Category: Emerging Threats

Your Best Personal Defense In The Ongoing CyberWar, by AJS

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One of claimed “time traveler” John Titor’s most alarming predictions was for a war beginning in 2015 between Russia and the United States. The prediction was made on the old Art Bell Coast-to-Coast AM radio show in the 1999-2000 era. The war would eventually go nuclear and be quite destructive resulting in great loss of life. The good news according to Titor was that the country weathered the physical destruction and came out stronger than ever. With some large cities destroyed it eliminated many governmental sectors and urbanite populations dependent upon government handouts. Now, in retrospect we know the war …


2020: A Year of Perfect Hindsight

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As we begin the year 2020, I’d like to reflect on what I’ve seen and experienced, since I was born in 1960. In my novel Patriots, a couple of my characters used the now-cliched phrase: “Hindsight is 20/20.” But I must say that in many ways that it truly is. With the benefit of some hindsight, I have formulated a few observations for 2020 — a year of 20/20 hindsight: Technology When I was growing up, computers were enormous lumbering beasts that were primarily batch-programmed with Hollerith punched cards. I had the advantage of attending Livermore High School, where those …


Economics & Investing For Preppers

This is my last Economics & Investing column post for calendar year 2019, so today I’m posting my 2020 recommendations: Stocks: Minimize. The unprecedented 11+ year U.S. economic expansion cannot continue indefinitely. So far, the banksters have kept “the everything bubble” expanding by means of artificially low interest rates. At some point in the near future, the bubble will deflate, and possibly pop spectacularly. Keep in mind that 2020 is a presidential election year. If The Powers That Be (TPTB) want to see President DJT ousted, then they can do so with an orchestrated crash. If they merely allow interest …


Blowing Bubbles for Fun and Profit, by Gary Christenson

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Editor’s Note: This article by Gary Christenson of The Deviant Investor first appeared in the Miles Franklin blog, and is re-posted with permission.  It was selected by JWR — not solicited. Miles Franklin can be contacted at: 1-800-822-8080. — Bubbles, like a cocaine high, are fun while they last. History confirms that bubbles and cocaine are enjoyable, because central banks blow many bubbles and the U.S. imports a large quantity of cocaine. Bubbles are fun, but they extract a price. There is no free lunch. Examples: 2019: The Everything Bubble. It hasn’t crashed yet, but there are many bubble piercing objects …


The Rush To A Cashless Society, by Brandon Smith

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A fundamental pillar of true free markets is the existence of choice; the availability of options from production to providers to purchase mechanisms without interference from governments or corporate monopolies. Choice means competition, and competition drives progress. Choice can also drive changes within society, for if people know a better or more secure way of doing things exists, why would anyone want to stay trapped within the confines of a limited system? At the very least, people should be allowed to choose economic mechanisms that work best for their particular situation. This is not how our society functions today, and …


Escaping the HOA Hole

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Suburban America is sinking into the Homeowner’s Association (HOA) Hole. About 24% of the nation’s population (about 63 million people) now live under the rigid strictures of HOAs.  According to some fairly recent statistics from PropertyManagement.com, there are: 40 Million households living in HOAs 351,000+ HOAs in the United States 8,000 new HOAs formed every year in the U.S. 24%+ of U.S. population is living in HOAs HOAs usually have lengthy sets of rules and bylaws that are subject to the interpretation of either elected or un-elected HOA boards. These rules are generally called Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions (CC&Rs). Some …


A Lament for California

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With all of the recent news about squalid homeless encampments, mismanaged utilities, gun-grabbing Democrat politicians, a potentially bankrupt public employee pension fund, and wildfires in California, I thought that it would be apropos to post a personal lament. This is a largely autobiographical commentary on the sad fall of the state of my birth, since the 1960s. But first, let me look back a bit further in time: Our Pioneer Roots The Rawles family came to California in 1856, via covered wagon. My great-great grandfather, Joseph Rawles, was a fifth generation American of English extraction who was born in Ohio. …


The Current Nuclear Threat – Part 2, by John M.

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North Korea, Scenario 2 The second North Korean scenario involves China and potentially Russia. While the threat of mutually assured destruction makes a direct engagement with Russia or China unlikely, proxy wars have often been occurring. If China or Russia were to back North Korea, then it could benefit all parties against the U.S. China and the U.S. have been political adversaries for many years, but have also been economic partners in many respects. Recent competition has escalated, despite maintaining simultaneous partnerships. China has purchased vast amounts of U.S. debt and produces exports for the U.S.. But President Trump has …


The Current Nuclear Threat – Part 1, by John M.

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Mutually assured destruction. This phrase has long helped prevent direct armed conflict between Russia and the United States. Although many proxy wars have been fought over the past 70 years, since the Soviet Union developed nuclear weapons, both sides have been careful not to start a direct conflict that could escalate toward a nuclear exchange. During the Cold War, there were many moments that brought us close to nuclear war. During the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, the world held their breath as the U.S. faced off with the Soviets over their attempt to place nuclear weapons in Cuba. Many …


210 Days of Freedom: The Coming Private Firearms Sales Frenzy

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The U.S. Senate returned from its summer recess on September 9, 2019. It has been widely reported that the Senate’s Republican leadership has caved in to media pressure. They have promised to create a Senate version of H.R. 8 — the “Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019”. (It already passed in the House, back in February.) The phrases “Universal Background Checks” and “Comprehensive Background Checks” sound all warm and fuzzy to the leftists. But here is what they really mean: “We’ll make you a felon if you sell a gun to your next door neighbor”. Please don’t allow this blatantly …


Triggers to the Second American Revolution, by A.D.

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Having been a reader of SurvivalBlog for a couple of years, I have read some fascinating articles. The body of knowledge out there is truly astounding. There have been many articles about preparing for the difficult times ahead which I found to be helpful and unsettling. Sometimes, I feel the dread of knowing a powerful storm is heading our way and there is going to be much hardship as a result. My family lives in the hurricane belt, and one of the frustrating things is knowing a storm is on the way and trying to develop an action plan when …


Re-Post: Becoming a Savvy Pre-1899 Gun Buyer

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JWR’s Introductory Notes: It is very unusual me to re-post any of my SurvialBlog articles.  But I am doing so today, because we are living in very unusual times. I wrote the following article in February of 2019.  I am re-posting it now, as it appears that the Republican leadership of the Senate is caving in to the demands of the mass media and some liberal constituents.  The word inside the D.C. Beltway is that plan to fast-track the passage of a “compromise” Universal Background Checks law, before the end of October.  Signing by President DJT could come as soon …


Letter: COMPSEC Warning on Windows 10 Updates

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Dear Editor: I used to have respect for Kim Komando, but after reading her article about the recent Windows 10 update, I have moved her to my “don’t trust” list. Let me explain: For my own COMPSEC I only connect to the internet wifi while I am actively using it and even then I monitor the data and CPU usage in real time using task manager. That way I know which program(s) are active. About 10 days ago, I detected the Windows 10 update in progress. It eventually took Four Hours of machine time (6X the usual time) and ate …


Rounding-Out Your Baofeng UV-5Rs

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Final implementation of the dual-band UV-5R importation and sales ban (previously detailed in SurvivalBlog) is now just one month away. I’m confident that the majority of SurvivalBlog readers in the U.S. were cognizant of this and have stocked up on these radios, in quantity. But now I must ask: Are you ready to operate them, practically, long-term? This will surely require a few spares and accessories. The good news is that the accessories fully interchange, and most of them are quite inexpensive. By the way, this runs contrary to a SurvivalBlog aphorism: “Life is cheap, but the accessories will kill …


Viable Eastern Retreats, by H.A.

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One of the prime considerations of anyone interested in preparing for a serious man-caused or natural disaster in the near future, is the matter of geography. James Rawles coined the concept of the American Redoubt, giving name and definition to an area widely-held to be ideal survival terrain. This area by one of its own main core criteria, is very low population density. But the majority of American people attempting to prepare are not in the American Redoubt. It is difficult for economic and other considerations to uproot and relocate there. More power to anyone seriously considering relocating to the …