Nov. 9, 2022: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wanted “genuine peace talks” with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin. The West nudged Zelensky’s initiation of peace discussions, because U.S. public support for Ukraine’s war could dwindle if no potential end were in sight.
Nov. 16, 2022: Joe Biden’s White House asked Congress for another $37 billion for the war in Ukraine on top of the $54–68 billion already given.
Dec. 2, 2022: Joe Biden continued his idiotic stance of not speaking to President Putin because, “We’re just not at a point where talks seem to be a fruitful avenue to approach right now.” This sort of irrational foreign policy shows a callus disregard for human life and supports the statement of Robert Gates, defense secretary in the Obama administration when he stated, “[Biden has] been wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue over the past four decades.” If there is a chance to stop the killing in a war, why wouldn’t you take that chance?
Dec. 23, 2022: The just-voted-out Democrat-controlled House and Democrat-led Senate, while in “lame-duck” session, ignoring the will of the people of the United States after the November 2022 election where the House flipped from Democrat to Republican, decided to pass a 4,100 page $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill, including $45 billion in additional funding for Ukraine. On Nov. 16, 2022 (above), the Biden White House had asked Congress for only $37 billion, but Congress, being generous with taxpayer money, gave an additional $8 billion more than requested. This brings the total sent to Ukraine to somewhere between $99 and $113 billion.
Examining the breakdown of what we know about the moneys sent to Ukraine, only 5% of the total was designated for humanitarian needs. Of course, 61% of the money has been in military assistance, but a whopping 34% of the money is designated for financial assistance, including budgetary aid and economic support. This sounds shady when you consider that Zelensky’s inner circle is buying multi-million dollar mansions in Switzerland, beachfront property in Montenegro, U.S. factories and U.S. commercial real estate. Then there are Zelensky’s friends like Mykola Zlochevsky, whom Ukrainian authorities suspect of “theft of government funds on an especially large scale.”
Dec. 25, 2022: On Christmas Day President Putin stated, “We are ready to negotiate with everyone involved about acceptable solutions, but that is up to them – we are not the ones refusing to negotiate; they are.” Continuing, Putin said, “I believe that we are acting in the right direction. We are defending our national interests, the interests of our citizens, our people. And we have no other choice but to protect our citizens.”
One article further stated, “Putin equates his ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine to a watershed moment – in that it was when Moscow finally stood up to a Western bloc that has been looking to destroy Russia since the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union.” Putin also blamed the West for actually starting present conflict and claimed that in 2014 the West toppled the pro-Russian Ukrainian president in the Maiden Revolution protests.
It seems that with the olive branch extended last Christmas someone would want to talk with Putin and ask questions. For example, what are your “national interests?” What are “the interests of your citizens?” And how do you explain your view that the West is trying to “destroy Russia?”
Perhaps Putin’s interests include eliminating U.S. funded Ukrainian bio-labs, or immoral stances the West has taken on marriage and gender. Who knows what his points are, if you refuse to talk with him.
Instead of speaking with Putin, CIA Director William Burns stated that while most conflicts end in negotiation, Russia was not serious about real talks. An adviser to Zelensky stated Putin needed to return to reality and acknowledge it was Russia that did not want talks.
So, by Dec. 25, 2022, Putin said he wanted to talk, but the West and Ukraine said Putin does not want to have peace talks. It seems like if you can stop the killing, everyone would jump at the idea.
Dec. 29, 2022: Joe Biden signed into law the $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill, including $45 billion in additional funding for Ukraine.
It should be mentioned that Biden would not speak with Putin in December of 2021 either, because Putin wanted guarantees that Ukraine would not join NATO, something the U.S. president said was a “nonstarter.” This contributed to Putin initiating his military operation in February 2022. On July 10, 2023, Biden said that Ukraine is not ready to join NATO. That was the conversation Putin wanted to have before the war began.
My question is, if in November of 2022 Zelensky, at the nudging of the West, stated he wanted peace negotiations, and then on Dec. 25, 2022, Putin extended the olive branch for peace negotiations, but no one would talk with him, what could have happened that changed everyone’s mind concerning the peace negotiations? You don’t think Congress giving $45 billion to Ukraine by Dec. 23, 2022, and signed into law by Biden December 29, 2022, could have had anything to do with halting the idea of peace negotiations, do you?
Now there is talk of sending more money and controversial civilian-killing cluster bombs against the opinion of 123 countries who signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions pact prohibiting these munitions. In fact, Biden is bypassing U.S. law prohibiting the production, use, or transfer of cluster munitions with a failure rate of more than 1%. The U.S. munitions failure rate is 2.5%. These “duds” just blow up arbitrarily at any time in the future, often killing civilians. Does this sound like a deescalation, or an escalation? Does Ukraine really need more of Americans’ money?
Well, I guess it is true that the 2024 elections are fast approaching, and the Democrats will need more funds – for their political coffers.
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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.
