Category: Current Events & Politics

Six Prepping Principles Derived from One Year as an Expat- Part 1, by G.L.

About a year and a half ago, my company offered an expatriate assignment for a period of between two and three years. For those who don’t know, an expatriate assignment is where an employee and his or her family is relocated to another country (from now on referred to as the “assignment country”). In large corporations, this generally includes certain benefits to make the transition easier and “worth it” to the employee. For our family, this news came at a great time from a career point of view and for the age or our kids and what an international move …


Letter: Who Runs the Political Process?

Good Morning Hugh, The world is filled with interesting news today. It’s interesting because even The New York Times– one of the mouthpieces of the establishment– is pointing out the fallacy of our “democracy”, by the fact that almost half the presidential campaign money comes from only 158 families. Here is a quote from the article: “The pluralist stance of American politics contends that true power in the United States has been constitutionally vested in “the people” through mechanisms like the electoral process, freedom of speech, and the ability to establish political parties. The traditional view is that these aspects …


Masters of Deceit, by Enola Gay

With every social program that is enacted, every attempt at a re-distribution of wealth by our political “leaders” we are shamed into reluctant submission by our vague notions of Christian charity. We have been raised to “feed the hungry” and “clothe the naked” and “provide a home for the homeless”. Politicians and religious leaders, who have made social justice their god, quote scriptures to us, validating their own agenda; “He who shuts his ears to the cries of the poor will be ignored in his own time of need” (Proverbs 21:13), “If you give to the poor, your needs will …


Mike Williamson’s Observations on College Campus Mass Shootings

I received the following forward of an State University of New York (SUNY) e-mail memo from a friend: Subject: Reminder: SA All-Staff Meeting, October 7, 2015 Dear Colleague, This is a reminder of the Student Affairs All-Staff meeting scheduled for tomorrow, Wednesday, October 7, 2015 from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. in [Meeting room name redacted] At this meeting, we will discuss the recent Town Hall Meeting regarding safety on campus. We will also discuss steps we might take regarding improving the perception of safety on campus. Please be reminded that All-Staff meetings are required events for professional staff; however, all …


Guest Post: The Difference Between Gold and Debt, by Gary Christenson

Simple version: Gold is good. Sovereign debt is bad. The world has added approximately $60 Trillion in debt since 2007, much of it sovereign debt created from deficit spending on social programs, wars, and much more. In that time the world has mined perhaps 30,000 tons of gold, or about 950 million ounces, worth at September 2015 prices a little more than a $Trillion. It is easy to create debt – central banks “print” currencies by borrowing those currencies into existence. Debt increases, currency in circulation increases, and until it crashes, life is good for the financial and political elite. …


Letter: A First-Hand Perspective on Europe’s Immigration Crisis

Hugh, My wife and I have just returned from a two week vacation that I had planned long ago to Hungary, Austria, and a bit of Germany. I’m not sure how great the coverage of this was in the U.S., but I would like to give the readers a briefing. Upon arriving in Vienna, we discovered that our train to Budapest had been cancelled. One look around the Westbahnhof train station revealed literally thousands of immigrants. Rail officials could do little to offer suggestions as to what to do. It was up to us to find our way out. We …


Letter Re: Proof the Economy Will Get Worse, From the Dept. of Ed.

Hello, Gentlemen: First thank you for all the time and effort you put into SurvivalBlog. I am a daily reader and have found it very helpful in my prepping journey. As part of that journey, I have learned that I cannot take a lot of “insider” information at face value. I work to find sources to verify it or at least review the original source of information. We should all do that. In response to the 19 September article, Letter:Proof the Economy Will Get Worse, From the Dept. of Ed., I reviewed the link the writer posted to the FAFSA …


The Surveillance State 2015- Part 1, by Kass Andrada

The history of liberty is a history of the limitation of governmental power, not the increase of it. Woodrow Wilson, 1912 The question of whether a surveillance society was looming on the horizon has been growing since Justice Douglas remarked in 1966, “We are rapidly entering the age of no privacy, where everyone is open to surveillance at all times; where there are no secrets from government.” [1] Early in the new millenium, only about 33% of Americans were concerned about their online data as of 2009. [2] Just a few years later, in 2015, polls show 54% disapprove of …


Letter Re: Helping the Maxners

You actually printed the email from the Maxners who asked for help rebuilding their home and barn? Part of being prepared for disasters is being insured, as in food insurance by stocking up on food. Now, this irresponsible couple asks for others to help them out and you are enabling their behavior. I didn’t agree with your telling readers that Chuck Baldwin’s move to Montana cost more than expected and then telling readers how they could help Chuck financially. Why? He should have “counted the cost” before his move. Now you’re suggesting people help the Maxners out. It’s a miniature …


August In Precious Metals, by Steven Cochran of Gainesville Coins

Welcome to SurvivalBlog’s Precious Metals Month in Review, by Steven Cochran of Gainesville Coins. Every month we take a look at “the month that was” in precious metals, covering the price action of gold and examine the “what” and “why” behind those numbers. Volatilitywas the name of the game in August, as a surprise currency devaluation by China spooked investors into realizing that the Communist government in Beijing likely was lying about the state of their economy. This ignited a global meltdown in stocks, the likes of which have not been seen since the height of the financial crisis. Gold …


Forecasting Disaster Part 2, by ShepherdFarmerGeek

The Unfolding Disaster There is another category of crisis that can be forecast in a sense, and that is the “unfolding disaster”. Some crises don’t just strike out of the blue one day; they begin and gather steam. Keeping an eye on national and global news, we can spot events that are clearly going to worsen and spread. We won’t be able to predict the exact day of the turning point or the milestones as they unfold, but it becomes obvious that something bad is dead ahead and there’s no getting out of it. Others may be in denial and …


Forecasting Disaster Part 1, by ShepherdFarmerGeek

Have you heard? There’s a lot of speculation lately that we might see downright apocalyptic events in mid-to-late September. I have to admit; it’s an impressive list of events, prophecies, and trends, and I’ve been encouraging my family and friends to top off their preparations in anticipation of what might happen. My “threat level” assessment is high. However, this is also an opportunity to revisit this whole idea of “projecting” trends and “forecasting” events, so that we are not tripped up or misled by the limitations of that process. Rather, we should focus on what truly is important, especially if …


Letter Re: Can the States Seize Control of Federal Lands

James and Hugh, I’m referencing the 22 August article “Can the States Seize Federal Lands?“. First, they are NOT Federal Lands; they are State Lands being occupied by the Fed, mostly illegally. The U.S. Constitution is quite clear on how the Fed MAY purchase State Lands (Article I, Section 8, Clause 17) in a specifically limited quantity, for only necessary functions of the Fed, and MUST have the agreement from the State Legislature in question. Second, as decided by the Supreme Court of the U.S., “A State is created in Statehood, instantly and whole”, (paraphrased). To wit: not created in …


Jade Helm Reporting From Leakey, Texas, by S.

[Editor’s Note: This letter is run in its entirety; however, it is important to note that there are several assumptions made in the letter. A basic tenet of research is the understanding that “correlation does not necessarily mean causation.” Just because two things happen at the same time does not mean one has caused the other. Internet and telephone communications go out all of the time and providers are often reluctant to accept responsibility, especially if it is only a temporary disruption. There are also many reasons that Internet can go out, from work crews replacing amplifier modules to overheating …


Letter Re: Jade Helm 15

HJL, What do you think of Jade Helm 15? I’ve heard lots of things about this from mild to wild… What say you? – B.D. HJL Responds: While our minds always have a tendency to fall to the conspiratorial side, I am a firm believer in Occam’s Razor. The more complex an issue is, the more people have to be involved and people are the greatest weakness of any “plan”. JWR and I are in complete agreement on the implications of Jade Helm 15 and its impact on the people in the United States. It is nothing more than a …