3 Odd Techniques For Primitive Fishing

BY TIM MACWELCH - Outdoor Life

Fishing has been an extremely valuable food gathering strategy for thousands of years, and when we find ourselves in a survival setting, the fishing skills of our ancestors may be our only option. Consider these three traditional techniques in primitive fishing, and do your homework first to find out if they will work for your region.

1. Use Bare Hands

While the concept of hand fishing is simple enough, like so many other survival skills, the simpler processes require a lot of technique. Whether you are “graveling” for catfish or “bug diving” to collect lobsters, you're taking a page from the playbook of our most remote ancestors: catching aquatic animals with your bare hands.

Many catfish noodlers don't wear any protective gear when reaching around in underwater crevices and holes which could contain a fish. Since these freshwater fish species like to hang out in underwater rock ledges, in holes and under submerged logs, those confined spaces make them easier to catch. When you reach into these protected spots, the fish will be trapped with its back up against the “wall.” If it all goes right, the fish will advance and bite your hand. Fight your natural urge to pull your hand away. Leave your hand in the fish's mouth and pull the fish toward you. Wrap your free arm around the fish, being careful to avoid contact with the barbs on its fins.

Likewise, speedy grabs and swatting motions are the most successful methods of bagging a lobster from similar protected spots in shallow saltwater. Of course, these underwater shelters can also contain sea urchins, moray eels, scorpion fish, and other sea creatures that bite, stab, and sting. For safer lobster hunting, being truly bare handed is a poor choice. Instead, don a pair of Kevlar gloves. These cut-proof, puncture-proof gauntlets protect against urchin spines and many other dangers of the deep. And remember: never go hand fishing alone, go with others so that they can help you if you become injured or entangled.

2. Dope the Water

Although the act is illegal in most places today, our ancestors once used plant poisons to stun fish for easy collection. Numerous nuts, roots, seeds, fruits, and leaves contain compounds that have an effect on the respiratory or nervous systems of fish—especially in still water. The stupefied fish simply float to the surface, awaiting your collection. Crushed mullein seeds (Verbascum thapsus) have been used for centuries in North America as an effective fish poison. The crushed seeds release saponins, glycosides, coumarin and rotenone into the water, compounds that can stun fish and bring them to the surface. In addition to mullein, you can also use the bark and green nut husks of black walnut (Juglans nigra) in North America, and several native plants on each of the other continents. Used in a small body of water, it can bring up fish that refuse to be caught with other methods. Again, this is illegal and unsportsmanlike, but in a dire emergency—do what you must. Just catch and gut the fish quickly to minimize the meat's exposure to these toxins. Cook until well done.

3. Catch Your First Fish (On a Thorn)

There have been many occasions over the years when I couldn't have been more proud of my survival students. Some of the most memorable events have involved primitive fishing—really primitive fishing. Yes, it's amazing when you teach someone how to fish, and then watch their joyful reaction as they catch their first fish ever. When this happens, after you've taught them how to twist up their own cordage from plant fibers and make a thorn into a hook, and they caught their first fish on that primitive tackle, words can't express the feeling of accomplishment in both the teacher and the student. If you'd like to add this experience to your list of bushcraft accomplishments, then follow along.

Start by finding a sharp, straight thorn on a tree or bush. This can be used as a gorge hook, which will catch a fish by their innards, rather than by their mouth as steel hooks operate. Collect the strongest plant fibers you can find. This may be dogbane or you can strip off fibrous inner bark from trees like the mulberry. Twist together a thin but strong thread, using the reverse wrap method. Twist the cord and splice in new fibers until you have several meters of fishing leader. You can tie this to stouter cord for hand line fishing, or tie it to a long pole for pole fishing. Tightly tie the dull end of your thorn to the end of the line, thread a chunk of bait onto the thorn, and cast into the water. The technique here is to allow the fish to swallow the bait. Do not jerk the line to set the hook. After you think the fish has swallowed the bait, slowly coax the fish into a waiting dip net.

RELATED: The 5 Most Important Types of Survival Training

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US Corporate Taxes - TRUTH

The question is who should we tax more and who should we tax less?  Foreign companies or US Companies? Whichever we select becomes less competitive.

Many companies have moved their production (& jobs) out of the US this avoiding US taxes, except small tariffs.  Companies that continue to produce their products in the US pay heavy Corporate Taxes and face a host of regulations. Granted there are tax "Loop Holes" which are actually Incentives to encourage behavior that stimulates growth.

Taxes are a necessary evil, and most people think Others should pay more, but not them.  This has led the US Citizens and anti-business (anti-jobs) politicians to increase taxes on Corporations, who don't get to vote, except with their campaign contributions which are essentially just legal bribes.  In the process, we have created an environment that drives businesses/jobs to other countries.

By lowering US Corporate taxes we make them more competitive, able to sell more US products and services, creating more US jobs. More US jobs translate to more income and spending and more tax revenue.  This is called growing your way out of debt, but it takes about 8 years before the impact of this circular economic growth cycle is fully realized.

A BAT tax:

1. Lowers Corporate taxes making US products & services more competitive
2. Encourages US companies to buy their raw materials from US producers creating more demand for US made products and more US jobs
3. Encourages exporting products creating a favorable trade balance.  Note the US gets over 1 Billion Dollars Per Day Poorer from importing more than we export. 

Unfortunately, the companies that Exported their jobs overseas hate this idea because their imported products will be less competitive against Made in the USA products and harder to sale. Their large Public Relations budgets and campaign contributions make this very hard to achieve.

What about the fact that raising tariffs only costs the consumers more?  The answer is that the consumer pays for it both ways.  One way they have jobs and the other way, people over sea's have the jobs.

At the same time, adding or increasing the import duty (tariff) taxes foreign businesses and makes foreign made products less competitive against US Made products.

So the answer to economic growth is tax foreign business more and US companies less.

Comments? Questions? Post comments below.

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Free Trade vs Duties 
US Poverty from a global perspective

Survival Fishing

 Throughout history, and in most survival situations, fish has been a leading source of protein for homo sapiens. Without fishing, man may not have survived this long.  This is one of the reasons that a majority of the human population lives within a few miles of large bodies of water or rivers.
Because of the importance of fishing, improving our skill is essential to wilderness survival. Traps, nets, fishing lines, spears and even our hands (noodling) are all viable methods of harvesting fish, and each has its advantages and disadvantages. Let's discuss some of these.

1. Spearfishing is probably the first fishing method. In a primitive survival situation, this is one of the first tools that I would build as a part of my wilderness survival plan . Building a spear from a small straight tree with few limbs is easy.  It can be sharpened with a knife or sharp rock; hardened by fire and is effective for self-defense and useful for hunting and fishing at close range.
   
2. Traps are another primitive tool for fishing, likely discovered by finding fish stranded in small pools of water. There are many types of fish traps. 
   
   
   
   
   The advantage with traps is that you can have multiple traps in use and they don't need to be attended making it a fairly productive method of fishing when they are moving and feeding. They do however take time to build, set and check.  Trapping should be a part of any survival plan.
3. Fishing poles are the most common method of fishing today. A good survival fishing kit is compact and works well for harvesting a number of fish, when they are biting.  Having a good fishing rod and reel, is better and they often come with several accessories. I always add my favorite accessories: A) string which is the moss green braided SpyderWire. It is great for fishing, and small bell or can with rocks in it, makes a good trip line for  intruder detection at a good camp site. B) I also add a handy set of hooks, weights, and swivels. These and the SpyderWire alone will make a good compact fishing kit, but I also add C) various sizes of large strong hooks and some long light hooks.  D) I also highly recommend having at least one of the Trotlines that we will discuss later in your survival kit.  In a primitive survival situation, fish hooks can be made from wood, or pop tops. Cordage, or string can be made from grasses or some plants with long leaves or even some tree bark.
   
   
   
4. Hand fishing or noodling is a technique to catch spawning catfish that nest in tunnels, logs, pipes or any small shelter. Feeling around the bank and reaching into tunnels where large fish often are nesting, and covering their exit with their other hand or body, the fisherman (or woman) captures the fish by hand. This is effective, but seasonal and has some risk of finding a turtle or snake instead. Crayfish and clams can be harvested by hand or with your spear or other digging tool.
5. Nets can be highly productive as they will harvest fish, even when they are not feeding or moving about.  Gill nets, dip nets, seines and cast nets are common, with the latter (cast nets) being my favorite because it can catch any size fish even if they are not biting nor moving. Cast nets can be fragile if snagged with limbs.
   
   
   Gill nets work well if fish are on the move, but are often fragile. Dip nets are good for catching fish you can see in shallow water or land fish that you have caught by other means. Seines are generally for small bait fish but are usually large enough to catch a number of fish. They also work best with two people, one on each end.
6. Trotline, or multi-hook lines automatically catch multiple fish.  Multi-line sets much like the Fish YoYo's can also be productive. The advantage here is that there are multiple lines that can catch multiple fish, even unattended, when the fish are feeding.
   
   I highly recommend having at least one of these Trotlines in every survival kit.
7. Suffocation - Rotenone is a chemical that has historically been used by indigenous peoples to catch fish. Rotenone containing plants in the Fabaceae family of legumes (bean family) are crushed and introduced into a small or isolated body of water, and interferes with respiration, causing the affected fish rise to the surface in an attempt to gulp air, where they are more easily caught.  There are some health risk with using this chemical, but properly used, it can be effective.  Green walnut hulls or leaves, crushed and put in to a pool of water can work the same as well as poke salad berries, a.k.a American Pokeweed. 
8. Electrofishing, also known as telephoning as old manual phone generators were used to shock fish making them easy to catch.  This method is illegal for harvesting fish, but is used for surveying fish populations.
9. Bow fishing is effective when fish are in clear shallow water, making a Bow & Arrow a multi-functional tool for fishing and hunting game as well as security.  Wilderness Survival is difficult, if not impossible without the ability to harvest larger game.  For this reason, a Bow and Arrow would be on my TOP 10 List of survival tools, if I was on the TV show Alone. 

Here are some other good links on Survival Fishing:

3 Odd Techniques for Primitive Fishing
How to catch your own live bait
Noodling

Wilderness Survival Fishing
Paracord Fishing Lure
How to build a Minnow Trap
Foil Package Fishing Lures
How to make a Spear

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Top Rated Prepper Handbook Posts of all time 

 

Best Camp Sight Selection Criteria

What makes the best camp sight? Have you ever seen a camp get flooded by rising water levels or runoff down a hill? Clearly that is not a good sight. Start searching for your site well before dark. Water access is an important factor. Look at your topo map; open circles indicate flat land, while stacked lines ringing a site can be good windbreaks. Cold air flows downhill, so higher land will be warmer at night. Anticipate how terrain could intensify weather. Could a long valley become a wind tunnel? Where will the runoff flow in a storm? What will attract lightning? Use natural advantages, seek shady forests in the summer, maximize southern exposure on cold days, and "choose a dry, sunlit spot with a steady breeze in mosquito country. Think, Anticipate. Here is some good information inspired by BackCountry.com, a growing provider of quality camping gear.

Ground Surface

Where you choose to sleep will be an important decision when picking a campsite. It’s crucial to pick a spot with flat, well drained ground to pitch a tent.

Making sure that your flat ground is even is also important. Even ground with no sharp protrusions will help you sleep soundly. Flat areas covered in grass or sand are two prime choices, if available.

Shade

After flat ground, shade is the second most important factor when choosing a campsite. Having permanent shade throughout the day isn’t necessarily mandatory. But shade in the at the right time of day is nice. Being awoken at 7 a.m. by a blazing hot sun broiling your tent is unpleasant in hot weather. At the same time, morning sun will dry tents and warm you up on cold mornings.

In the desert, shade throughout the day is a plus. Just make sure you pick an open area to set it up, and be cautious of the infamous desert winds.

What’s Above You

For the sake of your own safety, always be aware of what’s looming above you. Don’t choose to set up beneath a dead tree branch with the reasoning that ‘it’s still standing, so it’s probably safe.’ Same goes for rock slide and avalanche paths, as well as pitching a tent beneath a loose rock ledge. Always be cautious of these sorts of hazards, because Mother Nature isn’t always forgiving.

What’s Around You

Not only is it important to think about what’s above you, it’s also smart to note what’s surrounding you. You may not want to be camped right on the water’s edge due to bugs, thirsty animals, and flooding risk. But if you’re out there hauling your own water, it sure does help to be relatively close to a water source so you’re not breaking your back lugging precious water about. (*JR note: Rising water levels can be a hazard and running water noise can impair hearing things that you may need to hear.  So within 100 yards of  fresh water for convenience, but not too close.*)

If your forecast notes high winds, consider settling down behind a windbreak such as large boulders or a stand of trees. Don’t be caught on the flat open ground during a windstorm—it’s not a pleasant experience.

Privacy

Although neighbors can be a good thing, you don’t always want another party 20 feet away from you. Finding yourself a little bit of privacy makes your camping experience all that much more enjoyable, and really highlights the excitement of getting out into the wilderness. This doesn’t mean you have to backpack in 10 miles, or four-wheel in for hours just to get away from everyone else (although this kind of privacy sometimes can’t be beat). It’s easy enough to get off the beaten path without overexerting yourself or your vehicle. So don’t settle for the first spot you see if it’s surrounded by other folks or too close to the trail. Go out and find yourself a new—and better—spot!

Space

With ground surface, shade, and privacy settled on, it’s now time to discuss ample camping space. If you’re out backpacking and pitching a sole tent, there’s not as much of a need for a ton of space. Alternatively, if you’re with a larger party and lots of gear, you’ll need to find yourself a bigger spot. Tent space and kitchen space are obviously two of the most important spatial factors. But don’t cut corners if there’s fun and games to be had. Be sure to choose areas which allow for any activities you may have brought along. After all, just because you’re camping doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice all the comforts of home.

When choosing your own area for a campsite, it’s important to just keep in mind what exactly it is that you’re looking for. The number of people, dogs or no dogs, activities, trail access, nearby water sources—all of these will play into your perfect camping spot. So go out there and find yourself in nature—just be sure to be safe, have fun, and always leave the area just as clean as you found it.

Security

In a SHTF scenario, you want a camp sight that offers concealment and cover yet provides a look out point or points with the ability to see and hear what is coming from a distance.  For large groups, set up camp in concentric rings, with the command post in the center.  Have three (or more) outposts in a triangle (symmetric) shape that can see and provide cover fire for each other.  An additional layer of outer security is good if you have the numbers to provide early engagement of intruders before they get to your camp, or to be behind them if they get through. A Scout or Patrol Team that is on the move provides an extra element of unpredictable security.  The use of Night Vision and Intruder Detectors are recommended.


Inspired by BoysLife.org: How to build a survival shelter

BAD PLACES TO BUILD A SHELTER

1. Anywhere the ground is damp.
2. On mountaintops and open ridges where you are exposed to cold wind.
3. In the bottom of narrow valleys where cold collects at night.
4. Ravines or washes where water runs when it rains or near water that might rise.
5. Near dead trees or ones with dead limbs that can fall in high winds.
6. By a single tree that towers above the rest that could serve as a lightning rod.
7. Rocky ledges or below loose, boulder-strewn slopes where falling rocks or even a full-blown landslide, mudslide or avalanche could wipe you out.

For additional information see the following links:  
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Emergency Essentials Disaster Preparedness

 

The above link provides useful information that is free to learn on the following topics and more.

Flood
Fires
Economic
Earthquake
Winter Storm
Tornado
Drought
Hurricane
Power Failure

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5 TIPS TO STAY SAFE DURING CIVIL UNREST

Germany is encouraging her citizens to get their emergency prep together, just in case of more civil unrest and other catastrophes. Venezuela is running out of food, and residents are taking to the streets.  We’ve even seen riots in our own streets here in the United States. Political demonstrations have a more threatening feeling than they have in the past. These are just a few examples of the unrest happening throughout the world, and if things continue how they’ve been going, things might get even worse.

When your streets turn ugly, there are certain steps to take that can help you stay safe. Hopefully you will never be in such a dangerous situation, but since things like demonstrations, riots, and civil unrest can happen abruptly, knowing what to do before it happens is crucial. These 5 steps can help you stay safe during civil unrest.

1. Stay Tuned

Literally. Information will be your best friend before and during a crisis situation such as civil unrest. Stay aware of any local situations that could escalate into riots. Know where the danger zones are and steer clear of them before unrest even hits its peak. The Survival Mom even suggests following rabble-rousers on Facebook or Twitter so when they publicize their events, you’ll know exactly where not to go. While a crisis is ongoing, keep your television and/or radio tuned to your local news station. Should the power be out, make sure you have an emergency radio (battery operated of hand-crank) so you will still have a way of gathering information.

2. Collect Resources

Just like any natural disaster or emergency, having the resources already on hand will be a tremendous help during times of civil unrest. Since there’s a good chance you will be confined to your home during these times, you will want to make sure you have enough food to get you through.

Civil unrest is often associated with looting and riots. As such, grocery stores may be emptied or, if they’re not, they may be difficult to get to due to blocked streets and dangerous situations. Having an emergency food storage will allow you to stay inside until things blow over.

Aside from food, collect alternate power and light sources, along with things to keep you warm, including sleeping bags and portable heaters. Power might get shut off due to demonstrations or riots, leaving you in the dark. Depending on the time of year, things could get uncomfortably cold. If you own a firearm, having sufficient ammunition to defend your home might also be in order. Be prepared for any situation.

3. Stay Home

One of the most important strategies in staying safe during civil unrest is to stay home. Home is generally the safest place to be during civil unrest. If you’re inside when riots or other unrest begins, don’t go out to get a better look. The last thing you want is to be involved in the chaos. However, should you find yourself outside of your house when unrest breaks out, stay away from the active areas and make your way back home as quickly as possible.

4. Have a Safe Room

Safe rooms are an important thing to have in your home, especially if you live in a high tornado or hurricane area. These disaster specific safe rooms can also be used to help protect you from not just natural disasters, but fire and looters as well. FEMA’s guidelines for safe rooms are mainly for natural disasters, but they can easily be upgraded for fireproofing and bulletproofing.

5. Situational Awareness

Being aware of your surroundings is important on a day to day level, but crucial during times of unrest. Keep your wits about you and your eyes and ears open. This means stay focused on getting out of a potentially bad situation. Keep your phone in your pocket (unless absolutely necessary), as focusing on a text or call can distract you from what’s really going on. Keep your focus on the present, at what is happening around you. This way, you can spot trouble before it escalates to an obvious level.

This entry was posted on September 14, 2016 by Emergency Essentials.

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The SHTF Day One

THE BIG EVENT HAS HIT, things are in TOTAL CHAOS. Thanks to the Red Flag Warnings, we are safe at our Retreat.

What now?

What do we do first?

1. Set up 24-7 Security with Night Vision and Communications.  Our post on Country Security can help.  If you are stuck in the city, put together a neighborhood security watch.  See Urban Security Plan. and the Security Patrol Pack post.  City dwellers should be prepared for Rioting and Looting.  The Prepper Handbook, available for $4.99 on Amazon, outlines a detailed home security plan.
2. Set up your Intruder Alarm systems and trip wires so you can detect unwanted visitors. Expect a Power Outage soon, if it has not already occurred. If you do have power, black it out at night, so you do not attract people to your home during the most difficult time to defend it.
3. Move your cars to set up a protective cover around your house to better secure the area. Block the road/drive to restrict access to unwanted guests.
4. Distribute Ammo at strategic lookout points and cache some off site for future needs (should already be done).  Hopefully you have enough Ammo.
5. If conditions permit, make one last trip out (armed) to stock up on any last minute supplies as in the future, Salvaging may be the only way left. Use credit cards as long as they are accepted. Then you should have enough cash to cover inflated prices while "Only Cash" is being accepted.  Then have enough Silver and goods for Barter after paper money becomes worthless. First Aid supplies will become important soon.
6. Store all the Water you can.  Fill tubs, pots, bottles, etc.
7. Reach out to your neighbors.  Set up Communications and begin to develop Actionable Intelligence.
8. Initiate Pandemic precautions if necessary. 
9. Rehearse your Group Security Drills (should already be done).
10. Along the road, or near the church, plant some Turnip seeds for the masses, perhaps some other Seeds for Survival. Turnips are cheap, grow well and are ready to eat in 20 days. This is for your defense because if people are starving, they will be willing to kill to feed their children. 
11. Hunker down, stay hidden and quite.  Do not draw attention to yourself.  Communicate only with trusted neighbors.  Try to survive the next few days without any casualties. Then start trying to organize your neighborhood. The Prepper Handbook, available for $4.99 on Amazon, outlines a detailed neighborhood organization plan. 

Later, plant any crops you can for this time of the year. See our post on Vegetable Planting Dates. Start as soon as you safely can because the Vegetable Days to Harvest is 20 to 120 days IF it is the right season.  You must have enough food stored to carry you through to the spring when planting normally occurs for most vegetables.

Do NOT expect to live on Wilderness Survival alone.

IF  you are NOT ready, see our Step by Step Prepper Plan to help get you there.

Print this out, along with other key information and save it in a file or note book.
Good Luck!

For more information:
Blog Table of Contents
Power Outage Preps
Power Outage Heater
DIY Solar System 
The SHTF Day One
Survive a 2 week Power Outage

Alone Survival Show Pack Contents

Alone Winners Pack List

As we watch the survival show Alone, we all think about what ten items we would pack. With season 3 finished, we know what things the winners packed. This could be a good indicator of what tools would help insure our success. 

But before we talk about what the winners packed, lets look at a few of the things that the winners did NOT take:

1. Bow and Arrows
2. 12 X 12 Ground Cloth
3. Roll of Duct Tape
4. Bivy Bag (Gore-Tex)
5. Food Rations

The Bow and Arrows could be used to harvest larger game for substantial food supplies that would make the difference between surviving and thriving. For this reason, it is something I would include in my list. Having made my own bow and being a decent shot with them, I know it is not easy task to get within re-curve bow range of wild game, but with out one, big game are impossible. Bow fishing is another avenue to food that such a tool offers. Winners didn't take food rations either, instead opting for long term tools over short term substance.

My list would also include the Bivy for warmer sleeping.  This would make it unnecessary to burn excessive calories building a more elaborate shelter. A tarp and para-cord lean-to will be sufficient.

Here are the common things selected by the winner:

1. Multi-seasonal sleeping bag that fits within provided backpack
2. Flint or ferrous rod set
3. 2 quart pot with lid
4. Ax
5. Hunting knife
6. Saw
7. 550 para-chord - 20m
8. Small gauge gill net (12' x 4' with 1.5" mesh)
9. Canteen or water bottle
10. Small shovel
11. Slingshot/Catapult + 30 steel ball bearings + 1 replacement band
12. 3.5 lb roll of trapping wire

Often I debate on whether to have an Ax or a Saw, but the winners took both. My list includes neither as I planed to use the Bivy in a mobile lean-to for shelter and burn logs in half instead of spending calories chopping or sawing them.  With the right hunting knife like a Tom Brown Tracker 1 Survival Knife, light chopping can be done.

Season 3 winner, Fowler, took a few unique tools including a Shovel, Leatherman and a sling shot although I never saw any of them giving him any advantage.  While Fowler did not take a hunting knife, his shovel was sharp for multi-purposes cutting and chopping making it a good multi-purpose tool. The Leatherman was also multi-purpose having a knife blade (he took no hunting knife), file, needle nose pliers, wire cutters (and more), which would have been handy had he taken the wire for snares. 

Season 1 winner, Alan, took a 3.5 lb roll of trapping wire, which was unique but used for snare traps, where as other participants used para-cord which failed because it was easy to chew through. He also took a Water Bottle, in addition to his 2 quart pot, which was a bit unique. With the importance of water, I can see the value in this rationale.

Below is the list that I would pick; what would you pick?

If there was no flowing or tide water, I might forgo the gill net and replace it with the water bottle.

My next step is to try using these 10 tools for a week long survival camp out to see how it works out. You might say that I'm in training for a future show.  I think it is safe to say that this is the best survival show on TV and that the $500,000 prize makes it even better. 

For additional information, see the following links:

 

Blog Table of Contents
Best Prepper Websites (vote for this one)
Complete Sustainable Living Plan

 

Alone Season 1 Pack List 

Alone Season 2 Pack List  

Alone Season 3 Pack List  

Alone Season 4 Pack List  

Alone Season 5 Pack List 

Alone Season 6 Pack List

Alone: The Beast S1 E1

Alone: The Beast S1 E2 

Alone Season 7 Pack List

Alone Season 8 Cast 

Alone Season 8 Pack List

 

Alone Winners Pack List

Alone Survival Plan  

Naked & Afraid Survival Plan 

Survive on a deserted island  

Wilderness Survival TEST

 

Survival Pack (Security Patrol or Bug Out pack)  

Wilderness Survival Pack (Video)  

Wilderness Survival  

Edible Wild Plants  

Greenbriar (catbriar) 

Cattails 

Dandelion  

Chickweed & Hackberries 

Survive on a Deserted Island

Top 10 List of Prepper info
Top Rated Prepper Handbook Posts of all time

Top Rated Prepper Website
Top 15 Prepper Movies or Shows

Or click on a label below for similar topics.

Free Trade vs Duties

The United States has long been in favor of Free Trade because, as a leader of the industrial revolution, we were a major exporter with a favorable trade balance. Having free trade and open markets we could export into was to our advantage.  But times have changed.

Starting in the 1990's the US began to see a trade deficit. Today we have a huge Trade Deficit where we buy over 1 Billion dollars PER DAY more than we sell.  That is one billion dollars poorer that our country becomes each day and one billion dollars per day richer that foreign business men become who then buy our US businesses.  Currently they own about half of them.

Free Trade is no longer an advantage for the US as we are now the worlds largest importer and largest consumer market. The only advantage that Free Trade offers now is to the Elected Officials who get the campaign contributions from the companies that benefit from all the jobs they have moved out of the US.

Key points to consider:

1. Both Corporate Taxes and Import Duties increase costs that are paid for by the consumer. 
2. Corporate Taxes on US companies causes them to be less competitive against foreign imports.
3. Import Duties make foreign imported products less competitive.
4. Which ever is the most competitive sees job growth, the other sees job losses. 

So the question is who do we want paying our taxes and being less competitive:  US Companies or Foreign Corporations?

But lets talk about the numbers to put things in perspective.  According to the World Trade Organization, the average duty charged by the US is 3.5%. (trade weighted average is 1.25%).  The average duty charged by the rest of the world is 9.2%. 

Using the 3.5% and 9.2% rates and the US 2016 trade, US Citizens paid approximately 101 Billion dollars more in tariffs than we collected. Unfortunately, no one seems to report this information. This may be the Free Trade that our special interest funded politicians talk about but it is NOT Fair Trade. 

Oh, but what about trade wars???? As the biggest market in the world, the other countries need the US far worse than we need them.  But the problem is, they do not play fair. For example, when George Bush applied fair tariffs, other countries retaliated with tariffs on US Cars and Oranges.  Why these?  Because they are produced by "Swing States" Michigan and Florida in the US Presidential Election.  Americans need a tough person negotiating with these countries, not our bought and paid for political candidates in our House and Senate. 

The solution is:

1. For every import in to the US; charge the highest tariff that the importing country charges the US on any product we export to their country.  If they want "Free Trade", then they must move to "Fair Trade."  How can anyone whine about this? This fixes the fair trade issue and saves 101 Billion dollars for American Citizens, although it may cost a lot of our politicians some campaign contributions. 
2. Then we cap monthly imports from every country at the same dollar value they buy from the US and phase it in over 6 years to minimize repercussions and give the US manufacturers time to gear up production and hire employees to meet what will soon be a growing demand.  
3. Any country or company that bucks the system is banned from importing in to the US for 1 year for the first offense; 5 years for the second and permanently for the third.  This includes trying to lobby or bribe our politicians with campaign donations. 

Problem solved.

Will there be some hiccups, yes, but often we must take one step back to take two steps forward.

Conclusions:

1. Free Trade is NOT good for American Citizens. 
2. Free Trade IS good for companies that exported our jobs overseas and wants to bring the cheap Wal Mart Quality junk back in to the US to sell it.  Further, they will spend millions to brain wash the American public and buy off our politicians.

 

For additional information see the following:

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