Economics & Investing For Preppers

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. In this column, JWR also covers hedges, derivatives, and various obscura. This column emphasizes JWR’s “tangibles heavy” investing strategy and contrarian perspective. Today, some explanation of the Basel III Agreement.  (See the Precious Metals section.) Pictured above is the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) headquarters in Basel, Switzerland.

Precious Metals:

Basel III Endgame: what you need to know. JWR’s Comments: One little-known provision of Basel III is that beginning in July of this year it will require banks to acquire and maintain physical precious metals to back their paper contracts. This will create a strong physical delivery demand, straining global physical supplies of gold. The world’s central banks have been feverishly buying up physical gold, in anticipation of Basel 3.1 (a.k.a. Basel 3 Endgame) for the past eight years.  When I last checked, gold was up 24%, since January 1, 2025.  Pictured above is the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) headquarters in Basel, Switzerland.

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With the recent spike in the gold markets, the silver-to-gold spot price ratio has slipped to 101.9-to-1. Yowza!  This is an exceptionally good time to ratio trade out of gold (paper or physical) and into physical silver.  I suggest that you do so soon,  before the ratio reverts to its recent norm in the sub-85-to-1 range.  When it does, you will almost certainly make a handsome profit, even after the trading costs. – JWR

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S&P Global: ABS Frontiers: Looming Basel 3.1 Rules Could Incentivize More Bank Securitization.

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Reported on Wednesday: Gold zooms past $3,300/oz as investors seek shelter from tariff war.

Economy & Finance:

At Fortune: Goldman Sachs pulled its recession call moments after Trump pressed pause on tariffs. Moody’s chief economist isn’t convinced: ‘I take no solace in the president’s announcement’.

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At Zero Hedge: US Retail Sales Soared Most In 2 Years In March As Auto-Spending Spiked Ahead Of Tariffs.

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Linked over at the Whatfinger.com news aggregation site: America’s $19 Trillion Consumer Economy in One Chart.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“When I joined the Army, even before the turn of the century, it was the fulfillment of all of my boyish hopes and dreams. The world has turned over many times since I took the oath on the plain at West Point, and the hopes and dreams have long since vanished, but I still remember the refrain of one of the most popular barrack ballads of that day which proclaimed most proudly that ‘old soldiers never die, they just fade away.’ And like the old soldier of that ballad, I now close my military career and just fade away, an old soldier who tried to do his duty as God gave him the light to see that duty. Good-bye.” – General Douglas MacArthur, April 19, 1951, from his farewell address to a joint meeting of both houses of Congress.

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — April 17, 2025

Jan-de-Heem (Jan Davidszoon de Heem) was born April 17, 1606 in Utrecht.  From the InfoGalactic Wiki: “Jan-de-Heem was a stilllife painter who was active in Utrecht and Antwerp. He is a major representative of that genre in both Dutch and Flemish Baroque painting. De Heem was born in Utrecht as Johannes van Antwerpen. He studied first under his father David de Heem the Elder (1570–1631), then under Balthasar van der Ast. His ‘middle name’, Davidsz, is a patronym referring to his father’s name: In Dutch a name ending in -sz is like -son in English and Mac- in Scottish, meaning ‘son of’ the rest of the name. He lived in Leiden from about 1625 to 1629, where he studied in 1629 under David Bailly (1584- c. 1657). His professional name, “de Heem”, means literally ‘the home’.”

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 118 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses. Their course catalog now includes their latest Survival Gunsmithing course.
  5. HSM Ammunition in Montana is providing a $250 gift certificate. The certificate can be used for any of their products.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from TOUGHGRID.com (a $287 value).
  3. A Laptop EMP Shield and a Smartphone Faraday Bag (a combined value of $200), courtesy of MobileSecSolutions.com.
  4. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.
  5. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of gun purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. 3Vgear.com is providing an ultimate bug-out bag bundle that includes their 3-day Paratus Bag, a Posse EDC Sling Pack, and a Velox II Tactical Backpack. This prize package has a $289 retail value.
  3. A $200 credit from Military Surplus LLC that can be applied to purchase and/or shipping costs for any of their in-stock merchandise, including full mil-spec ammo cans, Rothco clothing and field gear, backpacks, optics, compact solar panels, first aid kits, and more.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

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More than $950,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 118 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. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.

Avoiding the Worst Case Scenario – Part 2, by M.B.

(Continued from Part 1.)

Some U.S. states and municipalities still practice anarcho-tyranny, with the state of California being a standout example. Homeless people and illegal aliens are largely ignored, while minor infractions by taxpaying residents are zealously enforced. Professor Victor Davis Hanson—affectionately known as “VDH”—is a classicist, author, and podcaster. VDH has written and spoken extensively about the situation in California. Comedian, filmmaker, and podcaster Adam Carolla has similarly spoken about the differential treatment between groups of people in California. He sees the reason that mountains of red tape are heaped onto taxpayers and homeowners is that they’re capable of paying the fees and fines levied against them. On the other hand, officials ignore people running unlicensed street hot dog carts and roadside flower stands.

Under an anarcho-tyrannical system, it becomes even more important for the armed citizen to avoid violent conflict if at all possible. Even a “clean” self-defense case could still find the defender charged with some offense by a Left-wing prosecutor. “Winning” in court under these circumstances can still cost the defendant their life savings, while the state can draw out the process without concern for costs, turning the legal process into another form of punishment. Even prevailing in a trial is far from certain, no matter how justified the act of self-defense was. A jail or prison cell is about the worst place to be when “the Schumer hits the fan.”Continue reading“Avoiding the Worst Case Scenario – Part 2, by M.B.”

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods. This column is 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. In today’s column, we take a special look at trends in preparedness tactical training.

A New York Times Reporter Heads to The Range

Lily alerted me to this New York Times article: Americans Are Preparing for When All Hell Breaks Loose. It carries the sub-heading: “Once thought of as a fringe mind-set, the prepared citizen movement is gaining traction in a world shaped by war, the pandemic and extreme weather.”

Max Velocity’s Training Classes

Max Alexander, a veteran of a British Army Parachute Regiment operates as a mobile trainer, here in the United States: Max Velocity Tactical. “Max Velocity” (a pseudonym) is well-known for his no-nonsense live fire team training classes. Most of them are taught in Romney, West Virginia, although he trains in many other states, most notably in Texas. Here is a review, posted seven years ago, over at the AR-15.com forums: Max Velocity Tactical HEAT 1 Review. Addendum: “Max” recently added a pre-paid Unlimited Season Pass training option, for a flat fee of $2,500. Since each MVT class normally costs $1,200, this is a bargain for anyone who can schedule three or more classes in a year.

Gunsite’s Team Tactics Classes

Long known as a top firearms training school, Gunsite Academy in Paulden, Arizona now offers a Team Tactics for Two – 3 Day course. Full Disclosure: Gunsite is one of the prize sponsors of our bi-monthly nonfiction writing contest.
Continue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods”

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — April 16, 2025

On April 16, 73 AD, the Masada fortress fell to the Romans after several months of siege, ending the Jewish Revolt.  From the InfoGalactic Wiki:

“The siege of Masada was one of the final events in the First Jewish–Roman War, occurring from 72 to 73 CE on and around a hilltop in present-day Israel. The siege is known to history via a single source, Flavius Josephus, a Jewish rebel leader captured by the Romans, in whose service he became a historian. According to Josephus the long siege by the troops of the Roman Empire led to the mass suicide of the Sicarii rebels and resident Jewish families of the Masada fortress.”

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April 16, 1746: In the continuation of the Jacobite Rising of 1745, the Battle of Culloden, the last battle on British soil. Royalist troops under the Duke of Cumberland defeated the Jacobite army of Charles Edward Stuart.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 118 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses. Their course catalog now includes their latest Survival Gunsmithing course.
  5. HSM Ammunition in Montana is providing a $250 gift certificate. The certificate can be used for any of their products.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from TOUGHGRID.com (a $287 value).
  3. A Laptop EMP Shield and a Smartphone Faraday Bag (a combined value of $200), courtesy of MobileSecSolutions.com.
  4. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.
  5. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of gun purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. 3Vgear.com is providing an ultimate bug-out bag bundle that includes their 3-day Paratus Bag, a Posse EDC Sling Pack, and a Velox II Tactical Backpack. This prize package has a $289 retail value.
  3. A $200 credit from Military Surplus LLC that can be applied to purchase and/or shipping costs for any of their in-stock merchandise, including full mil-spec ammo cans, Rothco clothing and field gear, backpacks, optics, compact solar panels, first aid kits, and more.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

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More than $950,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 118 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. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.

Avoiding the Worst Case Scenario – Part 1, by M.B.

Author’s Introductory Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer. Although there are references to the legal system in this essay, no part of this essay should not be construed as legal advice. This essay is for informational purposes only.

INTRODUCTION

On April 11, 1986, near Miami, Florida, eight Federal Bureau of Investigation agents engaged in a four-minute gunfight against two suspected bank and armored car robbers. The shootout took place in front of a home in a residential neighborhood.

When it was over, two FBI agents—Special Agent Ben Grogan and Special Agent Jerry Dove—were dead. Five agents were wounded—three seriously. Only one agent escaped injury. Both bank robbers were dead. Bank robber WM fired only a single shot during the gunfight, then was shot in the face and knocked out with a very serious wound early in the shootout. Amazingly, he regained consciousness almost immediately and evidently crawled out of the window of their stolen Chevrolet Monte Carlo and made it to Dove and Grogan’s car in an attempt to escape.

The second robber, MP—who along with his partner, will not be named here—carried the fight to the FBI single-handedly, despite receiving a mortal wound from a bullet fired by Jerry Dove as he exited the Monte Carlo. MP ignored bullet after bullet that struck him and must have seemed unstoppable. After shooting seven agents with a .223 Remington Ruger Mini-14, MP also made his way to Dove and Grogan’s car. He was attempting to start the vehicle when Special Agent Edmundo Mireles—his left arm nearly destroyed by a .223 bullet—approached the vehicle and emptied his revolver into the two robbers, finally stopping them and ending the fight.

For the FBI team that had been attempting for months to stop the two robbers, this was a worst-case scenario. The two bad guys had been a mystery, beyond their crimes—which included robberies and murder. Both criminals were Army veterans who trained constantly with their weapons, firing 750-1,500 rounds per week. They either purchased the ammo or stole it from people shooting on public land—people they ambushed, robbed, and murdered for their guns, ammo, and vehicles. Neither MP nor WM had a criminal record on the day they died. The agents attempting the felony car stop had no way of knowing the situation they were entering.Continue reading“Avoiding the Worst Case Scenario – Part 1, by M.B.”

SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

Our weekly Snippets column is a collection of short items: responses to posted articles, practical self-sufficiency items, how-tos, lessons learned, tips and tricks, and news items — both from readers and from SurvivalBlog’s editors. Note that we may select some long e-mails for posting as separate letters.

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Glock May Be Discontinuing .40 S&W, .357 SIG, and .45 GAP Pistols

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Three Decades Wiped from Life Expectancy of Covid-Vaxxed.

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Randy in S.C. mentioned this article: We moved to a farm in rural Maine because we thought homesteading would save us money. It didn’t.  Randy’s Comment:  “This is exactly what my parents discovered, in the 1970s.”

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The latest video from our favorite sailboat vlogging Finns, now wintering in Greenland: Our Boat Froze In, So Now We Ride This.

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“The Constitution … is a mere thing of wax in the hands of the judiciary which they may twist and shape into any form they please. – Thomas Jefferson, from a letter to Judge Spencer Roane, September 6, 1819

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — April 15, 2025

The Battle of Rain was fought on April 15, 1632. Swedes under Gustavus Adolphus defeated Count Tilly of the Holy Roman Empire during the Thirty Years’ War.

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Today is guitarist Roy Clark‘s birthday. He was born April 15, 1933.

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On April 15th, 1912, the “unsinkable” Titanic sank. 1,517 people lost their lives on that maiden voyage. As research into the incident has progressed over the last 100 years, it seems as if, one way or another, the ship was just going to sink. Impact with an iceberg, raging coal fires in the fuel supply, wrong turns, locked-up binoculars, weak rivets, too few lifeboats, and more. Perhaps this whole incident was really the result of man’s hubris.

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Today is the 22nd Blogiversary of Commander Zero’s Notes From The Bunker blog.

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Today, as many Americans are filing their 2024  income tax forms and the first of four 2025 Estimated Tax forms, it is apropos to post the following feature article.  Note that it is running as a guest piece because it is too short for inclusion in the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest.

More than $950,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 118 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. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.

The Illegitimate 16th and 17th Amendments, by M.A.

The 16th and 17th amendments failed ratification for a number of reasons which include lack of ratification by several states, several states that changed the wording of the amendment and sent back an amendment that was different from that which congress sent forth, and one oddity: Ohio. Ohio was not admitted into the union until the 1950s since they never sent their formal acceptance of statehood until then; it seems somehow the paperwork was lost in the process and never sent to Congress. Therefore, it was not possible for Ohio to vote since it was actually still a territory at the time.

I have two original volumes of documentation that neither the 16th or 17th amendments were lawfully ratified in accordance with Article 5 of the Constitution, published under the title The Law That Never Was. When these volumes were presented to Congress then Senator Orrin Hatch tried to buy the copyright to them, and was refused. He then had the Department of Justice harass and eventually arrest the surviving author and subjected him to severe punishment and the “issue” was subsequently buried. The Federal Reserve Act was promulgated and forced into being by the same people who foisted the 16th and 17th Amendments upon us. Look at the damage this cancer has done to our nation!

The two authors, both of whom I’ve met,  Red Beckman and Bill Benson were very meticulous in their work to uncover the truth. I had originally bought their two books (Volume 1 and Volume 2) back in the late 1990s and as I recall paid $35 for them. Unfortunately, a former associate of mine borrowed them, and never returned them.  He passed away and I never got my books back. I found a set on eBay and bought them, paying $2,500 for the pair.

The authors had two thousand copies of the two volumes printed.  Copies were sent to members of congress, the president, and the Supreme Court justices. Very few copies of the books remain today and when they do surface they are horrendously overpriced, though their true value is pricelessContinue reading“The Illegitimate 16th and 17th Amendments, by M.A.”

SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

This weekly column features news stories and event announcements from around the American Redoubt region. (Idaho, Montana, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, and Wyoming.) Much of the region is also more commonly known as The Inland Northwest. We also mention companies located in the American Redoubt region that are of interest to preppers and survivalists. Today, news about Idaho’s Vaccine Freedom Law.  (See the Idaho section.)

Idaho

Idaho Governor Signs Bill Banning Businesses, Schools From Requiring Medical Procedures, Including Vaccines. An excerpt:

“Republican Governor Brad Little has signed legislation, the Idaho Medical Freedom Act, that bans businesses and schools from requiring customers, employees, and students to receive vaccines or other medical procedures.

A medical intervention is defined in the legislation as ‘a medical procedure, treatment, device, drug, injection, medication, or medical action taken to diagnose, prevent, or cure a disease or alter the health or biological function of a person.'”

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Judge hears arguments on autism diagnosis, DNA evidence, more in University of Idaho murders case.

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Boise inmate gets life for cellmate murder; parole possible after 35 years.

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“The income tax is a twentieth-century socialist experiment that has failed. Before the income tax was imposed on us just 80 years ago, government had no claim to our income. Only sales, excise, and tariff taxes were allowed.” – Alan Keyes

Preparedness Notes for Monday — April 14, 2025

On April 14, 1471, in the Wars of the Roses, the Battle of Barnet was fought.  In this battle, Yorkists defeated the Lancastrians and killed the Earl of Warwick.

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April 14, 1775: The first abolitionist society in US was organized in Philadelphia.

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On this day in 1865, just after the effective end of the American Civil War, U.S. President Abraham Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth while attending a production at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., and died the next morning. Also on April 14, 1865, U.S. Secretary of State William H. Seward and his family were attacked in his home by Lewis Powell. This was part of the same conspiracy to assassinate Lincoln.

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On April 14, 1828, Noah Webster published An American Dictionary of the English Language; based on the principle that word usage should evolve from the spoken language, the work was hugely influential, though it was initially attacked for its “Americanism.”

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Today’s feature article is a review written by SurvivalBlog staff writer Tom Christianson.