Recently Oathkeepers published an article confirming that federal agents had went into an LDS storehouse in Tennessee and demanded customer lists and transaction information. While that story is still being ran down and confirmed, I thought I'd hit up the owner of MyPatriotSupply and get his thoughts on the matter, as he sells all manner of preparedness items to the survival and preparedness community.
What follows is a transcript of the interview. Please excuse any grammatical issues within the text as a speaking voice doesn't necessarily follow the same rules. The conversation went on much longer than this brief transcript. We covered a lot of ground and I was very pleased with what I learned of him. I think this is a man who can be trusted with your business. Hopefully I'm going to open up further communication with him on various other topics and we'll document that here as part of an ongoing series of dialogues with various Christians and patriots in our world today.
1. What were your first thoughts when you heard about federal
agents investigating an LDS storehouse in Tennessee and requesting
customer lists?
I wasn't surprised. We've heard of raids on organic and natural
food stores and SWAT teams going after the Amish, so it wasn't
surprising. We're past the point of shock and awe.
This is another maneuver we've become accustomed to, which may be
the goal, to get the public accustomed to it.
2. What does your primary customer demographic look like?
Mostly preppers and survivalists but certainly plenty of people who
are new to this. They've seen a documentary or listened to a radio
program that made them start thinking.
This is an awakening. We're seeing the next generation of preppers
and survivalists hitting the marketplace.
3. How are you currently set up to prevent privacy loss from either
criminals or the government?
We don't store credit card information on the server, as a business
rule. Small businesses and even restaurants are subject to identity
theft so we decided to not store the data and reduce the threat.
The nature of the internet though means we have to depend upon other companies, processors, and backbone infrastructure. Everything on the internet is ultimately trackable. They could get the information from other sources; they don't need me or the LDS to comply.
4. Good point. Since everything is trackable, what do you think the
motive may have been?
Possibly the results of a very specific investigation. They didn't want to show their cards and request a specific individual's information so they threw out a sweeping net. Or it could be just a plan to ruffle the public's feathers and get them acclimated to this sort of thing. They could just be testing the waters and seeing what resistance is out there to these information requests.
5. We're certainly seeing more of this lately. Where do you see
this leading and how does it impact your business?
Comes down to a choice. Do you want to be part of the problem or part of the solution? The government wants to test your loyalty to your customers. Ultimately this leads to a choice: where do you stand, what are your values, and what's your belief system? Are you willing to sell out your customers because someone shows up with a badge? A lot of businesses out there are simply in the business of making money. It's not in my mindset, but a lot of companies would just turn this info over without any questions. That would not be my standpoint.
I have a value system and a belief system that is very strong. If it came down to rolling over on my customers or closing my doors then I'd just close my doors. I never started this to be a millionaire; I started this to increase my family's self-reliance. It's a vehicle. I'm providing this as a service.
6. Your business name certainly takes a strong stand. What was the
thought process behind the name?
A patriot is someone who loves their country and their Constitution and the basic beliefs and values their country was founded upon. You don't have to be a veteran, a soldier, or anyone else. You need to be someone who takes care of your family. Anyone with that mindset is a patriot. The idea behind the name was that this would be a place where that person comes to in order to buy their supplies. Our logo really speaks to people. It captures the feeling of many of our customers, the old time guy with the rifle and the plow working the fields. A person willing to take care of themselves and provide.
It all comes down to personal choice. What side are you going to stand on? What are your beliefs? I wouldn't come out and taunt the government because that would be asking for trouble, but at the same time I know where my beliefs are. I'd rather close my doors than roll over. If you betray your customers you don't have a business. When someone gives you money you have a relationship with that person. There's a level of trust you have to uphold.
Showing posts with label interview. Show all posts
Showing posts with label interview. Show all posts
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Interview with Mike Vanderboegh of Sipsey Street Irregulars
In an interview style which I hope will become a regular feature of this blog, I tracked down Mike Vanderboegh of Sipsey Street Irregulars and he consented to do an email interview. Many of you undoubtedly know who he is, but for those who don't, he is a large force behind the Three Percenter movement. This self-described "fat man with a cane" has kept the creeping tyrannical government rocked back on its heels for years now and along with David Codrea has been instrumental in keeping the heat on the still-growing Gunwalker scandal that now threatens to engulf the president. History may still surprise us on that one and if so, Mike Vanderboegh will be written into the books as one of the Davids who beat the Goliath.
Mike also has a book coming out by Christmas called "Absolved". I'm eagerly looking forward to it.
Seeing as how he's been denounced by every enemy-of-freedom from Bill Clinton to MSNBC, I'm thrilled to be able to link my work with his own.
Without further babbling from me, here's the interview:
Ernie: Where do you think the Gunwalker scandal is going? Impeachment hearings? Censure?
Mike: For Obama, the scandal will cripple him politically and make him a one term president, but the GOP lacks the collective spine to impeach him. The sad thing is that the threat of urban violence were that to happen is very real. Actually, the only political types who are now wishing that Obama be impeached (as long as there are GOP fingerprints on it) are Democrats, particularly partisans of Hillary. Can the GOP be that stupid to act as their foil? Well, it ain't impossible. You don't get rich by betting against the stupidity of the GOP.
Ernie: Has there been any personal blowback from your coverage of the Gunwalker scandal in your own life? Retaliation by government thugs? ATF attempts to scare you?
Mike: This is old hat for me, having been through it in the 90s. The ATF is so risk averse at the moment that, although they have leaned on my friends, they wouldn't even answer the gate when I stop by the ATF "Fort Apache" in downtown Birmingham to drop off autographed copies of stories from the headlines. Honestly, they stood at the windows and watched while I pressed the button on the intercom and said, "Helllloooo, is anybody there?" I finally waved and gave them a thumbs up and a victory sign as I wedged the paperwork in the cracks of the steel gate. I don't get threatening phone calls from them anymore, which were always entertaining in the 90s. There are other folks, more serious folks, out there besides ATF. They make their presence known every now and then, but the trick is in not minding.
Ernie: Many patriots are effectively silenced because of their fear of getting on a government "list". As someone who is undoubtedly at the top of these lists, how do you feel about these silenced patriots and what guidance would you give to them?
Mike: The leviathan is able to get away with this continual assault on our liberties precisely because of that fear. What people should understand is that we are ALL on a list. The only question is how high up are we and how long it will take a tyrannical government to work its way down. Once you accept that, once you understand that the only way out of this for ourselves and our children is to WIN, you'll stop worrying and start fighting, every day in every way.
Ernie: Can you define for me what is a "Three Percenter" and how they differ from the Oathkeepers organization?
Mike: Oath keepers is an organization. The Three Percent movement is just that, a movement designed to emulate the three percenters of the American Revolution -- that minority who took the field against the King's forces. Oath keepers, to my understanding, declare that they will not put up with tyranny on their watch, and to that end seek to expand the numbers of soldiers and cops who will maintain their oaths to the Constitution. The Three Percenters declare openly that we will not tolerate any further encroachments on our liberties. Period.
Ernie: How did you feel about being publicly named as a right-wing extremist by Bill Clinton when he denounced the Three Percenter movement?
Mike: Proud.
Ernie: You made headlines when you urged people to throw some bricks at the windows of Democratic offices in response to Obamacare. What sort of legislation do you think is coming down the pipe that might
urge you to pick up a brick yourself?
Mike: I'm an old fat man with congestive heart failure and a cane, but if I decide that I can best serve by throwing bricks, I will, no matter what the cause.
Ernie: Do you feel that there are any movements out there that are successful in stemming the tide of government tyranny?
Mike: "Successful"? No, not yet. I'd like to think that the efforts put into the Gunwalker Scandal may have slowed the bastards down a bit and illustrated for the rest of the thinking population how illegitimate the current regime, of both parties, is. Time will tell.
Ernie: Can the current process of creeping tyranny be reversed? If so, how?
Mike: Yes. When I figure it out, I'll let you know. There is no one magic bullet. I will say this: if we could get all those people who say they are with us politically but are holding back because they "don't want to get their name on a list," then we would have already won.
Ernie: Do you see a time at which the government clamps down on free speech and blogs such as yours are banned? If so, what alternate means of communication would you recommend?
Mike: It is certainly possible, but it would also be a casus belli. The civil war would begin almost immediately. Communication after that would be of the tactical sort within your own area of operations. No comforting "words from on high" or instructions from the great leader, whoever he or she is perceived to be, would be necessary. I refer you to the words of Bob Wright, when back in the 90s he was asked by the FBI SAC from Albuquerque whether he would actually activate his unit and go to the scene of another potential Waco in another state. Bob looked him dead in eye and asked: "Why would I want to do that? There's plenty of you federal sonsabitches around here." This was an angle that the Fibbie had not previously considered. We are all strongest on our home turf. The fight, when it comes to each of us, will be fought and won or lost there.
Ernie: Is there anything you would like to say as a "call to action" to my readers?
Mike: Get off your asses and get involved. Take not counsel of your fears. Quit worrying about what the Federal leviathan might do to you and start figuring out what you are going to them if they cross the line. No Fort Sumters and no Oklahoma City's, but no more free Wacos or free Katrinas either. Are you worried about your liberties? Well, get up off the couch and accept the responsibilities that come along with the liberties. If you wish to have peace, then you'd better prepare for war. Only credible deterrence will keep the wolves away from your door.
Mike also has a book coming out by Christmas called "Absolved". I'm eagerly looking forward to it.
Seeing as how he's been denounced by every enemy-of-freedom from Bill Clinton to MSNBC, I'm thrilled to be able to link my work with his own.
Without further babbling from me, here's the interview:
Ernie: Where do you think the Gunwalker scandal is going? Impeachment hearings? Censure?
Mike: For Obama, the scandal will cripple him politically and make him a one term president, but the GOP lacks the collective spine to impeach him. The sad thing is that the threat of urban violence were that to happen is very real. Actually, the only political types who are now wishing that Obama be impeached (as long as there are GOP fingerprints on it) are Democrats, particularly partisans of Hillary. Can the GOP be that stupid to act as their foil? Well, it ain't impossible. You don't get rich by betting against the stupidity of the GOP.
Ernie: Has there been any personal blowback from your coverage of the Gunwalker scandal in your own life? Retaliation by government thugs? ATF attempts to scare you?
Mike: This is old hat for me, having been through it in the 90s. The ATF is so risk averse at the moment that, although they have leaned on my friends, they wouldn't even answer the gate when I stop by the ATF "Fort Apache" in downtown Birmingham to drop off autographed copies of stories from the headlines. Honestly, they stood at the windows and watched while I pressed the button on the intercom and said, "Helllloooo, is anybody there?" I finally waved and gave them a thumbs up and a victory sign as I wedged the paperwork in the cracks of the steel gate. I don't get threatening phone calls from them anymore, which were always entertaining in the 90s. There are other folks, more serious folks, out there besides ATF. They make their presence known every now and then, but the trick is in not minding.
Ernie: Many patriots are effectively silenced because of their fear of getting on a government "list". As someone who is undoubtedly at the top of these lists, how do you feel about these silenced patriots and what guidance would you give to them?
Mike: The leviathan is able to get away with this continual assault on our liberties precisely because of that fear. What people should understand is that we are ALL on a list. The only question is how high up are we and how long it will take a tyrannical government to work its way down. Once you accept that, once you understand that the only way out of this for ourselves and our children is to WIN, you'll stop worrying and start fighting, every day in every way.
Ernie: Can you define for me what is a "Three Percenter" and how they differ from the Oathkeepers organization?
Mike: Oath keepers is an organization. The Three Percent movement is just that, a movement designed to emulate the three percenters of the American Revolution -- that minority who took the field against the King's forces. Oath keepers, to my understanding, declare that they will not put up with tyranny on their watch, and to that end seek to expand the numbers of soldiers and cops who will maintain their oaths to the Constitution. The Three Percenters declare openly that we will not tolerate any further encroachments on our liberties. Period.
Ernie: How did you feel about being publicly named as a right-wing extremist by Bill Clinton when he denounced the Three Percenter movement?
Mike: Proud.
Ernie: You made headlines when you urged people to throw some bricks at the windows of Democratic offices in response to Obamacare. What sort of legislation do you think is coming down the pipe that might
urge you to pick up a brick yourself?
Mike: I'm an old fat man with congestive heart failure and a cane, but if I decide that I can best serve by throwing bricks, I will, no matter what the cause.
Ernie: Do you feel that there are any movements out there that are successful in stemming the tide of government tyranny?
Mike: "Successful"? No, not yet. I'd like to think that the efforts put into the Gunwalker Scandal may have slowed the bastards down a bit and illustrated for the rest of the thinking population how illegitimate the current regime, of both parties, is. Time will tell.
Ernie: Can the current process of creeping tyranny be reversed? If so, how?
Mike: Yes. When I figure it out, I'll let you know. There is no one magic bullet. I will say this: if we could get all those people who say they are with us politically but are holding back because they "don't want to get their name on a list," then we would have already won.
Ernie: Do you see a time at which the government clamps down on free speech and blogs such as yours are banned? If so, what alternate means of communication would you recommend?
Mike: It is certainly possible, but it would also be a casus belli. The civil war would begin almost immediately. Communication after that would be of the tactical sort within your own area of operations. No comforting "words from on high" or instructions from the great leader, whoever he or she is perceived to be, would be necessary. I refer you to the words of Bob Wright, when back in the 90s he was asked by the FBI SAC from Albuquerque whether he would actually activate his unit and go to the scene of another potential Waco in another state. Bob looked him dead in eye and asked: "Why would I want to do that? There's plenty of you federal sonsabitches around here." This was an angle that the Fibbie had not previously considered. We are all strongest on our home turf. The fight, when it comes to each of us, will be fought and won or lost there.
Ernie: Is there anything you would like to say as a "call to action" to my readers?
Mike: Get off your asses and get involved. Take not counsel of your fears. Quit worrying about what the Federal leviathan might do to you and start figuring out what you are going to them if they cross the line. No Fort Sumters and no Oklahoma City's, but no more free Wacos or free Katrinas either. Are you worried about your liberties? Well, get up off the couch and accept the responsibilities that come along with the liberties. If you wish to have peace, then you'd better prepare for war. Only credible deterrence will keep the wolves away from your door.
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