“Flattening the curve.” This popular phrase has been one of many new additions COVID-19 has made to our cultural vocabulary. Hopefully, it’s something we’re all actively doing and not just talking about. But this curve flattening language is really just a new way to talk about an old practice — preppers have been flattening all kinds of curves, from food to water to electricity, for decades.

As our society moves more in the direction of just-in-time inventory and dwindling on-site storage (e.g. hospitals only have three days worth of PPE at any given time), it makes our critical systems that much more vulnerable to sudden spikes in demand. And that’s why preppers (because we tend to stock up before the spike hits) are the original curve flatteners.

A few days before the Financial Collapse

Here is a very likely scenario.  “Government agencies are having difficulty making their payments.  State governments are issuing vouchers to pay their bills.  US Social Security is late in issuing its payments to retirees and the disabled.  Many banks are issuing warnings about liquidity.   The prices of food are escalating by the hour.  Instead of talking about the latest inane reality TV show, everyone is talking about inflation, money, mass layoffs, etc.  It is 5 days before the economic collapse.”   So, what do you do?

Our current recession/depression is slow creeping at this point towards a bad outcome. 

Looking ahead, the world remains very much trapped in the mother of all global financial bubbles. This is obvious, a given. Markets were priced for “perfection,” and now, following even more of the greatest monetary stimulus in human history  (much of it in the span of just the last few weeks), they’re still priced for “really good”—still very expensive.

So this is far from over; the current pandemic is merely threatening to pop the bubble. (And, as we all can plainly see, the powers that be are likely running out of ways to keep the bubble inflated.) Make no mistake, it’s the systemic vulnerabilities created by this unprecedented central-bank-fueled bubble, and the crazy, naïve risk-taking and leverage that accompanies it, that makes this pandemic so potentially destructive to the financial markets and the economy.

It took 10 years for the U.S. economy to create 23 million new jobs. It took the coronavirus pandemic just a month to destroy 26.5 million. The mind-boggling deluge of layoffs suggests the lost jobs surpassed all the employment gains since the end of the Great Recession from December 2007 to June 2009.

“In four weeks, all of the job gains from the decade-long recovery following the Great Recession have been erased,” said senior economist Daniel Zhao of Glassdoor.

During these past 2 years, I have often thought about what the last 5 days would look like before a collapse.  Because governments will do everything and anything to delay the onset of an economic collapse, as they should, I believe the problem will build to a dramatic point, where the economy will fall off a ledge very quickly. 

With the US Federal Government running $1 trillion-dollar deficits for the past 3 years and now with 26.5 million unemployed due to the coronavirus restrictions, how long can that continue? At some point in time, in the very near future, no foreign government or domestic entity will want to buy US Federal debt. Then the only option is for the US Federal Reserve to generate artificial money, not backed by tax revenues nor by any tangible assets, in order for the Fed to buy US Federal debt. 

At some point in time, the continual injection of fiat currencies will trigger a hyperinflation period.  At that point in time, the spiral towards economic collapse will accelerate.

What Will Happen If the US Economy Collapses?

If the U.S. economy collapses, you will not have access to credit.

Banks will close. That means demand will outstrip the supply of food, gas, and other necessities and keep in mind that due to coronavirus our supply are already at very low levels. If the collapse affects local governments and utilities, then water and electricity will no longer be available. As people panic, self-defense becomes more important. The economy reverts to a traditional economy, where those who grow food barter for other services.

A U.S. economic collapse would create global panic. Demand for the dollar and U.S. Treasurys would plummet. Interest rates would skyrocket. Investors would rush to other currencies, such as the yuan, euro, or even gold. It would create not just inflation, but hyperinflation as the dollar became dirt cheap.

When Would the U.S. Economy Collapse?

Any of the following six scenarios could create an economic collapse.

If the U.S. dollar rapidly loses value, it would create hyperinflation. A bank run could force banks to close or even go out of business, cutting off lending and even cash withdrawals.
The internet could become paralyzed with a super-virus, preventing emails and online transactions.
Terrorist attacks or a massive oil embargo could halt interstate trucking. Grocery stores would soon run out of food.
Widespread violence erupts across the nation. That could range from inner-city riots, civil war, or a foreign military attack. It’s possible that a combination of these events could overwhelm the government’s ability to prevent or respond to a collapse.
Some believe the Federal Reserve, the president, or an international conspiracy are driving the United States toward economic ruin. If that’s the case, the economy could collapse in as little as a week. That’s because it’s run on confidence that debts will be repaid, food and gas will be available when you need it, and that you’ll get paid for this week’s work. If a large enough piece of that stops for even several days, it creates a chain reaction that leads to a rapid collapse.

How to Prepare for a Collapse

It’s difficult to completely protect yourself from a U.S. economic collapse because it can happen without warning.

In most catastrophes, people survive through their knowledge, wits, and by helping each other. Make sure you understand basic economic concepts so you can see warning signs of instability.

Second, keep as many assets as liquid as possible, so you can withdraw them within a week. In addition to your regular job (if you are lucky to have one these days), make sure you have skills that you’d need in a traditional economy, such as farming, cooking or repair.

Make sure your passport is current in case you’d need to leave the country on short notice. To be completely prepared, research target countries now and travel there on vacation so you are familiar with your destination.

Keep yourself in top physical shape. Know basic survival skills, such as self-defense, foraging, hunting, and farming. Practice now with camping trips. If you can move near a wildlife preserve in a temperate climate. That way, if a collapse occurs, you can live off the land in a relatively unpopulated area.

As for cash, it’s almost pointless to have it in a real economic collapse because its value might be decimated. Gold isn’t much help because it’s heavy to transport and useless in a real survival situation. But it would be good to have a stash of $20 bills and gold coins, just in case. During many crisis situations, these have been acceptable bribes.

482 Year Old Secret To Surviving SHTF…

What if I told you that NASA rediscovered a superfood that’s been lost to history for the past 482 years? It’s packed with more nutrients than any other food out there and last even longer than pemmican. In fact, it’s so easy to store and cheap to make, you might never need another emergency food.

Click here (or the video bellow)to see how you can make your own

So what will the last five days look like before the full economic collapse?  Here are some key indicators that we have entered that last 5 days.

1. Gold and Silver prices will see severe price shifts.  Silver will see price swings of $5 per day.  Gold will see swings of $100 or more per day.  Everyday mainstream people, including non-preppers, will start to pay attention to the price of gold and silver.  Gold and silver will be daily news features in various media outlets.
2. There is a discussion in news media and within government sources about conducting a bank holiday, as banks are showing severe stress from bad loans and redemption of deposits.
3. The price of ammunition will dramatically increase, as everyday people rush out to buy ammo.
4. Guns stores will be swamped with people, looking to make last-minute purchases.
5. Can goods and other storable foods will become in short supply, as people start hoarding food.
6. People will stay home from their jobs, if they have a job, for fear of being away from their families.  People will worry about a severe rise in crime, as more people become desperate.
7. Homeless shelters and local food charities become overwhelmed with demand.  News articles will show the lines of people waiting for a free bed or donated meal.  Bread lines will arise, as governments start to hand out food to desperate people.

Having seen that you are now in the last 5 days before the collapse, what actions should you take?

Gather your families and survival group.   Limit any travel to local areas.

Get Cash !!!   If you have any securities or investments remaining (likely to be worthless at this time), sell and receive cash for proceeds.  Liquidate your bank accounts.  Empty any security lockboxes as banks.  Get to the banks, before banks close or go into a bank holiday.    Get small bills, $1, $5, and $20.  Coinage will also be valuable.  When the banks close, credit cards are mass canceled, and ATM machine stop working, people will need to make their own change for purchases.

If you have a bug-out residence, it is time to pack up and relocated to your survival homestead.  If the civil order is maintained, give yourself enough time to make multiple trips to relocate your supplies and gear to your retreat location.

If grocery stores are still operating, buy as much canned and dried foods as you can get your hands on.  Canned meat, canned vegetables, canned and dried beans, rice, and dry pasta should be a priority at this moment.  If you are a survival prepper, you should already have 6 months to 2 years of stored food.  Now is the time to top off your supplies of food, before the collapse.   Once the collapse occurs, grocery stores will become battlegrounds and should be avoided.  Here are some alternative places to purchase your last minute groceries:

Gas Stations often carry lots of groceries, especially snack food.   You find some canned and dried foods at gasoline stations.

Drug Stores are often now mini-groceries stores.

Vitamin Stores often have various food bars and nutrition drink mixes.

Vending Machines as road stops, office buildings, and schools are sources of last-minute food purchases.  For this reason, you should include a roll of quarters (or two) in your vehicle.

Restaurants that close will often have a store of bulk foods that did not sell.  Any restaurant that just recently closed should be contacted to offer purchasing bulk canned food.

Movie Theaters often have lots of snacks for sale.

Neighbors that bug out might leave behind the food that they could not transport.  I am a firm believer in the rule of law and supporting local police in their crime prevention efforts.  So, do not loot!  Looting will increase the breakdown of society.  Rather be prepared, so that you need not be put into a desperate situation.  Rather, I would offer to watch over the homes of people to leave to relocate to their remote family members.  If you are known and trusted by your neighbors, ask for a key so that you can check into their homes for water leaks or break-in.  Politely ask your neighbor, “if you do not return by a specific date, may I make use of any tools or supplies you have left in your home?”  If civil order breaks down in your neighborhood, then move your neighbor’s supplies into your home for safekeeping,  Once the neighbor returns, return their supplies.  If they don’t return, then at least their supplies did not go to waste.

Stock up on needed prescription drugs.  Ask your doctor for a 3-month prescription.  Most health insurance will only pay for one month of drugs at a time.  Tell the pharmacy that you will pay in cash for anything that does insurance company does not cover.   Get printed copies of your
prescriptions, in case of power outages.  Keep your original prescription bottles, in order to demonstrate that you are legitimate in obtaining refills.   Form a relationship with your local pharmacy, so that they know your face and name.

Stock up on fuels:

• Gasoline and diesel fuel, preferably in metal certified fuel cans
• Fuel preservatives to delay the decay of hydrocarbon fuels
• Propane tanks – small and large (fully filled propane tanks are excellent for long-term storage if kept dry and rust-free)
• Butane for lighters
• Firewood for your fireplace
• Hay and other feed for your horses
• Now is the time to stock up on other supplies that you will need
• Baby formula and diapers, if you have or expecting a baby
• Feminine hygiene supplies
• Toilet paper, facial tissues, paper towels
• Batteries, as much as you can get your hands on
• Ammunition, as much as you can get your hands on
• Pet food

The following are items that will become in short supply, once the economic collapse occurs.  Depending on your unique situation, you might want to think about how much you should purchase and store for the future.

Footwear and Shoes, especially hiking boots – People will be traveling more by feed and conducting more manual labor.  Resultant, footwear will wear-out much more quickly.   If you have growing children, their feet will continue to grow, regardless if you are able to buy new shoes or not.   One of my first acts if known that an economic collapse was about to occur would be to buy a ladder of larger shoes for each of my children.

Camping and hiking equipment – Has folks worry about needed to retreat by feet or worry about being kicked out of their homes, camping gear will be in high demand.   As a survival prepper, you should be already provisioned ahead of time with tents, backpacks, sleeping bags, camp cooking gear, etc.

Detergents and cleaners – Sanitation will be the difference between health or illness after the collapse.  You will be working outside with your hands, and be dirtier after the collapse.  You’ll need to be ready to hand wash and line dry any dirty clothing.  As such, you’ll need to be stocked up with cleaning supplies and detergents.

Bleach – Bleach as limited shelf life.  It degrades within a year or two.  Bleach is very valuable to maintain home sanitation, cleaning clothing, and water preservation.

The following are items you are likely to be unable to acquire during the last five days before the collapse.

1. Gold and Silver – Few people are likely to offer their gold or silver for sale unless they are desperate for food.
2. Guns (rifles, carbines, pistols, revolvers, shotguns) – Guns will be in short supply, as there will be a rush to stock up before the collapse.  As a survival prepper, you should already be prepared with your defensive weapons battery.  You should already be trained on the usage, cleaning, maintenance, and minor repairs of your guns.  You should already be aware of proper safety practices and the gun laws of your location.

1. Ammunition – Expect all ammo to be bought out.  Some localities may freeze the sale of guns and ammo, ahead of or during a civil breakdown.
2. Power generators – Will be sold out quickly, but believe this might be a waste of money.  As fuel will become difficult to acquire, most power generators will go quiet within a month.  If you do buy a power generator, choose one that supports multiple fuels, such as also alcohol, propane, natural gas, and diesel fuel.   If you are able to generate your own pure alcohol or bio-diesel, you will have a great advantage.  The better setup is a wood-burning fireplace and wood-burning cookstove in the kitchen, along with a sturdy back and sharp axe.

Solar panels (and related long-term batteries) – If you have your own solar panel setup, and able to run your homestead and recharge small batteries from solar power, you will have an advantage.     If you desire such a setup, you will need to have this well ahead of a collapse.  After a collapse, be watchful for theft of solar panels.  Solar panels will make your homestead a target for bad people.

I highly recommend this book to everyone. 300 pages, color, paperback. The Lost Book of Remedies is helping Americans achieve medical self-sufficiency even in the darkest times using the time-tested methods of our grandparents without spending lots of money on toxic drugs and without side effects. A great asset when doctors and hospitals won’t be available anymore. You may not be Claude Davis, but you can make use of his procedures and techniques to increase your chances of survival!

A breakthrough experiment from Colorado, USA with 45 volunteers has proven that by eating this prickly flower you can completely kill food cravings! It is 5x more effective than exercise….and 6x more effective than any diet! And guess what? They found its 3x MORE effective than gastric bypass surgery at eliminating cravings for sugar and starchy foods!==> Prickly Flower Eliminates Food Cravings & Burns Away Fat

There have been rumblings of a new civil war for several years now, as the political divide in this country has broadened.

Many on the right consider it a bit of a joke, as there are more gun owners on the left than there are on the right. However, there are actually more gun owners on the political left than most of us realize. According to information from statistia.com, 16% of Democrats claim to own guns. While that is considerably lower than the 45% of Republicans who own them, it’s not something that can just be ignored.

We’re all aware that Democrats have refused to accept President Trump’s victory in 2016, with those in the Congress and the press working overtime to find some ways to get rid of him. That’s what Mueller’s Russian investigation was about and that’s what impeaching the president was all about, their two most blatant attempts.

But Democrat’s refusal to accept the results of elections is nothing new. They have a long history of contesting election results, including the infamous “dimpled chad” debate in Florida, during the 2000 presidential elections. Al Gore lost that election but didn’t want to accept the loss, so tried to get the results overturned on a technicality.

Democrats used every trick in the book to win the last elections, even resorting to illegal activity if the information I’ve seen is true. There was a considerable amount of violence, as paid “activists” tried to affect the election. But even with all that, Democrats didn’t succeed in changing the vote and getting what they wanted. They’re still denying that Donald Trump won the election fairly and legally.

I’m sure that the Republicans’ hands aren’t totally clean when it comes to the election process, but for some reason, pretty much every case of voter fraud I hear of works in favor of the Democrats. That’s highly suspicious and makes me think that they are clearly the less ethical of our political parties.

Now, before Election Day has even gotten here, organizations tied to the Democrat Party are already talking about what they’ll do, if Joe Biden doesn’t win by a landslide. Put simply, the violence from the death of George Floyd is nothing compared to what they are planning on doing.

Also read: When The Pharmacies Won’t Be An Option: Herbal and Natural Therapies For Diabetes After The SHTF

Will it be War?

Whether things get bad enough to turn into a war is yet to be seen. Up till now, the mobs of rioters have basically limited themselves to mostly unsophisticated weapons like bricks and Molotov cocktails. That’s probably not because they don’t want to hurt anyone, but rather, because they don’t want to end up in jail. Even so, more and more seem to be carrying firearms.

Just the other day there was a face-off between the rioters and armed conservatives in Nashville. The fact that such a face-off happened isn’t all that surprising, as we’ve seen other such occurrences over the last several years when rioters clashed with counter-protesters. But what made this different was that it was hard to tell which side people were on. From the video, it looks like there were just about as many armed protesters, as there were armed citizens who were there to protect their city.

The amazing thing was that no shots were fired in that confrontation, although there were plenty of angry words spoken… or shouted. Even so, it appears that nobody pulled the trigger. If they had, it would have probably been a bloodbath.

It’s doubtful that we can have many of these confrontations, without them turning violent. There are plenty on both sides who are stoking the fires. But perhaps the most dangerous fire stoking going on is that there are those on the left who are telling their people that Republicans just can’t wait to kill them.

Can you imagine going into a hostile situation with the understanding that the other side just can’t wait for a chance to kill you? How would that affect your thinking? How would it affect your actions? It seems to me, that it would put my nerves on edge, where almost anything could be misunderstood to be a threat. Unless I was highly trained and disciplined (I am), it would be easy to respond to that potential threat by pulling the trigger. Once I did it, others would follow.

For that matter, it doesn’t even take someone pulling the trigger to turn that situation deadly. All it would take is someone setting off a fire cracker. I’m sure there are enough people in that crowd who don’t know the difference and who would react to the noise as if it were a gunshot.

The problem is, there are those who would consider the loss of life in that situation just “the cost of doing business.” They don’t care about the loss of life if it serves their political needs. While they might not light that firecracker themselves, for fear of getting caught, they would probably have no compulsion against ordering it lit.

The opening shot for the Battle of Concord, which stated the Revolutionary War, is known as “the shot heard round the world.” But it is not the only such shot. The Civil War was likewise started from a single shot, this time at Fort Sumter. World War I was started by the killing of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The point is, all it takes is one shot to start a war. If both sides don’t take a big step back after that first shot, the war quickly escalates.

482 Year Old Secret To Surviving SHTF…

What if I told you that NASA rediscovered a superfood that’s been lost to history for the past 482 years? It’s packed with more nutrients than any other food out there and last even longer than pemmican. In fact, it’s so easy to store and cheap to make, you might never need another emergency food.

Click here (or the video bellow)to see how you can make your own

What’s the War About?

There are those who are billing this next civil war as a “racial war;” but that’s not true. All we need to do to see the fallacy in that statement is to look at the riots that have been happening. There have been as many whites involved in those riots, as blacks; and the whites are more likely to be the ones to start any real battles.

The riots we have seen and any further violence is nothing more than a collective temper tantrum. Rioters are making demands of people, businesses, and governments, attempting to force them to bow their knee to the rioters’ demands. Like the demonstrations which have happened on various college campuses, they think that their demanding something should be enough to force everyone to go along and give them what they want. 

This is, by definition, terrorism, using violence to cause political change. While the president has declared that ANTIFA is a terrorist organization, he hasn’t done so for BLM. That one is a bit more difficult because it is hard to separate the BLM organization from the movement in most people’s minds. For that reason, any attempt to label the BLM organization a terrorist organization will be met with a lot of backlashes.

While the riots we are seeing in this country have been birthed out of the Black Lives Matter movement, they have nothing to do with saving black lives. Rather, it is a Marxist revolution, intended to bring down the current order of things and replace it with socialism/communism. We can see this from the types of things that the left is demanding, such as defunding the police, tearing down monuments, changing names to just about anything that connects us with our past, and demanding redistribution of wealth.

Quite literally, this war will be about keeping America or losing it. If it is won by the revolutionaries, it will no longer be the land of the free and home of the brave. It will be a socialist or communist country, descending into poverty. We will not only have failed ourselves, in losing this war but the world as well, as the next two strongest countries in the country are China and Russia. Neither of which will be spreading democracy across the globe.

The Horrors of this next War

Compared to the last Civil War, this one would be much more horrible. A total of 618,222 men died in the Civil War, 360,222 from the North and 258,000 from the South. That’s more than have died in any war our country has fought, before or since. Yet I fear that this next civil war will far outstrip that number, and that’s something I just don’t want to see.

In most cases, you can’t tell a person’s political affiliation by their clothing, and in Louisville, they were mostly in tactical clothing. So that eliminates the visible affiliation shown by printing on T-shirts and MAGA hats.

Nor will there be any clear geographic boundaries in this coming war. About the closest we could say is the coastal liberal enclaves, versus the rest of the country. But even that is a false boundary, as there are many conservatives living in those coastal areas, just like there are many liberal cities in the rest of the country, even in conservative bastions like Texas.

Without any obvious uniform differences or geographic boundaries, it’s hard to tell how this war will go. Most likely it will be a war limited to urban areas, especially the larger cities. Since it will grow out of the current riots, it will probably start in the same places, mostly inner-city areas, largely inhabited by the very same people who the revolution claims they want to help.

What we’re looking at is long-term battles for the streets of our cities. Without clearly defined armies and boundaries, it will be hard to win any battle. Rather, there will just be ongoing battles every night, which could go on for years.

This is the future I see, one in which constant battles are being fought across our land. It will be urban guerilla warfare of the worst kind. Perhaps the only saving grace will be the lack of large weapons. But having seen how creative people can be in devising improvised weapons, I doubt it will stay that way.

Many innocent lives will be lost, perhaps more than of the combatants. Both sides will break the law, one in trying to bring about change through revolution, while the other is trying to protect the country. But to succeed in protecting the country from lawlessness and revolution, those fighting will have to become lawless themselves. Otherwise, they will be limited to fighting a purely defensive war.

That’s the only way the right can remain righteous in all this, fighting a purely defensive war. Using deadly force is still legal in all 50 states, although there are some which are limiting what you sort of firearms you can use. Even then, we’ve already seen examples of how left-wing prosecutors are going to try and villainize those who defend themselves, stretching credibility in an effort to charge them with crimes, while allowing those on the left to get off scot-free.

Avoiding the War

I have no desire to fight in this war, although that may not be possible. It is my hope that I can limit my involvement in protecting my home and family. But I swore an oath once when I received my commission in the Army and that oath doesn’t have an expiration date.

The best way to avoid the coming war, assuming it does come, is to not be where the fighting is happening. That may seem a bit simplistic, but it has been what civilians have tried to do in past wars, through the centuries.

Considering that the war will most likely be fought in the large urban centers, the best thing we can do is to move out of them. Even moving to suburbia would be advantageous, although I’d avoid areas inhabited by the wealthy. It seems those are beginning to be targeted, and with all the efforts from politicians on the left to villainize the wealthy, I’d say that the war will probably target them as well.

If you can move to a rural area, that will probably be best. Not only are there not enough people in rural areas to attract the troublemakers who are doing all the rioting and who will probably be pushing for war, but most of the people in those communities are also conservative, so they’ll band together to protect their homes and their community.

A Political Option

Of course, the other possibility is to allow the nation to go back to being what it was when it was founded. As the country was settled, states were different. Our founding documents recognize this and created the dual-sovereignty system, recognizing the sovereignty of both states and the nation. This allowed states to be different, except in a few well-defined areas.

Through the two-plus centuries of our country’s existence, the federal government has encroached more and more on state’s rights, primarily thorough their right to regulate interstate commerce. Since just about everything affects commerce and is affected by commerce, that has given federal lawmakers the opening they have needed, to be able to force the states into conformity and submission.

If we were to go back to the original plan, allowing states more autonomy and individuality, that would allow states which want to embrace left-wing ideas to do so, while states which wanted to keep what they have, remaining conservative, could do that too. It would allow us to remain united as a nation, even while permitting our differences to peacefully coexist.

But without that, I really don’t see any way to avoid this coming war. It’s just a matter of who fires that first shot.

Also, I highly recommend this book to everyone. 300 pages, color, paperback. The Lost Book of Remedies is helping Americans achieve medical self-sufficiency even in the darkest times using the time-tested methods of our grandparents without spending lots of money on toxic drugs and without side effects. A great asset when doctors and hospitals won’t be available anymore. You may not be Claude Davis, but you can make use of his procedures and techniques to increase your chances of survival!

A breakthrough experiment from Colorado, USA with 45 volunteers has proven that by eating this prickly flower you can completely kill food cravings! It is 5x more effective than exercise….and 6x more effective than any diet! And guess what? They found its 3x MORE effective than gastric bypass surgery at eliminating cravings for sugar and starchy foods!==> Prickly Flower Eliminates Food Cravings & Burns Away Fat

There are many people in the U.S. planning for hard times these days because of the hole COVID-19 situation, but even those numbers are just a small percentage of the entire population. Most people still believe the government line that everything is getting better. They want to believe life will go on as always because the alternative is too much for them to think about.

Those that are preparing have made the mental leap required to prepare themselves for a future that is less than normal. They have reduced their spending on normal consumer items and reallocated those resources to items that will help their families cope with disruptions in the future. They are preparing for the uncertain times ahead.

Most of these people are imagining a time when resources are cut off or hard to find for a period of time. They are trying to imagine the worst-case scenario and prepare to get through those times intact. They are storing supplies to meet their needs for this period of time. While that is a good idea and will benefit them greatly when the time comes, it may not be enough.

The future that stands before us will be a period of catastrophic change. Things will not be as they once were and they may never be that way again in our lifetimes. It is for this reason that planning for a period of disruption may not be enough. A longer-term plan may be required to ensure sufficient resources for the rest of your life.

This will require you to think bigger than you have and develop a plan that goes far beyond your current stores. It does not have to be a big plan or an expensive one, it merely has to provide you with a roadmap to help you maintain a reasonable standard of living.

Your first reaction to this maybe, I don’t have the resources to prep now so that is just not possible. You need to keep in mind that any plan of action starts out as a written plan to act as a guide. It will cost you nothing but some of your time to think about possible actions you can take in the future and write them down. That is always the first step to solving problems that seem too big to handle by yourself. As you write them down and address problems one at a time the bigger problem will become many smaller problems you can easily solve.

There are no guarantees for the future. The way you live today will likely change in the near future. When those changes happen you may not have the ability to live as you do now. Your income and living situation may change and when they do you will have to come up with solutions. If you have already come up with solutions and planned a course of action when it is necessary, it will be easier for you to remain calm and confident as you change your lifestyle to cope with the changing conditions. Here are some questions you will need to answer to get you started in your long-term planning.

Also read: END GAME – PREPARING FOR THE EARLY DARK WINTER

By Failing To Prepare, You Are Preparing To Fail—THE REALITY AND MORTAL DANGERS, OF NOT PREPPING

How will you feed yourself?

Where will you live and what kind of shelter will you have?

How will you provide clean water to drink and cook?

What will you do for clothing?

What kind of sanitation will you have?

How will you stay healthy and provide medical care?

What will you do for transportation?

What kind of communications will you have to stay informed?

What kind of security will you have to stay safe?

What energy resources will you need and how will you provide them?

What will you do to earn money or trade for goods?

What special equipment will you need to live and prosper in the future?

These are some of the questions you must be able to answer to ensure your living conditions are sufficient in the long term. Simply answering these questions now will provoke you into thinking about possible solutions to future problems that you may not want to think about right now. Keep in mind that your living conditions will likely change radically in the future whether you plan for it or not so you will make it much easier on yourself if you think about it now.

When answering questions about the future keep in mind that you must be thinking about providing resources for years and not just a few months. This will mean you must have a plan to produce or procure resources in some sustainable way. The more resources you can produce yourself the easier time you will have procuring them. Any production you have will also provide you with goods to sell or trade. Thinking through this type of situation will many times provide you with solutions to problems simply by solving other problems. The more thinking you do now, the less you will suffer in the future.

The age of lightning-quick world news has brought almost cinematic tragedy to our televisions and computer screens. Homes destroyed. People stranded without food or clean water. Weary souls huddled under blue tarps waiting for someone to do something. Unfortunately, many people see these images and still maintain a sense of intentional denial that it can’t happen to them.

Those that have taken heed, though, and are diligently preparing for something they hope will never happen. The ability to survive on your own without any governmental support has gained popularity over the last few years. Events like Hurricane Katrina and the past year storm’s and earthquakes seemed to have been a wake-up call. In the end, it will be up to individuals to manage an existence in the event of a major catastrophe. So the question is, how long are you willing to prepare for?

One Week

As we have seen with major storms across the country, Mother Nature is capable of pushing us back 100 years in moments. Power can be severely disrupted and water supplies can be tainted. When coupled with the physical hazards of a storm, finding these resources can be a challenge. There are basics steps everyone should take regardless of whether or not they live in an area prone to storms and other natural disasters.

Water is critical and should be seen as a priority one. Avoid using tap water after a major event unless it has been cleared by authorities. You should keep the water stored in your house. It is recommended that you store a gallon of water per day. Multiply this times the number of people in your household and you will get an idea of how much water you really need. If you have been warned of an imminent emergency, then you can also capture water from your tap before the system goes down. Companies such as WaterBob sell specific kits to help you safely and sanitarily store water in the bathtub for long periods.

Store non-perishable food. These can be emergency-type meals or the readily available MRE (meals ready to eat). These items will need to be storable without refrigeration since power will be unreliable. One of the best places to get these meals is at longlifefooddepot.com.

Your emergency kit should include a serious and durable flashlight like a SureFire G2X Pro, extra batteries, an emergency hand-crank radio such as the Midland ER102, candles, and a first-aid kit with any medications needed. Additionally, glow sticks can be a safer alternative to candles. Waterproof matches are also one of the most important items to include in this survival kit.

One of the major problems faced during major events is the loss of power. Because of this, you should consider a generator. Safely store fuels for the generator and keep a regular maintenance schedule for it. A name respected in this field is Honda. They make a variety of generators to fit any need.

If there is a major event, ATMs will not be functioning because of power outages. In this type of environment cash is king. This same lack of electricity will eliminate the ability to use credit cards because the card readers will be lifeless. The amount of cash you have on hand should be balanced with safety. Never let anyone know you are keeping cash, and store it someplace safe.

One Month 

With a week under our belts, we need to look further down the road. We will not spend time theorizing on just why you would have to be on your own for a prolonged period of time, but rather how you will do it. If you are willing to plan for a month, then we need to expand your planning to accommodate this longer period. Let’s keep everything previously listed but modify it by adding a few things.

With your newly extended timeline, you should consider a water filtration system. You would be challenged for space trying to store a month’s worth of water. Add to that the fact that you may have to be mobile, making it impossible. The upside to the new awareness regarding disaster preparedness is that companies have begun selling their wares. On that list is Katadyn. It makes hand-operated water filtration systems to fit any need. The Katadyn Expedition is portable and easy to use.

While they serve a vital role, emergency meals are not known for their culinary palette. You should plan on storing vegetables either in specialized containers, or canning. Be sure that these items are stored in water-safe areas. Anything exposed to flood-type waters can be contaminated. You can also store simple canned meals like ravioli and soup. 

Your emergency kit should evolve with your extended timeline as well. You are encouraged to begin with a preloaded kit like the Chinook Medical Gear Emergency Preparedness Medical Kit Level 3. Include in that any medications you will need during that time. Be diligent and know the expiration dates so you can change them out appropriately. 

An additional kit we will call “general gear” needs to join the list. This kit should have basic tools like pliers, screwdrivers, and a hammer. It should also include baling wire, duct tape (you knew it was coming), twine, and rope. These basic tools can help you manage general repairs until the dust settles.

While some spending cash was handy for the week-long challenge, it is critical if you are going it alone for a month. Never carry your entire reserve with you, and make certain to have a secure storage area for it. Once you hit the month’s timeframe, bartering will become a common practice as well. But we’ll talk more about that ahead.

As we get into a months-long survival situation, fuel for your generator will start to be hard to come by. With power gone, fuel pumps will sit quietly as society tries to move along. Ration your fuel and only use it when absolutely necessary. You should start gathering dry wood at this point in order to build heating and cooking fires.

Weapons should be considered if you are serious about month-long survival. Society has a way of falling apart when major events occur. Most folks will drive on and do their best to survive until order can be reestablished. Some, however, see it as an opportunity to cause chaos. This crowd will not prepare for a prolonged challenge, and they may see you as a source for something they need. They may not ask politely. It will be a desperate time for many, and they have the potential to take serious measures. At a minimum, you should have a semi-auto pistol chambered in 9mm. One of the most popular is the Glock 17. Its polymer frame and ease of use make it a good defense weapon. If you choose this route, seek professional training. Another solid choice is a shotgun because it can double as a hunting weapon. A solid choice is the 12-gauge Mossberg 590. It is reliable and effective. A firearm is a serious business, and you should be schooled in its function as part of your prepping. 

Six Months

Well, things are pretty grim at this point, but not hopeless. If you are planning on preparing for six months on your own, then we need to expand and adjust our planning once again.

A portable water filtration system has limitations in regards to how much water it can process before the filter gives up. Katadyn is still our go-to source for pumps, but it would be prudent to have two units now, along with larger water storage containers.

At the six-month point, you might consider growing some of your own food. Vegetable seeds are hearty and can be stored in cool, dry places for long amounts of time. You should also consider developing your hunting and fishing skills. This should only supplement your existing food stores, however. Trying to “live off the land” is extremely difficult and requires a dedicated effort to succeed. This is especially true for those who don’t have a background in these skills.

While rife with challenges of its own, a stand-alone fuel tank can be the difference between electricity and darkness. Moving away from petroleum may be an option as well. Fuel tanks are a common sight in many rural areas. People and companies install them to help manage their fuel without having to hit the gas station constantly.

Again, you’ll need to expand your emergency first-aid kit and general gear kit to reflect your extended challenge. You should also seek advanced first-aid training in the event a serious problem occurs.

Emergency cash to last six months can be a challenge in the best of times. While you should still keep cash, you should also prepare yourself with items people may barter for. Food and water will be like gold if a six-month challenge arises. Right alongside those will be demand for batteries, flashlights, simple tools, rope, and other “nice to have” items. Clothing will also start to become an issue now. Six months of living a hard life will wear out the best jeans and shoes. Add several sets of new clothes to your preparation area along with extra boots. You should also consider cold-weather gear since the seasons will be moving by and it could be brutally cold depending on your location.

When you consider the six-month timeframe, a firearm is not really optional at this point. This now applies to both personal protection and hunting, so we will add a rifle to the mix. Your hunting skill and location will determine what rifle you choose. A seasoned deer hunter in the Midwest could choose a Remington 700 as a versatile rifle. Someone trapped in the suburbs may need a Henry Arms AR-7 survival rifle in .22 LR. This design is small, portable, and great for small-game hunting.

A solid “best of both worlds” rifle is the AR. Lightweight and easy to use, it is capable of taking deer-sized prey as well as small game. A solid choice for a reliable AR-15 would be something from the Daniel Defense lineup. The company makes a variety of configurations to fit your personal preferences. The AR platform is a solid deterrent against two-legged predators as well.

At the six-month point, people will be desperate and your supplies will be noticed. The one crucial add-on to any firearm is ammunition. Store as much as you safely can. Break up the ammo and store it in more than one location in case one lot is damaged or stolen.

One Year

At this point, you are homesteading. You will have to provide everything you need in order to survive. How you prepare at this point is crucial. Once the event happens, it may be almost impossible to expand your cache. The images of empty grocery store shelves prior to a hurricane will be nothing compared to a year-long catastrophe.

Water will be an ongoing challenge at this point. People serious about long-term survival and preparedness collect and further purify rainwater as a means of improving their water reserves. Another method of long-term water management is boiling large amounts and then storing it. This is effective against bacteria and other organisms, but you should be cautious about chemical contamination as well.

A garden and livestock of some type are going to become important during a year-long crisis. Canned and emergency food will go quickly and you must have an additional source. Chickens are at the top of many people’s lists because they are small and produce eggs. Goats are often included in this mix as well because of their relatively small size. If gardens, goats, and chickens seem overwhelming to you, then seek training. There are preparedness groups around the country that teach the basics in these topics.

Although your generator has performed well, it’s time to start looking for other options. Fuel availability after a year of nothing but survival will be slim. A solid choice for non-petroleum energy is solar. A well-made solar unit with battery packs can run even a moderate-sized house.

It is also time for you to become a master of bartering goods and services. Cash will begin to lose its appeal for a variety of reasons. Plan ahead and double or triple the items we discussed before. If possible, make your garden large enough that you can plant extra produce. This will make it easier for you to barter what you’ve grown for what you need.

Clothes are still going to important, but the ability to repair them now becomes a necessity. Sewing supplies, as well as extra material for patches, is a must. For those who are handy, you can also begin to make your own clothing as a longer-term solution. 

Always remember, if a national emergency goes on for a year, it will be a tough time. As we mentioned earlier, most people will not be prepared. You should plan on having to defend yourself as well as your supplies. This seems almost unfathomable, but it is a reality.

For your safety and the safety of those around you, it’s very important for you to never discuss what you have in your cache. This is as important during good times as it is bad. The cliché comment seen on social media by the unprepared regarding preppers is “I know where I am going if things get bad.” The idea is that they will storm the property of the prepper and take what they need. The best way to avoid this is not to advertise your actions. Quietly prepare and be diligent about protecting your cache. 

Worst-Case Scenario

We have wrapped up our suggestions at the one-year mark. However, there are places such as post-earthquake Haiti, or the collapse in Venezuela that shows us a year may not be enough for a government to respond. The planning going beyond a year really is more about personal preparation than it is goods.

You must learn fundamental skills ranging from gardening to emergency medicine in the field. The fact we must face is simple: A disaster can happen to any of us. Even in the most advanced country in the world, we are susceptible to cataclysmic events capable of leaving us alone and without any support. How you survive will be up to you.

Also, I highly recommend this book to everyone. 300 pages, color, paperback. The Lost Book of Remedies is helping Americans achieve medical self-sufficiency even in the darkest times using the time-tested methods of our grandparents without spending lots of money on toxic drugs and without side effects. A great asset when doctors and hospitals won’t be available anymore. You may not be Claude Davis, but you can make use of his procedures and techniques to increase your chances of survival!

A breakthrough experiment from Colorado, USA with 45 volunteers has proven that by eating this prickly flower you can completely kill food cravings! It is 5x more effective than exercise….and 6x more effective than any diet! And guess what? They found its 3x MORE effective than gastric bypass surgery at eliminating cravings for sugar and starchy foods!==> Prickly Flower Eliminates Food Cravings & Burns Away Fat

MONOLOGUE WRITTEN BY CLYDE LEWIS FROM groundzeromedia.org

I saw a word today in an article. It was a curious word – the word was TEOTWAKI. I thought it was some foreign word or the name of some documentary that I had to see. However as I was reading I realized that the word TEOTWAKI was not some new word but an acronym for THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT.

I thought – how cool, now if anyone wants to ben your ear about everything is going to hell in a handbasket all you have to say to them is TEOTWAKI.

So if someone says “Trump did this and I am mad” just say “TEOTWAKI” or “did you hear about those despicable murder hornets?” and all you have to say is TEOTWAKI.

You can use it like Hawaiians say Aloha.

If your day goes badly and you are about to go postal just throw your hands in the air and yell “TEOTWAKI” it may be therapeutic to acknowledge that it is the end of the world as we know it but so far so good right?

The world ending would be far too easy – that is why we have to go through all of this pain and confusion first.

Everyone has had the experience of believing in something that turned out not to be true. It can be said that depending on the situation it can be psychologically traumatic to realize what you thought was the truth, turns out to be at odds with your normalcy bias.

Like it or not, our beliefs about the world are interconnected with other beliefs we have been programmed to accept. As one thing is revealed, there are more that follow and you can either lie to yourself and say that it is a form of persecution or deception or you can learn more about what the facts are.

It takes a great deal of strength in order to let go of one’s preconceived ideas and accept new and factual data.

Since the media guides, controls and even at times hijacks the zeitgeist, we sometimes forget that we have not defeated those who oppress us – we have simply enabled them by ignoring their nefarious activities.

Also read: When The Pharmacies Won’t Be An Option: Herbal and Natural Therapies For Diabetes After The SHTF

PREPARING FOR A PANDEMIC OR BIOLOGICAL THREATS

The citizens of the United States have been lulled into forgetting much of what is truly oppressing them. The way the system has deteriorated over time gives me a reason to be parapolitically direct and speak of how we have established as a nation a default system in order to eliminate what we once called “normal American freedoms.” Today, the system has determined that your ability to be a normal American is based wholly on your place in the power structure.

People are rising up but it can be argued that those who are rising up are part of a fragmented disloyalty to everything when all we need to do is focus on each problem separately instead of evolving to entropy.

We have created a statist system where we rank people from those who are superior to us, and to those whom we view as subhuman or worthless. The idea of survival of the fittest is eliminated through our appointed and voted upon an authoritarian system. We have allowed ourselves to pretty much believe that we have appointed through the ballot box someone who is more superior than we are to dole out resources, suspend human rights, and hire an army to create a police state capable of eliminating those they tell us are subhuman and worthless.

The government doesn’t do the radical and tribal factions will.

That is why we are beginning to see the real threat of civil war.

The economic, social, political, and military distress pervading the world should be terrifying the average American, but most are blissfully ignorant of the coming anguish when the best-laid plans of central bankers, climate cultists, race baiters, White supremacists and corrupt politicians blow up once again and plunge the world into dazed oblivion.

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When it happens there will be a groundswell of people thinking, what happened I thought all of these good intentions were going to benefit everyone?

Good intentions are never always as good as we think and incompetence and corruption always seem to find a way.

The universe never bends to good intentions –and neither does a structure that is over 200 years old—a government structure, a constitutional republic about to be trashed by the fragmented mob.

No one in the midst of the mob thinks that they are the bad guy — even when they are tearing down statues, burning federal buildings, and shooting police officers. No one in the mob feels culpable — they see what they feel are injustices predicated upon them or to someone who they empathize with and then they strike. In America we never see ourselves as monsters or even destroyers of all we have fought for.

The truth, if you decide to accept it, is the media and the politicians have given the spotlight to extremism.

The majority of Americans really weren’t bothered with gay rights of even black rights until we were forced to acknowledge the violence that has been pervasive in our lives. We were living side by side with our gay neighbors and black neighbors.

It was the extremists that showed up that triggered the other extremists to say something and demand we do something and when we all agreed that extremism is rare – the extremists forced us to pay attention.

They marched with their torches and pitchforks screaming “Blood and Soil” – which triggered the other side to organize and assume that everyone felt the same as the neo-Nazis that put on a show.

Most didn’t support these things but the media made you think that. They told you that your leaders felt that way. Most Americans were saying this is not the America we grew up in.

They were right but were ignored by the cancel culture, this triggered resentment, then came Antifa—from there, the Anarchist faction – Black Lives Matter and more.

Patriot groups were triggered as they were accused of being selfish, myopic, and violent.

Both mobs were violent to each other and the media wanted to choose which violent mob represents are inner hatred.

The politicians stepped in and made it worse with what they say and with what they don’t say.

People never cared about political affiliation until everyone started condemning each other for their political beliefs.

Then came those foreign born politicians and the xenophobia and the fear of their views moving in on what are called American views.

The majority of people did not care about where others were born until they wanted to come in, erase our history and blame our ancestors for the problems they are having now — not fitting in not dealing with the culture shock.

The entitlement factor is making people into monsters — we were fine until we were harassed, told we were sick and were reminded that we are all victims and that we needed to pass the blame and forfeit accountability.

We never really were into the idea of forcing our beliefs on others until we were told that what we believe is wrong — that our constitutional republic was a menace and that we all need to be told how to live our lives…

America was about being free, tolerant, and understanding — those values may no longer apply and while we all know who is blamed for all of it, most Americans do not know that the country has suffered a form of apoplexy for so long that they are about to have a severe stroke.

Maybe social media exposed the white underbelly of the ugly. Maybe when we see all the ugly we realize that we are not special and that we tend to over care about everything and when we do we don’t realize that we are falling off of a cliff.

When I was a kid, one of my favorite cartoons was Roadrunner. Looking back at it I realized just how pointless it was – but still it was always funny to watch the Roadrunner fool Wile E. Coyote into doing things that would main him. As a kid I didn’t know what suspending belief meant. While I watched Roadrunner Cartoons I always wondered how Wile E. Coyote was able to stay airborne for a few seconds before he plummeted off of a cliff – hitting the jagged rocks below.

I am realizing how this can happen in a metaphoric way.

At this time in our history, we are like Wile E. Coyote.

We are going over the cliff but we are still running and we haven’t yet realized that we are going to fall hard on those jagged rocks below us.

In Kentucky, after the Breonna Taylor decision, we started our journey over the cliff. The next few days we will begin our descent still running and causing mayhem in major cities.

In just a few days, we will start to see the internet make changes to social media platforms. By November, we will feel the slam of the whole country hitting the rocks.

If we have state oppression and economic chaos by Christmas then what will be the next stage of the takeover.

As I was watching Kentucky’s response to the verdict produced by the Grand Jury in the Breonna Taylor case, I also saw a hashtag trending on Twitter –it was #Trump Coup.

I remember it was weeks ago we were discussing the possibility that the President was in danger. The very though generated hostility not only on line but we also heard the anger on the air at the very idea of me suggesting that this is the case in our country.

Just days after the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the Secret Service intercepted a piece of mail addressed to the White House that contained the lethal poison, ricin.

A woman from Canada now has been arrested and accused of sending the letter to the President.

The suspect said in a letter to the President: “give up and remove your application for this election.” She allegedly wrote that the ricin was her “gift” to him and if it did not work, she would find a recipe for another poison or use her gun against the president.

U.S. officials said the letter was intercepted on Friday before reaching its destination. All mail for the White House is sorted and screened at an offsite facility before reaching the president’s official residence.

During the investigation, the FBI say they discovered that six additional letters containing ricin appeared to have been received in Texas last September.  If you recall this was around the time that there was speculation that there was an attempt to poison the food of the President, we reported that this may have happened but of course since the mainstream media did not report it, we can pretend that nothing happened. Since it upsets people so much to hear that the façade is wearing off we have to avoid speaking about the reality that America is becoming hostile and that there are agents within our borders who are not above committing acts of mob justice and government take overs in order to engender civil war in America.

There is only one difference between what is happening now and a full-on state take over– an immediate change in the Zeitgeist. Now, arguably some believe that it may be the Breonna Taylor decision but that only effects a minority of people — what is next has to be an event where there is little doubt that we have crashed on the rocks and that something has to be done by the people to eliminate the lawlessness that has prevailed for the past 7 months.

I believe that this is what is in the planning – it is the future event that we have all wondered after – something that causes a psychological shock that will give the police the conviction that things are so bad “force is necessary” to ensure things don’t get out of control.

This event will require that America acquiesce to a police state. Something that will be seen as state sanctioned oppression – something more that social distancing and mask wearing.

Younger citizens seem to believe that Mob Justice is the answer to everything they do not approve of – and there are presidential candidates who have declared that if there is no exchange of power after the next election then there will be more of this lawlessness to continue.

When Ruth Bader Ginsberg died and both President Trump and Mitch McConnell were on the quick saying that the seat would be replaced – there was an uproar all over the internet from the radical left saying that they would burn the country to the ground if we did not wait till after the election to select a nominee.

Reza Aslan, a religious scholar and former CNN host, tweeted to his 293,000 followers: ‘If they even TRY to replace RBG we burn the entire f****** thing down.

Beau Willimon, a screenwriter who produced the U.S. version of House of Cards and the president of the Writers Guild of America, East, told his 164,000 followers: We’re shutting this country down if Trump and McConnell try to ram through an appointment before the election.’

Author Aaron Gouveia, whose latest book is about toxic masculinity, tweeted:  ‘F*** no. Burn it all down.’ 

And a professor of political science repeated calls for arson attacks on Congress.  

Emmett Macfarlane, who teaches at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, tweeted: ‘Burn Congress down before letting Trump try to appoint anyone to SCOTUS.

A member of the Wisconsin Ethics Commission, responsible for administering state laws regarding campaign finance, ethics and lobbying, echoed the urging for violence.

When Ed Markey, senate candidate for Massachusetts, said that McConnell should not nominate a replacement in an election year, Scot Ross tweeted: ‘F****** A, Ed. If you can’t shut it down, burn it down.’

Trump is supposed to make a decision on Saturday – Saturday there are going to be demonstrations protesting the Breonna Taylor decision – things are about to turn –and most the United States is ill prepared psychologically, monetarily and in other ways.

It would seem to be inevitable that America is going to see more conflict as the private backers with deep pockets show no signs of wishing to abort their color revolution.

As the social façade cracks, and the economic system breaks, there is neither a society nor an economy to fall back on. By Christmas it will be obvious that normality has gone forever.

So what will ‘they’ do with millions of unemployed, frightened people?  If ‘they’ leave the internet on then the people will start to organize.

If they turn it off then what?

It was reported two days ago in the Financial Times that Facebook will take aggressive measures to “restrict the circulation of content” on its platform if November’s presidential election descends into chaos or violent civic unrest. The company had drawn up plans for how to handle a range of outcomes, including widespread civic unrest or “the political dilemmas” of having in-person votes counted more rapidly than mail-in ballots.

So if Facebook turns off, riots become disorganized. Then there is always the cell phone – if they turn off cell phones, you can imagine what comes next.

So what will ‘they’ do with millions of unemployed, frightened people that don’t have access to their social media drug?

There will have to be professional soldiers hired to ‘maintain the peace’ in the cities. No one want to say that it could be that out of control but it can be that out of control.

One of the scary things about working through ‘their’ options is that they are running out of them– we have allowed the lawlessness to go on for so long that now if any decisions come down from the top down there will always be someone demanding that something be destroyed or taken down.

Things now have obviously gone too far.

November is bound to see some changes and they may well trigger a change in the Zeitgeist—the thing is, the only certainty is uncertainty.

---

Also, I highly recommend this book to everyone. 300 pages, color, paperback. The Lost Book of Remedies is helping Americans achieve medical self-sufficiency even in the darkest times using the time-tested methods of our grandparents without spending lots of money on toxic drugs and without side effects. A great asset when doctors and hospitals won’t be available anymore. You may not be Claude Davis, but you can make use of his procedures and techniques to increase your chances of survival!

A breakthrough experiment from Colorado, USA with 45 volunteers has proven that by eating this prickly flower you can completely kill food cravings! It is 5x more effective than exercise….and 6x more effective than any diet! And guess what? They found its 3x MORE effective than gastric bypass surgery at eliminating cravings for sugar and starchy foods!==> Prickly Flower Eliminates Food Cravings & Burns Away Fat

(My buddy Greg Ellifritz, of Active Response Training, linked to this older article the other day. I hadn’t read this one in a while, so I went back and re-read it. I stand by the article still, so decided to update it and use it for this week’s feature post. We’ll go back to the Off-Grid discussion next week. JM)

Originally published 7MAY2014.

I had a student in a class recently (IIRC, it was the Iowa Combat Rifle course, but I could be mistaken), ask the very serious question, “How do we prepare mentally for the act of killing another person?” While, after giving him the tongue-in-cheek answer of “go chop people’s heads off with a penknife?” I gave the legitimate answer that it’s a matter of overcoming cultural conditioning, it’s a question that’s been nagging at my conscience ever since.

For the most part, neither I nor any of my friends who have been downrange, has ever voiced a concern over a reticence to drop the hammer and kill the enemy. Unfortunately, because of the prevalence of feel-good, New Age humanist bulls*** in the soft sciences like psychology, there is a lot of nonsense in the world about “mankind’s natural, inherent reluctance towards intra-species killing.” All the archaeological evidence to the contrary, too many people have conflated CULTURAL conditioning that illegitimizes interpersonal lethal violence, with a “natural” human reluctance.

Regardless of the status of the oft-voiced reluctance—inherent at the genetic level, or culturally conditioned—the fact is, it is a very real concern for a lot of people (FYI, before anyone starts citing BG SLA “Slam” Marshall, do more background research into the repudiations of his “research.”). At the risk of getting slightly side-tracked, as we all know I am wont to do, I will point out that I am an inveterate journalist. At any given time, I’ll have anywhere from six to a dozen different journals floating around. These serve as PT records, a means to record ideas I want to develop into articles for the blog, and things I’ve come across in my reading, as well as simply random thoughts that pop into my head. Once or twice a year, I’ll sit down and compile all the notes and records into a single volume, then dispose of the old, partially full journals that now are serving no purpose other than taking up valuable space on my bookshelves. This is important because I spent much of last night and yesterday on that very task.

Also read: While Our Survival Is Never Guaranteed, Preparedness Is About Learning And Increasing Our Odds

The Most Important Facts To Consider When Choosing Your Survival Retreat Location

As I collated journal notes from a round dozen different journals, I came across an entry on the subject of this article. I am not sure when I recorded it (this particular journal actually has notes from over four years ago, so it’s been stashed away in hiding for quite some time!), or what the original source was, but…..

According to the journal entry (which I obviously agreed with, or I wouldn’t have written it down in the first place), there are six basic facets to developing a predisposition towards effective violence.

Visualization

One of the first “training” lessons I ever learned was from my grandfather. While I’d like to believe he picked it up during his OSS training in WW2, I honestly never bothered asking him, so I genuinely just don’t know. I’ve since heard the same advice from dozens of different sources, have practiced it myself for well over twenty years, and have repeatedly found…it works. Not just well; it works like a Creole hooker during Mardi Gras…

That lesson was on the importance of visualization. Play the “what if” game. Not just in the context of this conversation, I play the “what if” game constantly. “What if” that car in front of me suddenly loses control and starts sliding all over the road? “What if” that dude walking into the steak house pulls out a Glock and starts shooting people? “What if” I look out my front window and see a group of jocked up dudes in black Nomex in my yard? “What if” I’m driving down our road and come to a tree across the road, then gunfire starts pinging into the truck? “What if” I take a gunshot wound to the lower abdomen below my plate carrier?

The key to effective visualization, of course, is REALISTIC mental images. Basing your visualization on John Woo action movie behaviors is not going to do you much good. Fortunately, if you’re reading this, there is an amazing resource just a couple of mouse clicks and typing away, in the form of YouTube. Despite the noise: signal ration on YT, the fact is, there are lots of camera recordings of everything from helmet cam footage of gunfights in Iraq and Afghanistan to criminal assaults and convenience store robberies. By studying the appropriate videos, and dissecting the behaviors and movements of the key players, you can begin to form a relatively accurate mental image of what a given scenario might look like when you experience it.

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This allows you to begin formulating realistic, effective responses to those scenarios. There is ample scientific experimental, research, and anecdotal evidence out there, aptly proving that if you can create a realistic image in your head—visualization—of yourself performing certain actions in response to certain key stimuli, to your brain, it’s as if you had actually performed them. You get the benefits of the experience, without the attendant risks and costs of the experience.

Ultimately, for the inexperienced, the surest way to inculcate the ability to be extremely violent, without actually going out and beating the s*** out of people…or chopping off stranger’s heads with a penknife, is through visualization. Visualize the reticle of your optic superimposed on a bad guy’s face or chest, and “feel” your finger squeeze all the way through the trigger break. Visualize the recoil cycle of the gun, and visualize seeing the rounds impact his shirt or jacket. Visualize his face being distorted from the impact, and the violence of high-velocity blood and brain matter spray out the back of the skull.

Visualize the slight resistance and sudden give of the tip of your Kabar puncturing his clothing and flesh. Visualize the warm, stickiness of blood flowing over your hand. Visualize punching a dude in the face so hard that you can “feel” his cheekbones fracture under your fist.

The catch, of course, is that you have to actually visualize the entire physical performance, in all of its details, and ACCURATELY. You also have to actually be physically capable of performing the action. I don’t care how realistic your visualization is, if you’re a quadriplegic, you’re not going to be able to perform a Master-level run at the local 3-Gun match. Having the physical ability to perform the tasks, of course, requires,

Training

You have to engage in effective training. This means learning proven, effective TTP, and then practice them in an effective manner. Shooting Appleseed alone won’t cut it. You need to be able to shoot, but you also need to know what it feels like to run a dynamic, fast-moving break contact drill, from the way your movement patterns change when you’re kitted up, to the way it feels to twist and slam into the ground as you bound backward while your Ranger buddy provides protective suppressive fire. Performing as the maneuver element during a Hasty Attack requires actually having trained in the task, so you know what it feels like to take that long, sprinting bound around. You need to know what it feels like to perform 3-5 second rushes and crawls through the terrain you will be visualizing that you will be performing on.

Beyond visualization, you also just have to be able to perform the tasks necessary. From throwing a rapid-fire, machine-gun barrage of punches to beat the piss out of an attacker, to executing a blistering fast draw stroke from concealment, to SEEING the front sight superimposed on the bad guy’s face. If you don’t train and learn how to actually, accurately, effectively perform any given task, all the visualization training in the world won’t do you any bit of good.

At the same time (and you KNEW I was going to slip this in somehow….), you have to be physically fit enough to execute the violence you need to execute. Knowing HOW to crash and clinch then stab a dude in the carotid artery is not the same thing as being fast enough and strong enough to actually pull it off. Visualizing humping a 40-50 pound rucksack for 6 days straight, on less than 2 hours of sleep per night is NOT the same thing as having the physical and mental discipline and conditioning to actually pull it off.

That doesn’t mean you have to be able to pull off any given physical feat today. You just have to be trying to improve. If you are doing more today than you were yesterday, and tomorrow, you do more than you did today, you’re doing the right thing. Right?

Objectivism

You need to know your legitimate, honest level of skill…and your limitations. If you’ve never managed to hit an e-type silhouette at 200 meters, there’s little point in trying to project violence at 300 meters, until you improve your marksmanship abilities. If you’re a short little fat bastard who has no interest in doing PT or getting into a Jitz class, there’s even less point in planning on choking some pipe-hitting powerlifter in SWAT kit.

Be objective about your abilities, and you can limit your attempts at violence to what you are capable of.

Relaxation

Teach yourself to relax under stress, and you’ll be able to focus on the fundamentals of executing a particular skill set or task. Use patterned breathing. I tend to be really, really good at remaining disturbingly calm under stressful situations, because of positive self-talk (see below) and a lack of negative reinforcement (in other words, remaining calm has never caused me any harm under stress). As I’ve pointed out to people in daily life, ad nauseum, “unless you’re getting shot at, there are few things in life worth getting panicky about, and if you are getting shot at, panicking will only result in your death, so calm down!”

In those occasional moments where I do lose my cool and start getting stressed out (truthfully, they usually only happen when HH6 is driving me absolutely, crazy), I generally catch myself in a hurry and calm down quickly and easily because of controlled, patterned breathing. Some instructors suggest a 4-count. Inhale for a count of four. Hold for a count of four. Exhale for a count of four. Hold for a count of four. I use seven because, at some point in my youth, my grandfather told me seven was the “magic” number (or perhaps the “magical” number, since I recall him saying something about it having had spiritual significance prior to computers….weird if you ask me). All I really know is, THAT WORKS!!!

Talk

Positive self-talk, during training and daily life, will go a long way towards making you more effective in violence and in life in general. It goes right along with the visualization mentioned above. “Hey, if that car starts sliding into my lane, I’ll be fine. I can steer into the ditch and control the car, because I’ve done a lot of off-road driving, at ridiculously high speeds.” “Hey, if that dude walks in with a Glock, I know how to handle the situation, because I can draw and fire an accurate first-round headshot at twice the distance between here and the front door. I do it all the time in training.” “If the cannibalistic San Franciscans start rioting in the streets and my life, or the life of my family is in danger, I can deal with it. It’s easier to shoot them effectively in the middle of the street than it was to hit that half-sized silhouette at 300 meters last weekend on the range!” “Hey, I’ve had SUT training, and my wife and I have practiced buddy team bounds using fire-and-maneuver, so if I have to fight off a home invasion by MS-13 banditos, we’ll be alright!”

Belief

Arguably tied for the most critical with visualization in developing a predisposition towards effective violence is having a positive support system, starting with—most important—a deep, legitimate belief in the righteousness of your actions and your cause. If you believe that your actions may be too aggressive, or you hold some retarded, childhood belief that only fair fights are okay, then you’re not going to be effective, because you will unconsciously hold back. On the other hand, if you KNOW, in your soul, that what you are standing up for is right, and that the actions you are taking are justified, then you won’t have any reluctance to do what needs to be done.

At the same time, after the fact, you shouldn’t have to deal with your friends and family second-guessing your actions. Sure, an honest appraisal, in the form of an AAR critique can be useful…but ultimately, if your friends and family don’t share your values….I’d suggest dumping all of them and finding better people to hang out with.

This belief can be seen in elite military units (so much for Grossman’s sociopath arguments….), with a strong sense of esprit de corps. The cultivated belief system that “we’re better than everyone else, and we’re fighting for the man next to us” IS a support system that facilitates the use of effective violence. We know, at least amongst our brethren, that as long as we use it in accordance with the rules, no one is going to judge us harshly for being violent. It’s not until we start dealing with outsiders who don’t understand the culture or mindset that we start having to deal with doubters, non-believers, and second-guessing.

Conclusions

Ultimately, all of these—like so many things—are intertwined and synergistic. None of them work particularly well without all the other pieces in place. So, get training so you can practice effective visualization, and engage in positive self-talk. Most of all, develop a legitimate belief that you are doing the right thing.

It is my firmly held belief that the idea that humans have an inherent, genetic resistance to intra-species violence that can only be overcome with operant conditioning is a bunch of statist, mind control bulls***. If the prophets of this nonsense can convince you that you need special conditioning to be effective at violence, that can only be achieved through military or law enforcement training, first-person shooter video games, or being abused as a child, then they can facilitate you are being effectively controlled, without worrying about the violent revolt from the proles.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a Christian who follows the adage of “turn the other cheek.” Intra-species violence is—truthfully—one of the most natural acts of humankind. Christ may have said turn the other cheek, but I’d point out, his daddy only created you with two cheeks…..what do you do after you’ve been bitch-slapped on the other side? Same thing he did in the temple. You beat the s*** out of the offenders, and drive them off with weapons.

For us heathen non-believers? The archaeological and historical record is amply clear that there is NO inherent genetic resistance to stabbing a thug in the face, chopping his head off with a sword or ax, or burning his house down around his a**.

If you can manage to practice the six aspects of developing a pre-disposition towards effective violence, then dropping the hammer, fist or firearm, will not be an issue when the need arises.

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