Saturday, July 27, 2013

10 Things Unhappy People Have in Common

We all want to be happy in some way or another. We strive each day to find the path of happiness whatever we think it is. But some of us come up way short. Some of us make mistakes day in and day out that take us away from the shining beacon of happiness at the end of the tunnel.
Are you striving to find peace? Are you striving to locate that inner glow that you know must exist? Are you coming up short or finding happiness that’s always fleeting? Life is a journey and on it we find what works and what doesn’t work. However, the most unhappy people tend to have a few things in common. If you’re looking to find peace, balance, and joy in your life, here’s what NOT to do. These people have it all wrong:

1. They Hate Their Jobs
You spend eight hours, sometimes much more at work. If you hate your job you can’t help but hate your life because you’re spending 40 out of the 168 hours in a week doing something you can’t stand. What’s worse, we often take our anger from work home with us, bringing that disgruntled attitude into our homes. I’m not saying go out and quit your job tomorrow. Instead, take an aerial view of your life. Why don’t you love your job? What’s missing? Is it the career itself? Is it your boss or your company? What’s your passion? What are you good at? Take time to answer these questions and then make a plan to move towards change, however long it takes.
2. They’re Constantly Worried About Money
Studies have proven that being rich won’t make us any happier. A Princeton University study showed that people needed an annual income of $75,000 per year per household and no more to be happy. Above that amount, more cash has no effect on “emotional well-being.” What this really means is that you need to be able to comfortably pay bills and save without worrying about finances. On the other hand, financial uncertainty does make us unhappy so this is another chance for evaluation. Are you overspending? What can you downsize? How can you minimize your life so that you can afford it? This is in no way an easy question, but it’s part of the journey.
3. They Don’t Have Any Active Hobbies
Happiness is linked to activity level. You have to move to feel good. What about yoga, hiking, swimming, surfing, biking, or running? Happiness is also linked to doing what you love so find active hobbies that make you happy and get to it.
Related: Get Physical!
4. They Have Wandering Minds.
According to Science News, “[a] wandering mind often stumbles downhill emotionally. People spend nearly half their waking lives thinking about stuff other than what they’re actually doing, and these imaginary rambles frequently feel bad, according to a new study.” The more you can focus on what you’re doing when you’re doing it, the happier you are. Meditation allows you to learn to focus on the present moment so you can actually live the life you’ve been given.
5. They Commute a Long Distance
A long commute can take a toll on your life and after a while it can really bring you down. How much of your life are you losing in commute? It’s hard on a relationship as well. A recent Swedish study found that divorce rates were higher the longer the commute.
6. They Think “Stuff” Will Make Them Happy
Unhappy people are constantly trying to fill the void by consuming, whether it be alcohol, food, or shopping. But the problem is happiness can’t be consumed, it’s cultivated from within. Meeting desires only brings fleeting happiness.
7. They’re Lonely
Cultivating relationships is important for both your health and your happiness. And that doesn’t just mean how good you are at social networking. Unfortunately nowadays more than a few of us view our laptop as our very best friend. Single or not, married or not, it’s important to always strive both to make friends and to keep them while also keeping close ties to family.
8. They Don’t Like Their Town
So often we feel stuck in our lives. We live in a town that we no longer love and aren’t sure how to feel better about the situation. This is another opportunity to take a step back and ask why you feel the way you do. Is it the town or is it you? Get the newspaper and look into new events, volunteer some place new, or, well, move. Who says you have to live in the same place your whole life? I certainly haven’t. I’ve already tried out Charlottesville, Athens, Washington DC, Florence, Charleston, and Columbia and I’m just getting started.
9. They Don’t Have Pets
Pets serve as support and provide unconditional love that we grow to depend on but at the same time, they don’t disrupt other human relationships, according to a new study. If you’re considering pet ownership, adopt a pet in need and follow this guide to responsible pet ownership.
10. They Don’t Like Themselves
We make ourselves happy by the way we view life and by learning to enjoy the moment. We make ourselves happy by the way we view ourselves. By opening our hearts we find peace but that peace has to first start off with you. If you dislike yourself, you can never be happy so give yourself a break. Learn to love yourself, you deserve it!

SOURCE: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/10-things-unhappy-people-have-in-common-2.html

Proof They Used 2 Planes Flight 214 Hoax

Credit to Max Malone and his team. This video summarizes that work and provides additional compelling proof of the staging of this fake event with two planes.



Published on Jul 13, 2013 by Max Malone
Freeze the eyewitness video at 2:45 and 3:05 just before they show the other plane at 3:06, six windows, then seven windows above the A in airlines.



Proof They Used 2 Planes Flight 214 Hoax

Credit to Max Malone and his team. This video summarizes that work and provides additional compelling proof of the staging of this fake event with two planes.


Proof They Used 2 Planes Flight 214 Hoax


Published on Jul 13, 2013 by Max Malone
Freeze the eyewitness video at 2:45 and 3:05 just before they show the other plane at 3:06, six windows, then seven windows above the A in airlines.

Friday, July 26, 2013

51 Fantastic Uses for Baking Soda

by Melissa Breyer


I don’t mean to sound seditious here, but I have a rebellious plan to combat the ills that many corporations are perpetrating in the name of fighting grime and germs. My main gripe is about the environmental pollutants from cleaning and personal care products that we wash down our drains and into our water systems, resulting in situations like the chemical triclosan (a pesticide added to many products as an antibacterial agent) being found in dolphins.
So the simple plan is to encourage everyone to use baking soda in any of these 51 applications. Besides showing kindness to aquatic life, we can also protect ourselves from the array of toxins in household cleaning products. Conventional cleansers can expose us to multiple chemicals linked to asthma, cancer and other documented health problems.
Baking soda also makes a perfect stand-in for many personal care products, which are adding their own twist to the toxic tangle of pollutants and personal health (mainly in the form of synthetic fragrance (and it’s almost all synthetic), sodium laurel sulfate, and parabens).
So exactly how does baking soda fit into my scheme to make the world a better place? Baking soda, aka sodium bicarbonate,  helps regulate pH—keeping a substance neither too acidic nor too alkaline. When baking soda comes in contact with either an acidic or an alkaline substance, its natural effect is to neutralize that pH. Beyond that, baking soda has the ability to retard further changes in the pH balance, known as buffering. This dual capability of neutralizing and buffering allows baking soda to do things such as neutralize acidic odors (like in the refrigerator) as well as maintain neutral pH (like in your laundry water, which helps boost your detergent’s power). It’s a simple reaction, but one that has far-reaching effects for a number of cleaning and deodorizing tasks. And so without further ado, I’ll remove my scientist cap, put on my rebellious housekeeper’s cap, and get this folk-wisdom revolution rolling…

Personal Care
1. Make Toothpaste
A paste made from baking soda and a 3 percent hydrogen peroxide solution can be used as an alternative to commercial non-fluoride toothpastes. (Or here’s a formula for a minty version.) You can also just dip your toothbrush with toothpaste into baking soda for an extra boost.
2. Freshen Your Mouth
Put one teaspoon in half a glass of water, swish, spit and rinse. Odors are neutralized, not just covered up.
3. Soak Oral Appliance
Soak oral appliances, like retainers, mouthpieces and dentures, in a solution of 2 teaspoons baking soda dissolved in a glass or small bowl of warm water. The baking soda loosens food particles and neutralizes odors to keep appliances fresh. You can also brush appliances clean using baking soda.
4. Use as a Facial Scrub and Body Exfoliant
Give yourself an invigorating facial and body scrub. Make a paste of 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water. Rub in a gentle circular motion to exfoliate the skin. Rinse clean. This is gentle enough for daily use. (For a stronger exfoliant, try one of these great 5 Homemade Sugar Scrubs.)
5. Skip Harsh Deodorant
Pat baking soda onto your underarms to neutralize body odor.
6. Use as an Antacid
Baking soda is a safe and effective antacid to relieve heartburn, sour stomach and/or acid indigestion. Refer to baking soda package for instructions.
7. Treat Insect Bites & Itchy Skin
For insect bites, make a paste out of baking soda and water, and apply as a salve onto affected skin. To ease the itch, shake some baking soda into your hand and rub it into damp skin after bath or shower. For specific tips on bee stings, see Bee Stings: Prevention and Treatment.
8. Make a Hand Cleanser and Softener
Skip harsh soaps and gently scrub away ground-in dirt and neutralize odors on hands with a paste of 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water, or 3 parts baking soda to gentle liquid hand soap. Then rinse clean. You can try this honey and cornmeal scrub for hands too.
9. Help Your Hair
Vinegar is amazing for your hair, but baking soda has its place in the shower too. Sprinkle a small amount of baking soda into your palm along with your favorite shampoo. Shampoo as usual and rinse thoroughly–baking soda helps remove the residue that styling products leave behind so your hair is cleaner and more manageable.
10. Clean Brushes and Combs
For lustrous hair with more shine, keep brushes and combs clean. Remove natural oil build-up and hair product residue by soaking combs and brushes in a solution of 1 teaspoon of baking soda in a small basin of warm water. Rinse and allow to dry.
11. Make a Bath Soak
Add 1/2 cup of baking soda to your bath to neutralize acids on the skin and help wash away oil and perspiration, it also makes your skin feel very soft. Epsom salts are pretty miraculous for the bath too; read about the health benefits of epsom salt baths.
12. Soothe Your Feet
Dissolve 3 tablespoons of baking soda in a tub of warm water and soak feet. Gently scrub. You can also make a spa soak for your feet.

Cleaning
13. Make a Surface Soft Scrub
For safe, effective cleaning of bathroom tubs, tile and sinks–even fiberglass and glossy tiles–sprinkle baking soda lightly on a clean damp sponge and scrub as usual. Rinse thoroughly and wipe dry. For extra cleaning power, make a paste with baking soda, course salt and liquid dish soap—let it sit then scour off.
14. Handwash Dishes and Pots & Pans
Add 2 heaping tablespoons baking soda (along with your regular dish detergent) to the dish water to help cut grease and foods left on dishes, pots and pans. For cooked-on foods, let them soak in the baking soda and detergent with water first, then use dry baking soda on a clean damp sponge or cloth as a scratchless scouring powder. Using a dishwasher? Try these energy saving tips.
15. Freshen Sponges
Soak stale-smelling sponges in a strong baking soda solution to get rid of the mess (4 tablespoons of baking soda dissolved in 1 quart of warm water). For more thorough disinfecting, use the microwave.
16. Clean the Microwave
Baking soda on a clean damp sponge cleans gently inside and outside the microwave and never leaves a harsh chemical smell. Rinse well with water.
17. Polish Silver Flatware
Use a baking soda paste made with 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water. Rub onto the silver with a clean cloth or sponge. Rinse thoroughly and dry for shining sterling and silver-plate serving pieces.
18. Clean Coffee and Tea Pots
Remove coffee and tea stains and eliminate bitter off-tastes by washing mugs and coffee makers in a solution of 1/4 cup baking soda in 1 quart of warm water. For stubborn stains, try soaking overnight in the baking soda solution and detergent or scrubbing with baking soda on a clean damp sponge.
19. Clean the Oven
Sprinkle baking soda onto the bottom of the oven. Spray with water to dampen the baking soda. Let sit overnight. In the morning, scrub, scoop the baking soda and grime out with a sponge, or vacuum, and rinse.
20. Clean Floors
Remove dirt and grime (without unwanted scratch marks) from no wax and tile floors using 1/2 cup baking soda in a bucket of warm water–mop and rinse clean for a sparkling floor. For scuff marks, use baking soda on a clean damp sponge, then rinse. Read Natural Floor Cleaning for more tips on avoiding toxic floor cleaners.
21. Clean Furniture
You can make a homemade lemon furniture polish, or you can clean and remove marks (even crayon) from walls and painted furniture by applying baking soda to a damp sponge and rubbing lightly. Wipe off with a clean, dry cloth.
22. Clean Shower Curtains
Clean and deodorize your vinyl shower curtain by sprinkling baking soda directly on a clean damp sponge or brush. Scrub the shower curtain and rinse clean. Hang it up to dry.
23. Boost Your Liquid Laundry Detergent
Give your laundry a boost by adding 1/2 cup of baking soda to your laundry to make liquid detergent work harder. A better balance of pH in the wash gets clothes cleaner, fresher and brighter.
24. Gently Clean Baby Clothes
Baby skin requires the most gentle of cleansers, which are increasingly available, but odor and stain fighters are often harsh. For tough stains add 1/2 cup of baking soda to your liquid laundry detergent, or a 1/2 cup in the rinse cycle for deodorization.
25. Clean Cloth Diapers
Dissolve 1/2 cup of baking soda in 2 quarts of water and soak diapers thoroughly.
26. Clean and Freshen Sports Gear
Use a baking soda solution (4 tablespoons baking soda in 1 quart warm water) to clean and deodorize smelly sports equipment. Sprinkle baking soda into golf bags and gym bags to deodorize, clean golf irons (without scratching them!) with a baking soda paste (3 parts baking soda to 1 part water) and a brush. Rinse thoroughly.
27. Remove Oil and Grease Stains
Use baking soda to clean up light-duty oil and grease spills on your garage floor or in your driveway. Sprinkle baking soda on the spot and scrub with a wet brush.
28. Clean Batteries
Baking soda can be used to neutralize battery acid corrosion on cars, mowers, etc. because its a mild alkali. Be sure to disconnect the battery terminals before cleaning. Make a paste of 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water, apply with a damp cloth to scrub corrosion from the battery terminal. After cleaning and re-connecting the terminals, wipe them with petroleum jelly to prevent future corrosion. Please be careful when working around a battery–they contain a strong acid.
29. Clean Cars
Use baking soda to clean your car lights, chrome, windows, tires, vinyl seats and floor mats without worrying about unwanted scratch marks. Use a baking soda solution of 1/4 cup baking soda in 1 quart of warm water. Apply with a sponge or soft cloth to remove road grime, tree sap, bugs and tar. For stubborn stains, use baking soda sprinkled on a damp sponge or soft brush. Here’s how Sustainable Dave washes his car.

Deodorizing
30. Deodorize Your Refrigerator
Place an open box in the back of the fridge to neutralize odors.
31. Deodorize the Cutting Board
Sprinkle the cutting board with baking soda, scrub, rinse. For how to more thoroughly clean your cutting board, see How To Clean Your Cutting Boards.
32. Deodorize Trashcans
Sprinkle baking soda on the bottom of your trashcan to keep stinky trash smells at bay.
33. Deodorize Recyclables
Sprinkle baking soda on top as you add to the container. Also, clean your recyclable container periodically by sprinkling baking soda on a damp sponge. Wipe clean and rinse. Learn about how to recycle everything.
34. Deodorize Drains
To deodorize your sink and tub drains, and keep lingering odors from resurfacing, pour 1/2 cup of baking soda down the drain while running warm tap water–it will neutralize both acid and basic odors for a fresh drain. (This a good way to dispose of baking soda that is being retired from your refrigerator.) Do you know what you’re not supposed to put down your drains?
35. Deodorize and Clean Dishwashers
Use baking soda to deodorize before you run the dishwasher and then as a gentle cleanser in the wash cycle.
36. Deodorize Garbage Disposals
To deodorize your disposal, and keep lingering odors from resurfacing, pour baking soda down the drain while running warm tap water. Baking soda will neutralize both acid and basic odors for a fresh drain.
37. Deodorize Lunch Boxes
Between uses, place a spill-proof box of baking soda in everyone’s lunch box to absorb lingering odors. Read bout safe lunch boxes here.

38. Remove Odor From Carpets
Liberally sprinkle baking soda on the carpet. Let set overnight, or as long as possible (the longer it sets the better it works). Sweep up the larger amounts of baking soda, and vacuum up the rest. (Note that your vacuum cleaner bag will get full and heavy.)
39. Remove Odor From Vacuum Cleaners
By using the method above for carpets, you will also deodorize your vacuum cleaner.
40. Freshen Closets
Place a box on the shelf to keep the closet smelling fresh, then follow these tips to organize your closet in an eco-friendly way.
41. Deodorizing Cars
Odors settle into car upholstery and carpet, so each time you step in and sit down, they are released into the air all over again. Eliminate these odors by sprinkling baking soda directly on fabric car seats and carpets. Wait 15 minutes (or longer for strong odors) and vacuum up the baking soda.
42. Deodorize the Cat Box
Cover the bottom of the pan with baking soda, then fill as usual with litter. To freshen between changes, sprinkle baking soda on top of the litter after a thorough cleaning. You can also use green tea for this purpose!
43. Deodorize Pet Bedding
Eliminate odors from your pets bedding by sprinkling liberally with baking soda, wait 15 minutes (or longer for stronger odors), then vacuum up.
44. Deodorize Sneakers
Keep odors from spreading in smelly sneakers by shaking baking soda into them when not in use. Shake out before wearing. When they’re no longer wearable, make sure to donate your old sneakers.
45. Freshen Linens
Add 1/2 cup of baking soda to the rinse cycle for fresher sheets and towels. You can also make homemade lavender linen water with this formula.
46. Deodorize Your Wash
Gym clothes of other odoriferous clothing can be neutralized with a 1/2 cup of baking soda in the rinse cycle.
47. Freshen Stuffed Animals
Keep favorite cuddly toys fresh with a dry shower of baking soda. Sprinkle baking soda on and let it sit for 15 minutes before brushing off.
Miscellaneous
48. Camping Cure-all
Baking soda is a must-have for your next camping trip. Its a dish washer, pot scrubber, hand cleanser, deodorant, toothpaste, fire extinguisher and many other uses.
49. Extinguish Fires
Baking soda can help in the initial handling of minor grease or electrical kitchen fires, because when baking soda is heated, it gives off carbon dioxide, which helps to smother the flames. For small cooking fires (frying pans, broilers, ovens, grills), turn off the gas or electricity if you can safely do so. Stand back and throw handfuls of baking soda at the base of the flame to help put out the fire–and call the Fire Department just to be safe. (And, you should have a fire extinguisher on hand anyway, here’s why.
50. Septic Care
Regular use of baking soda in your drains can help keep your septic system flowing freely. One cup of baking soda per week will help maintain a favorable pH in your septic tank.
51. Fruit and Vegetable Scrub
Baking soda is the food safe way to clean dirt and residue off fresh fruit and vegetables. Just sprinkle a little on a clean damp sponge, scrub and rinse. Here’s another way to clean your vegetables as well.
OK, so there are my 51 suggestions (with a little help from the Arm & Hammer baking soda site, thank you). Do you have any tips or tricks that I missed? Please share in the comments.



Holy Fukushima – Radiation From Japan Is Already Killing North Americans

Jeromie Williams

You’re going to want to use every share button at the bottom of this article once you’re done reading, so get ready, it’s time to freak out:  Maybe.


If you live on the west coast of Canada or the United States, you’re pretty much already screwed at this point thanks to the Japanese earthquake and tsunami of 2011.  Radiation levels are already increasing in the food and water, babies born with thyroid issues linked to radiation are rising quickly and governments in Canada and the United States are raising the “acceptable levels” of certain toxic substances in the food being shipped in from Japan.

This isn’t a conspiracy theory, this is happening and it’s happening right now.
The fancy little picture at the top of the article isn’t showing you the flow of happy fun time thoughts from Japan back in March of 2012, it’s showing you the flow of radiation from the Fukushima nuclear plant after the devastating earthquake and tsunami of 2011.  Yes, that sharp pain you just felt in your chest is the sudden realization that the image shows the radiation reaching almost past Hawaii more than a year ago.
Do the math – If that radiation screamed across the Pacific Ocean that far in one year, just how far do you think it has gotten since then?  Look at what World Truth TV is saying and then you decide. 

Samples of milk taken across the United States have shown radiation at levels 2000 percent higher than EPA maximums.  The reason that milk is so significant is that it is representative of the entire food supply.  According to an article published on Natural News, “Cows consume grass and are exposed to the same elements as food crops and watersupplies. In other words, when cows’ milk starts testing positive for high levels of radioactive elements, this is indicative of radioactive contamination of the entire food supply.”
The  Food and Drug  Administration and the Environmental Deception Protection Agency, instead of refusing to prohibit the sale of tainted foods and mandatory testing of foods produced and harvested from the Pacific Coast, have simply raised the “acceptable levels”  of radioactive material in foods.
If that doesn’t scare the ever-living crap out of you, then take a look at the list of foods you are now supposed to be wary of, you know, for only the next 30,000 years.
How can we protect ourselves? First, be aware of what items are likely to be highly tainted.
1.)  SEAFOOD:  Question the origin of ALL seafood.  Fish and crustaceans from the Pacific Ocean should all be considered to be poisoned with radiation.
2.)  WATER:  The rainfall and snowfall are all radiated.  Do not drink any water that has not been filtered.   The tap water that flows from your faucet has NOT been treated to rid it of radioactive particles. A recent report from the NY Times stated, “A rooftop water monitoringprogram managed by UC Berkeley’s Department of Nuclear Engineering detected substantial spikes in rain-borne iodine-131 during torrential downpours …
3.) DAIRY PRODUCTS:  Milk and milk products from the West Coast states currently have the highest levels of radiation in North America.
4.)  PRODUCE:  Leafy Vegetables, Wines, Tomatoes, Strawberries….all produce from California or any other West Coast State are also likely to be tainted.
5.)  MEAT:  If an animal eats any leafy vegetable all along the West Coast, that animal has consumed radiation, and is poisoned.  This is any animal from cows, pigs, goats, sheep to wild deer and other game.
If you eat the above foods from areas with high radiation levels, you are eating radiation and feeding it to your children. Slowly the radiation levels within your body will build up.  This is PERMANENT.
Infant mortality rates across the United States have increased by more than 35% since the nuclear disaster, according to a court statement by Dr. Sherman with independent scientist Leuren Moret, MA, PhD.  A study published in The International Journal of Medicine indicates that more than 20,000 deaths right here in North America can be directly attributed to the release of radioactive material from Fukushima.
Radioactive isotopes of the type released from Fukushima have a half-life of 30,000 years.  This means that we must permanently change the way we prepare our food.
  • Wash your food with soap and rinse it in filtered water. 
  • Be aware of the origins of your vegetables, fish, game and seafood.
  • Keep abreast of radiation levels to help monitor where your food is acquired.
  • Use only filtered water for drinking, cooking and ice.
I don’t know about the rest of you, but that one way trip to colonize Mars is looking pretty damn attractive right now.

Dear Friends in America…

by Bart “Sergei” Norman


…I think I should bring your attention to a few recent facts that naturally escape the limelight of glory in the mainstream media. Facts of obviously lesser importance than The New Royal Baby, Zimmerman’s trial and Justin Bieber’s new hairdo, or are they really…
The events that we have all seen in the past months have drawn my inquisitive nose over the great pond and into your part of the globe. And I must say, what I see happening is giving me the creeps.  
I do see a significant discrepancy between what you people take for granted yet allow to be step by step taken away from you, and what life is really like here in Europe and the rest of the world. It amazes me how easily people in your country let go of the strings of liberty still in your grasp for a promise of the illusive security and prosperity. Well, sorry ladies and gentlemen, security is only as impenetrable as you make it for yourself, and prosperity only as lucrative as you make it grow with hard work. And it is the same everywhere in the world. The only difference is the amount of difficulties imposed by third parties that make achieving security and prosperity tougher.
As for now, you are all pretty much well off compared to some other parts of this planet. Most of you probably never experienced the strife of living under an oppressive dictatorship or an extremist regime, and the rest probably do not even give a damn about this topic whatsoever. Ignorance is the key to any man’s demise and, sorry to say this, most of you have reached master level in ignorance and I-do-not-give-a-damnism. If it concerns other nations, sure, why should anyone be bothered by problems halfway across the globe! However, if those same problems start to arise in your back garden and you still remain ignorant as if nothing was happening, well in that case, you might as well dig your own grave and just lay down inside the hole because you are on a direct route to ending up there in the near future anyway.
Since it is a hot topic in the recent past, and will probably still be on the agenda for the next few months as well, we might start with firearms. I am a gun-owner, a licensed firearms instructor and an active sport shooter. I advocate for promoting safe use of firearms by responsible citizens I support pro-gun movements focused on familiarising the public with firearms to bust any media-made-up gun myths and so on. Sounds familiar? Good, but unfortunately this is where similarities between you and I end.
I did not get my guns with filling in a background check form, nor did I get any ammo from my local Walmart. Each and every gun that I own and piece of ammunition I have is sanctioned by a full licensing and registration process. The gun law says who can and who can not possess a firearm. By default, no one is allowed to have one unless they provide a legitimate reason to have a gun, pass a police exam, undergo fullscreening and a psychological health examination.In the end, if the guns are to be used for self-defence the Police Chief has the final say with every license given for self-defence, and the usual answer is a dismissal of the application.
You better not even try using a gun that you have on a sporting permit for self-defence, since that is an outright charge for attempted murder, regardless of the situation and the motives of the person you used the gun against. Did I mention that the Police have the right to revoke my firearms license at any time without prior notice (if, for example, they decide that the reason for giving me a license is no longer valid) and confiscate all guns if they see it necessary? Naturally, as a law-abiding citizen I have the right to appeal in court, but that is only after all my guns and ammo are taken away from me.
Unfortunately, I see that most of you are not active enough when your ruling class is trying to force upon you the same chains as there are already in place on me and countless millions of good people in Europe and the rest of the world. Some countries have it even tougher. UK: outright ban on pistols and most kinds of rifles, guns owned by you have to be stored at your shooting club or the police station, and you can only take them out to the range, full auto air-soft BB guns with muzzle velocity over 350 fps are considered firearms and can land you in jail for a minimum of 5 years. Germany: guns mostly allowed for hunting and to some extent sporting, no human silhouette targets allowed, mounting a flashlight or a laser on a gun is considered a serious felony, airsoft BB guns can only be semi auto and have to be carried around in hard cases WITH PADLOCKS. Russia (where everyone supposedly drives around with an AK in the back seat): outright ban on possession of pistols by individuals, only guns available for self-defence are pistols refitted to only accept rubber bullet cartridges, rifles are only available for hunting with an exception that after obtaining your hunters licenseyou can only own smooth bore shotguns for the first 5 years. China: no firearms for individual civilians, period.
You think it is not that bad over there where you live? Well what are you doing to make it stay that way? You people have a unique gift that was bestowed upon you by your founding fathers. Once you broke the chains of his majesty’s divine right to rule you, the guys that came after did not serve you the very same cake under a different name. They recognised YOUR divine right of freedom. Recently it is becoming more and more obvious that you have to be reminded that what you still have as a commonly accessible RIGHT, somewhere else it is a PRIVILEGE available to but a select few.
Moving on to “Crossing the Rubicon.” In ancient Rome there was a law that no standing Army will ever reside permanently within the borders of Rome heartland, and with the river Rubicon being a natural barrier on the road to inner-Italia, the crossing by any army, both foreign or domestic, meant a serious danger to the security of the republic. Julius Caesar crossed it to become a dictator and so on. If you want the whole story you should have paid better attention in history class, oh wait… they do not teach you about such inferior things in schools these days. Still, there is Discovery Channel. Look it up.
Any standing army has leaders, whether or not they are military themselves. An army has to oblige to the orders given by its superiors following the normal chain of command, regardless if the orders can be contrary to actual soldier’s morality or beliefs. An army has the most significant ability to enforce an agenda with the use of physical force at its disposal. Therefore, the presence of an army can lead to dissolution of individual and common freedoms should the army commanders (military or government) decide on that to happen. That is why in order to prevent a coup d’état (forcible seizure of power, government overthrow) and secure civilian liberties and a government “by the people and for the people,” it is paramount to keep a significant armed force out of the reach of a select few for use in domestic affairs. Policing is the job of law enforcement and not the army.
As one of the repercussions of 9/11, the US Department of Homeland Security was formed on the grounds of providing a higher level of law enforcement security, focused against possible terrorist threats. Since its forming in 2002 and especially in the past months, I observe that the DHS has grown into something far more than just another shadowy law enforcement agency. Armoured Personnel Carriers are not tools for combating crime, unless you are fighting drug cartels in Mexico, but that struggle is in essence an outright war. This agency is becoming more and more like an Interior Army and thus a force that could be easily used for power seizure should there happen to be people willing to give the order.
Russia has a separate armed forces branch subject not to the MOD (Ministry of Defence), but to the Interior Ministry, alongside law enforcement like police, and it is literally called the Internal Army. The tasks are as follows: combating internal threats to the state, quelling civil disorder, counter-terrorism operations, aiding the Ministry of Emergency Situations during natural disasters. Despite the fact that these guys are doing a mighty good job at limiting the spread of Islamic extremism from the Caucasus, they are in fact the backbone of every Russian government, and it’s the ultimate way to ensure everyone succumbs to the government’s bidding. It is kind of hard to have a successful opposition to a government backed by troops with tanks and helicopter gunships if they say NO to your demands for civil rights and liberties, unless you want to start a civil war, that is.
Another example comes from good old Poland. A few weeks ago I learned that a new law has been passed and is now in effect: to allow the armed forces to be used to tackle civil disorder without the need of declaring a state of emergency or martial law. This is a gigantic change in Rules of Engagement for the armed forces, yet no one here seems to have noticed this milestone.
What is more shocking, the government that erected this law is a direct descendant of the Solidarity movement of 1980’s that lost countless lives while the armed forces were used to tackle strikes by the anticommunist opposition, and was the number one organization on this side of the Iron Curtain that begun the struggle for liberty which ended with the fall of the Berlin Wall and the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact.
The army is to be used in a support role for the police but will be granted same enforcement powers. Rules of using “means of direct enforcement” state clearly that firearms cannot be used against pregnant women, kids obviously under the age of 13 and disabled people, with a cunning exception in which such a person, woman or child would pose a severe threat to the life of someone else or the soldier (subject to the soldier’s or his commander’s own interpretation of severity).
Ever since the collapse of the communist system, the army was prohibited from engaging in internal security affairs, other than tackling the effects of natural disasters, to make it impossible to use it and its fighting potential against out-gunned civilians. For example, that is why elite Special Forces Units like JW GROM could not have been used to handle  a hostage situation within the borders of the Republic of Poland. This is now history and with some obvious benefits, this poses a gigantic threat to the balance between the true civilian government and fulfilling dictatorial pursuits by extremists of whichever political wing or creed.
I can see that currently the U.S. Government steadily but surely develops the DHS into an Internal Army time and again probing the population’s reactions to the implementation of what is martial law in effect – as we saw in New Orleans during Katrina and recently in Boston. Sadly, not many people have stood up to the challenge to confront these unlawful activities, and some say America has failed a test as a free nation with what happened in Boston after the bombings. I believe this test was failed even earlier, because at this point it is quite hard to blame unarmed civilians for succumbing to scores of armed to the teeth, in reality soldiers, forcing their way into homes without the proper legal authority or just cause.
In closing, I would like to recapture on these issues and only emphasize the need for you people to get active. You might read this short letter (that eventually got out of hand and grew into a full article) and think: “Well, I know this and these issues are nothing new to me, I’m an active member of the NRA and attend all pro-gun events.” This is great, but how many of your friends and their friends also share your wisdom?
You would be surprised just how small the group of people that are really actively involved in fighting for liberty is. Not only for your country, but for the sake of us all. Because what happens in America soon translates accordingly to the rest of the world, and we’re already pretty much under the boot as things stand now. Are the recently sprouting scandals and instances of ill-application of law enforcement indicators that your country has gone past the point of no return, like it happened in the UK after the Dunblane Massacre when the government said “Turn in your guns for the sake of security,” and all the sheep blindly cheered the idea because it was “for the children”? I leave this for you to decide.
I tell you this however. Stay safe and stand fast!
Your mate from Poland,
Sergei

About the Author

 Bart “Sergei” Norman is a Poland-based firearms instructor and security consultant. A proud member of the Tactical Beard Owners Club, Sergei graduated from Adam Mickiewicz University with a BA in Information Science (Social Media and Open-Source Intelligence), and from The Higher Banking School with an MA in Management Psychology (War on Terror as part of Political Marketing in the US after 9/11). Currently leading a quiet life as Polish Army reservist, Sergei’s main fields of study include: Psychology in Propaganda, Information Security, Open-Source Intelligence, Information Analysis, Conflicts in the Caucasus.