Preparedness for Gulchers

Posted by davidmcnab 9 years, 6 months ago to Going Galt
78 comments | Share | Best of... | Flag

We are making a farcical descent into a police state. Not just that, but bee populations are collapsing, threatening food supply. Also, water reserves are being critically over-exploited. The oceans are being fished out. And, the world's economy threatens collapse at any time.

This means that the Gulch (or Gulches) are not just a nice pleasant retreat for like-minded people, they are absolutely critical to our survival.

This leads to my question - are there Gulchers among us who participate in preparedness communities? (I believe the older term was 'survivalist'). If so, are there any communities and/or websites you would recommend?

Unless we have the stealth technology mentioned in AS, and this seems a few years off, then a Gulch will only be as good as its members' ability to defend it. Siege strategies are useless - any significant threat from authorities will need to be countered with a way to scatter and disappear into the wilds, then re-convene at another Gulch. This means being prepared to deal with the elements at random times, for random periods of time.

Any thoughts?


Add Comment

FORMATTING HELP

All Comments Hide marked as read Mark all as read

  • 11
    Posted by waytodude 9 years, 6 months ago
    David I've already taken the plunge. I bought a small cattle ranch in a community that has always been about living off the land as much as possible.
    My garden is about 1 acre , raise my own chickens for meat and eggs, raise cattle , starting a small personal orchard. Many ponds for fishing and water supply. I buy hogs from a local producer for pork using a local meat locker to process meat. I eat good.
    Most around here are hunters and with no law enforcement for many miles we look out for each other. I'm very comfortable leaving my keys in my vehicles and my doors unlocked at night (several weapons next to my bed). If one of my neighbors needs anything they know they are welcome to it and leave a note on table letting me know. If I need help with things thley are there to help and vice versa. Most of these people don't know they live in a gulch.
    There are all kinds of good info out there just Google it. The best information about off the grid living is the Amish go talk to them. Another spot is the local coffee café. Very good information can be gained by just listening to those who have lived in an area all their life.
    For me it was not hard to leave my awesome paying job in the city for my life today. All it takes is hard work but it's rewarding.
    Got to get back to the garden.
    Reply | Mark as read | Best of... | Permalink  
    • Posted by johnpe1 9 years, 6 months ago
      sounds like a CSN song from the 60s! . I admire you
      and envy your situation, Tim -- Norris, Tennessee,
      just up the road from here, surprised me in those
      early years when I visited and saw keys in cars and
      unlocked doors. . my dad was a security freak
      and an unlocked door was anathema!!! -- j
      .
      Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
      • Posted by waytodude 9 years, 6 months ago
        John my goal is to let people know there are still places and people like this . When I first got to my gulch I locked everything as I did in the city after a couple of years and became part of my community I have learned to relax. I know it's hard for most to leave their comfort zone and take themselves and family in a uncertain adventures it was for me however once one gets over the learning curve a hole new light will appear and a sense of a far better life replaces uncertainty. The best advice I could give to one on the fence is to jump off and run if not for yourself but for the ones you feel for the most your family.
        Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
    • Posted by gcarl615 9 years, 6 months ago
      I live in a remote area of a far northern state. I live here because it is a long way from any major population center. Most people here have gardens and live stock of some sort. Many hunt for protein and/or just because they can. While no formal "prepper" network seems to exist, informally it is there. Once a person or family establishes themselves as a long timer( a couple of years in my case) people open up and let you see inside the fence so to speak.

      Unfortunately, our nation and the world at large face some serious challenges that may blow up in our collective faces. For me I am trying to gain skills that were in force in the late 1800's. I am having a great time learning how to be a Blacksmith, a woodworker, farmer, etc. While I may take those skills to the grave with me having never had to survive using them, I am doing it for me.

      Will I actively defend my property, You bet your sweet bippy I will. Will I feed people who don't prepare and expect me to feed them? LOL.. NO! Will I feed my neighbor who offers to work for the food, You bet.

      do I hope to actually find some fellow gulchers in real time, You bet!
      Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
    • Posted by 9 years, 6 months ago
      Wow, that's impressive. Well done!
      Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
      • Posted by waytodude 9 years, 6 months ago
        Thanks David. I'm surprised so few have taken the move to make their own Gulch. I view so many here to have far superior intellect than I and I value their input and advice but have a question of why haven't so many taken the plunge when they have told me they believe the time could be so near. I know it's difficult to leave a comfortable life for the unknown. I can tell all its not bad it can be rewarding if you're of strong mind. Hope you can find your gulch.
        Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
  • Posted by $ jlc 9 years, 6 months ago
    CircuitGuy and waytodude et al -

    It is not a binary choice. One can both fight for the restoration of personal freedom and prepare for the event of trouble.

    When someone wants to categorize me as a 'weirdo survivalist', I point out to them that while an asteroid hitting the earth sized cataclysm only happens every 100 million years or so, having your electricity and water cut off for some reason happens to most people every 5 years or so (due to storms, most frequently).

    With the Internet, Susanne and waytodude and other 'far shruggers' can participate in lively discussions whilst tending their ranches and gardens - and they can vote when they want to.
    We who are 'nearby shruggers' should have precautionary supplies on hand!

    Jan
    Reply | Mark as read | Best of... | Permalink  
    • Posted by waytodude 9 years, 6 months ago
      Jan
      I know you are doing all you can where you live. You know I'm here to help with any questions on going further into your or anyone else's gulch.
      Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
      • Posted by $ jlc 9 years, 6 months ago
        Ya'know, I had intended to quit the Gulch after the third AS movie came out: This is the only social media venue I engage in, and I was becoming a bit too...vocal...for my own comfort. But I have learned an incredible amount on this site: history, physics, construction. Normally, I despise 'networking', which generally means 'socializing politely with people with whom you have nothing in common', but contacts with people such as yourself have made me realize that I actually do have something in common with some of the folks in the Gulch. So I decided it was worth the risk of having a ding in my profile - and I stayed in the Gulch.

        Thank you for the offer, waytodude.

        Jan
        Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
    • Posted by $ jdg 9 years, 6 months ago
      There are many possible disaster scenarios, and preparations that would help against many of them are more likely to be worthwhile.

      #1 for me (which I can't afford to do yet) is to get out of any city of 100k or greater, at least an hour away, and preferably not downwind (because someday there will likely be a nuclear war, and the cities are possible targets).
      Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
      • Posted by $ jlc 9 years, 6 months ago
        This is an entirely reasonable goal. It will be made easier by self-driving cars and reasonably priced energy sources for them. I think that the advent of self-driving cars will create a new type of city, as different from our current cities as LA (post automobile city) is from NY (pre auto city).

        Right now, I am at work - but my first meeting does not begin until this afternoon. I could be still in my self driving car, looking at the hot problems in my Inbox (none so far this morning) and organizing my day. Then arrive at work, stay for 4-6 hours of face time with people, get in my car and do a bit of documentation on the way home - or maybe just read a novel or watch a movie.

        I think that our cities will spread out to a 2 hour drive ring around the city center. This will make suburban farms/ranches plausible, distributed power attractive, and limit damage done to a target of military importance.

        Did you know that there is a site where you can test the blast radius of a nuclear bomb of the size of your choice on the map of your choice? http://nuclearsecrecy.com/nukemap/

        Jan
        Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
        • Posted by VetteGuy 9 years, 6 months ago
          Hi Jan,
          Telecommuting is another popular option, and is available for some careers now. I currently work for a company whose office is 1200 miles from my house. My work comes in and goes out electronically. I go weeks without turning on my printer. I could be anywhere with decent internet service, which is an important caveat, and should not be discounted, as I have relatives who CAN'T get decent internet.

          On a different topic - self driving cars - your dream is my nightmare. I'm one of those very few (these days) weirdos who actually enjoys driving! My fear is that I will someday have to donate my trusty '78 to a museum because it will no longer be legal to drive for myself! ;-)
          Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
          • Posted by $ jlc 9 years, 6 months ago
            I think that eventually you may need a 'sport driving' license! But that future is a long time away, and I think that driving yourself will be an option for many decades. For myself, if things get really tricky (such as a high wind), I would still like to be the driver because while my reflexes are not as good as those of a computer, my ability to imagine potential problems is better.

            My management style is 'manage by walking around' so I need to be able to pop into someone's office and chat with them. I like the idea of telecommuting, but am grappling with the problems of detecting productivity at a distance. If you have any advice on this, I would be glad to listen.

            Jan
            Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
            • Posted by 9 years, 6 months ago
              I work as a software developer, 95% by telecommuting. Productivity is measured through physical outputs (code commits) and peer review. Video group meetings occur through Google Hangouts each morning before starting work. The manager is very hands-on - one or more phone calls a day, setting the tone and holding people accountable. This creates an atmosphere where people don't want to goof off, they want to get stuff done.
              Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
            • Posted by VetteGuy 9 years, 6 months ago
              As a manager, telecommuting can be tough. I am one of the "managed" so it is easier for me. My manager hired me after knowing me through industry working groups for years, so there was a level of trust built in. We communicate as needed by phone to make sure I am on the right track. Managing an office with people who need help (such as newbies) would probably not be practical as a full-time remote, but you might be able to cut the commute down to two or three days a week. Senior level people who can help the newbies (without involving you, if possible) is also quite helpful. Of course, each situation is different, and I don't know what kind of business you are in (I am in engineering), so what works for us may not work for you.

              Anyway, that's my 2 cents worth (or maybe less) on that. :-)
              Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
        • Posted by $ rockymountainpirate 9 years, 6 months ago
          I disagree. The plan is to have everyone move into the cities and out of the suburbs. I will see if I can find odipshit saying it on video. That is also the agenda 21 plan, everyone in cities with vast no human habitation areas.
          Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
          • Posted by $ jlc 9 years, 6 months ago
            I do not disagree that this is the Agenda 21 plan. I just do not think that it will happen that way.

            Jan
            Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
            • Posted by $ rockymountainpirate 9 years, 6 months ago
              I cannot find the video of odipshit saying he wants to move people out of their cars and the suburbs and into the cities and mass transit. Very strange it can't be found any longer.
              Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
              • Posted by $ jlc 9 years, 6 months ago
                I had had a similar problem with not being able to find a comment I recall Hillary making to the effect that 'the homeless problem would be solved if everyone with an empty bedroom would just take a homeless person into their family'. I remember the comment, but the Internet is now silent on this.

                As I said, I do not dispute that this is the agenda of the Left, I just do not think it will actually work out that way.

                Jan
                Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
        • Comment hidden by post owner or admin, or due to low comment or member score. View Comment
        • Posted by $ MichaelAarethun 9 years, 1 month ago
          Example people who work in the East Bay or San Francisco itself commute from towns close to Sacramento. Every day. Both ways. That's the closest they could find affordable housing.

          A popular method was chipping in to buy a 15 pax van. One of the non working spouses drives both ways. While the other is at work they shop. Five days a week five different drivers for three weeks or some similar schedule. LA Same way. No one spreads out they just enlarge the sardine can.

          Gives new meaning to 'huddled masses yearning to be squeezed.'
          Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
        • Posted by 9 years, 6 months ago
          Self-driving cars will also provide a long-overdue boost to the hospitality industry. The "designated driver" will be a vast mountain of software, fastidiously designed, thoroughly tested, road-proven, never drunk.
          Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
          • Comment hidden by post owner or admin, or due to low comment or member score. View Comment
          • Posted by $ MichaelAarethun 9 years, 1 month ago
            That then this is now. I like the never drunk part.But why is this a boost only to the hospitality industry? So whose going pay for it? The liquor and drug industry?
            Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
            • Posted by 9 years, 1 month ago
              It will be a boost all round. Emotional/family ramifications aside, road fatalities typically destroy otherwise precious skill-sets. Road injuries take good workers offline for random periods. And then there's other resulting economic inefficiencies due to damage to the car(s). And don't forget that driving, especially over distance, is a mentally demanding and often energy draining task with a significant opportunity cost.

              EVERYONE will benefit from self-driving cars, not just drivers who are temporarily compromised.
              Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
            • Posted by 9 years, 1 month ago
              The private market is doing pretty well with this. Enough large corporate players putting in the R&D.

              I for one would jump at the opportunity to buy a self-driving car, as long as it has (1) Legal and technical capability to drive completely autonomously (without requirement for a sober licensed driver behind the wheel), and (2) Ability to be driven 100% manually.

              I often have to travel nearly 300km in a day to attend head-office meetings, and would love to be able to work at my laptop, or kick back and sleep, while in transit.
              Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
              • Comment hidden by post owner or admin, or due to low comment or member score. View Comment
              • Posted by $ MichaelAarethun 9 years, 1 month ago
                In a sense I became spoiled in later working years. Fifteen steps and one flight down to eat. Three flights up to work eight hours. Three flights down to eat and work four hours over time which was confined to an area no more than 100' wide, 900 ' long and a total of 9 flights up or down maximum - with elevator. to all but the highest and lowest levels. A far cry from the infantry.

                Now I live on a boat and if I stand in the center of the cabin I can cook , eat, work with not more than two steps fore and aft and one step port to starboard. Outside add three step to the stern and eight or nine to the bow. or two steps to a dock or dinghy. Yet when in a port the world comes to me via internet including parts deliveries. I really look forward to the daily long walks and carrying the ruck back with 10 to 30 kilos of whatever. i have one dink and one bicycle and two pairs of walking type athletic shoes and one pair of deck shoes and flappers or flip flops for the shower if I'm near one.

                The extra walking shoes are the back up system. No jackets, no ties, no cold weather gear, five hawaiian or latin type button shirts five golf or tennis type three button shirts, six pair of shorts and two pair of jeans. Socks, jungle style boonie hats. work gloves....two sweatshirts. two of the shirts with the newer of the two athletic shoes complete the formal wear. about a two dozen t shirts. half are printed with something from somewhere or from the Gulch. Half are just plain white. Stealth T Shirts.

                I left out one obvious item. Refer to Jimmy Buffet for the answer.

                Three solar panels, one wind generator accounts for power the rest is the wind. in my sails mmmm one double blade paddle and swim fins...the rest is walking or if far enough local bus.

                Life is SWEEEEET!

                Tonight i'm having fresh caught fish and shrimp with fresh vegetables and a little rice. Choice of a dozen kinds of salsa followed by one each fiction and non-fiction by the bunk and two non-fiction on the table.

                I keep on hand over three thousand books and one thousand selected movies or documentaries through the miracle of external hard drives.

                Latest two came from an editors note in a book by long deceased C.M. Kornbluth referring to books written by his High School English teacher Of five volumes she wrote i snagged the last one available of two - compliments of Amazon - and am chasing any remaining of one in particular Golden Treasury by Mary J.J. Grimm should you chance across it. It discusses every type or style of poetry and gives examples of each.

                What's on your menu?

                Sincerely,

                Living My Life For Me

                PS all the stuff needed to 'survive' comes with the boat. most of the idea came from a former publication called Backwoods Home. SCUBA I forgot SCUBA and snorkeling. And two fishing poles.
                Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
  • Posted by woodlema 9 years, 6 months ago
    I am not part of any "Preper" community; however, I am prepared. I have all the required and necessary resources at hand to deal with a complete power and water infrastructure as well as economic collapse.

    1) 5 gal Homer buckets with rice/beans/flour/sugar/coffee (Rotated regularly)
    2) about 500 rolles of Toilet Paper.
    3) 15 KW portable generator
    4) Rototiller and seeds for planting
    5) All the tools I would need to build anything I want.
    6) 28' enclosed trailer with all my tools and room for my supplies and a small dump truck to pull it with, or run over anyone who stands in my way.
    Reply | Mark as read | Best of... | Permalink  
    • Posted by $ TomB666 9 years, 6 months ago
      What about gas supply to run the generator and truck? I also have those items and for a 'normal' disaster I have enough fuel for a week or so because I always keep our gas tanks at least 1/2 full. How will you deal with a longer term fuel supply problem?
      Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
  • Posted by $ Susanne 9 years, 6 months ago
    Been there, done that... left the looter enclave a few years ago, moved over 30 miles from the nearest "city", with nothing on the other side of us but wilderness (reduces the traipsing of "zombies"), Put the shop together for extra income and barterable talent in a grid down scenario (and it's taken off on me, had no idea changing a business model would prove successful), got livestock, feed, food, etc... putting up a greenhouse, hardening our water supply, just to name a few things...

    The neighbors have done pretty much the same thing. One put in a solar plant on his property, will probably follow suit.

    The biggest thing, tho, is shutting down *everything* and seeing what works and what doesn't in a SHTF/Grid Down situation.
    Reply | Mark as read | Best of... | Permalink  
    • Posted by johnpe1 9 years, 6 months ago
      jlc and I would love to hear about the success
      parameters for the solar project -- probably the rest
      of the online gulch, also -- so Please Post About It !!! -- j
      .
      Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
      • Posted by 9 years, 6 months ago
        Domestic renewable energy sources like wind and solar are great, but storage tends to be a bit of an Achilles heel.
        Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
        • Posted by johnpe1 9 years, 6 months ago
          yes. . battery tech is something which can always
          stand improvement. . my stack of lithium-ion batteries
          here is impressive, but it won't cook my food. -- j
          ,
          Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
          • Posted by 9 years, 6 months ago
            With enough batteries and a decent inverter, it might power an electric stove :)
            Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
            • Posted by johnpe1 9 years, 6 months ago
              ummmmm ... these put out 5, 12 and 19 volts in the
              smaller amperages, usually, but ... several of the 12s
              in parallel might just do a hot plate -- Yes!!! -- j
              .
              Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
              • Posted by 9 years, 6 months ago
                A series-parallel configuration with enough batteries would make up the requirement for a standard domestic kitchen stove.
                Example - if you had a 1200 watt hot plate. With US 110 volt power supply, and 12-volt 1-amp batteries, then to be safe you'd really want to deliver 110 volts at 12 amps. Put 12 of the 12-volt batteries in parallel, that gives you 12 volts at 12 amps. Make up 9 of these sets of parallel batteries, put them in series, and you have 108 volts at 12 amps of DC power.
                However, you really would be better off with a high-capacity inverter, capable of generating 110 volts at 40 amps. Then, you could use the batteries as a 'cache', and have any solar/wind/other energy charging the batteries, while the batteries are being drained to power the household.
                The biggest trick would be the charging circuitry for the lithium batteries - they have a tendency to explode and catch fire if the voltages and timings are not right.
                Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
                • Posted by johnpe1 9 years, 6 months ago
                  let's see ... 108 batteries at about 40 dollars each
                  is kinda steep. . but running my inverter from a
                  stack of about 10 in parallel (with diodes to keep them
                  from fighting one another) might allow some cooking. -- j
                  .
                  Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
                  • Posted by 9 years, 6 months ago
                    Depends on the current rating of the batteries. I'm a bit worried about the feasibility with the hot plate. With low voltage high power applications, huge amounts of power get eaten by the wires between the battery and the appliance.
                    To power a hot plate you'll need about 1000 watts. The battery capacity is the current multiplied by the voltage multiplied by the number of batteries. If you've got 10 12volt batteries in parallel, each battery will need to be capable of delivering 9 amps.
                    Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
                    • Posted by johnpe1 9 years, 6 months ago
                      and, going through the inverter there are losses.....
                      I'm collecting these "start-your-car" lithium-ion
                      batteries which have high capacity for a short time
                      and an unknown capacity for a longer interval.
                      I may just start wiring them up and see what happens! -- j
                      .
                      Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
      • Posted by $ Susanne 9 years, 6 months ago
        I will... our neighbors just put in a 24 panel system for direct feed (no batteries) and we're planning on looking at it (possibly this weekend) to see what it involves. I do know that he was quoted +$30K to have it installed, and he was able to do it himself for about 1/2 that. He also looked into the Tesla Battery system but was relatively unimpressed with both the cost and the battery maintenance/replacement issues.

        Personally, I would rather do as Ma Bell did for decades and use a set of Edison Cells - commercially purchased they're not cheap but I am thinking, as it's 120 year old tech, it may not be difficult to build them as a DIY project. What I like about them (other than not being lead+Acid) is they have a lifespan that measures in decades, not years. They do take up a lot of space - probably build a "power house" for them (any good deals on voice recognition locks set to a certain phrase?) but it would be a lot more cost-effective in the long run than L/A, Li-Ion, or NiMH batteries that have to be replaced every few years.
        Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
        • Posted by johnpe1 9 years, 6 months ago
          fascinating -- I had always assumed that they used
          lead-acid. . Thanks Much for the info! . I'm messing
          around with these start-your-car lithium ion batteries
          right now, trying to figure them out. . there is a chance
          that we can do some good here! -- j
          .
          Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
          • Posted by $ Susanne 9 years, 6 months ago
            They used L/A as well (and they do to this day), depending on the central office and where it was in relation to the service demand. Problem with NiFe is they don't retain a charge well... but in a solar system, you're *always* on charge, which is ideal for them.
            Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
  • Posted by wiggys 9 years, 6 months ago
    David,

    I have been providing survivalist with many of my products since the scare(?) of going from 1999 to 2000. The sales of my sleeping bags in particular have accelerated significantly. my web site which is on this site is wiggys.com

    also, descending into a police state is not farcical but tragic.
    Reply | Mark as read | Best of... | Permalink  
  • Posted by RobertFl 9 years, 6 months ago
    I'm currently looking for property away from the city. I still have the reality of having to actually go to work, but I can increase my commute enough to be outside the nashville city limits without having a ridiculous commute. Once I get things operational, I could probably stop working if I wanted.
    Reply | Mark as read | Best of... | Permalink  
  • Posted by $ blarman 9 years, 6 months ago
    Want to get prepared? Plenty of ways to do it, but I wouldn't wait any longer. Here are a few of the things I personally have done.

    1. Take a basic gardening course. Many local Agricultural Extension Offices offer these at no charge periodically throughout the year. They can also help you identify and eradicate pests. Try growing a few staples of your region.
    2. Get education or a books on edible plants. Dandelions are a surprisingly nutritious edible green. Even Martha Stewart uses them in her salads.
    3. Take a CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) class. It goes through basic rescue, basic first aid, basic threat identification, etc.
    4. Get an amateur radio license.
    5. Take a CPR class from a licensed instructor.
    6. Store some basic necessities for 72 hrs. These usually include food and 1 gallon of water per person per day.
    7. After you get the 72-hrs worth, get a week, then a month. Note that some governmental regulations prohibit this, labeling it "hoarding".
    8. Take a firearms safety class. You don't have to get a Concealed-Carry license, but may if you wish. At least know the basics about how to safely identify and operate firearms.
    9. Get with your neighbors and set up a community watch. This will enable you to get to know them and their abilities and pre-establish friendly relations in case there is a need for defense based on numbers.
    Reply | Mark as read | Best of... | Permalink  
    • Posted by 9 years, 1 month ago
      What on earth gives the government the right to prevent people from storing personal property in the form of food and water!??!? How were such laws conceived, and how did governments actually get away with passing them?
      Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
  • Posted by 12AngryWomen 9 years, 1 month ago
    Gonna go ahead and put out the call to Albany, MO for Gultchers. The town currently has the capacity to go off grid if needed, although most of the current residents are oblivious. A network for food security is established, lots of Amish in the area, and tons of vacant buildings for cheap. Some of the best soil and water in the world, lots of hunting. But no good jobs, so bring your own income source and do not expect to sell anything to the locals.
    Reply | Mark as read | Best of... | Permalink  
  • Posted by waytodude 9 years, 6 months ago
    Rural America is still alive and well. It takes time for country people to accept new comers. Be real be honest and offer to help in community projects. It may take a year or two but like in most things in life you have to pay your dues..
    Reply | Mark as read | Best of... | Permalink  
  • Posted by $ Abaco 9 years, 6 months ago
    Here in California there's a quickening right now. You can see it. One of my offices is near the Capitol and it's a mess over there...think of those scenes in the AS movies with all the picketers... The lawmakers are absolutely doing the opposite of what the people want. The lawmakers have a look on their face like they're running from the fire. It's like they know what they are doing is wrong, but they don't have control over it. Frankly...I think somebody else does. I'm telling you, there is some dark stuff going on. This feels like Cloward and Piven on steroids.
    Reply | Mark as read | Best of... | Permalink  
  • Posted by $ Abaco 9 years, 6 months ago
    Interesting. We are looking for alternative places to move to. We're interested in living in/near civilization. We just think America is likely to go under. With kids you have to deal with a whole other dimension. I can't Rambo through the wild with little ones. On my own, I'd make Rambo look like Bambi...
    Reply | Mark as read | Best of... | Permalink  
  • Posted by Owlsrayne 9 years, 6 months ago
    Unfortunately, we're seeing Ayn Rand's novel AS being played out before our eyes. BHO wanting to raise wages to fifteen dollars an hour and demostrations demanding that are occurring across the country. We also seeing persecution of the Police around the country to the point that they can't do there jobs. The Stockmarkets wild fluctions make it very uncomfortable for the small investor like myself. Here it comes!
    Reply | Mark as read | Best of... | Permalink  
  • Posted by CircuitGuy 9 years, 6 months ago
    230 years ago the idea of a real nation state based on the idea of treating people equally and respecting their rights was radical. Esteemed leaders solved their disagreement with duels, behavior now associated with the poor and uneducated. It's now considered absurd to debate whether both sexes and all races have equal rights. The average person can not only read but publish her ideas for free. We feed billions and produce better food using less land per unit food than ever before.

    This isn't the time to retreat. It's the time to get out in the world and preserve and restore the freedoms that made this possible.
    Reply | Mark as read | Best of... | Permalink  
    • 13
      Posted by Mamaemma 9 years, 6 months ago
      Voting for Obama and supporting Hillary are not ways to accomplish what you are saying.
      Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
      • Posted by CircuitGuy 9 years, 6 months ago
        Voting accomplishes very little when there's a bipartisan consensus of ever broader interpretation of the Constitution, maintaining a massive military/prison industrial complex, and gov't having a significant role in normal middle-class problems/life-events.
        Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
        • Posted by $ allosaur 9 years, 6 months ago
          We need to get back to the basics of the Constitution.
          Our Progressive (Obama, Hillary) progression to Marxism is a march to total slavery.
          I say "total" because we are already part-way there.
          If you want your freedom, you can keep it.
          Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
          • Posted by CircuitGuy 9 years, 6 months ago
            I don't see how see how voting stops this, since the other mainstream choice is Republicans who are worse. I hope a third party or a group that rejects the bipartisan consensus appears. Maybe Rand Paul is such a person.
            Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
    • Posted by wiggys 9 years, 6 months ago
      CIRCUITGUY HOW DO YOU PROPOSE WE ACCOMPLISH THIS MONUMENTAL TASK?
      Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
      • Posted by CircuitGuy 9 years, 6 months ago
        There's no *one thing* we do. It's a bunch of little things. Here are some suggestions.
        - Teach kids about liberty.
        - Write letters to the editor or blog posts about when an issue comes up.
        - Write leaders and politely let them know you're watching when a decision on liberty is being made.
        - Build wealth and structure it conservatively, so little problem don't seem like big ones.
        - Keep a weapon (like DavidMcnab's rifle) for protection against criminals, so you're not only dependent on the gov't for protection.
        - Focus on solutions, not problems.
        - Recognize that liberty is not the default state for humankind. We have an amazing thing going in the US, despite the problems/flaws. Let's not blow it.

        I imagine there are a hundred more than many people do every day.
        Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
    • Posted by H6163741 9 years, 6 months ago
      Considered absurd by whom? Certainly not the liberal govt and media. That's all they seem to talk about.
      Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
      • -1
        Posted by CircuitGuy 9 years, 6 months ago
        "Considered absurd by whom? "
        The corporate-owned right-wing MSM do a lot of yakking and may try to benefit from people disrespecting their neighbors, but they accept equal rights unequivocally. It's something that we could have debated 100 years ago. Now everyone, not counting commenter's on YouTube, accepts that people are created equal in the eyes of the law.
        Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  
        • Posted by $ jdg 9 years, 6 months ago
          I wish. These days "equal" has been redefined as "protected groups come first," and anyone who supports real equality is a "racist." At least according to the MSM (which is not right-wing and never has been).
          Reply | Mark as read | Parent | Best of... | Permalink  

FORMATTING HELP

  • Comment hidden. Undo