There’s a tendency in the prepping and survival community to focus on the big disasters, those things we refer to as TEOTWAWKI events. That makes lots of sense, as preparing for those disasters also prepares us for lesser disasters that might come our way. But it’s easy for that focus to turn into tunnel vision, blocking out other things we might need to see.

As I sit here writing today, I keep a close eye on satellite radar, watching the weather closely. The day before yesterday, we received 5 ¼” of rain and today looks like it might outdo that. That rainfall was bad enough to cause flash flooding in the town I live in, as well as the nearby city. Worse than that was a 100,000-gallon backup of raw sewage through the storm sewers and contaminating the freshwater treatment plant. We couldn’t use the water coming out of the tap, as it wasn’t safe to drink.

Where is that sort of scenario in our disaster planning? Honestly, for most of us, it’s not. It’s not a big enough item to catch our attention. Nevertheless, the prepping we do for those TEOTWAWKI events covers that as well, as it means we have water supplies and the means to purify more water.

Nevertheless, there are areas in our preparation to survive TEOTWAWKI events that may not be realistic, areas where we’ve made some wrong assumptions. If we allow those assumptions to shape our planning, we might find ourselves planning for some of the wrong things.

Now don’t get me wrong here. There’s a certain amount of assuming that goes with making any plan. Even professional planners in emergency organizations do it. But those professional planners also take a step back from their plans and try to poke holes in them. Part of that is looking for what’s wrong with their assumptions or what will happen if those assumptions end up being untrue.

One of the assumptions I see a lot in the prepping and survival community is that a TEOTWAWKI event will cause a breakdown of society; more accurately, a breakdown of law and order. There’s a general assumption that government will collapse when a severe enough disaster strikes, including law enforcement and the judicial system. We’ll have to protect ourselves because those tasked with that job won’t be there to do it.

I’m not trying to say that there won’t be a breakdown of law and order. That’s happened before, and it can just as well happen to us. But I don’t think we see clearly what a world without law and order will look like. We think we’ll be on our own, with everyone else trying to get what we have. While that may happen, that’s not the biggest risk.

Nature Abhors a Vacuum

You’ve probably heard the saying, “nature abhors a vacuum.” It’s most used about geopolitical issues. One such example is the rise of ISIS in the Middle East, which can be attributed to a political vacuum caused by US forces prematurely pulling out of Iraq after the second Gulf War. As long as US troops were in Iraq, propping up the fledgling democratic government, those terrorists kept their heads down.

But when the US pulled out, without the Iraqi government or military ready to assume power without that support fully, the terrorist quickly came together, taking territory called either ISIS(Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) or ISIL(Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant). It took the United States putting a coalition together and going back in to defeat ISIS and bring relative peace back to the region.

A little closer to home, we saw an uprising happen in Seattle during the summer of 2020. A group of protestors claimed several blocks of downtown Seattle as an “autonomous zone,” effectively throwing out the police with the support of the mayor and city council. For four weeks, CHAZ controlled this zone, which claimed to be free from federal, state, and city law and governance. To make that point, the barriers that the inhabitants erected at the borders of their zone stated, “You are now leaving the USA.”

But that doesn’t mean that there wasn’t any governance in place. Raz Simone, a rapper, declared himself a “warlord” and took over the area. While he did call himself by that title, he objected when former president Trump used it, claiming it made him look like a terrorist.

Yet Simone and his closest allies “policed” the area under their control and did so violently. That’s almost amusing, as part of the justification for creating the zone was in protest of police brutality, specifically the killing of George Floyd.

By the way, it only took four days for the warlord and his goons to take over.

Don’t Let the Goons Win

This is a perfect example of what is likely to happen anytime the local government fails. We’re not going to face a world of anarchy for long. Instead, some warlord is going to rise to take over. There will be law and order, but it will be the law and order that the warlord wants, not what anyone else wants. In that, your “rights,” as guaranteed by the Constitution, won’t matter at all.

Warlords are despotic dictators; nothing more. Even the title is nothing more than something granted by the media to try and make them look better. But the reality is that they aren’t benevolent rulers. No warlord ever took power to give liberty to people. They did it because they wanted power for power’s sake.

Those who talk about anarchy are warlords looking for an opportunity. They know that they can’t take on the government, so they need the government to fall first. Then they are ready to step in and take over. While their plan isn’t to use a disaster to give them that opportunity, they are opportunists who can be sure to recognize the chance that a breakdown in the government caused by a disaster is just what they need. Since they will be somewhat organized, with a group of armed people available to them, they are the ones who are most likely to try and step in to take over.

What do you think that means for your family or survival team? What will it mean for the stockpile of supplies you have stashed away in your home? These people aren’t the type who will let you stay in your home, eating your food; they’re the type who will come and “confiscate” it in the name of the “greater good.” That greater good is feeding themselves, not those who are hungry.

If you think you can take on these people, defending your home from attack, realize that you’re not dealing with just a gang of hungry people who have gathered together to get what they can. These will be professional criminals, unrestrained by the law and willing to use force to get what they want. By the time they attack your home, you can be sure that they will have had other battles behind them, and they’ll have a pretty good idea of what to do to take you out, so they can take what you have. They’ll be well-armed and ready to rumble.

There’s a vast difference between fighting such a group and fighting a loosely organized gang of desperate, hungry people. For one thing, they will have a lot more resources to back them, and for another, there will be more of them. Turning aside such an attack will do nothing more than convince them they need to come back with more forces and with greater violence. About the only thing a “win” can do is provide you with a brief respite, during which you can make good your escape.

Stopping the Warlords

I hope I’ve succeeded in convincing you that you don’t want to give the warlords time to step in and take over when things go wrong. Instead, we need law-abiding citizens to step up and provide for the protection of society, should our law enforcement and judicial system fail for some reason. Our country has a long history of this, starting in Colonial America and passing through the Old West. While it is mainly considered illegal today, it is the only hope for the ordinary citizen if the law breaks down.

I’m talking about vigilante justice or vigilantism – law enforcement undertaken without legal authority by a self-appointed group of people. While that might go against the grain and goes against the idea of us separating ourselves from society so that we can protect our families, it may be what’s required so that we can protect our families.

If the threats out there are going to be bigger than what we can deal with on our own, we need to solicit the help of others. That means gathering a group of people together, who all share the common interest of keeping peace in the community and protecting its citizens from these warlords. If you and I don’t step up to gather such groups together, who will? If someone else does, how can we be sure they won’t be a warlord who sees an opportunity to take over the community and rule?

So, where do we find these people? You can start with people that you know. Whether from your survival team or your circle of friends. Then look for groups of men and women who are likely to have the same desire to protect your community, such as:

  • Church men’s groups
  • The local shooting range
  • Hunting, fishing, and other sportsman groups
  • Local militia groups
  • Veteran’s groups, like VFW and the American Legion

Obviously, you’re going to want to stick with groups that are already armed and have some training. That’s why I’ve listed the groups I did. Other groups might have similar interests but do not have the necessary exercise or attitude to help. A group like Mom’s Demand Action might have as much interest in keeping your community safe as you do but is more than likely to demand some “common sense” gun control measure, like everyone giving up their guns so that the warlords won’t use theirs.

The other big challenge you’re going to encounter is that every group will think they have a right to be in charge. This could lead to infighting between the groups, going totally against your authentic purpose, and weakening your combined groups, possibly to the point where you will be giving the warlords the opportunity they’re looking for.

There is no perfect solution to this, but I’d recommend starting by bringing the heads of the different groups together to form a council. If everyone has an equal place at the table, there’s less chance of disputes within the group. Work democratically within that council, at least until natural leaders emerge and are recognized by everyone.

Another good tactic to use is to divide your area of operations up by group so that each group is responsible for a portion of your area, allocating those areas based on population and the size of the group. It probably won’t be possible, but if those groups could be patrolling the places they live in, that would give them even more reason to work together to protect their own homes and families.

You’re going to have to move quickly on this. Remember, it only took four days for a warlord to emerge in CHAZ. So it’s best to start with whoever you can and then look to recruit other groups to join you, expanding your area of operations. As it grows, safety will increase, and those who would try to take over will be more likely to move on to other sites, where they won’t be faced with such stiff opposition. They may be back someday to give it another try, but you’ll at least have earned yourself a reprieve.

One Final Point

There’s going to be one more problem forming these groups and getting them to work together; that’s food and other critical resources. Everyone will be concerned about feeding their families, and few of them will have a stockpile of supplies like you do. The preoccupation with meeting those needs may very well interfere with them being cooperative, undermining the organization you’re trying to bring for everyone’s safety and well-being.

You can’t just tell these people to ignore that need or deal with it on their own, especially if they find out that you have food. Somehow, your vigilante group will have to go farther than protecting the community and work together to provide for the needs of the families represented within the group.

Allow me to make two recommendations along these lines.

The first is to build a directory of unlikely food sources in your area. I’m talking about places that most people won’t know, such as food wholesalers, distribution centers, and local farms. Your group can also work to gather food from those resources, distributing it amongst yourselves. This will help bring even more people under your fold, as they will join to get access to that food. As time goes on, you should have enough people to start some strenuous farming efforts.

The other recommendation is to stockpile a few hundred pounds extra of rice and beans. These are inexpensive foods but will be enough to sustain life. When you’re starting, before you can put that first recommendation into effect, this will give you something that you can use to bring the group together by helping meet the members’ needs. Those few hundred pounds may not last very long, but at least they’ll help get you started and show your goodwill to the group.

Ultimately, your vigilante group will become the new government, at least until the stable government can be reconstituted and start functioning again. The chances are that those who emerge as leaders amongst the vigilantes will have the opportunity to take part in that new government, helping the rest of your community in a whole way, rebuilding the community and, through it, people’s lives.

Written by

Bill White is the author of Conquering the Coming Collapse, and a former Army officer, manufacturing engineer and business manager. More recently, he left the business world to work as a cross-cultural missionary on the Mexico border. Bill has been a survivalist since the 1970s, when the nation was in the latter days of the Cold War. He had determined to head into the Colorado Rockies, should Washington ever decide to push the button. While those days have passed, the knowledge Bill gained during that time hasn’t. He now works to educate others on the risks that exist in our society and how to prepare to meet them. You can send Bill a message at editor [at] survivopedia.com.

Latest comments
  • New York flooded because of a failure of local government, You patch thing long enough and soon you are patching the patches. They worry about keeping the city going when it needs to be shutdown and fixed area by area. We do not fight wars we are peace keepers, a war is horrible, bloody and and death. If a real war was there the fools doing the news would cry fool and cry that poor people are getting killed. When they do it to them it is breaking news because all they care about is ratings. IS not ISIS IS THE THREAT isis is a reporters short comings because IS was to short like D B Cooper just another newspaper man to stupid to get fact correct. Communities , groups Have there own problem where as you can’t get 10 people to elect a leader they can pick someone to hate.. It’s someone else fault jobs, home there chances they think they are owed. They cry ( some ) how they are coming for the gun, buy all they can and cry there’s no ammo but buy it all as soon as they find it. There are different kinds of preppers. family’s that prepare for future problems, one’s that move to live off the land and the will stand against there threat. People think that it will always work gas, water ,sewer and power will be out for a short time but will be on soon. A guy complained that power trucks were staged at water plant and sewer plants when power was out due to hurricane. Those are the areas that people with no scene think it will work automatically when the taps are out and the toilets don’t flush it’s the government. Education is key but it take time to learn and if not an app. Conclusion scared people to stupid to fine out fact and care if real or made up to get ratings.

  • I understand what you’re saying, and I agree with your sentiments, but it won’t happen that way. There are “preppers” out there, right now, who are only interested in buying guns, all sorts of toys to strap on them, body armor, and ammo. The vast majority of them are white supremacist Nazis who want a “race war” against blacks, hispanics, Muslims, Asians, Native Americans, and anyone else who doesn’t fit in with their narrow, bigoted idea of what a “true American” is. Those people are the threat. They are the ones that everyone else should be organizing against. But, there are so many of them spread throughout the prepper community that it’s almost impossible to do so. Those are the people who are planning to become “warlords.” They already have their groups or militias formed up and ready to go. All they are waiting for, is an opportunity. At the first sign of a breakdown in society and law and order, these people intend to strike and start murdering anyone who doesn’t look like them or think the way that they do. And, how many in the prepper community are ready to stand up to them? How many preppers are just going to “go with the flow” and join up with them? These people want a “race war” and they are going to do everything they can to bring it about. Look at history and what happened in Nazi Germany. When the Nazis decided to start rounding up the Jews, gypsies, homosexuals, Catholic priests, and mentally-impaired people (what we used to call “retarded”), and herded them into death camps and began murdering them on an industrial scale, what did the German people do? NOTHING! Oh, there were a few who hid Jews and helped them escape, but the vast majority of the German population did nothing, even though they knew what was going on. It won’t be any different in America. Most white people will stand by and say and do nothing when the American Nazis start rounding people up to put in their own death camps. If that shocks you . . . Well, it shouldn’t. All the signs are there. We got a little taste of it on January 6th. The white supremacists who stormed the Capitol did so with the intention of overthrowing the duly-elected Democratic American government and establishing a Nazi dictatorship. If they had been successful, I can guarantee you that this web site and everything else that speaks of freedom and truth and democracy would be gone, right now. They would have shut down the internet, killed off all of the journalists (except for those at Fox News) and shut down the newspapers and television stations, and this would now be the Nazi States of America. I can go on and on. The truth is there for everyone to see. What are you going to do about it? There are only three ways to go: 1). You can try to educate those people and reach out to them with the word of God and change them. The white supremacist Nazis all claim to be “Christian,” but they’re not. Jesus teaches us to “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” He also teaches us to “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” But, the white supremacists are full of hate. They hate everyone who isn’t white, and every white person who DOESN’T hate their fellow black, brown, hispanic, Native American, and Asian fellow man the way that they hate do. 2). You can sit by and do nothing while the Nazis start their “race war” just like the German people did in the 30s and 40s. 3). You can join up with the Nazis and become one of them. So, what’s it going to be?

    • I gotta ask, do you take information in by any means besides CNN, NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox or NPR?

      If you actually study history at all, there are several other obvious thing to notice. I encourage you to do so. I don’t care what race, sex, or anything else you are. But for your sake, please free yourself from the chains of your enslavement.

    • Oh, please! Real white supremacists are a tiny minority. There were a few in that Jan. 6 crowd, but there were some Antifa there too, probably way more of them than the former. There was that guy, last name Sullivan though I forget his first name, from UT who was standing right by Ashli Babbitt when she was killed. He was every bit a part of that as any of the others.. They fomented this whole thing to bring disrepute on Trump supporters and it worked.

    • And FYI, there were two lost lives on that January 6th hoax. One was a policeman with a medical problem. The other was a female white Airforce veteran who has no ties to white supremacy. The identity of the police liutenant that shot her is now researchable. Feel free to do so.

      Interesting how minorities can burn, loot, and murder thru the summer of 2020, and it’s called “peaceful protesting.” But when a gathering of Trump supporters gets the slightest bit out of hand, all of a sudden it’s marketed as the worst thing since 9-11.

      Take a look at how Hitler used the media to vilify a group of people. There’s your real history lesson, that is pertinent to today. I honestly don’t believe that you could fill a stadium with the number of white supremacists that are in this country today. But don’t take my word for it. Do some real research instead of letting the media tell you what to think.

  • Thanks to everyone for their feedback. First off, seems like I hit a nerve with all of you. What’s that old saying? “The truth hurts.” Yeah, that’s it. Secondly . . . I don’t take my information from the media. It’s called history. I learned it when I was in school many long years ago. I don’t know what crap they’re teaching in schools, nowadays, but young people are totally ignorant of what the truth is. Another old saying you might want to remember: “Those who forget the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them.” The history of Hitler’s Third Reich is repeating itself here, in America, today. Deny it if you will. That doesn’t change the fact that it’s true. How about the stage at the Republican CPAC convention, earlier this year, that was in the shape of the Odal rune used by the Nazi SS in WW II? Do you think that was a coincidence? If you do, then you’re a fool. It was intentional. They just thought that they were so smart that they could put a Nazi symbol in plain sight and no one would notice it or realize what it was. Guess again! Lots of people recognized it right away. They may as well have used a swastika! Again, that’s called knowing your history. People who knew nothing about World War II or the Nazis completely missed it. Those of us who know our history knew exactly what that symbol meant: They were advertising the fact that they’re Nazis. You accuse me of getting my information from the media. Maybe you all should stop getting yours from internet conspiracy theory websites and chat rooms. Here’s another correlation to history: The Republicans are passing new voting laws in red states all over the country to keep blacks, hispanics, and other non-whites from voting. Does that sound like the Nazis taking away all rights from the Jews before they started rounding them up and putting them in death camps? Oh, oh, oh! Here’s another fun fact for you! You say that there is only a small percentage of white supremacists in America? Oh really? Did you know that, prior to the Nazis beginning their crackdown on the Jews, they sent representatives to America to see how whites in America were keeping black people down. Guess what? The Nazis decided that what America was doing to black people was too harsh. They didn’t want to treat the Jews THAT badly. Of course, all that changed when Adolf Eichmann came up with the idea of the Final Solution. But, the white supremacists here, in America, don’t have to formulate their own Final Solution. They’ll just use Eichmann’s blueprint. It worked so well! Yeah, learn some history, why don’t you.

    • Seems like you may have some logic problems there. So, the Nazis wanted lessons on how to keep Jews in line and wanted to take a “lesson” on how it’s done with us keeping blacks in line? And they decided to discard it because it was too cruel. So they thought whatever it was that blacks here experienced was too much, but enslaving Jews and eventually gassing them and putting them in ovens was not too cruel? Yeah, that is definitely a logical inconsistency.

      I don’t know about the R logo thing…it could be true. I’m not a Republican. There’s all kinds of symbols being recycled. But if you are as well versed on symbology as you claim, you certainly must recognize Antifa’s symbol from the same time period.

      But seriously, how many white supremacists do you think there are in this country? You didn’t address it…unless you were saying every Republican is a white supremacist which is a huge reach. That’s as much a reach as saying every Democrat is a Black Supremacist.

      But history is repeating itself. The media is being used to vilify white people. The only problem is that narrative is extremely one sided. Slavery was abolished in the western world long ago, but it’s still alive and well in Africa and the Middle east. But back to the vilification thing. The media is in a full blown demonize the white people campaign. Eventually, it will lead to more violence against whites. It already has. The vast majority of violence is intra-racial…meaning that the victim and perpetrator are of the same race. The strange thing is, that when violence goes inter-racial, 90% of the time the perpetrator is black, and the victim is some other race. That’s straight crime statistics, but you won’t hear that in the media. Every time that fact comes to light, it becomes time to change the story and the short attention span American population forgets about it.

      The real sad fact, is human nature. Taking a look at our history, we’ve demonstrated, time and again, that we’re evil hairless monkeys. And tribalism is a real thing throughout history. White’s are actually the least ethnocentric, but I will acknowledge that it still exists. And it fits…you can look at it from an evolutionary or biblically perspective. Yes, even Biblical. God’s not a globalist…if the tower of Babel story likely taught you that.

      And just so you know, Nazi’ism is not a conservative phenomenon. Nazi’s were National Socialists. Dwell on that a bit. They also believed in bringing down the power of the state on those they did not like. That’s a left thing, not a conservative thing.

      As for the voter laws…exactly how are they racist? And don’t tell me they’re designed to suppress minority turnout. Quote me a section of a law and tell me exactly how it does that. Maybe you’ll convince me. I don’t think the problem is the existing laws. But i’ve not been convinced that there’s even a shred of plausible evidence that they disproportionately exclude minorities. That’s because the only logic paths to get there, are based on the thought that minorities are somehow less capable, which would be a racist perspective to begin with.

    • If you live in Ignorance, you will die a Fool!

  • Read what I wrote, Brent. I said “Of course, all that changed when Adolf Eichmann came up with the idea of the Final Solution.” No, I don’t have a logic problem. You have a reading comprehension problem. The Nazis who came to America to study how whites were dominating blacks and denying them their rights, etc., etc. found America’s methods too cruel. They were planning something milder to “deal with” the Jews back in Germany, Then along came Eichmann, who said to Hitler, “Why don’t we just kill them all?” Hitler agreed, and the rest is history. And, you said it, I didn’t. Yeah, most Republicans ARE white supremacists. As the old saying goes, “Actions speak louder than words.” And, the actions of the Republican Party are racist as hell. All of the voting laws they’re passing are designed to suppress the minority (primarily, black) vote. And, please, don’t be obtuse! Of course the Republicans aren’t going to be stupid enough to write a law that says, “Blacks can’t vote.” But the laws they are passing do exactly that. Just a few examples . . . Some of the laws make voting on Sunday illegal. The Republicans know good and well that a large percentage of blacks were going to the polls to vote on Sundays, following their church services. So that provision of the law is aimed directly at blacks. Another example is Voter ID laws. Many older blacks, especially in the South, weren’t born in hospitals. They were born at home and lack birth certificates and other government-issued documents that require a birth certificate to obtain. The Constitution guarantees everyone the right to vote. It doesn’t require a birth certificate or any other sort of government document in order to cast a ballot. So, once again, the Republicans are aiming those laws directly at blacks, because they know that most older blacks lack the documents their laws are requiring as proof of voting eligibility. Yet, another one are the restrictions that are being placed on voting by mail. It’s more convenient for everyone to be able to vote by mail, but blacks, especially, favor it. During the 2016 election, Republicans had gun-toting “poll watchers” standing outside polling places. If you were a black person in the Deep South, and you went to vote and saw a bunch of red-necks standing outside your polling place wearing Glocks and carrying AR-15s, would you say, “Stand aside, white boy! I’m going in to vote!” I doubt it. You’d do what a lot of blacks did. You’d say that voting wasn’t worth getting killed over, so you’d go home and forget about it. Voting by mail means you don’t have to go to the polling place and get past a bunch of armed Nazis to vote. So, once again, the Republicans’ new voting laws are aimed directly at preventing blacks from voting. One more . . . Some of the new laws have provisions in them to allow “partisan poll watchers” and give them more power. What do you think the Republican “partisan poll watchers” will be doing? They’ll be doing everything they can to intimidate black voters and turn them away from the polls. And, yeah, I’m in 100% agreement with you that humans are a bunch of evil, hairless, monkeys. I’ve been saying that for decades! And, yes, tribalism is a real thing and always has been. But, you’re dead wrong when you say that whites are the least ethnocentric people of all. Open your eyes and look around, for cryin’ out loud! I remember when you never saw a black or brown face on a TV show or in a movie . . . Until very, very recently every ad for beauty or hair-care products featured white women and men. You want an example of white-centricity? What color are “flesh-toned” Band-Aids? They’re a light beige which closely matches the color of most whites’ skin. Put one of those on a black person and it stands out like a neon light. Everything about America is racist, white-centric, and anti-black. How many unarmed blacks have been murdered by white cops? You don’t know. I don’t know. There have been too many to keep track of. If cops were killing unarmed white people at that rate, we’d have had a revolution in this country by now! They would have “defunded the police” decades ago! But, as long as 95% of the people the cops kill have black skin, America thinks it’s A-OK. And, no one is vilifying and demonizing white people. All they are doing is quoting history. They are calling white people out for the things they have done and for the racist society and culture that they’ve built in this country. Nothing that anyone is saying is a lie. It’s all true. Of course, the racists’ way of dealing with that is to deny the truth and try to bury it. And, that’s exactly what’s happening, now, with all of that “Critical Race Theory” BS. The Republicans are spreading the lie that the Democrats are trying to force schools to teach “Critical Race Theory.” Critical Race Theory is nothing but an academic term, used by scholars to discuss how racial biases influence societies. It’s not some educational policy that the “liberals” are trying to force school boards to teach in schools. But, the Republicans have created that lie and the talking heads on Fox News are beating that drum for all it’s worth and gullible white people believe it and now they’re up in arms and ready to assassinate school board members! And, yeah, I know that Nazi stands for “National Socialist Party.” But, the Nazis weren’t socialists. They were fascists. Maybe I should have been using the term fascist, but Nazi and fascist have become synonymous. And, yes, the Nazis most DEFINITELY believed in bringing down the power of the state on those they didn’t like. Just ask a German Jew from the 1930s or 40s. The real problem is that “conservative” in America has also become synonymous with “fascist” and “Nazi” because they all employ the same methods and they all lie, lie, lie. I’m no liberal, and I’m certainly no socialist. But, the “liberals” and “socialists” are the big, bad, boogey men created by the Republicans to scare their constituents and make them believe that they’re trying to turn America into a Communist country. America has plenty of “socialism” in it, right now! Social Security and Medicare are socialist programs! But, I dare you to find me an old, retired white person who’s willing to give up their monthly Social Security check and their Medicare benefits because they’re “socialist!” What about “corporate welfare?” Why does the American government give subsidies to businesses like the oil companies? What about crop insurance programs for the farmers? If their crops fail, the government pays them for the cost of those lost crops. ALL OF THAT IS SOCIALISM!! A hell of a lot of “conservatives” and “Republicans” are benefitting from those “socialist” programs, but I don’t hear any of them complaining about it! You want to talk about vilification? The Republicans are vilifying socialism and are using it to scare people, when America is full of it!

  • Excellent observations! It’s about time someone with intelligence speaks the truth to the preppers. Some of them worship at the trump trough of lies to the point that even they have no clue what is true or even logical. Thank you. Please continue…..

  • All of the above have at least 1 point. Skip however is a bit to Nieve and thinks all black people are ignorant. For all of your information, if your born at home, in a taxicab, on a bus or in a hospital you have to apply for a birth certificate. In order to work in the U.S. you have to get a S.S.I. number, that you cannot get without a birth certificate. Even people that come from other country have to get one! So Skip’s comment is just insane!

  • Not true, Larry. When I got my Social Security card back in 1970, I had to do so in order to apply for a job. HOWEVER, I did NOT have a birth certificate. When I was born, I was issued a Baptismal Certificate which, at the time, was accepted in lieu of a birth certificate. I didn’t get a birth certificate until I applied for a passport, twenty-five years LATER. The State Department requires a birth certificate for a passport, so I had to jump through all sorts of hoops with my state in order to get a birth certificate. Perhaps the laws have changed since then, but I got through life perfectly fine without a birth certificate until I was in middle age.

  • Let me elaborate on what I said above, just a bit . . . When I was born — and I WAS born in a hospital — I was NOT issued a birth certificate. When my parents had me baptized three days later, the Church issued me the Baptismal Certificate.

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