We are Doomed! DOOOOOMMED I say!

[GIThruster]

Interesting but need context.

I've seen this claim before, but with no idea what is a normal purchase of ammo and for what length of time, doesn't mean anything.

"another order for an additional 21.6 million rounds" is in addition to what? If it's the 21 million drounds pourchased a year ago and DHS has shot up almost all that ammo, then this is a non-story.

[williatw]

Interesting but need context.

I've seen this claim before, but with no idea what is a normal purchase of ammo and for what length of time, doesn't mean anything.

"another order for an additional 21.6 million rounds" is in addition to what? If it's the 21 million drounds pourchased a year ago and DHS has shot up almost all that ammo, then this is a non-story.

From the link:

According to one estimate, just since last spring DHS has stockpiled more than 1.6 billion bullets, mainly .40 caliber and 9mm. That's sufficient firepower to shoot every American about five times. Including illegal immigrants.

[GIThruster]

Yes, but what does "according to one estimate" mean? Is this someone guessing who has no idea how many rounds federal agents shoot in a year?

Is there any EVIDENCE of DHS stockpiling ammo at all or is this just smoke and mirrors?

[choff]

Obviously, being an emergency organization they have to prepare for any and all contingencies. As in, China's military tunnels under the Pacific and pop out in the middle of Idaho, or the zombie apocalypse, or both!

Just being good boy scouts.

[williatw]

Well here's more "smoke and mirrors" for you:

http://www.examiner.com/article/dhs-add ... -stockpile

Over the last year, the Department of Homeland Security has purchased 1.6 billion rounds of hollow point ammunition for unknown reasons. A new solicitation has appeared from the DHS requesting even more rounds. Posted on Fed Biz Ops on Wednesday, the solicitation requests 10 million .40 caliber 165 grain jacketed hollow point rounds, 10 million 9mm 115 grain jacketed hollow point rounds and 1.6 million 9mm pistol cartridge ball rounds. This comes to a total of 21.6 million bullets.

Speculation has abounded about why the DHS is purchasing this ammo. Other agencies began purchasing large amounts of ammo at the same time as the DHS, but those agencies have explained their orders as being for training and use by their agents. After the Social Security Administration purchased a large amount of ammunition, the agency issued a post on its official blog explaining that it was “standard issue” and used by special agents during “mandatory quarterly firearms qualifications and other training sessions, to ensure agent and public safety.”

While other agencies have explained their purchases, the DHS remains quiet, going so far as to illegally black out information on a solicitation after attention started being directed toward them.
Some have speculated that the rounds are for the American people. World Net Daily writer Joseph Farah has expressed concern that the Obama administration is stockpiling these rounds for a “civilian national security force.” Obama had talked about this very thing while campaigning in 2008. While giving a speech in Colorado that year, Obama said, “We cannot continue to rely only on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives we’ve set. We’ve got to have a civilian national security force that’s just as powerful, just as strong, just as well funded.”

Along with the ammunition, the DHS has recently purchased 7,000 automatic assault rifles, calling them “personal defense weapons.”

[ladajo]

In one of my old jobs, we used to shoot 2.3 million rounds per year for training. That was for about 60 or so of us that were trigger pullers.
Last I heard they are now up to about 10 million rounds per year for training with about 80 or 90 trigger pullers now.
I do not think these numbers are out of the ball park, especially for anyone serious about the weapons training.
Take into account the surely higher number of shooters, and different systems in use, and you start burning up rounds really fast.
In one 'drill' type alone, about 10 guys could go through 4000 rounds in about a minute. Granted it was not being done with sidearms. Mostly 7.62 and 5.56.

Beh.

[GIThruster]

Just saying again, unless you know how much ammo DHS normally shoots up in a year, and unless you know this ammo is being "stockpiled" as opposed to being shot, then all this is pure hype.

And just noting, the whole notion of "stockpiling" ammo is suspect from the start. Many things make the stockpiling of ammo difficult. Even the normal oils on the skin of any handler, when applied to common ammo; can corrupt the primers for that ammo and render it useless. Ammo has a shelf life for good reasons so when someone with no significant numbers tries to scare you with notions of "stockpiling" ammo, a host of simple questions should immediately come to mind.

Still no evidence that this stuff above is sign of a real issue.

And another observation: when one goes to compare ammo used to train our security forces, it's important to remember that just over a decade ago, there was no DHS and there was no TSA. These new departments would seem to me to require the amount of ammo necessary to keep our forces trained, must have increased. So where are ALL the salient numbers?

[Diogenes]

Food Stamp Rolls in America Now Surpass the Population of Spain

When Obama entered office in January 2009 there were 31,939,110 Americans receiving food stamps. As of November 2012—the most recent data available—there were 47,692,896 Americans enrolled, an increase of 49.3 percent.

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/food-st ... tion-spain

[GIThruster]

Although this above is serioously bad news, its important to note that the cost of living has been skyrocketing and wages have not. The poor are getting poorer more quickly than most realize. When you look at the lack of response on a nationalo level, to gasoline doubling in price, and what this means for lower income families, the skyrocketing price of energy in general, etc., it is little wonder more people are going onto foodstamps.

I don't have so much criticism for putting peoplke on foodstamps as I do for the po0licies that made this necessary. Both are wrong, but the things that made energy expensive are the real problem. That is after all why you can't get a loaf of bread for a dollar anymore.

[Stubby]

gas is 5.43 up here

[MSimon]

Although this above is serioously bad news, its important to note that the cost of living has been skyrocketing and wages have not. The poor are getting poorer more quickly than most realize. When you look at the lack of response on a nationalo level, to gasoline doubling in price, and what this means for lower income families, the skyrocketing price of energy in general, etc., it is little wonder more people are going onto foodstamps.

I don't have so much criticism for putting peoplke on foodstamps as I do for the po0licies that made this necessary. Both are wrong, but the things that made energy expensive are the real problem. That is after all why you can't get a loaf of bread for a dollar anymore.

Medical Marijuana prohibition is a crime against humanity and a violation of the religious precept - heal the sick.

Changes in endocannabinoid levels and/or CB2 receptor expressions have been reported in almost all diseases affecting humans,[34] ranging from cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, liver, kidney, neurodegenerative, psychiatric, bone, skin, autoimmune, lung disorders to pain and cancer.

CB2

CB1

Immune System Modulation - Cannabis Science

CBD Science - HPLC Analysis

[Diogenes]

[Diogenes]

"Spain Is Beyond Doomed"

Spain is in a great depression, and it is one of the most terrifying things I have ever seen.

Five years after its housing boom turned to bust, Spanish unemployment hit a record high of 27.2 percent in the first quarter of 2013. It's almost too horrible to comprehend, but 19.5 percent of the total workforce has not had a job in the past six months; 15.3 percent have not in the past year; and 9.2 percent have not in the past two years. You can see this 1930s-style catastrophe in the chart below from the National Statistics Institute.

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/arc ... er/275324/

[choff]

I was reading where Spain has some very draconian bankrupcy laws, even if you loose your house you still have to pay off the mortgage.

[Diogenes]

Most Sensible man in Europe Tactfully comments on the euro and the EU.






http://www.samizdata.net/2013/05/nigel- ... nd-the-eu/