Dear Editor,

I’ve been attempting to “educate” myself on an idea to “save the world” and happened across your article Is Steam Power in Your Future?

Just a quick note to thank you for your insight and down to earth approach to the subject. I believe it to be a key to what I am looking for. It is often hard to find good advice that points you in the right direction, i.e., educate myself!

Yours is one of the few meat and potatoes articles out there. Again, thank you!

Sincerely,

Troy Bracke
Fort Worth, TX

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I am also a user and collector of cast iron cookware and thought I would pass along an old western tip for deep frying.

Heat the oil in a dutch oven on medium-high heat and drop a kitchen match in the oil. When the match flares up, the oil is the right temperature for deep-frying (about 375 degrees). Raise the temp just a notch, because you’re adding lower temp food, and go.

Keep up the good work

Terry Bolling
Phoenix, AZ

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Dear Editor(s)

After listening to a local radio morning show discussion involving the indoctrination of public school children by our latest president I was left feeling drained and disillusioned with the state of our nation. For many years I’ve known something was wrong in America. I was raised as many of us were. Watching the glorious feats of the one off free nation that never was before and always would be.

I was positive of the greatness of a nation. As I have grown older, learned, read, thought and seen; There is something wrong with our system. I grew up extremely poor, impoverished even. Many nights we went without food, in these United States. Even so, I had faith in the natural rights granted to Americans. Slowly though, it waned as the youthful imaginings were jolted by the brutal realities of our situation.

Needless to say, it is an illusion. So many times in my life I have been presented the opportunity to “Do the right thing,” And, have. I have been honest johnny, I have been even Stephen. I have worked and paid and fought to be a good person. Literally from the depths of homelessness, I have rebuilt my life. I have worked any honest job a man can work and I have not tasted that forbidden fruit. Yet, I am at best lower-middle class. I manage paycheck to paycheck and work like that simpleton on a treadmill chasing the pot of gold that never comes.

Now, beyond those physical labor and minimum wage pains, I am still in the cogs of a giant machine turning with absolute [intent] to enslave. I am angry and irrational, often blaming politicians and the idiocy of my fellow citizens. Sure, I’ve learned to play within the rules. I’ve managed to color within the lines and “Yes’sa,” “No’sa” through a corporate society. For a kid who grew up in Los Angeles dirt poor and never finished High School, I am through pain and persistence struggling upward.

But, it still lingers, that knowing, that understanding of the absolute obscured nature of my goals. The distaste of the sweet fruit of life in the eyes of the greater picture. When I see a man on television proclaiming he will be different, crested by his brilliant star spangled button, I taste that concoction of poison drenched in sugar. And still, I blame politicians, shadow masters with unlimited power, time, influence and money. I am apathetic in the hopelessness. That is, until I searched Google for the only thing I could think to call this situation: “The American Dictatorship.”

On this search I came across your article: The coming American dictatorship – Article by John Silveira from Issue #66. [Editor's Note: See also The Coming American Dictatorship, Part XI and The Coming American Dictatorship Parts I - XI]

How apt, succinct, honest and sad I found it. The eloquence of the piece was quite frankly refreshing, disheartening and alarming. I know that is a rather odd compliment, but, I assure you it is true. This article struck a nerve of unwavering truth. And so, I have written you to thank you for stating it as such. Also, to let you know, despite my apathy in regards to our system and the extreme disbelief in any real, meaningful change in our country. I will try, honestly try to be “The people” again. I will not let the feeling of utter helplessness against the idiocy of my peers and the massive size of the machine prevent me from getting started. If you can write, I can write and call and sing and kick and scream and no longer be a bystander to the rape of the inherent rights of humans.

I would also like to point out that I have loathed the loud mouthed opinionated political persons and as such, it will be difficult for me to begin on this path, however, it must be done. I thank you.

Sincerely,

Isaac N. Acuna

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Hi,

I found your web site a few years ago searching sausage making information. I saved the article to my favorites. Last weekend I came across it, reread it and looked around your site. I found The path to another Depression By John Silveira .

I was wowed. I have been talking like this for 25+ years.

What is going on is madness. I don’t mean rhetorical madness, I mean real full blown madness.

(Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds)

(”Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, and one by one.” )

I don’t think there is a stopping this train wreck. The people have been mass hypnotized. The end is near.

I believe in Jesus returning soon and even if you don’t, we have much in common.

Keep up the good work.

I wish that I had looked at your site more closely, sooner.

Thank You,

Jon Holzapfel

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Dave,

I think your magazine is very nearly perfect.

We will store our print copies forever!  An online version would make poor toilet paper in a disaster situation!  So, don’t waste your time and effort on an online version!

And this comment is from a “buy nearly everything off of the Internet” high tech geek guy with a degree in electronics!

Oh, as an aside, some of us are vegetarians and are NOT left wing whacko’s!   So an occasional vegetarian recipe is always welcome at our house .

Thanks for such a great magazine!  This will be the last subscription to go as we go softly (or not) into the Greatest Depression….

Another Libertarian abandoned by the R[epublican] party!

Joe Olson

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Just a suggestion – eggs can be frozen in their shells. You just place them in a ziploc bag and freeze.

When you are ready to use, take out what you want and let thaw for about an hour on the counter in a bowl. You can run the egg under warm water, crack it and slip the shell off easily. Place in refrigerator covered with plastic wrap to thaw.

These are best for baking. The yolk will be a little tough but when beaten will return to normal.

Sheila Darden

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Well, in spite of some letters I have seen from time to time complaining about the “political” views expressed in Backwoods Home, it seems that you guys were right on in your series about the coming dictatorship.

In the article it was noted that we had set the economy up as a fascist system – well – now the government control’s the banks, the auto industry and the administration has simply done away with the congress by appointing “czars” who can act without congressional supervision, and by claiming executive privilege can refuse to testify and explain their actions to congress.

However, I’m not sure that makes a difference. Our congress is the best that money can buy (and they have been bought) so we see the spectacle of the house voting for huge spending bills they haven’t read, and allowing the president to fire people in private industry, because of his wisdom and vast experience in business.

I am not sure where our government found the “right” to interfere in our every day lives – it seems that we had perfectly adequate bankruptcy laws.

Self sufficiency seems to be a lot more important now that we have decided equality of outcome is more important than equality  of opportunity.

Bob McPherson
Santa Fe, Texas

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Your article was of great interest to me and I wish more people would have that attitude in their heads to just say no to all this nonsense.

However, you and I are approaching this “federal” problem from two different points of view and I’m hoping that you will give some thought to my approach because from reading your article, it appears that you believe that the Constitution is alive and well but just being violated.

When honest weights and measures (gold and silver) were removed from our monetary system the Constitution was replaced by Maritime Law.  We are no longer under the Law of the Land; we are under Maritime Law which deals with Treaties, Contracts and Trusts.  How does one know this?  Because to be under the Constitution, the Law of the Land, there would be many, many people in jail for treason at this time.   When we contract to various activities/benefits with the ‘federal” government by our signature, we give them credence for their unlawful activities and put ourselves under their thumb.  Take the Constitution into any court today for your defense and you will one of two remarks from the Judge.  He will either tell you that you may not bring the constitution into his court or he will say GUILTY, because you never argued the point of “show me the contract that I signed that gives you jurisdiction over me”.

Instead of just saying NO, let us stop signing our lives away to them and after withholding our signatures from licenses, contracts, etc., we will no longer be giving them “federal” jurisdiction over our lives.  It’s time to get back to the States and let this “federal” nonsense disintegrate into the very small place of power they were given originally.

Joyce

Joyce,

Oliver

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Claire,

I greatly enjoyed your article.

I’ve promoted it on my blog.

Keep up the good work.

Henry Cate III

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I just read online: Start a self-sufficiency garden even in a cramped apartment By Nancy Wolcott

I want to thank you for the article, especially because it contained very specific plants and sources.

So often articles speak in generalities and leave one with more questions than answers.

I’ll be subscribing to your paper magazine soon.

[Name withheld by request]

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