(The Economic Collapse Blog)—The rapidly growing chasm that exists between the ultra-wealthy and all the rest of us is not good for our society. In recent years, our leaders flooded the system with enormous mountains of money, and all of that money greatly enriched those at the very top of the economic food chain. Unfortunately, all of that money also created a tremendous amount of inflation which has been crushing the standard of living for millions upon millions of hard working Americans. We just witnessed the largest decline in real median household income since 2010, the child poverty rate in the U.S. has more than doubled, and this year homelessness is rising in our nation at the fastest pace ever recorded. So many Americans are deeply suffering right now, and we need to remember that they are real people with real emotions.
It can be absolutely soul crushing to work as hard as you possibly can but still find yourself falling farther and farther behind.
And when people come to the conclusion that they simply cannot take care of themselves no matter what they do, many of them will start to go completely nuts. Without a doubt, economic desperation is one of the factors that is fueling the massive crime wave that I have been documenting in my articles in recent months.
Theft is going to cost U.S. retailers over 100 billion dollars in 2023, and stores are being permanently shut down in our core urban areas at a staggering pace.
In fact, so many grocery stores have been shut down in Chicago that Mayor Brandon Johnson wants to create his own socialist grocery stores to replace them…
Chicago’s Democrat mayor wants to create city-run grocery stores to promote ‘equitable’ access to food after half of the city’s Walmart and Whole Foods stores closed.
Mayor Brandon Johnson announced a partnership with the Economic Security Project to open municipally-owned grocery stores in Chicago in a bid to tackle many of the city’s so-called ‘food deserts.’
That is crazy.
But that is how far the city of Chicago has fallen.
Sadly, crime is about to go to a whole new level in Chicago, because a new law that eliminates cash bail in the state of Illinois is about to go into effect…
An Illinois law eliminating cash bail state wide is set to go into effect on Monday, officials have revealed.
According to NBC 5 Chicago, this comes two months after the state’s Supreme Court ruled that the “Pretrial Fairness Act,” which is part of the larger “SAFE-T Act,” was constitutional.
If you currently live in the state of Illinois, you may want to start considering other options.
But it isn’t just Illinois that is out of control.
All over the country, millions of our young people have come to the conclusion that the system is rigged against them.
So they figure that if the system is fundamentally unfair, why should they try to abide by the rules?
Many of our young people are now openly lawless, and in such an environment literally no one is safe…
A female gas station cashier in Washington state had no time to react amid an onslaught of punches and kicks to the face and head during a violent robbery.
Leah Johnston was attacked by six suspects, some thought to be just teenagers, while working at Friendly Normandy Market in Normandy Park on September 15.
The gang piled cigarettes and candy into their arms and stripped the register of cash before escaping.
Unfortunately, this is just the beginning.
The cost of living is going to continue to rise faster than our paychecks, and that means that the level of desperation will continue to increase.
In Canada, food prices have already become so crazy that the government is actually threatening to take legal action against grocery stores…
The Canadian government is taking aim at grocery stores, warning them of “big consequences” if they fail to provide “relief for Canadians” by stabilizing food prices by October 9. This comes amid rising inflation in the country and as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party trails badly in the polls.
Speaking at the Liberals’ national caucus retreat in London, Ontario on Thursday, Trudeau said he expects “to hear from them [the largest grocery chains] by Thanksgiving on what their plan is to stabilize prices,” adding that “if their plan doesn’t provide real relief for the middle class and people working hard to join it, then we will take further action, and we are not ruling anything out, including tax measures.”
But the truth is that the grocery stores are not being particularly greedy.
It is our leaders that have created this inflation crisis, and it is not going to go away any time soon.
In fact, it is about to get even worse because the price of oil is starting to spike…
After languishing a multi-year lows until the end of June in the low/mid-70s range after Biden drained over 270 million barrels from the SPR to a near record low in hopes of pushing the price of gasoline lower and achieving short-term political goals…
… oil has since surged by more than $20, or 32% since the low of $71.57 on June 28, its fastest ascent since the start of 2022, a rally that was sparked by Saudi Arabia’s decision to voluntarily cut an additional 1 million bpd of production in addition to the reductions agreed by the OPEC+ group…
… thereby intentionally creating a production deficit of over 3 million barrels per day.
As such the price is likely to keep rising well into the 100s, as we first predicted two weeks ago, and as Chevron CEO Mike Wirth said today on BBG TV.
Virtually everything we buy has to be transported in some way, and so the price of oil factors into just about everything.
So it should deeply alarm all of us that the average price of a gallon of gasoline in the Los Angeles area has almost reached six dollars…
Southern California drivers are feeling the squeeze of high gas prices yet again.
On Monday morning, the price of a regular gallon of gas averaged about $5.92 in the Los Angeles area, according to AAA.
That’s a 5-cent increase from the day before and nearly 40 cents more than a week ago.
What we are witnessing now are things that we have been anticipating for a very long time.
Coffee the Christian way: Promised Grounds
We really are in the very early stages of a major economic meltdown.
As the U.S. economy crumbles all around us, millions of people are going to become very desperate, and very desperate people do very desperate things.
Michael’s new book entitled “End Times” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can check out his new Substack newsletter right here.
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.
