The border crisis in 100% Joe Biden’s faults. You can argue that congressional Democrats have a hand in it. You can point to feckless policies by governments in border states. But at the end of the day the reason that we are experiencing the worst invasion of illegal aliens that our country has ever seen is because the Biden-Harris regime has opened the borders.
They can claim they haven’t. They would be lying if they did. Every aspect of their border policy encourages illegal aliens to cross. Everything they’ve done to remove border security has worsened the flow of drugs and other illegal merchandise. They have harmed this nation immeasurably, all the while putting innocent children in danger as they’re raped and trafficked throughout their journey to the border.
Knowing all this, here’s how Biden framed the border situation during his Tuesday night State of the Union speech:
WATCH: Republicans yell 'Border,' and 'It's your fault,' when Biden mentions fentanyl crisis. pic.twitter.com/0G3WCYe1o3
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) February 8, 2023
Republicans were right to object to his feckless statements. They needed those who were watching the SOTU, which was far fewer than one might expect, to hear their objections to his gaslighting attempt. For Biden or anyone in his administration to even mention the border without begging for forgiveness is beyond disingenuous. It’s a statement of contempt towards Americans.
For anyone to hear anything about the border, whether it’s about the massive influx of illegal aliens or the child-killing fentanyl flooding across, and not blame the Biden-Harris regime completely is to declare their stupidity. Only the indoctrinated partisans or legitimately unintelligent people could see what’s happening and not come to the undeniable conclusion that this is Biden’s fault.
On today’s episode of The JD Rucker Show, I talked about the border portion of the State of the Union speech, including discussion of this article by Virginia Allen at Daily Signal: https://www.dailysignal.com/2023/02/07/fact-check-biden-touts-southern-border-success-during-state-of-union/
FACT CHECK: Biden Touts Success at Southern Border During State of Union Speech
President Joe Biden touted his policies at the southern border Tuesday night during his second State of the Union address.
“We now have a record number of personnel working to secure the border, arresting 8,000 human smugglers and seizing over 23,000 pounds of fentanyl in just the last several months,” Biden said.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection reports that it seized just over 14,000 pounds of fentanyl in fiscal year 2022, which ended Sept. 30, and more than 7,000 pounds between October and the end of December.
In February, CBP reported a large drug seizure in the San Diego sector, including “blue pills” that contained “fentanyl with a total weight of 250 pounds with an estimated street value of $3,412,000.”
Under President Donald Trump in fiscal year 2018, Customs and Border Protection reported seizing 2,135 pounds of fentanyl. And in 2020, it seized nearly 5,000 pounds of the lethal drug.
“Most illicit fentanyl today is manufactured in Mexico and brought across our southern border,” Lora Ries, director of The Heritage Foundation’s Border Security and Immigration Center, and Virginia Krieger,
president of Lost Voices of Fentanyl, recently wrote. (The Daily Signal is Heritage’s multimedia news organization.)
“But the Biden administration and the Left remain fully committed to their open border policies—even though opioids, largely fentanyl, are now the No. 1 killer of Americans aged 18-45 years old,” Krieger and Ries wrote.
The increase in the amount of fentanyl flooding into America is accompanied by a record number of illegal migrants crossing the southern border. Fiscal year 2022 saw 2.76 million illegal immigrant border crossings.
Biden drew groans and jeers from some Republican lawmakers Tuesday night when he said at another point: “America’s border problems won’t be fixed until Congress acts. If you won’t pass my comprehensive immigration reform, at least pass my plan to provide the equipment and officers to secure the border.”
Ron Vitiello, former director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, told The Daily Signal on Monday that agents are overwhelmed by the border crisis. Vitiello said there is a mental health crisis among Border Patrol agents because of the stress and frustration caused by the Biden administration’s “self-inflicted crisis” at the southern border.
Former Acting ICE Director Ron Vitiello says there is a mental health crisis among the border patrol because of the stress and frustration caused by the Biden administration's "self-inflicted crisis" at the southern border. pic.twitter.com/sTHQRZkZVx
— Virginia Allen (@Virginia_Allen5) February 6, 2023
In response to the border crisis, Biden outlined a plan in January to limit the number of illegal immigrants crossing into America. The plan aims at limiting unlawful migrants from Cuba, Nicaragua, Haiti, and Venezuela to 30,000 per month.
“Since we launched our new border plan last month, unlawful migration from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela has come down 97%,” Biden said during his speech Tuesday night.
With a record number of encounters at the border and fentanyl flowing across, Tom Homan, former acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and a visiting fellow at The Heritage Foundation, said in a recent statement:
Congress needs to hold Joe Biden, [Homeland Secretary] Secretary [Alejandro] Mayorkas, and everyone else responsible for this travesty accountable for what they’ve done to this nation.
This administration’s policies are dangerous and inhumane, and the new majority in Congress better get serious about doing something to stop them. We are quickly running out of time to fix this—act now, show some spine, or demonstrate that you care about border security to the same extent the Left does.
Alternative Video Sources:
The Most Infuriating Part of Benedict Biden's SOTU Speech Relies on Americans Being Stupid https://t.co/crg1ySS3LV
— JD Rucker (@JDRucker) February 8, 2023
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.