Category: Current Events & Politics

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. …


It is All About the Means of Production, by Mark. B.

From the beginning of time, ownership and control of quality farm land and raw materials have been closely associated with wealth creation and prosperity. What can you grow or raise? What resources and commodities do you own and control? How much metal, stone, glass, and wood do you own? Do you have the means, knowledge, tools and skills to produce valuable items from this land and these raw materials? As America was settled, the pioneers knew very well the fundamentals of non-electric, independence away from the city and just how critical natural resources were to survival. If a parcel did …


Lest Any Man Should Boast: A Christian Survivalist Perspective on Race, Religion, and Reason

I often get letters and e-mails, chastising me for being an anti-racist. I call these “nasty-grams.” I get several of them each week. Some folks, it seems, are deeply offended that I look upon everyone as equals. The truth is that people should be judged as individuals. (That is one of my core Precepts.) Anyone that makes blanket statements about other races is ignorant that there are both good and bad individuals in all groups. There is no inherent superiority in any skin tone or facial feature, any more than there is in any particular hair color. I have accepted …


Letter Re: Experiencing the Recent Hawaiian Tsunami Evacuation Alert

Jim, I had the recent somewhat surreal experience of going through the Hawaiian costal evacuation during the most recent tsunami alert. It was a near-miss natural disaster scenario that unfolded in slow motion because of the distance from the Chilean earthquake and the presence of tsunami alert sensors and monitoring officials. There are a few observations that I’d like to share. I managed to stay ahead of the Golden Horde phenomena by a few hours and it was interesting to just acknowledge some of the predictable elements: most people were not alerted to the risk of the tsunami until 0600 …


Letter Re: Afghanistan is 7.62 NATO Country

Dear CPT Rawles: I’d like to bring your attention to a paper prepared at Ft. Leavenworth, titled, “Increasing Small Arms Lethality in Afghanistan: Taking Back the Infantry Half-Kilometer.” Essentially, the old M14 rifle has not yet met its demise, even though Jimmy Carter did order the destruction of 700,000 M14 Rifles. As you have known for years, the 5.56 NATO cartridge is not the best cartridge for a Main Battle Rifle. You have written extensively regarding this issue in your books. For some time now, I have witnessed a sizable number of M14 Rifles, in various configurations, from the original …


Three Letters Re: Some Comments and Some Personal Experiences in Haiti

Sir: I thought that you and your family might be encouraged by the following: There was an extraordinary occurrence in Haiti on February 17th. Here is a blog entry with a YouTube link about a nationally declared three days of fasting and prayer in Haiti. Amazing grace. The final sentence in the entry is the most sobering: “The only sadness that I feel today is for our nation. While a nation that has long been under Satan’s domination is turning to God with total commitment, our nation, founded on Godly values, has rejected God and is rapidly trying to forget …


Notes from JWR:

The situation in earthquake-ravaged Chile is still quite tenuous. SurvivalBlog reader “Zed” suggested that I mention this article from the BBC’s Stephen Mulvey: Chile earthquake: Why do people loot. And don’t miss this related article: Chileans protect, feed themselves after quake. Doesn’t this sound a lot like “a neighborhood watch, on steroids”? The conjecture about societal breakdown in SurvivalBlog that was once castigated as “fanciful” is now sounding quite plausible. Get the gear, and get the training, folks. Be ready, willing and able to dispense charity and to help restore order and re-establish free commerce, if and when things go …