(The Epoch Times)—Are you seeking social connection in these post-lockdown times of fragmentation, disorientation, sadness, economic loss, and ill-health?
You are not alone. It’s a problem all over the world. Three years ago, our social, economic, political, and cultural institutions were shattered by a central decree. The key edict came from the World Health Organization (WHO). The date was Jan. 30, 2020. The WHO was thrilled how China was responding to the virus by shattering the lives of its citizens. It told the entire world of the CCP’s miracle cure!
The WHO, said an official communique, “believes that it is still possible to interrupt virus spread, provided that countries put in place strong measures to detect disease early, isolate and treat cases, trace contacts, and promote social distancing measures commensurate with the risk.”
The entire world, wrote the WHO, should embrace a “spirit of support and appreciation for China, its people, and the actions China has taken on the front lines of this outbreak, with transparency, and, it is to be hoped, with success.” Cheers to China, said the WHO, because it is “setting a new standard.”
And so the CCP welded doors of apartments shut and an entire city was turned into a prison in the name of virus control. Suicides and despair followed, along with population-wide terror. A month later, the government proclaimed that it had beat the virus.
The WHO was thrilled, and so it set up a special junket for health officials from the United States, Europe, and the UK. This took place Feb. 16–24, 2020. The chartered flight to see the glories of the CCP miracle included Anthony Fauci’s deputy assistant. The report came in with nothing but rave reviews.
“At the individual level, the Chinese people have reacted to this outbreak with courage and conviction. They have accepted and adhered to the starkest of containment measures — whether the suspension of public gatherings, the month-long ‘stay at home’ advisories or prohibitions on travel.”
This one report should have been enough to discredit the WHO forever, and prompt its instant abolition. Instead, the report issued on Feb. 24, 2020, became an instruction manual for the entire world, including the United States. Three days later, the New York Times was calling for nationwide lockdowns. Two weeks later, the Trump administration ordered that “public and private venues where people gather should be closed.”
We know the rest of the tragedy. Businesses, schools, churches, families, and communities were wrecked, and not just for two weeks but for a year or two or more. Looking back the goal was always to buy time to get the entire population pumped with mRNA shots delivered through lipid nanoparticles. Governments around the world used all their power to make it so.
And the effect? I’m sure you have your own stories. The sadness, demoralization, ill-health, mental illness, learning loss, and psychological sense of damage are everywhere in evidence.
Every report reveals this. It proves impossible to exaggerate the carnage. You think kids lost one year of education? Maybe two? It is getting worse. How bad is it overall and when has it been this way? The figures on reading and math show that the U.S. is set back at least two decades in progress on educational outcomes.
It’s impossible to name the worst of it since it is all awful. But loneliness certainly ranks high. Friend groups were wrecked. Not being allowed to meet for many months dissolved them. When they tried to reconstitute, they split over masking. When they tried again, they broke up over vaccines. Top health officials were urging people to exclude family members from gatherings if they were unvaccinated.
Daily I hear from people with deeply tragic stories. I spent yesterday in the beautiful and mysterious town of Tepoztlán, Mexico, meeting with a group of people who found refuge here from lockdowns. Mexico was open in those days. Even this town had its own lockdowns but they were brief. The many thousands of people who moved here include people from all over Europe, the UK, Israel, and the United States. Each has an amazing story of tragedy and triumph, and everyone is working to rebuild a life.
It’s true in your town too, as you well know. Everyone of all ages is trying to find a new path.
It’s with this backdrop that I just learned of a new initiative from the World Health Organization. And this one you simply will not believe. It is seeking new powers, new funding, and a new mandate to cure your loneliness. It’s just not possible to make this stuff up.
The headline is “WHO launches commission to foster social connection.” The commission will “address loneliness as a pressing health threat, promote social connection as a priority and accelerate the scaling up of solutions in countries of all incomes.”
What great experts are on this commission?
- Vivek Murthy (co-chair), Surgeon General, United States
- Chido Mpemba (co-chair), Youth Envoy, African Union Commission
- Ayuko Kato, Minister in charge of measures for Loneliness and Isolation, Japan
- Khalid Ait Taleb, Minister of Health and Social Protection, Morocco
- Jakob Forssmed, Minister for Health and Social Affairs, Sweden
- Ximena Aguilera Sanhueza, Minister of Health, Chile
- Cleopa Mailu, Permanent Representative to the U.N., Kenya
- Ralph Regenvanu, Minister of Climate Change, Vanuatu
- Haben Girma, Deaf Blind Advocate and Activist, United States
- Hina Jilani, Elder and Human Rights Lawyer, Pakistan
- Karen Desalvo, Chief Health Officer, Google, United States
Wait, don’t tell me that you have doubts that Vanuatu’s Minister of Climate Change will be able to assist in mitigating your loneliness? Surely not! Well, whatever limits he may encounter can surely be addressed by the Chief Health Officer of Google. Right?
It is intriguing that only one member of the commission is associated with a privately owned business, and that business happens to be Google. Google has been carrying water for the WHO now for at least four years. Its own YouTube platform has specifically said that it will delete any video that offers health policy commentary which contradicts the WHO. That’s essentially an announcement that the company has fully integrated itself with global government.
It’s so brazen now that they don’t think they need to hide it anymore.
So what will the WHO do about our loneliness? The press release says: “The Commission on Social Connection, supported by a Secretariat based at WHO, will hold its first leadership-level meeting from 6 to 8 December 2023. The first major output will be a flagship report released by the mid-point of the three-year initiative.”
Wonderful! So they will meet in a few weeks. It will surely be a wonderful occasion socially lubricated by chartered flights, champagne, caviar, and plenty of extremely charming small talk. Then in a year and a half, and after many emails and Zoom follow-ups, they will issue their first report.
Coffee the Christian way: Promised Grounds
Their final report is due in 2026 wherein they will make some recommendations.
If you are lonely, rest assured that in three years, the World Health Organization will issue a report. The experts will have spoken! The very people who wrecked the world will be charged with fixing the problem.
The absurdity of this entire cartoon-like scenario is so preposterous that not even the promoters and participants can really take it seriously. They are just trolling us now, underscoring to anyone paying attention that they have no regrets and only intend more of the same. The lockdowns will continue until morale improves.
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.
