FOUND IN THE COMMENTS UNDER THIS ARTICLE:
How a big US bank laundered billions from Mexico's murderous drug gangs
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article28072.htm
Posted by
ohNOyate
So how many ICH readers have NOT yet started buying gold, silver, stocking up food, water and the ability to purify water along with purchasing a good self-defence firearm or two, stocking at least 1000 rounds for each and learning how to use them? Show of hands, how many?
What are you waiting for? Government isn't going to help you, government is here to screw you. You've been told repeatedly. I still donate some of my time and money to help the homeless and indigent. That program is coming to a close as we come out of prep mode and go into "active mode". Active mode means 100% of our resources and trade will be internalized, only shared with our networks (what you used to call Affinity Groups). There won't be any more sharing with the public. There won't be any more admissions unless you have something we really want: doctors will be desired as will engineers, experienced farmers and electronics specialists. Or if you have more resources than we do and are not willing but BEGGING to trade it for our protection.
I DON'T CARE IF YOU ARE BROKE. START NOW, IT'S NOT TOO LATE.
There's some very good how-to advice for the poor man at
www.LongTermStorageFood.com. You won't be asked to register, it's not a teaser for "buy the full e-book for $X", it's just free info from people who care. Also, start reading SurvivalBlog.com, there's a treasure trove of info in that.
In response to a question about a good weapon, ohNOyate responded:
Glad to answer! Depends on your budget and environment. But before we get started, I'll do something we don't normally or never used to do: I'll use more precise terminology but I'll refer to firearms as "weapons". We never did growing up because all we did was hunt. In the defensive scenario, that's a weapon.
We really like to see people with one of each on the following categories:
1. Handgun (sidearm, pistol). They are small and portable, take them with you anywhere, excellent in close quarters. Everybody likes the Glocks these days and when you fire one you'll see why. We recommend something ABOVE 9mm because people are carrying big guns these days and you don't want to be out-gunned. So we're talking .40 or .45 Cal here. This is your primary weapon, your carry weapon. I carry a Smith & Wesson stainless steel model because it's cheap, can resist moisture and if I run out of ammo I can always throw it at the guy and knock him out (joke ;) Retired police guns, especially Glocks, can be had anywhere. See if you can get a "2nd Generation" model. It should be mentioned that the .357, popular in "wheelguns" or revolvers, are favored by some. The semi-autos give us way more rounds so I favor them.
2. Shotgun. Excellent for close quarters and imbalance of force: bird shot disperses when fired giving you the chance to wound more than one assailant at once. Favored for home defense for this reason. Tactical shotguns are pump-action (if not semi-auto these days) to allow us to carry and fire a lot of rounds quickly. Plus shotguns are great for hunting. Get a 12Ga. that can chamber long and short rounds so you can use buckshot, slugs, birdshot and even beanbags if you want a "less than lethal round". The other firearms we discuss have no less-than-lethal option. But a retired cop model like the Remmington Wingmaster or the S&W Model 3000.
3. Rifle. Primary use: hunting large game. Secondary use: if you are every so fortunate as to identify a true assailant at long range, break out the rifle. You can get a perfectly fine hunting rifle, a large-bore, high-velocity round firing rifle for about $80. It's called the Mosin Nagant 7.62. Learn to shoot it straight and you can drop game at 200 yards. The step up from there might be an SKS which is a semi-auto rifle for about $250. It has a 4-shot integrated clip but you can modify them for a 15 or 30 round clip legally in most states (check your state laws before modifying any firearm). The step up from there, and I don't even have one but I think about it from time to time. The AK-47. Currently about $450. Their reputation is well deserved. If you have any reason to suspect the Mongol Hordes to come riding up to pillage your village, you want at least one of these. If I lived in an urban center I'd ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY HAVE ONE. As it is, I practically live in Mayberry so I have no compelling need for that kind of force. But still, they are wicked fun to shoot.
Now the follow-up notes. There's such a massive difference between the rifles just mentioned. The Mosin is a hunting tool these days although they usually come with a bayonette you could spit and roast a pig on. The SKS is for the hunter who expects to miss on the first shot or for more serious defense. They also come with a mean-ass bayonette. The AK is pure defense or recreation. You don't hunt with these, they are a "spray and pray" weapon. The idea is to mass a LOT of firepower, to keep the assailant's head down while you advance upon him and mercilessly destroy them. The AK is thus a medium-range weapon whereas the Mosin is long range.
So environment. If I'm out at the ranch, it's all about rifles although the defense scenario is almost inconceivable at this point in time. It's about hunting, but should some day the Mongol Hordes come, well they won't get close, they'll never even see us, they won't hear the sound of the shot that kills them. bullets travel faster than sound. In town, I'm often sidearmed but again, I'm in Mayberry so I often just leave it home. In the city I'm ALWAYS sidearmed and if I lived there, I'd have an AK at home if not in the behind the seat of the truck.
When you buy a used firearm, make sure to find out what the cost is new. You might find that for and extra $50 you can get a brand new firearm.
I RECOMMEND BUYING FROM A LICENSED DEALER or someone you know dang well and get it "papered" so your firearm has "pedigree", in other words you can be sure the thing wasn't ever used in the commission of a crime.
AND PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, GET COMPETENT INSTRUCTION FROM A QUALIFIED INSTRUCTOR AT A REAL FIRING RANGE (INDOORS OUR OUT) FIRST THING AFTER YOU BUY. REMEMBER YOU CAN TAKE BACK AN INSULT, YOU CAN FIX A MISTAKE BUT YOU CAN'T TAKE BACK A BULLET ONCE YOU PULL THE TRIGGER AND YOU MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO FIX THAT MISTAKE.
It really is an awesome responsibility to be armed. For one thing it means you walk away from any fight you can. NO trading insults with loud-mouths when you are armed. Learn your state carry laws as well as their laws of firearms in use. In Arizona, there's a very clear protocol about what "brandishing" is and when it is and isn't appropriate. Our laws have recently changed from "no reasonable escape" to "castle doctrine". Our laws in Arizona also now recognize 5 phases of gun use for defense:
1. Concealed carry. Nobody knows you have it until you "indicate". And you don't want to indicate unless you have to.
2. In a technical sense, to go further, we're advised to make a STOP sign with your hand and announce "I believe you intend me violence, stop now, I do not want to fight you". You've just declared your body as being private property. If you have time to do this that is.
3. Indication is the third phase. We might make our sidearm visible (without touching it) as a deterrent.
4. Backstrapping or resting your hand on the backstrap. This is read as "I am armed, I have identified you as a threat and I'm prepared to use lethal force to defend myself".
5. Having exhausted alternatives, we draw, aim and are prepared to fire. By that time we probably are just firing away because anybody crazy enough to attack you when so warned, well, they want you dead for some reason or another.
This is Arizona law and I'd bet your state is more restrictive. Also note the previous law in Arizona, the "no reasonable escape" doctrine, that used to also be called "back up against the wall". You are drawn and ready to fire but you are retreating theoretically until your back is up against a wall and you have absolutely NO ESCAPE. This remains part of our training: escape. Escape before the trouble even starts. Cross the street if you see trouble coming, duck into a store, do anything you can reasonably do to de-escalate or seek escape or any non-violent resolution. Prosecutors aren't there to respect your rights, they are there to put you behind bars any way they can.
Other hot points include how you store your firearms at home, particularly if you have little ones around. Kids like to play with guns because they see them on television all the time and they know they are somehow glamorous or desirable objects. We keep a dual course of keeping firearms up high where toddlers can't reach them and our kids are brought to the range years before they actually shoot. They are imbibed with safety culture before they even step on the range. By the time they are old enough to find where we have the fireams hidden they know exactly what they are and what they can do, they've heard it from many voices for years.
As a first time firearm owner, you have to compress all of that acculturation, all of that deeply ingrained knowledge, all of that protocol in a few short weeks.
And do me a personal favor: don't tell anybody about your firearms but your new range buddies. Trust me, for every good reason, just don't tell your co-workers, deacons, the little lady at the corner flower shop, your drinking buddies, just be the same person you were before. Instruct the wife and kids similarly. Nobody needs to know what happens in your house, nobody needs to be asking.
I feel led to say I've been in a lot of places and in a lot of situations normal people pray they will never experience (if they are smart that is). I've never had to kill anybody and I truly never want to. I've been told by more than one man I respect that when you kill another human being some part of you changes forever. THAT IS SO NOT THE FOREVER I HAVE IN MIND FOR MYSELF. NOT EVEN A PART OF MYSELF.
