Editor’s Note: There’s a fine line between expressing the truth without sugarcoating it and sounding like we all just need to give up. Things are looking pretty bad out there, but it’s imperative that despite the massive challenges western society is facing, we cannot lose hope. I publish articles, such as the one below by Michael Snyder, because we need to be fully aware of the circumstances. It’s equally important that we keep fighting the good fight and not give up. We can overcome these challenges, Lord willing. And if we cannot, then the Biblical end may be near, and that’s an infinite blessing to be given. So don’t let doom and gloom make you impotent. See the truth. Spread it. Then, let’s act to make it all better. Here’s Michael…
We are in the early stages of a global economic collapse, and people all over the globe are getting extremely angry. Here in the United States, higher prices are an inconvenience, but in other parts of the world higher prices can mean the difference between feeding your family or not.
And once people get to a point where they cannot even survive on the incomes that they are bringing in, they can become very unpredictable and very violent.
For example, a large economic protest that just happened in Lebanon quickly descended into violence as protesters aggressively clashed with government security forces…
Although the protest began peacefully, demonstrators clashed with security forces, who repeatedly shot tear gas into the crowd after demonstrators breached the barbed wire in front of the government building.
“It’s not just our salaries, we’re fighting for our lives,” a retired officer told The National after escaping a cloud of tear gas.
“After serving our country for over 30 years, we can’t even live off our pensions,” he said.
Cries of “Shame on you!” could be heard as protesters ran from the smog of tear gas.
We are seeing similar protests in the western world. On Sunday, an absolutely massive protest in Prague called on government leaders to resign because of “high inflation and energy prices”…
Thousands of people rallied again in the Czech capital, Prague, on Sunday calling on the government to resign as they protested against high inflation and energy prices.
It was the second such rally in the central Wenceslas Square, called for by a new non-parliamentary political party PRO, which in English stands for Law, Respect, and Expertise.
“We want to express our disapproval of this government, of the political situation, of what’s going on in the Czech Republic and in fact in the whole of Europe,” said one protestor, Renata Urbanova.
Unfortunately, economic protests such as these have become quite common over the past year.
In fact, one team of researchers determined that there were 12,500 such protests during 2022…
Last September, Italians in Rome, Milan and Naples burned their energy bills in a coordinated protest against soaring prices. In October, thousands took to French streets to decry government inaction over the high cost of living. And in November, Spanish workers rallied for higher wages, chanting “salary or conflict.”
Researchers have defined an unprecedented global wave of more than 12,500 protests across 148 countries over food, fuel and cost of living increases in 2022. And the largest were in Western Europe.
Will that number be even higher in 2023?
All over the world, people need to eat, and food prices just keep rising.
In March, food prices in the UK rose “at their fastest rate for 45 years”.
And it is now being projected that the global rice shortfall this year will be the largest in 20 years. That will mean even higher prices for the billions of people that eat rice.
Even here in the United States, food prices are becoming extremely oppressive. Earlier today, I was stunned to learn that one bakery in New York is actually selling a ham and cheese sandwich for 29 dollars.
NYC bakery Eli Zabar was selling a $29 ham & cheese sandwich… but DON'T WORRY, it was on "health bread" pic.twitter.com/WKDujaWNOC
— Andrea Mew (@andreajmew) April 12, 2023
Can you believe that?
Up until just recently, we haven’t seen economic protests in North America like we have around the rest of the world, but that has started to change.
Right now, approximately 155,000 government workers in Canada have gone on strike because the cost of living has been rising much faster than their paychecks have…
The mushroom cloud of central bank monetary destruction keeps growing, and is increasingly fueling discontent among workers whose standards of living are eroding along with the purchasing power of their wages.
Europe has already seen a wave of strikes aimed at securing inflation-offsetting pay raises. Now it’s Canada’s turn: At midnight, more than 155,000 Canadian federal government workers went on strike in what’s being described as the largest walkout against a single employer in the country’s history.
The strike was called by the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) union, which has been in negotiations for a new contract since 2021. This strike primarily encompasses two groups of federal employees: 120,000 at the Treasury Board and 35,000 at the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).
No matter who you are or where you live, you can see that the cost of living is rising at a very alarming pace. And that isn’t likely to change any time soon.
In the U.S., one recent survey discovered that a whopping 67 percent of all Americans believe that their incomes are falling behind inflation…
Continual inflation has hurt Americans, with roughly two-thirds of them reporting their wages cannot keep up, according to the most recent CNBC All-America Economic Survey.
Only 5% of Americans say their household income is outpacing inflation, with 67% stating it is falling behind and 26% saying it is keeping up, according to CNBC. The vast majority of the public is adjusting their spending habits and lifestyles due to inflation, with 81% saying they are taking measures like reducing entertainment spending and travel or dipping into savings to cover expenses.
The Federal Reserve has been rapidly increasing interest rates in a desperate attempt to contain inflation, but those higher rates have pushed us into a very serious economic downturn.
- Concerned about your life’s savings as the multiple challenges decimate retirement accounts? You’re not alone. Find out how Genesis Precious Metals can help you secure your wealth with a proper self-directed IRA backed by physical precious metals.
Large companies are laying off workers all over America, and that list includes Disney and Facebook…
This year, 596 tech firms have laid off 171,308 workers. The list is anticipated to expand, with Meta Platforms Inc. initiating job cuts today and Walt Disney Co. preparing to reduce its workforce by thousands in the coming week.
According to an internal memo seen by Bloomberg, the Facebook parent company told managers they should prepare for job cuts on Wednesday. The memo states jobs across Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Reality Labs will be affected.
The move to reduce headcount by at least 10,000 positions at the company was outlined by founder Mark Zuckerberg’s goal of greater efficiency earlier this year. Another round of job cuts is expected next month.
I know that I have covered an enormous amount of material very quickly in this article. But people need to understand the seriousness of what we are now facing. It isn’t just the U.S. economy that is in trouble. The entire global system is beginning to shake and tremble, and eventually it will completely implode.
According to Google, there are currently 7.888 billion people living on this planet. Approximately half of those people live on $6.85 or less a day.
Poverty and hunger are rapidly growing all over the world, and we are going to witness so much pain and suffering in the months and years ahead.
But most people don’t understand any of this, because the mainstream media just continues to insist that everything will work out just fine somehow.
Michael’s new book entitled “End Times” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can check out his new Substack newsletter right here.
Article cross-posted from End of the American Dream.
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.
