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"The spirit of the times may alter, will alter. Our rulers will become corrupt, our people careless. A single zealot may commence persecutor, and better men be his victims. It can never be too often repeated that the time for fixing every essential right on a legal basis is while our rulers are honest and ourselves united.

From the conclusion of their war for independence, a nation begins going down hill. It will not then be necessary for the government to resort every moment to the people for support. The people will be forgotten, therefore, and their rights disregarded. The people will forget themselves but in the sole faculty of making money, and will never think of uniting to effect a due respect for their rights.

The shackles, therefore, which shall not be knocked off at the conclusion of that war will remain on them long, will be made heavier and heavier, till their rights shall revive . . . or expire in a convulsion."

--Thomas Jefferson: Notes on Virginia Q.XVII, 1782. (*) ME 2:225

Who can preserve the rights and liberties of the people, when they shall be abandoned by themselves? Who shall keep watch in the temple when the watchmen sleep at their posts? Who shall call upon the people to redeem their possessions, and revive the republic, when their own hands have deliberately and corruptly surrendered them to the oppressor, and have built the prisons or dug the graves of their own friends? America, free, happy, and enlightened as she is, must rest the preservation of her rights and liberties upon the virtue, independence, justice, and sagacity of her people. If either fails, the republic is gone. Its shadow may remain with all the pomp, and circumstance, and trickery of government, but its vital power will have departed.
In America the demagogue may arise as well as elsewhere. He is the natural, though spurious, growth of republics, and, like the courtier, he may, by his blandishments, delude the ears and blind the eyes of the people to their own destruction. If ever the day shall arrive in which the best talents and best virtues be driven from office by intrigue or corruption, by the ostracism of the press, or the still more unrelenting persecution of party, legislation will cease to be national. It will be wise by accident, and bad by system."

--Supreme Court Justice Story
February 3, 1812 – September 10, 1845
- in answer to the query as to the duration of our Republic

"Ask not what your Country can do for You. . . ask what You can do for your Country!"

-- John F. Kennedy - January 20th 1961

The people of this Nation, like it or not, are the sole standard bearers for the Rights of all mankind. There is not another nation on earth that recognizes the individual Rights of Man as inalienable and not dependent upon or submissive to the rule of government. If we allow our government to pervert this founding principle, to convince us that our Rights can only be administered through governmental largess, then we have betrayed the world and all mankind."

-- MEG Raven - January 20th 2009

04/2009
Real ID Act: Security & Prosperity Partnership of North America: TARP: $3.55 TRILLION Dollar Budget: Dollar Plunging: Economic Recession, Housing & Job Shortages, Lay-Offs, Energy "Crisis" Looming: Food Prices Rising: Food Safety Modernization Act: UnConstitutional Takeover of Private Businesses: Highest level US government representatives portraying our Country in a negative fashion to foreign press & officials...

09/09/2009
1.7 TRILLION dollars in Circulation - The FEDERAL RESERVE is monetizing our debt and purposely sending
the United States towards inevitable HYPERINFLATION...

Majority Party fomenting racism and social division in response to growing criticism of economic and political policies...

These are all manipulated events - some intentional, others through incompetence - and you must be prepared for the consequences!

We are, quite possibly, in the initial stages of a new Civil War. At the moment, it remains "civil" and is being fought only on the battleground of ideas, with words and political maneuvering. HOWEVER, there is a frighteningly real possibility of escalation. It is now more important than ever that you prepare yourself, your family and your friends with the information presented on this sight.

Ladies and gentlemen, in light of current events, it now appears that your self reliant and survival preparations are about to separate you from the masses. Congratulations on your foresight and wisdom.

For those of you getting a late start, you've come to the right place. Here you will find all of the information, skills and items you may need to wrest control of your destiny from the whims of fate or the will of others. (If you are going to go it alone, your first stop should probably be our "Planning & Preparation" page, followed by the "Kits & Lists" page.)

The human world is in turmoil, the effects of millennial mismanagement by the power elite spreading and contaminating the natural order of life. Today, we face most predominantly an economic upheaval. Tomorrow, perhaps, an ecological one. There are natural disasters and extraterrestrial threats - no, I don 't mean aliens (though I don't discount the possibility), but asteroids and comets are a fact of life. Always there looms the spectre of social injustice and political tyranny.

There may yet be time to avert a major economic disaster. There may be a political solution to the turmoil our government has created amongst (and in the name of) its people . It's never too late to turn back the tide of evil. Nor is it ever too late to return to the people those rights and responsibilities usurped by their leadership.

"We will BURY you!"
Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev famously used an expression generally translated into English as "We will bury you!" ("Мы вас похороним!", transliterated as 'My vas pokhoronim!') while addressing Western ambassadors at a reception at the Polish embassy in Moscow on November 18, 1956. The full translation of the quote reads: "Whether you like it or not, history is on our side. We will dig you in" (Нравится вам или нет, но история на нашей стороне. Мы вас закопаем).

On August 24, 1963, Khrushchev himself remarked in his speech in Yugoslavia, "I once said, 'We will bury you,' and I got into trouble with it. Of course we will not bury you with a shovel. Your own working class will bury you," a reference to the Marxist saying, "The proletariat is the undertaker of capitalism"; a popular articulation of the materialist conception of history as the inevitable progression of class struggle towards communism.

The quotation was used as the title of Jan Šejna's book on communist Cold War strategies.

[SOURCE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_will_bury_you ]

Regarding the 2008-09 Events:

This site was never intended to be a political one. What we must pay homage to however is the reason we are able to freely exchange our ideas on survival and self-reliant lifestyles: the Constitutional recognition and protection of our inalienable human Rights as "endowed by our Creator" which are not to be diminished or disregarded by either our neighbors or our republican form of government.

Our Rights are ours - and all peoples' - because we exist, not because our government exists. They are not privileges granted to us or guaranteed us by our government. WE THE PEOPLE are the only guarantors of the continued protection afforded us by these Rights.

Throughout history there is not a single government that has not inevitably degenerated into one form or another of oppression. Just as nature abhors a vacuum, the nature of politics (and politicians) abhors Freedom and Liberty.

The people of this Nation, like it or not, are the sole standard bearers for the Rights of all mankind. There is not another nation on earth that recognizes the individual rights of man as inalienable and not dependent upon or submissive to the rule of government. If we allow our government to pervert this founding principle, to convince us that our Rights can only be administered through governmental largess, then we have betrayed the world and all mankind.

Every government on Earth is waiting in breathless anticipation for the American people to abdicate our self responsibility to demand and defend our Right to individual Freedom, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Every government on Earth, including our own. Only the Citizens of the United States of America stand against the governments of the world imposing complete domination upon its' people. Should we give up, should we allow our government to persuade us otherwise, then all is lost.

The two party political system has always had its flaws, but today it is a complete perversion of the responsibilities entrusted in them. It is unchecked and unbridled in direct contravention of Constitutional mandates - and we have allowed it to become so. It has lost all sense of duty, honor, and country. It is become a squabbling free-for-all in the pursuit of power, prestige and money without regard for freedom or justice. It is devoid of wisdom and honest compassion. It is designed to keep the population divided against itself in order to manipulate us and maintain their grasp upon government and the resources of our Nation.

Both party candidates are asking you to sell them your vote. Both parties are offering to "give" you what they think you want, what they think you need to survive. All you have to do is give them the power to grant your every wish. All you have to do is worship them above all others.

John F. Kennedy once said, "Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country." Now, I believe, it is time for the Citizens of the United States of America to, "Ask not what your country can do for you. Open your eyes and witness what your government has done TO YOU...and TO YOUR COUNTRY!" Will you allow them to bribe your Rights away from you? Will you sell your Freedom - and the last, best hope of all mankind - for thirty pieces of silver?

For over two centuries this Nation has been a melting pot of individuals willing to (for the most part) set aside their personal differences and accept those who did not look, talk, act, think, or worship as they do for the greater good of all - which translated to reaping the benefit of the greater good for themselves. Our personal freedom and liberty depends upon our ability to continue this live-and-let-live demeanor. Our personal safety and prosperity rely upon our ability to accept the differences of others, provided those others accept our differences as well. That as long as they pose no physical threat or attempt to impose their views, forcibly, on us, then we will reciprocate in kind. That in all exchanges of any kind we will refrain from deliberate harm to others and they will refrain from deliberately harming us. And that, when these simple civil boundaries are abused, justice is imposed rather than the invocation of law.

... As a nation, I believe we still value these ideals, but the passion is spent and the determination to uphold them is all but lost. The lunatic fringe has captured control of our government and court systems, our economy and banking industry, our schools, industries and media. They do not respect freedom, liberty, justice or individuality unless it conforms to their world-view, which they increasingly impose upon others, under threat of duress, through their law. Our Constitution is a shield only so long as we hold it up and wield it in front of us while battling for justice.

Sadly, the majority of those who respect the Constitution have taken to hunkering down behind it, rather than engaging the forces against it. A shield only lasts so long against continued attacks before it disintegrates. If we cannot and do not fight these forces, thereby gaining some respite in which to strengthen our shield, then all is lost.

I believe that the first step in this battle is to become self reliant and cultivate the ability to survive while in the grip of adversity. The second step is to find others capable of doing the same and band together. The third step is to reinvigorate the thirst for Justice over law, right over might, freedom over coercion, and free will over the dictates of others - even "a majority" of others. To establish a county, then a state, and finally - once again - a nation under these principles is my ultimate hope. It won't be easy. It may not even be possible. But everyone needs a goal, and you have to start somewhere. I choose to start with myself. We'll see where it goes from there.

A New Idea on Survival Communities Most survival groups/communities fail in the first two years either because of the expense of maintaining the property or the inability to maintain a non-survival presence. This idea may solve these problems...

Our Mission:
Throughout all of our many changes, our mission has always remained the same: "to provide the most comprehensive database of survival, self-reliance, and emergency preparedness information on the internet." SSRsi is committed to this endeavor. We hope to accomplish this goal by judiciously linking only to relevant data on any given site which pertains to a particular topic of interest. This allows our visitors to immediately gather the information they want without having to slog through multiple pages. Save time, save effort and avoid frustration ~ bookmark SSRsi today, and don't forget to tell a friend! Use the "Contact Us" button on any page to suggest topics or sites, and please feel free to comment on our work. As always, SSRsi endeavors to remain Advertisement Free!!! Your support, either through donations or purchases found on these pages, helps us to keep it that way.

MEG's Note:
You may be seeing a few "advertisements" now. They aren't paid advertisements (unless you buy something from them and we get a percentage), nor are they selected willy-nilly, simply to make a buck. Each of the businesses listed is there because we believe they have a product or service you may find of benefit in your Self Reliant or Survival preparations. We will endeavor to keep these ads from getting annoying.

What is Survivalism?:
Survivalism is a philosophy - a way of life – and it is as varied in its methodology as the worlds’ religious or political theories. The primary goal of survivalism, by any method chosen, is to increase the odds for the continued existence of its followers, when faced with a threatening situation. Contrary to popular opinion, it is not an "activist" tautology. Most survivalists are reserved and quiet individuals who have lost faith in society’s ability to protect its own, and who have taken steps to lessen their dependence upon society for aid in an emergency situation. Survivalists realize that modern society is a long and twisted chain of interdependency. Each link of this societal chain is dependent upon every other link to maintain its integrity. At various points within this chain are links that provide the rest of the chain with food, shelter, power, water, communications, transportation, and medical and physical protection. Should one or more links fail, those placed before and after the broken link(s) may find themselves without these necessary resources. Should enough of these links be suddenly broken, the entire chain may collapse. Survivalists attempt to reinforce the chain of society by strengthening their own links. They do this by actively learning and practicing the necessary skills to provide or obtain the basic necessities of life for themselves, their families and their friends. They learn to build and maintain their own homes, provide their own clothes, find, store and purify their own water, establish and maintain their own communications and transportation. They learn to grow, hunt or gather their own food and how to process and store it. They learn to produce, maintain and distribute their own power. They learn to maintain their health through diet and exercise, and how to avoid or handle basic injuries and illnesses. And yes, they learn to defend themselves from aggressors when there is no one else there to protect them. Survivalism does not necessarily concentrate on global catastrophe or the collapse of civilization. The profile of a "true" survivalist is someone who is concerned with planning for and avoiding the pitfalls and dangers of daily life and short-term emergencies and disasters of a local and temporary nature. In fact, since the frequency and likelihood of personal and local emergencies are more common, these situations are of primary concern. Long term and widespread disasters are of concern to the survivalist, but they are extremely difficult to plan for. The individual (or single family) often does not possess the resources – either financially, materially, or intellectually – to efficiently plan for a long term, widespread disaster.

What Does It Take To Survive?:

A lot of people have their own ideas about survival and what it takes to survive. Whole (expensive) books have been written on the topic. This is how I feel on the subject, with the most important qualities listed first:

1. ) THE WILL TO SURVIVE:
Among survival experts and survival communities it is generally accepted that the preeminent requisite for survival - beyond all the doo-dads and gewgaws and training and know-how - is simply this: the WILL to survive. Without the will to survive, there is no hope, no desire, and no chance whatsoever that, barring rescue from an outside source, anyone can survive a perilous situation. It doesn't really matter what the situation is or where it is taking place: a fire at home, a shoot-out at work, a pile-up on the freeway, a combat mission in Iraq, or being lost and stranded in the wilderness... without the WILL to survive, all is lost. There are countless astonishing tales of people surviving well beyond the expected norm - people who have had no significant survival training, skills or tools - simply by refusing to lay down and die when circumstances, the pain in their bodies, and the ravages of their minds told them that there was nothing left for them to do but die. Babies, children, women and men - few people really know how to survive, but the common denominator among those who do is the indefatigable desire to make it through one more day. Happily, having found this website and actually making it this far down the page, you too have demonstrated a certain degree of perseverance in your quest for knowledge of survival topics. Whether this is because you actually have an interest in surviving trying times and difficult situations, or because you are simply doing research for a paper on "those nutty survivalists" is beyond my ability to discern. If you are here to learn to survive, go ahead and pat yourself on the back - for you are in fact exercising, through your own will, that gift that nature has provided each of us: the instinct for survival. If you are only here to research an article because you are "curious" about what makes us tick, you might be surprised to know that most of us are just as curious about you - and at what point it was that you decided to turn your back on the natural inclination of self-preservation and relegate your personal well-being to that amorphous entity (society) that you seem so smugly content with. I have my own theory about "civilized society" and how its insidious effect is to numb natural instinct to the point of despair... witnessed by the rise of suicide and suicidal tendencies in direct proportion to the size of cities... but that's a discussion for another time.

2.) THE ABILITY TO SURVIVE:
The term "ability" might (and usually does) encompass many things, but in this context it focuses on mental and physical freedom of thought and action. If you can't think straight (because of dementia, intoxication, etc.), can't think for yourself (cults, taboos, peer pressure, etc.), or are physically restrained (shackled, imprisoned, restricted by "authority") from acting in your own best interest, then your chances of surviving a direct physical or environmental threat are severely limited. This does not necessarily include physical handicaps. If the will to survive is stronger than feelings of self-pity or helplessness, a physical handicap may only serve to enhance other aspects of a person's capabilities - including the determination to succeed where others might simply give up. If you are healthy, clear-headed, free to act in your own best interest, and have a developed will to survive, your chances are very good that you can weather most hazards... provided that you've been paying attention...

3.) SURVIVAL AWARENESS:
Survival awareness is a developed faculty which, like a muscle, grows stronger and better with practice. If abused, however, it can also become "sprained," resulting in harm. Sprained awareness may result in an over-abundance of caution, hesitancy where action is required, indecisiveness instead of a clear sense of purpose, or - in the extreme - paranoia, instead of a sense of assuredness and the self-confidence of knowing what's going on around you (and which way to jump if things go wrong). School buses stop at all rail crossings for a reason. Sometimes things don't work the way they should, and everybody knows that trains love to eat vehicles. We live in a wonderfully intricate world filled with all kinds of potential hazards. In the "civilized" areas we have traffic and crime and drive-by shootings. Various solid objects occasionally tumble from unseen heights for no apparent reason. Buried gas, sewer, and water lines in obvious as well as the most unexpected places. High voltage lines and toppling construction cranes. Innocent looking stairways and cracks in the sidewalk. Chemical plants, and aircraft that fly into buildings. Muggers, molesters and panhandlers. In the wilderness we have storms and crevasses and wildfires. Hungry - or just exasperated - wild animals. Ticks and chiggers and gopher holes. Crumbling trails and avalanches. Bad water - or no water at all. Poison Ivy, oak, sumac - and those boys from "Deliverance." Survival awareness is about recognizing where you are and where you are going and understanding the potential hazards that might confront you on your journey. It's about thinking through the task at hand and understanding the consequences of a failure to focus on what you are doing. It's about being proactive, avoiding unnecessary risks, acknowledging unavoidable risks, and doing whatever you can to ensure a positive outcome. With the acknowledgement of unavoidable risk also comes a plan for handling them, should they present, and minimizing their effect after an event. This sounds like a lot of work, huh? It's not, really. The more you exercise your survival awareness, the more "automatic" and effortless the correct proactive solutions become.

4.) SURVIVAL KNOWLEDGE:
Survival knowledge could be an endless odyssey. With something in the neighborhood of 800 pages and tens of thousands of links on this site, I'm still finding new information or things I've forgotten about - as well as many I never knew. I'd have to say that it is, if not completely in the realm of then right next door to, impossible to find it all, learn it all, know it all or even compile it all. I've given it a pretty good try - but I've got way too much time on my hands. Aside from us obsessive compulsive types, no one should feel compelled to know everything there is to know about survival in every conceivable circumstance. None of us operates in every conceivable aspect of life, and so you should learn to "let some of it go" when it comes to survival techniques. If you don't expect to be sailing or flying or mountain climbing or hiking to the North Pole, chances are your need for survival techniques specific to those actions and environs, while interesting, are of little value to you in the real world. Survival knowledge is as much about knowing what you need to learn as it is in knowing about the topics you eventually choose. Knowing 1001 things about tsunami survival in the middle of the Gobi desert may be a source of fantastic amusement to the natives, but unless they are really, really desperate for entertainment it is not going to help your chances of survival. Knowing which mosses and lichens are good to eat in the arctic is unlikely to keep your belly full in west Texas.

5.) SURVIVAL SKILLS:
Knowing how to start a fire, build a shelter, set a broken bone, or fly an airplane is not the same thing as actually doing each of these tasks. Knowledge is not skill. "Skill" is the well practiced implementation of knowledge in the correct manner and to the exact degree necessary to produce the desired result - under any conditions you are like to face, with or without the preferred and recommended assortment of tools. The only way to develop and perfect your survival skills is to actually do them - over and over again - until they become second nature to you.

For instance: To learn how to start fires, you begin with the easiest method under the best of circumstances - on a clear, dry, warm day with little or no wind, in a secure location. You learn how to set up a proper fireplace, how to collect available fuels in your area, which fuels burn best, hottest, longest, and produce coals or smoke. You learn about tinder, what types are available to you, which types are best and what will work in a pinch. You learn how to prepare a fire and then you learn how to start it. You burn fires of various fuels and sizes, in various places, and learn how the fire and smoke patterns change with the conditions or placement or configuration. You learn how reflectors affect heat and light output and burn conditions. You learn all this by doing it. In doing it - even under the best of conditions - you learn about smoke in the eyes and lungs, flare-ups and sparks and burns (and burn care). Cuts and splinters and blisters, and how to treat each of them. Once you become proficient and confident in your ability to start a fire under the best conditions with the best tools, you begin to throw in variables: wet or cold or windy days, damp or poor quality tinder and fuel. When you can successfully create a proper fire under adverse conditions, with inferior material, while using the best tools, you begin to vary the tools and methods. Eventually you will be able to start a fire under nearly any condition, with or without modern tools and techniques. It is then that you have acquired the survival skill of "fire making."

SURVIVAL SAVVY:
Survival Savvy is a combination of INTUITION (knowledge + awareness), CREATIVITY (will + skill), and ADAPTABILITY (intuition + creativity + ability) and is the ultimate culmination of the above five qualities developed to a degree of confidence. With intuition, creativity and adaptability there is little that life can throw at you that cannot be turned on its tail and taken advantage of. Developing and perfecting these qualities is essential to nearly any circumstance in life and, having been once attained, cannot be lost, broken, or taken from you.

New! "Made In America" Section!
We need to start keeping our hard earned dollars here in the United States and we need to support our fellow Americans by spending them on American Made Products. Go to the "Made In America" pages.

Purchase Links: Food & Seeds Gear Medical Tools Weapons & Ammo Computer/Internet
US Military Gear: Air Force Army Marines Navy Also: Coast Guard Law Enforcement

(Purchasable Item links based on bug-out/preparation lists)

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Copyright 1986-2009, The Survival & Self-Reliance Studies Institute (SSRsi), All Rights Reserved
Site conceptualized, designed, created & maintained by MEG Raven
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