As philosophers and military commanders have observed since antiquity — The best defense is a good offense. (The Frantics credited “Mel, the cook on Alice” in their hilarious Tae Kwon Leap skit. Many people might think of Vince Lombardi ahead of Vic Tayback.)
Now we get to see whether that works in politics.
Last month, CNN reported that North Carolina lieutenant governor Mark Robinson — currently the GOP nominee for governor — frequented porn sites two decades ago and left racist and misogynist comments on the content, including identifying as a “black Nazi.” Robinson vehemently denied the allegations at the time, and managed to survive a last-minute attempt to replace him on the ballot. Nevertheless, Robinson’s polling has nose-dived in a state where Republicans are usually competitive, and he now trails Democrat Josh Stein by 16 points.
Today, Robinson fired back, launching a $50 million defamation suit against CNN and presumably reporter Andrew Kaczynski. Robinson and his attorney claim that CNN ignored potentially contradictory evidence of identity theft and published the material with actual malice:
Robinson, who announced the lawsuit at a news conference in Raleigh with a Virginia-based attorney, has denied authoring the messages.
CNN “chose to publish despite knowing or recklessly disregarding that Lt. Gov. Robinson’s data — including his name, date of birth, passwords, and the email address supposedly associated with the NudeAfrica account — were previously compromised by multiple data breaches,” the lawsuit states, referencing the website.
Robinson, who would be the state’s first Black governor if elected, called the report a “high-tech lynching” against a candidate “who has been targeted from Day 1 by folks who disagree with me politically and want to see me destroyed.” […]
— Read More: hotair.com
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.
Mark is the one guy I was enthusiastic about voting for. But this makes him look like he’s just after money. He’d be better off to just own up and confess to a porn addiction, whether or not he made the posts in question. There’s no money or political gain involved in that, but it is a far better witness for the Lord. Most Christians are more concerned with whether or not he repented, and turned away from it, than how much he strayed 20-30 years ago. Where does he stand right now. That’s what I’m concerned about. He has a great opportunity to condemn porn along with all sexual immorality.
There are far more than two or three witnesses, and the diligent inquiry, required by scripture. There’s little doubt he did watch a lot of porn. Whether or not he made the comments about slavery, nazism, etc. is not as clear. But the porn itself is bad enough, for a man professing to be a born again Christian.
About 20 years ago, I myself got into looking at online porn. It started out somewhat innocent. An ad pops up, you follow it, the next thing you know you’re looking at it. And it continued and worsened for about two months, before one day I said some things to a girl that were sinful, and I realized how bad things had gotten. That’s when the conscience went from a quiet voice to a yell. That’s when I repented. And that is the nature of sexual sin. It is never the first sin. It is always the culmination of many sins, worsening over time.
And, as far as that goes, that’s exactly why we know that this republican platform, which is basically the democrat platform of twenty years ago, will stop nothing. As is said, about the only difference between democrats and republicans, both on the broad way the leads to destruction, is that republicans go the speed limit. (whatever limit that might suggest, it’s not God’s limits – His speed limit on that road is zero mph)
I was enthusiastic about voting for Mark specifically because he goes against his own party, and against the big money donors, on issues of importance to Christians, and stands firm in those convictions.
Now the question is, well, is this guy for real, or is he just another fake, fraud, impostor and infiltrator, controlled opposition … ??
He should, first and foremost, be standing up and condemning any and all sexual immorality, even his own of the past. But he apparently hasn’t, at least hasn’t condemned porn. Instead he’s going after CNN, seeking monetary compensation. So is it all about himself, or is it about serving the Lord?
As far as that goes, I could even forgive some of the comments. Every man knows. When you’re young and horny, you’ll say about anything. I certainly did. And I’m certainly not proud of it. As Christians we know that the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit takes time. The pressures of this world are tremendous. Much of modern behavioral, social, and medical “‘science” even says that porn and sexual immorality is healthy. And if you don’t allow yourself to be drawn into it, you’re deemed to have something wrong with you. When we know, that’s nothing more than wicked people in white coats trying to justify their own sin.
That is at the root of everything we now face. Even the slaughter of the unborn is a matter of sexual sin.
If Mark wants to win the election, he needs to stand up and condemn it all, even his own. He’s going to have to make it known that he’s serving the Lord, concerned for his brothers and sisters in Christ, and concerned about eternal matters, more than his own reputation, career, and wallet. If he can do that, I’ll vote for him. If he can’t do that, then he can’t fight the good fight for us, especially as it relates to whether or not the government and powers that be are to respect our conscience, as a matter of first serving the Lord. He’s got to carry that cross. As we all must. The Lord must come first in all things, no matter the cost.
A man is not where he needs to be until his fear of the Lord far outweighs his fear of the world …
And that is something that cannot be faked.
Only then is he fit to lead …