Joe Biden has been on an all-of-government cultural crusade since his first day as president. He has caused a great deal of division in our country, but the adverse consequences of his actions have been most pronounced in the military, from promoting the tenets of critical race theory to using taxpayer funds to facilitate abortions. And as usual, Biden is seeking to blame the mess he created on others.
Instead of focusing on building the best fighting force in the world, the Biden administration is promoting officers based on racial and cultural “equity.” They have launched a full-court press to root out alleged “white supremacy” in the military. The administration’s “extremism stand-down day” in 2021 and diversity, equity, and inclusion training requirements reportedly used up nearly 5.9 million man-hours across the service branches. And the Navy issued training materials stating that conservative views of “marriage, abortion, and LGBTQ rights” are “not considered mainstream.”
Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking Republican member on the Senate Armed Services Committee, says that by the end of this year, “there will be 30,000 fewer active-duty soldiers than the day President Biden took the oath of office. Public trust in the military is also plummeting. The Reagan Institute found that under 50% of Americans trust the military, down from 70% a few years ago.”
In trying to shift blame for the mess he has created, Biden is demonizing Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., because he is holding up military nominations and promotions to protest the Defense Department’s policy of paying for abortion-related expenses of service members and their dependents. Longstanding congressional policy strictly limits taxpayer funding of abortions in the military and other federal programs. Biden supported such funding limits for decades as a senator but suddenly flipped on the policy as a candidate for president in 2019.
The House of Representatives has approved a national defense authorization bill that reins in Biden’s radical cultural policies, but his national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, claims that the bill will never make it to Biden’s desk. Appearing on CNN’s “State of the Union” program, Sullivan disingenuously blamed the amendments in the defense bill on “a small group of Republicans” who “created a trap we don’t need to find ourselves in.”
Sullivan went on to denounce Tuberville for placing a hold on the military nominations and promotions, claiming his protest of Biden’s abortion policy “is making America less safe” and that Tuberville’s action is an “attempt to score domestic, political points.”
Never mind that Biden initiated the legally suspect funding for abortion-related expenses and other divisive cultural policies. The commander-in-chief seems more determined to push his radical cultural agenda in the military than to address the dangerous decline in military readiness and recruitment on his watch.
More than 5,000 veterans have stepped up to support Tuberville’s principled stand and to urge Biden’s Department of Defense to reverse course. In a letter to Senate leaders Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., the veterans say Biden’s policy “is not just illegal, it shamefully politicizes the military, circumvents the authority of Congress, and exceeds the authority of the Department of Defense.”
They argue that Biden’s policies have caused “an unprecedented crisis of recruitment” and that the focus of our military “must be on keeping the American people safe, not advancing the left-wing social agenda.”
The veterans go on to say that the mission of the U.S. military “is to defend and protect all American lives—not subsidize the practice of destroying innocent and vulnerable American children via abortion with taxpayer dollars.” They conclude by commending Tuberville for “doing a great service for the American people—including its service members.”
Political correspondent Byron York has pointed out that Senate Democrats held up a much larger number of military promotions in 2020 to protect the status of Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, who played a key role in bringing a whistleblower complaint against then-President Donald Trump. It is time for Biden to recognize that his core responsibility as commander-in-chief is to protect the American people, not impose a radical cultural agenda on those who risk their lives to protect our freedoms.
The Daily Signal publishes a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Heritage Foundation.
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.
The US military (or Milleytary, as some call that useless entity) are long in the toilet:
The USS Connecticut Incident
The Bonhomme Richard Fire/Destruction
The Chicom surveillance balloon, allowed to overfly the most sensitive areas in North America/CONUS, performing precision terrain mapping and RADAR center targeting for future missile strikes, etc.
Even without mentioning the completely STAGED “training events” of Ranger School female grads (didn’t happen) or the female officer in the USAF who supposedly graduated from Special Tactics (she opted out in in the early part of Phase I training) — the military in no way resembles the military of the 90s or before — the Navy under its unqualified personnel commander has dropped ALL qualifying standards —- and I do mean ALL!
Milley, Gilday, Austin, Brown, Saltzman, DeAnna DeAnna Rosanna Rosanna Burt (who believes only transgenders should be recruited) are all unqualified clown acts and farces!
SecDef Austin, when he was CENTCOM commander, oversaw the disbursing of $700 million to train “Syrian rebels” but ended up with ZERO Syrian rebels —- wonder where all that $$$ disappeared to??? [SOURCE: C–SPAN telwvised Pentagon briefing]!
(Perhaps to train all the domestic and international antifa minions and thugs?!?!)
The Biden regime is hellbent on destroying the military sector along with all the rest of America — but no excuses for the Trump Administration where SecDef MARK ESPER, committed the ultimate treason by implementing DEI, or communist political minder systems, at the Pentagon and military — restructuring the Milleytary like the PLA, and to operate like the Egyptian Army!!!
The only two presidents to actually build up and improve the military were JFK and Ronald Regan, but then Bush #1, the Clintons, Bush #2 and Obama, have been industriously working to destroy it!