The Danger That There Will Be No “Big Event”

The following article has been generously contributed by Paylie Roberts, author of Bugging Out to Nowhere and Life After Bugging Out, and most recently, Memories of Poland, Lessons From Growing Up Under Communism.

Editor’s Note: Paylie was born behind the Iron Curtain, during the heydays of Soviet occupied Poland. She understands a thing or two about what a real collapse looks like, and as she explains in her highly informative commentary below, it may not all “go down” like some might expect. Though a large-scale waterfall event always remains a possibility given the current geo-political climate, Paylie argues that there is another possible outcome of what we are experiencing today. Rather than a full-blown, rapid decent into chaos, what if the “event” many are pointing to as the singularity for collapse is actually happening right now, as a slow and consistent degradation of our way of life? And what if the “other side” of this degradation, wherein most people expect a resurgence of individual liberty and sound economic policy, turns out to be even worse than the system we have today? We know the elite members of the political, financial and business classes will not want to let go of their power, just as was the case in Communist countries across Europe in the 20th century. Who’s to say they won’t make every effort to remain in power by way of the iron fist many of us understand is behind the command & control organizations managing global affairs?

big-event-th big-event


The Danger That There Will Be No “Big Event”
By Paylie Roberts

How many times do you hear preppers and liberty-minded folks make statements along the line of “When the schumer hits the fan, I will take such action,” or “After some event I will make that change,” or “If it gets to that point, then I’ll take a stand!”? These ideas are based on the premise that there will be “the big event.” The assumption among many preppers and liberty activists is that there will be a clear cut “before” and “after,” with a defining moment, event, or series of events, delineating between the two. Such events could include economic collapse, natural disaster, a pandemic, an EMP or CME, a “terrorist” attack, or martial law. I myself have at times fallen into this very trap.

However, what if this assumption, this premise, is in fact incorrect? What if the creeping trends of tyranny, economic impoverishment, and oppression just continue on, gradually, indefinitely, without an obvious “big event?” After all, the elitist Powers That Be are masters at gradualism, ever so careful not to wake the frog before the pot is boiling.

If this were not the case, we would likely not find ourselves in the present circumstances. Instead, we would already have had major changes that involved trials that dwarf Nuremburg. Many high level officials or participants of the BIS, IMF, World Bank, ECB, Fed, CFR, Trilaterals, Bilderbergs, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Citibank, CIA, NSA, IRS, DHS, FDA, EPA, and BATF would already be serving life without parole, or feeding the worms, for treason or crimes against humanity.

Just look at recent events that resulted in militarized police actions that were never officially called martial law, such as those that occurred after Hurricane Katrina, or in Watertown, Massachusetts after the Boston Marathon bombing. Many folks I know fear martial law as the defining moment, but fail to notice it is already occurring — subtly — but not quite yet on a nationwide basis.

Yet here we are, with many people still waiting for the “big event.” Many people seem to have the mindset that when the “big event” happens it will wash away all the tyranny and corruption we now experience, like a Spring rain clears the air. But it is likely that nothing could be further from the truth. Any “big event” will likely only serve as an excuse or a tool to further escalate the tyranny and oppression that we are already experiencing. Remember, “they” “never let a crisis go to waste.”

The western world in general, and the US in particular, are rapidly moving in a direction of tyranny, destruction of civil liberties and property rights, and economic disaster which serves to reinforce the former. To anyone who values liberty, the US Constitution, and economic freedom and prosperity, this is beyond unacceptable.

It is important to note that if the “big event” were to occur, it would make the reality of the circumstances plainly obvious to a large percentage of the populace, and therefore would likely incite significant resistance. This is what those of us who value liberty should want, and is exactly what The Powers That Be do not want.

So what concerns me the most is not that we will have a significant event or events in the near future. What concerns me the most is that we won’t. And that would likely result in an indefinite creeping complacency among the populace that will allow elitist tyrants to complete the implementation of their total control grid, without the majority of people ever actually taking action to stop or prevent it, even though they may be prepared to do so.

The author Claire Wolfe wrote a line for which she became well known that states: “America is at that awkward stage. It’s too late to work within the system, but too early to shoot the bastards.” I wholeheartedly agree with that statement, and although she wrote it in 1996, it is still true today. While it may not yet be the time to take up arms for freedom, or more accurately (and ominously) take up arms to defend ourselves from alphabet agencies purchasing billions of rounds of ammunition, it is certainly possible that time will come. It is also entirely possible that that time may never come. Therein lies the risk: many people use this as their proverbial “line in the sand” for taking action.  And if this point is never reached, then they will remain complacent, potentially forever.

Yes, it is true that many people are becoming more prepared for various emergencies, crisis, and disasters. This is important, and needs to continue. But it is not enough. With only a few exceptions, such as Oath Keepers, there is very little true action. There is a lot of preparing to take action, but little actual activity to resist the tyranny. Despite all the talk, complacency is still the order of the day. We all have our various excuses: need to work to pay the bills, need to finish school, need to raise the kids, and so on. We all have lives such that we can’t drop everything to fight the wrongs, especially when those wrongs haven’t crossed our imaginary lines. However, as the tyranny gets ever closer to our lines in the sand, we don’t react when our lines are occasionally tested, just to see if we notice. In the end, our lines get moved without us realizing it, and what has already crossed the line, only appears as though it has not. That is both the power and danger of gradualism.

To anyone who has paid attention to politics over the last several decades, it has become glaringly obvious that the solutions to these problems are beyond the ballot box, as the ballot box is now inherently rigged, bought, and paid for, via multiple mechanisms.

I am not suggesting that people protest march on Wall Street (again) or in Washington DC (again and again and again). I am not suggesting that people riot. I am certainly not suggesting that people commit acts of terror or violence. While we may be beyond the time for the ballot box, and it may not yet be time for the cartridge box, we must continue using the soap box, and we must start using the jury box.

What I am suggesting is actually both more difficult and more effective than the strategies mentioned above. What I propose is more along the following lines:

  1. Stop supporting the existing oppressive structures. Do whatever you can to minimize feeding the beast, and in the current context the beast is both government at the Federal and State levels, as well as certain major corporations, particularly major Wall Street banks. Structure your affairs to avoid taxes to the greatest extent possible. Similarly, don’t use major banks. Keep as little currency as possible in the banks, pay as little interest as possible to either banks or governments. Don’t buy products or services from companies that support and/or comply with oppressive government tactics. For example, some telecom and internet companies have been less willing to comply with the NSA spying on Americans. Support companies whose actions are more in line with your values, and boycott companies who are willing to contribute to your enslavement. Here is a web site/business idea for someone: create a site that investigates and rates companies based on their “liberty quotient.” Create a “Consumer Report” for liberty minded consumers. Maybe there is already something like this that I am not aware of. This is a way to vote with your wallet – a vote that is less subject to fraud, but is still effective.
  2. Create positive alternatives to the existing oppressive institutions. If you merely remove a negative, even if you succeed, you are only left with the absence of that negative. You have nothing positive with which to replace it. So an even better approach is to create positives, or work on creating what you do want, rather than merely eliminating what you don’t want. Use precious metals, barter, or alternative currencies for financial transactions, not Federal Reserve Notes (FRNs). Have problems with your local police? Create a neighborhood watch or community security force to allow for competition to your local police force. If there’s competition, they might likely be more willing to follow the Constitution, rather than mindlessly obeying orders to maintain a paycheck. Support businesses that are in line with your liberty-minded values. If you can’t find a company to do business with that supports your values, if you have the means or the connections, create a competing business that does support those values. By creating positive alternative institutions or organizations, we make the existing system, to a certain extent, redundant and obsolete. This will force those in power of those existing institutions to either fade away into irrelevancy (unlikely), or attempt to clamp down even harder. This will make it plainly obvious to even those who are the most deeply entrenched in the mainstream Matrix propaganda who the wrongdoers truly are.
  3. Nullify oppressive laws. There are several ways to do this. One way is to get liberty-minded people elected at the local level to enact laws that nullify unconstitutional or immoral Federal or State laws. Such local officials can also refuse to sell out to Federal regulators by not accepting bribes in exchange of adopting local regulations, such as Agenda 21 land use restrictions, implementing education reform such as Common Core, or allowing local police and sheriffs’ departments to participate in the Federal 1033 program. Get a Constitutional or liberty-minded Sheriff elected. There are many resources available online regarding how the Sheriff can use his authority as the highest law enforcement official in a county to tell both Federal and State officials to take a hike. This method would be assisted substantially by more of #2 above, by creating a Constitutional security force to back up your Constitutional Sheriff.

A second way to nullify unconstitutional and immoral laws is through jury nullification. In criminal courts today, judges typically instruct jurors that they are solely “finders of fact” whose job it is to assess the accuracy and truthfulness of the facts presented, and then pass a judgment of guilt or innocence based upon those facts. However, there is another very important and legitimate role of a jury based in Common Law tradition, and that is to be a judge of the law itself, which is known as jury nullification. This means that if a jury finds a particular law to be unjust, immoral, or for some other reason unacceptable, they have the right to refuse to find the defendant guilty, even if the facts in the case support that ruling. And there is little the judge can do about it. The Fully Informed Jury Association provides a wealth of additional resources and information about jury nullification.

  1. If you find certain laws to be immoral and Constitutionally unsound, don’t follow them. This is another way to withdraw support from, and circumvent an oppressive system. Obviously be careful, selective, and morally mindful about this. Unlike Henry David Thoreau, I advocate you do your best to not get caught. In a worst case, apply #3 above to enforce your rights. Remember: real crimes have victims. If there is no victim, there is no crime. If there is a true victim, reconsider the action. A great example of this is how otherwise law-abiding gun owners in Connecticut have refused to comply with a state gun registration scheme there. Any law that a large number of people deem immoral and refuse to comply with becomes unenforceable and thus null and void in practice.
  2. Although this next point could apply to anyone, if you are in any way involved in law enforcement, criminal justice, or the military, then this one particularly applies to you. This is a play on the famous words of Edmund Burke: “All that is necessary for evil triumph is for good men to obey.” Don’t obey unconstitutional orders or laws. And if that causes you too much professional difficulty, then find another career. What if they had no one willing to enforce all these unconstitutional, oppressive, and unjust rules?

Each of us has our own “lines in the sand” for when we will or won’t take action, and what form that action will be. My concern is, given the numerous already extant attacks upon our rights and liberties (NSA spying, IRS abuses, FDA fraud and abuse, DEA RICO fraud and abuse, BATF fraud and lies, TSA abuse, EPA theft and abuse, Federal Reserve fraud, globalist tyranny, etc.) that we have set our thresholds too high – so high that for many of us our “lines in the sand” will never be crossed, and people will use that as an excuse to remain complacent and not take initiative or action. This is what we must avoid. Growing up in communist Poland taught me that instilling feelings of complacency and helplessness is one of the primary weapons used by tyrants against an oppressed populace. I expand on these ideas, and offer others, in chapters nine and ten of my book, Memories of Poland, Lessons From Growing Up Under Communism.

While it may not yet be time for armed resistance, it is certainly time for resistance, or circumvention, or disobedience, by every other means available to us. Exactly when that becomes appropriate, and what forms that takes, are decisions left to each one of us as individuals. However, consider the US Founding Fathers would certainly never have tolerated the level of loss of liberty and rights abuses that we are already experiencing today.

Where is your “line in the sand?”

Delivered by The Daily Sheeple

***********

Lessons From Growing Up Under Communism

 

Paylie Roberts is the author of the recently published non-fiction book Memories of Poland, Lessons From Growing Up Under Communism. She is also the author of two novels: Bugging Out to Nowhere , and Life After Bugging Out. She has a Bachelor’s degree in biology, and lives with her husband, two German shepherds, and various livestock, somewhere between the Cascade Range and the Rocky Mountains.

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BUCKHED
BUCKHED

I’ve thought about this a great deal…what if there is no explosion…no tell tale activity to let you know it’s an oh crap moment……more like a death from a a thousand paper cuts ( the laws are written on paper ) . I guess we may have to decide that even though the big event didn’t happen…enough is enough !

Rise Up
Rise Up

“America is at that awkward stage. It’s too late to work within the system, but too early to shoot the bastards.” I wholeheartedly agree with that statement, and although she wrote it in 1996, it is still true today. While it may not yet be the time to take up arms for freedom, or more accurately (and ominously) take up arms to defend ourselves from alphabet agencies purchasing billions of rounds of ammunition, it is certainly possible that time will come. It is also entirely possible that that time may never come.
————-
I disagree. It is past time. It will be too late once they start loading us onto the boxcars.

Bostonbob

Best line in the article.

“America is at that awkward stage. It’s too late to work within the system, but too early to shoot the bastards.” I wholeheartedly agree.

Bob.

bb

It’s probably to late . With all these new third world immigrants they will just vote our rights away. That’s the plan . Get as many of these poor ,unskilled , unemployable, uneducated people as they can into the country. Then use them politically against the interest of the remaining white population.It will destroy our REPUBLIC.

The one absolutely certain way of bringing this nation to ruin , of preventing all possibility of it continuing as a nation at all ,would be to permit it to become a tangle of squabbling nationalities… Teddy Roosevelt.

bb

Great nations don’t die ,they commit national suicide… Seymour Lipet…..We have committed national suicide by allowing this constant immigration.

Diversity /multiculturalism created a loss of societal trust and cohesion .With every new bunch of immigrants it further destroys the social fabric of our nation. All this was planned. Now this suicidal sabotage is approved by almost half the voting population.I don’t see any way out This will result in bitter division among the different races and cultures until there is an explosion of violence.,Then probably martial law.

Rise Up
Rise Up

Let’s hope some us have the balls left to resist.

ss
ss

Good article and thoughtful suggestions. Only problem is a BIG one. Those in power have made so many citizens both ignorant (failing parents and schools) and financially dependent on government that not enough informed and motivated citizens are left to force real change however drastic the actions for change must be.

As others have mentioned on other sites, the only real choices to attempt real reform are violence or if enough (say 50 million plus citizens) stopped paying taxes. Both are highly unlikely.

Because of ignorance, financial dependence, and subservience, the population will remain blindly loyal to and follow our corrupt leaders anywhere – even to their own destruction.

bb

The only thing that might wake people up other than a total economic collapse is the seizing of pensions and Retirement accounts(IRAs)That would certainly get some attention. I do believe the slowburn is this illegal immigration issue. I would hate to wake up one day and find myself surrounded by hostile ethnic minorities.

starfcker
starfcker

I agree with the premise that a big event may not occur. I do, however, believe (seriously) that change can occur within the system. Choices are made constantly (NSA, ex-im, greece, etc.) and any one could be the tipping point that sets the ball rolling in the other direction

yahsure
yahsure

I have noticed over the years that many of the illegals who come to the U.S. Don’t want change.They want to make the U.S. Like the shithole country they came from. I see the country having a majority being Hispanic. My trips to Mexico make me wonder if i have seen the future.
It’s just a matter of how long until the dollar isn’t the standard and we can’t print and borrow to keep the country afloat. China and Russia seem to be getting ready for this,Or even helping make it happen.
So one economic collapse and soon we have one big corrupt broke country like Mexico.

starfcker
starfcker

Look at the clintons. Scummier people we have never lifted so high, yet all it took was an email server to focus attention on what had been apparent for 20 years to anyone with their eyes open. Think that horse can be put back in the barn?

Dutchman
Dutchman

I’ve said this all along: There’s now so much government they can play the extend and pretend game forever. Japan has done this for over 20 years.

Small outrage over outrage – like Obama and the Dreamers, and now like Obama Care where they now want to ‘pay’ the deductibles – free health care for the unwashed. Never enough to trigger any sort of rebellion. Just another kick in the ass to the middle class.

Immigrant, after immigrant, soon the Iraqi’s, next the Kurds, after that the Zulu’s, then the Martians. Creeping the entitlements, bleeding us, bleeding the economy, bleeding the futures of our children.

These immigrants know nothing of 1776, nor the Constitution. They are content to live here, and be ruled by a ‘friendly government’.

In 50 years it will be done.

starfcker
starfcker

Yahsure, don’t waste your time worrying about the mexicans. Like the blacks, it takes tremendous resources to get them to the polls. When arnold ran for governor, one of the main knocks on his dem opponent was a prior affiliation with an unheard of fringe group called la raza.

starfcker
starfcker

If bush hadn’t funded them, you would have never heard of them. Counterfeiting has limits. The job didn’t get done. Lots of untouchable subjects about to go under the microscope

Pirate Jo
Pirate Jo

Don’t have kids.

NickelthroweR
NickelthroweR

Greetings,

I would have to agree with this author. I do not foresee some big event that wakes everyone up. Instead, things that break will not get fixed.

Our judicial system is beyond broken but it is so dysfunctional that it can not be reformed. We lack the will and the means to fix it. The same is true of our infrastructure, our police forces, our spy agencies, our imperial presidency, the MIC, etc.

For all I know, these clowns may be able to kick the can down the road for the rest of my life. With that said, it doesn’t hurt to try to get into the top 10% as $$$ buys freedom. After all, I can’t help but notice that the police are not kicking the crap out of the wealthy. I’ve also noticed that the wealthy have all kinds of options available to them from tax avoidance to hookers and blow.

For example, the median income in the city where I live is $63,000. I can go days without seeing a single black person and I can tell you that our police are very polite. Of course, it will cost you an arm and a leg to own a home here or rent which keeps the unclean masses at arms length. The best part is that stores that would cater to the poor are not allowed here as we have no Walmart. Frankly, the poor are not welcome.

I know that we are all into our doom porn but perhaps our conversation should also focus on how we get in on all the goodies. I mean, the poor scam the system and the rich scam the system to avoid giving away their money to the poor. I, too, wish to avoid giving what money I have to the FSA but I would prefer to do so as a rich person.

As much fun as it would be to hide in the woods with my stockpile of baked beans and shotgun shells, I also want to enjoy this California surf town as much as I possibly can for as long as I possibly can.

starfcker
starfcker

Nickel, you don’t seem dumb, but remarkably naive. Better than the alternative. Let me explain. Better rich than poor, no question. But money is easier to make than it is to keep. If we no longer have a society that respects and protects your ethically earned gains, you are toast. And if we have a society that protects your unethically earned gains, it’s a lawless free for all like we have right now.

starfcker
starfcker

South florida, where I reside, changed very quickly, over maybe 4 or 5 years. We went from being very normal, extremely liveable america to majority black hellhole, fast. Money can’t completely insulate you from the uglier side of humanity here. You still have to buy gas. You seem young, and eager to earn. Great. But there are forces out there on the federal level that have different plans for your future

starfcker
starfcker

The unclean are not as far off as you think. Section 8 now is a voucher good for up to 2400. a month towards rent. HUD is actively trying to figure out where there are no blacks, so they can send some your way. Any blip in real estate values, and the dot govs start targeting anyone of means, that’s why llpoh hauled ass. My point is, earning isn’t going to protect you the way you think, bad time to be a milk cow

starfcker
starfcker

Defending the system that is planning to devour you is asinine. Everyone thinks they are in the club, until the day they aren’t. Ask hillary. You don’t have a walmart, until the day you do. Wake up

outtahere
outtahere

What part of WE’RE ALREADY FUCKED don’t people understand???
Systemic Failure is all around us. Financial, educational, governmental, societal, immigration — take your pick!! I’m not normally “the sky is falling” type of guy, but we are in a Tsunami of SHIT Storms and it’s just getting worse.
Unfortunately, nothing is going to change until a significant number of people get pushed out of their “comfort zone”, whatever that may be for people. People who loose their jobs and homes. People who work at McDonald’s instead of some Fortune 500 company. People who loose their pensions and retirement plans. People who lose their IRA or 401K to the government. People who stop getting their welfare and SNAP cards. People who stop receiving their Social Security. THEN you will see some protests and riots. But not before. It’s just that simple. A gradual slide into the abyss of tyranny.

NickelthroweR
NickelthroweR

@Starfcker

Greetings,

Oh, I can protect my assets, myself & my family. Better still, I can quickly train others to do the same. But, and this is important, a bit of wealth will help me to prep in a smart way. After all, I very much enjoy where I live as I’m a single male living right in the heart of tourist land in one of last remaining surf towns in America. Mens Journal recently rated my city as the number one place to live in these here United States. I do not want to go hide in the woods or live on the fringes of society.

My preps are not those of someone that wishes to flee but someone that plans to hunt though I’m not saying that if things here become unmanageable that I can not flee into the ocean or hike into the national forests that border my town. I’m prepared for both.

In the end, which option will get me some high tech night vision goggles? Living on the fringes of society or earning them through creativity and hard work?

bb

Nickel Thrower , you are not leaving .We are not going to let you float off in the ocean or take a hike to the Mountains. You are completely surrounded by us.You are neck deep in hostile injun territory. Now enough with your silly delusions of grandeur. When the electricity goes off they’ll be no water , no gas ,no medicine and the money you do have will be worthless. All of those beautiful people that surround you are going to become worse then you can imagine. They will eat you and each other. So much for beautiful people…. oh the We is sinful , EVIL ,wicked mankind. The US is you and me.

Tell me ,do you think I would make you a good neighbor ? If you say yes then you have learned nothing about yourself or human nature.

bb

Nickel Thrower , I realized I tend to be very pessimistic about humans but history proves that I am right. Your own family history should make you very reluctant to put any faith in humans especially as represented in government or even community. Just remember there is a monster in those beautiful people you talk about.

Have nice day.

NickelthroweR
NickelthroweR

@bb

Um right. I fully understand your anger. I would be angry too if there were no place for me here in the modern world and no place at all for me in the future. I would probably want the world to burn down, too, out of frustration for being irrelevant – for being unnecessary. I would imagine myself as king of the world with my countless cans of baked beans in some dank dark shed somewhere in the woods.

But that isn’t the world I live in. I fully expect to be in the 10% of all wage earners and to take advantage of everything this wonderful world has to offer. I also know that there are a bunch of sociopath politicians, greedy bankers and baked beans preppers that could bring it all crashing down which is why I prepare.

I refuse to apologize for working like a fiend to better myself and my community. I love living here on the coast with Malibu just to the South and Santa Barbara just to the North. Heaven. I am not surrounded by “injuns” but by creative independent business owners just like myself. Thankfully, there is no place for people like you here. No place at all.

Enjoy the fringes.

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