The Last Hill

     If you haven’t seen the following graphic, ponder it now:

     The lady who said that is smarter than all the talking heads of the Punditocracy put together. She has an understanding of salami tactics that the all-too-comfortable commentators of the pseudo-Right have disregarded in service to their wallets and the agenda of those who fill them. The few who have recognized the nature of the Usurpers’ strategy and have had the courage to speak out about it are being “progressively” marginalized and silenced.

     “The last hill.” What is it? Are we really standing on it? What will it take to defend it, much less to move forward from it?

     It’s not the vote. That’s already been taken from us rather dramatically, even brazenly. And I don’t think it’s our firearms. At least, not the ones we already own, though getting more in the future could be a problem.

     I think it’s our ability to communicate with one another.

     As I wrote recently, we’ve allowed ourselves to be herded into mega-sites by their promise of convenience and zero cost. Now those sites are being closed to anyone who refuses to toe their preferred ideological line. Conservatives and libertarians aren’t just being prevented from expressing their own opinions; they’re being shut out altogether, unable even to talk to one another about mundane, nonpolitical matters.

     Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are the principal offenders. But other threats lurk in the wings, awaiting their moment to strike. One of them hosts this very blog, which has moved me to buy hosting elsewhere and to ask a good friend for assistance in relocating Liberty’s Torch to that host. (Further news about the relocation will be posted as matters mature, both here and at Mike Hendrix’s Cold Fury.)

     But merely rehosting this blog isn’t a complete solution to the problem of communication. Broadband ISPs might well be attacked next, forced by political pressure to refuse service to us deplorable types. Broadband ISPs are not numerous. They require a lot of infrastructure, and therefore a lot of capital, which naturally limits the number of providers.

     Should the Usurpers decide to target the big ISPs next, Internet access itself might be closed to us.

     Accordingly, I’ve decided to take Co-Conspirator Linda’s advice. I’m equipping myself with GMRS radios: a base station and a number of handheld units. I’m going to distribute handhelds to my trustworthy neighbors, as well. If you have the means, it’s a course I can recommend to you. (Yes, it will raise some eyebrows, but in a good way.)

     He who cannot communicate with others is locked into a sole-survivor condition. He cannot summon help when he needs it. He cannot invoke resources at a distance – his own or others’. He cannot even be certain that he can reach family members at need – and don’t prattle to me about your BLEEP!ing cell phones. They’re the most easily terminated element in the entire American communications network. Once again: big infrastructure, big capital, few companies.

     Get a GMRS radio or two: handhelds if that’s the best you can do, a base station if you’re willing to spend more and get more deeply involved. The airwaves cannot easily be closed to us.

     Along with that:

1. Fill your pantry all the way to the top. Concerning other supplies, limit the space dedicated to disposables that you could replace with more durable substitutes (e.g., substitute sponges for paper towels and wet-wipes).
2. Make sure you have enough batteries for your radios and other portable devices. If any require chargers, make sure you know where they are – and which ones go with which!
3. Keep all your fuel tanks as full as is practically possible. If you have a fireplace or a woodburning stove, consider laying in an extra cord or two.
4. If repairs to the house have been postponed “for a better time,” that time is now.
5. Give some thought to preparing for a period of 60 to 90 days over which you will have no income and no access to your bank(s) or other professionally managed financial assets. If you have savings, have some of it as cash-in-hand: really in hand, not on deposit at the bank. Precious metals are good, but they’re not as liquid as those damnable Federal Reserve Notes.
6. Know where all your tools are. If they’re not where they’re supposed to be, put them where they’re supposed to be!
7. Weapons are tools. (Cf. Item #6.)
8. Do all of the above as quietly as possible. You don’t want to attract the wrong sort of attention.

     Stay tuned.