The latest meme created by JWR:
To share this, you can find it here: https://kapwi.ng/c/Ug743jHJ
Meme Text:
Congress is Arguing About Spending Another $2 Trillion On “Infrastructure”
“Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also.
I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love.
For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.
And herein I give my advice: for this is expedient for you, who have begun before, not only to do, but also to be forward a year ago.
Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have.
For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.
For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened:
But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality:
As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no lack.
But thanks be to God, which put the same earnest care into the heart of Titus for you.
For indeed he accepted the exhortation; but being more forward, of his own accord he went unto you.
And we have sent with him the brother, whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches;
And not that only, but who was also chosen of the churches to travel with us with this grace, which is administered by us to the glory of the same Lord, and declaration of your ready mind:
Avoiding this, that no man should blame us in this abundance which is administered by us:
Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.
And we have sent with them our brother, whom we have oftentimes proved diligent in many things, but now much more diligent, upon the great confidence which I have in you.” – 2 Corinthians 8: 7-22 (KJV)
On this day in 1780, the treatment of Patriot prisoners by British Colonel Banastre Tarleton and his Loyalist troops led to the coining of a phrase that defined British brutality for the rest of the War for Independence: “Tarleton’s Quarter.”
Tarleton and his Torries proceeded to shoot any and all Patriots that had surrendered after the fall of Charleston. The Patriots lost 113 men. The slaughter of the surrendered troops became a propaganda victory for the Continentals and Carolina civilians who had been terrified of Tarleton and their loyalist neighbors now rallied to the Patriot cause.
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Today we present another entry for Round 94 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:
Round 94 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.
A recent mechanical problem had me stranded beside the road for several hours and made me think about possible bad scenarios and what I would want to have in my car in order to survive these situations. My vehicle was stranded on the off-ramp of a major interstate, but the remoteness became apparent when I realized I only saw four cars get on or off this exit in three hours. One of those cars was a sheriff and he didn’t stop to see if I needed help. I was able to use my cell phone, but in many places, especially in the western US, cell phone coverage is spotty or non-existent. The world that we live in has created in us the mindset that everything we want is always available on demand. As we have seen during the recent pandemic, that is not always true. During my vehicle breakdown, I was only 20 miles from a medium-sized town with decent services, but at 7 p.m. on a weeknight, I was not able to get a tow truck to tow me the 80 miles to my house. We must be prepared for all of these scenarios. In this case, I needed to be prepared to spend the night in your vehicle. Could you safely do that?
I hope this article will help you think through what you want to keep in your vehicle for emergency situations. It’s important to keep in mind that everyone has different situations and what works for one will not necessarily work for others.
Keep track of landmarks – Exits, towns, mile markers, etc. This information is required to get help in a timely manner. We should always be practice keeping aware of our surroundings.
Keep an eye on your gas gauge – It can be hours between gas stations in some regions of the country. Recent gas shortages also show us it is possible for the gas stations to be shut down for days at a time. Don’t let your tank get below half-full.Continue reading“Equipping Your Vehicle For Emergencies, by C.J.”
To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make long-term and short-term plans. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities and planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, ranch improvements, bug out bag fine-tuning, and food storage. This is something akin to our Retreat Owner Profiles, but written incrementally and in detail, throughout the year. We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in your e-mailed letters. We post many of those — or excerpts thereof — in this column, in the Odds ‘n Sods Column, and in the Snippets column. Let’s keep busy and be ready!
This past week I was very busy with fence building. I still have an additional 300-foot long cross fence to complete. But that will have to wait until the river level drops, and that pasture dries out. (It floods seasonally.) I also added a hot wire to the top of another 3,500 feet of fencing. That now makes our perimeter fully electrified. Hopefully, that will dissuade our Bovine Delinquents from any more fence-hopping.
While in the midst of the electrification project, I discovered that one of our corner posts had rotted out. This surprised me, because it was 14-inch diameter cedar log. It had been emplaced by the previous owner of the ranch. (Hence, sometime before 2006.) Because of some complicating factors, replacing that turned into a six-hour project. It just goes to show that nothing lasts forever — not even a big cedar fence post.
I also burned two slash piles this past week. The rest of the piles–with boughs that are more green–will be burned this coming fall.
I’ve put Elk Creek Company on hiatus while I travel during the month of June. Part of that trip will be dedicated to searching for more inventory. I should mention that it is becoming very difficult to find any affordable pre-1899 cartridge guns. They are “getting bid up to the sky.” My plan is to re-open on July 1st, with pricing denominated in pre-1965 U.S. silver coinage, with a multiplier for payments in Federal Reserve Notes (FRNs) — by check or postal money orders. Thanks for your patience.
“Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged Solomon his son, saying,
I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man;
And keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself:
That the Lord may continue his word which he spake concerning me, saying, If thy children take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel.
Moreover thou knowest also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, and what he did to the two captains of the hosts of Israel, unto Abner the son of Ner, and unto Amasa the son of Jether, whom he slew, and shed the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of war upon his girdle that was about his loins, and in his shoes that were on his feet.
Do therefore according to thy wisdom, and let not his hoar head go down to the grave in peace.
But shew kindness unto the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be of those that eat at thy table: for so they came to me when I fled because of Absalom thy brother.
And, behold, thou hast with thee Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite of Bahurim, which cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim: but he came down to meet me at Jordan, and I sware to him by the Lord, saying, I will not put thee to death with the sword.
Now therefore hold him not guiltless: for thou art a wise man, and knowest what thou oughtest to do unto him; but his hoar head bring thou down to the grave with blood.
So David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David.
And the days that David reigned over Israel were forty years: seven years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem.
Then sat Solomon upon the throne of David his father; and his kingdom was established greatly.” – 1 Kings 2:1-12 (KJV)
Today is the birthday of the late Major General (MG) Victor Joseph Hugo Jr., who passed away last year. He was born 28 May, 1931, and died 11 May, 2020. In an obituary piece, Ray Oden wrote:
MG Victor Hugo died in May and was interred at Arlington National Cemetery on 13 November 2020. The OSS Society produced a 13-minute video as a fitting tribute to him.
MG Hugo was at the tip of the spear for so many important missions in the Army and after his retirement, and many are recounted in this short video. It is very much worth watching. His life was full of more adventure than you could read in a novel. And he made lasting contributions to our national security, much because of his Special Forces and Intelligence training, experience, and expertise. We should all aspire to live up to his example. De Oppresso Liber!
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More than a dozen readers have written to ask about the second production run of 2005-2020 SurvivalBlog Archive USB sticks. The first run sold out in less than two months. We are planning on releasing a new version (with a couple of minor glitches fixed) on July 4th, 2021. There will be just 250 sticks in that run, so mark your calendar.
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Today, an essay by JWR.
Round 94 of writing contest ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.
The congressmen and executive branch bureaucrats of the District of Columbia (DC) — a.k.a. The District of Criminals — are now fully exercising arbitrary and capricious powers. While supposedly operating within a constitutional framework, their dictates are becoming more and more draconian, and often downright absurd. Their latest proposal is a “high capacity” magazine ban. I’d like to illustrate the absurdity of such proposals with an analogy:
Let’s say that you live in the mythical country of The Republic of Freedonia. Freedonia is a constitutional republic with individual rights enshrined in a much-vaunted but two-century-old Constitution. Among these rights is “freedom of speech and press.” However, the increasingly socialist Freedonian national congress is in fear of an uprising inflamed by Pamphleteers. These pamphlets cannot be traced to their anonymous authors. They include lengthy essays on liberty. So the national congress passes “reasonable” and “commonsense” speech control laws. Among these is a law limiting pamphlets to 50 words. Any pamphlet that is 50 words or less is deemed “protected speech.” But writing, printing or possessing any new pamphlet that is 51 words or longer is considered a federal felony, punishiable by fines up to $100,000 and prison sentences up to eight years. Any lengthy pamphlets that were printed before the pamphlet ban was enacted are covered under a grandfather clause, and hence still legal to possess.
Does this illustration sound absurd? It shouldn’t. Because the federal magazine ban bill that was recently introduced in congress would make it a felony to manufacture or import a magazine or belt holding 11 or more cartridges. A 10-round magazine or would be perfectly legal. But an 11-round (or larger) magazine or belt would be a felony and could subject you to fines up to $100,000 and prison sentences up to eight years.
Some of my younger readers are not old enough to remember the magazine ban that was in effect from 1994 to 2004. Thankfully, that law had a 10-year Sunset Clause. But the currently proposed magazine ban does not. It would be permanent.Continue reading“The “Reasonable” Dictators of D.C.”
Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. Most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we look at how second-hand car prices are soaring. (See the Tangibles Investing section.)
U.S. Congressman Seeks Full Audit Of America’s Gold Reserves.
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Some interesting history, from Vince Lanci: Gold is Money. Silver is More.
Here’s what’s in Republicans’ new $928 billion infrastructure counterproposal. JWR’s Comment: How did congress devolve into a debating society that argues about creating trillions of dollars of new national debt?
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At Zero Hedge: “Eerily Analogous To 2008” – Carl Icahn’s “Big Short 2.0” Trade Starts Paying Off As Mall Loan Fails.
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H.L. suggested this interview: Inflation & Implosion – Hyperinflation in 2022 – John Williams
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At Wolf Street: “Just Shut Up and Buy”: But Hype-Stocks & Cryptos Crashed
“Politics: the art of using euphemisms, lies, emotionalism and fear-mongering to dupe average people into accepting–or even demanding–their own enslavement.” – Larken Rose
On this day in 1861, Chief Justice Roger B. Taney of Maryland issued the Ex parte Merryman decision, challenging the authority of President Abraham Lincoln and the U.S. military to suspend the writ of habeas corpus in Maryland.
On May 27, 1813, former President Thomas Jefferson wrote former President John Adams about the loss of their mutual friend, Dr. Benjamin Rush. Reflecting upon the loss, Jefferson wrote, “We too must go; and that ere long. I believe we are under half a dozen at present; I mean the signers of the Declaration.”
Dr. Rush was instrumental in the reconciliation of Jefferson and Adams by initiating correspondence between the three of them. Both Jefferson and Adams continued to correspond until their deaths on July 4th, 1826– the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, which all three had signed in 1776.
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Just four days left to enter your article for Round 94!
Today we present another entry for Round 94 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:
Round 94 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.
When talking about survival in a Without Rule of Law (WROL) situation, you are going to need a team. This can be a dedicated preparedness group, your family, a collection of friends, or whomever. But you absolutely need a team to survive in the coming chaos. This team needs to train together in order to be effective.
The problem is that most training events go something like this: On Friday night, everyone meets at the location, has a big BBQ dinner and hangs out around the campfire. Tents and shelters are placed in a wide-open area, spread out over a large surface and people bring large “family camping” style tents, rather than a tactically appropriate small-footprint shelter. On Saturday morning, there’s a large group breakfast and the first two hours are spent eating and chatting. Finally, there is a lecture session on something lasting an hour or two. Another couple of hours are spent having a large lunch, then in the afternoon, everyone lines up in a straight line and blasts away from stationary positions at stationary targets. Then, we’re back to a large BBQ and campfire time. On Sunday, the first few hours are dedicated to a big cookout breakfast, then the group practices “CQB” by launching attacks on an undefended plywood structure, which has exactly no relevance to preparedness. In preparedness, we won’t be out seizing buildings, we’ll be defending them, but that doesn’t stop every group I’ve ever trained with from spending the bulk of their time doing “ultra-tacti-cool-guy” training, that will not be relevant one bit. Then, everyone will brag at work and on social media about all the “training” they did, which was effectively zero.
So, what then is the solution? Here, I will present a far better option that is realistic, and scenario-based and allows every minute of the weekend to be dedicated to training. The only problem is, it won’t be as much fun, and it will be difficult and challenging. This exercise, and others, are outlined in my book The Base Line Training Manual. (Available from Books-a-Million or the dreaded Amazon.)Continue reading“Realistic Team Training Events, by Joe Dolio”
SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods— a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from “JWR”. Our goal is to educate our readers, to help them to recognize emerging threats, and to be better prepared for both disasters and negative societal trends. You can’t mitigate a risk if you haven’t first identified a risk. Today, we look at Saber Rattling in the Arctic.
H.L. sent this: Russia Warns US & NATO Over Increased Military Activity In Arctic.
Meanwhile, the view of NATO allies: In the Russian Arctic, the First Stirrings of a Very Cold War.
Some great news from Jon Patton: SCOTUS Decision May Lead to End of Red Flag Laws – Fight for Gun Rights!
Reader H.L. also sent us this piece by John W. Whitehead of The Rutherford Institute: Total Tyranny: We’ll All Be Targeted Under the Government’s New Precrime Program. Here is an excerpt:
“Precrime, straight out of the realm of dystopian science fiction movies such as Minority Report, aims to prevent crimes before they happen by combining widespread surveillance, behavior prediction technologies, data mining, precognitive technology, and neighborhood and family snitch programs to enable police to capture would-be criminals before they can do any damage.
This particular precrime division will fall under the Department of Homeland Security, the agency notorious for militarizing the police and SWAT teams; spying on activists, dissidents and veterans; stockpiling ammunition; distributing license plate readers; contracting to build detention camps; tracking cell-phones with Stingray devices; carrying out military drills and lockdowns in American cities; using the TSA as an advance guard; conducting virtual strip searches with full-body scanners; carrying out soft target checkpoints; directing government workers to spy on Americans; conducting widespread spying networks using fusion centers; carrying out Constitution-free border control searches; funding city-wide surveillance cameras; and utilizing drones and other spybots.
The intent, of course, is for the government to be all-seeing, all-knowing and all-powerful in its preemptive efforts to combat domestic extremism.
Where we run into trouble is when the government gets overzealous and over-ambitious and overreaches.
This is how you turn a nation of citizens into snitches and suspects.
In the blink of an eye, ordinary Americans will find themselves labeled domestic extremists for engaging in lawful behavior that triggers the government’s precrime sensors.”Continue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods”
May 26th is the birthday of Randall Hank Williams (Hank Williams, Jr.) He was born 1949. When not touring, he lives Somewhere in Montana, so he qualifies as a Redoubter. He reportedly has a large gun collection which is heavy on Sharps rifles and rifles that have factory letters showing that they were originally shipped to Montana. His song A Country Boy Can Survive is practically a survivalist anthem. His father was just 29 when he died, and despite a couple of close calls, Hank Jr. is now well into his golden years, so he may yet live to a ripe old age.
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I’ve put Elk Creek Company on hiatus while I travel during the month of June. The plan is to re-open on July 1st, with pricing denominated in pre-1965 U.S. silver coinage, with a multiplier for payments in Federal Reserve Notes (FRNs) — by check or postal money orders. Thanks for your patience.
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Today we present another entry for Round 94 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:
Round 94 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.
