Americans are pessimistic about the future. They also view past decades more favorably than they do the present one. The “land of opportunity” is gone. The “American dream” is gone. What remains is a fading memory of what America used to be without an underlying promise that its erstwhile preeminence can be restored.
This pessimism is not peculiar to those living inside the United States. A growing body of research shows that national populations around the world are depressed about the future. Billions of smartphones, exponentially multiplying digital entertainments, and social media platforms connecting millions each minute are evidently not creating sufficient conditions for human optimism or happiness.
Diagnosing why eight billion people are miserable is no easy task, but there is an obvious culprit that has surely contributed to our global malaise. Globalism, as the increasingly dominant governing philosophy — if not pseudo-religion — of the planet, is inherently antagonistic to both individual self-determination and the natural bonds formed within families and tribes. When every human is encouraged — if not mandated — to act strictly for the “common good” of the global population, then those preferences that advance an individual’s, family’s, or nation’s unique interests must be undermined.
Powerful institutions as varied as the United Nations, World Economic Forum, BlackRock, and even the Vatican all demand an essentially borderless world, in which the peoples of any nation are encouraged to migrate freely into others. Decades of mass migration, primarily in the West, have resulted in not only an explosion of ethnic enclaves existing somewhat autonomously inside host nation-states, but also the fracturing of common civic bonds that once loosely united those nations’ native peoples. When citizens or political parties have fought back against policies of uncontrolled immigration, globalist-minded authorities have been quick to demonize their own citizens as racists; xenophobes; or, more recently, purveyors of “hate.” Even more devastating for afflicted populations, assimilation is now scorned. Rather than encouraging new residents to adopt the language, customs, and traditions of their adoptive land, governments have chosen to prioritize the cultural identities of recent transplants over the historic identities of the nation states they now call home.
Nationalism is derisively equated with the worst atrocities of last century’s German Nazism or Italian fascism, while its Enlightenment Age achievements in organizing similar peoples into self-sustaining regions peaceful enough to encourage technological innovation, economic growth, and relative political stability are entirely ignored. Westerners are browbeaten with globalism’s sister philosophies of “multiculturalism” and “diversity for diversity’s sake” to the point that even declaring oneself a proud Englishman, Dutchman, German, or — Heaven forefend! — Russian can quickly lead to the “offender” being branded a “racist” who must be “retrained” to reject “hate.” Is it any wonder, then, why the Olympic Games are waning in popularity, when Westerners are regularly conditioned to believe that love for one’s nation must be expunged from the human race?
Even more fundamental than membership in national tribes that foster meaning and identity, it is the familial tribe that gives humans a natural support network for dealing with the dangers of the outside world. Parents, siblings, and immediate relatives provide young family members with the skills and knowledge to navigate life’s wilderness. The bonds of kinship reinforce instinctual drives to protect and strengthen the group. Families maintain organic divisions of labor and a shared sense of duty that instill innate purpose within each member.
Globalism and State supremacy, on the other hand, are diametrically opposed to the family. By elevating a loyalty to the “common good” and the State’s “expertise” over the private decision-making of families, the State has weakened the most natural engine for creating and sustaining a human being’s identity and purpose. Government agents now insert themselves between parents and their children in matters as personal as religious conviction, sexual morality, and psychological well-being. Should parents reject any of the State’s radical ideologies — such as “transgenderism” — their natural rights as parents are threatened. Just as during China’s Cultural Revolution, Western governments now dominate the family’s private sphere.
It is this form of government superiority — intolerant of kinship traditions and hostile to personal agency — that actually birthed last century’s totalitarian regimes. What distinguishes our present era is that globalist authorities seek citizens’ absolute obedience not only to their national governments but also to the pantheon of globalist gods to whom those governments claim to pray. People are ordered to obey in the name of COVID, “climate change,” “democracy,” “fighting hate,” or any other deity that the State produces for the public’s supplication. People who worship these false gods are rewarded with government-sanctioned atonement; those who refuse are punished as heretics. No matter how faithfully the converts publicly devote themselves to the globalist theology, though, they truly serve only the small class of oligarchs who use their quasi-divine authority to amass greater wealth and power for themselves.
Good parents will sacrifice themselves for their children; they are not inclined to watch their children be butchered and brainwashed. Warriors will sacrifice themselves when their communities come under attack; they are not inclined to die for pretentious pronouns and carbon emissions. As relentless as the State’s propaganda continues to be, no centered person sees the government as family or wants to fight a war for globalism. The more the State insists that people act against their natures, the more people become aware that they must reject the authority of the State. The prospect of imminent conflict breeds deep pessimism about the future.
In my experience, human suffering arises when people feel that they have no control over their own lives. That suffering can often be stemmed when they seek some kind of relationship with God, take personal responsibility for their own actions, use their labor to create something of their own, and openly express their thoughts. This journey toward happiness requires the individual to do the heavy lifting, but it also empowers the mind to create and think freely. Humans who confidently accept their own agency inside a world not of their making eventually find peace. How do you create happy societies? Encourage citizens to embrace God, private property, and free speech.
Globalism does just the opposite. It requires total dependency on government. When COVID struck, the State closed churches, bankrupted small businesses, and silenced dissent. The cult of “climate change” insists that you own nothing, produce nothing, and pray to Mother Earth. The State’s preposterous “War on Disinformation and Hate” seeks to enslave the mind and criminalize thoughts. And the individual is expected to make all these sacrifices for the glory of the “multicultural,” “inclusive,” “equitable,” “green”-energy-obsessed, globa
Globalism can succeed only in a terribly pessimistic world. It thrives on racism. It depends upon an apocalyptic vision of a dying planet. It needs to divide people against one another, so that they are too busy to unite and resist those who cause them actual harm. Under globalist government, happiness is smothered with misery, fear, and hate.
Even in humanity’s darkest hours, optimism has prevailed. After WWI, Americans fell in love with the automobile. After WWII, Americans bought homes and televisions. During the Vietnam War, Americans put a man on the moon. Now globalists push public transportation and small apartments. Televisions are just instruments for State propaganda. And American astronauts have spent the last fifty years orbiting Earth.
After two decades of war, this generation’s warriors return home to find the PATRIOT Act used against them, the government claiming ownership over their children, unaffordable gasoline, and the prospect of renting for life. Globalism is where optimism goes to die. Happiness will require its demolition.
Image: Klaus Schwab. Credit: World Economic Forum via Flickr, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
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.
