Many people are convinced that civilization as we know it will collapse or, at best, experience a prolonged interruption. Very few of those people are actually planning for it and even less are preparing for it in advance. For those of us actually preparing we have forums, books, videos, and meetings to help us get ready for SHTF.

A few are even likely hoping for it for various reasons. What if this collapse occurs in a matter of minutes as well it might in various SHTF scenarios; nuclear war, terrorism, EMP, pandemic, conventional war, civil unrest becoming civil war? I am sure you can add a few to this list. Using the Golden Hour concept from trauma medicine I am proposing a few unusual ways of handling the first hour of SHTF.

In this Golden Hour things you do and do not do will have a profound effect on your chances of a decent survival outcome. The Golden Hour is getting a major trauma victim to a trauma center within an hour. Survival rates plummet by minute 61. What will you do in the first 60 minutes of a sudden SHTF? I expect disagreement and hope the comments will give me some good ideas.

SHTF Happens and you are at Home

Reacting rather than data gathering is the key to all of these situations. As humans used to experiencing normal conditions the sudden ending of the normal is a shock and many react to it by standing still and trying to find out what is going on. The lights go out, you check your phone, you look out the window, and you try to find your battery radio and the flashlights. You are in bed and the loud bang shakes the house violently and the power goes out. You use your phone, you turn on the TV, and you go outside to find out what is going on. You might even go through these actions several times!

I am not saying these responses are always wrong. Geography etc. has an input into your plan which is a pre-written plan. If you are hundreds of miles from cities then your response might be different especially if you have large volumes of water stored. What I am saying is to get moving early and start using the Water Bob, the clean rain barrels from storage within minutes of any alert that normal no longer might exist. Finding out what has happened is a secondary concern to preparing to survive. Who cares if Russia has attacked the USA or if it was a terrorist bomb? Listen to your gut not to CNN.

Even worse is leaving the home to collect wife (or husband) and kids. During the opening hour, you have to prepare the home for a possible prolonged end of normal life. The wife (or husband) and kids have a plan and they will use it. It might be to hunker down and wait for you knowing it might be a day or two or come home immediately but they know it and you know it. Fight the very human desire to gather the loved ones immediately at the time of crisis unless is your plan and they know it. If you (or they) are at home then the preparing of the home is the best thing you can do for them in the opening hour. You have no idea how long the water or electricity will last.

Obviously, if your children are young you need a plan to collect them but do you need to go immediately? If yes, then go. But the decision is a logical one, not an emotional one. Emotional reactions to sudden shocks often lead to faulty decision-making. It might be best to protect your food and water supplies while the electricity and water remain on before heading out to collect your child from school. An hour or two’s delay in setting out means they get to eat and drink for sure.

If it is a temporary thing you have at worst wasted the water bob and will have to buy a new one (people say you can reuse it but I am not sure water safety is worth the risk). Other things you may consider doing during the first hour is nailing tarps over your raised garden beds and moving supplies into the house or bug out vehicle. What you do not want to be doing is chatting to neighbors or wasting time trying to get information. Something bad seems to have happened so deal with it. How much you know about it is a human desire but preparing is the essential thing in the first hour.

SHTF Happens and you are on the Road

This is the hardest of all situations to experience sudden SHTF yet it is the most common one in society. Motor Vehicle Collisions (they are not ‘accidents’) kill and maim many people each and every day. Plan for this in advance and have a seat belt cutter stored.

However in a sudden SHTF of major local, national, or international scope what is your plan if you are in the vehicle? If the vehicle works get fuel as soon as possible and buy food and water in the first gas station you see using cash but only if it is safe and uncrowded. Then get home or to the preplanned bug out location using the vehicle. Do not delay at all. In a sudden SHTF people literally drive miles in one direction, usually to collect family, and then end up being directed the opposite way by Police. When they finally get home it is burned down or looted. As ever everyone in your family know to stay in place or come home in an SHTF and when to do so. You are not their savior. Your role is to trust them and the written and discussed plan. Get home or to the bug out location and get busy.

Some SHTF scenarios will see the vehicle fail or be blocked in its progress. Abandon the vehicle immediately gathering all useful supplies and get moving away from people and towards home or the bug out location. Drive alternative routes if possible but a vehicle is not going to last long in a major SHTF so try not to be attached to it! Again chatting to people, trying their phones, and wondering what is going on is pointless. It is bad and that is all you need to know. Use the sides of highways to move away from the groups of scared, annoyed, and confused people on the road. No need to walk up the exit ramps as you have the physical ability to use less usual routes. You always have a paper map however basic and a get home bag in the car.

Transit by boat, plane, or train in a sudden SHTF is problematic. In your Golden Hour gather supplies, learn exits, and start thinking how best to get out and home. Water in train, boat, and plane washrooms is not drinkable but empty a recycling bin and fill up those bottles with it. You should have a few water purification tablets on you at all times. Do not bother washing out those bottles. People are not really that infectious (this advice is NOT to be followed in a pandemic) and you can easily get 10 liters or more of okay water stored up in the first few minutes of the SHTF while everyone else is shouting into dead phones. By Day Two you will be very happy you did this in those first few minutes.

As a rule, I never travel by boat other than short ferry rides and I cannot see a good outcome in SHTF on a cruise ship but if you cruise at least carry your own flotation vests and survival kit.

Experiencing a sudden and dreadful SHTF on a plane might be interesting. If it falls out of the sky then all the prepping you have done will hopefully be used by your loved ones. However, diversion and being kept in an airport is more likely in a sudden SHTF. Carry cash in large amounts and try to carry some cash that can be used in the countries you are flying over or near. If the power is on and you can use credit cards to immediately start an alternative route home. In 9-11 people were stuck in Canada for up to four days when they could have got home via train and bus if they had started immediately. A few hours later and there were no seats available! If a small nuclear war is the cause of air travel suspension imagine how long you might be stuck somewhere and how likely is it you will be well treated?

If a SHTF is likely I’d advise you to call sick and stay at home even if you have a cruise booked but SHTF can happen with almost no warning and what you do immediately can make or break your survival chances.

SHTF Happens and you are at Work, School, or the Mall

Ideally using your preplanned route(s) and get home bag you will immediately start home. If the car park is a mess or the car will not work immediately abandon it after getting the supplies. In sudden and serious SHTF roads and car parks likely will be both slower than walking and less safe.

If it is a chemical or nuclear SHTF you might need to shelter in place. Know where the washrooms are especially those deep in the building and infrequently used. If mushroom clouds bloom on the horizon people will mainly rush to their cars and attempt to flee home not that home is a magically safe place. Go to the nearest couple of recycling bins, open them, and carry the trash bags loaded with cans and bottles to the washroom (preferably one on a lower level). Dump them out and start filling them with tap water. Don’t bother cleaning them out. Try to get 50 liters or more. Do this immediately and you can store up 4 weeks’ worth in minutes. Store it in a cubical, lock it, and climb out. At this point try to buy food as you head for the car but do not if it will take time. At the car grab everything useful and back to the washroom. Bunker in and trust your loved ones are similarly safe.

It is unlikely people will use the washrooms in Malls and schools in these scenarios especially those out-of-the-way ones. If they do all your stuff is in a locked cubical. Food and warmth are not the priority in the Golden Hour but water and security are. Consider breaking all the lights in your washroom after securing the water and jamming the door. Consider breaking all the lights in the corridor outside and pulling stuff into it. Initially, people will not take hard routes.

Looting supplies is reasonable once people have gone and Security has left. Before then the chances of getting into trouble make it not worth the risk. Most fast food places have the food (such as it is) in the back. Mall, workplace, and School offices have lockers and many will have something to eat inside if you take your time looking through them. At work know who keeps food at their desks (you do I hope!). Most people will grab their keys and bags and flee towards home leaving behind a lot of food and useful items.

Many people think about using coins to raid vending machines. Maybe this is a good idea but water is from the washroom taps and the recycling bins and lining up slowly buying chocolate bars might make you a target. In a sudden SHTF, it is more than likely you can use your small crowbar from your get home bag to access the vending machines the next day. You are going to be sitting in dark for at least a week but I’d try to do this for four weeks. Then you go home. Radiation will hopefully not kill you in four weeks but likely will the first day.

Many places have drapes and carpets that you can cut up to make sleeping ‘bags’ and this is the sort of re-purposing you need to do in SHTF. Keep active and do whatever you need to do to optimize your survival chances.

A 1970s publication caused a big stir when it showed that continuing on business-as-usual population and consumption growth trajectories would likely lead to societal collapse within a century. Were the scientists behind it right?

A major scientific warning

If you’re a Population Connection supporter, you’re most likely familiar with The Limits to Growth (LtG), a seminal scientific report published in 1972 by think-tank The Club of Rome. Using computer models developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the authors demonstrated the danger of ignoring the finiteness of our planet. They warned,

“If the present growth trends in world population, industrialization, pollution, food production, and resource depletion continue unchanged, the limits to growth on this planet will be reached sometime within the next one hundred years. The most probable result will be a rather sudden and uncontrollable decline in both population and industrial capacity.”

In the LtG researchers’ “standard” model, which reflects business-as-usual, population, food production, and industrial output (a measure of economic growth) increase exponentially until rapidly diminishing natural resources cause an economic slowdown beginning around 1970. Population and pollution continue to increase for some time after peak industrialization, but decreased food and medical services cause death rates to rise from around 2020 onward, leading to a rapid fall in population beginning around 2030.

According to the LtG standard model, we are now roughly at the beginning of the end. The authors pointed out that given the many uncertainties in their model, it is not possible to accurately predict the date that things start going badly wrong, but that it is highly likely that growth will stop well before the year 2100. Is societal collapse this decade really that likely, and if so, can we still avert it? Let’s take a look at what experts think nowadays.

[As an aside, “collapse” does not necessarily mean human extinction. In his 2005 book, Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed, acclaimed scientist and author Jared Diamond defined it as “a drastic decrease in human population size and/or political/economic/social complexity, over a considerable area, for an extended time.”]

Accuracy of The Limits to Growth models

An independent 2014 analysis of the Limits to Growth models concluded that we had thus far been following the “standard,” business-as-usual scenario very closely, with world population and the global economy continuing to grow at roughly the same rates as in the decades before 1970.

The LtG researchers also ran several more optimistic models — some featured in their 1972 book, and some in later publications. A more recent, independent 2020 analysis of the accuracy of the LtG models found that the two scenarios that represented the closest fit to historical data were one in which natural resources are twice as abundant as in the standard model, and one that assumes rapid technological innovation.

The LtG authors included the doubled resources scenario in case their estimate of the global stock of resources was wrong. The scenario assumes technological discoveries and advances would double the amount of resources that can be extracted and used. In this scenario, collapse occurs, but is caused by pollution (interpreted in the 2020 analysis as including greenhouse gases leading to climate change), rather than resource depletion.

The technological innovation scenario, which also represented a close fit in the 2020 analysis, does avert collapse, but still leads to declines in human welfare because the cost of technology solutions becomes so high that not enough resources are left for food production and health and education services. The author also warned that even if extreme technofixes might prevent collapse, they probably won’t yield the kind of world most people desire:

“Why would we use our innovative powers to invent robot pollinators to replace the bees, if we also have the choice to invent agricultural practices that do not have the side effect of insecticide? Why use drones to plant new trees, when we could also restructure our economy so that existing forests are not cut and burned down?”

In her analysis, she also found that the most optimistic LtG scenario depicting a path to sustainability and stabilization of human welfare at a high level this century was the one that aligned the least closely with empirical data. She concluded that “humanity is on a path to having limits to growth imposed on itself rather than consciously choosing its own.”

In their 1972 book, the LtG authors made it clear that allowing infinite growth to continue would certainly result in a dire outcome. They noted,

“…if we want a stable system, it is not desirable to let even one of the two critical positive feedback loops [population and economic growth] generate uncontrolled growth. Stabilizing population alone is not sufficient to prevent overshoot and collapse; a similar run with constant capital and rising population shows that stabilizing capital alone is also not sufficient.”

Perversely, mainstream economists and governments generally act in opposition to this advice, striving for both continuous economic and population growth.

Is our environment at a breaking point?

Looking at the state of our environment, it’s not hard to imagine that collapse isn’t far off. Despite claims that growth can be decoupled from environmental damage through technological innovation, all our major environmental issues, from biodiversity loss to resource depletion to climate change, are still getting worse instead of better.

Recent scientific reports have warned that humanity has already breached the majority of critical planetary boundaries. In addition, climate data show we may exceed 1.5°C of global warming above pre-industrial levels within the next few years. Nations agreed to limit warming to 1.5°C under the 2015 Paris Agreement because scientists believe that exceeding this threshold could trigger irreversible, catastrophic consequences, such as the melting of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, leading to major sea level rise.

We are increasingly seeing the disastrous impacts of the climate crisis unfolding around the world, from devastating floods in Pakistan, to famine-exacerbating drought in Ethiopia, to record-breaking wildfires in Canada.

While most of the attention is on climate change, all environmental issues have the potential to become disastrous. A 2020 study published in Nature Scientific Reports, for example, argued that we are on course for collapse driven by deforestation. Forests play a vital role in carbon storage, oxygen production, soil and biodiversity conservation, and water cycle regulation — countless lives and livelihoods depend on healthy forests. According to the study’s models, maintaining current rates of population growth and deforestation would mean we have a less than 10 percent chance of avoiding “an irreversible collapse of our civilization” within just a few decades.

Make or break factors

Of course, a deteriorating environment doesn’t necessarily have to lead to collapse. A paper published last year looked at which factors determined whether past societies survived environmental shocks. Looking at examples of historical societies, the authors concluded that whether a society collapses is not just a function of the type and severity of the stressors but also depends on existing cultural, political, and economic structures. In times of crisis these structures can either help build resilience and facilitate positive adaptation, or undermine collective action and lead to unrest, violence, and societal collapse.

In other words, stable societies with high cohesion and cooperation can potentially withstand even dramatic shocks, whereas it doesn’t take much to cause chaos in vulnerable societies. Needless to say, the fact that global inequality and political polarization are on the rise does not bode so well for the resilience of modern societies.

In his book Collapse, Jared Diamond identified two crucial choices that determined whether past societies failed or survived; long-term thinking and reconsidering core values.

Decisionmakers and industry leaders usually pursue what benefits them in the short term, even if it’s bad for society in the long-term. A current example is governments and fossil fuel companies choosing to expand fossil fuel production even though they know this will worsen the climate crisis. This type of short-termism is not compatible with a sustainable future.

Regarding core values, modern capitalist societies have been conditioned to value material wealth above other things, but caring for each other and nature needs to become the new priority if we are to prevent overshoot-driven collapse.

Many people are well aware of the need for systemic change, long-term thinking, and valuing people and the environment over profit, and it is encouraging to see growing movements at the community level. Whether these movements can grow strong enough to pull humanity back from the cliff edge remains to be seen. But what’s clear is that we’re rapidly running out of time to prevent things from getting very bad.

When it comes to being prepared for a SHTF event, preppers are focused on threats from natural disasters to nuclear wars, EMPs, and devastating cosmic events.  The situations that people can focus on and become obsessed with preparing for and unpredictable and vary widely. There’s no way that one person or family could be completely prepared for every single type of event. So, most people choose one or several related events they believe are imminent and prepare as best they can for those.

But the less talked about threat that will be overwhelming no matter what the situation is that arises, is population density. For example, according to this map of population density by county shows that roughly two-thirds of the U.S population is located in the Eastern half of the United States. In fact, according to recent reports by the U.S. Census Bureau (2010 data), approximately half the population resided in just 146 counties out of 3000 counties in the United States.

That’s right. The biggest threat to your safety and the safety of your family is in fact, other people. They aren’t “bad” people out to get you. Some of them would likely give the shirt off the back to help others in normal circumstances. But in a SHTF situation, people just like you who are doing what they need to do to provide for their families can be a threat. Scared, and willing to do anything to get away from immediate danger, large numbers of these people can be the difference between life and death for your family.

So, when SHTF, how do you mitigate population density to increase your ability to keep yourself and your family safe? The easiest way is to plan to avoid other people as much as possible. The problem that most people run into during an emergency or SHTF situation is they are unprepared, and they panic. When you sense danger, the first instinct for most people is to flee. Sure, some people will naturally react with fight instead of flight, but the majority of people will flee first and fight only when cornered.

The best way to be prepared to avoid the crowds of desperate people is to know which places to avoid going when SHTF. We’ve listed some examples below:

1. Downtown

It goes without saying that downtown areas of any city should be avoided. This is especially true in mid to large cities where lack of regular sanitation services will create ideal conditions for diseases. The risk of rioting, looting, and violent attacks is also greater in downtown areas. City dwellers are statistically less prepared for a SHTF event as many families live paycheck to paycheck with very little stockpiled supplies.

In addition, because population density is highest in these areas, stores and other sources for supplies will be quickly cleaned out. Many city residents depend on public transportation on a daily basis and are less likely to have access to a vehicle to flee the city. Mass numbers of people in these areas will be desperately seeking food, water, and medical supplies, as well as transportation out of the city.

2. Main Roads, Intersections, and Freeways

If you are planning to bug out to an area outside of the city, or if you are caught away from home, it may seem like the shortest route is the best course of action. But, keep in mind that main roads and busy intersections will quickly become overwhelmed with people trying to flee just like you are.

Most people only know one or two ways to get out of the city and these are usually main roads. Those who are looking to steal supplies will see main roads and intersections as prime locations to ambush unwary travelers. Get a map of your area now and plan several routes out of the city and from work to home that use side roads rather than highways and state routes.

3. Bottleneck Points

A bottleneck can be any area that a majority of people must travel in order to get out of a cul de sac, neighborhood, city, county, or state. In most cases, this will be things such as bridges, overpasses, underpasses, freeway ramps, etc. If several hundred or thousands of people are fleeing the same area, and everyone must cross the same bridge to get out of town, that will quickly become a bottleneck point.

The same is true for any areas where there is only one road going in or out. Avoid these areas at all costs and look for alternative ways to get through or cross, even if it means taking a longer way around or traveling in a nontraditional way (motorcycle, private plane, bicycle, on foot, etc.).

4. Hospitals

It may seem weird to see hospitals on a list of places to avoid following a SHTF event because one would think this would be a place to find help. The reason to avoid hospitals if at all possible is because most people, especially those that are injured, will flock to them. Even people who aren’t injured may head for the hospitals to get help for family members who have been injured.

Emotions in this area will be high and the risk of violence is greater as people lose control. In addition, patients who are ill and/or patients dying from lack of resources will increase the risk of rampant infection and disease. The hospital and surrounding areas will be a petri dish environment for viruses and bacteria. With medical resources limited, you’ll want to avoid getting sick to increase your odds of long-term survival.

5. Prisons and Surrounding Areas

This one should be a no brainer. If there is a prison in your area or along the route to your bug out location (BOL), you’ll want to avoid the area as much as possible.

During a SHTF event, it’s likely that guards and staff may abandon their posts to care for their families which increases the likelihood that violent prisoners can escape and be on the roads. These prisoners will come out into the chaos without any supplies, they will be desperate to survive and could be more willing to use violence to commandeer your supplies or vehicle.

6. Police Stations and Military Bases

Like with hospitals, it may seem counterintuitive to avoid police stations and military bases following a SHTF event. Police and military are supposed to serve and protect citizens, right? But although it may seem like going to these locations would be a safer alternative, in most cases it will be a waste of precious time and may in fact get you killed or locked up instead.

Police stations and military bases will be among the most secure buildings. They will be heavily guarded, and they will not be opening their doors to the mass numbers of people who show up. Crowds outside these areas will be frustrated and angry at not being granted protection. The last thing you want is to step into the middle of that crowd with your BOB of supplies, food, and water.

7. Shelters or FEMA Camps

Although shelters are designed to help those people who find themselves without a place to sleep or food to eat, most shelters are understaffed and operating at or above capacity even in normal times. Homeless shelters and food banks will be quickly overrun by mass numbers of people. Some may be forced to close the doors to newcomers within days of a SHTF event.

These shelters and any publicized FEMA camps that spring up will have very poor conditions. Supplies will be rationed, tempers will be high, and violence will be rampant. As more people arrive, and conditions worsen, the buildings and surrounding areas will quickly become breeding grounds for infection and disease.

8. Grocery Stores and Shopping Plazas

For people who are not prepared, their first instinct will be to find food, water, and supplies. Humans are creatures of habit and thus many will flock to local grocery stores and shopping plazas and begin looting for needed supplies.

These areas will be picked clean within less than 24 hours of a SHTF event. Those that are left there will be the most desperate and scared for their lives. These crowds are unpredictable and often violent.

9. Gas Stations, Auto Parts, and Convenience Stores

The reason to avoid gas stations, auto parts, and convenience stores is similar to that of other stores and shopping areas. Desperate people are going to flock to the first places they think of to find supplies to get out of the area. Those trying to get of the city will want to try to gas up and/or get.

For all but those people who were quick to get on the road, getting gas will be nearly impossible. Lines at these places will be long, tempers will be high, and violence will be much more likely, especially when pumps run dry and shelves are bare.

10. Hardware and Sporting Goods Stores

One thing that people will be searching for when SHTF is guns, ammo, and other items to use for protection. Since sporting goods and hardware stores carry a lot of these items, these stores will be hot spots for looting. If you don’t already have your weapons ready when SHTF, you’re better off to look around your home for items you can use, rather than try for a quick trip to a hardware or sporting goods store.

11. Banks, Check-Cashing, & Pawn Shops

One thing just about everyone who isn’t prepared in advance will be looking to get first is accessing to cash. For this reason, banks, check cashing or loan offices, and pawn shops should be avoided following a SHTF event. This is where large numbers of people will flock toward first.

Many people in these areas will become trapped, unable to access their money, either because computers are down or because cash reserves were already depleted. When desperate people can’t get access to cash that they believe will help them get needed supplies, things will get ugly.

12. Large Shopping Malls and Public Squares

When things get chaotic just before a SHTF event, the last place you will want to be is in a public square or large shopping mall. These places can quickly become a gathering place for desperate, angry people. Rioting, looting, and violence will be high in these areas so it’s best to avoid them if possible.

13. Large Social Gatherings and Public Events

If you even suspect that things around you are getting chaotic. If you sense civil or economic unrest or have recognized other precursors to a SHTF event, you will want to avoid large social gatherings and public events. These events draw large crowds of people on the same date and time. Events or gathering that are tradition or annual events that can be predicted or are widely publicized are more dangerous. These are prime target events for terrorists.

What to do Instead:

Now that you know what places to avoid going when SHTF, here are some things you can do to make sure you can avoid these places and still have a good chance of surviving:

Starting today, make it a habit to keep your gas tank at least 3/4 full at all times. Take steps to properly store additional gasoline in approved containers so that you can fuel up at home and skip the last-minute trip to the gas station on your way out of town.

Follow a regular maintenance schedule for your vehicle to keep it in top running condition at all times. Proactively make vehicle repairs so that your risk of a breakdown is less when SHTF. Stockpile spare parts such as belts, spark plugs, wiper blades, washer fluid, transmission fluid, antifreeze, brake fluid, and engine oil so you can replenish as needed without that trip to the auto parts store.

Create safe storage places where you can begin to stockpile emergency cash so that you have it on hand when SHTF and do not need to make any last-minute runs to a bank, ATM, or pawnshop for cash.

Conduct a weapons inventory of any guns, ammo, knives, and personal self-defense weapons (mace, stun gun, etc.). Be sure to consider any other potential items (ball bats, shovels, chains, etc.) that could be used for weapons and protection during a SHTF event. Know what you have on hand and train yourself and family in how to use it if needed for protection.

Clearly mark danger zones in advance on a map or maps of your local area and surrounding areas. Plan several different escape routes so that you can quickly change course if needed due to unexpected danger or obstacles. Identify and plan to use alternative routes out of town including logging roads, railroad tracks, and power line easements if needed to avoid danger zones.

Locate and clearly map out any sources of fresh water that won’t be the first thought for others such as small lakes, ponds, private or public swimming pools, creeks, and rivers. Include a hand water pump and collapsible water jug in your BOB as well as a way to filter and boil water from these sources.

Stockpile lightweight food, ways to filter water, and medical suppliesso that you won’t be tempted to make a last run to grocery or other shopping areas. Create a system of hidden supply caches along your routes to your BOL so you can replenish supplies that are used, stolen, or confiscated along the way.

Planning a bug out can seem overwhelming. But the more you plan and prepare in advance, the more likely you will remember which places to avoid going when SHTF.

When a state of National Emergency was declared on February 15, 2019, not many realized that we were closer to martial law than we had been in recent years.  The declaration of a National Emergency gives the office of the president additional power to institute Martial Law should he or she sees fit to do so.  Numerous other countries around the world have already experienced martial law and have seen first hand the harmful effects that follow.

In this article, we’ll discuss 5 signs that should be a warning that martial law may be coming and we’ll discuss how you can prepare.

What is Martial Law

Before we begin discussing the signs that lead to Martial Law, let’s first discuss what it is and how is it different from a National Emergency or the State of Emergency.

Martial Law at its most basic level is defined as a law that allows the military to take control of civilian functions in a state or country.  When implemented, the military becomes the state or the country’s governing body, resulting in civil laws, rights, and the habeas corpus being suspended.

It’s important to note that during a National Emergency your constitutional freedoms are suspended.  However, the main difference between a state of National Emergency and Martial Law is that during a National Emergency, the military doesn’t need to take control of civilian functions.  But you should keep in mind that Martial Law could quickly follow a declaration of National Emergency. During both of these scenarios, your civilian rights can be suspended allowing the government to impose its will, rules, and regulations on citizens.

When Has Martial Law been Implemented in the U.S.?

The U.S. President and the Congress can declare Martial Law on a federal level, while the Governors in each state can declare Martial Law within the borders of their respective states.  In 2006, H.R. 5122 or the John Warner National Defense Authorization Act was signed into law and it gave the president the power to declare martial law and take control of each state’s National Guard without consent from state governors.

The United States of America has also seen its fair share of martial law as a result of:

• Foreign attacks
• Civil violence and protests
• And after major disasters

Has martial law been declared on a national level?  Yes, it was declared once during the Civil War when President Abraham Lincoln declared that the country was under military rule. 

On a regional level, Martial Law has been declared on several occasions.  Here are a few examples:

• On December 7, 1941, the Hawaii Governor declared martial law on the Territory of Hawaii following the attacks of the Japanese on Pearl Harbor.
  • Subsequently, the Department of War expanded the martial declaration to Washington, Oregon, and California in February 1942.
    • In March 1942, the entire U.S. Pacific Coast was put under military rule.
• On May 21, 1961, the Alabama State Governor declared martial law to prevent civil rights activists from demonstrating in the state.

There are many more cases where Martial Law was declared within different states resulting in some instances of reports of abuse of power and leaders not wanting to relinquish that power. 

Signs That Martial Law is Coming

As pointed out, Martial Law is usually declared following a crisis or emergency that is plaguing the country or state.  Usually, this is in the form of war, natural disaster, or civil unrest. But in this modern era in which we now live, there are other more looming threats, some that have only recently developed due largely to technical innovation, that could trigger Martial Law.  And unfortunately, some of these threats could be catastrophic, which shows that Martial Law would indeed be implemented if any one of these were to come to pass.

1. Economic Crisis – Probably the most dangerous emergency that could cause a declaration of Martial Law is a severe economic crisis.  This is a major concern since so many of the world’s economies, including the U.S., are increasingly in a delicate balance of interconnectivity.  One major financial incident could potentially trigger an economic collapse in another country much like dominos. And with industrialized nations being more interconnected today than ever before, the incident doesn’t have to happen on U.S. soil for the country to feel the negative impact of that financial incident.  Like in 2007, when the U.S. experienced the subprime mortgage market crisis which developed into a full-blown international banking crisis affecting many countries around the world. A repeat of this incident in 2019 could be even more catastrophic and far-reaching as the impact would reverberate around the world. If the even spun out of control resulting in a collapse of the financial sector, Martial Law could be implemented to try and restore order to avoid panic and an all-out collapse.
   1. Fears that the U.S. economy could contract has intensified after several media outlets put forth damning reports just last week.  On August 14, 2019, a reliable indicator showing the possibility of a recession has appeared. That indicator is called inverted yield curve, which shows that the interest rates of short-term bonds, which are bonds that have a maturity of less than 5-years, are higher than the interest rates of long-term bonds, those with a maturity of 5-years and above.  An economy that is healthy would usually have high-interest rates for long-term bonds compared to short-term ones. This doesn’t bode well for the U.S. economy. CBN News reports that history has shown that recession follows within several months to two years after an inverted yield curve is spotted. This could lead the Federal Reserve to cut short-term interest rates to try and prevent the economy from plunging into a recession.
   2. The Washington Post also mentioned that the inverted yield curve is suggesting investors are losing faith in the economy in the short-term.  High-interest rates are normally given to long-term bonds so the government can attract more investors to them. But since the interest rates of short-term bonds are higher, this means that more people are investing in the bond market for the long-term, as they’re losing confidence in the economy’s short-term prospects.  The report also mentioned that a contraction of two large economies, the United Kingdom and Germany, and a slowdown of China’s growth is not making things any better for the U.S. It is also worth mentioning that global leaders are currently not collaborating to try and do something about the economic slowdown and contraction that are impacting numerous countries at the moment.
2. Cyber Threat – The second dangerous emergency that could cause martial law is a cyberattack. Governments and corporations have obviously taken advantage of the advancement in technology and the rise of the internet.  The downside is that this makes them dependent on cyberspace and the internet leaving them vulnerable to a cyberattack. Forbes reported that last August 16, the State of Texas experienced a cyberattack that caused 23 government agencies to go offline.  The attack was identified as ransomware and it came from a single threat actor. This is the reality that a lot of agencies and companies face on a daily basis, especially if they’re dependent on the internet. If a coordinated attack coming from a single threat actor can take out 23 government agencies of a state, imagine what several threats can do to a country and how it can paralyze agencies and industries.  A large scale cyber threat resulting in a shutdown of the nation’s infrastructure and banking system (just to name a few) could be used as an emergency to declare martial law on a national level.
   1. The threat of a cyberattack is very real and it can happen anytime and sometimes without warning.  Working in the IT sector, in my opinion, this is one of the greatest threats our country currently faces but so few people are aware of.  This is why the director of Defense Intelligence Agency, Lt. Gen. Robert Ashley said in a cyber conference in Aspen last July that the immediate danger of a cyberattack is what keeps him awake at night.  The U.S. is already involved in cyber warfare with the Middle East, in particular, Iran. Then there’s also Russia and China, who are both large threats in cyberspace. The two countries are considered as the world’s leader in cyber warfare and we got a taste of them meddling in our last presidential election.  Though the U.S. military and government are well protected, the private sector doesn’t have this level of protection. They are vulnerable to these cyber threats and an attack on a major company will likely have a devastating effect on the country.
   2. If a cyber threat were to happen in the U.S., expect the government to do everything in its power to ensure that order will be maintained.  So much of our nation’s infrastructure depends on a delicate balance of everything working smoothly. A great example is the grocery store’s just-in-time delivery system.  If the systems that ensure our food inventories are shipped just-in-time is compromised, expect food shortages at your local grocery stores. As the saying goes, we’re just 3 meals away from anarchy.  Again, this is just one small example that could be the tipping point forcing Martial Law on the nation.
3. EMP Attack – An EMP is another form of attack that could trigger the declaration of Martial Law. An EMP, or Electromagnetic Pulse, can decimate electrical devices within the vicinity of its burst, making it extremely dangerous given how dependent we are on our electrical devices as pointed out in the previous point.  Terror groups or any other hostile groups could use an EMP attack to return a city or region back to the dark ages, which is likely to cause panic, chaos, and riots as people would scramble for whatever supplies they can get their hands on. A declaration of martial law would surely follow if ever this kind of attack happens in the country.
   1. Though an EMP attack is possible, the probability of it happening is low. There are a lot of factors that terrorists or rogue nations need to accomplish to successfully launch an EMP attack on the U.S.  Many experts believe that the threat of an EMP attack is low on the list of credible threats. Possible, but not necessarily probable. Nevertheless, President Trump signed an Executive Order on March 23, 2019, with the intent to protect the country from an EMP attack.  The order established a policy with a stated goal of increasing the country’s resistance to such an attack in the event it should occur.
   2. Should a large enough EMP attack impact the entire country, the nation would effectively be returned to the stone age.  The outlook for survival for the general population would be low. The federal government would have no choice but to enact martial law to ensure the survival of its citizens.
4. Civil Unrest – This is another emergency that could force the U.S. government to declare Martial Law.  Looking at the country’s history, you can see a lot of the reasons state governors have declared Martial Law in their respective states due primarily to riots and strikes, with some becoming violent.  Strikes are still prevalent in the U.S. even now and a large-scale strike or demonstration could still give the federal government reason to declare Martial Law in the country. Last August 17, 2019, Portland, Oregon almost became a battleground for civil unrest when the far-right white supremacist Proud Boys demonstrated on the city and they were met with a counter-demonstration from the anti-fascist group Rose City Antifa.  If it weren’t for the city’s police force keeping things under control, the demonstration could have become more violent.
   1. This demonstration in Portland, Oregon is just one of the many examples that show how divided the U.S. is right now.  Inflammatory rhetoric coming from both sides is dividing people even more based on party, mindset, and race.
   2. The media is not helping with this issue either.  Many of the news sites and outlets are shown to cater more or be biased towards certain ideas and groups, something that has been happening for years, but escalating more in the last several years.  News outlets on both ends of the spectrum are increasingly spinning their stories toward a specific political view that is more of a biased narrative than sticking to the facts. This is only deepening people’s biases and beliefs even more, forcing them to see the “other side” as their enemy.  This has resulted in keeping people divided, paving the way for more possible clashes similar to what transpired in Portland, Oregon last August 17. 
5. Natural Disasters – The last emergency that could cause a martial law declaration are natural disasters. The U.S. has experienced a lot of natural disasters throughout its history.  In the last 3 years alone, the country experienced 9 natural disasters that claimed thousands of lives and trillions of dollars in damages.  History has also shown that the government is more than willing to declare Martial Law to ensure the safety and orderliness of the country, state, or city, in the aftermath of a disaster.  This is probably one of the emergencies that cannot really be prevented, but only be prepared for it. For example, here in Southern California, we’re constantly being warned about the “big one” and how we’re overdue for a large earthquake that normally happens every 150 years along the San Andreas fault.  While no one knows when it will exactly happen, experts warn that it will result in a large death toll.
   1. The fear of the Big One happening has been amplified lately, especially after the Earthquake Track recorded more than 3,000 small earthquakes happening in California just in the past 30 days.  The frequency of these small quakes has some asking if this is a sign the Big One is about to come.  Unfortunately, no one really knows when it is likely to occur other than it is far overdue. 
   2. While there are many other natural disasters our nation faces, such as hurricanes on a seasonal basis, it is not an unlikely scenario for the government to declare Martial Law in the aftermath of a devastating natural disaster.

How To Prepare for Martial Law

After seeing the signs that could end in Martial Law being declared in the U.S., it’s important to know how you can prepare yourself and your family to ensure that you are well-equipped in case it is declared.

1. Monitor the news and keep up-to-date on what’s happening in your area.  This can be challenging prior to Martial Law being declared, especially if the flow of information is cut off or an emergency damages the communications infrastructure in your area.  With the recent events unfolding in Hong Kong, information to the citizens is getting throttled by the government. Being able to communicate outside of your area or region using conventional methods like the internet could be challenging, but even having a decent HAM radio would give you the ability to stretch far beyond your local area to get news from the outside.
2. Next, be sure to keep supplies handy.  Food, water, and medical supplies are critical to have stored in advance.  In addition, be ready to be mobile if events beyond your control force you out of your home.  Depending on the severity of the event and your level of comfort with the military controlling your area, you should have options in the event staying in place is no longer an option.  Also, keep cash on hand since credit cards or atm machines might not work during this period. Be sure the cash that you have is not in large denominations so you can always give an exact amount of money when you purchase something.  When there’s an emergency and the power may be down, this is probably not the best time to ask someone if they can break a $100 dollar bill.
3. In addition, be sure to have an evacuation plan ready on a physical map in case you need to move out of your house quickly.  This means that you already planned whatever route you’ll need to take and have alternatives in case the main roads are compromised.  Make sure your mode of transportation (whether it be a bike, car, motorcycle, or whatever) is available and ready anytime you need to leave.  In the event that everyone is not at home when a catastrophe happens, be sure to have a plan already defined with your family as to where you’ll meet and how you’ll communicate with each other.
4. And last but not least, observe the Gray Man principle.  It is also important that you try not to stand out during these times to avoid becoming a target for the military or other groups who are trying to take control.  Keep your head down and blend in with the crowds as much as you can. And just as important, observe OPSEC. The less people know about your supplies and the fact that you are prepared, the less likely your home will be raided for supplies.  Loose lips sink ships.  

Should You Be Concerned?

While on the surface Martial law can be used for good to bring back order following an emergency, there is a strong potential for abuse of powers as a result of leaders not wanting to relinquish their newly expanded power, even after the crisis has abated.  As such, it’s important that you are aware of the signs and the events that could trigger them.

So should you be concerned?  I suppose I wouldn’t use the word concern as much as I’d recommend you stay informed, educated, and alert.  Most people go through life oblivious of their surroundings and by the time they decide to act, it’s too late.  As a prepper, well, we stay prepared. I choose not to be scared, but to be informed and ready at a moment’s notice to act in the best interest of myself, my family, and my community.

I’d love to get your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.  Are you concerned about martial law? Do you think there’s a possibility in the near future for events to unfold allowing the government to overreach and take rights away from the citizens?

If you enjoyed this article, please share it on social media, and as always, be safe out there.

I am the master of conspiracy theories at this point. I’ve studied and debunked flat earth, H denial, and 9/11 conspiracies.

Anyway, I want to be clear- no no no the assassination attempt was not staged.

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Here is what we know. The shooter was a young man named Matthew Crooks. He was a registered Republican but also donated to left-wing campaigns. He took a rifle from his father, set up on the roof of a nearby building, and opened fire.

As he was setting up on the roof multiple witnesses saw him and pointed him out to nearby police and Secret Service members. It seems like they were sort of curious but failed to take these reports seriously. This was a security lapse and a rather poor performance by the secret security.

When the shooter opened fire the Secret Service returned fire right away given they already knew he was there and had just failed to to act.

Was this staged? No

1. Trump was shot in the ear- mere centimeters away from his head. Anyone who thinks this was staged needs to realize that life is not a f%cking video game. Do you know how hard it is to shoot someone in the head from far away? Do you think Trump would pay a guy to shoot him in the ear and trust that this guy was going to hit his ear and not anything else?
2. The shooter was SEEN by HUNDREDS of witnesses. They saw him set up, crawl across the roof, and begin to open fire. All of the accounts align, there is no indication of falsehood or manipulation.
3. Yes, Trump did tell his Secret Service to wait so he could hold up his fist. However, the shooter was down and this was reported to Trump already. He knew the threat had likely ceased and chose to show strength.
4. A bystander was also killed in the shooting. The shooter fired 5 times, hitting Trump and one other person in the crowd who died. Hard to stage a shooting with bullet wounds and a dead victim.

Put simply there is no evidence whatsoever that this was staged. It’s frankly one of the dumbest things I’ve heard in a while and that says something. People are just claiming this as a knee-jerk reaction. Just anger and nonsense.

No conspiracy is needed to explain this. Every media outlet, pundit, and politician has been repeating that Trump is the ultimate enemy of Democracy. He’s been compared to Hitler, he’s been called a tyrant, and he’s been framed as an enemy of the American people. People have been publically calling for his assassination for YEARS. Frankly, I am shocked it took this long to happen.

When Articles like this are posted, it is going to spur somebody to commit an act of political violence. I mean wouldn’t you shoot Hitler in 1939 if you had the chance? Or Stalin in 1922? When Trump is literally Hitler and he is going to destroy our democracy and our nation then there is no action you can take that is beyond justification.

Tulsi Gabbard perfectly expressed this in a recent tweet.

Indeed after the shooting numerous outlets reported that the most concerning thing was the “rhetoric on the right” and the concerns of a backlash. Well so far, no backlash has come. There is anger and there are calls for an investigation but nothing beyond that.

What concerns me is the response of the left. Now most politicians and major figures of course are sending their thoughts and prayers to the victims and so on. But most of the people are only mad at the shooter’s aim. A US President was shot and another innocent bystander was killed and people are CELEBRATING it. They are celebrating an assassination attempt and the death of an innocent bystander- CELEBRATING a shooting. Can you imagine celebrating the death of JFK? I know Trump is not JFK but he was the President and is the voice for millions of Americans. That is how far we have fallen.

Or here on Quora.

I will say this. I’d rather be called a MAGA Trump supporter than group in with any of these nutbags. I’d almost vote Trump just to ruin their day. I won’t actually vote Trump but regardless what sickens me more than anything is the disgusting response by many on the left.

To summarize my point a bit better- I think this violence is the result of rhetoric. The rhetoric from the left has been overtly toxic and damaging- as it has been from the right. In general, the violent rhetoric presented by both sides has led us to a world where political violence is accepted.

Many of us have experienced a power outage at one time or another. Most of the time the duration of the outage is measured in hours, maybe a day, and in rare instances – a week or more.

The outages also tend to be localized and repairs happen quickly or power is “borrowed” from a nearby utility or network and rerouted to the affected area. The experience is usually a frustrating inconvenience and most hospitals and critical systems have backup power to get through the outage.

But what if…?

What If The National Grid Fails?

It’s never happened in the United States, but some countries have had widespread power outages affecting most of their territory. Russia’s cyber attack on Ukraine’s grid in 2015 knocked about 60 substations offline, leaving 230,000 people in the dark. It was an ominous threat, but once again, the outage only lasted 1 to 6 hours.

It seems like most power outages, regardless of the extent, have a short duration and are only an inconvenience. But there’s a problem.

Crumbling Infrastructure

It may be an over-statement to refer to the U.S. power grid as crumbling, but in many parts of the country that’s exactly the case. The North American power grid is old.

The original design was engineered to only last 50 years with the assumption that future generations would upgrade and improve the system. That has rarely happened unless a system or station has a significant failure, and even then the fix falls in the category of repairs, not replacement.

As a result, there are parts of the North American grid that are about 100 years old. In a study done by the American Society of Engineers the power grid was graded D+ for reliability. It’s troubling to think that a system so critical to our survival is in the range of a failing grade. Worse, some estimates put a critical repair to the North American grid at $5 trillion dollars!

The Failure of Complex Systems

The North American Power grid may be one of the most complex systems on Earth. And it’s important to note that the power grid is just not about the U.S.

The grid stretches across the U.S. and up into Canada powering and ultimately affecting all of North America.

On a basic level, the grid is composed of 3 interconnections serving many states and provinces with the exception of a single interconnection in Texas. The fragility of any interconnection was demonstrated in the winter of 2021 when weather extremes induced by climate change almost brought down the entire Texas interconnection.

But while 3 basic grid interconnections may seem simple it gets worse.

Local power service providers are broken down into subregions within the intersections. These subregions are serviced by local utilities that have varying degrees of integrity in terms of the age and condition of their equipment and power stations. But it gets more complex.

The power grid that exists today was first built after World War II from designs dating back to Thomas Edison, using technology that primarily dates back to the ’60s and ’70s. Its 7,000 power plants are connected by power lines with a combined total of more than 5 million miles, all managed by 3,300 utilities serving 150 million customers.

According to industry group Edison Electric Institute. The whole system is valued at $876 billion. No one person owns or controls it. It’s 3,300 different companies, both public and private sector, that own or operate little pieces of the electric grid. The result is that no single entity government or otherwise has the ability or authority to manage it.

How Critical is the Grid?

According to a report from the congressionally funded EMP Commission, power grid failure for one year would result in the death of nine out of every 10 Americans. The first to die would be people dependent on medical assistance with the majority dying from starvation.

If the grid failure was unique to North America, it would also make the U.S. a prime and easy target for any rogue nation looking to take advantage.

We Take it for Granted

It’s not just about losing lights at night, packing some food from the refrigerator and freezer into a cooler or wearing warm clothes and lots of blankets in the winter.

Systems and services surrounding us are dependent on electricity and without power there are no grocery stores or pharmacies, no gas stations or hardware stores, no local doctors or dentists, no traffic lights, banks, basic communication, water, and everything else we assume will always be available.

Want to prep but not sure where to begin?

Hospitals and doctors will be overrun; police and fire departments overwhelmed, and the continuing darkness of every night will bring lingering uncertainty and fears of what’s to come in the morning.

Ominous Signs

According to statistics gathered by the Department of Energy, major blackouts are on the upswing. Over the past two decades, blackouts impacting at least 50,000 customers in the U.S. have increased 124 percent, according to DOE data.

While customers in Japan lose power for an average 4 minutes per year, customers in the American upper Midwest lose power for an average 92 minutes per year, and customers in the upper Northwest lose power for an average 214 minutes per year. Those estimates exclude extreme events like severe storms and fires and those have been increasing over the past two decades.

The durations are still being measured in minutes and hours, but over time the trend can easily lead to days and weeks. Making matters worse is that the vulnerability of our grid is growing due to new and emerging threats.

The 7 Greatest Threats to the Grid

These aren’t ranked in order. Any of them could occur and all have in fact, happened in the past. Some would have worldwide impacts while others occur as highly targeted and intentional or unintentional events affecting a continent, country, or region.

1. Cyberattack

China invented the cyberattack and Russia, North Korea, and Iran have also engaged in varying degrees of cyberattacks over the past decade. Some of these cyberattacks have been launched against various utilities around the world including the United States.

Some of these attacks were criminally motivated using ransomware to extort money. Others were in the category of military operations. Here are just a few of the most recent cyberattacks against utilities.

Colonial Pipeline – May 6, 2021

Colonial Pipeline is the largest fuel pipeline in the U.S. and the ransomware attack resulted in a $4.4 million ransom payment to a ransomware gang.

The FBI later helped to recover a significant portion of the ransom, but it was another sign of how vulnerable a utility can be to cyberattacks. The outage resulted in gasoline shortages, shutting down services, promoting panic-buying among motorists and escalated gas costs.

The attack happened because of an employee’s compromised password. It seems that the company may have missed out on multi-factor authentication, a basic cybersecurity tool, to protect itself.

OPEL and Electrobras – February 2021

The Brazilian-utility companies COPEL and Electrobras was attacked by seemingly the same ransomware gang that attacked Colonial Pipelines. The ‘DarkSide’extracted 1,000 gigs of data from COPEL’s systems, while unidentified ransomware struck Electrobras. Both electricity providers had to disconnect from the National Interconnected System which caused outages to many in the country.

Delta-Montrose Electric Association (DMEA) – January 2022

The Colorado energy company had to shut down 90% of its internal controls in January 2022 due to malicious cyberware that wiped 25 years of historical data. The energy company then needed to inform its customers about the multiple energy bills they might receive.

Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA)- February 2022

The ARA cyberattack occurred just a few months after a minor but similar attack on two German firms that led to the disruption of petrol supplies in northern parts of Germany. This time it had bigger implications and created a momentary continental energy crisis.

And it Won’t Stop

Every day our power grid is tested by foreign hackers attempting to infiltrate and find ways of taking control and cutting off power. The cutting edge of cyber-warfare continues to be China. Unfortunately, our defenses against cyberattacks continue to be weak. It is believed in fact at the highest levels of our intelligence community that China could shut down our power grid at any time.

2. Physical Attack

A physical attack involves the use of explosives or weapons to physically attack and destroy electric power generation equipment. What’s ominous is that so many substations and transformers are located in remote locations with little or no security other than a chain link fence. No personnel are near many of these locations and even something as basic as a security camera is often missing.

Proof of this vulnerability occurred on April 16^th, 2013. Shortly before 1:30 a.m. one or more people methodically cut communication cables near a Pacific Gas & Electric substation in San Jose, sprayed more than 100 rifle bullets and knocked out 17 of the station’s 23 transformers before fleeing and avoiding capture.

The utility was able to prevent a power failure by diverting electricity from other areas, but the damage took 27 days to repair. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has been investigated the attack, but to this day says it has no suspects.

Transformers are the weak link in the grid. They cost millions of dollars and take months if not years to produce. As a result, utilities don’t have spares and damage to a sufficient number of transformers in key locations would take down the entire grid.

3. EMP (Electromagnetic Pulse)

EMP’s originate from outer space or as a result of a nuclear detonation. Cosmic EMP’s are rare but the nuclear threat is significant. A single nuclear detonation at high altitude over North America could not only shut down the entire grid but cause permanent damage to any unprotected electronics including… everything electronic.

That means computers, cell phones, TV’s, radio, vehicles, even appliances. To date, little or nothing on the public record has been done to protect the grid from an EMP.

4. Solar Flares

Solar flares erupt from the surface of the sun on a regular basis. There have been occasions when these eruptions have been so large that they result in a solar storm. It’s actually a common occurrence and often results in bright displays of the Aurora Borealis and also have an effect on radio transmissions.

Unfortunately, an extremely large solar flare could not only take down the grid but have the same destructive affect on electronics as an EMP. In actual fact they are closely related.

The worst solar storm on record occurred in 1859. At the time the only electronics affected were telegraph stations. It’s believed that if a similar storm happened today it would destroy the grids of those countries facing the sun and destroy unprotected electronics. It’s a little known fact that a near miss of a solar flare in 2012 could have had the same impact as the 1859 event.

5. Infrastructure Failure

It doesn’t take the drama of an attack or catastrophe to take down the grid. The age of the North American grid combined with the intermittent and often random repairs further compromise and complicate an antiquated system that could simply collapse in on itself.

All it takes is a massive failure at one utility to cause power sharing from other utilities to attempt to supply additional power. As the demands become greater a cascade or domino effect first predicted during the Y2K scare could cause the entire grid to crash, largely due to its continuously failing infrastructure.

6. Climate Change

There was no consideration of the effects of climate extremes when the grid was designed and has continued to expand. The standard assumption was that summers would be hot within a traditional range and the same would be true for winter.

• The idea of heat indexes of a hundred or more happening on a regular basis was not part of the design equation.
• A Polar Vortex was something that happened in the Arctic, and its occurrence at southern latitudes was considered a fluke rather than a common occurrence.
• Storms were always a problem for the grid, but the frequency and intensity of storms and hurricanes were also relegated to conventional norms rather than the extremes we’re now seeing.
• Flooding, landslides, and wildfires were also miscalculated before the realities of climate change made them both frequent and widespread.

The result is continuing and growing stress on an aging power system leading to brownouts, rolling blackouts and a continuing pattern of rapid repair rather than intelligent replacement and upgrades.

7. Geological Disasters (Earthquake, Volcanic Eruptions, Tsunamis)

On March 11^th, 2011 an earthquake off the coast of Japan generated a tsunami that struck Japan’s east coast. The destruction was devastating and the failure of the Fukushima nuclear power plant not only revealed the vulnerability of power generation stations to disastrous events but continues to have impacts in Japan to this day.

Even without a tsunami compounding the impact of an earthquake, the damage from an earthquake alone can be devastating and far reaching. Weather typically affects power lines and substations, but an earthquake affects all components in the grid. Worse, the debris from landslides and collapsed buildings complicates any efforts to repair the grid while efforts are directed towards clearing the debris.

So far, disasters have had impacts that could be repaired in days if not weeks, although Fukushima may never fully recover. It’s the truly catastrophic disasters from super volcanic eruptions, mega-tsunamis, and category 9 earthquakes that could take down the grid for years if not longer.

Preparing for Total Grid Failure

Welcome to the 19^th century. That will essentially be the lifestyle for everyone following a long-duration, national grid failure. Homesteading will be the new normal, and self-reliance the only solution in a society with few manufactured resources, no easily accessible drinking water, few food sources, rare medical care, and few options for communication.

Here are some priorities and preps, but the most critical consideration is sustainability. Stockpile all you want, but any stockpile will someday run out. A good and properly packaged supply of seeds and the knowledge of how to harvest seeds from future crops may give you a better chance in the long-term than a pantry full of canned foods. Here are the priorities.

Water

You can’t live 3 days without water. Without the grid, water will become scarce, especially if you depend on a well pump. Even municipal water towers will soon run dry as the pumps that refill them sit idle without power. Here are some things to do and research to find, purify and store water:

Equipment:

• Water drums or the knowledge of how to improvise them from garbage cans or other containers. Rain water may be your most dependable source of found water and the ability to capture and contain it from your roof or tarps can not only give you drinking water but options for watering vegetables in gardens or pots, water for bathing, cooking and cleaning.
• Water purification filters or the knowledge of how to improvise them from cloth, sand, and charcoal. Natural water sources are notoriously polluted in some areas, and there is always the threat of bacteria and other pathogens in any natural water source.
• Water containers that will allow you to transport water, whether it’s walking across the street or just getting it from your water storage to your sink.
• Various hoses of varying sizes and simple valves. Hoses are the transportation system for water and if you need to funnel, direct, or channel water from one location to another you can do it best with a hose.
• A swimming pool of any size makes storing water easy especially for watering gardens or doing laundry or dishes.
• A galvanized metal wash tub is the best way to do laundry by hand or do the dishes.
• Knowledge of how to find, filter, purify and store water from a variety of sources. You can have all the equipment in the world but if you don’t where to look or what to do when you find it you’ll be a distinct disadvantage.

Food

We mentioned it once. 90% of the U.S. population is projected to die during the first year of a national grid failure mostly due to starvation. Books have been written about food survival but we’ll try to highlight the basics here.

• Begin with a stockpile of enough food to last at least 3 months. This is your emergency food with the assumption that you will be able to supplement your diet with foods you forage, grow, hunt, or fish. Stockpile for longer if you’re so inclined but remember that all stockpiles run out. Do this for each person in your household.
• Seeds, seeds and more seeds.Much of your food will come from what you produce yourself. Turn every square foot of available soil into a garden. If you have a small yard, learn about succession planting, vertical gardening and companion planting. If you don’t have a yard, acquire and store pots and containers for gardening on patios, indoors or even on the roof. Learn about hydroponics. Have something growing that you can eat by every window and on every windowsill. Use your grey water to water your vegetables.
• Plant fruit trees. Plant them close to your house. It’s called defensive gardening. When you have a mature crop of fruits and vegetables in a time when people are starving you have to think about limiting opportunities for midnight raids on your yard and garden.
• Raise simple livestock if you can. Chickens, rabbits or a fish pond if you have a pond, lake or large swimming pool.
• Learn to wild forage. You don’t have to live in the wilderness to do this. Even cities offer wild foraging opportunities from dandelions to oak trees.
• Learn about food preservation techniques. It’s possible you’ll have more than you can eat. You’ll need to know how to preserve foods and do it without refrigeration. That’s a good reason to think about a good supply of canning jars and canning equipment including a pressure cooker for pressure food processing.
• Think about what you’ll need to cook your food in multiple cooking setups. Maybe your gas range still works, but it’s more likely you’ll be cooking over an open fire. Forget about gas grills. LP gas will be a thing of the past. Think about cooking grates, cast iron cookware, long handled utensils, solar ovens and any other items you’ll need to cook like a pioneer.
• Hunting and fishing is always an option but when everyone is hunting and fishing it may be slim pickins’.

Light

In a time of great uncertainty, one thing is for certain: every day it gets dark at night. There are plenty of pioneer solutions and some 21^st century solutions as well:

• Candles are the oldest version of off-grid light. Stock a lot of them. Buy them cheap. Think about candle lanterns to increase the light and make them a little safer. In a pinch you can make them from tin cans.
• Kerosene or lamps that use other oils. Don’t forget to get some extra wicks.
• Duel fuel gas lanterns give off a lot of light, but like kerosene or other oil lamps, you may run out of fuel at some point. Make sure the area is vented. They give off carbon monoxide.
• Solar lights from the Dollar Store or Walmart. Leave them outside or by a window during the day and you’ll have light all night. Better yet, they don’t give off any odors or gases.
• A solar power bank with a built in flashlight. You can use them to recharge a cell phone or other electronics and the flashlight will always have power if recharged.
• A solar battery recharger can give you battery power for a range of battery powered electronics.
• LED lights draw very little power and are the best when using batteries.
• Think solar. The sun will hopefully still be shining and solar power is free and easy if you have the solar panels to capture it. You’ll also need batteries either lead/acid batteries or some of the more advanced batteries like the Tesla battery for collecting and storing solar generated power. They can power a range of things including lights.

Communication

In times of disaster people are desperate to keep in touch. The internet may actually still be working, and cell phones may have intermittent connections but you can’t count on anything when the powers out. Here are some options to consider:

• Walkie talkies can work for short range communication.
• CB radios are still around and can work off a car battery (recharged with ) or other battery power.
• Your cell phone may work so don’t give up if at first you don’t succeed.
• HAM radio is the go-to survival communication method. It’s an investment and you need a license but you’ll definitely be in touch. There are also handheld options.
• Old land lines may be one of the few functioning forms of electronics.
• The wires and hookups you need to connect a computer to an old land line. If the old land lines are working you may be able to access the Internet although connection and download speeds will be very slow. Then again, some things may still work after the grid is down.
• A TV antenna in case you want to see if there are any TV transmissions. Antennas using something called “mud flap” technology developed by the military are a good bet.
• A solar powered/hand-cranked radio. It’s quite possible that radio transmissions will eventually return and it’s the easiest way to find out what’s going on.
• Remember to think about how you may need to power some of these communication devices and have some off-grid options like solar power banks or hand crank generators.

Heat

Most of us have varying degrees of winter weather. With climate change the severity of winter weather may get worse. Without power most traditional heating options won’t work.

You need to consider some pioneer methods for heating. One of their approaches was to use multiple off-grid heat sources in the hopes that the combination would compensate for the poor performance of any one heating option.

• A wood burning stove is a standard recommendation but that assumes you have a good supply of firewood available. And here again, when everyone is burning wood for heat the supply may be thin.
• Pellet stoves are another option but you have to buy the pellets and have them in storage. On average, one 40 pound bag of pellets can keep a pellet stove going for 1 to 2 days in winter. That won’t be sustainable over a long period of time. Make sure you get a gravity feed, non-electric pellet stove.
• Solar tiles that capture sunlight through a window during the day and release the heat at night can help but just by a few degrees.
• Propane and natural gas stoves are another option. There’s a possibility that natural gas will still work in spite of a power outage because the pressure of the gas delivers it through the gas lines. How long that may continue is impossible to determine. As far as liquid propane you’ll have to have a lot in storage because any propane for sale will be gone soon.
• Insulation especially around doors and windows is another step towards keeping the heat in and the cold out.
• Plenty of blankets, quilts and winter clothing makes sense. So does sleeping in groups so it’s time to get the kids back into your bed.

Keeping Cool

Air conditioners are power hogs and when the grid is down the days of air conditioning are gone. There are numerous solutions to keeping cool and some go past the pioneers to ancient times and cultures. Here again, multiple approaches in combination help to keep you and your home cool.

• Light blocking drapes, shades, blinds or any other way to block sunlight from entering the home in the afternoon is a good first step.
• Light clothing made from cotton or silk make sense.
• Ancient techniques that encourage air circulation from the ground up are worth trying. The idea is to draw cooler air at ground level in through vents and allow vents towards the ceiling to draw the hot air out.
• Battery powered or solar powered fans make sense. Any breeze on a hot day helps.
• A swimming pool or just a cold shower or a dip in a lake can help. A swimming pool also makes for an excellent water storage option.
• Electrolyte powders that you add to water will give you an extra step towards effective hydration.
• Live in the basement if you have one. The ground acts as a natural insulator and the basement is always the coolest location in the house in summer.
• Stay indoors when the heat index is high. People who live in tropical latitudes basically hunker down indoors in the afternoon. Save outdoor activities for early morning or evening hours.

Medical Considerations

There’s quite a bit written about survival medicine. At times you may be totally on your own when it comes to dealing with any medical condition. Here are some thought starters:

• An expedition level first aid kit. They cost a lot but it’s a pretty good bet they’ll have everything you might need for any medical emergency.
• Specialized first aids kits with the equipment to treat eye injuries, simple sutures, burns or any condition unique to your family.
• A survival medicine chest with OTC medicines and medications for a range of ailments and don’t forget children’s dosages.
• A medical knowledge bank of selected books for treating a range of conditions and injuries.
• Take the time to learn some first aid skills either by doing your own research or even taking classes at a community college or through your local fire department.

Home Defense

An unfortunate reality. Desperate times can bring out the worst in people so you may need to prepare your home for the worst. The steps you take to defend your home and family depend a lot on where you live (city/suburb/rural/wilderness), and your level of concern. And it’s not just about firearms:

• Additional locks, bolts and other ways to reinforce doors, windows and outbuildings.
• Fire extinguishing equipment sufficient to put out a fire on your own.
• Exterior solar powered lights with a motion sensor to alert to you anyone approaching your home or outbuildings.
• Trip-wire alarms around the perimeter and various approaches to your property.
• Fencing around your home to at least make access and observation difficult for any intruder.
• Gated driveways or any other access points to your property.
• Bullet-proofing your home, doors and windows to the degree you feel may be necessary.
• A safe room as a secure area if your home or neighborhood is overwhelmed by any number of factors.
• Firearms and ammunition to the degree you feel necessary to defend yourself and your family.

And that’s Just a Short List

A life without electricity will continue to bring new challenges. Hopefully, some degree of power will return and the grid will begin to function again. Until then, it’s worth thinking about other preparations someone would want to make if faced with a new and sudden 19^th century lifestyle.

• A generator powered by natural gas may still work even when the power it out. Generators that run on gasoline will be at the mercy of the local gasoline supply but natural gas runs through pipes on its own pressure so it’s worth looking into.
• Home schooling supplies, equipment and knowledge. It’s going to be a while before kids return to school and as life returns to some degree of normalcy, some people will want to continue to school their children while waiting for a school system to re-emerge.
• Pioneer skills that go beyond cooking to basic construction techniques, timber-frame construction, upcycling found materials, basic and advanced repairs, furniture making, quilting and sewing and the list goes on.
• Bushcraft skills that will allow you to improvise solutions when the wilderness comes to the city and suburbs. This includes improvising outbuildings, crafting everyday items from natural and found materials, building pioneer fences, and anything else that you’ll have to now make because you can’t buy it.
• Collect, store and learn about hand powered tools. Without electricity you’ll be doing a lot of things the old-fashioned way. You could also take a battery powered tool approach assuming you have the solar capability to recharge the batteries, but powered tools only last for years. Hand tools last for centuries.
• Barter skills and the ability to craft and create items for barter. Without electric power commerce will radically change. If you think there’s a coin shortage now there will be a total currency shortage if the grid is down and forget about debit and credit cards. A barter economy will quickly become the new currency for the purchase and trade of many everyday items.

How Long Could This Last?

According to a report from the Congressional EMP Commission, a nationwide blackout of the electric power grid and grid-dependent critical infrastructures – i.e., communications, transportation, sanitation, food, and water supply – could last a year or longer. 

That assumes that a rogue nation does not take advantage of the crippling effects of a grid failure and make things worse. Then again, it may have been that same rogue nation that caused the collapse in the first place.

Communism is frequently used as a synonym for socialism and the exact differences between the two are heavily debated. One difference is that communism provides everyone in the country with an equal share, rather than the equitable share promised by socialism. Communism is commonly summarized by the Karl Marx slogan, “From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs,” and was believed by Marx to be the step beyond socialism. Individual private ownership is illegal in most communist countries.

I once had a favorite meme I would push out as kind of a tongue-in-cheek that said “When exposing a crime is treated as committing a crime, you are ruled by criminals”. Seemed pretty funny at the time.

Today, not so funny. In fact, what we are experiencing is very real.

Let’s take a look at the definition of tyranny according to legaldictionary.net:

1. An oppressive or severe form of government
2. An unrestrained use of authority or power
3. A state ruled by, or government of, an absolute ruler
4. Excessive severity
5. Cruel and unfair treatment by someone in authority

What we lack in the world, not just the United States, is a system of checks and balances. Governments are out of control as they care very little about the laws they have established unless it relates to you the citizen, and they certainly give complete disregard for the voting system as we are finding out they have been manipulating the outcomes to meet their agenda for quite some time.

Our rights to free speech are all but gone and our ability to assemble peacefully is now seen as extremism. Think about it for a minute, when Patriots assemble to voice their concern, they have to worry that either the assembly will be infiltrated by people seeking to create a negative image of them, or those same people causing violence, thus putting Patriots front and center as targets by their own government.

By now, if you haven’t been vaccinated for Covid, then you know that the vaccine is much more dangerous than the virus. In fact, if you know anything about anything they put in vaccines today, then you know that Covid was just an excuse for ushering in communism in America, and a depopulation scheme that’s got 150 million people set up like bowling pins, getting ready for the “big knockdown.”

Most important to realize, and it’s not too late for the unvaccinated, is that the spread of fear of Covid was needed to establish government authority initially, that way they could further violate our constitutional rights and order us around — to wear masks all day, social distance, shut down our businesses and only buy products from huge corporations that fund the fake war on Covid-19.

It’s a fake war, and “they” (Democrats, CCP and Globalists running DC) want your support.

You see, governments all prefer populace support for a war, whether it’s a kinetic war, a fake war on “terror,” or a fake war against a “killer virus.” The irony of it all is that this time the enemy isn’t foreign at all; in fact, it’s every American.

There’s always a cover for the real insidious agenda. There has to be for everyone to buy in. Of course, 9/11 was cover for Halliburton’s embezzling of $5 billion and the constitution-and-privacy-crippling Patriot Act. The War in Afghanistan was cover for the US takeover of the opium trade for the heroin-based epidemic of highly-addictive, health-destroying prescription painkillers.

Now, Covid-19 and the Delta Variant are cover for a communist takeover of America and the depopulation/ sterilization campaign that can wipe out at least 50 percent of the US populace with one “booster” shot. Call it the “kill switch.”

10 Steps to Tyranny

1. Create a new human disease (virus) that kills off the weak and immune-compromised (complete).
2. Spread Covid-19 around the planet (complete).
3. Create “vaccines” for that virus that cause blood clots and life-threatening myocarditis (complete).
4. Spread so much fear about Covid that at least 70 percent of the planet (or at least the USA) gets inoculated (only at 50 percent now).
5. Spread fear-mongering propaganda of a new “variant” (called Delta) that’s even “more deadly” and “more contagious” than the original virus (just begun).
6. Blame all vaccine injuries and deaths on the new “Delta Variant” (just beginning).
7. Require every vaccinated person to get their “Delta Variant” inoculation, which either instructs the recipient’s cells to produce billions of toxic protein prions that drive the patient insane and cause heart failure, or the vaccine contains the ultimate “payload” of virus-mimicking pathogenic proteins that overdose the recipients’ immune systems, killing them.
8. A new mass event “occurs” that cripples all communication between the populace, and the Chinese Communists start “herding” in from our southern border.
9. Another mass shooting event “occurs” that’s made to look like a Trump supporter who is “anti-vaccine” and right-wing extreme.
10. All guns are confiscated from all remaining, unvaccinated Americans and the Republic is lost.

Communism and depopulation in America come under the guise of being “patriotic” and accepting your own vax-termination out of fear of Covid-19 and its variants

Getting vaccinated to death is considered “patriotic” because the country is being run by communists right now, who want to eliminate at least 3/4ths of Americans using domestic bio-terrorism (deadly vaccines) and move a billion Chinese here from China.

Just as Hitler used propaganda to sell his motives as helpful for society and Germany’s economy, the CDC and CCP are “selling” everyone on vaccines, masks, social distancing and lockdowns, in an effort to end America as we know it. That’s why Joe Biden just told everybody that Americans getting vaccinated is the most patriotic thing you can do.

Have you ever wondered what makes a person snap? What causes a normal, quiet, everyday citizen, loving mother, or doting father to lose it all and fight like a caged animal? What can cause a small village to rise up and rebel against an oppressive police force and start killing them? What is the switch that gets flipped that causes a city to pour two million people into the streets, chanting and demanding to be heard by their government?

Lately it feels more and more as though we are on standing on the edge of some yawning precipice peering over the crest into darkness. What is more troubling to me is that we have been down this path before. The sense of unease is almost palpable to me sometimes; it is more evident if you are paying attention. If you are able to eliminate the white noise of the world for a minute; hit the pause button on the playlist of daily life for a while and look around, listen, you may start to recognize that you too are caught up in events that will soon change all our lives.

For several years I have felt an unsettling sense that we need to be prepared, that life is going to throw us a big, fat, greasy curve ball soon and we better not be caught napping. To try and proactively address that warning voice I started planning and taking steps to prepare my family to be able to weather events in the future. I am certainly not alone in this concern as you can easily see by the tremendous growth of the prepper movement. In the spectrum of probable events, there are a lot of potential scenarios. Natural disasters and emergencies occur every day all over the world, but you have to broaden your gaze and look to current events and history as well. One of the things that I think is a valid potential event to consider is a collapse of our way of life which leads to an authoritarian oppressive government.

Are we reaching a tipping point?

We have seen in recent events, by now almost too numerous to mention, the effects of a rising frustration with the way things are. It isn’t necessary to go into all of the individual reasons, but as a society there are more and more outpourings of frustration on a global scale. There are increasingly tightening restrictions against people. There is a manipulation of markets and the economy. There is a great increase in the loss of freedom and there is a more open antagonism and almost outright animosity by Government towards their people.

Governments exist either because they have come to power through force and violence or they have been elected and given power by the people. The force and violence crowd usually have their roots in the military and we like to call them Dictators. There have been a ton of them throughout history; Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Kim Jong iL and now his son, Saddam, Gaddafi, the list goes on and on. Dictators don’t care about the people and usually kill anyone who gets in their way. It is a fact that government has killed more people than any other cause, disease or reason.

The other side of the coin is what is usually called Democacies. I am lumping a lot of governments in here I know, but the democracies are usually elected and formed with the consent of the people with the noble goal of securing rights or protecting the people over whom they govern. Almost without fail however, Democratic Governments eventually do not want to answer to the people and at some point they most certainly will not be told what to do by the people to the point of ignoring the will of the people (for the people’s own good of course). Now these governments that are supposed to secure the liberties of their people are becoming more openly hostile to the same people they have sworn to defend. Funnily enough the democratically elected governments now seem to want to hang on to power with the same methods of force and violence as dictators. How else can you explain arming themselves with ammo, ignoring the constitution, purchasing assault vehicles and preparing to confiscate firearms?

When governments will steal money outright from the citizens in order to pay bills that were not incurred by the people we have a problem. When government spies on its people and uses that information against them punitively we have a problem. When Government uses the force of the military that was supposed to defend the people that was paid for by the people, for the purposes of killing the people, we have a big problem. When someone brings to light crimes by the government and is labeled as the one who is a danger, we have a problem.

The problem is that governments around the world are viewing their people as the problem and there really seems to be only one way throughout history that this is ever rectified. My fear is that we are already set on a course that won’t be changed with laws, great political leaders, or a return to the values of a golden age in time long past.

The Fine Line – The Straw that breaks the camel’s back

The fine line between someone who is a law-abiding citizen and a murderer is one that exists purely in our souls. There is nothing physical that is different from a person who follows the rules and someone who breaks them. The urge to pull the trigger isn’t something you can see and it isn’t a trait to test for, so it must be our own individual sense of right and wrong. Of good and evil.

I know that some will argue that a psychopath is definitely recognizable by character traits and maybe even brainwaves or chemistry. That may be true, but you can be a psychopath (clinically) without ever hurting anyone. By the same token, you can take a life while being perfectly “sane”.

If you hold a knife in your hand, you are just as capable of using that to stab or cut someone as the murderer in the next town, but that thought never enters the mind of an overwhelming majority of people. A baseball bat in your hands can easily be swung with great force connecting it to the back of a skull, but this thought never appears in our heads; that is unless we are forced into a corner. When a person is in desperate fear for their lives, the unspoken rules of right and wrong are broken. The processes that we follow every day are overridden in the cause of rage or self-preservation. What was unthinkable before is now very real, necessary and even righteous with the right circumstances.

When the right buttons are pushed, anyone can lose it. When the fear of dying or of losing someone you love is so overpowering, the “fine line” that has been keeping us sane, law-abiding and good is easily shattered. When this happens, all bets are off.

We as a people, a country are still rather firmly attached on the good side of this line. We have not yet completely been driven to abandon all hope and lash out. We have not yet been so harmed, have not gotten to the point that we have nothing to lose and are ready to lose it, but this may be coming in the future.

The force and violence that is being used now to quell the dissatisfaction of people globally is increasing. The methods to cease the complaining of the rabble has been relatively minor with some exceptions. Tear gas, rubber bullets, mace and batons only work up to a point though. When the time comes that people can no longer abide, there won’t be enough police to stop them using riot control techniques. The military doesn’t have enough people to stop the entire population unless those people peacefully agree to surrender, so what will they do? Do you believe any government will quietly step down and admit that they are obviously not speaking for the people anymore? No. They will resort to more force and violence and people will die. Either that or you have a coup like they had in Egypt and guess who took over to “restore order”? Yep, the Military.

What will be the inevitable response by the authorities?

The Chinese people who started to revolt against the police in their town did so because the authorities were “placing restrictions on their culture, language and religion”. China is no picnic compared to America and we clearly know they have lived through far worse oppression than we have, but this was the straw that broke the camel’s back for them?

The protests which turned into an estimated two million citizens of Brazil had started simply enough with a protest over a rise in the rates of public transportation.

In America, what will be the trigger that causes people to rise up and say we aren’t going to take this anymore and more importantly what will happen when/if we do?

What will happen if we don’t change the path we are on?

There is a quote that has always struck me as very sad and telling from Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn in his book The Gulag Archipelago. Solzhenitsyn was a Russian who was sentenced to 8 years in a Soviet prison camp for essentially writing things about Stalin that the government didn’t like. During this time in Soviet Russia, to stifle dissent, millions were killed or sent to prison camps. In this passage Solzhenitsyn is talking about regret that everyone felt because they simply went along with this tyranny and didn’t oppose it.

 “AND HOW WE BURNED IN THE CAMPS LATER, THINKING: WHAT WOULD THINGS HAVE BEEN LIKE IF EVERY SECURITY OPERATIVE, WHEN HE WENT OUT AT NIGHT TO MAKE AN ARREST, HAD BEEN UNCERTAIN WHETHER HE WOULD RETURN ALIVE AND HAD TO SAY GOOD-BYE TO HIS FAMILY? OR IF, DURING PERIODS OF MASS ARRESTS, AS FOR EXAMPLE IN LENINGRAD, WHEN THEY ARRESTED A QUARTER OF THE ENTIRE CITY, PEOPLE HAD NOT SIMPLY SAT THERE IN THEIR LAIRS, PALING WITH TERROR AT EVERY BANG OF THE DOWNSTAIRS DOOR AND AT EVERY STEP ON THE STAIRCASE, BUT HAD UNDERSTOOD THEY HAD NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE AND HAD BOLDLY SET UP IN THE DOWNSTAIRS HALL AN AMBUSH OF HALF A DOZEN PEOPLE WITH AXES, HAMMERS, POKERS, OR WHATEVER ELSE WAS AT HAND?… THE ORGANS WOULD VERY QUICKLY HAVE SUFFERED A SHORTAGE OF OFFICERS AND TRANSPORT AND, NOTWITHSTANDING ALL OF STALIN’S THIRST, THE CURSED MACHINE WOULD HAVE GROUND TO A HALT! IF…IF…WE DIDN’T LOVE FREEDOM ENOUGH. AND EVEN MORE – WE HAD NO AWARENESS OF THE REAL SITUATION…. WE PURELY AND SIMPLY DESERVED EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED AFTERWARD.”  – ALEKSANDR SOLZHENITSYN

Will this be our fate too? Will we slowly be conditioned to accept atrocities like this and to be completely defanged so that we can be herded into camps without so much as a whimper as well? That’s crazy you say! Is it? Right now, our government is hunting down someone who simply exposed how they (government) were illegally spying on all of us. Our government is buying arms and stockpiling weapons for use domestically not in some war. Our government has the IRS actively harassing a single political/opposition party. Our government has shown that they will lock down a town and go door to door while making the citizens stay cowered inside. Our government has stated that they can imprison anyone without cause for an indefinite amount of time.

Can you seriously argue that we aren’t headed down the same path as others have in our not too distant past?

This is not a call to armed Revolution, but I do think we should all be very wary of this course we are on and the echos of history. We should not be silent in the face of increasing oppression. We should not simply go along quietly because of the fear that we may get in trouble, or worse that we believe the government is only looking out for our best interests. You only need to look at the people in Poland who quietly went into the Warsaw ghettos. You don’t have to look any further than the Holocaust to see what quietly going along will get you.

This is not a fate that I will be bringing on my family.

MUST WATCH!!! First take a look at one of the most shocking videos in the world! This video actually shows us what the secret of the Trump family is related to their expressive health!!! –FULL VIDEO HERE

I’m going to alert you to what many are considering to be on of the worst doomsday scenarios for free American patriots. One that apparently not many are prepping for, or even seem to care about.

By now everybody knows that the government ‘alphabet agencies’ including mainly the NSA have been methodically collecting data on us. Everything we do, say, buy and search on the internet will be on permanent data base file by next year. All phone calls now are computer monitored, automatically recorded and stored with certain flag/trigger words (in all languages).

As technology improves, every single phone call will be entirely recorded at meta-data bases in government computer cloud storage, when ‘They’ finish the huge NSA super spy center in Utah. Which means they will be available anytime authorities want to look them up and personally listen for any information reference to any future investigation. Super computer algorithms will pin point search extrapolations of ANY relationship to the target point.

You can rest uneasily, but assured, that in the very near future when a cop stops you and scans your driver license into his computer, he will know anything even remotely ’suspicious’ or ’questionable’ about ALL the recent activities and behavior in your life he chooses to focus upon!

This is the ‘privacy apocalypse’ coming upon us. And you need to know these five devices that you can run to protect your privacy, but you can’t hide from.

The most shocking article can be found below.

Liberal’s hidden agenda: more than just your guns…

… the impending collapse of the US food supply system
will steal the food from your kids’ tables…

Watch this video below to find out the great secrets hidden by the government.

When Security Overlaps Freedom

The NSA does more spying on ‘We the People’ than it does on the enemies of the country! Even simple text messages over a certain number of characters will join the wealth of stolen private communications flagged by certain trigger words, in the happy hunting grounds of mega-data heaven.

The two biggest fallacy arguments are that ‘those with nothing to ‘hide’ have nothing to fear’, or ‘this is the price we pay for living in a fast paced convenient modern computerized world if we want to improve our security and safety’.

Why does all these lame excuses remind me of something the old sage Ben Franklin used to say to slap that kind of thinking? “Those who are willing to give up any freedoms for a little more security deserve neither.’

The factual true reality is that these egregious violations of our privacy rights are premised on the never ending lies of the government. Maybe ‘They’ still get away with it because for some reason people are so dumbed down or not paying attention, or simply don’t know or see the bigger picture.

Must watch this video!- What is the Most Powerful Force on the Planet?

So assuming that most of us really don’t want the government or police to know our most private business just because it’s so easy for them to do so even though we are not doing anything wrong, we’ll provide a little edification herein about the cold hard realities.

With the increase of technology that we don’t even really need for everyday use in most of our lifestyles, the value it does NOT produce in comparison to the dangerous violations of our liberties, exemplifies the true intention of ‘the invention’. The government argument for having cameras everywhere in public is that the courts ruled that generally we have no expectation of complete privacy in a public domain.

And of course they took that as a green light to mean that they can now put surveillance cameras literally everywhere in the city and roads and take public pictures of anybody for their meta/data bases. Also, they put face recognition technology in use with the cameras to literally search people’s identity and background, at will, anytime when you’re in public, 4^th/A notwithstanding!

In my personal opinion, this is a much better way to replicate the old fashioned Nazi way of saying ’papers, please’.

But our homes are supposed to be insulated and highly protected from what the courts call ’unreasonable search and seizure” which guarantees our inalienable right to privacy in our own homes? There are specific guidelines and nobody is supposed to know what goes on in the sanctity of your castle without your permission or without a court designated warrant, which is issued on the basis of serious probable criminal cause.

But in their anti-privacy compulsion the next inevitable turn in the down spiral of destroying our basic liberties cannot be surprising anymore.

Here’s how far and fast the ‘tactical tech’ invasion of our privacy has slid down the extremely slippery slope of totalitarianism in just the last couple of years:

 The 5 Devices that Ruin the Idea of Privacy– See video!

1. FLIR Devices (Forward Looking Infrared Devices) 

These have actually been around for almost 20 years now in the form of heat seeking devices but the advanced laser electronics and microprocessors now make it into a new and more dangerous tool called thermal imaging detection devices.

In Venezuela, electricity has turned into a rare and unpredictable commodity. They don’t have it all the time, and blackouts have become a normal part of daily life.

If the grid were to go down for a prolonged period of time and no medical help was available, what would you do if you were injured?

In this video, we’ll go over a tool for this community that can mean the difference between life and death.

But if you want to find out how you can still manage in a situation like this, you must also look to Venezuela and learn the ingenious ways they developed to cope.

Based on (FLIR) the military and civilian search and rescue community immediately recognized the benefits of such devices for aerial environmental tracking search purposes and as the market grew sophistication became enhanced.

The original mechanical concept in application was to pinpoint differential temperature variation between humans and ambient environmental temperatures, in order to determine the potential of locating individual human presence with a color spectrum visual image especially in total darkness by their own body heat.

But rapid developments in the imaging technology and penetration/ranging and portability bring this device to new heights of ‘clearly pictured’ intrusion.

Deployment is rapidly becoming enhanced, as well, as the science improves more powerful devices with better range and penetration in smaller devices are emerging.

That small neighborhood police ‘crime watch drone’ will no longer only be able to peek in your window from under your tree branches but will soon be able to see through your walls into the most private places in your home!

A cop can pull up quietly and unnoticed in their unmarked cars or vans– and ‘see’ through your walls and spy on you right from the curb in front of your house by aiming their new handheld FLIR Thermal Imaging device through walls, and get quite a clear telling image of what you and your husband are doing under the bed sheets or in the personal sanctity of your bathroom.

And if you have a solid concrete home or are down deep in the corner of your basement, there’s this next device here in the form of unholy diabolical ‘son of FLIR’ to eventually find you no matter where you are hiding your home.

2. RANGE-R – Hand Held Obstacle Penetrating Radar

Remember the classic movie series Aliens with Sigourney Weaver where the baby alien monster popped out of the belly of one the space exploration team on the space craft?

And then the aliens were sneaking around the innards of the spacecraft closing in on the Lt. Ripley & Crew and Corporal Hicks pulls out his handheld tracking device–remarkably identical to these RANGE-R devices– and right through the walls and metal bulkheads and pinpointed all the alien monsters sneaking around with their exact location, distance, and movement.

Well the future is here and now. Pretty cool, huh? Well, not if you are a private American citizen trying to appreciate your Constitutional liberties in the enclosed security of your own home expecting that neither the uninvited thief nor the government can invade that privacy.

The RANGE-R handheld locating device is based on specially tuned and direction enhanced radar wave technology. This is currently being used by dozens of federal agencies including the U.S. Marshal Service, the BATF and FBI, and even some local municipalities which can afford the purchase of it, usually with their drug seizure profits.

The detecting power of the RANGE-R literally can penetrate many walls to detect humans. This device, along with its bigger two handed more enhanced version–the RADAR VISION 2, which is pressed up against the outside of even a brick wall and is so sensitive and can detect a motionless human’s breathing even if they are sitting still– gives the operator a discernable 3D image that can be analyzed for detail at distances over 100 feet!

When USA Today broke the story last month many of us were surprised that the government had already secretly and with a legally questionable application use, deployed these devices in numerous investigations and arrests. Well, you really didn’t expect them to publicly announce that they were violating the 4^th Amendment, did you?

The official unbelievable excuse this time was that these devices were supposedly used in conjunction with a warrant (sometimes?). The probable cause was that government agents and police needed to know who and what was inside before they entered.

Well, that’s a bumpy, but woefully unconvincing convenient slide down the slope from the usual suspects ‘public safety’ and extreme ‘crime prevention’… Just like the use of an officer’s sidearm in the killing of unarmed person(s) behaving strangely, if a cop perceives his life is in danger.

3. FADS – Frisk At Distance Scanners

Perhaps this is the most insidiously egregious of this Unholy Technical Trinity so far here because states like New York have been planning to implement this technology in conjunction with their ubiquitous surveillance camera deployment directly against private citizens walking around the city for over a year now. Which means that they are likely now in covert use, possibly even more compact and stealthy, and mounted in discreet police vehicles for routine patrol.

This device replicates the eerily X-Ray eyes type detailed contrast and definition of the walk in TSA devices which were minimalized because of the dangerous radiation output. But they don’t really care about ‘public safety’, at least not at the sacrifice of their obsessive compulsive need to confiscate your firearms.

What, say you? They’ll never get all your guns because you carefully conceal them inside your walls in secret hiding places?

Well, sorry to bust your door down but just because these devices can look through your walls, doesn’t mean they can’t be adjusted to also look INSIDE your walls and plumbing and ducting, and etc.

Check out these more sophisticated mobile privacy intrusion Franken FADS and have your anti-depression meds handy.

 4. ZBVs – Z-Backscatting Vans

Just when you thought you were about to wake up with a huge headache from this Orwellian technology nightmare, it gets even worse!

Made by the same company that brought you unhealthy things like the TSA airport body scanners, this is a specialized advanced mobile version which is supposed to be able to frisk people, look inside of vehicles and walls and see everything clearly enough to read label writing or tell how many rounds you have in the gun! It can differentiate between drugs and explosives and who knows what else they are not telling you?

From a liberty and privacy standpoint this is one of the most intrusive devices conceivable. They’ve sold several hundred of these already and they usually use white Mercedes small cargo vans.

Seems like supposedly greedy entrepreneurs are buying them and ’renting’ them out to any police agency for specific times/needs so they don’t have to pay out the big bucks to own one.

So if you see one of these white vans with the familiar Mercedes emblem on the grill hanging around you know it ain’t a NAAPA auto parts delivery truck. They’ve been seen several times in New York in the last few months.

What? You say don’t care anymore, because you don’t HAVE anything in your walls or house or vehicle that you care about them taking? You have anything of real ’value’ buried in an underground ‘vault’ deep enough where even metal detectors can’t reach it.

Well, now you’re thinking! But ‘They’ won’t be using metal detectors that much for underground search’.

They’ll be using this next device if they think you got a little ‘Mole’ in your blood.

 5. GPR – Ground Penetrating Radar Equipment

This equipment is so ’useful’ in various construction and underground search applications from archeology to treasure hunters or construction companies, to homicide detectives that they are now readily available and portable. A single operator can use one and simply walk around and create an ’anomaly’ map sort of like sonar but for the ground instead of water, and show an image of an underground cave, sink hole, buried body.

Your stashes of ammo boxes and ’stuff’ would stick out like the proverbial horse’s ass, even though you buried it and completely covered it with no entrance and planted grass over the top of it!

The really bad part is that the good ones can go down pretty deep, like over 30 or 40 feet or more depending upon strata composite! And don’t forget they don’t need a warrant to search on public lands, if that’s what you are thinking.

There’s actually a couple more peripheral tools to help narrow down searches on undeveloped land when GPR equipment is used for people tracking or stash hiding but I think you get the idea now.

How the 4th Amendment Is Thrown Aside– see video!

The added bad thing here is all this technology is only what WE know currently but not necessarily what really secretly exists at this point in time and the near future. Radar wave technology combined with computer algorithms have exponentially advanced to a point where even the relatively low tech Russians have supposedly developed radar capability to detect even our newest supposedly radar detection proof F-36 and B plus series stealth fighters and bombers!

So who knows what they’ll have by next year to much more easily ‘see’ everything and anything inside your home in minute detail anytime they feel like it? It may be closer than you think because the military just got the nod to fly two humongous blimps over the Eastern third of the country to ‘look for things’. Supposedly for homeland security? What’s in that big wallet?

The government agencies have been using these devices for almost a year now with little or no oversight and not many, if any, valid usage based on obtaining the appropriate warrants. This raises serious Constitutional issues.

Under the guidelines of a rogue administration, these alphabet agencies do anything they want and justify their civil rights violations by saying it helps protect their officers when involved in dangerous terrorist hostage situations by knowing how many terrorists are inside the building.

And remember it’s not only the Feds who are creating a ‘Minority Report’ bad movie. Now even local police departments are beginning to use these devices as commonly as they use their flashlights!

The really depressing aspect of all these super intrusion technology is that we have to face the difficult to believe reality that… your personal home privacy is now gone completely, all of it. And it is just a matter of time before it affects everybody, even those nitwits who claim they don’t mind because they think they have nothing to hide.

Because someone they might be casually or inadvertently associated with such as a classmate or a neighbor, or some email correspondence that ‘They’ will be tracking under the presumption of terrorist activity, will also have a ‘knock’ on their door from the men in helmets, machine guns, jackboots, and body armor after they penetrated and scanned the private interior of your home.

The 4th Amendment is being stomped and thrown aside. By individual states as well like Conneticut and New York with their latest anti-2/A New York Safe Act.

Edward Snowden proved beyond any doubt that they were lying about spying on us but after the initial shock and surprise and outcry, nobody did squat to stop it. Because nobody seemed to care much after Snowden, the government took that to mean ‘implied consent’ and continued their spying right under our noses without even trying to hide it, or deny it, anymore.

If anyone doesn’t understand that we are in the end times of personal privacy then they better wake up fast and smell the coffee you might now be allowed to drink anymore due to the politically correct social engineers who control everything else, decide to ban it for health insurance purposes or some other lie?

►”Deep State: How to Defeat America’s Greatest Enemy” and see what YOU can do about it!

What to Do?

Remedies and solutions? I don’t know for certain anymore. Some say nothing short of a major revolutionary shift in social consciousness. I’ll just add one that should at least be considered because of the immediate impact it would have in our lives. They manipulated the laws to enslave and control us but now we have the dominant balance of power in our Legislative Branch.

All who care enough to preserve the great liberty of privacy, if not for us, for our progeny, should create political momentum to overturn/repeal all unconstitutional laws that have anything to do with limiting our rights to own guns or assets in the absolute protection of privacy. While we still can.

We must ALL unite and proactively charge our new Legislative ’employees’ to repeal the insidious laws that are making us all criminals and restore the Constitution to its former uninfringeable status. Otherwise here is my prophecy: if we don’t act soon enough the bottom of the slope ride to tyranny will begin to come up quickly and hit us hard with total ‘slavery’ before we even realize it.

The modern ‘Jeffersonian Solution’ is to politically unite and ‘change it all back’ by repealing and dissolving bad laws which enslave good people… before it really is too late.

When you think about the big picture, there’s not much you physically have that ‘They’ can’t already take away from you. All we really have left of freedom is our personal privacy and the single remaining right to vote.

What would we have left if they ultimately succeeded in removing all our privacy? Nothing!

Attention: The US is Facing The BIGGEST Threat Of The Century

War Is Just Around The Corner

You’re about to lose everything you’ve worked so hard for your entire life and it’s even not going to be your fault! – your house, your car, your credit card will be worthless…

So pay chose attention because this video will change your life forever for the good!

Source of this article- http://www.survivopedia.com

When it comes to herbal remedies, we can only speculate about our ancestors’ behavior, but clues and common sense tell us that they did, in fact, use plants to survive – whether for nourishment or medical treatment.

These plants were more than just food and medicine to those that preceded us. Plants not only healed but represented a connection to the supernatural world.

There are numerous studies that have investigated the diets of our distant cousins that have been unearthed in multiple sites throughout Europe (It is weird to me that bones of our ancestors have been ripped up, as it is similar to ripping up the graves of our own people, but I guess if your entire history has been erased for multiple decades, re-discovering who we were, and what plants we utilized is of some benefit – so that we can record and not mess up again next time).

With that being said, over 61 different taxa from 26 different plant families used by our descendants at 17 different archaeological sites have been found.

Among these plant foods and medicines included:
– Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.)
– Dates (Phoenix dactylifera L.)
– Yarrow (Achillea sp.)
– Wormwood (Artemisia sp.)
– Safflower (Carthamus sp.)
– Basketflower (Centaurea sp.)
– Yellowstone thistle (Cirsium ochrocentrum A. Gray)
– Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.)
– Daisies like ragworts and groundsels (Senecio sp.)
– Birch tree leaves (Betula sp.)
– Bugloss (Echium angustifolium/judaeum)
– Wild radish (Raphanus raphanistrum L.)
– Nettle-leaf Goosefoot (plant in the amaranth family) (Chenopodium murale L.)
– Juniper berries (Juniperus sp.)
– Annual mercury (Mercurialis annua L.)
– Astragalus (Astragalus echinus L.)
– Marshmallow plant (Althaea sp.)
– Mallow (Malva sp.)
– Figs (Ficus carica L.)
– Pine (likely the fresh buds – high in vitamin C) (Pinus sp.)
– Wild grapes (Vitis vinifera ssp. sylvestris)

This gives us a pretty interesting insight in regards to what our ancestors used as plant food and medicine. From this list, we can gather what is medicine, and what would have been food (I decided to not include more foods, mainly because they were grain-based, but grains back in the day were much safer to consume than the Monsanto-modified versions that are supplied today).

The evolution of human-kind was largely based around utilizing herbal remedies to help with a variety of different ailments. That is, until these herbs were manipulated into forms that were more harmful – namely, pharmaceuticals.

Did you know that over 50% of the drugs in clinical use today contain natural products (and their derivatives and analogs)? These natural products are synthesized from plant compounds and bring up the question of why individuals suffering from illnesses are simply not provided with a prescription to eat these foods instead of given a chemical concoction of chemical pills with a component of said plant compounds.

It is hard to know how our ancestors determined which plants might have medicinal properties (although, trial and error was likely one approach). It’s also thought that they observed sick animals eating certain plants and determined that those plants must have a certain property worth exploring.

Since this time, scientific studies have verified the medicinal value of many plants. For example, Aspirin is derived from salicin, a chemical in the inner bark of willow trees that was used in ancient times for fever and pain.

These medicines were either ingested (such as in teas) or applied externally as a paste. Sometimes the plants were eaten as food or added to food or water. On occasion, a salve or poultice was applied to open wounds.

If you’re pregnant, check with your doctor and do plenty of research before using any of these. This list includes some medicines mentioned above (not all of them can be included as they are incredibly difficult to locate and get yours hands on), as well as other plants that have been utilized since time immemorial by the Indigenous people of Turtle Island (North America).

1. Fennel: this licorice-flavored plant is used in a tea or chewed to relieve coughs, sore-throats, poor digestion or a compromised immune system. It can also be used as a poultice for eye relief and headaches.

2. Yarrow: used for fever, common cold, hay fever, diarrhea, loss of appetite, menstrual problems or gastrointestinal discomfort. Some people chew the fresh leaves to relieve toothache. It can be made into a tea or eaten in a salad.

3. Wormwood: best used in dry form, can be made into an infusion or tea (no more than 1 teaspoon as it is very very strong). Great for digestion and has been shown to kill cancer cells. For intestinal concerns like worms or parasites, it is best taken in pill form.

4. Safflower: has been used historically to relieve constipation and respiratory problems. Safflower petals are also believed in Chinese medicine to stimulate blood circulation, reduce phlegm and heal fractures.

5. Chamomile: the leaves and flowers are used as a tea to treat intestinal problems and nausea. Also great for calming the body in times of stress and anxiety.

6. Ragwort: no longer taken internally, but the herb is still used as a poultice, ointment, or lotion applied to relieve pain and inflammation (such as rheumatoid arthritis, rheumatism, and sciatica).

7. Birch Tree Leaves: the leaves of the birch tree contain lots of vitamin C, which can be used to make medicine for infections of the urinary tract (like those that affect the kidney, bladder, ureters, and urethra). It is also used as a diuretic to increase urine output.

8. Bugloss: diuretic, demulcent, and pectoral. The leaves, especially those grown near the root, can be made into an infusion to relieve fevers, headaches, and nervous complaints – it helps relieve inflammatory pains.

9. Wild Radish: the young leaves can be eaten raw or cooked. The flowers can be eaten raw and are a nice addition to salads. It is used for skin conditions and stomach disorders.

10. Nettle-Leaf Goosefoot: the leaves are a great source of vitamin A and C, as well as calcium. The seeds are also edible. It is agreed that leaves are best eaten cooked and that raw leaves should only be eaten in small quantities.

11. Juniper Berries: contains at least three powerful anti-inflammatory agents, and just a few drops added to almond oil can bring relief when rubbed into arthritic joints. Juniper berries are also good for the urinary tract, but only one to two berries are enough per day!

12. Astragalus: a potent anti-inflammatory that helps boost the immune system and slows or prevents the growth of tumors. It can be used as a tincture, in capsules or tablets, or used topically for the skin. It can be used dried in tea as well.

13. Mallow: used traditionally as an herbal remedy for asthma, bronchitis, coughing, throat infections, and emphysema. It can also be used to treat wounds or infections of the mouth, throat, stomach, and intestines. A tea can be made from the leaves or flowers, or it can be made into a salve to be used topically.

14. Spruce Tips: high in vitamin C, can be harvested in the spring from spruce trees and will have a bright lime-green hue. These can be eaten (a few at a time), or made into a super-concentrated-vitamin-c tea!

15. Mullein: can be used as an infusion in tea. Used to treat inflammation, coughs, congestion and general lung afflictions. It is a common “weed” that is often seen growing outdoors.

16. Hops: as a tea, it is used to treat digestive problems and often mixed with other herbs or plants, such as aloe, to soothe the muscles. It can also treat toothaches and sore throats.

17. Aloe: a cactus-like plant with thick leaves that can be squeezed to extrude a thick sap. This jelly can be used to treat burns, insect bites, and wounds.

18. Aspen: the inner bark (xylem) is used in tea to treat fever, coughs, and pains. It contains salicin, which is also found in willow trees and is one of the main ingredients found in Aspirin.

19. Beeswax: can be used as a salve for burns and insect bites (like bee stings). Should only be used externally.

20. Blackberry: the root, bark, and leaves can be crushed into a tea to treat diarrhea, reduce inflammation and stimulate metabolism. As a gargle, it can treat sore throats, mouth ulcers and inflammation of the gums.

21. Black Raspberry: the roots of this plant can be crushed and used as a tea or boiled and chewed to relieve coughs, diarrhea or other intestinal distress.

22. Chokecherry: these berries (once pitted and dried and crushed into a tea) can be used to treat coughs, colds, flu, nausea, inflammation, and diarrhea. As a salve or poultice, it can treat burns and wounds.

23. Echinacea: also known as purple coneflower, is used to strengthen the immune system as well as fight infections and fever. It can also be used as an antiseptic, and is useful in treating the common cold, chronic coughs, and the flu.

24. Feverfew: can be ingested as a tea, chewed, or taken as a tincture. It is a great fever remedy and is a natural anti-inflammatory, helping with general pain, itching, and joint stiffness. It can also be used as a salve or poultice.

25. Goldenrod: can be used as a tea, as well as a topical salve. It helps treat conditions like bronchitis, chest congestion, colds, the flu, inflammation, and sore throats, and can be used as an antiseptic for cuts and abrasions.

26. Red Clover: this beautiful little flower grows everywhere, and the entire plant can be used – flowers, leaves, roots and all! It can be infused as a tea or eaten in salads. It is used to manage inflammation, improve circulation and treat respiratory conditions.

27. Rose Hips: the fruit of wild roses, a major source of vitamin C. Can be used to treat colds and coughs, intestinal distress, as well as inflammation. It is also a great antiseptic. They have very fine hair-like fibers in the middle, so make sure they are extremely dried out before using, and then grind them up in a food processor and shake the batch in a sieve to have the hairs fall loose. Best made as a tea.

28. Sage: a far-reaching shrub across much of North America. It is a natural insect repellant and can be used for anything digestive-related, as well as colds and sore throats.

29. Valerian: the root can be used as an infusion in a tea to relieve muscle aches, pain and is said to have a calming effect.

30. Rosemary: a member of the pine family, can be eaten as a food, as tea, or in essential oil. It is used to treat inflammatory muscle pain, as well as improve circulation and boost metabolism.

31. Slippery Elm: ground from the bark of the red elm tree. It is best made into a tea and can treat a number of digestive issues such as relieving constipation. It is a great treatment for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), Chron’s disease, ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), diverticulitis and diarrhea. It can even be used to treat breast cancer!

32. Chaga: this mushroom that grows on a tree is hearty and one of the highest antioxidant foods out there! It can be boiled into a tea (it takes about 40 minutes to boil down) and is used for immune system support (like fighting cancer), ulcers and gastritis, normalizes blood pressure and cholesterol levels, is a major anti-viral and can help improve one’s mood.

Of course, there are many more plant medicines out there, so this is not an all-inclusive list. Always be sure to research these herbs before use.