Free Republic

Over the past 6 years, our oppressive government has essentially forced me to buy numerous items prior to them being banned. 1) Increased CAFE standards lead to one of my vehicles being discontinued 2) Closing of lead smelting company 3) EPA about to put the hammer down on wood stoves by introducing particulate filters and other ridiculous controls. 4) Lightbulbs....well, you know the story So, I've invested in gas cans, lightbulbs, ammo, a new wood stove (1990 regs), guns, etc. What items have you purchased simply because you fear they will be phased out of existence?

OK, now that I got your attention I got nothing. No one can. But it is time to state a few points that cannot be avoided in case anyone has a script to propose. In no particular order.

The US army has built a fake city designed to be used during combat training exercises. The 300 acre 'town' includes a five story embassy, a bank, a school, an underground subway and train station, a mosque, a football stadium, and a helicopter landing zone. Located in Virginia, the realistic subway station comes complete with subway carriages and the train station has real train carriages. The subway carriages even carry the same logo as the carriages in Washington DC

On the same day House Speaker John Boehner said he would bring a “clean” debt ceiling bill to the House floor—and join Democrats in voting for a 13-month extension of the debt limit—the head of the Congressional Budget Office declared that the “large and growing federal debt” could eventually increase the risk of a “fiscal crisis.” […] CBO estimates that federal debt held by the public will equal 74 percent of GDP at the end of this year and 79 percent in 2024 (the end of the current 10-year projection period). Such large and growing federal debt could have serious...

In the month of December margin debt on the NYSE surged by over $20 Billion dollars hitting a new all-time high of $444.931 billion. The rise in leverage also sent investors net worth to a negative $149.358 billion which is also a record. This is shown in the chart below.

Hi All, This posting is to announce the publication of my new book "When There is No FEMA - Survival for Normal People in (Very) Abnormal Times". Before posting this I coordinated with JimRob to receive guidance on how to do this properly. This professional, textbook-quality, 500+ page book represents the culmination of 3 years of painstaking research and authorship, and is intended to be the definitive reference for anyone interested in modern day disaster preparedness. Topics covered include: Disaster Planning Bugging in and bugging out Emergency food and water Emergency fuel and power Raising small livestock (chickens, rabbits, etc.)...

Celente isn’t suggesting that a massive collapse is going to happen in the future. He says we’re already in it – and it’s taking hold right before our eyes across the entirety of the globe:

What can we learn from the snowstorm that has hit the south? I'm watching and reading responses to the snowstorm in the ATL and its utterly amazing the reaction of the media and the sheeple. 1) government resources become overwhelmed quickly 2) you cannot quickly evacuate a major urban area 3) the media will quickly move to place blame to keep the narrative going 4) if traveling by car have appropriate provisions on hand 5) YOU are ultimately responsible for yourself

Advice or a Warning? You be the judge– American media mogul and creator and editor of the Drudge Report, Matt Drudge issued a dire warning this weekend. The influential conservative warned his Twitter followers “Have an exit plan…” Drudge has access to confidential information from numerous sources inside media and politics.STHF Plan reported, via Free Republic: His web site may consist of just a single page, but Matt Drudge is arguably the most influential media personality in the world. Garnering nearly one billion readers monthly, the Drudge Report is able to literally shift public sentiment, making it an essential read...

ItÂ’s not too difficult to understand that we are well on our way to a paradigm shift in America; in fact weÂ’re in the midst of it right now. The writing is on the wall and can no longer be ignored. The US government has run up trillions of dollars in debt, and given the recent debates over the countryÂ’s debt ceiling, we can rest assured that neither Congress or the President will act to curtail spending and balance the budget. We will continue adding trillions of dollars to the national debt clock until such time that our creditors no...

Did you know that financial institutions all over the world are warning that we could see a “mega default” on a very prominent high-yield investment product in China on January 31st? We are being told that this could lead to a cascading collapse of the shadow banking system in China which could potentially result in “sky-high interest rates” and “a precipitous plunge in credit“. In other words, it could be a “Lehman Brothers moment” for Asia. And since the global financial system is more interconnected today than ever before, that would be very bad news for the United States as...

Ballooning debt levels in advanced economies pose biggest threat to the global economy, World Economic Forum report warns ___ pose the biggest threat to the global economy in 2014, a report by the World Economic Forum has warned. Ahead of next week's WEF annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, the forum's annual assessment of global dangers said high levels of debt in advanced economies, including Japan and America, could lead to an investor backlash. This would create a "vicious cycle" of ballooning interest payments, rising debt piles and investor doubt that would force interest rates up further.

Gold bugs, rejoice. After taking a pounding last year, gold looks set for a big rally, although chart watchers say it still needs a little push higher before it takes off. A gain of about 1.5% from current levels would take gold above a key chart level, which could spark a further rally of 13% to the August highs, technicians say, and possibly much higher. After tumbling 28% in 2013, gold futures have gained 4% so far this year. On Friday, futures were up 0.9% at $1,251.60 an ounce in recent trading, and were trading above the widely-followed 50-day moving...

Here's a question that I've asked in the past that needs to be revisited. Unless one wishes to obfuscate, it has a simple yes or no answer. If one group of people prefers strong government control and management of people's lives while another group prefers liberty and desires to be left alone, should they be required to enter into conflict with one another and risk bloodshed and loss of life in order to impose their preferences on the other group? Yes or no. My answer is no; they should be able to peaceably part company and go their separate ways....

The Day the Dollar Dies America’s financial Pearl Harbor is coming December 6, 2015, 3 p.m. HKT, Hong Kong Twenty-one men representing China’s most powerful institutions file into a conference room atop the ICC Tower looming over Victoria Harbor. The Politburo Standing Committee has mustered the CEOs of China’s four largest banks, Sinopec, and several other state-owned multinationals, plus officers from the Central Military Commission and a pair of academics from China’s top technology universities. The general secretary formally opens the meeting.“As you know, the United States of America continues to manipulate its currency,” he begins. “It is devaluing...

Welcome to the New Year. The usual platitudes for early January include wishes for greater success, greater health and all-around greater prospects. But we all know our nation faces some bleak times. Our constitutional rights are at an all-time low, and our national debt is at an all-time high. The government is spying on its citizens like never before, and anyone who thinks endless spending (such as “QE Infinity”) is the way to handle our economic issues is a blind fool. In short, while I won’t go so far as to make any dire predictions for what 2014 will bring...

Today I have an update for you on my hydroponics adventures. The system has been up and running all season (April 20 - November 1) so there is a lot of information to be shared. The system currently includes 12 beds - 4 outdoors and 8 in a greenhouse - for a total surface area of 56 sq.ft (~ 5.5 m2). An in-depth description of the system was published last year on Survivalblog. I made only 1 substantial change since then and that is in the way the polyethylene drain pipes are connected to the beds. The connections need to...

In just the last twelve months Congressional members and top level administrators at the Department of Homeland Security have warned of threats to the national power grid so serious that should they occur life in America as we have come to know it would change almost instantly. Former DHS head Janet Napolitano, in a letter to her successor, advised that “a massive and serious cyber attack” on the US Homeland is imminent and that a “natural disaster — the likes of which the nation has never seen — is also likely on its way.” This was followed up by a...

Right (good, truth, God…) is on my side, I (we) will prevail, win, survive… Forget it. Nobody cares for reasons and what is right and what is wrong when SHTF. If you think that you have an advantage just because you are good man you are so wrong. The first thing that completely breaks apart is the concept of good will win or “fairness.” We only have these ideas because of living so far removed from nature. Nature is brutal and good dead man is still a dead man. You’re gonna find yourself in situations when you wonder why this...

This past weekend a country with one of the highest living standards in the world saw rioting in the streets! According to Credit Suisse, Singapore ranks 8th in the world in terms of personal wealth. Since the year 2000, Singaporeans’ wealth has more than doubled. It is clear that this is a very prosperous city state that is the gem of Asia. I know that when I have looked for offshore gold storage in the past, Singapore comes up as one of the top areas along with Hong Kong, Zuric, Perth, and Toronto. However, on Sunday a riot was sparked...