I have paid for this site through next year, but found the format too difficult for limited web skills. I also decided to change the name.
Please go to To the Catacombs at
http://tothecatacombs.blogspot.com/
I did not create a hyperlink because of other technical problems.
Thank you for your patience and I hope the new site will be easier to use and of value to you.
James Howard Kunstler, the foulmouthed, anti-Christian but oh-so-sanctimonious–as only the smug secular materialist can be–professional doomsayer has written a new post on his vulgarly-named blog, said post entitled “Lagging Recognition.” Not surprisingly, it speaks of Jimmy the K’s continuing confusion about the actions of Barack Obama, whom even the terminally naive are beginning to recognize as a Slick-Willy-style lackey of the financial oligarchy.
Mr. K joined Dr. Gary North in predicting the end of the world in Y2K, but they are still with us, still pounding their respective drums, still singing the same old songs.
Mr. K makes good points from time to time, has written some interesting books, but “lagging recognition,” be it on the part of Big O (not very likely he didn’t know all along what was coming) of Mr. K himself that his left-wing, secular materialist savior is nothing more than a non-entity, well… who cares? How about some “leading recognition” for a change?
We’re in the leading recognition business here in the Catacombs. We’ve seen the handwriting on the wall, got the message and slipped away to South America while the rest were bloviating about the perceived end of happy motoring, peak oil, the hyperinflation always just around the corner… On an on they go, in a spin, not knowing the spin they’re in…
Let’s set things straight, feet firmly planted on the ground.
The West is in the mess it’s in because sinful humankind chose to listen to the sibilant hissing that goes “You shall be as gods.” The shuck-n-jive of today’s moneylenders sounds similar, along with that of their pitchmen in politics. The evil begins with the bankers, extends to their allies, then trickles down to the poor, dumb cattle who fall for the false promises. If you are in some way enmeshed in it, your recognition of your dilemma will always be lagging.
Never did I imagine I would one day quote Timothy Leary’s Sixties mantra, but the way things are today… “Tune in, turn on and drop out.” Well, in a manner of speaking… Yeah!
Those who are not entirely gormless have by now recognized that all is not right with the world and that life styles they are a-changin’. It goes well beyond that, however; it’s the whole planetary Paradigm that’s changing, and the sooner you recognize that and act upon that recognition, the better your chances of not getting run over by the metaphorical Bernanke and Barack’s Big Truck bearing down upon the unwary and unprepared in the dying days of Kunstler’s “Happy Motoring” society.
While Kunstler frets constantly and endlessly about the automobile and the NASCAR-laden south filled with the Christian crackers he holds in contempt and despises, all the while bemoaning how Big O just doesn’t seem to get it, others see beyond the failed suburban model straight to the financial district of New York, where those KKKers Kunstler ridicules are seeing Jim Kramers who need killing, cosmopolites who have nothing in common with the folks of “Flyover Country,” as they sneeringly refer to the very rural and agrarian regions Kunstler claims to admire. Unless and until the Fed is abolished, its assets confiscated, it principals exiled or imprisoned, John and Jane Q. Public will have a lot more to worry about than not being able to drive to Denny’s to load up on hi-carb breakfasts before heading to the Blue Light Specials Kunstler writes on and on about.
I am ready and waiting for you to contact me so that I can tell you specifically how the Southern Cone Catacombs just might be the place for you to take refuge if you wish to get ahead on the learning curve of the New Paradigm that is NOT that of the soulless secular materialist financiers and their camp followers. The rural, local life may by default be the only way left to live a relatively free life, a healthy life, a rewarding life, a life in which a family can flourish, but it is by definition a life worth investigating as the sun sets on the secular materialist, consumption-driven societies whose hubris has done them in at last.
LEAD in recognition! Don’t lag. Laggards may find themselves trapped where they will very much wish they were not.
The American television network ABC has aired what is being described as a globalist propaganda program designed to further demoralize the fleeced sheeple now bleating for mercy from the overlords. Commentary on the program (which I have not seen) can be found at Informationliberation.com, among other sites.
My reading tells me that the program is of the apocalyptic sort, emphasizing the usual suspects of global warming, overpopulation and resource depletion. Oh yes, there’s a killer flu thrown in as well, which requires mass quarantines, and everyone is forced to live in the only two “sustainable” locations: New York and California! Now there’s a likely situation! But it does neatly take care of the depopulating of flyover country, where all the homegrown “terrorists” live, breed and hide, sustaining themselves with food they grow themselves. Can’t have that now, can we?
Rather than fret about some fictional future nearly a hundred years away dreamed up by paid propagandists, it might make more sense to pay closer attention to predictions of what might happen next year! Better yet: read and examine the possibilities, make your own predictions, draw your own conclusions, then act.
Paradigm Change is upon us: whether we choose to change our own paradigm or passively wait to have it changed by default, chosen for us by the Powers That Be, that is the only question. The longer one hesitates, the longer one wastes one’s time with nonsense like the network television program, the longer one still believes in the lies told daily by the political puppets of the financial oligarchy, the longer one remains a victim.
The Western world–the former Christendom–is being destroyed by a concerted conspiracy to transform it into a toxic stew of incorporating ingredients of neo-feudalism, fascism and communism, not by a hapless band of incompetent do-gooders. Failure to recognize this simple truth, characterizing it as “conspiracy theory” and then “domestic extremism” is an increasingly incomprehensible denial springing from ignorance and a kind of moral cowardice. It demonstrates too a denial of the instinct of self-preservation.
While an armed uprising may occur in Western nations, its outcome would be dreadful. How likely is such an uprising? One would like to think that it is not very likely, but that might be excessively optimistic. My belief is that if an eventual uprising is to be avoided, a coordinated effort must be made to initiate a Ghandi-esque campaign of passive resistance, Atlas Shrugged style: simply stop. Stop all economic activity to the greatest degree possible. Stock up and stay home for as long as possible. Empty your bank accounts, sell securities, hold only cash or precious metals as money. Break the system.
Or if this course of action does not appeal, leave the country for one that is less likely to undergo upheaval.
Consider this for 2010: the Southern Cone, the Catacombs for those who would be free and “sustainable.”
That’s Butch Cassidy, the Sundance Kid and Etta Place; you may call yourself whatever you like.
These three refugees from the USA fled the country at the end of the Nineteenth Century and came here to Argentina, to install themselves in Patagonia in 1901. Patagonia was the frontier, and to a certain extent, in a Twenty First Century way, it still is, as are other parts of this thinly populated, vast and fertile land. If you have the sand, there is a place for you here, so long as you understand that when all is said and done, you will carry your own water, so to speak.
This country has 25% of the world’s reserve of fresh water, soon to be a resource as coveted as oil if not more so. There is oil here too. In fact, this country has great resource wealth, though little of it is exploited, because the population denisty is thin outside of Greater Buenos Aires and because life isn’t all that easy in the Big Empty, where never is heard a word–discouraging, encouraging or otherwise–in English, and what’s more, investment capital outside of the transnationals is thin on the ground in the Big Empty.
Didn’t stop Butch, Sundance and Etta, though. Why should it stop you?
The movie skipped over their stay in Cholila, a small town in the province of Chubut, but there they were, living in a funky little wooden cabin, nothing like the superinsulated bale house we could build for you! Then again, perhaps you may not want to live in Patagonia. No matter, there’s a place here for you somewhere: this is the world’s eighth largest country, with 1,068,302 sq mi from which to choose.
Time grows short and interest mounts: if you’re interested, drop a line!
What was good enough for the runaway members of the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang should certainly be good enough for you!
Paradigm Change does not occur overnight.
Those who contemplate a personal Paradigm Change would be well advised to leaven their contemplation with the yeast of action and begin taking the steps necessary to “come up to speed” on the skill sets required for adaptation to rural living. Those considering expatriation from the English-speaking nations should begin with country-specific language studies, as the Spanish spoken in South America–not just in nations but in provinces and even districts–has considerably more area variation than does English.
Those who wish to develop a homestead that will enable them to become at least partly self-sufficient with respect to food production will require a number of years–at least two is a consensus estimate–to master the knowledge and skills required to develop an efficient and productive operation; larger-scale farming requires more time and experience.
Those who wish to learn and master a manual trade should also plan on an apprenticeship of at least two years, perhaps longer, depending upon the trade and its demands. And while the old saw “Jack of all trades, master of none” contains more than a grain of truth, it is also true that at least a minimum of knowledge of basic trade skills is of great importance in managing a homestead.
Finding a suitable property and building a superinsulated home thereon cannot be done in a week; plan on a minimum of one year unless great effort (and cash) is expended and fortune shines upon you, in which case nine months might be possible. Do not consider for a moment acquiring property or a residence that cannot be paid for outright: no mortgages will be available for these purposes.
Negotiating one’s way through the legal requirements involved with immigration, establishing residency, importing of personal effects, property purchase, motor vehicle registration, etc… all this requires preparation and time. None of this, however, should be thought of as overwhelming or impossible for those who are determined to make the Paradigm Change, and by obtaining qualified help and networking with others on the same path, the tasks are made far less daunting.
This site will be devoted to convincing you that the time for Paradigm Change is NOW, while the initial steps can still be taken without serious difficulty, rather than later, when it may already be too late. My daily reading of comments on financial and political and even religious forums has convinced me that most people procrastinate and have every intention of continuing to procrastinate, preferring to bemoan worsening conditions rather than take action to improve their own situation when possible: pessimism rather than Paradigm Change is the order of the day.
Pessimism is a first step, and it is certainly warranted: take a look at the info, news digesting and commentary sites like Zero Hedge, Mish’s Global Economic Trend Analysis, UrbanSurvival.com Daily News Update, Political Calculations (excellent for the numbers-minded), Pro Libertate, Cryptogon, King Lud IC… there are many. Read ‘em and weep. Then dry your tears and get busy.
From the Catacombs, encouragement is offered and action encouraged. Get in touch and learn what we can do to help you effect true Paradigm Change to better the future for yourselves, your families and descendents and for society as a whole.
This site will begin undergoing changes in content and format, beginning today.
There are many sites out there offering news digesting, investment advice, preparedness suggestions, future predictions and so on; this site will include some of all of this, but will from now on focus on things that can be done NOW, actions that can be planned and executed in as short a time possible.
The site is called From the Catacombs for a reason: I view the site as a potential meeting place for–among others–Traditional Catholics, who are fast becoming a persecuted minority, indeed an endangered species, so small is our number. The Catacombs were the refuge for the early Christians, and may well be for the remnant still in existence. I also view my adopted country Argentina as a refuge of sorts, given its vast natural wealth and low population density combined with favorable climate and soil conditions and low cost of living, particularly for those with hard currency.
Beginning today I am going to actively promote the idea of emigration from English-speaking nations to rural areas of the Southern Cone–Argentina, Uruguay and Chile–, and to Argentina in particular. I made the move five years ago and now own nearly three acres of very fertile land and two houses outright and plan on acquiring more land in the near future. Those who are able to read the handwriting on the wall might well follow this example.
A site I find very much in agreement with my own socio-politico-economic philosophy is Front Porch Republic, which places an emphasis on localism, agrarian-centered living and Catholic Social Teaching. There are many articles posted here that extol the virtues of these, but I have yet to see one offering a very specific plan of action; the emphasis is more societal than individual. One hopes ways can be found to transform Western society, but I believe it is wiser to begin with the family unit: in the words of Virgil, Hic Domus, Hic Patria.
Investment and finance oriented sites also seem focused too much on the “big picture,” on decrying what is fatally wrong with the system but not taking the analysis far enough to rec0gnize that an entirely new paradigm is the only means of avoiding the consciously-planned serfdom to be imposed upon the West by a very real conspiracy that even if it were not to exist might just as well, given that the worst nightmares of the conspiracy theorists are coming true, whether by default or by design being of little consequence if you are a victim. This site intends to make it possible for you and your family to avoid victimization to the degree possible before only conflict can resolve the situation.
There are the survivalist sites. The most thorough is SurvivalBlog.com and it is a good resource indeed, though perhaps a bit much for the mindset of many; it is good for ideas, good for specifics if one plans to stay in the USA, but it cannot offer the hard information that will be necessary for the emigre who has concluded that a multi-generational homeplace will be easier sited and established in the Southern Cone.
From the Catacombs is anchored in the notion that productive land, productive tools and a wholly owned superinsulated home are the most important and best investments a family can make while such investments are still possible; they may not be within a few years, owing to travel restrictions, shipping difficulties, currency controls, etc. The precious metal hedge against inflation is not viewed as a safe bet from the point of view of the Catacombs: confiscation, confiscatory taxation, exchange controls… there are simply too many ways an over-controlling government can render the precious metals a nearly useless asset for a family. This site advocates the possession of tangible assets that can produce consumable and tradable goods, both essential and discretionary. Follow this site, support it, and it will be possible for you to effect a paradigm change for your family that will be nearly impossible to effect in the Northern Hemisphere, even assuming that no major societal disruption takes place there, a daring assumption to say the least.
Bear with us as the site is developed, the offerings thought out.
Bear in mind that the life you improve may be your own, and that of each member of your family.
A networked community can grow in this region, a community that will share a philosophical approach and be committed to working with one another in effecting paradigm change within the host society where said change will be universally beneficial. As I hear on a nearly daily basis with respect to what could be accomplished here: “There’s so much to be done!”
Take part in the doing of it. Explore the possibilities offered From the Catacombs.
Words say little at times. Let us all pray for the soul of this child whose mother loved her well.
Baby Faith Hope Walker passed away after three months of life, during which she was loved. The child was born with anencephaly, and her mother was advised to abort; she did not.
God bless the mother and God bless the child who has gone to join Him. Read the inspiring story at http://babyfaithhope.blogspot.com/2009/05/happy-3-month-birthday-faith-d.html
It’s official: while the moon may not be made of green cheese, the Third Planet From the Sun is the geological equivalent of peanut butter, or such is the inference drawn from a LiveScience.com article citing research detailed in the May 24th edition of the journal Nature Geoscience.
“Last year, Arizona State University Allen McNamara explained how Earth is not neatly divided into a crust, mantle and core. Rather, several large blobs of highly compressed rock — which he described as behaving like honey or peanut butter — exist,” wrote Jeanna Bryer in her May 26th article headed “Giant Blob Found Deep Beneath Nevada.”
It appears unlikely that this particular blob either crawls or creeps, never mid eats you alive, but the mere mention of any “blob” (videlicit the headline) is enought to conjur up the cinematic monster of the 50s remembered by those who are now taking their places as planetary elders.
What does this have to do with paradigm change? Well may you ask. The answer: nothing, absolutely nothing, but it’s an interesting piece of news, isn’t it? See http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30949358 for the whole article.
The “Carnation Revolution” took place in Portugal in 1974, thirty five years ago now. My then wife and I were there, though we saw no revolutionary activity in the backwater of Beja, a sleepy town in the Alentejo, the non-coastal south, where the restaurant was mournfully silent, the only sounds the tick-tock of a large clock and the clank of flatware against china plates filled with a rich chicken broth. Jacketed waiters wearing too-short pants, aging men with their hair slicked down, hovered expectantly, giving the place a Central European air. One almost expected Imre Nagy to scurry out from behind a dining roomn pillar and disappear in a vanishing-point-perspective black and white shot (think The Third Man cemetery walk) down a damp cobblestoned alleyway.
Flash forward from that bloodless revolution with the flowers in the rifle barrels to today’s Portugal, to a soccer stadium where the security rent-a-cops go overboard and the crowd responds without flowers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2Fn-j_bsIc&feature=player_embedded
It doesn’t take much imagination to picture an incident of this sort at one of the many opportunities offered by rent-a-cops and taxpayer-funded-cops. The big difference is that the latter–and sometimes the former–have guns and would almost certainly use them, though a big enough mob might deter them, as they would have good reason to believe that they’d be torn limb from limb if the feeding frenzy weren’t abated by a few civilian casualties.
Carefully check your reaction when you watch this: I am ashamed to confess that I wanted to see those guards beaten to a pulp. How about you?
“The simpler, the better,” the title is translated, but a touch of Latin adds some tone and reminds us of the classics, a reminder sorely needed.
A post on a financial blog I follow http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/2009/05/lifestyle-liquidation-estates-of.html called the above motto to mind. The post deals with the woes of a family aptly named Peacock. These folks would be funny if they weren’t so pathetic and greedy, not to mention gauche, but their story is of anecdotal interest only; what matters is the state of societal affairs it represents.
I made a comment with respect to the post, quoting the late Richard Weaver, whose work I greatly respect; the same quote appears in a print piece I expect to see published in the fortnightly for which I regularly write. To wit:
“One of the strangest disparities of history lies between the sense of abundance felt by older and simpler societies and the sense of scarcity felt by the ostensibly richer societies of today. Charles Peguy has referred to modern man’s feeling of ’slow economic strangulation,’ his sense of never having enough to meet the requirements which his pattern of life imposes on him. Standards of consumption which he cannot meet, and which he does not need to meet, come virtually in the guise of duties. As the abundance for simple living is replaced by the scarcity for complex living, it seems that in some way not yet explained we have formalized prosperity until it is for most people a figment of the imagination. Certainly the case of the Baconians is not won until it has been proved that the substitution of covetousness for wantlessness, of an ascending spiral of desires for a stable requirement of necessities, leads to the happier condition.” (Ideas Have Consequences, 1948).
Simple living and its abundance are fundamental to the paradigm change I believe must be undertaken by we of the West if we are to remain a civilization, however fragmented it may become during the death spiral of the old paradigm of finance capitalism and secular materialism run wild.
The return of the manual arts will play an important part in this Western renaissance, and there is evidence that this fact is beginning to poke its metaphorical head above the horizon, so to speak. Just this weekend I saw two small indicators: one on the “Crunchy Con” blog, referring to a soon-to-be-released book called Shop Class as Soulcraft and another mentioning a self-sufficiency type blog:
http://milesfrombabylon.blogspot.com/
The impending breakdown of the global product exchange which will quickly become a reality if oil prices spike, credit continues to be destroyed in spite of efforts to reflate it and any number of other possible game-breaker events will by default require a revival of local, productive economies that provide necessities and the means to maintain them.
Over at Leibowitz Abbey, part of the plan is to work up a program of manual arts training. Students can come on down and work with the monks while learning diverse trades skills and Spanish, plus explore Patagonia a bit while picking up some bale building skills as well.
The monks of the fictional Albertian Order of Leibowitz were preservers of civilization after the “Simplification,” a very different process from the one recommended here. This site suggests that the reader and family begin simplifying in terms of consumption, vocation and overall way of living.
Think about it, act, and keep it simple.