[Steve28]

around the earth from north pole to south pole instead of around the equator.

Yes, we know what it means. And neither of those countries has a satellite doing that.

Let alone a nuclear launch platform.

 

[kokosmom2]

My wife has been my partner in all our prepping for the past 3 years, but pretty much left all the real planning to me. She watched this episode with me and freaked.

"ARE WE PREPPING FOR THIS EMP THING!" WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO!"


It was kinda cute...

That made me smile. The reason I started prepping (and joining hubby in it) was because I saw an EMP show on Discovery/TLC/NatGeo (I don't remember which one), but I was like your wife...freaked me out.

 

[MissileD11]

To think that North Korea does NOT have the technology or incentive to do something is naive........in my opinion. Plus, we really DON'T have any true idea of what their capabilities are..............just like we don't know what Russia's intentions are...........oh wait.......Russia is our "friend" according to the administration. So, all is good.

 

[shootmor]

small

The miniature devices are what poses the greatest threat. That is all that is required to create a devastating EMP and what is required by the limitations of their present missile systems.

 

[McGuyversurvivor]

well doggone,, my take on this forum is often that a few of the folks here carry paranoia to an extreme and inflate the potential for, and potency of various, SHTF scenarios...

but now here we have a very real triple threat, (Hacking, EMP, and simple shooting holes in transformers) to the grid, and several members are minimizing the various scenarios posed by others

and here we are always ranting that the Sheeple have their heads in the sand like ostriches ready for plucking

seems like the sheeple are not the only ones in denial and wishful thinking

and Btw,, I thought "Woolsey " as mentioned earlier,, was an ADMIRAL ,, not a politician

 

[Steve28]

well doggone,, my take on this forum is often that a few of the folks here carry paranoia to an extreme and inflate the potential for, and potency of various, SHTF scenarios...

but now here we have a very real triple threat, (Hacking, EMP, and simple shooting holes in transformers) to the grid, and several members are minimizing the various scenarios posed by others

and here we are always ranting that the Sheeple have their heads in the sand like ostriches ready for plucking

seems like the sheeple are not the only ones in denial and wishful thinking

and Btw,, I thought "Woolsey " as mentioned earlier,, was an ADMIRAL ,, not a politician

Thing is, I saw the power go out for 55 million people in 2003. Watched it on CNN. Power was out for 2 days, then it was restored. It sucked, but the world didn't end either.

 

[shootmor]

Frank Gaffney

I was impressed with Frank and immediately ordered his book-Guilty Knowledge- from Amazon.
If you noticed he thanked Judge Jeannine for the "Incalculable" service she is doing for the country. We need people like her that doesn't beat around the bush but says it like she means it and the way it should be done.
There are a number of notable people taking notice of and working on this problem. If all the people that are aware of the situation will spread the word and put pressure on the government we will eventually get something done.

 

[shootmor]

Woolsey

I think Woolsey was an Admiral, an Ambassador and the head of the CIA. It would seem that he would be very knowledgable about this situation and he doesn't beat around the bush when discussing it.
My guess is that the powers that be know that Iran doesn't have a bomb at this time Iran being very easy to spy on internally by us and the Israelis so they can put off the problem for now. They know that North Korea has the bomb and missiles but haven't been able to put it all together YET. I think our people are beginning to be concerned as North Korea keeps surprising them with developments we didn't think they were capable of.
The problem is that it will take years to protect ourselves after we get started. There is no question that North Korea will be ready to take us out before we are ready.
I think North Korea will take us out the minute they are able. One tiny country that hates us with a passion and has already threatened our destruction and that we have kept corralled with our thumb on them wouldn't hesitate to annihilate the Great Satan.

 

[Steve28]

I think North Korea will take us out the minute they are able. One tiny country that hates us with a passion and has already threatened our destruction and that we have kept corralled with our thumb on them wouldn't hesitate to annihilate the Great Satan.

You are out of your mind. Actually it's more like woefully uninformed. One might even suggest dangerously stupid. 'The Great Satan' is a term applied by Iran to the US - a term applied by Muslim fundamentalists. North Korea is not a religious state, they have no deathwish. They don't believe Allah will reward them for destroying the Great Satan. They want recognition as a world power and will work to that goal. They will not attack the US with WMD's just because they can (if they ever can). They'd be squashed by China without the US having to lift a finger if they ever tried. Baby Kim doesn't have a deathwish.

 

[Ricekila]

I have it on now --- very truthful so far --

 

[allye]

Thing is, I saw the power go out for 55 million people in 2003. Watched it on CNN. Power was out for 2 days, then it was restored. It sucked, but the world didn't end either.

We've had two week outages here due to Katrina and ice storms that would've lasted longer if power crews from all over the US hadn't flooded in to help local crews. People made it because they were prepared, had neighbors who were prepared that helped them, or they went to shelters.

Stretch that timeframe out and make it a national (or continental) rather than regional event with community/state/national resources depleted, and the world will end for a lot of folks.

You've set your parameters for prepping and obviously don't include a widespread, extended grid down event as part of your concerns. But you make yourself look an ostrich when you refuse to consider the warnings of people who have served in high positions in US military and intelligence services.

 

[Steve28]

You've set your parameters for prepping and obviously don't include a widespread, extended grid down event as part of your concerns. But you make yourself look an ostrich when you refuse to consider the warnings of people who have served in high positions in US military and intelligence services.

On the contrary. I'm in Canada - grid down is our most common problem. We get bad weather up here. That's what I'm prepped for. The lights going out at -20 isn't any big thing, and happens frequently.

What I'm saying is a permanent grid down is unlikely. If it does happen it will not be a precipating event, rather a result of a different precipitating event. Economic collapse for example. Global pandemic maybe. Something where maintence staff stay home rather than maintaining the grid.

 

[shootmor]

Well Stevie I had no idea you were a genius. I am well aware of who calls us the great satan-I was using the term for our own consumption. It's not my fault that you can't figure anything out

 

[13ella]

I'm baffled at the backlash of those arguing that this whole threat thing is about fear mongering or is propaganda. Whether or not Iran or N. Korea have satellites in polar orbit or not isn't really the issue here. What is at issue is that our grid is vulnerable. We know how to better protect it, but we don't.

Allies of today may not be our allies of tomorrow. The sun will continue to flare. People will continue to take potshots at power stations. Will you also argue that this is somehow not true, also?

Why would anyone want to argue against our grid being hardened? Is there some sort of tin foil hat theory going around that says hardening our grid would be a bad thing? Precursor to the FEMA internment camps perhaps?

Look, when there was a lot of chatter about Iran getting the nuke, I argued against any type of action. I didn't see evidence of it, despite the propaganda. (I'm rethinking that one, btw.) But the show wasn't arguing that we should eliminate these threats by going to war...it simply suggested that it may be in our best interest to ask Congress to take action to harden our grid.

 

[shootmor]

proven

The reason for emphasizing the polar orbits is that the experts say that that is the way that a nuclear device would be delivered to the USA. Both North Korea and Iran now have satellites in polar orbit. All countries know about Nuclear devices generating EMPs.

 

[shootmor]

Satellites

There is some very interesting info available about satellite wars. The US is vulnerable because we have developed large satellites that perform many jobs so if one of them is taken out it would cause major problems. The US is now working toward many small satellites as is China. The US has satellites that can capture other satellites and has many ways to take them out of service. China is putting a lot of effort in developing that capability.
I have no doubt but that the US, Russia and China have nuclear devices in orbit that would knock out the others electrical grids.

 

[East Coast Woods]

Did someone not knock out power to many with some gun fire a few weeks ago in California? How about if they used something a bit stronger, to such a point that spare parts were not available. Don't many parts have to be imported from overseas?

 

[oddgunner]

Here is my take. We can barely keep a lid on the inner cities as it is. I believe IF the WHOLE grid went down, we would have maybe 3 or 4 days MAX. After that you better be long gone and far away. If they thought for a second that the power was not coming back on anytime soon, the carnage would make Mad Max look like Sesame Street. We in this country AS A WHOLE, are way to reliant on electricity.

Fear would rip this country apart. No communication would be our worst enemy. Without any leadership people will panic, and do some really stupid things.

Look I have seen scared people do things that you just cant believe. Many people drowning have killed the very person trying to rescue them. Dont think for a second this does not apply to all walks of life and everyone in them.

Of all the bad things that could happen, a dead grid would be by far the worst. Do other counties have the ability to take out our grid? Some without a doubt, others not so much. In our lifetime we have seen a few men bent on killing every one in America. If Bin Laden, could have had his way none of us would be here now.

I hope to god it never happens, but DON'T THINK FOR A SECOND, THAT THERE IS NOT SOMEONE OUT THERE PLANNING IT RIGHT NOW.

Maybe wouldn't hurt for the government to be a little proactive for a change.

 

[Grotius]

Many are focused on some physical action that deliberately takes down the grid, such as the attack in California.

But the same result could be obtained via a software attack. Someone who wants to take down the US grid doesn't necessarily have to either physically be present to do it, nor do they need to physically destroy transformers and infrastructure.

If they have necessary access to the software that controls the infrastructure, they can attack and disable the software, and hence take down the grid, from nearly anywhere on the planet.

In fact, something very similar has already happened, and it caused the biggest blackout in North American history to date:

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/2003-blackout-five-years-later/

This was more an accident than it was deliberate, but the fact is that a software bug resulted in a massive blackout - in which a number of people died. What can occur by accident, can also be deliberately caused...

 

[McGuyversurvivor]

On the contrary. I'm in Canada - grid down is our most common problem. We get bad weather up here. That's what I'm prepped for. The lights going out at -20 isn't any big thing, and happens frequently.

What I'm saying is a permanent grid down is unlikely. If it does happen it will not be a precipating event, rather a result of a different precipitating event. Economic collapse for example. Global pandemic maybe. Something where maintence staff stay home rather than maintaining the grid.

Steve, perhaps you did not see the program

they brought out that the big transformers,, which number installed is appx 2000 in the US are handmade, OVERSEAS in S KOrea , Germany and India.. and take about a year to deliver JUST ONE !! from time of order,, I think they said there are only 2 spares in the US

and they are not generaly interchangeable , each is desined to interface with a specific circuit at a specific substation

these are just big versions of the PCB filled (or they used to be PCBs) oil cooled transformers yu see on power poles on your street.
and they can be ruined by hi power rifle fire,

they said, if enough of these went out,, the power would not be back for a coulpe years or even several,, and that without power the die off in one year was estimated at 90 % (gov't estimate, not some wild eyed survivalist fantasy )

one of the big gov't guys, (Sec'y of somehitn or the other under Reagan) said after one year of continent wide grid down in the US,, with 90% die off, there would be no point to rebuild the grid,, they would not bother,, there would be no significant number of people to use it,, no user paid income to pay for the power equipment--that, it would be over, done, no country..no United States of America , at least nothing like we know it as..

I figure those 10% survivors are just 30 million people scattered over 6 milion square miles of land.

So while they say it would not be worth the investment to rebuild the entire grid,, I disagree with them ,--- (and thus tend to agree peripherally with you, that the world will not "end" ) ---- I think -that it would be worth rebuilding it in certain areas, IF people would concentrate in those areas..

At the end of the American Revolution, our population ( the 13 colonies,, excluding the west and its natives and Spanish) was 4 million and even Great Britains,, arguably the most powerful nation in the world at that time , only had 8 million people.. and both nations had vibrant economies & cultures

None the less, I intend to be, or my family to be, if It does not happen soon,, before my own little personal SHTF strikes me down... among those 10% surviving in the Newnighted States Of America.....

But as much as some folks here decry our current state of affairs,, I am pretty happy , warm , fed, loved,,interested... and I Want The Grid Hardened !!!! so it stays this way,,.. 40 hour weeks,, electric clothes dryers,, Apple computers to argue with people on SurvivalistBoards , and most important,, so I can Play My Electric Guitar Really Loud !!!!