Something intriguing is happening with bitcoin. What started as a series of perplexing data “inscriptions” containing classified files from the U.S. government has now been confirmed by Bitcoin Magazine as an ongoing effort to cement information in the public record beyond the reach of government censorship.
An anonymous guardian of free speech has begun using bitcoin to republish all of the information originally published by Julian Assange’s WikiLeaks back in 2010. Codenamed “Project Spartacus,” the operation seeks to take advantage of several inherent bitcoin attributes:
- It utilizes bitcoin’s Ordinals protocol that allows users to add personalized data to units of the cryptocurrency’s blockchain.
- Because data within integrated parts of the blockchain cannot be subsequently removed, it forms a part of the cryptocurrency’s permanent record.
- Because the blockchain of transactions operates on a decentralized, global network of sovereign nodes, there is no tech CEO or other middleman who can intervene to do governments’ censorship bidding.
Decentralized blockchain technology, in other words, is about much more than cryptocurrencies. It is a powerful tool that will continue to allow ordinary people to evade government authority.
Project Spartacus is just the beginning. Imagine new social media networks built from decentralized blockchains of information. Imagine an entirely new internet operating beyond the reach of corporate search engines, regulated addresses, and government permissions. With no corporation in control of the networks or in singular possession of communicated data on privately held servers, the problem of State-directed censorship disappears. No longer could corporate oligarchs operate in concert with government dictators to silence public dissent and magnify government propaganda. No longer would it matter what the Marxist Globalists at Facebook or Google think is true — or what they think should be falsely presented as truth — once ordinary people have a dependable workaround technology that allows them to share information free from Big Brother’s menacing intervention.
Discreetly shared samizdat has returned. It will soon run on decentralized blockchain.
This gets to another important point: while Western governments continue to expand their use of cutting-edge technologies to monitor and control the public, ordinary citizens are finding ways to use these same technologies to become more independent. The reason governments have gone all in on mass surveillance and censorship, after all, is because they are losing their shadow monopolies over public perception, shared information, and financial control.
Think about the soft power that ordinary people have gained in the last twenty-five years. In the past, even the “freest” Western governments exercised quiet control over their citizens in ways the citizenry largely did not comprehend:
(1) Market Manipulation
By mandating the use of national fiat currencies that have over the last century become completely untethered from tangible long-term stores of value such as gold, governments have conspired with central banks to secretly tax their citizens with steady inflation arising from unchecked government spending and currency-printing. By forcing citizens to transact with paper monies vulnerable to central bank manipulation, governments have effectively taken over the means of a nation’s production, the valuation of its capital assets, and the long-term worth of an hour of labor. With a dependable currency, a worker would be able to store two years’ worth of labor as savings in a bank, pull those savings out in fifty years, and find that they still equaled two years’ worth of comparable labor. With central bank funny money severely eroding the value of labor saved in fiat currencies, that worker’s previous two years of labor wouldn’t even afford a week’s bills at today’s prices. Even as Western governments applaud “free markets,” they have pursued socialist policies that give them direct control over what is in every citizen’s pockets.
In a short time, the public’s financial I.Q. has grown substantially. Public day trading has introduced ordinary consumers to the vagaries of the stock market. The emergence of cryptocurrencies has heightened the public’s understanding of the government’s regular manipulation of money. If enough people eventually choose to adopt a commodity-backed cryptocurrency or similarly independent workaround, they will effectively set up a market system beyond the reach of investment bank speculators, central bank money-printers, and government spendthrifts. They would upend global financial power.
(2) News, Mass Communication, and Public Perception
Even in the United States, where free speech has long been celebrated and the blunt retort — “It’s a free country, isn’t it?” — has endured as an unofficial motto, freedom has never been as it seems. For most of the last century, a handful of broadcast news anchors and national newspapers unilaterally determined what was newsworthy and what should be kept a State secret. Ordinary citizens lacking privilege or celebrity had practically no means of expressing their points of view to the broader public. The government had little trouble influencing public perception when it could corral the country’s original “influencers” in a small White House Briefing Room and spoon-feed the press daily “narratives.” Hollywood and the book-publishing cartels easily controlled the country’s cultural leanings.
With the rise of the internet, the government lost both its monopoly over information and its illusion of being kept honest by an independent press corps. Citizen journalists fundamentally weakened the government’s power by allowing the public to determine what is newsworthy. Simultaneously, normal Americans found new megaphones for publicly communicating ideas that had never been expressed beyond the family home. Private webpages, blogs, self-published books, social media posts, videos, and other sources of knowledge and entertainment have empowered ordinary people to communicate on a mass scale and shape public perception. This free speech revolution has upended governments’ enduring power over citizens’ minds.
Today’s totalitarianism has sprung up in national capitals not just because Marxist globalists have risen to power throughout the West; it is a direct reaction to the tremendous technological changes that have shifted power away from government authorities and to the people over the last few decades. In losing their traditional monopolies of control, these governments are now thrashing about in desperation to reacquire power. If they must force everyone to use worthless central bank digital currencies by exacerbating current economic crises and confiscating gold, so be it. If they must turn their backs on protections for free speech by claiming that all dissent is either “disinformation” or illicit “hate,” they will do so. If they must construct a system of domestic surveillance and social credit scores that can reinvigorate governments’ lost control mechanisms of the past, they will jump at the opportunity.
Western governments were horrified by the Soviet Union’s Iron Curtain not because it deprived those imprisoned of free will and liberty, but rather because its machinery of coercion was so inartfully blunt. Western oligarchs have always preferred to build their systems of control as beautiful — if not invisible — crystal prisons that trap citizens inside alluring cages without their knowledge. When ideas and markets are controlled and ordinary people are none the wiser, illusions of freedom persist. With the era of such illusions now shattered and more people thinking for themselves than ever before, Deep State praetorians of formerly “free” nations are frantically yanking at the rusty chains of twentieth-century tyranny in hopes of dropping a new Iron Curtain around their peoples before time runs out!
That is the game we see today and the source of all the chaos and confusion that keeps beating us in the heads in the forms of new national emergencies, risky wars, censorship campaigns, and unfettered domestic surveillance.
Western governments are taking revenge against their own people for having the temerity to think and speak freely — and the audacity to reclaim power from the permanent “ruling class.” This aggression is consequently creating a public revolt. Project Spartacus is but one example. As more slaves break free of the government’s chains, the real rebellion begins.
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.
