The most important thing you should know about antibiotics!

Never expect a doctor to phone-in a prescription for an antibiotic without seeing you first. Why? To ensure your illness is in fact a bacterial infection, as viruses do not respond to antibiotics.

For example Influenza is a virus infection – this is why your doctor will never prescribe you antibiotics for this.

Knowing the difference between a viral and bacterial illness may save you time and money. Here are four tips to help you determine when an illness could be viral or bacterial. Take this advice only when you can’t see a doctor (when SHTF):

1. Location: A viral illness typically causes wide-spread symptoms. A bacteria usually causes site-specific symptoms, such as those involving the sinuses, throat, or chest.
2. Phlegm color: A virus may produce clear or cloudy mucous, if any. A bacterial illness typically causes colored phlegm (green, yellow, bloody or brown-tinged).
3. Duration of illness: Most viral illnesses last 2 to 10 days. A bacterial illness commonly will last longer than 10 days.
4. Fever. A viral infection may or may not cause a fever. A bacterial illness notoriously causes a fever (normal body temperature is 98.6, a fever is considered greater than 100 degrees Fahrenheit).

A person is no longer considered contagious once on an antibiotic for 24 hours and any fever has been resolved. (Source – Dr. Linda Petter)

If your symptoms do not resolve, or if at any time you develop a severe headache or neck pain, persistent nausea / vomiting or a fever, be sure to see a doctor promptly.

What Antibiotics to Stockpile

No antibiotic is effective against every type of microbe. Certain ones will kill aerobic bacteria, others are used for anaerobic bacteria, still others are effective against resistant strains, and certain people are allergic to or intolerant of various antibiotics.

Instead of buying 10 types of antibiotics (many having similar substances) you should consider 4-5 with totally different actions, so if the bacteria is resistant to one of them, you have 4 totally different “solutions” to try.

This, of course, only if you don’t have access to a clinic where they can test the bacterial resistance to these antibiotics first.

For example if you took Amoxicillin with no effect, there is no need to try other penicillin based antibiotics (Carbenicillin, Cloxacillin, Flucloxacillin, Oxacillin, Methicillin an so on) so you can exclude a wide range.

But the antibiotics listed bellow should work for most bacterial diseases, including Most Common Biological Weapons (like Anthrax – 90% mortality without treatment in the first 3-6 days).

The 3 Antibiotics You’ll Need

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1. Clarithromycin

Clarithromycin is a macrolide antibiotic. It fights bacteria in your body.

Clarithromycin is used to treat many different types of bacterial infections affecting the skin and respiratory system. If the bacteria seems to be resistant to Amoxicillin, this is the next best thing one should try when SHTF.

Contains Erythromycin and can be substituted with. Don’t take both antibiotics at the same time.

Update – at the suggestion of Dr. M (comment area):  Zithromax (also a macrolide antibiotic) is a very good (better in many ways) substitute for Clarithromycin. But it is less active against Helicobacter pylori.

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2. Ciprofloxacin

Ciprofloxacin is an antibiotic in a group of drugs called fluoroquinolones.

Ciprofloxacin is useful for anthrax, urinary tract and prostate infections, diverticulitis and many forms of pneumonia and bronchitis.

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3. Metronidazole

Metronidazole belongs to a class of antibiotics known as nitroimidazoles.

Metronidazole is used to treat parasitic and bacterial infections including Giardia infections of the small intestine, colon infections, liver abscess, vaginal infections (not yeast), fungating wounds, intra-abdominal infections, lung abscess and gingivitis.

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How to store antibiotics?

Every antibiotic has its own particular decay rate, as proteins (oligopeptides) are subject to hydrolyzation, the main form of attack (heat and moisture are the enemy).

So, if you plan on long term storage, the individual foil packs are the best choice. Then pack them in sealed containers with dessicants to be sure.

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For how long is it still safe to take antibiotics after the expiration date?

The American Medical Association (AMA) conducted a study and concluded that the actual shelf life of some products is longer than the labeled expiration date.

Manufacturers put expiration dates on for marketing, rather than scientific, reasons,” said Mr. Flaherty, a formal pharmacist at the FDA. “It’s not profitable for them to have products on a shelf for 10 years. They want turnover.”

With time, most antibiotics simply become less effective.

So maybe the question should be “for how long these antibiotics are expected to still have effects?”

Amoxicillin (tablets) – 5 years after the expiration date;

Clarithromycin and Doxycycline (tablets) – 5 years after the expiration date;

Ciprofloxacin (tablets) – 10 years after the expiration date;

Metronidazole (tablets) – 3 years after expiration date;

We live in perplexing times. It’s almost inconceivable to think that there’s a war being waged against food, an absolute and undeniable necessity of life. Yet, here we stand, on the precipice of what looks like a catastrophic agenda against global sustenance.

So, what’s this newfound hostility against the thing that keeps us alive?

Take a deep breath. Farming uses nitrogen, and suddenly, nitrogen is the new antagonist in the tale of global warming. The narrative is simple: eliminate nitrogen, save the world. Yet, in the name of “preservation,” entire segments of our food production are under siege.

Consider rice – a staple for half the world’s population. Renowned agencies claim, “Rice accounts for roughly 10% of global methane emissions,” emphasizing the urgent need to curtail its production. But the ramifications? Starvation for billions.

Look to the Netherlands for further evidence. Dutch farmers, the backbone of a nation that is a leading exporter of meat and agricultural products, are being chased off their lands. A staggering number, 3,000 farms, are forecasted to be confiscated in the coming years. The tragic fallout is evident, with a reported 20 to 30 farmers tragically ending their lives annually.

Our friends in Europe are no strangers to these baffling decisions either. The European Commission greenlit a strategy to compensate livestock farmers for halting their operations in certain areas – with a stipulation that they never resume their animal breeding activities. The implications are clear: a drop in global food availability and an inevitable spike in prices.

Remember Sri Lanka’s ill-fated venture into 100% organic farming? The island nation faced a humanitarian nightmare with a staggering 90% of its population on the brink of starvation.

And the Western leaders’ stance on agriculture? Eric Utter encapsulates it perfectly in American Thinker, “The attack on farming by Western leaders is shockingly negligent. It’s criminal.” Especially when such views ignore the glaring fact that while agriculture may account for 33% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, it simultaneously sustains every single human being on this planet.

Organizations like the World Economic Forum tout visions of a “farm-free future,” dreaming of a world where food is crafted in sterile labs and humans are herded into congested urban centers. Toss digital currency into this dystopian mix, and you have the ultimate formula for absolute dominance.

In our modern era, the recipe is simple: concoct a crisis, even if none existed.

• Incite racial tension among children.
• Reverse the progress women achieved over decades.
• Worsen shortages and tamper with the money supply.
• Tackle borders haphazardly.
• Condemn specific foods, close farms, or incite wars to create famine.
• Muzzle voices of dissent by labeling truth as “misinformation.”

A tactic reminiscent of Cloward and Piven: create a crisis, then implement severe measures to address that very crisis.

Our global food supply is now in peril, thanks to overblown reactions to this so-called “nitrogen issue“. But why this apathy? Sri Lanka, for instance, is an alarming testament to this flawed approach.

The truth remains that nitrogen is pivotal for plant metabolism. Without commercial nitrogen fertilizers, hunger was a dire reality in many corners of the world. If we shun these fertilizers, we voluntarily invite famine back into our lives. The idea of bug diets, ‘rewilding,‘ and organic farming might sound avant-garde, but they certainly won’t satisfy the global hunger.

It’s glaringly evident that this isn’t just about combating climate change. At its core, it’s an insidious bid for control.

In the profound words of Ayn Rand, “We can ignore reality, but we cannot ignore the consequences of ignoring reality.“

The world stands at a critical juncture.

It’s time to confront these disguised agendas and defend our plates.

After all, when the stakes are survival, there’s no room for compromise.

Recent world crises and the resultant weakening of the global economy has left many fearing the worst. There is talk of a global recession, or worse yet, a complete collapse of the economy.

While it is impossible to say whether such a severe economic downturn is upon us, understanding how to survive a potential economic collapse (whether now or in the future) could save you and your family when the times get tough. 

WHAT IS AN ECONOMIC COLLAPSE?

An economic collapse is defined as a severe breakdown of the economy at a national, regional, or territorial level. It is a broad term used to describe bad economic conditions that are not part of the ordinary business cycle of expansion and contraction.

An economic collapse usually signals the start of a significant economic contraction, recession, or depression, which can last months or even many years.

WHAT CAUSES AN ECONOMIC COLLAPSE?

There are various events and circumstances that can trigger an economic collapse, which makes it difficult to attribute it to a single cause. An economic collapse can happen suddenly as a result of an unexpected crisis such as the onset of a war, natural disaster, political unrest, and various other events.

It can also be the culmination of a series of events or ongoing circumstances which signal a weakening and fragility of the economy. 

WHAT ARE THE RESULTS OF AN ECONOMIC COLLAPSE?

The results of an economic collapse are equally difficult to predict, as the ripple effects of a severe economic downturn are widespread and impossible to accurately track. Some general and obvious results of an economic collapse are:

• A rise in job loss and unemployment. 
• Loss of value of investment markets which results in the average investor losing significant value in their portfolio.
• Slowing of production, and therefore less new innovation, fewer startups, and so forth. 
• A potential hyperinflationary environment in extreme cases where the cost of basic items increases dramatically.
• An increase in poverty which can also lead to crime, civil unrest, and various other social issues.
• Widespread business failures leading to shutting down of companies and laying off of staff. 

HOW TO PREPARE FOR AN ECONOMIC COLLAPSE

Preparation is key in order to successfully survive an economic collapse. It is important to not become too complacent when the good times are rolling, as you never know when the situation may change for the worse.

Follow these practical guidelines to ensure you are well prepared :

1. KEEP AN EMERGENCY FUND

Having liquid cash safely deposited in a savings account with your bank can be a lifesaver in times of economic crisis. First of it all, it will retain its value while market linked assets such as equities deteriorate.

Secondly, it will provide you with the best liquidity so that you can quickly access your money during a time of extreme need. It is recommended to keep at least 3 – 6 months’ worth of expenses in an emergency fund.  

2. BECOME DEBT FREE

The additional pressure of carrying debt if there is an economic collapse can put you in an extremely difficult situation. You should start working towards becoming debt free today.

This will reduce your monthly expenditure and will keep you from landing up in a precarious position should you lose your job in the future. Begin by paying off your highest interest debt such as credit cards and other short-term loans, and then move onto lower interest debts such as house mortgages. 

3. CREATE ADDITIONAL INCOME SOURCES

The risk of losing your primary job is elevated during an economic recession or collapse. You can mitigate the negative consequences of this by creating additional sources of income now before the bad times are afoot.

We live in an age of boundless opportunities to make money on the side remotely. You can start your own web business or do freelance consulting work.

Even if you have a great job, it is well worth diversifying your income sources and establishing other ways to sustain yourself. Even a few hundred dollars a month can make a big difference in a time of need. 

4. REDUCE UNNECESSARY SPENDING

Most people tend to spend recklessly when times are good and then suddenly try to adjust when there is a downturn or they lose their job. This is a big mistake for two reasons: 

• Firstly, if you make overspending a habit in your regular life, it becomes extremely difficult to adjust your spending habits when you need to do so. If you practice living with less even during the good times, it will be much easier during a financial squeeze. 
• Secondly, wasting unnecessary money on a regular basis means you have less to put into savings each month. We spoke about the importance of having an emergency fund, and living off less now can help you keep that fund growing for when the rainy day comes.  

5. MAINTAIN A DIVERSIFIED INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO

Entire markets and industries can deteriorate during an economic collapse, while others might be more protected. Maintaining a diversified investment portfolio will ensure that you are not overexposed to one specific asset class, sector of the economy, or graphical region.

While your overall asset value might still decline significantly, you will be more protected from the risk of complete financial ruin if you keep your eggs in different baskets. 

6. STOCKPILE FOOD AND OTHER SUPPLIES

During severe economic collapses, like the one experienced by Venezuela in current times, or the Great Depression of the 1930s, even things like basic food and other supplies can be in shortage.

Even if supplies are available, a hyperinflationary environment can make basic necessities completely unaffordable. It is always a good idea to keep a stockpile of food and other essential supplies (e.g., medicines, toiletries, paper supplies, tools, etc.) that can last you more than a year in tough times. This may also protect you from other crises such as natural disasters, war, etc. 

One step further is to learn to grow your own food. If you have a small garden in which you could plant a few crops, start learning how to prepare the soil and grow some basic fruit and vegetables. Not only will it make you less reliant on a potentially failing economic system, but will be an extremely rewarding process too. 

7. LEARN BASIC SKILLS

Basic DIY skills are invaluable during an economic crisis. Instead of paying someone to repair your car or fix your house, you can do it yourself for free. You could even earn some additional income by providing these services to others. Examples of basic skills that can save you money and bring great fulfilment during difficult times include things like:

• Baking bread and making other foot items from scratch (e.g., pickles, jams, fermented vegetables, yoghurt, etc.)
• Growing your own vegetables and herbs
• Sewing
• First aid and caring for a sick child
• Mechanic work such as fixing cars, motorbikes, bicycles, etc.
• Building and repairing household items such as furniture and shelves
• Basic electrical and plumbing work

8. ESTABLISH STRONG CONNECTIONS

One of your most valuable resources are the people who are close to you. When times are difficult, it is important to work together with close friends and family to overcome the challenges.

You will have a much better chance of making it through compared to trying to tough it out alone. Start building strong relationships with those who are close to you, like neighbours, friends, and family. Having the mutual understanding that you can depend on each other in difficult times is a great comfort. 

You can also practice the habit of mutual exchange (i.e., bartering), where you offer your skills in exchange for something that the other can give. This can help you circumvent the traditional economy and help you move more towards the “sharing economy”. This also reminds us of the importance of learning as many basic skills as possible, so that you may help others in need and receive their support in kind. 

HOW TO SURVIVE DURING AN ECONOMIC COLLAPSE

Hopefully you will be well prepared to deal with an economic collapse when it comes having followed the above steps. However, it is impossible to perfectly predict how a collapse in the economy will play out, and you will need to deal with the situation that is presented to you at the time. Here are a few additional steps you may need to take when you are actually faced with an economic collapse:

1. DISCUSS THE SITUATION WITH YOUR HOUSEHOLD 

The very first thing you should do is sit down with the members of your household and discuss the situation with them. Go over your finances together and work together to come up with a plan of how you will navigate these difficult times together.

It is important that you are all on the same page, but also to know that everyone has their own approach and attitude to dealing with money. How you resolve these differences and work together will have a big impact on your ability to deal with the challenging times, and strengthen your relationships in the process. 

2. FURTHER REDUCE EXPENSES AS NEEDED

In preparation for a recession, you would have practiced living off less. When you are faced with an actual economic collapse, you may have to further adjust your spending habits to be able to cover your monthly expenses. In most cases, it is quite possible to maintain a good quality of life while cutting out unnecessary expenditures. Start by cutting out spending on all the things which are not necessary for you to live on, and finding ways to reduce the costs of the things you do need. Some ways that you may be able to reduce your spending include:

• Cut out discretionary spending (i.e., stop buying things you can do without) like luxury items, new clothes that you don’t need, new gadgets, etc.) 
• Reduce transportation costs by carpooling, using public transport, walking or cycling, etc.
• Reduce housing costs by moving to a cheaper area, subletting out part of your house, or even moving in with family until your financial situation improves. 
• Reduce food costs by cooking at home instead of going out to eat. Also refrain from buying too many luxury food items that you don’t really need and instead buy simple, healthy food. 

3. GET MUTUAL SUPPORT FROM FRIENDS AND FAMILY

We spoke about the importance of building strong relationships when preparing for an economic collapse. Well, here is the time to lean on the solid bonds you have created by not being afraid to ask for support. You should also help and share your skills and resources with others who are in need. 

4. PROTECT YOUR HOME AND FAMILY

Extreme economic collapses and recessions can lead to social degradation such as more violent crime, petty theft, scams, and so on. This has been clearly demonstrated in Venezuela and is one of the reasons why so many citizens have fled the country. You may need to take action to safeguard your home and protect your family from criminals and other dangers during a severe recession. 

5. KEEP EARNING

If at all possible, make sure to keep the money flowing in. If you have a job, go the extra mile to prove that you are a valuable employee. You should be seen as the last person to be laid off in your employer’s eyes.

In the meantime, keep networking and working on generating alternative income streams so that you are not left stranded without any income if your employer does need to shut down. 

6. DON’T STOP ENJOYING LIFE

Finally, and most importantly, don’t allow yourself to be ruled by fear and sadness. There is no reason to stop enjoying and appreciating life just because you are faced with economic difficulties.

Be grateful for the things you do still have and keep having fun in the ways you can with those you hold dear. You should try to see the situation as a challenge on your creativity and flexibility, and encourage friends and family to come up with inventive ways to have fun without spending money all the time. 

CONCLUSION

Of all the disasters which can face a society, an economic collapse is one of the most challenging to deal with. Due to its nebulous nature and widespread impacts, it is very difficult to escape its effects. Being adequately prepared to deal with a sever economic downturn before it arises, and knowing how to respond when you are faced with it, is vital in order to make it through intact.

You will probably have to accept that you will be impacted one way or another, but the severity can be greatly reduced with the right approach. Most important of all is to continue living with joy and hope in the midst of the difficult times, and not get sucked into needless fear and anxiety. 

Preppers have a term for the civil unrest and chaos that could follow an SHTF scenario, and it is “WROL.” WROL stands for “Without Rule of Law” and is the thing that survivalists prepare for especially. Images of ‘Mad Max’ come to mind, in a society where the society has broken down and it’s every man for himself.

However, what about all the places on the continuum that are this side of WROL, which are far more likely to be experienced? What about a scenario where the economy collapses or is on the verge of collapse and crime skyrockets, but we still have police trying their best to keep order?

Whatever situation we find ourselves in, we all want to know how to stay safe, and only the young studs among us are naive enough to think that they can be vigilant enough with their stockpile of guns to not have to worry.

There are two main strategies that I advocate for wiser men to employ in order to stay safe when the SHTF happens and you realize that you can’t walk around with a gun in your hand 24/7.

Strategy 1: Gray Man

This strategy says that you want to blend in and not attract attention. You don’t want to be the person that someone would remember in a crowd. If you wear drab clothing instead of expense stuff from “The North Face” and avoid camouflage and cool tactical clothing, then nobody will think twice about you.

By not dressing to be a victim or advertising that you are a prepper that has expensive gear, you will avoid the two biggest mistakes that people make to attract bad guys who want to rob you of nice stuff.

Strategy 2: The Dummy Wallet

If you are ever confronted by a man (or men) who want your wallet, there is absolutely no reason not to give it to them except for your pride. Whatever you have in your wallet cannot possibly be worth the bruises and possibly stitches and a trip to the urgent care center that will almost certainly result from a fight: even if you win.

Above everything else, preppers want to be smart. They want to be prepared so that they have no regrets and maybe can even say “I told you so” after they are proven right with all their preps.

It isn’t really smart to get into a fight to defend a wallet. A trip to the emergency room will set you back at least the cost of your insurance deductible plus ruin your day, or much worse.

If you have your money and credit cards in your front pocket in a money clip and have some expired credit cards and store loyalty cards and maybe $30 in cash in your wallet, you can cheerfully give the bad guy your wallet knowing that you’re not out much and go happily on your way.

The dummy wallet trick is what separates the men from the boys. Boys want to be tough and win fights. Men want to be smart and win fights by never having to engage in them in the first place.

Now, if an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, what about preventing yourself from ever being caught without supplies and gear in case you are away from home when something strikes?

An emergency preparedness kit in your car trunk is worth a pound of cure and could even be worth your life, if it enables you to hunker down and stay put instead of risking a commute home when there is civil unrest and chaos and rioting in the streets.

If you have any dissatisfaction with my content, you can tell me here and I will fix the problem, because I care about every reader and even more so about your opinion!

With rising fears about the current debt crisis global, many people are worried for the economy and living conditions. The smart analysts admit that the economy will worsen and are learning how to survive a coming great depression.

If things really worsen you will want to be prepared. Here are 9 simple ways on how to survive the coming great depression.

1) Store Your Food.

Food is a necessity to life. Don’t become one of the panic merchants hunting for food when its too late. Most families don’t have enough food to last them 4 weeks in a recent study. So don’t become one of the statistics.

2) Store Clean Water.

You can survive without food for weeks, but without water you can perish quickly. Your body is made up of more than 80% water and some say it is the foundation to life. If the water is cut off to your home what is your plan? Make sure you are stocking water in case an emergency situation arises.

3) Store Sharp Tool.

Tools such as an axe are simple but effective when gathering firewood, and hunting. Without a sharp tool, you life can be very difficult. You will want to have this tool and a sharpener close by, especially if live in an area that experience power failures.

4) Keep Warm.

Store firewood, matches, lighters to help keep you and your family warm at night. If there was a true emergency situation, how can you light a fire without these tools. Also it is a good idea to store candles. They are extremely cheap and reliable if the electricity is somehow shut off.

5) Keep a radio handy.

In all major crisis’s you want to be able to look after your family right? So you will want to know what is going on in the outside world. If there is a major power failure how will you keep up to date. With a radio you are able to keep up to date with the latest news, and events.

6) Store toiletries.

Personal hygiene is a must in any situation, good or bad. Be sure to store plenty of toilet paper, shampoo, soap, toothbrushes, and other necessary products to get your through your daily hygiene rituals. We sometimes take these things for granted in our society. What would happen to you if one day all these items simply became unavailable?

7) Store Extra Gasoline.

This is a must in any situation, but especially if the economic situation gets worse. Inflation would creep in and send gas prices sky high, so stocking up on gas prices while they are cheap now will not hurt in the long run. Not only will you save money, but you will be well prepare if you have to move from one location to the other quickly, or need to travel somewhere urgently.

8) Make Good Friends With Neighbors.

Ever heard the saying two heads are better than one? Well you should get to know your neighbor yesterday. Forming small communities back in the great depression was how they each got by from day to day. For moral support and to help each other with food and water. This is a powerful way to get by hard times.

9) Have a Simple Backup Plan.

In today’s day and age, many people just simply rely on the government or other people. If the economy was to fail tomorrow these people would be in serious trouble. Have a failsafe backup plan for everything. If you rely on one system that is not designed for the conditions you are left with. You are bound to fail. Make sure you are ready today, and have several backup plans in case one of them systematically fails.

If you have any dissatisfaction with my content, you can tell me here and I will fix the problem, because I care about every reader and even more so about your opinion!

When I am asked how preppers stockpile food for an economic collapse or other emergency, I am often surprised by the reaction that people have. They naturally assume that I have a bunch of pallets of Army MRE’s or freeze-dried survival meals in the garage.

Don’t get me wrong, if I had a rich man’s bank account I might have a climate controlled bunker stockpiled with freeze-dried survival meals. But I live in the real world and as a Prepper Consultant I have to advise people who don’t have unlimited resources.

So how does a typical prepper stockpile food for an economic collapse or other “SHTF” (Sewage Hits The Fan) scenario? First, it is nothing as glamorous as what you might see on an episode of “Doomsday Preppers.”

Step one is to divide your thinking and your food storage into short-term and long-term. Short-term is thought of as the food storage you have to last you for up to 3 months. Long-term is considered food storage that will last you up to one year.

The thing about short-term food storage is that it includes all the items in your pantry that you eat every day. It is constantly rotated and used up before it goes out of date. There is nothing exotic or freeze-dried and certainly no Army MRE’s.

Long-term food storage may be freeze-dried, but that is some very expensive food. More likely, it is food that is in Number 10 cans that you can get from a LDS (Latter Day Saints, or “Mormon) church cannery. These foods are staples like wheat, flour, potato flakes and oats that will last in their cans for 10-20 years, so rotating them is not a major consideration.

The thing about these long-term food stores is that, since they are not “just-add-water” emergency / survival foods, you actually have to know how to cook.

So Job One for a serious prepper is that each week they want to be cooking at least one meal from items in their long-term food storage, to ensure that when the time comes, they will be already acclimated to using them.

Stockpiling food this way is both very practical and very economical and can be done step by step instead of requiring a single, budget-busting purchase of survival foods from some online store.

However, preppers do more than stockpile food for an economic collapse or other emergency. Preppers are also thinking about being stranded in their cars away from their supplies and are thinking about what they will do if the power grid goes down.

If one would wish to define America and Americans, the best way is to provide a category and framework in which wars play the most prominent role. Almost from the beginning of the discovery of the American continent there have been wars, in some cases “small wars” and in others great wars.
However there are three major wars which are mostly referred to as boundaries by which United States evolved from a few haphazard colonies to a global power.
The first, a refinery war that began to form an almost distinguished state is the War of Independence; in this war colonies got their independence from their one time British citizens.

The next war, which would be focused more upon, is the civil war. In this war the divided nation experiences the first major impact of racialization. There were disagreements between the white Anglo Saxon Protestants about the way the blacks and mostly slaves are treated. In the south, there was that image of a black slave as an inferior rouge character who is to be subdued and in some cases brutalized since it is not white, does not belong to the Anglo-Saxon origins and is in most cases heathen. That color-line created a war and in that war a complete and united American nation was given birth. They gathered around that ideal of American-ness and in that process those opponents were dealt with by guns.

The next war which is some how important as the last phase of American identity and self-conception of Americans as the people of the United States is the Second World War. Until mid-20th century the United States was preparing itself and was trying to have an understanding of itself as a nation. AS Philip Gleason (1980) said, this war “enhanced national unity and a common sense of national belonging”. Almost from the early days of the republic struggles around the ethno-racial line existed. The westward movement and the need to portrait Indians as “savage”, uncivilizable, masculine, and ignorant people so that they could unite Americans to win what Max Boot called the “savage wars of peace”, is an example of the continuing process of otherization.

Actually in the US, the demand for construction and often demonization of other ethnic and racial peoples is a permanent issue. What is interesting is the other side of this otherization which gives the opposite attributes cast upon the so-called savages to the white Anglo-Saxon generations. In its simple form evil versus good and these adjectives would go completely in different directions to construct two apparently different ethno-racial groups.
Samuel Huntington very truly mentions wars as things which have a very significant impact on a nation’s return to and cementing of its primary self-conception. Worrying about the core American identity, he says (ibid):

External wars may stimulate controversies and disunity within countries…. If on the other hand, “barbarians” fundamentally threaten or are perceived to threaten the existence of the country, more positive consequences may follow…. This is certainly true for America.

He refers to American Civil War, Cold War and also the last but not the least “War on Terror” as three great times during which that sense of understanding oneself as American and as part of the United States was at its height. The last of these three, the newly introduced war on terror is the item to be studied in terms of situation of ethno-racial groups within and without the US.
The wave of American nationalism and that sense of “all for one” is described by Huntington (2004):

Probably never in the past, was the flag as omnipresent as it was after September 11.it was everywhere: homes, business, automobiles, clothes, furniture, windows, and storefronts… telephone posts.

Now it seems that the United States is looking to expand that compliance that one was asked from Indians, Blacks, from another ethno-racial group in the Middle East. Simply, the compliance needs guns and guns need justifications. Justifications are again like the rest of the past cases. There is a need for construction/demonization of the Muslim/Arab groups to show them as savages in need of civilization.
One example of this recurrent demonization theme is the term “Indian country” which is used in the American army to define the territory of Middle East.

By defining America in the global arena as the innocent against the evil and arrogant evil terrorists (who are highly likely to be Arab Muslims, of course) the United States Government is creating another ethno-racial line by which some are considered as American and others are anti-Americanists (and thus demons). This attempt is well accompanied by the past efforts of Orientalists who presented a picture of orient so useful to western civilization especially the European continent. Thus to bring the torches of civilization to the Middle East, the good fights with all its goodness against the other evil.

There are parallels and contrasts between US domestic and foreign policies. In terms of parallels, there are clashes among different ethno-racial groups within the US; that is, what is the construction of other identities in a broader and global level can be considered as parallel to the construction of some ethno-racial groups within the United States. As an example of this demonization, one could refer to Hispanic community as a newly defined others who have attacked the Americans’ self conception of themselves as people of White Anglo-Saxon Protestants. Huntington is one of those adhering and intensifying that difference and looks for dealing with the new threats to the US against the more cosmopolitan politicians like democrats of the 90s.

There is a contrast between what is going on in US domestic policy and US foreign policy. While there are attempts within the United States to remove all the barriers of the system in favor of an equal ethno-racial model and erase any signs of division among Americans, in terms of foreign policy there is something completely vice-versa. That division is now exported into the global scene and at the turn of the new millennium, it is Muslim Arabs (not to include Iranians) who are to bear the burden of otherization and demonization in the name of “War On terror”. The result for US domestics is highly likely to be unity, as argued before in this article.

However the writer believes that the division within the global arena will cause a division within the United States and there would be clashes between cosmopolitanism and American exceptionalism/ nationalism.

If one would wish to define America and Americans, the best way is to provide a category and framework in which wars play the most prominent role. Almost from the beginning of the discovery of the American continent there have been wars, in some cases “small wars” and in others great wars.
However there are three major wars which are mostly referred to as boundaries by which United States evolved from a few haphazard colonies to a global power.
The first, a refinery war that began to form an almost distinguished state is the War of Independence; in this war colonies got their independence from their one time British citizens.

The next war, which would be focused more upon, is the civil war. In this war the divided nation experiences the first major impact of racialization. There were disagreements between the white Anglo Saxon Protestants about the way the blacks and mostly slaves are treated. In the south, there was that image of a black slave as an inferior rouge character who is to be subdued and in some cases brutalized since it is not white, does not belong to the Anglo-Saxon origins and is in most cases heathen. That color-line created a war and in that war a complete and united American nation was given birth. They gathered around that ideal of American-ness and in that process those opponents were dealt with by guns.

The next war which is some how important as the last phase of American identity and self-conception of Americans as the people of the United States is the Second World War. Until mid-20th century the United States was preparing itself and was trying to have an understanding of itself as a nation. AS Philip Gleason (1980) said, this war “enhanced national unity and a common sense of national belonging”. Almost from the early days of the republic struggles around the ethno-racial line existed. The westward movement and the need to portrait Indians as “savage”, uncivilizable, masculine, and ignorant people so that they could unite Americans to win what Max Boot called the “savage wars of peace”, is an example of the continuing process of otherization.

Actually in the US, the demand for construction and often demonization of other ethnic and racial peoples is a permanent issue. What is interesting is the other side of this otherization which gives the opposite attributes cast upon the so-called savages to the white Anglo-Saxon generations. In its simple form evil versus good and these adjectives would go completely in different directions to construct two apparently different ethno-racial groups.
Samuel Huntington very truly mentions wars as things which have a very significant impact on a nation’s return to and cementing of its primary self-conception. Worrying about the core American identity, he says (ibid):

External wars may stimulate controversies and disunity within countries…. If on the other hand, “barbarians” fundamentally threaten or are perceived to threaten the existence of the country, more positive consequences may follow…. This is certainly true for America.

He refers to American Civil War, Cold War and also the last but not the least “War on Terror” as three great times during which that sense of understanding oneself as American and as part of the United States was at its height. The last of these three, the newly introduced war on terror is the item to be studied in terms of situation of ethno-racial groups within and without the US.
The wave of American nationalism and that sense of “all for one” is described by Huntington (2004):

Probably never in the past, was the flag as omnipresent as it was after September 11.it was everywhere: homes, business, automobiles, clothes, furniture, windows, and storefronts… telephone posts.

Now it seems that the United States is looking to expand that compliance that one was asked from Indians, Blacks, from another ethno-racial group in the Middle East. Simply, the compliance needs guns and guns need justifications. Justifications are again like the rest of the past cases. There is a need for construction/demonization of the Muslim/Arab groups to show them as savages in need of civilization.
One example of this recurrent demonization theme is the term “Indian country” which is used in the American army to define the territory of Middle East.

By defining America in the global arena as the innocent against the evil and arrogant evil terrorists (who are highly likely to be Arab Muslims, of course) the United States Government is creating another ethno-racial line by which some are considered as American and others are anti-Americanists (and thus demons). This attempt is well accompanied by the past efforts of Orientalists who presented a picture of orient so useful to western civilization especially the European continent. Thus to bring the torches of civilization to the Middle East, the good fights with all its goodness against the other evil.

There are parallels and contrasts between US domestic and foreign policies. In terms of parallels, there are clashes among different ethno-racial groups within the US; that is, what is the construction of other identities in a broader and global level can be considered as parallel to the construction of some ethno-racial groups within the United States. As an example of this demonization, one could refer to Hispanic community as a newly defined others who have attacked the Americans’ self conception of themselves as people of White Anglo-Saxon Protestants. Huntington is one of those adhering and intensifying that difference and looks for dealing with the new threats to the US against the more cosmopolitan politicians like democrats of the 90s.

There is a contrast between what is going on in US domestic policy and US foreign policy. While there are attempts within the United States to remove all the barriers of the system in favor of an equal ethno-racial model and erase any signs of division among Americans, in terms of foreign policy there is something completely vice-versa. That division is now exported into the global scene and at the turn of the new millennium, it is Muslim Arabs (not to include Iranians) who are to bear the burden of otherization and demonization in the name of “War On terror”. The result for US domestics is highly likely to be unity, as argued before in this article.

However the writer believes that the division within the global arena will cause a division within the United States and there would be clashes between cosmopolitanism and American exceptionalism/ nationalism.

Under international law, personal self-defense is a well-established human right and is an important foundation of international law itself as well as the constitution of America. From 1893 to 1896, the United States Supreme Court handed down a series of decisions involving self-defense and the carrying and use of firearms for self- defense. These cases laid the foundation for a 1921 opinion, authored by Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, which became the most important armed self- defense case in American legal history, upholding and extending the right to armed self-defense.

Self-defense is a legal protection for the use of force; even deadly force to protect one’s life or the life of a third party. The concept has roots back to Roman law and English Common Law, and, in the United States, has been refined over a series of historic self-defense cases in the Supreme Court. In many cases, but not all, the issue of self-defense has been connected with shooting deaths and the right to bear arms. While the Supreme Court has outlined principles governing self-defense as a legal concept, individual states are left to legislate the specific limits within their own jurisdictions.

Consider this. You have just finished buying groceries one evening and are on the way to your vehicle, when you are confronted by a stranger who demands your money. You push him away in an attempt to escape. He trips and falls, hitting his head against the ground. The police arrive and everything is sorted out. You are sent on your way and the stranger is carted off to the hospital. You find out several days later, the stranger died due to the traumatic brain injury he received when his head hit the ground. Several weeks later, you are served papers which indicate you are being sued by the stranger’s family for Wrongful Death, due to your negligence. Is this possible?

The central idea behind a Wrongful Death lawsuit is that through negligence, carelessness or recklessness, someone died. These lawsuits, usually brought forth on behalf of the surviving family members, attempt to collect damages for expenses related to the death, pain and suffering experienced by the survivors and for future earnings of the deceased.

There is also the possibility of a Personal Injury lawsuit in which the injured party attempts to collect damages for their injuries based on negligence or intentional wrongdoing.

What rights do civilians have when using force to prevent injury to themselves or others? What are the legal limitations and implications on use of force by civilians? What legal thresholds will be examined by the Courts? What specific type of force can be used in self defense?

To answer these questions, let’s look at this from another perspective.

The Odds of Death

Consider the following odds of death as they relate to personal risk. These numbers vary to some degree depending on the annual totals. These odds are calculated by the National Safety Council on the most recently released data from 2004.

Plane Crash

• One-year odds are 1 in 400,000.
• Lifetime odds are 1 in 5,000.

In this context, would the Court consider it unusual or negligent for flight attendants to skip the safety instructions given to passengers?

Accidental Drowning

• One-year odds are 1 in 88,772.
• Lifetime odds are 1 in 1,140.

In this context, would the Court consider it unusual or negligent for the owner of a pool to ignore reasonable efforts towards adult supervision while inviting young neighborhood children to use the pool anytime they wish?

Falls

• One year odds are 1 in 15,614.
• Lifetime odds are 1 in 200.

In this context, would the Court consider it unusual or negligent for the owner of a home to invite others over for a barbecue on the upper deck, knowing the guard rails are loose and broken?

Accidental poisoning

• One-year odds are 1 in 14,107.
• Lifetime odds are 1 in 180.

In this context, would the Court consider it unusual or negligent for the owner of a business to have unidentified hazardous materials in the break room?

Motor Vehicle Accident

• One-year odds are 1 in 6,535.
• Lifetime odds are 1 in 84.

In this context, would the Court consider it unusual or negligent for automobile manufacturers to sell automobiles without safety restraints?

Using the same formula, I have crunched some numbers regarding Crime.

Assault

• One-year odds are 1 in 25,263.
• Lifetime odds are 1 in 217.

In this context, would the Court consider it unusual or negligent for the intended victim to use force to escape or protect themselves?

The odds of being a victim of any type of Crime are approximately 8%.

In this context, would the Court consider it unusual or negligent for the intended victim to use force to escape or protect themselves?

The odds of being a victim of Violent Crime, not necessarily involving death, are 1-2%. In this context, would the Court consider it unusual or negligent for the intended victim to use force to escape or protect themselves?

What Does The Law Allow?

Almost all states within the United States allow civilians to use reasonable force in protection of their own or someone else’s property or life. Check your own state statutes, as they vary considerably from state to state.

Most of these statutes do not define what reasonable force is. Using the example we opened with, is it reasonable to push someone down who is demanding your money, but is not displaying, brandishing or threatening you with a weapon? This is where it gets tricky. Let’s assume, for argument’s sake, that the stranger, who died from the brain injury after you pushed him, was found to have a concealed knife in his pocket? Does this make any difference?

Let’s change the scenario. The same stranger produces a handgun and demands your money. You, being a legally licensed handgun permit holder, pull your handgun and shoot him. He dies. The police discover the handgun he pulled on you is really a BB gun, or a toy gun. Does this change your liability?

The bottom line is that the courts will look at several factors.

• Do you have the legal (statutory) authority to use force, and under what conditions?
• Were those conditions present at the time of the incident?
• Were you a reluctant participant? Did you create or exacerbate the problem?
• Did you consider retreating? Was it reasonable to consider retreating?
• Was the force you used reasonable, given your perception of the events?

The problem most civilians confront when using force is that they do not understand what is reasonable. The legal definition of reasonable: “what is appropriate for a particular situation?” This definition is generally applied in the law of Negligence. It is the standard of care that a reasonably prudent person would observe under a certain set of conditions. Someone who exercises such standards would not be negligent.

Let’s go back to our example. Is it reasonable for the intended victim to push a stranger away who is demanding their money? Of course it is. We frequently hear about death and injuries that result from these types of crimes. If the civilian’s perception is that they are about to be hurt or injured as a result of a crime, it is reasonable to use force to escape.

Was it reasonable for the civilian to shoot the stranger demanding money, when the gun the stranger was using is a toy gun? Yes, it is. The civilian has no duty or obligation to ask the stranger if the gun he is holding in his hand is a toy gun or a BB gun. The civilian’s perception at the time of the incident is that the stranger is holding a real gun, with real bullets, and he might shoot.

Civilians do not have the same mission as law enforcement officers have. Police are required by their mission and policy to respond to, and deal with, circumstances that may require use of force. Civilians are not required to get involved in any situation requiring the use of force. Civilians are not sent out to intervene in anything. Civilians can walk away from everything.

Civilians do, however, have almost the same authority as police officers when it comes to statutory authority governing the use of force. Civilians have the right to use “reasonable force”, as do the police, if their perception is that an Adversary is trying to hurt someone.

In most states, deadly force, or the taking of another’s life, is justified if a civilian’s perceptions of the activity taking place will likely result in great bodily harm or death. This is the same general rule for police officers. The difference is that civilians must consider retreating, and must be a “reluctant participant”, which means they have little choice with being caught up in the circumstances to begin with. Law enforcement personnel do not have these restrictions.

Although not the focus of this article, another commonality between police and civilians is the ability to use reasonable force to detain someone during an arrest. In many states civilians can make citizen arrests under certain conditions. Check your state statutes for details.

Law enforcement professionals are held to a higher standard of training than civilians, which is why a Use of Force Model of some type is typically part of law enforcement training. The challenge for the civilian is to determine what is reasonable should they decide to use force. Reasonableness and timeliness are the two primary considerations a judge or jury will use to decide if the civilian’s actions were acceptable in a use-of-force case.

Traditional martial arts and self-defense classes do not teach what is reasonable and timely. Most of these classes teach motor skills and techniques, but do not provide the civilian a legal framework of force to work within.

Here’s an example of the dilemma: A civilian comes upon an Adversary who is standing several feet from another person, fists clenched, swearing, and threatening that other person. The Adversary pushes that person hard, knocking them to the ground. Would it be reasonable for the civilian observing this take place, who has the right to use force, to intervene in the situation and to purposefully break the Adversary’s leg? Probably not. Unfortunately, this is a possible response for the civilian participating in traditional martial arts. Why? Many martial arts will teach you a number of techniques to deal with an Adversary, several of which will break an Adversary’s leg.

Now, take the same situation and apply what you will learn from an appropriate Use of Force Model. The description above is one of an Adversary whose actions are physically aggressive with no apparent weapons in hand. A good Use of Force Model will recommend appropriate techniques for this specific type of Adversary. Impact pressure would be one of the appropriate techniques, as would a striking technique. Impact pressure can be applied in various ways in which it is unlikely a leg will be broken, and is very likely to be effective on this type of Adversary. Strikes can also be very effective in a situation like this.

A good Use of Force Model does not teach civilians to break legs. It does, however, suggest impact pressure and striking specific areas of the body is appropriate. Let’s assume the civilian performs a head strike or stun on the Adversary, which momentarily affects the Adversary’s nervous system to the point they collapse and/or lose consciousness. See the difference? Momentary loss of consciousness is considered more reasonable than a broken leg in this particular situation.

Let’s change this scenario one more time. The civilian uses a thigh stun or knee strike, which is an appropriate technique on this type of Adversary. The civilian aims for the Adversary’s thigh with his knee, but the Adversary turns at the last moment toward the civilian, whose thigh stun ends up striking the Adversary’s knee, breaking the knee joint.

In this instance, using either the traditional martial arts training or a Use of Force Model, the injury to the Adversary is the same; a broken leg. But the context and framework is entirely different, and that will affect the considerations of timeliness and reasonableness from a legal perspective.

Primary Consideration

Do your homework when choosing self defense training and defense weapons. Make sure that the techniques you learn are in the context of a Use of Force Model that has been tested by the courts and is appropriate for civilians. These programs are very difficult to find.

It’s not just the people who watch “Doomsday Preppers” who are concerned that the time is coming when we will have civil unrest in our country. More and more people see the handwriting on the wall with our unmanageable national debt and entitlement society and want to be prepared for anything that may come. The term “SHTF” (Sewage Hits The Fan) has become a much more popular term in this country for good reason.

Since our home is our castle, it is natural to want to feel safe in it. Unlike in most other countries, where every home has a wall around it and is more secure from burglars, our homes in the United States are not very secure. When the police are either overwhelmed or outgunned during a time of civil unrest, having an alarm system will be little consolation.

Let’s look at 3 ways you can make your home more “hardened” as a potential target for rioters or looters or burglars who lose all worry that the police are coming to help you.

1) Make It Look Uninviting

The best way to defend against the “zombie hordes” attacking your home is to encourage them to move on and never even get up close. This is done with some easy steps that provide a great deterrent, without having a moat stocked with alligators around the house.

Having a decorative wrought iron storm door is a great way to make the bad guys choose another house, because it is clearly tougher to break down. You can also plant rose bushes under every one of your windows to make burglars decide that crawling through thorns is not the best way to enter your house.

2) Make It Stronger

In addition to making your house look like a “hard target” you also want to make it much stronger. In the majority of home invasions, the burglar comes right through the front door. If your wrought iron storm door has a lock that is pickable, then you have a problem.

On the other hand, if you can’t afford a new storm door, you can make your front door almost impenetrable when you are home by purchasing and installing a “Door Club” for under $50.

If you want to secure your windows, you can obtain a film to have all of your windows coated that makes them shatterproof. Depending upon how much you are willing to spend, the film could make your windows so hard to break that a man with a baseball bat would practically wear himself out before the film-coated window gave out.

3) Don’t Advertise For Burglars

The worst thing you can do is have NRA bumper stickers on your car and stickers on your front door advertising how readily you will shoot a home invader. While that may be a comfort to you, telling the world that you aren’t afraid, all it really does is tell the bad guys where the guns are.

If the bad guys know that you have guns, it may well deter them from coming when you are home. However, it can also encourage them to stake out your house and pay a visit when you’re not home.

Have a 5 ton gun safe that they bad guys could never open? No problem. All they have to do is let themselves into your house and wait for you or a loved one to come home and surprise them. The most rugged gun safe in the world can be opened very easily if they put a knife or gun to your wife’s throat and ask YOU to open it for them.

The key to staying safe in your home when the SHTF is a multi-faceted approach. Keep your mouth shut and don’t advertise to become a victim, make your house less of an easy target, and harden your doors and windows.