. Impact of Computers on Life Consider how people viewed the impact of computers on life, say 30 years ago. Few …


An Unsung Prepper, by J.M.

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During the early summer of 1963 as a small child growing up in Chicagoland, I was fascinated when one day as a construction crew showed up at our suburban home. Right outside the kitchen wall a huge digger began to tear up the ground right next to our house. I watched for hours out of the kitchen window as the hole grew larger and deeper. Over the next couple of days I watched as plastic sheeting, wood forms, and plumbing was put into place. What I remember most though, were the cement trucks coming in and pouring yard after yard …


Letter Re: The Slippery Slope: Proposed ATF Rule Redefining “Machinegun”

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I very much enjoyed the write-up you provided on the proposed rule-making. The more people that are aware of the issues and comment the better our chance of getting the issues addressed. I had a couple of additional issues that I thought I would share. The proposed rule does not properly account for the monetary losses of each individual currently in possession of a “Bump Stock”. Not only is an individual losing the initial money spent on purchase and shipping of the product, they are now being placed under the additional burden of having to purchase a new stock to …


Guest Post: How The Globalism Con Game Leads To A ‘New World Order’, by Brandon Smith

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When globalists speak publicly about a “new world order” they are speaking about something very specific and rather sacred in their little cult of elitism. It is not simply the notion that civilization shifts or changes abruptly on its own; rather, it is their name for a directed and engineered vision — a world built according to their rules, not a world that evolved naturally according to necessity. There are other names for this engineered vision, including the “global economic reset,” or the more general and innocuous term “globalism,” but the intention is the same. The ultimate goal of the …


Letter: Flying Commercial Airlines With a Weapon

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JWR, Hugh, and SurvivalBlog Readers, As an avid proponent and practitioner of concealed carry, I responded with mixed emotions when my wife informed me that her latest business trip would require us to travel to one of the most progressive-liberal enclaves in the state of Florida: South Beach, Miami, second home of the Kardashians. Unable to procure a last-minute and long-term kennel to board our dogs for an extended road trip, flying was the only choice. The airline provided by her company for our trip: the NRA-bashing Delta Airlines. Unable to remember the last time I was without my concealed …


Preparing for Chaos, Theory and Application- Part 2, by DF

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In part 1 of this two-part article, I wrote about the theory behind the reason for preparing for chaos and provided and overview of the laws of supply and demand. Then, I moved from theory into practical matters. I began with alternative feed for chickens, as chickens are a means for sustaining us when the SHTF and our transportation system is not delivering feed, chicks, or supplies to our stores. We have looked at crabapples and how to provide them with various insects. Now, let’s look at sunflowers to use as chicken feed. Sunflowers/Sunflower Seeds One of my neighbors grew …


America’s Gun Grabbers Have Accelerated the Mass Exodus to The American Redoubt

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Do you live in The American Redoubt? Be aware that you have some friends arriving soon. The great Redoubt Exodus has begun! For the past two months the newspapers and electronic media all around the country have been filled with headlines such as these: Florida adopts wide package of gun laws, while Washington stalls Three States Pushing Stricter Gun Laws After Parkland (Plus 2 States That Want to Make Gun Ownership Easier) Rhode Island adopts ‘red flag’ gun policy; other states close Federal judge upholds Massachusetts ban on AR-15, large capacity magazines Vermont Governor Signs Sweeping Anti-Gun Laws Bank of …


Letter: HF 3002: Welcome to The People’s Republic of Minnesota

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Hugh, They Never Stop. And they never will. The latest bid to punish the innocent for arms abuse by the guilty— but really to make sure that no sheep-dogs remains protectively collared when the left later disposes of the sheep—is arising in MN. And it’s a doozy: HF 3022 is now in the Legislature. Permit required to own a gun Permit required to buy a gun Permit required to sell a gun Local law enforcement gets to deny all types of gun permits Local law enforcement gets to deny permits to carry Personal medical information must be shared with law …


The DHS: Acquiring a Core Competency in Tyranny

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Did you see this recent news item at Forbes? Department Of Homeland Security Compiling Database Of Journalists And ‘Media Influencers’’. Hmmm… That’s interesting. The contract will be for “DHS Media Monitoring Services.”  Ah, that sounds suitably mundane. But digging deeper into the original FedBizOpps announcement to read the Statement of Work (SOW), I noticed that it begins with: 1.) Core competencies. Introduce your company’s core competencies and relate those to the specific needs of the attached SOW. That gave me a laugh. How does one describe a Core Competency in Snooping?  Or a Core Competency in Tyranny? I see that …


Stoic Virtues, by A Modern Stoic

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Stoic justice at its heart is about fairness and the golden rule. Other virtues remain, which I will grab onto because a virtuous life is one to pursue for real happiness. Seneca on the Good, the Honorable, and Virtue “Your letter roamed, over several little problems, but finally dwelt upon this alone, asking for explanation: “How do we acquire a knowledge of that which is good and that which is honourable?” In the opinion of other schools, these two qualities are distinct; among our followers, however, they are merely divided. This is what I mean: Some believe the Good to …


How to Prepare When You’re The Only One- Part 3, by Patriotman

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I’m a man in his mid 20s trying to prepare for when SHTF to care for 21 family members and guide another 21, none of which are really contributing in any significant way. I’m also part of a fireteam group, but they are not walking the walk on preparations either. My girlfriend is supportive, but I feel generally alone in my preparations. I’ve outlined the problems I have in each group– family and fireteam– in Part 1 of this article series. In Part 2, I went over how I am resolving these problems and my specific plans as well as …


How to Prepare When You’re The Only One- Part 2, by Patriotman

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I’m a man in his mid 20s trying to prepare for when SHTF to care for 21 family members, none of which are really contributing in any significant way. I’m also part of a fireteam group, but they are not walking the walk on preparations either. My girlfriend is supportive, but I feel generally alone in my preparations. I’ve outlined the problems I have in each group– family and fireteam– in Part 1 of this article series. How Do You Overcome These Barriers to Success? Now that I have laid out my problems, which are substantial, I want to talk …


How to Prepare When You’re The Only One- Part 1, by Patriotman

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I think this article will resonate with many of the SurvivalBlog readership, because I suspect that many of us are in a similar situation of being the only one preparing. While some of you may be lucky to have complete buy-in and participation with prepping from your family or survival group, many others, like myself, may find that “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak”. Before I speak about my experience with this issue and the steps I have taken to attempt to mitigate this, let me provide some background on myself as well as what the composition …


The First Question is Always Jurisdiction

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Earlier this month, I posted an article about the ATF’s recently-opened comment period on the planned Federal ban on bumpfire stocks. In it, I recommended that SurvivalBlog readers post their comments with the ATF, and I suggested several major areas that should be individually addressed: Constitutional issues (Under the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 8th, 10th, and 14th Amendments!) Imprecise Terminology Agency Over-Reach (creating new legal definitions, bypassing congress) Vague Wording Technical and Historical Inaccuracies These were all sound recommendations. However, SurvivalBlog Reader Richard T. reminded me that I had left out a fundamental law issue in my list of …


Caring for Children on the Autism Spectrum During TEOTWAWKI- Part 2, by Grey Woman

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The focus of this article is on prepping for children and adolescents on the mid to lower functioning end of the autism spectrum. If you are the parent or caretaker of an autistic child, I’m sure you have already considered your child’s or adolescent’s special needs and planned accordingly. This article is intended to serve as a general overview and resource for those who are less familiar with the needs and capabilities of these unique individuals. Autism- A Prevalent Disorder Based on the prevalence of Autism spectrum disorder and autism, it is likely that either your family or a family …