A majority of Americans believe that mail-in ballot fraud tainted the 2020 election, but most state and federal officials continue to pretend the results were aboveboard. A majority of Americans wish to put an end to mass illegal immigration, but the Department of Homeland (in)Security continues to do nothing to protect our borders from foreign invasion.
A majority of Americans are worried about rising inflation, but the federal government continues to print and spend money and issue costly regulations. A majority of Americans oppose widespread government surveillance programs that intrude upon their privacy, but elected officials continue to give the Intelligence Blob full access to Americans’ most sensitive records and communications, in total disregard for the Constitution’s protections against warrantless searches. A majority of Americans distrust mainstream news sources, but prominent news organizations continue to push ideological propaganda at the expense of truthful and objective reporting.
These are just a few of the many ways in which America’s most powerful institutions fail to faithfully represent or protect the American people. As the disconnect between the governing and the governed continues to grow, the dishonest state of our Union will become undeniable: an insular cabal of financial, corporate, political, and bureaucratic “elites” hold 99% of the American people hostage. When Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, and Mitch McConnell speak about protecting “democracy,” what they want to preserve is an outrageously unbalanced system in which a few control everything and most control nothing.
That’s a little like a Jenga tower of blocks, in which all the weight at the top sits perilously upon a couple of crooked supports. Eventually, such an uneven structure will collapse.
Most of us already feel America’s Jenga tower wobbling. The federal government feels it, too. That’s why it spends so much time censoring Americans’ speech, spying on their conversations, and abusing the criminal “justice” system to batter perceived political enemies. As with all budding totalitarian regimes that have risen in the past, the U.S. government has abandoned persuasive argument for intimidation and coercion. It is an ugly factory that produces nothing but nagging regulations.
It is a second-rate club that protects D.C.’s privileged VIPs and shoves the rest of America behind a cheap velvet rope. It is an ear-splitting bullhorn that endlessly screeches, “Do exactly what we say!” And the more it nags and shoves and screeches, the more America’s Jenga tower wobbles.
Mirroring the Soviet system that collapsed thirty years ago, the U.S. government mistakenly believes that it can maintain control by exerting tremendous pressure on all of society’s constituent blocs. It spies on Christian churches. It threatens parents who refuse to let the State program their children in Marxist indoctrination plants posing as schools. It punishes businesses that refuse to engage in pronoun games and other renditions of “transgender” madness.
It discriminates against white people (especially white men) who prioritize individual liberty over political correctness. It micromanages every market transaction by regulating the supplies and costs of available energies. It churns out countless new laws, rules, and regulations that are too byzantine for citizens and businesses to understand. In other words, the U.S. government has replicated the Soviet system’s blueprint for making every citizen a criminal beholden to the mercies of the State.
This kind of top-heavy society is the exact opposite of America as founded. Thinking again in terms of Jenga blocks, the Founding Fathers attempted to protect the United States from becoming another one of history’s wobbly towers by constructing a system that distributes power in the shape of a pyramid. At the bottom of this pyramid is the individual, who is meant to retain the lion’s share of power over the direction of his life. The individual citizen is the foundation of an American enterprise that treasures liberty. Free speech, gun ownership, due process, and guarantees that the government cannot invade a citizen’s home on a whim all aid the individual in preserving this base of power.
Above the citizen’s foundation in the pyramid of power lie local and state governments, which are formed when citizens hand over a small portion of their freedom in return for dispassionate enforcement of agreed-upon laws and security from outside threats.
At the top is the national government, whose power does not materialize out of thin air, but rather arises from powers originating with the people and the individual states. By and with their continued consent, individual Americans and state governments lend the federal government discrete powers that are both limited in scope and explicitly itemized within the Constitution. In this way, the federal government exercises delegated authority over the smallest portion of an individual’s life.
Though Congress, the president, and the Supreme Court jointly occupy the apex of the pyramid, the scope of their legitimate jurisdiction is tiny compared to the broad foundation of power possessed by each American citizen.
This pyramid of power distribution is what made America’s founding historically “exceptional.” Aside from a handful of tribal cultures and ancient city-states, never had political power been defined so explicitly as originating with the people. This idea was incompatible with European monarchical systems that traced all authority from the absolute power of kings and queens. As such, the American system did not just begin from a state of revolution; it advanced a notion of the State that was truly revolutionary!
By recognizing the people as the legitimate custodians of all political power, the Founding Fathers hoped to provide firm foundations for a limited but stable American government to persevere over time. Just as the pyramid is a remarkably stable geometric shape, a pyramidal distribution of power prevents any temporary government official from toppling over the whole system. A pyramid survives calamitous storms, while a Jenga tower collapses from a sneeze.
What do we have in America today? Well, we clearly have a Jenga tower once again. Congress passes laws (such as Obamacare’s national takeover of private health care) that are beyond the scope of its constitutionally delegated powers. The president barks executive orders that punish Americans for their religious beliefs or political speech. The Supreme Court regularly rewrites the Constitution to provide the federal government with new and more pernicious authorities absent the consent of the American people or the individual states.
A vast regulatory bureaucracy makes and enforces rules that affect every aspect of a person’s life and property. The Intelligence Blob and Cheka FBI spend their time and resources crushing any American who opposes these unconstitutional usurpations. Decades of public school education have brainwashed too many Americans into believing that free expression is dangerous and that government agents should be empowered to “seek and destroy” any utterance that might be amorphously branded as “hate.” And because free speech expands the area of operations for all other freedoms, the U.S. government’s targeting of political speech as unapproved “disinformation” broadly threatens human liberty.
We still have a pyramid of sorts, but it has been inverted. Unaccountable spy agencies, central banks, and multinational corporations possess expansive, unchecked powers at the top. That power trickles down to administrative agencies, federal police forces, courts, White House officials, and members of Congress. The federal government treats the states as vassals obliged to do its bidding. And at the very bottom is the lone citizen who is expected to obey. Because the Bill of Rights is an easy-to-understand operations manual for a functioning American power pyramid, that pesky document has been buried six feet underground.
You would think that those who play Jenga with Americans’ lives would have learned something from the collapse of the Iron Curtain and the fall of the Soviet Union: with the weight of so much power on top, the whole tower will inevitably crash.
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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.
