Posted on 02/16/2026 8:46:56 AM PST by Whatever Works
America’s richest citizens are quietly transforming their estates into military-grade compounds equipped with underground bunkers, biometric security systems, moats, and private armed forces. The scale and urgency of this shift raises a question the mainstream press seems reluctant to ask: What exactly are they preparing for?
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The wealthy are spending between $100,000 and $1.5 million on security installations that include underground bunkers, laser-powered perimeter defense systems, and biometric access controls. Some are purchasing specially trained protection dogs for as much as $175,000. The message is unmistakable: traditional security measures no longer feel adequate, even for those living in America’s most exclusive neighborhoods.
*** The broader implications are profound. When the people with the most resources, the best information, and the deepest institutional connections begin building fortified compounds designed for long-term survival scenarios, it suggests they see threats the general public has not been adequately warned about. This could include anything from economic collapse and social breakdown to more catastrophic scenarios involving warfare, pandemics, or infrastructure failure.
***
The timeline matters too. These projects are accelerating now, in early 2026, with facilities like Aerie preparing to open demonstration experiences this year. The urgency is palpable. These are not five-year plans being casually developed. These are crash programs being implemented with significant capital and serious intent.
(Excerpt) Read more at economiccollapse.report ...
My father got shot in the abdomen in Philippians during the end of WW2.
It wasn't the bullet that almost killed him. It was the infection in the jungle hospital that sent him home on a hospital ship. Six weeks in the hospital from the infection.
I, for one, know what they know: Our civilization is collapsing.
:)
I’d decline any nominations.
Any potential campaign theme like ‘Govt of the Swamp, by the Swamp, for the Swamp must perish from this earth’ hopefully doesn’t outlive 45-47 term.
I think 45-47 is tasked with that very goal.
Thankfully.
Many years ago I was working in a studio and one of the projects they had me on was a set of videos made by a professional cat burglar. He was in prison and this was part of his sentence, community service. One of the tapes was for Law Enforcement, one was for businesses, and one was for homeowners.
This guy was not only extremely intelligent, but also funny as hell. I will say though that I learned a ton from them, and I wish I kept copies, but I was young and dumb, and have never been able to find them since. The most interesting to me was the homeowner one. He showed just how easily he used to completely bypass locks, gates, parameter alarms, and even motion detection systems. He described how he would case places, and also once inside, the first places he would look for valuables—he mostly worked wealthy neighborhoods & concentrated on jewelry, coins, and cash.
At the end of the video, he did a question and answer with a bunch of other inmates who were also doing time for burglary. The key things they all agreed on, large dog dishes and bones in the yard were a major deterrent, timers on lights were a dead giveaway no-one was home, don’t advertise your alarm system make/model/provider (you basically tell them all they need to know to defeat it). For the most part, they said to make your house look like enough pain in the ass or dangerous that they move on to another house.
“Kind of reminds me some of the 800 year old villas over in Italy”
That’s fair. This is NM, built into the side of a wooded mountain.
The architecture is very much Santa Fe/Spanish/Italian.
I thought hard about a Saltillo tile roof, but: (1) they cost a lot; (2) you can’t see much of the roof and (3) we get a lot of ice storms.
It wasn’t super clear how well they would survive ice, whereas a folded seam, low gauge, metal roof does well for sure and similarly (if you put down the correct underlayment and seal off the edges) offers great fire protection.
“The key things they all agreed on, large dog dishes and bones in the yard were a major deterrent”
Well, we have two accidental wolf hybrids (my MIL’s German shepherd got knocked up).
They are extremely large, extremely sweet, and the most worthless guard dogs in existence. I think being on the top of the food chain made them not be alert when sleeping.
They do look scary, if you ignore the wagging tails or the tendency to bring anyone a deflated soccer ball to throw.
Matt Bracken predicted this, decades ago.
I never have gotten a lot out of the book of Revelation. Scholars are still debating what the historical points of Daniel’s prophesies that should have already occurred. Prophesies of the future? I am skeptical of people who are adamant that they know the answers to the book of Revelation. It is hard to read different commentaries because there are a lot of uncertain points that have different interpretations.
If the rapture occurs fine, if it doesn’t, fine. If I die, fine. My takeaway is to just be prepared.
Regarding politics and religion, somebody here commented that they doubted God was a Republican, but they knew, Satan was a Democrat.
After watching one of those burglar shows I decided to bolt my safe to the floor in the basement.
He said they all carry a hand truck to lift a safe up and roll it out to load in a van. Then bring it back to their shop to cut the hinges off with a grinder.
Any barking dog is typically a deterrent to almost any burglar.
I have home security signs from one of the companies I bought off of EBAY. Two for $50. I do not have a security system. Just the sign about thirty feet up the side of the driveway.
Do you have solar panels?
With the days of sun you get in your part of the country I would think they would actually pay off within a few years. Especially if you built the array yourself.
I had considered building one, but the Mrs thinks they are ugly and will not let me build one that she can see from the house. She doesn’t want it to ruin her view. She used a lot stronger words than that too.
IMHO don't try to interpret things like timelines. Instead, look at how we're supposed to handle the situations described in Revelation (and other eschatological Scripture). For example, whether or not the Mark of the Beast happens in our lifetime or, as I suspect, doesn't happen here (one could argue it's already happening and it's regional, with Muslims not allowing Christians to do business unless they pay the jizya tax). Instead, look at how the Bible says to handle the Mark of the Beast and do that with whatever level of persecution you're facing for being a Christian (to be honest in the U.S. us Christians are weak and don't face real man persecution like Christians in other parts of the world do). Revelation 14:12 says "Here is [encouragement for] the steadfast endurance of the saints (God’s people), those who habitually keep God’s commandments and their faith in Jesus."
There was a famous murder about twenty years back here in NH. Four young boys decided to go out and kill someone, just for the thrill. They ended up killing a woman in her bed. Her young daughter was lying next to her. They almost killed her too. She literally crawled to the neighbors house. The husband was out of town on business.
The point of this horrific story is that they went to another house FIRST. That house had a dog that started barking so they decided to go elsewhere. This came out at trial.
These demons got locked up for the rest of their lives. The young girl survived and is now 27/28 years old.
There is now a annual charitable golf tournament in her name.
But you must do tons of homework to make sure it's feasible for your particular climate and your particular power consumption habits. For example, my wife is retired and I'm quasi-retired, often at home even when I work. In other words, we consume a lot of power during the day when the sun is shining. When we were younger and working away from home, the appliances didn't run until we came home from the office (when the sun was going down). We have battery storage, but if we were away from home during the day we'd have to have a lot more battery storage to utilize the free solar power --- it'd be infeasible.
That's one of many things you have to stop and consider about your personal power consumption habits before you get solar (assuming you don't want it to change your habits -- it's supposed to serve you, not the other way around).
Yeah, that’s the problem with a safe, usually too easy to find. I just disguise my few valuables where people are very unlikely to find them. And I leave a stack of small bills in my top desk drawer so they can find $100 bucks and think they did something.
Something must be those who fled to Europe are returning for some reason?????.
The next two elections better be the right choice.
,,, they could take the same measures in South Africa and do it for a lot less cost. How long will it be before the US drops to that?
No, I’m high and wooded, not desert. Plus most of my roof points the wrong way.
If I did solar, I’d need to clear ground and dedicate part of a field. I’m not that motivated.
We do lose power with some regularity, but we have a big whole house generator that runs on either nat gas or a big propane cylinder (situated far from the house and partially sunk and surrounded by a double cinder block wall. Allegedly, it would run full tilt on stored gas for 30 days. Never had to try as nat gas has never been interrupted at the same time as electricity.
I find that hide in plain site is always a good method.
For example, as a kid the local corner store had a big safe behind the counter. However, they kept the cash on hand in a Maxwell House coffee can on the shelf at night. Right next to all the other coffee cans.
I only considered it because I have 12 acres. About 3 cleared. I have a good southern exposure. I could put it on the north side of the property facing due south. I would have built it myself. I would NOT put one on my roof.
BUT, I am in NH. The amount of sunny days per year her is much less than NM, AZ, south CA, etc. NH has a locked in payment rate of $.06/KHW to sell back to the grid.
Right now there is about 1 1/2 feet of snow on the ground.
I actually feel sorry for the deer. They are coming up close to the house to eat the bushes. They are hungry.
It is also grey and overcast here in the winter. Plus every night now it is dark from 5:30 pm until 6:30 am. Which is better than December 21st when it is dark from 4pm until 7am. From what I understand about SOLAR panels is it actually has to be SUNNY out to generate electricity.
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