As we all know, bad times are coming. So I have spent some time thinking about this: how will I be able to tell friend from foe? Hard decisions about these things will need to be made. Mistakes in making the determination could prove disastrous. A person is going to need to be ruthless in weeding foes out of their friendship group, lest he or she risk catastrophe.
Let’s start with a quote.
“It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it.” Upton Sinclair
This is an inordinately astute observation, and I believe it holds a key to how to make the decisions as to who is friend, and who is foe.
Quite simply, I believe anyone who receives income from the government must be put into the foe category. The why seems clear: anyone receiving funds from the government has clear motivation to maintain the status quo. Can someone who relies on the government for their means of existence be trusted? Will you be willing to take that risk?
And once I have seen and understood this, it becomes clear to me that the numbers of people that are potential friends plummets enormously. It seems easiest to start a list of those who are put into the foe category, and the list will surely incense and outrage many.
Foes include:
Police. That goes without saying.
Teachers.
Anyone working for an educational organization that receives public funds ( I think we can safely call Admin friend)
Anyone receiving SNAP benefits.
Anyone working on roads or public property.
Anyone working for a government organization.
Politicians, of course.
Anyone in the military.
Anyone in the medical profession funded by the government, in part or in total.
Anyone reliant on government regulations (insurers, bankers, etc.).
Farmers relying on subsidies.
Employers relying on government interventions/H1Bs/illegal immigrants etc.
And the biggy that will cause much beating of chests and tearing of hair:
Anyone receiving Social Security, especially if it their primary source of funds. That includes SSDI, Medicaid, Medicare, etc. Do you think that the average SS recipient can be trusted to make decisions that might jeopardize their incomes? It is most unlikely. To place trust in a person that is so heavily reliant on government largesse is a fool’s errand. No matter how sane the person is normally, my experience is that many lose their minds if any suggestion is made that Social Security by changed or eliminated. They are the single best example of the validity of Sinclair’s quote. So can they be trusted in the coming crisis? Not only no, but hell no.
There are many, many more examples, of course. And of course there will be some in each category that are trustworthy. But how will you tell? How will you know that when their livelihoods are in jeopardy they will not panic and abandon you?
And so you can see that the pool of potential friends is really quIte small. Hell, the list above certainly screens out a lot of TBPers, and I apologize for that as I know that their principles would withstand the trials to come. But it is critical to have some kind of screening system, a go, no go gauge as it were, and this is the best I have come up with.
The tentacles of the Government Squid reach far. Almost every family is affected. And it is this pervasive reach that will make it extraordinarily difficult to form a resistance. Yes, many understand that things are bad, but also many are tied to the system for the food that goes in their mouths. I would guess that no more than 1 in 10 are not handcuffed to the system, and it could be far fewer than that.
Only if that food gets cut off do I see any serious resistance forming. Otherwise, the Rule of Sinclair applies, and anyone wanting to resist must be very, very careful indeed in making their who is friend, and who is foe decisions. Choose wisely. And I suggest the Rule of Sinclair offers a good starting point for making the decisions.
I knew this would generate some serious angst. The point was to point out just how far the reach of the government has become. And to point out that people will not turn against their own self-interests willingly. My prediction is that this means that only a great collapse will e able to affect change, but I am uncertain it will be a change for the better.
I also knew that the social security issue would create much gnashing of teeth. But my mom! But I paid in! The money has been spent. It was a tax, not a bank deposit. The only way it will continue to be paid is via ever increasing debt, and there are signs that that debt is starting to drive inflation, which seems certain to continue, again in my opinion.
Money coming out of SS, especially including Medicare, is coming out as a transfer to the old from the young, or as debt, which is also a transfer of wealth from the young to the old. The young do not have any obligation to pay for the old, in my opinion. To foist that burden in them is immoral and unethical, again in my opinion.
The moral imperative of a society should be to leave their nation better for the young. But we in the western world have left our societies worse in almost every way. That needs to be corrected. But it will not be, at least not without tremendous pain.
I know the frustration you have with regards to the elderly collecting SS or here in canukistan its much the same. I have personally gone thru much of the same with my wifes parents. Her parents are 98 this year, her papy is a WW2 navy vet, her mom never worked a day after the war. Her pappy gets a military pension, worked in the post office, postmaster, and gets a government pension and gets an old age pension to boot. Plus he ‘retired’ early. His monthly income from his pensions runs about $2500.mo their combined income ie about $4800/mo.
Heres where the frustration kicks in for me. Her pappy is always saying he’s going to live as long as he can to get as much out of the government as he can. Not that he can determine his days but the attitude of taking everything he can for as long as he can. He paid pittance into the pensions and has drawn several 100K in pensions alone. Add to this he pays nothing for hearing aids, or any medical because the VA covers all this on top of his pensions.
I worked, paid in, got injured. The guberment changes the rules regularly. The changes made for disability was you have to be incapable of doing anything for yourself. So I do not qualify because I can walk, and make meals, etc The pension changes made were its based on your last four years of work, which I wasn’t able to work. So my ‘pension’ is $180/mo.
Now considering I get no disability, $180/mo pension and my wifes parents get $4800/mo and paid in next to nothing, her mom didn’t pay a penny. And they collected probably a couple 100K in ‘pensions’, and when I ask if they think its fair… That they are taking money from my kids pockets and the grandkids futures… They shrug and think the government will pay for them when the time comes… So yeah I get a bit bent over this as well.
One bonus for me is we learned to not depend on the government. Our trust is in God alone, His son Christ is our hope. We place no expectations on anyone other than God for our futures. We are not beholden to anyone or anything. Won’t lie, it would be nice to have the money but money don’t buy happiness. They fret and worry over money constantly… we don’t.
Added: Would I trust them if their ‘pension’ was on the line?? Not in a million years. They have money for 15 years plus and if they thought that income was going to stop and they’d have to start spending their money… yeah, they’d turn on us in a heart beat.
@LLPOH –
I appreciate your sentiments, and effort to put forward your thoughts but, perhaps you are over-thinking the issue?
My rules are a lot simpler…largely because I find political conversations more painful than removal of impacted wisdom teeth without full anaesthesia. (Been there, done that.)
The ONLY people admitted to my tribe are those that know how to be productive with their hands, brain, life experience, and materials to hand in a bad situation. If the only thing they know is how to create a spreadsheet, make a slide deck, or pick up a check? No go.
Political thoughts/dedications/aspirations evaporate like hoarfrost in hell when shit gets real.
It is a whole lot easier to have conversations about skills, lack thereof..and, if the respondent has no clue to what you are talking about? Well, that’s a real time-saver right there.
If I am going to spend time with people they have to have demonstrated ability in three categories:
a) Pre-historic:
1. They know how to make fire.
2. They know how to hunt/fish.
3. They know how to preserve the animal harvest.
b) Civilizations’ dawn:
1. They know how to obtain and purify water.
2. They know how to grow food.
3. They know how to preserve the harvest.
4. They know how to mill grains into flour and bake bread.
5. They know how to make containers, ie. granaries of wood or brick, baskets and/or pots.
c) “Modern times”:
1. They know how to make soap.
2. They can handle rough carpentry.
3. They know how to use and clean a firearm.
4. They understand the “Rule of 72” – – because without it that they don’t understand how they are being ripped off.
If they know those bits? Great, we can trade for the extras in life no matter who they thought they were.
In my experience, people who know how to “do stuff” just are not going to be a threat as much as someone with no skills at all beyond being a psychopathic charmer. Still, I always have my “6” in view plus a surprise in my waistband should things go cattywampus.
Oh, I DO draw SS payments. Why? Because they had interest-free use of MY FKKIN MONEY for 51 years. We just send it to the kids to help reimburse them for what’s being stolen from their paychecks.
YMMV
Da P
Nice list, Prof. Again, tho, they spent your SS, as you well know. But seeing as you are not reliant on it, you get a transfer to the friend category. 😁
291 comments and not one person has mentioned the biggest welfare queen of all time. Interesting.
Shaniqua?
You mean Ms: ” Who gonna take care uh all my 16 chillins?”
Everybody already know the welfare queens and their dates can’t be trusted.
“not one person has mentioned the biggest welfare queen of all time”
who’s that?
I would think the Military-Industrial Complex was the biggest.
Israel
HERES THE TRUTH,you’ve LOST your country,NOW, it’ll be war in the streets,a HUNDRED MILLION WILL DIE BEFORE ANYONE WAKES UP,and realizes the country is under attack,ONLY 5% of the men will stand up to protect THEIR families,the rest will be taken to FEMA DEATH CAMPS to be slaughtered,they’ll take the vaccines and the Mark of the beast,WHEN it ends,the population will be in the neighborhood of 100-300 survivors,america will be under 4 thousand feet of ocean,(POLESHIFT)…yes the US MILITARY fully intends to start a nuclear war,WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD,a war they’ll lose..America will be BOMBED into radioactive ASH…as will most of the world..GET CLOSE TO THE LORD,maybe he’ll let you into heaven,your future on earth is ending..
Dude… I am a roaster of coffee but maybe, just maybe, you should step away from the pot you are drinking.
You appear to have little understanding of the requirement of # nukes/sq mile to turn the country into ash….and poleshift effects are well beyond your ken of ocean volumes, gravitational effects on tidal equilibrium, and elementary physics.
For N. America to be under 4,000 ft of ocean? welp, it needs to subside that amount or it ain’t happening. I mean seriously, at the cusp of a new mini-Ice Age, where is that water at now? (Serious question.)
Oh…I am a “believer”, but, we are commended to:
“But prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”
[1 Thessalonians 5:21]
Cheers,
Da P
It’s quite ignorant to stereotype all gov. employees/pensioners as foes! Go back to your drawing board!!!
Not really. The foes referred to are those whom would defend the State rather than defend their actual oath of office…even if no longer in their office. They would choose to defend their dollars over principal almost without fail.
“It’s quite ignorant to stereotype all gov. employees/pensioners as foes!”
they’re just stand-ins. what he’s opposed to is anyone not himself.
Contractual agreements between government employee and state are maintained to prevent demoralization of new government employees. It is weakness in the fiat currency that the system depends on that will weaken and demoralize government employees leading to an unstable system. As things stand now the system is being exploited by various looting operations under pretense of environmentalism and other widely promoted causes. Government employees are not politicians at the middle and bottom they are from a variety of disciplines that will still be useful absent a functioning currency.
Christians and those fighting the good fight MUST put ourselves in positions as in government or education, to name a few, if we want to make a change. As a conservative government retiree I receive SS which is OWED to me! Your judgement is extremely shallow!
Why is it owed to you? Legislation does not say that. And the money was spent. So you are happy to take it from the young and leave them the bill.
Your principles are simply outstanding.
No wonder you were a govt drone. Parasitism suits you well.
It is owed because it was stolen.
I asked this question earlier and honestly wanted an answer… So far none… odd…
I would make military more defined: “CAREER MILITARY”.
Plenty of us never did 20, let alone 10.
Abnormal bright hair colors are almost dead ringer foes.
Tattoos of any lefty* see commie, topic of choice.
Abnormal piercings.
SJW utterances of any kind.
Astute observation, well said. Some years back I distinctly remember we passed the 50% threshold, where the majority of Americans were ‘on the take’ in some way from the Gubmint. Might have been Limbaugh who pointed it out, don’t remember which year.
I wonder what the percentage is today?
I don’t get anything from the government, but if Stucky provides that list of free shit, I’ll see if I fit in somewhere. The sooner this banana republic collapses, the better.
Okay then, I’m completely on my own, all alone. No help can be expected from anyone, not family, not neighbors, not friends. Great, thanks for clarifying that for me Llpoh!
If you can’t survive with nothing but the shirt on your back, you need to study more. It’s what you know on how to survive. It’s happened to people in the past and it could happen again.
“No help can be expected from anyone, not family, not neighbors, not friends”
just act where you are. you’ll know who can be worked with and who can’t be.
All things considered, meaning past and current events and attitudes about what one’s relationship is with one’s country, I agree the dependence or reliance on public monies creates allegiance to the Authority of government.
However, suppose it really is just a massive attempt to loot while the looting is good. (Looting Gov. $)
I was told that “because I have a VA disability I am eligible for SSDI.” I have never pursued it and do not plan to, because I have enough.
However, if i did not have enough i might be more motivated to apply for “everything I am entitled to.”
Here on TV there is a commercial for Medicare supplement insurance which promises to get you entitlements you do not yet need.
Thank God and my husband for providing enough.
Friend or Foe?
It is very hard to know.
That was a disjointed mess, wasn’t it? Well, I had chickens to tend; they provide us eggs and they are the boss of me right now.
I think what I was trying to say is that I agree. The only reason I exclude folks like myself and my husband (to some degree) is because we don’t have any recurring payments beyond energy and food bills and we could, indeed, cut those to zero easily.
So, while I agree that people whose primary source of income comes from government agency are probably more likely to rat dissidents out, I would probably have to exempt a lot of people I know who, like VV and Stucky, have just had enough of paying for everyone else and are ready to get their gub’mint entitlement.
I think we should all get what’s coming to us. That’s one of those doubled-up tendres.
I thought is was clearly said, Maggie, not a mess.
Double entendre, indeed. I think what’s coming to us will be very ugly. We may as well get it over with as fast and as soon as possible. I have a son who has the majority of his life still ahead of him.
I have a question for those that think the government OWES them a pension.
What is a fair amount of return on dollars paid in???
Is the ‘contract’ a life contract and where is that written??
Is this pension entitlement not the same as the liberals demands for free college, and debt forgiveness?? Liberals could argue that they’ve paid income taxes from serving soy latte’s and therefore should get their college paid for, yes/no???
Indisputable facts, I stand corrected.
400!!!!!!!!
Been a long time since I bagged one of these rare specimens.
I’m way late to this thread so sorry if this was already covered.
I understand the back and forth discussion regarding whether people on Social Security should be trusted. I’m willing to bet the answer is the same as answers to similar questions: some portion is but most are not.
There’s one other thing you all should consider about current Social Security recipients. They lived in the 30s, 40s, and 50s including through WWII. The hardships that they endured during those times – their younger years – were pretty much unimaginable to most of us (I’m in my late 50s). My mother tells of having a weekly bath and being lucky because she got to go first, followed by my grandma, my uncle, and then my grandpa last. She tells me that when I was a baby they depended on my grandparents for meals toward the end of pay periods – they simply didn’t have enough money to buy food.
If you think people who lived through these types of things think what’s happening now is bad enough to turn over the card table, and the inevitable death and destruction that comes with it, you’re kidding yourself. Our current situation is a walk in the park to them. And the people with the control levers know this as well because a lot of them have the same life experience.
Llpoh is right in not trusting most of these people. Their perspective is completely different.
Those people won’t need to turn over the card table. The Fed has already dealt out money destruction; it’s in the cards.
When the checks stop or won’t buy anything, and those people are back to living poor as in the past, their outlook will change quickly and I doubt it will be in the government’s favor. I hope they saved their pitchforks.
A very important read if you want to know the truth!
http://www.321gold.com/editorials/moriarty/moriarty030121.html
“how will I be able to tell friend from foe?”
for some it will be nothing more or less or other than, “whoever is just like me – lives like me, thinks like me, acts like me – is friend, all else are foe”. any other reason they’ll give is nothing more than rationalization for that underlying attitude.
Wonderful answer.
The Disciples were jealous because others were casting out demons but “they are not one of us”. And Jesus said, “whoever is not against us is for us”
That’s a pretty good way to pick friend or foe.
I will give you those who work for the government, sure. The military fall into two categories, those who do not desert when Joey Crayons calls the military to settle the fight he and his supporters started and those who decide to uphold their oath.
Those who receive Social Security payments are not to be lumped into this without due consideration however. Let us not forget, people paid into that system at gunpoint all their lives. Had CONgress not stolen all the money, that system would be fully funded without taking in one red cent for many decades. But of course, the money CONgress could not touch, they got their greedy, grubby mitts on by selling the SSA worthless paper.
First rule of war is not know your friends, it is know your enemy. Well, that is the second rule, the first one is “Incoming rounds have the right of way” so lets keep it in perspective, OK?
And how about veterans receiving veterans benefits or disability payments? I get disability payments from the VA. I know that will end soon enough. I lived on bugs in the military I can do it again. Will I get mad? Nope. Will I get even? Likely. I am not so disabled that I cannot do my part and I have simply been waiting for the population to wake up and smell what they are being buried in!
As to 1 in 10? Perfect, were a simple 10% of Americans to stand up, shout “ENOUGH” and spit in their hands before raising the black flag, this crap would all end really quickly! Only 3% of the colonists rose up and tossed the largest, most well trained and equipped army in the world out on their butts, so 10% would be more than enough to assure quick victory.
If I need to stop taking what the government hands me and starve before Y’all get your act together, I really don’t care to be on your friends list. Anyone who treats those they call “friend” like that is no friend of mine, nor shall they ever be. I will eat bugs again, but only if it is required to survive.
I can tell you, when it breaks, I am rear security on EVERY patrol, till I see the men wanting to be in my unit in action. Just like in the service. I will make sure I am in a position to take out anyone who breaks, falters or in ANY way puts the mission at hand at risk.
“There ARE no friendlies sir!” Stalone in Rambo. (Not before they prove themselves first)
That reality will keep you alive in combat. Anything short of that, you may as well surrender or shoot yourself, because you will not last and anyone near you will likely go down with you.
This will NOT be “Call of Duty” kids. There will be no “Regen” button if you fail. One chance, dying is permanent in this game. It can actually be a lot of fun, but if your head is not on straight, you are a threat to everyone around you.
Remember, historically speaking, fence sitters get shot first.
I like how you think.
I almost agree. Or, I agree with one quibble. “Reliance” or “dependence” on government moneys should be a more reliable litmus test than merely “receiving”. Of course, few people receiving government largesse are aware of its evils and pitfalls and are willing to do without should some “red line” be crossed. Nevertheless, there is the possibility of someone who is otherwise independent receiving government funds simply because they can. I, for instance, deposited my stimulus check. It made no sense not to. At this point, with the charade our monetary system has become, there really isn’t any moral objection to “handouts” based on character or integrity. It just doesn’t matter anymore. Government money is now just meaningless, soon-to-be-worthless, digits that if you refuse will simply find another meaningless home.
Many people, as I just did, will soon discover that last year’s stimulus money was just an advance from the itemization or standard deduction and any other deductions they get on their 2020 tax return. Many will owe taxes this year instead of getting money back. Of course, that was not reported, as far as I’m aware of. But with the government, there’s always a catch.
500 ! ! ! ! !
For only the second time. Oy frickin’ Vey
500!??? Wow! And only 499 of the comments were mine!
Nice thread, everyone! Great comments. Thanks for chiming in and flaying me too severely.
Congrats! When I grow up I hope I can get 500 comments. Hell, I was shocked when I broke 100.
Remember, tho – these are mercy comments (kinda like a mercy flush). We all felt sorry for you, being off all alone in your isolated ‘Time Out Down Under’, where the gravity is all bassackwards and where you find your sheep in the tall grass enjoyable.
Why are NZ horses faster than any others? ‘Cause they saw what happened to the sheep.
Of course, you’re a transplant, so they might not let you get the run of the prime flocks.
The keys to lots of comments in my opinion is 1) the original author has to be substantially involved in the thread, and 2) the topic needs to be open ended and allow for a wide range of opinion, debate, flamethrowing, and general nastiness. If it is something everyone agrees on, you will get lots of attaboy, but the comments will dry up.
Despite disagreeing with some of these many comments, the debate was lively and did not get too extremely bitter.
Thanks to all that contributed.
ACTUAL video of Llpoh dancing when his thread hit 500. Not kidding …
Great job, Chief. You deserved it.
So disco, which sucked, came from the Apaches? I’m amazed. Nothing new under the sun.
You have to admit, SS was a damned good topic. We know the government won’t come through but we want our money back, with interest. Hah, will never happen.
Bit of a mute point regarding SS benefits.
If I don’t have representation in electing a President why would I expect representation regarding wether my benefits get a haircut or not?