Book/Audio Fiction but good:
One Second After (A John Matherson Novel)
Food prep/homestead:
http://readynutrition.com/
On Training:
Verified SF guy I talked to once upon a time. Go back to some of the first posts for unconventional urban tribe/tactics building...He's a gruff funny as hell no-shitter type of old school that some of you old hats may appreciate; and some of you younger dudes can learn from. No, I'm not affiliated with him in any way, other than being an old guy compared to most on this forum, and a 6 tour Veteran in the operations community myself.
https://mountainguerrilla.wordpress.com/
An Example of his writing...
Skull-Stomping Sacred Cows: Reality Isn’t Nice. It’s a 2×4 to the Teeth.
February 7, 2017
".....A whole lot of ‘ardent patriots’ and ‘expert preppers/survivalists,’ breathed a giant sigh of relief on the morning of WED 9NOV16. They woke up to the news that “R” had one, both the White House and a majority of Congress. All was saved from immediate damnation, and since everything was cool now, they could get on with not worrying about the future anymore. Big D got this, right?
There is a huge problem with normalcy bias in this country—a subject I’ve written about a lot on this blog, in the past. As long as “our guys” have control in DC, all is fine, right? Well, just like this last presidential cycle demonstrated that people on the Right were no longer content with the Beltway status quo, it should have demonstrated that people on the Left were no longer content with the Beltway status quo as well. The DNC pissed all over their own party, broke their own rules, and then basically, told the voters to “go fuck yourselves if you don’t like it,” in order to get their gal the nod to run. People on the Left are not fucking happy, and just like people on the Right swore they would contest the election results, and be ready to take up arms if Hillary Clinton got the White House, people on the Left are ready to take up arms, since there is a dude with an R behind his name sitting their instead.
It’s not that they wanted HRC—although, I know for a fact, some of them did—it’s that they didn’t want a person with an R behind their name in there. Donald Trump getting the White House was, to the modern day Left in this country, the exact same as Abraham Lincoln getting the White House in 1860 was to the Southern States. We are, make no mistake, in a Civil War. Fort Sumter is past, folks. Seriously. Wake the fuck up already.
Now, before I’m accused of being melodramatic, or hysterical, slow the fuck down for a second. There are some pretty serious differences that DO have to be taken into account, when we look at this.
#1) The people of Dixie weren’t stupid, and neither was their leadership. They didn’t run right out and start attacking the Army of the United States. They took a defensive role, and said, basically, “Hey, leave us alone, and all is well.” They didn’t want a fight. The Left today isn’t content with that, for a variety of reasons. They DO want a fight, and they’re not taking a defensive role. They are already attacking their enemies. They’re just not doing it with guns…yet….much.
#2) The Confederate States of America was the disgruntled party in the last go-round, and they were the more “libertarian/anarchist” of the belligerent parties. In this go-round, the roles have reversed; the “disgruntled party” is the statist party that wants to control everything, in accordance with their world view.
#3) While not technically accurate, Fort Sumter was the first “official” battle of the War of Northern Aggression. It was the real opening of hostilities between the uniformed services of two distinct, autonomous governments. In the current conflict, the legitimate government of the United States is, at most, a bit player, thus far. The War of Northern Aggression, while labeled a civil war, was not. It was a conflict of conquest by a sovereign state, against a sovereign state, that had declared its independence, and been recognized as a sovereign state, in accordance with international law. None of that mattered of course, but the difference with the current conflict should be obvious.
This is an actual civil war, as in a conflict between ideologically-opposed factions within the civilian and political population of a country. Like real civil wars, it is not going to be pretty. It’s not going to be armies, in pretty uniforms, fighting pitched, conventional battles. It’s going to be a matter of assassination, sabotage, hit-and-run raids, targeting ideological leadership figures, enemy families, etc.
As Matt Bracken pointed out in a recent Facebook post himself, we’re looking at more of a Balkans and/or Argentine “Dirty War” conflict. People just haven’t accepted that, because it doesn’t fit their mental images of what “war,” even “guerrilla war” looks like. That, in turn, is because, even the most devout conversions to the “Church of the Anti-Media” in this country today, have a lifetime of conditioning to the media’s portrayal of what “reality” is. From what a “proper” war looks like, to what “collapse” looks like, to what “bad guys” look like.
We commonly jump to the idea of “well, George Soros is funding this shit, so it’ll cause a breakdown, and currency collapse, and he can make a fortune off it.” There’s probably a lot of truth to that. I don’t know Soros, so I can’t tell you what his ultimate goals and motivations are. I have however, met a lot of Leftists, both in the US and elsewhere, and I can tell you, they are not looking for a currency collapse, in order to get richer.
It’s easy to sit in your lounger, with your laptop across your knees, and pontificate on the false motivations of the Leftist activists. “Oh, they’re just attention whores!” “Oh, they just want their safe spaces!” “Oh, they’re just useful idiots being played.” “Oh, they’ll quit as soon as the money stops.” There’s a very real problem with that though, and it’s called underestimating your enemy. If you don’t believe that a dude who is out, in wintertime, in a protest/riot, and eating some riot cops baton, as he receives a solid washing with “hickory shampoo,” is not a dedicated True Believer, you’re deluding yourself.
If you think that some twenty-something kid, who just saw his buddy take a bean bag round from a PD riot gun, in the dick, and then ignored his friend’s screams, to continue advancing, is not dedicated, and a True Believer, you’re fucking stupid.
If you think POTUS is going to magically save you? You’re dumb. Large urban areas and entire states are telling the federal government to go fuck itself on the immigration issue (and granted, the states are wrong on this one, but that doesn’t change the fact that this—as I mentioned, in detail, in Forging the Hero—is symptomatic of the collapse of the American Empire.) Things are not normal, and if you’re still stuck in your normalcy bias about “Make America Great Again,” you’re WAY behind the learning the curve.
I’ve talked with a number of friends in recent days; police officers and public services personnel, in large urban areas, across the country. None of them are taking this shit lightly. A fireman friend, from a major urban enclave on the east coast, that has been the scene of a number of ethnic conflicts in the last year or two, posted the following on FB recently,
“They are organized, they are violent. The cops aren’t shooting back because when some Tumblr shit biscuit doxxes them, their kids will be targets. Molon Labia and snowflake bluster isn’t cutting it anymore.
I’m a fucking fireman and have had body armor issued. That should say something very loudly and clearly.”
A cop friend told me, in private conversation, “Yeah, man. It’s serious. We know it can kick off at any moment. Sitting in your cruiser, at a stoplight; writing a citation, sitting at lunch. We just have to be ready to rock, all the time.”
Another cop friend, “Man, I’ve upped my off-duty EDC to three twenty-round mags for the Glock, and I keep eight loaded mags for the AR in the plate carrier behind my seat. It’s getting weird out there.”
So, if THEY get it, why don’t you, Mr. Expert Prepper/Survivalist?
————————————————————————
This is not about being a tough guy. This is not about the questionable PSYOP value of talking shit with social media memes about the opposition. This is about knowing, and understanding, the realities of the battlespace....."
"...The Right—especially the preparedness/survivalist/III/Threeper/Militia segment of the Right—is full of tough talk from self-professed badasses about how they’re gonna “slaughter” the other side when “open season on Leftists” is declared. It’s all a bunch of bullshit, written for an audience of people they don’t even know, but need to feel big in front of, for whatever reason.
Let me tell you a couple of trade secrets:
#1) I can train a fucking monkey to run an AR or an AK in three days. Give me ten days, and I can bring a complete novice to a near-expert level of proficiency with the gun. That’s fucking easy. The hard part? Convincing somebody to actually use it. Convincing someone that they actually need to overcome the culturally conditioned aversion to interpersonal violence that Americans have been spoonfed for the last sixty years, is far more challenging than teaching someone the mechanics of gunfighting. Guess which side has already overcome that cultural conditioning? I’ll give you two hints: first, it’s not the guys typing away on FB about how they’re gonna “slaughter” Leftists, as soon as they get permission from their Mommy. Second, it’s the people that are already cracking complete strangers in the head with bricks, then putting the boots to the unconscious victims, before throwing a Molotov Cocktail through their car window.
#2) The Left has won far more dirty civil wars and insurgent conflicts than the Right has won. There are a host of reasons for this, but most notable is the aversion, on the Right, to give up the security of law-and-order. As long as there is a politician telling them, “Now, now, let’s all keep calm. Let the authorities sort this out,” the Right is content to sit at home and bitch about those juvenile delinquents. The Left? They’re all, “FUCK THE MAN! LET’S MAKE IT BURN!” As long as there is a police officer in uniform…even if he is, like so many are currently, telling people, “Hey, we’re probably gonna be busy with other catastrophes when your personal catastrophe happens, so you’re on your own….” as long as he is on the job, the Right is going to say, “Meh, we’ll let the police do their job.” The Left? They’re going, “FUCK THE MAN! KILL THE PIGS!”
#3) The government isn’t going to save you. The government isn’t going to save your neighborhood, your city, or your state. The government MAY try and save itself. Those piranhas in the Beltway, on both sides of the aisle? They don’t give two shits about Mayberry RFD, until Mayberry RFD isn’t paying it’s taxes anymore, and by then? It’ll be too late for Sheriff Andy, Deputy Barney, Aunt Bea, Opie, and all their friends and neighbors. You want to be saved, you’d better be looking around and building what SF once upon a time called “CIDG,” or “Civilian Irregular Defense Groups,” among your neighbors and friends and families….you know…your tribe: the people in your local community that share your values and traditions...."
One Second After (A John Matherson Novel)
Food prep/homestead:
http://readynutrition.com/
On Training:
Verified SF guy I talked to once upon a time. Go back to some of the first posts for unconventional urban tribe/tactics building...He's a gruff funny as hell no-shitter type of old school that some of you old hats may appreciate; and some of you younger dudes can learn from. No, I'm not affiliated with him in any way, other than being an old guy compared to most on this forum, and a 6 tour Veteran in the operations community myself.
https://mountainguerrilla.wordpress.com/
An Example of his writing...
Skull-Stomping Sacred Cows: Reality Isn’t Nice. It’s a 2×4 to the Teeth.
February 7, 2017
".....A whole lot of ‘ardent patriots’ and ‘expert preppers/survivalists,’ breathed a giant sigh of relief on the morning of WED 9NOV16. They woke up to the news that “R” had one, both the White House and a majority of Congress. All was saved from immediate damnation, and since everything was cool now, they could get on with not worrying about the future anymore. Big D got this, right?
There is a huge problem with normalcy bias in this country—a subject I’ve written about a lot on this blog, in the past. As long as “our guys” have control in DC, all is fine, right? Well, just like this last presidential cycle demonstrated that people on the Right were no longer content with the Beltway status quo, it should have demonstrated that people on the Left were no longer content with the Beltway status quo as well. The DNC pissed all over their own party, broke their own rules, and then basically, told the voters to “go fuck yourselves if you don’t like it,” in order to get their gal the nod to run. People on the Left are not fucking happy, and just like people on the Right swore they would contest the election results, and be ready to take up arms if Hillary Clinton got the White House, people on the Left are ready to take up arms, since there is a dude with an R behind his name sitting their instead.
It’s not that they wanted HRC—although, I know for a fact, some of them did—it’s that they didn’t want a person with an R behind their name in there. Donald Trump getting the White House was, to the modern day Left in this country, the exact same as Abraham Lincoln getting the White House in 1860 was to the Southern States. We are, make no mistake, in a Civil War. Fort Sumter is past, folks. Seriously. Wake the fuck up already.
Now, before I’m accused of being melodramatic, or hysterical, slow the fuck down for a second. There are some pretty serious differences that DO have to be taken into account, when we look at this.
#1) The people of Dixie weren’t stupid, and neither was their leadership. They didn’t run right out and start attacking the Army of the United States. They took a defensive role, and said, basically, “Hey, leave us alone, and all is well.” They didn’t want a fight. The Left today isn’t content with that, for a variety of reasons. They DO want a fight, and they’re not taking a defensive role. They are already attacking their enemies. They’re just not doing it with guns…yet….much.
#2) The Confederate States of America was the disgruntled party in the last go-round, and they were the more “libertarian/anarchist” of the belligerent parties. In this go-round, the roles have reversed; the “disgruntled party” is the statist party that wants to control everything, in accordance with their world view.
#3) While not technically accurate, Fort Sumter was the first “official” battle of the War of Northern Aggression. It was the real opening of hostilities between the uniformed services of two distinct, autonomous governments. In the current conflict, the legitimate government of the United States is, at most, a bit player, thus far. The War of Northern Aggression, while labeled a civil war, was not. It was a conflict of conquest by a sovereign state, against a sovereign state, that had declared its independence, and been recognized as a sovereign state, in accordance with international law. None of that mattered of course, but the difference with the current conflict should be obvious.
This is an actual civil war, as in a conflict between ideologically-opposed factions within the civilian and political population of a country. Like real civil wars, it is not going to be pretty. It’s not going to be armies, in pretty uniforms, fighting pitched, conventional battles. It’s going to be a matter of assassination, sabotage, hit-and-run raids, targeting ideological leadership figures, enemy families, etc.
As Matt Bracken pointed out in a recent Facebook post himself, we’re looking at more of a Balkans and/or Argentine “Dirty War” conflict. People just haven’t accepted that, because it doesn’t fit their mental images of what “war,” even “guerrilla war” looks like. That, in turn, is because, even the most devout conversions to the “Church of the Anti-Media” in this country today, have a lifetime of conditioning to the media’s portrayal of what “reality” is. From what a “proper” war looks like, to what “collapse” looks like, to what “bad guys” look like.
We commonly jump to the idea of “well, George Soros is funding this shit, so it’ll cause a breakdown, and currency collapse, and he can make a fortune off it.” There’s probably a lot of truth to that. I don’t know Soros, so I can’t tell you what his ultimate goals and motivations are. I have however, met a lot of Leftists, both in the US and elsewhere, and I can tell you, they are not looking for a currency collapse, in order to get richer.
It’s easy to sit in your lounger, with your laptop across your knees, and pontificate on the false motivations of the Leftist activists. “Oh, they’re just attention whores!” “Oh, they just want their safe spaces!” “Oh, they’re just useful idiots being played.” “Oh, they’ll quit as soon as the money stops.” There’s a very real problem with that though, and it’s called underestimating your enemy. If you don’t believe that a dude who is out, in wintertime, in a protest/riot, and eating some riot cops baton, as he receives a solid washing with “hickory shampoo,” is not a dedicated True Believer, you’re deluding yourself.
If you think that some twenty-something kid, who just saw his buddy take a bean bag round from a PD riot gun, in the dick, and then ignored his friend’s screams, to continue advancing, is not dedicated, and a True Believer, you’re fucking stupid.
If you think POTUS is going to magically save you? You’re dumb. Large urban areas and entire states are telling the federal government to go fuck itself on the immigration issue (and granted, the states are wrong on this one, but that doesn’t change the fact that this—as I mentioned, in detail, in Forging the Hero—is symptomatic of the collapse of the American Empire.) Things are not normal, and if you’re still stuck in your normalcy bias about “Make America Great Again,” you’re WAY behind the learning the curve.
I’ve talked with a number of friends in recent days; police officers and public services personnel, in large urban areas, across the country. None of them are taking this shit lightly. A fireman friend, from a major urban enclave on the east coast, that has been the scene of a number of ethnic conflicts in the last year or two, posted the following on FB recently,
“They are organized, they are violent. The cops aren’t shooting back because when some Tumblr shit biscuit doxxes them, their kids will be targets. Molon Labia and snowflake bluster isn’t cutting it anymore.
I’m a fucking fireman and have had body armor issued. That should say something very loudly and clearly.”
A cop friend told me, in private conversation, “Yeah, man. It’s serious. We know it can kick off at any moment. Sitting in your cruiser, at a stoplight; writing a citation, sitting at lunch. We just have to be ready to rock, all the time.”
Another cop friend, “Man, I’ve upped my off-duty EDC to three twenty-round mags for the Glock, and I keep eight loaded mags for the AR in the plate carrier behind my seat. It’s getting weird out there.”
So, if THEY get it, why don’t you, Mr. Expert Prepper/Survivalist?
————————————————————————
This is not about being a tough guy. This is not about the questionable PSYOP value of talking shit with social media memes about the opposition. This is about knowing, and understanding, the realities of the battlespace....."
"...The Right—especially the preparedness/survivalist/III/Threeper/Militia segment of the Right—is full of tough talk from self-professed badasses about how they’re gonna “slaughter” the other side when “open season on Leftists” is declared. It’s all a bunch of bullshit, written for an audience of people they don’t even know, but need to feel big in front of, for whatever reason.
Let me tell you a couple of trade secrets:
#1) I can train a fucking monkey to run an AR or an AK in three days. Give me ten days, and I can bring a complete novice to a near-expert level of proficiency with the gun. That’s fucking easy. The hard part? Convincing somebody to actually use it. Convincing someone that they actually need to overcome the culturally conditioned aversion to interpersonal violence that Americans have been spoonfed for the last sixty years, is far more challenging than teaching someone the mechanics of gunfighting. Guess which side has already overcome that cultural conditioning? I’ll give you two hints: first, it’s not the guys typing away on FB about how they’re gonna “slaughter” Leftists, as soon as they get permission from their Mommy. Second, it’s the people that are already cracking complete strangers in the head with bricks, then putting the boots to the unconscious victims, before throwing a Molotov Cocktail through their car window.
#2) The Left has won far more dirty civil wars and insurgent conflicts than the Right has won. There are a host of reasons for this, but most notable is the aversion, on the Right, to give up the security of law-and-order. As long as there is a politician telling them, “Now, now, let’s all keep calm. Let the authorities sort this out,” the Right is content to sit at home and bitch about those juvenile delinquents. The Left? They’re all, “FUCK THE MAN! LET’S MAKE IT BURN!” As long as there is a police officer in uniform…even if he is, like so many are currently, telling people, “Hey, we’re probably gonna be busy with other catastrophes when your personal catastrophe happens, so you’re on your own….” as long as he is on the job, the Right is going to say, “Meh, we’ll let the police do their job.” The Left? They’re going, “FUCK THE MAN! KILL THE PIGS!”
#3) The government isn’t going to save you. The government isn’t going to save your neighborhood, your city, or your state. The government MAY try and save itself. Those piranhas in the Beltway, on both sides of the aisle? They don’t give two shits about Mayberry RFD, until Mayberry RFD isn’t paying it’s taxes anymore, and by then? It’ll be too late for Sheriff Andy, Deputy Barney, Aunt Bea, Opie, and all their friends and neighbors. You want to be saved, you’d better be looking around and building what SF once upon a time called “CIDG,” or “Civilian Irregular Defense Groups,” among your neighbors and friends and families….you know…your tribe: the people in your local community that share your values and traditions...."