Diminished Combustion

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It didn’t work last time – but this time is different.

Last time, the method deployed to get rid of cars – or at least, cars for us – was emissions standards. The plan was to lay down requirements so severe that cars couldn’t be made to comply with them.

It was a brilliant idea. Don’t tell them you’re anti-car, just anti-pollution. Don’t ban cars, just require them to be ever “cleaner.” Until you can’t build cars that are “clean” enough.

At first, the plan appeared to be working.

Muscle cars were the first to be gotten rid of. By 1975 – the first year for catalytic converters – there were no more muscle cars. Just a few cars that looked like muscle cars such as the gimping-along Pontiac Trans-Am, Chevy Camaro (no more Z28) and of course, the Corvette – which didn’t come with anything stronger than a 205 hp 5.7 liter V8.

Engines were strangled into compliance. Literally. Dual exhaust disappeared. Exhaust piping got smaller. Airflow to carburetors was restricted in the manner of putting a pillow over the face of a sleeping victim and holding him down with it until his sleep became permanent. Carburetors went from four to two barrels and were adjusted to suck as little fuel as possible.

And the cars began to suck.

They were slow – and balky. Hard to start – and sometimes hard to stop. Gas engines would diesel – or continue to run, in a kind of Parkinsonian Pantomime of internal combustion – even with the ignition off.

Small and underpowered – on the way to nonexistent. This seemed to be the way things were headed.

But a miracle happened.

The engineers did something no less remarkable than what the rocket men of the ‘60s did when they went from strapping a tiny satellite on the nose of an ICBM in the ’50s to putting men on the Moon in the ’60s.

They not only complied with every exhaust emission standard laid down, they more than doubled the power/performance of the engines that were available. In some cases, they tripled it. A new Corvette’s V8 makes 495 horsepower – while emitting a fraction of the emissions of a 1975 Corvette’s 205 horsepower V8.

In fact, the new Corvette – and new cars generally – emit no emissions at all. In terms of the way emissions used to be defined, that is. Incompletely burned hydrocarbons, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, particulates and such. The hydrocarbons are now burned with such efficiency that there are essentially no emissions as they were once defined.

Which put the kibosh on the quest to kill the car in the name of reducing emissions, that having been accomplished. The car recovered from the Clubber Lang-like rain of body blows even more impressively than Sylvester Stallone did in Rocky III.

That was a movie. This was reality. Double or triple the power, a fraction of the emissions!

Naturally, the definition of “emissions” had to be changed – this time, in such a way as to make compliance literally impossible.

And this is why carbon dioxide became an “emission.”

It wasn’t one – in terms of defining vehicle exhaust emissions – until about eight years ago. Which perhaps not coincidentally was right about the time it had become very clear that the stratagem of getting rid of cars by insisting they get rid of emissions – as they had been defined – wasn’t working.

Cars were prospering. They were better than they had ever been – and “compliant.”

That had to be stopped.

Hence the change.

Which came along with a “crisis” – manufactured, this time. The last time – back in the late 1960s – there was a legitimate problem with vehicle exhaust emissions, which were contributing to smog. That problem having been solved, enter the “crisis” over the “climate” – which is the ecological equivalent of the War on Terror.

Which is to say, something vaguely defined that will never end.

But it will put an end to cars – for us, at any rate. Because there is no way to comply with carbon dioxide emissions standards without getting rid of cars. Or at least, engines.

Without which a car isn’t much good.

The winnowing is already well under way.

Carbon dioxide “emissions” standards are the reason why you now find four cylinder engines under the hoods of mid-sized luxury sedans like the BMW 5 Series – as well as under the hoods of full-size trucks like the Chevy Silverado 1500.

Six cylinder engines have all-but-disappeared from the under $30k family car segment.

Mercedes will reportedly kill off more than two-thirds of its AMG models – these being Mercedes’s high-performance models, which are the ones that “emit” the most carbon dioxide, because their engines make the most horsepower. The C63 AMG – and its puissant 4.0 liter V8 – is apparently the first casualty.

No more V8. Instead, a 2.0 liter four. Where’s the bottle? I need a drink.

Soon you won’t even find a four -in anything. Because as carbon dioxide emissions standards increase, cylinders will have to decrease in numbers as well as size.

Eventually, there will be no cylinders at all. Look no more for grocery deals, view their new sales.

Motors – as in electric – are to take their place, but only for some. They being the few who can afford an electric car. The rest of us will not be able to afford to drive.

Which has been The Plan for a very long time, now on the cusp of being realized. The car is the enemy because it gives people mobility. The goal is to demobilize the masses. To limit their ability to move freely, which will limit where they can live as well as what they can do.

And that is why the car has got to go. Not because of “the environment.” But because of the freedom the thing enables.

. . .

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133 COMMENTS

  1. I’ll just leave this here, since the libertarians and conservatives don’t seem to mention any of it.

    The “watermelons” (green on the outside, red on the inside) have been openly calling for rationing and eventual bans on fossil fuels such as gasoline and diesel fuel for a few years. Somehow no one else is noticing. The reason for rationing and bans, of course, is to stop “climate change”. Use your favorite search engine to find the stories; there are plenty.

    Of course, rationing gasoline with the goal of ending its use will affect every vehicle owner who still drives anything that requires it. The Left is so crazed about the climate change hoax that it doesn’t care whom it affects or the consequences.

    The term “watermelon” for ecosocialists came from a Soviet defector, Viktor Suvorov (Valdimir Rezun). He said the Soviet intelligence agencies routinely used the term to refer to all such Westerners.

    This is how they’ll ban your old car or truck, not to mention your power boat, your tractor, your lawn mower, etc., etc. It’s like banning ammunition as a way to get rid of guns.

    You’ve been warned.

    • ekrampitz, you notice you don’t find this “green” bullshit being forced by rural people who depend on the earth for a living. I admit I’d give up some portion of (I don’t believe in fossil fuels having worked in the oil field for so long)diesel and gasoline if I could hitch up AOC and her supporters to plow. Hell, I’d even make some plows for them to draw. Sunup, west Texas and it hasn’t dropped below 90 degrees. We’d go hitch up and work till mid-morning, take a break and drink some water and eat a biscuit left over from breakfast. back to it till noon and do the same. Back to it till about 4 and have a bit more water, probably nobody would want to eat another biscuit. Somewhere around 9 we’d begin winding it down and go in to wash up and have some tea and beef or pork. Showers for all and then bed. 5 Am and we’re starting the day with a breakfast again. I’d be waiting for the pussies to beg for a tractor. No, no can do. We have to be Green. That’s the easy part of the year. Just wait till the feed needs to be baled and they have to pick up 100lb+ bales, load them on the trailer and pull the trailer to the hay barn and hump it up to the top level and work their way down…….day after day. They’d be glad to hoe weeds while the crops grew. Now we’d be green as green could be. Just the thought of pulling that trailer and throwing bales on it would have them begging for a tractor the second year if they hadn’t succumbed to the heat and exertion.

      They could live the life I did although we had enough sense to use tractors and pickups.

    • Ekrampitsjr, I’m not sure the watermelons are going to be the deciding factor anymore. Lately, I’ve been looking at more and more people who are saying we’ve already hit peak oil, and the fracking is turning into a losing proposition. I was seeing this five years ago when I was watching the stock, and commodities markets. Everyone who’s out “seeking Alpha” was pointing out how production costs were rising while finding anything new that wasn’t sucking mud was getting harder and harder to find. When fossil fuels start getting prohibitively expensive, people are naturally going to seek alternative, and competition will naturally jump in because there will be plenty of incentive to invest.

      • That’s why we’re always stealing the erl from the A-rabs, Shnark- and soon-to-be from Venezuela and company too- ’cause in some places, it just comes gushing out of the ground…..but here, yeah…it’s always been rather hard to extract in most places…especially now-a-days, that we’ve run most of the good places near dry.

        So they subsidize what we struggle to pull out of the ground here, so they can make like we have a real erl industry in places other than TX and OK- but the truth in most places here is that it really doesn’t pay.

        Like the guy behind my across-the-street neighbor. He’s got 400 acres with a few producing wells. Trouble is, he had to drill 80 wells to get 4 producers…and those producers only bring about a barrel a day. It took him 25 years before he even made a profit! And the wells are far deeper than anything you’d ever see in the Mid-east.

        Fracking just makes it even worse of a deal.

        Screw the phony “climate change”- but I do thionk we’d be better off in so many ways if people wouldn’t be so reliant upon non-renewable energy. And I’d sure be willing to greatly curtail a lot of things I do if it meant stopping the robber-barons and communists from looting all of those other countries resources (Even though I use far less than the average person already). I mean, the amount of traveling the average person does today is just ludicrous. Until 100 years ago, it was rare for most people to travel more than 15 miles from home except on rare occasions….but today we have every statist’s kid traveling that far 5 days a week just to indoctrination camp.

        The mobility may seem like it is liberating…but really, it is economically, socially and most of all politically disastrous (It gave excuse to the tyrants to dangle it as a carrot in front of us, with which to justify the massive taking of private property for roads; taxation for construction and maintenance; regulation for “saaaaafety”- etc. -basically the unifying collectivizing force of the last 100 years…and here we are, and now even that carrot is being taken away, having served it’s purpose.

        And lest we run ouit of excuses to control and destroy the people whom, the Israelis don’t like, we are now transitioning to “fighting terrorism”….since the erl excuse will no longer work after they ban ICE cars and start rationing usage of other erl-dependent things…….

        • Again, you’re preaching to the choir Nunz. The deal isn’t just to steal their oil, but to force them to plop their money into western banks. It really makes me sick that they’re getting ready to do to Venezuela what they did to the middle east and Africa. I’m still planning on going down into the Caribbean, although I’m probably not going quite that far south now, and I’m already looking at south east Asia as a back up plan. I’ve really cut back on my over the road mileage as well. I go weeks without going anywhere, and even then I’ve started going out when traffic is light, and take care of all my errands in one trip. Gas and good used to be two of my biggest expenses.

  2. I can see the writing on the walls here as well Nunzio. I’m out in the boonies, but I know eventually I’m going to be paying property taxes just like everyone else if I don’t skidaddle out of here. They just passed a law that allows people to grow crops in their front yard. I’ve been growing all sorts of stuff in my front yard for years, e.g. watermelon, peppers, squash, beans, tomatoes, pineapple, and a plum tree. I’m legal now which is nice to know, and also a bit strange. It’s like they toss out some law like that to give me this false sense that things might actually be moving in the right direction. it’s just a crumb really. It’s still nowhere near what it was like in Caliphornia ten years ago. If you didn’t get along with your neighbors, they could snitch on you for just about anything. You can’t cut down a sapling in your yard without a permit.

  3. I think you’re right nunz, but I also think that sometimes the media has to do damage control as well. Epstein is jailed, and they have to do something about it, so they play up the fact that he’s a pedophile to generate contempt and a concomitant level of apathy. The pedo is dead, now they can brush it under the rug. Although when Barr came out and reminded us all of how many things had to go wrong, that’s where what you’re saying really comes into play. It’s like they’re saying, “if you believe this bs, you’re a good little slave, and if you don’t, you know there’s not a whole lot you’re going to be able to do about it.

    It’s like the world trade center buildings. I never heard anything about any new regulations to prevent skyscrapers coming down due to fires. If there’s one thing the government loves to do, it’s come up with new regulations to make us safe. It’s one thing to have a skyscraper come down from a fire, but when there are three skyscrapers coming down due to fire, and they’re the only recorded cases in history, and they call came down the same day, then we live in a world where fires can bring down skyscrapers now, and shouldn’t we have new regulations to deal with the new world we’re living in?

    Every time I read what you’re posting, I think to myself, “What the hell am I doing here? Why am I not running for my life? Why am I not living in Jamaica, or the Cayman islands, or Boca Del Toro? or even Cozumel or Belize?”

    • Great observations, Shnark! I never even thought about the “new safety regs for skyscrapers” thing! But now that you mention it…..it seems SO obvious! It’s so true!

      Yeah, what ARE we doing here? It’s amazing how apathetic and comfortable we become, considering the amount of tyranny, lethal violence, and decay we see all around us. That’s gradualism for ya…. That’s why I tell people, too, that the big thing is just to GET OUT to a freer, more “culturally normal” place- because once we are in saner venues, and can look back at this place and realize the difference by comparison, we suddenly see things in a new light- like: “How did we tolerate that nonsense for so long? And, why was I so resistant to move, when it’s so much better here in my new place where life is much more normal and the government and their brainwashed clones don’t interfere in every aspect of life?”.

      And that’s just the way it was for the people I know who have left. Funny, all the ones I know who left, left <2010. Not a one of 'em looked back. Virtually all of 'em stayed in the original places they moved to. (As opposed to moving around or seeking further refinement).

      • Nunz, ,what you’re saying is the exact same thing I realized while I was down in Central America. Every time I go down there, or to Mexico, or the Caribbean, I think “I’m never going back to that hell hole again” The problem is that every time I left, I always had something to come back to. I’m not making that mistake again. I’m down to one place here in Florida. I’ve got some other properties that I’m basically going to give away because I don’t own enough of them to sell. Then I can just bounce around the Caribbean for the rest of my life.

        I used to work in the fields with migrants from south and central America. They lived on nothing. If they decided to stay for a while, they would always start planting crops wherever they could find some open unused ground. They know how to make their money last. They know not to spend anything up here if they can help it. They take it all back with them where it’s still worth something. All the expats living down there are bums. Same story over in south east Asia. I’d probably go over there if it wasn’t so far away. I may still go over there if I get tired of the Caribbean. I don’t think that’s going to happen unless Uncle screws it up like he did the middle east and Afrika. They might just turn the Caribbean into another hell hole as well. Perhaps to drive immigrants up into North America so they can all become tax slaves as well. Someone has to pay for some of this interest that’s accruing, right?

        My whole family back in California is complaining about how bad it’s getting which lulls me into a false sense of security. It was a mess when I left, and I can’t even imagine how they can stand it like it is now. My problem is that I’m getting spoiled here, and I’ve got this feeling of entitlement so I feel like I owe it to myself to find an even better place to live. A place where I can basically live for free without having to be always wondering when some douche bag is going to spring out with some penalty fees, permit fees, etc. That’s what I really liked about living down south, there was just so much freedom to do whatever you pleased. I would see whole families riding around on a scooter. Four people at a time. It was great to see people getting away with stuff like that. People walking around with an open container. It was just so laid back. It was disturbing how uncomfortable it was at first, but then my shoulders just dropped a couple of feet.

        There’s something drastically shocking in the juxtaposition of an leo in the US verses some backwards ass country down in Central or South America. It’s like living in Mayberry RFD. Down south they don’t wear bullet proof vests. Half the time they don’t even have guns. It’s a world full of Barney Fife’s They’re all young, and just seem like they’re goofing off most of the time. Leo’s in the US seem like they’re ready to read you the riot act just for asking them directions.

        I can tell you that the biggest relief is knowing that a wall can’t keep me from getting out if I’m already outside. That’s how it feels when you’re outside the country. When you watch the news there’s also a huge sense of relief knowing that all the insanity going on inside the US is fairly well contained.

        • More great points, Shnark!

          I think you have hit upon a major key to expatriation: Having nothing to come back to! That’s the good thing about being a pauper- I’d need to sell my current place to finance my new life- and thus would have nothing to come back to; and no need to make multiple trips to get rid of everything or ship things…just sell it off and go, and don’t look back!

          It is so easy to get too comfortable though- you see the crap all around you here, but it’s easy to dismiss it until it happens to you or someone close to you….and then it’s often too late. Go in leisure, and before everyone else notices that everything’s gone to hell- sell before the crash (That may be impossible for me though- but hey, if it means a few extra years for my mother, so be it!)….better than running screaming in the night, abandoning everything (I met a dude from Cuba who had to do that in ’59(?) when Castro took over….they literally had to bolt from their little 25 acre farm in the middle of the night when the commies came- Not fun.)

          And that’s just it, too- I own everything I own, including my place, free and clear- I literally work a few hours a week…I can live on almost nothing, and can even manage to save a good part of my meager income….and I live in a beautiful place with nice neighbors….so it’s not as if I’m in some dire situation, like when I lived in NY and was dying to get out because life sucked. Life is good here….but that’s false comfort, because one day I will get up, and life suddenly will not be good here- and I’d rather leave at my leisure, than do like I did when I left NY and just had to make a “Well, it’ll be better than NY” almost blind jump (Thankfully, it worked out for me- I got lucky.)

          Yeah, I’d like to look a little more at Asia. It’s far enough away; they’re wary of the West/US; different culture…. Caribbean; could be a paradise…but so darn close….and I’ve dealt with enough people from there back in NY to kinda prejudice me against it. I dunno though- a few of the lesser-known islands, like Barbuda might bear some investigation though. But as I’ve said…just to get out, is the first step- and as we both agree, you look at things differently once out…and if you have nothing to come back to, the world is your urster!

          • I don’t know that one necessarily needs to have nothing to come back to Nunz. just not so much that it draws you back. I think it’s good to have a back up plan. I’ve got a place here that I picked up for next to nothing, and it costs me nothing. I pay no property taxes on it. Compared to what I had in California, it’s paid for itself a few times over. I can walk, and not care what happens to it. A hurricane could destroy it, and I’d still be ahead of the game. If I find a nice place in the Caribbean, or southeast Asia, I can just call a realtor and have them sell it for me, or just abandon it.

            Southeast Asia is crazy cheap to live, but there are a lot of expats from all over the world, and a lot of crazy Vietnamese, Cambodian, etc. women there who are desperate to sink their claws into some gullible old man with a few bucks so it’s one of those situations where I would have to get a serious grip on my sanity before I ventured over there.

            • Oh, I agree, Shnark- Not that we need nothing to come back to….but sometimes it’s better, physically and emotionally, if we just cut the string entirely.

              Even within our borders….. Heck, friend of mine has been leaving Long Island and south Jersey for a good 10 years now. He just recently actually sold the houses and made the move to FL- after 10 years of living on and off in all three places. And he’s still not done; He’s still got stuff in Jersey, and has been making trips…and will be doing a few more. The guy” be 72 soon. Some “retirement”!

              I guess I did the opposite; I burned my bridges when I left NY. Gave up a “cheap” apartment, the likes of which there are no more; sold everything I could take with me; sold my busy-ness phone number to a friend in the same business (For a whopping $400 -LOL)…..and haven’t had to set foot back there since…nor would I want to.

              I went into my new life knowing “This is it” and what ever i want it to be, I have to make it”. I could thus devote 100% of my time and effort to it. I think it really does something for the mind when you know that where ever you plop down, this is going to be your home for quite some time, so make it good!

              And if things seem a little rough at first, or you start missing things, or you just miss the old routines….if you can just pick up and go back….even temporarily, it’s hard to ever truly get used to the new. And it is very common to miss the old at first….even if the new is infinitely better. I’ve seen people do that- they move to NC or FL…and run back to NY 2, 3 or 4 times a year “to visit”- and they never truly become residents of the new place, and continue to miss what they left…and before long, they move back. They never really gave it a fighting chance.

              • I did something similar Nunz. I loaded up what I could take, and sold everything else. I wasn’t about to leave some piece of property for CA. to tax me to death with. I did go back two or three times over the next five years for Xmas, but haven’t been back over the last five years, and this year I finally decided there’s no point in bothering anymore. I really think that most of the people left in CA are crazy. They are complaining about how bad it is, but will never leave no matter how bad it gets, or they’ll figure it all out after it’s too late to matter.

                • Heh, Shnark, seems to be a common malady! A lot of people who seem to be comfortable with tyranny, wait till the very last moment- usually not until it affects their pocketbook very negatively.

                  With most of my friends and relatives back in NY, they couldn’t even understand why I wanted to leave! Wasn’t till their quality of life was really starting to implode, as well as their bank accounts, that they started to even give alternatives a thought- and even then, it was like “Oh, well, let’s see what happens after the next couple of elections; maybe the Flying Spaghetti Monster Party will get in and fix everything! Hey, we have a cap on school budgets now, so our $12K a year property taxes won’t go up unless our neighbors vote to override it. Oooopppss! They did!…”

                  Two guys I knew from CA. left before 2010- one went to Chile; one to Panama. They’re still there, and never looked back. Another from TX went to Chile…same deal. Freakin’ NYers though…gluttons for punishment- they go where other NYers go- Pennsyltucky, Jersey (just as bad…maybe worse than NY), NC. (No more maybe- Now NY-Jr. on same course as VA.) or FL. (Going down fast, too)

                  It is high time to fly the coop!

      • Morning, Nunz!

        For me – and I am guessing for many – the main issue in re leaving is leaving all my friends and all the familiar things. I realize this makes me a pussy. But I am a middle-aged pussy now and starting over in a new place where I know no one and probably never seeing any of of the friends who I have acquired over the past several decades depresses me. It also angers me. Gives me the fire to fight them – intellectually and (if it gets to that) otherwise. Got damn them. Why must I start over? Why must I lose everything I have worked all my life to build?

        My attitude would surely be different if I were in my 20s and just starting out. Plenty of time to build a life. But I haven’t got 20 years to rebuild one.

        So, here I stand. Screw the sons-of-bitches.

        • Hey eric, I used to think the same thing until I took a little vacation down south with a friend. We were down there for just a few weeks, but it was more than enough time for me to realize that living outside the US is much easier than living inside. The standard of living is the same but the cost of living is significantly less, and the freedom from government thugs is priceless.

          There’s nothing that says you can’t keep your friends and your place inside the prison walls. All you’re really doing is establishing a place outside with friends who are more interested in living free than spending the rest of their lives fighting Big Brother.

          When I was a kid, I never thought seriously about running away from home because life was fairly easy. My life wasn’t all that bad in California, but after a few years out in Florida, I’ve stopped going back to that hell hole. I can still email my friends and family. They’re all going bananas now, and while I can empathize with their situation, I’m not willing to suffer alongside them anymore. A few of them have succumbed to the illusion of government security. They lost their jobs, and eventually ran out of money so they’re on the dole now. There’s a fine line between that feeling of security one has with familiar surroundings, and a government check, food stamps, etc. The former eventually leads to the latter. The way I see it, I can always come back here if things get too difficult outside those prison walls. The whole country is being coaxed into that same mentality a lot of prison inmates have where they just don’t see anyway to make it outside. When the cost of living is rising, but your income remains the same, eventually some changes are going to have to be made. I spent years living on the street so I know how to live quite comfortably with nothing. I’m not afraid to walk away from everything because I know I can make it all back in no time. I’ve done is so many times before. Everybody has done it at least once. It gets easier the more you do it.

        • eric “Why must I start over? Why must I lose everything I have worked all my life to build?”

          Begging the assumption that you won’t lose it all anyway?

          I have the same conflict. Thing are not that bad here yet but the planned future and the means of control are now obvious. I am not compatible with the future TPTB will demand I live in. YOU WILL COMPLY, willingly or otherwise. How soon it will be unbearable is the only calculation for me, not if it will become so.

          My advice to anyone without a toe in the grave is to at least explore the options. Otherwise you are putting yourself in a position of having no options.

          Also, friends. Are they? Few (if any) of mine really fit the definition. Associates but certainly not people I would count on in a SHTF scenario. How many can you count on? My total is one, and I could be wrong about that one. Anyone with children is completely unreliable as they WILL sell you out for bread for their children. No question.

          Will they still be friends if the man decides you are an enemy? Will they risk themselves on your behalf? Ever (rhetorical for your consideration only) had a chance to test this? I have. In every instance, they all went MFFY.

          • I noticed this as well Anon. I have some really great friends back in California. I thoroughly enjoy their company, but if I were in dire straights, they all have enough problems of their own to deal with. I’m really the same way myself. I took a couple weeks out of my life to help a friend pack his junk into a truck and haul it across the country. He never offered me anything in return, but that wasn’t why I did it anyways. it really wasn’t a big deal to me. However, I did end up buying a house, and when the AC went out, he offered to fix it for me. The only problem was that he didn’t have any money left over for parts and equipment to fix it so I paid a couple hundred dollars for the gas, fittings, etc. so he could fix it. In the end, he botched the job, and then got ticked off at me because he didn’t have time to waste on it anymore. I never said a disagreeable word to the guy. I just helped him load his junk into his truck and that was the end of that. People will turn on you in a heartbeat when they have to go out of their way for you. People don’t want to be inconvenienced. As soon as it happens more than once, they think you’re taking advantage of them. I’ve done all sorts of job for people just because they ask, but after a while, I can see how some people are relying upon me too much. I don’t want people to become reliant upon me. That’s the government’s job. Our job is to help people become independent, and self sufficient. We should be complimentary rather than supplementary.

            • Hell, Shnark, I wouldn’t even trust my “best friend” to take care of my dog!

              I remember when our mutual friend used to go on vacation, and had him go over to take care of his cat [Asked him rather than me, because he’d known him longer- but I gladly would’ve done it] – Seeing the way this guy haphazardly took care of his “old friend’s” cat ….was downright unnerving. [And this was discerned by the guy’s own words!].

          • Amen, Anon!

            When we’re 10, we may have some real friends; a few years later, even they are gone (even if they’re still bodily present).

            By middle age? If we know a few guys we can stand to hang out with and BS with, that’s about a much as ya can expect. Start talking about your worldview or Libertarian philosophy in anything more than the most general terms, and you will likely be ostracized- or listen too closely to what they are saying or ask too many questions, and you will likely see that 99% of said friends are really people whom you despise, but just had assumed they were on your side because you had a common interest or two, and never delved too deeply or asked too many questions.

            And even if they are true friends….when it comes down to protecting their home, money, freedom, fambly…..you will be the first thing to be sacrificed- and that’s not a criticism of them, ’cause we would do the very same thing.

            Maybe that’s why, in less tyrannical places, there are still strong adult friendships and real culture- ’cause there’s no need to throw someone to the wolves; and without the constant specter of being under Uncle’s all-seeing eye, and needing to curry his favor, friends rely upon friends, and thus can be true friends.

        • Hi Ya Eric!

          I hear ya. Why should we have to flee? For that matter, why should we have to fight? Either way, we are being manipulated by rotten people who have illegitimate control over us, and who are seeking to gain even more.

          If we fight: We will lose. We’re a tiny minority which can’t even compare to the number of members in the cabal which perpetrates these crimes- much less the number of people who do their bidding, wittingly or unwittingly- and all of the peons who go along with it…..

          At least if we flee, we can still live and enjoy our lives- to a degree which we haven’t been able to do here in a long, long time. We can even fight the intellectual battle from afar if we wish….being even more bold and without fears of retribution.

          Hey, I’m not buying the “too old” thing! I’m older than you. Might’ve mentioned it before, but quite a few years ago, a friend sold his 44′ sailboat. The guy that bought it was in his 70’s….and ended up sailing that boat all over the world! My friend would get letters and post cards and pictures from the guy from all over!

          I’m surprised that friends are still a big thing for you. When we get older, most of our friends are usually occupied with fambly, career/bidness/farm, etc. and usually don’t have much time for much else. So yeah, you may have somewhat of a unique situation there….but that’s not gonna last forever, and in the scheme of things, when one’s liberty and finances and sanity and quality of life are at stake….the friends and familiar things are kinda closer to the bottom of the totem pole.

          If you’re into friends, I’d bet you’d make new and amazing friends somewhere else, where everything we do isn’t crippled by uncle, and people aren’t stressed, annoyed and uptight all of the time, and tend to have more time and value social-type things more than most ‘Mercans do these days. (Heck, some places I have actually written off, because they seem to be “too friendly”, and social interaction is expected….and I would be viewed negatively, since i am fiercely independent and largely a loner! You’d probably love such places. Most of Latin America is that way…)

          And believe me- and I speak from experience here- it’s not so much that you lose old familiar things…you just replace them with even better things, which then become familiar…and you look back and say “Yeah, I enjoyed thus and such….but my new life is so much better, I would never want to go back”.

          WE create our own environments…and the moire unfettered we are, the more we can make our lives what we want them to be…instead of using most of our energy to evade control and snares. Once we are out from under that burden, a whole new vista opens up. I’ve gotten a taste of that on some level by leaving NY. I look back at the few things I used to enjoy there…and ya know what? If I still lived there, I would no longer be able to enjoy those things anyway, ’cause the environment there continually degrades and the tyranny ever increases- so there was no downside to leaving….but what I have gained by leaving, is basically almost two decades now of good years which would have been years of misery had I stayed- and I likely would not have had the opportunity to leave again, because life back there only gets more expensive, and one can never get free. I’d be living in an apartment, never enjoying the life I have now; and never having the hope of ever getting out, ’cause I’d have nothing.

          Since childhood, I’ve heard accounts of people who had friends or relatives in Nazi Germany who’d say “It’ll blow over; It won’t be so bad; It can’t happen here; I’ll ride it out, I’m not leaving my home…yada yada”. And they never made it. Some sought to when it became obvious that it was getting really bad…and then were unable. A few were able to escape at that point…but as refugees, with nothing.

          I hater the idea of leaving my place too. I love my place; I never thought I’d ever have anything like this; it’s a dream come true. But what good is it without liberty? What good is it if they take it, or cage me? When it’s not really yours, and you’re not even yours…when your life and liberty are at stake every time you traversed their roads….hanging out with a few friends in a garage doesn’t really seem like just compensation in my book. Maybe it does to you…but I don’t think so; I think it’s just inertia and fear of the unknown.

  4. Nunz, your link to making a board is not the way I would proceed. I don’t remember who you were responding to, but I wouldn’t go that route at all. The first reason being that one doesn’t need to go out and buy a load of expensive tools. Harbor Freight now has quality tools at a great price. I used to always go to Harbor Freight to load up on disposable tools for a project until recently when I finished a few projects, and still had the same disposable tools working just fine.

    The other thing I recommend people who haven’t done a lot of building projects do is to collect reclaimed lumber, pallets, etc. because this way when you make a cut in the wrong spot, you haven’t ruined a $12.00 post or a $50.00 piece of plywood.

    Pallets are great because they allow you to learn how to break stuff apart without ruining it. That is a valuable skill to learn when you get a project half put together only to realize that you did it wrong, and have to start over.

    I’ve built all sorts of things using pallets. Everything from dog houses, chicken coops, fences, etc. I’m actually looking at building me a house now using only pallet wood and cardboard encapsulated in poor man’s fiberglass. My goal is to build the most inexpensive house possible. The best things in life are free.

    • Shnark, when that article was written, Harbor Freight was only a twinkle in some Chink’s eye! Seriously- I think I first read that in Reader’s Digest c. 1979. I remembered it all of these years, ’cause I had actually torn it out and saved it for many years (I might even still have it!).

      Hey, ya can’t get the hand gun at HF! -And that’s the most essential tool! (Or have they omitted that from the online article?)

      I dunno about pallet wood. It’s small…it’s thin…. I’ve never found much use for it. I’ve always thought doing a pole building style house would probably be a good compromise between functionality and cheapness. Log buildings have always appealed to me too…but logs are hard to work with- I’d need some machinery and or a helper- that’d kinda take the “me” out of it. Good old stick built, using lots of recycled materails (Barn wood, used fixtures, etc.) could be economical.

      I’m sure I could build a nice little house for $30-$40K. I’ve been tempted to….but then I figures, why? It’ll just make my property taxes quadruple…..and since I won’t be staying here, and small (1000 sq. ft./2 bedroom) houses don’t seem to sell that well or add a lot of value…what woul;d be the point?

      But hey, Brandon should definitely start by “making a board” 😉 (Hell, have you seen the lumber in the stores lately?! We might ALL have to make boards, ’cause apparently Georgia-Pacific et al seems to have forgotten how!)

      • Yes, Nunz, he had the gun in his tool box in case the shop instructor showed up to put his head into a vice.

        Here’s the trick to escaping the quadruple tax assessment. You don’t build a house. You build a houseboat. A pontoon houseboat. Poly barrels are usually less than $10.00 a piece, but I see them for $5.00 and often times you can get them for free as well. No permits are required to have a houseboat on your property, nor are any required to build them. All you have to do is have it inspected by the coast guard. if the coast guard can’t make it out to your place, well that’s their problem. If they do come out to inspect it, and it fails. Well, you can’t title or register it then, or put it on the water. In other words, you can’t pay all of those fees until you fix it, and that could take some time.

        You want a deck on the back of your place? Build your pontoon deck boat there, and no permits are necessary. I’ve seen some guys build boats that clearly would never float. They really look more like ornamental art than an actual boat, but if you build a pontoon boat, it looks like the real deal, and you don’t have to constrain the square footage to avoid the permitting process anymore.

        As far as pallet wood goes, it pays to use the good stuff. Around the bigger cities, you can get practically new pallets for free, and they’re in pretty good shape before they’ve been left out in the rain for a few months. Glue and screw into bigger boards, and you have a nice building for next to nothing. I’ve got some buildings in my back yard that have been up for the last five years with no signs of delaminating, no mold, no problems at all. Again, this is with cardboard LOL. The best part is that it looks really good. I’m thinking about using some in my house instead of sheet rock. I’m getting too old to be lugging sheet rock around, and I can’t beat the price of discarded cardboard.

  5. Hey Nunz, Re: “A woowoowoowoo Injun, not a dot-head Injun” I was looking at some property up in Calaveras county, CA. twenty years ago, and the realtor took me up a winding rocky dry river bed that used to be a road in her four wheel drive. When we got to the top of the mountain, it reminded me of those peaks in those old Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons. There was just enough room to park her truck, and that was it. Off to the side was a 40′ single wide mobile that had a deck built out to the door to access the trailer. The other end of the trailer was hanging out in mid air with forty or more metal drums propping it up. There was no electricity or gas, but there was a stream about half a mile down the other side of the mountain where these Indians had been getting water. The view was spectacular. Not another building in sight. Nothing but forest covered mountains as far as you could see.

    I’m part Indian myself so I could see that it all made sense, but that part of me that’s not Indian could see that Indians are bat shit crazy. A friend of mine used to live next to a reservation. The government had some program to dump unwanted mobile homes on the reservation for the Indians to fix up and live in. They would cut a hole in the roof in the middle of the living room and build a fire pit on the living room floor. Here again, when the SHTF, they won’t notice a thing. They will be completely unaffected. The casinos might notice some changes, but that’s about it.

    • Hey Shnark!

      “Now here’s something you’ll really like”. (Hehe…Rocky & Bullwinkle!)

      Shnark: “Quiet, you!”.

      Hey, back when I lived in NY, I gladly would’ve traded places with one of them Injuns in one of those trailers! Way I see it, if you have some peace and quiet, and are left alone, and have a place that you’re not in debt for, ya have more than most people in the developed world!

      I think the “crazy” part of Injuns may’ve been put there by Uncle- between stealing their land and killin’ ’em….tricking them into trading the bows & arrows they were skilled at using for low quality crappy guns that they were unskilled with; makin’ ’em dependent upon Uncle for food and sustenance, etc. etc. heck, that’d drive anyone crazy.

      I’ve always felt a very strong connection to Injuns. Maybe it’s because a lot of the ones I’ve seen seemed like lost souls in a world that is foreign to them and not of their making. They stand apart, with no allies. I think that describes a lot of us here on this site. We’re foreigners in our own country…being exiled because the same psychos who robbed and killed the natives are now doing the same to those of us who have only been here for a couple of generations, in favor of the newly arriving barabrians.

      • My ancestors lived in mud huts. They would stick branches into the mud, tie them together at the top, and then start just slapping adobe mud at it until they had it all filled in. They would migrate between the Monterey peninsula, and San louis Obispo. It would only take a day to build one of these little mud huts, and if they needed any repairs a few years later, they were minor.

        When I think how they were living the life on some of the most expensive land in California without a mortgage, it allows me to see what’s really important in life. They knew how to live. They knew that the land was not something to be possessed, but gratefully enjoyed. One doesn’t really have to be a native American Indian to appreciate the good life. I can see we share a kindred spirit.

        • Dayum, Shnark! Would that California was still like that!

          As somewhat of a minimalist, and…well…Gilligan’s Island and all, that kind of simple dwelling and simple life has always been my goal.

          I think that that is how ya get the most out of life- not by having tons of crap….but by enjoying the simple direct pleasures, rather than insulating oneself from them. Heat from a fire; fruit from a tree; ……..

          • Yes, Nunz, the simple things in life are less likely to break down, and if they do break down, they’re a simple fix. Have you seen the guy who had his toilet tank crack and break? He didn’t have time to run down to the nearest Home Depot and blow another few hundred dollars on some cheap crap made in Mexico with adobe so he just grabbed a bucket, cut a hole in the bottom, and transferred the guts from the cracked tank, and installed that for the time being. Then he realized that his “new” toilet tank was working just fine, and would probably outlast whatever Home Depot had, and if it didn’t, he was only out a $3,79 plastic bucket.

            Being able to pull fruit from a free surely beats having to drive to the store, pick through a bunch of GMO crap, wait in line, wait in traffic, fork out some hard earned money for overpriced crap from south America etc.

            A well built wood stove will last the rest of my life with no problems. Heating and AC units are built to break down because they’re built to such precarious tolerances in order to be efficient. Failure is built into the equation. They have to fail, or they wouldn’t work so well.

  6. As owning or even operating a car or truck becomes ever more expensive, owning and operating a horse and buggy/carriage might come back into vogue again. I know owning a horse can be expensive, but they’re not that expensive anymore compared to owning a car. Are the Amish renown for being wealthy? They don’t seem to have any financial problems owning and operating them. People let them run wild on their ranches, and it costs them every bit of a goose egg to maintain them in perfect running condition. Does a horse even have to be insured?

    • They are already going after the Amish in various ways. Building codes, health standards, lights and insurance on their buggies……..

      The control freaks won’t allow anyone to remain outside ‘the system’. They KNOW they know better than you how you should live, apparently. Funny nobody seems to ask how they are qualified to decide.

      • Yeah, that is why a lot of the Amish are fleeing to the hills of Belize. Shoot; when it’s to the point that they won’t even leave the freaking Amish alone, you know it is time to vamoose! That is proof positive, that no matter how apart-from-the-system you live, they’re gonna come after ya!

        We’ve reached the end; tyranny must now get into the last remaining smallest cracks and crevices, no matter how insignificant, as it has permeated everything else already.

        Hey….don’t want the proles figgerin’ out that one can live perfectly happily and more successfully without Uncle than they can under his wings! Might giver ’em the idear to try it! (Notice the Amish’s kids aren’t on drugs, or having illegitimate mulattoes, or living in mommy’s basement when they’re 32 and playing video games, while they’re $80K in student loan devt as they work at Appleby’s…..but instead they’re marrying and doing man’s work, and even running their own farms when they’re in their teens!)

        • Nunz, there’s an Amish group living down in Guatemala as well. They’ve been living down there for decades. They broke off from the main group, and use some modern conveniences, but still use horses and a sort of hybrid buggy with pneumatic tires, and modern car frames.

          I still think that if one keeps a low enough profile, this whole mess might blow over. People naturally become more self sufficient when the government becomes inept and incompetent. I’m still looking at heading down into the Caribbean, but in the mean time, I’m also looking at just getting out into the boonies where the government really isn’t going to be interested in the first place. Why go after someone living out in the boonies when everyone else is packed together ready to be rounded up and taken into custody?

          • I don’t think it’s gonna blow over Shnark; Too many people have been converted into accepting virtually anything, and with the whole “patriotism” BS nonsense and all, even the “conservatives” will will do as told. People have been brainwashed and bought-off for so long. FEMA has even conducted seminars to instruct church pastors to preach mindless obedience to Uncle; and the military has been conducting exercises on the streets of our own cities and suburbs for a few decades now in preparation for any resistance.

            And with these tyrants in possession of so much high technology now…and implementing Buck-Rogers-esque more, like 5G…..they are not going to leave any stone unturned.

            There is really no place that they’re not interested in- someone living alone way out in the boonies stands out and is immediately suspicious. There’s not a square mile of this country that is not criss-crossed by military planes/helicopters/radar, etc. They hjave code enforcement going out to people who live in the middle of the CA. desert with the nearest neighbor 3 miles away, and telling them they can’t live in their modest home because they don’t have the proper permits…and to get such permits would either be impossible, or cost $100K or more to comply.

            And if you can manage to evade them for a bit…they’ll get you when you drive.

            The globalist’s plans for this country are just beginning to take shape. We’re now only in the “Destroy the Constitution and the morale and morals of the people” state.

            Trump has given so much more money to further militarize the pigs and other gov’t agencies, that it is equal to what was once our entire military budget! These bastards with all of these powerful high-tech weapons are not just gonna sit on their hands….

            • For the most part Nunz, you’re preaching to the choir. I see that this is only the beginning which is why I’m still here. I’m out in the country, but have some neighbors I know. I’m not far enough out yet, but I already have a few choice places picked out where I can live quite comfortably without anyone noticing or caring, at least for the foreseeable future. What I see happening is the deep state fomenting social unrest. Create factions, make life miserable for the working or middle class Amerikan, which will eventually drive the fringe elements to bust a gasket, and go bananas. Being out on the outskirts of society, I can see it so clearly when I’m in town. I see people blowing up all the time in traffic, or in line at the lumber yard, etc. I can also see that as I become more independent and self sufficient, I become more of a target. The last thing the government wants is a citizenry that sees no need for the government.

              If I was young and had big ideas about what I wanted to do with my life, I would be pretty ticked off about all the things the government doesn’t allow me to do anymore, but I live a fairly Spartan existence today anyways. So I don’t really notice much of a problem until I have to deal with something like a driver’s license, a permit, etc. Those things are what really get my blood boiling, to get the hell out of here.

              If I was calling the shots for the deep state, I’d crash the economy, to get everyone really up into a lather. As infrastructure collapses, and everyone is basically out for themselves, it wouldn’t take more than a couple weeks before half the population will have shot the other half.

              I’d make sure everyone was eating a horrid diet of packaged, and processed refined sugar so they’re all good and sick. Legalize dope so they’re all good and doped up. Keep them hooked on techno-bordom until they’re practically zombies. That’s what I see already so I think the next step is to crash the economy which seems inevitable.

              The whole political process has become a circus, and I can’t help think they’re doing this on purpose. They want people to see who completely asinine the whole process really is. This is no different than what a hypnotist does to insure that his subject is thoroughly hypnotized.

      • I remember hearing about an Amish guy who was being sued for not going through the whole permit process on his home. He didn’t have the proper wiring for lights, or some other such nonsense. They were saying that his home might not be safe, and the Amish guy’s lawyer pointed out that there is no record of any accidents, or any Amish structures ever failing. A friend of mine used to hire Amish kids to work on his projects. He was a contractor, and he said he never had anyone work better on a site than they did. They did flawless work, always on time to work, never complained about anything.

    • Since the Amish tend to eschew unsecured debt and usury, most of their property is long term and seldom dispose of anything when it becomes unusable, which is rare.

  7. “Hi. This is your POTUS. Tomorrow morning begins a two-month long period in which DOJ attorneys will take a vacation from prosecuting anyone that kills, strangles, maims, emasculates, de-feminizes, harms, threatens, says “boo” to, or otherwise persuades a regulator to take a permanent vacation from their freedom destroying career. Sorry it has come to this, but, deep state.”

  8. Eric,
    You stated in another article that people don’t want small cars, but actually want trucks and SUVs. GM knows this and it shows in their Christmas season advertising, which show nothing but said trucks and SUVs. They KNOW that these are the vehicles people want.
    Mele Kalikimaka, Vic

  9. I guess it doesn’t make sense to own a decent vehicle, maintain it and expect it to last 10-15 years. By the mid 2030s there will be no market for them, parts will become scarce as will fuel. There is an awful lot of jobs, revenues, taxes and consumer commerce connected to the auto industry. How will government replace all that tax revenue? The Marxists must be in control of the DC Swamp because controlling people is at the very foundation for its existence. Lacking mobility, people can then be herded into cities with concrete cells used as living quarters. 1950s and 60s Russia anyone? Dreary and depressing. Never to late to stock up on Vodka. I will likely not be around to see this horrid agenda come to pass. I hope somewhere, somehow, the people find the will to revolt against this nonsense. But so much of thinking, or the lack thereof, is being altered and pushed in a certain direction…as we are witnessing from the programmed pukes like Greta, a beady eyed monster created by the left. Only a revolution can stop the government.

    • And that’s exactly what’s gonna happen – the formerly US of A will break up into a series of independent republics, and the feddle gummint will be helpless to prevent it. That’s what the 2d Amendment was all about, right after the first. With perhaps 400-500 million privately owned firearms in our nation, the feds only recourse would be nuke the millions of trouble makers. The USSR, the most brutally and murderously enforced police state in recorded history, blew apart overnight, something even the CIA didn’t see coming.

      • John, that has actually been the plan of the globalists for quite some time- to break the US up into 10 “superstates”. The boundaries have already been drawn- they are the same as the 10 EPA zones (Google it, for a map). This is part of UN Agenda 21/2030.

        I’ve been into political conspiracies since the late 80’s. This used to be widely disseminated….but for some reason, seems to have fallen into obscurity for the last 20 years- maybe because so much government disinformation and false-flags etc. have pushed it aside.

        But that is the plan…and what we are seeing before our very eyes TODAY is the mechanism via which they will bring that plan to fruition…while making it look organic/grass-roots/”of the people”. but it is really just a way of getting more control over people, as the people are segregated geographically according to ideology, and as superstates will replace smaller states and directly rule those people instead of a massive Fed which can not efficiently rule such a big country full of people of diverse ideologies.

        It will essentially be our version of the EU. (Yeah…how’s THAT working out over there?!)

    • Fascism lead to the first American revolution, the British kings never having been Marxists. Unfortunately, it is impossible to have conservatism without fascism, at least in the American style. Since both Marxists and fascists think of those who don’t make things they can monetize as useless eaters, that is what the elites really want to eliminate. Fortunately for us useless eaters, we came up with all the things that the elite want, but can’t have without someone to build them. If the Marxists and fascists ever figure out that those who only survive on entitlements or on killing those who do are the only justification for oppressive government, they’ll have to take into consideration that they are in that same set. The only thing they can do is to convince all the useless eaters into becoming compulsive gamers and tax them for losing.

  10. Picture an iscoceles triangle. The base is 8 miles. The two arms are 12 miles to the point at the top. I have a class, several nites/week, 8 miles from my place. If I travel the 8 miles, on the two lane road between here and there, it takes 50 minutes to get there, 9 mph. That’s how clogged the traffic is. If I travel 24 miles, up to the top of the triangle and back down, it takes 40 minutes, 32 mph.

    If the goal of our herrenschaft were merely to eliminate vehicles for the proles, the $$ that goes into private trans could be devoted to public trans insofar as $$ can be transferred in this way. So I think Eric is spot on when he says the goal is to limit if not to end prole MOBILITY AS SUCH. Heavens, I sound like a conspiracy theorist.

    • Hi Imbroglio,

      It took me decades – as a professional car journalist – to come to terms with the almost unbelievable truth behind all of this. It is that difficult to deal with – even when the facts make it overwhelmingly clear – because it is so evil and diabolical that normal minds can’t process it easily.

      But I no longer have any doubt about what’s going on. It’s too blatant, too obvious. The people behind it aren’t stupid; this kind of “stupidity” isn’t stupid. It is deliberate policy.

      • I realized a few years ago that the endgame is to make us just like Mao’s China was back in the 1970s when I was a kid — the elites ride around in gas-guzzling armored limousines, and the proles all ride bicycles.

        • Hi X,

          Yup; that’s it. By now, it’s become pretty blatant. But the masses still don’t see it. I think in part because the masses are now used to being debt serfs and believe that the rent-as-you-go future of Bright and Shiny Things will be just dandy. They are too childish to understand that when it all crashes down, they will own nothing – and people who own nothing are serfs. Serfs have no say.

          Here’s your communal apartment, bus ticket and ration card. Now get back to work…

        • All the isms are statism. Liberalism marxism fascism communism zionism. All put the role of the state as God instead of traditional religion. Its all a form of satanism. And the so-called Christians in this country love it. Trumps a blubbering idiot but he’s not a full on communist. If he loses next year I cant imagine the idiot that will take his place.

          • I don’t know everyone that is running, but Tulsi Gabbard looks like she can hold her own. I haven’t heard her spouting off a bunch of nonsense like Biden or Pokahauntus. The fact that google hides her name from its search engine tells me she might be someone to take seriously.

              • Pssst! They’re all just actors. Their words have zero to do with what they actually will do. It’s just a charade to make it look like we have a choice.

                Do you really think the plans that have been being worked out for the last century by the globalists; the foirtunes of the military-industrial complex, the wars, the welfare, the propaganda and power structures long in place are suddenly goinmg to change because some peons cast a vote?

                Have any of those things ever changed in the past 100 years based on the outcome of an election?

                • I’m tracking right along with you Nunz, but I also wonder if there might be some infighting among the globalists now. I’m not so sure that they’re all on the same team anymore. I think the whole Epstein fiasco shows that some of the globalists may not be into the pedo thing, and were looking to get those who are into that stuff by the balls. I’m still wondering if he let his handlers know where all the skeletons are buried. I keep waiting for someone to release some evidence, maybe through wiki leaks, etc. Maybe those days are finally over. Who wants to follow in Assange or Snowden’s footsteps, right?

                  • Shnark,

                    My own take on the Epstein thing is that it was a “controlled peek”. ‘Cause remember; they control the media/the media is on their side and pushes their agendas- if they don’t want us to know something…it’s simply kept quiet.

                    So I figures they wanted us to know. They’re saying: This is a glimpse of just a little of what we do, and we are running the world, and we will not be brought to justice….unless there’s someone among us whom we don’t care for…or who doesn’t cooperate, or who tries to grab power beyond what was alotted to him…then we’ll throw him to the wolves. But this is what we are, and you can’t do anything about it, so just keep your mouth shut and do as we say, ’cause you see how deranged we are”.

                    And the sad thing is, that there seems to be little outrage; it’s like most people have already forgotten; and or just don’t care, ’cause they’re still playing the game and being good little slaves, and voting for the tyrants so they can get their “freebies”; and sending their kids to their schools, etc. etc.

                    That’s just my take on it….but it’s the only way I can see that answers all of the questions, like ‘Why would they even have allowed this to be brought out in the media?’ and “Why has it been forgotten so fast?”.

                    And the Jews one-up us again….. (Perceives Jason reading this before I even post it 😀 )

        • Thats why the left hates trump. –Any– deviation from their orthodoxy must be met like in the Spanish Inquistion. They’re rabid foaming at the mouth monsters.

          • It’s not just the left though. There are plenty of so-called conservatives who hate Trump. The whole neo conservative movement is aggressively pro military defense, and Trump wants to bring them all home, and slash their budget. They’re all part of the swamp as well. Trump has practically no one in his corner except the American people. The entire government apparatus is out to get him before he gets them.

    • To think that all this time I thought that they were called isosceles triangles.
      If mobility is eliminated, we won’t have to worry about statists coming to bother us on our self-sufficient estates.

  11. And on that note, read

    Study suggests obesity associated with greater greenhouse gas emissions

    People with obesity have greater carbon dioxide production from oxidative metabolism than individuals with normal weight. Also, maintenance of greater body weights requires more food and drinks to be produced and transported to the consumers. Similarly, transportation of heavier people is associated with increased consumption of fossil fuels.

    https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-12/tos-sso121819.php

    • Hi Anon,

      Nutrition science is as bad as climate science, and for the same reason, both have been captured and directed to a particular outcome by collusion between a few extremely ambitious and ruthless scientists and their political counterparts. In climate science, the main culprits are James Hansen and Michael Mann working with politicians Tim Wirth and Al Gore. In nutrition science it was Ancel Keys and Nathan Pritkin working with George McGovern. In the late 70’s McGovern, heavily influenced by Pritkin and the unproven lipid hypothesis of Keys, launched Senate hearings on nutrition that led to the US dietary guidelines and the food pyramid. In the late 80’s James Hansen and Tim Wirth pulled off a stunt that began CAGW hysteria in earnest. They called the weather bureau and found what were the historically hottest days in the summer, chose one and then sabotaged the air conditioning by opening all of the windows in the hearing room the night before. Hansen then gave his famous testimony, in sweltering heat, that convinced a number of ignorant and ambitious politicians that “we” were facing a looming crisis that must be addressed now!

      During the McGovern hearings a number of scientists explained that there was no significant evidence supporting the lipid hypothesis or the superiority of a low fat, high carb diet, and that issuing recommendations based on these theories would be tantamount to conducting an unethical experiment on 250 million people. McGovern, displaying the typical arrogance of a politician, responded that, “unlike scientists, we politicians don’t have the luxury of waiting until the science comes in”. Likewise, in climate science, all of the overwhelming evidence that the AGW hypothesis is flawed has been ignored and those pointing it out have been vilified.

      What followed is the predictable result of government science funding; the “correct” answer is decided in advance and funding goes only to scientists seeking to “prove” the already agreed upon hypothesis. The science becomes little more than a massive exercise in confirmation bias and the scientists, consciously or not, align their views with the hypothesis to receive funding and to advance their careers. The few scientists who suspect something is off, must seek funding from private sources, which is then used to dismiss them as “paid industry hacks”. Funny how the vastly larger sums of money coming from an extremely biased, agenda driven source (GovCo), doesn’t taint the “agreeable” scientists as “paid government hacks”. To the contrary, these people are rewarded handsomely. The “disagreeable” scientists are vilified, often lose their jobs, struggle for funding and are tarred with dishonest slurs. In climate science that despicable slur is “denier”, in nutrition science, it is “murderer”.

      The rise in obesity and diabetes tracks directly with the changing eating habits of Americans that conforms to the nutritional guidelines. They were told to eat less meat, eggs and dairy, more grains and fruit. They did, and have become fatter and sicker as a result. Mainstream modern nutritionists push the energy balance hypothesis that asserts that obesity is caused by overeating and lack of exercise, in other words, gluttony and sloth. 100 years ago, it was well understood that obesity is a growth disorder caused by hormonal imbalance and that obesity causes overeating, not the other way round. Of course, the energy balance theory is correct in a trivial sense, the only way to gain weight is to consume more calories than one burns; this statement is true, but tells us nothing about the cause of obesity. To illustrate why, imagine that you enter a building and it seems deserted, you wander down an empty hall and come across one room that is totally packed, as a man exits you ask him, “why are so many people in there?” and he responds, “because more people came in than left”. His answer is true and meaningless, as is the energy balance theory, which still informs all of mainstream nutrition and diet advice.

      100 years ago it was well understood that losing weight required avoiding these foods: grains, bread, pasta, starchy vegetables, fruit and beer; and must include meats, dairy, eggs and low carb, non starchy vegetables. Today, except for beer, we’re told the exact opposite. But, I’m sure the strong correlation between dietary advice and the rise in obesity and diabetes is just a coincidence. Also, the fact that low fat, high carb, calorie restricted diets don’t work is explained fully by gluttony and sloth, there can’t be anything wrong with the theory. Sure, we can get people to lose some weight, but they’re miserable and always gain it back, usually more. Still, such a colossal failure can’t possibly mean that we’re wrong, just that they’re lazy. Finally, there are these quacks pushing this insane idea that those 100 year old ideas were right. Sure many people manage to lose weight, without hunger and keep it off, by eating all that terrible fat, dairy and eggs. But, all of these people are going to die from heart disease, so those quacks are basically murderers.

      Cheers,
      Jeremy

      • Hey Jeremy!

        I had to copy and save that! So well-said; hits all of the basic points, and yet is as concise as it possibly could be!

        Well done!

        You would think that more people would understand that something is wrong, when “all” of the scientists [“All” being the ones that they hear from- who are touted by the media and academia, as the only “official” ones, and the only ones whose opinions count!] …and then suddenly, all that they have been lectured on for the last 40 years is out the window, and now “all of those scientists” and their “peer-reviewed studies” et al, are out the window, and the very opposite of what they had been led to believe is now “the height of enlightened truth”- and once again, all the yea-sayers are in sync….and even though they were all in sync 40 years ago too….this time, it’s somehow different! LOL.

      • Beer could only be excepted by a guy that lives in a city full of microbreweries.
        Those who have given up on eating carbohydrates are the only ones that have figured out that would lead to soylent green.

    • I have increased emissions after beans and beer. Will that little bit of humorous relief be outlawed too? If so they may come take my dog as well. He poots like a steam engine.

    • [sarcasm] The gov’t will soon issue FABMI (Family Average Body Mass Index) regulations. Families with a FABMI violation may have their rations reduced until in compliance or if one family member is ruining a family’s average, s/he can be offloaded to the military. [/sarcasm]

      • Not so far-fetched, Bob. In the UK, they already take away obese kids from their parents…… What starts in Limey-land…soon ends up in CA, MA and NY…and then the rest of the country….

  12. Since the vast majority of people are decent human beings, to a greater or lesser degree, they simply can’t comprehend the magnitude of evil the Sociopaths In Charge are capable of. It’s beyond their ken that the beasts would not hesitate to exterminate half the population to achieve their insane goals. THEY ARE NOT HUMAN, but diseased animals which happen to have the same DNA and appearance, who attained their position by use of the very ruthless inhuman characteristics that make them the monsters they are. Hitler was but a brief accidental exposure of one of their lesser players.

    • The vast majority of people are psychopathic murderers, ” to a greater or lesser degree,” but most of them give it up after they become veterans, most of which are simply ignorant traitors.

  13. So, what are people going to do when the car is finally killed off? It doesn’t make financial sense to move in to a big city; even without a car, it would cost me more to live there than it does near the smaller city where I am. What about people in rural areas? Since I’m not in a big city, that means public transit options are limited. They’re limited in terms of destinations; they’re limited in terms of schedule. One needs a car where I am to get around. Again, what are those of us outside the big cities supposed to do?

    • Hi Mark,

      It’s not about financial sense, of course. It is about controlling the masses (that’s us). They – the people behind all of this – don’t care whether we can afford it. They want it to be unaffordable to live in the country – or even the suburbs. They want us off the land, out of our single family homes – and into small apartments, living the “rental lifestyle” of perpetual/revolving debt until it’s time to turn us into Soylent Green.

    • Remember the words of Hillary Clinton.

      When she was First Lady and was putting out her healthcare scheme it was pointed out that the economic mandates to small business would bankrupt a large percentage of them.

      Her reply, “I can’t be responsible for every under-capitalized business in the country.”

      “Let them eat cake.” 20th Century style. Regrettably it will probably take a violent revolution to end this current madness. We should be as lucky as the Soviets when our Day of Implosion arrives.

      • Hi Mark,

        If they push hard enough, they may regret it. The anger in my state is reaching critical mass. If Governor Coonman sics the Hut! Hut! Hutters! it is going to be a no-quarter-given/Mussolini-hanging-upside-down-at-the-gas-station situation…

    • You won’t need to get around much once the poor majority have been corralled in a dozen megacities, leaving the rest of the country to the elites.

  14. Once ICE’s, fossil fuel plants and other sources of CO2 “emissions” are done away with, you can probably guess the elites’ next target on the “War on Pollution”.

    Hint: it won’t be their multi-mullion dollar toys.

    • Hi bluegrey!

      Indeed! If they – the people behind this – succeed in forcing combustion-engined cars off the roads and forcing us into electric cars, it will suddenly be discovered that EVs aren’t “clean,” either – and then we’ll be forced out of those, too. By now, anyone who can’t see the game that’s afoot is either blind or stupid.

      • True, but I was actually referring to something a bit more sinister than that. Think about it. What else “emits” carbon dioxide besides engines, factories, generating plants, and just combustion in general?

        • BG, they’re just using the false premise of “CO2 emissions” to destroy Capitalism. Once it is gone, and we are fully commuinized; powerless; immobile, and propertyless, they won’t care anymore; hell, the air in the overcrowded cities will probably return to 1970’s Los Angeles brown-fog standards, from all of the unfettered factories and generators, etc. and “they” won’t care, because they never really did care…their feigned concern was just a way of duping the public into voluntarily cooperating with their anti-Capitalisty agenda- and look how well it’s working! The average tool out there is demanding even more, they are so bamboozled by this nonsense- even the rich and well-edumacated, as seen by their zeal to pay over $100K for a quickly-depreciating impractical Tesla; They’re advocating a paradigm which against their own best interests, and which will guarantee that their children have a meager existence instead of the knowing the lifestyle that their parents achieved.

          We are truly living in times of grand delusions.

            • Apparently, that is the overt goal of the enviro-tards: To make the world safe for rocks- since eliminating CO2 emissions from people and animals will indeed put an end to all living things. Errr…uh…wasn’t the agenda supposed to be to save living things? Hey, but at least the rocks will have a pristine environment to enjoy. Oh..wait…they’re not affected by CO2. Hmm…someone didn’t think this stuff through very good, did they? No wonder Al Gore isn’t giving up his mansions and private jets…..

  15. Trump is terrible. He has done nothing. He’s a blowhard coward that reneged on everything he campaigned for. He takes his orders from Israel and then they turn around and try to stab him in the back. What we have is President Kushner. Gabbard is good but has no chance. Trump supports gun grabbing with no due process – constant war – red flag laws – he’s a complete joke. If this is the best we got relocate if you can,

    • Can’t be done. The US Sociopaths In Charge have poisoned the rest of the planet with their people hating agenda. Good or ill, we still have more freedom than any other nation. First off, go anywhere else and you will be disarmed.

    • If we can simply enforce the Constitution, Jared Kushner couldn’t be elected to the presidency, since he wasn’t born to two American citizens, as required by the definition of natural born citizen as given in Minor v Happersett. Of course, Obama still doesn’t meet that definition, and his bogus birth certificate is still on the White House website.

      • (((They))) used to rule by proxy, financially supporting a puppet. Now some of (((them))) think the time has come to drop their masks and run directly for the Presidency.

        • About what I’d expect from ((((you guys)))). Of course aryan warriors have never been known for anything approaching a connection to objective reality, they’re just little boys filled with hate and rage, running around and shooting their mouths off.

          Since nothing is going to derail the plans of the real elites at this point, it would almost be worth having Crazy Bernie or Dirtbag Bloomberg win the presidency just to watch ((((your)))) microcephalic heads explode. At least it would be entertainment while the ship goes down.

    • Tulsi Gabbard is the Dems’ answer to Ron Paul. While she has good ideas, TPTB will never let her gain traction, let alone get anywhere near the White House.

      • Hi Mark,

        Gabbard has less-worse ideas. Than Warren and Bernie. But her principles – authoritarian collectivism – are the same. Things will continue to get worse so long as people quibble over ends but agree on the means. The individual has no rights in principle – and eventually, in fact – once an iota of authoritarian collectivism has been accepted in law.

  16. When the voting system is rigged to “allow” a vote for one of two parties only, the fix is in. Another
    item: presidential debates were once conducted by the League of Women Voters, Ross Perot did well, so the rules were changed and the “debates” are now tightly controlled by the Rs and Ds.

    We don’t have free and open elections, we have Kabuki Theater, with the result of near total corruption. The system attracts the worst of the worst thieves, aka, current politicians.

    • It already allows guaranteed ballot access only to Democrats and Republicans.
      Perot was used to steal the third party vote from the loser.

  17. 1984 is here just 40 years late.
    I feel it is time the silent hard working citizens fight back. I don’t normally give $ to politicians but I live in a blue state and I am going to give the Orange man a few bucks to help him. You can see the battle lines have already been drawn. Maybe it’s time those of us in car clubs get our voice known and let local pols enough is enough and they will be the first to go if we can defeat them.
    (Just getting frustrated seeing my freedom which is mine given only by god being taken by leftist.)

    • Hi Hans,

      Amen. Me too. I have some third-hand connections to the Orange Man. Or to people near the Orange Man. I will do all I can to help the Orange Man. Not because he’s perfect or even good. But because the alternative is horrible.

      • The Orange man is great for two reasons.
        1. He has caused the deep state swamp creatures to reveal themselves.
        2. He has caused many people to declare which side they are on.

        • I don’t know if #2 is so good. Also, it has also increased the extent to which Democrats will cheat to get their way. Look at the 2018 election results.

        • It AMAZES me that people still fall for this political theater. BOTH sides ultimately do the exact same things- the only thing that changes are the words that are used, depending on which “side” is in office; and a few little signatory crumbs the current occupants may throw their supporters, just to keep them loyal.

          Trump is in no way any sort of opponent to real rulers. He has actually been more harmful to liberty than even Obozo.

          He has further militarized the fuzz and other gubmint agencies, to an absurd level!(Prepping them for gun confiscation)

          He has appointed liberty-hating, gun-hating pricks to federal courts, the SCOTUS and other federal agencies, like BATF. (Including those who were instrumental in passing Obozocare; establishing NSA surveillance, and authoring the “Patriot” Act.

          He has played Santa Claus to the military industrial complex; broken our treaties with foreign nations, alienated our allies, and started another cold war, which is on the verge of being a hot war(s).

          He has meddled in foreign nations affairs (the opposite of what he promised in his campaign); unabashedly admits to supporting regime changes; stealing Syria’s oil, etc.

          He has thrown our free speech under the bus, while sucking Israel’s dong!

          He is not opposing, but rather helping to implement the UN Agenda 2030 protocols!

          And has made it his pet project to establish 5G- which will put the finishing touches on complete surveillance and control of our lives, while further enabling driverless vehicles/drones/robots and increasing their accuracy and ability…making them a real threat.

          These are the exact same things any other R or D candidate would have done- only the media emphasizes different things, depending on who is in office. This so-called impeachment has just been a charade to make the public forget about all of the politicians from all parties and from many countries who played with Jeffrey Epstein, and who will never be brought to justice (Unless they do something to make the real rules mad/don’t play along).

          It saddens me that even people HERE, who should know better, buy into this show, and even give their assent to the legitimacy of government and all of the despicable things these tyrants do.

                • I stand corrected! (Well, we could have allies- like Russia- if our servants of the military-industrial complex werern’t more interested more in perpetuating the constant threat of war than in actually coexisting with other countries.)

          • Nunzio
            Who else you gonna vote for? The Dems are now 100% communist. The Repubs only have one (1) candidate… (Trump). See how that works? It’s Trump or the USSR. There are no choices. All Trump has to do is keep his mouth shut. Then once in for his last four years it’ll be Katie Bar the Door.

            • Hey Ken,

              Why would I vote for any tyrant?

              These elections have no more meaning than ones in any other “republic”, such as North Korea, Red China, or the former USSR.

              All voting accomplishes is to give our assent to the tyrants; to the legitimacy of government and “democracy”[mob rule].

              I’ll be damned if I’ll give my assent to any of this BS; to the destruction of my liberties and those of my neighbors; to the perpetuation of war, welfare, taxation, and every other evil that the state perpetuates.

              I was almost tempted to vote for Ronald Reagan when I was young. His words were almost libertarian. Glad I didn’t vote! By the time his terms were up, we had seen the biggest increase in the size and scope of government in my lifetime!

              Voting also means that we believe the show which is put on for us of the phony right vs. left paradigm. It is just a show; no matter who wins…they all do the same thing!!!!

              Regardless of who has been “in” in your lifetime, has anything even changed, much less improved? It just keeps getting worse, and government just keeps getting bigger and bigger, and eating more of our liberties- and Trump has not reversed this; he is perpetuating it.

              No politician will reverse it. The only way any progress could be made, were if there was a fundamental change in the minds of a large part of the citizenry- and that is not going to happen, because the love of liberty and truth and morality has been carefully bred out of society at-large through social engineering and propaganda over the course of the last 100 years- and we are not going to fix that.

              Our votes are only signatory, because we must vote for those who work within the political system and perpetuate the same- even taking an oath to defend IT.

              Even if only signatory, I will not give my assent to that which affirms the legitimacy of that which I know to be illegitimate- because to do so is to push it towards legitimacy. I’d much rather that my signatory actions be that of non-participation. While that non-participation on my part may not have any more effect on anything than your vote does, unlike voting, if enough people did the same, THAT could indeed undo tyranny. Of course, that is not going to happen- but at least by recognizing the real issues and not perpetuating nor giving assent to an illegitimate institution, those of us who don’t vote are actually achieving more than those who do, IMO.

              • And consider this too:

                We complain when someone like Trump gets in, and then proceeds to falter on or do the very opposite of 98% of the promises he made while campaigning…

                And the loony lefties do the same with their candidates.

                The “conservative” candidate is never truly conservative once in office; and the leftist candidate is never truly communist enough for his supporters, once in office.

                Why is this? It is because this is a SHOW! They all do the very same things once elected; they all serve the same masters. The “right vs. left” is just a show for the gullible; to keep them satiated and participating.

                The media is part and parcel in this charade. Take for instance, Trump’s recent executive order attacking free speech by making criticism of Israel a matter of FEDERAL concern on college campuses across the US (Why would any US president do such a thing? It is absurd!)- Had a leftist done the same, they would be praising him for it; Trump does it, and they’re really happy as clams…but keep quiet about it, because it wouldn’t fit the phony paradigm of right vs. left.

                But the point is, they ALL serve one master- and that master is NOT the American people. The only difference between the parties and candidates, are the [phony]words they use; the “market segment” whom they woo, and what actions of theirs the media emphasizes and applauds or criticizes, in order to further the charade…while both parties and all candidates ultimately do the very same things.

                Seriously, if politics and elections were real, why would Trump just seemingly issue such an executive order? -Or any US president, for that matter. One would have to conclude that they are either mentally ill….or that someone not seen is pulling the strings. (Actually, with most politicans, including Trump, both are likely true!)

                I’ll tell you; I was almost half tempted to go and register and vote for Trump, myself, in ’16, just to thwart the Clinton bitch….but knowing what I know, I refrained; and I’m glad that I did, because had I voted, I probably would have offed myself, knowing that I gave my assent to this BS.

                And that’s another thing: They can say whatever they want, when running…but there is NOTHING to hold them to their words. Voting for idle promises, when those who promise can do the very opposite once elected, is no vote at all.

                • There are actions that can be taken, even peaceful and legal actions that are far more effective at defeating the powers that shouldn’t be. The first thing is to stop borrowing money. Central banks create money that goes directly into the oligachs pockets through fractional reserve lending. Every time you get a bank loan the money is created out of thin air and increases the money supply, diluting the value of it. He who controls the money controls everything.

                  Stop putting money into a savings account. Again all this does is give the banks money to leverage into more money diluting it’s value. Stack silver and gold. Keep it at home in a safe. When the value of the dollar goes to zero, and it will, you will still have money that is worth something. Same goes for equities, get out while you can.

                  Refuse to send your kids to the government indoctrination camp known as public school. Find a way to home school or private school. Set up a home school co-op. If you are able to take your kid to work with you that’s way better than pubic school. At least they’ll learn how adults function in the real world and that creating something takes more than just being present.

                  Become independent and self reliant. The less you rely on the fragile systems that are in place the less leverage uncle has over you, especially in a crisis. Learn to grow as much food as you can. Start a community garden. Make your own electric power. Learn to function without electric power. Gain control over your water supply. Self reliant people don’t need a nanny to fix things for us, we fix it ourselves. The more people that are self reliant the more irrelevant government becomes.

                  For those that have some balls, refusing to comply is quite effective. If you’re on a jury and given directions that are contradictory to the constitution, point out that the constitution is the supreme law of the land and you intend to follow it. There are zillions of statutes and regulations that are just begging to be resisted and ignored.

                  • Amen, Hank!

                    I figured this stuff out when I was a kid; dropped out of pooblik skool, and have been living my life by these principles ever since (I’m 57 now).

                    I’ve been able to stay incredibly free compared to most ‘Mercans (Even when I lived in NY until 18 years ago).

                    And might I add: Live where property taxes are extremely low; keep your income below taxable level (Very easy to do and still live nicely if you have no debt and live self-sufficiently), and live where there is little local government, and no zoning or code enforcement, or any of that BS.

                    That’s about as good as it gets here and now.

                    • Morning, Nunz!

                      I practice the same policy; unfortunately, they creep up on you. While property taxes here are still much lower than they were in Northern Virginia, where I used to live – they are getting higher. I just received a new “assessment” – the cheek of these thieves! – declaring that I now “owe” 8.5 percent more than I am already forced to pay, which amounts to a sum equivalent to what I could live on for a month or more. Even though I “own” my home and so make no payments on a loan, the “rent” (in perpetuity) I am forced to pay on the home I supposedly “own” eats away what I could comfortably live on for a third of the year.

                      And now this business with the Coonman. It may be time to consider a move. I loathe the idea, because I love my place and will miss my friends and it will probably mean living somewhere much colder – and I like winter nearly as much as I do Clovers. But I like being left the Hell alone – and without hands in my pockets – even more.

                      But where?

                    • Eric, Paisano!

                      You said it! Statism is bad enough- but when it progresses (as it always does. -Hmmm…no wonder they call them “progressives”! ) to maturity so that it encompasses all aspects of economics and property and the outlawing of basic rights and normal behaviors which are fundamental to maintaining an autonomous adult life, there is really no way to resist or fight it, other than to remove oneself from where such is practiced, because we become the defacto “criminals” simply by living autonomous adult lives.

                      And since they have the *right* to tax us and our labor and property and every transaction at whatever level they care to, virtually everything is under their control, and WE become “guilty” and worthy of robbing, caging and even killing if we do not submit to these evil bastards!

                      It’s sickening- and what’s even worse, is that all of our neighbors would gladly participate in the real crimes which the state commits against us, by gladly voting us “guilty” for not submitting to to our (and their) oppressors. And even the minority who might even speak of rebelling, ultimately, come Monday morning they have to be back at their cubicles, because they are one paycheck away from bankruptcy at any given time, due mostly to debt- so if there’s a civil war, it had better be over by Sunday night… 🙂 (And once the tanks and troops showed up, festooned with the latest high-tech high-power weapons, paid for by us…it would all be over anyway.)

                      Hey, don’t despair though. I can tell you, that every time I have moved by choice- to gain more freedom, higher quality of life, better economics, etc., it has always been a tremendously positive thing.

                      Believe me, you’ll look back in a few years at your friends there, who are still stuck in an ever-worsening situation, and pity them more than miss them; and kick yourself for not having moved sooner, ’cause ultimately, in the scheme of things, a little camaraderie is pretty low on the scale of things that affect your overall quality of life.

                      I look back on my former life in NY. Yeah, truthfully, I can not duplicate the situation I had with a few guys whom I’ve known since the 80’s. It was fun sometimes- a few grown men just hopping in one of their vehicles on a random night and taking a ride, and goofing around like we were 18 year-olds hanging out. Or taking a good hike with my one real-life Libertarian friend….

                      But ya know what? As time went on, our interactions were becoming fewer. Now, my best friend is married; works long hours, and instead of being his former happy-go-lucky self, he is miserable, and has no time for anything but work, canklesaurus and rugrat. Our other main friend moved 1500 miles away. So even if I were still there, the small part of my life that was about friends…would be almost non-existent now anyway; plus I would be miserable and poor, because of the tyranny and economics there.

                      In other words, I went on to far better things- I dramatically improved my life, by moving. I can’t even fathom what my life would be like today had I stayed there. I don’t even want to think about it.

                      All I can say is that if you choose wisely (Which you certainly will) the gains that you experience are such that you won’t even think about what you’ve left.

                      Thing is, you’re late to the game! Hopefully you can still get out before the bubble bursts- or before things go further to hell- which is why it’s always a good idea to try and do what you know is the inevitable before everyone else starts thinking the same. You can’t get that time back now…but do what ya know you have to do, before it gets worse.

                      And might I suggest, that if you are going to move, consider the long term, and maybe even start thinking about using the opportunity to leave this country?

                      Even to just rent somewhere temporarily, just to get a chance to rest and regroup, and see things a new, without being under the pressure of Uncle, which we’ve come to accept as normal life. Travel a little from there; explore…. You’re “free” and you’ll never be as young as you are today, again- so use it while you have it!

                      ‘Cause anywhere ya go in this country, it’s just a matter of time- and likely a very short time at that- before it’s the same thing as what we’ve both been trying to keep ahead of- and even if The Donald should get re-elected, he is not going to help- just as he is not helping now- but is just going to finish off what’s left of our liberties, just like any other candidate would- and the rabid “law enforcement”, 5G surveillance/control net, and Agenda 2030 are going to grow exponentially now, to the point where the decade that is now closing is going to seem like “the good old days” by comparison.

                      Get out while you can. Hell, when I am free of my obligations, I would join you!

                      Sometimes, you have to be the pioneer. Believe me, it’s cool being a pioneer! It allows us to practice the values we always speak of, and it always ends up working better than we even anticipated.

                      You make good decisions. When you’re free to make decisions without coercion, duress or restraint, the effects of those good decisions are many times greater.

                      And it takes a pioneer. If your friends are truly onboard with liberty, don’t be surprised if some join you. Most people are followers; they need someone to follow. They could have done the same things that you and I are doing…but didn’t. But when they see our success, they then follow. I’ve had a few relatives, who don’t even give a hoot about liberty, follow me. [And I actively tried to DISCOURAGE them! ].

                      Do what you know to be right for the big picture…the details will easily fall into place. Believe me, you won’t look back.

                      My best friend back in NY is miserable! My other main friend is unhappy where he moved to, ’cause he just moved due to economic necessity, family, and to have some of the familiar things he had in NY. Me? Hahaha! The last 18 years since I’ve moved have been the best of my adult life. I’ve never set foot in the Northeast since…and hopefully never will again!

                      Up and onward!!!!!!

                    • PS. Eric,

                      Yeah…the cold! As I’ve said before, If I were going tp move again within this country, about the only place I’d consider these days in Wyoming (Can’t even count on Montana anymore!)….but I’d never go, ’cause….yeah…anything more than a 3-month mild winter is a no-go for me!

                      Far as I’m concerned, long cold snowy winters are almost as oppressive as Uncle!

                      Which is why I suggest considering leaving the country if you’re going to move anyway. Even if for mid or southern Mexico or rural Belize (NOT the cities!] just to get your feet wet…. They’re freer; they’re cheap; they’re not too far; they still have some normal culture/real food/normal human behavior. And THEY’RE WARM!

                      Who knows, you might even meet a nice young senorita! (Sans piercings; tattoos; mulattoes…)

                      A few thousand miles west…or a few thousand miles south- what’s the difference, other than more freedom, cheaper prices and warmer weather?

                  • Excellent, Hank – thank you for posting that!

                    I could not agree with you more in avoiding debt and living as self-sufficiently as possible. Uncle – and the banks behind him – despise that, for all the reasons you have enumerated.

                    Passively resist with all your wits – to the greatest degree that you can “get away” with. I put Farm Use tags on my truck last summer – and stopped paying the “registration” tax-theft; so far, so good.

                    Keep your income as low as feasible to pay as little tax-theft as possible.

                    Etc.

                    • Right on Eric. Self employment is also key and participating in the underground economy to whatever extent you are able is another great step to take. Every dollar you deprive Uncle of is a dollar less that he has to build empire, spy on you and enforce the trillions of petty regulations.
                      The way you spend your money is also a very important tool of resistance. Try not to patronize the corporations who have bought access to lawmakers and law enforcers. Stay out of big box stores and chain restaurants. Use the medical establishment and big pharma the least amount possible. Boycott GMOs. These are just random ideas and I’m sure everyone has a lot more of them. The big thing I try to focus on is staying out of the systems that are put in place to enslave me. I don’t fight those systems like trying to end the fed, that’s just an unwinnable fight. Instead I look for ways to escape those systems and look for alternative systems, or create them. When enough people do that the old systems will implode.

                    • Hey Brandon!

                      Like I did….. Save up yer cash and buy your property, and then build a dwelling/buy a trailer/ etc.

                      Once you get intyo a major debt which takes decades to pay off; requires that you always maintain a given income; forces you to buy insurance, etc. you are effectively locked into a way of life for a good part of your life.

                      And financially, it makes no sense, because you pay so much in interest, that you never get ahead.

                      Lookie here:
                      https://www.mortgagecalculatorplus.com/150000-mortgage/

                      This amortization schedule on a $150K mortgage shows how much total interest you’ll end up paying (almost as much as the cost of the house!) and how much of you payment is applied to interest vs. principal. (Ignore the 2019 line, as it is skewed because we are at the end of 2019)- But look, in 2020, you pay $6700 in interest, and only $2400 towards the actual principal. (On more expensive properties it’s much worse!).

                      Your almost $1000/month payment would actually be higher, with property taxes and insurance and all- Let’s say you’re in a relatively low tax area and aren’t required to have flood insurance…just regular homeowner’s- Your payment when all is said and done is gonna be at least $1400/month. That’s almost $17K a year….and you’re only reducing your actual debt/paying down the house by $2400 !!!!

                      Get it? You spent $17K to get $2400.

                      Mow lawns or make widgets and put that same $17K a year away in your piggy bank for just two years…and BANG! You could have a few acres of land free and clear.

                      Which scenario sounds better to you?

                      A year later, take that third year’s $17K and you can buy a used mobile home and install a septic system and electric and water….and you have a place of your own to live that you own free and clear….and what ever money you make from that day forward is yours…and not the bank’s- and you can live so cheaply and save a lot, that if you want to build a house, you can do so, and pay cash as you go. And you’re not being held hostage by a job that you hate, because you “Can’t quit, because I’d lose my house”.

                    • Not a bad plan Nunz. You make it sound easy. The implication of the original comment was that I should keep all my cash out of institutions and in my current dwelling, or in the form of precious metals. This is possible but takes up a lot of space, has high transaction cost, and is more at risk for non-institutionalized theft.

                      I had no idea interest was so expensive. I thought 4% was 4%, but I guess 4% is actually 50%.
                      The idea of building a house slowly over time is not something I had considered.

                      If I play my cards right, I should be able to get something like this in the next couple of years:

                      https://bit.ly/34Vjzit

                    • “I thought 4% was 4%”

                      Ah, C’mon, you Chinamen are smarter than that! (But not as devious as the banksters!)

                      Yeah….4%….per YEAR. Then they add it all up and you pay off the interest first…and you pay interest on the interest!

                      On the other hand, when you have some cash in hand…you can do a lot. I sold a piece of property for a friend just recently. Had 2 guys interested. One guy was willing to pay the asking price of $42K, but needed financing. Another guy comes along with $39K cash….SOLD! That’s what, like 7.5% saved?

                      Meh…get a safe and bolt it to the floor with the lock facing the wall, with just enough room to work it. You’d be surprised how little space money (or Gold Eagles, etc.) take up. I’ve had $25K in my pocket!

                      You pay a premium for an existing house, even if it’s a POS. On the other hand, my neighbor built himself a nice biog house for $70K- just his elderly father and himself- and he was working full-time 4 days a week at a factory and raising tobacky and cows while doing it…. That $70K house, on his c. $30K 20-something acres is worth $250K…..so if you had to buy it….OUCH!

                      My other neighbor got together with a few guys from his church, and they built his mother a little house for $30K, on a little <1 acre lot that might be worth <$5K (The smaller the acreage, the more expensive it is per acre)- Nice little house, for essentially what would be 2 years mortgage payments….and if they were to sell it, they could probably get $70K for it.

                      This injun girl who used to live around the corner (A woowoowoowoo Injun, not a dot-head Injun) bought c 2.5 acres of pretty much junk land for somewhere around $5K. Got an OLD mobile home and stuck it on the one level spot (the rest of the land was just a steep wooded hillside)- and lived there for years with no water or electricity on her few-hunnert-dollar-a-month disability check (She had FIBromyalgia or something….)…..she had a place to live for virtually free, for around $10K. (She'd put plastic bags in the terlit and crap in them…she had this stuff figured out! :D)- Heck, I'd much rather even live like that, than have to do the 9-5 at some corporate job and be in debt for 30 years…. (She ended up building herself a house, then selling it, and moved away…think she got married or something).

                      Now, yer aiming kinda high if ya think you're get something fancy, like the one in your link! I mean, C'mon! Passive A/C and ventilation? Made from recyclable materials? Open floor plan? Sheesh! Who are you, Al Gore?

                    • Jeez nunz, now you’re telling me I need to learn to build a house? What is it with you and these complex “solutions”?

                      It’s either that or coming to terms with no water/electricity and shitting in plastic bags to avoid the banks. Great. Might as well just buy a tent and go to San Fransicko. Ah well. I’ll figure it out. At least I’m not spending 3k per month on a bunk/pod in LA.

      • I have come to the conclusion that while I do not like Donald Trump everyone that promises to intrude upon my life and steal from me hates him. That hate has turned into confirming just about every “conspiracy theory” about how the government actually operates. They try to blame it on Trump, but that’s how things have worked for decades or even a century or more depending on the specific item.

        While I would certainly prefer someone of at least some of proper anti-war and individualistic principles rather than an ignorant easily mislead creature like Trump, the fact that those who would do me harm through politics, economics, law, social meddling and so on hate him and hurt themselves showing it while producing dead lock is the best I can realistically hope for.

        • The lesser evil. Might only be slightly less evil but at least it is less.

          Says a lot about politics that this is about as much as we can hope for.

    • I wish everyone the best of luck and hope your money and votes end the tyranny now ongoing at all levels of government in all Western nations with the US leading the charge. In my lifetime I have not witnessed one single election that managed to even slow it down… a little.

      But again Good Luck,,, and I sincerely mean that.

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