Odds ‘n Sods:

While surfing around the net looking for ammo suppliers, Tim in Maryland found an ongoing firearms forum thread that tracks .308 prices from all the various online outlets. Tim notes: “It lists the supplier, the country of origin, year of manufacture, whether its sold by the case, battle pack or box, and cost per round. This could save people a lot of time spent comparison shopping.”

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In an e-mail to JWR, the editor of TheTraderBlog.com mentioned two interesting news articles with repercussions on the value of the US Dollar: China Expected to Shift Reserves to Gold and Commodities, and The Dollar Will be Devalued By A Large Margin.

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Nearly a dozen readers sent us the link to this New York Times article: Spam Turns Serious and Hormel Turns Out More

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As of January 1st, a 30% Federal tax credit for grid-tied photovoltaic (PV) power systems will become available in the US. I predict that this will create a huge surge in home PV system installations and consequently create a painful shortage of PV panels. My advice: Buy your panels now, before the panel shortage develops. (These purchases will still qualify for the tax credit if you install them later.) OBTW, to see the state-level credits and incentives that are also available, visit the DSIRE web page. Although I’m not generally an advocate of grid-tied systems, I think that SurvivalBlog readers in the US should now take full advantage of the new tax credit, and and install a grid-tied system with a substantial battery backup. In the event of a grid-down situation, you can then simply disconnect your system from the grid and operate independently. Stock up on panels, soon! (BTW, please patronize out advertisers, first. Several of them sell PV panels and inverters.)

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From readers KAF: Iran switches reserves to gold

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"Something funny is happening down at the bank." – Jimmy Stewart in It’s a Wonderful Life (Screenplay by Frances Goodrich, Albert Hackett, and Frank Capra.)

Notes from JWR:

The SurvivalBlog Benefit Auction ends at midnight (eastern time) tonight! (Saturday, November 15th.) The high bid is now at $750. This auction is for a mixed lot that includes:

1.) A huge lot of DVDs, CD-ROMs and hard copy nuclear survival/self-sufficiency references (a $300+ value) donated by Richard Fleetwood of www.SurvivalCD.com

2.) A custom-made, fully-stocked EMS Medic Bag from Cajun Safety and Survival (a $212 retail value)

3.) A NukAlert radiation detector donated by at KI4U.com (a $160 retail value)

4.) A case (6 cans) of Mountain House freeze dried foods in #10 (96 ounce) cans donated by Ready Made Resources (a $160 value)

5.) An autographed copy of “Patriots: Surviving the Coming Collapse” ($24, retail)

See the SurvivalBlog Benefit Auction page for complete details on these items. Again, this auction ends at midnight (eastern time) tonight!. Please e-mail us your bid.

Today we present another entry for Round 19 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The contest prizes include:

First Prize: The writer of the best contributed article will be awarded two transferable Front Sight  “Gray” Four Day Training Course Certificates. This is an up to $4,000 value!
Second Prize: A three day course certificate from OnPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses.
Third Prize: A copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, from Arbogast Publishing

Round 19 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 will have an advantage in the judging.

The Foundation of Basic Preparedness, by Doc Gary

Much has been written on The Blog concerning the 4 G’s, getting right with God, Ground, Grub and Guns. I believe that another “G” exists for most, if not all, of us and that is “Group”. The family unit is the original group and the most basic. This is not to say that individuals cannot go it alone. Man, however, is a social creature and survives best (biology aside) with others.

We have faced the challenge of preparedness as a family. The issues are, of course, the same as for anyone like-minded. Most issues have to do with mind-set, some with tangibles.

For us the challenge is essentially a two-edged sword. On what could be considered the downside, we have to take care of the whole family. There is the added responsibility for the other family members, especially those too young to accept adult responsibilities or too old to accomplish strenuous activities or other challenges. Additional supplies must be laid in to account for all. Ours is a large family, 9 children at home, age 6 to 23 years. All efforts must be multiplied accordingly, then each member’s specific needs considered. Are there individual health problems? Will physical size matter for whatever is at hand? Which of the family members cannot reliably handle such things as weapons, driving, etc? Do some members actually require a significant effort spent on their behalf to survive?

The upside to a (large) family is division of activities. The old saying goes, “Many hands make light work.” That is certainly true in our family, where responsibility is met fairly head-on. Because of this division of labor, we can actually accomplish multiple tasks concurrently and fairly efficiently. The head of the household, although ultimately responsible, cannot hope to “do it all” and must depend on others to share the responsibility. This not only unburdens the head, but also furthers maturity in the other family members; it gives them self-worth, for they are depended upon. Even the youngest and the elderly can be given tasks that fall within their capabilities, thus giving them the satisfaction of being a contributing member.

Being a family means that we all are in touch at least daily. Good communication is stressed. We try and avoid emotionally-charged “conversation” and instead share information. The former tends to create division, the latter one-mindedness (togetherness). Anger and hurt feelings can be dealt with in private with one or both parents, instead of being expressed publicly in a relationship-damaging manner. Openness and truthfulness are encouraged and expected. Venues which encourage communication are, for us, meal-times and prayer times. Occasionally, a family meeting is called. Actually, any time throughout the day is considered appropriate depending on the information or need. As both parents work at home, availability is rarely a problem.

Being a functional family doesn’t mean that we exclude others. It actually opens our hearts to include others, integrate them in and help them to feel a “belonging”. We have “adopted” many into our family; they know that they are always welcome. They can call, show up, or even stay any time they want or need. Most will either ask what to do or just chip in and help when they see a need. Others will come and hang around while this one or that one works; when that occurs they are usually handed something to do to allow them to feel needed. They all return to join us again.

We have adopted a simple team approach as our organizational model. The Team is us, or whoever is grouped together for a common goal (the Mission). A Team Leader is recognized and all of the rest are Team Members. The Team Leader is ultimately responsible for the Mission and the Team. The Team Leader is considered the “ultimate servant” for the Team, making certain that all needs are met and that the Mission proceeds. Each Team Member has skills and responsibilities on which the Team is dependent. If, for example, 4 family members go to the store for a particular purpose (mission), then a Team Leader is recognized for that situation and all act accordingly, usually by dividing the activity into manageable parts and accomplishing each. The beauty is that all function together without establishing rank, but still with a functioning head to guide the overall Mission. Each member of the Team is responsible for the other members. Sometimes we use a “buddy” system that pairs the oldest with the youngest, the next oldest with the next youngest, and so forth, to insure that all are accounted for and none left out or behind.

To further this team concept, we have divided areas of preparedness into individual teams. For example, we have a Resources Team that gathers information regarding provisions on hand and those needed. This Team has a Team Leader responsible for keeping the group goal-focused and reporting to the overall (family) Team Leader. Recommendations are made and information shared. We have 6 of these Teams that cover the areas necessary for us to become and remain prepared.

The Team practices Operational Security (OPSEC) at all times. There are neighbors, friends, and even relatives who would not understand what preparedness involves. The Team has no desire to exclude anyone; however, we do recognize that information shared even innocuously can be detrimental to the Mission and the Team. Even the 6 year old is taught to say “Dad is not available”, instead of “Dad is not here”. We try to put feelers out in conversations with others by asking, “Where do you think the country is headed in the next 5 years?” This approach generally reveals who we might discuss things further with and those we cannot.

What counters the effectiveness of the Team is undermining the Mission or the Team Leader, complaining, slacking duties, or avoidance of responsibility. We have found that the tongue is the single worst enemy of the Team. Using words to counter, control, demand, whine, or denigrate defocuses the individual and the group. The Mission has to be set aside to deal with rebellion, passivity, or other manifestations. The ramifications of “one bad apple” are farther reaching than one would suspect. The influence of corrupt speech on Team members is viral. The way we deal with it? First, we as a group recognize it for what it is and then deal with it accordingly. Usually, just bringing it to light is sufficient. Again, good communication is the key.

Likely, this sounds extremely militaristic; however, in the context of a family, it is not. Once we altered our mindset to one of cooperative sharing and recognized the need for a system whereby we could accomplish the most, it was easily the best system. The benefits are that the most is accomplished for the least effort, everyone feels worth-while and has a sense of belonging (even the 6 year old), and we all take care of each other. The foundation for our Team is God. We recognize God is love and we define love as the laying down of self for someone else. Selflessness defines the Team Leader, as well as the Team Members.

What’s next for those who have accomplished group organization (a Team)? All you do from here is buy the right stuff, get the right training, and stick together. Post-TEOTWAWKI, the Team will continue its basic functioning with a revised Mission. Whereas the pre- Mission is preparedness; the post- Mission is survival.

Letter Re: Criminal Gangs in TEOTWAWKI — Understanding a Potential Threat

Sir,

I have one minor correction to Ryan’s excellent article. This quote is seriously out of date: “Outlaw motorcycle gangs rule the distribution of meth.” I beg to differ: the Mexican cartels now rule the distribution of meth. In the 1980s, the biker gangs employed some of the Mexican gangs to produce meth to avoid the repeated law enforcement arrests of its very visible members. Then in the 1990s the Mexicanns expanded out of the biker’s control and the biker gangs bought Meth from the Mexicans to redistribute. Why? Less LEO (law enforcement officer) detection an much less expensive meth. In the 1990s, California saw a massive upsurge in the number of large-scale Mexican meth labs. We saw labs capable of producing up to 800 pounds of Mexican-style meth at a time, and seized several labs a week. The Fresno County area was a hotbed of activity. With the regulation of ephedrine (ephedra), and later, pseudoephedrine (which is the main chemical in meth, called Mua Huang in Chinese, China being the primary supplier of this critical precursor) in California, and then elsewhere, the meth lab crisis moved further east as meth, and crystal meth/ Ice (purified meth, over 80% purity, about 4 lbs of meth required to make 1 lb of Ice, Ice being hugely profitable in Hawaii and elsewhere in the Pacific), started to supplant cocaine and rolled over communities with its near-instantly addictive nature.

The pendulum has somewhat swung back to California, due to its close proximity to the border and the relative ease of crossing over. Make no mistake, the Mexican cartels make the Outlaw Biker Gangs look like kids playing dress up. The Mexican cartels rob each other, execute home invasions on other drug dealers to steal their product and profits, kidnap drug dealers or family members for debts owed or ransom, rat out their competition (and have signed up as informants to clear out competitors), kill defendant cooperators and their families, and pay cartel members (and their families in Mexico), if arrested, to quietly do their time instead of cooperating with law enforcement. Most Mexican cartel members don’t stand out and try to appear to be poor migrant workers, and thus blend into most urban environments, or receive scant notice on the freeways in cheap sedans traveling north with product. Few Mexican cartel drug proceeds are spent in the US or invested in money making/laundering businesses that would cause Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) to be filed by banking institutions. No permanently successful cartel members drive fancy cars registered to them, or live in spacious houses they own, or wear colors or tattoos, or dress conspicuously. The higher up in the organization, the less likely that person will ever step foot in the US, running all their operations from Mexico. All trusted members have family or village connections. All narcotics proceeds are shipped out to Mexico via whatever means, reversing the direction the finished product made on its run north. Cartel-run auto body shops make hidden compartments with complicated access switches used to gain access. These compartments can be made airtight, which reduces storage capacity but can often fool narcotics K-9s. These hidden compartments can be easily converted in the most basic vehicle, and are not a bad idea for any prepper wanting hiding some of their more precious TEOTWAWKI supplies. (A note of caution: do this work yourself, don’t want to catch the wrong sort of attention, of either law enforcement or home invaders). You can hide hundreds of pounds/kilos of whatever in bigger vehicles in all sorts of places, from the outside roof/ceiling, down to inside the tires, from dashboards to airbags to doors to gas tanks to floorboards to engine compartments to bumpers to seat backs. We have seized hundreds of pounds of narcotics from small sedans. This is what I have seen, in nearly 20 years in aw enforcement.

The Mexican Mafia is a very real, hidden threat, and also viciously, intelligently run. One can only imagine what their structure might look like once TEOTWAWKI hits and the movement away from narcotics occurs. Look for the Golden Horde and its hangers-on to have one more layer behind and interspersed with them.

You are the best resource out there, Jim. Please don’t stop posting SurvivalBlog. Sincerely, – D.M.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Paul D. sent us a link to an article that profiles several families that have built extremely energy and water self-sufficient homes. Their elaborate do-it-yourself efforts and expertise are commendable, but: What is it about the Peak Oil crowd that makes them so incredibly naive about present day burglaries, and the potential for future home invasion robberies–to the point that they blithely mention their street addresses to newspaper reporters? My advice is to learn to be circumspect around reporters. Your stock answer should be: “For the privacy of my family, I’m not at liberty to discuss that topic.” Most reporters will respect that and not press you further.

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The latest from our Economic Editor: Wall Street Ends Turbulent Week Sharply Lower — Depression Possible, Says Soros — If GM Fails, Detroit Would Go Under — Bretton Woods II, a New Financial Deal — GM Might Not Be Able to Get the Financing it Needs in Bankruptcy — Mayor Daley: Prepare for Mass Layoffs — Meltdown to Agriculture; Food Shortages Loom

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SF in Hawaii mentioned the book “Emergency Sandbag Shelter and Eco-Village“.

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Michael H. and Loren both mentioned this Stratfor article: Worrying Signs from Border Raids. I should mention that one of the article’s co-authors was Fred Burton, a former State Department counterterrorism agent (with the then-fledgling DSS office.) He a authored the book “Ghost“, recently released by Random House. I read a review copy of Burton’s book, and found it fascinating–particularly because it was set primarily during the mid- to late-1980s, when Burton started doing CI/HUMINT work. Coincidentally, his organization had some of the same taskings in the HUMINT world that my organization was pursuing in the SIGINT world. Reading his book certainly brought back some memories.

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My Number #1 Son and several readers mentioned a Google Epidemiology Tool and a new Global Health Map. Both are based on news article keyword triggers. Because of their inherent secondary nature, they cannot be relied upon independently, but they do provide useful adjunct intelligence sources when tracking influenza outbreaks.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Well, I guess we don’t get to make fun of Burt’s [survivalist] lifestyle anymore.” – Fred Ward as Earl Bassett in Tremors, (1990). (Screenplay by S.S. Wilson and Brent Maddock.)

Note from JWR:

SurvivalBlog Benefit Auction ends Saturday night. The high bid is now at $660. This auction is for a mixed lot that includes:

1.) A huge lot of DVDs, CD-ROMs and hard copy nuclear survival/self-sufficiency references (a $300+ value) donated by Richard Fleetwood of www.SurvivalCD.com

2.) A custom-made, fully-stocked EMS Medic Bag from Cajun Safety and Survival (a $212 retail value)

3.) A NukAlert radiation detector donated by at KI4U.com (a $160 retail value)

4.) A case (6 cans) of Mountain House freeze dried foods in #10 (96 ounce) cans donated by Ready Made Resources (a $160 value)

5.) An autographed copy of “Patriots: Surviving the Coming Collapse” ($24, retail)

See the SurvivalBlog Benefit Auction page for complete details on these items. This auction ends on November 15th. Please e-mail us your bid.

Letter Re: Michigan’s Upper Peninsula as a Retreat Locale

I am new to SurvivalBlog and have found it very interesting. I thought I would comment on what it’s like living in the Upper Peninsula (“UP”) of Michigan. I built a 1,920 square foot log cabin on 20 acres here, about 30 years ago. I see that you have recommended the UP as a possible retreat location for people in the eastern U.S.

I should give you a little personal background before I get started. I moved to the UP several decades ago from southern Michigan. Most of my children were born here and therefore are native Uoopers [or “Yoopers”] (not some transplant Troll from under The Bridge). That is the Mackinac Bridge, pronounced Mackinaw as if it had a “W” at the end, since the the “C” is silent. Mackinac is a derivation of a Menomini or Ojibwe {Indian] word “Michilimackinac”. (A little trivia.)

I will tell you some of the good and the bad things living in the UP. Of course good and bad are both a matter of opinion. I will start with the good things, as I see them.

Living here in many ways is like living in 1958 instead of 2008. There is crime and drugs but nothing like the urban or metropolitan areas of the country. Most crimes are petty in nature. The people here are open and very friendly to almost every one they meet. Most of the small towns like Munising, Manistique, or Norway are all most the way they were in 1958, or for that matter in 1938. You would have to be a native to know that there was any change at all. The bigger towns like Marquette, Escanaba, Sault Ste. Marie and Iron Mountain have shopping malls and all those big city things people like. One can live in dense forests, in farming communities, in small towns (there are no real big cities in the UP) or just in the country as I do. Or one could even live on an island like Sugar Island or Drummond Island, perhaps Mackinac Island [with no motorized vehicles allowed] is more your taste? It is said that the UP is a sportsman’s paradise. There is fishing in the Great Lakes, inland lakes and rivers. Wildlife abounds everywhere: moose, deer, black bear, wolves, coyotes, and even an occasional mountain lion. Hunting, fishing and trapping are popular in the UP and I would estimate that 98% of all adults own at least one firearm and know how to use them. In the winter months there is skiing downhill and cross country, snowmobile trails everywhere (used by ATV riders in the summer), ice fishing, etc. Well you get the idea.

There are wild berries all over the place in the UP. A little anecdote: Back in the 1980s my wife (at the time) and I were picking raspberries on the power line right-of-way near where we lived. I was down in a little ravine and she was up on the top of a hill not far away and we were talking a lot not paying attention too much. I was eating at least a quarter of every thing I picked. My truck was parked on top of the hill near her. She told me not to eat so many berries, that I would get sick. I was ignoring those little criticisms from her, when I smelled something kind of like a skunk but not quite that bad. I asked her if she smelled a skunk. She said no, and said “I told you that you would get sick eating all those berries”. I managed to ignore that also. I moved over a little for more berries. Now these are wiled berry bushes on where they cleared all the trees out to put power polls in and to be able to drive along the line to check for problems. The berry bushes were densely packed on both sides of the right-of-way just at the tree line. I started picking the berries near the top of the bush and just then, a big black head popped up, just on the other side of the bush not more then 6 feet away and looked straight at me. I was told that bears will eat almost anything they can find, nuts, berries, garbage, garbage cans, gas grills, ’73 Ford trucks, you name it. And at that moment I believed every word of it. After the Black Bear got bored of scaring the stupid Sugar Beeter, he or she (I wasn’t going to check) turned around and lumbered back into the woods from when’s it came. I thought I could hear it snickering a little as it disappeared in the woods. I composed myself, more or less and went up the hill and told my wife it was time to go home and got in the truck and started it. She got in and told me “I told you that you would get sick didn’t I?”. She never believed me about the bear.

The bad things up here: I will start in the spring. Spring starts about the middle of April at least most of the snow should be gone by then. I can get into the woods and start cutting fire wood. Some time in May the Ticks are out. In June the Mosquito’s and Black Flies and all the other vampire bugs are out. I’m still cutting fire wood. It can start to snow any time after the middle of October but if it snows it normally will not stick. Also starting in October the flies start to congregate on the west side of the cabin sunning themselves and looking for a snug place to get out of the cold. It’s amazing how many of the little annoying things can find there way into my cabin. Some time in November the snow is here for the winter. It depends where one lives in the UP as to how much snow they get a year. About 250 inches give or take each winter (yes that’s over 20 feet of snow). Now the snow does not get that deep on the ground. Where I live it get’s about 3 feet to 4 feet deep, depending on the winter. That is because of compaction and melting from the ground. If you live near Lake Superior more than that. However if you live down in the banana belt along Lake Michigan, it is less than that. It gets very cold in the winter, I’ve seen it get -25 below 0 with highs at -9 or -10 below zero degrees Fahrenheit. and stay their for weeks on end. The UP is the only place I’ve been where you can have a blizzard when there is not a cloud in the sky. That is “lake effect” snow. Lake Superior doesn’t freeze over completely. With a little breeze out of the north, the very cold dry air picks up moisture off the big lake and dumps it on the cold land. The stretch on M-28 between Marquette and Munising gets closed sometimes because of the snow off the big lake. Now combine “lake effect” snow and a true blizzard out of Canada, well I hope you have all your firewood in and the pantry is full.

I have seen lots of people come up here thinking they could move a trailer on to an acre or two and live off the land by hunting. It just doesn’t work, along about January or February the snow gets so heavy the roof caves in on them, some fun. In the winter the snow gets too deep for the deer to forage so they yard up in the cedar swamps in big herds. Wolves and coyotes stalk the cedar swamps for there livelihood.

The growing season is short, that’s not to say you can’t have a nice garden, you can but it’s a lot of work. Cutting firewood for the six months of winter heating is hard work. More than the average neophyte (Sugar Beeter) can put up with. This is a hard place to live. The people that live here have the knowledge and skills needed to survive in this unique part of the United States. A person or family doesn’t just come up here and camp out in the woods and live off the land. If the insects don’t drive them out of there minds, the white death of winter will kill them. I mean that literally, winter is a white death for the unprepared. That is why a meltdown in the big cities is not going to affect the UP with droves of refugees. And everybody in the cities of Wisconsin and Michigan knows that, they’re going to head south where the living is easy.

But if you think you’re tuff enough, good luck up here. – The Old Uooper

JWR Adds: One of our advertisers is Richard Hendricksen. He is a real estate agent that acts as a Buyer’s Agent. He specializes in finding U.P. properties that are suitable for retreats. He knows the region very well and can give advice on everything from microclimates and wild game migration patterns to local politics. I encourage any readers that are considering the U.P. to contact Mr. Hendricksen

Letter Re: More About the Derivatives Bubble

James:
It appears [corporate, hedge fund, and bank funds managers] have been playing a modern day Enron game with the OTC (Over The Counter) derivatives market. They have been taking their bad debts, and credit default swaps (CDSs), failed commercial loans, and construction loans and moving them to this unregulated and unlisted market to hide the true size of their toxic debts.
Half of the financial monstrosity is projected to be in this “hide the bad debt” game. The [aggregate notional] number is so surreal, it is mind boggling.

I may have missed you posting the recent article in The International Forecaster, but just in case it did not get mentioned, here it is: The Quadrillion Dollar Powder Keg Waiting to Blow. Regards, – OSR

Three Letters Re: Advice on Sources for Sandbags and Sandbag Filler

Jim:
Here is a very low cost supplier of new-manufacture “poly” sandbags: eSandbags.com. Regards, – TinCan

 

Mr. Rawles,
Here in Ohio, (and other places, I suspect), the feed stores formerly bought back used feed bags for 50 cents a piece. They no longer do. (If a used bag got bugs while on the farm, the bugs ended up going back to the mill.) All those good, heavy, plastic weave bags are now being thrown away. For those of us wanting cheap or free sand bags, just ask farms and stables on your area to save them for you. – Jim Fry, Museum of Western Reserve Farms & Equipment

 

James:
I’m a dude who used to live in Hurricane Central, Louisiana: Our city office was one of those sites where whenever tropical trouble or floods threatened, here would come the Public Works Trucks with a whole bunch of sand and the sandbags [to distribute free to local residents]. The funny thing is, they don’t make quite the same effort to go around picking up all these perfectly good supplies once the danger was passed.

Those white plastic sandbags do indeed breakdown in sunlight, but if you grab a bunch [before they do degrade] and store them away they will be okay to use at any time. Even filled with sand, and placed in a shed for storage, they will last a long time. How do I know? Did you ever fill sandbags? That is heavy, heavy work!So there is all this stuff that sat in the corner of our parking lot, free for the taking. First I placed a box of empty bags in my trunk to get them out of the sunlight. Then each day after work, I filled about four bags and took them home in the trunk of my car. About 20 sandbags a week.

My former property had a boat storage shed, perfect for lawnmowers & sandbags. Like the little Ant with the Rubber Tree plant, over time I acquired 300 filled sandbags–stored for emergencies.
And indeed these bags were used during the approach of Hurricanes Ivan and Katrina, while preparing my house. Damage was averted thanks to having these items on hand and kept ready.

Trust me, if you have to make 100 full load sandbags in a hurry, hen have an ambulance stand by while you are doing it! As with all preparedness, do it now while time is still on your side. – Clyde

Odds ‘n Sods:

Mike O. e-mailed us to mention a dangerous omnibus package of Federal land grab legislation that will soon come before the US Senate: HR 5151.

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The latest wreckonomic news and commentary from Cheryl: Wall Street Ends Up Almost 553 Points — Budget Deficit Hits Record; Jobless Claims Surge — Soros Says Deep Recession Inevitable, Depression Possible — Who Will Bail Out The Fed? — UK on Brink of Meltdown — Hedge Funds Lose $100 Billion In October Alone (I hope that readers took JWR’s advice posted in September of 2007 and exited hedge funds) — Abandon All Hope Once We Enter Deflation — The Economic Crisis May Open Door For Another Putin Presidency — Detroit is Tanking But Toyota is in Trouble Too — Saudi Arabia Buys $3.5 Billion in Gold in Two Weeks — Failure of Auto Industry Could Set Off Catastrophe — Jim Rogers Says Get Rid of Dollars, Buy Silver — TEOTWAWKI Is Upon Our Markets

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Steve Quayle very kindly linked a recent SurvivalBlog article about gangs as his Prep Tip Of The Week. Thanks, Steve!

Notes from JWR:

The high bid in the current SurvivalBlog Benefit Auction is now at $600. This auction is for a mixed lot that includes:

1.) A huge lot of DVDs, CD-ROMs and hard copy nuclear survival/self-sufficiency references (a $300+ value) donated by Richard Fleetwood of www.SurvivalCD.com

2.) A custom-made, fully-stocked EMS Medic Bag from Cajun Safety and Survival (a $212 retail value)

3.) A NukAlert radiation detector donated by at KI4U.com (a $160 retail value)

4.) A case (6 cans) of Mountain House freeze dried foods in #10 (96 ounce) cans donated by Ready Made Resources (a $160 value)

5.) An autographed copy of “Patriots: Surviving the Coming Collapse” ($24, retail)

See the SurvivalBlog Benefit Auction page for complete details on these items. This auction ends in two days, on November 15th.. Please e-mail us your bid.

 

Today we present another entry for Round 19 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The contest prizes include:

First Prize: The writer of the best contributed article will be awarded two transferable Front Sight  “Gray” Four Day Training Course Certificates. This is an up to $4,000 value!
Second Prize: A three day course certificate from OnPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses.
Third Prize: A copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, from Arbogast Publishing

Round 19 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 will have an advantage in the judging.

Criminal Gangs in TEOTWAWKI — Understanding a Potential Threat, by Ryan S.

This is a brief introduction to criminal gangs and gang culture. It is important to understand gangs as a potential threat that your retreat group could face. I have not intended this to be comprehensive. It would be a very daunting task to list and detail every gang or disruptive group occurring in the U.S. What I intending to do is make you aware of something you may have overlooked.
I would like to enlighten the blog readers about another aspect of their situational awareness, namely gang recognition. This could be very important information for many people not just in a WTSHTF situation, but in everyday life in normal times. Many people do not live at their retreat, but may live or perhaps work in a gangland area.

I have worked in law enforcement for a state agency for nearly a decade. I have a lot of experience working around gangs and the gang culture.

The first thing we must understand is that there are dangerous and violent gangs in every state in the US. We are fortunate that most gangs are centered around urban areas and usually expend their violence on the members of other gangs

Ii is my belief that in the opening stages of a societal collapse many gang members as well as many erstwhile law-abiding residents of cities will begin with rampant looting. Then, when they have figured out the police are not responding [because of the massive scale of the looting], they will set about settling old scores. Once they’ve figured out that the supermarkets don’t have any more food coming the more coherent members will move on to taking what they want from the shivering masses. And then, when the people leave their broken cities, the predators will follow their prey. You would then have hordes of starving and desperate people migrating from the urban centers. On the fringes will the organized and ad-hoc gangs–preying on whatever happens to cross their path. These gangs would have experience brought from their street wars and honed to a razor edge by robbing the masses of Joe Six Packs. The prospect of a “Golden Horde” [with gangs traveling in their wake] is not a pleasant thought.

Growth Trends
There are some disturbing trends in the currently rapid growth of criminal gangs. Traditionally gangs were a result of conditions encountered by youths within large urban inner cities or of established prison gangs gaining influence on the outside. We cannot discount the proliferation of low-income, fatherless, single parent families as a result of amoral behavior. Some people may take offense to this but it is statistically proven. [JWR Adds: Lest the author be accused of being racist (he is not), readers should recognize that single parent families of all races share many of the same problems, including dependence of welfare, chronic truancy, low graduation rates, teenage pregnancy, drug abuse, alcoholism, criminal behavior, gang affiliation, and so forth.]

These influencing factors are all still current, but not exclusive. The current national situation is worse and poised to get even worse. There are a myriad of causes and I will touch on a few that will affect people more acutely, who are located in the western U.S. There are many unique factors associated with the eastern U.S. but my experience is with the west.

Perhaps the worst effect on increasing gang activity throughout the western US is a lack of effective border controls. American’s apathy to secure our southern border is allowing Mexican drug cartels free reign to move illicit drugs into the U.S. These guys are bad news! The Mexican government is rife with corruption funded by the cartels. The few officials who dare to make a stand against the cartels either live in constant fear or are gunned down. There have been a number of gruesome assassinations of Mexican government officials, some in broad daylight. We must keep in mind that many US-based gangs have close ties to Mexican cartels, either being supplied by or run behind the scenes by them. This is evidenced by criminal activities related to Mexican cartels across many southern tier states.

We must also examine the effects of popular or “pop” culture. Popular media has turned millions of suburban teenagers [of all races and from middle class backgrounds] into wannabe bang bangers. Popular music, movies and television often portray gang association in positive manner. Another factor to consider is relocation. Often in an effort to remove their children from the influence of gangs, parents of teenage gang members move their families out of cities and into suburbia. There, instead of removing their children from influence, their children find a receptive audience for recruiting new members. Those children will then become a new branch of the same gang or create a new gang.

Structure and Planning
Gang structure is usually well-organized and hierarchical. Many gangs use a rank system similar to the military. The guy at the bottom takes orders from the guy above him and so on. Additionally lower ranks are prohibited from acting without specific orders. Many gangs use a constitution or a set of by-laws, kind of a gang banger S.O.P.

Do not be lulled into thinking that members of gangs are not intelligent. This is simply not the case. It may be true on an individual level but on an organizational level of thinking, that mindset is dangerous. Don’t be close minded. A lot of these people are what might be considered “evil geniuses.” Many gangs have required reading for new initiates. Be advised: They read a lot of the same stuff we do. They read “The Art of War,” “The Book of the Five Rings,” and “The Prince.” They study small unit tactics, military field manuals, guerrilla warfare and many other topics that would surprise you. Gangs are not just a bunch of guys sitting around watching the movie “Scarface” over and over again. There are instances of gangs funding the college education of especially bright members. A local law enforcement agency recently discovered a detailed five year plan, similar to a corporate plan, showing the planned expansion of the gang and the very hostile takeover of a rival gang’s territory. These were obviously very motivated people and the plan was indicative of an educated leadership.

Most gangs are usually ethnic or racially based. There are exceptions to this but it is usually true. Many gangs will make exceptions. They are completely aware of stereotyping and may accept a member of another ethnicity or race to appear less conspicuous. A notable exception for southern tier states would be a prison gang called “Texas Syndicate.” This gang is comprised mostly of Hispanic members but has a fair number of white members. On occasion gangs will attempt to recruit members from different ethnic backgrounds in order to avoid detection from rival gangs and law enforcement. Keep this in mind.

Another disturbing aspect of gang structure is the inclusion of women and children. many gangs will incorporate a branch of their gang with children. These are usually the children or close relation of current members. Women are usually the companions of members but may incorporate their own structure.

Gangs Common to the Western U.S.
My experience is with gangs common to the western U.S. so that is what I will describe. Perhaps there is a blog reader in the eastern U.S. who can address that region.

Generally most of the gangs common to the west began in California. Either originating in Los Angeles or in the California prison system. They have spread rapidly in the past 15 years. I will give an overview of the more common ones:

White Supremacist Gangs
There are white supremacist gangs throughout the U.S. You could encounter everything from Neo-Nazis to white outlaw bikers. You will need to do some research to see what’s going on in your area. Check the Internet to see what’s out there. Be warned a lot of what you find in your research will be incredibly ignorant and highly offensive. IMHO, these could be the most commonly encountered gangs in the event of a total collapse. You should also be aware of all the kooks out there that the media loves to glamorize as so called “survivalists” any white supremacist gang has the potential to be extremely violent and unpredictable. You do not want to be around any of these groups when things go sideways. Keep that in mind while making your preparations.
Identifiers-
Swastika’s (tattoos, flags, pictures, etc.)
Vikings (Pictures, Tattoos)
AB – Aryan Brotherhood (Tattoos, Pictures)
Refer to each other as “comrade”
666- (tattoos, pictures)
1488 – stands for “14 words” associated with white supremacist gangs and “Heil Hitler” (“H” is the 8th letter in the alphabet.) World War II German military SS badge (tattoos, Pictures, Posters)

Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs
Most outlaw motorcycle gangs began in the late 1940s after WWII and consisted of returning G.I.s. Outlaw gangs are predominantly white. Many outlaw motorcycle gangs have ties to other street or prison gangs, or will follow racial lines. The Mongols motorcycle club has ties to the Mexican Mafia and the Hells Angels has ties to white supremacist groups and does not allow membership of african-americans or hispanics. Outlaw motorcycle gangs rule the distribution of meth. Its big business, the FBI estimates around $2 billion USD a year. Outlaw motorcycle gangs are generally well organized, very well armed [with an emphasis on semi-auto and unregistered full auto carbines], and have a strong command structure.
Identifier-
motorcycles – usually Harley-Davidsons.
“Club colors” usually a jacket or vest with club patch on the back. (This usually consists of a large patch in the center with banners on the top and bottom called “Rockers”)
“Club House”- motorcycle clubs will buy or rent a house or building to use as meeting place. If you have one near your home, then move.
Tattoos- not universal but a good indication. Usually motorcycle topics.

[JWR Adds: I consider white outlaw motorcycle gangs the single greatest threat to rural retreats. Plan accordingly. Not only do motorcycle gangs have great mobility (at 45+ miles per gallon!), but in some circumstances they will also be able to “blend in” with a rural populace better than gangs that are predominantly composed of racial minorities.]

Surenos
Surenos translated from Spanish is “Southerners.” Generally comprised of Hispanic members. This gang is a conglomeration of Los Angeles street gangs and the California prison gang “Eme” (Spanish for the Letter “M”) or Mexican Mafia became organized in California prisons in the 1960s. Surenos are closely involved with Mexican drug cartels. This is a very motivated, well organized gang. It is expanding rapidly and can be encountered throughout the west as well as nationally. Also has a notable presence within the Federal Prison System.
Identifiers –
Word “Sureno (S)”
Abbreviation “SUR”
Number “13” (M is the 13th letter in the alphabet)
Word “Eme”
Blue colored clothing or bandannas

Nortenos
Nortenos translated from Spanish is “Northerners.” Generally comprised of Hispanic members. Nortenos are traditionally enemies of Sureno’s this gang is also a conglomeration of many different gangs. member are usually from areas north of Fresno, California. This gang also became organized within the California prison system. The Nortenos became organized as a result subjugation of rural Hispanics within the prison system by the Mexican Mafia. Generally very well organized, usually encountered within west coast states, but is expanding.
Identifiers –
Word “Norteno(s)
Number “14” ( N is the 14th letter in the alphabet)
Word “Ene”( Spanish for Letter “N”)
Clothing and Bandannas red in color
Five point red star

Crips
Began as a Los Angeles street gang in the 1960’s. Has since multiplied, split and fractured. Generally membership is comprised of people of African descent. There are numerous Crip gangs. Crip Gangs are found throughout the country, usually around urban centers. Some individual groups of crips may be organized some may not be. Some groups of Crips maybe enemies of other groups of Crips. The traditional enemies of the Bloods. There is no recognizable centralized leadership.
Identifiers-
Blue colored clothing or bandannas
In speech replacing the letter “B” with the letter “C”
Refer to each other as “cousin” or “cuz”
Six pointed star
Phrase – community revolution in progress

Bloods
The Bloods egan as a Los Angeles street gang in 1972. Traditional enemies of the Crips. Not as numerous as the Crips. Generally has a better organization structure. Membership is usually people of African descent. Found throughout the U.S. usually in urban centers. Not as much into fighting as the Crips.
Identifiers-
Red colored clothing or bandannas
In speech replacing the letter “C” with the letter “B”

Mara Salvatrucha or MS-13
Began as a Los Angeles street gang in the 1980’s by Salvadoran immigrants. may consist of members from or descended from many central American countries. Very well organized. Found in at least 31 U.S. states, Mexico, Canada, the United Kingdom and Germany. very ruthless gang.
Identifiers-
Tattoos of MS, MS-13, devil horns or “salvatrucha”

The preceding is just a short summary list. Time and space prohibit me from listing other gangs. I probably couldn’t list them all if I wanted to, so I will show you how you can find out who is active in your area.

How to Find Out More
The first thing you need to do is be aware of your surroundings. pay attention when you drive to work or when make your monthly Costco run. Take a look at what’s going on in your neighborhood. You may not need to worry about gang activity at your retreat location but you may need to pass through affected areas to get to your retreat. Suburban retreaters should pay close attention to their situation no matter what part of the country they live in.

Your Tools

Your Own Observations
These observations are the most important if your area has been affected by gang activity you may notice some things. These are some things to look for:

Graffiti
Gangs use graffiti like a bulletin board or a property boundary. Graffiti will also serve as a warning to rival gangs. Pay attention to colors of the graffiti. A commonly re- occurring color could be an indicator . Look for re-occurring numbers or roman numerals. Also look for re-occurring names or abbreviation. Try to remember or take a quick note of what you see for later reference.

Groups of Young Men
Most gang members are in the age group of 15-25 and predominately male. Now every group of young men is obviously not a gang. Use your judgment and take note of what you see. Look for similar colored clothing. If you have high school age kids in public schools or know some, ask them. They might have some knowledge you wouldn’t be able to get anywhere else.

Tattoos
Tattoos are like a gang member business card. Kind of like – “this is the group I belong to and these are my accomplishments.” Gang members tattoos are usually very distinctive. A lot of gang members wind up in jail or prison and often get tattoos while incarcerated. Jailhouse “tats” are easily recognizable. Do a little internet research to find jail house or prison tattoo pictures. Once again look for recurring themes, names, symbols, numbers and roman numerals.

Information Resources

Law Enforcement
The most aware of local gang activity is probably going to be local law enforcement. If you know a local officer ask them what is going on in the area. Most officers will probably be willing to spend a few moments talking to a concerned citizen and may have a lot of useful information
If your local area has a “Gang Task Force” or a similarly named unit it’s probably a good indication that there are problems in your area. I don’t know how much information a unit like that will be willing to give you, but it’s probably worth it to call the department and ask. You may get a standard response prepared for the public, but you also could get a lot of good information. I may attract some Ire for saying that you probably shouldn’t speak to Law Enforcement Administrators. IMO they may try to embellish or downplay current conditions for political or other reasons. You shouldn’t have to worry about it though, most upper management types probably wouldn’t want to talk to a concerned citizen unless you are friends with someone important.

Local News Agencies
Local news media is another great resource. Granted they can tend to be over dramatic and not always completely accurate but viewed objectively can be very informative. Watch the local evening news and pay attention to trends. If you don’t have television, then subscribe to a newspaper. Many small newspapers have a crime blotter, this is a great feature. An increasing amount of reported graffiti vandalism could be an indicator of gang encroachment. Once again pay attention to trends. If the crime description says that the crime was gang related then you have a good indication of activity in your area

The Internet
The Internet has an absolute wealth of information. There are numerous gang information web sites. I would recommend knowing which gang you are looking for before starting a search, as you could be overloaded with information. Some web sites you may want to take a look at are:

GangInk.com – This web site has Chicago area gang information
Eviltattoo.com
GangWatchers.org
KnowGangs.com – This is a very good web site IMHO.
Wikipedia has good general information if you know specifically what gang you are looking for. [JWR Adds: Wikipedia also has several pages specifically about gangs outside the US]

You should also know that many gangs or gang members have their own web sites. These are definitely worth checking out if applicable to your area or circumstance.

Books
There have been many books written by a number of former and current law enforcement officers as well as former gang members. These can be very valuable resources. Many of these can be found in the Paladin Press book catalog. One book I definitely recommend is “The Gang Investigator’s Handbook” by Matthew David O’Dean Ph.D. and is available through Paladin Press. Books written by former gang members are usually specific to their individual gang and will therefore require you to specifically know what gang(s) you have in your area and proceeding appropriately.

The prospect of having to deal with gangs is not pleasant. In the event of a collapse that prospect only becomes worse. Use this information I’ve given you to find out if you should be immediately concerned. We must all be aware that crime traditionally increases in time of economic stress. With our country in its current state things could become very interesting. Don’t say to yourself: “I don’t need to worry about it.” Do some research and be prepared.