(LewRockwell.com)—Have you heard of the Tradwife Movement yet? It’s an acronym for “Traditional Wife.” So far, it resides especially among millennial and Gen Z women. These young women would prefer being stay-at-home wives, keeping house, and raising kids as depicted in ’50s and ’60s movies, TV series — Leave it To Beaver, The Dick van Dyke Show, Dennis the Menace, The Donna Reed Show, I Love Lucy — and so forth.
At hazard of melting a few feminist, LGBTQ — and other currently uncategorized snowflakes — I would suggest that these OG young ladies are embracing their honest, basic, biological genetic nature in the face of a hostile and self-destructive culture.
Now being rather strangely in touch with several of the above, particularly the feminist branch — because I was raised by my mother, grandmother, and their stalwart aid, Helen Kovachik — I can speak with experience and a reasonable amount of credibility.
In particular, my mother, a successful Broadway actress ( “Having Wonderful Time“ etc.), gave up her career, worked as a chef, and then a teacher and finally a college professor in order to raise me.
She was a great mom and so I should have realized the implications when she told me every once in awhile that she would have much prefered to stay at home, keep house and raise a bunch of kids, even in preference to her Broadway career.
I always thought that was interesting but I failed to take it seriously until I got my second datapoint.
For convenience we can call that second datapoint Myra. She was a successful women’s rights attorney and best friends with Steve Goldberg, another quirky gambling legend straight out of the late 20th century. That’s why, along with my last wife Chrissy, we were having a comped lunch at Donald Trump’s Atlantic City Taj Mahal before it went bankrupt.
Myra told us she had her dream job but she was unhappy and seriously depressed. Now Myra’s dream job was, as she described it, “suing abusive husbands into the gutter or putting them in jail.” But, she said, feminism had betrayed her.
“How so?” I asked.
“Feminism told me I could only be happy if I had a career. I now realize that was a lie, a big lie. My inner voice is telling me I should have gotten married, and been a home-maker raising children.
“My clock has been ticking for years and I’ve been ignoring it in favor of the feminist ideal. I’m afraid it’s too late for me now. All I can see ahead is a lonely old woman.”
She went on to tell us that a majority of her friends, mostly successful professional women, felt similarly.
So, my mom wasn’t alone. How about you?
And, do you have to have a job to be a feminist?
I suspect a lot of that notion has something to do with what the government-corporate-complex learned from putting Rosie the Riveter to work during WWII, particularly the advantages of being able to tax the female half of the population as well as the male half. That’s a conspiracy theory for another time. But consider Marilyn Waring’s “If Women Counted” — or a TED TALK right from the lady herself.
My grandmother was a militant feminist, marched for the right to vote and never held a job a day in her life.
So where did the part of feminism that goes far beyond “equal pay for equal work” and the right to vote come from?
Chrissy’s daughter got a college scholarship and partied it away but she learned something important anyway. “All my Women’s Studies profs were man-haters. I like men,” she told me.
Now, of course, not all young women feel that way. How many who do feel that way won’t admit to it? After all, they would be betraying today’s pseudo-feminism and a big chunk of everything they’ve been indoctrinated to believe about being a modern woman.
But that’s only the first half of the tragedy.
The second-half is that current American culture, in addition to emasculating men in subtle and not so subtle ways, has made it almost impossible to be a Tradhusband, that is, a bread-winner who can afford to support a stay-at-home Tradwife and family.
It’s the taxes.
Even in the ’90s, my friend and sometimes mentor James Libertarian Burns, wanted to be married rather than “indulge in victimless crimes with his hooker,” as he delicately put it. But although he had a decent casino income, he never felt he could afford the stay-at-home wife and kids he wanted. Sadly, he never married.
In the 50s and 60s, the historical period most Tradgirls (I know, I’m being “un-woke“) favor, it was possible for one breadwinner to support the whole family.
But even 30 years ago according to The Family Research Council, taxes had increased so much that in a two-parent family – – –
One parent worked to support the family, the other to support the government.
So, even before the Turn of the Century, the result of supporting government was that there was rarely a stay-at-home mother and the average teen hadn’t had an uninterrupted ten minute conversation with either parent in the last month. Half the teens had used tobacco, two thirds had used alcohol, and one third “illegal” drugs. -CNN & COMPANY, 19 Oct 1995
In a rather extraordinary effort to overcome this, my son and his wife arranged their working schedules so that one of them could always be home with my granddaughter. The result was that they were rarely home and awake at the same time. They eventually divorced, explaining that, in keeping their daughter safe, they’d become strangers.
So girls, if you want to have babies, thanks to Uncle Sam and his mimics, you have a better than 50/50 chance of ending up raising them on your own. And you won’t be able to be a stay-at-home mom because you’ll need at least one job.
And that’s the true Tradwife Tragedy.
What are you going to do about it?
In this case I’m asking because I don’t have a clue and I’m hoping some of you problem-solvers out there do.
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.
