This article was originally published by Aaron Kesel at Activist Post. 

Hong Kong citizens denying tyranny against their own government and the Chinese government are striking back against a ban on covering their faces. Defying the law, protesters wore Joker, Winne The Pooh, and Guy Fawkes masks while holding hands in human chains to send a message.

In early October, one of the leaders of the Hong Kong resistance, Jimmy Sham, was assaulted by an organized group of four to five people wielding hammers, according to Civil Human Rights Front, the organization he heads, SCMP reported. This isn’t the first time that Sham and others have been attacked by mercenaries seeming to act at the behest of China. In September of this year, a 15-year-old boy and a 44-year-old man were arrested over assault with a baseball bat and a rod against Sham and his assistant, Law Kwok-wai.

Many others have had the same attacks happen to them by what has been deemed “triads” within China going back as recently as July. In a recent article, Channel News Asia writes, “Since late August, eight well-known dissidents have been beaten by unknown assailants as fear swirls that some “triad” crime networks have flocked to Beijing’s cause after five months of protests. The victims include rally organizers, opposition lawmakers, student leaders and people standing for upcoming polls.”

The Guardian also reported the following incident during that month showing protesters get beat in a subway by suspected hired hands of China or Hong Kong to intimidate them.

Snippet of a live broadcast from lawmaker Lam Cheuk ting, showing self-professed pro-Gov't mobsters attacking passengers in train cars at #MTR #YuenLong Stn. #HongKong has 1 of the world's highest cop to population ratio. Where were @hkpoliceforce? Lam was injured as shown live. pic.twitter.com/Aq5JmJlf5u

— Ray Chan (@ray_slowbeat) July 21, 2019

Triads are otherwise known as the Chinese mafia, and there are at least half a dozen main groups in Hong Kong with, according to the South China Morning Post newspaper, some 100,000 members. The three best-known groups — 14K, Sun Yee On, and Wo Shing Wo — also operate just across the border in southern China and as far afield as the U.S., according to the Washington Post. The newspaper further notes that attacks by Triads go back to at least 2014, “when thousands of student-led pro-democracy protesters occupied Hong Kong’s major retail and business districts, there were arrests after triads beat up demonstrators.” Actions which even the likes of mainstream media like the New York Times reported as early as July of this year.

But the Triads aren’t the only ones attacking protesters, it is also the legal militarized arm of Hong Kong and China, the police, as The Guardian has reported.

Months of increasingly violent pro-democracy demonstrations in Hong Kong were sparked by protests against an extradition law which would have allowed suspects in Hong Kong to be sent to various destinations, including authoritarian mainland Communist China.

Yahoo News reports the case of Chan Tong-kai, 20, who was wanted in Taiwan for the 2018 murder of his pregnant girlfriend, Poon Hiu-wing, as one of the catalysts that started the protests, which was an attempt to change the law.

This proposal that spurred outrage was scrapped last week; however, activists continue flooding Hong Kong’s streets and subways. Additionally, there are other things piled on that continue to enable the protests like the killings and police brutality against civilians protesting. One officer has even been caught brandishing a shotgun and aiming it at a crowd of protesters on video.

Just a few weeks ago another civilian was shot and killed by police. In this video you can see the officer being attacked by a student; the officer then decides to use lethal force, pulling out his revolver firing a shot into the 18-year-old’s chest. Couple this with the fact that in August a woman had her eye shot by police in an extremely graphic video, and you can see why the protests are still raging strong across Hong Kong. Although in a win for the Hong Kong protesters, a court has ordered that a woman identified only as ‘K’ can sue the Hong Kong police for their actions, SCMP reported.

However, make no mistake, violence is also happening on the side of Hong Kong protesters; this fight has been going on for almost half a year at a massive 118 days according to a Bloomberg report on October 4th. During August, a pro-Hong Kong police journalist from the Chinese mainland was beaten and tied up by rioters at Hong Kong International Airport. After the mob tied the journalist’s hands and feet, the man said: “I support the Hong Kong police, you can beat me!”

Police have also been accused of agent provocateur behavior by infiltrating protest groups and getting violent for no reason, or using lethal force when they could have just used nonlethal methods — but potentially still deadly — bean bag guns, rubber bullets or tear gas, edging on the violence as can be seen with these videos and more (here, and here) with the addition of the embedded clips below.

These actions and defying the masks ban spawned the display we saw last week and over the weekend with activists utilizing Winnie The Pooh, Joker and Guy Fawkes masks to cover their faces hiding their identities, Associated Press reported.

Another key issue is that some of the weapons being used by Hong Kong police including tear gas, pepper spray, and batons, are coming from U.S. companies producing the chemicals and ammunition. So far, two lawmakers in early August called for a ban on those weapons of war that are being used for crowd control, The Epoch Times reported.

Amnesty International has identified several U.S.-based companies that are supplying the crowd control equipment to police, according to a statement by the humans’ rights organization.

U.S. President Donald Trump promised Chinese President Xi Jinping in a June phone call that he would stay quiet on the protests in Hong Kong in exchange for progress in the trade war, Business Insider reported.

Although in September during a meeting at the UN after the trade deal seemed to fizzle out, Trump criticized China by stating that it must respect the city’s democracy and abide by the decades-old agreement giving it semi-autonomy, CBS reported.

However, recently President Donald Trump said in an Oval Office meeting with China’s Vice Premier, Liu He, that he thinks protests in Hong Kong are slowing down and they will take care of themselves, and that a partial trade accord the two leaders reached on Friday will be a “great deal” for the city’s residents.

“We discussed Hong Kong and I think great progress has been made by China in Hong Kong, and I’ve been watching and I actually told the vice-premier it really has toned down a lot from the initial days of a number of months ago when I saw a lot of people, and I see far fewer now,” Trump told reporters.

Trump added, “I think that’s going to take care of itself. I actually think this deal is a great deal for the people of Hong Kong to see what happened. I think this is a very positive thing for Hong Kong.”

In contrast, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence has accused China of curtailing “rights and liberties” in Hong Kong and blasted U.S. companies such as Nike and the National Basketball Association for falling in line with Beijing over free speech issues, Reuters reported.

Trump added, “I think that’s going to take care of itself. I actually think this deal is a great deal for the people of Hong Kong to see what happened. I think this is a very positive thing for Hong Kong.”

In contrast, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence has accused China of curtailing “rights and liberties” in Hong Kong and blasted U.S. companies such as Nike and the National Basketball Association for falling in line with Beijing over free speech issues, Reuters reported.

It's easy to find all march locations in the map: https://t.co/s2QrGqQhvc

All details for #MillionMaskMarch events: https://t.co/vk5q5JfslH

or here: https://t.co/XdLvrsqglV

We're marching all over the world as one big family
#Anonymous #MMM2019 #MillionMaskMarch #Nov5

— Anonymous Worldwide (@AnonsWorldwide) October 27, 2019

Many Hong Kong activists seem to agree that China has become a tyrannical nation-state in recent years; another man is heard echoing those words in a video uploaded to Twitter.

Wow. Listen to this Hong Kong protester talk about his desire for freedom. They are fighting for "survival" and trying to achieve what we have in America.

Perhaps the luxury of unprecedented freedom has made many in this country forget how fragile liberty truly is. pic.twitter.com/atZhGJDvNY

— YAAS (@YAAS_America) October 6, 2019

China has begun rolling out an Orwellian surveillance state with facial recognition cameras in bathrooms, on street corners, required to use the internet, for transportation and even in classrooms, as Activist Post has previously reported. If that’s not bad enough, China is planning to merge its 170+ million security cameras with artificial intelligence and facial recognition technology to create a mega-surveillance state. This compounds with China’s “social credit system” that ranks citizens based on their behavior, and rewards or punishes depending on those scores.

Hong Kongers have begun covering their faces due to the rise of facial recognition technology used by police, threats from police and Triads and security cameras on the streets themselves. Activists are often seen shining laser pointers to disrupt the facial recognition technology used by police. U.S. citizens haven’t quite gone that far, yet, but there is an interactive Fight For The Future map, which shows everyone how they can begin fighting back through legislation and contacting state senators, as well as organized efforts to fight the police state surveillance agenda, as Activist Post has reported.

Hong Kong protesters are planning a massive rally today that organizers are hoping will help them push their demands on Hong Kong and China. According to the Associated Press, police did not give authorization for the pro-democracy march and the protest would be considered “illegal.” Lam has enacted Martial Law using the colonial-era Emergency Powers act, and can make “any regulations whatsoever” during this time of “public danger,” NPR reported.

If protesters are caught disobeying the “no mask” law, they could be subjected to up to 1 year in prison for concealing their identity. The new law is designed to curb radical behavior, Hong Kong’s leader Carrie Lam has said.

Why does this keep happening to California year after year?  As you read this article, enormous wildfires are ravaging large portions of northern California, and Governor Gavin Newsom has already declared a statewide emergency.  An extreme wind event that began on Saturday evening is pushing the fires along at a staggering rate, and when the winds are howling this ferociously it is exceedingly difficult for firefighters to keep the fires from spreading.  It was being reported that on Sunday morning there were sustained winds exceeding 90 mph in northern California with “gusts that topped 100 mph”.  It was the strongest wind event in several years, and it came at an extremely unfortunate time.  These “hurricane-force Diablo winds” will continue into Monday morning, but that doesn’t mean that things will start to get better.  As you will see below, another extreme wind event is in the forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Kincade Fire is the largest of the wildfires, and according to ABC News it has now “grown to 85 square miles”…

California Fire officials say a rapidly moving fire in Northern California wine country has grown to 85 square miles (220 square kilometers) and destroyed 94 buildings.

Cal Fire spokesman Jonathan Cox called the conditions throughout California “a tinderbox” Sunday and asked people to continue being vigilant in helping to prevent fires from breaking out.

That is an absolutely massive wildfire, and the extremely strong winds are picking up embers from the Kincade Fire and starting blazes in new areas.

The following is what Cal Fire Captain Robert Foxworthy told reporters on Sunday morning…

“The wind speeds are extreme…The strongest winds I have felt in my career,” Cal Fire Capt. Robert Foxworthy told KPIX 5 Sunday morning. “They (the winds) are throwing embers a considerable distance in front of the main fire, causing spot fires, creating a real challenge for the crews fighting the fire.”

The Kincade Fire was only about 10 percent contained early on Sunday, but thanks to this extreme wind event the level of containment has now fallen to 5 percent.

In other words, this fire is completely and utterly out of control.

Pacific Gas & Electric is telling us that “nearly 2.7 million people lost electricity” on Sunday, and they are expecting more blackouts in northern California during the week.

Could you imagine being in the dark with no electricity and massive wildfires are raging all around you?

This is a terrifying time for those living in northern California, and approximately 200,000 are currently under mandatory evacuation orders.

According to the Sonoma County Sheriff, nobody can remember another time when there was an evacuation order this large…

Approx 180,000 people under evacuation order due to #KincadeFire. This is the largest evacuation that any of us at the Sheriff’s Office can remember. Take care of each other.

Sadly, most homeowners in California do not have fire insurance, and so when they lose their homes they may find it exceedingly difficult to rebuild.

And after last year’s horrific fires, some insurance companies decided not to renew coverage for many of those that did actually have fire insurance…

After last year’s devastating wildfires, insurance companies are balking at fire coverage policy renewals for more than 350,000 residents in high-risk areas.

“We are seeing an increasing trend across California where people at risk of wildfires are being non-renewed by their insurer,” state Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara said in a statement.

The California Department of Insurance “has seen cases where homeowners were paying an annual premium of $800-$1,000 but, upon renewal, saw increases to as high as $2,500-$5,000,” a staggering rise of more than 300 percent in most cases.

Insurance companies keep making it really hard for us to have a positive view of them.  The entire purpose for insuring our homes is so that if disaster strikes we will be able to rebuild.

Of course it probably doesn’t make much business sense to keep insuring multi-million dollar homes that are built in the middle of a tinderbox if these sorts of wildfires are just going to keep happening year after year after year.

But the truth is that we never used to see fires of such ferocity and intensity year after year.  Yes, there have always been wildfires in California, but something has changed.

So why is this happening?

Why is California being absolutely pummeled by unprecedented fires in recent years?

Ultimately, I think that these latest fires will encourage even more people to leave the state, and you certainly can’t blame anyone that wants to leave.

The winds that are fueling the rapid growth of these wildfires are expected to die down late on Monday, but then another extreme wind event is coming on Tuesday…

On Sunday afternoon, PG&E announced it’s monitoring another extreme-wind event that could trigger yet another power outage Tuesday and Wednesday, the third such blackout in a week and fourth in October. Up to 32 counties in Northern and Central California could be affected.

Any way that you want to look at it, this is going to be a very tough week for northern California.  This is what Governor Gavin Newsom said about “the next 72 hours” on Saturday…

“The next 72 hours will be challenging,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said on Saturday. “I could sugarcoat it, but I will not.”

At this moment, there are some portions of northern California that literally look like “hell on Earth”.

The devastation caused by these fires is going to be immense, but so far there haven’t been any reported deaths.

So that is the good news.

But the bad news is that these fires are going to keep happening, and the extreme social decay that is pushing so many people to leave the state is only going to intensify.

Yes, the weather is very nice in California in the winter and there are still lots of good jobs, but if I was living in California right now I would be looking to leave as soon as possible.

About the Author: I am a voice crying out for change in a society that generally seems content to stay asleep.  My name is Michael Snyder and I am the publisher of The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe.  I have written four books that are available on Amazon.com including The Beginning Of The End, Get Prepared Now, and Living A Life That Really Matters.  (#CommissionsEarned)  By purchasing those books you help to support my work.  I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but due to government regulations I can only allow this to happen if this “About the Author” section is included with each article.  In order to comply with those government regulations, I need to tell you that the controversial opinions in this article are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the websites where my work is republished.  This article may contain opinions on political matters, but it is not intended to promote the candidacy of any particular political candidate.  The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions.  Those responding to this article by making comments are solely responsible for their viewpoints, and those viewpoints do not necessarily represent the viewpoints of Michael Snyder or the operators of the websites where my work is republished.  I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is a great help.

The post “Diablo Winds” Are Ferociously Whipping “Out Of Control” Wildfires Across Vast Stretches Of Northern California appeared first on The Economic Collapse.

Why do you believe what you believe?  Some people have a really solid answer to that question, but much of the population never thinks much about deeper questions such as this.  In fact, for most Americans it is simply easier to let others do their thinking for them.  Today, most of us spend multiple hours each day absorbing information through a screen, and most of the content that is fed to us through our televisions, phones, tablets and computers is controlled by the elite.  And if you allow anyone to feed information into your mind for several hours every day, it is going to have a dramatic impact on how you view the world.

When I was younger, one of my favorite movies was “The Matrix”, and I think that it is a really good metaphor for what is going on in our society today.  In the film, nearly the entire human population was plugged into a system which continuously fed a computer-generated reality into their minds that wasn’t real at all.  Later on, I eventually came to realize that we are willingly doing the same thing to ourselves.  Our personal interactions with one another are extremely limited, but we willingly “plug in” to the enormous matrix of news, information and entertainment that the elite have constructed for many hours each day.

According to numbers that were released earlier this year, the average American spends more than three hours watching television and more than three hours on mobile devices every single day…

It’s official: This year marks the first time that Americans will spend more time staring down at their phones and tablets than they will watching television.

The average U.S. adult will spend three hours and 43 minutes on mobile devices this year, according to EMarketer Inc., which is eight minutes longer than the three hours and 35 minutes that will be spent in front of the TV.

If Americans from previous generations could visit our society right now, they would probably be horrified that we are all constantly staring at our screens like some sort of zombies.

And perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad if we were feeding our minds healthy things, but instead most of what we are absorbing is garbage that has been produced by the elite.

Today, nearly all of the news, information and entertainment that Americans consume is produced by a small cluster of giant corporations.  The following summary of the current state of affairs comes from Wikipedia…

In the United States, movie production has been dominated by major studios since the early 20th century; before that, there was a period in which Edison’s Trust monopolized the industry. The music and television industries recently witnessed cases of media consolidation, with Sony Music Entertainment‘s parent company merging their music division with Bertelsmann AG’s BMG to form Sony BMG and Tribune’s The WB and CBS Corp.’s UPN merging to form The CW. In the case of Sony BMG, there existed a “Big Five” (now “Big Four“) of major record companies, while The CW’s creation was an attempt to consolidate ratings and stand up to the “Big Four” of American network (terrestrial) television (this despite the fact that the CW was, in fact, partially owned by one of the Big Four in CBS). In television, the vast majority of broadcast and basic cable networks, over a hundred in all, are controlled by eight corporations: Fox Corporation, The Walt Disney Company (which includes the ABC, ESPN, FX and Disney brands), National Amusements (which includes CBS Corporation and Viacom), Comcast (which owns NBCUniversal), AT&T (which owns WarnerMedia), Discovery, Inc., E. W. Scripps Company, Cablevision (now known as Altice USA), or some combination thereof.^[92]

When you have an almost totally monopoly on news, information and entertainment, it is not too difficult to manipulate a society.  At this point, most of the population is made up of extremely pliable “NPCs” that are more than happy to go along with whatever “societal norms” are set by the elite.  The term “sheeple” has been used to describe those that allow the elite to do their thinking for them, and we need to do what we can to help those individuals wake up and to get them to start thinking for themselves.

Let me give you an example of the immense power of the media.  One recent survey found that those that watch Fox News tend to think that the U.S. economy is in great shape, while those that watch MSNBC tend to be quite pessimistic about the economy…

American voters face the same set of economic facts, from low unemployment to the risks from a trade war, but the survey’s index of overall sentiment – at 108 just above the 100 line that separates positive from negative impressions of the economic outlook – masked the huge divide between those who approve of Trump, whose views measured a far rosier 136, and those who disapprove of the president, with a reading of 88.

The results, weighted by factors like age, race and sex, to be nationally representative, were similarly skewed based on media consumption. Viewers of conservative-leaning Fox News registered 139 for current sentiment about the economy; viewers of MSNBC, an outlet often critical of Trump, registered 89. Readers of the New York Times sat in the middle at 107, near those who get their news from Facebook (110) and Twitter (112).

But the truth is somewhere in between.  We haven’t officially had a recession in recent years, but the U.S. economy has definitely not been “booming” either.  In fact, we haven’t had a full year of 3 percent GDP growth since the middle of the Bush administration.  That is the longest stretch of slow growth in American history by a very wide margin, and now it appears that the next recession is rapidly approaching.

And without a doubt, tens of millions of American families are deeply struggling right now.  As I noted yesterday, 50 percent of all American workers make less than 33,000 dollars a year, and a survey that was just released found that 70 percent of Americans “have cried about money”…

Pass along the tissues, because Americans aren’t afraid of letting the tears roll when it comes to finances.

Seven in 10 Americans said they have cried about money in their lifetimes, according to a recent online survey of 1,004 Americans by Compare Cards.com. Many cited worries over their job or making ends meet.

And household debt, which peaked at $13.86 trillion in the second quarter, weighed the heaviest on Americans. Almost a third admitted to crying over this looming concern, according to the survey.

One of the reasons why my articles upset so many people is because I just don’t follow the herd.

In this day and age, it is absolutely imperative that we all learn to think for ourselves.  Because if you don’t actively take control, the elite will be more than happy to do your thinking for you.

Question everything.  Everyone that is feeding you news, information and entertainment has an agenda, and in most cases it is not a positive agenda.

We are in a battle for hearts and minds, and the elite have an overwhelming edge because of the colossal system that they have created.

But we have the truth on our side, and in the end the truth shall prevail.

About the Author: I am a voice crying out for change in a society that generally seems content to stay asleep.  My name is Michael Snyder and I am the publisher of The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe.  I have written four books that are available on Amazon.com including The Beginning Of The End, Get Prepared Now, and Living A Life That Really Matters.  (#CommissionsEarned)  By purchasing those books you help to support my work.  I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but due to government regulations I can only allow this to happen if this “About the Author” section is included with each article.  In order to comply with those government regulations, I need to tell you that the controversial opinions in this article are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the websites where my work is republished.  This article may contain opinions on political matters, but it is not intended to promote the candidacy of any particular political candidate.  The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions.  Those responding to this article by making comments are solely responsible for their viewpoints, and those viewpoints do not necessarily represent the viewpoints of Michael Snyder or the operators of the websites where my work is republished.  I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is a great help.

The post What You Think Is Controlled By What You Watch, And What You Watch Is Controlled By The Elite appeared first on The Economic Collapse.

Written by Wild Bill on The Prepper Journal.

Survival is more of an art than a science and there are as many opinions on the “right” way to do it as there are preppers. While everyone isn’t certain they have the final answer, the truth is, no one really knows because the showdown, apocalypse, calamity, SHTF, disaster, fall of America, whatever you want to call it, hasn’t happened yet. Since it hasn’t happened yet, and reliable prophets are few and far between, there is no way of knowing what kind of situation you’ll find yourself in when it arrives.

If history has taught us anything it is that the earliest ones to recognize the coming change will be mocked and chastised by the masses, and persecuted by those bringing about the coming changes. It will be subtle, covert and matter of fact as the spin is set into motion. A transgression here used to quell the first flash points by complicit and coordinated judgement by the 5th estate, supported by the social media infrastructure we see as more benevolent that would George Orwell. History abounds with such grant illusions, the sheep in denial until slaughter is inescapable. The government of Venezuela has been killing its citizens for months, do you see that on the news or do you see the latest tweet from some troll elected to Congress by a disconnected populace?

Since we all like planning for vacations and trying to get the best travel bargains so should we also be trying to plan ahead for the long term when it all goes south. That means you need to consider which option is better for you and your family. Should you hunker down in an armored bunker and ride out the storm? Or, should you opt to be mobile so you can stay one step ahead of the storm? (taking into consideration the lessons of the Golden Horde, of course.)

Armor Up

If you’ve ever been in the military you might be familiar with the saying among tank crews about scratching each other’s backs. This happened a lot in Vietnam, where a VC would wait until a tank got right up close to them. When it was close enough they would jump up on the tank and try to stuff a grenade or something down the hatches. They were locked of course; after all, what good is armor if you leave the door open?

Then a second tank would radio in that they were going to scratch the back of the first tank with the VC on it. The second tank would hose down the first tank with machine gun fire until all the enemies were gone. They knew the crew inside the first tank was safe behind all that armor so they could fire away.

Is that your goal?

A heavily armored bunker dug deep in the ground with limited access in or out, is a tough nut to crack. When the balloon goes up you’ll be safe and sound behind steel and concrete walls while the world tears itself apart outside. This is an especially good option if the outside world is engaged in a war of all against all. Widespread guerrilla warfare, mainly dependent on small arms, doesn’t generally include the use of the kind of heavy-duty explosives that could breach an armored bunker.

Properly constructed and camouflaged, your bunker might not even be noticed during that type of conflict. Once all the heavy fighting is over or has moved out of your area, you can emerge with all your own firepower intact and ready for action.

Staying Mobile

But what if a situation develops where two large enemies are fighting it out with heavy artillery and bunker buster bombs, going after anyone who won’t declare for their side? In a case like that, you might want to get out of Dodge. That means you need to stay mobile.

Wherever the fighting is, you need to be somewhere else. If you’re in a jeep or truck of some kind you’ll have to sleep in a tent or portable shelter at night. If you’re running in an RV, then you’ll be sleeping in your RV when you have the chance.

An RV is certainly an attractive choice since it has so much storage room inside and acts as a home away from home when you’re on the road. It is also clearly a civilian vehicle, one of the millions on the road, which allows you to perhaps hide in plain sight, lost in the crowd. Any military style vehicle will draw unwanted attention but an RV, the vehicle of choice for aging (and “harmless”) snowbirds, will have a much greater chance of letting you fly under the radar. 

Now driving one while armed to the teeth, decked out head-to-toe in camo and wearing your body armor might make yo boil to the top of the “harmless” crowd, but having all those items at the ready affords a measure of confidence, and preparedness that, as preppers, give us some comfort.

Staying Healthy in the Apocalypse

Weapons, armor, and mobility aside, you need to stay healthy while the world around you is eating itself. Water first, a well-stocked medical cabinet and first aid supplies is next, of course. After that, you need to ensure your and your family have a balanced diet, enough to last for several months during the initial unrest, then a good supply of seeds to grow your own food after that.

And son’t forget the value of sleep. Sleep deprivation is a well-known tactic for wearing down prisoners. Don’t do that to yourself with primitive sleeping quarters or rotten mattresses that kill your back. When it comes to survival, you need to be bright-eyed, bushy-tailed and bring back a sense of balance to a world that has gone crazy.

Be Safe out there and be sure to check out The Prepper Journal Store and follow The Prepper Journal on Facebook!

The post Mobility vs Armored: Which is Better? appeared first on The Prepper Journal.

It’s bulletproof.  This is the biggest tactical feature of the pack. Leatherback’s armored panels are NIJ Level IIIA Rated Armor. That level will protect the wearer against nearly all handgun rounds up to .44 magnum with a mass of 240 grains and a velocity of 1,340 ft/s. This armor will even stop 12-gauge slugs!

It won’t just protect your bag, but also your front. There are not one but TWO armored plates in this pack. You can see this as double the protection for your back (stopping even higher-caliber rounds) or as protection for both your front and your back.

“How does a backpack protect your front?” you ask. This bag is tactical in every way. One zipper splits this backpack in half, exposing shoulder straps that allow you to wear it as conventional body armor vest. 

The post Survival Gear Review: Leatherback Gear TACTICAL ONE Bulletproof Backpack appeared first on Survival Cache.

Gun ownership is a fundamental civil liberty, but just like all rights, it requires responsibility.

Here are five mistakes that some gun owners make, and how you can avoid them:

 

Mistakes Gun Owners Make

1. Poor Storage Choices

Don’t store your weapons out in the open, where children have access to them, or where burglars in a potential break-in could easily find them. Keeping your guns locked in a safe or high in the closet are better locations. Of course, keeping them in easy-to-access areas for emergencies will require you to be a little more creative to keep them out of the reach of children. Also, it is crucial that you store your guns in the “safe” position, especially if you have children. Yes, they are in a safe, but it is always best to limit liabilities when possible. If you have trigger or bolt locks, then use them.

 

2. Not Being Proficient

What good is owning a gun if you aren’t proficient with it? Granted, some gun owners are gun collectors and just enjoy collecting firearms as a hobby, but for the gun owner who buys firearms for hunting, personal home protection, or for using during a crisis, becoming proficient with the weapon is more important than owning the gun just so you can say you own it.

You should be able to shoot your weapon accurately, reload it, clear a jam, and holster or sling it aside based on muscle memory. That means shooting at least a thousand rounds on the range and performing a thousand repetitions reloading and clearing a jam (which you can use fake ammo for). Practice, practice, practice.

 

Emergency Solar Powered Generator Fits In The Palm Of Your Hand

 

3. Lack Of Education 

One of the biggest mistakes gun owners make is not educating themselves or their household. When you buy a firearm, or if you own any existing ones, educate everyone in your household about them. Your children should know that guns are not toys and should learn to respect them. Teach your children proper trigger discipline, such as indexing, and teach them how to check the safety and if the weapon is chambered or loaded. Keep in mind that children who are uneducated about guns are more likely to try to find them based purely on curiosity. Everyone in your household should be familiar with the weapons in your home, have experience with them on the range, know proper gun safety, and learn to respect them.

 

4. Wrong Ammunition Size

For inexperienced gun owners, it can be easy to confuse some calibers and buy the wrong ammunition. For example, the 5.56x45mm NATO and .223 Remington rounds chambered for ARs and Mini-14s are easily confused. 5.56x45mm can typically chamber .223, but .223 cannot chamber 5.56. Some ARs and Mini-14s are chambered for 5.56, and can thus also shoot .223. But other ARs and Mini-14s are chambered for .223, and thus cannot shoot 5.56. Nonetheless, some gun owners will still confuse the two and buy 5.56 ammo for their gun that clearly says it is chambered for .223. Even more easy to confuse are the vastly different kinds of .45 (.45 ACP, .45 LC, .45 GAP, etc) or .38 (.38 LC, .38 Special, etc.) for example. Loading guns with the incorrect caliber can severely damage your gun and is a safety hazard.

 

5. Failure To Register Guns

Gun registration is something that many if not most gun owners do not support, and there are many valid arguments that gun registration violates the constitutional right to keep and bear arms. No one wants to have their name and personal information logged into a database, but if you fail to abide by the laws of your state or city and get caught by law enforcement, you could have all of your firearms confiscated, not to mention face severe fines or jail time.

What are other common mistakes gun owners make? Share your opinion in the section below:

 

 

The post The 5 Worst Mistakes Gun Owners Make appeared first on Off The Grid News.

Derrick, the founder of Prepper Press, joins Doc and Drew to talk about several interesting topics including an underground house for sale in Las Vegas, the prepper publishing industry, and other interesting topics. Listen as Doc and Drew pepper Derrick with questions and thoughts about the state of the industry and the future of prepping.

Want to comment about this podcast? Sound off below in the comments.

A fun episode with lots of opinions, click on one of the links below to listen now or download to your phone and listen later. Also, if you love the podcast, please leave us a review on iTunes, Stitcher, or Podbeam. It really helps!!!

The post Survival Cache Podcast Episode 14: Derrick of Prepper Press appeared first on Survival Cache.

Knowing how to build several common animal traps will help you find food for wilderness survival.

And because most of them are easily reset, they can sustain you for a long time while bugging out or bugging in when SHTF.

Ready to learn two common animal traps you can build yourself?

Let’s get started!

1. Twitch-Up Snare

Snare traps are favorites among survivalists and trappers in general – especially the twitch-up snare, as it kills the trapped animal quickly.

It’s a great choice for anyone wanting to hunt and feed humanely. Plus, it stops other animals from beating you to your prey in the trap!

Step 1: Location

To build the twitch-up snare, you need to find an animal trail – and, very importantly, a young sapling along that trail.

Step 2: Trigger Bar

Now find 2 sticks to use for the trigger bar. Put these down into the ground in front of the sapling (see YouTube video below for an easy-to-follow demonstration).

Step 3: Setting the Trap

You’ll need a noose for this step. Tie the end to your sapling, bending it to the ground before attaching it to the trigger bar.

Your noose should be open over the trail, so when the animal’s head goes through and sets off the trigger bar, it pulls closed and up, snapping your prey’s neck.

Related: How To Butcher A Rabbit

2. Paiute Deadfall Trap

The Paiute deadfall trap is one of the easiest traps to build – and you can get super creative. We’ll focus on the most basic option for this guide.

Bear in mind the deadfall trap is best for small animals, like mice and rats, though you can easily build bigger ones (be careful not to injure yourself doing so).

Step 1: Location

Once again, find an animal trail for the best results.

There aren’t any other features you need this time around, so you can easily mark off a few promising locations near your homestead or overnight bushcraft camp!

Step 2: Sticks and Stones

For each Paiute deadfall trap, you’ll need one fairly heavy stone (or a log) and some sticks sturdy enough to hold its weight.

You can get fancy here if you’d like (check out the YouTube video below), but sometimes simplest is the best.

Step 3: Setting the Trap

Prop your deadweight up at an angle with your sticks. The idea here is for your prey to nudge at least one of these supports, which will cause the rock to fall onto them.

Ideally, the neck or back will break, but you should be able to trap some at the very least. It’s not the most humane trap, but it’s good for dealing with vermin and supplementing your wilderness diet.

You’ll want to leave some bait under your deadfall trap too, to entice prey.

Don’t Take Trapping Lightly

Unless it’s for protecting your homestead crops and livestock, trapping should only be used for survival.

It’s perfectly okay if you practice trapping skills (in fact, you might want to before SHTF and your life depends on it), but then you need to make sure you take them down.

Always exercise caution when setting up traps. You absolutely do not want to accidentally end up hurting someone else or a pet.

Establishment Democrats are becoming extremely nervous, because they are starting to realize that the field of candidates currently running for the Democratic nomination is exceedingly weak.  The campaign is nearly a year old, there have been nationally televised debates month after month, and at this point only three candidates in the field have any chance of winning.  All of the other candidates have completely flopped, and establishment Democrats are deeply concerned about the weaknesses of the three candidates that are still standing.  Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders are considered to be way too liberal to win a general election, and Joe Biden has been slipping in the polls and his fundraising numbers have been absolutely terrible.   With just a few months left until voting begins, many establishment Democrats are now desperate for a “savior” to come along and bail them out, and that could potentially result in a very familiar name entering the race.

This cycle more Democrats have run for president than ever before, and at first it seemed like at least a few of them would generate a significant level of enthusiasm.  But now that it is clear that it is a three way race between Biden, Warren and Sanders, key Democratic operatives all over the country are evaluating whether there are other options.  The following originally comes from the New York Times…

When a half-dozen Democratic donors gathered at the Whitby Hotel in Manhattan last week, the dinner began with a discussion of which presidential candidates the contributors liked. But as conversations among influential Democrats often go these days, the meeting quickly evolved into a discussion of who was not in the race — but could be lured in.

What Democrats care about more than anything else is beating Donald Trump in November 2020, and right now there are serious doubts about those that are leading the race.

Former Obama adviser David Axelrod put it this way…

“With Trump looming, there is genuine concern that the horse many have bet on may be pulling up lame and the horse who has sprinted out front may not be able to win,” said David Axelrod, a former adviser to President Barack Obama.

Of course the horse that is “pulling up lame” is Joe Biden.  For most of the race he was leading in the polls, but recently his numbers have been falling and his fundraising has been abysmal.  The following comes from Vanity Fair…

While Vice President Joe Biden may still be the front-runner in the 2020 polls, he’s falling woefully behind when it comes to campaign cash. New campaign finance filings released Tuesday reveal that while the 2020 candidate took in $15.7 million in the third quarter, Biden’s campaign only has $8.9 million on hand going into the fourth quarter. And with the Iowa caucuses rapidly approaching in February, his donors are reportedly starting to get nervous about Uncle Joe making it to the finish line.

Biden’s third quarter cash haul falls far behind his fellow top-tier 2020 candidates. Senator Bernie Sanders took in $25.3 million and has $33.7 million cash on hand, while Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Biden’s closest rival in the polls, took in $24.7 million and has $25.7 million on hand. Though slightly further down in the polls, Mayor Pete Buttigieg was one of the top third-quarter fundraisers with $19.2 million and $23.4 million on hand.

Biden’s pitiful fundraising haul is yet another indication of the lack of enthusiasm surrounding his campaign.

People that give money to campaigns generally do so because they truly believe in the candidate that they are giving money to.

But throughout his political career, Biden has never been able to generate much national enthusiasm, and the same thing is true today.

And if Biden is really struggling to raise money now, how in the world is he going to compete with Trump’s fundraising machine in the general election?

Top Democrats all over the nation are talking about these things, and many of them are intent on finding a “savior” that can rescue them from the potential disaster that they see looming in November 2020.

In recent days, two of the biggest names that are being thrown around are Hillary Clinton and Michael Bloomberg.

Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Bloomberg have both told people privately in recent weeks that if they thought they could win, they would consider entering the primary — but that they were skeptical there would be an opening, according to Democrats who have spoken with them.

Bloomberg is an interesting figure, but the Democrats are simply not going to nominate a rich, white billionaire, and so he might as well forget it.

Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, would instantly become the front runner if she were to enter the race, and according to the Stamford Advocate she thinks about it “all the time”…

Those close to Clinton, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment on her behalf, say she has felt vindicated over the past few weeks as Trump’s political difficulties have deepened. That sentiment was reinforced this week when the State Department announced its probe into emails sent to a private server, a major complication of her 2016 campaign, found no evidence of deliberate mishandling of classified information by department employees.

“Ultimately, it’s unlikely she would do it,” said one person who has spoken with her. “But put it this way: It ain’t zero. And does she think about it all the time? Absolutely.”

This month, Hillary Clinton has been all over the mainstream media, and she has been frequently asked about the 2020 race.

In response, she has repeatedly stated that she is not endorsing any of the current candidates, and she has refused to shoot down the persistent rumors that she may enter the race herself.

For example, at the latest stop on her “book tour” she had every opportunity to say that she was not running, but instead she seemed to welcome the speculation…

“All that matters is that we win,” Clinton told Strayed. “I hate to be so, you know, simplistic about it. We have to nominate (cough) … the best …

“You!” someone shouted from the audience, drawing a big smile and laugh from Clinton.

She didn’t disavow the idea.

“Oh, my. Well, thank you,” Clinton said. “I just feel so strongly that, look, I just want to say a little bit more about this, because what’s going on now with the impeachment inquiry is not a choice it was an obligation under the Constitution.”

You can watch her making these remarks on video right here.

And then on Tuesday, Clinton sparked even more speculation when she shared a very cryptic quote from Beyonce on Instagram…

Hillary Clinton on Tuesday kicked up more 2020 buzz after posting a quote from pop megastar Beyoncé about the need to take power, praising the sentiment and adding, “Beyoncé speaks the truth.”

The failed presidential candidate posted the quote from the “Halo” singer on Instagram on Tuesday. It read, “Power’s not given to you. You have to take it.”

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

@Beyonce speaks the truth.⁣ ⁣ #GutsyWomen

A post shared by Hillary Clinton (@hillaryclinton) on Oct 22, 2019 at 10:03am PDT

Clinton’s post has received more than 53,000 likes so far, and most of the candidates currently in the Democratic field would kill for that sort of enthusiasm.

And when asked about a potential rematch with Trump during a recent appearance on PBS Newshour, Clinton responded by saying that “maybe there does need to be a rematch – I mean obviously I can beat him again”.

Of course that could only happen if Trump actually makes it to the 2020 election.  After the Democrat-controlled House impeaches Trump, there will be a trial in the U.S. Senate, and many experts are assuming that the Republican-controlled Senate will protect Trump and keep him in office.

But when the Daily Caller recently contacted every Republican in the Senate, only 7 of them said that they have ruled out voting to remove President Trump from office.

Only 7 out of 53.

I am extremely concerned about what is going to happen in the Senate, because removing Trump from office would throw our entire country into a state of chaos.

And with our nation in a state of chaos, it would be the perfect opportunity for the most evil politician of our generation to step forward and pick up the pieces.

About the Author: I am a voice crying out for change in a society that generally seems content to stay asleep.  I am the publisher of The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe.  I have written four books that are available on Amazon.com including The Beginning Of The End, Get Prepared Now, and Living A Life That Really Matters.  (#CommissionsEarned)  By purchasing those books you help to support my work.  I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but due to government regulations I can only allow this to happen if this “About the Author” section is included with each article.  In order to comply with those government regulations, I need to tell you that the controversial opinions in this article are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the websites where my work is republished.  This article may contain opinions on political matters, but it is not intended to promote the candidacy of any particular political candidate.  The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions.  Those responding to this article by making comments are solely responsible for their viewpoints, and those viewpoints do not necessarily represent the viewpoints of Michael Snyder or the operators of this website.  I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is a great help.

While you weren’t looking (or perhaps while your eyes were recovering from debris damage), sunglasses have quietly evolved from simple “shades” to keep the sun’s glare from your eyes into a full-on vision-enhancing system that offers protection of the ballistic and UV sorts. Lots of companies have popped up offering superior sunglasses, but recently, a small, rowdy, upstart company you’ve probably never heard of – Magpul – introduced the production of sunglasses made with their interpretation of what sunglasses should be. Not only did they hit the mark, but they slid into the crowded arena, bowled over the competition, then promptly dropped the mic. BOOM.

By Drew, contributing author to Survival Cache and SHTFblog

I recently introduced a pair of Magpul Terrain Polarized sunglasses to my face. This is my story.

Magpul Terrain Sunglasses

For years, Wiley X sunglasses have nose-perched on my face whenever any eye-shading duties have presented themselves – shooting included. However, when I noticed that the mighty Magpul design team had furrowed their collective brows and dedicated themselves to producing sunglasses, I simply had to try them. Magpul – in my experience so far – just doesn’t do anything they put their minds to in a half-assed manner. 

Navigating my way to the Magpul website to peruse their eyewear selections, the Terrain series of sunglasses struck my fancy; it seems Magpul designed this series of shaded specs to not only enhance the user’s day-to-day mundane life, but also to provide unparallelled field of view and comfort while wearing hats and hearing protection. Also drawing my attention was the fact that the Terrain was designed for larger faces, which would likely play nicely with my planet-on-a-stick head size.

The frames of the Magul Terrain sunglasses are made of TR90 NZZ, a lightweight polyamide material that has been specifically engineered to provide not only shatter resistance when bent or deflected, but also boasting superior impact strength – important for those of us who prefer our eyewear to be able to resist coming apart at the range if we’re unfortunate enough to catch a wayward bullet splatter or ricochet impact.

In point of fact, the frames are so lightweight and flexible that the most common first impression I got when showing the Terrains was, “these are from Magpul? They feel flimsy!” However, a few minutes of twisting and turning the sunglasses frames resulted in 100% first impression turnarounds – these sunglasses can’t be turned into pretzels or seriously damaged without ridiculous effort.

The lenses of the Magpul Terrain sunglasses are available in either polarized or non-polarized configurations. However, either option comes standard with anti-reflective (AR) treatments on the inside of the lenses to minimize distracting mirror-like reflections on the interior surface of the glasses. The lenses also boast oleophobic coatings that keep liquids – rain, chemicals, gasoline, blood, et al – from building up on the lenses, and promote runoff and/or beading up of these liquids, maintaining clear, usable vision for longer periods of time.

The entire Terrain glasses envelope meets not only the US civilian ANSI Z87+ high-impact standard test rating for safety, but also the military NATO standard MIL-PRF 32432 for ballistic protection of eyewear. These military standards mean that not only do the glasses pass tests for optical clarity, environmental stability (won’t expand/contract/quit working with temperature or moisture extremes), and UV ray protection, but the glasses also meet the protection requirements against a 0.15 caliber projectile travelling at 640-660 feet per second. As a frame of reference here – if Ralphie in A Christmas Story had been wearing Magpul Terrain sunglasses while fighting off Bad Bart’s wayward gang, he wouldn’t have been reduced to a whiny casualty when his trusty Red Ryder 200-shot carbine ricocheted.

Changing Your View Of The World

Donning the Magpul Terrains after wearing my old Wiley X P-17 glasses is akin to sipping a glass of refreshing, ice-cold fresh squeezed lemonade on a 100 degree day – when the only other thing you have to drink is room-temperature Guinness. The Terrains are stunningly lightweight, and the points of contact to your body – the nose pieces and temple arms – are overmolded rubber and integrate seamlessly with your face. The next thing you notice is the stunning clarity of the lenses – the polarized bronze gold mirror lenses of my Magpul Terrains let an incredible amount of undistorted, tinted light to my eyes while still providing enough glare reduction to be comfortable in bright sunlight. 

At the range, the Terrains slipped comfortably underneath my Howard Leight Impact Sport hearing protection, and allowed a full seal, letting the earmuffs perform their job admirably with a minimum of hassle. The lens frames have been somehow magically designed to let the wearer see without the encumbrance of framing in the field of view, yet not bump into the buttstock of a rifle when snuggling up into a proper cheek weld. Red dot and holographic sights performed wonderfully through the polarized lenses with zero silliness or added reticle flare  – something I can’t say for other makes of eye pro I’ve worn – even clear with clear lenses.

Also read: Survival Gear Review: Magpul M-LOK Tripod Adaptor

While I didn’t shoot at the Magpul Terrain sunglasses to prove their ballistic worthiness – I did put them through the “Blowback Test”. Explanation: my Windham Weaponry 9mm carbine is a blowback rifle, meaning it uses direct gas to blow the bolt backwards – not a DI system of a standard AR. As a blowback design, the 9mm carbine expels an inordinate amount of hot gasses around the bolt, and directly back into the shooter’s eye around the charging handle. The experienced effect is similar to having someone aim a hair dryer on “High hot” directly at your eyeball while you’re attempting to control a firearm and provide good hits. It’s disconcerting to say the least. These gases occasionally do make it around eye protection if the design is poor. I’m terribly happy to report that the Magpul Terrain passed the Blowback Test with flying colors, and I received nary a puff of hot air or unburnt powder flakes in my peepers.  The Magpul Terrain setup is an absolutely superb eye protection system for the range.

Magpul Terrain in Daily Use

Admittedly, some of the readers won’t be using these Terrains at the range; it’s not their thing. These readers will be pleased to know that while the Magpul Terrains do feature a bit of an “Operator” look, they are not over-the-top designed to round out a full-blown tactical tuxedo and look pleasantly right at home on the nine-to-fivers piloting their daily drivers to work or home or the grocery store. Ultimately, the Magpul Terrains have absolutely updated my daily life with their light weight and stellar field of view. Driving with the Terrains on is far superior to other sunglasses designs, as there is no heavy framing or temple arm to obstruct peripheral vision.

The only day-to-day weirdness I experienced with the Terrains was due to the polarized lenses – and it is a malady any sunglasses with polarized lenses will suffer. Using a cellphone with the Magpul Terrains on was a little wonky, since both smartphone screens and polarized sunglasses incorporate polarized glare-reducing coatings that block light waves travelling in certain directions and frequencies – vertical or horizontal (hence, “polarized”). While these coatings reduce glare and protect your eyes from both UVA and UVB waves, it also means that looking at a polarized surface through a polarized surface may have the resulting filtered light waves produced by an LCD screen not run in the same direction as the polarized filters on your face, resulting in diminished smartphone screen visibility. Though your mileage may vary, this can often be negated by simply looking at your cellphone horizontally instead of vertically – this changes the lightwave direction by aligning polarization filters with the directional light waves, and allows you to look at a smartphone screen through polarized lenses. You’re welcome.

The other issue I found with the Terrains came from their light weight and larger lens size – on a grouse hunting trip in northern Maine this past week, I would often perch the glasses up on top of the bill of my baseball cap when pushing through heavy brush or dark woods. More than once, I found myself with the glasses missing – pulled off my head by a wayward branch or heavy brush. A backtrack would in in order to find the glasses – and it’s hard to hunt while looking for glasses. An integral retention system similar to my Wiley X P-17s would be hugely welcome – a way to utilize or quickly remove a strap/cord system would be a Godsend in heavy brush, while fishing, or roughhousing with the kids. Whaddaya think, Magpul? You guys are kind known for your ingenuity and all….

Wrapping it Up

Sunglasses ain’t just for keeping the sun out of your eyes anymore. Magpul has upped the shades game with the introduction of the Terrain, a platform that incorporates UV protection, glare reduction, chemical/dust/hot air defense, and ballistic protection into an extremely lightweight, immensely high-quality product that absolutely enhances your interface with the outside world. Available through Magpul’s website at $109 for the non-polarized variety, and a well-worth-it additional $40 for polarized lenses, you can pick and choose your favorite flavor combination of frames and lens colors/mirrors.

It seems Magpul has once again improved our lives by taking the mundane and accepted and completely revamping with a fresh outlook based on performance and experience. But really, did you expect anything less from a product with the Magpul logo on it?

 

The post Survival Gear Review: Magpul Terrain Sunglasses appeared first on Survival Cache.