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Politics And Survival – How Congress Is Destroying Our American Way Of Life

Some might wonder what politics and economics has to do with survival and preparedness. The answer is simple. I don’t just want to survive; I want to thrive! I prepare to survive only because I think its a necessity that cannot be avoided, and I resent those who make it more likely that hard times will come. In times like we are living in now not only is our liberty threatened by the economical and political whims of a select few, but our very existence is as stake. 

I’m going to rant for a moment, I urge you to consider the following assertions with an open mind.

Socialism Is Worse Than Communism

Communism is a theoretical ideal that doesn’t exist and never has. Communism is a fictional ideal where there is no government and everyone voluntarily produces as much as he can and puts it into the community pot (hence the word communism, meaning community), then withdraw only what he needs. In a utopian socity where greed, lust, and theft does not exist, Communism could manifest itself as a true government… but in the real world these ideals could never be met. Governments the world over know this and their solution is much worse – Socialism.   

Socialism is government-enforced communism, where the government takes it from you under threat of force and imprisonment and gives it to someone else.  Some of you probably think Socialism could never happen in America. “Those things only happen in China or Russia”, you say…things like welfare, social security, economic “stimulus” bills, and nationalized health care….Socialism is right here at home, in America. And unfortunantly it is here to stay.  

Political Labels Mean Almost Nothing

Political lables are dictionary words, not hard won values set in stone. An American liberal or Democrat favors government control of the economy. In Europe, a “liberal” is someone who supports economic liberty and less government control of their money, the complete opposite of an American liberal. In Europe an American liberal or Democrat would be called a socialist, and in America a European liberal is called a libertarian. In Russia, “conservatives” want to go back to the way things were in the old Soviet Union. We call them “communists.”

Most Government Services Are Simply An Excuse To Tax

Some say that government services are necessary,  but in fact government services are almost always better done voluntarily by charities and private civic organizations. When a company provides a service, Greyhound Bus Transit for example, it means more jobs for everyone, more money put into the system, and generally a more free and open work enviroment. When governments try to emulate the same services, Public Transportation, it only results in a heavier tax burden upon the entire nation and lowers the standards of the entire industry. Governments provide services that private businesses can do better simply because they want and need your money. Taxation is a way to exercise power over individuals, because power gives politicians a rush, and they’re addicted to it.

Inflation Cannot Just Happen, It Must Be Caused

Inflation is, by definition, an increase in the money supply. Our government spends more and more money. To keep up with their spending they must print more money and this causes the currency to become worth less and less. Congress goes into multi-trillion dollar debts and then prints money to pay for it. They do this so they can spend money they don’t have without taxing you for it. The “gold standard” makes this impossible, which is why in the last century all governments around the world have abandoned the gold standard….and why you should invest in it.

Socialism Causes Low Standards Of Living

Capitalism is based on liberty, but socialism is based on the dispensation of political favor. Socialists need a large voting group dependent on them and in exchange for political power they promise to take money from others and give it to those who vote for them. Capitalist economies have large middle classes with high standards of living for the vast majority of people. In fact, more people have a higher standard of living in a capitalist economy than any other form of government or economy. Socialist economies have small middle classes, very small rich classes, and very large poor classes. If the poor become wealthy, they won’t need the socialists anymore, so the socialists deliberately keep the population poor.

A Well Regulated Militia Is The Best National Defense, From External And Internal Attacks

The Second Amendment states that a well regulated militia to be “necessary to the security of a free State.” The United States government would rather have an offensive military which allows our politicians to “project” their power all over the world. While yes, we do need a military, we also need a strong militia made of every day citizens! Switzerland is a perfect example. Its entire population is a militia, and this is the reason it has not been in a war in over 200 years, even though it lies in the center of one of the bloodiest region on Earth, Europe.

Imagine if every man of age was still ready at arms in the manner we were in the 1700-1800′s. America could also be a shining example like Switzerland. I don’t believe this could happen anymore. Not only has the vast majority of our population been fattened like cows for slaughter and been taught that guns are a thing of danger and fear over the past generation, our government does everything it can to enforce laws against such militia’s and to crush our rights to protect ourselves from those that intrude against our liberties. The main reason being, the government is fearful of a nationwide militia because knows it’s the real intruder and wants no resistance.  

Social Security Is A Joke And The Money Doesn’t Even Exist

Social Security is forced Socialism no matter how you look at it. We are forced to pay social security taxes into the government. They hold your money prisoner, interest free and impossible to touch. They tell you when you can have your money back and subsequently when you can quit work and retire.  Worse yet politians see Social Security as a giant sack of cash just sitting there; when they need a few million they just stick their hand in and pull out a wad of cash. Nearly all social security taxes have already been spent by the government, and there’s not enough money to pay those who were forced to pay it in. The federal government owes over $2.5 trillion in Social Security, and starting in 2010 social security payouts exceed the taxes coming in. We’re broke, and it will never get paid.

Our Judicial System Doesn’t Do Justice

The courts interpret laws enacted by politicians who are only responding to political pressures of the moment, with no regard to whether they are right or wrong. In most cases the politicians do not even read the laws they pass. Our judicial system used to be based on English common law. Common law is not about domestic issues, but is the process of discovering the underlying principles of right and wrong that determine justice. This whole concept has been completely lost in the past 50 years. 

In many cases politicians even exempt themselves from the laws they pass as if they are special or “holy”. For example, Congress exempted itself from the requirements of the national health care law that has been layed upon all other American citizes. 

Conclusion

After reading this I hope you understand why you should keep a close eye on politicials, congress, and the government as a whole. We cannot contine as we are, something must change or there can only be two outcomes, either we will continue to degrade into a Socialist country and this great experiment called America will be over, or we will collapse before we ever get to that point.

America was founded on principles of liberty and freedom, yet after World War II everything seemed to change. Perhaps we brought back the old thoughts of Europe, or perhaps the powers that be saw it as a perfect time to grab even more power.  Anything that takes away liberty chips away at our founding principles. Whenever politicians tell you they need more power or a “Czar” to do something, be very skeptical….and clean your guns.

 

Surviving A Super Solar Storm. Prepare Now.

Nasa is warning that the world could face massive widespread blackouts, travel problems and damage to our power grids beginning in 2012-2013. Coming solar storms could cause a devastating blow to our power grid, causing trillions of dollars in damage that could take up to a decade to repair.

Three years ago The National Academy of Sciences warned that a powerful solar storm could cause “twenty times more economic damage than Hurricane Katrina”. They went on to say that the solar activity could completely knock out power grids, GPS navigation, banking and financial systems, air travel, & radio communications.  Everyday items such as cell phones, computers and other personal electronic devices will also be damaged.

How can you prepare for such a worldwide catastrophy? There’s not much you can do about the electrical companies power grid (although they are preparing the best they can), but you can prepare your home and family for a super solar storm.

Power
Right now, think of everything in your home that requires electricity. Like our use of water (your well pump, or if you are on city water your water company uses electricty to run their pumps and operate their valves), our dependency upon electricity is staggering. If possible every home emergency plan should include a properly protected solar power system. Even then as a backup (or as a second option) consider stockpiling propane to heat, cook, and cool with. Propane will be the new electricity after a solar storm, but without the infrastructer to keep it flowing your supplies will be limited to what you can store. Having sustainable hardwoods on your property is the only guaranteed source of power you can depend on long term.  

Water Storage
Water is an extremely important commodity, as you use it every day for everything from cooking, drinking, bathing and sanitation. You may be surprised by the amount of water required to perform everyday tasks. Take a look at the average daily water usage for some common activities:

• Brushing teeth = 1 gallon
• Washing hands = 1 quart
• Taking a bath = 35-40 gallons
• Taking a shower = 5 gallons per minute
• Laundry = 19-45 gallons
• Washing dishes = 10-15 gallons

Amazing, isn’t it? Post-electricity such wasteful use of water can not exist unless you have an endless supply (lake, river, etc) on hand. If you have no sustainable source of water avaliable, do you have enough clean water stored for your entire family? I recommend you invest in a heavy-duty water barrel made of polyethylene. You can purchase barrels that store 15-55 gallons of water. Store these containers in a dark and cool area, add some bleach (1 teaspoon per 5 gallons), and rotate your water storage every few months for freshness.

Food Storage
Food equals life so it makes sense to store food. Every family has different nutrition and dietary needs, so you may be struggling with finding the right food for your family. Only you know what your family needs, and you are responsible for meeting those needs, especially when a disaster, financial crisis or family emergency occurs. Collect items for your food storage supply now! You could purchase an entire year supply at once, or you could begin gradually to build your emergency preparedness supply by purchasing a few number 10 cans of freeze-dried or dehydrated food a week or month and picking up a few extra cans of food each time you visit the grocery store. I prefer the later option. You can buy an entire years worth of food for $5/week over 52 weeks for one person.

Choose foods your family will eat, and prepare meals from that food storage. Not only will you know what items to buy more of, you will also know how to cook with freeze-dried foods and dehydrated foods.

Communication
Communication is crucial during a time of disaster, but since phones and radios primarily rely on electricity, this first link to help and information is often unavailable. In your emergency preparedness supply, you should have a Crank Or Solar Powered Radio/Flashlight on hand, or extra batteries for the one you currently have. You may even consider purchasing several Quality, Long-Range Walkie-Talkies and giving one to each family member. An off grid CB Radio Base Station is also a great way to communicate to others.

Taking survival and emergency preparedness classes is also an excellent idea, and it would be a great family activity. We recommend you and your family participate in a ham radio certification course. Ham radio, or amateur radio, may take a while to learn how to operate, and you must have a license, but during an emergency, this can be one of the only ways to get help.

Build a Faraday Cage
All these neat gadgets won’t do you any good if they get fried too. A Faraday cage is an enclosure of conducting material that blocks out external static electric fields. If the conductor is thick enough, and the holes are smaller than the incoming electromagnetic radiation’s wavelength, then that radiation won’t be able to pass through. This is the reason why phones don’t work in some buildings and lifts, why microwaves don’t cook you when you stand in front of them.

You can make yourself a Faraday cage fairly easy. I’ve included a video below  that explains the process. Make sure you ground it properly and store all your precious electronic equipment inside it.

 

Money And Currency
Almost all modern banking is conducted electronically. While banks have vaults full of ingots and other valuables, your cash actually exists in a database, albeit one that’s backed up in multiple locations across the world, so that a disaster that’s confined to a local area can’t cause too many problems that won’t be resolved by a swift restoration of a backup.

However, that policy doesn’t work for global events. If that database, along with all its backups, gets wiped by a particularly nasty solar flare, then so does your money. Get it out of the bank, and in a safer, more physical place instead. Bury it in the garden, hide it in your roof, or stuff it under the mattress. Just get it out of  the electronic database and into cold hard cash.

EMP-Proof Vehicle

This is a double edged sword. Have a running vehicle can be a real blessing in a major SHTF situation, however having the ONLY running vehicle in town is like pointing a big red target on your back. If you do choose to keep a vehicle running (a great idea to at least have) then you will need an older vehicle, preferably a diesel. Look for a vehicle before electronic ignitions with a point system. Keep a backup starter, alternator, and solenoid in your Faraday cage and know how to put them on.

 

The $2,000 Off Grid Homestead

What would you do if you had no house payment and no monthly utility bills? Well this guy is living the dream. Here’s a short introduction to simple solar homesteading that provides information on how to find cheap land, build an inexpensive home, and use solar power to eliminate monthly utility bills.

While he doesn’t get into the actual homesteading side much he does lay out a clear and easy plan to buil your own off grid cabin for less than $2,000. Watch these series of videos and he will show you how it is done easily and with very little money.

How to have a home with no house payments and no utility bills!

How to build a 14×14 solar cabin

Cabin Interior

 

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