"Attack Proofing" The Dangerous Child; Never Too Late

Previously published on Al Fin, the Next Level




The clip above depicts John Perkins with different students, demonstrating the "contact flow" quasi-sparring method of training. Perkins is the developer of the "Attack Proof" method of self defence.

Notice how the speed of interaction can be varied depending upon the level of expertise, control, and familiarity with the techniques and the training partner.

Slow contact training of this sort is safe, and an excellent introduction to the balance and dynamics of actual physical confrontation. Several years of this type of training, beginning at a young age, could lend a significant amount of dangerousness to any child.

An entire set of video clips

Perkins emphasises "what works and what doesn't work." Many of the classical techniques of defence taught in traditional martial arts classes are not likely to work on the street. Perkins -- a former law enforcement officer -- focuses on what works.

Another approach to practical no-nonsense street level defence comes from the American Combato system from Bradley Steiner. Four years of free newsletters are available at the American Combato website. More free how-to articles from the same source are available here.

Both gentlemen mentioned above teach their systems as a business, but offer a significant amount of information online free of charge.

It is never too late to have a dangerous childhood.

h/t to commenter "Inthewest"

New Year's Resolution: Always Carry 10 Concealed Weapons

Dangerous children are most dangerous because of their creative minds and their wide range of practical skills. But the training of the dangerous child does not neglect the crucial aspects of self defence and self-preservation in the face of threat.

Since it is never too late to have a dangerous childhood, we grownups should also take this New Year's opportunity to resolve to increase our own "DQ," dangerousness quotient. The best place to start is to learn how to "arm up" whenever we go out.

Normally when we think of "concealed carry," we think of firearms. And certainly, concealed firearms are very useful in a situation when faced with a dangerous adversary, including those who are carrying a knife or a gun. But many places we go, we will have to do without firearms. We still need to carry 10 concealed weapons.

Guide to Concealed Carry

"10 concealed weapons," you ask? "And how am I supposed to wear 10 weapons on my person without looking like a medieval Japanese samurai warrior?"

Relax. You already carry 14 concealed weapons with you, even dressed in your birthday suit, unless you have had significant body parts removed.

Although these are not the weapons that I am talking about, let's get them out of the way first:

1. Two feet
2. Two hands
3. Two elbows
4. Two knees
5. Two shoulders (!)
6. Two hips (!)
7. A hard head (!)
8. A brain

Bonus weapon: Your teeth!

The hands can be used open or closed, front or back, fingers first or heel of palm first. They can be used for striking, clawing (eyes etc.), clapping over the ears, choking, or a number of other things which I am not allowed by Google to mention at this time. ;-)

Likewise for the other body parts -- the number of ways in which they may be used as weapons is almost endless. But again, those are not the weapons to which I refer in the title.

Here is a short blurb on personal defense weapons offered by a website called http://www.weapons-universe.com (no endorsement implied).

For safety aware individuals, there are a variety of non-lethal personal defense weapons which are used for the act of defending oneself, one's property or the well-being of another from physical harm. Such personal defense weapons include pepper spray which is a chemical compound that irritates the eyes of your attacker to cause tears, pain, and even temporary blindness. Also an air taser or stun gun which is an incapacitant weapon used for subduing an attacker by administering electric shocks aimed at disrupting muscle functions. And expandable batons for less lethal self-defense, also called collapsible or telescopic batons are like metal sticks of less than arm's length used to defensively strike, jab, block, and can aid in the application of armlocks. And SAP gloves, also called weighted-knuckle gloves are a type of weapon used in hand to hand combat used to help protect your hands against injuries when punching without compromising the effectiveness of the punch. _WU

The collapsible baton is a particularly useful concealed weapon if it is well constructed. They are easily deformed in a real fight, so you may only get one good use out of it. Even so, if you know how to use a short stick in very close combat, a collapsible baton can save you from some of the more dangerous weapons.

More on the short stick:

The Joongbong, or short stick, is the most versatile and easy to learn weapon. Once mastered, the principles of the Joongbong can be applied to any blunt weapon. The most comfortable length for the Joongbong is the length of your arm from the armpit to the middle fingertip when you stretch your arm out with your fingers fully open.

Grip the Joongbong approximately one to two inches above the end. The tip of the Joongbong aims at the eyes or the Adam's apple of the opponent with your arm at almost a 90 degree angle to the Joongbong.

There are five different blocks: high, cross, inside, outside, and low block. There are five offense skills: straight strike, thrust, inside cut, outside cut, and cross cuts. _Junsado

There is a wide range of "wearable" weapons, including knives and sharp jabbing implements. There are also creative weapons such as this self-defence cap, these steel knuckle gloves, or this key chain baton.

As you can imagine, this does not by any means exhaust the list of potential concealed weapons. Credit cards, for example, have been used as deadly weapons, as have writing pens, eyeglass frames, heavy belt buckles, and even concealed dental floss.

If you do happen to have a concealed carry permit for firearms, and want to be stylish about it, here is one gentlemen's guide to stylish concealed carry.

You may wonder whether all of these weapons for personal defence are legal in your area. That is certainly a concern, so you will want to try to stay within the letter of the law as far as possible, while maintaining a safe margin of protection for yourself and your family. And if you develop good relationships with local law enforcement before the fact of a life-saving interaction, far fewer questions are likely to be asked afterward. Also, if it comes to that, you may ask yourself whether you would rather repent and pay penance, or rot underground. The choice is yours.

Seriously, any type of law that makes it difficult for non-violent and non-aggressive individuals to protect themselves from violent and aggressive persons, is not necessarily the kind of law that should be adhered to -- or allowed to stand unchallenged.

So think about it. If you take the survival of yourself and those you care about seriously, you may want to make a New Year's resolution to go out better prepared in the days ahead.

Note: Weapons do not protect you without your help. If you choose to carry weapons, make sure that you are trained in how to use them safely and effectively.

If you find yourself confronted by an armed mugger who seems mainly interested in your money, give him your money. Perhaps that will be the end of it. But there are tipoffs that may tell you that he will not be content with merely robbing you. Do not let an entirely natural emotional denial and wishful thinking prevent you from seeing the indicators that you are in a life and death struggle.

It is best to avoid such situations in the first place, which is why it is a good idea to talk about them ahead of time. But sometimes crime happens to the best people, and if they are not mentally and physically prepared, they may die.

Violent Crime: If You Ignore it, It Won't Go Away

Race War Preppers Violent crime rates in US cities are rising again, after a respite of almost 20 years. A spike in violent assaults is largely responsible for the rise.

One of the most striking aspects of the recent spike in US violent crimes is the inter-racial aspect of the phenomenon. Respected economist and author Thomas Sowell -- a black man himself -- asserts that a censored race war against whites is taking place in US cities. DOJ crime statistics appear to support that assertion, if one looks beneath the veneer.

Not only is the U.S. economy in shambles, violent crime is at an all-time high and new federal statistics show that 2011 saw the biggest increase in criminal activity in nearly two decades with a large boost in the rate of “violent victimizations” for whites. _JudicialWatch

In several locations, an alarming rise in black hate crimes against whites and asians is raising racial fears to new levels.

Some people may remember the infamous "Zebra Killings" in the San Francisco bay area of the 1970s. Violent black groups in the bay area specifically targeted whites for killing -- as a form of initiation, as well as an irrational form of retribution for actions decades or centuries old.

The mentality behind the Zebra Killings never actually went away. In fact, the ideas that fuel black hatred against whites and asians in the US, has become more broadly generalised and institutionalised in churches, special K-12 through university schools, special curricula within mainstream K-12 through university schools, and in ethnic and mainstream media. Such hatred is also often transmitted from mother to sons, from the cradle onward -- similar to the way that Palestinain youth are programmed from infancy to hate Jews.

An interesting 2011 paper titled: "Crime in Europe and the US Dissecting the Reversal of Fortunes" (PDF), Attempts to explain the apparent contradictory trends in violent crive rates -- where European crime rates were rising, and US crime rates had been dropping for almost 20 years.

Although the last two years are seeing an uptick in violent assault in the US, it is worth looking at the reasons the researchers gave for changing trends in violent crime rates.

They looked at the influence of:

1. demographic changes,
2. incarceration,
3. abortion,
4. unemployment
5. immigration

on crime.

We find that the demographic structure of the population and the incarceration rate are important determinants of crime. Our results suggest that a tougher incarceration policy may be an effective way to contrast crime in Europe. _Contrasting Crime Trends in Europe and the US (PDF)

It is odd that the authors of the study did not suggest stricter immigration control for Europe as well, given their findings. It is difficult to overcome over half a century of draconian political correctness, however.

Ignoring the issue of violent crime will not make it go away. The alarming rise in black hate crimes against whites and asians -- and sometimes hispanics -- suggests that the two most politically correct population groups are also the most victimised. Whites and asians are also the groups with the lowest fertility rates -- suggesting that the victimisation of these populations at the hands of young black males may be just beginning.

A similar future for aging populations of whites in Europe is likely, as immigrant groups from underperforming tribal third world areas replace more and more of the former native populations.

US Guns and Ammo Sales: Nowhere to Go but Up

President Barack Obama has been referred to as “salesman of the year” for the gun industry. The nickname is likely to stick around, considering that gun sales are expected to rise like a speeding bullet now that he’s been reelected. _Time

Obama is famous for his remarks about middle Americans -- referring to them as bitter clingers who hold to their guns and religion. The US President's open contempt for the majority of his constituents has been largely filtered out by a sycophantic media -- most accurately referred to as the skankstream media.

But a large measure of Obama's contempt for America and average Americans has filtered through -- enough to trigger an unprecedented boom in gun and ammunition sales.

Reuters reports that within hours of his securing his reelection, President Obama ordered the U.S. United Nations delegation to vote in favor of a UN proposal to fast track an international gun control treaty.

Immediately the word went out that the United States was going to play ball (after having scuttled the last round of talks on the Arms Trade Treaty in July), and a new round of negotiations on the treaty was scheduled for March 18-28 at the UN headquarters in New York City.

...While many accused those making a run on gun stores of reacting rashly, there may be some wisdom in this latest sales spike. _The New American

Around the country, the story coming out of gun stores is the same: Obama is the best salesman for the US gun trade, ever!

It’s not just guns and ammo sales, but also a record number of people signing up for a concealed carry permit. "A lot of people feel that there is a gun ban coming in place, he also eluded that in the second debate that he was looking to reintroduce an assault weapons ban” said Ryan Horsley Manager, Red’s Trading Post. _Gun Sales Up

If gun sales are shooting up in Idaho -- where gun sales have always been high -- you know that Obama is having a stimulatory effect on the industry as a whole. The rise in concealed carry permits is also a nationwide phenomenon -- wherever allowed.

Obama has been trying to turn the US into a Chicago mafia style cronyocracy, with all powers concentrated within the central government. He has been fighting against the US Constitution and its Bill of Rights since even before he was elected.

Obama is not only antagonistic to the Second Amendment -- the Right to Bear Arms. He is antagonistic to any US Constitutional provisions which limit the power of the central government. His ongoing war against the US private sector reflects his antagonism toward any powerful interests which might compete with the central government for influence and control.

The cloud of suspicion hanging over the most recent presidential election -- a suspicion of rampant and institutionalised voter fraud -- does not help the mood of the nation any.

If you decide to acquire a personal arsenal, make sure you understand gun care and gun safety. Take the time to learn the proper care and use of each weapon you acquire, and store all weapons and all ammunition in safe and secure locations. Be responsible.

Hope for the best. Prepare for the worst.

Obama Continues to Boost US Gun Sales

Sales of guns and ammunition continue to spike to unprecedented levels, as US citizens confront a number of possibilities over the next weeks, months, and years.

Sturm Ruger Quarterly Sales

Angry tweeters have been threatening violent insurrection and assassination, should Romney win the US presidential election next week. And now media celebrities such as Bill Maher, and Richard Belzer are speaking for America's blacks -- warning voters not to vote for Romney "or else."

The pro-Obama movement has always been emotional in nature, without significant reasoning or rationale. And we see in the only Obama election that has been closely contested, the true emotional colours of Obama and his supporters coming out in full display.

Obama recently assured his supporters that "voting is the best revenge." But revenge for what? Having the audacity to run against or vote against someone who has been arguably the worst US President in history?

Voting machines in a number of swing states have been caught changing votes which were originally cast for Romney into votes for Obama. Military ballots for overseas US servicemen have been "lost" or "disqualified" in a number of Democratic Party controlled precincts.

Obama campaign and Democratic Party campaign workers have been caught advising voters how to vote multiple times for Obama -- even in multiple states! In one Houston precinct, NAACP campaign workers took over a polling station, guiding voters through the process with the implicit consent of the poll judges. And why do Democratic Party legislators and activists work so hard to eliminate all identity check safeguards at polling places?

These are things one would expect to see in a Chicago election, of course. But in a national US presidential election, a neutral observer could be excused for thinking that things may have gotten a bit out of hand. And they would be right about that. But do not expect any significant coverage of these election issues from the skankstream media. "Speak no evil of Obama or of those who act in his name," is the media watchword.

In light of the above irregularities, and others likely to emerge in the coming days and weeks, one might also begin to understand recent trends in gun sales across the US.

Americans are divided between persons who produce -- farmers, engineers, technologists, physicians, scientists, accountants, construction workers, etc -- and those who mainly consume, carp, and agitate on the public dole, in other words "moochers". The latter group is overwhelmingly in the Obama camp, while members of the former group often do not have enough time away from primary responsibilities to keep a close eye on the shenanigans that the parasite classes are up to.

Things could become very interesting if large groups of people decide that "their candidate" had been cheated out of winning the election by dirty tricks. Even if a more dispassionate reality suggests that "their candidate" lost the election because his dirty tricks were not quite dirty enough.

Should Children be Taught to Fight?

The following article is adapted from a previously published article at Al Fin, the Next Level

Modern children are typically pampered and sheltered from most of the harsher realities of life. This is a relatively good thing for infants, toddlers, and most kindergartners. But as a child grows older and more independent, he will spend more and more of his time outside of direct adult supervision. If he does not learn to develop situational awareness and how to protect himself as he gets older, he becomes a sitting duck for bullies, predators, and accidentally stumbling into bad situations.

What are the best martial arts to teach children in the beginning? In our opinion, Aikido, Judo, Jiu Jitsu, wrestling, and fencing. Here are a few ideas for teaching martial arts to children:

Aikido:

I think if I were to teach a class of kids aikido, here's some of what I'd do to avoid chokes, joint locks, and etc...

Mobility games
Ukemi - lots and lots of ukemi [ed: the art of falling safely and smoothly]
Walking kata
Evasion drills with partners
Brush-off and escape
Wrist releases
... Cool ki tricks (mind games, concentration, etc…)
Talk about how to deal with interpersonal conflict
Situational self defense
... So, there's still a lot of aikido and pre-aikido that we could do. Much of the pre-aikido stuff is identical to the pre-judo stuff we do in kiddie judo. _Aikido for kids

Judo:

For a while, young kids should play a games-based judo approach. Fun preparations that build strength and coordination and familiarity with judo. But then at some point they have to move to "real judo." I'm not talking about adult judo - we start kids in regular adult classes at about age 13, depending on their physical size and maturity. I'm talking about an intermediate level between games-based judo and actual judo technique.

. One indicator that they are ready to step it up a level from games to real judo, is that they understand and can abide by the gentleman's agreement at the heart of judo. I've mentioned this Judo gentleman's rule before.

. The most central rule to judo practice is that if I am going to allow you to use my body to learn to throw hard and fast then you must save me at the end. You can throw with force, but you must support me and help me get into the proper landing position. .

Without people abiding by this rule, judo falls apart and cannot be practiced. When kids are progressively demonstrating that they can take better and better care of their ukes, they can be taught progressively more vigorous judo. _Judo for kids

Jiu Jitsu:

After teaching my own children and many others basic self-defense, I realized that children should first concentrate on a safe foundation system of self-defense based solely on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Only given solid aptitude of this system, at an intermediate level, would I then teach the striking techniques of Thai Boxing. The rationale for this is manifold:

Only a more advanced student will learn techniques that are inherently more dangerous (striking). This way, I will assure that only children who are mature enough to understand the safety issues will learn the technique.
In a fight, position is more important than pure striking ability. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gives a greater ability to control the position of your opponent than Thai Boxing. So, I want the student to know how to control their opponent long before they learn how to punch, elbow, or kick them. With positional control, punching and kicking can happen with relative leisure!
Beginners may get confused if they have too many techniques to focus on. After they have the fundamentals of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu "wired in," they won't get their mind as cluttered with dramatically different techniques of Thai Boxing.

Core Concepts

Safety first.
Understand the difference between causing pain and causing harm. Never attempt to harm a fellow student.
Avoid physical conflict.
Work out conflict with words. If you can escape a situation without physical harm to you or a family member, don't fight.
Words are never a reason to fight. Children are rewarded for avoiding fights.
Because of legal and school disciplinary issues involved in fights, the children are taught that in a situation where a fight is unavoidable, the words spoken and attempts made to dispel and avoid the situation beforehand can make a great difference.
Challenge the student to work hard.
The only true rewards in life come from hard work, dedication, and consistent practice.
Fitness through aerobic conditioning
Self defense in realistic situations
Have fun, but be serious enough to make solid progress every class!
Share techniques and learning with fellow students only.
It is important that they understand that this is a fighting system that should not be casually shared or demonstrated anywhere but in class with the instructor, unless self-defense calls for it. In other words, it would be very bad if they demonstrated a choke on a friend at the playground or kicked the family dog!
Don't advertise yourself as a martial arts expert! Many children take a few classes and think they are Bruce Lee reincarnated. A bigger bully will go out of his way to pick a fight with someone like this. Sun Tsu said, "All warfare is based on deception." Don't let them know what you know. More importantly, as a beginner, you don't know much, so don't pretend to know more than you do! _Jiu Jitsu for kids

Wrestling:

Find a Team

Depending on your child’s age, there are several different options for the types of teams you want to sign him up with. The most popular choice for parents with children under the age of 10 is to start them in a freestyle/Greco-Roman wrestling club. These clubs typically practice folkstyle, the same style of wrestling contested in high schools and colleges across the United States.

Wrestling clubs are typically not affiliated with any specific school or organization. Rather, they are private organizations geared towards teaching children the sport of wrestling. However, many clubs may practice at a school and have the same coaching staff as a school’s regular team — but the club will not be related to the school in any other way.

Essentially, you want to look for a team that focuses on fitness and technical development, rather than competition. This is especially important for younger wrestlers. For more information on what to look for when choosing a wrestling club, check out iSport’s guide, _Wrestling for kids

Wrestling has traditionally been a male sport, but it is becoming more popular among females. It can be extremely strenuous, so children should have good health and fitness levels before beginning training. Most of all, choose a coach who is skilled, patient, a good teacher, and emotionally mature.

Martial arts training for children can be useful for many reasons, but the training needs to be age appropriate, and geared to the individual child's needs and maturity level. Basic training to develop respect for instructors and classmates as well as disciplined habits of practise, should precede more difficult and complex skills training. Early training should focus on fitness, mobility, escape, releases, balance, situational awareness and response, and the mental aspects of physical training and confrontation.

Fencing for Children:

Dominion Fencing (my club) has experimented with programs for very young children.... We found that what worked best was a program of running, jumping, "gross motor skills" games, and playing games with foam swords. In short, we were charging parents to do what any kid is going to do on a playground when left to their own devices. I would be surprised if any club accepting children below the age of 8 is doing anything much different than we were.

To actually learn fencing as a sport takes a considerable amount of motor coordination, higher level reasoning functions, and the ability to understand some complex rules (rules many adults don't ever understand) -- which is why every expert in the field usually recommends taking up fencing between the ages of 8 and 10. _Fencing.net (forum)

Fencers learn good sportsmanship, self-discipline, gain quick reflexes and how to compete independently. They gain a sense of accomplishment when winning and learn to profit from their defeats. They learn to make complex decisions, analyze problems, and think fast on their feet. These ideals help children reach their potential in many areas other than fencing.

• They are active and doing something, not being passive receptacles for programming beamed out from the TV.

• Fencing helps children get fit – you can’t “sword fight” without a good bit of movement!

• Educators are discovering that fencing can enhance mathematical performance.

• Fencing helps children learn to pay attention and to develop their decision-making abilities.

• Fencing helps people with ADD and ADHD to focus.

• Because fencing is an individual sport, the fencer is solely responsible for their success or failure, which becomes a great lesson in responsibility. _Swordsmen101

Martial arts skills should be introduced in a graded fashion, as appropriate for the child's age, level of physical and emotional maturity, and the ability of the child to progress and integrate new skills into the total skills set.

Most training in strikes, kicks, weapons, choke holds, joint locks, etc. should be withheld until the child is mature enough to learn and practise them with proper restraint and respect for classmates and instructors. This should usually only occur after significant time (years) in training, under close observation, and only with other students who are prepared for such training.

Every dangerous child should be able to sense potentially dangerous situations and avoid them when possible. But he should also be physically and mentally prepared to deal with situations which occur outside of his ability to predict or prevent.

Dangerous children are by definition not helpless. This should be true physically, mentally, emotionally, and in virtually every aspect of his life.

So ideally, martial arts training will be just one aspect of a dangerous child's training in not being helpless. This is a different attitude toward child raising than one typically finds, but it is necessary.

Life is dangerous. So should you be. It is never too late to have a dangerous childhood.

Too Stupid to Know That Someone Is Trying to Kill You

Just like the Carr brothers in the Wichita massacre, the May 4 2009 home invaders of College Park near Atlanta planned to kill everyone in the apartment at the birthday party -- after raping the women.

Bailey said he thought it was the end of his life and the lives of the 10 people inside his apartment for a birthday party after two masked men with guns burst in through a patio door.

“They just came in and separated the men from the women and said, ‘Give me your wallets and cell phones,’” said George Williams of the College Park Police Department.

Bailey said the gunmen started counting bullets. “The other guy asked how many (bullets) he had. He said he had enough,” said Bailey.

That’s when one student grabbed a gun out of a backpack and shot at the invader who was watching the men. The gunman ran out of the apartment.

The student then ran to the room where the second gunman, identified by police as 23-year-old Calvin Lavant, was holding the women.

“Apparently the guy was getting ready to rape his girlfriend. So he told the girls to get down and he started shooting. The guy jumped out of the window,” said Bailey. _WSBTV

All ten of the party-goers would likely be dead now, and police would have few leads to the killings which might never have been solved. Instead, a citizen took his own self-defense seriously, and acted for himself and his friends.

More here

More on the Wichita Massacre and a similar Knoxville Horror

...Trapped in the City with Millions of Other People Needing Food, Power and Everything Else

You know that survivalism is in neverland when the New York Times posts a piece on it. Survivalism is not just for right wing crazies anymore. With the frenzy over "peak oil", "global warming", and "overpopulation", now left wing crazies can feel justified when indulging in the survival instinct.

...interest in the survivalist movement “is experiencing its largest growth since the late 1970s,” Mr. Rawles said in an e-mail, adding that traffic at his blog has more than doubled in the past 11 months, with more than 67,000 unique visitors per week. And its base is growing.

“Our core readership is still solidly conservative,” he said. “But in recent months I’ve noticed an increasing number of stridently green and left-of-center readers.”

...“The ‘where do we land when climate change gets crazy?’ question seems to be an increasingly common one,” said Mr. Steffen in an e-mail message, adding that such questions have “really gone mainstream.”

Many of the new, nontraditional preparedness converts are “Peakniks,” Mr. Rawles said, referring to adherents of the “Peak Oil” theory. This concept holds that the world will soon, or has already, reached a peak in oil production, and that coming supply shortages might threaten society. While the theory is still disputed by many industry analysts and executives, it has inched toward the mainstream in the last two years, as oil prices have nearly doubled, surpassing $100 a barrel.

...Some middle-class preparedness converts, like Val Vontourne, a musician and paralegal in Olympia, Wash., recoil at the term “survivalist,” even as they stock their homes with food, gasoline and water.

“I think of survivalists as being an extreme case of preparedness,” said Ms. Vontourne, 44, “people who stockpile guns and weapons, anticipating extreme aggression. Whereas what I’m doing, I think of as something responsible people do.

“I now think of storing extra food, water, medicine and gasoline in the same way I think of buying health insurance and putting money in my 401k,” she said. “It just makes sense.” __NYT

Think of it as "survivalist chic" or "survival lite." Once you wrap your mind around the idea that survival is now politically correct, it gets easier.

The harsher reality is that it will actually take a village--an enclave--to survive, if just half the things the catastrophists of global warming, peak oil, and overpopulation are predicting actually come to pass. If the nouveaux survivalists truly could organise in all seriousness, and in the numbers required for long term survival, it is unlikely the disasters that haunt their dreams would ever come to pass.

Of course, if "environmental" policies prevent nuclear power plants from being built, stop oil refineries from being constructed and operating, and obstruct large oil deposits from being tapped, you can actually create some of the very catastrophes you are pretending to prepare yourself for--if you really try hard enough.

The type of discipline and foresight needed to survive the type of devastation dreamed of by witless hacks like Kunstler and Al Gore, or by skilled writers like Cormac McCarthy, is exactly the type of disciplined foresight that would prevent most of these legislated and artificial disasters from occurring in the first place.

But let me be the last person to discourage anyone from stocking food, water, fuel, and power supplies in case of natural or man-made disaster. I do recommend taking care of who your neighbors are going to be, if such a situation actually crops up. Avoid most university professors, journalists, political activists, lawyers, faux environmentalists, and serial killers. Seek out surgeons and ER docs, former special forces and marines, farmers, ranchers, engineers, good cooks, mechanics, builders, and craftsmen of all kinds.