The thick white envelope landed on the floor with a loud THUMP! The mailman had folded it to get it into the mail slot. Startled, my grandmother watched as I went to retrieve it. This was yet another missive from some unknown little outfit that probably got my uncle's name off of a mailing list. Having moved out years ago, he had no interest in these mailings and gave permission for me to read them. I did.

Inside, were the writings of some man who claimed to see the future, a newsletter of seemingly paranoid warnings of doom and gloom soon to come to America. They were packed with information such as maps of hidden tunnels and secret underground bunkers. This was where I first heard the word "prepper" amid dire pleas to get out of the cities and head for the hills. Looking back, I can still remember some of what was written and it made a chill run up my spine. He reminded me of the man who wrote Behold a Pale Horse, they had that sort of vibe to them.

Early Warnings

Here is some of what he said, before the year 2000:

1. He warned of terrorist attacks in America. The symbols of this country would be targeted. Famous landmarks such as The Golden Gate Bridge, Mt. Rushmore, Independence Hall and The World Trade Center among many others were listed. I remember being incredulous as we'd never dealt with this and I could see no way it could happen. I passed the newsletters on to the adults, but they scoffed at the ravings of this unknown madman. He wrote that the attacks would occur every five years or until the American people forgot about the last one. Once the memories began to fade, we would be hit again. This would keep happening until it whittled away our sense of national identity and ushered in some sort of police state. The 2nd amendment, the NRA and patriotic members of the military and the public were seen as something to overcome by whoever was behind all this. The fact that many citizens were armed was seen as a problem to be overcome through terror.
   
   
2. I also remember reading that Iraq would be invaded by us for their oil and ancient artifacts. Countries in the middle east would be bombed and leaders overthrown in what is now known as the "Arab Spring." He said that the United States was worried that the Sunnis were getting too powerful and had to stop them from overwhelming the Shiite. The worry was that this would create a giant state much like the Ottoman Empire hostile to the west. The plan would be to topple the governments of Iraq, Syria and Jordan so that the Shiites would be more equal to the Sunni states. This would have the effect of keeping the two sides fighting each other and preventing the formation of a Caliphate.
   
   
3. He mentioned a great migration of millions of poor people from the southern countries into prosperous Europe and America. This and the endless wars mentioned above were intended to weaken the west, America in particular, to prepare the way for some global government. The wars and mass migration would bankrupt the west, "softening us up" for whatever was to come.
   
   
4. Increasing numbers of missing children and kids being taken from their parents for one reason or another and raised by the state. This would slowly become so common as to almost be expected, and not so unusual at all. I don't remember the stated purpose of this. When I was new to Steemit, I told of the time as a teen when a couple tried to pull me into a white van, so I know this stuff happens. I'll always remember how the man grabbed my arm to yank me into the vehicle. It's something I'll never forget.
   
   
5. Surprisingly, he predicted that a line of people with little political experience would emerge to become President of the United States. The thought was that "somebody" wanted an unsteady hand controlling the levers of government. A turn towards some form of "socialism lite" was also in the cards for the USA.
   
   
6. There were repeated warnings about a national water crisis and a call to stock up on supplies of bottled water. I don't recall the reason for this but it sticks out from all the writings. Possibly something like Flint, Michigan but on a national scale. No sign of this so far.
   
   
   And then the newsletters stopped. No warnings, it seems he'd said all he needed to say.

Words of wisdom

I thought the guy was odd, and being young, I read each mailing almost as a form of entertainment. My uncle had never subscribed to this publication, and we soon forgot about them. When the events of 9/11 happened, it didn't stir my memory of the letters. That only happened after Colonel Gaddafi was overthrown in Libya. He'd bent over backwards trying to please the US and the UK, yet we ended up supporting the rebels who went on to join ISIS. Gaddafi warned that "Europe will turn black" from the flood of refugees, and that has already begun. That is the point where I began to remember what had been written in those mailings. The letters sat in a box until my grandmothers house was raided by a greedy aunt who took anything of value without telling anyone, before shipping her off to a nursing home. I never saw them again.

Freedom or safety?

Information is power, and I think the lesson is not to be paranoid, but to be aware. What surprised me was just how right this one-man publishing house really was. Where and how did he get his information? Would someone like that be believed today? Your freedom was paid with a price. Never give it up for the illusion of safety.

Thank you so much!

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