Category: Emerging Threats

Letter Re: What Your Cell Phone Could Be Telling the Government

James Wesley: Regarding the recent article at the Time magazine web site that has been forwarded far and wide: What Your Cell Phone Could Be Telling the Government. Remember, this is America. While there is no better place on earth to live, you are never any more free than They allow you to believe you are at any given moment. All you can do is live out your life, raise your family, eke out some happiness, and try to affect the change that is important to you in the short time you are here. It is certainly worthwhile (and patriotic) …


Convince Your Loved Ones To Prepare–Even When They’re Kicking and Screaming, by Patriot Chick

Becoming self-sufficient during a financial meltdown is difficult enough, but trying to convince reluctant loved ones to prepare can be doubly frustrating. It’s hard to understand how anyone wouldn’t want to start stockpiling their pantries after watching the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the earthquake in Haiti, and more recently the devastating floods in Pakistan. We all watched the newsreels; millions of homeless and hungry fighting for a spot in breadlines. If that isn’t reason enough, the U.S. continues to be threatened with nuclear attack. Meanwhile, most of us are hanging by a gossamer thread between solvency and financial ruin. We …


Letter Re: Many Pension Funds are Doomed

Jim: The following article is one example of why “dot gov” will basically collapse, at every level. The threat is faced by teachers and all public service employees et cetera. All of their “retirements” are doomed. Fort Worth pension bubble will blow up in our faces You don’t have to be an actuary to know that this pension plan will end badly. The technical phrase is “trending toward insolvency.” The key problem is that the city is on the hook for all the promised benefits. Taxpayers will have to pony up hefty contributions for years, even generations, and the city …


Letter Re: Assessing Those Electromagnetic Pulse Risk Assessments

Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) risk assessments have been published by journalists, defense analysts, and foreign policy experts. Unfortunately, some of these assessments rely on incomplete or incorrect information and give the mistaken impression that EMP is not an immediate threat. For example, STRATFOR Global Intelligence recently published a report titled “Gauging the Threat of an Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Attack.” The report assesses that the risk from an EMP attack is low because “the EMP threat has been around for more than half a century and there are a number of technical and practical variables that make a HEMP [High Altitude Electromagnetic …


Managing Medication Withdrawal in a Prolonged Crisis, by Charles D.

As a pastoral and chemical dependency counselor who has worked in a variety of mental health, ministry and addiction settings, I would like to address one of the unique mental and behavioral health needs that may be experienced in a prolonged disaster. More specifically, I will speak to the possibility of running out of psychiatric and pain medication, and the non-medical ways of dealing with pain and mental health symptoms as well as medication withdrawal. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, almost 58 million adults in the US (one in four) suffer from mental illness, and 45% of …


The Second Wave: Survivalist Turned MZBs, by Dave in Florida

For many years I have been working towards self-reliance. I like to use the older term self-reliant simply because I feel “survivalist” doesn’t describe the lifestyle properly. I don’t intend to just “survive” but “thrive” – would that make me a “thrivalist?” Yes, I know that was a bit corny. In all seriousness, let’s assume you are an average Joe living in perilous times. What I have to say is speaking to a revelation I have had over the recent years based on my over confidence and belief that somehow I was different than the average Joe just because I …


The P6 Preparedness Matrix, by L2L

The P6 Preparedness Matrix (priorities + planning + products + provisions + practices + perspective = preparedness) is at the core of success in life. Each of these aspects are essential if we are to be prepared for what ever may befall us in any area of life; both the normal dailies as well as situations unique or unusual to us including long term survival. Think of a six sided cube. These six aspects frame the P6 Preparedness Matrix and thereby define and appropriately constrain our actions (our preparedness if you will) in any situation. These six aspects, for the …


Effects of an EMP Attack or Severe Solar Storm on Nuclear Power Plants, by B.Z.

It is with some trepidation that I write this article, since what I write will be controversial and will alarm some members of the public as well as your readers. Some of my colleagues have urged me not to bring this subject into the open or to even discuss it in public. However, I think the topic is important and needs to be brought to the attention of the public. The issue is the effect that an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack, or for that matter, even a great geomagnetic storm created by a coronal mass ejection (CME) from the sun, …


Letter Re: A German Army Think Tank Sees Dire Consequences for Peak Oil

Hello Mr. Rawles, A report on the political and economical impacts of Peak Oil by a think tank of the German Army was recently leaked to the Internet. It is, of course, in German. The think tank draws pretty drastic conclusions. I currently do not have the time to translate the essence of it, but this might be useful or interesting at least to your readers who are fluent in German. Here is a summary: Bundeswehr-Studie warnt vor dramatischer Ölkrise, [also in German] by Der Spiegel. Kind regards, – Chris K. in Germany JWR Replies: Thanks for alerting us to …


Letter Re: Hurricane Earl Headed for U.S. East Coast

Hi Mr. Rawles. I hope that everything is going well for you. You might want to pass this on to your readers. As of a couple of minutes ago, Janice Dean, the Weather Lady on the Fox News Channel, was discussing Hurricane Earl. They are urging all residents from the Outer Banks to the Canadian Maritimes to review their Hurricane Evacuation Routes and be ready to “Bug Out” within the next few days. Computer Modeling shows no weakening of the Hurricane, the only question is just how close Hurricane Earl will get to the Eastern Seaboard. God’s Blessings on you …


Seven Letters Re: Community Crisis Planning for Societal Collapse

Mr. Rawles, I read with much interest the article on community planning for a societal collapse. It mirrors my own thinking on the subject and it is an issue I’ve given a lot of thought to lately. The reality of my situation is that I live in a small town (about 1200-1300 population) that lies on one major line of drift and two minor ones. The major line of drift is a major east-west interstate between two medium-sized cities and the two minor lines of drift are a state route that parallels the interstate (on the opposite end of town …


Seven Letters Re: Community Crisis Planning for Societal Collapse

James: Some of the arguments made against J.I.R.’s article reminds me of a scene in Gone With the Wind, in which the southern gentry are talking of coming war and Rhett Butler steps in and tells everybody that the North is better equipped for war; and that all they, the southerners, have is “…cotton and dreams of victory.” Obviously this was met with indignation, but Rhett Butler was right. As preppers we are our own group who thinks we are better equipped for “war” and can also be blinded by our own arrogance. Even amongst the prepper/survivalist groups we must …


Six Letters Re: Community Crisis Planning for Societal Collapse

Jim, As the author of the article being discussed, I would like to address the concerns expressed by “Rocky in the Midwest” This is a good example of the kind of reactions you will undoubtedly run into if you attempt to confiscate someone’s property. He is exactly right and justified in being indignant. He has worked hard and accumulated his property lawfully and has every right to use it as he wishes. Morals aside, confiscating privately owned property not only causes anger and resentment, it’s just a bad idea on many levels. Doing so will destroy your local economy. I …


Four Letters Re: Community Crisis Planning for Societal Collapse

I read the article on Community Crisis Planning for Societal Collapse, by J.I.R. and was reminded by an incident that was related to me by several individuals involved, discussed in the local papers, and is well known . In the weeks after Hurricane Katrina, the State of Illinois sent a convoy of trucks and equipment down to help the citizens in New Orleans. This convoy consisted of dump trucks and low-boys carrying backhoes, bulldozers, boats, generators, etc. The convoy also had a half dozen or so tanker trucks full of fuel. The boats were to be used for search and …


EMP Attack and Solar Storms: A Guide, by Kevin Hayden

An Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP), is generated from the detonation of a nuclear device. A similar waveform is created by extreme solar activity, such as that which was experienced in 1859, 1921, 1989 and as recent as 1994. The US Government and military have studied these phenomenon extensively and several reports have been issued regarding EMP effects on vehicles, computer networks, critical infrastructure and more. In this report, we’ll briefly cover many of the topics discussed and researched in regards to geomagnetic anomalies, solar storm activity and the effects of an electromagnetic pulse. It should be noted, however, that Congress has …