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, another look at the effects of inflation. (See the Inflation/Deflation Watch section.)

Precious Metals:

The precious metals rally is continuing. As of Friday, April 5th, 2024 (AM):

  • Gold: $2,340.30, up $37.50 for the day.  (Another all-time high.)
  • Silver: $27.60, up $0.24 for the day.

Published on Wednesday: Gold Prices Have Surged 23.3% in the Last Six Months.

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In The WSJ: Gold Is Rallying. It Isn’t About Inflation This Time. An excerpt:

“When confidence in society and political institutions erodes, the appeal of gold and other precious commodities like diamonds rises as alternative stores of value that aren’t contingent on societal arrangements. They can also be transported in an emergency. Of course as an investor, an actual catastrophe isn’t necessary to profit, with prices getting bid up as concerns grow. Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies hold a similar appeal, but they are far less tested, less understood and still subject to big regulatory risks.”

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Gary Tanashian, at Gold-Eagle.com: Why Are Gold and Commodities Positive Amid Rising Long-term Yields?

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At Zero Hedge: Inflation-Risk Latecomers Pile Into Silver.

Economy & Finance:

Skyrocketing US debt could trigger market shock, CBO chief says.

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Michael Wilkerson: America’s Minsky Moment Approaches. (Thanks to blog reader Steve S. for the link.)

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H.L. sent us this news from Argentina: Milei to Cut 70,000 State Jobs, Boasting of Chainsaw Austerity.

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Linked over at the Whatfinger.com news aggregation site: CARGO SHIP BACKLOG BUILDS AFTER BALTIMORE BRIDGE COLLAPSE.

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Japan’s Lost Decades: Are We On The Same Path?

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“At the core of liberalism is the spoiled child — miserable, as all spoiled children are, unsatisfied, demanding, ill-disciplined, despotic and useless. Liberalism is a philosophy of sniveling brats.” – P.J. O’Rourke, from Give War a Chance: Eyewitness Accounts of Mankind’s Struggle Against Tyranny, Injustice, and Alcohol-Free Beer

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — April 4, 2024

On April 4, 1841, after serving for only one month, William Henry Harrison became the first U.S. president to die in office; he was succeeded by Vice President John Tyler.

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Today is the 99th birthday of famed Navy fighter pilot Royce Williams.

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On April 4, 1960, the biblical epic Ben-Hur became the first film to win 11 Academy Awards; it notably received Oscars for best picture, director (William Wyler), and lead actor (Charlton Heston).

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On the 4th of April 1291, the siege of Acre started. It opposed a 220,000 men strong Mamluk Muslim army to 15.000 knights of different orders (Teutonic, Templar, Hospitalier to name a few). It was one of the most important battles of the Crusades. Despite being outnumbered they fiercely defended the city meanwhile evacuating women and children. The city fell the 18th and 10 days later the last seaside Templar tower was conquered. The surviving Christians were enslaved. It was the end of the Jerusalem crusades.

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On April 4, 1968, civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., 39, was shot to death in Memphis, Tenn.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 112 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 $2,000.
  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 $359 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  5. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

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 www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  3. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  4. 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 firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. A $300 gift certificate from Good2Goco.com, good for any of their products: Home freeze dryers, pressure canners, Country Living grain mills, Emergency Essentials foods, and much more.
  3. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  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 $875,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 112 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.

Dark Age 2.0: Melee Weapons – Part 1, by Dr. Joseph

“And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts
And I looked, and behold a pale horse
And his name that sat on him was death, and hell followed with him.”

– Johnny Cash, from the lyrics to The Man Comes Around (2002), paraphrasing Rev. 6:8

In this article I will discuss the philosophy of melee weapons, defined as hand-held non-projectile firing weapons, in what has been called the “multigenerational scenario” of social or civilizational collapse, spanning a number of generations. [1] The article will first outline why it is highly likely that modern civilization is well on the road to the systemic breakdown that will lead to the multigenerational collapse scenario. The evidence from the collapse of previous societies and civilizations indicates that these are times of hyper-violence and large-scale death, as one aspect of a collapse is a die-off of significant portion of the population, if not by warfare, then from starvation. Facing such tempest, warrior men would want to arm up and face their fate, come what may, while the wimps of postmodernity will die, as sniffling cowards.

I will argue that during the collapse period, firearms with conventional smokeless powder will dominate the small arms battle scene, with a return to classic black powder weapons, and archery perhaps after a generation or so. But in the even longer term, as the bullets run out, and spare parts too, and become difficult to make in the post-apocalyptic ruins, melee weapons will have a greater significance than at present. Having said that by way of outline, let us then examine the concept of civilizational collapse, and after that get down to the sharp end of things.Continue reading“Dark Age 2.0: Melee Weapons – Part 1, by Dr. Joseph”

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 look at the upcoming release of the A24 Productions near-future film Civil War.

Civil War — Coming Soon

The release date for the much anticipated (and dreaded) near-future film Civil War is now just eight days away: Friday, April 12, 2024.  JWR’s Comment: I suppose that would have been too obvious as predictive programming if they scheduled the release for one week later, on April 19th.

USPS Police Issue Warning on Mailed Check Theft

USPS Police Issue Warning on Mailing Checks: ‘No Guarantee It Won’t Be Stolen’. (Thanks to SirvivalBlog reader C.B. for the link.)

Feds Sought Data on Everyone Who Watched One Video

A further slide down the slippery slope to tyranny: A video from Attorney Steve Lehto: Feds Sought Data on Everyone Who Watched A Certain Video Last Year.Continue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods”

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — April 3, 2024

While adjusting a picture on the wall of his home in St. Joseph, Missouri, American outlaw Jesse James was shot and killed by Robert Ford (pictured) on April 3, 1882.

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Several readers wrote to mention this sad news: Last USS Arizona Sailor Who Survived Pearl Harbor Attack Passes Away at 102.

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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 US Ambassador to Spain from 1842 to 1846.

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Today we present another entry for Round 112 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. But first, we are posting the results of the judging for Round 111.

Writing Contest Judging Results (Round 111)

We’ve completed the judging for Round 111 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest.

First Prize goes to E.R., for his two-part article A Water System Adventure. It ran February 15-16, 2024, 2024.  (See Part 1 and Part 2.) His prizes will include:

  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 $2,000.
  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 $359 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  5. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize goes to Joseph R., for his two-part article Homebrewing Benefits for a Prepper. It ran February 22-23, 2024. (See Part 1 and Part 2.) His prizes will include:

  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 www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  3. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  4. Montana Survival Seed is providing a $225 gift code for any items on its website, including organic non-GMO seeds, fossils, 1812-1964 US silver, jewelry, botany books, and Montana beeswax.
  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 firearms purchasing privacy!  (Because Joseph R. is a minor, this prize will go to his parents.)

Third Prize goes to A.F., for his three-part article Practical Homestead Irrigation. It ran February 27-29, 2024. (See: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.) His prizes will include:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. A $300 gift certificate from Good2Goco.com, good for any of their products: Home freeze dryers, pressure canners, Country Living grain mills, Emergency Essentials foods, and much more.
  3. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

Honorable Menton Prizes (transferable $100 FRN purchase credits toward the purchase of any antique or percussion replica gun from Elk Creek Company) go to the authors of the following 11 articles:

Note:  I will need USPS and UPS addresses from the Top Three prize winners. Thanks!

More than $875,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 112 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.

Rethinking Food Storage – Part 2, by Anita Bailey

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.)

Although these genetic modifications are generally considered safe to consume, there is scant long-term research on the effects on human digestive function or other bodily processes. We just don’t know. People who consume them may be unwitting testers.

However, there are indications that some herbicides remain in grains, even those labeled as organic. One of these that is increasingly concerning, is glyphosate which has been linked to non-Hodgkins-lymphoma, and other inflammation-related diseases and disorders such as diabetes, gut disorders, and autism. This chemical is used to kill unwanted grasses and other weeds in crop fields and is the most widely used herbicide in the world. Residues of this herbicide have been found in kidney beans, lima beans, and peanuts; barley; dry beans such as chickpea, lupin, and fava; canola; field pea; flax; lentil; oat; soybean as well as wheat.

One type of corn is even advertised as “Roundup Ready”, that is, it has GMO gene strands inserted that allow it to grow despite spraying by this herbicide.Continue reading“Rethinking Food Storage – Part 2, by Anita Bailey”

SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

This 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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From blog reader C.B: Marines Ditch 100-Year-Old Marksmanship Standards.

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The WEF agenda could be Banned from Louisiana.  Here is the key wording from the  bill:

“The World Health Organization, United Nations and the World Economic Forum shall have no jurisdiction or power within the state of Louisiana. No rule, regulation, fee, tax, policy or mandate of any kind of the World Health Organization, United Nations and the World Economic Forum shall be enforced or implemented by the state of Lousiana or any agency, department, board, commission, political subdivision, governmental entity of the state, parish, municipality, or any other political entity”.

JWR’s Comments:  That is commendable.  I pray that the legislation is signed by Lousiana’s Governor.  It should become model legislation for other states.  Please contact your State representatives, to suggest that!

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Another piece of Predictive Programming comes to fruition: Mass. State Police robot dog shot during Cape Cod standoff. JWR’s Comment:  Have you seen the terrifying robot dog episode of Black Mirror?  (Season 4, Episode 5: Metalhead.)

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Cattle-Tracking Provision That May Limit Beef Supply Passed In Omnibus Bill. From the article:

“The full text of the provision reads: “The agreement directs the Department to continue to provide the tag and related infrastructure needed to comply with the Federal Animal Disease Traceability rule, including no less than $15,000,000 for electronic identification (EID) tags and related infrastructure needed for stakeholders to comply with the proposed rule, ‘Use of Electronic Identification Eartags as

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — April 2, 2024

On April 2, 1968, Stanley Kubrick‘s 2001: A Space Odyssey had its world premiere in Washington, D.C.. The movie became a classic, setting the benchmark for sci-fi films. The film also gave one of the first cinematic warnings about artificial intelligence.

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On April 2, 1513, Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León landed on the coast of Florida.

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Today is the birthday of Sergei Ivanovich Mosin (April 2, 1849 – February 8, 1902. He was a Russian military officer, engineer, and a co-designer of the Mosin–Nagant rifle.

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This is the birthday of Émile François Zola, a novelist and essayist. He is most often remembered as the author of J’accuse (I Accuse!), his lengthy open letter to president Félix Faure, which accused the French government of anti-semitism.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 112 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 $2,000.
  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 $359 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  5. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

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 www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  3. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  4. 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 firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. A $300 gift certificate from Good2Goco.com, good for any of their products: Home freeze dryers, pressure canners, Country Living grain mills, Emergency Essentials foods, and much more.
  3. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $875,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 112 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.

Rethinking Food Storage – Part 1, by Anita Bailey

Most of us who read SurvivalBlog likely have some food – maybe a lot of food – stored up for the proverbial “rainy day” or other possible situations. Storing food has increased in public interest over the last few years. An internet search on “food storage” produces 1.6 billion hits at this writing, averaging about 1 search per minute all day and night. That’s a lot of interest. It’s not slowing down, either.

I’ve been storing up for well over five decades. When I started, I lived in a major city. Now I’m rural on a farm. I continue the process because having food set back has been a life-and-stress-saver multiple times over the years. My process of storage has changed significantly over time, too, as I explored and adapted to changes in my personal economy, the world situation, and my dietary preferences.

Now, food storage is changing again – for reasons that I never anticipated, and still can hardly believe is happening.Continue reading“Rethinking Food Storage – Part 1, by Anita Bailey”

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 of interest to preppers and survivalists that are located in the American Redoubt region. Today, some extra coverage of wildlife issues in the American Redoubt, especially those elusive wolverines!

Region-Wide

Wolverines Are Super Rare In Wyoming, But Now Colorado Wants Them Too.

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Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Finding for the Gray Wolf in the Northern Rocky Mountains and the Western United States.

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Biden administration restores threatened species protections dropped by Trump.

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Interior Department Announces Nearly $12 Million to Protect and Restore Western Wildlife Habitats and Migration Corridors.

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Fish and Wildlife Service declines to give Northern Rockies wolves ESA protections.

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Two Colorado wolves wandering close to Wyoming border, where killing them is legal.

Idaho

Idaho plans to sue over federal wolverine protections.

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Ruling shortens Idaho’s wolf trapping season.

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Video commentary from Muskrat Outdoors: Idaho Fish & Game Responds to Wolf / Grizzly Bear Ruling.

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Idaho Fish and Game, RMEF expand critical wildlife winter range.

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Idaho county population growth cools with recent U.S. Census updates.

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Where refugees in Idaho are arriving from. JWR’s Comments:  This trickle of new residents is statistically insignificant in comparison to the torrent of political, tax, and gun law refugees coming in from Blue States. Studies have shown that on average the new arrivals are far more conservative than Idaho’s existing population!

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