Diary of a Survivalist
February 26To continue on a tangent from my earlier theme, let me say that I think most survivalists just want to be left alone. That's part of what self-sufficiency is: not only the ability to survive without outside support, but the willingness to do so. Perhaps even the ability to enjoy the challenge. And we want to be able to prepare without interference from others without the scoffing of disbeliveers and without government interference. And when the time comes to put our survival plans to the test, we don't want the government or anyone else telling us how we must survive, where we must go or what we must do.
Now while many are preparing for Y2K, I am talking more about the long-term survivalist who had food and supplies before. Who prepared for the worst and hoped for the best long before Y2K was on the radar screen.
These folks, and I number myself among them, are survivalists because they know they cannot count on others when the chips are down. Maybe they have experienced this first hand. Maybe they have seen the underbelly of the beast and realize just how thin the veneer of civilization is. Or maybe they just know in their guts that they had better prepare.
When you do not need anyone else, when you can count on yourself to do just about anything you need to do -- you are suddenly free. If you own all you need, and can take care of all you have, you can live on $10,000 a year. And we can achieve this with a level of comfort greater than that old mountain man who came to town once or twice a year to buy flour, sugar, dried beans and bullets. The problem with this kind of freedom is that it offends every bureaucrat and every petty law enforcement officer. I am not talking about the upstanding cops, the "good" officers, but about those who don the uniform because it is the only way they can experience a feeling of superiority and power. They hate the person who is truly free because he or she has something the officer can never achieve.
For survivalists, Y2K is the final exam. Will our plans work? Will our stores be sufficient? Will we adapt to no TV or phone calls? Can we cook on a wood fire for weeks on end? Will we get forearms like Popeye from using the grain mill? It's the answer to these questions and many more -- some of which we have not even thought of.
I find this kind of hard to admit, but I am almost looking forward to Y2K. I know it will be an interesting experience, one way or another. And I do not think it will be a pretty one. I will even admit that there are some people out there who I hope survive just so I can say, "I told you so." So while I do not want a disaster to strike, since it seems inevitable, I am ready to meet it. I just don't think much of the rest of the world is.
I believe that we are tempered by adversity. That which fails to kill us makes us stronger. I can look back at any number of experiences that I did not enjoy, and may not wish to experience again, and know that I am a better man for having lived through them. And I think Y2K, if it lasts a few weeks or longer, will make us as a nation, as a civilization, stronger and we will be better for it.
I look at my grandparent's generation, which lived through the depression, and I see how it changed them and shaped our country. And I think that Y2K will change us. But the strong will survive, and we may weed out our gene pool a bit. And afterwards, we will mourn the dead, but we will rebuild from the ashes. And perhaps we will not repeat our mistakes. Hopefully self-sufficiency will gain some popularity and the government will be smaller. Perhaps more people will stock food, and keep some cash on hand, and things like electronic IDs and invasive baking laws and other privacy-robbing legislation will wither on the vine. I don't know if Y2K will bring a return of common sense, but I hope something does.
Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. So if they declare Martial Law in 200 cities, how many of those commanders are going to be unfit? How many will be corrupted by the power they yield.
If only 10 percent go too far, that is still 40 cities where the populace will be abused. And when people are killed for acts that do no justify such severe punishment, or where women are raped and houses defiled by troops who get out of hand, I do not think the populace will stand for it. After all, we know our rights! They are read to us several times a week on every police dram on every network. And being gunned by some over-eager soldier isn't one of them.
And if the situation is really bad, or lingers for more than a week, things are going to start going wrong. Even the army will run out of food. Its soldiers will get tired of babysitting civilians and want to go home to protect their own families. And if communications are screwed up by Y2K, they may be out there operating on their own. And when trouble starts, it may take a while to come to an end.
And as stories spread from one city to another, guerilla fighters and secret leaders will emerge from the populace to combat the soldiers. Thee won't be "militia" members or cult leaders. They will be every-day people -- parents, siblings or spouses of someone wronged. And a few strikes of anger or revenge will multiply. And so civil war will ferment. And soon, every man or woman will have to pick a side.
If I lived in the city and my family had been taken from me, or my good confiscated and my house destroyed, I would not sit idly by while they went on to do the same to others. Through craftiness or force, I would strike back. And the mercilessness they showed me would be repaid in spades. And I have no doubt that I would find others who felt the same and would join me in our fight. And whether we are successful in the long run or not, we would die knowing we fought for the same ideals our forefathers did 225 years before.
Hopefully, before a war broke out, before a country tottering on the brink of destruction by Y2K was pushed over the edge by freedom fighters, someone in Washington, or the state capital, or even the mayor's office would realize that their action were tearing the county apart and would put a stop to the abuses.
Now, mind you, I'm not planning to ferment a rebellion. I plan to hunker down and keep a low profile, well out of the city and hopefully beyond the reach of any rioting. But I think the powers that be need to know that the average citizen feels strongly about the rights granted to us by the constitution. And while many would welcome the support of the military in aiding us in the Y2K disaster recovery, this is a far step from declaring Martial Law.
So bring your generators, your MREs, your water buffaloes, your field hospitals and your Humvees. Rescue the hungry and wounded, care for the sick. Provide communications and logistical support to the police. Maybe even keep looters from blowing up the corner gas station. But don't go about thinking you are the law. Don't force us from our homes. Don't confiscate our food or weapons. Just let us be and help those who need it.
Martial Law. It's a topic that was never really addressed a year ago when Y2K concerns were first spreading. People were buying food and water, stocking up for Y2K. But today, Martial Law is being introduced into our conversations about Y2K. We hear talk of nation-wide call-ups for the National Guard. Of soldiers practicing in urban areas instead of deserts or jungles. Police officers and soldiers are being told not to take leave at the end of 1999. While they may poo-poo Y2K, someone at DOD and in Law Enforcement is certainly preparing for it.
And worse yet are the rumors saying Clinton will use Y2K to stay in power beyond his term. To over-ride congress and use the army to suppress resistance. To stage a coup, and install himself as dictator.
What is Martial Law? I'm no expert but here is what I understand it to be:
The government -- usually the president, governor or other executive -- declares martial law in a region of the country, a state, county(s) or city. While the police and National Guard are usually called up, the president can declare a breakdown in public order and order the department of defense to "quell the insurrection and restore public order." Alternately, he can use troops to fight domestic terrorism. Once the Army is involved, all constitutional rights are suspended and civilians must conform to the military law, or code of justice.
Suddenly, you are not innocent until proven guilty. You can be held against your will for an unlimited time. You cannot refuse a direct order form an officer. You do not have free speech. You lose the right to pursue life, liberty and happiness. They can confiscate your guns. You can be gunned down, or at least arrested and put in a prison camp, for breaking curfew, or for driving your private vehicle on what was a public highway. Your possessions stay your possession only at the whim of the local commander.
In short, your city, county, state or whatever is invaded by the military and the invading force treats you as a people that must be subjugated. But instead of a foreign military taking over, it is our own army. And they form a joint command that includes the National Guard, local police force etc.
Now depending on where you stand in a Y2K disaster, martial Law might be not be a bad thing. But from a constitutional rights issue, it's a terrible thing.
I can see that if you are unprepared for Y2K and live in a city and there is rioting, seeing armed troops on the corner will make you feel safe. And I can see that if you were starving, and were down to the last cracker crumbs and had the runs from drinking unsanitary water, you would greet the army with open arms and let them cart you of to a shelter or camp.
And hopefully, this is all Martial Law will do. It will quell the riots, stop the arson and looting and usher in a period of recovery. If the troops come in to purify water and generate electricity and feed the hungry, then I'm all for that. And once the utilities are back up, and the trucks are running again, the boys in green can fade back into their bases and the regular fellows in blue or brown can continue to keep the peace. But if they stay and interfere with the civilian government, then we could have a real problem on our hands.
The police, our true law enforcement officials, are trained to resolve issues without using lethal force unless they absolutely have to. They are trained to go to pepper spray or a collapsible baton or to pile five cops onto a single perp instead of shooting him and just moving on. And to their great credit, police shootings are rare incidents. Every night, a hundred thousand cops walk into half a million domestic situations and they almost never have to kill anyone, which is why it gets so much media attention when some well-deserving punk finally gets what's coming to him.
And if cops act out, even when such actions are necessary, the police chief hears about it. The mayor hears about it. The ACLU, NAACP and just about any other organization with a vested interest steps up and loudly complains. The media covers it, the mayor or governor worries about the voters, and the situation fixes itself.
But with soldiers, it's different. They are trained form day one to kill -- it's their job. They are not there to keep the peace or to resolve issues. Their weapons and tactics are designed to inflict so much damage the other side changes its mind and withdraws or surrenders. They respond to force with greater force. And the generals are not elected. The commanders don't care what the public thinks. They've been trained since ROTC to follow orders, to not worry about human feelings, and that's what they do. And that is why they cannot and should not be used for Martial Law or quelling domestic disturbances.
Here's an example from the LA Riots of what can go wrong when we use soldiers in domestic police actions:
Police officers responded to a domestic dispute, accompanied by marines. They had just gone up to the door when two shotgun birdshot rounds were fired through the door, hitting the officers. One yelled, "cover me!" to the marines, who then laid down a heavy base of fire. . . . The police officer had not meant "shoot" when he yelled "cover me" to the marines. [He] meant . . . point your weapons and be prepared to respond if necessary.So we have to worry about "innocent" mistakes like these. But the potential abuses of Martial Law are worse -- enough to send a chill down the spine of anyone who likes the freedom to occasionally raise their voice, or middle finger, in protest. More on that next time."However, the marines responded instantly in the precise way they had been trained, where "cover me" means provide me with cover using firepower. . . . over two hundred bullets [were] fired into that house."
[source: James D. Delk, Fires & Furies: The L.A. Riots (Palm Springs, Calif.: ETC Publications, 1995), pp. 221-22. Fortunately, no one in the house was injured. When the suspect later surrendered, police discovered that the couple's children were also inside the home. You can read more about the screw-ups with the National Guard and soldiers in the LA Riots -- including the fact that by the time the soldiers arrived, the riots were over -- online at http://carlisle-www.army.mil/usawc/Parameters/97summer/schnau.htm]
Wow, all I can say is that I've been busier than a on-legged man in an ass-kicking contest. Things are cracking at work, and it's slowing down my diary writing, and I apologize to all my faithful readers. It's also slowing down my preparations a bit. If my entries are a bit less frequent over the next two weeks or so, please forgive me.
Of course, the speed at which we live our lives these days -- the pace -- is getting faster and faster. Kids are scheduled with tap dance and karate, baseball and soccer. Parents have less and less free time than ever before. To survive, we need to work earlier, later and harder. With my full time job squeezing my part-time work, my weekdays running into my weekends, I'm almost looking forward to a Y2K break.
If Y2K is a week or two long, it will be like a nice vacation for everyone. I know I could use a week or two off.
People ask me, "Jack, aren't you afraid the government will come and take your food and supplies?"
To be perfectly honest, I think I have more to fear from an unruly mob of neighbors or acquaintances than I do from the government. These are the people who are likely to show up unexpected and become upset when I do not provide for them. This, perhaps, is the advantage of Captain Dave's plan to bug out for a retreat in the mountains compared to my plan to stay at home.
I have no doubt that I could kill a man to protect myself and my family. And if that means shooting a man before he can throw a Molotov cocktail, than so be it. What will be harder will be turning away a hungry family with small children, especially in month four of a societal decay that has no end in sight. If we have enough supplies, I will stock grain and other items to give to these poor beggars, on the condition that this is a one-time gift and that they keep moving.
But the government, on the other hand, is another matter. By the time they know of my food, I expect the problem will be over. Will they be able to search the computer records if the computers are down? Will they be able to muster the force required to take me, my family and out guests from our house while all about them the world is coming apart at the seams? Why will they want me in their "shelter" or prison camps, straining their limited resources, when I am fine at my own home? Will robbing my few buckets of grain be a priority when the grocery store, K-Mart and countless restaurants are just five to 10 miles away? I think an executive order is much more likely to be enforced on a grocery store or bakery that can feed people for weeks or months than it is on my small horde.
Now granted, the government or other power pillaging or taking items from a subservient member of society is as old as serfdom itself. But no matter what executive orders are executed in Washington, I think it would take quite some time before the government worked their way down to my level, or, in fact, the level of any single individual. There are only so many policemen, National Guardsmen and soldiers. And if the stories we hear about Y2K problems in the department of defense have any truth, they will be needed to protect our shores and foreign interests rather than rounding up survivalists in the woods or their neighborhoods.
And even if I manage to collect a year's worth of food, and they manage to successfully take it, how many people will that realistically feed when it is taken to the "shelter" and distributed. Will it make a dent? I think the government will lay off people who are self-sufficient and be glad they do not need to support them. I am hoping for a live-and-let-live policy. I wouldn't bother them, and they won't bother me.
But I think I will give more thought to a cache, just in case. A buried stash of supplies that no one knows about could help in this kind of a post-TEOTWAWKI situation.
Y2K is no longer a secret. It is no longer something only a few people are worried about. It is in the newspaper almost every day. And two days ago, it was on the front page of the New York Times -- a HUGE article, in fact. That kind of awareness-creating coverage is good, but the slant of the article is a negative one. It says "Americans fearing the worst may end up inflicting more serious damage to themselves, their neighbors and the economy than anything the computers do."
So what they are saying is that we -- people like you and I who choose to prepare -- will create more damage than the millenium change. That's quite a turn around, isn't it? I must admit to being more than a bit indignant. Suddenly, the problem is not one of programs or chips, it is one of people like me who are "over-reacting."
Now granted, I believe talk of bank runs and stock market crashes are self-fulfilling prophesies -- but does that make them any less severe? No. When surveys say that 30 percent or more of the population will take their money out of the bank, we have a problem looming. Especially since the banks can't usually afford to give out more than five percent of their assets, we could have a real problem.
So let me ask you a question: If the media didn't cover it, could there be a bank run? Suppose they had a bank run, but no one showed up?
But the first day that a few people show up and withdraw their "life savings" and someone calls the media and tells them that the bank is running out of money, the media will be all over it. They will have cameras interviewing customers on the ground and helicopters in the sky showing the lines and crowded parking lots. And within minutes of hitting the local news, old ladies will shuffle out of their small, neatly kept homes in worn housecoats and yuppies will sprint from their desks in the smart-looking suits to withdraw their money. And it will spread from one bank to every bank in town. And faster than an Internet stock can double in price, CNN will pick up the story, and what was a local problem will be a national one. But instead of blaming the media, the New York Times, the crown jewel of the media elite -- and still a pretty darn good newspaper --blames "Year 2000 alarmists, religious groups … and survivalists."
Now what is funny about the article, is that after all this, they provide a Year 200 checklist of things to do, including "stock disaster supplies" and "have some extra cash on hand." And they do give a quick profile of a couple who is preparing by stockpiling everything from dog food to kerosene lanterns.
But what is disturbing is that they say "Be prepared to relocate to shelter for warmth and protection during a prolonged power outage or if local officials request or require (emphasis added) that you leave your home for any other reason."
Hmm. We might be "required" to leave our homes. What, exactly, would the circumstances be that require an evacuation? And how will this be enforced? Even in "mandatory" evacuations during hurricane season, about a fourth to a half of the people remain behind. Now this is a story the New York Times should be investigating.
Speaking of boarding up windows, I have examined the field of view from each window or door in the house and made up cards with landmarks on them and paced off the ranges to these landmarks. We are in a hilly area, fairly wooded, so the ranges are not too terribly far in most cases.
The front of the house has several good windows on the second floor that provide a good field of fire onto the driveway, the approach to the house from the road and the road as it goes in either direction. We are on a curve, so have a good long view of the road off to the left, and a shorter view to the right. If we have reason to be concerned about traffic bearing aggressive intruders, I will cut down trees across the road to prevent vehicular traffic from approaching too closely. (Ideally, we could have other trees or poles rigged to "blow up" and fall over the road if someone zooms up, but that's too advanced for me. I'll leave that to the pros and to the movies.) I have identified a few areas where we can do this and subsequently have a good shot at anyone trying to clear the blockade. I have also scouted out a place where we can set up a sniper/observer post and have a good view of approaches to the house and provide a crossfire.
We also have plenty of shooting positions at the rear of the house. We have several acres, and there is a ravine and a farm field behind us. It would not be the easiest approach, and for this reason I am suspicious of it. Everyone knows that if the frontal attack fails, try the back. If I were organizing an attack, the frontal one would be a diversion or feint, while I would have spent the entire previous 24 hours infiltrating people through the fields and into the ravine. So I think the back calls for some strategic deployment of barbed wire. I will put up a standard fence to "keep the deer out of the garden" and then will invest in other wire to coil around it if the bad times come. Razor wire would be great, but prohibitively expensive. I understand that you can often buy used barbed wire. Certainly something to look into. I may also plan some other, less-friendly deterrents for this areas, as time and ingenuity allows. I may also add some ensconced positions in the back yard. Since this is where our generator shed will be back here, it is an area we will want to protect.
One end of our house is completely uncovered by windows -- something I had not thought much of prior to this strategic assessment. However, there is a vent in the attic, which presents an opportunity to observe undetected and shoot through, if necessary. The difficulty is getting up into the eaves and carefully making your way to this location. I plan to lay some boards inside to form a pathway.
The other end has plenty of windows on multiple levels. It also affords a good view of the road. To the sides of the houses, hidden somewhat from site, are our neighbors. Will they protect our flanks or be part of the problem? Tim will tell. Here's a question: Will our neighbors be there? Will they be targets first? If so, will we help them, will the neighborhood band together? We are a pretty independent lot.
This assessment has caused me to question our selection of guns. Out the back, we would need a heavy rifle for long range (into the field) and the 223s will suffice for anyone coming up out of the ravine. In the front, a good .308 would be required for stopping vehicles, a .223 for anyone who makes it close. I intend to look into a Garand, M-14 or FAL. My hunting rifle is 30-06, so there is the obvious benefit of a Garand in the same caliber.
Let me add that despite some brick, I do not believe our house -- or almost any house, for that matter -- could withstand an attack from a serious group of attackers. Bullets can go through wallboard, siding and insulation very easily. Brick may or may not stop a .223, but nothing heavier. I may look into sandbags for a few of the best positions, but my plan is to convince them to go elsewhere. To broadcast that we are not a soft target. As a result, I many need to rethink the number of people we invite to stay with us. I think it would take at least six or eight adults each with a good battle rifle, to successfully hold off roving bands of refugees. It will be a well-organized gang or a government squad with heavy weapons that will cause us the most problems. Whether or not kids with .22s will be allowed to help will depend on the desperateness of the situation and the age and mental outlook of the kid.
This walkthrough was a time consuming, but not a boring exercise. In addition to ranges, I have also identified a few areas of weakness that we will want to address regardless of Y2K. From a security standpoint, I will work to reinforce the garage doors (I have seen this done to prevent hurricane damage) and will add a steel door or two to create safe rooms. I have identified locations for additional lights (those 300-watt halogen floods are terrific!) and will cut down a few trees in the backyard. This will add to our firewood stash while providing less cover for anyone who makes it that far.
We also need a few more pairs of binoculars or spotting scopes, and I think some more magazines for the guns. 20 may sounds like a lot, and it is a pretty big pile. But if you want to preposition them in a four or five places, you don't have too enough. I also want to buy some more stripper clips and a few thousands more rounds of .223.
Let me clarify that I neither want nor expect my backyard to turn into a killing fields. But I will do whatever is necessary to protect myself, my loved ones and those that we select to thrown in their lot with us. People have been warned. If they do not heed the warning today, I will not be able to provide for them later.
I ordered another $400 worth of food from Captain Dave. Since I feel that we have many basics, I added #10 cans of some more fun and expensive foods, including pudding, butter and tomato powder. But I added some basics as well -- potatoes, milk, beans. Here's what we ordered:
1 Bananas
2 Potato granules
2 Tomato powder
2 Potato dices
2 Hot chocolate
1 Scrambling egg mix
2 Chocolate pudding mix
6 Instant milk
2 cheese blend
2 butter product
2 Lima beansI have quite a few jars of tomato sauce in the basement. You can occasionally pick up store brands and other basic brands for under a dollar for a two-pound jar. When we make tomato sauce, and I see how many tomatoes go into a quart, it amazes me that they can sell it for that. Especially when you look at the price of tomatoes in the grocery store. Makes me want to build a greenhouse. I also have cans of sauce, which can dip to 89 cents each. While I prefer cans to jars because they are tougher to break, I am worried about them splitting with sauce. I guess that the sugar content of the sauce reduces the acidity over plain tomato paste or other more "pure" tomato products. Nothing uglier than a black goo bubbling out of a can of stewed tomatoes. Yech!
I am also planning to order some of Dave's Mylar bags (both sizes) and oxygen absorbers and add to our 5-gallon pails. We eat plenty of rice around here, so I will buy a few big bags of rice at the warehouse store and pack some of my own. I will also put away some more sugar. Sugar is great for making flavored juices, jellies, baking, etc. And when all you can find is sour apples, it makes the sauce taste sweeter. Plus, I can't make my own and it will keep me out of the bee's nest. And these items, the sugar and rice, are things we will easily use if Y2K fizzles.
I will start purchasing items like oodle-noodles packs, more pasta, cereals and baking mixes (cakes, muffins, etc.) this summer and pack them in mylar bags with o2 absorbers and store then in 5-gallon buckets. I figure May or June is a good time frame to do this -- close enough to Y2K that they will stay relatively fresh, but before too much panic sets in.
I have a separate room for Y2K/survival supplies, but it is growing full. We have some of the cheap metal shelving units, but too much of this stuff is actually bending the shelves! The gallon jugs of water are doing this the worst. I am planning to build some very heavy-duty shelves the easy way -- piles of cinder blocks and 2x12s or 2x6s. This will also provide lumbar and blocks should I need them at some point in the future.
Speaking of lumber, I plan on stocking of heavy plywood -- enough to cover all or most of the windows. This way, if we need to board up the windows either before or after an attack, we will have the materials on hand. And if not, there are always plenty of things to do with extra plywood.
I have continued adding to my survival stash, but with useful hardware, not food. I have recently purchased a second 18-inch chain saw, almost identical to my existing one. I already have an extra chain and a set of files for sharpening it, and some oil. I also have gasoline in storage, which I rotate every few months, but I will add more as we get closer to Y2K. I plan to buy a few extra chains and some spare parts, including spark plugs.
I also bought a nice axe with a fiberglass handle. I already have a nice maul with one of these heavy-duty fiberglass handles and I really like it. I also have three wedges and plenty of experience splitting wood. I already have a hatchet or two (I keep one in the Ford), but I added a third one to the stash. I also have two bow saws, one small enough for the kids to use.
I have previously purchased a 20,000 BTU propane burner which can be used either to heat a room or cook a meal upon. I have a propane tree, which allows you to run several devices from a single tank, as well as a bunch of small propane tanks. A 20 pound tank will burn a long time -- long enough that I haven't been able to find out exactly how long. These are not supposed to be used indoors for heat, but we may have to do so, albeit carefully.
But I also acquired another large propane burner, a heavy-duty model that can be used to boil a large pot, smoke meat, simmer stew, etc.
We have two fireplaces, one of which has a blower that shoots warm air out into the room. I do not expect this to work (and if we purchase a generator, do not expect to use the electricity for this purpose) in Y2K. I will expect to add a fireplace insert in the next two months. I will also add a small wood stove in the basement, if I can work out a way to hook up the chimney without interfering with the furnace and hot water heater.
We have several downed limbs form the storm earlier this year which will be added to the pile of firewood later this year, and there are a few trees that could be thinned out. I will also be on the lookout for other sources of wood, everything from landscapers to old pallets, which burn hot and make great kindling. I prefer not to buy wood, but will do so if that is the only way to ensure an adequate supply.
In addition to wood cutting tools, we have a good supply of general hand tools. Hammers, wrenches, screw drivers, chisels, etc. We have plenty of power tools, including sanders, drills, saws, etc. and if we had a big enough project, it would be worth running a generator to power them, but I see that as more of a very long-term concern. I plan to add some nails, screws, plenty of wood glue and other items that might be had to come by. I would also like to get an old hand-crank drill and a plane and some other manual woodworking tools.
I also have supplies on hand for minor plumbing emergencies, including a propane torch, solder, a few long pieces of copper pipe and a few random elbows, faucets, etc. I have enough knowledge to solve most plumbing emergencies that use copper pipe. I don't have much experience with the threaded pipe they use for gas, but I may buy some pre-threaded parts just in case.
I have wired houses and have a pretty decent electrical kit on hand. I would like to upgrade some of the wiring in my house, but we may not tackle that until we actually obtain a generator. Then it will be killing two birds with one stone. Of course, I don't think there will be much call for electricians in a post-Y2k scenario. Plumbing skills will be critical if everything freezes up. I bet half the people have no idea how to shut the water off in their house and drain the pipes so they don't burst in sub-freezing weather.
Everything I have read lately about Y2K in the media is vaguely reassuring. But the information I am learning from other sources is even scarier. Before I proceed, I should tell you that this is third hand or worse information. Please consider it to be a rumor, at best, and take with a grain of salt. Or maybe a pound of salt -- it's your call -- but I am not representing this as true.
Today, I spoke with a friend who is well connected politically at the local and statewide level. He told me that state government people have no idea what to expect in Y2k and are preparing for the worst. It sounds like Martial Law will be declared. He told me that anyone with a critical job is being given a special red driver's license, and only people with these licenses will be allowed to drive if they declare an emergency. How do you get one of these licenses? He didn't know, but we supposed you had to be on "official business."
Can you say "Show me your papers!" Can you say "Nazi?" I think this should be a warning to all who would bug out that they better leave BEFORE it is too late. Once the lights go out, it will be too late. Personally, I think they will not lock down until the second, simply because they want everyone to get home after partying on the first.
Many people who use the Internet to research survival and Y2K are probably aware of the Executive Orders that let the government take over everything -- airplanes, trucks, utilities, grocer stores, warehouses, radio and TV stations, even your personal stash of food (if you don't know about them use a search engine). So basically, if the government wants all your food, or your ammo, or your daughter, or whatever, they can just refer to a Presidential Directive and take it. You have no recourse. Chances are that you will never get it back. And apparently, there are presidential directives, which are worse than the Executive Orders, but are secret. And there is talk at the state capital that these orders may have to go into affect.
So here's the scenario: You wake up January 1, and the lights are out. Your battery-powered radio picks up only one station -- a powerful AM station repeating a message about the president declaring a national state of emergency and restricting all vehicular traffic to vehicles on official business. Everyone else is requested to stay in their homes.
And it gets worse from there. The next day the police deliver a notice declaring a curfew from 5 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. and outlining penalties for a range of crimes from breaking curfew to hoarding to looting and arson. The penalties range from imprisonment in a "Citizen Control Camp" to death.
The next day, a National Guard hummer shows up at the door of your neighbor and he leaves with them, obviously cursing the day he joined the Guard.
When will they show up at your door, you wonder. What will you do when they want to inventory the contents of your house to see if you have anything that can contribute to the cause?