Read this comment from my last post:
Hey RM, I had just ordered you one of those DeWalt AR-15s as a birthday present and then I read your post bagging on my Goonies-type booby trap and so . . . . I canceled the order.
To really drive you nuts, I contributed the cash I would have spent to Obama’s campaign! [insert sarcastic tone]
Maybe next time!
-SP
Lol – for starters, I was serious about the soda can rock idea . . . very, very serious . . . and nay, if I was bagging the post I’d have been clear about it. It’s a unique thought . . . . lol. Unique in today’s blogging world constitutes decent in my opinion. The only way it would’ve been better is if instead of booby traps, it was boobies. Mmmmmmm, boobies.
But, in accordance with this post’s title, I’m not here to discuss boobies or booby traps, but political philosophy, and perceived notions about Ranger Man’s political ideology. The truth is, none of you know where I really stand, or who I really am . . . okay, some of you do, but most of you don’t. Do you all think because I operate SHTFblog that I’m a hardcore right-winger?
Think again. I won’t cast judgment on you for stereo-typing me, however. I mean, I DO write SHTFblog and trash PETA when I can. It’s easy to peg survivalists as right-wingers. I suspect many of YOU are hardcore right-wingers. I stereo-type, too. Stereo-typing is inevitable.
Nay, let the truth be told, while my political views vary depending on the issue, if I’m forced to label myself politically, I’d land as a conservative Democrat. I like Jim Webb. I like Joe Biden. I made one political donation this year and it was to Bill Richardson’s campaign. On the Republican side, I like Maine’s own Olympia Snowe. I liked John McCain better when he was running for President in 2000. He’s courting the Republican base now. I liked him for the reasons my New Hampshire neighbors liked him – Independent thinking! Now . . . I like him less. I have a Libertarian streak, but usually only as the belief applies to the individual. Libertarians extend individual rights to corporations – I don’t.
I’m a strong environmentalist. “Ranger Man” has far less to do with anything like Airborne Ranger, and far more to do with mountain ranger . . . forest ranger . . . elvish ranger. You could call me a tree hugger, but most of my tree hugging takes place with my .308 and deer stand. I support almost all environmental initiatives. My favorite environmental organization is the Izaak Walton League of America.
I’m happy to see more left-leaning folks coming to the survival world. Whether they’re here as a result of peak oil, ecological reasons, or whatever else – we need you. Join us, and together – with our combined might – we can RULE the post-apocalyptic world! Muah, muah, muah ah ah ah ah ah aaaaaaaah!
So, not straying far from this theme, Al Gore spoke Washington a couple days ago on global warming. What, you don’t think we’re at the cusp of SERIOUS environmental challenges? Wow, it must be nice living with your head in the sand. Wake up! Lift your head out of the sand and see. The global warming monster approaches. Here is a good piece from Time Magazine on his recent speech. Gore gives us 10 years to get our act together. Whether it’s 5 years, 10, 15 or 20 years, action needs to happen NOW.
Call me a planet pessimist, but I don’t see it happening. The surge in energy prices has prompted some conservation, but it’s nothing, nothing when compared to the massive global demand projected for the coming years. I don’t care if we start building extravagant windmills and solar panels everywhere, the use of oil will increase, not decrease. People won’t just up and stop driving cars, they’re not going to stop buying flat panel televisions, they’re not going to stop using electricity, and they’re not going to redefine their standard of living for the sake of clean air. Ain’t gonna happen, no way, no how. People want MORE.
Try as I might, I’m no exception. I’ve installed CFL bulbs, I’ve insulated my house, I live close to my work, and I don’t burn Styrofoam in the bonfire after a few frrrrrrosty cold beverages. It won’t matter, though. The only time we as a society will change is when we reach the catastrophic stage and something horrible happens. By then it will be too late. By then it will be . . . . TEOTWAWKI.
You can totally scope Gore’s site: www.wecansolveit.org. I went there, clicked on the bloggers’ section, and submitted SHTFblog. Sexy, huh? Watch his speech below, and for you hardcore Libertarians, Bob Barr was in the audience.
- Ranger Man
BTW: Speaking of trashing PETA, I laughed and laughed after reading THIS: PETA’s Top 10 Animal-Friendly Superheroes. Ha ha ha - see, I’m still laughing - ha ha ha. Mind you, I don’t typically read the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals blog, but after finding it last night I might re-visit. The writing is decent, and their posts are fun to laugh at. Like their choice for the #1 Animal- Friendly Superhero, it’s . . . . Wonder Man!
Yep . . . Wonder Man . . . everybody now:
*zzzzzz - snore - zzzzzz*
I’m here to manifest . . . the other side - Kraven The Hunter is the #1 Anti-PETA Superhero!
Kraven is (was) a big game trophy hunter, and (contrary to what the image below might suggest) Kraven typically didn’t use rifles, he used his bare hands instead - LOL. Strangle that elephant you crazy bastard, Kraven! LOL! Kraven was on a quest to bag the biggest prize of all - Spider-Man, thought that he’d accomplished it, and - having bagged the biggest prize with no bigger goal left in life - decided to kill himself . . . . . . . must’ve been the meat he at that drove him mad. But that meat eating and animal strangling is what brought him the award for the #1 Anti-PETA Superhero!
13 responses so far ↓
1 Rushman // Jul 19, 2008 at 11:16 am
I never pegged you either way Rangerman. So can we get off the politics and get back to what we love LOL.
MZB’s and SHTF!
Seriously I know where you are coming from. Truth is you can’t trust any of them. They never do what they say and in some cases they do just the opposite. If the leave the Constitution alone and don’t try to low jack me I am willing to give anyone a chance. But maybe it is time to go to a 3rd party because two don’t get it done. And yes it may be to late but one can always hope. If there wasn’t any hope why would we be prepping?????
2 Bustednuckles // Jul 19, 2008 at 12:48 pm
When TSHTF, nobody is going to ask who you voted for.
The politics will go out the window, as it should, as there will be far more important things to worry about.
Ask someone who has survived a tornado, they will tell you.
At that point we all become Americans again.
I would easily say I am a left winger.
I am not a tree hugger, I have guns and am not afraid to use them, I am certainly not the stereotypical pussy that seems to somehow be the image that too many get about Left wingers. I believe in the Constitution and I cherish Free Speech.
Survival to me has nothing to do with politics nor should it.
Unfortunately some people seem to feel differently.
3 Level Heads // Jul 19, 2008 at 2:40 pm
…will prevail in crises, as in daily life.
Beware the zealot, beware the ideologue.
We know from experience — and cognitive science has proven — that it is far easier to accept some dogma OF THE LEFT OR THE RIGHT than it is to think, to exercise judgment and to balance conflicting thoughts and facts.
Someone whose every discussion of politics is laced with profanity and demonic / messianic
language is not welcome at my campfire …they had better move right along.
4 Level Heads // Jul 19, 2008 at 2:47 pm
In one study researchers used “people who bought this book also bought this book” data from AmazonDOTcom and mapped it: They found that there were two constellations of purchases and that the “left blob” drank one flavor of Koolaide and the “right blob” another. There was little cross-fertilization of ideas.
Anecdotally we all experience this when we try to discuss politics with our friends, colleagues, family — even strangers.
More likely, the truth lies somewhere in the middle? Sadly, this is not fashionable in our current political dialogue — it doesn’t sell papers and it doesn’t attract blog traffic.
5 Dragon // Jul 19, 2008 at 2:50 pm
Al Gore….Couldn’t get the internet right and now he and His are trumpeting warming. BzzzzT! Wrong!
I guess you missed my post on global cooling, actually several of them. The story is that on 01-08-08 The solar output decreased and it began an 11 year cycle of cooler weather. a cycle which is now predicted to last at least for another 55 years. Historically reduced solar output with corresponding reduced numbers of sun spots are associated with things like mini ice ages….Way to go Gore.
You couldn’t have gotten it any more wrong if you tried.
Now if you really look at Gore and friends hockey stick presentation you’ll notice that it starts during the Maunder minimum or last mini ice age.
also it states that warming occurred before the advent of the industrial age. could this be that the earth has warming and cooling cycles every 200 years or so. The TRUTH of the Matter is that You face at least 55 years of cooler weather regardless of Gore and friends projections. Seems that Mom nature didn’t get Gore’s memo.
We are already experiencing cooler than average night temperatures now. Night time temps here in south west Pa are similar to those recorded a few hundred miles north a few years ago. Night temps will soon be for Pittsburg what the were 1 year ago at fort drum NY.
Symptoms of the new cooling period will be: Colder winters,Later Spring.Reduced growing seasons, with a high probability of one or more years with out summer.
Mr Gore could you have gotten it any more wrong? For those of us in the over 40 crowd we will experience progressively winters like we knew as children. You younger folks will feel the full brunt as weather turns cooler.
6 Level Heads // Jul 19, 2008 at 2:53 pm
Cruise over to Wikipedia and take a look at this page:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pournelle_chart
20th Century history is largely one where we, the electorate, have been choosing from two flavors of “statists”. Trouble is, we just don’t have the energy that it requires to keep doing it…
{For background, read the wiki pages on “peak oil” and “2nd law of thermodynamics”}
7 Level Heads // Jul 19, 2008 at 3:11 pm
Truly, we should all be less concerned about a number of things: With global warming, the jury is out, again; with peak food, the USA is one of the “winners”; with peak oil, we can adjust, although it will be very difficult.
THE near-term existential threat to the USA is that we are bankrupt: we are a debtor nation which requires foreigners to buy $3 billion dollars of our currency every day just to keep the dollar from collapsing ($1 trillion annually).
We continue to fund domestic social spending AND world policing missions which we can ILL AFFORD. Both parties, in the congress and the executive are proposing MORE.
History is littered with stories of financial collapses and the attendant suffering. The wise are reading these tales…
8 Level Heads // Jul 19, 2008 at 3:50 pm
Economists have a saying “supply is always, ultimately, finite, but demand, or want, is always infinite”.
Our elected officials will happily keep promising to deliver our “wants”. History teaches — the Romans provide an example — that this concludes in the total debasing of the currency.
Far before peak food, peak water, peak oil — or even global warming — is a threat, we will have succeeded in destroying the dollar. You see it now, in rampant inflation, in our massive consumer and governement debt, and even in, yes, the price of oil! {see, for instance, a chart of oil prices denominated in ounces of gold}
The most intelligent thing we can all do is to prepare for austerity — less of everything. Of course THIS isn’t good politics, of any stripe.
9 tweell // Jul 19, 2008 at 8:34 pm
You believe in AGW and its prophet, Al Gore? Bwhahahaha! Since the medieval warm period was hotter than it is now (the Viking’s farms are still under yards of ice in Greenland), the gloom and doom just isn’t working for me.
When Gore starts practicing what he preaches, I might give it a second look. Until then, the great hypocrit can talk to the hand.
I do believe in pollution control, it makes sense not mess up the air we breathe and the water we drink.
10 Craig // Jul 19, 2008 at 10:09 pm
I’m a member of PETA. People Eating Tasty Animals!!!! HAAAAAAAA ha hahahaha!!!!! HEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRREE Bambi……. BANG!! Whooping Crane breasts taste great wrapped around some Jalapenos, wrapped with bacon, and grilled over mesquite. MMMMMMM!!!!!! Seriously, I am for conservation, but c’mon! Venison is delicious!!!
11 irishdutchideologuezealotuncle // Jul 20, 2008 at 4:22 am
yeh, what he said! eating tasty animals! and as a carbon based life form with a post 5th grade indoctrination, i agree completely with dragon. i exhale CO2 and i plan to continue. it’s good for the plants, they need it make their own food . any plan to bury CO2 is a plan to starve us. we can’t eat grass, but we can eat the tasty animals that can. the grass is the most efficient plant for removing the carbon from CO2 and releasing O2 which incidently we need to breathe.
12 3rd man // Jul 20, 2008 at 7:54 am
I do not like Al Bore, but I do like his 10 year challege to covert to solar and wind, but they need to plan on hydro and nuke power for back up for high demand periods.
13 Anonymous // Jul 20, 2008 at 9:33 am
tried to watch an inconvenient truth and fell asleep !
did manage to watch the rest of it and old Al does paint a bleak picture.
hard to listen to some elitist swine tell me to live in a cave when he runs around polluting the earth in a far greater fashion than i ever could. of course he’s more important.
the one thing that teas me off is the lefties claiming the high ground on the environment.
Hunters and Outdoorsmen were the first pro-environment types and still are , but somehow if you pick up a rifle it makes you a dick
have to admit i did have you pegged as a former army ranger living up north driving around in your pick-up , hunting and just basically being a good old boy
which is fine with this city boy. keep up the good work and hopefully if things should go bad will still be friendly neighbors.
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