Letter Re: Converting Precious Metals ETFs to Physical Metals

Dear Jim,
You mentioned that someone with a Gold IRA might want to take the [warehoused gold] out and hold it in physical form after they turn 59-1/2 and are able to withdraw it without penalty.

I see the merit in that, but I am a tax accountant and want to warn you about the tax implications. When you take money out of an IRA, it is taxed as ordinary income, even if you escape the penalty. You can very well get shoved into higher tax brackets than you’d otherwise ever pay. Because, as you know, so much of the rise in gold is due to inflation, you will end up paying taxes on imaginary gains.

A better plan to avoid taxation is to move a Traditional IRA into a Roth IRA in increments. You will have to pay taxes on the amount you convert in the year you convert it, but with some tax planning you can convert only enough to fill up a low bracket that year. Be careful, this is calendar year conversion, no extended deadlines to do it, so you need to do this tax planning and make the conversion in November or December, not wait until you do your taxes.

Another thing to mention about gold outside of IRAs. It is taxed as a collectable and not subject to the lower long-term capital gains rates. Again, this is entirely about taxing inflation. It’s a tricky problem because moving large amounts of gold necessarily involves working with a reputable firm, and reputable firms also do tax reporting. My analysis suggests that having gold in a Roth IRA has the best tax advantages.

As always, your individual tax situation may differ and I encourage you to discuss this with your own accountant. There are opportunities for conversions coming up next year that make this plan newly accessible to wealthier people. Best wishes, – Gwendally, CPA

Two Letters Re: Oral Rehydration Solutions

Dear Sir,

I was perusing your blog for the first time and saw the post about dehydration due to diarrhea. I have five sisters and one brother (yeah mom!) so my mother is quite the home medic. My eldest sister had been prescribed a very strong antibiotic for a common infection she had. After she took the course of the antibiotic, she also began having severe chronic diarrhea (we’re talking months here).
She began going to a specialist after her regular doctor couldn’t diagnose her. My mother, conscious of her medical history, realized the antibiotic she had taken for her other ailment had killed all the good bacteria in her intestines which help make it possible for food to be digested and absorbed into her body. She had my sister tell her new GI specialist and the doctor confirmed as much.

My mother also told her that she had to eat Goat yogurt with live bacteria in it to get the bugs back. She had to eat yogurt and banana (which is nutritious and also is a “binder”) for 80 days. She couldn’t vary from her diet. If she tried to eat anything beyond her bland diet, she found out real fast that it was a mistake.

The GI team was going to put her on a much fancier drug for a much longer period of time with far more life impacting side effects.
My sister started taking the drug (I don’t know what it was) and didn’t have much relief. Out of desperation she started eating the goat yogurt and felt immediate relief in her bowels. Yeah mom, again!
I vote for the yogurt! My mom learned about the yogurt method from a female doctor in Saudi Arabia who had to help travelers when they drank the water and all the bugs got killed in their systems. She didn’t prescribe medicine, she had them eat yogurt and banana for 80 days.

I just finished reading “Patriots,” I greatly enjoyed it, found it inspiring, and can’t wait to talk about it with the friend who lent it to me. I was glad they had goats in the book, so they can make goat yogurt! May God bless and protect your ministry! – Hilary C.

Mr R.,
First, my condolences on the loss of Mrs. Rawles. One of your contributors mentioned using non-nutritive sweeteners in rehydration solutions. That is an absolute No – No! Non-nutritive sweeteners are not absorbed. They increase the solute load in the gut, will elicit GI mucosa fluid dump to maintain isotonicity . Translation to plain speak: the gut will maintain – or attempt to maintain – the same ration of solvent and solute. Nutrasweet isn’t absorbed, and the gut lining will dump fluid into the system to maintain ideal balance. Net Result? Diarrhea. This will occur in healthy, uncompromised individuals, let alone those with lower GI distress. Gum chewers who load up with Xylitol and sorbitol-laden gums experience this in a low grade way. In an emergency medicine situation, with absolute requirements to maintain fluid and electrolyte levels, it’s potentially fatal.

One quart of verified safe water (boiled or treated as necessary) with a couple tablespoons of sugar or Karo syrup (for better mix ability) and 1/4 teaspoon of salt and baking soda, sipped by spoonfuls works very well. Slowly sipping approximates the rate achieved via IV line, and prevents “overburdening” an already inflamed intestinal wall. You maintain fluid, Na+, HCO3- , glucose levels and body function while immune response and other measures come to bear. – Murray P.

JWR Replies: Thank you for mentioning that. While I’m not a proponent of the extensive use of refined sugar in a regular diet, it is certainly preferable for prophylactic use in oral rehydration solutions versus using artificial sweeteners. In my opinion, it is likely that in another 20 or 30 years, following extensive testing and correlative statistical analysis, some artificial sweeteners will have been proved to have profound deleterious health effects, and hence they will eventually be banned. I predict that they’ll have a reputation on the par of that currently held by Red Dye #2.

For details on do-it-yourself oral rehydration solutions, see the “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course.

Economics and Investing:

From regular content contributor GG: Barron’s: Collapse in Treasury note yields suggests economic distress

Chad sent us this: More fixed-rate home loans going into foreclosure

Also from Chad: Latest bank fee is for paying credit cards off on time.

Items from The Economatrix:

Gary North: Gov’t Debt Default: How (Not If) Will It Happen

The Critical Unraveling Of US Society

What Has Government Done To The Dollar

Commercial Real Estate Reality Check

John Galta: American Hangover (Day the Dollar Died, Part II)

Americans Save More But Earn Less As Rates Fall

Central Bankers Blowing Bubbles In Global Stock Markets

Financial And Economic Situation Could Get Ugly Fast

Gold Steam Roller Running Towards $1,300

What If The Foreigners Stop Buying Our Debt?

Roubini Says Gold $2,000 Utter Nonsense

Odds ‘n Sods:

On a recent trip in foul weather, we were reminded how useful it is to have several whitewater rafting “dry bags.” These heavy-duty rubberized nylon bags have a virtually watertight seal, and have become ubiquitous with the paddling crowd. Ours were purchased back in the early 1990s, and were made by Northwest River Supply (NRS). This is back in the days when nearly all of the NRS products were made by hand in Moscow, Idaho. And this was when their “Bill’s Bag” was available in green. (Now, the only choice is “shoot me ” red!) There are now umpteen dry bag makers, and umpteen styles and colors available. We find these very handy both for canoeing and for road trips–for stowing extra gear on our rig’s roof rack. In addition to the lightweight version with a carry handle and lightweight shoulder straps, you can pay more and get a full-up “portage pack” with internal stainless steel stays and more-heavily padded shoulder straps and a proper backpack-style padded hip belt.

   o o o

Bret F. told us about a swell deal in Mountain Home, Idaho. An auto dealership there is running a “Buy a Truck, Get a Gun” promotion.

   o o o

Our family has recently been reading the newly updated Making the Best of Basics by James Talmage Stevens. We’ve been impressed at the extent to which the book has been expanded and updated. If you have one of the older editions I highly recommend that you upgrade to the new edition, and pass along your older copy to a friend.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether. They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb." – Psalm 19:7-10

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 25 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest.

First Prize: A.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be 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 between $500 and $600, and B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees, in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $392 value.) and C.) A HAZARiD Decontamination Kit from Safecastle.com. (A $350 value.)

Second Prize: A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $350.

Third Prize: A copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, from Arbogast Publishing.

Round 25 ends on November 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Saving Money and Ammunition in Small Arms Training, by Jeff T.

Several factors have resulted higher prices and in shortages of ammunition. These include higher commodity prices, recent political developments with many people buying to prepare for uncertain availability as well as demand from the military for the ongoing war on terrorists. This storm of demand has resulted in very real shortages of many common calibers. Although the situation is easing in some ways it doesn’t require an above average IQ to realize this condition could reverse and quickly get much worse.

Developing skill in marksmanship and gun handling is not difficult but does require some training and regular practice. These skills are perishable if not carefully maintained. The following are some ideas that will help you save money and precious ammunition while still allowing you to train and practice these vital skills.

One practical idea is to invest in .22 Long Rifle (LR) caliber conversion kits that are available for many types of handguns and some rifles. As I write this .22 LR sells for about 3 cents per round versus 30 cents per round for many common centerfire calibers. Kits are made for Glock, H&K, SIGArms and Model 1911 pattern pistols. These kits typically allow you to use .22 LR rimfire ammunition instead of more expensive centerfire ammunition. They can cost from $150 and up. Manufacturers include: Advantage Arms, CMMG, Spike’s Tactical, Tactical Innovations Inc., and Ciener. For semi-automatic handguns these kits include a new barrel, slide and magazine. For the AR-15 style rifle they include a different bolt carrier group and magazine. You can also get a dedicated .22 LR upper receiver. Conversion to a new caliber is as simple as field stripping the gun and installing the new components.

There are advantages aside from the cost savings of ammunition. The gun typically uses the same manual of arms and the controls operate in the same manner. Consult your owner’s manual for specifics on each conversion. You are also able to shoot at facilities that might be closed if you were shooting the centerfire version. They also help the newest shooters transition from a mild shooting .22 LR caliber to something more potent.

In order to function reliably the kits need to be well and properly lubricated and use the correct ammunition. Some of the units have a specific brand or type of ammunition they prefer. I suggest you by small quantities and test them until you find a match. You should also acquire enough spare magazines especially those that hold more than ten rounds. Black Dog makes a reliable inexpensive high capacity magazine for the Atchisson and Ciener AR-15 conversions.

Another option to consider is using .38 Special ammunition in a .357 Magnum handgun or .44 Special ammunition in a 44 Magnum. While it doesn’t have nearly the savings that a .22 conversion has it does offer some savings. Be sure you clean your cylinder or chamber carefully. You could have trouble someday chambering the longer round if you don’t.

Another technique is to substitute dry firing for live firing for much of your practice. Dry firing is the act of utilizing your firearm for practice without any live ammunition. You begin with a firearm that you personally have carefully verified is completely unloaded. Next set up a target with a solid backstop in a convenient location. I have one I made from and old bullet resistant vest sandwiched between two pieces of thick plywood. Using this target I practice my grip, draw stroke, sight alignment, sight picture, movement off the line of attack and my trigger release. I can also use dummy ammunition to practice loading, unloading and malfunction drills.

Dry firing is a safe and effective way of maintaining your skills when you can’t afford or don’t have the ammunition available to practice with. The vast majority of competitive shooters in a wide variety of disciplines dry fire to hone their skills. Some years ago the South African Army was faced with an international arms embargo including ammunition. In response to the embargo they trained some new recruits using only dry firing. [When they eventually qualified with live ammunition,] these soldiers did as well or better than other troops did using traditional methods.

Dry firing allows you to practice when bad weather, lack of suitable shooting facilities or limited time would otherwise prevent you from practicing.

Safety is critical with dry firing. Never restart your practice routine after you stopped practicing without carefully ensuring you still have an unloaded gun. Never bring live ammunition into the same room where you do dry firing. Never allow an interruption to your practice routine without completely revisiting the condition of your firearm.

Please note: most .22 LR or other rimfire caliber firearms should not be dry fired. That is because by design the firing pin strikes the hard surface of the chamber. That can cause the firing pin to break.

Another key idea that can save you money and ammunition is to have a specific plan for your practice. I am amazed at what passes for “practice” with some people. If you don’t have a specific goal in mind as you fire each shot you are “plinking” you are not practicing anything. I love plinking but it won’t improve my skills.

You should plan each session carefully. For a handgun you should execute a series of basic drills. Shooting one, two or three shots (mix it up) at relatively close range under some time pressure. The basics include the presentation or draw stroke, sight alignment, sight picture and a compressed surprised break of the trigger. You should keep a training diary and take notes on your performance. If you have the basic skills mastered you can add additional elements such as movement, malfunction drills, retention position shooting and using your non-dominant hand. Firing 30-50 shots within a careful plan is far better than shooting 100+ shots without any particular plan. Here is a short handgun example:

  1. At 3 yards, draw and fire two shots center mass, time shooter
  2. At 5 yards, draw and fire two shots and each of two targets, time shooter
  3. At 5 yards, draw and fire Mozambique (two to the body – one to the head) at each of two targets, time shooter
  4. At 7 yards, draw and fire two shoots at each of two targets, time shooter
  5. At 10 yards, draw, move to kneeling cover and fire two shots, repeat

Each session should also include a scenario or story based problem you must solve. An example might be the following. You are sleeping in bed when you hear the noise of breaking glass. You begin the scenario from the prone position. Your sidearm is unloaded and placed two steps away. You must “get out of bed” and find your flashlight. Next find and load your pistol. Finally, find the target and engage with two shots. If that sounds too easy use your imagination and make it harder.

Rifle practice should always include some time using realistic field positions such as prone, sitting or braced. You won’t find any nice stable shooting benches out in the wild. Don’t become overly reliant on a bench for support during your practice. However you might be able to find and use a shooting stick in the field.

Reloading is another way to save money and provide additional practice ammunition. You may be able to save 30 – 40% by doing the job yourself. Reloading is a specific skill and requires some knowledge, preparation, special tools and most importantly attention to detail. The process reuses fired cartridge cases or “brass”. The brass is returned to its original size (length and shape) by means of a die and press. A new primer, powder and bullet are added in successive steps. The NRA offers a specific class in reloading which I recommend. There are also various manuals and videos available from the bullet and powder manufacturers. Make sure you do your homework before you start reloading. Primers are the weakest link in the reloading supply chain. Stock up on the most common types. There are many quality suppliers of all types of reloading supplies and tools on the Internet.

Field expedient training aids can also save you money and make your ammunition budget go further. Paper grocery bags can be carefully dissected to make silhouette targets. Bingo daubers can be used to mark shots on target. Another trick is to cut a small random sized hole in your target. The object is to shoot thru the hole and not touch the surrounding paper. It is a serious test of your trigger control and saves on targets.

Another area to conserve ammunition is when zeroing a weapon. You should always try and bore sight the gun before you fire a shot. With an bolt-action rifle (or any AR-15/Stoner family rifle) you can remove the bolt (or bolt carrier assembly) and sandbag the gun to your bench or lock it in a vise. Next look down the bore and adjust your sights and or scope to the point of impact you see from the barrel. You can also use a bore sighting fixture or laser designator. Always make sure your scope is accepting adjustments. Once you start shooting you may need to ask for help from a excellent shooter to speed the process. In the long run that may save you money and ammunition. Scope adjustments should be made in one dimension at a time. Most quality scopes today adjust in ¼ minute clicks. Each “click” moves the impact ¼ inch at 100 yards. So if you are off by 3 inches you should move the sight 12 clicks. Do not try to “creep up” on the desired point of impact while shooting between each adjustment.

Paintball, Airsoft and Simunitions offer opportunities to engage real live moving and reactive targets without using any real ammunition. I strongly recommend people get some experience with these tools. You can find paintball fields in most areas of the country. At these locations you can rent the guns and buy the paintballs and participate in some outstanding force on force activity. Airsoft guns and pellets can be found at many retail outlets. These guns can be fragile. You typically get what you pay for. With the proper safety precautions you can conduct your own practice just about anywhere including your living room! Simunitions are a proprietary marking cartridge technology. They use a conversion kit and special ammunition. Access to this technology has been limited to Law Enforcement and the ammunition is expensive but if you ever get a chance to work with it don’t hesitate. It is very realistic training.

One more safety rant: Be very cautious picking up any dropped ammunition while practicing especially when there are other shooters present. I have seen too many cases of people putting the wrong caliber ammunition into a gun with spectacular results. It is false economy.

Letter Re: Seeking Advice on Safe Food Storage, and Recommended Sources

Good Evening,
I recently purchased your book, How to survive the end of the world as we know it. I wanted to say that I have found it to be extremely useful and very helpful. I have been researching everything that I need to do to keep my family safe WTSHTF, but I have not been successful at finding information on how to properly prepare and safely store food for my larder. My second problem is were to find a store that sells bulk oats, wheat, flour etc. I live in northeastern Ohio and have not been very successful at finding a store. If you have any suggestions on were to look or what exactly to look for I would greatly appreciate it. I have tried other books from other authors but yours seemed more common sense to me. Heck one of the books tried to tell you how to catch and cook rats and mice if you really need to, while this may be helpful at some point, I am much more interested in getting stuff together before it is to late.

I am not a total idiot when it comes to knowing how to survive. I am ex military, and did the whole Boy Scout thing for most of my life, so I have some general knowledge.

Thank you again for any help you have already provided and anything else you maybe able to help with. – Rick G. in Ohio

JWR Replies: The information that you are looking for on safe long term food storage methods can be found in one place, in the “Rawles Gets You Ready” family preparedness course, which is presently being offered at a sale price. And if you are willing to take the time to dig, much of the same information can also be found in the SurvivalBlog Archives (which have grown to nearly 8,000 archived posts).

As mentioned in the preparedness course, many of the bulk foods that you’ll need, most notably rice and beans, can be bought quite inexpensively at the major “Big Box” warehouse stores like Sam’s Club and COSTCO. Check your local Yellow Pages for “Restaurant Supply” stores, many of which are open to the public, or at least to anyone with any sort of business license. Contact your local Latter Day Saints (LDS) church, and ask if they have a cannery that is open to the public, and their hours. These “dry pack” canneries sell bulk wheat, rice, beans, and other foods at cost, and have #10 Can sealing machines, with cans and lids again available at cost. You just add the labor and a bit of clean-up time.

Three Letters Re: Getting a Christian Wife Involved With Preparedness

Mr. Rawles,
Thank you for the time and energy spent on your blog and your books. I read your blog and static pages often and own most of your books. Your writings offer a deep perspective not often found.
Your writer from Idaho has hit on one of the most debated topics that has ever been discussed between a man and his wife. How does a man prepare his family without frightening, boring or going overboard?
I’ll tell you what has worked in my family. The most important point is to bring your spouse on board, slowly. Rome wasn’t built in a day and either was a shared marital point of view. I think it is best to not go overboard financially, briefly mention certain purchases that are made and leave the point alone until the items purchased are needed.

For example, we have several space heaters as a simple back-up plan and to compliment our main heating source. When we had problems with the main heating system, we were able to get these heaters out and boy were they useful! The house temperature was kept up until after we could get a 2nd opinion. The first man came out quick but had some tricks up his sleeve and tried to sell us a new heater, out of fear. Our second opinion, a real professional, came out and determined that we just needed a new sensor. By having back up heaters, we stayed warm when we had an issue and we weren’t desperate when the first technician tried to take advantage of us. Now that we had that issue, we decided to buy a propane back-up heater and quite a bit of propane. If this happens when the temperatures are lower, we should be fine. We didn’t talk about the heaters too much until after we were so happy to have them. This part of our preparation plan is just a positive memory; not a sour, over-debate d topic.

There have been several other times that forward thinking has proven to be advantageous for us. So many times it is something small that leaves a big impression. Something like a spare roll of quarters when a locker is needed. Maybe it is having plenty of toilet paper so you don’t run out. It could be having a flashlight readily available when the power goes out, extra propane when the grill consumes the last bit in the current tank, or extra food from our ‘larder’ if I forgot something at the store.

It is very important to discuss the benefits of being prepared after it has become a positive topic, rather than being overbearing before. This has helped open my spouse’s eyes to the need to have continually better preparations. Once some creature comforts fail, like heat, it becomes understood that having some extra food may be a good idea. Also, I have paralleled ‘preparing’ to other topics like the scout motto, “Be Prepared” as my husband achieved his Eagle Scout award when he was younger. For most people, the seeds of being prepared are there, they may just need some watering from time to time.
Best, – Nora in Indianapolis

Jim:
A gentleman asked how to get his wife involved. Speaking as a female prepper and survivalblog reader, it might simply help for her to know that she is not alone. It might be helpful to find a gun club, or another Christian couple who are into being prepared. Some women feel silly spending a lot of time and money on preparedness because most other people think it is silly or unnecessary, and some women feel funny because shooting guns and learning to hunt are considered to be “manly pursuits” by much of society. Having been referred to as “an NRA gun nut”, I understand that there can be some apprehension involved in committing to preparedness. Try making it a family activity, and even though it is very serious, that doesn’t mean it can’t be fun. I am involved with a small group of people, mostly from my church, who go shooting together and hunting and camping and all sorts of activities like that. We have a blast! But we also know that we can count on one another in a TEOTWAWKI situation. I think that my mom is much more involved now because it’s also something I am passionate about. She thought that preparedness was just a phase my dad was going through until she realized that I was every bit as serious about it as he was, and now she’s all for it! Don’t expect her to become Sarah Conner overnight, but give it time and patience, and try to find something simple to get her feet wet. Again, making it a whole family activity could make a big difference, and don’t lose the fun side of preparedness, of marriage, and of life in the Lord. – A Survival Sister in Christ

 

Dear James, and all:
I have gotten the same response from Christians about preparedness, and, in general, concerns over the state of the world. “I’m so glad God is in control,” etc. is common. Then they usually just move on with a smile, obviously unconcerned. I believe this is related to poor Biblical knowledge, or a misunderstanding about the role of “works” in the lives of Christians.

Primarily, believers do not always understand that America was founded on rights deemed to be given by our Creator, and is, therefore, a GIFT and under the expectations of Christian stewardship. While the Gospel is hope for all time, peoples and circumstances, it does not give us permission to become lazy with the blessings we’ve been given. Jesus was pretty clear in the parable of the talents: The Master is hard. The Lord does not look kindly on believers who “bury” what they have. To whit, “To whom much is given, much is required.” If we have a major event, then your good wife will be expected to follow the Biblical commands for hospitality even more so. Will she be prepared?

Please remind her that salvation is free, but the Lord also has expectations for us to become the “good and faithful servant.” That requires work. Sincerely, Gretchen O. – in Northern Illinois

Economics and Investing:

Flavio liked this interview with Robert Kiyosaki, where Bob is blunt about who really call the shots in the US, and he reiterates his advice to buy silver.

GG flagged this: World economy setting itself up for a bigger bust, says Marc Faber

El Jefe Jeff E. sent us a piece about the 124th US bank failure in 2009: Florida regulators close bank

Items from The Economatrix:

Karl Denninger Says Watch This: Glenn Beck and the Dollar Carry. Even if you don’t agree with Glenn Beck, watch it, it’s important

The New Yorker: How The Tax Code Encourages Debt

Downbeat Dell Weighs on World Markets

Ron Paul’s “Audit The Fed” Bill Approved By House Panel

UK Royal Mint Quadruples Production of Gold Coins

Mike Whitney: A Small ‘d’ Depression

US Leading Indicators Point to Expansion

Ambrose Evans-Pritchard: Is $6,300 Fair Value for Gold?

Leggo My Eggo! Kellogg’s Fights Waffle Shortage

Why Gold Will Reach a Record $2,000 in 2010

Odds ‘n Sods:

SurvivalBlog’s British-born Editor at Large Michael Z. Williamson sent this: British Navy was within 50 feet of Somali Pirates as they Kidnapped British Citizens. Mike’s comment: “Their poltroonery in letting the pirates do this may be related to the advice that no pirate should be taken on a British ship in case he might apply for political asylum. Words cannot express how far this is from the Nelsonian tradition.”

   o o o

Also sent in by Mike: No, they’re not kidding: UK proposal to ration carbon usage on an individual basis.

   o o o

Attention South Carolina Citizens: S.C. offering shoppers tax-free weekend on guns. “Second Amendment Weekend” begins just after Thanksgiving. Ya gotta love the South. Somehow, I can’t imagine New Jersey doing the same thing.

   o o o

I just heard that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has taken a cue from Nancy Pelosi. They may try a “Saturday night sneak ” vote tonight on ObamaCare! If this troubles you, then please take a few minutes to contact your US Senator, today!

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"Mischief springs from the power which the monied interest derives from a paper currency which they are able to control, and from the multitude of corporations with exclusive privilege. . .which are employed for their benefit." – President Andrew Jackson

Note from JWR:

The special sale on the “Rawles Gets You Ready” family preparedness course is in full swing. There are just a handful of copies of the bonus book still available. (A free copy of my latest nonfiction book, “How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It”.) Today (Friday) is the last day to order to get your bonus book. By the time Saturday’s blog goes up this evening, the free books will no longer be available.

Letter Re: Short Term Survival or Long Term Self-Sufficiency?

Hi James,
You have an excellent blog. It is good to find another right-wing Christian who thinks we’re going down the wrong path, and someone who cares about other people.

I have to take issue with your blog though. It focuses on survival in the short term (maximum five years after collapse). It does not give direction for how to proceed from there, how to thrive, how to rebuild society (or rather, how to build a better society). Surviving the collapse on modern medicine only to die from disease when it runs out is pointless. Surviving only to find that your gene pool is too small to survive into the coming centuries, or that you don’t have enough books or ways to copy them (or write new ones), and thus pass knowledge on… It makes a mockery of survival. Short term focus is what got us into this mess. Let’s have some longer term articles on what we should do to lay the foundations for our children and grandchildren, and more distant descendants, to thrive.

Also, I do not see any articles on how to disappear from view of satellites, or other high-tech surveillance equipment, or how to fight against a modern army. I know it might sound ridiculous, and it is a conspiracy theory (and those are nowadays automatically disreputable), but I do not think that we are in this mess entirely by accident. The constriction of our seed supply to a few large corporations is deliberate. That there exist doomsday shelters with high technology for the elite is known. Might there not be at least some deliberate engineering of the current crisis? And, if so, might it not be with a view to facilitating control by the elite? A reduced world population would be easier to control. One desperate for food, shelter, medicine etc. would do some presently inconceivable things – such as surrendering freedom in exchange for those “necessities”. I am speaking here of the Mark of the Beast: subdermal microchips. We might find ourselves fighting against much nastier groups than mere marauders. If I am correct, much of that situation will be out of our hands anyway – it’s the Lord’s battle. But that doesn’t mean we can just sit back and say “I don’t have to do anything.”

Regards, – David in South Africa

JWR Replies: I think that you drew a conclusion about SurvivalBlog without digging very deeply. If you take the time to work your way back through the SurvivalBlog Archives (now nearly 8,000 archived posts), you will indeed find a large number of posts that discuss long term self sufficiency. These articles and letters cover steam power, home-made fuels, photovoltaics, micro-hydro power systems, home-grown herbal medicines, low tech do-it-yourself architecture (including rammed earth, adobe bricks, discarded tire Earthships), blacksmithing, home chemistry, farming, aquaculture, wood and coal heating, saddle and draft horses, primitive weapons, leather working, community organizing, gravity-flow water systems, traditional carpentry (without power tools), and much, much more. For discussions specifically about long term scenarios, be sure to use the search word “multigenerational.”

To provide some ideas on how to fight against a modern army, I wrote “Patriots: A Novel of Survival in the Coming Collapse”. (The last third of my novel describes modern resistance warfare, in fairly good detail.)

Letter Re: Converting Precious Metals ETFs to Physical Metals

Dear CPT Rawles,
To follow up on the recent thread about cashing out of precious metals ETFs: Long ago, I took your advice and got out of stocks for my IRA and switched to a Gold IRA with Swiss America . It’s done quite well and I was fortunate to read your advice several years ago. [Since then, most stocks went down substantially. Meanwhile gold has appreciated substantially, at least when denominated in US Dollars.]

My question and I’m sure I’m not the only one, is this: I will soon be 59-1/2 years old. Should I continue to keep my Gold IRA at the storage facility and pay storage fees every year, or should I withdraw the gold and keep it myself? I’d like your recommendation on this issue as your advice is always sound. Best Regards, – Michael B

JWR Replies: I also have a Gold IRA (also set up through Swiss America), and I highly recommend them. But given your age, I recommend that you get that gold in your own hands, at the first opportunity! Too many things can go wrong with warehousing, not the least of which is a change of government policy. In a severe economic crisis, all IRAs might become centralized (read: stolen) by the Federal government disappearing into some amorphous (and actually non-existent) “trust fund”, just as they have done with our Social Security “contributions”. We “contributed”, all right!