The United States dollar (USD) could suffer another huge blow that could send it down the drain as heads of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states have made a landslide decision to conduct the majority of transactions in national currencies instead of the American dollar, following Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s proposal to ditch the dollar eventually.
Raisi warned against the world’s dependency on USD in global exchanges and pointed out the importance of de-dollarization to form a just international system, during a speech at the July 4 virtual 23rd SCO summit that was held after Iran gained full-fledged membership in the bloc.
“Based on the experience of the past decades, it is now obvious that militarism and the dominance of the dollar form the bases of the Western domination system,” the president stressed. “Therefore, any attempt to shape a fair international system requires the removal of this instrument of dominance in intra-regional relations.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the meeting where Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif were also in attendance apart from Raisi. Another summit attendee, China’s Xi, has also called for an increase in the use of national currencies in trade between members of the SCO. Xi pointed to a variety of financial instruments that members should focus on to expand mutual economic ties.
“It is necessary to ramp up cooperation in sovereign digital currency and work on the establishment of an SCO development bank,” Xi stated, volunteering to provide its partners with access to Chinese markets and share its experience.
Moreover, Russian President Vladimir Putin revealed that Russia-China trade and economic cooperation already has over 80 percent of settlements between them that are currently made in rubles and yuan. Putin added that the trade volume between Russia and co-SCO countries reached a record $263 billion in 2022 and even went up by 35 percent in the first four months of 2023.
“The share of the ruble in Russia’s settlements with the SCO countries exceeded 40 percent,” the Russian president said. (Related: DE-DOLLARIZATION: China now uses the yuan for cross-border transactions more than it uses the US dollar.)
When Raisi visited Indonesia back in May, he and his Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo declared they would stop using the dollar in their bilateral trade at a televised presser in Jakarta. They claimed they are now set to use the Iranian national currency, the rial and the Indonesian rupiah to replace the conventional U.S. dollar in their economic relations.
The recent movements of the said “influential” countries are already paving the way to a quicker USD demise. According to reports, the U.S. dollar’s share in global reserves fell ten times faster last year than over the past two decades. The fall accelerated after other countries saw Russia’s USD and Euro-denominated assets frozen abroad and Moscow cut from the SWIFT global financial messaging system.
In fact, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen has recently admitted that the dollar’s role as the world reserve currency could diminish due to Washington using its leverage over the global financial system to pursue its geopolitical goals through sanctions.
The weaponization of the dollar drives central banks away from USD
In yet another event on May 23-25, Iran was hard at work in the promotion of the collapse of the USD. When Tehran hosted the 51st Annual Summit of the Asian Clearing Union (ACU), members of the said payment arrangement between the central banks agreed to move away from USD.
The meeting was attended by the Bangladesh Bank, Royal Monetary Authority of Bhutan, Reserve Bank of India, Central Bank of Iran, Maldives Monetary Authority, Central Bank of Myanmar, Nepal Rastra Bank, State Bank of Pakistan and Central Bank of Sri Lanka as well as representatives from Afghanistan and Belarus and the governor of the Russian central bank.
Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber emphasized that steering away from the American dollar is not a voluntary choice anymore. “In fact, it is a response to the weaponization of the dollar. The weaponization of the dollar during the past few decades has forced nations to reduce their reliance on the currency,” Mokhber said, pointing out that the U.S.’s influence around the world is seriously threatened by the dollar’s decline. He said Iran is prepared to improve its financial and economic links with other countries, especially ACU member states.
Read more about the death of the U.S. dollar at DollarDemise.com.
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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.
