Civil Defense: On What the Future of Civilization Depends

Civil defense depends on civilization.

Civilization, in turn, depends on married couples co-creating children with God.

For American civilization, this is especially true.

Below is my poem, On What the Future of Civilization Depends, and the story behind the poem, to encourage young people to marry and have children.

Many, many years ago a Nor' Easterner tore up the East Coast doing it's usual catastrophic damage to cities, towns, and neighborhoods.

Always eager to see a disaster up-close and how Americans responded to it, I drove down to Ocean City, MD. The Nor' Easterner had swept away most of the beach there. Always searching for civil defense lessons from natural and manmade disasters, I wanted to view the damage and how Americans were recovering from it.

When I taught Emergency Management at the Emergency Management Institute in Emmitsburg, MD in the late 1980's, I first learned that Ocean City never should have been located where it was. Basically a floating island covering and surrounded by an ocean and bay that regularly floods, it was a poor choice for where to locate a city.

But like many American cities built near flood zones, like Pittsburgh, PA for example where the mighty Monongahela and Susquehanna rivers collide in their downtown area, it was built near water because of all the advantages water offers.

But because Ocean City, NJ is basically a floating island, when huge water events like a Nor' Easterner strike, millions of tons of sand are swept away along with any houses, businesses or buildings on that sand.

"Build not your house on sand!" the Bible tells us, and Ocean City is an example. It is why the state of Maryland spends hundreds of millions of dollars pumping sand from the Atlantic Ocean back onto the beaches there. If they did not do so, nature would reclaim the city into the Atlantic Ocean before too long.

As I drove around Ocean City that day, the damage to the beach and beach houses and businesses was extensive, almost breathtaking. The tons of incoming ocean water combined with the backflow from the bay water had created a pincer movement that took out millions of tons of beach front and properties to the depths of the Atlantic Ocean.

Then, in those moments God blesses us with when our awareness is at its peak as when viewing massive storm damage I saw a stunning site. A group of teen age guys were circling a block trying to get the attention of several teen age girls who were laughing and flirting back and forth with them.

I flashed back on my own teen age years doing the same in Wildwood, Ocean City, Barnegat, Brigantine, Cape May and other New Jersey vacation spots. Having grown up in Philadelphia I regularly went "down the shore" and engaged in the same flirting, romance and fun with girls that these guys were doing.

Instead of concentrating on the heart-breaking disaster damage that was all around that I came down to see and analyze, I was amazed at the teen agers ability to ignore the horror and instead laugh, romance and have fun.

That Holy Spirit inspiration struck hard, I pulled the car over, grabbed some scrap paper from the glove box, and wrote the following poem: "On What the Future of Civilization Depends."

When painting houses in high school, before the electrical accident that changed my life, I painted the house of a brilliant alcoholic. He was kind enough to let me borrow from his extensive library as I worked for him. 

I was fortunate at 16 to be able to read their Eleven Volume Story of Civilization, and especially the final 102 page Lessons of History where they summarized the lessons they learned from their study of mankind and the civilizations he created. I say fortunate because that book eventually led me to write the poem On What the Future of Civilization Depends.

Will and Ariel Durant in their epic Lessons of History note that although history is the study of the lives of the kings and queens, it is more important that the peasants down by the water continue to procreate if civilization is to continue.

I see so many young people who have, sadly, given up on romancing, marrying and having children. Yet, the American Civilization, especially now, can only survive and grow strong if they do marry and have children.

I include my poem, On What the Future of Civilization Depends, in this post in hopes it inspires some young Americans to marry and procreate beautiful children. Otherwise, our great American Experiment is history. 

On What the Future of Civilization Depends

The third of the summer blondes
Asks the streetcornered muscled boys.
"Right here, baby!  Get outta dat car
And come over here! 
We'll show youse how ta party!"
Smiles Tenderness Tony to his friends
First, and then to the summer blondes,
Fully aware of what hangs in the balance.
 
"Well, we're kinda lookin' for real men.
Youse guys don't look old enough
Ta drive our cars or even work on our engines!
Wheel it Angela!" laughs Marie.
 
They cruise around the Wildwood block,
Circle and return, compelled by a mating ceremony
As old as any migrating naked rhizopod's
As insistent as any remoras on a tiger shark
As powerful as any copulating American saddle horses.
 
At the same time Tenderness Tony and Angela circle each other warily,
Hundreds of thousands of others dance the same dance floor
To repeat ancient and glorious tribal mating rites
Less understood than the circling rites of shark whales off Tahiti.
 I know many who do not see the wonder of this.
Instead, they spend their days saying to whoever will listen,
"See!  See there!  This life is only abuse, death, destruction,
Hate and finally pain, pain, pain and cruelty!"
And it is not just journalists saying this these days.
 

Perhaps such as these have never visited Wildwood, NJ
At the height of the mating season.
For there, on any given sultry summer night
When the air is as thick with mating pheromones
As the Brazilian rain forest, everything is possible.
 
"Youse guys still where the party is tonight?"
Now it is Maria talking, newly revealed as the princes in waiting
Who throws out the challenge to all willing to chance the future.
All three boys respond by raising themselves high
To preen their feathered haircuts like cocks
About to meet their flaring hens.
 
"Yeah, Baby!  I'm here for youse only tonight!
He's "VAA VAA VOOOMM Vic!  I'm Tenderness Tony
Dis here's happiness itself,
Whose otherwise known as Loverboy Louie."
 
This night laden with romance and possibility,
Despite the miles of backed up traffic
Tens of thousands in cars, clubs, bars,
All along these dazzling street-lit courting avenues
Rhythmically step to this genetically programmed dance
Unbothered by anything but the moment of contact.
 

Like a novice nun fingering her rosary,
Theresa brushes her hair with tender strokes
As Maria parks the car in one swift motion.
All three watch the boys in the car mirror,
Well aware of what their charged rituals
Are producing in the awaiting Tony, Vic, and Louie.
Each reapplies her love-red glossy candy flavored lipstick,
Sprays wave after wave of perfume on her neck and breasts
And saunters over to her instant date for that night.
 
For those who snootily laugh at these young people,
Who dismiss their substandard English or their different ways,
I ask youse to please consider the following.
 
It is on the perpetual success of such everyday rituals
Far more than on what laws Congress passes,
Or what breakthroughs our medical schools make,
Or what discount rate the Fed establishes,
Or what new worlds the Hubbell discovers,
Or what programs the President proposes,
That the future of civilization depends.
 
"Youse guys ready to party?" Shouts Marie.
"Yooooooooo!!! Honey!  The party's just begun!"
Answers Tenderness Tony.  "The party's just begun!"
 

Seventeen years later,
Within a mile of where her parents met,
The oldest of Tony and Marie's girls'
Drives by some guys on the corner of 58th and Atlantic
In "Wildwood by the Sea,"
And shouts, "YO! Youse guys know where the party is tonight?"
When she does, on the successful answer to her question,
Will the future of civilization depend.
"YO! Youse guys know where the party is tonight?"

On What the Future of Civilization was first published in Under a Gull's Wing: Poems and Photographs of the Jersey Shore, Edited by Rich Youmans and Frank Finale, by Down The Shore Publishing, Harvey Cedars, NJ, 08008, First Printing 1996. You may order a copy here.

Here is a fuller explanation of the Durant's fertility lesson.

4. Life must breed. 

Nature has no use for anything that cannot reproduce abundantly.

“The third biological lesson of history is that life must breed. Nature has no use for organisms, variations, or groups that cannot reproduce abundantly. 

She has a passion for quantity as prerequisite to the selection of quality; she likes large litters, and relishes the struggle that picks the surviving few; doubtless she looks on approvingly at the upstream race of a thousand sperms to fertilize one ovum. 

She is more interested in the species than in the individual, and makes little difference between civilization and barbarism. She does not care that a high birth rate has usually accompanied a culturally low civilization, and a low birth rate a civilization culturally high; and she (here meaning Nature as the process of birth, variation, competition, selection, and survival) sees to it that a nation with a low birth rate shall be periodically chastened by some more virile and fertile group.” 

(Think Red China over the United States.)

“If the human brood is too numerous for the food supply, Nature has three agents for restoring the balance: famine, pestilence, and war.”

“Naturally, you would expect that the educated would inherit the Earth. The fertile inherit the Earth…it teaches the law of biology that you have to breed as well as breathe.”

GoDark Bags for your Constitutional Right to Privacy

You have a Constitutionally-guaranteed right to privacy.

With so much Big Tech, Big Business, Big Media, and Big Government power, technology and data gathering means to deny your Constitutionally-guaranteed right to privacy, it can seem hopeless at times to protect yourself and your family from their ability to track your movement, life, and identity.

But it is not hopeless. 

GoDark Bags offer one tool to blind their unwanted, intrusive power to monitor, track and control your daily life.

TACDA.ORG is now offering a way to protect your privacy by using a GoDark Bag.

It is essentially a Faraday cage in a bag that protects your privacy.

You can order one for your phone here.

GoDark Faraday Bag for Cell Phones

$49.95 $47.45

The GoDark Faraday Bag, an industrial strength Faraday bag from Tarriss, protects your cell phone from location tracking, hacking, and damage due to external EMF by blocking all outgoing and incoming EMF signals between 600 MHz and 6 GHz, including GPS, Cell Phone, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

Stop Cell Phone Tracking & Block EMF Signals to Protect Your Privacy, Health & Electronics – Phone Size

SIGNAL BLOCKING THAT WORKS ™

The GoDark Faraday Bag, an industrial strength Faraday bag from Tarriss, protects your cell phone from location tracking, hacking, and damage due to external EMF by blocking all outgoing and incoming EMF signals between 600 MHz and 6 GHz, including GPS, Cell Phone, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

Made to be used, not just talked about, GoDark Faraday Bags were made from the ground up with exceptional signal blocking, superior durability and uncompromising construction quality. GoDark Bags were built for the elements and have been thoroughly tested by a third party lab to ensure they perform as expected, making them the trusted choice among IT security professionals, law enforcement, and elite military units across the world.

Signal Blocking for:

• EMF Frequencies between 600 MHz – 6 GHz

Including:

• Cellular Signals: CDMA, GSM, DCS, 3G, 4G, 5G, LTE
• Wifi (2.4 – 5 GHz)
• Bluetooth (2.4 GHz)
• GPS (1-2 GHz)

MADE FOR THE ELEMENTS

• A VERY DURABLE 600D Poly Outer Shell with a PU face coat and a TPU backing that is both water and puncture resistant ensures signal blocking does not become compromised with regular wear and tear. Ideal for indoor and outdoor use.
• SAFETY FIRST – Inner felt liner protects your device and prevents accidental screen activation allowing you to leave the device on while it’s in the bag ensuring quick access to your powered-up phone in an emergency.

• LIGHTWEIGHT – At under 3oz, the GoDark Faraday Bag for phones is lightweight, portable and easily fits into your life wherever life takes you.
• GUARANTEED FOR LIFE – We believe in our products and stand by the quality and performance of our premium GoDark Faraday bags with a lifetime guarantee.

No Guesswork Needed

After much testing we specifically chose a tailor-made roll-top design because we believe it provides the best failure-free signal blocking closure on the market.

With our roll-top closure and sturdy strap it’s only a simple glance to visually verify your GoDark Faraday Bag is properly closed and fully protecting you.

Privacy Without Compromising Safety

The inner felt liner allows for privacy without compromising your safety. The liner ensures the metallic 

blocking material cannot inadvertently activate your touchscreen, including gestures when the screen is off, allowing you to keep your device powered on while in the bag.

Take comfort in knowing you can have your phone out with photos rolling or emergency calls dialed while others are still waiting for their phone to power-up.

Consistently Reliable EMF Signal Blocking

Trusting your Faraday bag to work as well in the field tomorrow as it does today is important, which is why we’ve taken great care to ensure the signal blocking abilities of the GoDark Faraday Bag do not become compromised with regular wear and tear.

GoDark bags are made with very durable 600D Poly Outer Shell with a PU face coat and a TPU backing that is both water and puncture resistant. A thin inner padding and felt liner further protect the signal blocking material from being damaged with repeated use.

Phone Bag Sizing Guide

When determining if your phone will fit be sure to compare your phone dimensions to the inner dimensions of the GoDark Faraday Bag. If you don’t see your phone listed below, measure the height and width of your device in inches or centimeters. If it’s less than the inner dimensions shown here, it will fit.

Phone:

Phone Bag – 8.25 x 4.5″ (Outside), 6.75 x 3.25″ (Inside)

Up to iPhone 12 Pro Max, Samsung Galaxy S10+, Google Pixel 4 XL

TIP #1: Always be sure that the roll-top is rolled over twice and the strap fastened to the Tarriss plate on the front of the bag to ensure that signals are properly blocked.

 TIP #2 – While it may be tempting to charge your device while it is in the bag, this may compromise the integrity of the shielding and put your privacy at risk. To be on the safe side, never use it with any protruding cables as the cable may act as an antenna carrying the signal into the bag.

TIP #3 – Never force a device in or out of the bag. Your device should be able to slide in or out easily by simply tipping the bag.

 TIP #4 – To clean your GoDark Privacy bag, use a damp cloth to clean the outer surface. Keep in mind that it is not a dry bag. It should not be submerged in water or put in the washing machine.

 TIP #5 – Stay Safe, Stay Current and Mind Your EMF Signals

Keeping up with the rapidly changing world of digital privacy and EMF signal blocking is challenging at best. As a customer of ours you’ll periodically receive info about new products and special customer discounts, as well as fresh content about signal blocking, location tracking, contact tracing and digital privacy direct to your inbox.

And you can order one for your tablet here.

GoDark Faraday Bag for Tablets

$69.97 $66.47

The GoDark Faraday Bag, an industrial strength Faraday bag from Tarriss, protects your tablet from location tracking, hacking, and damage due to external EMF by blocking all outgoing and incoming EMF signals between 600 MHz and 6 GHz, including GPS, Cell Phone, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

Stop Cell Phone Tracking & Block EMF Signals to Protect Your Privacy, Health & Electronics – Tablet size

SIGNAL BLOCKING THAT WORKS ™

The GoDark Faraday Bag, an industrial strength Faraday bag from Tarriss, protects your tablet and electronics from location tracking, hacking, and damage due to external EMF by blocking all outgoing and incoming EMF signals between 600 MHz and 6 GHz, including GPS, Cell Phone, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

Made to be used, not just talked about, GoDark Faraday Bags were made from the ground up with exceptional signal blocking, superior durability and uncompromising construction quality. GoDark Bags were built for the elements and have been thoroughly tested by a third party lab to ensure they perform as expected, making them the trusted choice among IT security professionals, law enforcement, and elite military units across the world.

Signal Blocking for:

• EMF Frequencies between 600 MHz – 6 GHz

Including:

• Cellular Signals: CDMA, GSM, DCS, 3G, 4G, 5G, LTE
• Wifi (2.4 – 5 GHz)
• Bluetooth (2.4 GHz)
• GPS (1-2 GHz)

MADE FOR THE ELEMENTS

• A VERY DURABLE 600D Poly Outer Shell with a PU face coat and a TPU backing that is both water and puncture resistant ensures signal blocking does not become compromised with regular wear and tear. Ideal for indoor and outdoor use.
• SAFETY FIRST – Inner felt liner protects your device and prevents accidental screen activation allowing you to leave the device on while it’s in the bag ensuring quick access to your powered-up phone in an emergency.

• LIGHTWEIGHT – At under 7oz, the GoDark Faraday Bag for tablets is lightweight, portable and easily fits into your life wherever life takes you.
• GUARANTEED FOR LIFE – We believe in our products and stand by the quality and performance of our premium GoDark Faraday bags with a lifetime guarantee.

No Guesswork Needed

After much testing we specifically chose a tailor-made roll-top design because we believe it provides the best failure-free signal blocking closure on the market.

With our roll-top closure and sturdy strap it’s only a simple glance to visually verify your GoDark Faraday Bag is properly closed and fully protecting you.

Privacy Without Compromising Safety

The inner felt liner allows for privacy without compromising your safety. The liner ensures the metallic 

blocking material cannot inadvertently activate your touchscreen, including gestures when the screen is off, allowing you to keep your device powered on while in the bag.

Take comfort in knowing you can have your phone out with photos rolling or emergency calls dialed while others are still waiting for their phone to power-up.

Consistently Reliable EMF Signal Blocking

Trusting your Faraday bag to work as well in the field tomorrow as it does today is important, which is why we’ve taken great care to ensure the signal blocking abilities of the GoDark Faraday Bag do not become compromised with regular wear and tear.

GoDark bags are made with very durable 600D Poly Outer Shell with a PU face coat and a TPU backing that is both water and puncture resistant. A thin inner padding and felt liner further protect the signal blocking material from being damaged with repeated use.

Tablet Bag Sizing Guide

When determining if your tablet will fit be sure to compare your tablet dimensions to the inner dimensions of the GoDark Faraday Bag. If you don’t see your device listed below, measure the height and width of your device in inches or centimeters. If it’s less than the inner dimensions shown here, it will fit.

Tablet:

Tablet Bag – 12.25 x 9.5″ (Outside), 10.25 x 8.5″ (Inside)

Up to iPad 10.5, Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 LTE, Amazon Fire HD 8

TIP #1: Always be sure that the roll-top is rolled over twice and the strap fastened to the Tarriss plate on the front of the bag to ensure that signals are properly blocked.

 TIP #2 – While it may be tempting to charge your device while it is in the bag, this may compromise the integrity of the shielding and put your privacy at risk. To be on the safe side, never use it with any protruding cables as the cable may act as an antenna carrying the signal into the bag.

TIP #3 – Never force a device in or out of the bag. Your device should be able to slide in or out easily by simply tipping the bag.

 TIP #4 – To clean your GoDark Privacy bag, use a damp cloth to clean the outer surface. Keep in mind that it is not a dry bag. It should not be submerged in water or put in the washing machine.

 TIP #5 – Stay Safe, Stay Current and Mind Your EMF Signals

Keeping up with the rapidly changing world of digital privacy and EMF signal blocking is challenging at best. As a customer of ours you’ll periodically receive info about new products and special customer discounts, as well as fresh content about signal blocking, location tracking, contact tracing and digital privacy direct to your inbox.

Preppers: Keep the Spiritual Side Most Supplied

When I was interviewed on an emergency management podcast, the interviewer asked a trick question: "What is the difference between civil defense, preppers, and FEMA." 

My quick answer was, "Civil defense is in the title, it is for civilians interested in protecting themselves, their families, and the United States of America. Preppers are preparing for the whole treat matrix. FEMA just writes checks."

He was a little startled by my answer. If I were to say it again, I would include that preppers need to emphasize the spiritual more and the material less. 

Or, as Zack Williams says, "A little more Jesus, a little less me."

The commentary below says it all.

Find the original here and here.

COMMENTARY

The Importance of ‘Prepping’ – Spiritually Preparing for ‘Whatever’

 By John Horvat II | August 15, 2019 | 2:33pm EDT

There have always been Americans who have prepared themselves for apocalypses, revolutions or major disasters. Some have taken reasonable measures to stockpile essentials. Others have indulged in elaborate concrete bunkers with every material comfort.

Hardcore “doomsday prepping” or the significant stockpiling of food, weapons, medicine and other supplies used to be reserved for people on the fringe of things. Prepper suppliers have thrived by capitalizing upon these niche markets fueled by the fear of societal breakdown scenarios.

As valid as material concerns may be, spiritual needs are more important. A changing American mood suggests that prepping may soon entail much more than choosing irradiated food menus.

The Changing Prepper A new study published in the Journal of American Studies claims that a culture of fear is gripping America. Prepping is now going mainstream and upstream as this fear expands to all social classes. No longer looking for Armageddon, people are extending their preparations to include the threat of “whatever.” 

They want to be prepared “just in case” something terrible happens.  The trend corresponds to a mood in polarized America that is hard to define. Most Americans do not suffer from extreme material want. However, they do experience a sense of foreboding about the future.

The recent shootings in El Paso and Dayton by deranged individuals have only served to increase the sense of insecurity and uncertainty. It is hard to feel safe when even a trip to WalMart can become a risky adventure.   

As frightening as the shootings are, the vitriol of the national debate adds to the sense of angst. The terms of the debate are changing so that any word (or pronoun) can be termed racist, hateful or some kind of -phobic. A climate where anything can be weaponized makes life impossible.

Thus, a generalized feeling of uneasiness pervades. There is a sense that something is not right in America. It is hard to say exactly what’s coming. It is even harder to prepare for this murky future. Anything can happen when there is no longer a notion of what is right and wrong. Any place can serve as a theater stage to express rage and political drama.

 What Preppers Fear

This foreboding is reflecting in the prepper report. Researchers from the United Kingdom surveyed preppers from 18 U.S. states to find out why they are stockpiling food and supplies. They found that radical liberal agendas and policies, while still important, are no longer the top concerns.  

Unlike the past, their fears now tend to be less political and more headline oriented. Prepper concerns include economic crashes, terrorist attacks, cyber-attacks, pandemics, and environmental disasters.

Fearing Fear Itself

However, their worst threat is fear itself. Preppers feel threatened by the overall sense of fear that permeates society.

"Fear is now deeply entrenched in modern American culture and is the principal reason that so many citizens are engaging in ‘prepping,'" says lead author Dr. Michael Mills.

The fear reflects a steady decline in mediating institutions like the family, community and church that help people cope with danger.

In addition, the study mentions a lack of trust in government. The researchers say that the frequent recommendations from the U.S. government on how to prepare for disasters like hurricanes or other natural disasters have contributed to the increasing number of preppers from all sectors in American society.

“Rather than seeing prepping as an exception within America’s right-wing political culture,” Mills continues, “we ought to see it as being reflective of increasingly established and popular outlooks.”

The new preppers have less confidence in government to resolve problems. They feel that if disaster strikes, the government’s response would not be enough. Most people would need to depend on themselves and their stockpiled goods.

Fear: A Spiritual Condition

However, these stockpiles will not be enough in the coming times. Each material good that is stockpiled corresponds to a physical need. People know that in times of scarcity, for example, they will need food. In the face of extreme danger to property, they will need firearms to protect themselves.  

However, there is no material good that specifically corresponds to a prevailing fear. Fear is a spiritual condition that needs a corresponding spiritual good to alleviate it. 

Fear, by definition, is an unsettlement of the soul that comes from the apprehension of some present or future danger.

Thus, the modern-day prepper should “stockpile” the spiritual wherewithal to overcome fear. This key ingredient is by far the most urgent.

The Need for Certitude of the Spiritual Prepper

Fear is caused by insecurity in the face of uncertainty. Thus, the spiritual prepper needs to collect certainties to overcome fear in times of crisis.

Certainty should come in the form of strong convictions tied to an objective moral law that helps people distinguish between right and wrong, truth and error. It also involves a willingness to act upon these certainties and communicate them to others.

Certitude is a product of the virtue of prudence, by which right reason is applied to actions. Prudence introduces into human action those norms of experience, common sense and balance that make life human, flexible and practical. For this reason, prudence is also called practical wisdom.

Like all virtues, prudence is a habit. Thus, the practice of prudence will allow a person to stockpile habits that will prove useful in times of adversity and “whatever.”

These certainties are fortified yet more when based on the moral teachings and truths of the Church. The soul can find the height of certainty in prayer when practicing the habit of confiding in God for all needs.

As prepping grows in today’s polarized America, preppers should realize the limitations of stockpiling only material goods.  By far, more important is the spiritual prepping that gives people the skills and character necessary to be prepared “just in case” something terrible happens. 

John Horvat II is a scholar, researcher, educator, international speaker, and author of the book Return to Order: From a Frenzied Economy to an Organic Christian Society--Where We've Been, How We Go Here, and Where We Need to Go. He lives in Spring Grove, Pennsylvania, where he is the vice president of the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property.