You know, it’s tough enough to be a survivalist when there’s a large demographic that views you as a right-wing, [whoever]-phobe, racist, gun-humping neanderthal. The neighbors with their Subarus and ‘Coexist’ bumper stickers chuckle with their fellow travelers about ‘that guy’ next door who always seems to be up to no good.
Now, it’s starting to trend towards us survivalists living in a world that is, apparently, warming to the consistently failed theory of socialism. Folks, not only am I anti-social, I’m anti-Socialist.
Normally, I don’t care about your religion, who you sleep with (unless, of course, youre doing it outside of your commitments), or what your political bent is – until those beliefs start to manifest themselves as trying to control me and my life. And there are few groups that are about controlling your life more than the starry-eyed morons rallying under the red banner. It’s tragically humourous – the left calls anyone who disagrees with it a Nazi and then embraces socialism and communism. Never mind that when you’re stacking bodies, the Nazis can’t even come close to the stratosphere-challenging mountain that was created under the guise of and guidance of socialism and communism.
I had a survivalist buddy who was a member of The Minutemen back in the day. In those free-wheeling days of the late ’60s and early ’70s, what with groups like The Weathermen and those SLA cats, the notion of some sort of Communist insurgency might have seemed perfectly reasonable. Armed commie takeover of the country seemed more plausible when you had ‘Peoples Army’ of this and the ‘Revolutionary Committee” of that running around shooting cops and robbing banks.
But, as a nation, we’re pretty much fans of bloodless revolution when it comes to our own backyard. The American Revolution and the War of Southern Overconfidence are pretty much the last time we had shooting in the streets over the direction of national government. Thats why we have elections rather than shooting wars. And all you have to do to swing the pendulum from one side to the other is simply convince enough people to march in lockstep to the polls and vote it in someone.
Currently, the contenders for People Most Likely To Ignore Obvious History are Socialist Barbie from NY, and Bernie Sanders from Vermont. One could be excused for being so divested from reality by reason of stupid youth and the other for age-related dementia. Trouble is, there are legions of stoners, outraged liberal arts majors, and trendy ‘resistance’ types who think socialism is a great idea. And they vote.
What’s this mean for we survivalists? Well, I haven’t seen many socialists who were cool with you owning guns…or, really, much of anything else. As Maggie Thatcher famously opined, ‘the problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people’s money.’ And the ‘other people’ are you and me. Yeah, yeah..they always say it’ll come from ‘the rich’ being made to ‘pay their fair share’, but as Slick Willie showed us, you get a lot more money when you redefine downwards who ‘the rich’ are.
Socialists aren’t going to like you owning guns, wealth, any business they think is ‘too big’, and those sorts of things. And as survivalists, we peg the needle on the ol’ “EnemiesOfTheState-O-Meter”.. what with our guns, gold, cash, property, and rather particular ideas about individual liberty.
Normally, I’d think that ‘useful idiots’ like Bernie and Socialist Barbie were outliers..aberrations…the rounding errors of a political equation. But there seems to be a rush to the left these days on the Democrats side. Everyone seems to be trying to outdo each on who can denounce capitalism the loudest and promise the most government gimmes. They think that the next presidential election will be a rush of people who’ll vote for anyone Not Trump… and that means that every left-leaning politician who has dreams of making the big time is going to throw his (or her) hat in the ring and differentiate themselves by being even more lefty than their fellow opportunists.
Practical result? The things you and I care about most are the sort of things that the socialist democrat-types target as being in need of ‘control’. More gold, more cash, more guns, more mags, more property, and above all – more vigilance that idiots like those people are politically stamped out before they get into positions where they can do some real damage.
You’re right, back when everyone could see the menace of soviet aggression, we ‘understood’ why many went the survivalist route. Today, anyone under 30 has no living memory of the Cold War – and you can be damn sure they didn’t learn about it in school.
For them, ‘socialism’ is just a bright, shiny, new idea that needs to be fully explored.
Commander:
You are right but wasting your time!
The people who read your blogs agree with you, but snowflakes, antifa-freaks and other scr*w-ups would only read this in the hope of finding something to beat you with…
There are times I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Oh, Im not thinking I’d change anyone’s mind. My point is to simply remind people that idiots like these are just One More Reason to keep the basement full.
…and the mouth shut!
John in Alaska
Fours legs good two legs better…we already let 1984 happen right before our eyes and did nothing about it…why not Animal Farm too? Feel the Bern…
Great commentary!
I have no problem whatsoever with the Socialist politicians coming out and explaining why ‘You and You HAVE to share with US’. Even middle of the road Democrats realize how pathetically stupid it would be to become a Socialist state. They won’t vote for that – they realize they are in the stew pot too !
Back in May – June 2016 when Bernie was still in race with Hillary, the Dems didn’t see the writing on the wall. Even when everyone knew she already had the nomination locked up and Bernie didn’t have a chance, he was still getting quite a few votes. Because the Democrat voter just couldn’t stomach pulling the lever for Hillary.
Pretty much why she lost .
Amen brother! All that doubt need but cast their eyes South. Venezuela has been without power going into it’s second week. Of course we get the blame! The people are eating from garbage trucks and flocking around sewer drains to get water. Won’t be long before there will be outbreaks of typhus and God forbid cholera. As a child of the Cold War era we knew what the Commies were about. However we have been remiss in our responsibility to educate succeeding generations of the genocidal history of any ideology that springs from the rotten tree of Marxism.
You’re in rare form CZ. Really I could substitute your word “survivalist” and replace it with just about anything – shop keeper, dairy farmer, architect… whatever – and it would still have the same effect. These rat bastards don’t even snort the drug that they’re pushing.
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/socialists-dont-really-believe-in-the-socialism-they-peddle-they-love-money-amazon-mansions-and-cars
It’s just as true about these neo-socialists as it was about the legendary commies of yore.
These freaks must be stopped.
Do you think there are truly that many more people rushing to the far left, or just that we’re led to think that because of the leftist media? I live in flyover country, what I like to call “THE REAL AMERICA”, and we don’t see as much of it. There’s the usual flower munching liberals (college town), but nothing more than the usual.
I do think there are a few more leaning that way, but nothing like the tidal wave that the media seems to portray.
I disagree. I think it’s a HUGE Tidal wave of people moving to the radical left and coming out of the gutter to vote for socialist candidates.
Obama woke up the conservatives and I believe that Trump is waking up lots of radical take the guns type liberals. Scary. We gotta stay ready. We are in a small window of time that we can’t afford to waste. The pendulum will swing hard left and likely be the catalyst for collapse. Your vote won’t change that because they are a very loud Mob and they cheat and steal and lie to get the result they desire. We as individuals need strength from the Good Lord and we need to pounce on every deal we can find towards preparing for the times ahead. We also gotta train hard and get physically ready for a tough road ahead! Our lives and family depend on it. God bless this blog and CZ
I believe there are a lot of simplistic people who think socialism or progressivism is a good idea. Right up until the point where it impacts their standard of living, family, or pocketbook.. Perfect example right now is the Mayor of San Francisco wanting to drop a 200 person capacity half way house for the homeless right next to multi-million dollar condos. Man…it’s amazing how quickly people change their mind on how great progressivism/socialism is. If there is hope in SF, there is hope for the country.
Jeff, in 2016 49% of the country voted for a Commie. Even worse, in 2012 a whopping 51% voted to RE-ELECT a Marxist! And the demographics of future voters are clearly in their favor. Demographic displacement is forever. We have irreconcilable differences. We need a divorce.
Spot on!
The Left is also very fond of ratting out your friends and neighbors to the local commissar. As we saw in the Ukraine under Stalin, if your lazy neighbor only has one cow and three chickens, it can become a crime for you to have two cows and six chickens. Suddenly, you’re a kulak, and show trials and executions are soon to follow.
Under the failed artist in Germany, those who dutifully registered and then turned in their guns might also face further punishment for being a gun owner in the first place.
I’ve listened to the new Left — some in my own family — who chant N-R-A…K-K-K and believe that anyone who owns a gun is already a criminal and should be arrested. I know some who even want the police disarmed and replaced with “better” people of their political bent. We’re living in “interesting times.”
I see myself as a Kulak. My wife was born and raised in Volvograd region during Soviet times. I have many first hand accounts of the collectivism and bolshevism in early Soviet times. I bet there is many families that escaped collectivism having a sit down, I bet they are arming to the teeth. they know were these steps lead. our family has the dead to prove it.
Up here in the Great White North, we had a Liberal Gov’t voted in during the early 1960’s and ran uninterrupted until 1980 when the Conservatives held power briefly. During that period our national debt hit 800 Billion dollars in socialist spending and election purchases. Now our political parties are so blended that even our conservatives appear liberal. Our National Debt is still hovering around 700 Billion. For a country of 35 million people that’s a lot of debt to service. The majority of our gun control laws are brought about by liberals and social agenda’s are being taught in schools from very early grades.
Your comment reference a fair and open discussion with liberal thinkers always reminds me of a movie with Donald Sutherland, where his character discovers an uninfected person and point at him, shrieking at the top of his lungs to attract others and end the human threat.(Invasion of the Body Snatchers) Just sayin!!! TTFN
I like to look at the bright side…the Democratic party will tear itself asunder if it remains on this course. There is a silent majority of long term Democrats who don’t like what is happening to their party. By the time we get to the 2020 election they will be looking for a more centrist candidate. If Trump can moderate his pronouncements slightly, he will get their support. If Trump doesn’t attract them and there is a third party candidate, they will swing that way. Otherwise, they may well stay home. In any of those cases, Trump likely wins with a larger percentage than 2016.
Because the rabid Left is so loud and gets so much media coverage, it’s easy to forget that there is a large contingent of the Dems that hasn’t been drinking the Kool-Aid, but doesn’t want to get pilloried by the mental asylum patients for speaking out.
With luck, this turns the Democratic Party into a fraction of it’s former self.
I’m not saying we return to golden days of yesteryear, but maybe we survive.
Of course, the Loonies will object and that may lead to interesting times. Keep your powder dry and a good lookout!
The great irony is that, if democrats would stop acting like rabid retards for more than 5 minutes, they’d probably beat Trump handily. Americans are looking for someone sane to vote for, who also doesn’t hate them.
Ordinarily that would not be Trump. But the howler monkeys (masquerading as a political party) make DJT the clear, rational choice.
The irony in your “war of southern overconfidence” quip is that, in this movie, you’re (we’re) the CSA.
For self-awareness, boomer yankee conservatives win no awards.
P.S. we already live in a socialist country.
If you think we’re a socialist country, you clearly don’t have a clue or traveled to a truly socialist country.
More than 50% of the population receives significant fiscal assistance from the federal government, and less than 50% of the population pays federal income tax.
From Sweden through to Venezuela, the socialist slide runs quite some distance; I’ll stipulate to wherever you want to put us on that continuum…but to say that the U.S. has a capitalist, market-driven economy requires rose-colored shades, a tricorn hat, and overwhelming cognitive dissonance.
You’re clearly confusing governmental regulations with socialist state ownership of companies. For the record capitalism is an economic system not a political one, whereas socialism is. The fact we don’t have a complete free market system, because of governmental regulations doesn’t mean we’re socialist. When the .gov starts seizes private companies in the national interest, we will truly be in trouble.
Here is the basic definition of socialism:
Socialists believe shared ownership of resources and central planning offer a more equitable distribution of goods and services. They discourage private ownership.
We’re not there yet, but we could be if everyone keep falling for the free giveaway platform that the left is pushing. I do fear we’re headed to a socialist form of government in the U.S. and that it will not end well or peacefully.
Now on to this:
“More than 50% of the population receives significant fiscal assistance from the federal government, and less than 50% of the population pays federal income tax.”
Hate to break the news to you but everyone under a socialist system pay taxes not just 50%, even the poor pay. Governmental assistance in itself doesn’t equal socialism.
So, BFYTW I think we still have time to turn this around, but that time is quickly running out!
Thanks to regulatory capture, we’re not too far from a centrally-planned economy now. You define socialism, concede that the U.S. shares major policy features with archetypal socialist governments, then dismiss it all by saying “we’re not there yet.” Not convincing – not even persuasive.
Save gun ownership in the U.S., name me one major social or structural issue the right has won on in the last 50 years…or more seriously, the last 500. Obama wasn’t wrong when he said that progressives are on “the right side of history.” You can’t press pause, let alone travel back in time to undo the progressive agenda. The short term incentives (freedom! flexibility! love!) to shed/destroy rules, social norms, and order, all ensure that the main current of human advancement will always be leftward. Fundamentally, since Lincoln, and certainly since FDR, America is and will continue to be a more and more progressive country.
You talk about “turning this around.” Even if we managed to press rewind back to the late 18th century, returning to government under the principles of the Founders, it would only be a matter of decades or centuries before we arrive again at a welfare state, open borders, multiculturalism, and inversion of traditional sexual mores. This trajectory is a feature of our form of government, not a bug.
Only answer is to accelerate…bring on the collapse, return to an environment where survival is impossible without strict adherence to traditional rules, social norms, and order, and let the left’s decadence destroy it.
Don’t let them dictate the discussion. They are NOT socialist, but communist and they will act the part when they get enough support. They will embrace capitalism for themselves but ram their desire to control and destroy down our throats. They are the enemy so be prepared for the bloody part in the future.
Problems
1- As I heard somewhere “America wants a modern Western European nation state with the tax rate of a 1820’s Jeffersonian republic”. Obviously those two things don’t match.
2- Our current system pits people against each other. They can’t see that the various programs which benefit them aren’t really that different from the ones which benefit folks in a different situation.
3- A really fun discussion I like having with older supposedly conservative folks is social security and Medicaid. Whenever they start talking about how this or that is a socialist program I say “If you are really against socialism let’s get rid of SS and medicaid today, cold turkey.”
Turns out “they paid of it” and “It’s only fair”. Of course they paid it, that’s how it works. Basically they like the socialism that benefits them.
The old, white, conservative man who rambles about socialism but can’t see the hypocrisy of his view ignoring SS and Medicaid is a curious beast.
Solutions-
For a long term societal solution we can shift locations and otherwise position ourselves as well as we can to do ok. The universal survivalist truths to stash more stuff, earn more and live prudently all apply.
And SS/Medicare is going away, regardless of wether people love it or hate it. There will be much bashing of teeth when they implode.
For those who are still rational, plan for it to not be there in 20 years.
State administered retirement and health plans with no opt out are by definition socialist policies. I’m all for ending these idiotic practices with the caveat that every contribution that has ever been made by every employer/employee is fully refunded with interest. You cant blame those who (legally) receive these benefits as they were forced, willing or not, to contribute to these funds during their working years.
Receiving benefits that were withheld as a percentage of lifetime earnings is not equivalent to receiving taxpayer handouts because you are unwilling to work. Also, why do you feel the need to use skin color as a basis for your argument? Seems irrelavent.
1- So you are OK with socialism if it gets close to where you are going to get the benefits?
2- It’s a really specific disconnect which I keep seeing over and over. Self described conservative older men who rail against socialism while being supported by it. They happen to be white often enough that I noted it.
Also like any Ponzi scheme the only possible way to pay one generation back is to borrow from the next. So your pay out is coming from some younger person, actually 28 of them.
Seems that obtuse thinking is preventing you from seeing the point.
I’m youg enough to know that SS will go bankrupt before I retire- probably younger than you. I also know that when I send in weekly payroll for my employees- social security, workmans comp, medicaid, and unemployment withholdings are not optional. Do I like it? No.
Should people feel guilty for receiving what they earned? No.
OK – I’m an “old fart” but still have some hope for us just because there is still a lot of “real” America out there that gets and doesn’t like the current political farce in progress.
I’m lucky as I had this guy as my High School Government teacher:
Anthony “Tony” Cacek Jr. was born September 17, 1924, Cacek grew up in Tabor, South Dakota and graduated from Tabor High School. He attended Yankton College for one semester then served five years in the United States Army Corps of Engineers. As part of his military training, Cacek spent one year as an honor student at the University of Alabama School of Engineering. He served in WWII in Europe having participated in the Normandy Invasion (Omaha Beach) and the Battle of the Bulge. Besides working for the Army Corps of Engineers, he served as translator of Slovak languages for the United States Army…
He told us stories in class about family from the old country, behind the post war Iron Curtain, who got to America by going through the wire, mines and past the guard towers. I learned from him how to really appreciate how bloody lucky I was (and still am) by being an American. I lived through the IKE, JFK and Nixon and JBJ eras and saw some of the ‘bad’ but also a lot of the ‘good’ that can be accomplished. Trump is an odd outlier today but seems to fit the times. The Dem ‘crazy’ bunch are also so way out there and I just can’t see how they can really win anything but a few small battles while loosing the overall political war.
With that, I’m keeping my powder dry, provisions at hand and continue to trust (but verify) very, very few and think that I will get to see a swing politically ‘back’ to reason and our better form of representative democracy.
It appears that some sort of culmination of political aggression is coming. Do you have any more cut rate magazine sales for AR’s coming? I’ll buy 40.
primary arms had 30 round pmags for 7.99
Palmetto State Armory has D&H 30s for $7.99, free shipping with 10 or more. They’ve been on sale for as little as $5.99 in the not-too-distant past. Excellent quality US GI magazines — only black rather than grey, teflon rather than “dry lube” coated — with Magpul followers.
I’ve been stockpiling them for a while now, and as soon as they’re $7/each again I’ll lay in another few dozen or more.
One of the biggest reason for the US being plagued by these Socialist twits is massive voter apathy. Loads of people are NOT coming out of the sewers to vote Socialist. AOC won her primary by 3000 votes. Of the thirty thousand votes cast she got only seventeen thousand Joe Crowley got the rest. Now when one considers that there are one hundred and forty seven thousand registered voters in that District it shows what a disconnect exists there. The general election saw close to the same result. Of the 37000 votes cast, AOC got twenty thousand and her Republican opponent got seventeen thousand. Again a win by three thousand votes.
In Michigan in t the 13th Congressional district Talib didn’t have an opponent in the general election. The primary was filled with unacceptable candidates and she was just the piece that floated to the top at the end.
So tell me again about this wave of creazed Socialist voters.
Paul Ryno did more to lose the House than anybody. In the Michigan 7th District our incumbent was defeated by a carpetbagger from Washington DC. Not even a resident. And she won with Ryno’s help. He cut Mike Bishop’s funding off with two weeks to go in the race. If you know anything about politics you know this is the critical time when most people start paying attention. The 43 incumbent retirements didn’t help either.
My feeling is that with the massive overreach and outward displays of lunacy on the left we will retake the House next year. We might see a net gain of two in the Senate. Last year if Cocain Mitch and Ryno hadn’t been working against the President and his supporters we should have taken a minimum of ten seats in the Senate. The Progressive Republicans in the Congress are as big of a threat as any Commie/ Marxist. We have one avenue given us by the founders. An article five Convention of the States. That is our ticket to cleaning up this mess. And don’t confuse This with a Con-con. It isn’t and there cannot be a runaway Convention. It is targeted and is meant to write and send amendments to the states for ratification. And it takes three quarters of the States to approve. Read Mark Levin’s The Liberty Amendments. Tom Coburn also has a book out about it. Information can be found at the COS website. http://WWW.cos.org
Matt Bracken also wrote about how such a convention can go horribly wrong. Read Enemies, Foreign and Domestic for his take on that.
The leaders who espouse socialism know it’s a two tiered system. The ruling class and the serfs. They supposed open borders to facilitate one party rule. While they do not have to live by their own rules, the rest of us are put to the yoke. That’s why we like minded people stack everything deep. We can survive and rectify any out of control government. Another great post Commander.
Sorry, where it says supposed I meant support.
“Sooner or later you run out of other people’s money…”
Lady Thatcher
I don’t think the vote count has been an accurate, untampered-with number in a long while so I don’t give a lot of credence to the future of the process. Rather, just live in as small a footprint as possible. As re: incursions of the far left – look to any local board to see where the sensible “folks” of the past have been slowly edited to a more “progressive” flavor. I firmly believe that the word (and cash) went out to begin that very subtle and slow integration into all the major voting regions with TX being a major target. Not sure it can be turned around for a long time to come. Best to do as you note – check that supply, eliminate risk as much as possible, and keep a low profile.
I live in a slightly left of center city of about 70k in the upper Midwest. Employment wise we’re divided into about 3rds between healthcare, small factories, and a university. We get in the national media every now and again and we’re described as a small town, (70k?) as a conservative (voted for Hillary, our city council is liberal, we send D’s to the state house and DC), as rural (70k people, streets are on a grid, my neighborhood is 20 houses per acre).
It’s hard to know what’s going on when the people who are supposed to accurately describe such things simply can not.
From what I see, I don’t see a huge shift to the left or an embrace of anything close to Mao or Stalin. I do see a general sense that we’d like make some changes, things like safer conditions to use walking and biking to get around and zoning changes to allow corner stores and neighborhood coffee shops to come back. And I also get a sense that people aren’t getting a fair deal when they go to work or spend their few hard earned dollars. I also get a sense that the chattering classes are trying to spin the changes that people are seeking are getting spun into either bigger and better things or bigger and evil things depending on which side you listen too.
You Wont see people embracing Mao and it won’t take that either…..You just need a candidate who embraces that socialist ideology but plays the character of we need more people paying their fair share or we need to help people on Main Street instead of Wall Street jargon and just get that 51% to get in throw implement their real agenda.
It could happen easily
Not many real conservatives left in office to oppose this thing from happening either……
51% by hook or by crook
IC?
“It’s like taking blood out of one arm, putting it in the other arm, and spilling half of it on the floor in the process.” So said the late, great Jerry Clower.
Remember this. Two weeks ago a poll was released. It resulted in some very interesting information. In only 6 State were Liberals in the majority. SIX states. In the rest Conservatives were in the majority.
I know what you are thinking. According to the lame ass media, PMS/LSD, Commie News Network, National Barack Channel, All Barack Channel and the Communist Broadcasting System would have us all think it is they and the idiot’s who watch them are the end all be all of voters. Not so. Not at all.2018 was a dry run for voter fraud and election theft. In Orange County Commiefornia we lost six seats to voter fraud, ballot harvesting and other nefarious operations run by Marxist Socialist operatives. Expect more next year. Much more. These people will stop at nothing to destroy us. The ends justify the means. So anything goes. So really the idea that droves of indoctrinated Socialist soldiers are ready to march is a creation of the propaganda ministers in the leftist media. We do have our work out for us. And we do have to engage and get involved. But these people are beatable. We can defeat them. And we will. There are more of us then there are of them.
Doesn’t matter. The debt is going to crush us. The wealth of the nation was stolen long ago, and there is nothing left but a giant pile of IOUs.
Look at the ruins of the ancient civilizations. Better yet; look up the paintings that make up “The Course of Empire” by Thomas Cole.
It is the circle of human life.
Socialism appeals to three sorts of people.
First are the youthful and ignorant: “Socialism is about caring.” They — if they have any brains at all — will outgrow this soft-headed nonsense, likely soon after they notice the deductions on their paycheck. They are a problem until their late 20s for the most part.
Second are the hopelessly stupid. They embrace socialism like a religion, no different to any ignorant fundy nattering on about Jeebus and Noah’s ark. Their sacred text tells them that they’re the undeserving victims of mean old capitalists, and that the only chance of salvation lies in letting politicians decide on who gets how many slices of pizza. Creating wealth doesn’t exist in their world — it’s all about portioning out some mystical pile of doubloons that “the rich” are hoarding in their cellars. They are fools, but their votes count the same as intelligent people’s. It’s possible — but unlikely — to educate/persuade them — but probably not worth the effort unless they mean something to you, enough so that you’d rather keep their company than kick them to the curb.
Third, and worst, are the communist true-believers. They don’t have any real inclination towards “democratic socialism.” They see it as no more than a useful step towards their goal of Marxist-Leninist-Maoist communism. A “dictatorship of the proletariat” where they — notably non-“proletarian” children of privilege as they always are — will inflict their ideology upon everyone else, with the armed apparatus of the state to enforce it. They will — quite literally — murder you and your family for owning two pairs of shoes (Ukraine, 1930s) or wearing eyeglasses (Cambodia, 1970s) and to this very day their supporters and apologists will claim that those atrocities were justified and/or “not true socialism.” These are true monsters, and should be dealt with like rabid dogs or werewolves or whatever other euphemism satisfies the legal requirements about advocating violence in your jurisdiction.