Episode-865- Listener Calls for 2-23-12
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So it is Friday and we have some calls today on some great stuff. Today we hear about investing in silver, using pallets, composting, permaculture, paleo eating, storing propane, hot peppers, gas prices and the myth of socialist utopia.
Remember to be on a show like this one just pick up your phone and call 866-65-THINK. The best way to improve your chances of being on the air is ask your question or make your point up front, then provide details. Also call from a quite area with a good connection and speak up so you can be well heard. I can’t put all calls on the air but I do my best to get most of them on.
Join Us Today as we Discuss…
- How should gas pricing effect your car purchases
- Thoughts on composting tobacco
- Using pallets for hugelkulture
- Building fences with pallets
- Thoughts on hot peppers and making them hotter
- Choosing forms of silver for investing
- Recycling urine with aquaponics or for emergency survival
- There are limits on how much propane you can have
- Paleo with out organic veggies and grass fed beef etc.
- Uses for an overgrown aloe plant
- If you give socialists their own place will they all go away and stay there
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Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon. Also please enter our listener appreciation contest and help spread the word about our show. Also remember you can call in your questions and comments to 866-65-THINK and you might hear yourself on the air.
Hey Jack Thanks for answering my question and breaking it down the way you did. I really agree with everything you said on that subject, and that is how it really is looking. I watched Red Dawn last night for the first time and just said.. Wow. So my plan is just to prep, build community in and around Denver, plant a garden, and live for the good times.
@Jack,
Right on in regards to the Socialism answer.
Socialists don’t want to just all share the wealth–they want to set up a system where they rob (via force) from others.
We need to stop treating these criminals as if they are just misguided idealists (I’m not talking about the mindless dreamer, but the people actually pushing socialism). They aren’t, they are evil people seeking to rob productive people of their fundamental rights (right to property).
You’re right–what the listener stated (as a question) can NEVER occur, and has NEVER been the goal. The entire purpose for socialism is to take from others through coercion in one form or another.
I am not sure I like the confusion between socalism and communism. Socalism is basicly “Everyone’s problems are you problems, thus everyone should be responcible for fixing everyone’s problems”, where as communism is “All property belongs to everyone equally”.
Neither allows for non-intervention. They both make a nice system, in theory. Both break the moment that you put human greed and human motivation matrices into them.
However only the latter actively talks about property. Neither can exist in a “pure” form
To be clear, I make this explaination as a “Know what you fight” point
I agree, this is what confused me as well. I usually assume the classical definition of socialism, including social ownership and control of the means of production, a (to some degree) planned economy, etc. When Jack said that any taxation of income equals socialism, I had to reassess the entire discussion. According to this definition, every single country in the world is (to my knowledge) socialist states. which leads me to think it’s a very counterproductive and undernuanced definition that only seems useful in somewhat “extremist” libertarian discussions.
Jack,
The way to stop black locust is to pill the bark from the trunk and wait for it die on it’s own. This can be done on saplings as well as the larger trees. Removing a couple of feet of the bark all the way around the tree will do the trick. It may take doing this each time a sapling comes up from the root over a two or three year period but eventually it will stop coming back.
I grew-up in the mountains of NC. We had an over abundance of black locust. Other than barn poles and fence post I don’t know of a use for it. I don’t recall anyone ever using it as lumber and I’m sure the mountain people would if they could. It’s not because of the lack of sawyers or sawmills.
Great news about the Black Locust. Thanks.
Another great show Jack. I went through the same car purchase dilemma in Dec. and wanted to share my findings and solution. I came close to getting a 30K Passat TDI, but decided against it for 3 reasons. 1. Newer clean diesels are not good SHTF candidates for 100% bio-diesel, B20 might be ok. 2. Turbo reliability is a concern and german cars are expensive to get repaired. 3. As we saw in the last fuel spike, diesel shot up more than gas, so I think it is more inelastic. I did instead go for a Lexus CT200h for 32K at .9% financing. 1. In my “opinion” the Toyota hybrid systems are not “CRAP”, but are proven technology and come with great warranties. I can’t speak for the other hybrid systems. This car gets 45mpg. 2. After market products to add extra battery packs & convert them to plug-in hybrids are now an option that can increase them to 100mpg+. for about another 5k…just thinking about it for SHTF. 3. The CT200 is not fugly like a Prius. Now that I have a commuter, where do I put the yard of compost? So I needed a good used pickup for the weekends, and 7K cash got me a 2002 Chevy 1500 that I can beat up. “2 is 1, 1 is none.” Have a great weekend!
Thanks Jack on the Aloe. Squeezing the ooze is a good idea. I have also taken it upon myself to break the spears away and give them to friends. What a community we have here. What we do does matter. I would like 100,000 listeners, since those 100,000 would talk to another 100,000 and as the old 8o s commercial says, And so on and so on…..
Aloe Vera Wine $$$
having given up smoking cigarettes after 40 years and replaced with smoking cigars and pipe I find that i can add the cigar butts and pipe tobacco ash to my compost pile or place directly into my plants soil and they grow better. I also water indoor plants with my leftover cold coffee and they flurish.
To the gentleman who was worried about not eating 100% organic — Since I got into the low-carb scene more than 10 years ago, I’ve always suggested that people START by getting rid of fake foods. If you’re basing your diet on real, single-ingredient foods (fresh meat/eggs/poultry/fish/etc, plant matter, dairy, healthy oils) then you’re good to go. Then, if you want to tweak by upping the quality of your food, the cheapest place you can start is eggs. Cage-free eggs with their healthy omega-3 fats will help to off-set the omega-6 fats that one gets by eating grain-fed beef/dairy, poorly-fed poultry, and the rest.
Next, I’d suggest that one looks to get “organic” plant matter that carries the highest risk of contamination from pesticides and the like. For instance, if you like grapes, pay the extra for the organic ones but don’t fret so much over your berry choices.
One last thing to consider — if you plan your meals around healthy fats (coconut oil, olive oil, animal fats, etc), you’ll end up eating less food, so you can pay more money (every so often) for the premium foods. Getting rid of grain, legumes, and sugar is a HUGE step in the right direction, and folks will definitely see huge improvements after doing that, so it NEVER has to be an all-or-nothing scenario.
Good luck!
I would suggest buying only organic for those food items that absorb the pesticides and herbicides easily and buy regular for foods which have a thick skin. Check out the dirty dozen list which I keep in my wallet: http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary/
Regarding aloe — my husband burnt his hand last week when he touched some melted nylon (which, of course, stuck to his hand.) Anyway, he went to get some aloe gel from our aloe plant and we were stunned by how badly it STANK! That’s never happened with that plant before, so I can’t help but wonder if the plant died and the gel went rotten or something.
I also wanted to remind folks to be careful consuming aloe vera gel. It’s a laxative!
on the Aloe plant, if it has tons of “babies” then you can repot each of those in their own pot. If you don’t want to keep them? You will have some family or friends who would like them. Also I have an herb book that lists internal consumption of aloe vera as dangerous and can cause internal bleeding. I am not sure this is true but my ex mother in law died a very painful death from a ruptured col0n and she drank aloe vera juice every day. She died a long time ago and this is the first time I have ever heard anything bad about aloe. Do some research before you eat it.
Hey thanks for the info on the locust trees. never thought about using them for fence.. Also its nice to know that they are nitrogen fixing plant..
Show’s loaded… I look forward to taking a listen. Just so you know, I linked you here: http://www.freeyourfat.net/2012/03/sauerkraut-tacos.html … your motivation and practicality is appreciated.
Great info on the pallet for hugelkutur. I’m also in the high desert, so wood is hard to come by, other than going up to the mountains and collecting fallen pine & aspen. Had the same thoughts about using pallets, and about the need to really charge up the bed with water at the beginning.
I still have a question: how can you tell if a pallet has been treated with chemicals or not? I definitely don’t want to introduce chemicals into my bed. Thanks!
Dear Jack, I have now got proof that you’re human too! Just one step below Superman now, you also have the human emotion of fear.
You have taken people to task for not starting to grow food “because they will just take it away” or buying land because it “will just be taken away by emanate domain”. I’ve seen this in one of my part time jobs in Cleveland doing EMS, people who are poor not buying things beyond the minimum to get by with because “they will just break in and take it away”. My mother in law in Louisville KY feels the same, someone broke into the home and took stuff but she has not replaced it “because they will just take it again.”
And even a great guy like you still have some of that, in the comment about having to register the 3,000+ propane tanks you slipped into the “and in an emergency they will have your name and address and come take it away.”
Fear is a very powerful and very primeval emotion. It is not easy to over come, we need to be aware it is there. And we need to accept we have times it comes up, recognize it, and move on. Don’t kick yourself or try to justify that in this special case it is true, because every case is special.
Keep up the great work.
“Top” W. Kone
BSc: Emergency Management, NR-EMT
I’m confused by your views on socialism. Sometimes, the smallest social initiative is labelled socialism. Other times, you’re talking about totalitarian communism and gulags. You need to get a more nuanced view, Jack. You’re setting up a false dichotomy. Look into the Nordic model (mixed economy/social democracy), for example. Not a utopia by a long shot, but it seems to be a very effective political and economic model.
@Joachim, I don’t know why you are confused? I am a libertarian so I think it all sucks. The Nordic model is still theft of property at the point of a gun. The USSR model may have been based on assassination of civilians, removing objectors, etc. That doesn’t make Nordic or US socialism any less the use of force to deny private citizens of their private property. Sure if a European or US citizen doesn’t pay tax we may not be shot in street or sent to Siberia to die but men will guns will still come and if you refuse to pay put you in PRISON.
Socialism is NOT an effective economic model, in the end it ALWAYS fails. European socialism is beginning to fall apart as we type this. Don’t think what is going on in Greece and Italy won’t eventually spread to the north.
You’re saying that as if taxation is somehow unique to socialism. I guess the difference between us is that I’ve experienced the benefits of living in one of these socialist hellholes. I personally know several people who have benefited from a social safety net and bounced back to become productive members of society instead of getting stuck in a trailer park, indebted over their heads because they can’t pay their medical bills.
I mean, I understad your point of view. I understand the tenets of libertarianism, I understand the principles your country was founded on, I’ve read (and enjoyed) Atlas Shrugged and other libertarian porn. I just think it’s just as unrealistic as communism. It might be great for the talented, hard working individuals such as yourself, but I believe the society as a whole is far better off with a few social policies in place to catch those who are unfortunate enough to somehow fall between the cracks.
I don’t have any illusion that we’re immune to the EU calamity up here, but that’s not necessarily because our own policies are unsustainable. Interconnected economies and all.
I guess I’m just annoyed that your otherwise level headed responses are degraded to the level of Limbaugh as soon as there’s talk of taxation. But I guess that’s the curse of the fortunate.
@Joachim, yes all taxes SPECIFICALLY on owning property and income are forms of socialism. As to the benefits many in Greece were extolling the benefits of socialism just a year ago, how’s that working now?
Additionally socialism of course for a time “benefits” some. Chiefly the greatest producers are the most greatly punished and those the produce the least benefit the most. There is NO SUCH THING as a “few social policies”, if there is show me one place with a “few”. As soon as one is created, it begets another and so on.
Plenty of things “work” for a time but that doesn’t mean they actually work.
Of course it doesn’t work if you run a huge deficit and slack off. Socialism itself hasn’t caused the PIGS problems, irresponsible fiscal policy has. Of course the two are closely tied, as “socialism” naturally has higher expenses than your ideal minarchist state, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to balance a budget that includes social policies.
Yes, in a “socialist” country you have to accept the fact that some of your money probably benefits other people as well. I don’t really mind that, because I see the benefit I get in return. I get to live in a society where abject poverty is pretty much nonexistant, but people still strive to improve their lot in life through hard work. I get a society where people don’t have to worry about suing their evil, for-profit health insurance provider to get coverage for their illness. I get five weeks of paid vacation each year to unwind and relax so I don’t burn out before I’m 30. I get paternity leave so I can spend time with and bond with my kid when it matters the most, etc. All in all, I think it’s beneficial to the society as a whole, including those at the top, because it levels the playing field somewhat.
These are the kinds of benefits I’m talking about: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_inequality-adjusted_HDI
Sure, there are a few low-lifes who take advantage of the system and sit on their ass all day sucking the government tit. I don’t really care, it’s such a small worry in the grand scheme of things.
I realize I’m never going to convince you though, so I’ll probably leave it at that. I just needed to vent on one of my very few frustrations with your otherwise awesome show. I’ve been listening since 2008, and you’ve helped me greatly. So thanks a lot 🙂
@Joachim and no other nation was less socialist then the United States for our first 150 years and no other nation can come close to the achievements of this nation during those times.
Socialists want “equality” for the sake of equality itself. To do so requires that you take from others, you reduce their ability to achieve to make everyone equal. Men and NOT EQUAL, they just are not, never will be and government can’t make it so any more than they can pass a law requiring gravity to let men fly without machines so we can be “equal with birds”.
Libertarians want equality of opportunity. Each man and woman gets the same opportunity to succeed or fail. No matter how much people want to change this, this is how things really are anyway. All false economies eventually fall about and fail. ALWAYS and nature corrects the imbalance.
You are not equal to me as an entrepreneur and due to that I should have more than you, because I earned it.
I am not equal to Carl Lewis as an athlete so I shouldn’t be given a medal too so we can be equal.
I am not equal to Michael Jordan as either an athlete or entrepreneur so he should and does have more than I do.
That is “fair”, nothing about grading on the curve is fair.
@Joachim and of course when your socialist utopia collapses as it will, capitalism will be blamed for it right?
(I said I’d probably leave it there, but I just need one final comment. Last one, I promise.)
You’re just wrong about equality, Jack. This is where you need a more nuanced view on “socialism”. There such a wide range of “socialism” that it’s extremely ignorant to generalize like you do here. Modern social democracies are all about equality of opportunity, not about giving everyone an olympic gold medal or making people equal with birds. This is what you need to understand to see why people actually support the idea.
Free health care for example means people of poor health or fortune can be productive citizens despite their bad luck. This is equality of opportunity. Don’t tell me that a type 1 diabetic with no health insurance in the US has equality of opportunity with a healthy person. Don’t tell me that an African-American crack baby growing up with no daddy in the ghetto has equality of opportunity with a baby Romney in Michigan. That would be a purely theoretical and very cynical view.
We both want equality of opportunity. As you say, people are born unequal. To achieve equality of opportunity we have to ensure that the less fortunate aren’t left completely out in the cold.
I’ll ignore your “socialist utopia” comment even though I specifically said in my initial comment that “it’s not a utopia by a long shot”. But yes, unfortunately some people are likely to blame capitalism after a collapse. In fact, that very thing happened here after the 2008 crash, and it pissed me off to no end that the politician in question had the nerve to insinuate that there’s been anything even close to a pure capitalistic system at work for many decades.
By the way, you have a bad habit of using strawman arguments, Jack. I have a hard time taking you seriously when you argue like that.
I’m off to make dinner now, so I’ll let you have the final word if you like. Have a nice day, Jack.
(Oh, and sorry I don’t have time to answer you, Insidious.)
@Joachim no I don’t need a “more nuanced view” on theft by the state taking from producers and giving to non producers.
@Joachim
The ‘state’ has its place. And as a parasite, the only way the state can exist is by sucking the blood of the population through taxation.
A new state starts out as annoying, slightly useful necessity. Providing a small number of shared benefits to the citizenry. The problem is, it doesn’t stop there.
It grows. As it grows it absorbs roles better left to individuals, or non-State groups, and for this it demands more blood. The parasite is insatiable.
If it can’t find any ‘problems’ to solve, it creates them, and demands more blood in exchange for solving those problems [poverty, drugs, terrorist -> the ‘war’ on poverty, the ‘war’ on drugs, the ‘war’ on terror].
And then there’s the other side. All that blood attracts all sorts of other parasites who latch onto the state, and pretty soon you have facism.. (hows that for a leap =)
Which basically means when the blood starts getting thin, guess who DOESN’T get any? Its not the fat parasites. Its the poor, the powerless, the sick. Have you ever heard of any ‘request’ for increased taxes that didn’t reference ‘the children’, ‘the poor’ or the ‘job less’? But where do the bailouts go? Certainly not to social programs.
So, the libertarian seeks to reduce the role of the state. And return those ‘responsibilities’ (including solving their own problems) to individuals and communities (by communities, i mean groups of people, not ‘local parasites’).
Lets put it this way: the Amish don’t need welfare.
=)
Just a quick quote from a children’s book that I believe applies: “If you give a mouse a cookie…..”
@Joachim
..and I’m grateful that I’ve been so ‘fortunate’.
grateful to my parents and grandparents for how they raised me. grateful to free men of prior eras that established, maintained and defended the country i live in so that i wasn’t born into a state that was far worse. grateful to god/spirit/gaia for the beautiful earth. grateful to my community. grateful to all those that create and grow things. grateful for my healthy body and mind.
I am indeed fortunate.
But my fortune, and my gratitude, have nothing to do with the state.
@Joachim
I don’t mind benefiting others, but I would prefer to do it more directly. Over 50% of my income goes to taxes. Or to put it another way over 50% of my working life. Unfortunately, most of this money is NOT spent creating a social utopia. And much of it is spent hiring and empowering bureaucrats, who justify their continued salaries by making up reasons to bother me.
As for your 5 weeks of paid vacation, that is not PROVIDED BY the state, nor is your paternity leave. Its provided by your employer.
And yes, I agree, the US ‘medical system’ is quite simply, a racket. An extremely powerful, corrupt and wasteful cartel, with many ‘friends’ among the parasites.
=p