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”. The predominate news stories seemed to be centralized around the decay of society today.
Decay of Society
Reader J.C. sent in this article where the writer reflects on the changes in downtown Minneapolis in the last 15 years. The city was once a relatively friendly and exciting place but is now decrepit and debase. The Writer is a police officer and is well acquainted with the crude culture that permeates the inner city these days. While the article is about Minneapolis, you can see shadows of practically every major city in America here. These are areas that are hostile to your survival.
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We are wondering if Kurt Russell will make a new movie: “Escape from Chicago”. While Illinois is about to end its third straight fiscal year without a budget, it approaches the first junk-rated U.S. State. Without the ability to pay it’s contractors, state services such as road construction/repair and other critical public service areas. Of course, we all know that the government will cut the most visible services making the hurt even more intense. With Chicago already in trouble in many of these services, things are only going to get worse. Thanks to P.S. for the link.
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Portland, Oregon has emerged as a hotbed of political violence since the Trump election. This city is a liberal nirvana, yet it is rife with racial strife. Antifa has take up residence here in large numbers and while Antifa tries to attach itself to the pre-WWII antifascist movement, in reality, it just a conglomeration of anarchist and latent communists. Still not a good place to be for long term survival.
Backwoodsman
Reader R.T. sent in this link to Backwoodsman, a magazine dedicated to preserving Old Frontier living along with primitive hunting, fishing and tool lore. They do have a digital subscription, but they are also available in print. There are some really good articles in it and you can get backissues of the magazine on Ebay for about $8/each.
Solar Activity
The sun is headed in the direction of “solar minimum”, the low activity time of the roughly 11-year solar cycle. The minimum will occur in 2019-2020 and will most likely result in decreased long-range communications ability in the HF region (3000kHz – 30MHz). This should have much of an effect on critical infrastructure communications as most of those are much higher in frequency, but it does have a tendency to create “coronal holes” which are areas in the sun’s atmosphere where the magnetic fields open up and allow large streams of solar particles into space. This can severely disrupt communications including satellites. It’s an interesting read.
Better Budgeting
Reader H.L. sent in this article on how families tend to spend their money. Expenses were divided into necessities (like food and utilities) and luxuries (like travel, vacations, unnecessary gadgets, et cetera.) As expected, those of relatively high income spent a significant portion of their income on luxuries (roughly 65%). The middle class also spent heavily in this area (approximately 50%). What is surprising is that even the low income families spent a significant portion of their income on things that they don’t really need (roughly 40%). You certainly have to look at federal programs like SNAP with a jaded eye.
Firearm Ownership
The Czech parliament has moved to legalize firearm ownershipThe Czech parliament has moved to legalize firearm ownership. The lower house has already approved the bill and it is expected to pass in the upper house as well. This is in direct contrast to the much of the rest of the EU where gun control rules restrict civilians ownership of many types of arms. This despite the rising immigration and terrorist issues the nations face.
The article about Minneapolis struck me.
The big cities have always been dangerous in certain places at certain times. My Great-Great Grandfather was murdered in Chicago I believe it would have been in the 1800’s. Unfortunately you expect some of that.
But I live in a largely rural area and even in my area I see evidence of what I feel the writer is speaking of. One place is on the road where I feel people drive more aggressively than ever before. Just one example of what I am talking about but not the only thing.
It is not universal IMO. I see some people who I believe are taking great pains to be civil. But others are losing all civility. Almost like a split personality of society as a whole.
At least the Czech’s understand what is going on while the rest of the Euro Sheep march in lock step to the ovens of their own making.
In reference to “Decay of society”, I think the key phrase is “a sense of entitlement”. I see more and more people that are acting jerklike and then get upset, as if their rights are being trampled, when you call them on it.
Illinois is a fake state in a fake country. The Redoubt (upwind of nuke targets) is the best place for families while God sorts things out.
Rudi Giuliani can tell you how to clean up Minneapolis. He did it with NYC, a much larger and harder town. But basically it means not tolerating the little things, urinating in the alleys, littering, etc. Might take a year of flooding downtown with foot patrols, but its probably worth it if you want to save your city.
I’m not sure Rudi Giuliani’s “Broken Window” theory is effective. I know he touted it quite heavily but Business Insider ran an article criticizing it. Additionally, I’ve seen it implemented in smaller communities across the nation and it doesn’t fare so well. What it does do is create a very negative view of the police force. It’s hard for a homeowner to feel good about a government that is writing him a ticket and fining him for grass that is too tall while the crack house down the road operates with impunity.
I don’t know if it could truly be credited with statistical crime drops but it FELT different driving around NYC when the windshield washers and panhandlers were afraid to ply their trade. If done properly, Broken Windows only pits the criminals against the police, not the good citizens. Tickets for grass that is too long, is not BW, it is a misuse of police resources.
Hugh, the concept works when it’s implemented properly, as Guilliani did. De Blaise has managed to completely undo all of that progress by pandering to the thugocracy and special interest groups. As a former commander once told me, every time you fail to enforce a standard…and by extension, a law…you set a new standard. A lower one.
Minneapolis is going through what I saw happen to the Quarters in New Orleans and Beale in Memphis! You can blame social decay and you would be right, but the real issue is who visits these places in the first place! Unless you want to get drunk, looking for drugs, looking for a party, or needing a pickup, what does any of these places have to offer?
It can be cleaned up with more police and zero tolerance, but that would be bad for business! Don’t think for a second that the bleeding heart politicians don’t know this!
I helped my son move from Tennessee to Colorado in January. Due to a combination of warm wet conditions in the week prior to the start of our drive & a rapidly moving cold front by the time we got to the Kentucky-Illinois line the fog was so thick I could near6cut it with a knife. Driving in heavy fog on a pitch black interstate highway where the green informational signs had no lights & interchanges that were also unlit was a new level of white knuckle driving. When I complained on social media a relative in suburban Chicago explained that the state’s budget didn’t extend to luxuries like electricity. I’ll never drive through Illinois at night again.
Regarding families budgeting and mention of the SNAP card, check out the QUEST card. It is also known as the EBT cash card.
I live just outside Minneapolis (a.k.a. Murderapolis), and generally avoid entering city limits whenever feasible. Apart from 2 businesses, including a medical facility, there’s nothing there I can’t get better and/or cheaper elsewhere. And BTW, the city council just voted to increase the minimum wage to $15.