Below are just some of the major things affecting the US ammunition market in addition to substantially increased civilian demand (mostly due to lack of trust in our government). I have been an ammunition dealer and Federal Firearms dealer for many years. Based on what I am seeing on the manufacturing and wholesale supply side of this market (we still haven’t fully recovered from the “Covid” shortage) I do not expect the current shortage to relent for at least 12-18 Months at minimum and likely will not return to “normal” (whatever that is) for 3-4 Years.
CZ’s Buying Spree
CZ International (Česká zbrojovka) a company based in Czechoslovakia. Has been on a multi-billion dollar shopping spree for several years buying up many other firearms, ammo and sporting goods companies including the list below.
Colt, CZ, Colt-Canada, Colt-USA, CZ-USA, Dan Wesson, Federal, CCI, Remington Ammo, Speer, Hevi-Shot, Fiocchi, B&P, Sellier & Bellot, Magtech, Bell, Bushnell, Blackhawk, Butler Creek, Champion, Gunmate, Hoppe’s 9, Outer’s, Primos, RCBS, Redfield, Simmon’s, Tasco, Weaver, Gunmate, Swiss AA (Ammunition & Arms), Spuhr, 4M Tactical, BRNO Rifles, Defense Solutions, EG Academy, VIBROM, CARDAM and others
Serbia Halts Arms Exports PPU
Serbia halts arms exports after US sanctioned the country’s spy chief for alleged illegal arms trade. Serbia’s government has decided to ban arms export until further notice just days after the United States imposed sanctions on the Balkan country’s intelligence chief over alleged involvement in criminal activities including illegal arms shipments.
Defense Minister Miloš Vučević said that the export ban is necessary in order to fulfill the needs of the Serbian army and boost its combat readiness amid the simmering crisis in the Balkan region.
“It does not mean Serbia is going to war or calling for war, but we are looking at all security risks and challenges,” Vučević said.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić first announced the move in June and cited “internal security” in Serbia as the reason for the ban while tensions simmer with neighboring Kosovo, a former Serbian province whose 2008 declaration of independence Belgrade doesn’t recognize.
Vučević said the decision will be reviewed every 30 days.
Serbia is the home to PPU Ammunition.
Russian Ammunition Import Ban
All Russian ammo was banned for import to the U.S. as of Sept. 7, 2021, but that did not immediately stop the flow because of a State Department exception allowing existing and pending import permits to stand until renewal, while no new import permits were issued current permits could be completed.
President Biden placed sanctions on Russia that have eliminated all imports of Russian Ammunition the last legal container under pre-existing permits landed September 2023. At this point ALL Russian made ammo is permanently illegal to import and/or possess in the United States, this includes importing from a third-party company or country.
As of 2021 Imported Russian ammunition accounted for roughly 30% of the total ammunition sold in the United States
Lake City Halts All Commercial Contracts
The Lake City Army Ammunition Plant is the single largest producer of rifle ammunition for the U.S. military and is operated by Winchester-Olin. Winchester holds the contract to run the plant and is thereby granted permission to sell some of the ammo that is produced there – this includes 5.56x45mm M193 and M855, the most popular rifle cartridges in America as well as 40 other popular rounds. Last month, we were informed that demand from the military has overridden all existing commercial orders, and that Lake City has suspended all production for the civilian market until further notice. Given the size of current government order it is likely the this will last for 12-18 months assuming no further escalation of violence abroad. This move has already tightened supply and demand has soared for many popular calibers including, but not limited to: 5.56x45mm NATO, .223 Rem, 9mm, 7.62x39mm, .308 Win & .338 Lapua.
Lake city accounts for 30% of all .223/5.56mm ammunition manufactured in the united states and 20% of the total US ammunition manufactured.
Hornady Plant Explosion
On Friday morning (10/13), Hornady experienced a fatal explosion at one of its manufacturing plants in Wood River, NE. Sadly, one woman died, and the cause of the explosion has not been determined. Reports state the explosion occurred at a chemical compound building that is responsible for manufacturing primers. Hornady has been tight lipped about what happened and we do not know how this will affect production, but it would make sense that this will tighten supply on Hornady products. Which specific products, we cannot say but it’s likely to be all of them.
Israel Stops Ammo Exports
The recent conflict in the Middle East has further tightened supply on ammunition and firearms from IWI (Israel Military Industries). These include their popular Razor Core line of 5.56 and various firearms. Israel has stopped exporting all ammunition in addition to beginning imports to support the war effort. Mass shipments of ammunition are confirmed to have been delivered from the U.S. to meet demand. This ties into the Lake City’s restriction on commercial sales.
Of course we are also shipping billions of rounds of ammunition to Israel from our dwindling military stockpile that will need to be replenished.
IMI 5.56 Exports account for 5% of the global supply
Ukraine Conflict
The continuing conflict in Ukraine has tightened supply around .338 Lapua Mag, 7.62x39mm, 5.45x39mm, 5.56x45mm, and other popular calibers. In addition the US government has sent around 6 Billion rounds of ammunition to support the was effort against Russia and Biden just submitted a supplemental funding request for $61.4 billion to support Ukraine in military supplies.
Black Hills Contract
Black Hills Ammunition, famed manufacturer of the 5.56x45mm MK262 MOD 1-C cartridge, has halted commercial sales of that particular variation as well as others. They did not make any formal announcements, but it is a safe guess that we won’t be seeing that round available for some time as well as the .338 Lapua due to a 50 Million dollar contract with the Navy Seals.
Tiawan Conflict
In July The Biden administration announced a $345 million weapons package for Taiwan on Friday, the first tranche in a total of $1 billion the U.S. has allotted to be transferred directly from Pentagon stockpiles to the island this year. By December of this year we will have shipped 1 Billion dollars worth of ammunition and firearms to Tiawan with the promise of another 5 Billion next year.
US Government Stockpiles
With the absurd and incomprehensible amount of ammunition and heavy artillery being shipped the Ukraine, Israel & Tiawan the United States munitions stockpiles are at their lowest levels since WW2 and even with production at 100+% continue to decline at around 2% month over month. While the government has a plans to step up production and even expand manufacturing capability at our current pace it will take 36-48 months of non-stop production to re-supply our strategic stockpile assuming no further escalation.
DISCLAIMER: We live in a fallen world and often times it is impossible to do everything in an ideal manner. By no means do I think that a woman is committing a sin simply because she wears a modest pair of pants from time-to-time. This is ultimately a decision for her husband, the article below is written for ideal circumstances and we should ALL strive to set an example for the Christian faith regardless of what anyone else thinks!
“In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel…” —1st Timothy 2:9
Women are to dress in “modest apparel.” That is what the Bible commands. It is not a matter of opinion. God has revealed His will concerning the manner in which women ought to dress. Rebellious women don’t care, they’re going to be lewd, rude and crude regardless; but a woman that fears God does care is then careful about the way she clothes herself.
The Greek word for “modest” in 1st Timothy 2:9 is “Kosmios” which means “of good behavior.” Hence, the attire which a woman wears sends a message as to the type of moral character she possesses. Women who wear pants generally do not recognize, or do not care about the spiritual dangers of lasciviousness caused by their choices in attire. The clothes women wear send a message about who they are, what they stand for and what they believe.
Proof of this is found in Proverb 7:10… “And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtle of heart.” The Bible speaks about the attire of a harlot. One cannot deny that sexually suggestive clothing is the attire of a harlot. Any type of clothing that exposes or accentuates a woman’s thighs, legs, shoulders, breast cleavage, is tight or “Form fitting is immodest and sinful.
It shouldn’t surprise anyone the same society that has murdered 50,000,000 plus innocent children, in a culture of celebrity idol worship, would also scoff and laugh at Biblical morality. It is in fact a sin for women to wear tight pants, miniskirts and open blouses. It is a sin for women to pose in women’s catalogs, because they KNOW that millions of men will also look through those catalogs and commit adultery. It is a sin to become a “Model” or “Cheerleader”, stripping down to what should only be considered undergarments and showing the crowds their nearly naked bodies while kicking their legs in the air. Most fashion shows, plays, theatre performances and pageants are nothing more than whore shows.
When the demon-possessed maniac of Gadarenes found Jesus Christ, he came into his right mind, put his clothes back on and sat down at the feet of Jesus. Gods law and Christian morality is the cure for nudity!
We are literally surrounded by and constantly bombarded with heathen behavior. It has infiltrated EVERY aspect of our civilization from television to radio to public schools and colleges. Katy Perry like most other celebrities is a CURSE to teenagers and young children and Sesame Street (Like others) promotes Katy Perry to small children. Add to that a Godless public school system and you’ve got an upcoming generation of militant lesbians and fornicators. Katy Perry exposes the evils of women dressing immodestly, wearing pants and not following Gods laws.
Even the dumbest people among us know that men are sexually aroused by SIGHT. This is the great danger of women dressing immodestly & wearing pants (or even less). Lest you think this a trifle matter, Jesus condemned the lusts of the heart as being equivalent to ADULTERY in Matthew 5:28, “But I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” Maybe you don’t care, but God does. Immodestly dressed women cause men to lust. Sadly, many women enjoy such sensual attention, making them feel good about themselves; but that is a very shallow and selfish attitude to have not to mention sinful, John 12:43 tells us to seek the praise of God, not men.
There are godly men who are trying to maintain clean minds, and you’re helping to hurt them spiritually. God will hold every woman accountable for EVERY lust she intentionally caused in men by her immodest apparel and behavior.
In 1921, Margaret C. Worthington, writing for the Moody Bible Institute Monthly, compared current immodest women’s apparel to “grave clothes,” worn by the dead in the tomb. (SOURCE: Moody Bible Institute Monthly; October 1921: #617) That was back in 1921! My how times have changed. Immodest clothing destroys a woman’s natural modesty. It also ruins men’s morals. The Playboy (Homo) Sexual Revolution and the epidemic of pornography has indoctrinated American men to view women as mere sex objects, a form of entertainment. In other words, sex just for the sake of sex, which is the basis of homosexuality, incest and pedophilia. Modesty is the greatest safeguard of a woman’s feminine virtue. PANTS ON FEMALES: THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM NO ONE WANTS TO TALK ABOUT (by Dr. Bob Gray Sr.)
The Sin of Women Dressing Immodestly
1st Timothy 2:9, “In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array.” The Bible plainly evidences in the account of king David committing adultery with Bath-sheba the dangers of women displaying their naked bodies in public. David went out on his roof and saw Bathsheba bathing naked and the rest is history . . .
2nd Samuel 11:2, “And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bath-sheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite? And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her.”
Bath-sheba was either careless or deliberately seduced king David. The man after God’s own heart chose to commit adultery because of a naked woman. This plainly evidences WHY women ought to wear proper attire in public. Godless women don’t care; Christian women do care. It is sinful for whores like Taylor Swift, Katy Perry and their counterparts to lie on the ground in sensual poses, rolling around in lingerie on TV, jumping around in their panties on YouTube behaving like demon-possessed heathens, and leading the world’s young girls to follow their evil example while encouraging the perpetuation of sinful behavior. It’s no wonder the abortion rate is so high in our country, adultery and fornication are an epidemic in America, moral looseness is promoted as the norm, Sexual immorality is everywhere and a consequence of unrestrained lusts (Romans 1:24-27). God’s curse is upon our nation.
Nothing has changed in 3,000 years since David and Bath-Sheba. Sexual sins are commonplace in the world today, especially in the “westernized” world and America partly because of all the whorishly (un)clothed women. Americans live in a sexually degenerate, perverted, and sensual society. Such women are evil in their hearts, who value the lustful attention of men rather than the praise of God for being a virtuous woman. There are no women any uglier spiritually than whores like Madonna, Anna Nicole Smith, Selena Gomez, Katy Perry (Hudson), Sandra Bullock, and countless more who strip naked and encourage others to lust upon them.
Here is an excellent quote from Pastor Bob Gray Sr. concerning women wearing pants…
If you are an honest person you will have to admit that females in public have taken the half off sale seriously. Hip hugging skinny jeans revealing mid riffs. I travel every week of the world around this great nation of ours. It is embarrassing for a man who is doing the best he can to keep his heart right with all of the female flesh on display.
Then I go into some of our churches and find myself wondering who is standing for the Bible principle of distinction in God’s house. The decline of American morality is reflected in our distinction. The decline of our churches is also reflected in our dress distinction. 50 years ago it was not so in public and for sure it was not so in our churches.
The Mrs. Cleaver look was in almost every home in 1950’s. Not so in either the home or the house of God, in a lot of cases, in this new Millennium. If God wanted a distinction in the Old Testament how much more does He desire it in the New Testament.
. . . Let’s face it the breaking down between the sexes has taken place. We no longer have the distinctions we once had between men and women including the way they dress. Dr. Hyles and others warned us of this danger (Dr. Hyles, MP3 sermon, “UNISEX”) more than they warned us of women wearing pants. He warned us of the danger of losing the distinction between the sexes. Pants was a symptom of the issue, but many have turned this against those who warned of the true danger.
Many Women Sinfully Sport in Causing Lasciviousness
Proverbs 6:26, “For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.” It is evil for any woman to deliberately cause lasciviousness by her immodest attire. Many women cruel, some even delight in hurting others. This evil is commonplace today as the sensual smut flows out of Hollywood and Walt Disney like sewage flowing into a cesspool, It truly is a cesspool of iniquity!
In fact, many people today think it’s perfectly normal and acceptable for women to dress whorish to arouse men, with no consideration for the sexual sins caused by their evil and intentional influence. Woman who purposely dress immodestly are guilty of idolatry. She is placing her own will above God’s Word, making herself to be a god, and is causing men to worship her body instead of God.
There is not much worse evil than a woman who deliberately entices men with immoral clothing, nudity or lewd behavior.
Here are the words that Proverb 7:18 tells us the whore says…
Proverb 7:18 , “Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.”
Read what the Bible has to say about the whorish woman…
Proverbs 7:25-27, “Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths. For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her. Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.”
God never changes (Malachi 3:6). While the Old Testament seems magnifies the wrath of God; and the New Testament the love of God, he loves us and has made a way of salvation through faith in his son, Jesus Christ. But don’t mistake God’s love and mercy for lack of enforcement of his laws and the resulting consequences inherent to breaking them. Those who reject Christ will burn in the Lake of Fire forever (2nd Thessalonians 1:8-9; Revelation 20:11-15; 21:8). If you want a clear picture of God today, then you must take the Bible as a whole.
Most Women Don’t Care, So What is a Christian Man to Do?
But you ask, isn’t it normal for a man to want to lust upon a women?” Yes, for the carnal man. I’d worry about any man who didn’t have such desires. Any man who doesn’t desire to look upon a beautiful woman is either sick or needs to move to San Fransicko, Albeit I’m not talking about being normal in the carnal sense; I’m talking about living by faith to please God. Jesus plainly taught that lust is adultery. Matthew 5:28, “But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” There is no room for debate on this matter biblically speaking. Sexual lust is a sin, unless it’s your wife or husband.
It may be natural to live like a heathen, but God saved us and gave us laws to live by. God wants His children to be zealous of good works (Titus 2:14). I’m talking about walking in the Spirit of God. Galatians 5:25, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” Every saved person LIVES in the Sprit, i.e., they have the Holy Spirit of God indwelling them (Romans 8:9). But to walk in the Spirit is to yield in obedience to the teachings of God’s Word as a believer, as evidenced by Galatians 5:25.
How does a person avoid sexually impure thoughts? The answer is found in multiple Scriptures…
1st Peter 2:11, “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.” How does one abstain from fleshy lusts, since we cannot help but see filth in today’s sexually degenerative American society?
2nd Corinthians 10:5, “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” When a man sees a lewd or whorish looking woman (i.e., the attire of a harlot), then he is to cast down any thought of lust… “No, I won’t think that way. I want a clean heart oh God.” He is to bring every thought into captivity the Bible says, to obedience to Jesus Christ, the Word of God. .
Psalm 51:10, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” Pray and ask God for His help. Jesus told His disciples in Luke 22:40, “…Pray that ye enter not into temptation.” Notice that Jesus didn’t say to pray WHEN you are tempted; but rather, to pray that ye ENTER NOT into temptation. James 1:14 teaches that a man is only tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust.
Psalm 119:11, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” Memorize Scriptures as did king David to quote when tempted. The Scriptures I am sharing with you are a good place to start but I’m sure there are many more. When Satan tried to tempt Jesus, the Lord quoted Scriptures each time to defeat the Devil.
1st Corinthians 10:6, “Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.” The Jews wandering in the wilderness made a golden calf, an idol like American television today, that led them to commit sexual immorality. Twenty-three thousand of them were killed as a consequence, as an example the Bible says of what will happen to the wicked in eternity. Consider the warnings that the Bible gives to us today. God is not a passive God concerning sin Hebrews 13:4 warns that God will judge all whores and whoremongers.
Proverb 23:31-33, “Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.” Apparently drinking alcohol causes perverse thoughts. .
Job 31:1, “I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?” Job purposed in his heart that he would not have a dirty-mind. Make a covenant with your eyes. Anyone can choose to maintain a clean mind and heart. The question is do you love God and want His hand of blessing upon your life? God’s face is against the disobedient.
You can live right in modern times. Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” And a wonderful Scripture in Philippians 2:13, “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” The Bible teaches that God puts the desire in our heart, both to will and to do God’s will.
Of course, men who are sin-loving degenerates want women to wear form fitting pants, miniskirts and other immodest attire. While it is sinful for women to wear these things, I’m not saying that it’s wrong for a woman to be attractive; but Word of God clearly teaches that a godly woman should desire to attract men to her character rather than her body…
“Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves”(1st Peter 3:3-5).
Seldom do we see virtuous women anymore who look, talk, walk, and behave like feminine ladies. Instead, they are feminists! She-devils! Long dresses and modest attire are extremely rare today. Why is wearing a long dress, automatically associated with being a Christian? Other women will persecute you simply for dressing modestly but 2nd Timothy 3:12 teaches that those who live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. A women who stays home to care for her family is ridiculed these days by a feminist culture of rebellious whores.
The Bible warns about the many dangers of sexual sins…
Proverb 5:3, “For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil: But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a twoedged sword. Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell. Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them. Hear me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth. Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house: Lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel: Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth; and thy labours be in the house of a stranger; And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed.”
Proverb 5:8…
“Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house.”
May all Christians today say with Joshua…
“…as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15).
The Truth Concerning Women Wearing Pants
Here’s a great explanation of why women shouldn’t wear pants from a godly woman…
“Modest” means not extreme or bold, and not morally loose. Those can apply to pants, yes; but when I have on a pair of pants, I don’t feel that my body is covered. Pants are form-fitting, thus exposing my body. That’s just how I feel. The illustration that Cathy Corle uses is two pictures of the same woman. The first one has her in a nice dress. She asked a group of ladies what they noticed about this woman, and they answered her face. Then she showed them the picture of the same woman in a pair of jeans and asked what they noticed. They said their eyes were immediately drawn to the crotch area! That drove home to me that clothes can emphasize the body or the face; I’d rather have folks, especially men, notice my face and not my body. Again, this is my feeling.
The other thing that convinced me was the doctrine of separation from the world. The fashion of the world is to wear pants (patterned after men’s clothing). This wasn’t the case until about 100 years ago, when actresses began wearing pant suits that resembled men’s suits. Before that, women almost universally wore dresses (I remember my Granny saying that she wore her brother’s overalls to pick cotton to keep her legs from getting all scratched up). So the fashion of the world became women wearing pants. I felt that, to be separate from the world, I needed to dress differently than the world. I also needed to be feminine and distinctively female; there should be a noticeable difference between my clothes and a man’s clothes. The difference in our culture is that women wear dresses and men wear pants, so I believe it’s right for me to wear dresses.
Several years ago, my pastor gave some principles for Christian dress. They’re very helpful, and they can be applied to male or female, pants or dresses.
1. Modesty – does this clothing cover me adequately? I Tim. 2:9
2. Not worldly – does this clothing reflect the current trends of Hollywood and TV? I John 2:15
3. Difference – does this clothing easily show there’s a difference between me and the opposite gender? Deut. 22:5
4. Inoffensive – does this clothing offend a brother or sister in Christ? As a woman, will this cause my brother to stumble or think lustfully about me? Rom 14:7-8,12-13 I Cor. 10:23; 8:13
5. Glorifies God – does this clothing glorify God, or does it call attention to me and glorify me? I Cor. 10:31
As for this being a matter between a wife, husband, and God:
A saved man will encourage his wife to do what God is laying on her heart. Several ladies have mentioned how their husbands didn’t see the need for dresses only, but supported them in wearing them because the ladies felt that is what God wanted them to do. With an unsaved husband, the dress issue can be a witness to her husband in one of two ways: if he doesn’t mind her wearing dresses only, it can be a witness of her changed life; if he doesn’t want her to wear dresses only, her submission to him in this area will be a witness to him (especially if she makes sure to wear what pleases him when they are at home, even if she wears dresses all the rest of the time).
This issue is just like any other that families have to make a decision about. If your heart is open to do whatever God wants you to, and you study scriptures related to it and come to a different conclusion than others, you’ve done what you need to to follow God’s leading. We have freedom in Christ to follow Him as He leads us to. I don’t know why some people develop certain convictions and others don’t. How people dress is not a salvation issue; it’s a separation issue. It’s not my job to win them over to my way of thinking on separation – it’s the Holy Spirit’s job to teach them how God wants them to live. If they ask why I believe something, I’ll tell them; otherwise, I stay quiet.
Thank God for such godly and feminine ladies who stand for the truth, and please the Lord Jesus by being virtuous.
“Pornography” is a layperson’s term, with no particular legal significance. Jones may believe that Penthouse is non-pornographic, while Smith believes that it is. Neither is incorrect.
The term of legal significance is “obscenity,” which, after struggling for many years and through many cases, the U.S. Supreme Court defined in Miller v. California in 1973.
“The basic guidelines for the trier of fact must be:
Tragically, most people in society today don’t consider pants on women as obscene, so it wouldn’t hold up in court today; but they sure did 100 years ago. Women were actually punished and even for wearing pants and smoking in public 100 years ago. Stores pulled down their shades on Sunday to prevent passers-by from window shopping instead of going to church. It’s the same corruption today. Do you really think our government can’t keep out illegal immigrants? Do you really think our government is innocently missing tens-of-trillions of dollars? Do you really think our government can’t keep millions of tons of illegal drugs out of the country? We have been lied to by our government leaders for far too long, because most Americans are dumb enough to believe what they hear and allowing these things into our society deliberately perpetuates the breakdown of Christian morals.
The frightening thing about the court’s definition of obscenity is that it hinges on the moral condition of society at that particular time. This is situation ethics, not morality. America had morals 100 years ago; but no longer. Today, Americans murder their own children by abortion, and encourage their kids to follow Harry Potter’s witchcraft. Now federal legislatures legalized “gay marriages” in addition to all sorts of other debauchery.
Just wait until the divorces! Can you imagine when a man has to pay alimony and child support to another man? If I were the judge, I’d have to take several breaks to keep from laughing. What has our nation come to? My how times have changed! As American society becomes more apostate, homosexualized, promiscuous, and adulterous—the Biblical teaching of modesty is increasingly scorned with utter contempt. Indeed, pants on women is obscene by Biblical standards, and is a form of obscenity which encourages men to lust.
Let the heathen rage if they don’t like the truth—God is still on His throne!
Immodesty is Destroying America!
I love pictures from the early twentieth century in America. We’ve lost our moral compass in America. UNISEX (MP3, Dr. Hyles; The unisex perversion sweeping America is a sign of the end times).
The bottom line is that pants along with other immodest attire on women cause people to lust with sinful adulterous thoughts (Matthew 5:28). Do you think it’s a mere coincidence that homosexuality, child molesting, rape, and all sorts of other sexual sins have become prevalent in the United States within the past few decades? It’s our sex-crazed American society. That’s why condoms are being passed out to public school children and you cannot watch ANY television show or even commercial without some sort of objectionable content.
According to a study released in December of 2010 by the Parents Television Council (PTC): “Hollywood is shockingly obsessed with sexualizing teen girls, to the point where underage female characters are shown participating in an even higher percentage of sexual situations than their adult counterparts: 47 percent to 29 percent respectively.”
In a Moody Bible Institute Monthly article, A. R. Funderburk, said that “the present style of dress” worn by young women “tends to destroy the sense of modesty that God has implanted in the heart of every woman.” Without that sense of modesty, Funderburk feared, “she is left defenseless, and it is an easy matter for the Devil in the form of a human friend to rob her of a priceless jewel.” (SOURCE: A. R. Funderburk, “Serving the God of Fashion,” Moody Bible Institute Monthly, 500). In other words, a young woman who lacks a sense of modesty is far more likely to have premarital sex and destroy her life and testimony.
Modesty Is The Greatest Safeguard Of Feminine Virtue!
If you are a born again Christian, then behave like one, for you and I will have to give account to God for everything in our life (Romans 14:12; 2nd Corinthians 5:10-11).
“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” —1st John 2:15-17
God knows what we watch on TV. It’s just as bad to watch adultery on TV as it would be for us to be in same room with them. The TV has a desensitizing effect on its viewers. Sin is not shocking anymore but rather becomes commonplace. This is why many people have become lackadaisical and acceptant of the wicked sin of homosexuality. The following reads like a synopsis of hellivision and unholy-wood:
Romans 1:28-32 -“And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful…”
Verse 32 describes TV perfectly, i.e., a window which allows people to have pleasure in the sins of others:
“Who KNOWING the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, BUT HAVE PLEASURE IN THEM THAT DO THEM.”
Jeans and Vaginal Health
Are jeans bad? Many doctors and researchers say vaginal health issues are linked to wearing jeans, epically tight jeans.
In 2019, researchers from Boston University’s Public School of health published a study that found wearing jeans regularly increased a woman’s risk of experiencing vulvodynia 200%, a condition characterized by chronic pain in a female’s external genital area.
Researchers looked at hygiene and pants preference and found:
Women wearing jeans four or more times a week had twice the odds of vulvodynia compared to women who never wore pants.
Females who opted to remove all of their pubic hair (versus just in the bikini line area) were 74% percent more likely to have vulvodynia and 400% more likely if they also wore jeans.
Aside from that, wearing tight-fitting jeans is also linked to:
Bacterial vaginosis 350% more likely
Vaginal irritation 600% more likely
Yeast infection 420% more likely
POCS disorder 220% more likely
Delays in conceiving children 310% more likely
Urinary Tract Infections 250% more likely
Compartment Syndrome and Nerve Damage
One of the most shocking side effects of wearing tight jeans is nerve damage. Below is the 2015 case of an Australian woman.
A day after repeatedly squatting while helping a family member pack up for a move, paramedics found the 35-year-old woman on the ground and had to cut the tight jeans off of her body. She spent four days in the hospital being treated for rhabdomyolysis and lower-extremity neuropathy.
Abdominal Pain, Digestive Health & Miscarriage
Wearing too-tight jeans can also cause or aggravate GERD symptoms and other hiatal hernia symptoms. Wearing a tight belt can increase pressure in the stomach and cause pain and acid reflux. And tight pants could do the same. This can especially worsen when you forward bend in tight jeans.
Otherwise, what about blood clots? There is research linking skinny jeans to blood clots, There is substantial evidence linking jeans to increased miscarriage rates (some studies show as much as a 40% increase).
History of Women’s Attire in the Christian Faith
Surprising but True—Hair Dyeing, Face Painting, Immodest Dresses, Jewelry Wearing, Are as Ancient as Christianity.
Before the final visitation of God’s judgments upon this earth, according to The Great Controversy, there will be among His people such a “revival of primitive godliness as has not been witnessed since apostolic times” (page 464). What is meant by “primitive godliness”? Webster says that the word primitive pertains to “the beginning or origin; earliest in time.” If this statement has reference to the godliness of early Christianity, which we may understand it to do by the reference to “apostolic times,” then we may assume that the pure faith and practices of the early church form a part of primitive godliness.
A careful study of early church history reveals that the Church Fathers in the first and second centuries advocated the strictest adherence to high standards of conduct, dress, morality, recreation, and temperance. Several of them were rather explicit in defining how these standards were to be carried out in the lives of their followers. A closer look at the writings of these men should give us a clearer insight into what is meant by primitive godliness. For the sake of brevity we shall confine this discussion to the matters of dress and “outward adorning.”
Open Hostility
Christianity in apostolic times was no more popular than had been its Founder, either to the leading Jewish religionists of the day or to the pagan populace. The church in its first two hundred years found itself faced with attitudes fluctuating from mild disapproval to open hostility, often in the form of persecution. The martyr’s death became a thing to be coveted by many Christians more than feared. The concept of being separate from the world was a reflection of the apostles’ teachings. Peter had called Christians a “peculiar people,” “strangers and pilgrims” (I Peter 2:9, 11). Paul, writing to the Corinthians, urged them to “Come out . . . and be ye separate” (2 Cor. 6:17). John reminded his flock that the love of the Father and the love of the world cannot exist together, that the “lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, . . . is of the world” (I John 2:15, 16).
The Inner Personality
They were specific in applying these basic principles to the daily life. For example, Peter, speaking to wives with unbelieving husbands, admonished them that their husbands might be won “simply by seeing the pure and reverent behavior of you, their wives. Your beauty should not be dependent on an elaborate coiffure, or on the wearing of jewelry or fine clothes, but on the inner personality—the unfading loveliness of a calm and gentle spirit, a thing very precious in the eyes of God” (1 Peter 3:3, 4, Phillips).* Paul writes: “Women again must dress in becoming manner, modestly and soberly, not with elaborate hair-styles, not decked out with gold or pearls, or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, as befits women who claim to be religious” (1 Tim. 2:9).
Two main main themes stand out in the apostles’ teaching on this subject: The first is that the true beauty that God values must come from the “inmost centre of your being, with its imperishable ornament, a gentle, quiet spirit” (1 Peter 3:4, N.E.B.).t The other is that in the Christian’s appearance there will be a significant absence of the artificial and superfluous, which appeal to pride and vanity—the gold, the jewels, the elaborate hairstyles and expensive clothes.
Beauty or Deformity
Clement of Alexandria, writing near the close of the second century, emphasized the first principle when he stated that women were to be well-clothed, “without by raiment, within by modesty” (Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 2, p. 252). He pointed out that “in the soul alone are beauty and deformity shown” (ibid., p. 268). He advised women to adopt simplicity, wearing the collars and necklaces of modesty and chastity as the chains which God forges (ibid., p. 270).
Spiritual Adornment
Tertullian, writing about A.D. 202, reminded Christians, who possibly would pass their days in iron rather than in gold, that since the “stole of martyrdom” was being prepared for them, they should seek the cosmetics and adornments of the apostles and prophets: whiteness from simplicity, rosy hues from chastity, the paint of modesty for the eyes, and of silence for the lips, for the ears the Word of God, and for the neck the yoke of Christ. Their clothing was to be the silk of honesty and the fine linen of righteousness (see ANN FREMANTLE, in Treasury of Christianity, p. 65).
Nothing New About Immodesty
While at least one writer of the second century observed that “all our women [Christians] were chaste,” the early Christian sisters must have been faced with many of the same temptations to pride and vanity that face Christian women of our day. Decking the body with jewels, painting the face, dyeing the hair, wearing immodest styles of dress, are not new practices to our modern age, and against these evils the Church Fathers sounded their warnings.
Clement, speaking of women who wear gold, occupy themselves in curling their locks, paint their eyes, dye their hair, and in general practice the “arts of luxury,” said that in truth they were imitating the Egyptians. Furthermore, he quoted heathen poets to show that if even some of them were disgusted with such fashions, how much more should such things be rejected by those who know the truth (ibid., vol. 2, p. 272). He also spoke about ornamented sandals to which had been added “nails driven into the soles in winding rows.” To these “mischievous devices” the Christian must bid “farewell” (ibid., p. 267). After quoting Jesus’ statement in Luke 12:22-28 about raiment—”consider the lilies,” and “if God so clothe the grass,” Clement enumerated some of the deceptions he felt might be likened to the grass which today is and tomorrow is cast into the oven: love of ornament, gems, gold, artificial hair and wreathed curls, staining the eyes, plucking out hairs, painting with rouge and white lead, and dyeing of the hair (ibid., p. 264).
By way of a positive suggestion he recommended that instead of wearing precious stones and pearls, things to which “silly people” are attracted for show, Christians should adorn themselves with the “Word of God,” Jesus the Pearl of great price (ibid., p. 267). Interestingly enough, he advised that in the place of smearing their faces with devices of wily cunning, they try the adornment of health, namely temperance in drinks, moderation in articles of food, which “are effectual in producing beauty according to nature” (ibid., p. 287).
Longing After Youth
Tertullian also seemed to be concerned with the health angle when he spoke about the danger of tormenting the skin with potions, staining the cheeks with rouge, and extending the line of the eyes with black coloring. He seemed to think people who followed such practices must be dissatisfied with God’s plastic skill. He explained at great length the harmful effect of saffron dye to the hair, but what was still worse in his opinion was the fact that those who change the color of their hair are proving the Lord wrong, who says, “Who of you can make a white hair black or a black hair white?” Furthermore, those who would shun old age and sigh after youth, by changing the color of their hair, are to be shamed. “The more old age strives to conceal itself, the more it will be detected.”—Treasury of Christianity, pp. 61, 62.
Tertullian was very careful to note that he was not approving slovenliness, squalor, or roughness in appearance. “We merely set forth the limit and bounds and just measure of bodily adornment,” he said.
Basically anyone able to read this is at least familiar with the laws of physics, things like motion, gravity, time, density, momentum, energy etc. You may not know all the details or the scientific explanation but when you see something happen in real life you know whether it is following the basic laws of physics.
My goal is to give the average person a high-level basic understanding of the general laws of Quantum much the same way we have a general understanding of the laws of physics. Moving forward it will be absolutely imperative if you hope to understand the future development of technology.
Quantum will play a significant role in nearly if not all future technology and will eventually become as much a part of our everyday lives as traditional physics. Without a basic understanding of the quantum laws these technologies will look like pure magic of miracles, furthermore it will seem impossible that such a device could exist.
First, we must realize more than one set of laws exist and a given particle may ONLY be governed by one set at any given time. First we have the laws of Physics that govern the interactions of objects in our reality and second we have the Quantum laws the govern the world of particles and atoms. I predict there will be a third set of laws discovered in the future that govern the universe and creation in general but that’s a topic for another day.
Below are basic descriptions and laymen explanations for each of the core principles of quantum. While reading this it is important to remember that particles in a quantum state ARE NOT subject to traditional physics laws such as gravity, time, distance, density, location and so on.
Quantum Entanglement
Once particles are placed in a quantum state they can become entangled one with another. Then the same quantum state can exist at two or more physically separated locations at the same time regardless of the distance.
Quantum Superposition
Superposition is a feature of a quantum laws whereby it exists in an infinite number of separate quantum states at the same time. For example, electrons possess a quantum feature called spin, a type of intrinsic angular momentum. In the presence of a magnetic field, the electron may exist in two possible spin states, usually referred to as spin up and spin down. Each electron, until it is measured, will have a finite chance of being in either state. Only when measured is it observed to be in a specific spin state. In common experience a coin facing up has a definite value: it is a head or a tail. Even if you don’t look at the coin you trust that it must be a head or tail. In quantum experience the situation is more unsettling: material properties of things do not exist until they are measured. Until you “look” (measure the particular property) at the coin, as it were, it has no fixed face up.
Quantum Superlocation
To be fair to Einstein, the concept of superlocation (superposition) does seem to be impossible in the sense that it is not possible to observe this phenomenon in the world we physically observe everyday. It is not like gravity, which can be proved by something as simple as a falling apple. The question of superlocation only arises in the world of subatomic particles. In that realm of existence, the laws of classical physics no longer apply. The principle of quantum superlocation states simply that a quantum particle can exists in 2 or more distinct locations at the same time and will remain in all those locations simultaneously.
Superconductivity
When Superconductivity is achieved electricity flows without resistance from the material it moves through, so that ZERO energy is lost in the transmission process. It occurs when electrons (the negatively charged carriers of electricity) unite to form pairs, balancing each other’s properties in a way that allows them all to move in unison. The phase in which this happens is delicate, typically occurring only when a material is cooled to near absolute zero.
But if wires could be engineered to act as superconductors at room temperature the lossless electrical transmission would greatly reduce global energy usage and usher in a host of new technologies, such as magnetically levitating vehicles.
Quantum Teleportation
Quantum teleportation is a “disembodied” transfer of quantum states or particles from one physical location to another. The quantum teleportation of a qubit or particle is achieved using quantum entanglement, in which two or more particles are inextricably linked to each other. If an entangled pair of particles is shared between two separate physical locations, no matter the distance between them, the encoded information is teleported simultaneously to the opposite location.
This technology has the potential to move physical objects any distance at an instance.
Quantum Tunneling
Quantum tunneling is a phenomenon where an atom or a subatomic particle can travel through and appear on the opposite side of a barrier that should be impossible for the particle to penetrate. It’s as if you were walking and encountered a 100-foot-tall wall 20 feet thick extending as far as the eye can see. Without any equipment the wall would make it impossible for you to continue.
However, in the quantum world it is possible, for an atom or electron to simply “appear” on the other side, as if a tunnel had been dug through the wall without disturbing it. “Quantum tunneling is one of the most puzzling of quantum phenomena.
Quantum tunneling is not new, it forms the basis of many modern technologies such as electronic chips, called tunnel diodes, which allow for the movement of electricity through a circuit in one direction but not the other.
Particle & Wave Duality
Wave-particle duality refers to the fundamental property of matter where, at one moment it appears like a wave, and yet at another moment it acts like a particle. In traditional physics an item with either behave as a particle or a wave.
In the Quantum world ANYTHING can interchangeably act as a particle or a wave and at times both simultaneously.
Uncertainty Principle
Formulated by the German physicist and Nobel laureate Werner Heisenberg in 1927, the uncertainty principle states that we cannot know both the position and speed of a particle, such as a photon or electron, with perfect accuracy; the more we pin down the particle’s position, the less we know about its speed and vice versa.
In other words, if we could shrink an elephant down to the size of an electron, we would only be able to precisely calculate its speed or its location, not both at the same time.
Though the Heisenberg uncertainty principle is famously known in quantum physics, the same uncertainty applies to problems in pure math and classical physics—basically, any object with wave-like properties will be affected by this principle. Quantum objects are special because they all exhibit wave-like properties by their very nature.
Back to the physical World
Next I will be working on part 6 of the series (The Future of Advertising) this will be one of the most exciting/disturbing portions of this series.
We are in the midst of a fundamental shift away from the more traditional Virtual Reality to a more subtle and fully integrated Augmented Reality. While much of this technology is still in the development and testing stages some have reached production and many are lagging behind waiting on a network truly capable of supporting the use intended by designers/developers. While VR has been popular for many years it generally consists of expensive equipment, restricted movement and limited interaction with reality.
Virtual reality is a “replacement reality” and is almost never mistaken as reality. It is an entirely virtual made up world that has no way of interacting with the real world and generally requires limited mobility of the user. Augmented reality on the other hand is mostly real world (75%ish) with additional content seamlessly integrated and once we apply two basic rules the average person will not be able to distinguish real world from augmented content. Rule one keep three feet between yourself and others, rule 2 never touch anything unless necessary.
Augmented reality (AR) has been around for decades but the technology to truly make it a “Reality” has only been publicly available for the last few years. For true full scale AR you need several things, first you must have an incredible wireless network to handle the immense volume of data (the data stream) required to render 4D graphics in real time, second you need lightweight affordable hardware to process and display these graphics, third you need to condition the general public to keep enough space between one another (let’s say 6′) so that there is room to display “augmented content” into the real world and lastly everyone needs to be conditioned not to touch ANYTING unless they have permission or a legitimate reason to do so.
The data stream will soon be complete, the hardware is already available and will continue to become more integrated through things like smart glass, AR windshields, glasses, contact lenses and even retinal implants, as a result of the “pandemic” we have now been conditioned to keep space between ourselves and others in addition to not touching anyone or anything without express permission. the stage is set and it will lead to the inevitable acceleration of real world augmentation on a mass scale.
Gaming
In part 7 of this series I will cover the future of gaming in far more detail so the remarks here will only cover how AR relates the future of games. It would be impossible to write about the either the beginnings of AR or the future without acknowledging the contributions of the gaming world. Many of the advances in AR technology and real world testing comes from that multi-billion dollar industry.
Probably the most known AR application is the poke’mon GO game launched in 2016 and currently has over 140 Million active daily users with 2+ billion dollars in annual revenue. Players of this game use their mobile device (cellphone/tablet) the chase, capture & fight mythical creatures that through AR have seemingly been added to our reality. These creatures are currently only visible through the screen of a wirelessly connected mobile device but in the future such augmentation will be available with compact lightweight and affordable glasses.
There are now over 100 games available using similar formats and technology. In the near future “Traditional 2D/3D” games as well as VR games will be considered obsolete. Games will no longer be processed by a console, tethered by a controller or limited by a viewing screen such as an antiquated television set. Based of predictions by HP, Sony, Nintendo and others I foresee at least 350 million active daily AR gamers by 2024.
Entertainment
This Topic will also be covered in detail in Part 7 of this series but for the purpose of this article it is sufficient to say the television as we know it will likely cease to exist within our lifetimes. There will be no reason to limit the viewing of digitized content to a single spot in your home. The line between movie and reality to continue to blur past the point of separation. Television style content will be available anywhere anytime and may or may not include content from the real world. movies may not be the same every time you watch them and everyone watching the movie (even on the same screen) may have different experiences and even view differing content.
Movies and shows will be integrated and overlayed with augmented content. Commercials will no longer exist as stand alone segments but will become part of the entertainment you are currently watching and will be ever evolving.
Healthcare
I will cover the future of the healthcare industry very extensively is part 9 of this series. For this post I will briefly touch on a few of the ways AR will be used in the healthcare field. AccuVein is one example. The handheld device uses a laser-based technology to “see” through your skin and into your veins. It’s intended to make it easier for doctors, nurses, or others to find a vein to draw blood or place an IV.
The ability to visually overlay previously collected data onto the patient in real time is where we will see the largest application for the healthcare industry. In June 2020, neurosurgeons at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore announced the first augmented reality surgery. A doctor used it to help place six screws during a spinal surgery to help with serious back pain. Soon after, they used it to remove a spinal tumor from another patient.
Wearing the AR headset will allow doctors to see things like MRI’s, CT scans, x-rays, vein scans, ultrasounds and other data collected projected onto the actual patient and even see some of them simultaneously all while administering treatment or conducting a surgery.
Advertising
Advertising in my opinion is one of the most technologically advanced sectors in existence. I will be covering the current use and future of advertising in Part 6 of this series. In relation to AR the uses for advertising are almost endless.
Most advertising in the future will be targeted through use of augmented reality. We will see signs, posters billboards, ads on the floor, even building walls will become universal target ad space.
GPS
The future of geolocation, navigation, tracking and mapping will be entirely AR based. With a combination of smart windscreens mobile devices and contact lenses we will be able to visually see augmented digital markers directing us to the desired address or location. These markers will be indistinguishable from real world painted markers.
In the future we will be directed by GPS not to an address or a location but instead to a specific parking spot. After exiting the vehicle your smart glasses or contacts with resume navigation and take you to the specific shelf, office or room you were looking for.
Education
The use of “Virtual” learning during the pandemic has conditioned everyone to be more accepting of remote educational content delivery. In the future it is likely that a combination of remote learning and augmented reality will replace traditional schools altogether.
Money, currency and other forms of financial transactions are on the verge of a dramatic transformation that will forever reshape the way we conduct business and trade both locally and globally. The Covid-19 pandemic not only accelerated the shift toward digital and contactless payments, but also led to a more mainstream acceptance of physical cash alternatives like cryptocurrency and that will only become more commonplace moving forward.
The End of Cash
Prasad, a senior professor of trade policy at Cornell University, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and the former head of the International Monetary Fund’s China division, says that “the era of cash is drawing to an end and that of central bank digital currencies has already begun.” This is one of the few things I agree with him on.
Though there are an infinite number of ways future currency can evolve but I predict a balanced combination of cryptocurrency, stablecoins, central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and other intergrated non-contact digital payment systems will lead to the complete demise of physical cash in our lifetimes.
In 2010 99.5% of small businesses accepted cash as a payment option, in 2015 that number dropped to 97%, by 2020 it was 90% and by December of 2021 only 70% of small businesses in the US accepted cash as a payment option. In a recent poll conducted by Travis Financial (Credit Unions) they discovered that only 16% of US consumers always carry cash, and additional 9% carry it sometimes and an additional 12% carry it only when needed furthermore a whopping 63% of US consumers no longer carry cash at all.
The truth is the age of cash as a currency has already ended and by way of the pandemic we have already passed the point of no return in our journey toward a completely cashless society.
In the very near future ALL transaction no matter how insignificant will take place using a digital means of transacting all seamlessly connected through the data stream. While true money (gold & silver) will never be completely replaced physical fiat currencies will only exist in museums and numismatic collections.
As inflation continues to rise and the currencies of the world (specifically the US dollar) continues to devalue it will become easier and easier to convince the population the only solution is to replace physical currency with virtual currency. Already most central banks either have or are developing blockchain currencies of their own. There is little doubt that all central banks will have functioning digital currencies by the end of 2022 and many are already using them in limited capacities. It is now an inevitable reality that cash as we know it will be eliminated in the reasonably near future and the most likely scenario will include the drastic devaluation of the US dollar coupled with the rise of blockchain acceptance by central banks and financial institutions.
I still do not see a clear path to any kind of unified global currency for many complicated reasons including politics, psychology and the illusion of freedom and choice. I believe we will have hundreds, possibly even thousands of ways to exchange, send and receive payments and transfer value. The one common thread is they will all be digital and ultimately processed through the data stream. All transaction will be easily tracked, publicly transparent, reported and taxed (likely in real time).
To be clear I don’t think the United States will abruptly end paper money rather they will introduce a digital version of the dollar and slowly transition away from cash.
The Future of Stocks
The rise of NFT’s, Blockchain technology, Digital currencies and electronic transactions will cause the abolition of the stock market as we know it. For better or worse no longer will one entity control the business markets of an entire country nor will the trading market be restricted to specific operating hours or global regions.
Sure companies will still have stocks and you will be able to invest your digital currencies in those stocks and earn returns or take losses. The primary difference is all stocks globally will be decentralized and converted to blockchain “Currencies” exchangeable by anyone at anytime regardless of location. The “stock market” will operate much the same way digital currency exchanges operate now with each company having their own digital currency. It is likely hundreds or even thousands of exchanges will exist and any given company can have their “Stock” listed of any number of them simultaneously.
One advantage to the new model is most companies will likely accept their “stock” as a payment method or currency to purchase services and goods. Some companies may even accept stock of another company as payment for their own goods or services.
Taxes
As the future of currency changes to an ALL-digital model I suspect the model of taxation will also change. I expect to see all levied taxes imposed as a percentage fee applied to each digital transaction and collected by the governing body at the time of transaction.
Taxes will be levied much the way sales taxes are imposed toady but will likely be a higher percentage and all transactions regardless of purpose will be subject to such fees payable at the time of transaction.
UPDATE 02/08/2022
Forbes announced today that the Federal Reserve has developed and tested a “Digital” version of the US dollar that can handle 1.7 Million transactions per second with most transactions closed in <1 Second.
Non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, are the latest technological advancement in “cryptocurrency” to go mainstream. Recently Christie’s auction house sold the first-ever NFT artwork (a collection of images by digital artist Beeple) for a whopping $69.3 million NFT’s have attracted the world’s attention. What exactly is an NFT? In the simplest terms, NFTs transform digital (non tangible) works of art and other collectibles into one-of-a-kind, verifiable assets that can be traded on the blockchain.
Any “Digitizable” item can become a permanent NFT. For example the first tweet Jack Dorsey ever sent is now an NFT (Worth 2+ Million Dollars) Unlike other forms of data stored on Blockchain, NFT’s are non-interchangeable. This means they are not reproducible. The most common iterations of these assets are things like digital media, such as photos, videos, and even audio. An owner of an NFT possesses a digital ledger granted to provide a public certificate of authenticity for that specific item.
NFTs are de-centralized and provide ownership of a particular item to the certificate holder. It is this function that will lead to the complete replacement of many business transactions that typically require a middleman. Things like deeds, titles, records, movies, medical documents, vaccine records, event tickets and more will move to digital ownership. And because they are decentralized on Blockchain this will theoretically provide the owner a more secure method of ownership in addition to simplified transactions.
In the near future we will see traditionally hard (Paper) documents replaced by NFT’s. Things such as diplomas, domain names, patents, trademarks, bonds, insurance policies, hunting licenses, permits, passports, drivers licenses & visas will be replaced with easily verifiable NFT tokens. Also no intermediaries are required to verify these tokens, a government official, potential employer or educator could verify your “credentials” on the spot for free.
Digital Art
Much like other forms of physical documents traditional printed, painted and drawn art will almost completely cease to exist only to be replaced by NFT’s. In 2020 nearly 90% of all new art created was digital. In addition we will see the rise of both Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality art (more on this in Part 4) creating immersive journeys where the viewer can experience the artwork utilizing a headset, glasses or implants.
I fully expect priceless works of physical art the likes of Van Gough and Picaso to be digitized into an NFT and then destroyed. Artwork of the future will be displayed in smart frames or smart walls using IOT technology (More on that in part 14) and connected to the stream. Your art collection will be ALL digital and accessible from anywhere giving you the ability to display it whenever and wherever you wish.
The pandemic has all but destroyed most museums and many art galleries, many will likely not recover and the ones that do are not likely to have a bright future.
Digital Media
In 2013 I wrote “As our society moves closer to the virtual/digital and further from the human interaction of the physical world we will see a significant decrease in communal experience centers such as museums, movie theaters, concerts, event halls, churches and seminars.” In the near future anything where the experience or content can be delivered digitally will eventually be all but eliminated by NFT’s and digital media.
Indeed we are already nearing the end of things like DVD movies, Video Game Disk’s and Blu-Rays. Everything is readily available for streaming or download in an instant. While this certainly has many advantages such as no more lost or scratched disks, always having the latest version of your favorite game or the latest episode of your favorite show there are many hidden cons to not having a physical “Disk”. Recently I have discovered numerous older movies and shown that are simply not available for digital acquisition or streaming because of political correctness. Even more frequently I have found some of my favorite classics to be modified, dubbed or missing content that is no longer considered socially acceptable. This behavior make me question the motives of those pushing for the elimination of physical media.
Books
What does the future hold for paper writings, book, pamphlets, guides and so on? While I don’t think books will ever be truly eliminated (Partly because people like me) in the near future traditional print media will be replaced with a combination of E-books, NFT’s and audio books with features unlike anything currently imaginable.
Future “books” will be bundled with soundtracks, musical leitmotifs, 3-D graphics, augmented reality and streaming video. They’ll be enhanced with social bookmarking, online dating, and alerts from geo-networking apps whenever someone in your locality purchases the same book as you, literally anything so you don’t have to actually read the “book”.
Like other forms of media mentioned earlier the books deemed not socially acceptable or otherwise disruptive my not be available at all, still others may be gradually edited and changed to become more “Acceptable”. I have already seen several instances where new copies classic books have been edited for content thereby changing the authors intent and this trend is likely to get worse as time progresses.
Entire libraries will be stored on a single device or perhaps “in the cloud” accessible from anywhere and will remain in a constant state of evolution. Imagine all of your books and media constantly being “Updated” and revised in real time subject to the whims and political persuasions of the authors and distributors.
Speaking for myself I have begun the arduous process of collecting classic films and literature of importance for the sake of originality and the preservation of history for my progeny.
Update 02/10/2022
The first real property has sold with the deed issued as an NFT
What does our future look like and is this what we really want? I have been speaking about and writing on this subject for many years and have been mostly ignored. In the year 2000 while everyone was having a complete meltdown over the Y2K “Bug” I was warning people about the quickly evolving interconnected “Network” of computers and servers that would eventually dictate our everyday lives. Every aspect of our lives either has become or will be so interconnected that it has become impossible for me to break this down by technology types as I have done in the past. I will make every effort to avoid theories, conspiracies, and rabbit trails that require assumptions as this series of writings will be based entirely on fact, personal knowledge and experience.
This will be a series of articles (At least 20) covering how technology is currently or will soon affect and impact our lives in general and will be loosely broken down by category. First and by far the most important in my opinion is the global data network, this has been the “Missing piece” or the bottleneck that has stymied the advancement of technological advance for the last decade or more. In this series I will cover at minimum the following topics in detail and will attempt to stay on-topic for each (Although it may not always be possible due to the interconnectivity of everything)
Just remember when we think the future is a long way off, today we are closer to the year 2050 than we are to the year 1990.
1: The Global Data Network
2: NFT’s, Digital Art & Digital Media
3: The Future of Currency
4: Augmented Reality
5: Quantum Principles
6: The Future of Advertising
7: Video Gaming/Entertainment
8: Self Driving Cars
9: Healthcare
10: Space Travel
11: Genetic Manipulation
12: Politics in The Digital World
13: Retail Sales and Stores
14: IOT (Internet of Things)
15: 3D/4D Printing
16: Farming/Food of the Future
17: AI, Supercomputers, Data/Server Farms
18: The Metaverse
19: Public Transportation
20: The Surveillance State
21: Biological Implants (Singularity)
22: Theoretically Possible Technologies
PART 1: The Global Data Network (The Datastream)
Back in 2005 I wrote “The ability for the implementation and advancement of ALL other technologies is ultimately reliant on the existence of a wireless data network with universal global coverage and near unlimited bandwidth” This still holds true today and even with all the advancements in wireless technology and high-speed internet the realistic possibility of such a network has only become a reality in the last 24 months. For the purposes of these writings I will be referring to this network regardless of control, name or ownership as “The Datastream” or simply “The Stream”
Every aspect of every current and future technology will both rely on and be an integral part of the stream. In the relatively near future we will reach a milestone of one trillion connected devices on planet earth. For reference in 2010 there were approximately 1 Billion Connected Devices, by 2015 we had almost 14 Billion, today we have approximately 105 Billion connected devices globally. The numbers are growing exponentially and there is currently no way to track or calculate the number of new devices although the current estimate is about 2.5 Million devices per hour.
This new “Data Stream” will ultimately replace all other communication mediums. In the future ALL “Communication” will happen through the stream. The stream will replace DSL, Dialup, Broadband, WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth, IR (Infrared), Light Beam, FM, AM, Shortwave, Cable, Fiber, Traditional satellite, Microwave, Burst, Cell tower networks, and ALL Wired communication. In 2015 I wrote “This future wireless system will likely operate on the 26-40GHz range and be almost entirely low earth orbit satellite based” The new Starlink system currently being deployed by Space-X (Elon Musk) operates on the 12-42GHz Bands and is completely low earth orbit based. While it’s possible this is only the first prototype and my not ultimately be the permanent stream it is the type of unified global network needed to implement all the future technologies currently in production.
In May of 2019 space-X launched the first 60 satellites into orbit, Space-x currently has more than 2,000 satellites in orbit with a planned 42,000 by the end of 2024. This new global network when complete will have the capacity of all current global communication systems combined. It is completely absurd to think that such a system is in development ONLY for the purpose of extending high-speed internet to previously “underserved” communities as stated by Space-X. This system or one like it will become the future of all communications.
One advantage of low earth orbit (Previously considered a disadvantage) is the fact that the earth’s gravity causes a slow yet constantly decaying orbit for the satellites. Due to decay the LEO satellites have a 3-5 year service life and ultimately burn up in the atmosphere in the end. Already Space-X is launching Gen2 Satellites and is well underway developing Gen3 units. By the time the Starlink constellation is complete they will likely be launching Gen7 units with 4x-6x the throughput capabilities compared to current versions. I also suspect the later generations will include additional technologies such as GPS, Cameras and possibly lasers to communicate between satellites. I predict by the time the ever evolving Starlink constellation is complete it will have 3x-5x the capacity of ALL current global communication systems on earth combined and likely continue to double that capacity every 3-5 years exponentially.
Most devices will connect directly to the stream but all devices will also have the ability to connect indirectly to the stream through any available connection or ANY other device that is currently connected, most devices will also have the ability to connect to numerous other devices (Perhaps 128 devices) simultaneously without affecting performance. Indeed the future we are building (or allowing) looks very different than the past and I leave it to you to decide if this will result in peace & harmony for all mankind or if the future hold oppression of expression, loss of freedom and the abolition of personal privacy.
UPDATE 02/08/2022
Space X launches batch of 49 Satellites with laser crosslink communication between units.
Last night I was handed a flyer by a good friend of mine originally written by a respiratory therapist that included some common sense things we can do to combat the Corona virus.
After reading the flyer I realized that many people simply were never taught many of the things that I once considered to be common knowledge. In addition many people are regularly administered treatments (often by medical professionals) that actually prolong or even worsen the flu/virus.
Using this handout as a guide whilst adding additional information I have learned over the years I have compiled a list of 10 helpful things every human should know and understand before making decisions about treating viral symptoms, and even preventing them.
Fevers
Fevers in general are irrationally feared by most people, mostly due to a lack of understanding exacerbated by liability concerns of medical professionals. When you contract a virus your bodies immune system identifies that intruder and destroys it while building specific anti-bodies to combat it better in the future.
The process of your immune system using good cells to attack and destroy the viral cells cause a release of energy. That energy is absorbed by the surrounding tissue and blood as heat thereby causing your overall body temperature to rise above “Normal” this is the root cause of fevers.
Viruses are also EXTREMELY sensitive to heat. The elevated body temperature (Fever) is very effective in killing the virus (even more effective than the immune system) . When we take pharmaceuticals such as Motrin, Tylenol, Advil, Excedrin and so forth we lower our body temperature allowing the virus to live longer while making it harder for our immune system to eradicate the virus.
It also helps to keep your house warm, wear multiple layers or cover up and stay warm. This will reduce the amount of energy your body needs to produce heat in combating the virus.
Obviously we should use common sense and treat a fever that exceeds a “safe” level. I personally never treat a fever with medication unless it is in excess of 103 degrees Fahrenheit and other methods such as a cool shower have failed.
Pharmaceuticals
Remember medications DO NOT in ANY way make you well or cure any viruses! Every medication merely relives or covers up symptoms. In most cases they only serve to prolong or even exacerbate the virus. Most medications cause more overall harm than good when used to treat viruses!
There certainly are specific cases where medication can be helpful in combating a virus but these cases should be the exception and not the norm.
Dehydration
Not drinking enough water and staying properly hydrated during the colder months is the primary cause of contracting viruses. It also greatly contributes to prolonging the course of a virus once contracted. Our cells need fresh water to combat the virus as well as process the waste.
When it’s hot outside everyone universally knows that you are easily dehydrated and should drink plenty of water. In addition viruses do not survive well outside the body in warmer temperatures. Most people do not realize we should be drinking at least the same amount in the winter. Cold temperatures extract nearly as much moisture from our bodies as hot, just consider what happens to uncovered meat in the freezer – it is completely dehydrated on a matter of days plus viruses survive much better in the cool weather.
Gatorade and other similar drinks work well for re-hydration if you are sick. These drinks have small amounts of real sugar as well at electrolytes. If you go to the hospital the first thing they will do is give you an IV with D5W (Sugar Water) and Saline. Gatorade is cheaper and doesn’t require an IV.
Humans are well equipped to defend ourselves from these viruses. We naturally breath through our noses where we have several lines of defense. First we have nose hair, then mucus in our nose and sinuses followed by our tonsils. All of these serve as filters to protect us from bacteria and viruses but they only function properly when we are well hydrated. When you do not drink enough water and your nose is dry viral cells are not filtered out and go straight to your lungs where it is very easy to enter the bloodstream.
Mucus is our primary filter. It’s sticky consistency filters out most naturally occurring contaminates such as viruses, The mucus ultimately ends up in our stomach where it is very difficult to enter the bloodstream. Most contaminates and all viruses that I am familiar with are easily killed by our stomach acid and processed as waste.
Help Your Body Fight
We were not intended to be primarily indoor creatures and we were certainly not intended to eat primarily processed and pre-packaged foods. Most people should be taking some basic supplements at ALL times. Vitamin D, Vitamin C, Zinc and Magnesium are the most important in my opinion. This can generally by accomplished with a simple multivitamin once a day. I doubt you will notice an immediate change but when you look back over the course of the year you will notice a trend of better overall health and far fewer sick days.
We all should eat considerably healthier on a regular basis but this is exceptionally important when we are sink. Our bodies have an amazing ability to heal themselves if we provide the nutrients necessary.
Keep Moving
This is one of the most important things we can do once we are sick. Move around, this keeps your blood circulating and helps to oxygenate your body. Keep your lungs moist – Take hot showers and breathe in as much steam as possible. Take repeated deep breaths. Chewing mint gum can help with bronchial dilation. Laying around in bed or the hospital is the primary cause of pneumonia. Try coughing into a moist towel, this helps break up phlegm in your lungs.
If anyone has addition tips please leave them in the comments and I will attempt to incorporate them into this blog
They came as slaves; vast human cargo transported on tall British ships bound for the Americas. They were shipped by the hundreds of thousands and included men, women, and even the youngest of children.
Whenever they rebelled or even disobeyed an order, they were punished in the harshest ways. Slave owners would hang their human property by their hands and set their hands or feet on fire as one form of punishment. They were burned alive and had their heads placed on pikes in the marketplace as a warning to other captives.
We don’t really need to go through all of the gory details, do we? We know all too well the atrocities of the African slave trade.
But, are we talking about African slavery? King James II and Charles I also led a continued effort to enslave the Irish. Britain’s famed Oliver Cromwell furthered this practice of dehumanizing one’s next door neighbor.
The Irish slave trade began when 30,000 Irish prisoners were sold as slaves to the New World. The King James I Proclamation of 1625 required Irish political prisoners be sent overseas and sold to English settlers in the West Indies. By the mid 1600s, the Irish were the main slaves sold to Antigua and Montserrat. At that time, 70% of the total population of Montserrat were Irish slaves.
Ireland quickly became the biggest source of human livestock for English merchants. The majority of the early slaves to the New World were actually white.
From 1641 to 1652, over 500,000 Irish were killed by the English and another 300,000 were sold as slaves. Ireland’s population fell from about 1,500,000 to 600,000 in one single decade. Families were ripped apart as the British did not allow Irish dads to take their wives and children with them across the Atlantic. This led to a helpless population of homeless women and children. Britain’s solution was to auction them off as well.
In 1641, Ireland’s population was 1,466,000 and in 1652, 616,000. According to Sir William Petty, 850,000 were wasted by the sword, plague, famine, hardship and banishment during the Confederation War 1641-1652. At the end of the war, vast numbers of Irish men, women and children were forcibly transported to the American colonies by the English government.(7) These people were rounded up like cattle, and, as Prendergast reports on Thurloe’s State Papers(8) (Pub. London, 1742), “In clearing the ground for the adventurers and soldiers (the English capitalists of that day)… To be transported to Barbados and the English plantations in America. It was a measure beneficial to Ireland, which was thus relieved of a population that might trouble the planters; it was a benefit to the people removed, which might thus be made English and Christians … a great benefit to the West India sugar planters, who desired men and boys for their bondsmen, and the women and Irish girls… To solace them.”(9)
J. Williams provides additional evidence of the attitude of the English government towards the Irish in an English law of June 26, 1657: “Those who fail to transplant themselves into Connaught (Ireland’s Western Province) or (County) Clare within six months… Shall be attained of high treason… Are to be sent into America or some other parts beyond the seas…”(10) Those thus banished who return are to “suffer the pains of death as felons by virtue of this act, without benefit of Clergy.”(11)
The following are but a few of the numerous references to those Irish transported against their will between 1651 and 1660.
Emmet asserts that during this time, more that
“100,000 young children who were orphans or had been taken from their Catholic parents, were sent abroad into slavery in the West Indies, Virginia and New England, that they might lose their faith and all knowledge of their nationality, for in most instances even their names were changed… Moreover, the contemporary writers assert between 20,000 and 30,000 men and women who were taken prisoner were sold in the American colonie as slaves, with no respect to their former station in life.”(12)
Dunn claims in Barbados the Irish Catholics constituted the largest block of servants on the island.(13) Higham estimated that in 1652 Barbados had absorbed no less than 12,000 of these political prisoners.(14) E. Williams reports: “In 1656 Cromwell’s Council of State voted that 1,000 Irish girls and 1,000 Irish young men be sent to Jamaica.”(15) Smith declares: “it is impossible to say how many shiploads of unhappy Irish were dispatched to America by the English government,” and “no mention of such shipments would be very likely to appear in the State Papers… They must have been very considerable in number.”(16)
Estimates vary between 80,000 and 130,000 regarding the amount of Irish sent into slavery in America and the West Indies during the years of 1651 – 1660: Prendergast says 80,000(17); Boudin 100,000(18); Emmet 120,000 to 130,000(19); Lingard 60,000 up until 1656(20); and Condon estimates “the number of Irish transported to the British colonies in America from 1651 – 1660 exceeded the total number of their inhabitants at that period, a fact which ought not to be lost sight of by those who undertake to estimate the strength of the Celtic element in this nation…”(21)
It is impossible to ascertain the exact number of those unfortunate victims of English injustice during this period, but we do know the amount was massive. Even though the figures given above are but estimates, they are estimates from eminent historians.
The flow of the Irish to the American colonies throughout the remainder of the 17th century was large and continuous, but not nearly as massive as between 1651 and 1660. Some of the many statements by historians give evidence of this Irish tide. Higham reports that in 1664 the Irish took the place of the French on St. Bartholomew’s.(22) Smith claims that during the four years leading up to 1675, already 500 Irish servants were brought to Jamaica by ships from Bristol, England that stopped in Ireland for provisions.(23) During 1680 on the Leeward Islands, Dunn posits: “with so many Irish Catholic servants and farmers… The English planters became obsessed with the fear of popery.”(24) Dunn also states that in Jamaica in 1685 the 2nd Duke of Aberlmarle, after his appointment by James II, a Catholic, mustered his chief support from the Irish Catholic small planters and servants and that the indentured servants who constituted the island militia were mainly Irish Catholic.(25) In reporting on Father Garganel’s statements, Lenihan claims: “in 1699 Father Garganel, S.J., Superior of the island of Martinique, asked for one or two Irish Fathers for that and the neighboring isles which were ‘fill of Irish’ for every year shiploads of men, boys and girls, partly crimped, partly carried off by main force for the purposes of slave trade, are conveyed by the English from Ireland.”(26)
During the 1650s, over 100,000 Irish children between the ages of 10 and 14 were taken from their parents and sold as slaves in the West Indies, Virginia and New England. In this decade, 52,000 Irish (mostly women and children) were sold to Barbados and Virginia. Another 30,000 Irish men and women were also transported and sold to the highest bidder. In 1656, Cromwell ordered that 2000 Irish children be taken to Jamaica and sold as slaves to English settlers.
Many people today will avoid calling the Irish slaves what they truly were: Slaves. They’ll come up with terms like “Indentured Servants” to describe what occurred to the Irish. However, in most cases from the 17th and 18th centuries, Irish slaves were nothing more than human cattle.
As an example, the African slave trade was just beginning during this same period. It is well recorded that African slaves, not tainted with the stain of the hated Catholic theology and more expensive to purchase, were often treated far better than their Irish counterparts.
African slaves were very expensive during the late 1600s (50 Sterling). Irish slaves came cheap (no more than 5 Sterling). If a planter whipped or branded or beat an Irish slave to death, it was never a crime. A death was a monetary setback, but far cheaper than killing a more expensive African. The English masters quickly began breeding the Irish women for both their own personal pleasure and for greater profit. Children of slaves were themselves slaves, which increased the size of the master’s free workforce. Even if an Irish woman somehow obtained her freedom, her kids would remain slaves of her master. Thus, Irish moms, even with this new found emancipation, would seldom abandon their kids and would remain in servitude.
In time, the English thought of a better way to use these women (in many cases, girls as young as 12) to increase their market share: The settlers began to breed Irish women and girls with African men to produce slaves with a distinct complexion. These new “mulatto” slaves has a higher intelligence level than that of African slaves, brought a higher price than Irish livestock and, likewise, enabled the settlers to save money rather than purchase new African slaves. This practice of interbreeding Irish females with African men went on for several decades and was so widespread that, in 1681, legislation was passed “forbidding the practice of mating Irish slave women to African slave men for the purpose of producing slaves for sale.” In short, it was stopped only because it interfered with the profits of a large slave transport company.
England continued to ship tens of thousands of Irish slaves for more than a century. Records state that, after the 1798 Irish Rebellion, thousands of Irish slaves were sold to both America and Australia. There were horrible abuses of both African and Irish captives. One British ship even dumped 1,302 slaves into the Atlantic Ocean because the crew was low on food.
There is little question that the Irish experienced the horrors of slavery much more in the 17th Century than the Africans did. There is, also, very little question that those brown, tanned faces you witness in your travels to the West Indies are very likely a combination of African and Irish ancestry. In 1839, Britain finally decided on its own to end its participation in Satan’s highway to hell and stopped transporting slaves. While their decision did not stop pirates from doing what they desired, the new law slowly concluded this particular chapter of nightmarish Irish misery.
But, if anyone, black or white, believes that slavery was only an African experience, then they’ve got it completely wrong. Irish slavery is a subject worth remembering, researching and not erasing from our memories.
But, where are our public (and PRIVATE) schools???? Where are the history books? Why is it so seldom discussed?
Do the memories of hundreds of thousands of Irish victims merit more than a mention from an unknown writer? Or is their story to be one that their English pirates intended: To (unlike the African book) have the Irish story utterly and completely disappear as if it never happened.
None of the Irish victims ever made it back to their homeland to describe their ordeal. These are the lost slaves; the ones that time and biased history books conveniently forgot.
Extensive content and references for this post provided by www.globalresearch.ca
An ammo shortage is being witnessed nationwide as Americans react to civil unrest by buying up firearms and the ammunition needed to defend themselves their property and their liberty.
Below I will attempt to explore the various factors causing and even increasing the shortage. In addition I will also explain why I believe this shortage will last for the foreseeable future and may even worsen.
Primer Shortage:
As with previous surges in ammunition sales, primers are the current weak link in the supply chain. After speaking with several of our suppliers I learned that the lack of primer supply is the primary item that is preventing ammunition makers from increasing production and attempting to meet the unprecedented demand.
We have seen shortages before. When the semi-auto ban was passed in 1994, there was a shortage. In 2008, when Barack Obama was elected president and again in 2012 through 2013 during the aftermath of the tragic Sandy Hook School shooting. All previous shortages were caused by increased demand only, there were no supply chain disruptions enhancing to problem. According to various sources, manufacturers are confirming that we are in the midst of the greatest primer shortage in the history of the world.
Bullets are relatively simple to produce. Brass cases can be reused and powder is still plentiful. Hence, primer production is the bottleneck in the ammunition production process. Though there are dozens of major and minor ammunition manufacturers in the U.S., only four domestic manufacturers produce primers: Federal, CCI, Remington and Winchester. Those four firms feed the entire primer supply including ammunition sold to the military and law enforcement. Federal, CCI & Remington are all owned by Vista Outdoors, so effectively primer production in the United States is controlled by two companies (More on this later). Billions of primers are produced every year by these companies in the US.
Internationally, primers are manufactured by four additional firms in different parts of the world. Armscor in the Philippines, Sellier & Bellot in the Czech Republic, Fiocchi in Italy and JSC in Russia. As you can imagine there is an increased demand for ammunition in most of the world so these international companies have little interest in shipping their limited supply to the United States.
Record First Time Gun Buyers:
Remember, the shortage in ammunition comes as background checks for gun sales were at record-setting levels for eight straight months. In other words, a record for monthly background checks was set every month January 2020 through August 2020. The surge in gun sales is having a corresponding effect on ammunition. NSSF estimates there are nearly 5 million first-time gun buyers in 2020. That also means there are 5 million new ammunition buyers who are learning to use their firearms. There are 5 million new people who do not have a supply of ammo at home. There are 5 million new people looking for ranges for safe, recreational shooting. There are 5 million new gun owners filling up classes at their local ranges for instruction.
This year, gun sales rose 165 percent year-over year as of June , totaling around 2 million plus purchases per month, according to an August Report from Small Arms Analytics and Forecasting. The report estimated that “the market for the first seven months of 2020 now has nearly matched that of the entire year of 2019.” A similar report from the Brookings Institute found that 19 million firearms were purchased in the first half of 2020. Brookings pointed out that this figure can be translated to one firearm for every 20 Americans. Both reports used data from the FBI’s Criminal Background check system.
Political Unrest:
While the media often frames gun ownership as a conservative issue driven by paranoia, the language from Democrats and progressive outlets this year has helped to blur any line that exists between paranoia and preparation.
Earlier this year, Odyssey published a piece fantasizing about the possibility of an “armed revolution” made possible by conservatives and liberals “unit[ing] under the cause that this fascist must be stopped.
“For this to happen, the President would need to do something drastic that only a miniscule minority of citizens would approve of (ethnic cleansing, nuclear war, etc). This regime would need to face large-scale opposition from the citizens, select members of the government, and most importantly, the military,” read the piece.
Former Secretary of State John Kerry recently made comments suggesting that a “revolution” of sorts is imminent.
“If people don’t have adequate access to the ballot, I mean that’s the stuff on which revolutions are built,” Kerry said. “If you begin to deny people the capacity of your democracy to work, even the Founding Fathers wrote in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, we have an inherent right to challenge that. And I’m worried that increasingly, people are disaffected.”
In March, New York Post reported that Democratic Congressman Tom Souzzi (D-NY) hinted at an armed rebellion against the President, specifically citing the 2nd Amendment:
“It’s really a matter of putting public pressure on the president,” Suozzi said in a newly released video of the March 12 talk in Huntington. “This is where the Second Amendment comes in, quite frankly, because you know, what if the president was to ignore the courts? What would you do? What would we do?”
A listener then blurts out, “What’s the Second Amendment?”
The left-leaning Democrat says, “The Second Amendment is the right to bear arms.”
In July Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) seemed to suggest a military coup against the President, tweeting “Where are our military folks ? The Commander in Chief is in the hands of our enemy!”
Perhaps one of the most relevant voices on the topic, notorious Weather Underground leader Bill Ayers claims the civil war has already begun. “Am I the only one, or do you feel eerily that we’re living in Kansas, 1859, and that tensions are boiling over, but only years later will people say, ‘Yes, the Civil War began there and then?,” said Ayers
Ayers took part in the Weather Underground Bombings of the early 1970’s targeting the New York City Police Department headquarters, the U.S. Capitol building, and the Pentagon.
Federal Government Purchasing:
There have been numerous Internet blogs and emails describing how various agencies in the federal government are purchasing large quantities of ammunition. These rumors and half-truths surrounding these stories are largely exaggerated and mostly untrue. During the Obama administration the federal government purchased billions of rounds of ammunition and stockpiled it. The federal government is still ordering millions of rounds of ammunition per year but they are not purchasing any more than their normal amounts. The difference is that nearly all the ammunition manufacturers (some by law, others voluntarily) fill the government and law enforcement orders first, before any civilian orders. During a global shortage this adds to the overall supply shortage.
Production Limitations:
Most ammunition manufactures normally run production at near 80 percent of operational capacity under normal circumstances. One problem is the difference in elasticity (responsiveness to price changes) between supply and demand. Compared to firearm demand, the supply side of the industry is considerably inelastic. This means that the supply does not respond dramatically to either increases or decreases in demand, impacting the price people are willing to pay, but remains relatively consistent. Manufacturers max out production increases at around 20-30 percent above normal production compared to the current consumer demand that has increased nearly 300 percent.
The component suppliers can’t expand more than 20-30 percent before they max out their material suppliers and even the physical limitations of the production lines. Nearly all the supply chains are simply maxed out.
Increased Profit Margin:
It is important to understand that ammunition pricing is not set by what the ammunition costs to produce, rather it’s determined by what the next batch is going to cost to produce. The profit margin is a set percentage that will typically remain constant as long as production costs remain constant (Even though most companies have increased their margin by 10-20 percent recently). The most important factor in production is labor costs, which are similarly constant unless demand increases or decreases and affects long-term projections. As you can imagine during these unprecedented times costs are fluctuating dramatically.
It is important to understand that ammunition pricing is not set by what the ammunition costs to produce, rather it’s determined by what the next batch is going to cost to produce. The profit margin is a set percentage that’s typically going to remain constant as long as production costs remain constant. An important factor in production are labor costs, which are similarly constant unless demand increases or decreases and affects long-term projections. As you can imagine during this unprecedented event, costs are fluctuating dramatically.
Due to factors beyond the control of the ammunition companies, the cost of components and raw materials has more than doubled this year. Labor costs are up 30-70 percent due to overtime cost, employee shortages, increase minimum wages and government mandated sick leave pay.
Even though the manufactures have not increased their profit margins by more than 10 percent the manufacturing cost has nearly tripled this year effectively increasing their profits by 40 percent. Because of this increase in profit the manufactures have little if any real motivation to solve the ammunition shortage in the US. If they were to suddenly meet the current demand with increased production their profits would be cut by half and they would need to manufacture nearly double the amount of ammunition for the same total gross profit.
Reduced Imports:
It’s also worthwhile to consider how Covid-19 is affecting the smaller small arms and ammunition providers abroad that we generally rely on for imports . Turkey, home to the manufacture of much of the imported shotguns and handguns has been getting frisky with Syria. Even if Turkey’s munitions factories could bear some of the production output in support of their American clients, the shipping ports are generally closed due to covid. The same applies to our allies in the Czech Republic. The Czechs could be sitting on mountains of propellant powder, but there is no way to get it to us. Russian-sourced ammo and components are also affected by both politically based import restrictions and Covid-19 closures as is Chinese imports.
In a best-case scenario, it takes more than 20 days for a shipping container to arrive to the U.S. from any of those locations. If cargo has to arrive on the west coast, shipping can take more than 30 days. Plus, a typical minimum of 10 days is required to embark and disembark on each side of the trip, them we have to clear customs. So, once the ports reopen, a realistic time frame to see supply reach the US is four months — just to get the ammo to U.S. distributors. And that’s if those foreign manufacturing continue to manufacture their product and have them crated, bonded and stocked. According to Fiocchi, that that’s not likely. So figure another 40-60 days to return to manufacturing again if they have the raw components such as primers and brass, which they may not because closed ports affect them obtaining raw materials as well.
Forced Closures:
back in March various state governments engaged in a somewhat arbitrary practice of designating some gun and ammunition manufacturers to be “essential” while refusing to allow others to remain open. This coupled with increased demand and other various factors started the inversible downward spiral that has lead us to the current situation.
Fiocchi as well as numerous other manufactures were shut down for commercial business and operating with minimal staffing allowed for their military customers only. Some of these companies were closed for more than 30 days.
There are other, not so front page COVID-19 restrictions that affect the supply lines for raw materials and components. Raw materials like lead, copper, and brass for projectiles, primers, and casings is one piece, and the other is gunpowder itself. The forced closures of mines, shipping, production plants, processing facilities and packaging plants are all contributing to the overall supply chain disruptions.
Panic Buying:
Demand is also driven by the same psychological factors that caused the toilet paper shortage: hoarding. According to recent research (Sheu & Kuo, 2020) “hoarding stems from a human’s response, either rationally or emotionally, to scarcity, and so may occur on either the supply or the demand side. As argued by [other researchers], hoarding can be an overall response that involves a mix of a strategic, rational and emotional human responses (such as anxiety, panic and fear) to perceived threats to supply.” That’s a smart person way of saying that when people think we’re going to run out of ammo, they buy as much as they can and sit on it, which contributes to the scarcity by artificially inflating demand.
Return To Normal?
Most industry experts estimate that we won’t see a return to normal inventory levels for at least 12 months, even when assuming a Republican presidential victory in the 2020 race. Normal inventory is defined as being able to buy as much as ammo as you want and can afford from the internet or your local retailer. Worse yet, prices may not return to pre-COVID levels for a minimum of 12 months after that. The long term disruption to the supply chain tends to result in increased costs for manufacturers which will get passed on to the consumer until we see a full economic and political recovery. Unless one of the factors causing massive demand suddenly changes or disappears, we can expect to see increased prices and rationing for some time to come and we face the real possibility that there will not be a return to “normal”.
Women are to dress in “modest apparel.” That is what the Bible commands. It is not a matter of opinion. God has revealed His will concerning the manner in which women ought to dress. Rebellious women don’t care, they’re going to be lewd, rude and crude regardless; but a woman that fears God does care is then careful about the way she clothes herself.
But you ask, isn’t it normal for a man to want to lust upon a women?” Yes, for the carnal man. I’d worry about any man who didn’t have such desires. Any man who doesn’t desire to look upon a beautiful woman is either sick or needs to move to San Fransicko, Albeit I’m not talking about being normal in the carnal sense; I’m talking about living by faith to please God. Jesus plainly taught that lust is adultery. Matthew 5:28, “But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” There is no room for debate on this matter biblically speaking. Sexual lust is a sin, unless it’s your wife or husband.
