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Gestalt # 110 – Security

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Tabitha111 View Drop Down
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    Posted: August 15 2022 at 5:58am

by: monotreme1000

Aug 14, 2022



First, a disclaimer. I do not claim to have ANY expertise in this subject. The following consists of my idiosyncratic and non-partisan views. If you want information on what gun to buy, ask someone more knowledgable than me.


Personal


The first rule of personal security is to run away from trouble. I know, this doesn’t sound very brave, but it is sound advice. If you live in a dangerous neighborhood, don’t stay up at night thinking about how many guns you need to protect yourself - move. There are many safe places to live. Move to one of them as soon as you can.


The second rule of personal security is to discourage attack. That means - don’t look vulnerable. Light up your place at night. Put rose bushes next to your windows. Get a dog. Most definitely, get a dog. Cops will tell you, people who have dogs are much less likely to be robbed than people without dogs. Even a little white dog can serve as an early warning system. Don’t get a pit bull. They were bred to fight other dogs, not serve as security. True security dogs, usually German shepherds and Belgian Malinois, have to receive extensive training and are expensive. Just buying a “mean dog” isn’t helpful. If you have the money, by all means, get a good security dog. Otherwise, talk to people who have dogs and try get a puppy from someone who has a good watchdog.


The third rule of personal security is not to buy a weapon you do not know how to use. The number of tragedies associated with improperly secured or used guns is a national scandal. Do not buy a gun until you have been properly trained in its use. Find a shooting range with a respectable training system and get educated and practice before you buy a gun. There are lots of things about the NRA I don’t like, but they do take gun training and safety seriously. You can find training sites from their website and other places as well. Store your gun safely. If anyone is killed with your weapon, it’s your fault, whether you pulled the trigger or not.


The fourth rule of personal security is to know to defend yourself without a weapon. I misspent some of my youth watching Bruce Lee films on Saturday afternoons. The kind of fighting you see in marital arts films, or really any film, is mostly totally BS. Real fights end fast. If you hit someone hard in the face you can break their nose and possibly knock them to the floor where killing them by stomping on them (with boots) is pretty easy. This is another use of the term “first mover advantage”. People are much easier to kill than most realize. As usual, Hollywood has given people a totally false view of reality. If you hit some over the head with a bottle, the bottle will not break, the person’s head will and they might die. Same thing with a chair, a baseball bat etc. Avoid personal combat, if you can. Again, run away, if this is an option. Otherwise, strike first and hard. Fight dirty. Never let anyone grab you. If you want training, consider Krav Maga. Another note of realism. Size and strength matter. Most women have much less upper body strength than men. Movies that show 90 pound supermodels throwing 250 pound men through doors are ridiculous. Women, especially, should avoid dangerous situations, if possible.


Community


Number 1: Live somewhere safe. This bears repeating. Here’s a map from 2014:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/national/crime-rates-by-county/


Get to know your neighbors. Be prepared to join a neighborhood watch, if necessary. Pay attention to who your local law enforcement officers are. Vote for law enforcement officials you trust.


National


I’ve read that the US military is having problems recruiting enough qualified soldiers. Part of this is due to some incredibly stupid woke advertising, but this is a long standing problem. The Pentagon can’t figure out what to do, but I can. PAY SOLDIERS MORE MONEY! The entry level salary for a Private is $22,000 a year. That’s slightly above minimum wage. So, we are asking people to undergo substantial hardships, including possibly getting maimed or killed, for about $9.60 an hour? This is insane. Salesman for defense contractors spend more than this on their haircuts and shiny shoes. Double the salary for soldiers and I guarantee you we will get more and better candidates. Another thing. Many military families are treated like dogsh*t. Housing is crummy, schools are mediocre, at best, and they have to move all the time. For God’s sake treat the families decently. While their loved one is away saving our country, the least we can do is provide good quality homes and schools for the families. If kids growing up in a military environment have a good experience, they are more likely to consider enlisting when they are old enough. I would like to see this problem fixed, first, before one more 10 billion dollar weapons system is put out to bid.


International


War is coming. See China and Russian War threads. 






  


'A man who does not think and plan long ahead will find trouble right at his door.'
--Confucius

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Dutch Josh View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dutch Josh Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 15 2022 at 9:47am

Maybe a note, sometimes a "safe space" (some ships have it) in/near the house could be a good idea...Hard to get in to for unwanted people...but with enough supplies to survive for some days...communication etc. 

Certainly older people better avoid a fight...

Also in a crisis your house may be a target for people looking for food, shelter...Friendly contacts can become unfriendly later on  (when supplies run out...)

I live in Arnhem-my family had to evacuate in september 1944 ( I was not around back then...) but that could be another challange...A safe neighbourhood in normal times may not be that safe in a crisis...

.....................

Will there be a "major war"...something like US/NATO against Russia/China ? No one knows...I think the scenario of "proxy wars" may be more likely...In the "cold war" "West did fight East" in East Asia (Korea, Vietnam) and the middle east...some conflicts in Africa, Latin America...Both "west" and "east" tried to keep war outside their borders...

A possible escalation of the Ukraine war may see Poland (on its own-so not a NATO action !!) getting more involved...

In a "worst case scenario" I do not live that far away from "strategic bridges"...a likely target of a nuclear strike...In that scenario I may not even know what is happening before I am history...An all out nuclear war may be impossible to survive for most...(Mutual Assured Destruction...MAD).

Lets hope "good leaders" start talking...not escalating further....I think most wars were avoidable...we should all try to avoid a major global war...


We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
~Albert Einstein
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KiwiMum View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote KiwiMum Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 15 2022 at 1:10pm

Those are four really good security tips.

Those who got it wrong, for whatever reason, may feel defensive and retrench into a position that doesn’t accord with the facts.
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