This was sent to me by a reader asking for commentary. This is the first time I
have seen The Survival Podcast. I have not went through their site yet, but
the first article on the landing page link I was sent lead me to what The
Survival Podcast calls the 12 guiding principles of permaculture. My comments
are in Italics underneath each guiding principle which I think are unique but not necessarily what I would use as my principles.
1. Observe and Interact – or – Be a Part of Things
Observe to gathers the facts,....observe to recognize potential threats,....observe peoples reactions to decisions,....observe to see what motivates or de-motivates them, interaction is vital to build a cohesive team - everyone has to feel valued.
2. Catch and Store Energy – or – Be an Ant not a Grasshopper
3. Obtain a Yield – or – Get an ROI on Your Efforts
4. Apply Self Regulation and Accept Feedback – or – Don’t Kill the Golden
Goose
People are best motivated when they know they have input into effort. Making people, or your survival team, believe they are valued for their opinions and their skills is much preferable to distancing these individuals.
5. Use and Value Resources and Services – or -Be Efficient to Become
Independent
Be Independent,.......I suppose you could draw a parallel to the preppers who stock food, guns and ammunition, but little else.
6. Produce No Waste – or – Make Use of Everything
7. Design from Patterns to Details – or -Be an Artist and Step Back for a Longer
View
This can apply to planning. From the concept of the operation to planning the details including contingency plans. Anticipate the problems and plan for immediate solutions to be immediately implemented.
8. Integrate Rather than Segregate – or -Understand the Power of Teams
To me this means team building and using people's skills for the groups advantage. This is not contrary to what you rugged individuals believe, this simply recognizing the fact the survival is best achieved in a team.
9. Use Small and Slow Solutions – or – Focus On What You Can Do First
10. Use and Value Diversity – or – Practice Risk Reduction
11. Use Edges and Value the Marginal – or – Seek Alliances Not Conflicts
12. Use Creativity and Adapt to Change – or – Improvise, Adapt and
Overcome
Really is should be "Improvise, Adapt, Overcome OR Perish." But I get the point.
Survival Podcast is asking for input with the request to "Remember to comment,
chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a
lecture or sermon. Also please enter our listener appreciation contest and help
spread the word about our show. Also remember you can call in your questions and
comments to 866-65-THINK (866-658-4465) and you might hear yourself on the air."
This good survival planning and preparation asset also has what they call their
"Expert Council" that readers can address callas to. If you do this you should
email Jack right after your call at jack@thesurvivalpodcast.com with expert
council call in the subject line. In the body of your email tell Jack that you
just called in a question for the council and what number you called in from.
Jack will then give the call priority when he screen calls.
Survival Podcast Expert Council:
Kerry Davis – Dark Angel Medical – Emergency Medicine and Life Saving
Care
Bryan Black – ITS Tactical – All Things Tactical, E&E, Lock Picking,
etc.
Frank Sharp Jr. – Fortress Defense Consultants – Weapons, Tactics and
Security
Darby Simpson – DarbySimpson.com – Livestock and Farm Management/ Homestead
Consulting
Ben Falk – Whole Systems Design – Permaculture (Specializing in North Eastern
Climates)
Paul Wheaton – Permies.com – Permaculture (Specializing in North Western
Climates)
Tim Glance – Old Grouch’s Military Surplus – Bug Out Vehicles, Military Surplus
and Communications
Stephen Harris – Solar1234 – All things Energy
Chef Keith Snow – Harvest Eating – Cooking
Friday, November 8, 2013
Friday, November 1, 2013
Purging the Military In Preparation for Martial Law?
I have not been one to see a conspiracy behind every bush. But when there is an unprecedented firing of senior military officers, AND, people from my old life telling me that they believe a purge of non-loyalist military officers is a deliberate plan to setup the military with loyalist commanders who will have no problem with the suspension of the Constitution or implementing martial law inside the United States,...well, I sit up and take notice. The first part of this post is from The Blaze, listing the senior Military Officers that have been fired or forced to retire, be it for legitimate or illegitimate reasons, who knows for sure.
Nine senior commanding generals have been fired by the Obama administration this year, leading to speculation by active and retired members of the military that a purge of its commanders is underway.
Retired generals and current senior commanders that have spoken with TheBlaze say the administration is not only purging the military of commanders they don’t agree with, but is striking fear in the hearts of those still serving.
The timing comes as the five branches of the U.S. armed forces are reducing staff due to budget cuts, and as U.S. troops are expected to withdraw from Afghanistan next year.
“I think they’re using the opportunity of the shrinkage of the military to get rid of people that don’t agree with them or not tow the party line. Remember, as (former White House chief of staff) Rahm Emanuel said, never waste a crisis,” a senior retired general told TheBlaze on the condition of anonymity because he still provide services to the government and fears possible retribution.
“Even as a retired general, it’s still possible for the administration to make life miserable for us. If we’re working with the government or have contracts, they can just rip that out from under us,” he said.
Retired U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Paul Vallely, an outspoken critic of the Obama administration, said the White House fails to take action or investigate its own, but finds it easy to fire military commanders “who have given their lives for their country.”
“Obama will not purge a civilian or political appointee because they have bought into Obama’s ideology,” Vallely said. “The White House protects their own. That’s why they stalled on the investigation into fast and furious, Benghazi and Obamacare. He’s intentionally weakening and gutting our military, Pentagon and reducing us as a superpower, and anyone in the ranks who disagrees or speaks out is being purged.”
A Pentagon official who asked to remain nameless because they were not authorized to speak on the matter said even “young officers, down through the ranks have been told not to talk about Obama or the politics of the White House. They are purging everyone and if you want to keep your job — just keep your mouth shut.
The Nine Military Commanders Fired This Year by the Obama Administration
Gen. Carter Ham, Army. Served as head of the United States African Command during the bloodshed in Benghazi, Libya when four American citizens, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens and two retired Navy Seals, were murdered by militants on Sept. 11, 2012. Senior military officials told TheBlaze Hamm was extremely critical of the Obama administration, including when reinforcements were not sent to help the U.S. citizens under attack in Benghazi. Hamm “resigned and retired” in April 2013.
Rear Adm. Charles Gaouette, Navy. Commander of Carrier Strike Group Three. He recently served as deputy commander of the U.S. Naval Forces, U.S. Central Command. He was in charge of Air Craft Carriers in the Mediterranean Sea the night of the Benghazi assault on Sept. 11, 2012. Under testimony, he told Congress there may not have been time to get the flight crews to Benghazi, but left the door open when he told Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) under cross-examination that he could have launched aircraft to the destination. He was later accused of using profanity in a public setting and making at least two racially insensitive comments. While he was cleared of any criminal violations under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, he still faced administrative penalties that have ended his career.
Maj. Gen. Ralph Baker, Army. Major General Baker served as commander of the Joint Task Force-Horn at Camp Lamar in Djibouti, Africa. According to several military officials who spoke to TheBlaze, he was also involved in some aspect with the Benghazi incident Sept. 11, 2012. He was relieved of command and fired for allegedly groping a civilian, but no assault charges or sexual misconduct charges were filed with military JAG officials.
Brigadier Gen. Bryan Roberts, Army. General Roberts took command of Fort Jackson in 2011. He was considered a rising star in his field and served in Iraq during his service as the commanding officer of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team. He was the deputy commanding general of the United States Army Recruiting Command at Fort Knox, Ky. He was relieved of duty and fired for adultery — still on the books in the United States Code of Military Justice but rarely since President Bill Clinton’s indiscretions.
Maj. Gen. Gregg A. Sturdevant, Marine Corps. Director of Strategic Planning and Policy for the U.S. Pacific Command and commander of the aviation wing at Camp Bastion, Afghanistan. He was a highly-decorated Marine with two Naval and Marine Commendations, two Naval and Marine Good Conduct medals, as well as the Air Medal with a gold star. He was one of two commanding officers suddenly relieved of command and fired from the military for failure to use proper force protection at the camp after 15 Taliban fighters attacked Camp Bastion on Sept. 14, 2012, resulting in the deaths of Lt. Col. Christopher K. Raible, 40, and Sgt. Bradley W. Atwell, 27.
Maj. Gen. Charles M.M. Gurganus, Marine Corps. Regional commander in the Southwest and I Marine Expeditionary Force in Afghanistan. Highly decorated with a Defense Superior Service Medal, two Legion of Merit with Valor, and three Meritorious Service Commendations. According to several military officials, Gurganus questioned having to use Afghan security patrols alongside American patrols after two officers were executed at their desk and a platoon was lead into an ambush on the front lines.
Lt. Gen. David Holmes Huntoon Jr, Army. Served as the 58th Superintendent of the United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. He graduated from the same academy in 1973 and had served in Senior Planning and Education Services through the majority of his career. He was “censored” for “an investigation” into an “improper relationship” according to the Department of Defense. Nothing was released to the nature of the improper relationship. Nothing was even mentioned if an actual investigation even took place.
Vice Adm. Tim Giardina, Navy. Deputy Commander of the United States Strategic Command. He was commander of the Submarine Group Trident, Submarine Group 9 and Submarine Group 10, where every single one of the 18 Nuclear Submarines with Nuclear Trident Missiles of those three groups were in his command. This commander earned six Legions of Merit, Two Meritorious Service Medals, two Joint Service Commendation Medals, and several other medals and ribbons. He is under criminal investigation for the alleged use of counterfeit gambling chips, while playing a poker game at a western Iowa casino.
Major Gen. Michael Carey, Air Force. Commander 20th Air Force in charge of 9,600 people and 450 Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles at three operational wings and served in both Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Carry was fired October 11, 2013, for “personal misbehavior,” according to ABC News. Pentagon and Air Force senior officials have remained relatively tight-lipped about Carry’s firing.
The Second article is from Selwyn Duke, by way of an old friend of mine. The title is: Is Obama Creating a Martial-law-ready Military?
What kind of leader wants a military more loyal to himself than to the rule of law?
And why?
These are two questions to ponder when considering the strange happenings in the armed forces since Barack Obama took office.
Let's start with a hypothetical. Let's say you were a hard-left-wing commander in chief who wanted the military firmly in your corner. You'd certainly note that our armed forces have been a bastion of conservatism and Christian faith, and you'd know that its members generally weren't very fond of you. So how would you go about changing this?
Some years ago I met a very young, all-American looking white fellow who had just exited the military. His reason was that he hadn't been advanced the way he believed he should have been, and he wasn't going to remain in the armed forces if it provided no future. Now, one interpretation here is that he was a millennial with an inflated opinion of himself (he didn't strike me that way, though). Yet there is another interpretation.
The Obama administration has given affirmative action in the military a dose of steroids, promoting minorities and women -- and, I believe, homosexuals and lesbians -- at the expense of white men. By the way, is this yet another reason why Obama wanted homosexuals to be able to serve openly? After all, you can't target them for special treatment if you don't know who they are.
But the point is this: if I were that hypothetical hard-left-wing leader, I'd know that one way to change the military's political climate is the same way you do it in the nation at large.
Demographic manipulation.
White men generally vote Republican, white military men even more so, and white military men who are practicing Christians, well, that's a recipe for a left-behind left. Minorities, women, atheists and the LGBT* crowd, however, are reliable liberal constituencies. So what would I do if I were that hard leftist?
I'd create a military climate friendly toward groups that are my constituencies and hostile toward those that aren't.
And I'd do more than subordinate white men to other groups in the promotion process. I'd clamp down on Christian expression -- which had often been robust in the military -- and punish servicemen who transgressed against my separation-of-church-and-everything policy. I'd let the world know that as far as homosexuality goes, the armed services are open for monkey business. I'd also force military personnel to be politically correct not just about sexuality, but also Islam, so that they were confronted with the choice of saying things they don't believe or career damage. After all, good people might rather leave the service than live a lie. And I'd issue instructional materials characterizing traditionalists as a threat, so that the low-information servicemen may believe it and the more savvy would feel further alienated.
The goal here is to create a situation in which traditionalists will be encouraged to leave the military or not enlist in the first place. Of course, this method can't bleed out all the red-blooded, but it can shift the balance. It can ensure a few things:
• The number of leftist fellow travelers in the armed forces will be as great as possible.
• As many of the rest as possible will be apolitical, mind-numbed types who wouldn't question unconstitutional orders.
• The remaining traditionalists would be outnumbered by the first two groups and in a don't ask-don't tell predicament. And having been denied promotions, they'd have little institutional power.
At the same time that I was transforming the body, I'd also have to gain control of the head. To this end I would look to replace as many generals as possible with those I believed would do my bidding. For once I owned the military head, body and soul, I could really dream that impossible dream.
Anyway, that's what I would do were I that hypothetical hard-left-wing leader.
Incidentally, they're all things Barack Obama has already done.
As for the generals, note that the two-star general who oversaw our arsenal of intercontinental missiles, Major General Michael Carey, was just fired, becoming "the latest in a string of recent high-profile firings of top U.S. generals," as Reuters puts it. Talk-show-host Michael Savage discussed this on his Friday program and was very suspicious about the Air Force's reluctance to provide a reason for canning the man who oversaw our nuclear weapons -- the service only said that the general was terminated for undisclosed "personal misbehavior." As for me, I'll just repeat my opening questions:
What kind of leader wants a military more loyal to himself than to the rule of law?
And why?
Whatever your conclusions, there is of course a mundane explanation for all of this. Leftists truly believe in their insane diversity dogma and quite reflexively try to socially re-engineer whatever they can sink their claws into, be they universities, neighborhoods, businesses or even the entities charged with protecting their compassionate selves. And in this age of increasing corruption and decadence, it wouldn't be surprising to find generals transgressing against military code. Yet given that Barack Obama is a shadowy figure with a penchant for hiding his past (college records, etc.); that he has had avowed communists in his administration (Van Jones, Anita Dunn); that he seemed to belong to Chicago's socialist New Party in the 1990s; and that, according to former Occidental College acquaintance and ex-Marxist John Drew, Obama was a flat-out "Marxist Leninist" who believed in old-style communist revolution, well, one's imagination can conjure up some interesting scenarios.
Nine senior commanding generals have been fired by the Obama administration this year, leading to speculation by active and retired members of the military that a purge of its commanders is underway.
Retired generals and current senior commanders that have spoken with TheBlaze say the administration is not only purging the military of commanders they don’t agree with, but is striking fear in the hearts of those still serving.
The timing comes as the five branches of the U.S. armed forces are reducing staff due to budget cuts, and as U.S. troops are expected to withdraw from Afghanistan next year.
“I think they’re using the opportunity of the shrinkage of the military to get rid of people that don’t agree with them or not tow the party line. Remember, as (former White House chief of staff) Rahm Emanuel said, never waste a crisis,” a senior retired general told TheBlaze on the condition of anonymity because he still provide services to the government and fears possible retribution.
“Even as a retired general, it’s still possible for the administration to make life miserable for us. If we’re working with the government or have contracts, they can just rip that out from under us,” he said.
Retired U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Paul Vallely, an outspoken critic of the Obama administration, said the White House fails to take action or investigate its own, but finds it easy to fire military commanders “who have given their lives for their country.”
“Obama will not purge a civilian or political appointee because they have bought into Obama’s ideology,” Vallely said. “The White House protects their own. That’s why they stalled on the investigation into fast and furious, Benghazi and Obamacare. He’s intentionally weakening and gutting our military, Pentagon and reducing us as a superpower, and anyone in the ranks who disagrees or speaks out is being purged.”
A Pentagon official who asked to remain nameless because they were not authorized to speak on the matter said even “young officers, down through the ranks have been told not to talk about Obama or the politics of the White House. They are purging everyone and if you want to keep your job — just keep your mouth shut.
The Nine Military Commanders Fired This Year by the Obama Administration
Gen. Carter Ham, Army. Served as head of the United States African Command during the bloodshed in Benghazi, Libya when four American citizens, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens and two retired Navy Seals, were murdered by militants on Sept. 11, 2012. Senior military officials told TheBlaze Hamm was extremely critical of the Obama administration, including when reinforcements were not sent to help the U.S. citizens under attack in Benghazi. Hamm “resigned and retired” in April 2013.
Rear Adm. Charles Gaouette, Navy. Commander of Carrier Strike Group Three. He recently served as deputy commander of the U.S. Naval Forces, U.S. Central Command. He was in charge of Air Craft Carriers in the Mediterranean Sea the night of the Benghazi assault on Sept. 11, 2012. Under testimony, he told Congress there may not have been time to get the flight crews to Benghazi, but left the door open when he told Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) under cross-examination that he could have launched aircraft to the destination. He was later accused of using profanity in a public setting and making at least two racially insensitive comments. While he was cleared of any criminal violations under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, he still faced administrative penalties that have ended his career.
Maj. Gen. Ralph Baker, Army. Major General Baker served as commander of the Joint Task Force-Horn at Camp Lamar in Djibouti, Africa. According to several military officials who spoke to TheBlaze, he was also involved in some aspect with the Benghazi incident Sept. 11, 2012. He was relieved of command and fired for allegedly groping a civilian, but no assault charges or sexual misconduct charges were filed with military JAG officials.
Brigadier Gen. Bryan Roberts, Army. General Roberts took command of Fort Jackson in 2011. He was considered a rising star in his field and served in Iraq during his service as the commanding officer of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team. He was the deputy commanding general of the United States Army Recruiting Command at Fort Knox, Ky. He was relieved of duty and fired for adultery — still on the books in the United States Code of Military Justice but rarely since President Bill Clinton’s indiscretions.
Maj. Gen. Gregg A. Sturdevant, Marine Corps. Director of Strategic Planning and Policy for the U.S. Pacific Command and commander of the aviation wing at Camp Bastion, Afghanistan. He was a highly-decorated Marine with two Naval and Marine Commendations, two Naval and Marine Good Conduct medals, as well as the Air Medal with a gold star. He was one of two commanding officers suddenly relieved of command and fired from the military for failure to use proper force protection at the camp after 15 Taliban fighters attacked Camp Bastion on Sept. 14, 2012, resulting in the deaths of Lt. Col. Christopher K. Raible, 40, and Sgt. Bradley W. Atwell, 27.
Maj. Gen. Charles M.M. Gurganus, Marine Corps. Regional commander in the Southwest and I Marine Expeditionary Force in Afghanistan. Highly decorated with a Defense Superior Service Medal, two Legion of Merit with Valor, and three Meritorious Service Commendations. According to several military officials, Gurganus questioned having to use Afghan security patrols alongside American patrols after two officers were executed at their desk and a platoon was lead into an ambush on the front lines.
Lt. Gen. David Holmes Huntoon Jr, Army. Served as the 58th Superintendent of the United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. He graduated from the same academy in 1973 and had served in Senior Planning and Education Services through the majority of his career. He was “censored” for “an investigation” into an “improper relationship” according to the Department of Defense. Nothing was released to the nature of the improper relationship. Nothing was even mentioned if an actual investigation even took place.
Vice Adm. Tim Giardina, Navy. Deputy Commander of the United States Strategic Command. He was commander of the Submarine Group Trident, Submarine Group 9 and Submarine Group 10, where every single one of the 18 Nuclear Submarines with Nuclear Trident Missiles of those three groups were in his command. This commander earned six Legions of Merit, Two Meritorious Service Medals, two Joint Service Commendation Medals, and several other medals and ribbons. He is under criminal investigation for the alleged use of counterfeit gambling chips, while playing a poker game at a western Iowa casino.
Major Gen. Michael Carey, Air Force. Commander 20th Air Force in charge of 9,600 people and 450 Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles at three operational wings and served in both Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Carry was fired October 11, 2013, for “personal misbehavior,” according to ABC News. Pentagon and Air Force senior officials have remained relatively tight-lipped about Carry’s firing.
The Second article is from Selwyn Duke, by way of an old friend of mine. The title is: Is Obama Creating a Martial-law-ready Military?
What kind of leader wants a military more loyal to himself than to the rule of law?
And why?
These are two questions to ponder when considering the strange happenings in the armed forces since Barack Obama took office.
Let's start with a hypothetical. Let's say you were a hard-left-wing commander in chief who wanted the military firmly in your corner. You'd certainly note that our armed forces have been a bastion of conservatism and Christian faith, and you'd know that its members generally weren't very fond of you. So how would you go about changing this?
Some years ago I met a very young, all-American looking white fellow who had just exited the military. His reason was that he hadn't been advanced the way he believed he should have been, and he wasn't going to remain in the armed forces if it provided no future. Now, one interpretation here is that he was a millennial with an inflated opinion of himself (he didn't strike me that way, though). Yet there is another interpretation.
The Obama administration has given affirmative action in the military a dose of steroids, promoting minorities and women -- and, I believe, homosexuals and lesbians -- at the expense of white men. By the way, is this yet another reason why Obama wanted homosexuals to be able to serve openly? After all, you can't target them for special treatment if you don't know who they are.
But the point is this: if I were that hypothetical hard-left-wing leader, I'd know that one way to change the military's political climate is the same way you do it in the nation at large.
Demographic manipulation.
White men generally vote Republican, white military men even more so, and white military men who are practicing Christians, well, that's a recipe for a left-behind left. Minorities, women, atheists and the LGBT* crowd, however, are reliable liberal constituencies. So what would I do if I were that hard leftist?
I'd create a military climate friendly toward groups that are my constituencies and hostile toward those that aren't.
And I'd do more than subordinate white men to other groups in the promotion process. I'd clamp down on Christian expression -- which had often been robust in the military -- and punish servicemen who transgressed against my separation-of-church-and-everything policy. I'd let the world know that as far as homosexuality goes, the armed services are open for monkey business. I'd also force military personnel to be politically correct not just about sexuality, but also Islam, so that they were confronted with the choice of saying things they don't believe or career damage. After all, good people might rather leave the service than live a lie. And I'd issue instructional materials characterizing traditionalists as a threat, so that the low-information servicemen may believe it and the more savvy would feel further alienated.
The goal here is to create a situation in which traditionalists will be encouraged to leave the military or not enlist in the first place. Of course, this method can't bleed out all the red-blooded, but it can shift the balance. It can ensure a few things:
• The number of leftist fellow travelers in the armed forces will be as great as possible.
• As many of the rest as possible will be apolitical, mind-numbed types who wouldn't question unconstitutional orders.
• The remaining traditionalists would be outnumbered by the first two groups and in a don't ask-don't tell predicament. And having been denied promotions, they'd have little institutional power.
At the same time that I was transforming the body, I'd also have to gain control of the head. To this end I would look to replace as many generals as possible with those I believed would do my bidding. For once I owned the military head, body and soul, I could really dream that impossible dream.
Anyway, that's what I would do were I that hypothetical hard-left-wing leader.
Incidentally, they're all things Barack Obama has already done.
As for the generals, note that the two-star general who oversaw our arsenal of intercontinental missiles, Major General Michael Carey, was just fired, becoming "the latest in a string of recent high-profile firings of top U.S. generals," as Reuters puts it. Talk-show-host Michael Savage discussed this on his Friday program and was very suspicious about the Air Force's reluctance to provide a reason for canning the man who oversaw our nuclear weapons -- the service only said that the general was terminated for undisclosed "personal misbehavior." As for me, I'll just repeat my opening questions:
What kind of leader wants a military more loyal to himself than to the rule of law?
And why?
Whatever your conclusions, there is of course a mundane explanation for all of this. Leftists truly believe in their insane diversity dogma and quite reflexively try to socially re-engineer whatever they can sink their claws into, be they universities, neighborhoods, businesses or even the entities charged with protecting their compassionate selves. And in this age of increasing corruption and decadence, it wouldn't be surprising to find generals transgressing against military code. Yet given that Barack Obama is a shadowy figure with a penchant for hiding his past (college records, etc.); that he has had avowed communists in his administration (Van Jones, Anita Dunn); that he seemed to belong to Chicago's socialist New Party in the 1990s; and that, according to former Occidental College acquaintance and ex-Marxist John Drew, Obama was a flat-out "Marxist Leninist" who believed in old-style communist revolution, well, one's imagination can conjure up some interesting scenarios.
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Bankrupt Governments Likely To Confiscate Wealth And Independence
Excellent article from Gold Silver Worlds on what appears to be a probability
as the US Government not only increase the national debt limit but did not put a
cap on the limit on how much the government can borrow. I am not posting this
article by Claudio Grass to suggest you run out and buy Gold. Although I
believe in having Gold and Silver on hand, it is only one aspect of total
preparedness. I am posting this for overall situational awareness.
I am also posting this article as it supports the the 100% probability of an economic collapse unless things change drastically and soon. Whether you call it a financial or monetary collapse or a super depression really doesn't matter. What matters is the likelihood of the government confiscating not only precious metals but other forms of wealth in order to perpetuate their control. They (the Government) will have no choice if they want to retain control and power.
The first Liberty Forum will take place between December 4th and 8th. The conference has a focus on asset protection, wealth preservation and the preservation of liberty. Some off-the-chart successful investors, metals and resource experts, offshore service providers, and international legal and accounting professionals will be on hand to help with personal preservation strategies.
Keynote speakers are Peter Schiff, Doug Casey and Mark Skousen. One of the many lectures will be held by Claudio Grass, a passionate advocate of free-market thinking and libertarian philosophy. Mr. Grass is convinced that sound money, i.e. gold and silver, and human freedom are inextricably linked to each other. In his function as Managing Director at Global Gold in Switzerland he offers investors a safe, convenient and competitive Swiss solution for buying, selling, storing and delivering a variety of physically allocated bullion coins and bars, completely outside of the banking system and protected under Swiss law.
Claudio Grass has written several white papers, research notes and articles. In them, he has clearly explained that the most likely outcome of the current global debt situation is that governments will try to inflate their debts away. That is what has always happened throughout history. The current evolution of events has not changed his view. The latest actions by Bernanke, in particular his decision not to stop QE, underlines the validity of Claudio Grass’ view. “Taking Yellen’s history into account, I am certain she will follow in the footsteps of her predecessor. Therefore, nothing has changed from my point of view.”
The Liberty Forum conference brings up some fundamental statistics about the debt situation
• The U.S. currently owes 885% of its GDP, more than any other industrialized country.
• America hasn’t passed a budget since April of 2009.
• As a country, the U.S. has had a budget deficit in 42 out of the last 47 years.
• U.S. expenses are 56% higher than its revenues.
• America expects to double its debt within the next 10 years (the interest on that debt alone will equal $1 trillion a year).
• Its annual income is $2 trillion, while its total debt obligations are $121 trillion (that’s a debt ratio of 60/1 – typically anything over 1/1 is a HUGE red flag to any investor, indicating that a country is not likely to be able to pay its debts in 12 months’ time).
The true US financial situation remains remarkably underexposed as the mainstream media is mainly concentrating on Europe and increasingly the emerging markets. We asked Claudio Grass about his opinion on that.
German economist Wilhelm Röpke once said: “The theories men construct, and the words in which they are framed, often influence their mind more strongly than the facts presented by reality”.
This sentence nicely describes today’s mindset amongst most people in the western word. It is no wonder because we were raised in a government controlled education system, in which we are indoctrinated from childhood that the path of success is based on memorizing and repeating! We are not taught to question [authority], the reason for this is that it is much harder to manipulate logical or independent thinkers.
This is why I am such a fan of history; our world is the result of thoughts and actions from the past. You see the cause and effect? The problem is that the actual system we live in focuses only on the effects but never discloses the underlying causes, let alone trying to connect the dots. This research needs to be done by the individual. However, research requires a healthy portion of curiosity and bravery as well as independence and self-confidence to stand up for one’s own opinion, which will be in contrast to the story we are told by governments and the mainstream media. The emperor has no clothes; however, it always takes time until the child that reveals it will be heard.
The world reserve currency is still the U.S. Dollar (USD) and more than 60% of all the reserves with central banks are still based on the USD, and only approximately 25% are in Euros. Therefore, many more governments and pressure groups are dependent on the USD and have an interest in not disclosing the truth about the actual state of the dollar. Also, in terms of global trade the USD is still the prevailing currency, especially as long as the USD keeps its hegemony over the Middle East and its oil reserves. In addition, specifically related to the USD, there is a single institution that has decisive power. It is therefore much more reactive than the Euro system with different central banks and different nations, each with their own national political agendas. Therefore, the power of the Euro is much more limited, which makes it also more fragile and vulnerable.
Bankrupt governments likely to confiscate wealth and independence
Claudio Grass goes on to point to a concerning trend: as governments run out of money, people’s sovereign rights to wealth and independence get increasingly trampled. What the world is experiencing for the last 100 years is an ongoing centralization especially in terms of credit – the so called monetary system – and political power in the hands of a few. This is only financeable if existing wealth is redistributed from the bottom to the top, through inflation and taxation. Since 2007 the average U.S. family wealth plunged 40%. Back in 1913 the average government quota was less than 10%. Today, depending on the country, (or the state) government quotas are between 50-70%. The trend is obvious! This system can go on until the remaining 50-30% is nationalized. The result is simple: Slavery!
That’s why it is my conviction that we are going to see “tools of financial repression” kicking in much harder within the next 5 years, which will impoverish most of middle class, but also affluent people. I see some parallels with the Weimar Republic before World War II. Back then, the US government in cooperation with Wall Street, flooded especially Germany with cheap credit by implementing the Dawes and Young Plan during 1924 and 1932. Afterwards it happened what always comes after an artificial boom: destruction and bust. This created a toxic environment for persons such as Hitler, Stalin, Franco and Roosevelt, to name just a few who came to power at about the same time, and more important, promoted more centralized political power and war. People were exhausted and the future was not really bright – and we are facing the same symptoms again today. We have 50 Million Americans living off food vouchers and this figure is still climbing. I believe history does not repeat itself but it rhymes, and therefore people need to understand that within the actual system property-rights do not really exist. People need to realize they are dependent on the whims of government and banks.
The first signs of these trends are already visible. Politicians and mainstream media say that things are improving which does not reflect the above mentioned trends. Most economic reports even expect economic growth. How can expectations be so different while everyone is looking at the same data? Claudio Grass answers that question with a quote of Edward Bernays, Father of Propaganda.
“The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in a democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country. [...] We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of. This is a logical result of the way in which our democratic society is organized. Vast numbers of human beings must cooperate in this manner if they are to live together as a smoothly functioning society. [...] In almost every act of our daily lives, whether in the sphere of politics or business, in our social conduct or our ethical thinking, we are dominated by the relatively small number of persons … who understand the mental processes and social patterns of the masses. It is they who pull the wires which control the public mind.”
Include a monetary crash in your risk assessment
Claudio Grass looks at the mess the world is in today and suggests to include a possible crash of the actual system as part of one’s risk assessments. Therefore, an investment into a tangible asset, without having any counterparty- risk, makes absolutely sense.
It is impossible to foresee when the system will crash. Inevitable does not necessarily mean imminent. However, “I am convinced that this world will look very different in the coming years and what can be said, too, is that it is not developing in the right direction.”
Anthony C. Sutton (British and American economist, historian and notable author, answered this question once by stating: “It will not stop until we act upon one simple axiom: that the power system continues only as long as individuals want it to continue, and it will continue only so long as individuals try to get something for nothing. The day when a majority of individuals declares or acts as if it wants nothing from government, declares it will look after its won welfare and interest, then on that day power elites are doomed.”
I started buying physical Gold and Silver in 2004 and so far it has been a very good investment. At the same time I explored the fascinating history of money; it reads like a criminal novel or even like a horror story in some cases. I personally support a system that is based on free market money where people can freely decide what they want to use as currency – sound money for a sound society. Money stands in the center of how human beings live together. It must be consequently a property title and not a debt promise. Gold and Silver are money in its pure form! They allow people to exchange goods, based on mutual respect and honesty….. With sound money we used to have production and trade and therefore prosperity. With fake money these periods have been dominated logically by corruption and wars; or in the words of Lord Acton, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.”
UrbanMan's comment: I agree with everything in this article except the very last sentence" "Great men are almost always bad men.” This is simply not true. Great men are most often common men to rise to meet a challenge.
I am also posting this article as it supports the the 100% probability of an economic collapse unless things change drastically and soon. Whether you call it a financial or monetary collapse or a super depression really doesn't matter. What matters is the likelihood of the government confiscating not only precious metals but other forms of wealth in order to perpetuate their control. They (the Government) will have no choice if they want to retain control and power.
The first Liberty Forum will take place between December 4th and 8th. The conference has a focus on asset protection, wealth preservation and the preservation of liberty. Some off-the-chart successful investors, metals and resource experts, offshore service providers, and international legal and accounting professionals will be on hand to help with personal preservation strategies.
Keynote speakers are Peter Schiff, Doug Casey and Mark Skousen. One of the many lectures will be held by Claudio Grass, a passionate advocate of free-market thinking and libertarian philosophy. Mr. Grass is convinced that sound money, i.e. gold and silver, and human freedom are inextricably linked to each other. In his function as Managing Director at Global Gold in Switzerland he offers investors a safe, convenient and competitive Swiss solution for buying, selling, storing and delivering a variety of physically allocated bullion coins and bars, completely outside of the banking system and protected under Swiss law.
Claudio Grass has written several white papers, research notes and articles. In them, he has clearly explained that the most likely outcome of the current global debt situation is that governments will try to inflate their debts away. That is what has always happened throughout history. The current evolution of events has not changed his view. The latest actions by Bernanke, in particular his decision not to stop QE, underlines the validity of Claudio Grass’ view. “Taking Yellen’s history into account, I am certain she will follow in the footsteps of her predecessor. Therefore, nothing has changed from my point of view.”
The Liberty Forum conference brings up some fundamental statistics about the debt situation
• The U.S. currently owes 885% of its GDP, more than any other industrialized country.
• America hasn’t passed a budget since April of 2009.
• As a country, the U.S. has had a budget deficit in 42 out of the last 47 years.
• U.S. expenses are 56% higher than its revenues.
• America expects to double its debt within the next 10 years (the interest on that debt alone will equal $1 trillion a year).
• Its annual income is $2 trillion, while its total debt obligations are $121 trillion (that’s a debt ratio of 60/1 – typically anything over 1/1 is a HUGE red flag to any investor, indicating that a country is not likely to be able to pay its debts in 12 months’ time).
The true US financial situation remains remarkably underexposed as the mainstream media is mainly concentrating on Europe and increasingly the emerging markets. We asked Claudio Grass about his opinion on that.
German economist Wilhelm Röpke once said: “The theories men construct, and the words in which they are framed, often influence their mind more strongly than the facts presented by reality”.
This sentence nicely describes today’s mindset amongst most people in the western word. It is no wonder because we were raised in a government controlled education system, in which we are indoctrinated from childhood that the path of success is based on memorizing and repeating! We are not taught to question [authority], the reason for this is that it is much harder to manipulate logical or independent thinkers.
This is why I am such a fan of history; our world is the result of thoughts and actions from the past. You see the cause and effect? The problem is that the actual system we live in focuses only on the effects but never discloses the underlying causes, let alone trying to connect the dots. This research needs to be done by the individual. However, research requires a healthy portion of curiosity and bravery as well as independence and self-confidence to stand up for one’s own opinion, which will be in contrast to the story we are told by governments and the mainstream media. The emperor has no clothes; however, it always takes time until the child that reveals it will be heard.
The world reserve currency is still the U.S. Dollar (USD) and more than 60% of all the reserves with central banks are still based on the USD, and only approximately 25% are in Euros. Therefore, many more governments and pressure groups are dependent on the USD and have an interest in not disclosing the truth about the actual state of the dollar. Also, in terms of global trade the USD is still the prevailing currency, especially as long as the USD keeps its hegemony over the Middle East and its oil reserves. In addition, specifically related to the USD, there is a single institution that has decisive power. It is therefore much more reactive than the Euro system with different central banks and different nations, each with their own national political agendas. Therefore, the power of the Euro is much more limited, which makes it also more fragile and vulnerable.
Bankrupt governments likely to confiscate wealth and independence
Claudio Grass goes on to point to a concerning trend: as governments run out of money, people’s sovereign rights to wealth and independence get increasingly trampled. What the world is experiencing for the last 100 years is an ongoing centralization especially in terms of credit – the so called monetary system – and political power in the hands of a few. This is only financeable if existing wealth is redistributed from the bottom to the top, through inflation and taxation. Since 2007 the average U.S. family wealth plunged 40%. Back in 1913 the average government quota was less than 10%. Today, depending on the country, (or the state) government quotas are between 50-70%. The trend is obvious! This system can go on until the remaining 50-30% is nationalized. The result is simple: Slavery!
That’s why it is my conviction that we are going to see “tools of financial repression” kicking in much harder within the next 5 years, which will impoverish most of middle class, but also affluent people. I see some parallels with the Weimar Republic before World War II. Back then, the US government in cooperation with Wall Street, flooded especially Germany with cheap credit by implementing the Dawes and Young Plan during 1924 and 1932. Afterwards it happened what always comes after an artificial boom: destruction and bust. This created a toxic environment for persons such as Hitler, Stalin, Franco and Roosevelt, to name just a few who came to power at about the same time, and more important, promoted more centralized political power and war. People were exhausted and the future was not really bright – and we are facing the same symptoms again today. We have 50 Million Americans living off food vouchers and this figure is still climbing. I believe history does not repeat itself but it rhymes, and therefore people need to understand that within the actual system property-rights do not really exist. People need to realize they are dependent on the whims of government and banks.
The first signs of these trends are already visible. Politicians and mainstream media say that things are improving which does not reflect the above mentioned trends. Most economic reports even expect economic growth. How can expectations be so different while everyone is looking at the same data? Claudio Grass answers that question with a quote of Edward Bernays, Father of Propaganda.
“The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in a democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country. [...] We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of. This is a logical result of the way in which our democratic society is organized. Vast numbers of human beings must cooperate in this manner if they are to live together as a smoothly functioning society. [...] In almost every act of our daily lives, whether in the sphere of politics or business, in our social conduct or our ethical thinking, we are dominated by the relatively small number of persons … who understand the mental processes and social patterns of the masses. It is they who pull the wires which control the public mind.”
Include a monetary crash in your risk assessment
Claudio Grass looks at the mess the world is in today and suggests to include a possible crash of the actual system as part of one’s risk assessments. Therefore, an investment into a tangible asset, without having any counterparty- risk, makes absolutely sense.
It is impossible to foresee when the system will crash. Inevitable does not necessarily mean imminent. However, “I am convinced that this world will look very different in the coming years and what can be said, too, is that it is not developing in the right direction.”
Anthony C. Sutton (British and American economist, historian and notable author, answered this question once by stating: “It will not stop until we act upon one simple axiom: that the power system continues only as long as individuals want it to continue, and it will continue only so long as individuals try to get something for nothing. The day when a majority of individuals declares or acts as if it wants nothing from government, declares it will look after its won welfare and interest, then on that day power elites are doomed.”
I started buying physical Gold and Silver in 2004 and so far it has been a very good investment. At the same time I explored the fascinating history of money; it reads like a criminal novel or even like a horror story in some cases. I personally support a system that is based on free market money where people can freely decide what they want to use as currency – sound money for a sound society. Money stands in the center of how human beings live together. It must be consequently a property title and not a debt promise. Gold and Silver are money in its pure form! They allow people to exchange goods, based on mutual respect and honesty….. With sound money we used to have production and trade and therefore prosperity. With fake money these periods have been dominated logically by corruption and wars; or in the words of Lord Acton, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.”
UrbanMan's comment: I agree with everything in this article except the very last sentence" "Great men are almost always bad men.” This is simply not true. Great men are most often common men to rise to meet a challenge.
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Dragon Day: A Movie That Will Forecast the Collapse
Dragon Day (the Movie) being billed as "Red Dawn for Intellectuals" just may be predicting how the coming collapse begins. This is an article by James Simpson on American Thinker on Dragon Day which opens 1 November in Theatres and just may serve to take people step by step through this possible? probable? catalyst for the coming collapse.
China, by far the largest single owner of U.S. Treasury debt, has been abandoning Treasury bonds to invest directly in U.S. land, building and businesses. Recently, China entered an agreement with the European Union to swap currencies, forgoing purchases of U.S. dollars -- the world's reserve currency -- to finance transactions. Both of these activities are a consequence of the risk associated with astronomical U.S. debt, almost doubled since President Obama took office. On October 11, China called for the world to be "de-Americanized," its leaders ridiculing Washington over the shutdown impasse.
It is against this backdrop of real events that Dragon Day, a tense thriller set to release November 1st, depicts a Chinese takeover of the U.S. after our government defaults on its debt. Dragon Day Director Jeffrey Travis says, "When I would pitch the film to people, I could rarely finish the logline before the reaction was "Oh my God, that's really going to happen". Our joke was we had to finish the film before it became a documentary.
Given where we are today, that may not be so funny.
The story begins with Ex-NSA engineer Duke Evans, who has lost his job due to the continuing financial crisis. Forced to foreclose on his home, he resettles his family (wife, daughter and sister) in a mountain cabin inherited from his recently deceased grandfather. They have barely gotten in the door when things start happening. Lights go out, the TV goes blank and a huge airliner swoops by at treetop level, erupting in a fireball on the next mountain.
The Chinese have launched a cyber attack. A secret computer virus embedded in Chinese manufactured computer chips has allowed the Chinese military to turn them off remotely. America's entire computer-based infrastructure comes screeching to a halt: power goes off, lights go out, autos and trucks stall, trains go off the rails and planes fall out of the sky.
Evans quickly understands what has happened. He was the NSA engineer who designed a secret government cyber warfare program he now realizes was compromised. He thought he was doing this for his country, but it turns out that many in government have been secretly working for the other side all along. TV service is temporarily restored, and the President announces what has happened, followed by an eerie red screen with the enemy flag symbol and announcement:
THE PEOPLES REPUBLIC WELCOMES YOUR ALLEGIANCE
Evans destroys cell phones and anything else that can lead the enemy to his hideaway. The country quickly reverts to pre-industrial conditions, and the movie offers a fairly realistic window into what would actually happen in such a situation. Stores are ransacked. People begin to starve and die of thirst. Roving bands of thugs begin robbing and murdering.
Anarchy rules. But you are offered escape. If you willingly attach a "Citizen's Freedom Band", presumably you will be spared further anguish. Urgently needed food and water are just around the corner, so you think. But instead it proves to be a high tech dog collar which will kill you if you move out of your assigned zone. Surprisingly, the local sheriff's office has a large supply of these, obviously obtained before the attack occurred.
Unlike Red Dawn and similar fare, there are no absurd heroics, or unrealistic depictions of the town forming a militia to fight off the Chinese hoards. This feels much more authentic. It depicts the kind of anarchy that reigns following major natural disasters, like Hurricane Katrina. Individuals and small groups might band together for good or ill, but organized resistance is nil.
There is no ability to communicate or travel, and food and water are almost nonexistent. Many people do what average citizens would do facing starvation and uncertainty, they put on the bracelets. It becomes obvious that many within government at all levels have conspired with the enemy, but it also becomes obvious that for most, their treason will not pay off.
While some might take comfort in the fact that this is "just a movie," according to Defense Tech, an American-designed, Chinese-made microchip used in defense applications was recently discovered to have a virus hardwired into it. The article states:
Basically, Chinese cyber spies can use the chip's built-in malware to decipher military passcodes and gain remote access to the chip and reprogram it to do their bidding; 'permitting a new and disturbing possibility of a large-scale Stuxnet-type attack via a network or the Internet on the silicon itself,'...
This discovery has led experts to worry that all Chinese manufactured chips may have similar vulnerabilities.
Furthermore, the events depicted in the movie are almost indistinguishable from what would happen following an Electro-Magnetic Pulse (EMP) attack. EMP is the result of either an unusually large solar storm or high altitude detonation of an atomic bomb. It roasts electrical circuitry. As in the movie, aircraft would fall from the sky, transportation would cease, and energy, food and water supplies would vanish. Iran has conducted missile tests believed to be test runs for EMP attacks.
Evans' neighbor Albert, a good friend of his deceased grandfather, has the only vehicle that still works, an old 1976 Ford truck, built before computer chips were used in autos, but this is quickly commandeered by the local police. Like most good characters in a movie however, the truck makes a reappearance later on.
There are some gimmicks the tech-savvy will enjoy. Albert brings over an old short wave radio, but the battery is dead. If Evans can just reach his old NSA boss, he knows he can get help. He rigs up a potato battery to run the radio. Don't laugh; they work! The only thing that bothered me was where the heck did he get all those potatoes?
It also bothered me that they didn't appear to be using the apparently plentiful potatoes as a source of food or water when these ran short. They could have, and did give a few potatoes to two kids who came to the door begging.
But this was a small detail. The movie was fast moving and kept me on the edge of my seat. I appreciated the realism. While watching Communist thugs getting blown away by vengeful high school kids in Red Dawn was gratifying, it was also unrealistic.
A genuine takeover would not go well for such resistors. Dragon Day depicted more of the things that would really happen: friends, neighbors and authorities turning against you -- even the U.S. military, I am afraid to say, as would likely happen in such a situation. At least it would now that Obama has purged patriotic leaders from the military. This movie showed a family doing its best to innovate and survive in a chaotic situation -- much more believable.
I don't want to spoil the rest of it for you so I'll just leave it there. If you are into this kind of survivalist, end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it type film, Dragon Day will not disappoint. The acting is convincing and the entire storyline, right down to the way different people might react in such a situation, really rings true. With all the stuff going on around us in the real world, this movie is all the more frightening. No sugarcoats here. See it in theaters November 1st.
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