Category: Current Events & Politics

Letter Re: Observations on Life in Afghanistan

Mr Rawles. I read “Patriots” nearly a year ago and was impressed with the well written plot, realistic scenario and detail oriented implicit planning and tips. I learned a while thereafter of your SurvivalBlog and have been nibbling at it in chunks, trying yet to digest it. I imagine you notice a bit of a self selecting bias in people who read and enjoy your writing, even more in those who choose to e-mail you, so I won’t write the usual bits about how alike we think. I will write that I appreciate what you’re doing with the SurvivalBlog site …


Letter Re: Lessons from the Yazoo City Tornado

Dear Editor: I have been reading your blog for a while but until Saturday, I never saw how a disaster could unhinge some people so quickly and what lack of preparedness can do to some people. I went to deliver a chainsaw, some gas and water to a relative in Yazoo City and what is usually a 45 minute drive took over 2 hours. Land lines and cell towers were down, and if you had a phone with a certain carrier, the service was very spotty. The traffic was bad and the roads into the town were blocked and we …


Letter Re: A New Fungus Among Us

James, I saw this on the net and thought that your readers may not have heard of this yet: Deadly Airborne Fungus Spreading in Northwest. Heads up folks: “A potentially deadly strain of fungus is spreading among animals and people in the northwestern United States and the Canadian province of British Columbia.” “The spore-forming fungus can cause symptoms in people and animals two weeks or more after exposure. They include a cough that lasts for weeks, sharp chest pain, and shortness of breath, headache, fever, nighttime sweats and weight loss.” “The new strain appears to be unusually deadly, with a …


Letter Re: A Cautionary Tale of the Consequences of the Lean Supply Chain

Dear Mr. Rawles, I have been reading your blog for about a year (sincere thanks for a great job) and have introduced a few dozen folks to its collected wisdom. I pass along this article, from The Telegraph in the United Kingdom, that speaks to the mounting impact/consequences of the eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano. For a long time I have had concerns about the practice that manufacturing businesses have adopted for managing their supplies and inventory – namely the employment of Lean Supply Chain (LSC) manufacturing techniques. While companies (nations) reduce expense for maintaining inventory, in the short run, …


Letter Re: U.S. Bank Failures Accelerate in Pace and Increase in Size

James Wesley: On Friday, eight more banks were closed according to this article. I did a little research and found out that so far this year, 50 banks with total assets of approximately $30.4 Billion (you have to add the numbers up in the total assets column) have failed according to this site. By this date last year (April 17, 2009) 25 banks with $12.5 Billion in assets had failed according to the companion site. How’s that “hope and change” working for you? This could be a record year if the pace keeps up. – S.M. Economics and Investing:


Two Letters Re: Icelandic Volcanic Ash

James, As a geologist (masters degree) I have written for 30 years on issues of geologic hazards for numerous publications and made presentations to governmental entities regarding same. I preach preparedness for disaster as a way of mitigation for the inevitable. This is my heads up for your readers. The unpronounceable Icelandic volcano (Eyjafjallajokull) that is currently erupting and disrupting air traffic mostly over Europe is becoming quite a demonstration of natures ability to mess with our technology. A much bigger worry is a nearby volcano called Katla which is also located under a huge ice cap on iceland. Katla …


Implications of the U.S. National Debt — The Upright Spike

It is noteworthy that the Federal Debt chart has again turned sharply upward, to nearly an upright spike, rising to 90%+ of GDP. This level of Federal indebtedness had only one precedent: the massive spending that was needed to finance World War II. The current massive over-spending on the Mother of All Bailouts (MOAB) can’t go on indefinitely. At some point, the piper must be paid. In the long term, gross overspending will have some major implications for U.S. Treasury paper, and inevitably for the U.S. Dollar as a currency unit. I should mention that in 1945 (the peak of …


How to Do More than Survive at the Different Stages of Societal Collapse, by Tamara W.

Dmitry Orlov wrote about the five stages of social collapse. In descending order, these stages are: financial, commercial, political, social and – last and certainly worst – cultural. In the face of a collapsing society, what can be done to lessen the immediate and local impact at each of these stages? How can we lessen the personal impact of societal collapse? Preparedness is key in any disaster, and societal collapse is certainly a disaster on epic scale. The question then is what to do at each stage of societal collapse. Here is how to do more than survive at each …


Letter Re: The Storage of Food as a Strategic National Reserve

Mr. Editor: Many nations around the world, including the USA, place great importance on Fuel Reserves as a Strategic National Resource. However, of growing importance and also greatly unrealized, is the fact that food reserves are at least as strategically important as fuel reserves to the security of any nation and maybe more so. When thinking of a primary food reserve, one would assume that wheat is a major food resource of the USA, and it is. In 2009, the USA was responsible for producing 2.22 billion bushels of wheat. However, of growing national importance and a growing possible concern …


Letter Re: Concealed Carry Reciprocity Resources

JWR, While concealed carry reciprocity [as recently discussed in the blog, with accompanying maps] is the best way to ensure legality of concealed carry in other states, it does not tell the whole story. For example, Washington state does not recognize a concealed carry permit from Idaho or Montana. However, Idaho and Montana honor one from Washington. If I was to only have looked at the Washington reciprocity page I would not have known that. I have found the best way to be absolutely sure it to check the individual states web site, but the previously given links did do …


Letter Re: Concealed Carry Reciprocity Resources

JWR: Reading your blog this morning, I ran across “Odds ‘n Sods” item from Pete A. with a map on concealed carry changes over the years across these United States. Yes indeed, “Let freedom ring!” This link brought to mind several sites that show reciprocity of permits between states. I think you may have shown some in the past, but with changes, an update may be needed. This could be invaluable to your readers who travel and/or are interested in relocating. Also, many states now offer “non-resident” permits. This is an easy method for expanding the areas in which you …


Letter Re: Frontline Documentary on the Aftermath of the Haitian Earthquake

Sir; I thought this issue of Frontline was good. It had really good footage, and provided lots valuable exposure to real-world disasters. Particularly interesting was the type of medical treatment being employed there immediately after the disaster, amputations with no anesthesia for instance. I’ve decided I need to expand my first-aid kit after watching it. – Jeff M.


Letter Re: Gold and Silver Equal Future Purchasing Power

Jim Wesley: Today it is as difficult for a person to fathom gold at $5,000 per ounce as it was for a person to fathom $1,000 per ounce back in 2002.  After all, hold a Krugerrand, in your hand and try to imagine it being worth the purchasing power of $5,000 – enough to buy a good running, nice looking used car.   Dollar predictions of gold are naturally what a prudent investor considers — today’s Internet articles find predictions ranging from “headed  back down to $500” to “heading up to $6,500 in the coming years”.  I must admit, I have …


Letter Re: Tsunami Evacuation, Kauai Style

Howzit J.R., I’m a newbie groupie to your site, now on a daily basis. I’m going through the archives, year by year, and am compiling useful info for my situation. I’ve realized that at some point, due to the number of visitors to your site, [voluntary] membership dues may be necessary, just to support the technical requirements of having it. No problemo. I’ve never seen anything like the SurvivalBlog site, so my dues are in-bound. I’ve seen previous posts about the tsunami warning in Hawai‘i, but not from a local resident perspective. I’ll give you mine. I live on Kaua‘i, …


Letter Re: A Total Collapse of the Dollar?

James, Chris Wood, of CLSA and author of the Greed & Fear newsletter, was recently interviewed on CNBC and stated that the collapse of the Dollar would likely take place within five years. CNBC’s Dennis Kneale, however, asserts that the Dollar is “self-healing”, so that when the panic begins, “…suddenly people want to go into the Dollar, because the US Government is the most stable government on the planet”. I had to rewind, because I couldn’t believe what I had just heard. This is precisely why looking to mainstream news sources as reliable conduits of factual information is so dangerous. …