Category: Current Events & Politics

Purchasing Power: Past, Present, Future- Part 3, by L.M.

Largest Theft in History As expected, Ms. Yellen smiled last week, announcing no change to the Fed’s extraordinary policies. For the last eight years, she has been aiding and abetting the largest theft in history. Thanks to ZIRP (zero-interest-rate policy) and QE (quantitative easing), every year, about $300 billion is transferred from largely middle-class savers to largely better-off speculators, financial asset owners, and the biggest borrowers during that period– corporations and the government. The financial press, nevertheless, finds something vaguely heroic about enabling the grandest larceny ever. Bloomberg says, “Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen braved mounting opposition inside and outside …


A Post-Election Prayer Request, by JWR

I was pleased to see that the American electorate rejected Hillary Clinton’s bid to become President. Had she been elected, the damage that she would have done to the nation would have been incalculable. I encourage SurvivalBlog readers of faith to pray for the incoming Trump Administration. In particular, please focus your prayers on Godly government and small, fiscally conservative government. President-Elect Trump will need sound advice from responsible, well-seasoned men and women in business and industry. I encourage him to recruit a council of wise elders to advise his administration, as unreimbursed volunteers. This council should be drawn primarily …


Purchasing Power: Past, Present, Future- Part 2, by L.M.

“We have, in this country, one of the most corrupt institutions the world has ever known. I refer to the Federal Reserve Board. This evil institution has impoverished the people of the United States and has practically bankrupted our government. It has done this through the corrupt practices of the moneyed vultures who control it.” – Congressman Louis T. McFadden in 1932 (Rep. Pa) They finally told the truth about who really owns the currency, though not in plain English. They do not explain their actions nor their comments on the economy in plain English. One has to deduce and …


Purchasing Power: Past, Present, Future- Part 1, by L.M.

How did I end up here? Now I can feel the noose tightening! I learned about the gallows early. I began to notice in the late 80s. Perhaps that is when I became self-aware, no longer like a Jack Russell that has no fear fighting a German Shepard, not one who has no idea how big he is or that he is a dog. A Jack Russell even considers you to be part of the dog pack. Are you willing to become self-aware or perhaps you prefer the pack. “It is easier to fool people than to convince them that …


Letter Re: Just In Case: Preparing for the Evening and Day After Election 2016

JWR, I took your advice to heart. I’m actually not waiting for election day and am assuming the worst case scenario (a Hillary win). However, one issue I have been worrying about, and I rarely hear anyone discussing it, is the possibility of the government cutting off ammunition and reloading supplies (especially powder). As far as I know, there is only one powder manufacturer in the U.S. The rest are in Canada, Germany, and France. It seems it would be extremely easy for a president to issue an executive order to cut off sales to the commercial market or at …


Letter Re: Just In Case: Preparing for the Evening and Day After Election 2016

JWR, Excellent article regarding ammo and magazine purchase strategies for a worst case scenario outcome of the election. I would urge readers to go ahead and resupply ammo stocks now while the prices are still low and supplies are still relatively plentiful. After reading the article, I immediately checked my inventory and discovered I had dropped below my comfortable minimum for the calibers I shoot. Here is what I found while researching common calibers: Pistol Calibers 9mm, .40, and 45 ACP were readily available through the major online retailers; however, bulk range ammo was available but not in the quantities …


Letter Re: Five Things Women Need, by J.W.

JWR, Another great article, thank you. One of the things I would like to comment on, that unfortunately must be strongly considered when working with our youth, is “prohibited places”. Volunteering and picking up the kids at my children’s school, I am constantly un-holstering and securing my weapon (at home or work, never in the car) BEFORE I make the trip. I carry wherever and whenever I am legally allowed. However, there have been times I was late because I realized I was armed and had to turn around to secure my firearm. Could you imagine the joy of the …


Letter: Stock Up on Magazines!

Dear Editor: The upcoming Presidential election is cause for concern. As an avid daily reader of your awesome blog, I would highly encourage those out there to buy those full capacity, or really any magazines that they need today. Not tomorrow, right now. Now! Stop reading the blog for a few minutes and find what you need. Some sellers are already selling out of AR-style magazines. Ruger factor-made 10/22 BX-25 (25-round) magazines are presently available at one of the major outdoor retailers online for less than $20 each. As an example: HK G3 alloy 20  round magazines (for HK91 rifles …


When and How Do We Fight? That is the Question, by X. Liberal

This message is more on a serious note. Before we get started I want to make an attribution to Lavoy Finicum. My wife and I had the privilege of being present in Utah to pay respects to him and his loved ones as we were driving back from our final Redoubt Property inspection in Montana while traveling home to Nevada. His sacrifice sparks this message: “THEY” say Lavoy Finicum and his cohorts were illegally occupying the Wildlife Refuge in Burns Oregon. THEY say nothing about the Occupy Wall Street Movement illegally occupying City Squares. THEY say that it was unsanitary …


News From The American Redoubt:

An enormous 500MW wind farm could soon grace the fields of Eastern Oregon. The skyline in the region is already dominated by wind turbines, but this will mean seeing even more of them. The entire Northwest (both Pacific and Inland) is already a power exporter. Thus, it will be the most likely to see rapid islanding and then restoration of regional grid power, in the event of a collapse of the western grid. o o o This Spokane-based company is making news:  Stay Alfred: The biggest short-term rental startup you’ve never heard of is on track for $25M in revenue …


Just In Case: Preparing for the Evening and Day After Election 2016

There is a substantial risk that Hillary “Hitlery” Clinton will become our next President. She is notoriously anti-gun, and has made many promises to her gun-grabbing campaign donors to give “gun control” (read: civilian disarmament) her top priority. Consider the guidance in this article just a contingency. You can simply ignore it, if Donald Trump is elected. (Since he is outspokenly pro-gun.) But if Clinton is indeed elected, then gun, ammunition, and magazine prices will surely start to rise immediately. And by the time she actually takes office, prices might well have already doubled or tripled, and shortages of some …


Letter: The Global Cyber War and DDOS Ping Attacks

JWR, For some background, I’ve worked as a UNIX systems administrator  for more than 20 years in the financial environment. This background includes working for major bankig and stock mark trading companies. I’m not saying that to impress, I am saying it so you know that I have a good amount of experience in the field. Although logs and paths can be modified, a significant amount of scanning and denial attacks on both commercial and personal computer systems really does seem to come from Russia, China, and the Netherlands. Now a layperson may ask:  “Why does China care about my …


Letter Re: The National Do Not Call List

James, Yes, the national Do Not Call service will greatly reduce junk phone calls.  I’ve used it for years and have found that once every three or four years I need to reenter my information on the list.  I suppose my number starts floating around out there and gets picked up and the junk calls start again. As for political calls and political junk mail: When I register to vote I registered as an independent or unaffiliated voter.  I can still vote in the primary, but the best part is I no longer get a bunch of email from a …


Letter: Advice on How Hedge with Foreign Currencies

Mr. Rawles, You recently mentioned that you had bought some Swiss Francs, as a hedge. Back 15 years ago, I knew that the Yuan–the Communist Chinese Currency–was being held at about 1/4 (or less) of it’s real value.  I wanted to trade some US currency  into it, but couldn’t figure out ho, short of flying there and filling up a suitcase. I think many of your readers would like to know how to do currency trading. Today, I’d like to buy some British Pounds as I think the UK exiting the EU [the recent “Brexit”] will only make England’s currency …


The Art and Practice of OPSEC, by T.H.

What is it? We often hear the term OPSEC, also know as Operations Security (not Operational Security), but few people actually know what it really means. When asked they often say, “It means not talking about what you are doing.” Or, they may say, “It means staying gray.” This is an extremely simplistic view of the program and fails to incorporate the nuances and methodology of the process. The concept is nothing new. In the fifth century BCE, Sun Tzu wrote, “If I am able to determine the enemy’s dispositions while at the same time I conceal my own, then …