The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Ever since the decline of the Arabian Empire, more than a thousand years ago, generals, sultans, and califs have attempted to unify the peoples of Arabia, and particularly of the province of Hedjaz, because it contains the two sacred Mohammedan cities. None were successful, but where they failed, Thomas Edward Lawrence, the unknown unbeliever, succeeded. It remained for this youthful British archæologist to go into forbidden Arabia and lead the Arabs through the spectacular and triumphant campaign which helped Allenby break the backbone of the Turkish Empire and destroy the Pan-German dream of world dominion. The way in which he swept the Turks from Holy Arabia and temporarily built this mosaic of peoples into a homogeneous nation, now known as the Kingdom of the Hedjaz, is a story that I should have failed to believe had I not visited Arabia and come into personal contact with Lawrence and his associates during their campaign.” – Lowell Thomas, from With Lawrence in Arabia

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — April 5, 2023

Today is the birthday of Baron Arisaka Nariakira (April 5, 1852 – January 12, 1915.) He was a lieutenant general in the Imperial Japanese Army. The inventor of the Arisaka Rifle, he is regarded as one of the leading arms designers in Japanese history, alongside Kijiro Nambu.

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On this day in 1614, Pocahontas married John Rolfe which ensured peace between the Jamestown settlers and the Powhatan Indians for several years.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 106 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  5. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  6. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. 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.
  2. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  3. A $300 gift certificate from Good2Goco.com, good for any of their products: Home freeze dryers, pressure canners, Country Living grain mills, Emergency Essentials foods, and much more.
  4. 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).
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  6. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. EBL is providing an EBL Voyager 500-Watt Power Station with deep cycle lithium batteries, providing reliable 120 Volt AC and DC (12 Volt and USB) power for emergencies or outdoor use. (A $399 value.)
  2. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  3. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  4. Montana Survival Seed is providing a $225 gift code for any items on its website, including organic non-GMO seeds, fossils, 1812-1964 US silver, jewelry, botany books, and Montana beeswax.
  5. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $800,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. We recently polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 105 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.

Moving to the Country: If Not Now, When? – Part 2, by St. Funogas

(Continued From Part 1.)

Design Features and Customizations

Every place I’ve ever lived had a large living room and a smaller kitchen. I made the kitchen the largest room in the house since we spend a lot of time cooking, baking, and playing board games. There’s a loft on both sides of the kitchen leaving an 18’ ceiling with a large skylights above, giving the room a much larger feeling as well as making it bright and cheery, even on cloudy days. There’s a large 4’ x 6’ picture window to enjoy the view. The cat wanted 8” wide window sills, he got 12”. When the sills are not covered with trays of tomato seedlings in the spring, he’s stretched out catching some rays and napping while he dreams about where to hunt next after he wakes up.

Solar panels were a must and my son and I installed them while Uncle Sam was still paying for 30% of the cost in the form of a tax credit. The shop was designed so the south-facing roof was at the precise angle needed for solar panels at my latitude.

The plumbing/sewage system needed to be more bomb-proof than most and built with lots of stubs for adding various plumbing projects later on. These included an outdoor shower, solar water heater, rocket-stove water heater, sink for the garden shed, Amish clothes-washing system, and my backup water system which runs off a 12VDC RV water pump. The main waste line is one long straight run with each individual item plumbed straight into it. The kitchen and bathroom sinks, the shower and toilet plumbing all have their own dedicated line to the main waste line.Continue reading“Moving to the Country: If Not Now, When? – Part 2, by St. Funogas”

SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

This weekly Snippets column is a collection of short items: responses to posted articles, practical self-sufficiency items, how-tos, lessons learned, tips and tricks, and news items — both from readers and from SurvivalBlog’s editors. Note that we may select some long e-mails for posting as separate letters.

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Our Editor-At-Large Michael Z. Williamson suggested this 2011-dated CDC report: Noise and Lead Exposures at an Outdoor Firing Range. Here is a key quote from the report:

 “The only potentially effective noise control method to reduce students’ or instructors’ noise exposure from gunfire is through the use of noise suppressors that can be attached to the end of the gun barrel.”

Mike’s Comment: Hey, liberals! We should follow the science!

o  o  o

Matt Christiansen’s latest: On the Senate’s Massive Spy Bill Lindsey Graham Didn’t Even Know He Co-Sponsors — The Restrict Act.

o  o  o

Bill Buppert’s recent podcast (Chasing Ghosts: An Irregular Warfare Podcast) that centers on the 1984 movie Red Dawn, is worthy of your attention.

“The brilliant John Milius helmed this production in the thick of the cold war waning with the USSR. This will be the first episode where we examine the collision between irregular warfare and popular culture.”

o  o  o

Reader C.B. sent this: Dennis Quaid documentary ‘Grid Down, Power Up’ explores dangers of sudden electric grid failure.

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

II love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. ’Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death.” – Thomas Paine

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — April 4, 2023

On the 4th of April, 1291 the siege of Acre began. A 220,000-man strong Mamluk Muslim army besieged 15,000 knights of different orders — including the Teutonic, Templar, and Hospitalier. This was one of the most important battles of the Crusades. Despite being outnumbered, the knights fiercely-defended the city, meanwhile evacuating women and children. The city fell on April 18. And 10 days later the last seaside Templar tower was conquered. The surviving Christians were enslaved. This was the end of the Jerusalem crusades.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 106 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  5. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  6. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. 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.
  2. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  3. A $300 gift certificate from Good2Goco.com, good for any of their products: Home freeze dryers, pressure canners, Country Living grain mills, Emergency Essentials foods, and much more.
  4. 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).
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  6. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. EBL is providing an EBL Voyager 500-Watt Power Station with deep cycle lithium batteries, providing reliable 120 Volt AC and DC (12 Volt and USB) power for emergencies or outdoor use. (A $399 value.)
  2. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  3. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  4. Montana Survival Seed is providing a $225 gift code for any items on its website, including organic non-GMO seeds, fossils, 1812-1964 US silver, jewelry, botany books, and Montana beeswax.
  5. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $800,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. We recently polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 106 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.

 

 

Moving to the Country: If Not Now, When? – Part 1, by St. Funogas

With winter ebbing and spring headed our way, some folks are probably thinking a little more frequently about getting out of the city once and for all.

Having “been there done that,” it saddens me to read comments on SurvivalBlog from people wanting to start living a simpler more self-reliant lifestyle in the country but they just can’t seem to make it happen. For some of those, I’m confident they could turn their hopes into reality if they could learn to think out of the box, rethink normalcy, toss some of their fears aside, and make some sacrifices to make it all happen. Once settled in and growing accustomed to their new lifestyle, the “sacrifices” they made will seem trivial in comparison to the lifestyle they’re now enjoying.

I hope by sharing my own story of how I was able to finally start living the dream the reader might be inspired to take a fresh look at their life and see what kinds of trade-offs they can make to achieve their goal of getting out of the city. While it’s never too early to start preparing for TEOTWAWKI, even if it never happens the joys that come from living a lifestyle in a rural area cannot compare to the way of life many are living at the present time in cities and suburbia.Continue reading“Moving to the Country: If Not Now, When? – Part 1, by St. Funogas”

SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

This weekly column features news stories and event announcements from around the American Redoubt region. (Idaho, Montana, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, and Wyoming.) Much of the region is also more commonly known as The Inland Northwest. We also mention companies of interest to preppers and survivalists that are located in the American Redoubt region. Today, we cover the rollout of high-speed Internet to American Redoubt locales.

Region-Wide

The national broadband map still looks patchy, in the Redoubt.

o  o  o

Starlink internet coverage, cost, speeds and the latest news — what you need to know.

o  o  o

Eastern Oregonians are fed up with the direction of the state. We went to find out why.

Some follow-up segments:

Why a fifth generation Oregonian is pushing for a ‘Greater Idaho’ takeover.

Eastern Oregon sheriff is still on the fence about ‘Greater Idaho’ movement.

‘We’re really struggling’: Eastern Oregon rancher’s dog killed by state-protected wolves.

And viewer reactions:

The Story viewers wade into the ‘Greater Idaho’ debate.

Is there a political solution for bridging Oregon’s urban-rural divide?

Idaho

Idaho House overrides Gov. Little’s property tax veto.

o  o  o

Initiative seeks to ‘Link Up Idaho’ to fast Internet.

o  o  o

Broadband board awards $26 million to two north central Idaho projects.

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“What do automobiles, guns, and home-schooling all have in common that makes the liberals hate them? All these things reduce individual dependence on the government and on the grandiose schemes for other people’s lives created by liberals and imposed by government.” – Thomas Sowell

Preparedness Notes for Monday — April 3, 2023

This is the birthday of Washington Irving, an American author, essayist, biographer, historian, and diplomat of the early 19th century. He is best known for short stories like Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, but he also wrote several biographies and served as the US Ambassador to Spain from 1842 to 1846.

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Today’s feature article is a review written by our Filed Gear Editor, Thomas Christianson.

But first, the results of the writing contest judging.

Writing Contest Prize Winners Announced — Round 105

We’ve completed the judging for Round 105 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prize-winning writers are:

First Prize

First Prize goes to Greg X., for Finding, Buying, and Improving My Bugout Location.  (Posted March 14-16, 2023.  See: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.) He will receive the following prizes:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  5. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  6. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.
Second Prize

Second Prize goes to Ed J., for Building A Bicycle Generator. (Posted on .) . See:

He will receive the following prizes:

  1. 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,
  2. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  3. 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).
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!
Third Prize

Third Prize goes to J.M., for Compact Power To Go.  See: Part 1 and Part 2. (Posted on February 15-16, 2023.) He will receive the following prizes:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

Honorable Mention Prizes

The following 14 articles have earned Honorable Mention. The writers have each been awarded a transferable $100 FRN purchase credit toward the purchase of any antique or percussion replica gun from Elk Creek Company:

Preparedness: Now What?, by O.C.  See: Part 1 and Part 2.

A Call to Arms Toward Thriving, by PrepperDoc. See: Part 1 and Part 2.

A Medic of Last Resort, by Tunnel Rabbit. See: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4.

My Burn Adventure Ride, by Dan D.

Long-Term Survival For Women, by T.E.

Homeschooling Nuts and Bolts, by R.B., EdD. See: Part 1 and Part 2.

It Is Chick Season!, by Hollyberry

My Swedish Death Cleaning Experience, by St. Funogas. See Part 1 and Part 2.

Homeschooling, a Report From the Trenches, by N.C.. See:  Part 1, Part 2, and  Part 3.

Foraging for Fun & Survival, by Hobbit Farmer.  See: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.

Basic Handgun Proficiently Training, by Steve A.  See: Part 1 and Part 2.

On Growing Older, by A.E.. See: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.

Long-Term Survival Poultry, by J.S.

A Florida Vacation, or SHTF?, by Z.P. Wilson

DPx Gear HEST Framelock Urban OD Knife, by Thomas Christianson

With a CPM 154 martensitic stainless steel blade and a titanium alloy frame, the DPx Gear HEST Framelock Urban OD knife is made of some of the highest quality knife making materials known to mankind, and is designed for a lifetime of hard use. It takes an excellent edge and holds it well, but can be difficult to re-hone once it becomes dull. Designed and manufactured in these United States, the knife offers an excellent, albeit somewhat pricey option for everyday carry ($280 at the time of writing from dpxgear.com).

The Backstory

As a part of my ongoing quest to seek out quality American-made knives, I ran across a reference to DPx Gear, Inc. I visited their website and examined the various knives that they offer.

I am most interested in everyday carry (EDC) knives, so I was especially drawn to their HEST Framelock Urban OD knife. I contacted DPx Gear to see if they could provide me with a sample for testing and evaluation. They kindly agreed, and about a week later a small flat-rate box arrived in my mailbox.Continue reading“DPx Gear HEST Framelock Urban OD Knife, by Thomas Christianson”

Recipe of the Week: Pasta Va Zul

The following Pasta Va Zul recipe is from reader Nurse Michele. She writes:

“This is a simple pasta dish that has been around for centuries. I learned it from my Naples-born grandmother. She never wrote it down, or measured any ingredients. And, for years, neither did I. But at the request of friends some years ago, I paid attention as I made a pot of it and wrote the amounts and specific steps as I went, so that I could pass it along. And, Ecola! (Italian equivalent to Voila!)… a tasty, filling, nutritious and affordable recipe.”

Ingredients
  • 2 (15 oz) cans Cannellini beans (white kidney beans)
  • 1 lb Ditalini Pasta (preferred, in a pinch, elbow macaroni will do)
  • 5 (15 oz) Cans tomato sauce
  • 1/3 C olive oil
  • ¼ C very thinly sliced onion (vidalia is particularly good, if on hand)
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • ½ to 1/3 tsp salt (plus more for the water to boil)
  • 1 tsp sugar
Directions

Cook 1 lb pasta in well-salted water. Under-cook the pasta, as it will continue to cook in the sauce later. Rinse pasta in cold water (to stop cooking), drain and set aside.

Put oil in bottom of a large (6 qt) sauce pot. Heat on medium and add onion. Saute onion slices until soft and translucent but do not let them brown. Add salt, pepper and basil and saute a minute or so more. Add tomato sauce all at once (it will splatter!). Stir. Bring to a very slow simmer. Add sugar. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in drained, rinsed beans. Continue to simmer over low heat for an additional 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in pasta. Remove from heat and cover. Let stand at least 30 minutes to let flavors blend, but it’s fine to make ahead and let it sit for a few hours. The sauce will thicken as it waits. Its final consistency will resemble stew. It is served in a bowl and eaten with a spoon.

SERVING

“Delicious topped with grated cheese. Makes a lovely complete meal served alongside crusty bread and a green salad.

This recipe yields about 12 cups. Which works out to about 6 hearty 2 cup portions or 8 moderate 1 ½ cup servings, depending on appetite and what it accompanies.”

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Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? In this weekly recipe column, we place emphasis on recipes that use long term storage foods, recipes for wild game, dutch oven and slow cooker recipes, and any that use home garden produce. If you have any favorite recipes, then please send them via e-mail. Thanks!

Economics & Investing For Preppers

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. In this column, JWR also covers hedges, derivatives, and various obscura. Most of these items are from JWR’s “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective. Today, more about the developing global banking crisis.

Precious Metals:

We’ll start off today’s column with a video of excerpts from a presentation by Mike Maloney: “Change is Coming That Hasn’t Happened In 100 Years” – World Dumps US Dollar.

o  o  o

At Gold-Eagle.com: Gold price sees triple-digit gains in March, but can it set record highs in April?

Economy & Finance:

From The Economist: America risks propping up zombie banks.

o  o  o

‘Most U.S. banks are technically near insolvency, and hundreds are already fully insolvent,’ Roubini says. Here is a quote from Roubini’s insightful article:

“To be sure, rising inflation reduces the true value of banks’ liabilities (deposits) by increasing their “deposit franchise,” an asset that is not on their balance sheet. Since banks still pay near 0% on most of their deposits, even though overnight rates have risen to 4% or more, this asset’s value rises when interest rates are higher. Indeed, some estimates suggest that rising interest rates have increased U.S. banks’ total deposit-franchise value by about $1.75 trillion.

But this asset exists only if deposits remain with banks as rates rise, and we now know from Silicon Valley Bank and the experience of other U.S. regional banks that such stickiness is far from assured. If depositors flee, the deposit franchise evaporates, and the unrealized losses on securities become realized as banks sell them to meet withdrawal demands. Bankruptcy then becomes unavoidable.

Moreover, the “deposit-franchise” argument assumes that most depositors are dumb and will keep their money in accounts bearing near 0% interest when they could be earning 4% or more in totally safe money-market funds that invest in short-term Treasurys. But, again, we now know that depositors are not so complacent. The current, apparently persistent flight of uninsured — and even insured — deposits is probably being driven as much by depositors’ pursuit of higher returns as by their concerns about the safety of their deposits.

In short, after being a non-factor for the past 15 years — ever since policy and short-term interest rates fell to near-zero following the 2008 global financial crisis — the interest-rate sensitivity of deposits has returned to the fore. Banks assumed a highly foreseeable duration risk because they wanted to fatten their net-interest margins. They seized on the fact that while capital charges on government-bond and mortgage-backed securities were zero, the losses on such assets did not have to be marked to market. To add insult to injury, regulators did not even subject banks to stress tests to see how they would fare in a scenario of sharply rising interest rates.”

o  o  o

Social Security is now projected to be unable to pay full benefits a year earlier than expected.

o  o  o

The Biden Effect: South African Minister Says Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Argentina, Mexico, Nigeria, and Others Want to Join BRICS Alliance.

o  o  o

WSJ: As Interest Rates Rose, Banks Did a Balance-Sheet Switcheroo. (Thanks to Peter for thelink.)

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“If you are for gun control, then you are not against guns, because the guns will be needed to disarm people. So it’s not that you are anti-gun. You’ll need the police’s guns to take away other people’s guns. So you’re very pro-gun; you just believe that only the Government (which is, of course, so reliable, honest, moral and virtuous…) should be allowed to have guns. There is no such thing as gun control. There is only centralizing gun ownership in the hands of a small political elite and their minions.” – Stefan Molyneux