How Will a Cashless Society Affect Survivalists?

This is part of an article entitled "Winds Of Digital Change" by Bob Rinear, that was sent to me by a retired investment banker who is now an avowed prepper moving from the North to establish a home in Northern Arizona awaiting what he believes is the economic collapse of America. I am posting this to stimulate thought on how a cashless society can effect our ability to prepare to survive. I'm not too worried about having digital money after a economical or financial collapse as digital money will give way to barter or dealing in preciuous metals - hence the need to own physical gold and silver - but the longer we live in a cashless society, the greater of an impact, a negative impact, it will have on our preparations.

 There's absolutely no doubt that at some point in the future, they are going to abandon the idea of "cash" and all transactions will be done with a swipe.

Consider "money" for a while. It has been around in one form or another for thousands of years. When the first coinage was used to "buy" goods instead of using the barter system, there's no doubt that several things happened. One is that it became stupendously easier to get what you wanted or needed. But by association it creates a massive boom in "business". For instance let us suppose you were the farmer and you had hundreds of cows and steer. Well you might want to get a pair of pants or some boots. But the shoemaker didn't want a milk cow or a steer. So you guys couldn't do a lot of business and your feet still hurt. Once the concept of using coins (lets just say currency) really took hold, you could buy your pants and boots from the Shoe maker, and the house builder could "buy" your cows and meats. The velocity of business increased exponentially. Expanding that, all forms of increasing "good" took place.

People could "buy" books and pay tuition to schools. They could easily pay for musicians to play for their parties, etc. Education exploded, the arts became more widely accepted.

Money was a darned good thing.

Then of course there came a time when they figured out that carrying gold around was a bit of a pain, and the first concepts of "currency based on gold" was issued. This was the first good stabs at "currency". The idea being you'd use a slip of paper with a number on it as your vehicle to buy something. The paper "note" would correspond to an amount of gold you could exchange the note for if you wished. While many credit the Europeans for coming up with this and to some extent they were very important as to it's ultimate adoption, the Chinese began the practice 2000 years ago.

The Song Dynasty in China was the first to issue paper money, called "jiaozi", around the 10th century AD. Although the notes were valued at a certain exchange rate for gold, silver, or silk, conversion was never allowed in practice. Then, the successive Yuan Dynasty tried again and was the first dynasty in China to use paper currency as the predominant circulating medium. The founder of the Yuan Dynasty, Kublai Khan, issued paper money known as Chao in his reign. The original notes during the Yuan Dynasty were restricted in both area and duration as in the Song Dynasty. (notice that even today most will call the Chinese currency the "yuan" instead of the Renminbi which is its actual official name).

Of course you all know that here in the states President Nixon closed the "gold window" which basically severed our currency from any backing what so ever. We became "fiat" meaning that our currency was only backed by Uncle Sam saying it has value. It couldn't be exchanged at the banks for gold any more. Since that time, we've seen all manner of things happen, just as they have in the past. They PRINTED ever more gobs of the stuff. Well guess what? We've seen all that before. All of it.

The Romans printed money, the Greeks, the Argentineans, the Germans, you name it. All through history they have printed more money than they had "metal" (gold or silver) to back it and it always ended badly. It has only been in the past 45 years that we've embarked on what amounts to a completely "fiat" global situation. No one's money is backed by anything any more. This is new.

We have to ask the question, what happens when they push us into a completely digital cash-less society? We know that when we went from barter to "money" our societies saw a massive increase in activity. We know that when we went to a "currency backed by money" system the entire world experienced the biggest growth spurt the planet had ever seen. But in the last 40 years we've gone to a "currency backed by nothing" system and we're seeing that groan and creak because of the abuses of printing too much of it. Not to mention the downsides of theft, extortion, illegal activity, etc. It is a failure, and they know it. The system will be revamped.

So consider this. At "some" point, even if the so-called currency of the future is indeed backed by some percentage of gold, there will be NO PAPER MONEY. Every transaction will be a card swipe, a smart phone pass, etc.

So there it is folks. At some point in our not too distant future, the idea of "cash" will be tossed in the garbage bin. Everything you do will be recorded digitally. Now we have to try and figure out just how that affects us. For some the effects will be quite large. Consider the drug dealer. He plies his trade in the dark and uses cash. Well if there's no cash in our system, how does he get paid? Consider all the "under the table" folks. You know, the guy that cuts ten of his neighbors lawns each weekend for 30 bucks cash. How does he get paid now? If it is all digital, there's a trail, a completely unbroken trail. He can't hide that from the IRS any more.

Consider anything you buy. Did you think you'd be slick when you were cheating on your spouse by buying him/her gifts with cash? No longer, now the wife would be able to find those "charges". In fact, if Uncle Sam is dead set on knowing every single thing about you, then a cash less society is his orgasmic fantasy. But what I want to know is this... what is the resultant effect on the economy? Will sales rise because you can swipe faster than you can trade cash and wait for change? Will jobs be created because it will no longer benefit someone to hire someone else "under the table", or will the percentage of poor explode because those folks will not be utilized anymore?

As much as a cash society is flush with the ability for abuse, how does one measure the "good" that hidden transactions represent? I have found no logical way to explore it to be honest with you. But I know that there have been times in my life where I've "lent" some money to someone, where it bailed them out of a tough jam, and it would have been disaster if they had to let others know they "needed" the funding.

There's been other times where just handing my table waitress an extra tip, brought us service above and beyond the normal. What is the ancillary effect of moving cash around that isn't attached to a digital string? How does one give their kids an allowance, or pay the neighbor kid for shoveling your driveway? How many businesses were built in America by someone with dogged determination starting out by going door to door selling cookies or shoveling snow? Would all those kids be forever pushed out of the budding entrepreneurial pool?

How big is the Bureaucracy going to be that tries to watch over all that digital snow? Who's the Government troll that will dissect all the digital payments you make? Is not Government intervention in our lives at a level we already see as abusive? Then we have the security side of it all. What happens when there's the "glitch" like we've seen lately, where you log in and your bank account shows "0" in it? You can't even buy a gallon of milk until you get that account fixed, how long does that take? Then consider the implications for "them" to completely stop you in your tracks. If cash is not accepted for any good or service, the Government can absolutely crush you simply by shutting off your "digital account". Think about it deeply folks because the implications for abuse boggle the mind.

I have thought a lot about this over the past few months as I see more and more digital card readers pop up in every area of our lives. You see commercials for readers you pop onto your phone so you can swipe cards wherever you are. You saw the beginning of it when years ago McDonalds put card readers in their outlets. Now it's Starbucks and virtually every convenience store. The march towards a completely digital world is marching forward and picking up steam. Just 40 years ago the concept would have been science fiction. Today it is not only reality, it is roaring forward.

From where I sit, it is my opinion that right now all of this digital money is being seen as a benefit. That is because it "supplements" the status quo, it "adds" to your ability to do business. But, once the hammer falls and it is "law", I see a much different picture. I see disruptions in so many areas, that the "net net" of it all is very negative. It is the ultimate "big brother" eye in the sky. With that in mind, it "has" to stifle economic activity.

Let me leave you with this thought. Imagine a major drug dealer in say Miami. While selling drugs is clearly illegal, and many people are hurt by it (the drug user, turf wars, etc.) the fact is that the millions made by the dealer and his gang is spent. Homes are built, cars are sold, pools installed, travel booked, etc. Despite the creation of the cash being illegal, the resultant spending of the cash is "good" for the economy. A digital society could put the dealer out of business, which is good. But the businesses that would have benefitted from that dealer spending his illegal gains is hurt, which is bad.

Which one will end up having more societal impact? It is a troubling question.

Governments are broke and they're on a wild hunt for tax income and tracing money is their game. Digital money makes it easy. Just this week we see news that the IRS is allowed to read personal emails. We saw news stating that they inspect Facebook and twitter for hints that you might have more money than you're stating. Digital dollars is their golden goose and thus it will be implemented. We all have to understand that, and decide what it means to each of us. I can't tell you the day, but there's no doubt in my mind that it will happen in the next ten years. A long time you say? Nope, just the blink of an eye, ask my great grand mom, she'll tell you.

25 Things To Do Before SHTF

I found this article, published earlier across the prepper network, but I think it was updated due to the reference to Cyprus,...anyway it is now posted on the Activist Post, by Michael Snyder. 


Do you think that you know how to prepare for the collapse of the economy? If so, are you putting that knowledge into action? In America today, people are more concerned about the possibility of an economic collapse than ever before. It has been estimated that there are now three million preppers in the United States. But the truth that nobody really knows the actual number, because a lot of preppers keep their "prepping" to themselves. So what are all of those people preparing for exactly?

Well, survey after survey has shown that "economic collapse" is the number one potential disaster that preppers are most concerned about. Of course that shouldn't be surprising because we truly are facing economic problems that are absolutely unprecedented. We are living in the greatest debt bubble in the history of the world, the global banking system has been transformed into a high-risk pyramid scheme of debt, risk and leverage that could collapse at any time, and wealthy countries such as the United States have been living way above their means for decades.

Meanwhile, the United States is being deindustrialized at a blinding pace and poverty in this country is absolutely exploding. Anyone that is not concerned about the economy should have their head examined. Fortunately, I have found that an increasing number of Americans are becoming convinced that we are heading for a horrific economic crisis. Once they come to that realization, they want to know what they should do.

And the reality is that "getting prepared" is going to look different for each family based on their own unique circumstances. Some people have a lot of resources, while others have very little. Some people are very independent of the system and can move wherever they want, while others are totally dependent on their jobs and must stay near the cities at least for now.

In addition, it is important to distinguish between the "short-term" and the "long-term" when talking about economic collapse. As I have written about previously, our economic collapse is not going to happen all at once. It is going to unfold over time. In the "short-term", many are moving money around and are building up "emergency funds" to prepare for the next recession. For the "long-term", many are storing up food and huge stockpiles of survival supplies in order to be prepared for the total collapse of society. Both approaches are wise, but it is important to keep in mind that different approaches will be needed at different times.

The strategies posted below are a mix of both short-term and long-term strategies. Some will be important for our immediate future, while others may not be needed for a number of years. But in the end, you will be very thankful for the time and the effort that you spent getting prepared while you still could.

The following are 25 things that you should do to get prepared for the coming economic collapse...

#1 An Emergency Fund 
Do you remember what happened when the financial system almost collapsed back in 2008? Millions of Americans suddenly lost their jobs, and because many of them were living paycheck to paycheck, many of them also got behind on their mortgages and lost their homes. You don't want to lose everything that you have worked for during this next major economic downturn. It is imperative that you have an emergency fund. It should be enough to cover all of your expenses for at least six months, but I would encourage you to have an emergency fund that is even larger than that.

#2 Don't Put All Of Your Eggs Into One Basket 
If the wealth confiscation in Cyprus has taught us anything, it is that we should not put all of our eggs in one basket. If all of your money is in one single bank account, it would be easy to wipe out. But if you have your money scattered around a number of different places it will give you a little bit more security.

#3 Keep Some Cash At Home 
This goes along with the previous point. While it is not wise to keep all of your money at home, you do want to keep some cash on hand. If there is an extended bank holiday or if a giant burst from the sun causes the ATM machines to go down, you want to be able to have enough cash to buy the things that your family needs. Just ask the people of Cyprus how crippling a bank holiday can be. One way to keep your cash secure at home is by storing it in a concealed safe.

#4 Get Out Of Debt
A lot of people seem to assume that an economic collapse would wipe out all debts, but that will probably not be the case. In fact, if you are in a tremendous amount of debt you will be very vulnerable if the economy collapses and you are not able to find a job. Just ask the people who were overextended and lost their jobs during the last recession. So please get out of debt. Many debt collectors are becoming increasingly ruthless. In many areas of the country they are now routinely putting debtors into prison. You do not want to be a slave to debt when the next wave of the economic collapse strikes.

#5 Gold And Silver 
In the long-term, the U.S. dollar is going to lose a tremendous amount of value and inflation is going to absolutely skyrocket. That is one reason why so many people are investing very heavily in gold, silver and other precious metals. All over the globe, the central banks of the world are recklessly printing money. Everyone knows that this is going to end very badly. In fact, there is already a push in more than a dozen U.S. states to allow gold and silver coins to be used as legal tender. Someday you will be glad that you invested in gold and silver now while their prices were still low.

#6 Reduce Your Expenses 
A lot of people claim that they can't put any money toward prepping, but the truth is that we all have room to reduce our expenses. We all spend money on things that we do not really need. Those that are "lean and mean" will tend to do much better during the times that are coming.

#7 Start A Side Business 
If you do not have much money, a great way to increase your income is by starting a side business. And it does not take a lot of money - there are many side businesses that you can start for next to nothing.

And starting a side business will allow you to become less dependent on your job.

In this economic environment, a job could disappear at literally any time.

#8 Move Away From The Big Cities If Possible 
For many people, this is simply not possible. Many Americans are still completely and totally dependent on their jobs. But if you are able, now is a good time to move away from the big cities. When the next major economic downturn strikes, there will be rioting and a dramatic rise in crime in the major cities. If you are able to move to a more rural area you will probably be in much better shape.

#9 Store Food 
Global food reserves have reached their lowest level in nearly 40 years. As the economy gets even worse and global weather patterns become even more unstable, the price of food will go much higher and global food supplies will become much tighter. In the long run, you will be glad for the money that you put into long-term food storage now.

#10 Learn To Grow Your Own Food 
This is a skill that most Americans possessed in the past, but that most Americans today have forgotten. Growing your own food is a way to become more independent of the system, and it is a way to get prepared for what is ahead.

#11 Nobody Can Survive Without Water
Without water, you would not even make it a few days in an emergency situation. It is imperative that you have a plan to provide clean drinking water for your family when disaster strikes.

#12 Have A Plan For When The Grid Goes Down
What would you do if the grid went down and you suddenly did not have power for an extended period of time? Anyone that has spent more than a few hours without power knows how frustrating this can be. You need to have a plan for how you are going to provide power to your home that is independent of the power company.

#13 Have Blankets And Warm Clothing On Hand
This is more for emergency situations or for a complete meltdown of society. During any major crisis, blankets and warm clothing are in great demand. They also could potentially make great barter items.

#14 Store Personal Hygiene Supplies 
A lot of preppers store up huge amounts of food, but they forget all about personal hygiene supplies. During a long crisis, these are items that you would greatly miss if you do not have them stored up. These types of supplies would also be great for barter.

#15 Store Medicine And Medical Supplies
You will also want to store up medical supplies and any medicine that you may need. In an emergency situation, you definitely would not want to be without bandages and a first-aid kit. Over the course of a long crisis, you do not want to run out of any medicines that are critical for your health.

#16 Stock Up On Vitamins 
A lot of preppers do not think about this either, but it is very important. These days, it is becoming increasingly difficult to get adequate nutrition from the foods that we eat. That is why it is very important to have an adequate store of vitamins and other supplements.

#17 Make A List Of Other Supplies
That You Will Need During any crisis, there will be a lot of other things that you will need in addition to food and water. The following are just a few basic things that it would be wise to have on hand... - an axe - a can opener - flashlights - battery-powered radio - extra batteries - lighters or matches - fire extinguisher - sewing kit - tools This list could be much, much longer, but hopefully this will get you started.

#18 Don't Forget The Special Needs Of Your Babies And Your Pets 
Young children and pets have special needs. As you store supplies, don't forget about the things that they will need as well.

#19 Entertainment 
This may sound trivial, but the truth is that our entertainment-addicted society would become very bored and very frustrated if the grid suddenly went down for an extended period of time. Card games and other basic forms of entertainment can make enduring a crisis much easier.

#20 Self-Defense 
In the years ahead, being able to defend your home and your family is going to become increasingly important. When the economy crashes, people are going to start to become very desperate. And desperate people do desperate things.

#21 Get Your Ammunition While You Still Can 
Your firearms will not do you much good if you do not have ammunition for them. Already there are widespread reports of huge ammunition shortages. The following is from a recent CNS News article...

"The run on ammunition has manufacturers scrambling to accommodate demand and reassure customers, as many new and seasoned gun owners stock up over fears of new firearms regulations at both the state and federal levels."

Don't just assume that you will always be able to purchase large amounts of ammunition whenever you want. Get it now while you still can.

#22 If You Have To Go... 
Have a plan for what you and your family will do if you are forced to leave your home. If you do have to go, the following are some items that you will want to have on hand...

- a map of the area - a compass - backpacks for every member of the family - sleeping bags - warm clothing - comfortable shoes or hiking boots

#23 Community 
One of the most important assets in any crisis situation is community. If you have friends or neighbors that you can depend upon, that is invaluable. The time spent building those bonds now will pay off greatly during a major crisis.

#24 Have A Back-Up Plan And Be Flexible

Mike Tyson once said the following...

"Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth."

No plan ever unfolds perfectly. When your plan is disrupted, what will you do?

It will be imperative for all of us to have a back-up plan and to be flexible during the years ahead.

#25 Keep Your Prepping To Yourself
Do not go around and tell everyone in the area where you live about your prepping. If you do, then you may find yourself overwhelmed with "visitors" when everything falls apart.

And please do not go on television and brag about your prepping to a national audience.

Prepping is something that you want to keep to yourself, unless you want hordes of desperate people banging on your door in the future.

For much more on prepping, please check out some of my previous articles...

- "Should You Move To Another Country To Escape The Collapse Of America? 10 Questions To Ask Yourself First"

- "14 Questions People Ask About How To Prepare For The Collapse Of The Economy" - "Rise Of The Preppers: 50 Of The Best Prepper Websites And Blogs On The Internet" - "120 Powerful Pieces Of Advice For Preppers"

Sadly, most Americans still have blind faith that our "leaders" actually know what they are doing and will be able to fix things.

Most Americans still are convinced that everything is going to be just fine.

And of course the mainstream media does all they can to reinforce faith in the system. Day after day, we see mindless news headlines such as this: "Californians Champing at the Bit Over Powerball Debut".

But if you are reading this article that means that you are probably much more awake than the average American is.

Please get prepared while you still can.

A great storm is coming, and time is quickly running out.

So do you have any points that you would add to the list above? Please feel free to (go to Mike Snyder's site) and post a comment with your thoughts below...

This article first appeared here at the Economic Collapse. Michael Snyder is a writer, speaker and activist who writes and edits his own blogs The American Dream and Economic Collapse Blog.

Government on Alert for Radical Extremism

Received this from a reader: "UrbanSurvivalSkills, be aware that the Federal Government is moving to put the Military, most likely the Army, into a martial law posture to respond to civil disturbance, food riots, population control and weapons-food confiscation. The Army is briefing their leaders on radical extremism of Citizens. My son is a Military policeman and is concerned about what he says is rampant misunderstanding of the Army's role inside the United States. He says that many of his fellow soldiers believe that not only can the Army be deployed against the civilian population but should be deployed against citizens. My son is going to get out of the service this fall and he sent me a flyer that say's, verbatim: There is no way to be 100% certain that an individual is becoming radicalized to the point that they may be considering violent action. However, recent experiences show that there are certain warning signs, or early indicators, worth review. The indicators that if observed would be a pre-disposition to radicalization and violence:"

Complains about bias

Advocates violence beyond what is “normal”

Exhibits abrupt behavioral shifts

Needs empowerment

Is socially withdrawn

Believes in government conspiracies to the point of paranoia

Is frustrated with mainstream ideologies

Experiences personal crisis and does not properly recover

Demonizes others freely

Lacks positive identity with country, unit, family, or friends

Exhibits sudden reclusiveness

"My son is a college grad and level headed. If he is concerned, so am I. Just as soon as I can manage a week off I am heading to my hunting cabin in (state deleted) just in case something stupid happens." (name removed)."

UrbanMan replies: While I do not like the belief in the Army, institutional or individual, that the Army has a role on policing or enforcement in the United States, I have a tendency to believe that what your son sent you was a pretty routine brief about violent bent people that are a part of every organization,..from the military, to law enforcement, to common businesses, and of course the Post Office.

I'm not trying to drag the military down, but the doors are not being busted down with people trying to enlist. The military's back ground checks for enlistment probably leave a lot ot be desired, therefore with 600,000 people in uniform you are bound to get some type of "radicals" be they gang bangers, white supremists, or just plain haters,......not to mention some devoid of the capacity for basic reasoning.

Again, I think this is a routine effort to "protect the force", to educate military personnel to keep an eye out for high potential violence doers. However, I am somewhat skittish about today's military especially their key leaders and the road our Federal government has taken with disregard for individual rights and vastly increased regulation across all commodity and business lines. Therefore, I'll remain one of those who are waiting to be convincned one way or the other that this may be preparation for martial law.

Thank your son for his service to the nation. And regarding your cabin,.....it may be a a good idea to make it your Bug Out location, so preparing it so could be a wise decision.

And so I thought it ended,...until reports out of Colorado where a DHS sponsored law enforcement threat briefing brought to light more Government oriented targeting of "radicals".  From PersonalLiberty.com

"The Department of Homeland Security and the military have, in reports published over the past
several years, equated a large segment of the U.S. population with terrorists for simply expressing
displeasure of the nation’s course, preparing for disaster or even paying in cash. DHS and the Barack Obama regime are aided in this endeavor by government propaganda arm mainstream media and organizations like the Southern Preposterous Lie Center (aka Southern Poverty Law Center)."

Their belief coming from a report from a letter from Undersheriff Ron Trowbridge of Prowers County Sheriff’s Office:

"On April 1, 2013 I attended training in La Junta, Colorado hosted by the Colorado State Patrol (CSP).  The training was from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm and covered two topics, Sovereign Citizens, and Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs.  I was pretty familiar with motorcycle gangs but since we often deal with the so-called sovereign citizen groups I was interested to see what they had to say.  The group consisted of police officers, deputies, and CSP troopers.  There were about 20 people in attendance.

Trooper Joe Kluczynski taught a 2-hour section on sovereign citizens.  Kluczynski spent most of his
two hours focusing on how, in his view and apparently the view of Homeland Security, people turn
to the sovereign citizen movement.  Kluczynski started off by saying there are probably some
sovereign citizens in this room and gave a generalized list of those groups that have sovereign
citizen views.  Among those groups, Kluczynski had listed, were those who believe America was
founded on godly principles, Christians who take the Bible literally, and “fundamentalists”. 
Kluczynski did not explain what he meant by “fundamentalists” but from the context it was clear he
was referring again to those who took the Bible literally or “too seriously.”

While Kluczynski emphasized that sovereign citizens have a right to their beliefs, he was clearly
teaching that the groups he had listed should be watched by law enforcement and should be treated
with caution because of their potential to assault law enforcement.  Kluczynski explained why he
believed these groups were dangerous saying they were angry over the election of a black president.

When someone in the group suggested the failing economy was probably much more to blame,
Kluczynski intimated that those who are not going along with the changes in America will need to
be controlled by law enforcement.  Kluczynski even later questioned some of the troopers present if
they were willing and prepared to confiscate “illegal” weapons if ordered to.

Kluczynski’s assignment with the CSP was an Analyst for the Colorado Information Analysis Center,
(CIAC).  CIAC is funded by Homeland Security funds and run by the CSP.  Kluczynski said he gets
his information from the Department of Homeland Security.  Kluczynski said he was leaving the CSP
at the end of that week (March 29, 2013) to begin his new career with Homeland Security.  I thought
he was perfect for the job.

Ron Trowbridge
Undersheriff
Prowers County Sheriff’s Office
April 5, 2013

Okay, another thing to list as indicators,...lets keep our eyes out for anymore nonsense like this and any reason to think it may be Government directed or sponsored as opposed to some individual's perspective.  I would be concerned if this ass clown Kluczynski does not get counseled by his management if for nothing more than this statement "those who are not going along with the changes in America will need to
be controlled by law enforcement:........pretty damn scary thought pattern here. 

Unemployed Man's Preps

BillT4 sent this to me: "Thanks for your site. I really like the craft and skills stuff. I lost my job five months ago. My girlfriend who lives with me is still working, so basically I'm a stay at home Dad for our five year old son who won't be starting school until the fall. I have started prepping two years ago. If we had to we could live without my girlfriends job for at least nine months. That would eat up all our savings and food supply. My goal is not to use our preps now and to even expand our food stocks. We have been eating a lot of stuff I have been growing in my green house which I built. I just traded some tomatoes and squash to a neighbor for some cinder blocks he had stacked up. He asked me how I was growing (vegetables) in winter. So I told him about my green house. Now he has contracted me to build him one. Then he called and gave me a phone number to another man who wants a greenhouse built. He is also going to place an ad at the American Legion Hall for me. So now I have some income coming in. I think the custom greenhouse thing will be better in the fall going into winter and hopefully this will also lead to some other carpentry or repair jobs. sincerely, Bill."  

UrbanMan replies: Bill, I could not use the pictures you sent as when I tried to enlarge them, the pixilation made them just a blur. But good for you finding a way to make a living your way. I read a book about building businesses and it talked about doing a Personal Asset Inventory to determine what skills a person has across the business spectrum of providing services, products or information in order to grow a business and make a living. It appears you are doing that. Again good for you. Better yet, it is aligned with preparing for bad times and helping others do the same.

You may want to consider the physical location for your green houses or advise others in this thought. Imagine a collapse, hyper-inflation, greatly reduced access to food and wandering hungry people - who then see a green house.....well you get the picture.

You may also want to consider a blog where you discuss green houses, soil prep, composting, watering systems, growing vegetables, canning or preserving the fruit of your labors, etc.  Lots of different ways to take this concept forward, but one thing is for sure,...you can't describe yourself as unemployed anymore,.....you are small business man.  

The second e-mail you sent where you traded some vegetables to an older woman for a bunch of hand tools which you plan on saving for future barter or for the flea market is also a great example of barter and prepping but also of expanding your rapport with the neighbors which will be important in a collapse as it will give you a leg up for team building.

Unless a person has a hardened and prepared site with a dedicated water source, you will be stuck like alot of us relying on our urban or suburban neighbors, and them on us, when the collapse comes. Building those relationships now will help you, helping your neighbors grow some of their own food goes along way. But be advised that being prepared for other threats besides starvation are important as well. Consider your security and protection requirements as well as shelter. Given today's ammunition shortages, it would be great if you could barter for ammunition that you could use!   Anyway, good luck and prepare well. 

Cyprus and the World financial conspiracy,

We do not advocate taking all of your money out of the bank at this time.  We have however written about having some cash always on hand on hand if the banks close for whatever reason.  Imagine a major event occuring on Friday then the Federal Government mandating banks and ATM's to close on the following Monday and/or Tuesday.   The bank lines on Wednesday would be terrible, even if it was worth it to try and withdraw some of your funds.

The cash on hand, as well as some Silver and Gold would give you some purchase power and help reduce, howeer slightly, the effects of what is happening in Cyprus.  
   
Who would have thought a western government would confiscate the private wealth of it's citizens?  It seems like our world is turning upside down.  Some think that the Cyprus deal is a test case for a much larger plot.
I'll let everyone else decide, but one source published this video and narrative as a lead in. 


The Cyprus Template Your Money AND Your Life As the story of the Cyprus Template for world financial reorganization unfolds, it is now becoming totally clear that British Empire's policy is "your money and your life." Dennis Small of EIR reviews recent intelligence tracing the now infamous Cyprus "bail-in" policy back to a December 2012 BoE/FDIC report, and all the way to Dodd-Frank.

Gold Won't Save You?

I am a proponent of the average survivalist holding some precious metals, such silver bullion and coins that have silver melt value, and, even some gold is they can afford it. This is to use primarily as barter in the phase of an economic collapse where people realize fiat currency has no value or at least will not accept fiat currency.

Others look at Gold and Silver as an investment for hyper inflation. And to be sure there is substantial potential for becoming very well off by having significant holdings of precious metals in the (hopefully) later stages of a collapse where the country and economy are being rebuilt .

Enter Marc Faber's premise that "Not Even Gold Will Save You From What Is Coming", an article published on the well respected Business Insider.

Marc Faber, who authors the Gloom Boom & Doom newsletter, is usually pretty bearish on stocks and bullish on gold. Lately, though, gold doesn't seem like it can catch a bid.

"Despite the continued reverberations regarding the Cyprus bailout and its involvement of bank deposits, gold struggled to maintain the positive momentum created in the first two weeks of March and instead now looks very likely to move lower, towards $1580 an oz," wrote Deutsche Bank commodities analyst Xiao Fu in a note this morning.

So, what does Faber have to say about it?

This morning, on Bloomberg Surveillance with Tom Keene and Alix Steel, Dr. Doom was asked why gold wasn't holding up.

Here's his explanation:

When you print money, the money does not flow evenly into the economic system. It stays essentially in the financial service industry and among people that have access to these funds, mostly well-to-do people. It does not go to the worker. I just mentioned that it doesn't flow evenly into the system.

Now from time to time it will lift the NASDAQ like between 1997 and March 2000. Then it lifted home prices in the U.S. until 2007. Then it lifted the commodity prices in 2008 until July 2008 when the global economy was already in recession. More recently it has lifted selected emerging economies, stock markets in Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, up four times from 2009 lows and now the U.S.

So we are creating bubbles and bubbles and bubbles. This bubble will come to an end. My concern is that we are going to have a systemic crisis where it is going to be very difficult to hide. Even in gold, it will be difficult to hide.

Faber is, of course, still bearish on U.S. stocks. He told Bloomberg that he sees "considerable downside risk" in the market.

Listen to Mr Faber yourself and see if he makes sense.

Survialist Dad's Prepping is Actually a Medical Problem

The following is from Annie's Mailbox, an advice column published all over the U.S. in the print media (newspapers). My wife actually brought it to my attention and I laughed,....

Dear Annie: My father, my brothers and I served during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Only my father and I deployed to combat areas. Dad retired five years ago and is showing drastic symptoms of PTSD. He is stockpiling food and medical supplies and keeps trying to get my wife and me to "prepare" for when "it all hits the fan". He spends hours a day obessively watching the news and getting angry at the television. Our children used to spend time unsupervised with my parents, but that stopped when I found a loaded handgun in his bathroom cabinet. My mother has broached the topic of therapy and I've offered to go with him as I've been wrestling with some mild PTSD issues myself. But my brothers intercede every time and say Dad's fine and it's no big deal, and they convince him not to go. I believe this is dangerous. I've been unable to find any home counseling services and even our pastor says this is out of his realm of expertise. What other options are out there?- New York son

Dear Son (Annie's reply): You may have better luck getting your father to accept help if you approach him (with) this is a possible Medical Problem. We also suggest you ask him to join you for an exercise or yoga class, which can be useful for some PTSD sufferers. Also please contact the VA's National Center for PTSD or Military One Source and ask to speak to a counselor or get a referral to local military treatment facilities.

What UrbanMan would have told Son: Do not refer your Dad to the VA for PSTD - they may take his guns away. Then who is going to prortect your non-prepared butt when SHTF occurs and you undoubtably run to Daddy's house for food, shelter and protection? The only problem with your Dad is if he does not have a Bug Out Plan. Get with the program New York Son.

The Coming Collapse - A Marxist Plan?

From my sources, General Boykin is a widely respected retired Army General. When he talks people need to listen. While I am not convinced there is a plan or a conspiracy to take this country into Marxism, I do think that the direction this country is heading is on a direct azimuth to a economic collapse.

3-Star retired Army Green Beret General William G. Boykin laid out a step-by-step plan, that was posted on RedFlagNews, he says is the model of how Fidel Castro instituted Marxism in Cuba, Mao Zedong in China, Stalin in Russia and Hugo Chavez in Venzeula:

1.  Nationalize major sectors of the economy

2.  Redistribute wealth

3.  Discredit opposition

4.  Censors opposing viewpoints

5.  Control gun ownership

6.  Develop a constabulary force to control civilian population

The surge of bullet-buying confirmed by the federal government purchase estimates run into the billions of bullets,  even as the U.S. military scrimps to find training ammo is raising lots of questions about the government’s so-far unexplained actions.

But a video that has been around since last year is being forwarded across the Internet as an explanation.

The six minutes recorded by Lt. Gen. William G. “Jerry” Boykin, retired, warns that America is well along the pathway that other societies have used to bludgeon and beat their populations into submission to socialism. Even to the point of establishing a “constabulary force” to control the people.

Maybe those bullets do have a destination.

Boykin now is executive vice president of Family Research Council. But during his military career, he was one of the original members of the U.S. Army’s Delta Force. He ultimately commanded those elite warriors in combat operations. Later, Boykin commanded all the Army’s Green Berets as well as the Special Warfare Center and School.

In all, Lt. Gen. Boykin spent 36 years in the army, serving his last four years as the Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence.

On the video, Boykin explains simply that he knows the standard process for creating a socialist or Marxist state because he studied it as a military officer.

His concern is that the six steps “done in every Marxist insurgency” now “are being done in America today.” He lists them:

1. nationalize major sections of the economy (the corporate bailouts),

2. redistribute wealth (the man appointed to head Medicare said health care is “nothing but a redistribution of wealth”),

3. discredit opposition (Boykin said he’s “never been so angry” as when the Obama administration called returning vets, pro-lifers and others a terror threat),

4. censorship (since old guard media already was in line, Obama’s censorship has been through “hate crimes” legislation aimed at Christian pastors and others),

5. gun control (see Washington’s present agenda), and

6. a constabulary force.

That would be “a force that can control the population,” Boykin warned.

To those who say that isn’t present in the U.S., he responds, “Let me remind you that prior to the election (in 2008) the president stood up and said if elected he would want a national civilian security force as large as and well-funded as the military.”

WND reported on Obama’s demands at the time for a “civilian national security force.”

What Obama actually said was: “We cannot continue to rely on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives that we’ve set,” he said. “We’ve got to have a civilian national security force that’s just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded.”

Israeli Expert Predicts Coming Terrorist Attacks

This was sent to UrbanSurvivalSkills.com by a reader who said he read this article on the internationalforecaster.com. This is not a new article. There is a lot of debate over whether Juval Aviv is legitimate or not. His claims about being a Mossad agent cannot be determined and on-line fact checkers dispute his claims about predicting the 9-11 attackers. If he is exploiting 9-11 for his gain then he is simply a POS. But even shit can have it's uses,.....in the case of shit it can be used as fertilizer in some cases, and in the case of Juval Aviv, he gives us food for thought if we set aside the probability of him being a fraud.

A video is posted at the end of this article so you can see the judge Mr. Aviv yourself. One of the best things that can be gained from this article is the need for a no-comms plan. What are you going to do if the cellular and landline communications net goes down? Do you have planned actions such as link up times and locations and contingencies for no shows?

Enough from me, we'll let Juval Aviv have his say:

Do you know who Juval Aviv is? He was Golda Meir's bodyguard and the Israeli Agent upon whom the movie ' Munich ' was based. Golda Meir appointed him to track down and bring to justice the Palestinian terrorists who took the Israeli athletes hostage and killed them during the Munich Olympic Games. In a lecture in New York City a few weeks ago, Aviv shared information that EVERY American needs to know, but that our government has not yet shared with us.

A little background: Aviv predicted the London subway bombing on the Bill O'Reilly show on Fox News, stating publicly that it would happen within a week. At the time, O'Reilly laughed and mocked him, saying that in a week he wanted Aviv back on the show. Unfortunately, within a week the terrorist attack had occurred. Juval Aviv also gave intelligence to the Bush Administration about 9/11 a month before it occurred. His report specifically said that they would use planes as bombs and target high profile buildings and monuments... I think we all know what happened, right? Congress has since hired him as a security consultant.

Aviv predicts that the next terrorist attack on the U.S. will occur within the next few months. Forget hijacking airplanes, because he says terrorists will NEVER try hijacking a plane again as they know the people on board will never go down quietly again. Aviv says that our airport security is a joke – that we have been reactionary rather than proactive in developing strategies that are truly effective.

For example, because an idiot tried to light his shoe on fire, now everyone has to take off their shoes. Example 2: a group of idiots tried to bring aboard liquid explosives, and now we can't bring liquids on board. He says he's waiting for some suicidal maniac to pour liquid explosive on his underwear; government security will then have us all traveling naked! Last but not least, our airport security looks for metal, but the new explosives are made of plastic!

Currently, our government only focuses on security when people are heading to the gates. Aviv says that if a terrorist attack targets airports in the future, they will target busy times on the front end of the airport when/where people are checking in. For example, it would be easy for someone to take two suitcases of explosives, walk up to a busy check-in line, ask a person next to them to watch their bags for a minute while they run to the restroom, and then detonate the bags BEFORE security even gets involved. In Israel , security checks bags BEFORE people can even ENTER the airport.

Aviv says the next terrorist attack here in America is imminent and will involve suicide bombers and non-suicide bombers in places where large groups of people congregate, such as Disneyland, Las Vegas casinos, shopping malls, subways in rush hour, train stations, etc., as well as in rural America this time (Wyoming, Montana, etc.).

The attack will be characterized by simultaneous detonations around the country involving at least 5-8 cities, including rural areas. Aviv says terrorists won't need to use suicide bombers in many of the larger cities, because at places like the MGM Grand in Las Vegas , they can simply valet park a car loaded with explosives and walk away.

Aviv says all of the above is well known in intelligence circles, but that our U.S. Government does not want to 'alarm American citizens' with the facts. The world, however, is soon going to become 'a different place', Aviv says, where issues like 'global warming' and political correctness will have become totally irrelevant.

On an encouraging note, Aviv says that Americans don't have to be concerned about being nuked. He says the terrorists who want to destroy America will not use sophisticated weapons. Instead, they like to use suicide, as it's cheap, it's easy, and it's effective – and they have an infinite abundance of young, ignorant, fanatic militants more than willing to 'go see Allah'.

Aviv also says the next level of terrorists over which America should be most concerned will not be coming from abroad. They will instead be 'home grown' – meaning they will have attended and been educated in our own schools and universities right here in the U.S. These young terrorists will be most dangerous because they will know our language and will fully understand the habits of Americans; but that we Americans won't know/understand a thing about them.

So, what can America do to protect itself? From an intelligence perspective, Aviv says the U.S. needs to stop relying on satellites and technology for its intelligence. Instead, we need to follow Israel 's, Ireland 's and England 's hands-on examples of human intelligence, both from an infiltration perspective as well as to trust 'aware' citizens to help. We need to engage and educate ourselves as citizens; however, our U.S. Government continues to treat us, its citizens, 'like babies'. Our government thinks we can't handle the truth' and are concerned that we'll panic if we understand the realities of terrorism. Aviv says this is a deadly mistake.

Aviv recently created/executed a security test for Congress by placing an empty briefcase in five well-traveled spots in five major cities. The results? Not one person called 911 or sought a policeman to check it out. In fact, in Chicago , someone tried to steal the briefcase!

In comparison, Aviv says that citizens of Israel are so well 'trained' that an unattended bag or package would be reported in seconds by citizen(s) who know to publicly shout, 'Unattended Bag!' The area would be quickly & calmly cleared by the citizens themselves. But, unfortunately, America hasn't been 'hurt enough' yet by terrorism for their government to fully understand the need to educate its citizens or for the government to understand that it's the citizens who are, inevitably, the best first-line of defense against terrorism.

Aviv also was concerned about the high number of children who were in preschool and kindergarten after 9/11, children who were basically 'lost' without parents being able to pick them up, and schools that had no plan in place to best care for the students until their parents could get there .

He stresses the importance of having a plan that's agreed upon within your family, to respond to in the event of a terrorist emergency. He urges parents to contact their children's schools and demand that the schools, too, develop plans of actions, as they do in Israel . He says we should all have a plan that is easy enough for even our youngest children to remember and follow.

Does your family know what to do if you can't contact one another by phone? Where would you gather in an emergency? Aviv says that the U.S. Government has in force a plan that, in the event of another terrorist attack, will immediately cut-off EVERYONE's ability to use cell phones, as this is the preferred communication source used by terrorists and is often the way that their bombs are detonated. How will you communicate with your loved ones in the event you cannot use phones, internet? Bottom line, you need to have a plan!

Post Collapse Book Review: Going Home

 Just finished a collapse and survival tale called Going Home, written by A. American. I know, I know most of you have already read this book, but I am impressed by it enough and I am writing this short review and recommendation for it.

From the get-go, when the main character, Morgan, discussing his Get Home Bag concept where he has two different packs and takes one according to his requirement for that trip.  Basically how far from home he is going and what he wil ned to get back home, as well as packing additional items just in case - I think if this as mission specific packing.

While Morgan did not carry any firearms bigger than a Springfield XD in .45 ACP, spare mags - this may be a practical consideration depending on where you are going and applicable state laws.  He also carried a host,....I mean a butt load! of additional items.  And as the story goes, this character soon procured other firearms taking them from would be robbers or being gifted a rifle from good folks.

Anyway the premise for the story is a prepared individual working 250 miles away from his home and family when an EMP event, either externally or internally caused, placed im in a situation where he had to walk home since modern vehicles were all crapped out.  The story implicates a possible internally caused event - meaning caused by the US Government in order to manipulate the necessities of martial law for cover in dealing with political adversaries.

I really liked the story for several reasons:

1. Plausible survival story - alternatively walking and riding over 250 miles (no route is ever in a straight line) and being faced with what we would expect to see, and that is people taking advantage in the deteriorated security conditions enforcing their will.

2. The author, A. American (probably not his real name -haha), knew his kit and had prepared well, although I suspect the back pack/ruck sack load was heavier than most of us would want to carry.  Read about his gear load and determine if that was something you would have in your Get Home or Bug Out bag.

3. While the storyline is somewhat far fetched about possible US Goverment initiation of the EMP and the subsequent pitting of DHS personnel against DOD personnel and the secretive vetting of county sheriffs if they will support the heavy handed Federal Government, ....I have friends and acquaintances who believe whole heartedly that this is not only possible it is probable.......scary thing indeed.

This branch of the story gains credibility when ModernSurvivalBlog.com reports "the establishment of a federal authority framework that will enable Secret Service agents (not just those guarding the president), and others of the U.S. Secret Service including uniformed division officers, physical security technicians and specialists, and other ‘special officers’, to arrest and remove an elected sheriff for refusing to enforce the law (or anyone breaking the law).  The bills being introduced defines law as including any rule, regulation, executive order, court order, statute or constitutional provision."

4. This is a story without giant gun battles in each chapter and without the fanciful exploits by the hero with are sometimes found in other survival novels. I don't want to ruin the book for anyone who has not read it, so I'll stop here by saying I found it as enjoyable as any of the post collapse novels and more readable and believeable than most. I recommend it and am awaiting the next novel in this series.

Collapse By Design? Deliberate SHTF?

This is an article posted on the CanadaFreePress.com by Douglas J. Hagmann who with his son, Joe Hagmann, host The Hagmann & Hagmann Report, a live Internet radio program broadcast each weeknight from 8:00-10:00 p.m.

Douglas Hagmann, founder and director of the Northeast Intelligence Network, states that he runs a multi-state licensed private investigative agency and that he is using his investigative skills and training to fight terrorism and increase public awareness through his website. The premise of his article is that our current financial situation was not bred out of incompetence, but by design.

I do not yet have an final opinion on his credibility nor the credibility of his article.  Push come to shove, I'll believe that this is a crock.  But Hagmann claims he has a source inside Department of Homeland Security.

I am concenred about countries like Cyprus, the financial situation in Europe which willl affect the U.S., the fiscal cliff situation inside the U.S., a possible dollar collapse, but I am not yet ready to believe it is all planned. Anyway, the article, you decide, here is the article:

Much like my high-level source within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security outlined in a series of interviews beginning last year, the orchestrated collapse of the U.S. dollar and the entire world’s economic system has begun. The first shots in a global economic take-over were fired in Cyprus as my esteemed colleague and founding editor of Canada Free Press, Judi McLeod laid out in frank detail in her column yesterday and her follow up today.

Please read it and heed her advice, or suffer the consequences of your own normalcy bias that such an event will not happen in the United States, Canada, or from wherever you might be reading this. It will, and the plan appears to be on schedule for a shot across the bow later this spring here in the West, with a more aggressive take-over starting sometime this fall, according to my source.

The Plan
To those needing a quick refresher, the plan is quite simple and can be summarized by the Clinton-era quip attributed to political strategist James Carville, “the economy, stupid” and the June 9, 2010 statement by former Obama czar Van Jones, Socialist extraordinaire, “top down, bottom up, inside out.” It is a plan for a one world Communist economy where the “middle class” will be wiped out through a series of events that will have the same ultimate effect as we are seeing in present day Cyprus.

Based on the events in Cyprus, it should be quite clear to even the most vocal critic of the legitimacy of the information provided to me by my source within the DHS as published on this web site is no longer at issue. The U.S. dollar, the backbone of world currencies and the proverbial firewall preventing the erosion of our national sovereignty, is the ultimate target of a takedown by the global banking interests controlled by a handful of banks and families of the “royal elite.”

The plan for a global currency or a one world economic order is a matter that transcends political parties. Those who continue to argue in the Republican-Democrat meme are doing nothing more than providing entertainment to distract people from the real issue, that of the global elite versus the rest of us. The top of the pyramid in this Ponzi scheme is filled with members of both U.S. political parties who are systematically pillaging us and our future generations into financial debt, bondage and slavery. It is a plan that has been in the works for centuries. The problem, however, is that we have been conditioned not to think that big. Yet, the lie is that big.

The Parties
Our current financial situation was not bred out of incompetence, but by design. The occupancy of Barack Hussein Obama as the putative President of the United States was a plan in the making long ago, to usher in this oppressive system where we will be left at the mercy of the global ruling class. It is not by accident that we have been prevented from knowing exactly who this man is, from the controversy of his birth records to his college transcripts and even his social security number. Contrary to what the state-controlled media wants you to believe, these questions have never been answered with any measure of authenticity.

For example, does anyone honestly believe that it is merely a coincidence that Obama’s alleged mother, Stanley Ann Dunham-Soetoro, just happened to work with Timothy Geithner’s father, Peter Geithner, at the Ford Foundation in Indonesia? Is it reasonable to believe that the Republican party had no knowledge of the background of Barack Hussein Obama? Yet not one word from the Republican establishment as they not only watched, but facilitated the takeover of the United States from within. As I’ve written before, our nation is a captured operation.

The plan was set into motion long ago, stemming back to the founding of the United States and the temporary resistance to the central banking system. In 1913, the creation of the Federal Reserve set the countdown clock in motion for the complete subjugation of the United States to the interests of the global bankers and the global elite. The secret supra-governmental cabals such as the Council on Foreign Relations and the Trilateral Commission worked behind the scenes, under the cover provided by the complicit media, to bring us to this point in history. Perpetual wars were induced to occupy the masses while the chess pieces were placed into their current positions. We are now about to pay the price for our inability or unwillingness to confront the establishment and incremental advancements leading to our own demise.

DHS source: Everything is not “coming up roses”
According to the most recent information provided to me from my source within the Department of Homeland Security known as “Rosebud,” the final preparations are being made to deploy heavily armed federalized forces onto the streets of America. They will be deployed under the pretext of “restoring and maintaining order from the chaos brought about by the economic collapse,” adding that “many will demand and embrace their deployment on the streets of America. They will get what they ask for, and more.”

Much like the security theater we have seen following the attacks of 9/11, we will be subjected to the jack-booted control of a federal army whose allegiance is not to the American people, but to the very architects of the chaos.

“This is the reason that drones are flying over U.S. cities and farmland, and gun control legislation is on the fast track for complete implementation,” stated this source. “How can people look at the situation in Cyprus and not think it won’t happen here? It will, and the blowback will be unlike this country has ever seen. Surveillance, disarming the public, and conditioning the people to believe it’s for their own safety is and has been part of the plan all along. Anyone owing a gun will be demonized and described as contributing to the problem.”

“What happens when the middle class loses much of their wealth, or it is confiscated, by the stroke of a pen or a keyboard? What will the stores look like when people, unprepared due to the damn lies of the corporate media and the shills for the ruling elite, run to empty out everything they can get their hands on as the world, as they know it, collapses around them?”

It was during my most recent contact with my source yesterday that he admitted that the situation will be blamed not on the bankers and the elected leaders who are raping us of our wealth and buying power, but on “right-wing, gun-toting Conservative ‘militia’ groups who believe that the situation is orchestrated.” And, of course, it is orchestrated.

“There is no Republican-Democrat argument to be made anymore. It’s all political theater to keep the majority of the masses occupied while the true enemy has already captured both parties,” he added. “They are all in on it, either knowingly or unwittingly, the takeover, that is. And it’s getting harder to believe that there are any who are unwitting accomplices at this point.”

“When the curtain is pulled back to reveal the true agenda of a single digital world currency, the people who have been yelling the loudest about such ‘conspiracy theories’ will be specifically singled out and demonized. They will be blamed for causing the panic we will see, and of course, dealt with by the army we asked for, accepted and even tolerated.”

Anyone who still believes that the information provided by this insider is “doom porn” or some self-created fantasy need to look at the events taking place in Cyprus. It’s coming to America. It has already begun.

Time for a Survival Garden

We're getting an early spring in some of the country. Time to get prepared for planting some crops. Even if you are in a holding location and plan to Bug Out to a more secure location either just before or during the collapse, planting a few vegetables to gain the experience, get the fulfillment of growing something useful,...flowers are most often not useful,.....and eating the product of your labors is really a cool thing to do, not to mention a key to your survival in a collapse unless you're sitting on a warehouse of food in a secure location.

Many neighborhoods in urban locations are collaborating together to develop roof top gardens on high rises; use former grass or landscaped areas to grow crops; and develop unique methods of gardening such as hydroponic and container gardening, all in order to make the shrinking dollar go further and actually develop a surival skill set - feeding yourself.

Throughout the winter I have been composting organic material so that next month when I start my first vegetable plants I'll have some nutrient rich, clean soil for planting. Using regular hybrid seeds for the local Home Depot, so if I am forced to Bug Out, I won't be leaving behind any of my precious non-hybird seeds nor anything else that can't be replicated with a little time.

By my calendar, sometime in late June, I'll be able to trade some cucumbers and squash to my neighbor who has a chicken coop and regular gets 8 to 10 eggs a week. In fact, I have been trading .22 LR ammunition to him for the eggs lately. At 500 rounds per dozen eggs, he's getting the better part of the deal and I do that to develop a good relationship with him. But who knows what the value of eggs or ammunition will be in the collapse.....probably depends is your highest priority was security/hunting or eating.

Survival Mom from Survivalmom.com also has the same idea, that it is getting close to planting time. I read a great tip on her site pertaining to soil preparation. The whole article is here, but in short the part that taught me something I did not know was:

6. If your planting season is still a month or more away, solarize your garden area. This is very easy, and I wish I had done this last month. Water your garden area very, very well and cover it with a huge sheet of clear plastic. I’ve seen some gardeners use black plastic, but this site recommends otherwise. Weight the plastic down around the edges to make sure that it doesn’t fly away, even in a good sized gust. Wait for 4-6 weeks. This allows the weeds to sprout, thinking, “Yaaay! We can begin adding hours of backbreaking work to this poor gardener’s week!” However, the joke is on them because once the seeds have sprouted, they will quickly die, either from the heat beneath the black plastic or from being smothered with no air or sunlight. Some seeds won’t sprout at all but will still die from being overheated.

Great tip. Sure beats the hell out of pulling weeds several few days.

Another good resource is the book "The Backyard Homestead".  It is advertised as teaching you how to grow 2,000 pounds of vegetables in as little as a ¼-acre backyard.  And not just a gardening book, this book includes how to raise chickens and bees for honey.   

Real Life Unintended Consequences

Some of you may remember, in the last week, seeing the report on the Colorado Prison Warden who was shot and killed at his home. The subsequent on-line article, from Yahoo by P. Solomon Banda and Nicholas Riccard outline several murders of officials across the country, 35 in the past 3 years, which is as much as the preceding 10 years. This brings to mind a real life imitation of the novel "Unintended Consequences".

I am NOT an advocate of taking "justice" in one's own hands. However, with the reality or perceptions of an out of control Federal (and sometimes State) governments impacting negatively on the individual freedoms of Americans,....some backlash has to expected, especially when coupled with a failing economy.

When the New York papers published names and home addresses of local gun owners, then someone responded with the names and addresses of the Newspaer staff of the offending paper, a lot of people including me, thought that there would be at least one or two cases of deliberate targeting of these media folks. I guess that goes to show you that most gun owners, certainly the ones who have state permits, are a law abiding group.

And certainly not all of the 35 murders in the last three years can be linked to government mis- or mal-feasance. In fact, one the leading suspects early on in the investigation of the Colorado Warden's murder is a Saudi Arabian national, or his associates, who the Warden refused to transfer to Saudi to serve out the remainder of his sentence.  Now, authorities are pretty sure the murderer was an ex-con killed in a shootout in Texas a few days ago.  And to be fair, some of the reported 35 murders of government officials are attributable to the ex-Los Angeles Police Officer who recently went on a revenge rampage.

Still the lack of situational awareness, whether at home, the office, a restaurant or while driving is annoying to say the least.

The article, Colorado Corrections Dept. Chief shot, killed at home, by Solomon Banda and Nicholas Riccard of the Associated Press:



MONUMENT, Colo. (AP) — In the weeks before Colorado's top prisons official was fatally shot after answering his front door, he carried out a variety of functions including requesting execution chemicals and speaking to legislators about security issues.

It's unknown what role Tom Clements' position as executive director of the Colorado Department of Corrections might have played in the shooting Tuesday, but investigators said they aren't ruling out any possible motives, including whether it was random or a work-related attack.

Colorado corrections spokeswoman Adrienne Jacobson would not comment on whether Clements had security at his home. Security was stepped up for other state officials, including Gov. John Hickenlooper, who was ashen-faced as he addressed reporters at the Capitol before signing bills placing new restrictions on firearms.

"Tom Clements dedicated his life to being a public servant, to making our state a better place and he is going to be deeply, deeply missed," Hickenlooper said Wednesday.

Authorities are looking for a late-model car, possibly a Lincoln or a Cadillac, that a neighbor spotted outside Clements' home around the time of the shooting Tuesday, El Paso County Sheriff's spokesman Lt. Jeff Kramer said in a report carried by the Denver Post.

Kramer also said investigators want to speak with a woman seen speed-walking near Clements' home not long before the shooting because she may have seen the suspect. The woman was wearing light pants, a dark windbreaker and possibly a hat.

While small in numbers, similar attacks on officials have been increasing in the U.S. in recent years, said Glenn McGovern, an investigator with the Santa Clara County District Attorney's office in California who tracks such incidents worldwide. He said there have been roughly as many in the past three years — at least 35 — as the entire prior decade. Revenge is usually the motive, he added.

"It's often taking place away from the office, which makes sense, because everyone's hardening up their facilities," he said, adding that he advises prosecutors to constantly assess the safety of their residences.

On Jan. 31, Texas prosecutor Mark Hasse was gunned down as he left his car in the parking lot to the county courthouse. McGovern also counts the rampage by an ex-Los Angeles police officer who killed the daughter of a retired city police officer as part of a plot to avenge his firing.

In Colorado, a prosecutor was fatally shot in 2008 as he returned to his Denver home. In 2001, federal prosecutor Thomas Wales was fatally shot by a rifleman while he worked on a computer at night in his Seattle home. Both cases remain unsolved.

Attacks on legal officials are still extremely rare, said Scott Burns of the National District Attorneys Association, which counts 11 prosecutors as having been slain in the last 50 years. But he acknowledged that legal officials are vulnerable outside of protected offices and courthouses.

"If someone wants to truly harm or kill them, it's very difficult, frankly. There's not a lot we can do," he

Mike McLelland, the district attorney in rural Kaufman county east of Dallas, is a 23-year military veteran. Since his prosecutor, Hasse, was killed on his way into the office, McLelland has warned his staff to be vigilant about their surroundings and possible danger.

"The people in my line of work are going to have to get a lot better at it, because they're going to need it more in the future," McLelland said, adding that he carries a gun everywhere he goes.

Clements came to Colorado in 2011 after working three decades in the Missouri prison system. He began a review of Colorado's solitary confinement system and closed a new prison built specifically to hold prisoners being held in solitary — Colorado State Penitentiary II.

He lived in a wooded neighborhood of large, two-story houses on 2-acre lots dotted with evergreen trees in an area known as the Black Forest. Long driveways connect the homes to narrow, winding roads that thread the hills. After word of the shooting spread Tuesday night, some residents slept with shotguns at the ready, fearful the shooter would return.

It would have been simple to find Clements' house. It took two clicks to get his street address through a publicly available Internet locator service Wednesday morning. The listing also included his previous address in Missouri.

McGovern said he tells his prosecutors to assume that any possible assailants can find their home addresses online and to check for areas they may be especially vulnerable such as neighboring alleys and poorly lit porches.

There is no central database of attacks on legal officials and senior law enforcement executives like Clements.

McGovern has documented 133 of them in the U.S. since 1950 by searching news accounts and court cases. The total includes 41 killings of judges, prosecutors and other justice and police officials. The assaults usually come with little warning, he said.

Steven K. Swensen, a former U.S. Marshal who runs a business consulting on security for court officials, said attacks on legal staff used to occur in courtrooms. As security has been expanded to protect those rooms, then courthouses, the attacks have spilled out further and further.

"Now we're having more violence off-site, in judges' houses, on their way to and from work," Swensen said.

Clements' survivors include two daughters and his wife, who is director of the state Office of Behavioral Health.

While Clements generally kept a low profile, his killing comes a week after he denied a request by a Saudi national to serve out the remainder of a Colorado prison sentence in Saudi Arabia.

Clements also recently requested chemicals to execute Nathan Dunlap, who was convicted of killing four people in a 1993 shooting rampage at a Chuck E. Cheese restaurant and is scheduled to become the second person executed in Colorado since the death penalty was reinstated by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1976.

Clements' father-in-law, Carroll Smith, told The Denver Post (http://bit.ly/YX6lLN) that Clements opposed the death penalty.

Earlier this week, Clements spoke to legislators about the need for more security staff in the department's food service areas, Department of Corrections spokeswoman Alison Morgan said. Last year, a kitchen worker at a state prison was killed and another was injured in an assault involving an inmate.

Clements is at least the second state prisons chief killed in office. Michael Francke, director of the Oregon corrections department, was stabbed to death outside his office in 1989 in what prosecutors described as a bungled car burglary. A former Oregon prison inmate was found guilty of aggravated murder in 1991 and sentenced to life in prison.

Mexican Drug Cartel's a Threat to Preppers?

In Mexico, in not all locations but some, the Cartels or Drug Trafficking Organizations (DTO's) are sometimes seen as folk heroes or at least an existing force in a Country who has a long history of one group or another subjugating the population.

Currently there is an effort by the new Administration of Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto and the Cartels to control the news media reports of continued violence, be it Cartel on Cartel, Cartel on Mexican law enforcement or military, or murders of prominent Mexicans like journalists or politicians.

While Mexico, especially the Northern border adjacent to the U.S. states of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California is basically a failed state, there is no immediate danger of the Cartels exporting violence into the U.S. in any large degree. In fact, there have only been a couple of high profile cases where Cartels conducted murders inside the U.S. The DTO's know that the U.S. is a sleeping giant and could bring a lot of resources to bear on the problem if violence impacting American citizens.

However, any American collapse, be it hyper-inflation, death of the dollar, economic collapse, large scale terrorist attack and/or total infrastructure failure would note only affect Mexico as well, but would more severely degrade the Mexican Government's ability to fight the Cartels, than it would the Cartels ability to continue the status quo. In fact, any U.S. collapse and the follow on repercussions on Mexico would emboldened the Cartels.

Mexican cartels are highly armed having automatic weapons (usually AK's and M-4 variants), rocket propelled grenade launchers (RPG-7's), belt and box fed machine guns, hand grenades and .50 caliber sniper rifles. And, contrary to liberal media reports, the major supply train for this weaponry is through theft, barter and gift from the Mexican and Guatemalan militaries as well as through clandestine importation through Central America.

The often media reported links between the Cartels and Islamic Terrorists groups and foreign countries hostile towards the U.S. (Cuba, Venezula) is not good. One of the indications of this would be an increasing sophisication and use of explosive devices which are not widely used in Mexico as they are in the Middle East. This capability would wrech havoc on the U.S. Law Enforcemnt and presumably the U.S. military deployingto the border areas, if the Cartels began overt operations, in the U.S. during a large collapse scenario.

One of Rawles' last novels he integrated a story of a Houston based Street gang using their existing organization and resources to basically grow a small army and become maruders through Texas and New Mexico. This is not all that far fetched. All of the Mexican based Drug Trafficking Organizations (DTO) have links to U.S. based street gangs. This is common sense for the DTO's as they add resources who are normally U.S. citizens, are geographically knowledgeable and understand the U.S. based Law enforcement agencies and their capabilities.

U.S. based street gangs, to me, is the bigger threat. Maybe you have heard of some of these gangs: Barrio Aztecas; Latin Kings; Mexican Mafia; Mara Salvatrucha MS-13; Surenos; Tango Blast; Texas Syndicate. All of these have varying degrees of affiliation and loyalty to the major Mexican Cartels: Gulf Cartel; Los Zetas; Vicente Carrillo Fuentes Cartel; Sinaloa Cartel; and the Tijuana Cartel - which are the cartels who control the northern Mexican border.

In a collapse, it is probable that the U.S. based street gangs would move to control the U.S. urban areas cutting off the Cartels from resources that they do not want to share.

My thoughts above are not considering Street Gangs and Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs who are not normally associated with Mexican Cartels. These would include: Hells Angels; Bandidos; Mongols; Bloods; Crips, Gangster Disciples; Vice Lords; and others. And still we haven't included gangs like the Aryan Brotherhood and their various off shoots and the minority ethnic Asian gangs.

So what can we do? We can can understand the threat based on our geographic area. We can prepare well, develop a organized survival team and stay on top of indicators of threat groups operating in or near our areas.

Europe on the brink of Economic Collapse?

Often in discussions with friends, some of them in my survival group and some not, the topic of how the world's economy can effect or cause a depression or even an economic collapse of this country is discussed.

As simple as I understand it, as I am not a economist or involved in any aspects of financial markets,....the United States as a government, and as commercial enterprises (banks and the financial institutions) owns some of Europe's debt. Likewise, financial institutions and governments in Europe own some ofthe U.S. government debt.  If either suffers large losses, re-calling some or all of the owed debt could over burden the other, causing mild to hyper inflation, a depressions or even an economic collapse or collapse of that countries currency.

Lots of possibilities in my admittedly non-financial educated mind........hyper inflation on commodities from foods to fuels, especially what we have to import,.............the tanking of the dollar in value relative to other currencies or even the total collapse of the dollar. Pictures of German citizens prior to World War II pushing wheel barrows of money to a bakery to buy bread come to mind,....or more recently, images of Greeks standing in soup kitchen lines or de-foresting the rural areas for fire wood to heat their homes.

So just how likely is a collapse in Europe? Basically, all the Eurozone countries are at risk with the exception of Germany. Let's take a short look at some of them:

SPAIN

Spain’s unemployment rate is now at 26 per cent. The austerity measures of the Government is causing social unrest, especially upon the unemployed. The Government's efforts to rescue banks with money it has to borrow furthers angry in the private sector. Lower benefits for out of work employees and higher taxes further burden this economy which is on the brink of either a social collapse or a financial one. One will precede the other.

PORTUGAL

Portugal's unemployment rate is about 18%, only behind Spain and Greece. The economy fell over 3 percent last year causing the government to raise taxes and cut government pensions to try and bring in more revenue. (Sound familiar?)

The government is being forced to enact austerity measures in order to receive international money for a bailout. Most of these bailout's are usually phased providing minimal relief versus the increasing social pressure of the unemployed and entitled youth.

FRANCE

The Washington Times says that "Look no further than France to see where the faltering U.S. economy is headed. President Obama has adopted a distinctly European fashion when it comes to expanding government and imposing tax hikes. For this, we can expect to achieve the same results as our ally on the Continent. "

France is “totally bankrupt,” Labor Minister Michel Sapin admitted last month. Unemployment over 10% with a whopping 27% unemployment rate for French youth. The French government takes up over 55% of the Gross Domestic Product. There are demonstrations, after demonstrations of the public sector unions fighting what the government say's are necessary government spending and work force reduction.

GERMANY

Germany is the Uncle Bailout for many of these financially screwed European countries. Germany has a constant fear of the collapse of the Euro and with it the European Union, saying goodbye to all the debt that is owed Germany.

The German government is reportedly holding assets in order to cover giant potential losses.

ENGLAND

Unemployment is way up in England, while manufacturing and therefore job production is down. Industrial indexes are down to wear they were 25 years ago. The pound sterling is down to a 2.5 year low.

Inflation is running at over 3%, combined with the fall of industrial production and high employment is causing the analysts to think that a large recession is coming.

CYPRUS

The Cyprus government is announcing a plan to tax bank accounts. Are you kidding me? Unfortunately no. The U.S. is not far behind this concept with the US Government taxing health care plans. But at least our government does not tax our holds other than the interest earned on it.

GREECE

A plan to cut the government work force by 150,000 is being laid out in order to placate creditors that Greece is serious about reducing government debt. Austerity measures, also in order to gain bailout money, creating hostility towards the government on a large scale. This can be a chase your tail type of thing, if the government ever gets on track to stabilize the economy, they may run out of patience with the population and find themselves replaced with a different political party and philosophy. And while the Greece government is forecasting a recovery on late 2013, the population has been taking money out of their banks fearing a collapse.

Gold and Silver News

While there is continuing debate in the Survival-Prepper circles about the value of having silver and gold bullion, and silver coins for melt or barter value on hand for when the dollar or economic collapse occurs,....and it is apearing more and more likely that it is a question of "when" and not "if",........it is still a good idea, even if you do not subscribe to having precious metals, to keep on top of what is occuring in the gold and silver market.   

American Eagle gold bullion coin sales jump, by Kerry Hall, March 9, 2013 on www.mining.com

The US Mint sold 80,500 ounces of American Eagle gold bullion coins during February compared to 21,000 ounces the previous year in that month for a 283% increase, reports Mineweb.

In the first two months of 2013, sales were up 56% compared to the same period last year.

Overall, total gold coin sales for January and February were 430,500 ounces. During the same months last year, sales were 124,500 ounces.

January 2013 made the record book at sixth place with gold coin sales of 124,500 ounces.

For American Eagle silver bullion coins, reported sales were 3,368,500 ounces during the second month of the year. That's 126% more than the same month last year.

For January and February, silver coin sales were 10,866,500 ounces — up 43% from 2012 when 7,597,000 ounces were sold.

Will we see a silver breakout in 2013? from the Gold Report, March 13, 2013 on www.mining.com

Silver has been trading sideways so far in 2013, but what will the rest of the year bring? Will 2013 be the year silver prices break out or crash and burn?

What is a sustainable silver price for mining companies and where will the metal come from to supply the next generation of industrial and investment demand? Most important, how can investors make money off this volatile sector?

These were the burning questions The Gold Report took to analysts, money managers and heads of silver mining companies. The answers may surprise you.

One of the world's biggest silver investors, Eric Sprott, pointed to the availability ratio between silver and gold for why the metal price could jump from $30/ounce ($30/oz) to as high as $200/oz as he predicted in a recent radio interview.

He quotes statistics that show once the industrial use of silver and gold is subtracted from the production and recycling new supply calculations, three times more silver is available for purchase each year than gold. However sales of gold and silver at the U.S. Mint, through exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and Sprott's own Physical Trust, show that investors are buying many multiples more silver than gold and have been for years.

Sprott firmly believes that outsized demand in such a relatively small market ($9 trillion for gold and $150 million for silver) will result in price inflation. "We are surprised that the price of silver has remained at such a depressed level compared to gold. Historically, the price ratio between gold and silver has been 16:1. Today the ratio is 55:1, so what are the numbers telling us? We believe this is one of those times when smart investors will be well rewarded if they follow the money."

Will The Government Confiscate Food or Guns first?

We received this question from William...."I'd like you're opinion on whether the government will confiscate food supplies from commercial places and from the population. A friend of mine got me into prepping for TEOTWAKI and he told me there is presidential orders that would allow the government to confiscate food during emergencies. I understand the gun confiscation issue. The government would have a hard time trying to get guns from people who will just hide them. But it would be hard to hide food or hide your gardens. "

UrbanMan's comment: William, the government is more likely to try to control or nationalize food supplies commercially before they suspend the 4th amendment and confiscate food from individuals. This is simply based on resources available to effect control. Based mostly on an Executive Order signed by Obama in March of last year, titled National Defense Resources Preparedness, there is a belief that the Government now has the power to seize civil transportation assets, farm equipment, farm facilities (producing and processing), food resources, fertilizers, and even utilize the population in forced labor schemes. This, in my mind, could only come about in a large, chaotic collapse.

You are also right that efforts to control or confiscate food would probably come before gun confiscation, which would simply cause large scale violence even civil war. Plus the adege of "controlling the food, controlling the population comes to mind". One could envision a program of turning in guns, ammunition and other related items in order to get access to government controlled food.

You can read the NDRP executive order here, however the crux is in how the government intreprets any law.   Before the government conducts large scale food confiscation scheme, there would probably be a media campaign, psychological operations if you will, calling for people to "share" food stocks and capabilities, painting people who fail to comply as "food horders" and essentially pitting neighbors against neighbors.

However there is a movement in the government, to use someone else's term, called "Regulation Nation", that is restricting individuals rights to sell, trade or even produce food products. This follows a general orientation of government, especialy in the last four years, to restrict common and long standing freedoms.

Good luck trying to research you way into determining what powers the FDA and various levels of governments possess under the banners of "Food Safety", "Wholseale and Retail Food production and distribution",....again much if it is in how the government intreprets their powers.

Some agricultural communities see government regulation as a threat to their existing freedoms. The below article, taken from Food Renegade.com depicts the town of Sedgwick, Maine and their efforts to maintain their rights.

A small portion of the article:

Sedgwick, Maine has done what no other town in the United States has done. The town unanimously passed an ordinance giving its citizens the right “to produce, process, sell, purchase, and consume local foods of their choosing.” This includes raw milk, locally slaughtered meats, and just about anything else you can imagine. It’s also a decided bucking of state and federal laws.

This isn’t just a declaration of preference. The proposed warrant added, “It shall be unlawful for any law or regulation adopted by the state or federal government to interfere with the rights recognized by this Ordinance.” In other words, no state licensing requirements prohibiting certain farms from selling dairy products or producing their own chickens for sale to other citizens in the town.

What about potential legal liability and state or federal inspections? It’s all up to the seller and buyer to negotiate. “Patrons purchasing food for home consumption may enter into private agreements with those producers or processors of local foods to waive any liability for the consumption of that food. Producers or processors of local foods shall be exempt from licensure and inspection requirements for that food as long as those agreements are in effect.” Imagine that–buyer and seller can agree to cut out the lawyers. That’s almost un-American, isn’t it?

A selection of comments on the article:

I’m not one of the “lawyers here” but my observation is that when the local law chooses to prohibit more than the rest of the state, nation or organization they will usually get by with it. It is when local law moves to allow more latitude that the trouble starts.

For example, I can imagine that if a county in PA would take a Humbolt, CA position on raw milk, the state would take an it’s-up-to-them position. But if local law in an area moved to allow raw butter, cream, kefir & yogurt… I’m sure it would not get to first base.

Still, I say Kudos to the fine folks of Sedgwick Maine. Their common sense bravery warms the heart of every awake American. If nothing else, their move will bring the ridiculousness of the situation to the consciousness of another percent or so of Americans. One American at a time the tipping point will be reached.

Emerging Biological Threat: New Super Bug

With the recent reports of the New Superbug it brings to light the necessity of having a plan, especially in the event of a collapse and expected refugee movement and degraded medical care making pandemics much more likely. This plan would be how you keep you and your survival team from being exposed to and infected by new and old communicable diseases. 

How you interact with strangers - which is bound to happen even in the lost remote locations.  Have you thought about quarantine protocols if and when these strangers/refugees or even members of your own group are thought to be contaminated?  What are your disinfectant and sterilization procedures, and when do they become necessary?  Do you have personal and group hygiene protocols?  Methods and resources for water purification? Do you have procedures and requirements for handling any livestock you may have such as chickens, goats, even cattle? 

The threat of rampant disease and pandemics, untreatable by any means we have now or the more minimal means we'll have in a total collapse scare the hell out of me as they should you.

CDC Article on the New Superbug

Emerging Superbug Requires Urgent Action, CDC Says.  An emerging superbug is infecting an increasing number of people in the United States, and health officials are calling for urgent action to stop its spread.

During the first six months of 2012, nearly 200 hospitals and long-term acute care facilities together treated at least one person who had been infected by the superbug, known as Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae, or CRE, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The bacteria is resistant to a class of antibiotics known as carbapenem, powerful drugs that are typically used as a last resort to treat resistant bacterial infections, thus the origin of the superbug's name.

CRE can cause pneumonia and blood and urinary tract infections. CRE infections are still rare, and so far, nearly all cases have been seen in people who've had long-term care in hospitals, nursing homes or other healthcare facilities. But once a person becomes ill, the disease can be lethal, killing up to half of people who develop serious infections, the CDC said.

"CRE are nightmare bacteria. Our strongest antibiotics don’t work and patients are left with potentially untreatable infections," said Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the CDC. Doctors, hospitals and public health officials must work together to implement strategies to stop CRE's spread, Frieden said.

Enterobacteriaceae are a family of bacteria that include E. coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, and typically live in the digestive tract, but can cause infections if they spread outside the gut, the CDC said. Over time, some of these bacteria have developed resistance to carbapenems.

CRE were first identified in the U.S. in 2001, and have now spread to 42 states. The new report, which examined U.S. health care infections, found that the percentage of Enterobacteriaceae that are resistant to carbapenems has increased fourfold during the last decade.

In 2012, 4.6 percent of hospitals and 18 percent of long-term acute care facilities, reported having a patient with a CRE infection, the CDC report said.

Healthy people don't usually develop CRE infections. People most at risk for infection are those whose care requires devices such as a ventilator or catheter, and who require a long course of antibiotics, the CDC said.

Hospital workers who don't properly wash their hands can spread the bacteria between patients, and the bacteria themselves can spread resistance to other similar bacteria.

Unlike methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), CRE hasn't spread into the community, Frieden said.

"That's really a message of hope: we still have a window of opportunity to stop it" before it becomes as prevalent as other antibiotic-resistant organisms like MRSA, Frieden said.

In 2012, the CDC created guidelines for preventing CRE infections in hospitals and other care facilities. These include following proper hand hygiene recommendations (hand-washing); grouping patients together who have CRE; dedicating certain staff members and equipment to people who have CRE; knowing which patients in a hospital have CRE and alerting other health care facilities about the infection if the patient is transferred; and using antibiotics wisely.

Facilities that have implemented these measures have seen a drop in their CRE infection rates, Frieden said.

Patients can also play a role in prevention. For instance, if they have a catheter put in, they can ask how long it will be in place, and ask that it be removed as soon as possible, Frieden said.

Continued research into tests to detect CRE, and ways to treat it, is critical as well, Frieden said. The report will be published this week in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.