Give the gift of liberty
by Bob Livingston
Looking for last-minute gift ideas? What better than a gift that not only has physical value, but also helps you preserve your liberty? If you’re looking for suggestions, here are a few:
Silver/gold
Real money, real wealth and long-term value are silver and gold. There are three basic reasons to purchase these precious metals: as an investment, as a hedge against inflation or for reasons of survival and barter should the entire economic system collapse.
When buying as an investment, you are betting that the price will rise above the price at which it was bought. Since it doesn’t pay dividends, like many stocks do, that is the only way you will see a return on your investment. And silver and gold can’t be inflated away like your dollars can be and are.
With silver and gold in a long-term bear market (because their prices are being manipulated through the use of paper silver and paper gold by the banksters), you must consider whether you are investing short term or long term and whether the price trend will be up or down.
We happen to believe the trend is up. If you are buying as an inflation hedge, you want to watch the value of the dollar. Historically, whenever the value of the dollar has dropped, the values of silver and gold have increased. Right now, the dollar is strong — hence, the bear market and great buying opportunity it presents.
Precious metals also tend to move inversely with the stock market. So while stocks do well in times of stability and economic growth, gold does better during shaky economic times and falling interest rates because it has real value. Indicators are there’s a recession dead ahead that will collapse stock prices just like in 2008.
If you are buying for survival purposes, then you, as do we, expect the worst and believe that because the Fed is printing so many dollars, money will become worthless, a situation that has repeated itself many times over in history.
There will never be a better time than now to buy silver and gold. Silver is currently selling for a spot price of just over $14. That’s several dollars less than it takes to mine it and mint it, and I think it’s the best investment deal out there. I think it’s at rock bottom.
Plus, silver has many industrial uses: in photography, technology, medical, defense and electronics. Because of this, there is only about one-sixth the amount of above-ground silver available for use than in 1900. Were silver prices not being manipulated down through the use of “paper” silver, it would easily be several hundred to several thousand dollars per ounce.
Parents and grandparents should buy a silver coin or two and give them as gifts to their children or grandchildren. While you’re at it, give them a lesson on sound money so they’ll better appreciate the gift.
Gold is now under $1,100 an ounce, and at that price is also a tremendous value.
I recommend buying from a local silver and gold coin dealer. Make sure it is established, has a good Better Business Bureau reputation, and, more importantly, acts like it values your business. And don’t be afraid to shop around for the best price. While the price will be based on the current spot price, some dealers have larger markups than others.
Firearms and ammunition
The gun grabbers are getting bolder by the day. Both The New York Times and the Huffington Post are now openly advocating for gun confiscation.
I doubt such an undertaking will be embarked on near term. But if it does, I predict the Feds will run out of confiscators long before a dent is made in the existing gun inventory. So it never hurts to be properly prepared.
Firearms are necessary for self-defense and home defense and to protect against totalitarian government. They’re great for putting meat on the table. And they’re just plain fun to shoot.
The firearm you buy will be determined by your perceived need or want. If buying for a family member or friend, be sure you know what kind of shooting he does and what weapons he already owns. If you are a first-time buyer and buying for yourself, take some time to test fire various weapons before making your decision.
Just like choosing the car you drive, choosing the weapon you own is a matter of personal preference. You don’t have to buy the Lexus, and you don’t have to buy new. Pick something that not only fits you but fits your budget.
Most shooting ranges have weapons you can rent, and many gun stores have weapons available to test shoot. Make sure it’s comfortable, fits your size and will do what you need it to do. Ask questions. A good gun seller will spend all the time you need helping you to find the right weapon. Here’s some advice on choosing the right handgun from our friends at USCCA.
Advice for the novice buyer: If you’re buying ammo for friends or relatives — and they can never have too much — make sure you know what caliber weapons they own.
The best prices on ammunition can usually be found online at places like Cheaperthandirt.com, Midwayusa.com, Bulkammo.com and others. It can also be purchased at Wal-Mart and most sporting goods stores that sell weapons and hunting gear.
Firearms training/tactical training
It is impossible to be over-trained with a weapon. There are classes available that benefit everyone from the novice to the competition shooter. Classes can cover everything from firearms safety to how to deal with combat situations.
Once you become proficient at handling the weapon and then hitting a stationary target at various distances, advanced classes that will help you in tactical or active shooter situations are perfectly appropriate. Plus, they give you more time on the range where you are engaged in various levels of physical activity (great for your physical health) and meeting other gun lovers (great for your mental health).
The NRA is the obvious choice for safety classes. But most local ranges have regular classes, and gun dealers can direct you to them.
Books on liberty
I dare say there are few people who read more than I — not the mind-numbing drivel that most people read (and this includes daily newspapers, when you can still find them), but real books with substance that challenge me to think.
Reading is important to a sharp mind, and it’s an essential practice for seniors who want to keep their wits about them and help fight off senility and dementia.
But more important, reading books that focus on contrarian thought is the only way you can gain the knowledge needed to escape conventional wisdom.
In past Christmas seasons I have printed a list of books I recommend. Rather than do that this year, I’ll just link to a couple of past articles here and here.
And here are a few others I’ve read since then that I recommend as essential reading for liberty:
•
“James Madison and the Making of America” by Kevin R. C. Gutzman
•“The Founding Fathers Guide to the Constitution” by Brion McClanahan
•“Freedom Betrayed: Herbert Hoover’s Secret History of the Second World War and Its Aftermath,” edited by George H. Nash.
Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom
Class is in session. Only this one will help you to strip your mind of the progressive propaganda, which you received in the indoctrination camp called public education and that’s likely still clouding it, and open up a whole new world of thought for you.
Woods touts his courses as “The history and economics they didn’t teach you.” That’s an apt description. Woods is a best-selling author and senior fellow at the Mises Institute and regular guest on a host of cable TV and radio programs. To my mind, he is one of today’s leading libertarian scholars.
He’s teamed with up with libertarian-minded historians and Austrian economists to create a curriculum that will give you a “Ph.D. in libertarian thought and free-market economics online.”
Current courses available include:
•The American Revolution: A Constitutional Conflict
•Austrian Economics Step by Step
•The History of Conservatism and Libertarianism
•Freedom’s Progress: The History of Political Thought
•Introduction to Logic
•John Maynard Keynes: His System and Its Fallacies
•U.S. Constitutional History
•U.S. History to 1877
•U.S. History Since 1877
•Western Civilization to 1500
•Western Civilization since 1500
•Trails West: How Freedom Settled the West
Lectures range from 30 to 55 minutes. Each one is available as an mp3 audio file you can download to your iPod or iPad, or burn onto CDs.
Heirloom seeds
Growing your own fruits and vegetables is liberating. And should the supply chain break down for an extended period, having something of a green thumb may be necessary for your long-term survival.
Gardens need not be elaborate, and they don’t have to take up much room. We have several articles to help you get started including here, here and here.
Heirloom seeds are superior to hybrid and genetically modified in several ways. But the most important reason, at least in a survival situation, is because the plants grown from heirloom seeds will produce seeds that can be harvested for the next season. This is not the case with most hybrids and all GMOs.
Besides, heirloom plants produce better tasting and more nutritional fruit and vegetables. As underwoodgardens.com writes:
As hybrid and genetically modified seeds take over the marketplace and our gardens, we may enjoy a few benefits such as a new color or improved, short-run disease resistance, supposedly improvements on the original plant. But to “improve” a plant in one way usually requires the subtraction of an original characteristic. Generally hybridized versions sacrifice fragrance in flowers, flavor in vegetables, and potency in herbs. What do you think happens to the nutritional qualities when they are developed to be shipped over 1200 miles to market? Why does the most basic back yard tomato beat the pants off of the fancy supermarket ones in looks and taste?
Storage food
Freeze-dried foods and military style Meals Ready to Eat (MREs) are convenient types of foods to have on hand for emergencies. These are available from outdoor supply stores, survivalist stores, and via the Internet. There are various types of MREs that can be purchased in kits with quantities to feed families for up to a year.
Warehouse stores like Costco sell freeze-dried emergency food kits in plastic buckets with as many as 700 servings for about $190. That would be enough to feed a family for four for 10 days.
When buying these pre-packaged meal kits, be sure you compare the packages for a list of meals and ingredients included before making your purchase. Some tend to scrimp on their offerings and provide just enough to survive but not enough for a hearty, filling meal.
Essential reading
The truth is hard to find, but not if you subscribe to The Bob Livingston Letter. Become a subscriber and every month you’ll get an unfiltered look at what the mainstream doesn’t want you to see. Plus, you’ll discover how to restore your health and preserve your wealth. I promise an evaluation of reality right through the red fog hanging over America — because The Bob Livingston Letter is dedicated to the truth, no matter how unpopular or unbelievable.
Survival guide
In the coming months and years, self-sufficiency will be the most important concept to our survival with the reality of terrorist strikes, global epidemics, social unrest and natural disaster. The words survival and self-sufficiency are interchangeable and synonymous, although the ideas of self-sufficiency and survival are hard and harsh concepts to Americans who are in every way dependent on the system.
I fear that most may one day be very hungry and forced to resort to stealing their food. But this doesn’t have to happen to you if you take small, but determined, actions while there is yet time. You should have long ago been aware of the need for home defense and disaster preparedness. If the government is preparing, you should too. I will be talking to you more about this in the future, but in case you missed it, click here for a complete guide.
Freedom from debt slavery
The power of money is the greatest power on Earth. With their fiat money, the elites control the world system. They are mightier than military power, for it is they who fund the military. This legal tender is forced slavery from the cradle to the grave.
How does one get free from forced slavery? The first wake-up call is to come to know that there is a system for controlling you. I believe the best explanation for how to break free was written by Lloyd Darland in his outstanding book, “The Emperor’s Clothes Cost Twenty Dollars.” If you would like a copy, please click here. Those who don’t receive this important information will continue to be victims.
Link:
http://personalliberty.com/give-the-gift-of-liberty/
No comments:
Post a Comment