Category: Emerging Threats

Prepping for Our New Reality, by D.&M.

[Editor’s Introductory Note: I sometimes receive quite lengthy articles that are mix of great practical information and extended political narratives. In such cases I sometimes opt to edit out the particularly ranty sections. Where I have done so, you will see: “[Some deleted, for brevity]“. My apologies, but to make an article of this length readable, editorial discretion is a must. Furthermore, I have to recognize that all politics are local. Since SurvivalBlog is a publication with an international readership, I feel obliged to chop out political discourses that would be of little or no interest to my readers in …


Letter Re: Privatizing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac?

Sir, It occurs to me that the sudden desire to “privatize” Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae is simply a way to deploy the wet ink dollars out of the Fed and big banks without overwhelming the money supply. We all know what would happen if those dollars entered the mainstream market place. This just seems to me to be yet another ploy to stall the inevitable, but I haven’t seen anyone else talking about that. Am I missing something? – Big Jon JWR Replies: You are essentially correct. The majority of the U.S. Dollars that have been magically created by …


The Constipated Hordes at TEOTWAWKI: A Pharmacologic Strategy, by Anon, M.D.

In a situation that will be characterized by, among other things, gutted pharmacies and unmanned hospitals, the remaining population at TEOTWAWKI will be required to provide their own medical care and to meet their own pharmacologic needs.  While there have been numerous helpful articles outlining the importance of antibiotics in the context of TEOTWAWKI there has been very little addressing the importance of an overall pharmacologic strategy. Some of you—especially those who take daily prescription medication—have likely considered this problem before.  But perhaps you are young and healthy, unburdened by any medical diagnosis.  There should still be a pharmacologic component …


Safer in the City? Statistics Don’t Lie, But They Can Obfuscate

Several readers sent me a link to a study by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania recently published in the Annals of Emergency Medicine that had some surprising results: They concluded that big cities are statistically safer than small towns. This study, titled Safety in Numbers: Are Major Cities the Safest Places in the United States? has a number of flaws. First, it treats deaths by intentional violence equally with accidental deaths and deaths related to the use of alcohol and illicit drugs. This is not quite fair, because the former are not nearly so avoidable as the latter. If …


Letter Re: Some Overlooked Risks

Jim; In a recent post, Harry T. mentioned that “Fido” will be competing with humans for food should we return to a hunter-gatherer schema. He is absolutely correct in addressing the newly-wild domestic dog as a threat. I have been treed twice in my life by life-threatening critters. Once was by a huge wild hog while I was fly-fishing on the North Carolina-Tennessee line. Apparently I entered his domain and he felt I was a threat to be dealt with. I’ve encountered bears and rattlesnakes who were far less aggressive than that tusker. The other time I had to climb …


Letter Re: Some Overlooked Risks

I appreciate what Havoc had to say.  As I read survival fiction I often find myself thinking that the authors are being optimistic about the situations they write about.  I couch that with my own understanding that if the authors were to write the stories as I fear they will play out then no one would want to read those stories.  Reality can be ugly. I think Havoc does well to mention the four horsemen, and it is worth noting that the rider of the pale horse (Revelation 6:7-8) is given authority to kill a fourth of mankind with sword, …


Some Overlooked Risks, by Havoc Pondering Prepper

I’d like to discuss some planning concerns for when the world really starts to unravel that you might have overlooked: Quite a few authors write about situations which probably only constitute a partial collapse of society as we know it. Such situations include those where there still exists some semblance of trade or even transportation of some goods. Perhaps some vestige of government is even functioning. What if a disaster happens and we are left with even less than that. At the risk of being criticized for being too much of a pessimist, I would suggest that a thoughtful prepper …


Letter Re: Pre-TEOTWAWKI Survival is All in The Numbers

Dear James: It occurred to me while training kids on water safety, that some of the most basic elements of surviving everyday life are perhaps neglected by many of us while focusing on worst case scenarios.  We can be so wrapped up in getting through TEOTWAWKI that we neglect first surviving to TEOTWAWKI. It doesn’t do any good to be fully prepped for TEOTWAWKI if you, or a loved one, dies in the meantime from one of the statistically most likely causes of death – namely disease and accidents. By the numbers, if you are younger an auto accident may …


Does America Need to Build New Misprison Prisons?

You may have heard about the BHO administration regime’s expanded “Insider Threat Program,” which amplifies Executive Order 13587, published back in 2011. After a brief flurry of media attention earlier this month, this has been thoroughly soft-pedaled. (“Nothing to see here, move along.”) But these new policies have been laid down and the penalties for noncompliance have been established. Without an act of Congress, these policies are now effective. Rather than re-hash the details, I will quote the first part of a well-written McClatchy News Service article: “In an initiative aimed at rooting out future leakers and other security violators, …


Two Letters Re: How Consumer Debt Collection Works

James, Regarding the article on debt collection, I would recommend these web sites which give some advice on how to deal with debt collectors:   CreditInfoCenter.com   DebtorBoards.com   There are consumer protection laws that prohibit offensive behavior on the part of debt collectors.  These sites explain how to use them.   I recognize you may not agree with these site’s positions, but, just as the debt collector who wrote in says, good people sometimes get into bad situations.  And, sometimes, if your state’s exemptions are too low, bankruptcy is not an option.  So, yes, I consider fighting debt collectors …


Pro-Gun or No-Gun America, Which Saves More Lives?, by Skvez

While discussing the potential for a gun ban in the United States I realized that the pro-gun-ban people genuinely believe that banning guns will save lives. In an attempt to facilitate debate I discovered that getting down to the numbers helps discover where their math is different from the pro-gun position, it is these points we can focus on to help them see the light. I put this sequence of equations on a spreadsheet but you can talk someone through them without one. For each value get the person you are speaking to, to give you their value. I’ve using …


Letter Re: The Dark Side of the New Illinois CCW Law

Dear Jim, I’m hoping that you will help me get the word out nationwide on this: As many celebrate the passage of Concealed Carry in Illinois it comes with a very heavy price. Municipalities have 10 days from the law’s enactment to pass their own “Assault Weapons” bans. Many of us in the suburbs of Chicago will face a choice in 90 days to move our weapons somewhere else, render them permanently inoperable or turn them over to the police. Lets call it what it is, Confiscation! No grandfathering, straight up outlawing of previously lawfully owned rifles and standard capacity …


Letter Re: Advice on Travel to California

Mr Rawles, I recently read a letter on your website that concerned and disturbed me.  A reader was asking for advice on what to do when they lost their right to self defense when they were traveling to California and how to bring their firearms to the state when visiting.  The issues I take with the e-mail and hope to help the reader understand are that you never lose your right to self defense, no matter where in the world you travel.  Self defense is an inherent right that can be taken from us by no one.  Secondly, self defense …


Letter Re: Advice on Travel to California

Captain Rawles, I have to go to the Socialist Republic of Kalifornia later this week to rescue my sister and her husband (helping them move household goods) and in doing so must surrender my right to be able to defend myself due to their draconian gun laws.  Living in Utah I know that my permit is recognized only as far as the Nevada border, but I can transport and possess my Model 1911 albeit in a separate locked container from the corresponding ammunition.  I was wondering what advice or opinions you could offer as I leave on this little trek.  …


How Horrific Will It Be For The Non-Prepper?, by Be Informed

Editor’s Note: You have no doubt had your own set of issues dealing with friends and family members that simply don’t see the writing on the wall. The following article may serve to assist you in convincing those who simply don’t know, don’t want to know, don’t care, or have never even thought to contemplate. Some of the scenarios outlined below may be frightening, as they should be, because when it hits the fan millions of people will be thrown into desperation with no hope of a solution. Be Informed provides a variety of point-by-point details that may (and hopefully …