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De Oude Begraafplaats Toren in Nuenen
Vincent van Gogh
(1884)
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Syria
I have never been to the Middle East, don't have family there, or have a Ph.D in Middle Eastern Studies from Harvard, Yale, Cambridge, or ... the local community college.
But, ... I have been doing some reading.
First, Syrian president Bashar al-Assad was elected to his position in 2000. He has been reelected two times, 2007 and 2014. Of course, depending on the person, he is either a despot or a patriot.
Second, President al-Assad assumed power from his father; who held power from 1971 until his death in 2000. Mr. Bashar al-Assad was his father's third choice to succeed him after his uncle (1st choice) went 'crazy' and his older brother (second choice) died in a car wreck.
Third, Mr. al-Assad is a minority in his country. People hate him for his religious beliefs. Beliefs that would be minor in our country. Kind'a like the difference between a Catholic and a Lutheran.
Fourth, in 2010, many other countries in the Middle East and North Africa were hit by waves of non-violent and violent protests, the Arab Spring. These protests only resulted in one non-violent transition to a constitutional democratic government, while several of the violent conflicts have toppled governments, started ongoing civil wars, and contributed to the chaos; we face today.
Lastly, like it or not, these United States is deeply involved with the Middle East, so we will be living with the consequences of out involvement for the next few hundred years.
Doom and Gloom
Brick and Mortar Stores
Credit Cards
European Union
Immortality
Milk Bar
Palm Sunday Attack
Stockholm
Translation
'Whites'
WW III
Uber
Things You Might Want to Think About
The 'Basics'
You and your family are going to make mistakes.
What you do about it will determine "If" you and your family survives the event.
Chemical Weapons
As you know, these United States launched a missile attack, targeting the Syrian airbase that staged the chemical weapons attack, against a 'civilian' target.
Needless to say, some (everything is a conspiracy) folks are questioning the Syrian attack using chemical weapons and the resulting response by these United States.
Of course, most of these questions don't matter to you and your family in your preps because you're only worried about the 'big' questions.
Can it happen here?
And, ...
How do I prepare my family for such an event?
Glass-Steagall II
Way back in 1933, these United States passed a law that prohibits banks that take deposits from customers, like you and your family, from speculating with that money.
Fast forward to 1999 and all of that protection for banking customers was repealed by the Gramm–Leach–Bliley Act (Financial Services Modernization Act of 1999). Of course, President William Jefferson Clinton signed it, into law.
Now a days, it seems some folks have finally figured out GLBA was a bad idea.
Hacking
The severe weather alarm sounds, so you and your family immediately head to a sheltered location in your home.
But, ...
What happens "If" it's a false alarm, for the fifth time?
Justice Gorsuch
For conservatives and liberal, there are many problems with the recent confirmation of, soon to be, Justice Gorsuch. Like all judges (that don't agree with you personal beliefs) he is an 'Activist' judge that will change the course of this country for the next 20, 30, 40; maybe, even; 50 years or longer.
Needless to say, we (you and your family) can't see the future.
Luxury Bunkers
I can see it now, another bunch of luxury, so-called, survival bunkers for the rich and famous.
P.S.
Sometimes I think rich folks are buying these places for the bragging rights
Overheard
"Downes says it wasn’t one thing that caused business here to die: “It never really is with these things.”"
"Utilizing encryption and the dark web so users are untraceable, ISIS increasingly practices a kind of “jihadi cool” appeal, targeting disaffected millennials, suggesting one is never too young to be a warrior for God and tapping into conventional teenage concerns such as peer pressure and trying to impress one’s associates. The encrypted groups also target girls, capitalizing on global “female empowerment” movements and calling them to “shame their male counterparts” by taking up the call to violence."
"4. What’s next? That’s the question nobody knows the answer to."
"“If you post a picture winning the math award, people will laugh at you, but if you post a picture in a bikini you’ll get like a hundred likes,” a girl I spoke to in Los Angeles summed it up. And social media is all about the likes, and the number of views and followers – followers girls often don’t even know."
"... regional commanders are now more concerned about the self-radicalization of people who never left home."
"The proud 'rugged individual' on the remote homestead may have his own well, a solar panel and a garden, but if we observe hom closely we find he drives his hugely inefficient truck into town weekly to fuel uo at the gas station, fill his propane tank, pick up his medications, cash his government /institutional check (Social Security, SSI, pesion, etc.), buy 98% of his food calories, get spare parts for his water pump, and so on."
"It is coming."
"This is all horse shit, of course, because there’s nothing green or Earth-friendly about Tesla cars, or electric cars in general. Evidently, many Americans think these cars run on batteries. No they don’t. Not really. The battery is just a storage unit for electricity that comes from power plants that burn something, or from hydroelectric installations like Hoover Dam, with its problems of declining reservoir levels and aging re-bar concrete construction. A lot of what gets burned for electric power is coal. Connect the dots. Also consider the embedded energy that it takes to just manufacture the cars. That had to come from somewhere, too."
What Others Wrote
Ace of Spades HQ: The Morning Report, 4/6/17
Defense One: The D Brief, 7 April, 2017
Shall Not Be Questioned: Weekly Gun News, Edition 57
The View from Chaos Manor: 7 April, 2017
WeaponsMan: Friday Tour d’Horizon, 2017 Week 14
Yer Ol' Woodpile Report: Index 472
That's Just the Way it Was: Los Angeles, California (ca 1936)
Mexican quarter of Los Angeles, California. Average rental is eight dollars. Some houses have plumbing.
Mexican quarter of Los Angeles. One quarter mile from City Hall. Areas have been condemned and will be torn down shortly to make space for the new Union Railroad station.
Mexican quarter of Los Angeles, California. Average rental is eight dollars. Some houses have plumbing.
Mexican quarter of Los Angeles. One quarter mile from the City Hall. California.
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