Tuesday, February 19, 2019

vet value


VET VALUE
What is the value for survivalists in having served in the military, and why are so many vets survivalists?  The question came up on YouTube as Survival Prepping For Normal People responded to a video by Canadian Prepper.  I didn’t see Canadians video ( Too Many Generals ), but SPFNP was giving his thoughts on the question.  In a nutshell, although he usual can babble on for at least ten minutes ( although if I have the time I enjoy listening to him ramble-he is almost always interesting ), he thinks experiencing Turd World SHTF conditions did the trick.
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It is a viable answer, surely, but I respectfully disagree.  It could be a partial answer, but that ignores the fact that the majority of preppers are much older than the current Sandbox Wars age of enlistment and service allow for.  I would imagine the average prepper served back when the Soviet Union was still around, and the only thing coming close to combat was a fight with a bought of VD from the local whore.  So we are mostly talking peacetime veterans, not anyone who experienced combat.  Even then, how many theatre of operation vets actually fought?
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I think most of you know my stance on my military service.  I was part of the Imperial Occupation Force.  I didn’t fight in any war.  I don’t actually consider myself a vet.  To me, vets are guys who saw combat.  Everyone else is just a paper pusher or civil servant.  So, Veterans Day, I don’t belong on the rolls.  That is probably just me, of course.  I just bring this up to apologize for using the term to denote all prior service members, as a short hand communication.  But there is a difference between those serving and those fighting.
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Serving in the military is like serving in a Boy Scout Troop with a really sadistic leader who is always in a bad mood ( and likes figurative sodomy ).  You almost always learn more about a career in being part of the logistics long tail and how to properly genuflect before your deity-like leaders than you do about combat.  And serving overseas, you almost always get a more sanitized Disney Park like experience from the locals, if you are just serving rather than fighting.  They “Americanize” their interactions with you, to get your disposable income. 
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I have nothing but respect for those who saw combat, but that ain’t most of us.  So it stands to reason that few vets now survivalists ever fought.  And they mostly stayed on base while overseas.  Even if they didn’t, let’s be realistic.  Downtown Detroit and the Garment District in L.A. is no more safe or sanitary than most cities our overseas bases are near.  It isn’t like it was a complete shock visiting those locations.  We aren’t in THAT much of a bubble.  So, no, I don’t think pampered Americans are all that shocked or surprised at what they see abroad.
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If you were in combat, sure.  Your worldview would probably change to a certain degree.  But enough to move to a cabin in the woods and stock cases of beans and bullets?  I’m not sure if one follows the other.  I imagine far more suburban dads built a fallout shelter because of a fear of Soviet missiles, than Vietnam vets began prepping because getting shot at sucks.  I’m not trying to minimize anyone’s experience here.  All I am trying to point out is that seeing people in squalor or being shot at doesn’t mean you start prepping.
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How many folks that got shot at in Vegas at the country music concert became survivalists, and how many simply decided not to go to crowded events ever again?  See what I’m saying?  Now, being in the military might have highlighted why it is a terrible idea to count on the government for anything.  The bureaucratic bumbling that is SNAFU might lead some to conclude they had better be their own bank, police force and farmer.  But did they need to go overseas to realize that?  Just staying in barracks highlights the number of folks unable to pour piss out of a boot.
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I think the reason so many vets are now survivalists is something ALL former military personnel were taught, peacetime or war, overseas or domestic.  Killing the enemy is your job, and the enemy are everywhere and far more dangerous than mere civilian pukes realize.  The military is a bit like the police, you and your buddies against all the other scumbags.  Thin Blue line, thin Green line.  Hell, really, it is just like the High School football team if you think about it.  Only you are worthy, and nobody else is.
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And only YOU know how close the enemy is to Ruining The American Way Of Life.  And only YOU can prevent our demise ( and, sometimes literally if you are in the National Guard, only YOU can help prevent forest fires.  Or at least help fight them ).  And because of Army Training, Sir! ( “Stripes” movie reference ), only YOU are authorized to go forth ( under supervision of course ) and smite the godless heathens.  First it was Godless Communists and now it is the Muzzies who follow a false god, even as we PC Protect them.  Enemies Abound! Kill!
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I believe it is the first exposure to Permission To Engage Violently that marks the difference between civilians ( well, those not in gangs ) and those having served in the military.  All your life, you wish and strive towards violence, as is your want as a male, and for most of us all your life the squishy forces of emotional estrogen have denied you permission to strike down the unworthy and the dangerous.  Oh, fighting is wrong.  Oh, duels are bad. Oh, no vigilante retaliation.  But when you get in the military, they WANT you to kill and maim.
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But we aren’t then just unrestrained psycho’s straining at the leash.  Like a hammer looking for any nail, the military like anyone else justifies their existence by seeing nails even when there aren’t any.  Everybody and everything is a threat.  That is the other side of the survivalist coin.  You already know that preparing to kill is cool, and now you begin to understand that Charlie is everywhere outside the wire.  Everyone and everything is a threat, and all threats must be trained and prepared for.  And ALL Communists are better off dead ( God will sort them out ).
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And just writing that, I’m beginning to wonder just how deep the military propaganda went.  I used to wonder, hey, WHAT propaganda?  Other than them changing me for the better now being able to suck up pain and carrying on despite it ( “sick-call is for pussies” ), I didn’t think their mind control went too far.  Well, the best propaganda is when you think it is your own idea.  I wonder-how much of my paranoia was born during and how much was after my military service?  I thought just constantly getting screwed in life was the source.  Now?
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Not that it matters.  Just as you cannot un-see a naked seventy year old Hilary, you cannot undo paranoia.  That is what THEY want, isn’t it?  For you to let down your guard ( I’m being sarcastic, but also completely genuine ).  Anyway, those are just my thoughts.  For what they are worth.  I’m not sure how much relevance they have, but I can’t help but to be fascinated peeking under the hood of our psyche.  ‘Cause knowing is half the battle, G.I. Joe.
( .Y. )
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34 comments:

  1. Jim, you are essentialy answering as an example to your prior scribes about tribes, serving your tribe, and pre-ag hunter gathering necesessities of a constant warrior posture. As my own 0311 marine infantry example all of the base kernals of training and experiences are cumulative to making a warrior. Absence of a named enemy to kill does not negate an ability or capability. Those (mostly applicaple to combat arms occupations) with the background are more easily able to pivot to survivalism (different from point and click consumer prepping) as it is that base animal side of the brain thinking that vets of the serious blood on the hands kind of types would gravitate to. Humans (men as primary) have canine teeth for meat eating which means killing, not plucking sprouts to nibble on. Thus it is fulfillment of natural order that societies worth their salt have organized (hopefully strong and effective) militaries to maintain the system and society as a whole. By and by Jim, you are indeed a vet too, just lose the lefty apron and pull up the big boy pants.

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    1. In a functioning society of a homoginous tribe, serving in the military would be honorable and required. I have no problems with a draft to train militia for ALL males. But I do have a problem with federal usurpation of local militias for non self-defense needs. Does a refusal to support imperialism and colonialism and desire to join that cult make me a leftist? Am I only worthy of belonging to the Right if I wave the flag without thought or criticism? The right/left, blue/red divide is fine as a general rule, but best not to get caught up in it as anything else such as your self-identity. Are Libertarians-to use one example-right because of total gun freedom or left because of open immigration? See, the label quickly becomes useless. Plenty of Right Wingers hate the Bill Of Rights just as much as the Lefters do. All "left" "right" does is identify which freedoms you lose and who gets taxed.

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  2. My family were farmers.

    We had basements full of home-canned foods... including jugs of well-water.

    My four grandparents emigrated from Ireland in the 1860s; starvation from oppression by the brits was their way of life. By comparison, north America offered freedom to breathe.

    In this context, and in the context of today's column, the oppression against Keltic peoples is a 'soft war'.

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    Bison,
    As much as we all admire your hairs, I think you mis-timed 'The American Civil War' by several decades. Residents of north America rising against the brits to self-govern occurred in the 1765-1786 period... a 'civil war' by definition.

    The invasion of the Confederate States Of America were merely serial raids funded by New York city bankers to destroy Southern farms and Southern farmers... in particular, Southern children by starvation while raping perpetual distrust of bankers into Southern women.

    How do I know? Here is the evidence == government agents in government schools refer to the 1861-65 raids as a 'civil war'. It is not.

    One clue the government agents are lying is the movement of their lips.

    Another clue == the government agents propagandizing their lies dujour in government school printings.

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    1. I love your definition of the War Of Northern Aggression. But I'd argue the Revolutionary War was not about freedom as much as it was about local tyranny being preferable to that from overseas. And I won't even get into the Articles Of Confederation verses the Constitution.

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    2. When you really, and I mean *really* research modern history you quickly learn just how much of it is lies, half truths or "mythology" (as in "we were Good. And they were Evil")

      I'm no student of the first US Civil War but I sure as dang know that it wasn't "to free the slaves".

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    3. Researching modern history is also a challenge, since they put a butt ton of resources into covering up the unapproved portions.

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    4. I guess I should be fair. I don't know what is going on right now. I question if anyone does

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    5. Of course not, if one is 100% honest. It is all just WAG'ing.

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  3. To me military service alone is not a Platinum Super Survivor certification.
    Many times the military handicaps, leaving a shuffling cog awaiting further instructions. A clock watching, system drone looking for Federal employment, benefits and avoidance of painful individual thought.
    I know a guy that built his own helicopter and taught himself to fly it. He meets guys at Air Shows all the time that tell him it cant be done without military training and stamp of approval.
    Give me the independent every time.

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    1. True, the military does handicap in the ways you describe. My point was that the military is ONE way to avoid Soy Boy programming.

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  4. Losers, all the way around. They couldn't make it on the outside so they went in. While in, they bragged about all the good stuff they had going on before they went in. Then, they couldn't stand being in so they got out and bragged to everyone out here how bad ass they were when they were in.

    I was a 12b when I was in. I'm not proud that I entered. It was a huge time waster and I want my 4 years back. Further, I was disabled in a parachute fall, and contracted hepatitis C. I was overseas for 37 months but the most 3rd world country areas I saw were back here in the states in "those" areas of metropolises. Being in the military has nothing to do with survivalism or prepping unless you're attracted to abject blow-hard braggarts. I learned nothing worthwhile while in the army except further proof that most people are assholes. Do the Remus: avoid crowds Do the ghost: avoid everybody

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    1. I'm a slow learner. It took awhile to learn everyone is a dingus. Then I recalled the military and confirmed this.

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    2. I come from a long line of military signer upppers and was told from a very early age that I would be a soldier when I got old enough. That may have been a good thing before my time but by the time I went in in 74 there were drastic changes a foot and they have done nothing since but get much worse. When our son turned 18 and had to register I told him "Don't even think about it. I'll tie your ass to a tree before I allow you to ruin your life." He assured me he had no inclination at all. Once he started a business, got married, and had a kid, I could finally exhale.

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    3. I was lucky in one aspect growing up in Cali. My dad had a few liberal tendencies ( mostly he was quite Old School, though ). One was, whatever we kids did he would support. No pressure to do any certain thing. No pressure to join any religion. I always appreciated that. On the other hand, it was all my own damn fault for joining :)

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    4. GS - You joined in '74?

      My favourite year but sheesh you're an old fart LOL What was it like to see electricity for the first time ROFL

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  5. “Serving in the military is like serving in a Boy Scout Troop with a really sadistic leader who is always in a bad mood ( and likes figurative sodomy).”


    True, but serving in the boy scouts today might get you a sadistic leader that likes literal sodomy, and you don’t get no purple heart after being wounded in the ass :D

    On the other hand, you could join the modern military, and end up in this unit:

    https://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/freedomfaction/images/0/0a/69th_fighting_sodomites_unit_insignia.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20130104114440

    :D

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  6. Well , yes You're right for the most part about the military.
    Though they did train us boys how to be sneaky and avoid contact with Charles. Those experiences could be said to be useful. Six years of MI certainly led to my paranoia about just knowing bad things were just around the corner?
    Then too, growing up in a Mormon family automatically made you a prepper minded person.

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    1. The growing up part. Was it the history of the persecutions? Or just self sufficiency as a self evident truth? Something else? You always hear "Mormons told to be prepped" but I don't think I've come across WHY they were told this.

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    2. In the early days of the religion they were persecuted. Hah ! So much for religious freedom eh...
      Much had to do with the desolate area they fled to also.
      Most of my ancestors had to be self sufficient, because they lived so far out in the sticks and had only themselves to rely on. I think this holds true for most of the early Western pioneers.

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    3. Not agreeing with the persecutions, but perhaps the Protestants looked at the Mormons as we do Muslims today. ie, accepting THEIR religion was literally dangerous to civilization. Then, wasn't the railroad built to SLC pretty quick? Were the early days that difficult that stocking took such deep roots culturally? Most of the West was only settled with the railroad, so I'm just wondering how much the isolation was different for anyone else. Perhaps, as winter still to this day is a motivation to the more remote, that is something easily built from. I guess I'm just wondering how much the Church keeps an eye on eventual independence or future religious conflict as they suggest storage. Hell, perhaps it is as simple as the Cold War really scared the crap out of the leadership at the time. It just seems there is a LOT of Church resources involved in this, and you don't just use those without a darn good valid and contemporary reason. You know how I love looking under the hood of everything, sorry.

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    4. I remember the 1 year storage rule, though I don’t remember the specifics as to why. There’s a big difference between the early LDS, and the modern version. Even those missionary dudes carried the Avenging Angel pistols with them for protection. The early church was a force to be reckoned with, at one time the Mormon militia standing off US troops as they tried to enter the Salt Lake Valley. I think that the government had good reason to respect them at the time. The modern version, not so much. I haven’t been in many years, but even in the 90’s, you couldn’t swing a double bit ax around that place without whacking some feminist in the head :D And now when you go to modern young LDS persons blogs, you will see shit such as:

      “I sure wish that the general authorities would change their stance on gay marriage” (Which ultimately means that the prophet would have to have a revelation that it’s now okay for Tad to bugger Biff for all eternity in the Celestial kingdom :D ).

      So you know the direction that church is headed someday.

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    5. One of the great things about the apocalypse will be the instant bloody death of Political Correctness. Then, stupid dumb bitches will tremble in fear of having a dissenting opinion. Young women should only be allowed to breath and breed. And young males never allowed to vote. Fighting is encouraged, though. Amazing what dumb asses we are through most of our twenties. I don't think the Mormons are in a great place right now, however. Not like when young Ing wrote the trilogy on them surviving nuclear war ( his best work, in my opinion ). The SLC metro area got too big and too many gentiles couldn't be stopped from moving there. Not sure that focus on money will help much, either, real soon.

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    6. It used to be not that long ago Jim, that the Salt Lake Area, and Utah in general due to Mormonism, were enough of a deterrent to prevent gentiles from wanting to go there. But as you say, apparently that’s changed quite a bit. I remember when I was LDS, members back then (90’s) saying that Salt Lake City had really gone to shit, and that you were seeing things such as strip clubs, all night bars, high crime, etc. Being a Commiefornia Mormon, that didn’t get out much, this surprised me.

      I think that the only churches today that stand a chance of retaining their values, are those that reside outside of the mainstream (i.e. the Amish and other Anabaptist sects). Some of the Mormon splinter groups still practice the old ways, but as one might imagine, most are under the heavy surveillance of the US govt. If some supreme court justice tried force the faggot agenda on these groups, they would probably just say fuck it, and leave the US, as some already have.

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    7. I hear there is a spot down in Guyana that is REALLY fertile.

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  7. I had never heard of that prepping for normal people dude until you mentioned him in today’s post. And lo and behold, right after I watched a youtube video, and up he came as a suggestion. I watched the video, and was impressed. The only reason that I didn’t subscribe was that it basically took 15 minutes for him to touch on what should have been a 5 minute topic. I’m not sure if it’s old age or what, but I sort of suffer from attention deficit disorder these days. And when something is too long and drawn out, I often can’t get through it. One of the things that I like about the gray bearded green beret, is that often his videos are short and right to the point, and he wraps it up in 5 minutes or less.

    I’ve never been in the military, but I can see how certain aspects of it might apply to survivalism. I’ve known a few people that had to attend some high altitude survival course in southern CA as part of their MO. And from what I’ve gathered, the special forces learn survival above that of the standard military. I know this isn’t really the type of survivalism that we talk about here, but should you suddenly find yourself as a nomad (something that I could very easily see happening in a PA world) such skills could come in handy.

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    1. I like the For Normal People exactly because he does a lot of background on all points, but I'm on the exercise bike or making cigarettes so I like the longer vids. Otherwise I wouldn't listen to him as any other time I want them to be short and to the point. So he is a niche product for me.

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    2. YouTube with their "sharing" advertising revenue have ruined YouTube. Now people waffle on as you described, 15 minutes to say what should take 3. The click baiting is the worse though.

      Some YouTubers are making serious coin but sheesh, it's so fricken annoying everyone wanting to be a celebrity / go viral

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    3. Yep, and some are so uninteresting and annoying I can't revisit. So a lot of good info is ignored, at least by me. There is a place for both long and short, but so many choose the wrong one.

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  8. Unrelated yet potentially valuable for olden folks:
    GreenHouseInTheSnow.com

    YouTube:
    Nebraska retiree uses earth heat...
    youtube.com/watch?v=ZD_3_gsgsnk&t=934s

    According to this information, a us$24,000 greenhouse produces organic fruits and vegetables year-round for farmer's markets.

    Could something this simple 'produce' a substantial part-time income?

    And they heat and cool their 4400sf home using the tubes.

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  9. I worked on equipment that was used to fix test sets that were used to make sure aircraft and pods and weapons and bombs were good. My lab was in a place that was once occupied by Chinese troops, then lots of Americans and South Koreans died for each hill taken back. NorKs looked longingly at my 19 pounds of surplus body fat from the 5-wheeled adjustable-height chair and meal every 6 hours No-Matter-What. That was some fine equipment by the time it went back to the flight line. Air Force Combat: "Give 'em Hell, Captain!" Then, the A-10 worked great.
    Or, does there need to be some personal possibility of mud & blood, like Infantry gets a Badge for? AF drone pilots get the Silver Star...
    Yeah. Don't forget PTSD from drone piloting, which is less dangerous than riding my bicycle home in pdx electric-silent-death-on-the-phone car traffic.
    pdxr13

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    1. Living in the ghetto gets you no citations, as you are not putting enough spending and debt into the system. "Be 'Murican-Mastercard!"

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    2. Once the Caprice (B-Body) is back on the road, I should be able to get about 400 more tanks of gas burned before it needs a new engine. LS2 next time? I miss $0.99 premium 0% ethanol gas and the 22mpg at 100mph it gave (I know, FIVE GALLONS PER HOUR!). 100,000 miles in a big car is enough consumption even for a natural-born American to be proud of. Step on the gas and wipe those tears away.

      Reno is a worthy road trip in a big car if you bring back enough cheap Nevada likker. Once out of the hives, miles go fast and great hair waves in the wind. "Supporting the economy with Happy Motoring!"

      pdxr13

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