The Decline of Shortwave Radio Means the Spread of World Conflict

[White Tiger]

This is from a blogger I've followed on the Internet and the HAM bands - I think his conclusions and opinions are spot on regarding this.

The Decline of Shortwave Radio Means the Spread of World Conflict

Yes, government funded radio projects like; Voice of America, Radio Free Europe, BBC International, and even Radio Australia...are succumbing to budget cutbacks and reliance on the Internet...

...and truth be told...(and shamefully so) I've actually heard more truth, especially regarding the reporting of US politics and the effects of economic policies - listening to overseas broadcasts from the likes of Russia Today, than anything I've seen or heard stateside.

For now. Making sure the propaganda always works is paramount for our leaders - I'm not sure if some group is working to destroy any shred of credibility that the people of the USA have for their domestic news outlets - or if those folks are seeking to build up our regard for foreign correspondence on global events....or some combination of both? I just don't think anything is happening by chance anymore.

...but back to the topic - individuals seeking an FCC license just broke a record in 2012 (per the ARRL). While I don't know how this year will shake out - my guess is the trend will hold, and the trend is way up since 2008, right along with long-term storage food, guns, and ammunition sales...over that exact time frame...right along with prices for those same things.

How comfortable are you with the idea that the increase in FCC license holders - may just be radio preppers...

[KC9TNH]

Good piece; not too much surprises me about the SW decline especially in the EU. Regardless of motive or a particular 'bent' on the news of the day, all these things are funded by the state ultimately, including our own NPR and PBS. It's about money & priorities. (Perhaps there will be few foreign b'cast stations up on the high-end of 40m in the evening now... one can only wish.)

As to license trends, a breakdown might pop a brighter flare.  Perhaps more folks getting on local VHF/UHF; perhaps more truckers finding out that 75 & 40m in their rig gets them alot more than a CB.  Not enough dots (for me) to say they may be preparing for something else.

The current regime will do what it will because the mainstream news sources, most of whose print offerings are good for fish-wrap now, are in their pocket.  And journalism in the traditional sense is dead.  The few who actually travel & investigate are just "special event" folks who may get their stuff aired on Discovery Channel and are largely marginalized out of the big-boys' club. And most USA'ns are satisfied to take their first 8 seconds of a news story, form an opinion before the first commercial break, and then forget that opinion by the time the local sports coverage comes on.  All tied in to overall distrust in what comes from Oz, along with general apathy.

My guess is that most folks are completely unaware, for example, of the depth of the scandals (at least 6 major ones) plaguing the regime; many will not acknowledge it anyway because of unwillingness to admit buyer's remorse.

I doubt most folks even own a rudimentary SW receiver anymore.

[Geek]

I wasn't aware of an increase in license applications.  Personally, I hope they are preppers as the more people who are prepared for problems, the better off we all are when problems ultimately occur.

[White Tiger]

KC9TNH and geek - here's a link from the ARRL website:

2012 Marks All Time High for Amateur Radio Licenses

Here's the pertinent (for me) excerpt(s):

"... ?This is an all-time high for Technician, General and Amateur Extra class licensees,? she said. ?When looking at the three current license classes, the number of Technicians, Generals and Amateur Extras peaked in December at 345,369, 163,370 and 130,736, respectively...(classes that saw growth)

"...The number of licensees increased at an average rate of 21 per day, while the number of US licensees has increased by 7 percent since 2008!? More than 3000 new licenses were issued in 2012 than in 2011...

The source data the article was drawn from comes from this FCC chart - check out the numbers for 2013...so far...

Graphs of All FCC Licensees by License Class

Oh, and if I'm reading this correctly - in just the 4 years since 2008 - there have been over 49,000 new amateur licenses issued...that's the largest increase in the last 15 years...and 2007 actually corrected a seven year decline that started in 2002...

No, I don't think truckers can account for this trend....

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[KC9TNH]

Oh, and if I'm reading this correctly - in just the 4 years since 2008 - there have been over 49,000 new amateur licenses issued...that's the largest increase in the last 15 years...and 2007 actually corrected a seven year decline that started in 2002...

Interesting stat, thanks.

Jan 2007 FCC drops the code requirement....

[White Tiger]

There ya' have it - couple making it easier to get, with distrust of government - and create the largest 4 year increase in amateur radio licensees in the past 40 years!

[gil]

What people seem to forget is that the Internet can be shut down and that the media is controlled. Short waves aren't.

Gil.

[White Tiger]

I think the government likes not having to force sheeple into anything, much better to make something free...get 'em used to relying on a means of communication that can then be easily manipulated/controlled.

If you ruin the credibility of the media - then force the truth into specific spots - sheeple will tend to go to those specific spots - looking for the same ol' information, the same ol' way.

As the article concluded - get a HAM radio and gather your own information.

[gil]

The sad thing is that there are very few short wave receivers still manufactured for the general public..Because of television and the Internet, demand is dwindling.. there should be a short-wave receiver in every house...

Gil.

[KC9TNH]

I think the government likes not having to force sheeple into anything, much better to make something free...get 'em used to relying on a means of communication that can then be easily manipulated/controlled.

X-ring! Of course; to paraphrase someone far more eloquent than I, if you can effect a bloodless coup, why go kinetic at all? It's nasty stuff & expensive.

[RadioRay]

The internet is a brilliant surveillance & target acquisition tool (especially in coordination with cellphones, credit cards, linked security cams and etc.)  It is also a fine tool of education and of real investigative reporting for most of it's users - if they can make their own decisions as to the quality of the information and make their own decisions.  I've been watching the race between people slowly waking-up and the manufacturing of hysteria to control internet more "for our safety"; you know 'HATE SPEECH!!!, RACISTS!, TERRORISTS, WHITE SUPREMACISTS, LADY GAGA!!!!   Ok - that last one scares me, but otherwise - yawn! 

Shortwave radio allows national and international exchange of ideas while those receiving it are -for all intents and purposes- untraceable.  Do NOT ave your cell phone or computer with you while listening to 'forbidden ideas' or all anonymity is gone. 


>de RadioRay ..._ ._


Ps. Don't even get me started about how easy it is to place 'evidence' into internet linked computers to eliminate opposition.

"The FCC statement says that Gil was found to have pictures of naked radios in his various computers as well as antenna making materials in his apartment!!!" 
sez the infoBabe on SkunkNews.

[gil]

"The FCC statement says that Gil was found to have pictures of naked radios in his various computers as well as antenna making materials in his apartment!!!" 

Right... Well. people have been arrested for owning washers... Yes, washers, as used with nuts and bolts... As "silencer making material."
Anybody can be targetted. That's what is so unsettling about it all. They even arrest kids in school for drawing pictures of guns, for Christ's sake!

Gil.

[KC9TNH]

Anybody can be targetted. That's what is so unsettling about it all. They even arrest kids in school for drawing pictures of guns, for Christ's sake!

Gil.

In the for what it's worth department, #1 grand-daughter wants to assist in the install of a new wire & re-orientation of another here to learn what's involved and seems to have some fascination with antenna things and RF-like substances. She has enough hands-on 4H irons in the fire that I'm gonna have her help me with that and just FIND a quality SW receiver for her. They're out there, just have to find the miser willing to let it go. If a decent one works out to be too spendy, then nothing says a used transceiver can't be used & that would leave room for her growth.

The fun challenge will be the listening antenna in her suburban lot that is even more RFI afflicted than my edge of town location. But lots of good designs for that stuff and much ground has been plowed in that area. Maybe an L-shaped array that looks like a pop-tart that was chewed into the shape of a gun...
;D

[White Tiger]

Of course, a large portion of the largest 4 year increase in new FCC licensees in the past 40 years - may also coincide with the retirement of 'Baby Boomers'.

I have heard it said, that whatever this generation did, it affected markets - the explosion of products - and the explosion of the marketing of products - all along the path of this generation has been punctuated by "trends"; from disposable diapers, to toys, television, drugs-as-entertainment, entertainment...whatever this generation was into, was done in an intense manner. I have heard entire marketing corporations were tailored to sell products to "Baby Boomers". All of the marketing for this generation was constructed on teaching folks to like something, then creating some hysteria for it, and then moving onto the next age-related product development.

I'm not sure if the current "zeitgeist" is a reaction to the growth of government (I would like to think so) - or if it is programming. For instance; the government now has the ability to decide who receives what kind of care - for the first time in history - at the exact moment the largest group of retirees in US history begins using Medicare and social security. The only way to cut costs in a government-managed healthcare system - is to ration who gets access, and what types of treatments are recommended.

Every once in awhile we surprise them. I'm thinking the dependence on the internet is as much a weakness for the minders, as it is for the sheeple.




Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[gil]

Of course, a large portion of the largest 4 year increase in new FCC licensees in the past 40 years - may also coincide with the retirement of 'Baby Boomers'.

Certainly, though I do think that prepping has contributed.. Not to mention the FCC dropping the code requirement.. Which incidentally might boost the use of Morse code. Some new hams who originally did not want to learn the code might pick it up after hearing more about it (Tim? ;))...

Me, I got my license to do Morse code...

Gil.