What I’m thinking about

Warning: Debbie Downer time to a great extent.

One thing I’ve done for many years is thinking while I’m work on/at something. Whether it’s yard work or taking a shower, as long as utter concentration isn’t needed (think running a chainsaw), I’ll be thinking while I work.

Sometimes the thoughts are just random “stuff”. Sometimes they are quite directed. I’ve been doing a lot of the last one recently.

I’m not the first to say that 2020 has been a mostly unmitigated dumpster fire for the common folk. Once China shipped the Wuflu to us and our political leaders lost what little ability they had for critical thinking, Joe and Jane Sixpack and the little Sixpacks were pretty much done for. Whether their place of work closed temporarily or permanently, they were screwed. The only thing keeping too many people out from under the bridges are the extra unemployment benies, stimulus checks and eviction moratoriums. In order to keep that happening for a bit longer, President Trump has signed a pork-laden budget bill after being promised that certain issues near and dear to him would receive hearings in the House and Senate. I doubt those promises will amount to much. The man isn’t stupid, so I have to wonder why he didn’t fight harder for his $2000 checks. Tired? Quit caring? Up to something? More on that last on later.

If we’re going to collapse of our economy by creating and spending gigantic sums of money we’ll never be able to pay back, at least give it to our own people, not every Turd Whirled country you can think of. If the Pakistanis can afford nukes, they can afford their own gender studies programs. At least some of us will spend it on things that will cushion the fall. The rest can enjoy a last few months of whatever they think of as fun before they get tossed, hungry, into the streets and start rioting.

Not everyone is in pain. Those who are still working, even if it’s from home, are in a position to cushion their own falls when they come. Will they? We’ll see. Some few appear to be doing things along those lines.

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Speaking of the economy, expect to see it go downhill in fits and starts, with periods in which things appear to get better. It will take time, at least until we get to the scary part of the downward asymptotic curve. The collapse will be a process, not an event. You still have time to prepare.

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We’ve seen the first blatant rigging of elections at the national and local level in our country’s history. Yes, others have been rigged before, but not with the level of “We don’t care if we get caught, because nobody’s gonna do nothin'” as this one. The Constitution has been abandoned by the entire court system, and between the Democrats who orchestrated it and the Surrender wing of the Republican party, it appears that it’s going to be a Biden/Harris/Xi presidency.

However, that is not a done deal quite yet. Trump has been uncharacteristically quiet, and that makes me think the man is up to something. What is the question.

I don’t expect to see martial law, because the flag rankers wouldn’t support it. Too many of them achieved that rank under the last administration. They’re as compromised as the courts. You might get the field grades to support it, and I suspect the grunts would be up for it. But I don’t see it starting.

I do think there is a small but distinct possibility of the President acting under Executive Order due to the above mentioned blatant election rigging. He has made certain moves, such as cleaning house at the Pentagon and removing certain responsibilities from the CIA, that make me think this is a real possibility. However, who would enforce his orders? For the same reasons I don’t see martial law happening, I don’t see the military acting in support of this. Would the DOJ? Do we trust them if they do? Without anyone who will to enforce his orders, it’s just an exercise in futility.

Most likely would be the January 6 Congressional count of the electoral votes. Vice-president Pence could easily toss a monkey wrench into the works by refusing to count the votes from states where there is good evidence of fraud. There is historical precedent for this. I imagine there are many things going on outside our sight to gauge if there is the political will and backing for such a move. Honestly, while there will be some who would back it, the majority will go along and hope they get eaten last. It will be interesting to see what happens. Maybe some spines will grow between now and then.

There are also on-going DOJ investigations into this and that which could change the dynamic, but those will be shut down soon enough. The babies will be strangled in their cribs. Hunter Biden will be safe until that tragic drug overdose.

Republicans may be allowed to hold the Senate. If they do, the worst Democrat excesses may be stopped. I’m not betting on it, though.

Figure on President Biden, at least for a while. Expect a Democrat House and Senate. Expect Federal agencies to be fully weaponized and aimed at us. Hey, the republic was nice while it lasted.

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Do not bet on the 2022 or 2024 elections righting things. They’ll happen, but if the Democrats hold all the reigns of power it’ll not be worth the effort of voting.

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Figure on new laws aimed at conservatives, patriots and those who just want to be left alone to live their lives. There will be onerous gun laws, new hate crime laws and the like. I doubt there will be an outright gun confiscation, but I don’t rule it out. The lunatics will be running the asylum and all things are possible.

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At the state level, I expect to be insulated from the worst effects for a while. North Carolina is reddish-purple. The legislature is firmly in Republican hands, and they usually do roughly the right thing, most of the time. Our bed-wetting Governor Roy Cooper will do anything the Democrat Party tells him to, and they’re going to tell him to do a lot. Hopefully the legislature stops most of it.

The local level is a mixed bag. Thank God I don’t live in the city limits of Bitty Bug, because that place is now run by Democrats with a side of RINOs. The business owners are going to go along to get along, with each hoping to be eaten last. Many of us still do some business in town, but a lot of people have cut back on it considerably, choosing not to support those who have failed to support us. The ghost of our now-removed Confederate memorial walks the streets. Most people don’t realize just how angry that made a lot of people.

The county government is solidly Republican, but too many of them are wannbe Country Club Republicans. Still, they’ll keep most things in check.

Our sheriff seems to be a stand-up guy, but how long will he be able to hold out if the full weight of the Feds comes down on him and his department? Not long, I’d wager.

Since the weather has turned cold, our “protestors” are mostly sticking to social media for their protests, although they do show up at city and county meetings occasionally. Once the weather warms, I expect to see them get more active. They’ll be back with a new demand, and after a while the local governments will cave. Lather, rinse, repeat.

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I think a lot of businesses, small and large, are going to take it in the shorts. Small ones are going to die from the effects of the perpetual stay at home orders, while both will be hammered by new regulations to “protect” us from Wuflu, climate change, wrongthink and whatever else our overlords think necessary. Expect to see unemployment rise, and along with it the implementation of something that will walk like and quack like a universal basic income.

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Demand destruction is a thing. It will begin hitting businesses sometime soon, when enough people are out of work and out of money. The fallout will be even more closed businesses and lost jobs, creating a self-reinforcing cycle of suck. The specter of the 70s will rise. With our luck lately, it will be wearing a leisure suit and gold chains. We’ll be humming “Stayin Alive“.

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Everyone, even the rich, will be hit by fallout from the poor decisions of the political overlords. I will not be surprised to see infrastructure, especially our utility systems, become flaky. I hope to persuade Mrs. Freeholder of the wisdom of some solar capability before the blackouts start. Heck, we may even get lucky and be able to take advantage of some green energy BS the Democrats pass to pay for it in whole or part.

How would you deal with your electrical needs if the electrical grid gets spotty? How would you deal with no heat or no AC? I have some plans in place, but I have to have some electricity to make them work. Some, not a lot. A small solar setup seems like a great idea, if I can sell it. A big if right now, but a couple of nasty power outages will change minds. Of course, after that happens a few times, good luck getting materials. Folks in California can tell you how this works.

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Expect to see food distribution get less reliable. Whether it’s because of riots, truckers declining to enter lawless areas, a rise in the price/decrease in availability of petroleum products due to green energy BS or something else, perpetually bare shelves at supermarkets are going to become an unwelcome reality. Not everything will be short all the time, but enough things will be short frequently to cause big problems. Expect gardening supplies and seeds to be in short supply once it starts and people notice. I have to wonder how HOAs are going to deal with hungry suburbanites planting gardens in their yards and keeping chickens, bylaws be damned. I figure some HOA boards and bylaws will get reformed and quickly. Locate and start relationships with local farmers. Stock up when and where you can, as much as you can.

Supply chains in all areas are going to get seriously stressed and tested. Expect shortages of anything at any time, and expect panicked people to cause various odd shortages based on rumor. Got toilet paper?

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Normalcy bias has never been your friend and will become a deadly enemy. We all suffer from it to a greater or lesser extent. Do all you can to root it out of yourself and your family. Mrs. Freeholder has a bad case of it, and it’s always been a bar to getting things done. It’s starting to break a bit, but just a bit. 

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See to medical needs and your overall health. Medical supplies are going to be in short supply, just like everything else, when the masses start to catch a clue. Get yours now. If you’ve been putting off procedures, stop that and get them done. If you have chronic conditions, do what you can to address them. (Anyone know anything about thyroid transplants?) Start an exercise program suited to your needs and abilities. Get as healthy as you can as soon as you can.

Don’t forget your mental health. Keep yourself centered, calm and collected. Stay frosty. Panic kills.

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Expect transportation disruptions, driven by the green energy nonsense. Make plans for fuel, lubricant and parts shortages. If you have vehicle work you’ve been putting off, get it done now. Keep your fuel tanks full. It used to be “half a tank = empty”, now it needs to be “3/4 = empty”. I have bought and need to assemble an e-bike kit for my bicycle, and I have enough solar capability to charge that occasionally. I’m considering one of the new Honda Trail125s. Street legal, goes off road (modestly). See YouTube for video reviews. Hard to find right now, though a local dealer has one. Obviously, you’ll probably pay full price. I wish it was a 250 with 6 rather than 4 speeds.

Have good shoes, and multiple pairs of them. You may get down to travel by LPC (Leather Personnel Carrier). Wagons, wheelbarrows and the like are probably also something to consider. God help us if it gets to this.

Oh, and work boots and gloves. Lots of gloves.

See to your lawn equipment and any ATVs, golf carts or the like you own. You may be depending on them more than you’d like to. Got trailers they can tow?

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Just as you should have expanded your news gathering beyond the mainstream/legacy media, you should be expanding your communications capabilities. If the Intertubz go flat, what are your plans? Got radios of any sort? FRS, GMRS, CB and licensed amateur gear will keep you in touch, while good radios with shortwave capability and scanners will keep you informed. 

I’d like to see a resurgence in packet radio and bulletin board systems accessed by phone. I need to be sure that I know how to use my cell phone as a modem to call a BBS (yes, there are still some around). I need to be sure I have the right terminal software to do so. I need to look into setting up an old laptop as a BBS. I may even need to get a landline reinstalled. You can get USB modems for $25-40.

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I am going to make a concerted effort to meet more of my neighbors. I know a couple and speak to several, and that needs to expand. We’re all going to need to be good neighbors soon.

That area study that Samuel Culper talks about? If you haven’t done one, do one. If you’re like me and it resides in your head, get it on paper.

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So much to consider and do, and so little time. But like the collapse, prepping is a process, not an event. I will persevere. You should persevere. And heck, maybe we get lucky and things don’t get so bad. Maybe.