Four Letters Re: The Thin Blue Line

JWR,
[In his article “The Thin Blue Line”,] Deputy W. makes a very good observation about the tipping point when law enforcement retreats to protect their own families. This situation has occurred twice in recent history here in the U.S., during the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles in 1992 and most recently in New Orleans at the time of Hurricane Katrina. I lived through the riots in L.A., as well as two earthquakes and would like to share some of what I learned from this experience.

The fact I want to impress on SurvivalBlog readers is that they will most likely experience a situation like this wherever they live at some point in their life, it is almost unavoidable. Mention this experience to most people and they will think “this will never happen to me”. However, human behavior really hasn’t changed very much for thousands of years. If you starve people or remove the threat of arrest and incarceration, some of them will turn into animals who will stop at no evil, causing a breakdown of civil society. The saying “at any time, you are three days from anarchy” is no doubt true.
As the riots began, most people assumed the situation would remain under control in the South Central part of Los Angeles, a poor and rundown area. The story ran on the evening news and everyone went to sleep thinking it would blow over. Law enforcement (the Los Angeles Police Department – LAPD) made a number of errors in handling the situation and it rapidly spiraled out of control. By the next morning, the air was smoky and the news was filled with scenes of mobs attacking defenseless people like truck driver Reginald Denny, who was nearly beaten to death because he had the misfortune to drive his truck through the wrong neighborhood. Keep in mind, at that time LAPD was considered to be one of the best run police forces in the U.S. If the LAPD couldn’t keep control, then could your local law enforcement keep control in this kind of situation?

What did it feel like to be there for “the end of the world”? Power and water still worked, and I had about a weeks worth of food on hand, so it was a comfortable, though scary “end of the world” for me — I didn’t own a gun at the time and the flimsy gate and sliding glass door at the entrance to my apartment didn’t offer any protection if someone wanted to get in. Because LA is a media center, the local helicopter news coverage was quite good and people stayed glued to their televisions, just to make sure the mobs weren’t heading our way. So good in fact that looters would burn down the business they finished robbing and go home to watch the fire on television. Once it became clear to the public at large that no police would be there to stop anything, it became a free-for-all. Television crews on Sunset Boulevard filmed people breaking large storefront windows, the alarm bells blaring and dozens of looters entering to help themselves to the “30 Minute 100% Off Sale”. I remember quite clearly an interview with a looter who had just exited a shoe store holding up a pair of shoes for the camera and saying excitedly, “Granny, they didn’t have the shoes you wanted, but I got you these in your size”.

Another scene burned a memory I will never forget. Many of the businesses in these poor areas were owned by hard working Korean families. These merchants banded together and got on the roofs of their businesses with shotguns. Four days later when the smoke cleared, they were the only businesses left in town and I don’t believe many of them even had to fire a shot.

I ventured out to the local grocery store after the first day — you could hear gunshots from neighboring Venice. The parking lot at the shopping center was full of panicked people, desperately buying anything. They patiently waited in lines over ten people long — at least people were still reasonable in this neighborhood. We traded stories with people who had just come down from Sunset Blvd., where the looting was really taking off, it was completely out of control. The shelves in this store, however were stripped clean — it looked like a store you would see behind the Iron Curtain, people had money, but there was nothing to buy.

After this experience, I swore that I would never be unprepared — you can’t always count on someone else to look out for your interests and protect your family. – CK

 

Mr. Rawles,
I have been a law enforcement officer (LEO) in a small city – western New York and was raised in New York City. I believe that Deputy W. stated his facts on the nicer side. The mental state of anyone in survival mode is not a pretty thing, ff they are not prepped as most here [where I live] are. I would venture to say better than 50% of the LEOs in the nation would not go to a callout under TEOTWAWKI scenario. And how many would respond to a SHTF moment? They have to take their families as primary importance and you would not expect otherwise. The only way to avoid this is to make certain that the families were well provided for and protected, that is not done anywhere that I am aware of. So do not take the law into your own hands just to be righteous, but protect yourselves and be prepared to defend family and property, food, et cetera, if you see the legal system break down.

I was once told by a fellow LEO: “I don’t need to store food, I have guns and I will feed my family” .And, yes this man was basically [otherwise] ethical and honest as are majority of LEOs in this country. I am not Christian or Jewish nor any variation of that. So my faith in your savior is not what I lean on, but my faith and my belief in my right to survive will allow me to do what I must to survive. I pray for all whom ‘he’ would protect and allow all to live — if they do not threaten me and mine.

Get a firearm and practice with it, and if they will listen, train your family as you might not be there to use it. If possible, have a plan and a backup plan, and have a gun with you at all times. That plan should include a bug out bag (BOB) and it should be portable,many sites to find what should and should not be in there. Shalom, – S.S.B.

 

Jim,
I would like to add that during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina that the New Orleans Police Department was doing just as much looting as the Citizens and the National Guard was there to disarm the survivors. So I’m not even going to trust a LEO during the bad times ahead, they have family to feed too. What makes the matter worse is the average citizen has been conditioned to obey law enforcement.

What do you do when a LEO comes to your door and wants [to ‘requisition’] your supplies? Signed, – Dan

 

Dear Mr. Rawles,
Regarding the recent article concerning the Thin Blue Line being the “only” thing separating honest citizens from criminal chaos: I think one of the basic suppositions is incorrect.
For the past year I have been living in two places. Approximately 3-4 days a week I live in a large Pacific Northwest City and the other 3-4 days I live on the edge of a very small town (pop. 2,000, which is my Bug Out Location) somewhere in the Inland Northwest. The police force in the large city is doing the best they can, but I am am constantly at Condition Yellow. Crime is serious and getting worse. In contrast, the small town doesn’t have a single police person. There is virtually no crime. While I think a societal breakdown is more than likely in the city, given almost any excuse, I also think that almost any kind of problem in the small town will most likely bring the town to an even higher level of cooperation and care for the common welfare of the citizens.

I plan on making the small town my permanent residence as soon as possible. The ramifications for quality of life issues are vast, even if the Schumer doesn’t hit the fan!
I in no way mean to take anything away from the police. They are doing the best they can, but these days they should be getting combat pay! As Dirty Harry said: “We’ve got our finger in the dike, and the whole dang thing is crumbling around us!” The future is not in any city. Thank you (again) for your guidance and fellowship. God bless, – E.T.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Eric sent us this: Prices for rooftop solar systems fall as supply grows

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“OffGrid”, James S., and KAF were the first of more than 10 readers that flagged this: U.S. military report warns ‘sudden collapse’ of Mexico is possible. Speaking of emerging threats, Semperfiwife sent this Newsweek piece: Bob Graham talks about the possible nature and likelihood of a WMD terrorist attack over the next few years.

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From FloridaGuy: Detroit’s credit rating downgraded to junk bond status

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Nick sent this: The New Paranoia: Hedge-Funders Are Bullish on Gold, Guns, and Inflatable Lifeboats

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The latest economic news and commentary, starting with three items from reader H.H.: “Frightening” Global Downturn — Pension Crisis Coming — Really Scary Fed Charts (H.H. comments: “Probably the most unnerving charts I’ve ever seen. Future hyperinflation seems totally unavoidable now.”) And from Cheryl (The Economatrix), comes these: Wall Street Dives on Bank Woes and Grim Retail Sales Data — Oil Tumbles to $36/Barrel — Trading in Gold Soars 60% — S&P May Strip Spain of its AAA Rating — Chinese Exports Biggest Fall in Decade — UK Trade Deficit for Months is Record $16 Billion — World in Mad Rush for Gold Coins — Shipping Ratest Hit Zero as Trade Sinks — Ruble Devalued, Gas Dispute Deters Investors — Deutsche Bank EU4.8 Billion Fourth Quarter Loss — World Trade Suffers as Oil Price Plunges — Pandit Prepares Citigroup for Breakup — 2009: The Largest Economic Train Wreck in History is About to Occur — Roubini Forecasting 40% Home Mortgage Failure? — Big Brother’s New Target: Tracking All Firearms

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“What we as a nation have done recently is eat the seeds and kill off the game which is necessary to regenerate surplus in the future. We have consumed our future surplus. This is essentially why the Coming Depression will not end in 2009 or 2012–we as a nation have consumed our future surplus via stupendous deficits and the stupendous interest payments which must be paid out of future surpluses.” – Charles Hugh Smith

Note from JWR:

Just one day left! The high bid in the SurvivalBlog Benefit Auction is now at $1,500. The auction is for a large mixed lot that includes:

1.) A large “be ready to barter” box of full-capacity gun magazines, from the JASBORR. This box includes: 12 – Used original Bundeswehr contract HK91 (G3) steel 20 round magazines, 6 – Used original FN of Belgium-made FN-FAL alloy 20 round magazines, 6 – Used AR-15/M16 USGI (a mix of Simmonds & Colt made) alloy 20 round magazines, and 2 – New and very scarce original FN (Belgian-made) US M1/M2 Carbine blued steel 30 round magazines (marked “AYP”) . All of these magazines are of pre-1994 manufacture (and hence legal to possess in New York.) These magazines have a combined value of approximately $450. Note: If you live in a state where full capacity magazines are banned, then you must choose to: refrain from bidding, or designate a recipient in an unrestricted state, or re-donate the magazines for a subsequent auction.

2. ) A brand new in box Big Berky Water Filter, with your choice of either four white ceramic filter elements or four black filter elements. This is a $329 retail value, courtesy of Ready Made Resources.

3.) 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

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

5.) A desert tan SOG Trident folding knife, courtesy of Safecastle. (a $92.99 retail value.)

6.) A case of 12 recent production full mil-spec MRE rations (identical to the current military contract MREs, but without the civilian sale restriction markings). This is a $90 retail value, courtesy of CampingSurvival.com.

Thus, the combined retail value of this combined lot is at least $1,275. This auction ends on January 15th. Please e-mail us your bid for the entire mixed lot.

Inflation, Taxes, and Self-Sufficiency

I recently received an e-mail from T.F. in Utah, who quipped: “They tell us that inflation is now non-existent. Well, how many years of deflation will it take to get prices back to where they once were? It is noteworthy that the average annual property tax on a house on a city lot now exceeds the entire land purchase price and construction cost of a comparable square footage house, in 1890.” Inflation is indeed insidious. And its has implications that are far-reaching. For example, consider the following:

Creeping tax increases one of the reasons that it is now nearly impossible for someone to “live off the land” on small acreage. Even if you own your house and land free and clear, property taxes are inescapable. Thus, in “self-sufficient” mode, although you can feed yourself, you still need a cash-earning job, just to pay the taxes. I pray that at the far end of the coming depression, our debt money system–which is the root of inflation–will be replaced by a system of sound currency that is redeemable in specie. That is the only sure, long term solution to creeping inflation, and corresponding creeping taxation.

I’ve mentioned this tale of woe before: Back in the 1930s, my great grandparents lost a considerable portion of their 5,000+ acre sheep ranch in northern California to back taxes. At the beginning of the Great Depression they were land rich but cash poor. But by the end of the Depression, that had neither much money or land. (By 1942, the county had taken most of the ranch for back taxes.) Although the chances of a long-lasting deflationary depression are fairly small (since I think Helicopter Ben will try to inflate his way out of this mess), it is prudent to do your best to maintain a cash income to supplement “the fat of the land”, from your self-sufficient retreat. See the SurvivalBlog Archives for some suggestions on building up home-based businesses.

Letter Re: Waste Vegetable Oil for Fuel in Diesel Engines

Sir,
I purchased a 1982 Mercedes 240D diesel. These old diesels will all run on used cooking oil [also known as waste vegetable (WVO)]. I have run mine for more than a year on 100% used cooking oil with no modification other than a larger fuel filter. You do not have to spend hundreds of dollars for a large capacity diesel filter. I bought a large water filter at the hardware store for around $30. I use the wound rope or string insert that you can buy for less than $20 per pair. It works great for a fraction of what an auto parts store will charge for a diesel fuel filter. If you use new oil from the bottle the larger filter is not necessary. If the temperature drops below freezing you will need to mix [the WVO] with [petroleum-based] diesel to thin it, but otherwise you are good to go. You can also run motor oil in them and I understand they will also run on transmission fluid. I have not tried running 100% motor oil but I have added several gallons at a time to a tank of diesel. There are millions of them still around. Some are still in remarkable shape. The old engines are bullet proof. You can still buy every part new for the cars. I recommend the 1981 to 1985 Mercedes diesel cars. I am not sure about ones older than this. They started changing the engines and injection pumps on the newer ones. Hope this helps, – Ken

JWR Replies: In cold climates, owners may need to add a fuel tank heater. As previously discussed in SurvivalBlog, when burning WVO or WVO blends, it is preferable to have two fuel tanks: A small one containing only standard #2 diesel fuel, and a main tank containing WVO or a WVO blend. The engine is started and warmed up using the small tank, then switched to the main tank. Then, a few minutes before shut-down, the fuel supply is switched back to the small diesel tank. This leaves only “dinodiesel” in the fuel lines and hence eliminates most problems with hard-starting.

Ready Made Resources sells a well-proven WVO to biodiesel processing system. Properly blended B60 biodiesel containing WVO can reportedly be used even in vehicles with more sophisticated fuel-injected engines.

BTW, from a preparedness standpoint, the best diesel passenger cars to look for is a older (pre-turbo) Mercedes built on a W123 chassis, specifically the 240D and 300D models made from 1977 to 1985. I recommend the “T” designated “estate” station wagons, since they a have a lot more cargo room than a typical four door sedan. This configuration also provides room for an auxiliary fuel tank, as described. For a utility-type diesel vehicle, I’d recommend getting a US Army surplus a M1008 CUCV pickup.

Letter Re: New “Defiance” Resistance Warfare Movie

Hi;
I have learned a great deal from your site and recommend it to my customers (I sell preparedness books).
There is a movie being released on January 16th called Defiance. You can go to the movie web site to get a several minute long previews.
This is a movie on the Polish Partisans, or resistance forces that fought against the Nazis in World War II. My dentist escaped from communist Poland and told me that her grandfather was a Partisan leader. I have done was research I could to learn about her grandfather and the resistance forces. Basically, as this movie will “teach”, they moved great numbers of Jews into the forests and built underground houses, shops, entire villages. They conducted guerrilla warfare against the Germans while protecting the young and old from capture.

I have meant to contact you about this basic idea as a tie in to this scenario in your book. If people were to prepare positions in advance, build more permanent structures equipped with a small wood stove, well, septic, supplies, the odds of survival would drastically increase. But we can learn from what has already been done. And they did this with minimal weapons, and those, when available, were a few pistols and bolt action rifles. Compare this to what we have available and already in our hands today. Keep up the good work. – Don in Ohio

Letter Re: Red Dot Sight Battery Longevity

JWR,
I have a red dot sight battery, lithium Energizer CR2032, which was stored in it’s original packaging in a refrigerator since May 1996, almost 13 years ago. I recently opened it and have been testing to see if it would still work, at present I have about 11 hours of use on it. I know this is anecdotal, but the point is, if you use red dot aiming devices and it uses one of these type batteries, it is probably worthwhile to store a good supply of batteries for long term use. Regards, – K. in Texas

JWR Replies: Lithium batteries should be stored in a refrigerator. But reader Shirley A.–who is an audiologist–mentioned that this is a bad idea for zinc air batteries. She notes: “…do not store zinc air batteries in the refrigerator. The batteries are inert until the tab is removed. Once air reaches the hole(s) on the back of the batteries, they become activated, hence “air-activated” batteries. The humidity in a refrigerator will cause the protective tabs to become loose, thus allowing air to reach the holes and activating the batteries.They will all go dead in a short time. Zinc air batteries should be stored in a cool, dry environment, like a dresser drawer. For the same reason, don’t store your batteries (or your hearing aids) in the bathroom.”

Letter Re: Documentary Film Producer Seeking Interview Subjects

Dear SurvivalBlog Readers:
I can’t thank you all enough for the numerous responses to my earlier posting. It’s a pleasure meeting you all and reading about your different approaches to survival and a preparedness mentality. I have been doing my best to respond to all of your emails, but wanted to let you know if you haven’t heard back from me directly, it is not due to a lack of interest, but more the logistics of responding to the volume! I have read through all of the emails that have come my way and encourage those who haven’t responded but might be interested to please don’t hesitate to get in touch. I am quite encouraged by the number of people who have written with advice and/or an offer to participate in this project. I am more than ever convinced, after hearing from you all, that this is a subject whose film time has come, and I’m going to be making every effort to get funding and a green-light so that we can move ahead as soon as possible. Warm regards, – Amy Bucher, Engel Entertainment

Odds ‘n Sods:

Dave S. flagged this disturbing news: Treasury: Deficit hits new record in just three months

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Northern Tool & Equipment (one our affiliate advertisers), has a special offer that runs though the end of January: Free Shipping on UPS Ground Orders over $149. Use key code: 117231.

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Cheryl spotted this: Wisconsin Department of National Resources to Hunters: Hand Over Your Guns on Demand. Cheryl also sent us a fresh batch of economic news and commentary links: Digest: Stocks Shed 4-5%, Gold Dips 2.5%, 7.2% Unemployment — Russia, China, Brazil and India Looming Collapse in 2009? — Credit Crisis Solutions that Should Scare You — US Debt Crisis 2009: What Must Our Creditors Be Thinking? (“Gold should perform nicely in 2009.”) — Bernanke Urges “Strong Measures” to Stabilize Banks — America: Running on Empty — Every Breath is Needed (The Mogambo Guru) — In Fraud We Trust — Depression Looms — Citi Shares Fall Despite Talks with Morgan Stanley — Alert: Mysterious Credit Card Charge May Have Hit Millions of Users — Stocks End Day Mixed Amid Earnings Anxiety — Many States’ Lotteries Rising in Recession

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It sounds like this guy might have read the John Ross novel: Unintended Consequences: Judge issues warrant for Schrenker

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FloridaGuy sent this: Go East, young man? Californians look for the exit

Notes from JWR:

Just two days left! The high bid in the SurvivalBlog Benefit Auction is now at $1,100. The auction is for a large mixed lot that includes:

1.) A large “be ready to barter” box of full-capacity gun magazines, from the JASBORR. This box includes: 12 – Used original Bundeswehr contract HK91 (G3) steel 20 round magazines, 6 – Used original FN of Belgium-made FN-FAL alloy 20 round magazines, 6 – Used AR-15/M16 USGI (a mix of Simmonds & Colt made) alloy 20 round magazines, and 2 – New and very scarce original FN (Belgian-made) US M1/M2 Carbine blued steel 30 round magazines (marked “AYP”) . All of these magazines are of pre-1994 manufacture (and hence legal to possess in New York.) These magazines have a combined value of approximately $450. Note: If you live in a state where full capacity magazines are banned, then you must choose to: refrain from bidding, or designate a recipient in an unrestricted state, or re-donate the magazines for a subsequent auction.

2. ) A brand new in box Big Berky Water Filter, with your choice of either four white ceramic filter elements or four black filter elements. This is a $329 retail value, courtesy of Ready Made Resources.

3.) 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

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

5.) A desert tan SOG Trident folding knife, courtesy of Safecastle. (a $92.99 retail value.)

6.) A case of 12 recent production full mil-spec MRE rations (identical to the current military contract MREs, but without the civilian sale restriction markings). This is a $90 retail value, courtesy of CampingSurvival.com.

Thus, the combined retail value of this combined lot is at least $1,275. This auction ends on January 15th. Please e-mail us your bid for the entire mixed lot.

—

Today we present another entry for Round 20 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 20 ends on January 31st, 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 Thin Blue Line, by Deputy W.

The “Thin Blue Line”. It describes something much greater than the title of a second rate movie. It describes the thin blue line of civilian law enforcement officers that is the only thing that separates America from utter chaos. It is not too difficult to imagine what would happen if that thin blue line were to disappear or become overwhelmed. A scary thought indeed, but one that you are already thinking about since you are reading SurvivalBlog.

Yet, we are alarmingly close to just such a scenario. As most readers of SurvivalBlog know, our modern Western society is extremely complex, interwoven, and most of all, vulnerable. We are facing the most serious economic situation since the Great Depression, but discussion of the current economic crisis and the innumerable other threats to our society is beyond the scope of this essay. Rather, I hope to explain to you, from a rural law enforcement officer’s perspective, what we could be in for in the event of a cataclysmic societal event.

I have been in a law enforcement career for 10 years. I have worked in a jail, I have worked road patrol, and I have been an investigator. Through my career, I have become a student of human nature. I have seen the evil that man is capable of perpetrating against his fellow man. There is one general rule to remember about all of humanity: it is at the core of our sinful nature to do that which is best for ourselves, regardless of what effect that may have on other people. We are a murderous and self seeking race, and it is my hope that you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ to set you free from this sin.
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But facts are facts. The Bible tells us that there will be many more souls that will be lost than there will be souls that will be saved in the end times. So we must prepare ourselves spiritually and physically, with the assumption that we will soon be facing unimaginable evil, and it will be in the form of a human face. As disturbing as it may be to you, you must be prepared to do whatever it takes to defend yourself and your family. You must be willing and able to deliver a lethal recourse if it becomes absolutely necessary. I will extrapolate on those thoughts.

The average petty criminal has a simple mind set. He operates from much lower moral standard than most other people. He is concerned about only one thing: himself. He is typically lazy and self serving. He doesn’t see a reason to go to work every day. Working people are chumps to him, but he likes having them around because they earn plenty of things for him to steal. It is no coincidence that burglaries are primarily daytime affairs. He knows that most people will not be home when he chooses to burglarize. He doesn’t want to hurt anybody, but he carries a knife or a gun in case somebody tries to interfere with his plans The only thing that keeps him from being more brazen is the threat of enforcement action against him. He doesn’t really want to go to jail, because it really is an unpleasant place to be. After all, if jail were so great, why do so many criminals flee capture?

Then consider the more malicious type of criminal. He has absolutely no morals, with the exception of honor among criminals. Even that is very questionable if it comes to a point where he can save his own skin. He has been raised on violence, and it is all he knows. He has no empathy for you, your family, or for anyone else. He doesn’t care if he causes you pain, and he probably even enjoys it. He will give no more thought to killing you than you would give to killing a housefly. He sees people like you as an annoyance to be dealt with. He sees you as an inanimate object, put on this earth only to provide him with gratification. He sees you, your family, and your possessions as a means to an end to self gratification. He will do whatever he wants to do in order to be gratified, unless and until you are willing to do whatever it takes to defend yourself. Otherwise, it is very likely that you and your family will perish horribly.

You see both types of these criminals all over America. You see them in the big cities and in the small towns. The only reason they are kept in check is because we have an established system to adjudicate and punish criminals. Even that is not usually enough to keep them from committing dastardly acts. All that we can hope for as a law enforcement officer is to catch the criminal after the act punish him. Then we hope that this acts as a deterrent to future criminal acts. Honestly, I’m not sure that it does. Some men are just plain wicked and that’s the way it is.

Criminals are the minority under normal circumstances. Most citizens are decent and hard working people. But it would not take much to destabilize our society. There are a lot of threats to our way of life. Proceed with me through the following scenario. A major economic collapse occurs in America. Millions are unemployed and have no way to earn honest money. The rest of the citizenry is crippled by inflation. Through various economic events, the entire economy grinds to a halt. Trucks and trains stop moving, which means that coal is not delivered to power plants, and food is not delivered to stores.
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Things quickly grow desperate. The average family realizes all too late that they have only a few days worth of food in their cupboard, with no available means to acquire more. Hundreds of millions converge on supermarkets within a matter of a week or two, and riots and looting erupts. Martial Law is declared and the National Guard is called up, but is completely inadequate to maintain order. Not only do the aforementioned criminals become free from constraint and begin to run amok, but millions of regular people realize that the only way their kids will be fed is if they go and take supplies from someone else. Hungry people with weapons will have no reservation about doing unspeakable evil on others if it means their own family will survive a little longer. Do not doubt that the sinful nature will turn normally docile people into voracious killers. It has been written into our DNA since the Fall of man.

Now to the big point I’m making. Here’s where it gets really scary, and the vulnerability of the thin blue line becomes apparent. I am employed in a county with a population of 40,000 people. We have a city of 25,000 as a county seat. At most, the agencies in my area could muster about 50 officers. This means that there would be an 800 to 1 ratio of citizens to police officers in our area. It would be impossible to maintain order with this ratio. We would be lucky to be able to hold a few buildings, let alone provide law enforcement service to 1,000 square miles of rural area.

Now imagine this happening in every city in town in America, all at the same time. The number of law enforcement officers, National Guard, and [Reserve Component and active duty] soldiers would be wholly inadequate to even make a small dent in widespread civil disorder. There are many Friday and Saturday nights when our local law enforcement agencies have to stack service calls for two hours due to high call volume, and this is during normal times. If law enforcement agencies can’t answer calls in a timely manner during normal times, how could a reasonable person expect law enforcement to be there during a societal collapse?I also urge you to consider this. There is no way that I, even as a police officer, can abandon my God-given responsibility to care for and protect my own family. There are times when retreat is the better part of valor, and if that terrible time comes, the vast majority of officers will not be able to justify in their own minds fighting a lost cause. They will retreat and take care of their family, which is what the brotherhood of the thin blue line is all about. Don’t misunderstand. The huge majority of law enforcement officers perform a very dangerous profession honorably and to the very best of their ability. But drastic times will call for drastic measures from everyone, and the preparedness minded person can’t assume that the thin blue line will always remain intact.

Thus, it quickly becomes apparent that each citizen will be responsible for his own family’s safety and security during these perilous times. To assume that there will always be police there to protect you will most likely be fatal. Please don’t make that mistake. Do what you must do. If you own a gun, learn how to use it proficiently. Take firearms training courses, and know the laws in your area. Most importantly, be ready for the unexpected, and don’t rely upon the government to take care of you. That’s your responsibility. – Deputy W. in Missouri

Letter Re: Choosing Between Roughly Comparable Retreat Locations

Jim.
To follow up on your response E.G. in the southeast who has such good neighbors. This reminds me of the small town in Maine where I grew up. Back in the day[s of early pioneer settlement]. this community, like so many agricultural ones in the region, hosted homesteads that were spread out much like E.G.’s friends in the southeast. At the time, raids by indian parties were the norm as relations fluctuated between harmonious and deadly.

As it was more than obvious that a homestead family alone could never hope to hold out against a band of forty warriors bent on pillage, the community made provision for the common defense by picking a good piece of ground and building a blockhouse on it. This was stocked with arms, ammunition and provisions and maintained for the common defense and place of refuge. This system became the norm in the region and low and behold, the raids eventually stopped because the bands started bouncing off one block-housed community after another, and paying the price for it.

Jim’s sage advice along this line is not only spot on (as always) but also has deep American roots; individual people who work their lives as sovereign individuals but who in times of danger come together to form a cohesive group capable of protecting the whole…and having the pre-positioned goods and SOPs in place to make it happen.- Mosby

Letter Re: Home Invasion Robbery Countermeasures–Your Mindset and Architecture

Hi Mr. Rawles –
I’ve been reading, and enjoying, your survival blog for some time now. There has been a recent thread on home invasions, which has gotten me to upgrade my home door security. While surfing the web reviewing door frame reinforcing products, I came across a link to an interesting article on the techniques used by firemen to breach your doors and gates. While the steps I am now taking would defeat most “kick in” assaults, stopping a determined crook with a [police or] fireman’s “Hallagan” tool seems unlikely. Thanks for your Blog, and Happy New Year. – Tom from Chicago