Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” – 1 Peter 2:9-10 (KJV)

Notes for Saturday – May 21, 2016

Just three days after Hessian mercenary forces assaulted the local New Jersey militia at Quinton’s Bridge, the same contingent surprised the colonial militia at Hancock’s Bridge five miles from Salem. In what became known as the Massacre at Hancock’s Bridge, at least 20 members of the militia lost their lives, some after attempting to surrender. The Loyalists reputedly exclaimed “Spare no one! Give no quarter!” as they stormed the occupied house. Judge Hancock and his brother (both Loyalists) were bayoneted in the melee by the attackers even though they were both staunch supporters of the crown and were themselves non-violent Quakers.

o o o

Today, we present another entry for Round 64 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Tactical Self-Contained 2-Series Solar Power Generator system from Always Empowered. This compact starter power system is packaged in a wheeled O.D. green EMP-shielded Pelican hard case (a $1,700 value),
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate that is good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper with a hammer forged, chrome-lined barrel and a hard case to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel, which can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools and a compact carry capability in a hard case or 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  5. Gun Mag Warehouse is providing 20 Magpul PMAG 30-rd Magazines (a value of $300) and a Gun Mag Warehouse T-Shirt; (an equivalent prize will be awarded for residents in states with magazine restrictions),
  6. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  7. The Ark Institute is donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package (enough for two families of four) plus seed storage materials, a CD-ROM of Geri Guidetti’s book “Build Your Ark! How to Prepare for Self Reliance in Uncertain Times”, and two bottles of Potassium Iodate (a $325 retail value),
  8. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  9. KellyKettleUSA.com is donating an AquaBrick water filtration kit with a retail value of $250, and
  10. Two cases of meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Second Prize:

  1. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  2. A transferable certificate for a two-day Ultimate Bug Out Course from Florida Firearms Training (a $400 value),
  3. A Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  4. A Trekker IV™ Four-Person Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $250 value),
  5. A $200 gift certificate good towards any books published by PrepperPress.com,
  6. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  7. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site, and
  8. Safecastle is providing a package of 10 LifeStraws (a $200 value)
  9. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A $245 gift certificate from custom knife-maker Jon Kelly Designs, of Eureka, Montana,
  3. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  4. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  6. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  7. Montie Gear is donating a Precision Rest (a $249 value), and
  8. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).

Round 64 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

How To Trim Your Horse’s Feet- Part 1, by R.B.

For starters I should let you know that I was school trained as a farrier at the Oklahoma Horse Shoeing School in Purcell, Oklahoma. I went there right after two tours in the U.S. Army. I worked full time as a shoer for about 10 years, then part time for another 10 years, and now I just shoe my own horses. In short, I have about 30 years and thousands of horses under my belt. I suspect the readers of this blog have already read JWR’s Patriots, which was the inspiration for this article.

The purpose of this article is to give you a usable reference to help you maintain the health of your horse’s feet, should you find yourself in a TEOTWAWKI situation where transportation via horseback is essential. I should also point out that all the information relative to shoeing, choosing sound horses for purchase, correcting traveling problems, forging corrective shoes, and identifying and treating ailments would take an entire book, which is likely a little too lengthy for this format. The aim of this article is to familiarize you with trimming horses feet and hopefully start you on a path of confidence and skill so that you can not only maintain your own stock but use this information as a barter skill to add to your TEOTWAWKI preparation toolbox.

Preparations

First, I think it’s best to give you a quick outline from start to finish of a basic trim. Later, we will go into detail on all the anatomy, tools, and procedures. (You can print, laminate, and keep this with your emergency horse trimming tool kit.)

200-27

Outline

Trimming horses feet:

  1. Starting with the front left foot, lift the foot and grasp securely and comfortably.
  2. Clean debris with dull side of knife.
  3. Check the foot for any sign of disease or injury.
  4. Use hoof knife to find the white line at the toe of the sole.
  5. Use hoof knife to concave the sole to the commisures, leaving enough dead sole to protect the foot.
  6. Use the hoof knife to trim the bars and frog.
  7. Use the nippers at the toe of the hoof wall to start a straight and level cut.
  8. Continue trimming the hoof wall along the left and right sides level with the initial cut.
  9. Check the alignment of the heels, using imaginary T line.
  10. Use the coarse side of the rasp to smooth and level the hoof wall from the heels to the toe.
  11. Check the alignment of the heels again, using imaginary T line and rasp to level.
  12. Use the coarse side of the rasp to cut a 45 degree angle across the front half of the hoof wall.
  13. Use the fine side of the rasp to “round” the 45 degree cut angle.
  14. Check again for any sign of disease of injuries and treat accordingly.
  15. Continue this process around the back feet and back to the opposite front foot.

Sounds simple enough, right?

Anatomy

It is important that you familiarize yourself with the anatomy of a horse’s foot. image-2 The outside shell that you see when the horse is standing is called the hoof wall. The hoof wall is named for the toe at the front, the sides are called the quarters, and the farthest back points are called the heels. Between and above the heels is a fleshy area, called the bulbs. At the top of the hoof wall, at the hair line, is an area called the coronet band. Inside the hoof the bone in the bottom of the foot is called the coffin bone. Just above that is the short pastern bone, with the long pastern bone above that and the navicular bone to the rear of the short pastern and coffin bone joint. If you lift up the foot and look at the bottom, just inside the hoof wall is a thin line called the white line.image-3 The white line is the laminae that adheres the hoof wall to the sole. After the white line is the sole. The sole comprises most of the area under the foot. The large leathery triangular pad at the rear of the foot is called the frog. On each side of the frog, there is a trough called a commisure, and just outside that, running from the heel to the front of the frog, is a line of wall tissue called the bars.

Tools

The next bit of necessary background reference is the tools. As a bare minimum to trim a foot, you will need a hoof knife, nippers, and a rasp. image-4 Hoof knives are hand specific; so, if you are right handed, you will need a right hand knife. I am right handed, but I also keep a left hand knife because it is much easier to trim the left side of the frog with a left-handed knife for a right-handed person. They also make a double-bladed hoof knife so you can have both knives in one tool. The knife should be kept sharp including the hook end, which is used to clean out hard to get to areas, like the commisure. Your nippers are for cutting the hoof wall. I recommend buying the best pair of nippers you can find. I went through three pairs of Diamond brand nippers before I finally broke down and purchased a pair of 15” GE nippers. The diamond nippers are fine for general purpose, but I have busted two pair on really hard mustang feet. The next tool on the list is a hoof rasp and rasp handle. Rasps are very sharp but also very brittle. When used for the intended purpose, they are like a hot knife through butter. However, if you accidentally drop or step on a rasp, they can snap like peanut brittle. So, for TEOTWAWKI, I recommend having at least one spare. The rasp has four cutting surfaces. The rough side is used for the bottom of the foot. The smooth side is used for the outside of the foot, and the edges are only used when shoeing. The last critical piece of equipment is an apron. I use custom-made chinks with a pocket and a magnet sewn onto the right outside of the knee. image-5 The apron will protect your legs from sharp edges of the hoof wall and provide a place to hold your tools, so you can use both hands to lift and position the horse’s feet.

The Details and Explanation

Now, let’s get to the detail and explanation that I promised you earlier. I like to start with the front left foot, because the left side of the horse is the most used and, hence, most familiar to the horse. It is important to keep the horse comfortable and relaxed as much as possible, as it makes your job a lot easier if the horse is not moving around trying to get comfortable. The whole job is about the horse, so keep that in mind; be considerate of the horse, and the whole job will be much faster. Pat Parrelli once said, “A horse doesn’t care how much you know, until he knows how much you care.”

Lifting a Horse’s Front Foot

Always start with your hand on the horse’s body just above the leg and run your other hand down the leg to the foot so the horse can follow what you are doing. When you get to the foot, if the horse is already broke to shoeing, it is likely he will just lift the foot for you. If he does not, you just grab hold of the hair at the back of the hock and give it a tug upward. If that doesn’t work, you can slide your hand above the hock and feel for a soft spot between the bone and the tendon. If you give that area a little squeeze, most horses will automatically give to this pressure and lift the foot. However you get them to give the foot to you, be prepared to take a good hold on the foot just above the hoof wall until you can get it high enough to grab it by the toe. When you have the foot raised, make a mental note of where the foot is. On a horse with straight legs, the foot will rise straight up and should be directly behind his elbow. The less you move the foot from that position the easier the job will be. If you try to pull the foot out toward you, it will be uncomfortable for the horse and he will likely be moving around trying to get comfortable while you are trying to work. So keep him comfortable and make your job easier. I keep my body as close to the horse as possible, raise the foot with my hand closest to the horse, then slide the foot between my knees, and switch to my outside hand in front of my knees to position the foot and get a good comfortable stance for both me and the horse. On the front feet, this position is very much more uncomfortable for you, but that bit of discomfort will pay off in the end with a happier more tolerant horse.

Cleaning the Foot

Once positioned, I start the trim by using the dull side of my hoof knife to clean out the foot. image-6 Keeping your knife sharp is critical for efficient trimming, and using the dull side of the knife means you don’t have to carry an extra tool to clean the foot. Plus, it protects the sharp side of your knife from rocks and gravel packed in the dirty foot. image-7 image-8

Letter Re: Shopping on Amazon

Hugh,

In addition to the information in this article I would like to mention that there are many free Kindle books at Amazon as well at archive.org that are in the public domain. You do not need a Kindle (or Amazon Prime account) to download and read these books, you can read them on your laptop/desktop computer with the free downloadable Kindle PC reading app from Amazon. If you use the shipping option that gives you a 99 cent credit usable on Kindle books or digital audio products it has been my experience that the length of time between ordering and arrival has not been any different than the fastest free option, and you can use that credit on Kindle books.

Another Amazon feature that I use numerous times daily, is the Send-to-Kindle app. This particular article in fact, like many on Survival Blog, I view on my Safari web browser and use the reader view and on the pull-down ‘file’ option I “save as PDF” to a folder on my computer. Once there I “Send-to-Kindle” to my portable Kindle Fire on which I’ve got an encyclopedia of knowledge. Saved as PDF files also makes them easy to print out and placed in that binder we all have.

Lastly, and most importantly, the section on Amazon reviews In Sarah Latimers’ article is very excellent and perhaps the most valuable information of all. In fact, I often read one-star ratings just for entertainment: “I rated this one-star because I got it as a gift and I already have one”. – Mr. T

Economics and Investing:

Huge Trend Changes Point To Something Big In The Gold Market

o o o

The Coming Catastrophic Collapse Of The American Middle Class – B.B.

o o o

U.S. debt dump deepens in 2016 – B.B.

o o o

A third of cash is held by 5 U.S. companies

o o o

Extreme rental living in Los Angeles: Want to live in a van, near the river? Or maybe a RV is more your taste?

o o o

SurvivalBlog and its editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. Please see our Provisos page for details.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Missouri Lawmakers Ignore Bloomberg’s Anti-Gun Campaign: Pass Constitutional Carry, ‘Stand Your Ground’ Bill

o o o

Sent in by G.G. – Judge orders ethics classes for ‘deceptive’ DOJ attorneys Excerpt: The facts of the deception are not in doubt, Hanen emphasized. “[DOJ] has now admitted making statements that clearly did not match the facts,” he said in the May 19 opinion, first noted by the National Law Journal. “It has admitted that the lawyers who made these statements had knowledge of the truth when they made these misstatements … This court would be remiss if it left such unseemly and unprofessional conduct unaddressed.”

o o o

This Man Saved A Girl’s Life, Now Target Is Suing Him – B.B.

o o o

Microsoft has become far more aggressive in pushing their free Windows 10 upgrade for users of Windows 7 and Windows 8. For those who do not want it (and some of the potential security issues it brings) it is important to realize that it can automatically download onto your machine and run the update without your approval. There exists various ways to stop this from happening AND freeing up potentially 6GB+ of space that it uses in pre-downloading its files. You can learn more here – B.M.

o o o

Feds: EMP hit on electric grid threatens national security

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean. And in controversy they shall stand in judgment; and they shall judge it according to my judgments: and they shall keep my laws and my statutes in all mine assemblies; and they shall hallow my sabbaths.” – Ezekiel 44:23-24 (KJV)

Notes for Friday – May 20, 2016

May 20th, 1942 is the birthday of Carlos Hathcock; he died February 23, 1999. He was a United States Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant sniper with a service record of 93 confirmed kills.

o o o

We are coming up on the end of Round 64 of the SurvivalBlog Writing Contest. If you have an article you would like to submit to the contest, finish it up and email it to SurvivalBlog. If you haven’t read the list of prizes that are going to the top winners, you should take the time to read them below. Sometimes I look at these prizes and wish I could enter the contest! Remember, if you have won the contest before and it has been longer than a year, you can enter and be eligible again. Past winners of the Honorable Mention prizes can enter the contest any time.

o o o

Today, we present another entry for Round 64 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Tactical Self-Contained 2-Series Solar Power Generator system from Always Empowered. This compact starter power system is packaged in a wheeled O.D. green EMP-shielded Pelican hard case (a $1,700 value),
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate that is good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper with a hammer forged, chrome-lined barrel and a hard case to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel, which can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools and a compact carry capability in a hard case or 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  5. Gun Mag Warehouse is providing 20 Magpul PMAG 30-rd Magazines (a value of $300) and a Gun Mag Warehouse T-Shirt; (an equivalent prize will be awarded for residents in states with magazine restrictions),
  6. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  7. The Ark Institute is donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package (enough for two families of four) plus seed storage materials, a CD-ROM of Geri Guidetti’s book “Build Your Ark! How to Prepare for Self Reliance in Uncertain Times”, and two bottles of Potassium Iodate (a $325 retail value),
  8. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  9. KellyKettleUSA.com is donating an AquaBrick water filtration kit with a retail value of $250, and
  10. Two cases of meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Second Prize:

  1. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  2. A transferable certificate for a two-day Ultimate Bug Out Course from Florida Firearms Training (a $400 value),
  3. A Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  4. A Trekker IV™ Four-Person Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $250 value),
  5. A $200 gift certificate good towards any books published by PrepperPress.com,
  6. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  7. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site, and
  8. Safecastle is providing a package of 10 LifeStraws (a $200 value)
  9. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A $245 gift certificate from custom knife-maker Jon Kelly Designs, of Eureka, Montana,
  3. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  4. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  6. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  7. Montie Gear is donating a Precision Rest (a $249 value), and
  8. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).

Round 64 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Understanding the Progressive Agenda- Part 2, by DBS

The Next Domino to Fall After the Glass-Stegall Act

Look, our friends over at Wall Street were losing their wealth. We (the elite) couldn’t allow that to happen. They needed more dollars to pay their debts because the stupid middle class had lost their jobs, filed bankruptcy, and were not buying anything. What could we do? Well, we decided to print more dollars and give those dollars to them. Then, they could pay off their bonuses and buy more of their own stocks. They keep up their perceived value, and we will all look rich! We will take advantage of the inflated values of Wall St. We will inflate the Wall St values and increase the media stories and programs to the middle class so that they invest more into the inflated values. Then, when we decide it is time, we (the elite) will pull out all of our investments at the same time. This will leave the middle class holding the bag!

Sorry for the change to 1st person, the Great Recession is new and still painful for so many. I felt I needed to lighten up the true horror of financial destruction of the middle class. Hindsight is always—20/20! Now, I’m back to talking for myself instead of as a member of the elite.

Man, I hope this scenario, described above, doesn’t happen! That is why I educate my friends and family about the dangers of owning Wall St rather than any tangible asset.

The next financial issue the elite didn’t see coming was a drop in the GDP! Why? Recently the facade is showing its ugly truth in the financial markets. The charade is up! Remember where we are in the population control and demise of the western middle class theory. Have you figured out “the why”? The reason is greed!

Greed of the wealthy elite is the reason for population control, Marxism, and Communistic theory and agendas. The elite’s greed is why we have lost our family unit. It’s responsible for the attack on our Constitution, the emasculation of our men, the push to increase feminism, and the career woman. The result would be fewer kids born to conservative, Christian parents of the successful middle class. They couldn’t allow the middle class (MC) to multiply their efforts in obtaining generational wealth. They needed to deconstruct the MC western culture, because of the elite’s greed. Plus, to change the MC culture, the end result was to create a two-class system similar to a feudal system of “rulers and serfs”. That is why we have seen such an increase of the wealth of the Top 10% in the USA and a huge drop off of the middle class with an increase of poverty. This is the creation of a feudal system. I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news!

An unforeseen drop in the GDP is a real issue for the wealth of the elite ruling class. So, they need to solve this real issue and quickly! But how? They can’t afford to adjust the plan of ridding the MC, and they can’t make the MC any poorer without causing a revolt. What could be the answer?

If the MC did have the guts to revolt, the elite needed start the attack on our ownership of guns and ammo. Why? Well, because an unarmed population is not a threat to creating a feudal system, unless it is the peasant revolt in the French Revolution. However, I don’t think “pitchforks” would be very successful versus our current military and police state complex.

How Elite Solving the GDP Issue Without Increasing the Conservative Constitution-Minded Middle Class

The answer is immigration reform! What better may to solve the GDP than by bringing in a completely new class of consumer. These new consumers wouldn’t request any new Constitution rights. This new consumer won’t have a problem with loss of those rights, since they never had those rights before in their lives.

These new immigrant citizens will have almost 0 financial education, so they won’t threaten the elite’s wealth and power. Plus, when the Progressive politicians give those second and third rates citizens free stuff: home, welfare, cell phone, et cetera, these new citizens will vote Progressive with no questions or qualms. Never heard that technique work? Look back to 2012 and Obama’s vote-buying with government cell phones. SMH! Wow! It’s surreal.

Looking to the under 30 year old group, they have pushed for more “equality”. Man, we didn’t see that coming. Have you heard of “Occupy Wall St”? Do you remember “1% Rich and 99% Poor” signs? Well, that was a precursor of things to come! I think the Democrats and the Progressives found a way to quench the thirst for equality. They will make everyone the same. Using the techniques of communism, they will place everyone on an even playing surface, that being below the poverty line! That way we will all feel– equal, and there will no longer be any envy, desire, and will to bring a even greater loss of hope. How much equality do we need to have? The next generation has been brain-washed for so long that I feel sorrow for the Millennial generation. They are seeing a real punch to the gut in becoming adults, and they’re demanding the likes of Bernie and equality; they will be surprised. Be careful for what you wish for! With the use of TV, social media, Hollywood stars, and the music industry, these celebrities are all playing for a spot among the elite ruling class. They have been promised their place and the future of greater fortunes. Do your research and you can wonder why Leonardo DiCaprio gets invited to Davos Switzerland for a World Economic Summit!?! Then he comes back from Davos and wins the Best Actor award; during his acceptance speech, he rants about global warming. Does it seems curious or scripted? But the attack on the MC is not over. It has now become an elimination! Stay tuned! Reflect, and ask yourself “Why?”.

Understanding the Progressive Agenda—Part #2

In the last four years and over the next six years, our western middle culture is under its final attack. I believe our culture will be eliminated in the next ten years. Since the election of BHO, I have never seen such a movement to unravel our Constitution and our culture. The purposeful unraveling seems so comedic that it seems surreal. Why are there 0 checks and balances in Washington D.C.? Aren’t these checks and balances laid out in the framework of our government? So, it seems beyond me. Unless, all those politicians all are part of the same game? What a real shame. I feel duped and upset with their greed. In history, all of the most powerful empires had a great middle class. However, it seems that the Progressive Movement is now entering the final mode. It is really amazing to see how a liberal person behaves and acts around non-liberals. They get violent, aggressive, unable to communicate, narcissistic, unfounded and lost. It seems that the liberal mind has now become a mental illness. I guess, it’s brain washing? But, back to the matter, the progressive agenda is now becoming a movement. This movement is ready for the final stage– the elimination of the middle class.

Why? Let’s go back to looking at it from the elite’s point of view. The threat of the middle class needs to be eliminated, because having a middle class does not work with our goal of creating a two-class system of rulers and serfs. An educated, financially funded middle class, with a Constitution that was designed against tyranny, needs to be eliminated. Because those powerful MC will not go quietly, they could revolt and over-throw our positions of wealth and power. We need to eliminate the Second Amendment and take away any other parts of the Constitution that the Middle Class could use against us. Then we will create a major event that would destroy their finances, their basic needs, and thus make the Middle Class come running to us with their hands out, like it was back in 1933.

If we, the middle clas, would fall to ours knees and beg for help, the elite can then eliminate the middle class. Then, they (the elite) would have an entire population of American serfs. However, this is where I was confused. How can you have 200 million Americans on welfare! How does a Communist state work, financially?

It goes against all sound financial advice and against history. How about the teaching of Ayn Rand, the collapse of USSR, et cetera. Why in the world would a ruling party want a bunch of poor people asking for hand outs? Man, I didn’t get the Progressive agenda! I didn’t, until now.

What do all of those Serfs need? They need food, water, housing, utilities, and Chinese junk. You know, those are merely Serf essentials, and the elite will need to charge taxes on all those items. Still, I don’t think that would be enough wealth to cover all of the welfare handouts, would it? Then I thought, who owns all the factories, resources, water, and power plants that are needed by a large population? And if one group of rulers owned all of those resources and income generators, then those owners would be the only group that could profit from the sale of those products. By owning all of the necessities, charging a profit, controlling taxes, and eliminating all competition (small business owners), a wealthy elite would control national and global economies and populations. This is a grandiose dream of the wealthy elite. For we should remember the “Golden Rule”: he who owns the gold makes the rules!

The Unfortunate Truth

Now all of this could be a nightmare or a conspiracy theory. It will depend on your perspective and what the future will reveal to us. I know many of my friends and family could not or would not digest this foundation writing. So, I quote Plato:

“Those who are able to see beyond the shadows and lies of their culture, will never be understood, let alone believed by the masses.”

After I revealed this foundation theory to a family member, I was asked, “Now what?” There was panic and despair in their voice. I explained that I am going to keep doing what I am doing. I am going to keep raising my children and their children and doing it right. I am going to keep my culture alive, keep my religion in front, prepare for judgment day here on Earth and in Heaven, and prepare to keep my household healthy and happy. Yet, I am going to keep my prospects open to finding a new like-minded community. I am prepared to relocate to my next Redoubt, if needed. I plan on keeping in contact with like-minded people and to get more involved with local politics, and if the local politics change then I am ready to relocate to other areas that are open to conservative, Christian families. I am going to continue obtaining more wealth and making sure that wealth is far from the U.S. dollar hegemony. I will do my best to educate my children to raise more non-liberal children, so that I can help in keeping my Western culture alive. Keep your eyes open, and God speed.

Three Letters Re: Amazon

HJL,

I really enjoyed Sarah Latimer’s article on using Amazon. Although I use it quite a bit, I still found some of her shopping tips helpful.

Regarding caveats about shopping, the biggest one I have found is the item price is cheap but the shipping cost is outrageous.

amazonprices

Here is a quick example, note the cheapest one doesn’t have free shipping. [Editors note: These prices/shipping do not seem to be from Amazon Prime. Mrs. Latimer strongly urges SurvivalBlog readers to sign up for Prime. If you just order 10 or 12 items a year, it will probably pay for itself.]

Also be aware that the cheapest one may be shipping from your state and you will also have to pay sales tax, making it more expensive. – S.T.

o o o

Hugh,

For purchases like 99% Isopropyl Alcohol, don’t neglect the Industrial & Scientific department. You can often find higher quality and less expensive products there than you can in the Health & Beauty department. I found a good deal on XL 6-mil Nitrile gloves there. – WGU

o o o

Hugh,

Two more tips:

  1. You can use the “saved for later” feature to buy on sale. There are many things I want but they are pricey or I just want a spare. When going to the cart, it will say “items changed price”, so I can then see if something dropped, say from $100 to $80 and buy it then. It can sit for months at retail, then one day go on sale and I snap it up.
  2. The Synchrony Bank Amazon Prime rebate card. 5% back as a statement credit, with no fuss, on everything, not just Prime or Amazon. So if your bill would be $525, it ends up $500. – T.Z.

Economics and Investing:

Landlords Are Catching Retail’s Cold – RBS

o o o

In some towns, the strip malls can’t die fast enough – RBS (Warning: This site may require a login to access.)

o o o

Texas shelters, churches fear sudden influx of Cuban migrants will overwhelm them – W.C.

o o o

Obama on track to double national debt – B.B.

o o o

Items from Mr. Econocobas:

Fed Puts June Rate Increase on Table Provided Economy Says Go – For your daily comedic relief, it’s amazing what these folks will say with a straight face.

o o o

SurvivalBlog and its editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. Please see our Provisos page for details.

Odds ‘n Sods:

From the desk of Mike Williamson, SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large: 3d printed pistol – For discretion or emergency.

o o o

This is why my family made the decision to move out of the People’s Republic of California back in 2012 and never to return. Imagine a U.S. Marine battalion under attack by Islamic Extremists and all of a sudden the Powers to Be issue a decree to disarm the Marines. Their thinking is either terrorists would lay down their weapons or they’d not find a weapon with them being banned. Oh, well. We feel sorry for Californians and pray for all of you. FYI- My family couldn’t be happier to live in Nevada, where we own any number of rounds in our magazines from our .22 cals through our .50 cals and suppressors on everything. God Bless! – J.H.

JWR’s Comment: Even the grandfathered 11+ round magazines will now be banned in California. It is high time for all SurvivalBlog readers to leave that Mickey Mouse state!

o o o

Are We Ignoring a 4GW Asset? – A 4GW approach to ISIS. Some Muslims leave to join ISIS, find they are horrible, and return. Arrest or ignore? How about recruit? – T.Z.

o o o

In Search For Cures, Scientists Create Embryos That Are Both Animal And Human – This is a crime and a place they are going that we have to pray doesn’t ever happen. ?- DSV

o o o

TSA Watchdog Spills Secret Behind Long Airport Lines – Have you ever notice when a government agency loses funding, they cut the things that hurt you the most rather than the unnecessary things? – J.F.

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“No man but feels more of a man in the world if he have a bit of ground that he can call his own. However small it is on the surface, it is four thousand miles deep; and that is a very handsome property.” – Charles Dudley Warner, My Summer in a Garden (1870)

Notes for Thursday – May 19, 2016

Today, we present another entry for Round 64 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Tactical Self-Contained 2-Series Solar Power Generator system from Always Empowered. This compact starter power system is packaged in a wheeled O.D. green EMP-shielded Pelican hard case (a $1,700 value),
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate that is good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper with a hammer forged, chrome-lined barrel and a hard case to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel, which can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools and a compact carry capability in a hard case or 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  5. Gun Mag Warehouse is providing 20 Magpul PMAG 30-rd Magazines (a value of $300) and a Gun Mag Warehouse T-Shirt; (an equivalent prize will be awarded for residents in states with magazine restrictions),
  6. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  7. The Ark Institute is donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package (enough for two families of four) plus seed storage materials, a CD-ROM of Geri Guidetti’s book “Build Your Ark! How to Prepare for Self Reliance in Uncertain Times”, and two bottles of Potassium Iodate (a $325 retail value),
  8. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  9. KellyKettleUSA.com is donating an AquaBrick water filtration kit with a retail value of $250, and
  10. Two cases of meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Second Prize:

  1. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  2. A transferable certificate for a two-day Ultimate Bug Out Course from Florida Firearms Training (a $400 value),
  3. A Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  4. A Trekker IV™ Four-Person Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $250 value),
  5. A $200 gift certificate good towards any books published by PrepperPress.com,
  6. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  7. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site, and
  8. Safecastle is providing a package of 10 LifeStraws (a $200 value)
  9. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A $245 gift certificate from custom knife-maker Jon Kelly Designs, of Eureka, Montana,
  3. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  4. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  6. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  7. Montie Gear is donating a Precision Rest (a $249 value), and
  8. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).

Round 64 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Understanding the Progressive Agenda- Part 1, by DBS

For years, I have been feeling shocked by the amount of strange happenings, those that I couldn’t explain; they just didn’t make sense. More and more, I would get angry, frustrated, and upset with how these events and their origins occurred. I have a feeling that many like-minded patriotic Americans may feel the same way, especially since 9/11.

Not only has our society change since that day but so has our culture. As a Desert Storm Marine and now a retired fire chief, I have found that our society and culture changed so quickly. It seemed each year the changes had been growing and growing. I had thought that maybe I was getting older and less knowledgeable of the new pop culture, but I also found myself wondering what was wrong with all of these headlines, cable TV programs, legislation, new rules, new taxes, free money, crazy home loans, embellished financial markets, persecution of the Bible, downplay of religion, and more. I could go on, but I think you also feel the same. That is why we are here with the great resources of SurvivalBlog. We are all looking for answers to those strange questions and feelings we have as a community. So many events, over the past 15 years, just don’t make any sense to us.

I have had so many strange feelings that have caused me anguish and have pushed me to make changes in my life and my awareness. However, I had not found out exactly why! I didn’t know why people felt “off”. So, since I am a problem solver and I needed to know why, I began to pursue the origins of my frustrations and started my research.

I now have enough knowledge and answers to feel more comfortable with awareness, and I’ve reached a point where I now feel more comfortable and a bit more at ease. I have a lesson that I teach my family. I tell them that the worst thing you can do is to ignore a problem, and the I give them steps to find a solution:

  1. Identify the origin,
  2. Set a plan, and
  3. Follow through with the plan, until another is needed to adjust for the best outcome.

In my continued studies and search for the origins of my frustration, I recently found multiple websites with great articles that gave me some of the final pieces to the answers. Now this information may be hard to digest for most people/Americans. It will depend on your level of awareness and acceptance of possibilities. At this time in my life, I allocate more time to analyze people, TV, social media, and advertisements, always looking for the origins of their behavior and actions. So I feel that maybe sharing my results may bring more discussion and ideas to the forum with an end result of finding more resolve.

The Progressive Agenda: “Left, Liberals, Obama/Clinton”, Democrats, et cetera

For those who are not aware, some of the origins of Democratic party were slave owners. Please also research LBJ and his comments after laying the foundation of the welfare state. Another interesting comment came from the NBA commentator, Charles Barkley. All of these statements and history will come together at the end of this paper. Since the 1960’s, there has been a movement known as Liberal thinking. I feel this movement started with good intentions, since the 60’s were of such chaos and change. However, underlying those good intentions were a few select leaders that had a common theme. I believe this theme had been hiding and found a vehicle to use their ideology. Since the McCarthy hunt on communists, those ideologists needed another vehicle that was more subvert to change this country into their utopia. The Progressive Agenda has its roots in Communism and Marxism. This may or may not be a shock to you. If this is not a shock, you are aware and should keep reading. This is not a history lesson, and I will not supply a time-line of events. This is more of a foundation for future thought.

Global Warming

Since the late 60’s, have you noticed a change in our culture as a “Western Middle Class” culture? I would first look at the claims for climate change, peak oil, et cetera. Currently, in 2016, the celebrities of Hollywood keep talking and pushing the topic of “global warming” on their agendas, even though our ice caps have stabilized and there is proof that the solar cycle was a good contributor to the warmer climate over the last 24 years. Why?

Family and the Bible

Now look at the attack on the family structure. What are the divorce rates now, compared to the 1950’s? Where are the family units? Where are the traditional roles? Also look at the attack on religion, by those proponents of scientific evolution. How many headlines do you read and people you know who no longer believe in the Bible? Why?

Tools of Marxism

These are the tools used to “break” up the success of the western middle class culture. These are the same tools of Marxism. Why are they being used? Well, since the success of post-war America’s middle class was the greatest in history, no empire has had such a large and wealthy middle class. That is why we had such a great lifestyle. Unfortunately, we may never see it again.

All those McMansions, expensive cars, vacation homes, real estate investing, and wealth in the middle class was too much for the wealthy elite. Having a wealthy middle class truly meant that they all had less! Those wealthy middle class people were using up all the resources for their profits rather than the elite’s. So, the elite had to make some changes.

How could they stop the successful expansion of the middle class before they were able to have a compounding effect on their next generation. A generational wealth transfer was going to be a real problem in the next 40 years. Each generation that could expand their nest eggs into a doubling affect on their wealth would result in the ruling elite being diluted all the more!

Before they could find a way to steal the middle class’s wealth, they had to make sure they would eliminate any financial education to our middle class children. I know in my public schooling, I never received any financial education. I was not taught how to write a check, what is savings, or how to become financially independent.

Instead of learning financial education, I was taught just to go to school, find a good job, get married, both of us have successful careers, invest into your 401k, and retire! Oh, by the way, we were also taught sex education in school and told not to get pregnant and that kids are really expensive! Furthermore, free condoms, birth control, abortions, Welfare state, link cards, WIC, and section 8 are available if you mess up! The meaning is don’t have many kids. If you do have kids, the government will help make sure that they grow up without a financial education, so as not to threaten our wealth and power. I look back on that now, and it starts to make more sense. I am upset that I was duped.

It sounds weird, but the wealthy elite saw the successful middle class as a threat to their power. By slowing the birth rate of the successful, wealthy middle class, the elite could keep more of this country’s resources for themselves. Thus, with more of the resources and now a better financial education, they could again turn to putting more wealth into their pockets for their families’ fortunes. Population control was about hoarding and eliminating the threat to their wealth and power.

But how could the elite get America to accept this elimination of the American dream that they just sold to us after WWII? Well, they used the Rothschild technique of creating chaos to turn a profit. Wars had to be started, the middle class divided, instill the idea of separation of church and state, create racial riots and economic recessions, reform education, destroy of the family unit, buffoon the patriarch member, promote the feminism movement, increase the divorce rate, create circumstance for latch key kids, and promote the popularity of two incomes/no kids (DINKS). All these techniques will lead to fewer children of a successful middle class, thus creating a reduced chance of a compounding generational middle class wealth! Hint: Does this sound like Karl Marx?

Population control was working well, until we had a Washington DC outsider win the Presidency for eight years. However, after that hiatus, the master wealthy elite plan of population control was back on track.

I believe those eight years were a wake up call for the wealthy elite. They knew that they had to control and manipulate all major elections in their favor. It seems that was the last election in which the middle class had a real impact on the results. Since that era, we just vote to keep ourselves distracted and to give us the feeling that we have a say, as the winners were and are not selected by us. The elite were in charge, so I’ll write form their perspective for awhile.

Population Control is Working, or is It?

Population control of the successful middle class was working. Now we (the elite) moved on to setting up more government regulations that could steal back the wealth of the middle class. We decided to also print dollars to steal their wealth with devaluation and give them easy-to-obtain debt. Without a good financial education, the middle class would crater under the ease in obtaining more debt. Now we can charge them fees for being overdrawn and overdue! They won’t and don’t know how to manage wealth. (Remember? We didn’t allow them any financial education.)

Well, that is an easy explanation of what happened since the 1999 Act that deregulated the ruling elite– the Glass-Stegall Act. If you are not familiar with this deregulation of the banks, please study and use a filter. In essence, it was the beginning of the end of our middle class wealth. It started slowly with overdraft fees, then ATM fees, and then moved to force the middle class into bankruptcy.

2009: Oh Wait—Our Home Loan Friends Are Losing Their Wealth!

We (the elite) were concerned that our friends were losing their wealth because we allowed so much middle class debt. All of those middle class people are not paying back all of their loan payments. Now, what? We can’t have our banker friends lose their wealth. How about we just print up some dollars, give it to them, and they can save themselves. “Hey, Alan, can you start the printing press and we promise Ben will shut it off.” Yikes! Yea, right?