Letter Re: Swords and Bows for that Dreaded Multigenerational Scenario

Jim,
Arrows are basically fragile. The aluminum XX75s are pretty durable, for what they are, but they still bend. The ‘game-getters are even softer, and bend easier. There are ways of straightening them, but is is pretty hard to get perfect. I like to say, “something can be bent 1000 ways, but there is only one straight”
Graphite arrows are more durable, and skinnier, thereby giving better penetration.
The big arrow companies are working hard at making better arrows, but of course, the latest is always the most expensive.
Wood is out, for shooting from a compound bow. If they get cracked, and this does happen sometimes, and you shoot it out of a compound bow, the fierce thrust on it can cause it to break, and drive the rear half of the shaft into the arm holding the bow.
(Honestly, I have always heard this, but never seen it)
The American Indians used some kind of grass stalks for arrows. I considered trying cattail stalks, after I found that out. They might be okay, till they dried out so much that they got brittle. The only reason the Indians got away with this, was because they were shooting relatively low poundage bows.
Broadheads are another whole study. There are mechanical broadheads that the blades are supposed to pivot upon hitting something, and then cutting whatever. For the most part, they can be pretty un-reliable, and fragile. There are at least dozens of different broadheads out there. For hunting, it must be shaving sharp, or you are doing a great disservice to the game animal. There are broadheads that have replaceable razor inserts, but the edge is pretty fragile. The ones that have permanent blades take some skill to sharpen, as anything. Some folks just don’t seem to be able to learn how to sharpen things. All these broadheads are sold by weight, in grains, like bullets. You can’t very well shoot a mixed bunch and plan on hitting anything consistently. Then, with the more hi-tech arrows, you can unscrew the broadheads and replace them with the same weight field points, or practice points. This saves the broadheads for serious stuff, but you should make sure the selected broadhead will fly for you. Sometimes, you will find they might ‘plane’ on you, and not go where you want them to. I like the two-blade type for ease of sharpening, but those are the ones that might tend to plane, too. I still think they are the most efficient, like the old Bear broadhead. Fred Bear killed an awful lot of critters with a recurve and that style broadhead, but then again, what else did he do? He spent decades doing little else.
You would not believe the accessories available to the archery industry! It used to be pretty basic, a big stick with a string, a little stick with a point and a couple feathers, and you could hurt something. Now, with all the tech. stuff, you can easily spend more on a bow than a good rifle. Then, the more complicated things get, the easier it is to mess it up. Sure, with sights, a peep sight, a mechanical release, properly tuned bow/arrow combination, and a fixed distance, it don’t take a tremendous amount of experience to be able to shoot pretty well, given enough money.
The re-curve and longbows are much more reliable. You must still match the arrows to the draw weight of the bow, (spine of the arrow) but it takes a considerable amount of practice to get competent.
Archery is a discipline. A new shooter should go to someone who knows how, before they teach themselves bad habits, and then have to ‘unlearn’ them later, if ever. If you can practice enough, you ‘become the arrow’ as one of the greats once said. I am embarrassed to admit I can’t remember which of them said that. It might have been Howard Hill. He was a phenomenal shot. He wouldn’t shoot a recurve, he said he wasn’t “good enough”. He shot the longbow. I believe, if one is serious on learning archery, stay away from all the paraphernalia!! You get to depending on it.
Then, when the need to shoot something, you just do it, without worrying about the mechanical release, sight, peep sight, which pin should I use,,, makes me want to just get the shotgun!
Then, when it is all said and done, you have to think as the arrows as expendable.
Sure, while you are practicing, you will re-use them many times, but there is always an attrition rate. You break knocks, (easily replaced with glue, if you have spares),
you mess up fletching, be they real turkey feathers, (which are most forgiving) as they clear the rest, the part of the bow that the arrow ‘rests’ on, or plastic vanes, which are great in the rain, but can kick the arrow out away from the bow, if the rest is not designed for them. The rest can be a very fragile part of the whole thing too. There are dozens of rests to choose from. That is another reason to keep it simple. Hi tech is okay, but it only takes one piece to malfunction, and you are out of business. A friend of mine missed a deer on opening day because he left his mechanical release on the seat od his truck, while getting all the other ‘stuff’ together.
With a compound bow, you just about have to use a mechanical release, if you are only holding back 15 or 20 lbs. draw weight. It is awful hard to (near impossible) get the arrow into flight the same way every time without ‘plucking the string’ and sending it off on a tangent. I have heard of using a ‘bowlock’, I believe it is called, as a release, but that is just another piece of equipment you have to depend on.
I just take an old leather boot and cut out a finger tab to draw the bow. Then, when you are ready, let you fingers on the drawing hand relax just a little, and the arrow is on it’s way. You can’t hold it back as long with a recurve of longbow, for sure, but you seldom have to. Just a steady fluid motion. Once you get the drawing hand back to your ‘anchor point’, let er go! I use my index fingertip to the corner of my mouth as an anchor point. I have seen those who try to use the thumb of the drawing hand, but you can rotate the thumb around too much, and there you have a bad habit in the making.
Most ‘traditional’ shooters use the index finger to the corner of the mouth, it is easiest, and most natural and consistent. It does tend to pluck a few whiskers out of the mustache sometimes though.
Well, I didn’t intend on writing a whole textbook on archery, but I have been shooting bows for at least as many years as anything. I hope you can glean some good out of it. There is still more, bow fishing, for one, and wing shooting, which I have never done, but have seen it done. I almost got a pheasant with a bow once!
Thanks for the blog. It is almost as much required reading for me as The Word. – Sid, near Niagara Falls

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For this reason peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here." – Patrick Henry 1765

Letter Re: Swords and Bows for that Dreaded Multigenerational Scenario

James:
In a multigenerational TEOTWAWKI, consider having a good set of swords (and crossbows). Unlike ammo which may only last 50 years, a good sword will last hundreds. You can choose a Japanese style cutting sword, an epee or foil style piercing sword or a hacking style great sword. All other swords are some variation and combination of these types. A great sword for hacking will take the most abuse but be the heaviest. You should have great arm strength for this. A European style fencing stabbing sword requires speed over strength. If you are a wiry and fast but not overly strong person, this is for you. It is also easy to carry but will not end a fight immediately. The recipient will die from a puncture but it may take at least 60 seconds before he runs out of steam even with a heart shot. A Japanese sword has the advantage of being the fastest to draw and you can take off a mans head before he can get his gun pointed at you or cut off the hand holding a weapon.(Think of the Japanese sword as the quick draw style of gun fighting.) The edge however will not take a lot of abuse. Short swords as in the Barong in the Filipino tradition are another option. It has the hacking/cutting style but in a lighter smaller sword, better for carry and smaller framed people.

In the event of a MGTEOTWAWKI (multi generational), we must concede the possibility of running out of functional ammo, either because it’s all used up or it just gets too old to work. While some of us with access to caves full of guano and a volcanic source of sulfur can recreate black powder, for the rest of us it’s the time warp.
The most feared weapon pre-1247, (the first recorded use of gunpowder at the the siege of Seville) was a crossbow. Capable of going through plate armor at considerable distances, accurate and easy to learn, this was the ‘equalizer’ from 400 BCE (first representation of a crossbow in China) until the common use of gunpowder
The crossbow was outlawed by both Pope Innocent II in 1139 and the Magna Carta. Consider them the assault weapons of their age. It seems the authorities are always looking for ways to prevent the common man from defending him (or her) self.
A strong piece of wood, a truck leaf spring, an anvil, hammer, tongs, forge, some wood working and metal working tools and you should be able to make one yourself.
For hand to hand combat, it’s the sword. Swords too were outlawed for farmers (Japan) and peasants (Europe). In Medieval England a peasant caught with a sword would be stung up on a gibbet and left for the crows. Only members of the ruling class could have weapons…
Easier to make than crossbow, requiring only a forge, leaf spring anvil and hammer. I’ll be trying my hand at both within the year.
If you’re looking for a MGTEOTWAWKI career, perhaps you could be the local armorer/weaponsmith. Armorer…hmm. Some wire bent into circles could make some nice chain mail, but that’s for another posting… – SF in Hawaii

JWR Replies: I agree that the Japanese katana is a great design. Either buy a quality antique sword or buy a replica from Cold Steel. Don’t bother with a Chinese replica. Most of those are garbage, strictly made for looks–not strength or for holding and edge. I have a friend in Finland that owns a wakazashi length Japanese sword (circa 1650, but in modern mountings) that is wickedly sharp. I found it for him at a gun show here in the States. He keeps that sword at home for counter-burglar duty. He also has the kendo training to go with it, so burglars beware!

For hunting, crossbows have some utility, but for combat, recurves or compounds rule. It is true that someone can be taught to accurately shoot a crossbow in less time than they can be taught to shoot a long bow, recurve, or compound (which can take years of practice). However, crossbows have a grossly inferior rate of fire. (It was the fast training time that made crossbows popular for arming peasant levies in Europe in the late Middle Ages. They made up for the slower rate of fire by simply massing crossbowmen.) Granted, a compound, recurve or long bow is not as powerful as a crossbow, but they can be fired four to six times for each shot that is loosed by a crossbow. Also, not nearly as well known is the fact that modern crossbows eat their strings, through friction. The widely touted Barnett brand, for example, is known to require string replacement as frequently as every 200 shots. (Some other brands of crossbows, such as the Benedict, are easier on their strings, but are still relatively high maintenance.)

Perhaps some of our readers that are ardent archers would like to add their two cents worth. Specifically, I’d appreciate your recommendations on specific brands of recurve or compound bows, as well as durable arrows and “pointers” (pardon the pun) on arrowhead selection. Keep in mind that the most efficient points for killing deer are not necessarily the best for penetrating armor.

OBTW, my friend in Idaho, Joey Vaughan, commercially manufactures bow strings. If you want to stock up on a quantity of top quality spare strings for your bow, he would appreciate your business. Contact: Clearwater Archery Supplies, P.O. Box 1074, Orofino, Idaho 83544 phone: (208) 476-4342. Be sure to have the exact model specifications of your bow handy before you call.

One side note: An interesting piece of FFTAGFFR on “post” firearms era weaponry is the science fiction novel Dies The Fire, by S.M. Stirling.The author did some great research for the book. It gives a glimpse into what life might be like in an age after firearms are viable. If you can get past the implausible premise of the book (an overnight change in the laws of chemistry which renders gunpowder non-explosive) and get past the pagan/wiccan philosophy that the book espouses, then I consider it a good read. Coincidentally, Dies The Fire is one of the favorite novels of The Werewolf–our SurvivalBlog correspondent in Brazil. Coincidentally, one thing that Stirling mentions in Dies The Fire is that motor vehicle leaf springs can also be re-arched to make crossbow limbs. If flattened they can be made into swords. There will be countless springs left around un-used in TEOTWAWKI. Perhaps we ought to discuss what else can be re-used from cars under such “worst case” circumstances. Batteries, alternators, and 12 VDC light bulbs also come immediately to mind. Speaking of car batteries, given proper safety precautions, they are also a ready source for lead for casting bullets. For proper bullet hardening, wheel weights can be mixed. in.

Letter Re: Inexpensive CBs for a Car Emergency Kit?

Jim:

You might perhaps solicit some information from other readers relating to inexpensive CB rigs that could be carried in a car emergency kit? Kind Regards, – James C.

JWR Replies: My general advice is that I’d rather spend $100 on a used (but guaranteed) SSB rig than I would a brand new-in-the-box rig that doesn’t have SSB capability. Your thoughts, folks?

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Nature appears fragile but as a whole it is robust and has historically survived the eons; whereas civilization may appear strong but is actually fragile and has historically not survived any great length of time.” – Rourke

Two Letters Re: Personal Hygiene in a Biowarfare World

James:

Peter Hardt tis correct about hand sanitation. To which I would add that auto-inoculation (putting your fingers in your nose, eyes or ears) is now scientifically proven to be the #1 way you get a cold. See the work of Kenneth Seaton. It is basically impossible to clean the underside of our fingernails and this is the most infectious part of our body. Learn not to pick your nose or use your fingernails to rub out sleepyheads. Use a napkin or your shirt. If not, at least use your knuckles…
When in public and concerned about infection, carry your own pen for writing checks and use a credit card over cash.
For public restrooms, don’t be there long when you flush (with your foot, not your hand) as it will make the germs go airborne.
When using toilet paper, discard the first few rotations so airborne bugs that get on the outer part of the roll won’t get on your rectum (a mucus membrane). Before using, put some TP down to reduce splash back. Don’t sit on the toilet if possible but squat over it so only your feet touch the seat. When opening and closing stalls, doors, and using faucets, use a napkin.
Try sanitizing your toothbrush now and again with H2O2 and replace every few months.
Also, if someone doesn’t look well, don’t shake they’re hands. If they are offended, tough. If your hygiene program is working well, you will see your albumin (a blood test value) go up to 4.6 or better. If your albumin is 4.0 or lower and you practice good hygiene, you are likely to either have a chronic infection of the beginnings of cancer. – SF in Hawaii

 

James,
The hygiene article Peter Hardt was excellent. Are you sure he’s not one of the writers for he TV show ” Monk”? I, personally could relate to about 80% of what he suggests, the other 20% was a great learning experience. The only thing I might add. is to avoid touching things like shopping cart handles, store door handles, places where many have been there before you. And, never accept that pen your smiling waitress or store clerk is offering you to sign your name, use your own.- C.B.

Two Letters Re: Get Out of Dodge Considerations

Mr. Rawles,
I know this is not really any kind of revelation, but it seems worth saying again. If you can’t live at your retreat, have a loaded bug out trailer or pre-position a substantial amount of provisions at your retreat. Thus, you put yourself in a far superior position. My family decided to take a spur-of-the-moment camping trip last weekend. The whole time I was getting ready, I was thinking “What if this were a bug out situation?”. Although I have most of the equipment conveniently situated in my basement, it took me almost 3 hours to load the gear we eventually decided to take. We took too much for the length of the trip and forgot a few things. Admittedly I was waiting for my wife to make some decisions about what she wanted to take, but it’s easy to think there would be confusion that would use up that much time in a real emergency. My plan for most emergencies is to hunker down at home, and if I had to evacuate quickly, I would grab a few essentials and go. My big concern is being able to get everyone home after an emergency. But having a bug out trailer pre-packed or living at your retreat is optimum. – C.G. in NC

Dear Jim:
I moved recently, and the parallels to bugging out were pretty obvious – a lot of stuff to move in a fairly high stress situation. Fortunately the deadline was not nearly as severe as bugging out, but even so, I got a good reminder on several lessons that are so easy to let slide.
1) If your stuff is organized it’s a lot faster and easier. If it’s a jumble, it’s time consuming nightmare. It took very little time when my stuff was well-packed and labeled, but it seemed to take forever when I had to organize and move at the same time. Keep it all organized in plastic tubs (not cardboard boxes that fold in the rain) and clearly labeled to avoid confusion. Don’t raid your BOB for one item, and leave it unpacked, etc., etc.
2) Don’t move too much stuff! The preparedness mindset can also be a pack rat mentality, and we definitely had too much stuff to move. Twice as much stuff takes twice as long to load and tires you out twice as much. It reminded me of the folks in your novel “Patriots” who tried to pack too much, too late, and only Got Out Of Dodge on foot, and under fire. Pre-positioning is a lot easier than moving under stress.
3) If your equipment is well-maintained you might be okay. If not, Murphy’s Law will bite with a vengeance. I took my truck to the shop in the last week before, and, of course it took longer than expected, wasn’t done right the first time, and then they couldn’t get the right part, etc., etc. Keep all your vehicles and tools ahead of the curve on maintenance. If we do have a TEOTWAWKI situation, you will have a cushion while your vehicles and equipment still works while you adapt to the new situation.
4) If your fitness is not up, you will suffer. I’m in pretty good shape, running 20+ miles per week, but moving several tons of stuff, and all the stress of moving, still wiped me out by the end of the day. If you aren’t on a physical fitness program, it will be a short, sharp shock to find out how badly our sedentary lives prepare us for hard physical work. Even just walking briskly for a half hour a day is a good start.
5) Keep ALL of your body maintained – moving, or bugging out, is not the time for an illness, a toothache, or a backache. Don’t let yourself get in a sleep deficit, eat your veggies, see the dentist every six months, and get proactive on any physical weaknesses. Keep your body ahead of the curve on maintenance.
I have had some minor back problems in the past, so I got on my back maintenance exercises and pulled through with only minor soreness.
These two books are absolutely excellent to get fast results correcting the root causes – and avoid wasting time and money with doctors that only treat symptoms:
Treat Your Own Back
The Back Power Program
My bet is a lot of older folks who try to bug out will also put their back out, and really be in serious trouble.
6) Get strong mentally. Expect screw-ups and prepare mentally to deal with them. About half of the various services and contractors we arranged with, showed up late and/or didn’t do everything they were supposed to do.
So don’t plan or relying on anyone but yourself to get it done right, and make a conscious choice that you will face the inevitable stresses with a can-do attitude – even better, with good humor. Monitor your own behavior and discipline yourself to make the right choices. This is something we can all practice every day.
7) Build slack time into the plan. Between too much stuff, and truck repair problems, and contractor screw ups, my original idea of how long it “should” take was a fantasy. Think how long it “should” take, double it for a more realistic estimate, and then plan around a worst case of doubling the time again.8) Practice by taking a camping or backpacking trip. You’ll find out your strength and weaknesses, and get a chance to correct before you have to do it for real.Hope it helps, – OSOM

Odds ‘n Sods:

The online magazine Slate recently featured a piece on surviving a terrorist nuclear attack.

   o o o

The price of oil has sagged, (down to $66 per barrel!), dragging gold and silver down a bit. So this dip might be a great time to buy metals if you have been dragging your feet. I’m still predicting substantially higher silver and gold prices before December.

   o o o

We’ve been driving a lot of back roads in recent days, looking for property on behalf of a consulting client. Yesterday, we drove past a ranch that had set up a huge (life size) bull elk statue on a ridge line, about 250 yards from the nearby county road. They must get some good laughs hearing the out of state hunters banging away at it on opening morning of deer and elk season.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"There is no safety for honest men but by believing all possible evil of evil men." – Edmund Burke – 1790 – from Reflections on the Revolution in France

Notes From JWR:

The high bid for The SurvivalBlog benefit auction for a copy “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course is now at $150. Please submit your bids via e-mail,

A reminder that we are seeking entries for Round 6 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The writer of the best non-fiction article will win a valuable four day “gray” transferable Front Sight course certificate. (Worth up to $1,600.) Second prize is a copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, generously donated by Jake Stafford of Arbogast Publishing. If you want a chance to win Round 6, start writing and e-mail us your article. Round 6 will end on September 30th. Remember that the articles on practical “how to” skills for survival (rather than motivational pieces) will have an advantage in the judging.

Letter Re: When the Economic SHTF, Which Way Will it Go?

James:
I’ve been trying to figure out whether we’re going to go hyper-inflationary or depressionary when the ESHTF (Economic Schumer Hits the Fan). We’ve all been watching the .5 to 1 trillion in ARMs that are going to reset in 2007. Will this be what topples our economy? My money says yes.
Here’s the housing bubble as I currently understand it.
1) 20% (more in California) of mortgages are adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs)
2) 50% of people lie on the mortgages applications overstating their income
3) Many brokers lie to the borrowers about how fast the payment will go up and to what extent
4) Interest rate only ARM mortgages were originally reserved for highly paid individuals who could afford the payment penalties
5) Banks can show future profits as current profits, but if the loans aren’t repaid, these paper profits will disappear and they will go negative in a hurry (read the Enron school of accounting)
6) These iffy debts have been bought up by hedge funds
7) $500 Billion to $ 1 trillion in ARMs come up for reset to higher (2x?) mortgage rates next year. If it collapses the market, and given the slump now, imagine what the reset will do, then it will spill over into the banks and the hedge funds.
8) New mortgages make borrowers responsible to make up the difference between mortgage and foreclosure cost
9) New bankruptcy laws make it harder to walk from the debt
10) The IRS considers the difference between foreclosure and mortgage as profit to be taxed
11) Many people bought houses with the only intention of flipping them, the sign of a bubble
12) Personal savings as a percentage of disposable income went from went from -0.7% in June to -0.9% in July, so when these mortgage rates on the ARMs reset, there is very little wiggle room…If we go inflationary, we want to be in silver and gold and as deep in debt for tangibles as possible so the inflation makes the debt meaningless. If we go deflationary, we want cash on hand to buy at the bottom. Real estate is my choice.

So, which way? Inflationary or deflationary? If we go into a deflation/depression what stops the government from just printing up huge amounts of money? Isn’t that what got us out of the the depression last time? In this way we would go from a depression to hyper-inflation. Since hyper-inflation only lasts 3 or 4 years as opposed to depressions which last ~10, wouldn’t this be a better option? The only reason the government would not want to do this is because it would essentially transfer the debt bubble loss from the debtors (the have not’s) to the lenders (the haves). A person with money in the bank and who was holding the debts of others would suffer under inflation as the money in the bank and the debts were inflated to worthlessness. Those with tangible assets (a house) and huge debt but no cash would have nothing in the bank to be devalued, and their debts would disappear and their houses and farms would be theirs again as inflation made their debt meaningless. Perhaps what was engineered in the great depression was keeping the money at low levels ([deflationary]depression) just long enough for everyone to be forced into foreclosure, then print up more money and bring us out again. I think that the ‘haves’ won’t let hyper-inflation happen as it will wipe out their assets. They will demand a depression for the correction (transfer of wealth). So, my bet is for depression over inflation. Another dark side of this is that much of the ‘haves’ are now foreign interests. Thus, we could end up with China, a country holding enormous amounts of our debt and cash, owning most of our country in terms of real estate and stocks. – SF in Hawaii

Two Letters Re: Gangs and Escaped Convict Gang Members in TEOTWAWKI

Dear James,
I concur with The Wanderer’s assessment of the MS-13 gang. That gang is very active in the Houston area where I currently reside. A young teenage girl recently stabbed and killed an MS-13 member in a city park (perhaps in self defense). Her lawyer had her kept in jail because they thought jail was safer for her than being free and in the public, especially since the media had to plaster images of her face everywhere. I’ve bypassed some otherwise nice real estate in the past because of MS-13 activity in near areas. I view those in gangs as members of an evil covenant.

I initially planned a retreat land purchase in a Texas county where the first Texas based ancestor of mine had settled. He was given the land for his participation in the Battle of San Jacinto. Being a bit sentimental (or semi-mental?), I’d hoped to buy some of his land “back” as the nearby communities are very small.

I read “Patriots” for the first time in March 2006 and truly appreciate the insight on the different scenarios. The biker gang scenario reminded me of the proximity (50 miles or so) of my ancestor’s land to one of Texas most known prisons in Huntsville and thus have dropped my “repossess the land” aspirations. Here’s a link to a map I found of Texas Department of Corrections facilities. I suppose other state governments may have similar maps.

I’m one who had been better prepared in the past (kept all the firearms and ammo), but let the cares of this life distract me. Now I am getting my preparations back up to the level they need to be at. Escaping Houston is a priority. I remained in Houston during the “less touted than Katrina” Hurricane Rita bug-out that clogged Texas highways and depleted local fuel stations of fuel. I had fuel, food and weapons. I kind of felt like “The Omega Man” in a surreal, empty city (as empty as I’d ever seen it), but after reading “Patriots” I saw several holes in my “lifeboat”. I’m working on patching them.

I’m currently looking for a new place to live anyway, so the novel, the recently discovered blog and the excellent, recently received Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course all seem, to a degree, to be divinely timed in my life. A distant, but like-minded, relative has even invited me to visit her in Idaho. Who knows what will come of it if I visit?

I plan to be a participant in the Ten Cent Challenge soon.

I’m eagerly looking forward to getting a copy of Rawles on Retreats and Relocation. Any updates on the publication date? [JWR Adds: I’m still planning on sometime in October.]

Nice to see a Texas based food storage (Best Prices Storable Foods) company advertising. Their FAQ page is excellent. I hope to make the RWVA shoot in Mingus, Texas in October. – M. Artixerxes

 

Sir:
I am a security guard by profession and I would like to add something about MS-13. I live in Virginia were this gang is prevalent, I see them every day.
A little research and you will find The Wanderer very wrong. While they do use the machete for “hits”, to say that they do not use guns just shows he has very limited knowledge about the gang.

MS-13 emerged in the 1980s during El Salvador’s violent civil war and is estimated as of 2005 to have 50,000 members in Central America and 30,000 members in the United States.
The founding members were all soldiers that made it a rule that all members receive military training. There have been MS-13 members caught at our borders trying to sneak in grenades and other weapons. The gangs have moved from beyond their Salvadoran, Mexican and Los Angeles origins and can be found in Belize, West Honduras , Guatemala , Canada , Mexico , and over 30 U.S. states , largely in Washington, DC in the Maryland and Virginia suburbs, Carrollton, Texas and Long Island, New York . Some have even been founded in Spain, Italy, and Belgium .

One of the ways in which the MS-13 has grown and spread has been through United States deportation policy. The United States has a law allowing for the deportation of non-citizens convicted of felonies to their country of origin. Salvadoran members of MS-13 were and are deported to El Salvador, where they recruit more members. Because of the meager wages provided by prisons, many jail guards in El Salvador are easily corrupted through bribes, or are forcefully coerced to release the recently deported MS-13 members. – Dan N.

Odds ‘n Sods:

I was told that Ready Made Resources (one of our most loyal advertisers) has just received a large shipment of U.S. Army surplus battle dressings. These are typical Carlisle type dressings, but in the latest mil spec packaging. (Very tough and waterproof.) The size is 8″ x 7-1/2″ They are marked “Dressing, First Aid, Field, Camouflage” and were manufactured by Ellwyn, Inc. (“Red color indicates back of dressing, put other side next to wound….”) NSN 6510-00-201-7430. They will have about 500 available and will be selling them for just $2.50 each. Buy a bunch!

   o o o

Rourke flagged this piece from MSN Money: U.S. Housing Boom is Now a Bust. Rourke notes: “Well, if you use ‘gangbuster’ 2004 and 2005 as base years, it’s going to look bad, yes. In 61 of 275 cities prices go down – gee that’s not as bad as I thought, honestly. I think we’ve forgotten what a real bust actually is. In an election year though, you can count on the media to trump this up.”

   o o o

Experts say that New Yorkers need to be ready to evacuate.

 

Notes From JWR:

The bidding is now up to $135 in the SurvivalBlog benefit auction for a copy “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course. The course was kindly donated by Jake Stafford of Arbogast Publishing. Please submit your bids via e-mail. This auction ends on September 15th.

The following article was written by the winner of Round 5 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. It is a fine article that deserves special recognition. But unfortunately since Peter just recently won the writing contest, he isn’t eligible to win again for 10 more months. 🙁 So to reward him, I just sent him a complimentary box of assorted books from my mail order catalog.