(The Economic Collapse Blog)—I have a feeling that October is going to be one of the most tumultuous months that we have seen in a really long time. Ports all along the East Coast and all along the Gulf Coast are about to shut down, and that could throw U.S. supply chains into a state of chaos for an extended period of time. Meanwhile, vast areas of the South are just starting to recover from a “once in a generation storm” that has done about 100 billion dollars in total damage.
Sadly, economic conditions in those states will not return to normal for the foreseeable future. On top of everything else, we are less than 40 days away from a presidential election which threatens to absolutely rip this country apart. If you can’t see the storm clouds that are rapidly approaching at this point, you must have your head in the sand.
Tonight, 45,000 dockworkers from a total of 36 different U.S. ports are scheduled to go on strike…
US ports from Maine to Texas could shut down Monday night if a union representing about 45,000 dockworkers carries through with a threatened strike.
A lengthy shutdown of 36 ports – which handle half of America’s cargo from ships – could raise cause shortages and price increases at big and small retailers alike as the holiday shopping season approaches.
Walmart, Home Depot, Ikea and Amazon – who import tens of thousands of containers a year through ports on the east coast – would be worst hit.
We haven’t seen a strike of this magnitude in nearly 50 years. Of course 50 years ago we made a lot more of the things that we buy on a regular basis in our own country.
It is being reported that the dockworkers are demanding a pay increase of close to 80 percent…
The International Longshoremen’s Association is demanding a pay rise that works out at about 77 percent over six years. For union members on a typical rate, their wage would go from $81,120 to around $143,520.
Retail expert Neil Saunders of Global Data told DailyMail.om that the strike will cause two main problems – shoppers will face higher prices and empty shelves.
Needless to say, they aren’t going to get that much of a pay hike. Either they are going to have to lower their demands, or we are going to be facing an extended strike.
If this strike goes on for a month or more, it is going to have an enormous impact on our supply chains. So if there is something that you really need, I would get it now while you still can.
Of course this is happening at a time when the South has just been hit by a “once in a generation” storm.
There are vast areas that will never be the same after this. Many are comparing this disaster to Hurricane Katrina, and that is not an exaggeration at all. At this moment, millions of Americans that were hit by the storm are really, really hurting…
Short on supplies, power and patience, storm victims who saw the brutal force of Helene upend their lives have emerged to a new week, facing the daunting challenge of rebuilding.
Some of the roads and bridges they need to do the job aren’t there anymore. Electricity could be a week away or longer. Emergency services are stretched. Communications infrastructure is in shreds. And neighbors, some of whose own homes are gone, are helping neighbors – all the while worrying about the fate of those from whom they haven’t heard.
At least 102 people have died across six states since Helene, which made landfall in Florida as a mammoth Category 4 hurricane, tore through the Southeast and left millions without power and communications.
We were warned that this storm would be “unsurvivable” wherever it first came ashore, and that was most certainly the case in the small Florida town of Steinhatchee…
As Hurricane Helene pounded Florida’s Gulf Coast this week it virtually wiped the small town of Steinhatchee “off the map” with 10-foot waves and 140 mph winds.
Although the town was evacuated, the 500 people who saved their lives came back to homes and businesses destroyed by the Category 4 storm. “It’s heartbreaking,” Donna Landon told the New York Post. She suffered the total loss of her mobile home.
The Post toured Steinhatchee on Friday, which is located about 90 miles southeast of the state capital Tallahassee. There were few buildings not blown away by the storms and the ones that survived total demolition were heavily damaged. The human cost has been at least 45 dead.
But what made this storm truly unique is that it continued to cause immense devastation hundreds of miles inland.
In North Carolina, entire houses “floated away from subdivisions”…
The rushing water rose five feet higher in the Swannanoa River than anyone had ever seen.
The ground disappeared on South Tunnel Road, leaving a giant sinkhole full of asphalt soup.
Houses floated away from subdivisions. Bridges crumbled. The flood waters flipped semi-trucks into mangled piles. Mud and tree branches and food from local grocery stores flowed into the streets.
Asheville, North Carolina has been completely and utterly devastated.
We are talking about a city of nearly 100,000 people.
Of course North Carolina will be one of the most closely watched swing states during this election.
Will this storm have an impact on how residents of that state vote?
So far, help from the federal government has been very slow to arrive, and people are not happy about that.
Needless to say, this election threatens to unleash a wave of civil unrest that is unlike anything we have ever seen before.
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And once it starts, there will be millions of “new arrivals” that will be quite eager to join in.
According to brand new data that was just released, there are approximately “425,000 convicted criminals living in the U.S. illegally”…
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials published new data this week indicating there are as many as 425,000 convicted criminals living in the U.S. illegally.
The individuals identified by ICE are listed on the agency’s Non-Detained Docket, a component of its Alternatives to Detention (ATD) program. These programs ensure “compliance with release conditions” while ICE works to remove migrants from the U.S.
These aren’t just people that have been accused of committing a crime.
These are people that have actually been convicted of a crime in a court of law.
A CBS News article that attempted to put a positive spin on this number actually admitted that many of these criminals have been in the U.S. for many years, and it also admitted that many of them cannot be deported “because their home countries won’t take them back”…
The bottom line is that many of the convicted criminals described in the letter have been in the U.S. for a long time, before the Biden administration took office, according to government data and officials. Some are still in federal or state custody serving criminal sentences and are likely to be arrested by ICE. And others cannot be deported because their home countries won’t take them back or they received legal relief from deportation in immigration court.
Sadly, the number of criminals continues to rise with each passing day, because more are constantly pouring over our wide open borders.
The stage has been set for widespread chaos on a level that most people don’t even want to think about.
And I haven’t even talked about the situation in the Middle East in this article.
As Israeli forces go into Lebanon, what sort of chaos do you think we will see on college campuses all over the nation?
My friends, a “perfect storm” is here, and the month of October is only going to be just the beginning…
Michael’s new book entitled “Why” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.
Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.
Dennis Prager thinks the only problem is Candace Owens —- is Prager the turkey who has ignored electiin fraud for 25 effing years in the employ of antichrist George Soros????