The Insanity Of Thinking “It’ll Be Different This Time”


I watched a video earlier this week (from May 2016) that just reinforced my belief that the majority of the nation’s overt “militia” groups are just in it for the kudos of “Look how ‘Operator’ I am.”, or “Look at our ‘bad ass’ training.”. Why else would any group in this country calling itself a ‘militia”, give some “journalist” from Canada the time of day, let alone do a video of their training and members?

There are some interesting quotes I will cite that make it all too clear what the interviewer was trying to illicit in this video. If not, why would he have left them in while it was being edited? If you are part of a group (whether Survivalist or militia), it’s simple, YOU DO NOT ALLOW INTERVIEWS OR DOCUMENTARIES! You might say, “But JC, what if they say they want to put a good spin on our group?” To that I say one of two things will happen. 1) It is a lie and they will make you look like violent, “racist” idiots WITH GUNS, or 2) It will never see the light of “Airing” on any media outlet if they can’t edit it to give that spin.


Here you have a guy that plans on fighting as a squad member with his mosin nagant? I don’t care if you are good with a bolt gun. A rifleman in a “squad” with a bolt gun cannot perform his job effectively.

Here’s a quote from Joellen Vinyard in the video,


“A lot of ‘em are ex military men, and they see themselves as a paramilitary organization. They see themselves as a militia, hearkening back to the days of the colonial militia, and getting their authority from the early um, you know, constitutional era, and so it’s part of their persona.”

Well first off Joellen, most of the “overt” militia personnel that I’ve seen are not “Ex military”. Most are civilians that never served and are now doing the militia thing because they wish they had served back in the day, but didn’t have the mental or physical motivation or guts to do the “hard thing” then ( I find those that are youngsters of the 18-22 year old variety who want to be in the militia, but not the military to be either lazy and/or gutless hypocrites) . They are also the ones who were too busy with “their life”, and didn’t want to be bothered. Then there are the types who want to be “overt” militia, because it is in vogue now to look “Operator” on facebook.

Is this “judging” them? I guess, but it is also fact, based on observations I’ve made of those within the “overt” militia that I have interacted with. If you do this stuff now having not gone in the military (then or now) because you were physically disqualified, fine. If you are just “playing militia”, like he says in the video, you are a joke to those that have put the effort in (the military) and who actually sacrificed a lot, and not just when it was just convenient.  I have a few friends that have gotten involved in that type of stuff (joined a defensive group) over the last 30 years, and I am more than willing to show them “The ropes” because they aren’t just a bunch of “Has been wanna be’s”. They tried getting into the military to “do it for real”, and were told “No”.

Here’s another quote from her,

“It’s hard to make a case for arming, of people who are afraid and don’t trust each other. It’s, it’s dangerous for them to be armed because they can misperceive an action, I think. It makes them feel safer, but in the end I think it makes them much less safe.”

I find Miss Vinyard’s lack of understanding, concerning “arming”, to be disconcerting. It’s disconcerting because she is either a complete ignoramus concerning the inherent rights (with a corresponding duty) all people have to own protection (2nd amendment or not), or she is trying to make a case for gun control (the more likely of the two), by giving her academic (obviously not “expert”) opinion. Concerning the “safety” aspect, being armed not only makes us (the civilian populace) feel safer, but it makes those in power feel less powerful.


I wonder if the went over “remedial action drills” with him?

This is an interesting quote from the “Vice” interviewer,

“I heard a lot of scary things about the Michigan militia before I came down here. The interesting thing is we actually just found a lot of dudes in the woods, playing “militia”, shooting their guns and actin’ like army men, but the one thing we knew for sure, this type of group, they’re not alone and they’re all over America, and the insane thing is they’re only growing and some of these exact same types of groups, they’re pretty dangerous.”

This is the perception of the media, most of the public, and a number of people in the government. One of the reasons this is the perception of those groups of people is due to the media conducting hit pieces like this video (the first one I ever saw was on 20/20 about Survivalist groups when I was around 14 years old).




My question is “Can ‘Fluffy Dog’ even reach any of the gear on that belt?”


There’s probably room for at least two more name tapes, and at least one more “pistol in a pocket” on this guy.


Here’s how a former Air Force NCO turned “militia commander (Kernal)” presented himself to Congress in 1995. “Fruit Salad” on BDU’s…what a joke.

The perception of preparedness groups, whether Survivalist or militia (they are usually not the same thing), by the media is BAD! It is a skewed reality based on their idea of how a perfect world should be. The only realistic perception they have of the real world is how their side is winning the propaganda war. That is all they care about. That, and being on the “winning” side.

The media, in whatever form, will use the ideals or loyalties (misplaced or not) of whatever person (in this case Vinyard and Ellison) or group (ADL, SPLC, etc.) they can to forward their agenda. They find groups like the one depicted in this video that are all to eager to talk or pose on the screen and show how “bad ass” or “patriotic” they are.


Here’s a quoted conversation between the Vice interviewer and Congressman Keith Ellison,

Vice: “I’ll be honest, there wasn’t very much color among them. They were primarily white guys, but they were up in the woods. They had AR15’s, they had HIGH POWER WEAPONS!”

Ellison: “These are white guys in the woods in rural communities, there’s no body, there’s, there’s, there’s no mexicans taking their jobs, there’s no mexicans. There’s no african Americans taking their jobs, there’s no african Americans. Who are they afraid of? What I find fascinating and I can’t give you the answer for is why they’re so hostile, so violent and so paranoid. I don’t get it, I don’t get that, and I can’t tell you why. If you get a bunch of black guys together, the label “gang” will be slapped on them pretty fast. If you get a bunch of muslim guys together, the label “terrorist” will get that label, that label will get slapped on them pretty fast.”

Keep in mind,  Keith Ellison wanted to reopen a branch of DHS called “The Office of Extremism”. When it comes to his remarks about black groups being called “gangs” or muslim groups being called “terrorists”, all I can say is this to the congressman. All but a small number of black groups are gangs because criminal enterprise is their primary objective. All by a small number of muslim groups are called “terrorist” because they are actively supporting and/or training to forward their islamic agenda through violence against innocent targets.


A lot of you out there have this rule about “Never talkin’ to cops”, but you fail abysmally in the “Talkin’ to the media” or putting stupid crap about your group and your “maneuvers” out on facebook part. If you follow some simple guidelines, you can’t go wrong.

  1. Don’t ever talk to the media about what you are doing, who you are, and how big your group is.
  2. Stay away from those who want to draw attention to themselves publicly. Social Media Commandos are notorious for this, and usually draw the worst kind of people and attention.
  3. You are not the military, so quit trying to act like you are. Civilian groups have an advantage over the military in the organizational structures they can use, but at the same time, don’t reinvent the wheel. Quit making yourself look like a wanna be, especially in public. You don’t need rank and anyone in your group that says you do is probably an aspiring “Field Marshal” of the planetary scale. If you guys don’t know who’s in charge, and who’s callin’ the shots, you have more problems than what you pin on their collar.
  4. Find Veterans that have Combat Arms experience to teach you what you need to know about small unit tactics, group defense etc. Although they do not have to be combat Veterans, it would be nice if they were, and hopefully they were Non Commissioned Officers (Sergeant or above). By the way, the training you receive does not have to come from a known tactical trainer. Although I like teaching people how to properly perform SUT and giving them a foundation of solid fundamentals , I also understand that some people just can’t afford it in time or money.
  5. Perform PT to the highest level you are physically capable of. You know what that level is so don’t cheat yourself. Always strive to get better. Have realistic goals. The only one to lose will be you and your loved ones when your strength, speed and/or stamina is needed most.

I wrote this a couple of weeks ago, but decided not to post it because it usually gets billed as “Oh great, JC is talkin’ crap about the militia again.”. The reason I’m posting it now is that although you might think it’s “talkin’ crap”, the bottom line is it’s true. I might be a dick about it (if you think that, you were obviously never in the military), but I will point you in the direction you should go if you’re serious about learning the skills to keep you alive, and I won’t make it into an infomercial about my business while I’m at it. It’s not about me, it’s about all of us.


American by BIRTH, Infidel by CHOICE






37 thoughts on “The Insanity Of Thinking “It’ll Be Different This Time”

      • Sorry Sergeant, but the Continental Army is what won the war, not the militia (all romantic notions aside). Have you ever worked with guys that are now calling themselves militia? There are some really good guys out there, but the overt majority are playing games for social media status. I wish it was different, but that doesn’t change the reality. I find your accusation of arrogance somewhat specious since you obviously haven’t been partaking in the training of the militias over the years. If you had, you would understand where the Vets that have are coming from in their analysis.

        • Interesting how we view history through our own lense’s and perspectives. Your comment of ” sorry about the continental’s winning the war” is proof of that condition and we all suffer from it. Yes, there were battles that were clearly won by the organization and discipline of the “Regulars”, but in no way shape or form did they win the war without their unwashed, dispised and disgraced brethren, we now know as weekend warriors, another disparaging phrase created by the “RA”. So back to the facts, all emotion, personal feelings an perspectives aside, mine included. Your sight embodies the things that are proof of what I’m saying. Your experience and professionalism, makes you more responsible to lead the “unwashed”. So without getting into a historical pissing match with you, know that I have addressed myself with this same message. I could not stand National Guard units when I was RA. Then I had to work with them. Everything changed for me after that. So I’m with you in this conversation, I just don’t want you to throw the baby out with the bath water. Sempre Avanti, William

          • I never said or thought their assistance was instrumental in the war, but the same can be said for French assistance. The “unwashed” as you call them are not the same as the National Guard. The National Guard has standards of organization, training, and equipment, and the only militia that I am aware of that do the same will never be talked about in public because they are not attention grabbing imbeciles. The NG has the same standards and requirements as the Regular Army, but except for the training weekends, they are required to be self motivated to stay in shape and on top of their skillset requirements (because they actually have requirements that are enforced). I get what you’re saying, but which is tougher? Thinking you are good to go as a quasi infantryman and getting waxed in the first engagement because they had an improper perception of their ability Oooooor having somebody give you the facts, dress down your BS, and make you realize you need to change your direction and perception to hopefully survive that first engagement?

    • Thanks again J.C., for reminding us that “militias” are a lot like dog doo in this day and age. (you just end up tracking something smelly into your house.).
      Hey Barry, you looking for a job with the southern poverty law center? You getting paid to keep the “Militia Meme” alive. Been on this planet 60 ought years, never seen anything close to one.
      You point out Malheur as something the” militia done”. Malheur was a handful of REAL cowboys, surrounded by paid government “informants”. (thus the reason for their being found “not guilty”.) Up against professional propagandist. Trying to win a propaganda war. Sorry, no militia to be found.
      I realize life must be boring for you. But I think you could be a lot more useful to society,( if that’s what you want to be). if you tried using a broom. Try the gutter out front of your house.
      And sincerely, thanks for your service. Truly.

      • “Real cowboys,” “militia,” what’s the difference when they have the same mindset? I didn’t invent the “militia meme.” The “militia” invented it. “Surrounded by paid government informants” speaks volumes about their competence.

        Encouraging rebellion is not being “useful to society.”


  1. Pingback: Two From MDT | Western Rifle Shooters Association

  2. Do be aware of this as well:

    While it is written as action against the current crop of Communist terrorists, they use the same tactics against FreeFor as well. If you ever get a guy like me in your organization, you would be wise to be VERY careful about what you say or do. Their favorite tactic is infiltrate to incite and indict. The ones screaming loudest for action against the enemy are likely to be undercover operatives FOR that enemy. That is one of the primary reasons you won’t meet me IRL – because I understand that, if you were to do so, you would be smartest to turn me away.

    But lone wolves can be very effective, especially at the beginning of a conflict. And the enemy has a very difficult time “infiltrating” a TRUE lone wolf. Especially if he is careful about how and where he obtains the tools for his actions…

  3. I agree with JC on his primary point. Unless you are a trained Public Relations Person who has at least partial control of the final product or own the media you talk to, you should never talk to the media.
    Since those conditions don’t apply to anyone in the movement you should NEVER talk to the mainstream media..
    But I dont like absolutist statements… so.Friendly media outlets like certain Vlogs or Blogs can be an exception but ONLY after you have 100% verified the identity and if its one where ypou expect at least a semi professional packing in your favor.

    I do respect JC’s perspective and judgement.,
    However not all good people can 100% agree on everything so I will put in my 2 cents.
    As a movement we often have a trend to denigrate others..In the movement as unprepared, out of shape, unprofessional unskilled etc.
    Sometimes this is true.. but very often it is not… We as a movement are often the victim in our perception of our peers of the same propaganda apparatus we decry.

    When I went o my first non military tactical training 3 years ago I also in the back of my mind half expected some “half crazed miulitia types”.
    This is the caricature of our movement every modern american has been inoculated with.
    Including us.

    When I got there I found that all attendees, were serious, mentally fit, physically fit, well equipped.
    Everyone got 4 pout of 5 .
    Sure some guys were out of shape.. but they were working on it the fact that they were training was a “hall mark& Indicator” of that.
    Sure some guys had shitty gear, like a SKS… but they were learning and seeing thier peers negotiate lanes with ARs inspired them to improve..Some guys ran shitty competion setups that have little role in a tactical environment…
    But they looked at what others did and learned.
    On occasion you get the pure hobbyist but more often than not rubbing elbows with serious dudes would rub off on them…

    The term “militia” is a bad term because the entire public, ourselves included, has been inoculated as something to belittle and snicker at.

    Make no mistake… we as a comminuty as a but of a social scene as well.. with the cool cliques and the outsiders (weak mutual aid groups with no good trianing or guidance resources that results in bad pictures)

    I would like to see our attitude, the cool kids, be more about teaching /advice aspect… have it play a bigger role vs the snickering at the not cool enough kids .

    We need to encourage as many people as possible to join the “tactical community” and if our online presence is polished and helpful… they will get smarter, fitter and better geared as a result .

  4. So, they are not situationally intelligent, but do we treat them fairly within our own circles? As a combat bloodied vet of 26 years, I have noticed an arrogance in your tone, and many of your articles. Yes you are judging them and yes what they did was stupidity, based on ignorance. But the enemy is not them and your article and comments add to the press release, rather than instruct like an NCO would. They are frustrating to me as well, I get it, but remember what the British thought of militia and remember the result of that. You have a huge responsibility to reach out and not alternate these folks. So back up, take a deep breath and get back to work Sarge.

    • It’s not arrogance, it’s frustration. I have been dealing with these guys off and on for over 25 years, and instead of getting better and learning from the glaring mistakes made by the militias in the 90’s, they are getting worse with their social media BS. If I didn’t give a shit, I wouldn’t be telling them how to fix it. If I didn’t give a shit, I would just say If you don’t take training from me you are dead, but instead I’m telling them how to find a qualified trainer in their backyard. If I didn’t give a shit, I wouldn’t bother putting this info out for free. There comes a time when tough love for the “knucklehead private” is the only COA, correct?

  5. Boss, been reading you for a while, and the longer I do, the more I like to hear what you say. You are right, of course. While there are civilian self trained people and organizations that can make the grade, they are very few and far between. As an ex-combat soldier, from long ago, I know exactly what you’re talking about when you say a lot of these guys are wannabes, but didn’t have the guts or determination to go in the service and actually put it all on the line. One caveat. Not only do you put it all on the line, when you enter US combat arms, in the flesh, but you are putting it all on the line in three dimensions,whether you know it or not.First is with your family. Anybody unfamiliar with how family and friends can disappear when you go combat arms is someone who doesn’t know what alone is. You are at risk of losing your own people, FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. Second, the enemy can not only kill you in a war, but capture, wound, cripple, and other wise destroy any future you thought you would ever have. Ref. condition #1 I cited, for the follow-up episodes of when you’re captured, wounded, etc. It’s the gift that keeps on giving. Thirdly, your own govt. that sent you into whatever corporate/globalist stupid assed scheme in whatever shit hole of the world they decided to operate in, will turn it’s back on you, before you even hit the showers after your first patrol. Especially if you get involved in an “incident”, get captured, or get wounded. You are actually better off in many instances with being KIA. Southwest Airlines says, “Want to get away?” You will. Spend years wrangling for your benefits and pension. Years wrangling and occasionally getting, care at the VA, who get bonuses, and no penalties, for putting GI’s on lists long enough for care, to make sure they die before receiving it. Then one and two begin the long, long, wear and tear on your brain,and family, friends, disappear, the old wounds, mental and physical, your constant companions, day and night, work their magic on you, and the physically fit and forward looking young man turns into the overweight, over medicated, and unloved wreck looking back at you in the mirror. It’s a surprise to no one when you’re found in the rented trailer, dead from your own hand. But at least now your, “friends and family”, can relax, and the burial doesn’t last but a day. The govt. can now pocket your pension, and take you off that waiting list for benefits they managed to keep just out of reach long enough. Militias? Worse than a joke. No sane man, if he looked with a clear eye at what really happens when you raise your right hand, would ever do it. Militias are a joke because they’re a caricature of what the reality is, and the reality is just what Napoleon said it was. “A soldiers life, is a life of glory. But a dog would not lead it”. I’ve seen militias here in Texas, and it was like watching children play dress up, and faking a grown up attitude. I’d rather have just been slapped real hard, and insulted, than bear five minutes of their movie/video game bullshit, playing at some thing they saw, but don’t have guts to wear, for real. I’ve got no complaints, I’m blessed with great CIVILIAN medical care, for over twenty yrs now, and I’ve even been able to not alienate too many family members, so far. For me, a combat vet, militias and their play acting is just another little cross to bear, just as I am a cross to bear for my family. You smile, and know, and find something better to do, just like Mom used to say.

  6. The militia needs good PR but this doesn’t come from getting interviewed in documentaries. Nor does it help when they occupy an obscure wildlife refuge without a clear set of demands. What they need to do is show up first after a flood or ice storm and like some quiet professionals provide services for those in need that the government can not or will not provide in a timely manner and let word of mouth tell their story. The locals in Afghanistan don’t some how prefer the Taliban to the government, in some areas the Taliban is the only government doing things like providing a judgement between parties that have a grievance against each other because “legitimate” courts weren’t available. They need to be there and provide the positive things a community needs and can’t otherwise get.

  7. It’s interesting to compare this hit piece against American militias to previous Vice videos on militias in other countries which came across much more positive in tone. Just do a YouTube search for reports from Vice on The Russians are Coming and the Estonia Militia and Polish Militia groups they covered.
    In the Vice videos such as the Estonia Militia version, ( ) you see a much different militia. One made up of younger, more physically fit members. They are all in modern, matching uniforms. They are conducting training exercises with military gear and vehicles. They are being integrated into the national military response plans.
    In the Vice report on Polish militias ( ) we see Polish “paramilitary” units training with air soft rifles in exercises. The Polish military sent a General out to observe the militia exercise due to the some wanting to incorporate the militias into the Polish Army.
    Another Vice report ( ) on Polish paramilitary training shows young men and women practicing for a “military emergency” by conducting urban terrain exercises. This video shows some of the politics involved with some militia groups wanting to join with the military while others don’t like the idea and feel they will be relegated to rear echelon duties.
    Take a look at the videos I’ve posted here, watch the coverage by Vice reporters and take note of the way the Estonian and Polish militia members appear versus how our US based “patriot”, “Threeper” militias present themselves on camera.
    It’s no wonder the press uses groups such as the Michigan Militia or the Ga 3% Security Force to present a stereotypical, racist, redneck, dangerous example to the general public.
    Vice has plenty of coverage of militias but the ones focusing on those training in the US are always slanted heavily negative while coverage of militias and “paramilitaries” in other countries are often much more positive.

  8. I never really can understand what the goal is of groups like this. I am not in a militia, but if I was part of a defensive group (I would like to be) I’d like to have the simple goal of just defending our homes first. Once that capability is achieved, move onto defending the neighborhood. Then the city block. Then maybe the town (my town is 400 people). Etc.

    And never talk to media. The media is never going to portray you in any way that will attract more numbers to your group or convince people to act like you. So what’s the reason? Attention? I can’t fathom why people want attention. When you get attention, people talk to you and interact with you and waste your time. I don’t have time to add a bunch of people to my social circle based on them seeing me on TV or social media (so I dumped FB years ago).

    • And that’s the point. They want attention. They want to show people how “bad ass” they look (because they definitely are not). It’s a screaming cry for attention, and they usually get it, but not in the manner they desire.

  9. To put a fine point on it, the validity of the oft-touted RevWar example is disingenuous, in a real sense. A) none of us live like they did then, doing hard, physical work and literally growing up in a world that killed you if you did stupid things (aka you made it work, fixed it or killed it not the EBT fairy or supermarket pixies) and B) real life bullets tend to really speed up the competency rate of things. Also, the British snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. Washington gets far too much credit for a lackluster military mind, regardless of his other positive attributes. I think it’ll be a whole new ballgame if things kick off, because luck and competence will once again rule the day. Keep adding tools to the toolbox because at some point it doesn’t matter who you are, what you did and who saw you do it, you either can your you can’t. There is no try. (Couldn’t resist.) There will be Francis Marions and there will be (hopefully) a Lee 2.0 but for every one there will be thousands who weren’t and couldn’t, mostly because they are lazy and don’t actually believe half the things they say. At least not enough to do anything about it, and I don’t care what you believe if it doesn’t influence your behavior. You are what you do.

    • Well said. A lot of the perceptions people have of the Rev War are incorrect, simply because they just watched the movies about it. I believe the only reason we won that war was because God ordained it to be so. Funny you should mention Francis Marion and General Lee. It seems as if most of the militia leaders I have met that that they are a living breathing incarnation of them, LOL. Funny thing is that most of them don’t understand that what made them good, competent leaders them was their Combat Arms military background and experience (Marion in the F-I War and Lee in the Mexican War). It will be a very steep learning curve for these guys, especially if they are not quick studies.

  10. While I agree talking to the press is not a good idea(stupid), your tone is enough to turn anyone thinking of helping off,heard it first hand from Mosby ( he thought we were expendable), so if you think so lowly of the untrained than perhaps you tactical guys should limit your courses to those with prior military training.

    • It takes quite some time to turn a (wannabe) recruit into an (I am one) infantryman. And that is when it is full time. Weekend courses for tourists and dreamers just ain’t gonna do it. In my day we still had draftees. The nickname the professionals had for them was, “bullet bait.” (And if you examine the Draft Law carefully you’ll see that that is their purpose.) So, please excuse the professionals if we have a blank disapproving NCO scowl and incredulity about “militia” thumping their M4s against their chest.

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