Posts from — July 2012

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/jul/10/pruden-new-terrorists-theyre-all-us/

Barack Obama, the Chicago messiah who promised to unite a fragmented nation, is succeeding beyond his dreams, and maybe even the dreams of his father, which he wrote about so eloquently in his campaign autobiography.   We’re all terrorists now.

The Department of Homeland Security, ever on the scout for opportunities to blow taxpayer money, commissioned one of those “studies” so popular among college professors, to find clues that would identify prospective terrorists before they blow up airplanes, bring down skyscrapers and otherwise wreak havoc.   The “new studies” show that just about everybody must be dreaming of terrorism, plotting mayhem and chaos and teaching others how to do it.

http://news.investors.com/article/617568/201207091910/arms-treaty-a-global-gun-grab-grab-treaty.htm

Second Amendment: The United Nations is putting the finishing touches on an Arms Trade Treaty that transcends borders and may even trample our Constitutional right to bear arms. Every indication is that the president will sign it.

Like the New Start and Law of the Sea treaties before it, as well as the Kyoto Protocol and Agenda 21, the Arms Trade Treaty being finalized at the U.N. this month is one of those feel-good, can’t-we-all-get-along pieces of parchment whose net effect is to accomplish little except to eat away at American sovereignty and freedom.

Just as the world’s worst human rights violators sat on and often chaired the U.N. Human Rights Council, Iran, arms supplier extraordinaire to America’s enemies, was elected on Saturday to a top position on the United Nations Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty being held in New York. It began July 2 and extends through July 27

http://www.scotsman.com/news/international/spain-on-the-brink-as-borrowing-costs-soar-to-unaffordable-levels-1-2401312

Published on Tuesday 10 July 2012 03:21

SPAIN’S borrowing cost rose to dangerously high levels yesterday as finance ministers of the 17 countries that use the euro began to gather in Brussels to discuss terms of a rescue package for the country’s stricken banks.

The interest rate, or yield, on the country’s ten-year bonds rose 16 basis points to 7.03 per cent, a level that market-watchers consider is unaffordable for a country to raise money on the bond markets in the long term and the level at which Greece, Ireland and Portugal all sought an international bailout. Stocks on Madrid’s benchmark index fell 1.5 per cent.

The yield indicates what rate a government would have to pay to raise money from financial markets when it holds bond auctions. While Spain can afford the high rates for a few weeks at least, it would find them too expensive in the longer term.

http://bit.ly/PqbE4S

The Democrats in the California State Assembly really believe their constituents are fools, willing to ignore the institutionalized union graft that funds their re-election. How else to explain their party line vote to fund $8 billion for building high-speed rail, starting in the agriculturally rich Central Valley. Assemblyman Tim Donnelly, a Republican from San Bernardino called the vote, “a high speed train robbery.”  The issue now goes to the State Senate for a close vote on Friday.

News Section:

I am including a small section of the most significant news articles that I encounter in my daily intelligence gathering routine.    I check scour the internet for news 2 to 3 times a day, everyday.   The news that I find is usually not printed, covered in depth, or presented in the major media which should tell you all you need to know regarding the total failure of the media.   Understanding current events give you a “heads up” as to when and how severe a potential Economic / Social melt down will occur.

The following are the major topics that I focus on to provide me with that “heads up” so that I can refine and complete my preparation efforts:

Gun Control:   The most important thing to watch is efforts at stealth gun control like the UN Arms Trade Treaty or increasing prices of shooting material through excessive tax and fees.

Breakdown of Law and Order:  This is very important as it shows in observable terms how broken and incapable of dealing with any major crisis the system is.   Some of the bellwether stories are: Fast and Furious, Urban Crime Waves (Chicago), Illegal government activities going unchallenged or easily swept away, The Left Wing Protest Movements (OWS), New Laws, Unconstitutional Actions by the Government, Executive Orders, and the General Condition of our Overall Legal System.

New Laws and / or Restrictions:   There are many rules by various governmental agencies that are impacting the economy and the social order that the media totally ignores.   New EPA, DOJ, & DHS regulations are particularly frightening.    The State Department is furiously working on the US signing on to a number of treaties (LOST & UN Arms Trade Treaty).

Food, Utilities, and Communications:   Efforts by the government to excessively control each of these sectors does not bode well for the free market, the weak economy, or a future crisis.    Food restrictions, limits on consumption or purchase of specific goods and services, and energy distribution regulations in particular are quite ominous.   Also frequent and widespread infrastructure (and utility) failures are like the canary in the cage when it comes to the health of our economic system.

Media:   The media we have today is in total failure and has completely sided with one viewpoint (leftist).   Control of information is key to any wanna-be Stalins and lack of critical information will leave you caught unprepared when an Economic / Social Meltdown Event occurs.   Attacks on opposing viewpoint media need to be noted since the severity and success of such attacks is a harbinger of our degenerating society and culture.

The stories I post here are presented with the headline, the first paragraph (or more), and the link to the original article.   It is up to you, the reader to double check the accuracy and cross reference for the actual facts of the story with other sources.   I usually do this before I post the article, but sometimes the information speaks for itself.

De Oppresso Liber

http://www.thelocal.se/41858/20120705/

Borg warns of ‘likely’ Greece default

Attempts to help Greece avoid bankruptcy appear doomed to fail, Swedish Finance Minister Anders Borg said Thursday, adding however that Athens might still manage to cling to the euro.   “The most probable outcome is that you end up with some kind of default in Greece,” Borg said in an interview with Sveriges Radio (SR).
“Considering the way the situation has been handled so far, one cannot rule out that (Greece) will fall into bankruptcy in the end,” he added.   Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, who leads a new three-party coalition government, was meeting Thursday with auditors from the European Union, the International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank in a bid to renegotiate his country’s second bailout.
The Greek government is expected to promise creditors that it will redouble privatization efforts to show that it remains on a recovery path that will enable it to rejoin the world economy.
Borg stressed that even if the new Greek government manages to get an extension of payment deadlines and meets all its pledges, its target of a debt to gross domestic product ratio of 120 percent by 2020 remains too high.

Whether it is an economic / social collapse, natural disaster, or any kind of disaster before you run off half-cocked and start buying gold and a doomsday bunker you have to have some sort of plan.   The best thing about a plan is that a crappy plan is better than none at all.   Here are some main points to consider during your planning:

Security “The First Concern”

If you have prepared and stockpiled the basic necessities how will you defend them?   Guns and Ammo is the answer.   There is a rule of thumb when it comes to Guns and Ammo; “P” for Plenty.   Fortunately our founding fathers were smart enough to include  “the right of the people to keep and bear arms” in the Constitution.   In addition training in the safe use of guns is just as important as owning them.   Your first capital expenditures in preparation should be your security (to include firearms training).

If you are not a gun person and believe in gun control than good luck surviving, you will be a prime target for those that did not prepare.   If you have moral objections to defending your family and yourself; you will become a statistic.    It is as simple as that.

When deciding on what kind of guns to invest in consult professionals that are gun people.   My basic principle is own whatever the police and military owns.   That way there will always be a supply of ammo and parts somewhere in the system.   I also recommend two weapons per person (an assault rifle and a sidearm) my choice is an M4 carbine and a Sig Sauer 228.   Minimum ammo you should have is 2000 rounds for the rifle and 1000 rounds for the pistol.   For the price of a new flat screen TV you have total long term protection; not a bad investment.

I will cover other considerations when it comes to security in later posts, however, here are a few more basics:

• Defensive layout of your neighborhood, home, and roads.   What are the strengths and weaknesses?
• Fire dangers and equipment.   Fire is one threat you can’t shoot at to stop.
• Allies.   Who is there to assist you, have you recruited other people, who can you trust?   You will need help.
• Escape.   You need at least 2 escape strategies and routes.
• Communications.   What do you do when cell phones, internet, and GPS do not work?
• Remember security is a 24 hour duty.   Are there enough people in your family to cover it?

The Basic Needs

• Water, the #1 priority:   Much or your time will be consumed with finding, treating, storing and drinking water.   What do you do when your well goes out or city water stops?
• Food:   You need at least 3 months of food per person (6 months is better)
• Shelter & Heat: You need to think being forced outdoors and providing heat for in the home or outside of it.
• Medical:   A little training or allies that are medical professionals along with medical supplies are a must.
• Tools and Trading Material:   Think of all the tools you will need to replace modern conveniences and start collecting them as well as trading / barter items (silver coins, extra bullets, etc.)

Contingency Plans:

When (not if) your basic plan fails you need contingency plans.    If you are forced from your house you will need a place to go, methods of travel, and routes of travel.   The security posture of other communities or control of certain areas by unsavory predators will require alternate routes and methods to get to your fall back site.   Future posts will address the myriad contingencies you should plan for.

With these basic planning considerations you are far better off than 95% of the rest of the population.

De Oppresso Liber

As the old saying goes “there is something wrong in Denmark”.   As many of you know it not just Denmark it is the entire Eurozone that is on a faux life support.   The main culprits right now are the “PIIGS”  Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece, and Spain.   The problem is that European Socialism does not work.   You can’t spend more money than you could possibly take in or as Margret Thatcher put it (paraphrase) “The trouble with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people’s money.”

Greece is the perfect example and major culprit of why Europe is going down the tubes.   The Greek social welfare system is out of control giving its citizens lavish benefits that the country can’t afford.   Socialized health care, generous pensions, and other goodies promised to its citizens can’t be taken back.   Does this sound familiar?   Every time the government tries to reduce these unaffordable treats the population protests and riots ensuring their own eventual economic demise.

Like Greece the other PIIGS as well as the rest of Europe are in a death spiral they can’t get out of.   The politicians bought off the masses with benefits to maintain power.   The masses will not allow those benefits to be reduced.   This puts the politicians in the position of continuing the benefits (they can’t afford) or lose power.   It is an escalating Mexican standoff with inevitable mutually assured destruction as a result.   The stronger economies like Germany, France, and England have to prop up, bail out, and stave off the looming disaster of the collapse of the Eurozone worsening their own economic problems.   And to top it all off France just elected a left wing socialist party that is promising even more goodies.

Now step back and think about what is going on in the U.S.; drastic expansion of food stamps, $16 trillion debt, Obamacare, unemployment benefits that never end, and a government that keeps spending more.   The bottom line is that in all likelihood Europe will fail before we do but we are trying to catch up at break neck speed.   Because of the connections of world economy; Europe’s collapse will spill over to our shores driving us into economic crisis.   The U.S. 2008 partial melt down drove Europe into economic free-fall that it still has not recovered from (not that it matters since the Socialist economic model always fails).

An economic catastrophe is bad enough but such an event will surely and quickly usher in social collapse as well.   Ask yourself this question:  “what percentage of the U.S. population is totally dependent on  commerce (grocery stores, department stores, etc.) for providing the all their basic needs (food, clothing, shelter, water, etc.) to survive?”   At the best and most conservative estimates it is well above 50% and higher in urban areas (more than 200 million people).   What will they do to survive if commerce shuts down?   What will you do to survive?   Your answer should be to “prepare”.

De Oppresso Liber

I am starting this blog for a number of reasons.   First and foremost is the fact that the western world is on the brink of total economic failure.   Let’s face it; Europe has one foot on a banana peel and the other on a land mine.   The U.S. is not far behind and catching up quickly with Europe’s out of control socialism.   An economic collapse is an almost certainty the only question is when.   This economic collapse will be accompanied by a catastrophic social collapse as well.

The second reason for this blog is to pass on vital information to as many people as possible before it is too late.   Most of the vital information I will address comes from my experience of 20 plus years as a U.S. Army Special Forces Operator (Green Beret).   Much of the information comes directly from my business in the form of up to date real world on the ground tactics, techniques, and procedures of the U.S. and other militaries.

Another important reason for this blog is we have a crisis of information.   The major media outlets / conglomerates feed you information that is tainted, biased, and downright fraudulent.   Major media has become a de-facto propaganda arm of the left.   Fortunately we have the internet (for now) and I plan to share any information that sheds light on the truth of current events.   This is important because the true knowledge of current events is the only way to prepare effectively to survive the situation we find ourselves in.

By now I may have lost a number of you.   You have been preprogramed to reject such information as dreaded conspiracy theories, the ravings of a nut case or a rabble rouser.   If you stick with me for a little while I will lay out the case that backs up everything I have written.    There is a simple solution to our predicament known as “Preparedness”.   If an economic / social meltdown is inevitable our duty is to survive it, remember it accurately, rebuild, and attempt to not repeat the same conditions that led to it.

Preparedness takes a lot of homework, time, critical thinking, determination, courage, and learning.   It is not the quickest or easiest solution and it truly is a defensive strategy.   Surviving a calamity like this will not be fun but we have little choice.   So keep an open mind and take a look at the information presented here that will help you prepare, recognize what is coming, and ultimately help you and your family whether this storm.