(The Economic Collapse Blog)—Once upon a time, America was such a beautiful place. As a nation, we are blessed with great natural beauty, and the shiny, clean cities that we constructed from coast to coast were once the envy of the entire world. But now many of the most beautiful places in America have literally been turned into open toilets. Let me give you an example of what I am talking about. Decades ago, California beaches were so spectacular that tourists would come from all over the world to experience them. But now the beaches in one section of southern California resemble “a portable toilet” and have been closed for 700 days in a row due to billions of gallons of untreated wastewater that is flowing into the Pacific Ocean…
Residents of a small coastal city in California said they’ve been ‘trapped in a portable toilet’ after 700 consecutive days of beach closures.
For the past four years, residents of Imperial City, a small town located a 20-minute drive from San Diego, have endured daily exposure to sea spray and aerosol particles emanating from the polluted ocean.
More than 100 billion gallons of untreated wastewater have flowed through Mexico’s Tijuana River and into the Pacific Ocean, eventually reaching the coastal town over the past five years.
Why isn’t California Governor Gavin Newsom doing something about this?
Why isn’t the Biden administration doing something about this?
One local resident says that the smell of human waste is so strong at night that it actually wakes people up…
According to a study by San Diego State University, heavy metals, toxic chemicals, and bacteria detected in the water are being released into the air and lingering in the soils.
‘I’m more frustrated than ever since we found out that it goes into the air. So it’s not just the water,’ a resident said.
In letters from community members calling for action, one resident said the smell is ‘akin to being trapped in a portable toilet,’ so strong that it wakes them up at night.
Can you imagine the cumulative impact that all of this wastewater is going to have if it is allowed to continue to flow like this year after year? But maybe this is what southern California deserves.
The television shows and movies that are created in southern California are exporting our “toilet culture” to the entire world, and now southern California is literally being transformed into a toilet.
Meanwhile, conditions are rapidly deteriorating on the east coast as well.
When I visited New York City a little over two decades ago, everything was very clean and I felt very safe wherever I walked.
But now Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s district “is being described as looking like a Third World country”…
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s district is being described as looking like a Third World country, after video emerged showing trash covered streets overrun by migrants.
Footage captured by Queens resident Ramses Frias shows two streets in the neighborhoods of Corona, Jackson Heights and Elmhurst.
The video shows the streets of the area overflowing with trash, as migrants set up make shift flea markets flogging clothing items.
Roosevelt Avenue has also become known as ‘the market of sweethearts’, with viral videos showing alleged sex workers lining the streets of the area.
Of course it isn’t just her district that is rapidly going down the tubes.
In a 15 million dollar lawsuit that was recently filed, it is alleged that one Burger King location in the Big Apple has been transformed into an “open air drug bazaar”…
A Burger King in New York City has been slapped with a $15 million lawsuit over allegations the fast food restaurant has turned into an ‘open air drug bazaar.’
The restaurant, located at 106 Fulton Street in the Financial District, was sued by long-time resident and filmmaker Kevin Kaufman, 69, who has branded the street ‘a neighborhood in crisis.’
According to the lawsuit, obtained by the New York Post, Kaufman has targeted that location and Burger King’s cooperate office, accusing them of violating the state’s private nuisance law.
Lawlessness is common at the site with pictures of drug users and videos of fights posted online.
Once again we see the word “lawlessness” used to describe what is happening in our largest cities.
How many times in recent months have I warned about how “lawless” this country is becoming?
In fact, in a piece that I authored that was one of the featured articles on Zero Hedge on Sunday, I stated that “America is becoming a little bit more lawless with each passing day”.
In Oakland, crime has gotten so bad that some business owners are openly threatening not to pay taxes…
A growing group of business owners in the Bay Area are declaring that they no longer want to pay taxes after a slew of robberies and thefts made them feel like the city wasn’t doing enough to protect them.
Businesses in Oakland, California, have faced thefts and attacks in recent months.
“We’re scared for our lives,” Cybelle’s Pizza manager Nestor Sanchez said, according to a KTVU report.
During the past several years, thousands upon thousands of businesses have either left our major cities or have shut down for good.
In some cases, entire city blocks have been boarded up.
And now we have learned that hundreds of Family Dollar stores are going to be closed, and that is going to create even more empty buildings…
Family Dollar, the struggling discount chain that caters to low-income customers predominantly in cities, said Wednesday it will close nearly 1,000 stores.
Years of mismanagement and poor conditions in stores have hurt Family Dollar’s brand. Family Dollar, which is owned by Dollar Tree, was recently fined more than $40 million for a rat infestation at a warehouse that forced hundreds of stores to temporarily close.
Decades-high inflation has hit shoppers hard, and a general consumer pullback has impacted Family Dollar customers and the chain’s profits, exacerbating its battle with discount competitors such as Dollar General, Walmart and others.
In addition, the reduction in benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, has left struggling families with as much as $250 less per month. Discount stores and consumer goods companies say they have felt the impact of that loss.
Meanwhile, every month hundreds of thousands of extremely desperate people come pouring across our southern border.
According to Axios, “more than 8 million asylum seekers and other migrants will be living inside the U.S in legal limbo by the end of September”.
The stage has been set for civil unrest on an absolutely epic scale, and we are just months away from the most tumultuous election season in our entire history.
I entitled my latest book “Chaos” for a reason, because that is exactly what we are going to experience.
Coffee the Christian way: Promised Grounds
The people that are running this country are systematically ruining it.
Everything that our forefathers worked so hard to build is going down the drain, and that should deeply sadden all of us.
Michael’s new book entitled “Chaos” is 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.
