Archive for Disaster Preparedness

EMP & GMD Facts vs Fiction

https://www.futurescience.com/emp/EMP-myths.html

http://www.futurescience.com/emp/

Who has heard of the book, One Second After, a John Matherson series by William R. Forstchen? Good book right? Well, it is a great fiction piece (and I recommend it for entertainment), but if you are looking to it for your facts and planning for an Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) or a Geomagnetic Disturbance (GMD), trash it. There is so much misleading or outright incorrect information in it, the book only be can only be read as the novel it’s intended to be.

Do not get spun up over things that can’t or won’t happen regarding an EMP or GMD event. Get the right information. For example, most believe that a major GMD like the Carrington Event would not only take down power grids, but also destroy electronics rendering things like vehicles useless. This statement is what I consider a mix of mis and dis information. The first portion is possible “IF” nothing was done and “IF” we had no response time. However, the reality is we see solar activity days in advance and the Department of Energy has the authority to literally disconnect the grid in advance to prevent widespread damage. This means rather than planning to see the power grid totally destroyed by a GMD, it would be more realistic to plan for a few days without power. That’s a huge difference between fiction and reality when it comes to planning. When it comes to electronic devices, the news gets better. A GMD really doesn’t damage or destroy them and most experts agree your cars would be fine. The possible exception is if you have an electric car that is connected to the grid (specifically where long east-west transmission lines are used) you could theoretically fry the car. Even then, simply unplugging the device should be sufficient to protect it.

As for the EMP situation, this is where we get into small electronics possibly being fried and cars shutting down. However, this is contingent upon a large number of factors that get into some serious physics and strategic considerations. For one thing, a large scale EMP device would get the same strategic (nuclear) response from the United States a nuclear strike on the United States would elicit. If a state is going launch an EMP attack, the state might as well just use a nuclear weapon to get both the EMP and the devastation. This is why many experts rightly point out that we would have bigger problems to deal with than a grid or devices going down. In fact, the most likely scenario where there is a large scale EMP is from a nuclear strike so the question is more about if there is anything left to power than whether the grid or your cell phone works.

Rather than going on and on for pages citing what has already been spelled out by legitimate specialists in the field, I want to refer you to the Future Science site for EMP/GMD information linked to at the beginning of this article. Here you will find a large amount of high quality information that is accurate and worthy of using for planning purposes. If you are serious about preparedness you are serious about getting your “facts” correct. Doing less is not only stupid, but will be expensive, a waste of time, and at worst, disastrous.

By Guiles Hendrick

December 18, 2020

What if the COVID-19 Narrative is a Lie?

Through experience, I have learned to heavily doubt and question nearly all narratives coming from governments.  However, when it comes to communist governments such as in China, one must be far more skeptical and not believe anything until proven otherwise.  This is the case with the Wuhan Pandemic designated COVID-19.  As it stands, we are led to believe that this virus spontaneously jumped from some unknown species to humans and began spreading through the population in China circa December 2019.  We already know for sure that China lied to the world about everything we can validate from the outside such as when it actually began to spread and the fact that it does spread from person-to-person contrary to China’s initial claims.  What this should tell you is if the easily verified “facts” coming from China were all lies, then it is reasonable to assume they have zero credibility, were covering up, and nothing they said can be believed.  Understanding this should lead a logical person to ask then, “If the Chinese narrative is a lie, then what are the implications?”  The implications are nothing short of massive and could upend everything we have been led to believe about the virus.

Nothing about this virus is what, as an armchair observer, I would consider “normal.”  I honestly do not care if I have an MD before or after my name.  I am a thinking person and reserve the right to use my own knowledge, experience, and study just like anyone else to deduce truth.  Further, let us be honest.  The “experts” have been wrong at about every point in this pandemic so we can dispense with any notion only the scientists can understand this virus.  At the top of my list is the inability to sustain immunity to the virus.  Although not unheard of, most people will develop a lasting immunity to a disease if they survive it.  With COVID-19, it is becoming clear that there is no long-term immunity conveyed.  In addition, this virus seems to affect the body in ways other “flus” usually do not.  For example, this disease goes far beyond the lungs and seems to effect one’s neurological system and heart.  Survivors of bad cases are debilitated for life.  I also find that it can travel and spread for weeks in asymptomatic patients while others get it and fall gravely ill noteworthy.  Why do some act as spreaders with little or no ill effects while others drop dead?  Looking at the bigger picture, I think that China’s lockdown of a billion people was an extreme response if not understood in context. 

This is not an exhaustive list of COVID-19 novel properties, but it certainly should raise questions about what we know and what we are dealing with.  One may expect to see one of these properties, but in aggregate, it suggests that there is something more sinister about this virus.  To me, I have only found one narrative that explains everything we are seeing.  To work, the narrative must explain the lies and coverups, the draconian response in China, and the unique properties of this virus.  Using this logic, my narrative says that the current narrative is false because it fails to explain what we are witnessing and therefore should not be believed as fact.  Everything the Establishment has told us has proved to be wrong or a lie later whether intentional disinformation or simply incompetence.  Second, I am becoming convinced that China was experimenting with deadly pathogens at a lab when one was released. 

The first big clue is location.  You cannot dismiss the fact that a major bioresearch facility is in precisely the place where the pandemic began.  The second clue is the initial claims about the spread beginning in a food market have all been debunked.  The third clue is that China lied and tried to coverup something that if innocent, did not require any coverup.  The fourth clue is the military lockdown of a billion people in China.  The fifth clue is the properties of this virus seem to be a chimera of desirable traits in a weaponized pathogen.  Based on this, I think it is fair to explore the possibility that this was a bioweapon under development.  It certainly should not be dismissed out of hand.  Anyone that says otherwise should be suspect in this conspiracy because by no means has that been ruled out.  A case in point is the World Health Organization, which while taking massive sums of money from China, was complicit in passing China’s false narrative to the world.  Whether this was deliberate or not is not material for this discussion. What’s material is that China was using its mouthpieces to present a false narrative for some specific reason that must be identified. Mainstream narratives also claim there are no signs its genetic code was artificially modified.  This is a big red herring designed to throw anyone off the track.  The qualifier is what jumps out at me.  What it does not say in fact is more telling.  Specifically, the narrative deliberately ignores the fact that no gene editing or artificial process are required to develop a bioweapon.  In fact, natural processes that can be accelerated in a lab would be a rather basic method to develop a bioweapon.  As such, drawing attention to the still unverified “fact” this disease did not show characteristics of gene splicing in no way removes the possibility it was still being developed in a lab.  This is classic misinformation because it makes a true claim that is intended to deceive versus disinformation, which is a factually untrue statement meant to deceive.  I do not see any of this as accidental or coincidental.  This is deliberate with very intended effects.   

The bioweapon theory would explain the coverup.  This theory would also explain why China did not hesitate to use the military to lockdown over a billion people.  Specifically, if China saw this as anything other than a weaponized virus that could have disastrous implications for its country, it would not have turned off its industry costing its economy trillions of dollars.  Let us be honest, China has for many years sought to reduce its population and actively kills dissidents and babies.  Losses from a flu by a communist government that killed an estimated 80 million of its own people simply would not trigger the military response we witnessed in China.  More likely, China knew exactly what it was dealing with and desperately acted to stop it.  Once it realized it could not stop or contain it, China sought to spread the damage to ensure the rest of the world was also brought down a notch.  China certainly could not afford to have its population and economy devastated while its competitors remained unscathed.  I believe this is why China locked down its borders, but actively exported its population via air travel to the far corners of the world.  Finally, and most consequential, this theory explains the unique qualities of how the virus spreads and effects a population.  As such, until such time as information comes forth that can conclusively refute this virus came from a lab, we need to treat it as a plausible explanation. 

Considering the theory as plausible, one must ask what the implications of this great lie would be.  In short, if this is a bioweapon, all bets are off.  We cannot approach a weaponized pathogen in the same way we deal with a traditional pathogen.  Therefore, accurate information is so important.  If this theory is correct, we must recognize that things like an effective vaccine could be a fantasy.  We need to also realize that there could be many long-term negative complications we have not even begun to identify.  This is why I recommend caution to anyone thinking that they are young and healthy and therefore not at risk.  The entire assumption is based on COVID-19 being a natural phenomenon and not a bioweapon.  If it turns out to be a bioweapon and the mainstream narrative was just one more lie in a string of lies, it may take years to discover that having the disease imparts other complications like a compromised immune systems such as with HIV/AIDS.  For example, there are plenty of conflicting studies and reports on whether this is a retrovirus and will flare back up later in life when your immune system and health is far less likely to be able to defeat it.  At minimum, if no immunity is conveyed, as long as the virus is in the population, it does not matter because you are at risk.  This disease may also mutate to a more lethal form, which you typically do not see in natural viruses, if it has been engineered as a weapon.  It could even cause your immune system to have horrible reactions to other pathogens or immunizations.  Remember too that that if this is a bioweapon, there is a strong motive for even our government to suppress the truth.  After all, once the virus is out, what benefit would there be to telling the population they were just exposed to a bioweapon?  Think about it.  A government seeks to control the population.  The fear and panic that would result from this knowledge would make everything that is happening now seem like nothing.  The government will put maintaining control above your safety every time.  The truth is we do not know much about the Wuhan Pandemic and should therefore explore this possibility since the implications are so dire.  These are real questions about real complications and not kooky beliefs.  Until we can definitely answer the questions posed in this article, I recommend being skeptical and taking all precautions very seriously.

By Guiles Hendrik,

July 20, 2020

Absurdities of the Coronavirus Lockdown

Today is simply venting about the absurdities I have witnessed over the course of the last few months.  Feel free to comment and add to what amounts to a lengthy and admittedly far from comprehensive list.  I could care less if you agree or disagree.  This is simply an exercise in mental health. 

To start my list, I am tired of the idiotic retort of “the coronavirus is not really bad because (fill in the blank) kills (fill in the blank) people each year.”  This comparison logic is void of any understanding of the logarithmic spread of a contagious disease.  A fair analogy of this logic would be an officer on the first day of World War I and telling his soldiers that it’s absurd to worry about this new device called a machine gun because only a few people have been killed by them.  How about this instead?  In a matter of just a few months, the COVID-19 has wiped out more Americans than all of America’s senseless wars in the last forty years?  These are thousands of people that would be upright and walking and talking had a very nasty virus not hopped from China to the United States.  All deadly diseases start by killing a single person.  The point isn’t that only a single person has died; it’s how many people could die if it isn’t prevented. 

I am tired of talking about “peak” infections.  Does it really matter if 977 people die instead of 983?  Can we agree that its horrible either way?  As long as we have the virus in our communities it will rapidly spread.  Remember we started with zero infections and within weeks, absent social distancing, we had thousands of infections.  As such, I am curious how it is okay to start with, say 1,300 infections, and think that the result will be any different.

I am tired of people who can’t “deal” with reality.  Get over it snowflakes and toughen up.  Newsflash, you don’t have a right to the world being perfect.  You wanted to socialize everything else, so why not risk and hardship?  After all, that is the result of socialist policies so take good notes.  No matter how much you deny reality, you are not immune from the consequences of your denial.  In fact, it’s healthy your normalcy bias was shattered.  Look at it as being cured of a state of chronic mental illness for free.  Oh, and yes, it is possible you are faced with nothing but bad options.  A statement comes to mind that many grunts can appreciate, “welcome to the suck.” 

I am tired of the Left race baiting and trying to politicize the suffering during this pandemic.  The disease is not racist contrary to the absurd proclamations from these divisive subversives openly operating in the United States.  The disease kills irrespective of race, gender, or class much to the chagrin of these radicals.  Further, whether they like it or not, it kills unhealthy people at much higher rates.  I hope this wasn’t a big surprise.  In particular, if you are obese, chances are you have a pre-existing condition that will be exasperated by this disease whether you are a fat white person that smokes in Appalachia or a fat black person that smokes in the inner-city.  If you don’t like it, I would recommend accepting some responsibility and living a healthier lifestyle. 

I am tired of over-zealous police acting as if they are Gestapo agents demanding “your papers.”  “Voluntary” recommendations should be the operative term.  Going about your life…as in traveling, recreating, eating, working, visiting, etc. is not a crime.  Only in the worst of authoritarian regimes would a human be stripped of what amounts to one of the most basic human rights…the right to pursue the means of subsistence.  How exactly is jailing a person for walking down the street helping to prevent disease spread?   Our bureaucrats do not understand the most basic relationships between cause and effect.  These newly imprisoned people not only present a serious risk of bringing the disease into to the isolated prison population, but also acquiring it and then being released soon thereafter and spreading it back to the public.  Ironically, the unnecessary contact exposes our police and judicial officials to a far greater risk of infection, which may be a form of poetic justice.  The mounting number of government abuses from fines to outright imprisonment of citizens is intolerable. 

I am tired of neighbors ratting out each other as if they are informants for the East German Stasi.  I am all for outing these loyalists to the Crown.  What kind of self-respecting American calls the police on their neighbor for cooking out or playing catch in their own backyard?  Further, how stupid are these people?  Do they not know even the most basic facts about viral spread?  This is chilling.  Please do everything you can to shame these “Karens” into a bit more old fashion anti-establishment American rebellion for the good of everyone.

I am tired of releasing prison populations into unprepared communities.  Don’t get me wrong, I believe many thousands of people are unjustly imprisoned every year and many never should have been jailed.  I am not debating that point.  What is of concern is that thousands of convicted criminals are suddenly being released from jail with no money, no job, no place to stay and no hope of finding any of the aforementioned necessities under the current circumstances.  A thinking person would recognize this is rather destabilizing and could quickly lead to a spike in crime for any community victimized by a sudden dumping of inmates in their backyard. 

I am tired of people that have spent their entire lives supporting anti-gun measures suddenly racing out to buy a gun.  If you don’t own a gun yet, you should be prevented from purchasing a firearm until this crisis has passed.  The only background check should be to see if you have previously purchased a gun and are in good standing with the Second Amendment.  For once, the anti-gun advocates should have to suffer the consequences for blindly stating their entire lives that there is no reason for a person to own a gun.  Further, these people truly don’t know what in the hell they are doing with a firearm and epitomize everything they feared about reckless gun owners.  Now that these hypocrites are forced to admit that security could quickly deteriorate and the government cannot protect them, we shouldn’t let them off the hook before their lesson is learned. 

I am tired of the term “worker” as if we are some type of Bolshevik slaves.  Terms like citizens, employees, managers, business owners, or even a generic statement like people recently unemployed would be fitting, but President Trump unthinkingly taking his talking points from Bernie Sanders is a bridge too far.  Workers of the world unite!

I am tired of how people reflexively turn to the government for an immediate “fix” even though the government’s failures are to blame for the spread of the virus within the United States.  Why would anyone expect the organization most responsible for this colossal failure to have the solution?  Do people not realize hundreds of billions of dollars and entire organizations within  the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security (FEMA) as well as our intelligence agencies and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are specifically tasked with preparedness, early warning, defense, resilience, and recovery in the event of a biological threat?  Further, where are all the open borders activists and globalists demanding we produce everything cheaply overseas?  At what point will these organizations and their leadership be held to account?  At minimum, considering the time and money spent over the decades, the government should have stockpiled personal protective equipment for healthcare providers and the population.  It is simply inexcusable that our nation was caught unprepared and by surprise considering the massive amount of money dedicated to intelligence.  This failure is on par with Pearl Harbor.

I am tired of global corporations and financial institutions that made reckless risk decisions getting trillion dollar bailouts.  These corporate executives are making millions running unprofitable failing companies, but the taxpayers get what?  A bill?  Hell, we don’t even get stock options in these lousy companies.  Let them fail.  Instead of stock buybacks, perhaps they should have built some savings.  How is it that Joe the Plumber is responsible for bailing out a company like Boeing, which was failing long before any pandemic?  Boeing has horrible management made up of former career bureaucrats, quality control levels so poor they are producing aircraft with debris in fuel tanks, and have been producing aircraft more unsafe than jets designed decades ago while charging astronomical prices.  The company should fail or have to radically clean up its act.  Nonetheless, somehow their gross mismanagement is the problem of the taxpayer through a system of cronyism and socialist government policies.  This cannot end well. 

I am tired of hearing how we have the “best economy in history” even though that statement is based on incredibly manipulated numbers and what amounts to complete revisionist history.  We have known for years that we have been living in one of the biggest bubbles ever created.  The financial markets have soared to record highs as a result of manipulation by the Federal Reserve, but are underpinned by nothing.  Anyone with sense knew this bubble would burst sooner or later.  The only question was what would pop the bubble.  Admittedly, this is the subject of an entire dissertation so I will leave it at this.  If it truly was the best economy in history, why did it collapse in a week and if it didn’t, why did it need (as of this week) six trillion in tax dollars to bail it out?    

I am tired of how our government conspires with the Federal Reserve to conjure trillions of dollars out of thin air and then pretends that there are no negative consequences.  Are Americans really so naïve as to believe the middle class isn’t going to get stuck with the bill?  The poor can’t pay and the rich don’t pay.  Put another way, I will be happy to give a two thousand dollar check to any sucker willing to give me ten thousand dollars in “taxes” to pay for me giving them the two thousand dollars.  This is literally what the government is doing to “help” and it appears Americans are truly dumb enough to think this is beneficial. 

Finally, I am tired of people’s apathy and immediate acquiescence to even the most draconian government dictates.  Do we honestly think Google has our best interests in mind volunteering to help track us for the government? This sounds an awful lot like what China does to control its population. For once, many of the “workers” don’t have to be at work.  There is no excuse why we all shouldn’t be marching on our state capitals demanding our Rights instead of sheepishly ignoring the draconian precedents being set daily.  It’s true; no good crisis should go to waste.  However, rather than allowing us to be manipulated by fear into giving up more Rights, let’s use this chance to take back the ones we have lost. 

By Guiles Hendrik

April 11, 2020

The 2019-nCoV Wuhan Novel Coronavirus: Where we stand, what is to come, and what should you do

By now, unless you are already off-grid, you know that a viral outbreak, which began in China, has now gone global. There should be no doubt this is going to cause massive disruptions across the globe, yet due to what many politely refer to as “normalcy bias,” Americans appear oblivious. Even those that are paying attention seem to be under an illusion that the government has a secret plan that will spare the United States from the chaos now spreading across China. Now, as the numbers of infected explode exponentially higher globally, the questions people should be asking are what should I do and when. This is no longer any question of “if” this virus is going to become a pandemic. This pandemic will be a game changer that cannot be averted. So now what?

What should we do is the question I hear most often? As we sit on the eve of a truly global catastrophe, I can’t help thinking that this has eerie similarities to how Americans ignored the warnings as Hurricane Katrina barreled toward the Gulf Coast. In spite of what were very clear warnings and indications Hurricane Katrina was going to cause massive damage, people chose to ignore the ugly reality. Instead of taking action, they found comfort in creating a false reality where nothing changed and everything was going to be okay. Those people died as the levies burst and Katrina’s storm surge poured into the low-lying neighborhoods of New Orleans. The normalcy bias is lethal and you must break free of it mentally. For what it’s worth, Wikipedia defines normalcy bias as “a tendency for people to believe that things will always function the way they have normally functioned and therefore underestimate both the likelihood of a disaster and its possible effects.” The site goes on to claim up to 70% of people display a normalcy bias during a disaster. Americans more than any other people seem to be taught from birth that they have a “right” to happiness and will willfully ignore reality. In fact, many Americans will simply refuse to listen to bad news if it doesn’t fit their created “reality.” Unfortunately for them, denial of reality has never made a person immune from the consequences of reality. As such, the first thing you need to do is realize the gravity of the situation.

How bad will it get is the natural follow-up question. The truth is no one totally knows, but we do have some good insights based on what is occurring in the rest of the world. No one should be under any illusion that people are going to be forced to stay home in mass quarantines of entire cities and regions. All public gatherings will be cancelled. All non-essential travel will be cancelled. Most if not all public transit will be shut down. Businesses and schools will be forced to close. Hospitals will be overrun. Supply shortages will become acute. The global economy will lose trillions. Social unrest is bound to break out and at least limited martial law may be imposed in some of our major cities. The cumulative effect will be big enough to shake up the global order of things. Further, remember disease is an equal opportunity killer and doesn’t discriminate based on your level of wealth. Without doubt, many older people will die. Some of these people will be elites. If you take the government’s numbers at face value, this virus kills approximately 2.2% of those infected. However, of those infected, it kills a much higher number of the elderly and people with pre-existing conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Take a look at our ruling elites around the world. How many fit that category. By time this is all over, many of them could be dead if a vaccine isn’t quickly developed.

At this point, you are already better off than 70% of the population if Wikipedia is to be believed because you now have internalized as fact, things are not going to be the same. You have overcome the normalcy bias. This is key because now you can properly appreciate the growing body of information to know what post outbreak life will be like. That hurdle is literally the most difficult mental jump for most Americans so congratulations. Now, with your eyes opened, you are ready to make a plan and take action. Let’s look more specifically at key areas and discuss what can be done.

The economic impact is going to be massive. There is just no avoiding this one. The stock market is going to crater so consider liquidating equities that aren’t long hold or gold related. After the markets dropped today, it may be too late to sell your stocks and you have to ride out the storm. For those savvy enough to trade options or short stocks you already know there is money to be made as the market goes down. At minimum, the best advice for most people is to simply start pulling out cash. Keep only what you need in your accounts. As the virus spreads, banks could quickly become insolvent. This will almost undoubtedly lead to banking holidays, freezes, and collapses.

Supply chain disruptions will also become common. Businesses will be forced to shut down operations. China to some degree can attempt to force workers to go back to work (doesn’t appear even in China this has been successful), but for liability reasons alone, forcing employees to come to work in the West is a non-starter. This will quickly lead to widespread supply shortages. Anything you think you will need to hunker down and wait out the storm, you should stock up on now. Based on China, one should prepare to go months, not weeks, without essential supplies if you want to avoid sick people. Further, do not rely on delivery services. As soon as the first stock worker at a fulfillment center falls ill, Amazon and others will be forced to reduce or suspend operations. At the top of your list should be essential medications and non-perishable food stuffs. You can tolerate a lot on a full belly, but once you become hungry, things get ugly fast. In particular, Americans simply do not know what it’s like to go without or starve. Expect people to be very angry if they can’t get their soymilk and beer.

Censorship and false information always go hand-and-hand with major disasters. Let’s start with the internet, news, and tech companies.  China has deleted all but a very few stories that were smuggled out.  Even the doctor that initially called attention to the virus was suppressed and ultimately died in China.  It’s not just China though.  In the West, a popular site called Zero Hedge was banned on Twitter for simply suggesting there could be a link between the virus and scientists in China that had worked on similar pathogens https://www.zerohedge.com/.  Most would not have even cared or noticed, but it was enough to send the censors into a frenzy.  Why not allow the readers to make up their own minds?  You see, during a crisis, the governments must control the narrative.  Truth has to be what they create or it will be censored.  We have words for this…propaganda, misinformation, and disinformation.  This isn’t good for you or society and certainly hasn’t helped us prepare for the pandemic.  We have already seen China manipulating data and outright lying about the severity of the outbreak. Further, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization (WHO) have been anything but candid. The WHO in particular seems to be parroting communist party lines and kowtowing China’s demands at the expense of sensitizing the rest of the world to the severity of the crisis. Back home, the CDC hasn’t done Americans any favors either and appears far more interested in suppressing the actual number of infected than preparing Americans. Remember, it is always in the government’s interest to attempt to maintain order to maintain their power. Their interest is status quo. If people get upset and unrest breaks-out, they are not there to help you.  They are there to control you. They are there to ensure they stay in power. In almost every case, this means you are the one that will have to suffer for the “greater good.”

Don’t plan on the government helping you. The government doesn’t have a magic bullet. They simply can’t help everyone. Further, they aren’t good at it as demonstrated by the Department of State’s botched medical evacuations of Americans from China and the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan. Instead of helping, expect the government to act in a broad heavy-handed fashion such as locking down entire cities irrespective of the interests of the citizens. Depending on where you happen to be, this may prevent you from escaping the pandemic. In fact, like the people quarantined to the cruise ship, the government’s actions put them at far greater risk. Partial and then full quarantines are almost a certainty and Americans are not going to like it. Also, the “government” isn’t some far off group of superhumans that are immune to this disease. We will be lucky if the garbage men show up to work in most areas. As soon as a soldier shows up on base or at the Pentagon with this virus, the whole place will be closed down. Congress is certainly not going to hold session in D.C. with a major pandemic spreading. Even the White House will be forced to shut its doors and move to an offsite location. Contractors and staffers definitely are not going to be there to support operations. The point is there will be very few people left at work to steer this ship and you are not going to be their priority.

Families are going to be forced to make tough decisions. I can’t make these decisions for you, but you should consider them now. Do you stay together because you or your spouse has an essential job or do you bug out separately? Do you avoid your parents because they are more susceptible to the virus? What about your kids? Who is going to stay home to take care of them? The first child that shows up sick in school will also cause an instant exodus. I doubt many school systems in the U.S. will be able to complete this year without a major disruption. How about pets? Do you have enough feed on-hand to sustain them through a long quarantine?

Where to from here? Is it time to bug out? You ultimately have to make the call. The virus can take weeks to show so by the time “everyone” is sick, it will be too late to bug out. If you are going to go, this week is probably getting close to check-out time if you live in any major city in the U.S. If you are solo or want to risk it, you may get another week, but quarantines can be enacted very rapidly. Now is the time to get things in order, check your gear, restock essentials, and make your plan. Very soon, it will be time to cash out, pack out, and get out.

 

By Guiles Hendrik
February 24, 2020

Is the Middle East about to Break Out in a Major Saudi-Iranian War?

The last week has witnessed some unprecedented changes across the Middle East.  These events have moved the entire region closer to a major Sunni-Shia conflict.  As such, it is important to review what has occurred and assess if this will lead to a major war.  If so, it will have major strategic implications for the US so are you prepared? Read more

China Threatens to Attack United States if US Strikes North Korea

Spoiler:  This is the wild card worst case scenario I warned could materialize. 

Before today’s announcement in China’s state run press, we could only speculate what China’s response would be to a war with North Korea.  Today, China signaled as directly as China will ever signal that it is prepared to go to war with the United States in the event the US preemptively strikes North Korea or attempts to change the strategic balance in the region.  This is a catastrophic game changer that could ultimately lead to a massive nuclear exchange and the deaths of over one billion people.  Read more

North Korea to use Chemical and Biological Weapons Against the US

Too many Americans are completely detached from the horrors of war as the US has enjoyed an unprecedented period of peace within its continental borders.  The ability to not know war has been a precious luxury enjoyed for a generation in the US, but is now taken completely for granted.  For most, war is just another form of entertainment like sports games and movies.  In fact, to the average person, there is literally no distinction between the Hollywood war movies and reality.  Why would there be when roughly only four tenths of a percent of the US population is serving in the military and far less have actually fought its wars?  This makes it highly likely most Americans don’t even know a vet.  There are many problems with this disassociation.  However, the most detrimental has been that our nation has become so insulated from war they feel that we can kill with impunity around the globe.  Symptomatic of this condition is the apathy Americans demonstrate to our military intervention overseas.  We now allow our nation to blindly blunder into global conflict without even a debate.  Americans have forgotten the actual human costs and the horrors of what a war is like if it comes to our own shores.  This always ends badly and if a war with North Korea begins, we may very soon learn what it is like to see war again on American soil.

Currently, the Trump Administration has overtly entered or continued US involvement in wars in Yemen, Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq without any debate, votes, or justification.  Literally, President Trump has picked a new fight every month he has been in office.  My fear is that President Trump is now setting the stage for an unavoidable conflict with North Korea making him five for five.  Let me be clear, I do not believe President Trump has many options left with North Korea.  However, I fear that he will not chose the best courses of action and it will cost the US an incredibly high price.  I don’t say this lightly.  Conflicts in Syria and Iraq have the potential to spread and end in a disaster for the US in large part because they will financially bankrupt our nation and lead to the wholesale slaughter of millions of innocent people.  However, the US has not fought a war since WWII where the adversary had the ability to attack the US mainland.  Am I suggesting North Korea has the ability to physically invade the US and pelt of with missiles?  No.  In fact, North Korea does not have that ability at all.  However, North Korea has the ability to asymmetrically attack the US with some of the most horrendous weapons known to man and you need to be prepared.

War with North Korea is looking more and more inevitable.  Neither side is willing to back down.  If there is to be war, even the best case is still horrible.  The best case would be a surprise US nuclear strike against the North Korean regime and its military installations ending the war quickly and with minimal US and allied casualties.  A far uglier picture emerges if the Trump Administration opted for, even if just initially, a conventional option.  Using conventional weapons would allow North Korea time to deploy not just its conventional weapons, but its chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons.  This would almost guarantee Seoul would be reduced to rubble and tens of thousands of American and South Korean casualties would be incurred within the first 24-48 hours of the conflict.  If the US and South Korean troops had to conventionally fight the entire war, we would be looking at close to a million casualties and our nation utterly bankrupted by the conflict.  Further, this is assuming China doesn’t enter the war, which would truly make it a WWIII endgame scenario and this isn’t at all unlikely.

However, irrespective of the financial cost and the massive loss of life associated with a war in North Korea, Americans, have in their comforts, become totally ignorant of the fact that North Korea has planned for and put in place numerous asymmetric means to attack the US.  To be blunt, North Korea is prepared to attack the US homeland in horrific ways should war break out.  In particular, over the course of time, North Korea is rumored to have smuggled via diplomatic pouches numerous biological and chemical weapons into the US through its United Nations mission in New York.  Disturbingly, once the technology to produce these types of weapons is achieved, and North Korea has achieved it, these weapons are relatively easy to smuggle and very difficult to track.  Adding to the problem is that a very small amount of these weapons can inflict large number of casualties.  If true, literally every city in the US could be simultaneously attacked with a full range of biological and chemical weapons.  In particular, North Korea is already believed to have smuggled VX nerve agent into a foreign country and used it to assassinate a political rival.  In larger quantities, VX could be dispersed over crowded areas to inflict large numbers of casualties and to create massive panic in cities like New York and Washington, DC.  If not bad enough, a far scarier threat exists.  North Korea is believed to have been mass producing anthrax and has likely mass produced other biological weapons such as smallpox, francisella tularensis, and hemorrhagic fever virus.  Any one of these agents could be released in densely populated areas and cause a massive number of deaths.  Finally, North Korea may have the ability to detonate a space based nuclear weapon over the US releasing an EMP capable of blacking out a large portion of the North American grid.  I consider this scenario less likely due to North Korea’s technological challenges and US countermeasures; however, if China becomes involved, the probability of this scenario is 100%.  Should that event occur, the US will effectively be destroyed.  Before the grid could be rebuilt, some congressional studies estimate that two-thirds of the US population or approximately 200,000,000 people would die.  Not even our grandchildren will live to see the US recover from this type of attack.  Let that sink in for a moment.  The war that President Trump is about to start has the potential to destroy the US.

If what I have just written didn’t scare the hell out of you, you are completely disassociated with reality and need professional help.  I am not trying to create panic and I do not subscribe to fear mongering.  Unfortunately, reality isn’t always pretty and as much as we would like to deny the uncomfortable, it is critical we recognize threats and dangers.  North Korea is a very big threat and far more dangerous than Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan combined.  Remember, President Bush believed Afghanistan was going to be a quick war against some illiterate savages, but over a decade and a half later, we are still mired in his war we have already strategically lost.  Iraq proved to be another example of Washington’s hubris and overly optimistic military predictions.  In fact, the history of warfare demonstrates that in nearly every case, wars prove to be much longer, tougher, and more costly than predicted.  Why would anyone think North Korea will be a war any less costly when all indicators say the exact opposite?  I am curious because as I type, no fewer than three American aircraft carrier battle groups are steaming towards the Korean Peninsula prepared for a military showdown and nearly no one aside from Ron Paul is urging restraint.  I think the answer is that Americans are living in ignorance and have no concept of the hell this war will most likely bring to our lives.  Again, war with North Korea may be unavoidable, but we need to have a national discussion and the homeland must be prepared for the consequences.

As with all articles, I don’t just point out the problems.  I offer solutions.  In this case, the truth is you and I aren’t going to change a damn thing.  All we can control is our actions and to a limited degree help those around us.  Ideally, now may be a good time to literally leave the US for an extended vacation that lasts until either the war is over or North Korea backs down.  I don’t make this recommendation lightly.  However, for those that can’t leave or opt to stay, you need to prep your chem/bio response kits.  Everyone in your group now should be at minimum carrying a protective mask with new filter in day bags.  If you have antidote kits for nerve agents and decon kits for blister agents, those should also be packed and make sure you know how to use them.  You should also have antibiotics ready for a biological attack involving a bacterial agent like anthrax.  However, if the bio weapon is viral, we are looking at an untreatable megadeath situation and the only real option is to completely isolate your group from all other people until the virus has burned itself out.  Wherever you plan to stay, make sure you have an area prepped with provisions and the ability to seal it from the outside with plastic and duct tape at minimum.  You also should have enough chem/bio suits prepared for everyone in your group to at least bug out from the hot zone.  If you are driving to work, you should have at least one complete suit in your vehicle and a contingency link up plan for everyone else in your group.  Listen to me; you need to do this immediately.  A war with North Korea is hopefully avoidable, but literally could be launched at any moment in the coming days to weeks.

As for preparations beyond immediate survival, you need to get as much cash on hand as you can withdraw from the banks.  If you have the ability to move money to overseas bank accounts, do it now.  If you are invested in stocks, you should consider taking profits now and holding them until this crisis passes.  Once the market crashes, feel free to re-enter the market and buy up the cheap stocks.  This will lead to a market shock and crash if a war breaks out.  However, some stocks will likely sky rocket in value.  I am personally seeking out companies that specialize in radiological decontamination and chem/bio defenses to invest in.  Call it Machiavellian, but a crisis always presents opportunities for those with the foresight to position themselves to seize it.  Make sure that person is you.  In the interim, please take some basic precautions.  I pray for the best, but will be preparing for the worst.  We will be very blessed indeed if we can get through this crisis with the homeland unscathed.

By Guiles Hendrik

April 17, 2017

Probability for the use of nuclear weapons during the next four years nears 80%

I hate to continually bring you doom and gloom, but in short, the probability that nuclear weapons will be used within the next four years has spiked to its highest levels since the Cuban Missile Crisis.  If you haven’t reviewed your contingency plans you should.  However, this article is not meant to provide you with detailed bug out plans…search our site for those…it is meant to highlight the growing nuclear risks.

Let’s start with the good news if there is such a thing.  Out of the most likely scenarios, only two involve nuclear weapons being used against the continental United States.  These are worst case scenarios and involve a nuclear exchange with Russia and or China.  The bad news is that the potential for nuclear war with both powers has sharply risen.  With respect to Russia, if the US continues to press for regime change in Syria and uses military force, it will force a military confrontation with Russia that could spiral out of control and involve nuclear weapons.  Respective of China, it is assessed as unlikely, but possible China would join forces with Russia and Iran against the US if a direct military confrontation breaks out in Syria.  However, far more likely is the probability China joins forces with North Korea if a war breaks out and that leads to a nuclear exchange.

Note that North Korea is not listed.  North Korea currently does not possess a viable capability to strike the United States.  They are rumored to have the ability to detonate a nuclear weapon in space to cause an EMP, but the likelihood of them successfully carrying out this type of attack is very low due to their technical problems and the ability of the US to counter any attack.  However, North Korea certainly has the ability to detonate a nuclear weapon on the Korean Peninsula and the chances of this are dramatically increasing.  In fact, many analysts believe China no longer has the ability to reign in North Korea and the opportunity to avert a war is now close to zero.  If true, there will be a war with North Korea within the next 24 months.  Also one must consider North Korea has a full range of chemical and biological weapons that they most likely would use in the event of war prompting a nuclear response by the US.  Adding to the danger is the fact any conventional land war in Korea could quickly cause over a million casualties.  The costs would be too high for the US to tolerate and the war would quickly go nuclear, if not from the onset, contrary to what many people in the US may believe.  As such, in the event of war with North Korea, it will be a nuclear war.  If China remains out of the conflict, we will be relatively safe in the US.  However, if China becomes involved, we will see many people die both abroad and domestically.

While everyone is distracted with their own problems, tensions are once again rising between Pakistan and India.  Both countries have nuclear weapons and events could flare into open conflict again and lead to the use of nuclear weapons.  However, the probability of this is low over the next four years.

Finally, Israel must be assessed.  Israel will not tolerate Iran developing a nuclear weapons capability.  Should Israel become convinced that Iran has continued with its weapons development, it will use tactical nuclear weapons to neutralize the program.  Fortunately, Israel and the US have once again moved closer and will likely coordinate on any war with Iran allowing the US time to de-escalate the situation or at least get out of the way before Israel launches an attack.  This is a wild card scenario because the probability is highly dependent upon other events across the world.  Should the US press with regime change in Syria, Iran will most likely use its 122,000 Shia militiamen in Iraq to overrun the Green Zone and attack US forces in Iraq and then Syria.  This could quickly force the US out of the Middle East leaving Israel to fend for itself increasing the probability of a war with Iran.  However, should the US destroy North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, it will greatly decrease the odds of war with Iran.  Most don’t realize this hidden fact, but Iran has off-shored its nuclear program to North Korea where it has been conducting its weapons development unabated.  Should North Korea be allowed to continue its program, Iran by default will gain a nuclear weapons capability.  Should North Korea be stopped, Iran will also be severely set back.

In conclusion, for the first time in decades, the probabilities for various scenarios where nuclear weapons are used are increasing dramatically across the board.  It is alarming and experts are taking note.  In fact, the odds are now so high, it is safe to assess that a nuclear device will most likely be used within the next four years.  If this conclusion doesn’t get your attention, there is probably nothing that can be said to wake you from your brain dead zombielike existence.  Now is the time to get your Plan B ready because events could spiral quickly out of control in the very near future.

By Guiles Hendrik

April 10, 2017

Lessons Learned from J20 Protests at Trump Inauguration

Before the Inauguration of President Trump fades into memory, I wanted to capture some the important lessons learned.  Please feel free to post on chat boards and begin discussions because this list is by no means all encompassing.  Instead, it is short run down of salient lessons learned to date that were under reported or appreciated.  I would love to see a fully consolidated after action list and would be happy to post it should someone want to submit one.

  • The key takeaway from the Trump Inauguration is that the Left failed. The inauguration was the single best chance Trump’s opposition had to unite and take decisive action against the new president.  The propaganda, anger, and vitriol in the run up to President Trump’s inauguration were unprecedented in our lifetimes.  Nonetheless, the Left utterly failed to stop anything.  The protestors looked like nothing more than a motley band of moronic, spoiled brats with a penchant for destructive behavior.  It was a truly embarrassing show of “force.”
  • The Left is far weaker than they try to present. Their numbers they mustered on the streets amounted to small bands of Soros hired anarchists and was far below even the lowest estimates presented by the media.  Any large scale national resistance movement by the Left is currently impossible with their current numbers and capabilities irrespective of Soros funding.
  • Anarchists are still targeting downtown business districts close to mass transportation hubs. This is important for future planning and preparation purposes.  In the case of DC, the majority of protests materialized in the vicinity of the main train station (Union Station) and Metro Station, which is the second largest metro hub in DC outside of Union Station.
  • Violent protestors are cowards and fear strong opposition. When confronted by individuals prepared and capable of self-defense, the Leftists resigned themselves to shouting obscenities, but avoided further escalation.  In the few examples where they miscalculated and tried to attack a competent solo individual, they uniformly had their butts kicked.  The pro-Trump biker groups were a strong testament to this effect.  It is clear the Left is in fear of groups willing and capable of proportionally responding with like violence should they try to attack anyone.
  • Violent protestors prey on the weak. A review of the attacks and destruction that occurred during the DC protests/riots shows that victims were not chosen at random.  Solo individuals and unguarded/unprotected property were the primary targets of the mob.  In many cases, women attempting to simply go to work were attacked.  One of the most egregious cases involved a violent mob attack and beating of a lady walking with a cane, which left her hospitalized.
  • Attendees wearing Trump attire were targeted if they appeared weak or in small numbers.
  • A screening of dozens of videos of attacks committed by rioters and protestors overwhelming demonstrated none had professional martial arts training. The individuals uniformly attacked people they thought they could bully and easily overpower, but never displayed any degree of competence in hand-to-hand combat.
  • The mob was easiest to penetrate by simply donning black attire. Our operatives wore black hoodies with black cargo pants and were able to easily infiltrate the mobs of anarchists.
  • By dressing like the anarchists (all black, face obscured, adorned with communist symbols), it was easy to target, approach, and “remove” anyone that appeared to be a major agitator in any said group. This tactic proved very effective at dispersing mobs and disrupting the protestors/rioters.  Critical to this tactic were speed and surprise.  Once action was necessary, infiltrators needed to neutralize the threat rapidly and then make an escape through the crowd to a secure area before anyone realized what was going on.
  • Preparing for a confrontation in high-pro kit was suitable for group shows of force for property defense, but was of limited utility in disrupting the mobs. Anyone wearing kit was too high profile to penetrate the mob of rioters and immediately drew the focus of hostilities.
  • Do not park any vehicles along streets. Roving mobs of anarchists blocks from the center of hostilities were seen randomly vandalizing property.
  • Keep plenty of fire extinguishers available. Fire is still the most dangerous threat widely faced.  Extinguishers also make a great (and perfectly legal) area dispersal or screening agent.  In fact, we found that simply discharging an extinguisher provided far better obscuration than typical smoke generating devices.
  • The police didn’t intervene except in the most egregious cases. They must maintain their lines for safety and security and have to preserve their limited manpower.  Riot trained police know that they must maintain a tight cohort.  Getting separated is extremely dangerous for an officer.  In DC, when they did make an arrest, they did it in a big group.
  • The police in DC used good discretion. If anything, most people wanted them to act more aggressively against the rioters.  In every case we witnessed, which included fights between pro and anti-Trump attendees, the true agitator(s) were arrested.
  • Don’t expect the police to be able to help you during major protests and riots. Their manpower is dedicated to protecting key infrastructure and persons…not you and your property.
  • Don’t expect the police to leave their lines immediately and come to your aid to break up a confrontation with violent anarchists. Police stood by and did not intervene in most of the minor assaults we witnessed.  That said, we witnessed a woman assaulted by a weaselly, male (barely) protestor trying to block her access to a venue and she decked the protestor.  The protestors screamed for her arrest, but the police took no action.  The lady then proceeded unmolested on to her destination.

This is a short list of some of the highlights of our observation teams last week.  Again, we ask that you post this to discussion boards.  We want to capture all of the lessons learned.  Each of these bullets provides plenty of fodder for further discussion and value to planning and preparation for future events involving mass civil unrest.

 

By Guiles Hendrik

January 27, 2017

President Trump’s First Major International Test could lead to Nuclear War with North Korea

Much has been made of President Trump’s proposed domestic policies as he was sworn in today as the 45th President of the United States.  However, as all eyes are focused on Washington, DC, President Trump’s first major political test may have already materialized.   North Korea has threatened it will conduct an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test in violation of international sanctions.  President Trump had already stated that any North Korean launch “won’t happen,” (See: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/02/world/asia/trump-twitter-north-korea-missiles-china.html?_r=0) so a showdown between the US and North Korea is underway.  How each side acts and responds could literally mean the US engages in a nuclear war with North Korea potentially within a week. Read more

Prepper Relocation Part V: The True Best Places to Relocate

Over the past two weeks, I have released a series on prepper relocation that completely changes the old conventional theories that drove prepper relocation strategies (See: http://www.lastminutesurvival.com/?s=prepper+relocation).  The key takeaway you learned from the research is that you do not need to relocate to a remote region to survive.  In fact, it is actually counterproductive to be too isolated.  Now that you know relocation to a place like Idaho is no longer necessary and even counterproductive, where are the best places to relocate?  The good news is that you have far greater options depending on what you are prepping for in light of the results of my research.  In today’s conclusion to the five part series, I will introduce you to both domestic and international options that are readily available to anyone looking for a thorough, full spectrum relocation strategy that will work even under the most extreme situations.  Read more

Prepper Relocation Part IV: The Fatal Error of Relocating to an Isolated Region

One of the single biggest mistakes preppers make is that they buy into the myth that relocating to a small region in the North West corner of the United States is their “best” chance of survival.  As you now know from my previous three articles in this series, this theory is inaccurate and is not based on any sound research.  Further, it causes people to unnecessarily incur significant additional costs and difficulties when developing their preparedness plans. However, what you still may not know is that there is a large body of empirical evidence that repeatedly demonstrates people living in isolated, remote areas are often at the greatest risk during wide spread social chaos and collapse.  Not coincidentally, these people also suffer some of the most hardships.  Therefore, with respect to our contemporary situation in the United States, preppers relocating to Idaho with the explicit intent to escape an oppressive government and or are planning to escape widespread instability during a systemic collapse of the system might very well be signing their death warrants.  Instead, contrary to contemporary prepping strategies, it would be better to be closer if not in the midst of a more densely populated area.

I understand what I just wrote probably sent many readers into anger and shock.  Nonetheless, it is far better to get the right information now then to continue along a misguided path to destruction.  No doubt, some readers will immediately discount what I am about to say because they are blinded by their own preconceived biases.  I cannot help those people.  Thankfully, the majority of my readers are intelligent thinking people that will quickly grasp the conclusions to be drawn from the evidence and modify their preparedness strategies accordingly.  In fact, don’t take my word alone, I invite everyone to conduct their own independent research into our prepping assumptions and disseminate their findings.

My theories seem counterintuitive to the premise that the farther from people you are, the farther from harm you are.  This is because the basic assumptions of this safety distance premise are flawed.  As the theory goes, in the event of a collapse or major catastrophe, being located away from people in a remote, self-sufficient redoubt is your best chance.  I have already discussed why the 300 mile rule is a useless metric and that the notion of a “Golden Horde” of refugees fleeing a city and destroying all in their wake is equally unfounded and completely untrue.  The last pillar of this theory is that being isolated conveys additional survival benefits.  To test it accurately, one must evaluate case studies from around the world and then correctly apply them to a realistic scenario domestically.  Read more

Prepper Relocation Part III: A Letter to the Prepper Community

Before I post Part IV, I want to pause and recap the huge amount of ground already covered in parts one and two of this series (See links below to read and catch up).  Previously, I showed that the most common assumptions preppers base their relocation decisions on are completely false and actually counterproductive to outright dangerous.  The research I presented is groundbreaking within our community because it completely overturned the very foundation of what many have spent a lifetime basing their preps around.  Understandably, some people within the prepper community have received the new information as radical heresy and immediately took to the defense.  When new information is presented to any community, this visceral reaction is to be expected.  After all, it challenged their entire basis for their preps and in this case, proved that much of their foundational assumptions were based on bad information. Read more

Prepper Relocation Part II: The Myth of a 300 Mile Radius and the Golden Horde

In part one of our series on “Prepper Relocation,” I directly addressed a common false logic amongst preppers that led to bad conclusions regarding why one should relocate to Idaho.  Specifically, I challenged the idea that a bunker was a viable long term survival strategy for a major catastrophe many prep for such as nuclear war.  Simply establishing a second residence in a modern first world location like Santiago, Singapore, or New Zealand offer far better options for survival, both physically and economically, than hiding in a hole while a nuclear war is carried out above you.  Today, I continue the slaughter of the sacred cows and challenge the merits of relocating to a site far from other people.  As I previously discussed, relocation isn’t a subject to take lightly.  It may be the single most important decision a prepper makes and therefore any plan should be heavily vetted before time and money is invested in executing it.  Therefore, one must consider counter arguments to contemporary “expert” recommendations.  By leveraging the information in this series, you will be far better prepared to develop a personalized answer to what truly is you “best prepper place to relocate.”

Contemporary prepper logic states that the farther your relocation site is from dense centers of population, the better.  In fact, the magic number often touted is that you must be at least 300 miles from any major population center.  However, is this really the case?  This is very important because if 300 miles is accurate, it severely constrains your relocation options.  If it is not a valid constraint, then suddenly you have many good options for relocation depending on the specific scenario you are prepping for.  As such, let’s examine what that conclusion is premised upon.  Breaking the theory down, you have two main hypotheses to vet.  The first is that 300 miles provides a necessary and adequate buffer from an urban center.  The second is that from said urban area a horde of starving refugees will emerge and overrun your redoubt.

Let me be the first to tell you neither hypothesis constituting this prepper theory, which to date has been held up as prepper law, is valid.  Read more

Prepper Relocation Part I: Questioning the Common Logic

I routinely read articles online where individuals pontificate about where the best places for preppers to live or relocate too are.  What I don’t usually see is any real cognitive effort to do a realistic analysis and assessment. This should be a red flag.  Selecting your relocation site is one of the most important decisions a prepper must make.  It is too important to be made on hearsay and opinions.  Therefore, I am going to question that contemporary prepper relocation logic.  I am going to debunk common myths and offer better alternatives that will help you develop a personalized answer to what truly is you “best prepper place to relocate.”  When this series is complete, you will be armed with critical information necessary for identifying your ideal relocation spot.  Don’t be surprised if after this eye opening series your philosophy on how you previously evaluated and envisioned your relocation site looks completely different.

Most preparedness “experts” would define the common prepper relocation logic is to find a place as far as possible from other people in an area still suitable for an off-grid, self-sustaining lifestyle.  This implies the location has ample water, good soil, and a good growing season.  Add a couple wild card factors like being outside the blast radius and fallout pattern of a nuclear detonation and avoiding known earthquake prone areas and most preppers conclude that Idaho is the choice destination.  James Wesley Rawles, a man well known and respected throughout the prepper community and a recognized expert on the field is a big advocate of this relocation option.  In Rawles’ defense, Idaho may indeed be a good location for some preppers for some reasons.  However, Rawles and many others are basing many of their primary assumptions on outdated information, obsolete tactics and techniques, and generally old school logic that when tested in real world scenarios, fails.  I don’t take this indictment lightly.  If we get this wrong, we die and that is why it is so important we first question some of the fundamental assumptions the conventional prepper relocation plan is based upon.  Read more

Are you prepared for the “Day of Rage?”

Tomorrow, Friday July 15th has been announced as a “day of rage” to protest perceived social injustices across the nation.  Most major metropolitan areas have been identified as areas targeted by possible protests.  Now, just because a day of rage is called for online, it doesn’t mean anyone will turn out.  However, based on past Black Lives Matter (BLM) events that turned violent, it would be wise to take precautions out of an abundance of caution.  So what should you do if you happen to live, work, or pass through these named areas?

I have written many pieces over the years explaining how to prepare for the mobs rioting and burning our cities during times of social unrest.  Per my piece in June, I detailed how to defend against fire, which may be your most pressing threat during a riot.  (See: http://www.lastminutesurvival.com/2016/06/06/how-to-protect-your-home-from-rioting-mobs-using-fire-as-a-weapon/ )  I also have discussed in detail how to organize your community into a common defense since private citizens, NOT law enforcement have proven time and again to be your best defense for life and property against the mob.  (See stories listed at: http://www.lastminutesurvival.com/?s=ferguson)  For extremely bad situations, we have also put together the Civilian Response Force composed of volunteer citizens from across to the nation willing to help those located in high threat or disaster areas.  (See: http://www.lastminutesurvival.com/2015/01/21/lms-civilian-response-team-ferguson-conundrum-solved-by-community-security/)  All of these articles present a coherent comprehensive strategy for the defense of you and your community and should be reviewed in detail.

Specific to those needing to make “last minute” preparations for tomorrow’s planned “day of rage” touted as a “peaceful” event, I would recommend the following.

Family:  Get any non-essential family members out of the danger area.  If you can, have them stay with family or friends until you know it is safe to return.  Before parting ways, make sure everyone knows your plan in the event you need to bug out and ensure that includes a “no-comms” plan.

Fire:  Go to Costco or similar store and make a bulk purchase of fire extinguishers.  Chemical extinguishers that work on gasoline/petroleum and electrical fires are optimum.  Place these extinguishers in easy to access locations close to any windows and doors of your home and on all levels of your home.  If you have any combustible material around your house, remove it.  Be especially vigilant to get rid of gas cans and such in easily accessible locations like sheds and outbuildings that a rioting mob could easily access.

Preparations for Defense:  Prep your kit for either bugging out or the defense.  Weapons, ammunition, and any other associated items like body armor should be staged and ready if the situation deteriorates and dictates the need to defend your home and family.  If the situation becomes hopeless (block is engulfed in fire, overrun, etc.) be prepared to bug out.  Have a go bag staged and multiple evacuation routes and options ready for execution.  Make sure you let at least one other trusted person know your whereabouts and plans should you need to execute a bug out.

Medical:  Inventory, update, prep, and stage any medical equipment you have or intend to use in a casualty collection point.  This should be somewhere safe in your home and could be a safe room, basement, or internal room with no windows and doors.  The most critical items such as tourniquets should be staged and at the ready.

Vehicles:  Any vehicles that you cannot store inside a locked garage should be driven and stored outside of the area of disorder.  Vehicles left along streets are likely to be vandalized, stolen, or torched during riots.  If you chose to keep a vehicle at your residence, make sure it is prepared to be used to bug out on short order.  That means any tools, extraction equipment, and hardening should be complete.  Any maintenance should be done.  Make sure the vehicle is fully gassed.  Also make sure your spare tire(s) are easily accessible and your tire change equipment is staged if you don’t use run flat tires.

Community:  Now is a good time to coordinate your plans with likeminded individuals in your neighborhood.  Optimally, there are at least a few other people on your block that will be prepared and ready to react if your area is targeted by the mob.  Have a plan to communicate, react, and provide mutual support.  If you are short on manpower, access your prepper network for friends from out of town willing to come into town and establish security at and around your home.  Respective of the rest of the neighborhood, assume they are sympathetic to other causes and even possibly hostile to anyone bearing arms in defense of their homes and family so keep a low profile unless the situation dictates.

Travel/Business:  If you do not live in said high threat area, but must travel through it or work in the immediate area, you must also take precautions.  Make sure you have your bug out bag with you and your primary, alternative, and emergency evacuation plans are made and ready to execute.  Monitor the radio for signs of trouble and have your cell phone with a backup battery ready.  Make sure you dress appropriately and assume you may have to move miles on foot.

Be safe by being prepared.

 

By Guiles Hendrik

July 14, 2016

 

More reading:  http://www.lastminutesurvival.com/2013/12/02/overcoming-the-greatest-prepper-weakness-the-individual-versus-the-community-and-a-plan-for-the-future/

Preppers are waking up to the survival myth of the “solo prepper”

This week I read a piece by “Mac” MacWelch of Advanced Survival Training (http://www.advancedsurvivaltraining.com/).  In it he argues that the lone wolf survivor is a myth.  Unless preppers set aside small differences and organize your chances of surviving a true chaos event is small.  I am glad to see his article and completely agree.  I have been working for years to educate people on this exact subject and I am very happy to see attitudes and minds within the greater prepper community have finally begun to embrace this very basic, but very critical aspect of survival.  I don’t want to understate the importance of this survival attitude gaining traction.  Once “preppers” start to see themselves as a part of a greater community instead of independent and fearful of the community, we will make significant progress toward free, safe, and independent lives.

I want to reference my article from 2013 on the “Greatest Prepper Weakness.”  (See:  http://www.lastminutesurvival.com/2013/12/02/overcoming-the-greatest-prepper-weakness-the-individual-versus-the-community-and-a-plan-for-the-future/) The article garnered quite a bit of response from individuals across the US, but it was clear that it woke people up.  I ask all of you to read it and ponder what is being proposed.  Like Mac, I argue that preppers must erase the walk away and hide till it’s over mentality because it isn’t a viable survival strategy. This isn’t just my opinion.  It is based on learned real life experience and what I practice.  (See:  http://www.lastminutesurvival.com/2015/01/27/when-the-shtf-you-can-come-to-my-placeseriously/)  I have witnessed nations in all stages of chaos and in every single place the people that were doing the best were the ones that stuck together in big groups.  Those of you that still feel that you can run to the mountains and lock yourself in your bunker I applaud your preparations, but ask you to reconsider your actual survival odds versus uniting with other like-minded people with diverse and useful skillsets.  If you really feel your preps are sufficient, please write me and we can discuss hundreds of real world examples that prove beyond any doubt the strategy does not work beyond a very short term.  The articles provide a plan of action and not just arguments about how best to prep.  Only by uniting, putting aside petty differences, and working toward the greater good will we come out of this in good order.  Feel free to contact me with questions, but for now, I wish you all the best of luck and hope to see you in my community someday.

 

By Guiles Hendrik

July 12, 2016

Tuberculosis is reemerging as a major health threat in the US

Following up to my previous articles on antibiotic resistant bacteria, Tuberculosis (TB) has reemerged as one of the major antibiotic resistant disease threats to the public.  TB in particular is highly contagious and is a disease you CAN get just from sitting beside someone on a bus or train.  TB used to be one of the biggest killers in the world until antibiotics all but erased the disease from the US.  However, TB persisted in other nations and is now returning in force to the US via illegal immigrants and refugees.  Unlike before though, the strands of TB carried by these illegals are resistant or highly resistant to antibiotic treatment and pose a huge threat to public safety.  Sadly, because of political correct insanity, our own government has chosen to risk the lives of the population and ignore this threat.

You read that correctly.  Even though antibiotic resistant TB has the ability to rapidly spread and become a death sentence for thousands of innocent American citizens, your government and media have ignored it.  They are more concerned about flooding your local towns with enemy combatants to create chaos and division or to create Democrat majorities in key swing states than they are concerned about your health.  This is deadly treason and will kill more Americans than any terrorist attack.  I have repeatedly warned about this bio-terrorism http://www.lastminutesurvival.com/2014/09/26/obama-administration-is-carrying-out-bio-terrorism-inside-the-usa/.  Even worse, it is completely preventable, but our “leaders” refuse to do a thing about it.  Once resistant TB reaches epidemic proportions the politicians will feign ignorance and will act surprised, but make no mistake, they were fully briefed on the threat while it could still be contained and did nothing. Read more

Age of the Super Bug has dawned: Are you ready for a bio-catastrophe?

Why should you care about what I am writing about today?  “Each year in the United States, at least 2 million people become infected with bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics and at least 23,000 people die each year as a direct result of these infections.” (Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)  This is about to get potentially unimaginably worse.

Back in 2013, I wrote an article entitled, “Head of CDC Says It’s Time to Sound the Alarm on Antibiotic Resistant Superbugs” http://www.lastminutesurvival.com/tag/incurable/.  In it, I explained that we were reaching a point where the spread of antibiotic resistant diseases would fundamentally alter our lives.  In a world of resistant bacteria, even simple infections from cuts and scrapes will be deadly.  Modern surgical medicine will be highly risky to impossible because of the untreatable bacterial infections.  Perhaps most terrifying, the resistance will spread to previously eliminated diseases like Tuberculosis and allow for them to reemerge in a much more lethal form.  I warned that if new antibiotics were not developed, we could soon be facing a time where cities become nothing more than death zones.  Now, only three years later, we have crossed a major milestone of the worst case with the confirmed emergence of bacteria in the US resistant to the last resort antibiotic treatments.

Let me be clear.  The US government is in panic mode behind the scenes.  Although, government officials are sounding the “stay calm,” doctors and infectious disease specialists are much blunter about the dire implications of bacteria that are totally resistant to our treatments of last resort.  Lena H. Sun writes in the Washington Post; “For infectious-disease experts, the nightmare scenario is for the gene to spread to bacteria that are now susceptible only to colistin.  That would make them invincible to any antibiotic, unstoppable by the most lifesaving drugs of modern medicine.” (Source:  https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/how-these-biomedical-detectives-identified-the-dreaded-new-superbug-in-us/2016/06/06/96ac8922-2bda-11e6-9de3-6e6e7a14000c_story.html?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_most-draw6)  As soon as the resistance is spread to other bacteria and they become more wide spread, the consequences could be catastrophic.  It is so serious; it isn’t a coincidence the discovery was made by the Department of Defense (DoD).  The DoD has conducted research into biological weapons for decades and views the development of last resort resistant bacteria in the US like a nuclear weapon about to be unleashed.  In fact, it actually could be far worse.  Read more

How to protect your home from rioting mobs using fire as a weapon

Fire at the US Consulate, Benghazi, Libya. Source: www.aljazeera.com

Fire at the US Consulate, Benghazi, Libya. Source: www.aljazeera.com

As the presidential political landscape takes shape, even a passive observer can tell it is looking like a violent year.  I have been taking careful notes on these developments and it should have you worried if you live in an urban area.  In particular, it has caused me to review preparations to counter fire dangers.  I have seen firsthand how fire can be used as a weapon either intentionally or inadvertently and it has awesome destructive force.  More specifically, in an urban setting, out of control fires can quickly spread and consume entire blocks in firestorms.  Now, think about your home.  How well is it protected and how prepared are you if fire is used directly or indirectly against your home?  More specifically, if the fire department can’t or won’t respond to your home because of riots and anarchy, will you be able to prevent fire from destroying it?

If you are like most people, you never put much thought into the question I pose.  If not, now is the time.  It is especially important if you live in an urban area and your home is connected or a part of other buildings.  Beginning this summer, the radical extremist foot soldiers of the Left are being marshaled for wide spread violence against civilian targets.  Read more