Setting The Record Straight

I have long said that the Republicans and Democrats are two sides of the same coin.  Regardless of who is in office, government grows, freedom recedes, tyranny expands.  The only difference between the two is, usually, the programs they support to advance their agenda.

I say "usually" because somehow, both Dems and Repubs were able to find common ground and vote that the  the NDAA - and its provisions stripping citizens of their due process and habeas corpus rights - was a splendid idea.  Way to go, guys!

The Democrats believe all of us little people are unable to care for ourselves.  Only the government has the wisdom and ability to keep us and our families fed, housed, clothed and educated.  We're children in need of guidance from our betters, especially if you're from one of the myriad "protected classes".

The Republicans also believe all of us little people are unable to care for ourselves.  For instance, without their gracious intervention via the War On Drugs, we would be nothing more than a country of drooling, strung-out dope fiends.

Both parties are big fans of control.  Dems want to control guns, and tax anything that moves.  Repubs want to control freedom of movement, and believe there's a terrorist behind every corner.  Boo!

Both admonish us that these usurpation of our personal freedoms are, "for your own good."  They dismiss us like a preoccupied parent telling us, "Now, go play until dinner's ready."
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In my last post, an anonymous commenter posted that Ron Paul was, "certifiable, looney, unfit for office. You focus in on a few things he says supporting our constitution and ignore the vast majority of what he says that is unsupportable."

I offered Anon the chance to give me three things Ron Paul has said that would meet his(?) "certifiable" criteria, and I'd comment on them.  He took me up, and actually provided 4 items (wow, an over-achiever!).

Sadly, he provided the same old unsupported scare tactics the Elites have hauled out of the basement whenever Paul is discussed.

His anti-Jewish racism.


His anti-military "loser" syndrome" that will surely cause ww III


His desire to turn all our children into crackheads.


His inability to understand international politics.

Here goes:

His anti-Jewish racism.

Paul has made it clear he does not support financial aid to ANY other country, including Israel.  He believes they are sovereign nations that need to make their own decisions.  When you support one country, you tacitly oppose another.  Supporting Israel, means we oppose their mortal enemies, the Islamic countries, in this case.

This non-interventionist viewpoint is taken and twisted by some of the pro-Israeli crowd as being anti-Israeli ("If you're not for us, you're against us!").  For good measure, they throw in the "racist" card as part of their baseless ad hominen attack.  So far, this smear campaign has been very successful.  When the faithful begin to waiver, they bring up Chamberlin and his coddling of Hitler.

For the record, I don't fully agree with Paul's stance on this subject.  I think we should support our friends, and our friends alone.  At the first instance of you acting in a manner that is counter to America's best interest, the dollars stop flowing.

But to suggest Paul is an anti-Semitic racist is about as absurd as it gets.  Gimme some proof - not supposition  by people that disagree with his stance.
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His anti-military "loser" syndrome" that will surely cause ww III

You're going to have to give some examples of his "loser syndrome" and how those examples would lead to WWIII.

If you're talking about his insistence that America be in danger before deploying troops and weaponry, and that these deployments be preceded by a declaration of war (ala that pesky Constitution), I'm afraid I'll have to side with the good doctor.

A leader acting outside of the Constitution is a dictator, regardless of how much you approve of his actions.  Don't like the Constitution?  Change it.
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His desire to turn all our children into crackheads.

That statement would almost be funny if it weren't so pathetic.  It is at the core of the Big Government Elites:  You pukes can't run your own life, so we'll run it for you.

As I've noted on numerous occasions, the Constitution grants no authority to the federal government to control what citizens may put into their bodies.  Since that authority was never granted, the tenth amendment dictates who DOES have that authority:  The states or the individual.

Anon, let me ask you:  If all drugs were re-legalized tomorrow, would you take up, say, meth?  No?  Me neither.  Neither would the folks that don't take drugs now.  I trust the judgement of the average America over the judgement of a government wonk.

It's for the children!  Bullshit.  Any kid who wants any illegal drug can get it inside of a day.

The War On Drugs is identical to Prohibition:  It pushes a formerly legal substance underground.  Criminal element latches on to that, and the violence and corruption begins.  To combat the newly created criminal element, you must expand the police.  If you expand the police, you must expand the prison system.

It's become a self-perpetuating industry.

Actually, Prohibition was different.  It was done Constitutionally.  After the disastrous results, it was undone the same way.

Before drugs were made illegal, America wasn't a nation of drug addicts.  As is true now, certain people are unable to personally manage their addictions, and they go off the deep end.  Whether crack, heroin or meth are legal or not, that portion of society will always abuse substances.

But you don't punish - and tax - the many for the sins of the few.  That's not how we're supposed to act in America.

You and your ilk have clearly taken the coursework at, The Reverends Sharpton, Jackson and Wright School of Fear and Intimidation For Profit.  Their boogie man is that there's a racist behind every tree, and if we don't fix this, there will be lynchings every day like clockwork.  Your boogie man is our babies will be chopping lines of coke or meth on their Play Skool tray unless this scourge is stopped.

The sad thing is, your and the Reverend's plans are working to perfection.
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His inability to understand international politics.

Way too broad of a statement.  Gimme some specifics and I'll respond.  I'd really like to hear what he misunderstands after all his time on earth and in DC.

If you're talking about his foreign policy stance on not giving money to dictators, sign me up!


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Copyright 2012 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. Please note that in addition to owning Bison Risk Management, Chief Instructor is also a partner in a precious metals business. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com

Lawful vs Constitutional

u·surp/yoo-sərp/

Verb:

Take (a position of power or importance) illegally or by force. Take the place of (someone in a position of power) illegally; supplant.

My gut is talking to me, and I don't what it's saying.  It seems like we're seeing the degradation of our personal rights move much more rapidly as of late.

Historically, these usurpations of our rights has been a gradual process.  The government takes a little bite of the apple, and sees if anyone protests.  After the dust settles, they take another bite.  After time, only the rotted core remains.  Most folks don't even realize - or care - that the apple is gone.  They forget they even had an apple.

Lately, it's like the .gov has been on a fevered feeding frenzie, gobbling up our rights - or more directly - granting themselves rights which are in direct conflict with the Constitution.

This Keystone oil pipeline is a good example.  Congress granted the president the power to unilaterally decide whether the pipeline goes in or not.  WTF?  Congress does not have the constitutional power to grant these private land use powers to the executive branch.

Yet they passed a law doing just that.

Private companies want to contract with private land owners to gain easements for their pipeline.  Said pipeline will deliver tens of thousands of jobs and 800,000 barrels of oil a day from a friendly, local neighbor.  In one fell swoop, we reduce our dependence on volatile middle east oil, strengthen our economy and strengthen the economy of one of our neighbors.

Instead, Obama nixed the pipeline for political reasons.  The Canadians are now in talks with China.  They'll build a pipeline westward so China can pick up the oil on the coast, and ship it home.

The result:  Our neighbor still gets strong, economically.  China gets a new, stable oil supply outside of the volatile middle east.

We get zip.  This is good for America, how?

In one move, three parts of the Constitutional were ignored.  First, Article 5 (the amendment process) defines how powers can be granted or rescinded.  There is nothing in the Constitution that allows any arm of government to grant itself or another branch additional powers.  The president can't constitutionally exercise the powers he's been granted, since the only way he can gain additional powers is via an amendment.

Secondly, the Fifth amendment ([private individuals will not]... be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation) is ignored, since no due process (a trial) has taken place, nor compensation made.  They've just told the private individuals involved that they can't do what they want to do.

Lastly, they've ignored one of the two catch-all amendments, that being the Tenth (the Ninth amendment being the other).  In short, it clarifies that unless a power is specifically granted to the federal government or denied to the states, all other rights and powers are endowed to the states or the individual.  Nothing in the Constitution grants the feds these land use regulatory powers, nor are the states or the individuals involved denied the power to build the pipeline.

What the president and congress have done is create laws, thus their the departments and individuals enforcing those laws would be acting lawfully.  But the laws are not constitutional, as congress does not possess the authority to create those laws.

If you ignore a lawful, but unconstitutional directive, what happens?
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Article 2, Section 1

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

I see no defending, and lots of attacking.
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The challenges to these abuses of power get little support from either party in power, nor their media lapdogs.

I was listening to Mark Levin on the radio a few days ago.  He can't stand Ron Paul's small, Constitutional government ideas.  In Levin's eyes, it's OK to crap on the Constitution when it advances traditional Republican ideals such as trading freedom for security (see USA PATRIOT Act for clarification).

He was whining about how a bunch of Paul supporters had gone onto Amazon.com and gave crappy reviews to his new book, which is, ironically, about the Constitution.  He then went on this child-like ad hominem rant about how Ron Paul - a mere baby doctor - had no right to speak about what is Constitutional and what is not.  Especially when it challenged the beliefs of uppity Constitutional scholars such as himself.

For some reason, Levin does not believe that a regular citizen has the ability to read and understand the Constitution.  We don't have the ability to go to writings such as The Federalist Papers to get into the heads of the founders/authors to gain insight into Original Intent.

Only elites such as Levin have this ability.  I guess that would have to include Constitutional professor Barak Obama as well.  He's got the creds and the sheepskin to gain entrance into the club.

Nice company Mr. Levin keeps...
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Look what's been proposed or enacted in recent times.

SOPA - empowers the government to take your property (websites) based on accusations only, no due process necessary.

NDAA - empowers the government to snatch up American citizens, and hold you without due process or habeas corpus.

USA PATRIOT Act - re-upped last year, is so rife with abuses, I don't have the time or ability to list them all.  Off the top of my head, we have the TSA and their searches, warrantless wire taps and draconian, invasive financial laws.  It gave us the new legal concept of "domestic terrorist" which allows the feds to deem an American citizen a terrorist, and be stripped of their rights.  No trial (again, that pesky 'due process') necessary.

These are all in the last year.  Why the rush?
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I'll ask the question again, "If you ignore a lawful, but unconstitutional directive, what happens?"

It seems that these usurpations of our rights come at the same time that various levels of government are bulking up on their ability to enforce these new, unconstitutional laws.  Convenient, huh?

It seems every Mayberry RFD in America now has a Bearcat Armored Personnel Carrier, and Homeland Security training on crowd control.

Local police departments are deploying aerial drones.

Local police department look less like, "To Protect and Serve" and more like, "STFU, and do as I command!"

Who are these guys going to war against?

That'd be you.

Take a look at this long, but powerful article, "The Rise of the Praetorian Class".  If history is a guide, we should be very worried.

As they serve in their martial role, members of the Praetorian Class learn to despise members of the Political Class and to view the plight of the Economic Class with detachment or even contempt. Law enforcement and military personnel will converse behind closed doors about the most horrific injustices and brutalities with cavalier amusement. While perhaps natural, their training for violence and teamwork is a fundamental cause for why members of the Praetorian Class abandon their roots and in time come to view their peers "back on the farm" with contempt.

I guess the answer to the question above is, "Don't get caught" or perhaps a better answer would be, "Don't get caught up".  Stay off the government radar.

Accept The Challenge

Reduce your "electronic" footprint.  It IS all being saved, logged and analyzed.  Pay with cash whenever possible.  Especially purchases that will raise a flag.  Ammo, self-defense training, camping equipment, food storage products and equipment, books, magazines, drugs, medical supplies.

Remember, the "typical" domestic terrorist has water proofed ammo, more than a week's worth of food storage and is missing fingers.  As one of my favorite radio guys said, most of us are a lawnmower accident away from Gitmo!

Create and manage your own "profile" that is captured.  Groceries, gas, utilities, "normal" clothing.  Buy these with electronic money and checks.  You're alive, but appear to be a nice, compliant sheeple.

Barter and trade.  Craigslist, Salvation Army, Goodwill, flea markets.

Use proxies (i.e, TOR) and anonymizers to reduce or eliminate your electronic path through the internet.

Manage your life to limit your possible inclusion on various government lists.  Stay off the ridgeline...

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Copyright 2012 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. Please note that in addition to owning Bison Risk Management, Chief Instructor is also a partner in a precious metals business. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com

Darwin, Vegas and Race

How has this guy managed to draw so many breaths on this planet?

This was sent to me by a student from my Pistol Orientation class (I show a video of some bonehead shooting in the class).

Nice touch with the orange hunting vest...



Amazing.  Darwin, paging Mr. Darwin...
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For those of you who care, Vegas was a blast.  The usual eating and drinking too much (oy!).

Went to a great show at Planet Hollywood (Vegas: The Show [link]). I think you need to be in your forties or older to know many of the names they tossed around.  Live orchestra, great singing and dancing.  And I'm not a musical kinda guy.  Very good.

We went to Penn and Teller.  Absolutely, positively fantastic.  After the show, they went out into the lobby for a meet-and-greet deal.  Got a picture with Penn.  What a beast!  I'm six-three, and he dwarfed me.

Drove down to the Pawn Stars shop.  Smaller than it looks on TV.  You've got to wait in a line to get in - only about 5 mins.

None of the stars were there.  Here's a pic going from the front door towards the back.

They were way overpriced, but I guess they can get away with it, being a tourist trap and all.  It WAS kinda cool to see.

We also headed out to the desert and shot us a bunch of stuff.  A bit windy, but lots of fun.  We shot my AR15 and one of my 9mm handguns.  I must say, I was very pleasantly surprised at how accurate the 9mm was at long distance.  Got some good information while having fun.
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Back to reality.

Does everything have to be about race?  Holy crap.  The show we attended, Vegas:  The Show, was a history of Vegas.  Naturally, they did some stuff about The Rat Pack, which included Sammy Davis, Jr.

They went into this whole, "He couldn't sleep or eat at the hotels where he was working,"  blah, blah, blah.  Seriously - who gives a shit.

What are they expecting the audience to do with that tidbit of information?  Go out and join the NAACP?  Feed and house a short, one-eyed black man as reparations?  Walk around Vegas with our heads hung in shame for something none of us did, caused or supported?  And if someone DID support it, do they think that by bringing it up, the bigot would be miraculously transformed?

What's it been - a half century since this kind of stuff ended?  Are they ever going to give this a rest?

Doubt it.
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Race, I believe, is again going to play a big role in the upcoming election (yeah, I know...  big stretch).  Republicans and independents (read:  Tea Party, Ron Paul) will again be painted as racists trying to keep minorities down.  When/if the violence starts in earnest this year, a large component will be racially tinged.

Much will be tied to the ideology pushed by the Occupy movement.  Rich white guys have all the money and the minorities want some for themselves.  It's owed to us.  Whites built this country on the backs of blacks, and expanded by stealing much of the country from the Mexicans.  Time for payback, bitch.  All of this crap that has been espoused by Reverends Jackson, Sharpton and Wright, the compliant media and the "social and economic justice" groups is going to come to a head.

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Copyright 2012 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. Please note that in addition to owning Bison Risk Management, Chief Instructor is also a partner in a precious metals business. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com

Roadtrip

Off for a trip to Las Vegas.  Should be a blast.  Lots of stuff on the agenda - bunch of shows that we're getting comped, some shooting out in the desert, a trip to Pawn Stars and some private, Secret Squirrel stuff.

Updates to follow....
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Copyright 2012 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. Please note that in addition to owning Bison Risk Management, Chief Instructor is also a partner in a precious metals business. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com

Das Party At Work

Before I get going, I wanted to give you all a heads-up on a new site added to my Daily Read list:  Subsistence Pattern Food Garden [link].  It's a very interesting site that focus' on year 'round vegetable gardens.

Take a look.  It could come in handy...
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I've been listening with one ear to all of the Republican's trashing each other.  Play nice, kids!

I've been hearing the most noise being directed towards one of the only Republican I could ever consider giving my vote:  Ron Paul.  He's a RINO - his views are really those of a libertarian.

He's always gotten short shrift from the conservative radio crowd.  They can't stand him because he doesn't toe the party line.  He believes in the Constitution.  He believes it is in place to limit the federal government.  He believes that if a power is not specifically granted to the federal government, any exercise of said power is unconstitutional.

Pretty radical, huh?

The talking-heads say he wants to legalize heroin and other dangerous drugs.  True, kinda.  He wants the FEDERAL government to get out of the unconstitutional prohibition business.  Unless a sale happened to cross state lines, the federal government has no constitutional standing.  If a STATE government wants to regulate dope, knock yourself out.

I ask anti-Paul folks if all drugs were re-legalized, would they start using them.  "Of course not!", they huff.  But there are too many weak-minded, weak-willed people out there that WOULD start using drugs.  And think about the children!

Basically, their stance is that they are strong and decent, but everyone else is weak and needs the government to wipe their ass.  Sounds a lot like when the Democrats want to regulate fast food, and salt, and fats, and cigarettes, and...  You get the idea.

Isn't it amazing that we were able to declare independence, fight the largest, most powerful country in the world - and win, invent and innovate at such a clip that the entire world benefited from our brains, grow the country from shore-to-shore, have the Industrial Revolution, and lots of other neat stuff, all while not being told what we could put into our own bodies.

Either we're extraordinarily gifted when we're high, or most people choose not to abuse drugs and alcohol.  Hmm, I wonder which one it is?

They say he wants to dismantle the military.  Eh, not really.  He wants it to only engage foreign entities when America is at risk.  He wants to reduce our "footprint" around the world.  Bases in South Korea and Europe come to mind.  I'd be hard pressed to argue for either of those.  Seems like those keep Koreans and Europeans safe, not Americans.  You know, the folks paying the bill.

I disagree with his stance on Iran and Israel, but fully support him about Iraq and Afghanistan, and the Peace Prizer's recent forays into Libya and the rest of the Middle East.
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As soon as he moved ahead in the polls past Gingrich (or was it Romney) in Iowa, Das Party went to work. Cut the kook off at the knees.  He's spoutin' some dangerous stuff.

Their latest attack centers around some pretty damning newsletters that went out for a good number of years - under his name.

When I heard what was in these newsletters, I was shocked.  Not so much by what they said, but that they could be attributed to Ron Paul.  I have NEVER seen his lips move and say things even remotely associated with the beliefs espoused in the newsletters.

He immediately came out and disavowed knowing what was being written in them.  I dunno.  This seems a lot like Obama saying he attended Rev. Wright's church for 20 years and didn't know he was a racist and whack job.

Take a look at this posting [link].  It poses a lot of question I've got.

But the questions remain. If Ron Paul is so libertarian that he won't even police people who use his name, if his movement is filled with incompetents and opportunists, then what kind of a president would he make? Would he even check in to see if his ideas are being implemented? Who would he appoint to Cabinet positions?

I hope he comes out and addresses these types of questions in detail. Put this to bed and move on. His public service life has no tinge of this kind of stuff, so I hope he's able to give a convincing explanation.
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On a positive note, that d-bag Gingrich has slammed the door shut on picking up any Paul supporters.

"I think Ron Paul's views are totally outside the mainstream of virtually every decent American."
--Newt Gingrich on CNN's The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer

Doh!  Kinda stepped on your schwantz with that one, didn't ya Newt?  Those indecent Paul supporters vote.  In droves.

I'm sure the flip-flopping, damage control is already in the works...

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Copyright 2011 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. Please note that in addition to owning Bison Risk Management, Chief Instructor is also a partner in a precious metals business. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com

Dustin' Off The Crystal Ball

I hope everyone had a great Christmas!

I cooked a turkey that we brought over to my sister-in-law's house, and I made sure I grabbed the carcass.  After roasting the bones, they're in the pot turning into a couple gallons of turkey stock.  Half will be Turkey and Rice soup for dinner tonight, and the rest of the plain stock will be canned and put up.

Prepping is a process, not a destination.  Always take advantage of excess "stuff" and put some away for later.

I'm a planner.  Always have been.  Like many folks, I use the end of the year to see how my actions of the past year have matched my planning - and my predictions.  I then judge my past performance, see what's out there in the future, and plan for the coming year(s).  It is critically important to adjust your planning as events around you change.  Keep your goals, adjust your tactics.

I'm not going to disclose my personal goals.  Quite honestly, there's nothing in it for me to do so.  In fact, doing so could potentially negatively affect my goals.  I will disclose some of the planning process and tactics I will be using.

It starts with asking, What do you think will happen in 2012, and more importantly, WHY?  How have things changed, and which of these changes can you use to your advantage?

It's easy to say the world will come to an end, or that daisy's will be sprouting up all over town.  But without some sort of logical or fact-based reasoning, you're just making a wild-ass guess.

It will be akin to Obama's "Hope" campaign gig.  Hope takes no effort.  You just click your ruby-slippered heels, and everything magically falls into place.

I think of the economy as a general ledger - you've got debits and credits, pluses and minuses.  The most difficult part is factoring in items that go against our individual pre-conceived notions.  I try very hard to really look at those things - giving them more time consideration than most other items.

For instance, I think that Bush's and Obama's various "stimulus" cash-injections into the economy have had, and will have, negligible positive effect on the economy.  Why?  Because they gave the money to the wrong groups.

They gave it to the banks and their ilk, who used the money to keep their companies afloat.  There were no strings attached that required the banks to lend the money.  In fact, new regulations prohibit the banks from lending to those other than high-FICO/D & B score customers.

Now, if they had taken that (plus or minus) $2 trillion, and literally cut checks to all Americans with a home mortgage, you could have killed two birds with one stone.  If the money could only be used to pay down their mortgage, the homeowners would have gotten a significant debt relief, the banks would have gotten their cash infusion, plus the "toxic assets" would have been significantly paid down, so that the asset value would more likely cover the outstanding loan balance.

Yes, it would have been an obscene redistribution of income, and it would have been a horrible idea.  But, it would have done more good that the option chosen by Bush and Obama.

That's past history, but I think it's indicative of how the government will proceed in the future.  They'll bail out the big banks, big continents, big businesses, big states.  The national debt will soar to pay for domestic programs, and Uncle Ben will simply print up extra dollars to buy US treasuries, and to give to Europe (via IMF or ECB).

In the short term, I think this debasing of the dollar will be offset by the crash of the euro.  The result will be a marginally stronger dollar, and lower priced commodities - gold, silver, oil, grains, sugar, etc.

What's important here, IMO, is that the national debt is long-term.  The stronger dollar - boosted not by positive actions in America, but by crappy things happening in Europe - is temporary.

For me, this is a "Buy Opportunity".  I'm running out of space for bulky food commodities, although some will still be purchased.  Mostly, it will be gold, silver and ammo.


The Feds are getting more bold in asserting their supremacy, and this trend will continue.  2011 saw the reaffirmation of the Patriot Act, and the Congressional passage of the NDAA - in which the federal government granted itself super-constitutional powers to essentially negate the Fifth amendment and the habeas corpus clause.

We've already seen their actions regarding food regulations.  Expect more "progress" on global warming and carbon taxing.  Ditto with oil exploration and other natural resources.  Their goal is to control all aspects of the economy.

They're usurping states powers, and this will also continue.  Things like regulating marijuana.  California and 16 other states allow citizens to get pot cards for medical purposes (wink wink).  Regardless of your feelings on pot, it IS a state issue as long as sales don't cross state lines.

No matter.  The feds are clamped down on this like a pitbull on a ham bone, and they ain't lettin' go.


The shooting will start.  Now, I've been saying this for the past 3 or 4 years, and I've not seen the kind of violence I had expected.  I am surprised that more political shooting haven't taken place, like the representative that was shot in Arizona.

That was done by a certifiable nut.  I think more "mainstream" folks might be nearing the edge, feeling they have nothing left to lose and will start shooting.

Hint:  Don't keep all of your guns and ammo in one spot.  'Nuff said.

The level of tension is clearly up, most recently with the appearance of the Occupy movement.  Maybe there won't be shooting just yet, but there will be increased violence.

BTW, we've been using this belief - that people are getting closer to the, "I've got nothing left to lose" outlook - to bolster security in our PM store.  Employee safety training, and an increase in firearms training will continue throughout the year.

The states and the feds have been using this, "lull in the action" to prepare.  The aforementioned changes in federal "law", the arming of local police departments with military-grade armored personnel carriers, pilot-less drones and tactical squads so heavily armed they could be deployed to Afghanistan.

They see an insurrection coming, and are getting ready.  You should, too.

I will continue to stay away from paper assets.  Stocks, bonds, etc., and continue holding and acquiring tangible assets - PMs, food, ammo and (an outside chance of) real property.  With the latter, I'm not sure the bottom has yet been hit, and I won't buy an asset in which I believe I'll take a loss.  I also haven't finalized a state in which to live.  I only know the states where I won't be living!

I'll be opening another business this coming year as well.  It will actually be a spin-off of my gun training/preparation business, but it will be portable.  Its success will not be dependent upon where I live.  Hopefully, it will be a source of supplemental income over the next few years, and morph into a substantial source in 5 years or so.  That's the plan!

As I alluded to earlier, I think the fed will keep printing up money.  This isn't all bad news to preppers.  It will have the effect of putting a band-aid on the economy, and will help keep it afloat for a little longer.

We'll see tax cuts - without spending cuts.  Continuation and expansion of social welfare programs.  Subsidies galore.  These will help keep some cash in people's hands, and keep the lid from blowing off in a mushroom cloud explosion.  As a nation, we'll, "get along," but we won't grow.

Use this lull to fortify your stores.  It's a window of opportunity that WILL close.

I'll be expanding my "getting back to basics" knowledge.  Particularly in the repair of equipment and in the medical realm.  My medical knowledge is barely a hair above first aid.  That needs to change.  I'll also have a renewed push toward preventative measures.  Better overall healthy living and regular check-ups while they're still readily available.

I want to increase my knowledge of tinctures and lotions made from readily available items you can find in nature.

I'm also working on my bartering/negotiating skills.  A while back, I told the story of getting a bunch of honey for silver dollars.  I've been negotiating some great deals on gold jewelry via Craigslist.  So far, all of the pieces I've bought have been for values well below spot prices.

It's more risky than how we buy jewelry in our store - using magnets, loupes and acids - but the experience I've gained over the last 14 months gives me a bit of an edge in identifying costume/fake jewelry.  I can't verify the purchase until I get home and test the jewelry, so the ride home is always a bit tense!

I want to expand this to garage sales.  We've got an employee who makes a killing buying stuff - from PMs to equipment - by hitting garage sales.  I just have to work it into my schedule as a "working day".

Accept The Challenge

Take what I've offered here.  Reject, modify or accept it.  Do more research.  Your OWN research.

State your goals - in writing.  Develop your plan and strategy, and execute it with your various tactics.  Remember:  a goal without action is nothing more than a wish.

Preppers don't wish, they DO!

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Copyright 2011 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. Please note that in addition to owning Bison Risk Management, Chief Instructor is also a partner in a precious metals business. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com

Going Galt In California

What follows is about business in California, but it is also happening to the nation as a whole.  If there is a more profitable physical location somewhere else, business will go there.  The sole obligation a company has is to its shareholders.  Not to its employees, its city, its state or its country.  A smart company will develop relationships with all of these entities to enhance its ability to make money for its shareholders.  When all else fails, you change the cast of characters with whom you build relationships.


Liberals:  Please challenge this statement so I'll have fodder for another post.

Businesses and individuals are leaving California in droves.  Their tax dollars are going with them.

One of the latest is a company headquartered in the Sacramento region, called Waste Connections.  Its headquarters, in the city of Folsom, is moving to Texas (well there's a shock... not).  They're moving for a number of reasons, but the primary cause of the relocation is that it's too expensive to do business in California.

The city will be losing 120 high-paying jobs, and the $80-$100 million the company spends in the area each year.  Rental cars, hotel rooms, accountants, restaurants.  Buh bye.

Click here [link] to listen to 4 minutes of an interview with the CEO after their announcement.  It's awesome and to the point.

The money quote is right at the end, and really tells the story of what's happening in this state.

"[California State Senator Darrell Steinberg] basically told me that business is a fungible commodity - it comes and it goes.  So, in this case, it's going"

--Waste Connections CEO Ron Mittlestaedt, locking the door and turning out the lights

This maggot Sen. Steinberg had a great comeback to the CEO [/sarcasm].  He noted that Waste Connections should be happy with the profitability they made here in California -

Senate Pro-Tem Darrell Steinberg pointed to Waste Connections’ profitability in California, with revenues up 38 percent in three years, according to the company’s annual report.

Steinberg is of the opinion that companies should be grateful for what California so graciously gives them.  Apparently, Waste Connections figures it could make more money for its shareholders in Texas, and not have to deal with the obscene regulatory climate we saddle on business.

Uprooting its entire corporate structure was deemed less painful and more profitable than staying in California.
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'Going Galt' - the idea of productive individuals abandoning the status quo and setting up shop elsewhere - has manifest itself on the national stage when large companies move their manufacturing facilities to other countries.  Lower costs, lower regulation, higher profits.  No brainer.

Unions, politicians and Occupiers cry for, "living wages" for employees - many times making it the law.  Business respond by cutting jobs and/or moving to more fertile grounds.  This has been repeated over and over, but the politicians and unions don't get it.

The plot of Atlas Shrugged keeps replaying itself.  More "fairness" laws - we call it 'economic justice' - as we villainize the producers and encourage them to leave.  When you over-tax and over-regulate something - businesses and the jobs they create - you'll get less of it.

In that sense, the politicians, unions and Occupiers have been wildly successful.  Well done.

Accept The Challenge

California politicians like Steinberg will harp on companies like Waste Connections as wanting to harm the state.  Just a bunch of Tea Bagging, greedy, racist sons-of-bitches.  Companies bad, Caretaker government good.

Steinberg has this vision that California is this beautiful, pristine state.  In reality, it is a body riddled with cancer.  When you have cancer, you've got to cut out the tumor or you die.  It's really that simple.

The externally pristine body must be cut deeply to save it.  Band-aids and positive thinking have had their chance, and didn't work.  Time to don the scrubs and sharpen the scalpels.  The blood supply is running low, so you better get going quickly.

Either that, or as the businesses are doing, you leave, and the result is starvation.  You just have to hope you kill the tumor before you kill the body.

My guess is that California politicians will take the second option.  They'll keep up the happy talk, and find a few extra pints of blood - probably from DC.  It will keep us alive for a while, but the cancer will eventually eat us alive.

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Copyright 2011 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. Please note that in addition to owning Bison Risk Management, Chief Instructor is also a partner in a precious metals business. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com

Prettiest Horse In The Glue Factory

[I wish I could take credit for that title, but I got it from Stewart Varney on Fox Business.  Classic.]

The amount of disinformation - propaganda - that's out there is stunning.  We don't seem to always get, "the rest of the story" as Paul Harvey used to note.  The Unemployment rate, for instance.  Last week, it wonderfully, miraculously dropped down a half of a percentage point to 8.6%.  Woo Hoo!  We're on the road to salvation!

If you're like certain people - such as my mom, God bless her - you only watch the network news, and you only get the Happy Time version of the story.

Of course, the actual story is that 300,000 Americans fell off the lists to receive unemployment benefits - they'd reached their 99 weeks of payments.  In the eyes of the government, they're no longer considered unemployed.  Isn't that special?

The media tends to paint the picture along the lines of, "Well, at least we don't have riots like they've got in Europe."  They'll then show footage of Greek fire bombs being tossed, rocks being hurled at police officers, and the like.

"Whew, we dodged that one, huh?"

Another example is where Portugal is now the latest nation to steal nationalize the private pensions of their citizens.  Argentina was the leader in this regard, doing the act in 2008.  Hungary did it a few years later, and [I believe] France did a mini-swipe earlier this year.

"Hey, Our Guys In Congress are fighting like mad to keep Social Security intact, and only want to tax those rich bastards a little bit more.  What could be wrong with that?"

On behalf of the federal government, the message the media conveys is that compared to the rest of the world, we're looking OK.  What you need to remember is we're still in the glue factory, and soon, we're going to be turned into bottles of Elmer's.

When that happens, it won't be pretty.  And it will happen.

The owners of the glue factory, The Elites in DC and other world capitals, don't give a damn.  They're getting theirs.  They go into office with a normal net worth, and emerge out the other side as multi-millionaires.

What's important to them is to maintain control.  And to do so requires that they keep a lid on things as long as possible.

In the past month or so, a friend recently went to NYC.  She was blown away.  In no uncertain terms, she called it, "a police state".

She went to the 9/11 memorial.  To get in, she had to pass through a TSA-like security check.  Belt off, purse searched, the whole 9 yards.  Ringing the site were at least 100 armed police officers.  At least.  Everywhere you looked, you could see (for lack of a better term) guard towers.  Boxes on mobile platforms, presumably holding armed snipers.

Similar experience in Time Square and for the ferry going to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.  What are they guarding or protecting against?  Terrorists?  Are they going to blow up the pool at the memorial?

I've written about all of these Bearcat armored personnel carriers ("More Nannyism Comin' Your Way") that cities and counties are picking up via grants from the federal government.  WTF? Who are they preparing to go to battle with?

You, perhaps?



Holy crap.  Seven days of food, guns and ammo, and they can "disappear" you?

93 out of 100 US Senators voted for the bill. They all voted en masse to abrogate the Constitution.

Side note:  Those of you who cling to the misguided belief that there's any difference between Democrats and Republican, take a look at the voting tallies.

The conservative media is now whining that this bill is no big deal.  Relax, ya big sissy.  If you're not a bad guy, you've got nothing to worry about.

To wit [link]-

The ACLU, Occupy San Francisco and other left wing groups are hysterically protesting that one of its provisions encroaches on civil liberties, and Obama has threatened to veto it. Section 1032 states that suspected terrorists related to al Qaeda and 911 shall be detained indefinitely by the military without a civilian trial until the end of authorized military hostilities.

Do me a favor:  Click the link to the above-cited article.  Inside of that article is another link to Section 1031 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).  Click it, and go down and read paragraph (e).

Now, go here [link to PDF file from the Government Printing Office].  This is a copy of the actual bill that was approved by the Senate.  In the search box, key in 1031 and read the text, including paragraph (e).  Notice the difference?

Here's what's missing from the conservative media version of the bill -

10 (e) AUTHORITIES.—Nothing in this section shall be
11 construed to affect existing law or authorities, relating to
12 the detention of United States citizens, lawful resident
13 aliens of the United States or any other persons who are
14 captured or arrested in the United States.

Well, isn't that special?  They conveniently left out the whole Snatch-and-Grab paragraph that relates to US citizens.  Hell, they didn't just leave it out, they actually falsified the information that they are presenting as fact.

The law of the land - the Constitution - is being undercut, and all of The Elites are getting on board to rubber stamp it.  As the numerous articles written on the subject have noted, this merely codifies what the Supreme Court has already said is A-OK. 

American citizens accused of being terrorists give up their Constitutional rights.  Not convicted Americans, accused Americans.

The Constitution spells out how it's supposed to work.  Article 1, Section 9 -

The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in cases of rebellion or invasion, the public safety may require it.

So, it appears as though The Elites in DC are going to use the "public safety" portion of the habeas corpus clause the same way they're using the commerce clause to force us to buy health care insurance, or control the crops we grow on our own property for our own use.  Rebellion will be defined as anything that goes counter to what The Elites prescribe.

Nice and tidy, huh?  The government merely needs to allege you're a terrorist, and you go away with no ability to have your day in court.

How's your view from the Glue Factory?


Accept The Challenge

The Elites are in the Bread and Circus' phase.  Keep us - The Ignorants - fat and happy by giving us free food, housing, schooling, clothing and a little spending money.  Keep us occupied by using your compliant Media to keep our pea brains amused - reality shows, video games, et al - while the very fabric of America is re-woven.

The money for the Bread will eventually run out and the real pain will begin.  The Elites will clamp down to maintain control.  Dissident voices will be silenced as, "Enemies of the State" and will simply disappear.

I think we're going to all fall into one of 4 categories:  Elites, Ignorants, Rebels or Sympathisers.

The Elites will be the equivalent of the old Politburo and their minions - the local "political officer" seen in China and the former Soviet Union.

The Ignorants will be the folks that, "go with the flow" and are generally supportive of the Elites.  They'll be Elite wannabe's.  They'll rat you out at the drop of a hat if they think it will get them more bread or an upgrade in social status.

The Rebels will actively resist the Elites.  They'll be underground - think "French Resistance" during World War II.

The Sympathizers will walk and talk like the Ignorants, but will be supportive of the Rebels.  They'll keep their head down, and supply the Rebels with intel and financial/material support.

Start thinking about which category you'll select.  All have risks, all have rewards.  Plan accordingly.

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Copyright 2011 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. Please note that in addition to owning Bison Risk Management, Chief Instructor is also a partner in a precious metals business. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com

Survival Doc

Just a quick heads-up about a new site on my Daily Read list - The Survival Doctor [link].  The guy is an MD and has tons of survival medical techniques to be used when you can't get to professional medical personnel.

Videos, lots of pictures, broad array of topics.  Excellent stuff.

h/t Bug-out Survival

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Copyright 2011 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. Please note that in addition to owning Bison Risk Management, Chief Instructor is also a partner in a precious metals business. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com

Retention Holsters

A retention holster most likely saved at least one life this weekend.

I was teaching my First Steps Pistol Orientation class this weekend.  The facility I use has two classrooms, and is located in a full-service gun shop/firing range.  It's perfect for my purposes.

The class started at 11am.  The manager of the shop had an employee that wasn't able to get there at opening (10 am), so the manager was in the shop by himself.  All of the shop employees carry sidearms, open-carry.

For my class, the NRA requires that no live ammo be present in the classroom.  So, I'm in the back of the building, with 6 students, 7 pistols, and no ammo.

Around 11:30, a young guy walks in to the gun shop.  He says he wants to see about picking up a pepper spray for his girlfriend.  The pepper spray display is locked up, at the front of the shop.  It required the manager to come out from behind the counter to open the case.

As he was unlocking the case, the young man grabbed the manager's gun from behind.  Thankfully, he was using a Serpa Retention holster.

For those of you unfamiliar with what this is, it's a holster with a button on the side of the holster.  When you're gripping the gun, you run your index finger down the side of the holster, and it unlocks the gun, allowing you to remove it from the holster.  If you just try and pull out the gun, it stays put on the hip of the owner.

Anyways, as the guy is grabbing the gun, he slams the manager's head into the case, dazing him.  The manager was able to throw an elbow and spin around so he's facing the young guy.  The manager then pulled back and hammered the guy square in the face, dropping him to the ground.

As the manager cleared the cobwebs from his head, and went to draw his gun, the guy scampered out the door into a car with an accomplice.  As much as he wanted, no shots were fired as the threat had retreated.
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There were a couple of guys in the shooting range when this happened, but they were as oblivious to what was happening as my class and I were.  Had the manager not been wearing the retention holster, he would have likely been shot in the back.

The bad guy would have had the run of the gun shop - the unimpeded ability to take as many guns as he wished.  And plenty of ammo.  If he got bold enough, he could have entered my classroom and done as he pleased.  The best-case result would have been acquiring another 7 handguns.


Accept The Challenge

If you're carrying open-carry, wear a retention holster.  Cops do this for very good reasons, you should as well.

While I personally prefer the Serpa's, one may not be made for your specific gun.  Consider a thumb break style -

There's a snap or velcro strap that goes over the rear of the gun.  This strap attachment is "broken" with your thumb while drawing the gun.

If you're carrying a gun on your hip (concealed or open), be very aware of allowing anyone to be behind you.  Your concealed handgun may not be as well concealed as you may think, and could become a target of bad guys.

Oh, and I will no longer be unarmed when teaching any of my classes.  I'll drop my NRA affiliation before unnecessarily placing my life at risk.

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Copyright 2011 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. Please note that in addition to owning Bison Risk Management, Chief Instructor is also a partner in a precious metals business. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com