January 20th, 2009 is not a day I want to commemorate with a collector’s plate, it was a very depressing day for me.

I watched on the TV at work as millions of people went hysterical over the new President. Hanging on his every teleprompted word, it was obvious that this man would be able to do whatever he wanted and most Americans would eat it up and not question a thing. After all our efforts to get the word out about Ron Paul and the complete falsity of the Left/Right paradigm, it was nothing but salt in my wounds. How could people fall for such obvious empty rhetoric and lies?

I could question the thought processes of these people forever, but it doesn’t matter, it’s too late. Here it is more than 100 days later and nothing has changed (for the better.) The millions who passionately voted for a new leader (who would be soooo different than Bush) are silent about the fact that we STILL have both wars (plus a new one on the horizon), way more debt/spending, way more taxes, way more unemployment, the same people in charge, and the exact same foreign policy. They will never, ever admit he’s the same as Bush. And McCain. The complete and utter denial means no demand to change direction. They insist we HAVE changed direction. Man, is that Kool Aid strong. The hypocrisy infuriates me to no end. Some of my friends are still arguing “he’s better than McCain” and “that’s Bush’s fault, give him more time” and I’ll admit, I have a hard time not resenting them. I really thought they were smarter than that. I don’t give a s–t if his skin is dark, that’s not an excuse to throw accountability and the Constitution out the window. Everything that was bad when Bush did it is magically okay and excusable because it’s a Democrat doing it now?! The power of political parties is astonishing.

Reality check. Give him all the time you want, but Obama’s not going to fix ANYTHING, and we as a country CAN’T go on this way forever. We can’t spend ourselves out of these problems and empty rhetoric doesn’t feed anyone or stop the bombing.

People, especially my generation, are so dependent on Government, they expect it to solve all their problems (I used to expect it too.) They want the Government to educate their children, pay their mortgage, control their food, control their medicine, regulate their sports, cover their mouths when they sneeze, read the fine print of their credit card contracts, save the environment, provide health care, take care of them in their old age, etc… the list goes on for miles. Too few recognize that “a government big enough to give you everything is big enough to take everything you have” (Thomas Jefferson.)

As I conveyed in my Fifth Stage post, I’m still mad as hell, but I’ve resigned myself to the fact that people will remain ignorant no matter what. Government is going to get bigger and more evil. The s–t will hit the fan. I’ve tried, but I can’t change those things. But I’ve learned that I CAN do things to take myself and my family out of the equation. All hell may still break loose at any time, the market could nosedive tomorrow, but I won’t be a part of the freaked out mob that’s storming Wal-Mart for food and relying on FEMA after a couple days.

I credit that achievement to a show called The Survival Podcast, by Jack Spirko, which was introduced to me by a good friend shortly after the inauguration.

It’s a daily podcast about modern day survivalism. The phrase sounds a bit dramatic perhaps, but it’s really just learning how to cultivate independence — and doesn’t that fit well with libertarianism? Independence on every scale possible: financial, energy, food, every system you can think of. When you remove your dependence on these systems, you automatically improve your life and experience true liberty. You create a life that the Government can’t touch. It’s no surprise the idea is catching on in the libertarian community, even Lew Rockwell is posting articles about it.

Because of this show, in a few months I’ve been able to make plans and take actions that will insure me and my loved one’s survival for at least a few months if something goes wrong, hopefully even longer. It is SO reassuring to know I do NOT have to rely on local, state, or federal gov’t. for food, water, or safety in the event of martial law, flu outbreak, etc. It’s a satisfying middle finger to The System. Finally! I can feel productive in the midst of this depressing and helpless time.

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”

- Lao Tzu

I’d like to point out: when I first jumped into this, it was VERY intimidating. Maybe it’s just my personality, but I was overwhelmed by all the things some survivalists have done, my little steps felt stupid in comparison. The key is to know yourself, your needs, and your abilities, then adapt your plans accordingly. Anything is better than nothing. Just start small. Plant an organic garden. Start storing food and water. Save up some cash, ditch the credit cards. There are a ton of online resources and plenty of books on this subject, start reading.

Listen to episode 165 on threat probability and threat impacts and you’ll learn the importance of thinking logically when you make plans and take action. For example, it’s more likely that something is going to impact your life on a personal/local scale (job loss, etc.) rather than global nuclear annihilation, so make plans for that before you invest in an underground bomb shelter. Remembering that helps me maintain perspective and not feel overwhelmed.

It’s all about simplification, adaptation, and gradually opting out of the various systems on which you’re dependent. Once you start the learning process, it’s amazing how much you find you’re reliant on others. Do you know how to grow your own food? Get yourself clean water to drink? Start a fire without a lighter? We’ve become so used to consuming services and products (thank you China!), we’ve lost many of these important skills. It’s time to reclaim them, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

If my post isn’t motivating enough, here are a couple good articles highlighting the importance and benefits of becoming a modern day survivalist:

• Getting Off the Grid – Lila Rajiva
• Modern Survivalists are Ready for Layoffs, or War – Dallas Star Telegram
• Economic crisis spurs spike in ’suburban survivalists’ – Associated Press

If you decide to start taking steps to cultivate your independence, congratulations! You should feel proud.  Or— if you’d prefer to ignore all of this and come knocking on my door when the s–t hits the fan, that’s fine — I’ll be glad to direct you to the nearest FEMA facility.

As the clock runs down on Bush’s time in office, I should be rejoicing, but my muscles can’t help but tense up. Such is the life of one who lives outside the left/right paradigm, a.k.a. The Matrix.

There are many possible explanations for this — the on-set of Obama’s socialist regime being a MAJOR concern — but the most immediate worry is if Bush and Co. are going to do anything to avoid handing over power (perhaps their favorite: some sort of false-flag event like 9/11) it’ll obviously happen before January 20th, which is only 8 days away.

Eight days to go then we can breathe easy and go back to our TVs, right? Unfortunately, the time to worry doesn’t end on the 20th. For months now there have been mentions of Obama being “tested” as soon as the 21st or 22nd of this month (so say Kissinger, Gates, Powell, Biden, etc.) Like it or not, the stage is set for something big to happen — Bush and his globalist buddies have been very busy the past 8 years. The most immediate threat is the engineered dollar collapse, but war on Iran, war on Pakistan, total economic depression, and domestic rioting are also very real possibilities. Whatever it is, I want to be ready.

A search for emergency preparation / survival lists will yield many results.

Some people’s suggested inventories are rather extensive and daunting (not to mention expensive) and would be hard to fulfill if you’re of average income like myself. I’m trying to find a middle ground — keeping it simple and sticking to the basics, less than 15 items:

1. lots of water (1 gallon per person per day, I prefer distilled or spring)
2. lots of food (legumes, nuts, rice, canned fruits & vegetables, nutritional yeast, protein powder, TVP, tofu, energy bars, emergency food kits)
3. batteries (maybe not needed if you have #4)
4. hand-crank radio / flashlight / cellphone charger
5. toilet paper
6. bleach or calcium hypochlorite (pool shock) to disinfect your water
7. castile soap (can be used for shampoo, dish soap, laundry, etc.)
8. first-aid supplies
9. candles & matches (a Firesteel is good to have too)
10. vitamins and essential oils
11. seeds (get non-Monsanto, non-GMO!)
12. gun(s) and ammo
13. full gas tank
14. cash / gold / silver
    (When IndyMac failed last July, customers were locked out of their accounts online, at the ATMs, and at the actual branches. They couldn’t even check their balances. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want my money being locked away from me, esp. in an emergency, so I’m withdrawing as much as I can.)

* For people with pets: don’t forget about them! Here’s a good list of items to have ready for cats and dogs.

Everybody has their own needs and preferred amenities, so obviously my list is not going to work for everyone, but hopefully it’s a good starting point. I recommend reading the list of 100 Things to Disappear First to determine what you may want to stock up on while you can. I also recommend listening to the Survival Podcast as often as possible!

Worst that can happen:

Too many things to list here, but they would all end with “I told you so” and I really hope I never have to say that.

Best that can happen:

I’m wrong and am left with a bunch of emergency supplies I should have anyway.

Hope this helps get you thinking about whether you’re prepared to survive on your own for at least a few days. Trust me, you don’t want to rely on FEMA to save you, just ask New Orleans.

Godspeed!