The Readiness Mindset for the Prepper

Okay, so you've been prepping for a while now. You are beginning to feel more comfortable that when the time comes, you will be ready. Exactly how ready are you really? Sure, you have a lot of food, water, and ammo tucked away in the pantry, basement, and closets, but are you ready if it happened right now, this instant?

Picture yourself at work, or a friends house, or shopping, or on vacation, or just about anywhere you can think of except at your home. The quickest, most instantaneous disaster that could strike you at any moment is a HEMP attack, a high altitude magnetic pulse bomb that explodes a hundred miles up and wipes out all electricity and electronics. Iran (very soon), North Korea, Russia, China, and several other countries have this technology available to them and could use it at any time. You are not at home. What will you do? How will you get home? What last minute things can you do before the rest of the population figures out what happened?

This is what I call the readiness mindset. If this happens, you may only have about a two to four hour window of opportunity to act. If you work 20 miles from home, how long will it take you to walk home? If you walk 5 miles per hour, that just ate up your four hours. If your boss will let you, think about taking your old bicycle out of the shed, clean it up and oil it, and take it to work. If they ask, tell them you may want to get some exercise during a break or lunch time. Do it at least for a while. Then you could be home in as little as an hour.

In this four hour period, everyone will be confused as to what is going on. People will initially stay calm, because everyone has experienced a power outage in their lifetime. They will figure that the power will be restored soon. They realize that it may take some time for the electric company to get some workers out to the site and fix the problem. They will look at their cell phones or try to call someone, but their phones won't work. They'll probably figure that the power outage affected the cell tower also. Those in their cars will wonder why their car suddenly quit running. after a few minutes, they'll notice that the cars around them quit too. They'll think it was just something temporary. Something a local contractor did that caused it. They'll expect their cars to begin running again after whatever the contractor is doing, stops.

This four hour window is crucial to you. This is your opportunity to capitalize on the confusion and  get those last few things to supplement your stash. As this window of opportunity unfolds, it will get increasingly more unstable and dangerous. The first hour is the easiest. I recommend that you keep an emergency stash of cash in $20, $50, and $100 increments. If you can, tuck away as much as possible, up to $10,000.

If you can find an old pickup truck that has no computer, from the early 70's and older that still runs good, buy it now. It will come in very handy at this point. In the first hour or two, you will need to go grocery shopping, to the gun store, and anywhere else you can to stock up on to add to your stash. After the four hour window, money will cease to have any meaningful value, but in the first hours, cash is king! Grab your pistol and a few magazines, your cash, a pad and pencil, a flashlight, and a few family members, jump in your old pickup and weave around all the stalled cars on the road and get to the stores as quick as safely possible. Conceal your pistol as to not be obvious. You don't want to use it, but if things get ugly, you want the best chance to get out of there alive.

At the store, there will be a lot of confusion. Get in and out as quickly as you can. Use the flashlight to navigate the aisles. Write down what you put in the basket and keep a running total in the margin. as soon as you are ready (the atmosphere in the store could determine this also) find the store manager and give him the sheets of paper with the cash plus $50 for his trouble and exit the store as calmly but quickly as possible. Load up the truck and go home. Unload as quickly as possible (if your bugging out to another location, fill a trailer or boxes to be ready to leave as soon as you are done). Go to the next location and do the same. As soon as things start to go down hill, STOP! Don't get yourself killed trying to be greedy. Wide spread looting will begin and you don't want to be in the mix. Hunker down or get out of town as early as you can.

Bottom line: In everything you do and everywhere you go, think of what you will do if the lights go out. The readiness mindset...

Will Iran Start a War to Break the Embargo Chains?

Op-Ed: Economic sanctions weaken Iran, but its leaders remain defiant

By Eliot Elwar

Oct 21, 2012 

Iran’s problems worsen as it claims that ‘dozens’ of its drones reached Israel, Iranians are beginning to panic amid rising costs, while Western officials assess that Iran’s economy is imploding quickly. A Mideast war may occur before 2013.

From Ynet News: Top Iranian military official says Iranian-made surveillance drones have been entering Israeli airspace undetected since 2006, but Israeli official denies claim. The Iranian official declined to give details on the drones’ missions and capabilities, including whether they were similar to the unmanned aircraft launched recently by Lebanon's Hezbollah and downed by Israeli combat aircraft. A few defense analysts wonder if Iran’s new advanced drone technology originated from the US drone that was taken by Iran in 2011.

From Gulf Times: While Iran has been attempting to down play the negative effects of international sanctions on its declining economy, the economic crisis engulfing the nation can no longer be ignored. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s collapsing regime now speaks of “economic warfare,” while Iranians continue to panic about their deteriorating situation and are asking themselves what will happen when the war begins. Analysts assess that Iran’s collapsing economy could force it into war before 2013. An economic collapse will cripple Iran’s war making capabilities; therefore, Iran could attack Israel first before it becomes financially incapable of wiping the Jewish state of the Mideast map.

From the Los Angeles Times: Western governments assess that Iran’s economy is imploding rapidly. Iran could essentially collapse next spring because of the combined pressure from international sanctions, an oil embargo, and internal mismanagement by officials in Tehran. Western government analysts believe that Iran will lack foreign exchange reserves within 6 or 12 months, making it difficult for the Islamic Republic to sell products abroad and buy the imports it needs to continue its manufacturing sector and run public services. The faster Iran’s economy collapses the more likely it will attack Israel.

From Jerusalem Post: According to Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman, tough new European Union sanctions on Iran will not force Tehran back into negotiations with world powers over its nuclear program. "We think the error in calculation which these countries are pursuing will distance them from a favorable result," said Ramin Mehmanparast, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman. "We recommend that instead of taking the wrong approach and being stubborn and using pressure...with a logical approach they can return to discussions." These comments confirm that Iran is on a course for war with Israel and nothing will stop them, but military force rather than economic sanctions.

From the Times of Israel: “Iran is considering the option of artificially producing an enormous environmental disaster that would affect the entire region, in order to punish its enemies and force the West to decrease the sanctions against the regime, Der Spiegel reported on Sunday. According to Western intelligence agencies quoted by the German news weekly, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have developed a secret plan to intentionally cause an oil tanker to contaminate the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.” When the bombs begin to fall, Iran may execute this unconventional military operation. Iran’s military leaders do not plan on fighting the West according to the rules of the Geneva Convention.

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/335211#ixzz2A4qRSfAi

The Difference Between EMP and CME

CME = Coronal Mass Ejection = Solar Flare
HEMP = High-Altitude ElectroMagnetic Pulse = Nuclear Bomb

Posted on August 27, 2012 by Rob Hanus

There is a lot of misinformation about High-Altitude Electromagnetic Pulse (HEMP) and Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) events, about what they are and how they effect things.  One of the big misconceptions is that they are the same.  While they may have a similar component and both can cause power outages, there are some striking differences.

The main difference between a HEMP attack and a CME impact is what is effected.  For HEMP, both the power grid and electronics are damaged and destroyed.  In a CME impact, mainly the power grid is affected, while electronics are untouched.

Why?

There are actually three components, or pulses, to an EMP, they are called E1, E2 and E3:

• E1- The first component is a very fast, high voltage pulse. It is very brief, but very intense.
  • It is much faster than lightning and common lightning and surge suppressors will not stop this pulse.
  • It induces high voltages in wiring and cables, like power lines, phone lines, etc.
  • This is the component that destroys computers and electronic equipment.
• The E2 pulse is a lot like lightning and is easier to protect against, though if the protection circuit was destroyed or damaged by the E1 pulse, may still do more damage.
• The E3 pulse is a long duration pulse and is not like the E1 and E2 pulses.
  • It’s a very slow pulse, which can last for minutes.
  • It is caused by the nuclear detonation disrupting the Earth’s magnetic field. Which sounds a lot like what happens during a CME impact.
  • This is the wave that shuts down the power grid. It does this by inducing a DC-like current. When enough DC current flows through a transformer, it melts.

While a CME can damage electronics in space, such as those on satellites and on the Space Station, it doesn’t generate any E1 pulse.  A severe CME could take out large portions of the power grid for years, but they would not damage any electronics equipment down here on Earth unless, perhaps, connected to the power grid or other very long lines.

http://www.thepreparednesspodcast.com/the-difference-between-emp-and-cme/

Former CIA Army General: Martial Law Expected & “Warranted”

August 2nd, 2012

by Dominique de Kevelioc de Bailleul: 

Lt. General William Boykin (retired) told TruNews Radio Tuesday that the U.S. economy of the United States  “is just about the break” and collapse.  And when the dam gives way, severe food shortages and pervasive violence throughout America will warrant, in his opinion, an executive declaration of martial law.

“I’ll be very honest with you; the situation in America could be such that martial law is actually warranted, and that situation in my view could occur if we had an economic collapse,” said Boykin, a former CIA Deputy Director of Special Activities.

“The dam is just about to break on our economy, and I think when it does, there’s going to be a major disruption of the distribution of food,” he added. “And I think what you’ll see particularly in the inner cities is you will see riots, civil unrest that ultimately might justify martial law.”

"Nationalism will emerge. Healthier countries will not see fit to spend their hard earned money to bail out their less responsible neighbors."

Though the U.S. is the world’s largest exporter of agriculture, in the case of a currency collapse, producers will withhold shipments to retailers and consumers unable to pay in a currency other than U.S. dollars.  For a time, barter will take the place of currency for those living in rural areas, but for the majority of Americans living in cities and adjacent suburbs, food shortages can emerge within 24 hours.

“I think those people that are not in the major cities are going to be far better off, but it could actually justify martial law,” Boykin continued.  “And I’m praying that we will not see that kind of collapse, we won’t see a disruption of the distribution of food in America.  That’s probably the single biggest problem.”

Recommendations by “prepper” organizations and a handful of governments (as in the case of Utah and some municipalities) to include storing enough nonperishable food to last a month to 90 days have become commonplace during the four-year-long economic recession, as the history of currency collapses throughout the world demonstrate that for a meaningful period of time food will not be available at grocery stores, food pantries and other collective emergency food supplies.

Recent examples of food shortages due to rapid currency devaluations include Argentina in 2002; Cuba, following the fall of the Soviet Union in 1989; and in Zimbabwe during its currency collapse of the late 2000s.

Although, the U.S. is not expected to match Zimbabwe in intensity and duration of inflation (89 sextillion percent in 2008), all nations undergo a period of profound dislocation of commerce during a currency devaluation, which may range from as little as several weeks to several months.  At that time, food becomes the king of all commodities while government reestablishes a new workable currency to reestablish normal commerce once again.

“If people can eat, they can survive for some period of time while we get through the economic crisis and reestablish currency, and systems, and all that,” said Boykin.  “But if they can’t eat, you know, they’re going to fight.  And that’s my big concern.”  

From his intelligence, as well as from numerous publicly-available anecdotal testimonies and leaked government documents, the U.S. military has been preparing with local law enforcement for a coming crisis.  Boykin strongly advises the public to make preparations for the most likely scenario of a coming breakdown of the food distribution channels in America during a dollar collapse.

“For me, I have three months of food stored.  I have a bunch of other essentials that I have stored in my home,” he said.  “And my wife and I are preparing for this.

“Now a lot of people call us, you know, foolish, for that kind of attitude,” he added.  “But I would tell you that I’m not going to be unprepared, and I think people should be prepared now for some disruption. You know this economic collapse is a very strong possibility.  We need to get ready for it, and we need to be thinking through and developing plans for how we’re going to react to it.”