The Boy Scout Motto, Revisited,...

[Parisle]

---- I hate to be the only one ragging about this, but what seems to be an impending democratic politic gain, ie, obtaining a majority in the House,.. does not necessarily portend political or economic stability in the days immediately following. In fact, we know so goddamned little about what is happening in national politics that the occasion of an election should be treated as a potentially "un-stable" moment in American governance.... whether by military or economic catastrophe,... things can still happen very quickly.

---- Every American who opposes this administration (that would be the Bush-PNAC administration bidding for global US-corporate hegemony) needs to "be prepared" for Christ-knows-what, and that's a simple matter of anticipation and planning. (I could not care less about Bush-supporting vermin. The quicker they arrive in Hell, the better.)

---- I know you've heard it before,.... but seriously,... all of us need to be at least minimally prepared for whatever shit this administration will end up having visited upon us. Depending on where you are, you may need either to hunker down and maintain indefinitely,... or get the hell out of Dodge. Can you do that now?

---- If you're figuring on waiting out a social catastrophe, then I hope your pantry contains about 20 pounds of dry beans and rice, and a gallon or so of whiskey,... and you're prepared for dire energy interruptions for heat and cooking,.... ie, you at least have a fireplace. You should also have a firearm and 100 rounds of ammunition, some basic tools, 20 gallons of properly-stored gasoline, battery-powered EVERYTHING (and lots of extra batteries) candles, oil lamps, Sterno, gas-grilles, whatever. Get prescription refills, stock first-aid items, and network with like-minded folks in your community. A few silver coins wouldn't hurt, either.. say $200 worth minimum. If your source of water is suspect, then set aside 20 gallons.

----And if you're in a place that bodes ill for hanging around,.. namely in a city of some size, and which could go crazy with people running around in the streets,... then you should aleady have your fallback destination mapped out. Keep a bag packed and ready to grab. You still need compact food items, firearms & ammo, blankets, tools, water, camping and fishing gear, medical and first-aid items,... and all the gasoline you can carry. (The absolute best "living off the land" tool is an ax or a good hatchet.) Get your important papers together and in a folder or valise. Battery-powered items are still crucial,. A couple of changes of clothes per person is optimum,... and the silver coin hard currency option is more critical,.... $200 in silver would be a scant minimum, but these days, it really isn't that much. Barterables will quickly come down to whiskey, cigarettes and ammunition. Plan accordingly. And try to carry 2-3 gal. of water per person,.....

---- Folks, this really isn't just an exercise in Boy Scout preparedness, nor a specific prediction for the politics ahead of us. But when things go wrong, somebody still has to keep society going,.....and we need to be more resourceful than the Bush faithful. It's gonna be on us, one way or the other,....

[opihimoimoi]

1. Holy Shit..Get those Pubs outta there...them being the cause of this CRAP

Vote Blue for a Better Path to the Future...

Its our turn.....

The GOP was given an opportunity and fumbled...their Coach cannot even formulate more than a SINGLE PLAY....cannot attract competent staff....and cannot even remember jokes much less hold a hammer the manly way...

[No Exit]

2. Don't you see? He can't pull another 9/11-style event.

Chimpy is boxed in on that tactic. If such an event happens, there will be at least as many people BLAMING him DIRECTLY for it, as there will be people who stand trembling and praying to Chimpy to "please protect us, O Great One!" Probably, there would be a MAJORITY of people who would blame the Chimperor and his retinue for the catastrophe. His handlers certainly don't want that, b/c the shit would spatter onto every repuke congress member that they are trying to get re-elected.

Let's just say, that tactic is a double-edged sword.

Sorry, Chimpy... you're out of ammo on that one.

[Parisle]

3. Stop Thinking In Terms Of Political Personalities

---- "Chimpy" does not control currency valuations or foreign creditor decisions. This is not necessarily about politics; the democrats could take BOTH chambers of congress in November, and that would do nothing to alleviate the out-of-control pressures of debt.

[No Exit]

4. Stop thinking in terms of only one way of calculating balance sheets

because there are many. The wealth is still there; it is just in different hands. It is increasingly going into the hands of Chimpy's elite friends. The secret is to take steps which will again release some of the wealth, so that persons who are not among Chimpy's elite friends can also have some of it.

Are you one of those "not a dime's worth of difference btw a democrat and a republican" people?

There is some merit in that statement. But it is not absolutely true. The infighting which goes on btw democrats and republicans is a valuable thing for the people who are governed by them. Right now all the power is on one side. We need to change that. All we need, in order to take the first step, is for democrats in congress to gain subpoena power.

Are you offended by the nickname "Chimpy"? Would you prefer I call him "Our Leader"? Would you prefer I bow down to him?

Your original post tells us to "be prepared", presumably for a "terrorist attack". It is always good to be prepared, but it is never good to live in fear.

Stop thinking in terms of FEAR and TERROR.

[Parisle]

5. Nope,...

---- I was only being A Boy Scout about the preparedness thing. And I'm certainly not thinking in terms of a terrorist attack. An economic catastrophe is my greatest concern,.. and preparedness is the antidote to fear. Lighten up.

[No Exit]

6. "Lighten up"?

Um, after that Millenium-Change-style list you recited in your original post?

I am not saying that we shouldn't have useful supplies. But I'd say YOU were the one who was going a bit overboard.

As an example, those in New Orleans who were awaiting Katrina could've had all the above things, and all that stuff wouldn't have done them as much good as a mere two items: a vehicle full of gas, and money.

There is food in this country. There is "stuff" in this country. To those who would literally seize it all at once, and keep it from the majority, I say, "You and what army?" (And you know WHERE our army is at the moment.)

This is not gonna happen precipitously--if it happens at all.

And as a final note, my mother and her large family lived through the great depression. They were NOT rich. Over the years, I would ask her, "what was it like"? Always I got an answer like this: "To be honest, I really did not see a difference when it came to everyday things." I know that was not the case for everyone, but it shows that the great depression was not a wholesale, sudden, scorched-earth event. So lighten up and keep the ol' blood pressure down. If it makes you feel better to accumulate supplies, so be it.