A new paradigm has become evident in both the demographics and the political landscape of 21st Century America. Our nation’s major political camps are becoming increasingly polarized. The differences between the more populous and liberal coastal regions versus the lightly-populated and conservative inland regions are growing more sharp with every passing year. In the long term, a clash of wills between the Red and the Blue is almost inevitable. Whether this will result in conflict or in eventual partition and accommodation remains to be seen. Trouble might occur as early as the year 2020. Or it might be a full generation away. But sooner or later, I can definitely see it coming. This rift might result in a Second Civil War. If and when it comes, this war will not be on racial lines nor on economic lines per se. Rather, It will be a war of world views.
Even a liberal and profoundly statist magazine like The Atlantic has recognized that there are huge disparities between rural America and urban America. In a recent article titled Red State, Blue City, author David A. Graham pointed out there might be armed conflict between the two camps.
Another troubling change is the overt politicization of our government agencies. Recently the US FBI –once considered an unassailable paragon of the even-handed Rule of Law–has recently come under fire for harboring political schemers. These conspirators formed a secret society within the FBI that maneuvered the agency to selectively soft-pedal investigations on their friends, while ramrodding investigations on their political opponents.
The supposedly “Independent” Mueller investigations have been tainted by heavy political overtones. There are now competing camps within the FBI, the CIA, the DIA, and even the Department of the Interior. No state or Federal agency or subdivision of government can now be trusted to conform to the Constitution and its strictures. All of that went out the window, back around the turn of the Century. (The 21st Century, that is.)
The Looters
Novelist Ayn Rand aptly used the term looters to describe the socialistic elements of our society. There will always be those who attempt to expropriate the productivity of others. This is most frightening when it is “government” that does so, under color of law. By cleverly taking from some and dispensing most of it to others, government leaders can build a voter base and thereby make themselves permanent fixtures.
The only things that distinguish a mob of urban looters from a cabal of thieving politicians are: A.) The color of law, and B.) The rapidity of the looting process. But the end result is the same. It is just that “official” looters, can claim that they have the law on their side. They do their looting through intermediaries, often taxing authorities and traffic ticket writers. And they can resort to the police for muscle and to the courts for feigned legitimacy. The mass media outlets have become their willing accomplices.
Taxation is looting in slow motion, through a bureaucratic process, laws, paperwork, accounting entries, and paycheck deductions all in broad daylight and televised on C-SPAN, rather than undercover of darkness with a cutlass in hand. Again, looting is still looting, whether it is carried out by privateers or by “officials.” And looting is still looting, whether it is punctuated by screams or by grumbling.
The same forces can be seen in play at the geopolitical level. The Looters at this level are the globalists who have the goal of redistributing wealth globally, with a slice off the top for the UN. Carbon taxes, greenhouse gas offsets, and other “Green” initiatives are just the latest in a long string of globalist Robin Hood schemes.
Here in the U.S., the divided camps are now labelled red and blue. But let’s start with some history:
Red And Blue, Says Who?
The use of red to designate Republicans and Blue to designate Democrats was not standardized until 1988. It wasn’t until the advent of color television that this even became an issue. If you watched coverage of the 1972 presidential election by CBS on a color television, blue was used to designate Republicans and Red to designate Democrats. But ever since 1988 the mass media–by then dominated by leftward-leaning journalists–has universally adopted an inverted color scheme. To back up a bit further: Traditionally, red has been the color associated with both socialism and communism. Both are to the left of free market capitalism. Back in the 1930s the Nazis and Soviet communists began referring to each other as “leftists” and “rightists”, and that terminology stuck. They are both FAR to the left of the free market worldview. Yet conservatives are now called right wing, and democratic socialists are called left wing. To further muddy the waters, they’ve reversed the color of the Red sympathizing Democrats. Magically, they are now “blue.”
The Third Gulf War
For the sake of shorthand for this essay, I’ll just use the modern blanket terms Red and Blue. And to avoid any additional confusion, I’ll grit my teeth and refer to the democratic socialists as the “blues.” I dislike being called a red. I don’t think that writing a memo to CBS, NBC, ABC and CNN is going to rectify this. Their color scheme has now been mixed into well-hardened cement.
I’m predicting a Third Gulf War, but it won’t be fought in the Middle East. It will be the Second Civil War, here in America and caused by the gulf between the right and left—or between the godly and the godless—or between the libertarians and the statists—or between the individualists and the collectivists. Despite the non sequitur, I’ll just label the “inlanders” as Red and the “coastalers” as Blues.
Individualism and collectivism are in diametric opposition. Nationalism and globalism are both inherently collectivist constructs. Therefore, I believe that nationalism must be tempered and restrained, lest it destroy individual liberty. The logical brake on any excesses of nationalism is a strong Constitution, with carefully crafted checks and balances.
Although I am a libertarian (with a lower-case l), I have doubts about full anarchism. Any truly anarchist state is simply too vulnerable, when surrounded by other countries with natural expansionist tendencies. The lack of any national identity opens the door for foreign invaders (arriving piecemeal or in wholesale numbers) to overwhelm an undefended territory. So some semblance of national identity must be maintained. (That is: defined borders, a common cultural framework, and a common language.) Striking a balance between these competing societal forces over the long term is a great difficulty. Some, like Bill Buppert contend that it is an impossibility. Once too much government creeps in, it tends to consolidate power and eventually become tyrannical. I suppose the goal should be a Constitutional Republic with an underlying strong anarchist streak. Perhaps H.L. Mencken said it best: “Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats.” (That was written by a socialist, but you can see his point.)
War When?
The outbreak of actual fighting between red and blue regions will probably begin with street riots during a heated political campaign, or perhaps immediately following a contested election. The most recent election (November, 2018) was marred by, ahem, vote tallying “irregularities”, particularly in Florida and few other eastern states. If this is repeated in 2020, with enough vote counting manipulation to flip the Presidential election, there could be huge riots. This might be the trigger for skirmishing and for some states demanding partition or even secession. I can see that Texas might be where it all begins. After all, there is a legitimate claim that Texas was never lawfully annexed into the Union. And there are already calls for Texas to leave the Union–so-called “Texit.”
Regardless of where it begins, I predict that the second civil war will break out piecemeal, and almost unexpectedly. It might be something as simple as one state declaring a boycott of goods from another state. Or It might be a revolt be one group of counties in one part of a state being denied pleas for partition, by its state legislators in a state capitol in another more populous part of the same state. (I’ve mentioned this situation in both Oregon and Washington, repeatedly.)
Preserving Life and Limb
With a second civil war now on the horizon, you, my dear readers, may have questions: Will my family be involved? Will we want to be involved? What regions of the country will be safe? The answers to these questions may not be immediately clear. But some places definitely won’t be safe. Consider this: The counties in the state of Wyoming are almost uniformly red, from end to end. But many states are a patchwork of red and blue counties. For example, the state of California is divided into 58 counties. Of those, roughly 10 quite urbanized counties are blue, while 30 rural counties are red, and perhaps 8 counties are various shades of purple. Living in California may become like living in Bleeding Kansas, before and during the first Civil War. If you continue to live in California despite the obvious risks, then that would be a classic blunder. Take a long, hard look at the political demographics of your current State of residence. Analyze it. Is it more like Wyoming, or more like California?
My advice is simple: Vote with your feet. The threat of a future civil war is just one more reason to permanently relocate to a more conservative inland state. If you are living away from the conflict, then you will have the option to become involved–either directly or indirectly. But if you are living “right in the thick of it”, then you are more likely to be tossed about by events. Many situations will be determined by simple geography, rather than by volition. So pick your locale wisely.
I may be biased, but I believe that nearly all of the counties inside The American Redoubt are a good starting point, in your search for a safe haven. – JWR
Note: Permission to re-post the full text of this particular post is granted, as long as a link to SurvivalBlog.com is included, and the included links are preserved.
Its downright depressing watching the crash come. People talk about being patriotic, but what are people patriotic for? The current United States. The idea of the United States?
The current construct is nothing to be proud of. The people are more worried about what Kim K’s butt looks like in a tweeker post than anything that matters.
China has a long game, and will sacrifice everything to achieve it. The US’s long game is looking at next weeks debt issuance. China is foreclosing on state infrastructure of African nations, and we are busy sacrificing the lives of our young men for other people’s “freedom.” People who are unwilling to sacrifice anything of their own for their supposed “freedom.”
This all stems from decadence and gluttony. Kids today have everything they could want, because we wanted to give them all the things we thought we needed when we were young. The left has been deluded to think that everything is not enough, and they want more. Unfortunately more means taking from everyone else so they can achieve that ‘more.’
I don’t know where it goes, but as the country is ripped apart ideologically, there is no positive end state, only division on some yet unknown level.
I can only hope that this happens in my life, that our kids can live in peace.
@BobW,
A couple of months ago, my wife and I were on vacation and walking by a restaurant we had never visited before. It was just past sunset, there were dinnertime patrons filling up the tables, and the owner of that establishment happened to be outside taking a break from his earlier preparations. We fell into talking, and – one thing curiously leading into another – we spoke of the loss of freedoms back in my home state (CA), whereupon he zealously agreed that our society doesn’t even know its own rights anymore. He then stated that he’s had an open “bet” going on for the past few years in which he would award $1000 to any guest in his restaurant who could (without looking it up on his/her phone) recite the all ten amendments in the Bill of Rights. I glanced over at my wife, who winked back at me, and I began reciting the 1st, then the 2nd, then the 3rd…
As I reached the 7th, he realized he was about to lose $1K and offered us bags of freshly ground gourmet coffee, which I accepted with a laugh. But he stated that nobody (until me) had ever been able to articulate even the 1st Amendment, let alone the rest.
My point? As a “red” individual in a sea of “blue”, I can attest that nobody around me knows (or often cares about) their rights, the proper constitutional blueprint for our Federal government, the fact that both the DOI and the Constitution both make clear references to God, the history of our nation and why we have our current situation today, etc. They are, indeed, more interested in the daily hijinks of the Kartrashian-Jenner family than they are about their lawful rights, and they are the quintessential frogs swimming in the pot as it boils. I’ve been truly concerned over the past year as I’ve heard my own co-workers opine that our current President is an “orange virus that must be eradicated, and all who support him”. Thoughts become words, which then become actions. Hatred between individuals or groups is one thing, but hatred between institutions and States leads to war. The wingnuts running my once-wonderful state of California openly espouse their hatred of all-things-Trump, which has evolved into all-things-conservative. This will get worse under Gavin Newsom when he becomes our new Governor this month and ushers in a fresh wave of political animosity.
I do believe there will be a Civil War II, and quite possibly a hot war in certain areas, in part because we know *something* will happen in our nation’s future to explain why there is no clear reference the U.S.A. in the book of Revelation. And I agree with JWR that it will be more along red/blue ideological lines. But when will it happen?…
…slowly, and then suddenly. History shows us this is often the case.
There used to be a Constitution Test as part of graduating 8th grade and getting into high school it is obviously no longer enforced. You have a excellent case for a “Hostile work environment” get those statements recorded or verified,go to HR get them all fired and/or prosecuted(assault/death threats),sue the company and former coworkers and retire elsewhere,the only thing most of these idiots understand is application of pain.
Ezekiel 38:13
“Sheba, Dedan, the merchants of Tarshish, and all their young lions will say to you…”
I know scripture is written in code, but most biblical scholars believe that Sheba is Great Brittan and her young lions…. Australia, New Zealand, and the good ol’ USA!
We’re not written in Revelation per say but are written in the End Times prophecy in the book of Ezekiel.
Revelations describes the events of AD 70. Compare to Josephus’ Jewish War.
Here is a tidbit of factual information (easily researched and verified, but commonly ignored because it doesn’t fit the current church thinking).
You are describing the “Preterist View” (everything was fulfilled in 70AD).
The majority of posters are describing variations of the “Futurist View” (dispensational eschatology).
Did you know that both of those views originate from the Jesuit Priests in the Catholic church?
When the Protestant reformation started up, the Catholic church was often called the “Whore of Babylon” from Revelation. The Catholic church commissioned two Jesuit Priests to come up with alternative views.
In 1591, Fr Ribera came up with the Futurist view, claiming Revelation would not be fulfilled until the end and also taught a rebuilt Babylon, a rebuilt temple in Jerusalem and the restoration of animal sacrifices along with a future Antichrist.
In 1614AD, Fr Alcazar created the theory that the Olivet Discourse and the book of Revelation were ONLY about 70AD and the fall of Jerusalem. (This is the one that supports “replacement theology”.
Isn’t it interesting that the Catholic church follows neither of these, even though they originated the concepts. Both theories were proposed to combat the Reformation and the dim light that it put on the Catholic church.
Today, Evangelical protestants mostly follow Futurism because it can handle the restoration of Israel in 1948 whereas Preterism doesn’t.
Both are FALSE. Both can be easily proven to be false by simply reading the bible and NOT ignoring the scriptures that disagree with those interpretations.
Interestingly enough, Futurism (The predominant thinking in evangelical circles) has only been around in its present form for the last hundred years and has deep roots in both cults and the occult. (Research Scolfield Bible, Darbyism, and Mary McDonald to understand this.)
Shame on believers for taking the easy road.
The Fall of Babylon the Great
Ch 18 After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory. 2 And he cried [a]mightily with a loud voice, saying, “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird! 3 For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the [b]abundance of her luxury.
If you continue from there you can see a description, that cpuld possibly be the US. I truly believe we are New Babylon or Mystery Babylon
AMEN!! I work on the east cost, and I hear the same hate speach at work daily. It only fuels the speed that I am working on my exit plan. I fear for my nation not becasue of our spoiled youth, but becasue we have turned our back on God & Isreal to many times to count. Even though i agree with you about the USA not being in Revelation, I will not argue for that personal belief. I will simply state to any Bible-believing Christian that If you believe the Bible, you know in your heart that it’s only going to get worse from here. Why then aren’t you prepairing and warning everyone you can. My rule of 3 PRAY, PLAN, PREPARE.
“PREPARE…”
Your right that the Constitution does reference God it’s only because the people for the most part were very religious and that’s what they understood, it’s like “flek” and “Fave” for the milenials…. That’s the language they understand. As a Student of History, I have a B.A. in History Education from Notre Dame, I have to inform you that The Sons Of Liberty, which we commonly call all Fore Fathers, whether anyone wants to admit it or not were a group of Atheist Anarchists who were tired of being ruled by Church of England, it also had to do with taxes but not for the nation now thinks it was about, the Boston Tea WAS about the new tax on Tea BUT not just on tea, it was also a new higher tax on tobacco, it wasn’t because there was one, There already was one, it was because the tax doubled and Tea Tobacco at the time was the 2 largest exports of the time colonies, the British Government which was still controlled by the Church of England taxed them beyond the point of making it monetarily, but it wasn’t primarily about the taxes, that was just the excuse and montra they used to rally everyone. They intentionally left religion out of the Constitution because they believed that religion does nothing but weaken a government from doing what is needed and righteous for ALL the people, not just some but ALL. I’m a acamedic but i’m also a spiritual person, I believe in god but I do not believe in the church because the church is run by man and man is foulable. My suggestion to you is get out of California….. There are companies fleeing California by the dozens a day to Arizona, New Mexico and Texas…..
@Bryan O’Conner,
I welcome your input, but please note that the Constitution was signed with the text “in the Year of Our Lord”. While it wasn’t unheard of for documents in that day to be concluded with this, it nevertheless wasn’t common in political documents (I know because I studied this myself and researched numerous European foundational documents for the previous 100 years going back to the late 1600s). For the Signers to select such wording for the basis document that would lay out the framework of our government’s structure speaks volumes.
And do remember that the “separation of Church and State” notion was never attached by the Signers to the DOI or Constitution. It was actually written in a letter by Thomas Jefferson to the Ohio Anabaptists in 1801, in reply to their concerns that the new Federal Gov’t might attempt to establish a particular doctrine or denomination. His statement was his reassurance that the Gov’t would never have any place in dictating matters of faith.
Oh, how far we’ve strayed since then.
Its unfortunate we have come to this place in history. Thank god!!!! our forefathers made it possible for us to renew the constitution. It appears as time goes on it is becoming very clear that there is little middle ground for our countries values. Considering this I suspect it is time for us to prepare for these events unless we want subjugation.
My opinion is not based upon any type of racism (as opposed to what media outlets would portray white Christians as) and matter of fact I would gladly invite any race, creed or color who seeks the freedoms of this country was based upon.
I am a student of history and believe the radical left has organized far better than we have. Groups like ANTIFA, ELF, ALF ect have adopted a “leaderless resistance model”. There is no leadership to counter. This is a very effective model for a movements longevity as apposed to a pyramid approach to leadership. You cannot have a pyramid system because you don’t have the resources like government has. Review the tactics employed during the “Troubles” in Northern Ireland. Our country employed these tactics in the revolutionary war with the “Committees of Correspondence” and may have to be employed again.
Take care all.
Organized yes but your forgetting 2 simple things…. 1. is that we now have a POTUS with the cojones to stop them and 2. The military is overwhelmingly right leaning, They can be “organized” all they want but most leftist don’t own any type of firearm, you can’t stop an Abrams with protests, slingslots and molatov cocktails….. I’m also a Student of History and spent 21 years in the Army. Uprisings like these have always and will always be shut down very quickly. Here’s something that all the leftist who say “California and New York have 2 of 3 biggest state economy’s in the country, which is true BUT unlike the other 3 of the top 5, Texas, Florida and Alaska their economy isn’t a good one, Yes California has a “economy” of 2.9 trillion a year but they are also 4.7 trillion in debt, New York has an economy of 2.5 trillion but are 4.3 trillion in debt and that’s WITH the federal governments help, imagine what it would be if they left the U.S., these “groups” are just piss ants who would be dealt with very very quickly if they actually rose up, When your in an actual conflict you HAVE to have a hierarchy and leadership. You can’t simply win a sustained conflict without a pyramid of leadership, even the IRA had it on some levels, and your completely wrong and fooling yourself if you think it works effectly because it doesn’t, your also wrong that we deployed these tactics during the American Revolution, The Sons Of Liberty were in charge of the grans scheme, they did send troops or give blessings to groups like The Green Mountain Boys, who were an organized militia in Vermont, but they were still under command of Ethan Allen who was apart of the Sons Of Liberty and took orders from them even if those were “go create chaos and mayhem” they were still orders and when they were told to stop they stopped. You can not be effective on the battlefield without some structure of command even if those commands are “go and destroy and plunder”.
JWR, Frightening but excellent article. I have long pondered these questions. Here are several of my thoughts.
1. Red vs Blue violence will come about as street riots by young demonstrators, with Red holding the initial demonstration, and then being attacked by Blue. Though this has already happened many times, it is almost a miracle that almost not a single shot has been fired. That will change, probably in 2020. If it grows from there, this will result in governments passing confiscatory gun-grabbing or registering legislation, and the self-feeding cycle will begin.
2. Because the Red side largely believes in peaceful coexistence, and we focus on simply creating value in the marketplace, earning a living, and quietly living our own lives, we play by a different set of rules than the Blues. Blues believe in conquest, not coexistence. It is not enough for Blues to be left alone to practice voluntary socialism and personal dysfunction in their private lives. Rather, Blues want to use the muscle of Government to force Reds to finance and celebrate Blue schemes and bizarre lifestyles. One day the peaceful Reds will snap under abusive use of Government agencies and laws.
3. At the core of this is four main causes.
(a) Unfettered democracy — America now believes that it can have anything that 51% of the people vote on. Rather than accepting the chains of the Constitution upon the powers of Government, we think there are NO boundaries on what we may legislate.
(b) Enfranchisement of “Non Stakeholders” — Stakeholders are those who have a large input of their blood, sweat and labor into significant investments, and generally into their own families whom they personally feed, house, and educate. When those who have no investments, and who believe that “you need to provide for my family” are given the reins of power, i.e. the Vote, they find they can simply steal their neighbor’s goods through voting, and force their neighbor’s behaviors the same way.
(c) Running Away from God — Conservative Christianity and Orthodox Judaism are inherently conservative and founded upon commitment to personal responsibility and resorting to the faith community and its charity (rather than Government), as the last resort. Judeo-Christian ethic sees wealth redistribution as theft, violating God’s commandments, and therefore unthinkable.
(d) Public Education — Government schools are a destructive force. Neither the Feds, nor States, nor even Counties should have monopolies on taxpayer-funded education. There is not a single State or County in which tax-funded “education monies” may follow every child into private schools. So, the Government has a stranglehold on education, and this will never change until taxes may follow students into ANY private, or religious school, or homeschool without government regulation of that school. Meanwhile Public/State Schools teach the next generation of leaders bizarrely dysfunctional ways of thinking, and either ignore teaching the Constitution and our founding principles, or spread disinformation about the same.
So, what is the next best step to reverse this? Well, disenfranchisement of Non Stakeholders would help, but that isn’t going to happen. A general return to God would help, but that is religious revival and only the Holy Spirit is going to lead that (so let’s pray for it).
I think the single most effective way to break disrail the Statist plunoe into Socialism is to break the State monopoly on child education. If JUST ONE STATE, ANY STATE would legislate that all tax-funded education monies could follow the students into any school of the parents’ choice, with zero regulation on that school, then the resulting benefits would become apparent to that state in less than one generation. And the Public Education driven slide into Socialism could be stopped and reversed.
This will surely be challenged in the courts, but it may be that we now have the right judges and justices to rule Constitutionally on this. This could be the single biggest weapon we have to PEACEFULLY reverse the slide into socialism and statism.
As long as we do not get a “credit” for property tax or “rent” if we home school. We need to remove the funding from public school from the property tax or rent on paid for land.
Pastor Ron,
Your points may or may not be valid ones. My question to you is – Who gives you the tax exemption (501 c-3) for your church? OMG-it must be the government (IRS) I don’t even want to get started on the debate about how unconstitutional that institution is.
They are no more constitutional than the federal reserve is. Another great hoax perpetrated upon the our uneducated population. No matter, everyone knows our great leaders in washington ac/dc wouldn’t lie to us, would they? The only recourse citizens have is the ballot box. SORRY – That has also been taken over by bandits and thieves.
I myself belong to nor will I ever belong to any organized church who excepts a “government (irs) tax exemption. To me that makes you an accessory to and for this illegal institution. I do believe in A Higher Power, an entity which gives us free will. Unfortunately, we abuse the privilege and wants become needs, which is in itself a lie upon oneself.
Yes! A state funding private schools equally to public schools would draw thousands of families away from the progresive’s indoctrination-camp-uses and into the Redout. This should be priority #1. It is achievable.
People make it happen.
People, make it happen.
NO “Civil War”…just crime by Marxist left as it has been for awhile…
The next civil war is inevitable because the blue goal is to completely and permanently change the values of the red (The Republic). This resulting strife (which has already become physical in blue cities) is born from forces outside of the USA. Those forces have infiltrated the media, schools and government and I have to admit they have probably succeeded beyond their own expectations.
Unfortunately, it has reached the point where it may take physical action to restore and maintain the red standard of living. As of now the blues won’t win a physical fight. We still have the guns. But if the scenario continues down this path the Blues won’t have to fight at all.
Look into Operation Mockingbird: (from Wikipedia) Operation Mockingbird is a large-scale program of the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) that began in the early 1950s and attempted to manipulate news media for propaganda purposes. It funded student and cultural organizations and magazines as front organizations.[1]
According to writer Deborah Davis, Operation Mockingbird recruited leading American journalists into a propaganda network and oversaw the operations of front groups. CIA support of front groups was exposed after a 1967 Ramparts magazine article reported that the National Student Association received funding from the CIA. In the 1970s, Congressional investigations and reports also revealed Agency connections with journalists and civic groups. None of these reports, however, mentions by name an Operation Mockingbird coordinating or supporting these activities.
Operation Mockingbird is real, not “conspiracy theory” (a CIA term)
Next look into Operation Northwoods: (again from Wikipedia) Operation Northwoods was a proposed, and almost implemented, false flag operation against the Cuban government that originated within the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) of the United States government in 1962. The proposals called for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) or other U.S. government operatives to commit acts of terrorism against American civilians and military targets, blaming it on the Cuban government, and using it to justify a war against Cuba. The plans detailed in the document included the possible assassination of Cuban émigrés, sinking boats of Cuban refugees on the high seas, hijacking planes, blowing up a U.S. ship, and orchestrating violent terrorism in U.S. cities.[2] The proposals were rejected by John F. Kennedy.
Several other proposals were included within Operation Northwoods, including real or simulated actions against various U.S. military and civilian targets. The operation recommended developing a “Communist Cuban terror campaign in the Miami area, in other Florida cities and even in Washington”.
Folks, the enemy is from within. The two party system, the CIA, the FBI, and virtually all government agencies including the Defense Department are the enemy.
When you think of the concept of Operation Northwoods, think of a certain “terrorist attack” staged on September 11, 2001. Think of Mockingbird and Northwoods combined and put that in context with the “Russian collusion” throughout the treasonous main stream media and the “news” of Syrian attacks on “their own people”.
Who is the enemy, our enemy, look no further than Washington, DC.
I see it too. It seems, though, that very few of those around me see what is happening. My wife only tolerates my preparation as long as I don’t get “psycho” or talk about it too much which limits my actions. I spend a lot of time in prayer for our nation and also praying that I’ve been able to do enough when the time comes. I miss my childhood of unconcerned pride in my country.
Me too. Growing up, I felt tied to our forefathers and their sacrifices. Where did the honor in serving our country go? Being a country gal, I thought I would still get to live in my own little world. However, my little world has been invaded and it has been costly. I am moving as quickly as I can to repair the damage and prepare. For now, I am thankful to be resting after eating a full lunch in front of the blazing fire while it is below zero outside. There is silence here, may it always be so.
I don’t understand the logic of removing funding from education, public education.
The idea of unlocking the funding so it can be used for private education is absurd. Private education does not have the constraints public ed has and unless that changes (it won’t) this would only drive public education to an even lower standard.
That seems to be a liberal way of thinking, have an uneducated population that is easy to control.
A better solution would be to get involved and change it.
I think you may have missed something here. The funds tie to children vs the school itself. Ratios are preserved across educational institutions. So the tax payer funded iPad goes with the kid to the new school. Still 27 iPads for 27 kids. It would force improved utilization of resources at the district level. Look at the non-educator overhead these districts have now.
Hiring better teachers, and paying them better to retain good ones is critical. Reality is that the district, state, and national unions protect poor educators, and marginalize good ones.
Public (government) schooling is the largest and oldest welfare program of them all. And it is usually financed by the most regressive taxes of them all (property taxes).
Please read the works of the late John Taylor Gatto. The title of one of his books, “Dumbing Us Down,” is indicative. The public school system is designed to brainwash youth, not educate them.
I think rawles is right, have been waiting for some time for this to start….
I too, feel that something is about to come loose. Sadly the left do not seem able to listen to fact and/or reason. It ( IMHO ) will start with small demonstrations getting violent. Both sides declare that the other was the instigator, neither letting go. I wish I could spare my children and grandchildren of this conflict.
I agree.
I have thought a lot about this subject. I love this country and want to see it succeed, however it’s people have become too diverse in their belief systems. We were a melting pot that welcomed those seeking freedom, the only requirement was that you adopt American culture. Self reliance, individual responsibility, and freedom. We no longer have those shared values.
There are people who no longer feel shame for stealing from their neighbor. They gladly use the government to do it. No longer do people vote for what is right and Constitutional, instead they vote for who or what will give them free stuff. We have turned away from God and our Christian values. We have become a society where everything is relative and what we used to call wrong is right and what was right is now wrong.
Is it fixable without a Civil War and/or breakup? I only see one way and it may be too late.
If we are to fix it we must return the federal government to it’s Constitutional role with the designed restrictions. We hate each other largely because we can’t escape each other.
The federal government has taken too large a role in our daily lives. If we could put it back into it’s proper place and take the powers back to the states then we could live where and how we want. You could escape the madness of gay marriage, guys being called girls, liberal welfare, and all other sorts of progressive crazy by moving to a state that doesn’t embrace those things. Likewise, progressives could build those socialist paradises by moving to states that embrace their ideals. We could still be a country but live the way we choose in our daily lives.
Just my two cents worth.
I am very sad and disappointed at the polarization of our society.
Bad actors and foreign governments have infiltrated our population with the sole purpose of causing this division. It is an attempt by communists, both internal and external, to sew discord among the population with the sole purpose being the weakening of our country.
Being the only remaining super power causes us to be a constant target of foreign governments. We are the only country able to arrest the conquest aspirations of aggressive foreign powers.
The previous administration was completely on board with the new world order and a Mrs Clinton administration would have sealed the deal.
President Trump has reversed course and the socialist/liberals are being used, knowingly or unknowingly, in an attempt to destroy his administration and further the destruction of American as we know it.
It would be better for us to suffer a cataclysmic event that might bring our country together rather than a civil armed conflict.
I don’t think our country could fully recover from the latter.
I think it more correctly should be identified as the 3rd American Civil War. The first occurred in 1775 when British subjects in the British American colony revolted and fought both the established government and the loyalist stooges that supported it.
I see you have been paying attention to our history, James Harton. Your insight is well stated.
Carry on
My guess is (and I’m sixty) that I doubt I won’t see it in my lifetime. My two children probably will but those two are stalwart individuals and I have items that I’ll be leaving them. The knowledge they all ready possess.
Technically the so called first Civil War was a war of rebellion, the South wanted out of the Union, they did not want control of the government. The upcoming would be a true Civil War.
Correct, that wasn’t a civil war. A civil war is where a sovereign country battles within itself. The 1860s war was a sovereign country being pushed to defend itself from another country that invaded it and sought to pillage it’s resources. Incidentally, the invading country succeeded and they wrote the history books. However, there are quite a few families who’s daddies and mommies told the true story to their children down through several generations.
That’s why we call it the “War of Northern Aggression”.
The winner gets to write history. This idea that Lincoln was wealthy is far from the truth.
The real title is The War of Northern Aggression or the War to Incorporate the US(lincoln was a rich corporate attorney that forced the US from a Constitutional nation into a corporate entity and sold you as collateral)
Like those here, I have espoused this for some time. I think it could easily be a financial “crises” that starts it in the bigger cities (SNAP stops, etc.). The megalopolis ones first, followed quickly by secondary ones like Atlanta, Kansas City, Memphis, etc. It would then flow outside the larger surrounding smaller towns where the gangs are looking to loot. It could also easily spill into the surrounding suburban areas, depending upon the mindset and gun control. How long until the National Guard comes into play, and where their loyalties would lie is the kicker in this thought line. Either way, the major lines of transportation will be blocked, and it will become hunker down where you are. I give it about 3-4 days to spread, a week at the outside.
I have to be careful in my wording. I respect JWR.
I think civil war will be an orchestrated event and highjacked to accelerate complete global controls and constitutional convention under the U.N.
It will be a real civil war highjacked after great loss of life or a million waco’s on their timeline with their complete control of any real information of unity/organization using some contrived and funded revolt that makes good people look bad and a offered solution. I do not see in God’s Word that a nation repents and God redeems them from their sin(unless it is Isreal the tribes… not Zionists). Particularly a super power as the U.S.
If civil war ever moves forward and the truly righteous start to win and there is hope of private property and individual liberty and the system felt like they cannot highjack the momentum, they will use the other global players to sabotage our nuclear capabilities and nuke us with Russia or North Korea or China. I think Russia makes more sense. I do think that there could be those that survive this and God preserves them through that event. This end could end up being a blessing in disguise.
I think it will be a 10,000 Waco’s and we will fall without a wimper because they will be labeled child traffickers it will be Televised/youtubed when they want. Everyone will fall under Noahide laws after they dissolve the constitution. The ONLY time there will be conflict is at 3:00a.m. when “I” am affected. Everyone else will say at least it isn’t me. They will not let “Bundy ranch Radio and Social media” happen again.
Everyone will fall under Noahide laws after they dissolve the constitution. You notice islamic law is very similar.
Either way it will be extremely hard and will try men’s souls, before and after.
This is Black Pill BS
They don’t have as much power as you think since almost no one believes a word anyone says anymore. In any case a real civil war will mean Clinton Doctrine applied to everyone in the press, probably first . Same rules the cartels play by and they work.
The reality is is that people want to be entertained sure but the media is dying. The money is in stupid super hero movies and thrills, not messaging
I’ll also note that compliance with gun control is near zero. Even in new Jersey literally no one has turned over 10 capacity magazines into the police. No one.
That said the reason there is a crisis at all is that people on the Right are fighting a religious war without even an ideology. Leave me alone is a protest not an ideology
No one on team freedom can articulate what they would kill and die or risk much anything for and the few that do often start babbling on in religious terms that frankly turn off lots of people.
A lot , maybe most of us don’t want religious fanatics in charge or want want the government dismantled .We want representation for our taxation and a return to sane social values.
No one is offering that and until they do , nothing can change.
Until YOU personally can articulate in detail what matters and what policies you would prefer you can have power and don’t deserve it and note any policy that avoids power is a guaranteed failure
As the Chinese say
Be Worthy
Take Power
Use It.
This looks to me like you have been paying attention, neighbor. One need only peruse the contents of COINTELPRO to verify the likelihood of people employed by any number of government (or Fortune 500) agencies doing exactly what C. Burnett states.
Carry on
I found it strange that you would quote Mencken since he was the epitome of the coastal leftist elite that you describe in your article. His disdain (hatred) of Christianity, rural America, and the middle class is practically legendary. By all accounts, he was referring to what he saw as a necessary culling of those groups of people.
I do not see a revolution or Civil War anywhere on the horizon. As a whole, we have already proven we will take anything they dish out. We have made heroes out of those that enforce the laws that enslave us; even the corrupt within their ranks are beyond reproach. You also have an entire generation of “conservatives” that have been so brainwashed by the warmongering on Faux News that any criticism of The Empire’s Armies is denounced as unpatriotic. I imagine there will be flag waving and cheering crowds when they come for the guns.
Perhaps Mencken did say it best. Not in the quote given, but when he described American politics as “the worship of jackals by jackasses”. We will get the government and country we deserve.
Happy New Year.
Great reply, DD. I tend to agree with you here. I would be interested to know how you are defining “they” and “we” but generally speaking, you have a great reply here.
Thanks Muddy. Hope you and your loved ones had a Merry Christmas and Happy New year.
I use the general term “they” because the opinion of exactly who “they” are varies so wildly among people. For some it can be the judicial system, the banking system, or the progressive liberals on the school board or town council. When I think of “they”, simply any person or group that attempts to repress the God-given freedoms I have to peacefully exist and prosper within the boundaries of morally acceptable behavior.
“We” refers to the people of this country, regardless of political affiliation. I have found peace by not buying into the Redskins vs Cowboys/Red Sox vs Yankees paradigm (insert the Martin Niemöller poem “First they came for the…” here). “A house divided shall not stand.” There are truly evil people in this world and “they” are forever the enemy of “we”, no matter red or blue.
I agree, DD. For too long the government has wrapped all of their foreign destabilizing adventures in the American flag and too many American citizens stand and salute. Not a single soldier, sailor, or marine lost their lives in the Middle East protecting MY liberty or freedom. If they were truly to protect me they would be in Washington, D.C. and countless state capitals were the real threat resides. The truth of the matter is that with few exceptions, the “Reds” are too domesticated, indoctrinated to obey, too comfortable and too sluggish. They show no stomach in matching the energy and determination of the globalists/communists.
The Reds are too domesticated? Who do you think largely comprises our Special Forces units even to this moment? I served in OEF VII/VIII/X and we lost dozens of this nation’s finest who signed up just after the attack on the WTC in NY. The thing is that most of us were the grandchildren of the WWII generation and remember their stories about Pearl Harbor. They were called to defend something greater than themselves and risked their lives to do so. You can argue that governments were using them as pawns, but on a personal/individual level they were stirred to do more than arm-chair quarterback the events unfolding around them. I am one who didn’t just sit back and pound my chest. I pounded sand in places with other young men who believe in what our grandfathers, ancestors and founder’s envisioned. 0.45% of this nation have served the military. I personally knew several, who gave their lives, to protect their nation and believed in God, Family and Country. Knowing them was a privilege and having served with them was an honor I will carry all my days. You may say not one of us served to protect your personal freedom or liberty, but how can you be so sure and absolute in your premise that all of us served for some other reason when you don’t even know what we went through? SGT US ARMY 173D ABCT
Amen brother. AATW, RLTW.
Zachery, I think that Les was referring to ‘Reds” in general not to the tiny micro percentage of special operators like yourself and your team mates. No one questions your patriotism and sacrifices! However, the mega percentage of “Reds” have never experienced that, are not trained, not physically or emotionally prepared for that level of operations, and therefore do become “arm chair” generals that live mostly on their opinions. I personally have my doubts that very many “prepper or survivalist” types will actually be willing to make the sacrifices necessary to protect the Constitutional Republic. Monday night football, beer and pizza are too important.
Thank you Zach. Well stated.
Zachary, as one who carried the bodies of Marines KIA in Vietnam back to their families, I welcome you home.
I’m glad you made it through and bring your passion and bias for action (Action is the foundational key to all success. Picasso) in continued service to our country.
Carry on
If/when it does occur, the leftists will invite outside countries to come and “help” preserve order. The US will end and the “new world order” will happen. Borderless with a small wealthy elite and the rest just serfs – worldwide (think the Roman Empire). I’m glad I’m old enough that I won’t see it but I grieve for humanity.
For any person with a Christian world view, I see a conflict between a survivalist mentality and what our Lord has called us to in terms of the gospel. While there are plenty of Biblical admonitions that apply, the most salient is Jesus’ warning in Matthew 16:25-26: “For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it. For what will a man be profited, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” So the question becomes, “how far should we be willing to go in terms of committing resources, effort, the shedding of blood, etc., in order to save our own life?”
How far will you go in protecting your family from a killer that has you and your family in its sights. How far will you go protecting a family member from Rape? How far will you go in protecting your family from being thrown out of your house in the snow?
That is what a Civil War will be like.
That is too simple a question. How far would you be willing to go to save your wife and children from being raped and tortured to death?
And how far would you be willing to go to save your soul?
Yea well… Yes and No. This is a very surface look at what was intended for a very deep individual standing before God. This is a question of rebellion vs. righteousness before our Father in heaven. We have to ask ourselves why we are preparing and why are we standing. Is it because it is the “right” thing to do? Or is it because we are in rebellion and in disobedience in all different kinds of ways before God. (Do not quote Romans 13 incorrectly) In this country we are the government and our public servants have lost understanding of their job description and duty and oath to the righteous Kings and Queens and their lands. The penalty for treason is death. This is biblical. The American people are blind to their understanding of who they are. If we will not submit to God willingly then God will give us over to corrupt men.
Well said, C. Burnett.
Carry on
Lets look at what has happened since the Klintons in office. Now where are we now with President Trump? I see 2020 is the year the fire in America starts. It will be total insanity from the left wanting three branches of gov. The snowflakes and Gidmethat crowd will be in full swing with backing of the Democrats.
You have another year to prepare. Do not waste your time in prepping for the worst, but at the same time ask Jesus for his blessing and guidance.
I’ve been preparing for this since I was 21. I’m now 51. IF it’s coming, may it come sooner than later, that my children can live in peace.
The libertarian/nationalist problem is solved with the idea (mainly Catholic, but actually natural law) of Subsidiarity.
The individual decides for himself. The family is mainly socialism but kept within the homestead. The local village and county handle local affairs. the state/province large things like when rivers cross areas so need to limit upstream usage. The nation is for national defense and things like passports.
The problem happens when the Federal Government tells you to avoid cutting down any trees on your own land. The Constitution said except for things like forts and post offices they shouldn’t own any land. And the decisions are often stupid like the EPA turning the river orange and contaminating the Navajo’s water supply.
Yes there will be a civil war, but it is going to be ugly and brother against brother and choosing sides won’t be as easy as it appears. If a Christian socialist comes by, is she on your side or the other. Or someone from the Alt-lite who is definitely a bible believing Christian, accepted Jesus Christ, 100% first and second and the other amendments, etc. but has un-PC views on race?
The worst people will be the moderates, some are cuckservatives, like the GOP before Trump (and still Paul Ryan, Jeff Flake, etc.) who keep telling us to compromise or surrender with the left. Or that things like Gay Marriage, abortion, no-fault divorce are “settled” and we shouldn’t change them. Or that banning bump stocks is “common sense”.
This will be war, and we will have to hang together, so the test is will they ignore the other issues until later and fight along side you, or shoot you in the back because you are on the SPLC list to virtue signal and try to convince the Blue Morlocks to stop their advance.
Beyond the obvious prepping and 4GW training, it helps to know the enemy, and two books – SJWs Always Lie and SJWs Always Double Down – are good guides to the mindset. They take apologizing as weakness, not civility. They will up the attack. Most of the examples are virtual or corporate, but you can see it with the violence of AntiFa.
Ask the white farmers of South Africa how much their opponents are willing to play fair and compromise.
The Red states want independence – just to be left alone – are Christian, and believe in mercy and compassion, but that is a weakness when your opponent wants control, and is merciless and consider you a disease to be wiped out.
Most see this division as a bad thing, but it does make the lines clear. I can’t find the graphic, but now there is no overlap and the gap is getting wider. We now have Loyalists and Patriots. The question soon will be how much do you really desire to return to a Christian (natural law) based Constitutional Republic instead of Venezuela type rule in the USA? How much are you willing to pay in blood, time, talent, and treasure?
Finally, I can’t see it retaining the current geography. The lines on our map are like the Sykes-Picot created Iraq. Or like India during the Raj – afterward there was a mass migration. We already have the states of Liberty and Jefferson wanting to secede. But the redoubt, perhaps a greater redoubt, can be that Constitutional Republic without the coasts and some other parts of the blue archipelago. At least until the blue areas die of their socialism.
Absolutely brilliant summary TZ. Love me some Vox Day too.
Cheers
D.D.
We can have a geographically divided country, red and blue, and long as we don’t all mind learning Mandarin Chinese. America cannot be defended if it is divided up, and China openly states that it intends to go to war with us, and within the next several years.
Do not project into the future without taking this into account.
The Chinese are not that stupid to attack us in the interior, and I doubt Xi will last past 2021 given the structural problems in China.
China is a different culture (see Poorly Made in China and What’s Wrong with China).
Don’t project what would and did happen between (even Christian) Europeans with China. They had Gunpowder first. And made fireworks. They can copy well, but they … it is hard to describe in a short post, but they aren’t and can’t be goal oriented, they don’t either honor or cheat, they “nibble”, creativity or any challenge is discouraged (you axed for it: https://hackaday.com/2017/08/30/lu-bans-axe-and-working-with-your-chinese-suppliers/ ).
Consider we have all the tech, manpower, fancy military toys. And we haven’t won Afghanistan after 17 years. And Afghanistan isn’t known for its intellectual, military, or tech prowess.
That is why the upcoming civil war should be avoided but will be, er, “interesting” (yes the chinese curse). The Blue are credentialed SJWs who got participation trophies. The Red are smart, but more importantly practical people.
Hi, I’m Sergeant Debbie and have come to seize your guns. Come In…
Hi, I’m Corporal Britanny, I’m here to find Debbie…
China will ignore the west for at least another century and concentrate on indebting Africa then stripping it. Assuming China doesn’t have deeper problems.
WE ARE ALREADY IN A CIVIL WAR!!! It is just not televised or a all out hot war. It is at it’s beginning stages of who is going to control media and the government.
The Lu Ban article was excellent but what do you mean by “nibble?”
I feel this is a very likely scenario. What to do? First, provide for your loved ones, second, be prepared to resist and defend yourselves, Third, explore your limits on charity before it becomes a last minute decision. I have had the thought that this will be a rural vs urban struggle. One of the first things that comes to mind is that almost all food comes from rural areas and a scorched earth policy may be necessary to defeat the masses of looters coming from the cities; much as the Russians did to the Germans in WW2. People cannot eat what is no longer there. I would suggest that with your preps you hide large caches of non GMO seed for use after the initial insanity is over. If the farmers have to destroy the hordes by plowing under their crops this will be far more effective than bullets. Not very humane, but armies march on their stomachs not their feet. No leader can keep together a starving force for long and reducing the size of a force makes them more manageable. Letting nature help your cause is a sound strategy and a force multiplier, And yes pray that this is all nothing more than mental gymnastics.
I do not know if we’re going to have a real, shooting, violent civil war. I hope not, but fear it. I have no military background or firsthand experience of war. But what I’ve read of the 1860s Civil War, the American Revolution, & more recent wars, show that civil wars are extremely hard on everyone, even the civilians who try to stay out of the fighting. Destruction of property, family members fighting on opposite sides, food shortages, etc make for a hard life. So I believe it’s best to take steps to prepare for civil war. I currently live in a conservative, inland state, but my political views are in the minority for our county. I am somewhat of a moderate & have friends on both sides of the political divide. A civil war would force me to choose between friends. I’m too old to be involved in the actual fighting. I believe I would try to take a gray man role & covertly support the side I believe in. We should all add civil war to the list of things that we’re preparing for. Review your security plan for your home & property. Plan to secure your garden & animals, as those will become theft targets. If you do not plan to be part of the actual fighting, consider if & how you might support the side you believe in, by providing food, ammo, weapons, & perhaps intelligence. Pray for wisdom, our political rep’s, family members, & your local church.
I am trying to choose my words carefully, here. I truly hope that as many as 5% of the population of the US would get fed up and take a stand against the assault on our God given rights, and take a stand and say “no more”. However, I don’t see it happening. I am seeing that all but a very small percentage are perfectly content with the course laid out for us by the powers that be. The fact that there hasn’t been an uprising before now says that they are asleep and have no intention of being awakened.
See Boston T. Party’s Molon Labe
It’s Atlas Shrugged meets the American Redoubt.
Remember the Church started with less than 100 in an upper room until Pentecost. Then added 3000.
Also remember God is in control.
In some deep irony, the first I heard of the American Redoubt is a week before I moved to Wyoming. God is moving the pieces on the board. Do not doubt it.
I agree with Dan,the trouble will start with a foundering economy.The coming recession will trigger it .America is nowhere near being energy independent despite what the talking heads(msm)say.Our economic system is predicated on cheap abundant energy.Those days have passed.While China and Russia have have spent the last 10 years securing oil and gas deals globally, we have been mired down in domestic squabbling and serving to big to fail rackets.Nobodys minding the store.Buckle up folks! Settle your mare.
The US has been here before in the early 1970’s. Riots, and a slew of domestic bombings. The book “Days of Rage” by Bryan Burrough documents it. You may find the book on Amazon https://amzn.to/2RpSyRD
Divisive opinions will continue, but opinions and isolated incidents won’t bring the country down.
The debt will. The powers that be (TPTB) will be looking for an excuse when they can no longer fulfill the promises of numerous social-welfare programs, pensions, and more. My estimate is 2025 +/- 2 years.
The backside of this would take us into 2030 ‘ish and aligns with the thinking of the 1997 book The Fourth Turning. https://amzn.to/2Sw0gHc
Yes, the early 70s were a tumultuous period. & the late 60s included Vietnam protests, the Kent State shootings, & the assasinations of Bobby Kennedy & Martin Luther King, Jr. Bourrough’s subject of domestic underground groups raises the question: What are some domestic underground groups in the US today? Militias, prepper groups, terrorist cells, & urban gangs seem like likely ones, & there are probably some I’m not thinking of right now.
The fact that we came out of that tumultuous 1970s w/out a civil war, makes me wonder if it’s possible that we can get thru this divisive, highly polarized period w/out a real civil war.
… Near Seattle
Hope that neither the Cascadia Subduction Zone causes a 9.5 earthquake or Mt. Ranier decides to awaken.
I have to go to western central Oregon and will pray daily and keep my fuel tank full.
The original Addams Family series often featured Gomez with a model train where two were about to collide but he would blow up a bridge. I get that vibe from the left coast.
If there is a blasphemy, an “abomination of desolation” get to the other side of the mountains, in your case the cascades (and map the forest roads if Snoqualmie pass isn’t passable)
I mentioned the book (and a link) The Fourth Turning. Here is another, recent article referencing The Fourth Turning.
https://www.theburningplatform.com/2018/12/31/2019-from-a-fourth-turning-perspective/
Pshh…This scenario would actually require masses of Americans to get off the couch and possibly forgo that monthly federal subsidy.
The analysis is sound. The projected “start date” is off. THIS YEAR we will see both (a) notable economic retractions here and abroad and (b) the start of widespread civil commotion.
Those who delay their preparations believing they have until 2020 are in deadly danger. PREPARE TODAY
Psalms 95:7-9–“For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work.” (KJV)
All the world will soon see the Lord “schooling” the nations–NOT the Second Coming, but a time of correction and grief inducing repentance.
I believe JWR is correct. And it will happen sooner rather than later.
A nation is a lot like a marriage in that it can withstand a lot of disagreement as long as the two partners share the same goals and respect each other, We’ve long since passed that. The marriage will end in one of three ways, amicable divorce and friendship, a nasty divorce where the two parties trash the family home and squabble over the dishes, or in one murdering the other. Regardless of the outcome mark my words the marriage is doomed.
Minor item, taking back Robin Hood. Robin Hood robbed from the government to give back to the overtaxed tax payers. Yes, he did “rob from the rich to give to the poor”, but not in the modern statist sense of wealth redistribution. Robin Hood fought an overreaching government on behalf of the overtaxed populace. He should be a symbol for the Tea Party crowd far more than the Bernie supporters.
There is great discord in the country. What gives me hope is that so many people ARE fleeing states like NY/NJ/CA. Many of these people keep voting Blue in their new homes because they are not making the connection between living conditions in their old states and the policies of the left. When there is nowhere left for them to relocate to so that they can avoid the heavy hand of government I believe that people will resist. I think our fundamental problem is a marketing problem. We have not demonstrated that the policies of the left lead to economic ruin and the loss of real freedom. If we all disengage and retreat to parts of the country where we all agree with each other is that best for the nation as a whole? We have to reach out to people who have been suckered by the false promises of the left and win them over. “Looters” will always be with us, but there is a whole segment of our population that may be persuadable. I think this is the only real hope for our country.
I don’t know if the rural population will be able to carry Wyoming in 2020, and that should scare the bejabbers out of people if Wyoming turns blue.
People come here to escape the taxes, crime and oppression of the socialist states but they vote the same as they did before. Only Jackson really went with Killery but I can see a difference already in local political contests where there are significant numbers of out-of-state people moving in. With the continued indoctrination of children by schools, news media and their peers WY could turn blue in a few more election cycles. If we avoid armed conflict that long.
America will fall when the rapture occurs. This will be Christ’s return as a thief. Then the antichrist will conquer all in the confusion left in it’s wake. The antichrist cannot be revealed until the restrainer (Holy Spirit) has been removed from the earth. His promise to us is that He will never leave or forsake us, and if he resides within us, we have to go with Him.
Be prepared for the coming of our beloved Thief! Those who aren’t are in for one rough time!
Good point, and I was talking about this to a loved one today. Yes, it would be great if Jesus returned before the stuff happened, but that is not guaranteed. Our Nation, and Christians in it been lax and not following Christ’s teachings.
While I concur with JWR’s sentiments, my best guess is that the extreme left and extreme right will continue their face off and these confrontations will escalate during the 2020 election cycle. No “Civil War” will start (and I do believe it WILL start), until the folks that are more moderate have had enough. When will that happen? When the folks in the middle; both red and blue; realize that their wallets are leaner, there is no opportunity for their family’s lives getting better and the moderates come to realize the economy is in a nose dive. That has yet to happen and there is no way to predict when this will happen. Beware, however, of the Black Swan that could raise it’s ugly head at any point!
Well JWR I think you pretty well nailed it.
About 20 years ago a Russian (dare I say Russian?) made the comment that the U.S. was on the verge of breaking up into 6 separate and distinct sections,but I think his timing was off. I agreed with him then and I agree with you now. The MAJOR question will be can that be done WITHOUT blood shed? My guess is that it can not , as power is a tremendously insidious force that will cause those in federal power to fight such a move first politically and then militarily. (would they use nuclear weapons against resisting states? ) It’s a terrible shame that the founders did not include language in the Constitution which would have allowed for peaceful secession of individual states.
It is also shame that this country has not followed the direct letter of the law as laid down in the constitution. Strict adherence to the constitution and particularly the 10th amendment would have greatly precluded the issues we face today.
Not 6, at least 11. Search for “11 Nations”. The USA is already culturally split up. There are lots of 11 nations articles. We are in the far West, which extends farther south, but the northern portion is basically the Redoubt.
The founders didn’t give explicit language for secession. Lincoln used force to keep the Union together against its will, turning “The United States ARE” to “The United States IS”. Even if there was an explicit peaceful mechanism, Lincoln would not have allowed it (he arrested the Maryland legislature lest they vote to secede). (I won’t say the South was good or wise, only that they had the right).
There now is mud, but there will be blood
That article posits the existence of up to 11 subcultures, not potential nations. As there are really only two major political camps today (socialist vs. conservative), more than likely there would be only two resulting “nations”, with many existing red States wishing to continue being identified as the original United States. There would also be a massive upheaval as entire populations migrated from one to the other so as to join their like-minded brethren and not be stuck in the nation aligned against their own values.
It is disheartening and aggravating regarding the lack of support and/or opposition experienced when admonishing fellow Christians to be prepared and to think about how to fight satanic and influence in society, and local and federal tyranny. The usual responses are things like, “submit to the govt”, “give to Caesar what is caesar’s”, “hate the sin, love the sinner”, “we don’t talk politics in church”, or the worst that Jesus is a pacifist/socialist/liberal. There may be many claiming to be Christians, but it seems only a “remnant” truly remains and will stand up. By the way, any so-called “moderates” are what Christ calls “lukewarm”. Jesus teaches that those that are not for Him, are against Him. All in or not at all. There is no middle ground, no compromise, no giving any territory to the enemy -physical or spiritual. The divide has always been there, except now the side that worships satan at the alter of humanism has a bigger platform, more representatives, media, indoctrinated servants, etc. and it is now showing its hand of oppression towards all of God’s laws, people, and creation. Believe in Jesus Christ, submit to His Word and rule, pray up, and as JWR says, “stock up, train up, and team up”.
As I see it, this conflict may result in another civil war, but it won’t be like the last one. There won’t be armies dressed in different uniforms so that each side will know who’s the enemy. It’s a war that will be based on ideology, specifically individualism versus collectivism. It’ll be a guerilla war where you could be targeted by your neighbor because of the way you vote and the principles for which you stand. There’ll be larger skirmishes between groups, mostly in the big cities, but most conflicts will be individuals killing or otherwise molesting other individuals whose philosophies they had hated for years, and now that they have the approval of their political party to do what they had always wanted to do, they’re going to do it. Witness the prodding of Hillary Clinton, Maxine Waters and Eric Holder to accost and physically attack those who don’t support their views. I imagine the fighting will be something along the lines of the troubles in Ireland, a nastiness that could go on for generations.
The leftists, the statists, the socialists, the blues, whatever you want to call them, are convinced that they know what’s best for all of us, and those that don’t agree with them must be marginalized, or eliminated, if necessary. There is no debating with people who will never listen to your side of the argument and who have shown throughout history that they will eventually murder you if you do not comply. That is why they are so adamant that we give up our firearms. It’s so much harder to murder armed people. (I have often wondered how the Jews of Europe in the 1930s would have fared if every home had a Mauser rifle and just a measly 200 rounds of ammunition.)
It is not enough for them that we concede that they have the right to live their own lives as they see fit. They can choose to marry a homosexual person, not eat meat, smoke all the marijuana they want, take all the vaccinations they want, send all their children to public schools, not follow any religion, not own any firearms, etc. But that’s not enough for them. Oh no! We must be forced to live the same way they do, and they plan to use the law, law enforcement officers and liberal courts to do their dirty work. They forever endeavor to use our compassion and our respect for the rights of others against us. They see our willingness to “turn the other cheek” as a weakness that they can exploit. What they don’t understand is that those of us who understand what it means to turn the other cheek have also been commanded to carry the sword. So far, that sword has been sheathed. But there is a point when, in order to protect the lives of one’s family and one’s neighbors, that sword must be drawn.
What incident it will be that triggers that I do not know. I do know that there were a series of massacres by the British before the Colonists made a stand on Lexington Green. After that, it was game on. Here, in Corrupticut, our legislature and governors have treaded on the rights of our citizens with one bill after another banning this gun and that gun as an “assault weapon” and limiting magazines to 10 rounds, while the criminals use whatever they want. They banned bump stocks in the last legislative session. Now they’re going after “ghost guns” and “printable guns” because they’ve banned so many guns, there isn’t that much left to ban. They have no problem stomping on people’s rights and are too ignorant to understand that they are stomping on their own rights. Although there has been massive noncompliance with the new gun laws, the statists see our peaceful nature as an acknowledgment of their power, and now they want even more. What they don’t understand is that sooner or later something is going to snap. Then what? It’s hard to call back the dogs of war once they’ve been unleashed.
Learning From The Spanish Civil War
Posted on January 1, 2019
Western Rifle Shooters Association
https://westernrifleshooters.wordpress.com/2019/01/01/learning-from-the-spanish-civil-war/
Learning From The Spanish Civil War
By Rod Dreher
January 1, 2019, 11:40 AM
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/dreher/learning-from-the-spanish-civil-war/
To Swamp Cracker Yankee
Nice to see there are other like minded in CT. I came across a quote I’d like to share. “The moment Martial Law is declared in America. All bets are off. At that instant, our constitution, on which all our law is based is suspended. This means the government no longer has any authority whatsoever and becomes an invading enemy. Our constitution places all authority in any such event into the hands of we the people.” Author unknown. No comprises.
Yeah, I doubt there will be any kind of fighting in the streets on U.S. soil. As the red side are nothing but a bunch of talkers. Look at what just happened in the last two years, complete control of the house senate and presidency. ZERO! That’s what they got done. Right now we should be enjoying national reciprocity, the hearing protection act should be law, conservatives are spineless, as is most of the gun community. Everybody talks a good game until the time comes to start shooting people in the face. I know many who call themselves “conservatives” or “patriots” but yet will be the first ones to fold if confiscation becomes the practice. Not only will they fold and turn in their guns, but for an extra loaf of bread they will dime on the guy down the road that owns lots of guns.
I really hope this isn’t the case and people grow a spine and when the time comes step up so we can get our country back, but as I see things as they are right now, any so called patriots will be trying to hide from the chaos instead of eliminating it.
Jackal, I believe you underestimate the conservative population and confuse it with politicians in general, which makes me think you engage in wishful thinking. Throughout our history Patriots have risen to the occasion pledging their lives to freedom. Me, I will bide my time and pick my battles and wait for starvation and civil unrest to decimate my enemies, and then we will mop up the mess.
Wishful thinking? Yes it is. Thinking that conservatives will have the sack when the time comes to do something. Hell, 90% of them don’t bother in training to do anything anyways. News flash, shooting cans off of a log in the back yard doesn’t prepare you for a fight. I’d like to think I’m not the only one who trains with possible times like this in mind. I just have not found many at all.
Mr. Rawles, Well written and thought provoking article. The only exception I would take to it is your reference to the FBI, and you implied that they are now untrustworthy and corrupt, thereby, implying to me at least, you seem to believe they were honest, ethical and above reproach in years past, when in fact under Hoover they were as corrupt as they are today, in their own way for that time.
I managed to give an incomplete impression so far.
The primary divide and upcoming war is at first, spiritual.
The “Angel of Light”, the accuser Satan, the Devil as roaring lion and prince and power of the air is the actual and specific enemy and he cannot be killed.
The Redoubt is a spiritual fortress where he and his demons are (mostly) kept outside.
Take all your military OpSec, praxis and such and imagine – go scifi fantasy – that an immortal grave evil with a 666 IQ wishes to DESTROY you and act accordingly.
He was defeated in 1786+. But only God can defeat this enemy (image of Gandalf at Kazad Dum ‘this foe is beyond any of you’ – ”you shall not pass!’)
Read you loud & clear, Anon…
Outstanding cinematic choice for an example.
The answer is in another one- Zulu
The SGM says: “Fear not, for the Lord of Hosts is with us”
Bolt on the Whole Armor of God.
For it is written- ” there shall be wars, and rumours of wars..” therefore, I’d bank on it….and stand ready to lock shields with fellow legionnaires of the Most High. Good can, and will destroy evil.
Ultimately, it didn’t matter if Trump or Clinton won the election because they were captaining a ship doomed to sink from too much debt (21.9 trillion, plus another 220+ trillion of unfunded liabilities [MediCare, MedicAid, social security, etc.)
If Clinton had won, the powers that be would have fomented a war with China or Russia – a proxy war – fought through Ukraine or North Korea or Syria. This would have been used to scapegoat the economic collapse on the war itself, rather than on the Federal Reserve Bank, (who truly deserve the blame).
With Trump, the powers that be let him gradually take responsibility for the state of the economy through the first two years of his presidency. Now they are intentionally collapsing the economy during the last two years of his presidency and scapegoating him for it. This is being done by the Federal Reserve Bank through eight rate hikes since Trump took office, with another five projected by election 2020. We will see if Trump is able to control the narrative that the Fed is behind the collapse, but either way, the economy is already on it’s way down (3416 points lost just since September).
If you look back at the 2001 dotcom and 2008 housing market collapses, each had a higher peak to trough and each happened faster than the collapse that preceded it. If this is applied to the current market, I estimate we will see the DJIA drop from a 26.7K peak to around 5-7K trough within a year. Should this occur, think Wiemar Republic, Zimbabwe and current Venezuela for food shortages and inflation and rioting.
I also think this will trigger an international economic collapse and worldwide instability since all the major markets are tied together (Hang Seng Index, Nikkei, Dow Jones, DAX, etc.) not only through exchanges, but also through derivatives bets.
Your best bet if this occurs is to be in a low-population density area, with food, water and heat squared away along with a way to defend it. Long-term, silver is where it’s at, but lead is a precious metal, too. 😉
This old man can think of no better advice, especially for parents with young children. And once settled give your children the 2 greatest gifts parent can give them (if not already): Jesus Christ and schooling at home.
Eventually martial law will have to be implemented. Those in power will do this with the explanation that it has to be done to stop the violence. At first it will appear that it is the right course of action to stop the loony left. It may even be Trump that implements it. Then the Democrats will seize power. In reality it will be the plan of the left all along to use the martial law to disarm the people, then to use it to imprison all those against the NWO. Classic Thesis Anti-thesis Synthesis. Martial law was used by Roosevelt to confiscate all the gold of the people and the people gave it up under threat of imprisonment. Now the bankers had total control and started WWII to stop the Axis powers in their fight against the Bankers and Globalist of that era. And martial law has never been rescinded since 1932. So actually we are still under martial law now. That is how the government has been able to disregard the constitution all this time. The cops, ATF, or whoever will be slaughtered by the relative small amount of people that refuse to relinquish their firearms. It is just a mathematical certainty by attrition. The military won’t be used at first because there still will not be enough soldiers to turn on the populace. So the UN will be called in and now the people that were not killed by the cops will surely be killed by foreign soldiers unless they fight back against the gun confiscation and by now brutal martial law and death camps. This will all be going on as the bankers start WWIII in the midst of the confusion. US soldiers will be fighting as guerillas along with the patriots against the foreign forces dragging in even more forces including Russian and Chinese soldiers as to the agreements made by the Obama administration. Sub-stations and power plants will be damaged or destroyed. Communications systems will be down. Goods and services will come to a grinding halt. No food, water,fuel, medicine, or constitutional law. Just like the Balkans wars, until someone is able to start using nukes. Then guess what?
To Swamp Cracker Yankee
It’s nice to see there are other like minded in CT. I came across a quote I’d like to share. ” The moment Martial Law is declared in America. All bets are off. At that instant, our constitution, on which all our law is based is suspended. This means the government no longer has any authority whatsoever and becomes an invading enemy. Our constitution places all authority in any such event into the hands of we the people.” No Compromise. Caveman
I see America continuing to slide into open hatred between all the factions, with the Left being the more aggressive, deliberately trying to provoke an armed response. I see the sudden disappearance of the Church – whenever that occurs – as the dividing line between civil war and divine intervention. In my opinion, this will separate the real America from the Left Behind ones who will be judged. Without Christians, It will essentially be America in name only. When the hate Left gets everything their way, they will not realize they have sealed their own fate and have very little time to enjoy what little time is left. But, true to form, they will begin the process of eliminating all who are deemed “counter-revolutionary” and start to eat their own. Such horrible judgment will come upon the world at that time, during the remaining Great Tribulation. Once Jesus returns, America will be restored to its original intent, under the Lord God Almighty.
Like a lot of people, I’ve thought a great deal about this in the last few years. My guess, as far as I can extrapolate from what has happened over the last half century is, there won’t be a 2nd Civil War. There ought to be one, but there won’t be. Rather, what I see is more of the same, and a gradual decline that will continue for the next few generations.
The reasons are numerous, but the biggest one is, because there are currently so many little piglets attached to the government teat, they aren’t going to want to upset Big Momma Hog. There are probably more people than you think who are disturbed by the open admiration for socialism among so many politicians, the pushing of the gay/trans agenda, the overt bias in the news media, the abortion culture, the totalitarian trend in the universities, the corruption at the highest levels of government, etc. But, they’re still going to vote for the politician that says he’ll keep the government checks coming.
A huge percentage of the population is receiving social security, welfare, section-8 housing, food stamps, state and federal government pensions, research grants, subsidies for “not for profit” organizations, ObamaCare, ObamaPhones, Medicare, Medicaid, etc. etc. etc. These people are not going to want to see the apple cart upset. They might be irritated when they hear the News Readers report that colleges are now providing sanitary napkins in men’s bathrooms for “men” who menstruate, but they aren’t going to do anything about it. However, they’ll sit on the phone all day calling government agencies if they think their social security check was shorted a dollar. The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, and the way to his stomach is through his EBT card.
Most people don’t have any idea how their society works. They know nothing about how the government works (or how it was supposed to work). They know nothing about history, american history nor world history. They know nothing about the economy, finance, credit, investment, the banking system, the Federal Reserve, etc. Even though we live in a technology rich society, very few people know anything about science.
This gives the Elite a free hand to manipulate markets, the political/legal system, the education system and the media. Snake oil salesmen and Demagogues rely on this ignorance.
The reason I said there “ought to be” a Civil War is because if the current trends continue, your children and grandchildren will not live in a free society. As the upper reaches of government become untouchable and unrepresentative, the corruption will turn into abuse. Thanks to technology, we are likely to devolve into a surveillance state. Inevitably, when security agencies run out of foreign enemies they turn their attention toward their own citizens. The national debt is a monster that one day will raise its ugly head. Without the rule of law the free market can’t operate. I see an increasingly un-civil society with a low standard of living ruled by a police state. Basically, your garden variety third world banana republic. But the Elite will have their multi-million dollar town houses in Washington DC, limo’s and private jets.
Human beings have an amazing ability to “get used to” things. This can be both a strength and a weakness. Most people on the earth have lived in poverty stricken police states. They have never known anything else. This is actually the norm for most of human history. The United States has been the rare exception. But, Americans are no different. They will put up with the decline as long as they have their wide screen TV’s and welfare checks. The Roman rulers knew long ago that you keep order and control by providing the rabble with “bread and circuses.”
I said there “ought to be” a Civil War, but I don’t mean it. Judging by the last civil war, there was a horrific waste of blood and treasure. When elephants fight, its the grass that suffers. Ideally what should happen is a peaceful secession by a conservative region of the country (The Redoubt) in order to preserve the civil liberties of their citizens. Of course this won’t happen. The Fed’s will never allow a secession to be peaceful. Perhaps the most depressing aspect is, why would you expect a state like Montana, for example, (who elected Tester) to want to secede? A quarter of the state is on meth and welfare, a quarter are Mega-rich and Hollywood money buying up ranches, a quarter are state and federal employees, and maybe a quarter are actually conservatives.
I expect to be dead and long forgotten before this is ever turned around. Its likely that this won’t be fixed in your grandchildren’s or great grandchildren’s lives. This is why I say learn to preserve the books and guns and teach the young. Someone in the future will thank you.
The knowledge of the past and the guns must survive.
This time all the ‘red’ states need do to win a civil war is to quit shipping food a a few weeks. Nothing more.
Civil war between right and left won’t happen, period. The left is on the verge of taking full control of the government and when they do, they’ll irrevocably change the laws in their favor before anything can be done about it. Plus they’ll then control all the military branches in the US.
The most we’ll see is isolated rebellions by a few individuals which will quickly be shut down.
The left isn’t going to take over the government because the silent majority isn’t silent anymore. Sure the Left has control of the house but they do not and will not have control of the Senate, which is the more important of the 2 groups, the house is easy to control by the Dems because it goes by population numbers the senate does not, the Senate is 2 per each state. This coming 2 years we are going to be have a lame duck congress and the President will have to do everything himself because of this, things start out in the House of Reps and then it goes to the Senate so whatever the House passes the Senate will not then it’s dead in the water and goes to the President to either be approved or not. Believe it or not the American people are paying more attention than ever. IF the Dems actually try something governmentally the President can and will just declare Martial Law and render them powerless with the stroke of a pen. Why do you think that was put in the Constitution? For days just like this, the left, especially the far left want to throw this country and it’s foundation to the side and become a socalist nation, no one wins under socialism, that’s why it hasn’t ever worked. Whether we like it or not society has to has the Haves and Have Nots because without the Haves the Have Nots have nothing. The government can’t do anything without taxes and when the haves get tired of having money stolen from them so to help the have nots who don’t do anything to help themselves the entire thing goes to shit. Also the overwhelming Majority of the Military (97% according to most estimates) are right leaning who doesn’t answer to congress but to the President will side with the right and simply not enforce any laws that the left want, because they would be considered an illegal or unethical law, Your just fooling yourself IF the military will shut down anything unless told to by the President and those areas will be in the Blue Areas not the rest of the country because they will remain calm through it because unlike the leftist the rightist know who REALLY has the power in situations like that. I can see the leftist states succeeding from the U.S. or trying to anyway and us having a 2nd mini civil war, it’s not gonna last long because of the firepower disparity, The left typically don’t own firearms and those who do have enough sense to know you can’t fight an Abrams with protest and hope. I could very well see the wall extending all the way up to Canada on the West Coast and New England being walled off because that’s where the majority of leftist are and then lets see how they survive on their own….. Sure California and New York have a HUGE economy but it’s not a good one….. they have both been in the red for years, California alone has an economy of 2.9 trillion a year but they owe 4.7 trillion of debt, New York has an economy of 2.5 trillion a year but they owe 4.3 trillion in debt, And that’s WITH the Federal Governments help. Just because it’s large doesn’t mean it works. IF you make 100k year but owe 150k your not making money your in debt, it doesn’t matter what if it’s hundreds, thousands or even trillions, when you owe more than you make your in debt and it’s not sustainable and sooner rather than later your gonna crash and burn.
Calm down, there ain’t gonna be no civil war. One big reason is the Military is almost 100% a conservative Christian Fundamentalist organization. Think the Teacher’s Unions are going to join with the AFSCME and duke it out with the 3rd Marines on the beaches of Califa? There will probably be more soft coup attempts like the Republican attack on Clinton with Ken Starr, and the Clintonites hitting back against Trump with Mauler, but those are constitutionally dead in the water and only hurt the attacking party. And a conservative reading of the Constitution (maybe not as far right as some want!) is assured for our lifetimes by all the far right Judges Trump is packing the Federal Courts with.
There is a move on the Right to call a Convention of States and rewrite the Constitution, it is unlikely to succeed but if it ever does that will be the big chance for open war because the Right doesn’t seem to understand that there is no limit on what such a convention can do, it might end up dominated by the evil Blue forces who seek to establish a new Gulag on Earth.
And leave Texas alone! We are Americans and will never leave the Union again, and there is no legal basis under which we could, shoot, the 1st Republican President saw to that when he took a Springfield musket and shot up the 10th Amendment.
@Ephraim
@Mac Tire
I respectively disagree with both of your comments. I do not agree that Revelation was fulfilled in 70AD, nor do I believe that “both are wrong” about Revelation having two camps believing that one believes it took place in 70AD and the other believes that it’s futuristic. Not sure were you folks are going here but there’s just too much in Revelation to point to a future-a-happening.
Cashless society
Mark of the beast in the forehead or right hand
One world government
A new temple constructed at the bequest of the Antichrist acting “nice to the Jews” Remember that in 70Ad the Romans had destroyed the temple.
One world military force
Pestilence to overcome the Earth at the Fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse
Earthquake, famine, volcanoes erupting, solar flares, meteor shower.
The Lord’s Second Coming ends all of this chaos
There’s just too much in Revelation which points to a futuristic time frame that I do not believe it is wrong to believe so.
Incidently, the Book of Revelation was written in 90AD as they believe, So if its events are referring to a past time (70AD) then it isn’t a prophecy but a historical account.
God bless…
@Jefferson Davis,
Respectfully, I think you should research the information I gave in my response.
I realize that I stepped on a lot of toes with that comment, but people have a tendency to look at Scripture with a preconceived bias. We all do that. It is difficult to move against the grain when it is something that you have been taught all your life.
But the reality is that facts don’t care about feelings and truth is truth whether you choose to believe it or not. Both the Futurist and the Preterist views require suspension of a significant portions of scripture and the ability to ignore historical facts.
There is no doubt that some of Revelation is yet to come, but the vast majority is in our past, but was in the future of John when he wrote it.
To continue with either belief results in doublethink. You don’t start really learning about prophecy until the cognitive dissonance of believing all of these diametrically opposed beliefs sets in and you start paying attention to the scripture that you have ignored for so long.
Really, I encourage you to start with those names I gave and research where both beliefs came from. Until the Jesuits spread this anti-reformation propaganda, the church held to eschatological beliefs that were much more grounded in scripture. We should abandon the false teachings that have pulled so many aside from the truth and get back to letting scripture interpret scripture rather than imposing our own biases on the Word.
I’ve read Survival blog since 2006. And since then, I’ve kept a very close eye on reality in the Redoubt area, especially Idaho. The Idaho market seems to have a very low inventory of housing (with land). Those properties that ARE available are snatched up for highly inflated prices. I read somewhere that Idaho is the fastest growing state in the U.S. with Couer d’Alene being the fastest growing city in the U.S.! Idaho is becoming the Arizona of the ’90s very quickly. Hope those inbound migrants are vastly conservative!