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Saturday, June 30, 2018

June 30, 2018 -- A Quick Run Around The Web

"Concealed carry: .380 ACP ammo selection-Part three."--Paul Harrell (7 min.)
Another video looking at the efficacy of different .380 loads, comparing between different length barrels (a 2-3/4 inch versus 3-3/4 inch).


  • "THE TRUTH ABOUT LASERS ON HANDGUNS"--Gabe Suarez. The gist of the article is that a laser is a great compliment to a red dot sighting system and/or light system. I'm like Suarez in that I don't think concealed carry pistols and weapon mounted lights really go together. My nightstand gun? Yup. Something that I need to be concealable and easily drawn from said concealed position? No. I haven't played too much with lasers. I have one for a rifle, but don't really like it. If it wasn't part of an integral unit with a light, I would probably take it off. But where they really shine is on some of the small, compact pistols--especially those only sporting vestigial sights, like the Kel Tec P-3AT. A laser makes an incredible difference in accuracy. However, as Suarez points out in his article, lasers have limitations. They can be hard to see in direct sunlight unless very close to a target--especially with the red lasers. And, even though the beam will spread, the dots can be relatively small at longer distances and hard to pick up--especially off something with very low reflectivity. 
  • The Truth About Knives has some photos and commentary from the Blade Show. The author has a lot of pictures of warhammers, maces, axes, and some swords that caught his eye.
  • "Specialized Firearms Have Their Place, But…"--Beans, Bullets, Bandages & You. I've taken issue before with having a multitude of different firearms and calibers for prepping. Sure, if your tastes and budget allow you to collect firearms, go ahead. But for prepping (including stockpiling ammunition), you should concentrate on a small number of firearms suited for prepping and survival that have a broader range of uses. The author of the cited article addresses this same topic, arguing for having a few multi-role firearms over a large collection of specialized arms. The author argues that the only exceptions would be a defensive rifle, which he considered a specialized weapon (I would disagree since even a 5.56 or 7.62x39 can be used for hunting deer sized game or smaller, making such weapons "general purpose" in my opinion). 
  • "Armaspec Victory Ambidextrous AR-15 Charging Handle"--The Firearm Blog. I like my Raptor ambidextrous charging handle, and would recommend them to most anyone. But whether it is Radian's product or something similar from another company, ambi handles are expensive, often in the range of $80 to $120. The charging handle that is the subject of this article is not only ambidextrous and oversized, but also designed to redirect gas away from the face if you are running a suppressed gun. And the MSRP is only $57.
  • "Source of E. Coli in Deadly Romaine Lettuce Outbreak Finally Found"--Live Science. It has been traced to a particular irrigation canal outside Yuma, Arizona; but officials are unsure how it entered the canal and was spread on the lettuce. The latter issue is stupidly obvious: the water from the canal was used to irrigate the lettuce, probably via sprinklers or drip lines. The article suggests that officials are looking at manure from cattle as being a possible source.  
  • "Winchester Ammunition Launches New Website and Enhanced Ballistics Calculator"--American Hunter. Here is the link to the ballistics calculator.
  • "How to Stay Hydrated on Hunting, Fishing, and Scouting Trips into the Backcountry"--Outdoor Life. One of the points raised in the article:
Drink early and often. Turns out your thirst instinct is not a reliable gauge for your body’s need for fluids. Drink before you are thirsty. Ration your water over the course of the day. Drink plenty before the outing and have water waiting for you when you return.
  • What's the point? "It’s all about the music: San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus performs with Mormon Tabernacle Choir"--Deseret News. This is just a cheap way for the Choir to virtue signal. But what is the purpose, unless the Church is going to change its stance as to homosexual relationships and gay marriage? One of the commentators raised a good point why we, as members, should object: "This is great. Don't worry frog, I know it feels a little hotter in that pot of water but it only went up one measly degree, don't worry, you'll get used to it." And that is the problem. As Alexander Pope wrote: "Vice is a monster of so frightful mien, as to be hated needs but to be seen. Yet too oft, familiar with her face, we first endure, then pity, then embrace."
  • "Ex-Clinton aide: 84 percent of Americans support turning undocumented immigrants over to authorities"--The Hill (h/t Anonymous Conservative). So don't listen to those who want to marginalize those who believe illegal aliens should be reported. They are the minority.
  • "NY-14 Winner Ocasio-Cortez No Fluke--The Democratic Party IS Tipping!"--Patrick McDermott at VDare. The author analyzes the shift in the Democratic party to being one representing minorities and their interests. He writes that "[t]his sudden surge in minority candidates is not an indicator of increased open mindedness, but a symptom of demographic change," and notes that in 23 states, white Democratic voters are either the minority or at parity. He also argues that the Republicans cannot look to minorities for future voters, and that the parties will become increasingly aligned with race. He observes, for instance:
However, White polarization is the mirror image of nonwhite polarization and its causes are similar. Numerous scholars have cited genetics as a basis for reciprocal altruism among closely-related kin and hostility toward outsiders among humans and in the animal kingdom in general. This ethnocentrism is instinctual, observable even among babies. Whites are not immune from its effects.  Most are socialized to suppress their ethnocentric instincts, but they remain only a short distance beneath the surface.
He also points out:
       These trends are expected to become stronger over time. Experimental research has shown that growing white awareness of demographic change makes them more conservative, less favorably disposed to minorities, and feel greater attachment to other whites. The effects are heightened the more whites think they are threatened.
* * *
       Ethnic conflict has been a constant in human relations—everywhere and throughout history. More recently, 64 percent of all civil wars since 1946 have divided along ethnic lines. Such conflicts are highly correlated with genetic diversity and ethnic polarization. Some of the worst examples, such as Yugoslavia, Rwanda, and Sudan, have included ethnic cleansing and genocide.
           Race-based identity politics are just a lower form of ethnic conflict. Like ethnic conflict more generally, the strength of such politics depends on the level of ethnic diversity and corresponding racial polarization. In homogenous societies, for example, politics tends to divide along class and cultural lines. As a society becomes more diverse, however, ethnicity begins to play a growing role.
            Politics and parties that are explicitly ethnically-based usually do not appear until much later, when a nation has become more diverse and has begun to suffer extreme racial polarization. Such politics have been shown to produce substantial ethnic favoritism. Their appearance is often a prelude to civil war or partition.
      An example of what we may very well see is already being played out in Brazil, which at one time touted itself as an integrated country, but which has become much more racially polarized over the last couple of decades. See also the author's article, "America’s Coming Political Realignment", at The American Renaissance, where he also describes the "white flight" to the Republican party, the real risk of secessionist movements. This is of particular concern in the United States, in my opinion, because a lot of the minorities that are coming to dominate in the Democratic party don't actually play along all that nice. Asians and Hispanics, for instance, don't really get along well with blacks (and we see at work in California where Hispanic gangs have been working to drive blacks out of neighborhoods that were traditionally black, but have now become Hispanic). 
      “The listserv, per its ‘About’ page, aims to provide an ‘off-the-record discussion forum for left-of-center journalists, authors, academics, and wonks.’ It has been around for at least eight years (I found discussion posts dating back as far as 2010), and has just over 400 members (403 at the time of this writing),” reported Jezebel. “These members include New York Times best-selling authors, Ivy League academics, magazine editors, and other public intellectuals—in short, a lot of important people who influence public discourse through their written work.”
              It is important to understand the scope and purpose of the SJW’s actions. For them, there is no other purpose to life than the battle for control over other human beings. Folks, I know I’ve said this many times in the past, but people really need to take this to heart fully. It’s very hard for a mind not bent toward power to comprehend fully a mind that is bent that way.
               They do not care about safety, or the children ™, or equality, or any other excuse. Racism does not matter to them, nor does sexism. Wealth inequality does not matter to them. What matters to them is power, and these things are seen as convenient vehicles for this power. Were SJWs alive in 1930s Germany, they would have blamed all their woes upon the Jews, as they blame straight white Christian men now. It would have been convenient for them.
        • A reminder that we live in the 21st Century: "Intel's New Path to Quantum Computing"--IEEE Spectrum. The are making progress toward mass production, although the number of chips per wafer are still very low.

        Update: clarifying a point about defensive rifles.
        at 2 comments:

        Friday, June 29, 2018

        June 29, 2018 -- A Quick Run Around the Web

        "Choose to SURVIVE"--DEMCAD (9 min.)
        This video is a general discussion of prepping attitudes. The author makes some good points, but one that I want to mention in particular is his discussion of helping people and how people may respond. He notes that most people, if you assist them (such as providing food), will be grateful. But there are those with an entitlement philosophy that if you feed them once, they believe you should feed them again ... and again .... etc.

        • TGIF: Active Response Training's Weekend Knowledge Dump is up with lots of good articles on self-defense, firearms, and prepping. Go check it out. To whet your appetite, I will mention the topics from a few articles. Greg Ellifritz has linked to an article from Bloody Elbow discussing hand-to-hand combat in the trenches of World War I, including a discussion of weapons and techniques; as I've mentioned before with regard to both World War I and II, the bayonet was probably used more often than most people think. He also links to an article from PJ Media discussing a sensor (designed to act as cell phone case) that, paired with an app, will allow the user to detect firearms or other weapons you may have upon your person. 
               A third article that caught my attention was one from Short Barrel Shepard discussing the difficulty in finding a low-key sling bag to use for carrying an AR pistol or folding AK or AR. I can sympathize with this because I was looking for something similar recently. I don't look like someone that would play tennis, so the tennis bag route wasn't optimal, and I started concentration on the sling bags. But as the author mentions, none of the common manufacturers of bags make a sling bag of sufficient size. There are several manufacturers that sell bags specifically for firearms, but most of them fairly scream "rifle". I finally found one from 5.11 that didn't look to bad, but anyone familiar with 5.11 items would probably recognize it and know that it is for firearms. 
        • For those of you into military history and the equipment issued to troops, here is one for you: "VIETNAM WAR INDIVIDUAL EQUIPMENT"--Loose Round. Interesting to me is how much of the carry gear was of WWII vintage (although the purpose might have been changed). Also, the author writes:
        Of all the things my Dad spoke about using during the war, the light weight ruck, the M16 and the poncho liner was like the holy trinity to him.  For years I hear about how comfortable the curving tubular pack frame was.  Finally after 30 years I was able to track down two of these packs for him and bought both of them. He was right, the pack frame is very comfortable  when wearing it. Below you can see how the frame curved for the body.
        • Related: "'This guy is crazy enough to come in and blow us all away': Capital Gazette contacted police about gunman's threats against staff five years ago - but no arrests were ever made"--Daily Mail. The problem is that there are lots of people that make threats but never do anything, and even if police have the resources to go and question the individual, there probably has been no crime committed. Even something as egregious as a phone call threatening someone's life may not trigger violation of any laws--it certainly isn't an assault, and may not even rise to the level of stalking. Thus, police generally can't do anything unless the person actually shows up and trespasses. That is why it is important for you to provide for your own safety in the event that someone decides to carry out a threat. And, consider this: do you really want to live under a government that could lock anyone up for just blurting out an oath or threat? Remember that the more power you give to government, the less power is reserved to the individual.
        Combatting normalcy bias is one of the few tactical skill sets you can practice by yourself, inside your head, with no gear or equipment. The secret isn’t to live in a constant state of paranoia, but rather to legitimate practice maintaining an objective mindset when assessing the threats around you. If you have a bad feeling about a situation, don’t dismiss it as nonsense, engage with it. If you notice something out of the ordinary, chastise yourself for not keeping your distance, rather than for allowing your concerns to get the best of you.
        The author also adds: "Don’t approach possible threats in a constant state of paranoia, but rather approach daily life like you might when merging on a congested highway: stay alert and be prepared to react."



        at 2 comments:

        Thursday, June 28, 2018

        June 28, 2018 -- A Quick Run Around the Web

        "Heavy Hitter: 5.56mm Barnes 85gr OTM gel test"--TFB TV (5-1/2 min.)
        These 85 grain bullets are too long for use in an AR, unless you were willing to hand-feed them through the ejection port one at a time. Nevertheless, we again see just how effective the heavier weight open-tip match bullets are in the ballistic tests.


        • Related: "Active Killer Pre-Attack Behavior"--Active Response Training. By coincidence, Greg Ellifritz had, earlier this week, published this post summarizing some research into active killers. Some of the key points he notes is that active killers generally obtain their firearms legally, they generally plan for weeks or even months ahead of time, only 25% have been diagnosed with a mental illness, but most exhibited signs before hand such confrontations with one of the victims, revealing their plans to others, stalking or other types of abusive behavior. Read the whole thing.
        A great walking pace for most people would be about 25 miles a day, and that’s carrying only a very light load if any. Many people would struggle to do 10 miles with 30+ pounds on their backs. A normally fit person on a bicycle loaded with 50 pounds? 75 miles a day is very reasonable. In fact, being within a day’s bicycle ride was one determining factor when choosing The Place for our bugout location.
        Through the years, my thought on “Bugout” have evolved, simply because it makes sense to not put yourself into that type of situational risk unless all other options are denied to you. Keep in mind, a “Bugout” is not the same as a “Bug to”. A “Bugout” is when you’re headed out of your primary home with no clear home/retreat to go to. Most say “We’ll set up in the national/state forest.” These types generally have never “Set up” for an extended period (most not longer than a week, some maybe two weeks of camping at most, but it’s all good training). A “Bug To” is when you are headed to a clearly defined home or retreat that has been planned out (if someone lives there, they know you’re coming) and prepared by you ahead of time, and has supplies already laid in for your stay because it was part of the “plan”. Although “Bugout” and “Bug To” are primary residence evacuations, one (Bugout) is way too open ended to not be the last option available to you.
        • If you've been following Q, this may be of interest: "SENIOR SCIENTIST AT ALLERGAN, VACCINE RESEARCHER SHOT TO DEATH AS HE SLEPT BESIDE HIS DAUGHTERS AT REMOTE CAMPSITE"--Blacklisted News. It is not so much the how as the whom that may be important in this: a senior researcher for a pharmaceutical company.
        • "Six Age-Old Muzzleloader Rules Put to the Test"--Range 365. I don't shoot black powder, but this may interest those of you that do. The authors of this article decided to test some age old rules or beliefs regarding muzzle loaders. Most have to do with exposure to the elements and maintenance, such as whether the weapon getting wet would prevent firing, whether you can bring it into a warm house or tent from cold weather, whether you need to clean it immediately after shooting, and so forth. And, using a modern in-line muzzle-loading rifle, they found that most of these were false. One of the more interesting tests they did, however, was to compare bullets that had been deformed by being really pounded on with the ram rod versus a bullet that wasn't fully seated tight against the charge. What they found is that the deformation had only a small impact on accuracy, but failing to fully seat the bullet had a dramatic impact on accuracy, substantially opening up groups. 
        • It's an invasion: "Watch: 200 Migrants Attempt to Storm Croatian Border Yelling ‘Allahu Akbar’"--Breitbart. The article reports:
        The clip, which was released over the weekend, shows the group of migrants attempting to cross a small canal and push through the line of police wearing protective gear. The incident occurred at the Croatian town of Maljevac, which lies on the border with Bosnia, Kronen Zeitung reports.
        I thought that the tactics for dealing with this type of attack had been fully worked out by the end of 1914.
                 A note to the folks obsessed with somehow disarming all civilians: You may want to find a new hobby. This particular horse isn't just out of the barn, it's in the field shooting skeet.
                   Worldwide, there are about 857 million firearms in civilian hands—up 32 percent from the last Small Arms Survey estimates in 2006. For comparison, there are about 133 million firearms controlled by the world's militaries and 22.7 million in the hands of law enforcement across the planet.
                     That means a growing numbers of civilians around the world are in a position to push back against police and militaries that serve often-abusive governments, and that are already outmatched in terms of raw weaponry. In the wake of the murderous, state-sponsored horrors of the 20th century, this latest report from the respected, Geneva-based Small Arms Survey represents good news to many people (albeit not the usual suspects you'll see quoted on the news).
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              Thoughts on Sunday School Lesson 24 (David and Bathsheba)

                      I haven't posted about Sunday School lessons before, mostly because I don't read the lesson until in class! But the Gospel Doctrine teachers had to switch weeks, so we wound up having Lesson 24 last week, and will have Lesson 23 this coming Sunday.
              "David and Bathsheba" by Henry Bone

                       Lesson 24 primarily covers chapters 11 and 12 of Second Samuel, and, in particular, David's affair with Bathsheba and murder of her husband, Uriah. Before going further, I think it is important to step back and look at First Samuel, chapter 8, where Samuel rehearses to the people the evil that will come from selecting kings:
              11 And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots. 
              12 And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots. 
              13 And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. 
              14 And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants. 
              15 And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants. 
              16 And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work. 
              17 He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants.
              All of these came true under the rule of Saul, David, and Solomon. Rather than looking to these three kings as great men, they should all be object lessons that power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Saul became bitter and tyrannical, David's reign was an endless round of warfare both external and internal, and Solomon heavily taxed the Israelites to support his ostentatious lifestyle to the extent that, following his death, the northern tribes revolted and broke away to escape the heavy taxation. Moreover, Solomon foolishly allowed migrants to flow into Israel with their alien religions, which was a significant cause of Israel turning to pagan worship; which, as we know, was the primary reason that the Lord ultimately allowed both nations (the northern tribes of Israel and the southern Judah) be carried away into captivity.

                       Turning back to the story at hand in 2 Samuel 11, we read:
               2 ¶ And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. 
              3 And David sent and inquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bath-sheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite? 
              4 And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house. 
              5 And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child.
              Now, my Sunday School teacher tried to claim that Bathsheba was innocent in all of this: that her bathing was that required of women after menstruation (Leviticus 15:19-29) and that she was merely submitting herself to the King. But there is nothing in the account to indicate that this was the reason for her bathing, especially where she could be seen. (Update: I realize that the passage quoted above indicates that the woman was purified of her uncleanliness, but if you read the passage in Leviticus, the woman must first be cleansed, then wait seven days, before she is considered clean--see verse 28. The story related in 2 Samuel may have omitted this period, but it appears that David had his way with her shortly after seeing her bath; and, in any event, it doesn't explain why she bathed where she could be seen). And given the hypergamous nature of women--always seeking to maximize social standing and seek the best mates--Occam's Razer would suggest that what was going on here was a deliberate attempt to attract the eye of the King with the intention of initiating an affair.

                     In this regard, it is notable that Bathsheba did not cry out or resist David's advancements. Under the Mosaic law, a woman that was raped within a city must cry out, or the incident was considered to be consensual. (See Deuteronomy 22:23-24). Thus, since she apparently did not cry out for help, we must conclude that the intercourse was consensual. But more damning for Bathsheba, in my mind, is that she said nothing to her husband, even though she knew she was pregnant. She was complicit in covering up the affair.

                     Of course, we know the tragic end to this tale. David attempts to cover up his sin by first having Uriah return from the battlefield in the hope that Uriah would spend time with his wife. However, Uriah's devotion to David and his fellow soldiers is such that he refuses to take comfort while his comrades in arm are still in danger. That plan foiled, David then determines to have Uriah killed by secretly ordering that Uriah be sent to the most dangerous front of the battle, and then for his support be withdrawn so he would be left alone to be killed by the enemy. (See 2 Samuel 11:6-17). David's plan in this regard was successful. (2 Samuel 11:18-25).
              26 ¶ And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband. 
              27 And when the mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord.
              I wouldn't read anything into Bathsheba mourning for her husband as the time and culture demanded a public mourning. She mourned to keep up appearances.

                     So, at the end, we have David and Bathsheba having both committed adultery, and David having gone further and having ordered the murder of Uriah. Chapter 12 of 2 Samuel continues the story with the prophet Nathan confronting David over it, showing David to also be a hypocrite (and we all know what the Lord thinks of hypocrites). David and Bathsheba are cursed: the son of their sin dies, and David will face rebellion and civil war from within his own house.

                     Now, my Sunday School teacher had to discuss why it was so unfair that the child died, and that she was upset because she couldn't imagine God being "cruel" so as to take the life of an innocent child, even though it was pointed out to her that children that die before the age of accountability are saved by the grace of the Lord. So, it is not like the child lost out on any eternal blessings. We are sent here for two purposes: to obtain a body and be tested. The child obtained his body and, apparently, had no need to be tested (or will be tested after the resurrection), so from God's eternal perspective, it was of no real consequence to the child that the child died, but it did serve God's purpose by carrying out an express punishment, as declared by Nathan, directed toward David and Bathsheba.

                     In any event, David goes on to spend the rest of his life attempting to somehow obtain forgiveness for his sins, although we know that by his murder of Uriah, he forfeited any opportunity for exaltation. (D&C  132:39).  Some people believe this is unfair, but the reality is that, notwithstanding David's desire to serve the Lord, he never submitted himself to Mosaic law (i.e., God's law at time) but held himself above it. The scriptures are clear that, under Mosaic law, an adulterer and adulteress were to both be put to death. (See Leviticus 20:10;  Deuteronomy 22:23-24). Murderers were also to be executed. (See Numbers 35).  In chapter 12 of 2 Samuel, David was willing to execute a subject merely for having taken the lamb of his neighbor. (See 2 Samuel 12:5). Yet, neither Bathsheba nor David ever submitted themselves to the law.

                    Finally, adding insult to injury, David betrayed one of his most loyal and brave supporters for his person indulgence. The Lord taught: "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." David took the life of a devotee, if not a friend. A truly despicable act.
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              Wednesday, June 27, 2018

              Video: "More Dumb 'Qualifications' For Firearms Instructors"

              "More Dumb 'Qualifications' For Firearms Instructors"--Active Self Protection Extra (8 min.)
              No, not having been in a gun fight doesn't mean someone is not qualified to be a firearms instructor, nor does having been in a gun fight qualify one to be an instructor. I am reminded of Mas Ayoob, one of the most influential developers and teachers of modern pistol fighting techniques. What made him great wasn't the notches on his pistol (in fact, I'm not sure he has even been in a gun fight), but that he was able to go around the country to interview police officers that had been in fights and review the records of those instances, draw correct conclusions from those incidents, and combine it with his martial arts training and firearms training (including competition shooting) to develop or improve techniques, and then articulate and communicate those techniques to others.

              at No comments:

              June 27, 2018 -- A Quick Run Around the Web

              "Handgun Disarms - A Reality Check"--UF Pro (4 min.)
              This is an interesting video. The producers used Simunitions to test various handgun disarms, both single action and double-action, to see which would work and which would get you shot. The frontal ones, to be successful, were generally more dependent on whether the shooter was shooting double-action or single-action: the slight additional delay from double-action made a big difference. With the gun pointed at the head, the type of movement was also very important. The rear disarm worked no matter. So, the takeaway is that if you are holding someone at gunpoint with them facing away from you, don't press your barrel against their back.

              • "The Problem with Doomer Fiction"--Surviving the Suburbs. The author's primary complaint is that the novels, he believes, inaccurately paint people overall as more horrible than they actually are. His experience in smaller disasters is that people, for the most part, tend to come together (I would note that this is the thesis and argument of  Rebecca Solnit's book, A Paradise Built in Hell: The Extraordinary Communities That Arise in Disaster). He goes on to note that we shouldn't be quick to write off our neighbors in a disaster just because they might not be preppers, because they may have valuable resources or skills that we just don't know about.
              • "Scotchgard: Prepper Gold"--BEANS, BULLETS, BANDAGES & YOU. The author discusses the Scotchgard product and its history, and then addresses its use in prepping. It has an obvious use for adding or reviving water repellent features on clothing, backpacks, sleeping bags, stuff bags, etc. But the author notes that "Scotchgard not only repels water, but also helps resist dirt being ground into fabric, so your outerwear will remain cleaner as well as dryer thanks to Scotchgard."
              • "Buy It Once: Everyday Carry Tools I’ve Bought to Last Me a Lifetime"--More Than Just Surviving. The author lists the high quality items he has purchased for prepping or everyday use, including a favorite watch, knives and tools, footwear, etc. Some good recommendations. Check it out.
              • "Evacuation, by S.A."--Survival Blog. The author has retreat property to which he expects close family or fellow preppers to come to in the event of SHTF. However, he wants his family to know what to expect, and who they may or may not bring with them to the retreat. Thus, this post sets out some letters or instructions that can be distributed to family and friends. 
              • "Historical Origins of the HK93, AK74, M16A1 and AR18"--Guns America Blog. Some firearms history. 
              • "The Indian or the Arrow?"--Gabe Suarez. Or, sometimes it is the equipment. Suarez addresses the accepted truism that it is the man, not the equipment, that is most important. While generally true, Suarez notes that equipment can be so bad that it limits the trained man from being able to exercise his training to its full potential. As an extreme example, he notes that a professional cyclist on a top quality bicycle will beat in a race a 10-year old on a children's tricycle, but if you put the 10-year old on a quality bike and the professional cyclist on the tricycle, the professional cyclist will lose. Anyway, the point is that you don't need the fanciest and most expensive equipment, but you do need to get and use equipment that won't limit you.
              • "What Country Ever Existed A Century and a Half Without A Rebellion?"--Bookworm Room. The title of the post is taken from a letter written by Thomas Jefferson explaining the necessity of periodic revolution. The author notes that it has now been 153 years since the start of the American Civil War. He then goes on to list out quotes and statements from various articles and news reports where people have recently either been predicting social unrest, or, for those on the left, calling for unrest. He concludes:
              The proggies have not accepted the election results of 2016.  I imagine they will act without restraint on Nov. 7, 2018 if and when they fail to recapture the House or Senate.  I expect that if we are going to have blood in the streets, we will start seeing it between Nov. 7, 2018 and Nov. 2020.  Indeed, I am close to thinking it inevitable.
              As a side note, I would point out that the United States has not been free of rebellions and insurrections during the past 150 years, either. We've had range and water wars pitting wealthy landowners against small farmers, we saw significant violence and open warfare in the late 1800s and early 1900s over labor issues, we saw food riots during the Great Depression and the violent put-down of a veterans march on Washington D.C., we saw race riots periodically throughout the 20th Century, culminating in those of the 1960's and 1970's, and, during the latter period, significant amounts of domestic terrorism by minority and leftist radicals. We've had an exceptional period of domestic peace, but it is the exception, not the rule.
              • Related: "Insurrection is Here; How Long do We have Until Civil War 2.0 Starts?"--Peter Barry Chowka at The American Thinker. The author relates: "Cities around the country including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and in Washington State and Utah have seen waves of demonstrators assemble at local ICE headquarters in attempts to shut down the agency’s operations enforcing immigration laws, including processing deportation orders against illegal criminals." 
                     Sooner or later, this mob will expand their potential targets to anyone perceived as a possible Trump supporter. They may target specific people like Pam Bondi and her boyfriend, or they may select targets of opportunity. Either way, guess what: no matter your politics, if you’re a gun owner, you are their perceived enemy.
                       We teach people not to ignore an articulated threat by a potential attacker. If someone angry at you says, “I’m going to kill you,” you should listen. As they say, the FBI would call that a “clue.” You should take credible threats seriously and act accordingly to defend yourself.
                         The gun-hating left is telling you what they intend to do. With this in mind, the prudent people will take precautions for their own self-defense. If you have a carry license, or live in a constitutional carry state, make sure you carry a gun. If you have not yet acquired your CCW, do so right away.
                            Don’t forfeit your life because you left your safety rescue tool at home.
                           The suspects are described as black, one was wearing a black vintage Air Jordan men's hooded sweatshirt that is black with 'Jordan' spelled out in white on the sleeves and was clearly carrying a gun in his hand. Another was wearing a white Adidas hoodie and a face mask which read 'change.'
                             The third was wearing red sneakers that are believed to be Jordan basketball shoes.
                                Cops are also hunting a fourth suspect, the getaway driver. 
                          “The upwelling we detected is like a hot-air balloon, and we infer that something is rising up through the deeper part of our planet under New England,” says Rutgers University geophysicist Professor Vadim Levin.
                          Might become a problem in some tens of millions of years. 
                                 So many birds flocked to and feasted on the vast field of carrion that posterity remembered Kosovo as the “Field of Blackbirds.” Though essentially a draw -- or at best a Pyrrhic victory for the Ottomans -- the Serbs, with less men and resources to start with in comparison to the ascendant Muslim empire, felt the sting more.
                                   In the years following the battle of Kosovo, the Ottoman war machine became unstoppable: the nations of the Balkans were conquered by the Muslims -- after withstanding a millennium of jihads, Constantinople itself permanently fell to Islam in 1453 -- and they remained under Ottoman rule for centuries.
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                            Tuesday, June 26, 2018

                            Shout Out: Robertsons Trading Post

                            I just wanted to give a shout out to Robertsons Trading Post, which processed a firearms order for me very quickly and was very good at emailing me to keep apprised of the status and any other information they needed. Check them out on Guns America.
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                            The Travel Ban -- Muslims Should Be The Ones Ashamed

                            Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), a Muslim who is serving in Congress, is reported as saying that "today's 5-4 Supreme Court decision that upheld the Trump administration's travel ban from several Muslim-majority countries will go down in history as a 'marker of shame' from the high court like Plessy v. Ferguson, the 1896 ruling that upheld segregation laws as constitutional."

                                  Ellison is wrong. It is Muslims that should be ashamed that Islamic terrorism is so widespread and common that such a ban is necessary.
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                            June 26, 2018 -- A Quick Run Around the Web

                            "Black Mobs Invading White Rural Communities During SHTF?"--DEMCAD (7 min.)
                            The host of this video suggests that people in rural communities would be better focused on threats within their own communities rather than groups living dozens or even hundreds of miles away.


                            • It's Tuesday! A new Woodpile Report.
                            • "BEYOND HARDBALL - Modern .45 Loads"--SWAT Magazine. The author notes that "[t]he .45 ACP has struggled to retain its perch in the JHP era since standardized ballistic testing using the FBI standards became commonplace. The .45’s large frontal area works against it in the tests, typically allowing impressive expansion or impressive penetration, but usually not at the same time and not through barriers." He seems to like the Honeybadger round, a "non-expanding [bullet], relying on machined flutes in the bullet nose to create a wound cavity." Rather, "[t]he concept is that fluid is redirected at such speeds as to create damage in what is essentially its wake as the copper projectile drives deep." The author indicates that wound cavities in ballistic gel is comparable to a .357 Magnum hunting load. I find the idea behind such bullets to be interesting, but I would like to see more than just ballistic gel results. We are all aware of the concept of "gaming" something--adopting techniques or characteristics that are designed to work well in competition or testing that don't actually work well in the real world. My nagging concern is that these types of bullets are designed to do well in ballistic gelatin, which is a homogeneous, non-fibrous medium, but that the designs won't translate well to bones, sinew, muscle, etc.
                            • "21 Terms Every Knife-Lover Should Know"--Gear Patrol.  Specialized discussion requires specialized language and terms.
                            • "You Can't Defend Yourself Any More"--MacYoung's Musings. In a society where "violence is never the answer," it is hard to justify to a jury using violence to defend yourself. MacYoung writes:
                                    ... I have some really bad news. I’m not being political because I want to. I’m doing it because politics have come to violence. But far worse, your ‘right’ to defend yourself is damned near gone.
                                      Gone not like a Great White Shark that eats half of you in a single bite, but gone like a piranha feeding frenzy. Death comes from countless little bites from many sources. This time though the bites have been taken out over the years. Some of them are political, some are legal, some are ideological and a thunderin’ herd of them are bureaucratic (ass covering and careerism). Now if that isn’t bad enough, there’s a rise in behaviors that lead to violence. Putting it bluntly you’re losing your right to defend yourself at the same time there’s a growing need for it.
                                He continues:
                                  It’s a short step from believing that ["violence never solved anything"] to believing that all violence is wrong. Unfortunately, many people haven’t just taken that step, but did a running leap. Despite all the wailing and gnashing of teeth about how our society glorifies violence, most people are really uncomfortable about the subject. To the point, they don’t believe in self-defense, but view all violence as bad and only ‘bad people’ do it. This is especially true, if they’ve drank the Kool-Aid that all violence is abuse (excepting their own, of course.)
                                    Read the whole thing.
                                    • "We Hate The Beretta M9, But Why?"--The Load Out Room. The author discusses why the Beretta M9 is such a great design and great pistol. And notes: "People will talk and talk about what gun would have done this or that better than the M9. I highly doubt that any other pistol would do much better, seeing how the military treats its gear." I think it is a great gun, but the grip is just a tad too big for me.
                                    • "Buffer Stuff: Keep The AR Cycling Happily"--Guns Magazine. A discussion of the different types of buffers and springs out there. The author explains:
                                             Carbine-length systems, in particular, can produce problems. Essentially, if too much gets in too soon, the bolt will unlock too soon as the system begins moving the bolt carrier to the rear. Then, the cartridge case gets yanked while it’s still expanded inside the chamber. This creates the “extraction” problems common to carbines (16″ or shorter barrel). It’s not an extraction problem, really, but a timing issue.
                                               Additionally, an overdose of gas creates overly high-bolt carrier velocity going back against the buffer. It can get so high, and again this is most symptomatic in carbines, that the carrier will “bounce” off its rearward stopping point and rebound overly quickly, going back ahead. Sometimes this appears like a “short stroke” or weak function but its cause is actually just the opposite. Overrides (failure to pick up a round from the magazine) and failures to lock back against the bolt catch or stop can result. The real issue is the carrier is outrunning the other part systems, the magazine specifically.
                                                  For people who argued that AR/ 5.56 stuff is much more available I am not so sure. There are a lot of AKMs floating around and even more 7.62x39. The reason I say that is it was so cheap for so long and is still fairly cheap. So an average guy who has an AK/ SKS is probably more likely to have more ammo than an average guy with an AR. Also fundamentally planning on getting resupplied with gun stuff during a major long term disaster is probably unrealistic. 
                                                    For a local/ regional event you aren't going to be shooting much, if at all. Even folks in the craziest regional events like the Roof Koreans in the LA riots or folks in Hurricane Katrina weren't getting in a ton of crazy movie gun fights shooting all over the place. A pretty standard load out of 3x15 rd pistol mags and 7x 30 rd rifle mags would be plenty. 
                                            • "Skill Set: Things Most People Never Learn To Do"--The Tactical Wire. The author claims that most people of the gun never learn a proper trigger press, never learn how to safely manipulate the firearm (loading, unloading, etc.), and never learn how to efficiently draw and shoot their weapon. He also contends:
                                            Most people who carry never think about, study or practice responding to an attack.  Yes, they practice shooting, but shooting is a small part of the whole response.  The fundamentals of responding to a threat are:  move, communicate, Use cover, shooting (if necessary) and thinking.  None of these responses are natural or instinctive.  It’s going to take plenty of practice to formulate and initiate a timely response.
                                            Basic gun manipulation and drawing is mostly a matter of practice, and can be learned by having someone show you the ropes, watching videos, and so forth. Responding to an attack with a firearm is a different level. It is something that can be learned through significant research on the subject combined with martial arts training or experience, but is most efficiently and efficaciously learned with the assistance of an experienced and knowledgeable instructor.
                                            • Maybe it would be more humane to separate children from their "parents": 
                                            • "Mexico's Shame; Abuse of Children"--Banderas News (2010). The article reports that "[a]ccording to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Mexico ranks first in rates of physical violence, sexual abuse and homicide of children younger than 14[.]" Also, "Mexico ranks 2nd in money generated through sex trafficking of minors, reporting US $24 billion per year. Thailand ranks first in child pornography, while Mexico, unfortunately, ranks 2nd."
                                            • "Child Sex Abuse In Mexico Increases In 2014, Study Finds"--Los Angeles Times (Aug. 4, 2014). From the article: "In the first quarter of 2014 allegations of sexual abuse against minors in Mexico increased 73 percent, compared to 2013, according to data from 24 states, according to research."
                                                      Texas-based Southwest Key Programs has taken in roughly $1 billion in federal contracts since the Obama administration, and is expected to receive about $500 million this year to house and provide services for immigrant children, according to reports. 
                                                        And Southwest officials receive significant compensation for their efforts. WQAD reported tax filings show Juan Sanchez, the group’s founder and CEO, received nearly $1.5 million in 2016 - nearly twice the previous year’s salary, of $786,822. His wife, Jennifer, vice president of Southwest Key, received about $280,000 in 2015 in total compensation, WQAD reported.
                                                • Iran is currently seeing the largest protests since 2012: "Iranians take to streets of Tehran in biggest protests since 2012"--The Independent. Some of the protesters are apparently upset with Iran spending money in foreign wars and to support terrorist organizations: "Iranian Protestors Swarm Streets Chanting, ‘Death to Palestine’"--Washington Free Beacon. 
                                                • China cranks up the printing presses: "China frees up more money as trade war takes shape"--Deutsche Welle. According to the article, "China's central bank has said it will further reduce the reserve requirement ratio for the majority of lenders in the country." In a fractional reserve banking system, it essentially means that the central bank is opening the spigots for banks to create more money. Fractional reserve banking is where a bank can loan out more money than it has on hand (thus creating new money when it makes a loan), reserving (in theory) only the amounts that it needs for average transactions. In practice, central banks place mandatory requirements on the reserve kept by the bank to prevent a bank from overlending. Reducing the reserve amounts means that banks can loan more (i.e., create more money), increasing the overall money supply (and devaluing the currency in the process). 
                                                • Paging Colin Flaherty: "Shocking moment four teenagers coax a man out of his car, punch him and leave him unconscious on the ground"--Daily Mail. Watching the video, you realize that the headline is intentionally deceptive. The video shows the black teens approach the car, spreading out around it. While one teen opens the driver's door, another goes to the other side to open the passenger side door. The driver gets out to deal with the teens on his side of the car, while the teen that entered through the passenger side scoots through the car to come out behind the driver and sucker punch him. The teens then steal the car. A couple points: (1) even if you are in your car and waiting for someone, lock the doors; and (2) if you see black teens lurking about, you probably should be prepared for a possible assault and/or robbery.
                                                • Don't worry, its for your safety: "THE WIRETAP ROOMS: The NSA’s Hidden Spy Hubs in Eight U.S. Cities"--The Intercept. AT&T works closely with the NSA to ensure that not only can it spy on AT&T's domestic customers, but also AT&T's overseas partners. 
                                                • "Army Is Spending Half a Billion to Train Soldiers to Fight Underground"--Military.com. Not just service tunnels, sewers, subways and underground portions of large buildings, but the massive underground bases and cities that some nations have built. "An assessment last year estimates that there are about 10,000 large-scale underground military facilities around the world that are intended to serve as subterranean cities, an Army source, who is not cleared to talk to the press, told Military.com." You can download a copy of the referenced manual, TC 3.21-50, here (PDF). It's not as detailed as you might expect, but it is interesting to me that illustrations appear to show units maneuvering with at least two men using ballistic shields to provide cover.
                                                • Interesting: "Why Did Book of Mormon Authors Use Colophons?"--Meridian Magazine. Colophons are certifications inserted at the beginning or end of texts to identify the author (or scribe) and his qualifications for writing the material. A modern analogue are the introductory paragraphs to an affidavit that identify the affiant and the grounds for their knowledge, or the certification by a notary. 
                                                • A reminder that we live in the 21st Century: "The 'stealth sheets' that can hide soldiers and even vehicles from infrared cameras"--Daily Mail. The article describes the material as about the thickness of 10 sheets of paper, and states that "[i]t's made out of bendable silicon and can hide about 94% of the infrared light it encounters." It continues:
                                                         [R]esearchers used black silicon to make the sheet, which is created by harvesting silicon crystals on a silicon wafer, according to New Scientist.
                                                            This creates the appearance of a 'forest' of silicon needles, called nanowires, which reflect very little light. 
                                                              The nanowires are created using tiny particles of silver, which are etched into a silicon wafer. 
                                                               Air particles were then built into the black silicon to keep it from overheating. 
                                                                  The light waves bounce back and forth between the needles, which prevents light from escaping. 
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                                                          Monday, June 25, 2018

                                                          June 25, 2018--A Quick Run Around The Web

                                                          I thought I would start off today with a little humor: "Surprising Benefits of Urine Therapy - Ultra Spiritual Life episode 114" (3-1/2 min.)

                                                          • I've noted before that the United States has essentially been at war with Mexico since the mid-1800s. Most of the time it is a cold war--mostly criminal elements using Mexico as a haven from U.S. law enforcement--but sometimes it heats up into open conflict. We are heading toward another open conflict. The Daily Caller reports that "Mexican Presidential Candidate Calls Mass Migration To US A ‘Human Right’." Not just any candidate, however, but the candidate leading in the polls: Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Obrador is quoted as telling a crowd:
                                                                 “And soon, very soon — after the victory of our movement — we will defend all the migrants in the American continent and all the migrants in the world,” Obrador said, adding that immigrants “must leave their towns and find a life in the United States.”
                                                                   He then declared migration “a human right we will defend[.]” 
                                                              The open conflict won't be immediate, but illegal aliens will continue to migrate into the United States and agitate against U.S. government and American values. Perhaps even gain sufficient local political power to win a vote to leave the Union (or, at least, become a semi-autonomous region). At the same time, we will see Mexico further attempt to influence our elections and promote anti-American groups like La Raza. 
                                                                        [T]he biggest aspect of the crisis, even though it is underreported, is in countries close to where 22.5 million have fled imploding societies -- the biggest such tide of displacement since WWII. The numbers are staggering: Turkey has 3.5 million Syrian refugees, tiny Lebanon a million; 1.5 million Afghans are camped in Pakistan; more than a million Sudanese are cooling their heels in Uganda. In South America, one million Venezuelans fleeing Bolivarian socialism have lodged in Colombia. In Central America, multitudes of "families and unaccompanied children" daily flee their own crime-ridden societies for the U.S.:
                                                                       Current homicide rates are among the highest ever recorded in Central America. Several cities, including San Salvador, Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula, are among the 10 most dangerous in the world. The most visible evidence of violence is the high rate of brutal homicides, but other human rights abuses are on the rise, including the recruitment of children into gangs, extortion and sexual violence. 

                                                                        From 2011 to 2016, the number of people from the Northern Triangle who have sought refuge in surrounding countries has increased by 2,249 percent. The majority fleeing are women and children. In 2016, 388,000 people fled the region – more continued to flee in 2017. The rapid growth of those forced from their homes is quickly outstripping available resources, leaving many vulnerable children, women and men without physical and legal protection.
                                                                           The migration crisis is an indictment of the global world order.
                                                                             It also underscores its biggest weakness: a grandly named system ironically incapable of either preventing the collapse of its constituents or managing the displacement of tens of millions.
                                                                      • Related: British police can't (or won't) do anything to stem the rising violent crime caused by migrants, but they have the time to track down people expressing there concern or dislike for immigrants and immigrant crime: "Brits Arrest Almost 3500 People For Offensive Online Content"--Anonymous Conservative.
                                                                      • "Chain Migration Comes to Hazleton"--City Journal. Hazleton, Pennsylvania, used to be a pleasant working class town with low crime. Now it "has been radically transformed since the early 2000s by secondary chain migration, principally driven by Dominicans—immigrants, both legal and illegal, as well as second- and third-generation citizens arriving from the New York metropolitan area." In 2000, less than 5% of the town was Hispanic; now it is over 50%. Crime is also up, and the town is a hotbed of organized drug gangs. From the article:
                                                                                Of course, Dominicans also take pride in their culture, but their gateway neighborhoods in New York served as an extension of their country of origin; assimilation proved unnecessary. The pattern has repeated itself in Hazleton. The broader Hazleton community has encouraged Dominicans’ political and civic involvement, but the newcomers often remain disengaged in local matters. Hazleton has become an important campaign stop for the Dominican Republic’s leading political candidates, for example, suggesting to many Hazleton residents that their new neighbors, even when U.S. citizens—and many are not—retain stronger ties to their ancestral home than to their city, or even to America. Resentments on both sides have grown.
                                                                                 Hazleton’s Dominicans are living in a city that traditionally handled its immigrant diversity by emphasizing assimilation, but today’s conversations about immigration often downplay, and even dismiss, assimilation. During the Obama years, liberal elites, and many conservatives, ignored Americans’ longing for community stability. As columnist Peggy Noonan puts it, such elites, safely removed from the “roughness of the world,” have often supported immigration policies, including tolerating large numbers of illegal immigrants, that are harmful toward the “unprotected”—those living in struggling cities like Hazleton. “If you are an unprotected American—one with limited resources and negligible access to power—you have absorbed some lessons from the past 20 years’ experience of illegal immigration,” Noonan wrote. “You know the Democrats won’t protect you and the Republicans won’t help you.”
                                                                                   This was true of Hazleton, part of a county that, until recently, found political refuge in the Democratic Party. Luzerne County’s voters, though ideologically agnostic, nurtured an enduring belief in the legacy of the New Deal. But they felt increasingly betrayed by Democrats, who seemed unconcerned by the underlying problems of their communities. Many Hazleton residents preserve and maintain their century-old homes, spanning generations in their family. But they reside in neighborhoods now afflicted by late-night gunshots, noise-ordinance violations, drug deals, and blighted properties.
                                                                              The lesson is that migrants from dysfunctional cultures bring that dysfunction with them.
                                                                                       The Indians were faced with something that faces all civilizations. It’s something we face now. They were facing the unstoppable force of inevitability. Many of them knew it. The settlers from Europe were about to take over every inch of this country. Some tribes, like the Choctaw, chose to play nice with the government in hopes that their peaceful gesture would be returned. They got a Trail of Tears for their kindness.
                                                                                         But some tribes, like the Lakota, chose a different path. They chose war. Leaders of the Lakota like Sitting Bull knew full well how this war would end. Nevertheless, he gathered thousands of young warriors in the Black Hills and made his enemy feel some pain before he surrendered. He scored a decisive win at the Battle of the Little Bighorn, and collected some scalps. Yes, the U.S. government prevailed in the end, but General Custer and his 200 men weren’t there to see it.
                                                                                    Kelly believes that it is inevitable that the the Left--and the Globalists--will win. To him, it is the choice of how you will lose:
                                                                                      When you make that long trek to the reservation the leftists have set up for you—and make that trek you will—what memories do you want to take with you? When living in the liberal utopian nightmare of 57 genders and government control over everything in your life, you will want to have been a Lakota. You’ll want to know, to remember, even just cherish the knowledge that, one day, you rode out onto the plains and made them feel pain.
                                                                                             Is there a liberal, progressive, Christian way to seal a 2,000-mile border, halt millions of migrants from crossing it illegally, and send intruders back whence they came? Or does the preservation of Western nations and peoples require measures from which liberal societies today reflexively recoil?
                                                                                                Does the survival of the West as a civilization require a ruthlessness the West no longer possess?
                                                                                                 Consider what our fathers did to build this country.
                                                                                                    The English settlers brought in 600,000 slaves, ethnically cleansed the Indians, joined their cousins in a war to expel the French, then revolted and threw out those cousins to claim all the land to the Mississippi for ourselves.
                                                                                                     Jefferson grabbed the vast Louisiana Territory for $15 million from Napoleon, who had no right to sell it. Andrew Jackson drove the Spanish out of Florida, sent the Cherokee packing on the Trail of Tears, and told a dissenting Chief Justice John Marshall where he could go.
                                                                                                        Sam Houston tore Texas away from Mexico. “Jimmy” Polk took the Southwest and California in a war Ulysses Grant called “the most unjust ever fought.” When the South declared independence, Lincoln sent a million-man army to march them back in a war that cost 600,000 lives.
                                                                                                           William McKinley sent armies and warships to seize Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Guam and the Philippines. The indigenous peoples were not consulted. “God told me to take the Philippines,” said McKinley.
                                                                                                            The conquest and colonization of the New World and the creation of the United States and its rise to world power required acts of aggression and war ....
                                                                                                             Which brings us again to the larger questions.
                                                                                                               While our forefathers would have not hesitated to do what was needed to secure our borders and expel intruders, it is not a settled matter as to whether this generation has the will to preserve the West.
                                                                                                                  Progressives may parade their moral superiority as they cheer the defeat of the “zero tolerance” policy. But they have no solution to the crisis. Indeed, many do not even see it as a crisis because they do not see themselves as belonging to a separate tribe, nation or people threatened by an epochal invasion from the Third World.
                                                                                                                  They see themselves as belonging to an ideological nation, a nation of ideas, whose mission is to go forth and preach and teach all peoples the gospel of democracy, diversity and equality.
                                                                                                                      But the left is more and more normalizing violence and harassment against their political opponents and justifying it with the language of morality. What should not be normal is becoming normal, and that is a dangerous game. This will not end well for anyone. Violent extremists on the left, including Hollywood celebrities, are only going to emboldened more James Hodgkinsons. It is going to happen. And the condemnation from the left will become more and more faint as it does. They have decided the President and his supporters get what they deserve.
                                                                                                                      This won't end well.
                                                                                                                • I often see people scoff at the idea of a civil war being imminent because things aren't like they were in the 1850's prior to the American Civil War. Which just shows the ignorance of those making such comparisons. Civil wars are not always fought over whether one part of the nation can secede, but generally about whose faction will control government. For example, practically every civil war fought within the Roman Republic and Empire; the Russian Civil War that pitted the White Russians against the Communists; the 30 Years War; etc.
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