Depending on what media you follow and who you believe, either Ukraine is about to launch a new offensive and attack into Crimea or Russia is building up its force of tanks and 150 aircraft to renew its attack on Ukraine. Either way, it looks like there will be more fighting in Ukraine any day now.
Some would have you believe there is fighting within the Russian ranks as ammunition runs low and dead bodies pile up. (The Wagner Group has since been promised more ammo and is no longer threatening to retreat.) We see news stories about front line towns in Russian-held territory being evacuated while the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) warns the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is “becoming increasingly unpredictable and potentially dangerous.” Others will tell you this is just a ploy to lure in the Ukrainians into a trap so the Russians can wipe them out.
As Russia blusters and threatens, some would have you believe they plan to use nuclear weapons and go out in a blaze of glory and global condemnation rather than lose to Ukraine. Other “experts” will tell you Russia would not dare to use nuclear weapons. I think the first is Russian propaganda and the second U.S. wishful thinking, but no one knows. The use of nuclear weapons is possible, even though it may not be probable.
False Flags and Head Fakes
Was last week’s drone attack on the Kremlin real? Or was it a false-flag operation designed to give the Russians an excuse to increase the pace and brutality of their missile attacks? The idea that it was an assassination attempt on Putin is ridiculous. The Kremlin isn’t a ramshackle building that can be wiped out by a single drone strike like some hovel in Afghanistan. It’s a 69-acre compound with multiple buildings. Attacking the Kremlin with a small suicide drone in an attempt to kill Putin is akin to trying to kill Biden by leaving a pipe bomb on Capitol Hill. It has no chance of succeeding.
I also can’t help but think that if the U.S. wanted to kill Putin, they would be more competent, or at least more subtle. For example, we still don’t know who took out the underwater Nordstream gas pipelines. I have a hard time thinking two such attacks–one so sophisticated and one so clumsy–came from the same source, whether it was the U.S. or the Ukrainians. My bet is it was partisans or rebels within Russia who launched the drones in an attempt to create fear and remind Russians that they are vulnerable.
Prepper Responses
In the prepperverse on YouTube, there seems to be a growing level of concern about the war spreading to the U.S. The Canadian Prepper filmed an episode in a mock bomb shelter, but that may have just been part of his effort to sell sandbags (not a bad prep to have on hand). He’s been predicting nuclear war for over a year.
SouthernPrepper1, who is far calmer than the Canadian Prepper, has set a date of June 1 to have all his preps complete. (I am not sure you can ever complete your prepping. For me, it is an ongoing, evolving effort.) He seems somber in his recent reporting. It’s not clear if this is because of the war or the possibility of a banking/economic collapse. My thinking is he is more concerned about the latter. As I have said before, the banks are in far worse shape than most Americans realize.
And finally, the algorithm showed me a YouTuber I’d never seen before, Patrick Humphrey, who is bugging out now. His video Pack your Bags & Get Out Now had 50,000 views. I watched the first few minutes and then bugged out on him. Then again, it’s better to bug out too early than too late.
What should you do? Keep on prepping. Keep on stocking up. Look for holes in your preps and weaknesses in your plans and fill them in.
My Recent Preps
For example, this past weekend, I bought 600 rounds of 125 grain .300 blackout supersonic rounds from Palmetto State Armory. They were a Daily Deal at $9.99 per box, or 50 cents per round. That’s the least I’ve ever paid for .300 Blackout. 600 rounds may not be much, but I look at it as 20 loaded magazines.
We also ate a can of pork packed in barbecue sauce I’d bought from Walmart. A little more liquid and less meat than I expected, but tasty enough. I liked it better than the canned beef, but it’s not as good as the canned chicken. I’ll buy more the next time I’m in Walmart because I like canned meat to provide protein and fat to offset all the starches and carbs in my long-term storage foods.
Don’t Get Distracted
Between the Russian war in Ukraine, the increase in mass shootings, the banking crisis, and the raising interest rates, we have plenty to worry about. I think that’s just how the Biden administration likes it. They want to distract the country from the Hunter Biden criminal investigation, the possible Joe Biden bribery scandal, and growing realization among voters that neither he nor Kamala are fit to run the country. That’s also why the Donald Trump trials are suddenly in the news, even though the issues they are addressing were thrown out of court on prior occasions. It’s all a distraction. It’s bread and circuses to keep the populace from realizing what their rulers are doing.
Don’t allow yourself to be distracted. Keep your eye on the ball. Don’t panic. Remain clear eyed and focus on self-preservation, self-reliance, self-sufficiency, and self-defense. Screw both political parties. Screw the Russians, too.
Don’t worry about continuity of government, worry about continuity of yourself and your family. That’s what lies at the core of prepping.
