Resisting Thought Control – Pt. 2, by Cyclops

(Continued from Part 1.) FEAR We are hard-wired to avoid things that ignite fear. This is a central aspect of reward/punishment conditioning that is central to the way humans learn about and adapt to our surroundings. The adrenaline-induced panic that we experience in a fight or flight response is a physical reaction that helps us learn how to survive, and is ingrained in our genes. But this aspect of our biology makes us vulnerable to those who want to manipulate us through fear. The level of fear that can sway our values and behavior need not be extreme, such as …




The SurvivalBlog – Old School (S.O.S.) Newsletter Plan

In response to requests from several long-time readers, we are developing the infrastructure to produce an “Old School” hardcopy mailed newsletter, starting in 2024. The concept is to be ready to revert to distributing a paper newsletter that is sent out by traditional mail, for if and when SurvivalBlog is expunged from the Internet’s World Wide Web. (“Taken down.”) I’ve dubbed this contingency project: SurvivalBlog – Old School (S.O.S.) The infrastructure required to produce and distribute the S.O.S. Newsletter will include… For grid up, but Internet-down situations: A very sturdy desktop photocopier. Dozens of reams Reams of paper. Boxes of …




The 21st Century Geopolitical Chessboard

As we approach the end of 2023, I’ve been assessing world events. In short: The world is an increasingly dangerous place. There are numerous current threats, most notably: The Western debt-based financial system is overextended and nearing a collapse. The rise of the BRICS bloc. Pandemics are being used as weapons to reduce population, control citizenries, and as excuses for a wide range of social engineering projects. Note that Avian Flu is still spreading and a new pneumonia strain broke out in northern China, and it is already jumping national borders. There is also a new canine respiratory illness and …




A Piece of Model Gun Rights Legislation

I recently spent some time pondering the myriad of so-called “gun control” laws and other weapons laws extant in the United States in light of the New York State Rifle & Pistol Association (NYSRPA) Inc. v. Bruen decision handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2022. The Bruen decision was a landmark case with a brilliant ruling written primarily by Justice Clarence Thomas. However, I recognized that the process of challenging unconstitutional gun and knife laws might take years or even decades to work their way through the courts. This led me to realize that what is needed is …




Subtle Changes in Rural America, by Hollyberry

My husband and I first moved to Maine eighteen years ago from New Jersey. What a breath of fresh air and change from a crowded, polluted environment. We moved to a small town that was the county seat for an area that is approximately 4,300 square miles and has a very low population. Most folks were really nice but there is a “your from away” mentality with some of the more stubborn folks. I gently reminded some of the more hardcore folks that although I may be “from away”, New Jersey is still part of the United States. I understand …




Transformative Tech: The AR, The Glock, and The Smartphone

In this brief essay, I’ll be discussing three relatively new technologies that have been nearly as transformative to modern society as Gutenberg’s 1448 invention of the movable type printing press. The AR The Armalite Rifle (AR) family of selective fire and semi-auto rifles, pistols, and shotguns have become ubiquitous in the early 21st Century. They have been produced for the U.S. civilian market since 1959. There are an estimated two million new ARs produced each year for private use by American families. There are now roughly 20 million in residential closets and gun safes. Many of those ARs have changed …




Thinking About Resilience, by C.H. in Kansas

Introduction I would like to direct this article to new SurvivalBlog readers. Perhaps you were referred here by a friend or coworker. Perhaps you stumbled into SurvivalBlog through an internet search. However you arrived, if you’ve taken the time to poke around, you may be overwhelmed by the abundance of information on preparedness both here and at other sites. As of this writing, the war between Hamas and Israel has entered its third week. The death toll continues to rise. Dead and wounded among the victims—the Israeli citizens and other nationals—number in the thousands. Violent demonstrations against the US have …




Post-TEOTWAWKI Community and Employment – Part 2, by 3AD Scout

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.) Much like society today, those who have “the means of production” control industry, finance, and banking are like the nobles. Those who run the factories and institutions are like the vassals and blue collar and farm workers are like the peasants. So, thinking that in times of great social upheaval when a hundred-plus years of technology disappears, we could see feudal-“like” societies form out of the ashes. This is not far-fetched. Unlike hundreds of years ago, most communities are not self-sufficient. The closest thing to a self-sufficient community today would be Amish …




Some Lessons Learned in Israel’s Kibbutzim

Like most other Americans, I have been closely watching the recent events in Israel.  I traveled there once, as a tourist, for several weeks. On that family trip, we drove up to the northern border with Lebanon, and all the way south to Eilat, on the Red Sea’s Gulf of Aqaba. My wife (Avalanche Lily) has studied Hebrew for many years, and she has traveled to Israel more than a dozen times. In all, she has spent more than three years in Israel. So for us, watching the Israel-Hamas War brings back a lot of our travel memories. Lily lived …




The Societal Effects Of Inflation – Things Are Really Going Bad, by Brandon Smith

Editor’s Introductory Note: This article was authored by Brandon Smith of Alt-Market.us and was originally published at Birch Gold Group. — Historically speaking, inflation/stagflation has always been a disastrous affair. One is hard-pressed to find any legitimate examples of a country that experienced an aggressive inflationary event that came out better for it. A rare scenario would be one in which a nation inflates to fund a war that they then win, but usually negative consequences still happen later down the road. The problem is that the effects of inflation can be subtle and far-reaching, quietly creeping up on a …




Caged Retail Stores: A Sign of Deeper Societal Degeneracy

In this essay, I will be quite brief and to-the-point: The recent waves of large-scale shoplifting, flash mobs, store lootings, and “street takeovers” in America’s cities illustrate a profound change in American society. I can see that it will only be in retrospect that historians will recognize this turning point for America. This is the stage where the basic Social Contract — characterized by civility and trust in retail commerce — has been severed. I found these two articles indicative: Target to partner with Homeland Security to battle organized retail theft — company expects to lose over $1 billion due …




Disease Vector Awareness and Action, by K.B., M.D.

I am writing this article to share with our dear readers the information from several news articles featuring illnesses secondary to disease vectors and also spread due to immigration to the United States or international travel to other countries. It is a broad topic that I will condense for our readers in hopes of increasing not only awareness but also instructing in means of protection and treatment. Disclaimer: I am neither prescribing medicine nor dispensing medical advice. Anything that you choose to do as a result of reading this article is your own responsibility. Always seek out treatment and advice …




Risk Mitigation in the Mid-2020s

Looking at the manifold threats facing the world in late 2023, as an American citizen I cannot help but feel overwhelmed. In a nutshell, these threats include: The threat of regional or world war, stemming from the Iraq, Ukraine, or Taiwan conflicts. Out-of-control government spending and indebtedness. Corruption at all levels of government. Federal agencies running roughshod over our constitutional rights. Selective and vindictive prosecutions driven by politics. High inflation and an increasingly unaffordable cost of living and healthcare. Urbanization and over-complication of supply chains. Malinvestment and misallocation of government spending. Chronic homelessness and growing encampments. Uncompensated Federal mandates on …




Governments Start Calling For Price Controls – Rationing And CBDCs Come Next, by Brandon Smith

Editor’s Introductory Note:  In place of our usual Monday column on Economics and Investing news items, we are re-posting, with permission, this insightful piece by Brandon Smith.  Both his Alt-Market.us site and his premium newsletter The Wild Bunch Dispatch are highly recommended. – JWR — Last month in the middle of the surreal “Bidenomics” hype I published an article titled ‘Nothing Is Over: Inflation Is About To Come Back With A Vengeance.’  I outlined the misconceptions surrounding CPI and how it is not an accurate model for the effects of inflation.  I also noted that the index had been manipulated …




Some Very Bad Law: The ATF’s New “Engaged In The Business” Rule

I’ve had several readers write to ask me about the ATF’s new 108-Page proposed “Engaged In The Business” rule. On August 31, 2023, the Biden Regime announced that it is attempting to redefine “engaged in the business” of selling firearms. This rulemaking will strongly amplify and greatly expand on the wording of the Gun Control Act of 1968 and the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BCSA) of 2022.  The latter provides that, as applied to a dealer in firearms, the term “engaged in the business” means “a person who devotes time, attention, and labor to dealing in firearms as a regular …