Economics & Investing For Preppers

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Here are the latest items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. And it bears mention that most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of JWR. (SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor.) Today’s focus is on investing in odd silver coins.  (See the Tangibles Investing section, near the end of this column.)

Stocks:

The tumble in the U.S. stock markets (down 10% since January 26, 2018) is partly attributable to the business cycle, and partly attributable to the Fed raising interest rates. (Ironically, the Fed Governors claim that they are “forced to raise rates” because higher inflation is emerging. But they are the ones who created the inflation!)  With even higher interest rates forecast for the rest of 2018 and 2019, it is safe to assume that the equities markets will continue to get pounded.

My advice is to minimize your exposure to stocks and mutual funds. Panic now, and beat the rush. For those of you who are enrolled in pension plans: good luck.  Odds are that your pension fund managers have heavily invested in stocks. But if you are in a 401(k) plan or an IRA, then it is probably not too late to transition to a self-directed IRA. I suggest that you make that a silver-backed IRA. (IRAs backed by U.S. Mint Silver Eagles are allowable.) Ideally, you should hold that IRA silver at home.  With silver now under $16.50 per Troy ounce, it is a sound, affordable alternative to stocks!

 

Going Cashless:

Commander Zero recently posted some astute observations in his Notes From The Bunker blog: Cashless society. JWR’s Comments: Those of us who share concerns about the advent of a cashless society should plan ahead. It is wise to start forging relationships with those who willing to serve as intermediaries for us, to make food and fuel purchases and to make tax payments for us. It is also crucial to invest heavily in silver coins, so that we’ll have something truly valued available for barter.  Silver coins fill all of the requirements for a day-to-day barter money: They are fairly compact, durable, fungible, divisible, easily recognizable, and almost uniformly desirable.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

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“Never mind, we can do without them. But if we get out of here, you must send a message to Gibbs, the Hall Porter at Claridge’s in London, telling him on no account to allow the servants in the hotel to touch some dangerous medicines in my bathroom.” – OSS Director William J. Donovan, June 7, 1944, on Utah Beach, upon realizing that he left his cyanide pills behind, before the D-Day invasion

Preparedness Notes for Thursday – April 05, 2018

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On this day in 1614, Pocahontas married John Rolfe which ensured peace between the Jamestown settlers and the Powhatan Indians for several years.

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today features another entry for Round 75 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $11,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A $3000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from Veteran owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the public.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value), and
  8. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

  1. A Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. A gift certificate for any two or three-day class from Max Velocity Tactical (a $600 value),
  4. A transferable certificate for a two-day Ultimate Bug Out Course from Florida Firearms Training (a $400 value),
  5. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  6. A $200 gift certificate good towards any books published by PrepperPress.com,
  7. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site.

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances, and
  6. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).

Round 75 ends on March 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 Helping Hand, by J.M.

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One of the big debates among people who are prepared is what to do, if anything, to help out folks that weren’t prepared when a SHTF event occurs. Our Christian values tell us to help those in need by offering a helping hand when we’re able, but the logic of the situation tells us that if we give everything away our own family and friends may suffer. While perusing various forums and discussing the issue of handouts with other prepper folks, I’ve seen attitudes that range from “They had the opportunity to prepare and chose not to, so they’re on their own” to “We’ve stored a lot of extra and plan on helping out those we can”, with the former being the most prevalent.

While a “they’re on their own” attitude may sound good right now, the question becomes how well will it stand up the first time you encounter a young couple with small children and no food or water and your family is staring at you.

Settle On An Approach

This issue has been a lively topic of discussion among our group for quite a while, and we decided that we needed to settle on an approach and be prepared to deliver on it. Like any other aspect of survival, if you wait until an actual event occurs to figure out how you’re going to respond, you’ll probably fail to handle it appropriately.

Continue reading“A Helping Hand, by J.M.”

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods:

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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 “HJL”. We have finally learned why Venezuela is starving

DHS Surveillance

DHS, who has consistently denied, or at least refused comment, has finally admitted that contentious surveillance technology is used by the government. The DHS acknowledged in a letter to Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon that it found unauthorized cell site simulators (stingrays) in Washington DC. Details about who is operating and using them are not included in the report, but it also appears that not much is being done to force their removal. Thanks to G.P. for the link.

Venezuela

We have finally learned why Venezuelan socialism isn’t working and why the people there are starving. In a bizarre rant, the former Vice President, and current Minister of Education, Elias Jaua, claimed that the supermarkets would be full of food if people just didn’t eat so much. I can’t help but note that the average Venezuelan has lost something like 24 pounds and Jaua looks a bit rotund to me. Perhaps he’s thinking of his eating habits, though I doubt one man could make that much difference in consuming an entire nation’s food supply. Of course the official response to the crisis is “What starving people?”. Former foreign minister Delcy Rodriguez states “There is no hunger in Venezuela. There is only will. There is no humanitarian crisis in Venezuela … only love.” Thanks to reader H.L. for the link.

Continue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods:”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

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“Contemplate the entire ‘bump stock’ thing folks.  These were sold as legal accessories for years.  Millions of dollars changed hands for them, people were employed and now they’re in the hands of individuals.  A formal legal ruling was issued by the BATFE that these were legal accessories; the manufacturers and buyers didn’t assume, they asked for and obtained a written declaration that these devices not only complied with the law they didn’t require any sort of labeling, serialization or other form of control (such as a background check) as legally they were nothing more than a piece of plastic.

The government is, of course, entitled to be wrong and repair that error which is what they’re claiming they’re doing now.  What it’s not entitled to do, however, is turn you into a felon if you don’t destroy or turn over a thing you were explicitly told, in writing, was legal and nothing more-nefarious or subject to regulation than a plastic box.  At absolute minimum the government is required (under the 5th Amendment) to pay you for the current fair market value of that device plus all your costs (e.g. sales tax) associated with same and to pay the manufacturers the imputed value of their facility, inventory and forward foregone earnings (and employee salaries) that would have been generated but for their error.  They could also ban the things on a forward basis (limiting any 5th Amendment claim of ‘taking’ to the manufacturers) and leave alone anyone who already owns one.

Instead they claim to be able to retroactively declare anyone who has one of these a felon and then shoot them if they refuse to either turn them over or report to prison for 10 years after having given written confirmation that the device in question is lawful to own, possess, use and sell without any permit whatsoever.

This is a flatly and outrageously unconstitutional act; it is in fact a declaration of war by our government against the people of the United States as it stands as a claim that the US Government will not honor the bounds of the Constitution — now or ever in the future.  This ‘decision’ will not and does not limit itself to ‘bump stocks’ which I personally find worthless and thus don’t own any of.

If left to stand as proposed utterly no property that has been formally confirmed in writing as legal, say much less any lesser-protected form of property that someone believes is legal without a formal, written declaration, is safe from forcible confiscation under threat of death anywhere, ever, in the United States ever again.

This in fact has nothing to do with guns specifically; rather it is a clear statement that the United States Federal Government, our alleged President and the ‘Just-US’ department can and will declare anything it likes on a retroactive basis to likes to be against the law and force you to surrender it without compensation, go to prison or die.” – Karl Denninger, writing in his Market-Ticker blog

The Slippery Slope: Proposed ATF Rule Redefining “Machinegun”

The ATF recently published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on bumpfire stocks, redefining them as “machineguns.”  This NPRM is worse than I had anticipated  This is in part because the new rule has no Grandfather Clause. By the ATF’s own estimates there are more than 350,000 American bumpfire stocks (worth about $96 million) already in circulation. The proposed rule would declare these all contraband unregistered machineguns, with no compensation to their owners, and no method provided to pay the $200 tax to register them. (Because of the FOPA Hughes Amendment machinegun freeze of 1986.) Therefore, owners would be required to: a.) destroy them, or b.) permanently disable them, or c.) surrender them for destruction. If put into force, this would clearly be either an “illegal exaction” or an unconstitutional “taking”. This ex post facto law would fly in the face of many decades of Federal rulemaking and Federal jurisprudence, which until now  has almost uniformly included grandfather clauses whenever there are bans enacted.

More than just a reinterpretation, the new rule redefines, amplifies, and expands the wording of the National Firearms Act of 1934, essentially making a new law. This is a blatant bureaucratic overreach of the Executive Branch. Per the Constitution, only congress can make laws. The executive branch and its agencies can only enforce already legislated and duly enacted laws. Their new law would turn otherwise law-abiding citizens into un-prosecuted felons, overnight.

Just The Beginning

I predict that bumpfire stocks will not be the sole sacrificial lambs in this whole media-driven charade. This will be a proverbial Slippery Slope. There will be more–many more–types of firearms and firearms parts they’ll come after. The socialist-statist-collectivists will not stop. They won’t slow down their campaign against the Second Amendment until they feel they have thoroughly disarmed us. That is how they operate: They talk “compromise” and “common sense legislation”, but what they really want is a docile, neutered populace that has no means to resist their plans for womb-to-tomb domination under total government.

Please take a few minutes to read the proposed new definition of “machinegun” and the proposed ban, at this Regulations.gov web page: Bump-Stock Type Devices.

Again, this move is just another incremental step for the gun grabbers. Even though bumpfire stocks are impractical for most self-defense shooting, they still deserve Second Amendment protection, on principle.  If we don’t loudly speak up in opposition, then the gun grabbers will smell blood in the water and they will quickly come after more!  (For example: binary triggers, 3-gun match triggers, magazines over 10 round capacity, and entire classes of firearms–perhaps even all semi-autos that can accept detachable magazines.)

Continue reading“The Slippery Slope: Proposed ATF Rule Redefining “Machinegun””

Economics & Investing For Preppers

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Here are the latest items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. And it bears mention that most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of JWR. (SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor.) Today’s focus is on currency scams.  (See the Forex section.)

Forex (Currency Scams):

In recent months I’ve had several SurvivalBlog readers contact me to mention “investing” in Iraqi Dinars (IQD).  Spurred on by the Internet rumor mill, they are hoping for a huge return on investment, in the event of a revaluation. But I must warn you, folks: Don’t fall for the “insider knowledge” scams that are out there, with scammers selling paper Dinars at inflated rates.  And most of all, don’t confuse revaluation with redenomination. A formal revaluation is highly unlikely. Although a redenomination is indeed likely, it won’t mean that you’ll get any overnight windfall. Quite the contrary! If they drop one, two, or three zeros from the currency, you could lose everything if you miss the recall window to exchange your old bills for the new bills. That window of opportunity could be as short as 30 days. And that exchange will mostly take place inside Iraq. If you miss the window, then all you’ll have is pretty wallpaper. And even if you do successfully trade your old IQD bills for new IQD bills, it will be at best little more than a break-even proposition.

By the way, there have been similar “insider knowledge” currency scams involving Vietnamese Dong and even Zimbabwean Dollars, in recent years. Please do not fall for these scams! If something sounds too good to be true, then odds are, it is.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

JWR’s Recommendations of the Week

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Here are JWR’s Recommendations of the Week for various media and tools of interest to SurvivalBlog readers. This week the focus is on storage organization. (See the Gear section.)

Books:

The much-awaited new book by Claire Wolfe and Kit Perez titled Basics of Resistance will be released (appropriately) on April 19th. As of April 4th, 2018, the print-on-demand paperback edition is now available for ordering on Amazon.com. There will also be a Kindle book, now available at a special pre-order price of just 99 cents. The Kindle release day will be April 19th. I predict that this book will be in Amazon’s Top 20, even before its release day. Get a copy! Better yet, also order an extra paperback so that you’ll have one to lend out.

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Gun Digest Book of Concealed Carry Volume II – Beyond the Basics

 

Movies:

Stasi (2016).  “This definitive documentary reveals the calculated cruelty and brutal repression by the notorious East German secret police, the Stasi. Headed by the sinister Erich Mielke, the Stasi kept the population under constant surveillance. Tapping phones, reading mail, and installing informers, they created a culture of fear and suspicion.”   This documentary is available for free download to Amazon Prime members. Also available on DVD.

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The Debt. (2011) Described as: “Helen Mirren and Tom Wilkinson star in this riveting suspense thriller that Scott Mantz of Access Hollywood calls ‘gripping, smart and unforgettable! A must-see!’ “.  This is a “Get Eichmann” style post-war “Nazi hunters” tale, with a twist. Available on DVD or for free stream for anyone with a subscription to STARZ.

Continue reading“JWR’s Recommendations of the Week”

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday – April 03, 2018

This is the birthday of Washington Irving, an American author, essayist, biographer, historian, and diplomat of the early 19th century. He is best known for short stories like Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, but he also wrote several biographies and served as the U.S. Ambassador to Spain from 1842 to 1846.

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Seed for Security, LLC is having a Special Anniversary Sale. Please join them in celebrating 10 years of their growing business! In appreciation of all their loyal customers they are now offering 15% of ALL of their products. This offer is for a limited time.

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Don’t forget that Ready Made Resources is having a great sale on PVS-14 Autogated 3rd gen white phosphor night vision monocular/wepon sights with a 10 year warranty. It you’ve been waiting for the right time to pick one up, this is an excellent opportunity.

Round 75 Non-Fiction Writing Contest Winners Announced!

We’ve come to the end of Round 75 and these are the editors picks for the winners. If you are one of these winners, please make sure you have sent in your UPS and USPS addresses to SurvivalBlog so that the prizes can be shipped. Any article submitted but not published will be automatically rolled over to Round 75 of the contest.

 

First Prize:

First prize goes to J.M. for “Perspectives on Patrolling-Part 1”, “Part 2”, “Part 3”, “Part 4”, and “Part 5”, published on March 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, and 17th, 2018. He will receive the following prizes:

  1. A $3000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from Veteran owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the public.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value), and
  8. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

Second prize goes to Rector for “Preparing for the Inevitable American Gun Ban- Part 1”, “Part 2”, and “Part 3”, published on February 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, 2018. He will receive the following prizes:

  1. A Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. A gift certificate for any two or three-day class from Max Velocity Tactical (a $600 value),
  4. A transferable certificate for a two-day Ultimate Bug Out Course from Florida Firearms Training (a $400 value),
  5. A Trekker IV™ Four-Person Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $250 value),
  6. A $200 gift certificate good towards any books published by PrepperPress.com,
  7. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site.

Third Prize:

Third prize goes to Grey Woman for “A Few Hard-Learned Lessons- Part 1” and “Part 2”, published on March 24th and 25th, 2018. She will receive the following prizes:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances, and
  6. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).

Honorable Mention

Honorable mention prizes ($30 Amazon.com gift certificates via e-mail) have been awarded to the writers of these fine articles:

Rights vs Duties, by A Modern Stoic

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“For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.” – 2 Timothy 4:3, the Bible, New International Version

“Turning and turning in the widening gyre The falcon cannot hear the falconer; Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere The ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.” – The Second Coming, William Yeats

It seems that human history evolves in continuous cycles of birth, growth, decay and destruction. And the seed of the next society emerges from the ashes of the last. As western civilization dives deeper into the cycle of decay, the mechanisms of propaganda are in full force, as competing tribes increasingly and blatantly use emotional manipulation to drive the populace in the direction they want. As the volume and vitriol rises, polarization increases until there is no longer a center, and even the possibility of dialog and debate is inconceivable.

Rights Debated

In such times where “rights” are increasingly debated and used as clubs against opposing tribes and viewpoints, I must remind myself that “rights” are a fiction. Regardless of how universal they are touted, rights have no meaning outside of the society that has granted them and that has the means and will to provide and enforce them.

Continue reading“Rights vs Duties, by A Modern Stoic”

SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

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Here is SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt. This weekly column features news stories and event announcements from around the American Redoubt region. We also mention companies of interest to preppers that are located in the region. The emphasis this week is on the Rajneesh Movement of the 1980s, headquartered near Antelope, Oregon. (See the Eastern Oregon section.)

Idaho

At The Wall Street Journal: Why Pay in Idaho Is Rising at the Fastest Rate in the Nation

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SurvivalBlog readers may not be aware that the same family that owns Naturally Cozy (one of our long time writing contest prize donors) also operates North Idaho Heat, in Bonners Ferry, Idaho. They are now the exclusive dealer for the 509 Optimum stove in north Idaho. This model looks a lot like a like a wood stove, but it has more in common with a pellet stove. What makes it truly different is that it only burns compressed logs – which are also made in northern Idaho.

Here is a KXLY television news report that was recently done on the 509 Optimum stove.

The stove was invented by a gent from Hayden, and it is being produced in Post Falls. If SurvivalBlog readers want to order one, they just need to call Jeff at North Idaho Heat. Phone: (208) 946-3651

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Redoubt News reports: Scotchman Peak Opposition Grows

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Also at Redoubt News, there is this from Rep. Heather Scott: 2018 Idaho Legislature Recap-Report

 

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