The past week the National Education Association, the largest teachers union in the US, issued guidance on the use of leftist activist symbols in public school classrooms. As part of their advice to teachers, they recommended violating district and state rules and hanging items such as pride flags and BLM flags. This is generally cited as a means to “start a conversation,” a way for teachers to circumvent school rules. They might not be able to spend each day spinning lessons on woke concepts, but if a child asks a question about the flags in the room, then they can provide “context.”
The NEA has been one of the primary driving forces behind the intrusion of woke ideology into the public school setting. Around 97% of their political fundraising goes towards Democrat candidates. They seem to be obsessed with the grooming of children into the leftist fold with lessons focused on Critical Race Theory, gender fluid propaganda and socialism. If you want to know where the sudden surge in social justice cultism came from in terms of America’s kids, leftist teachers and the NEA are to blame.
Keep in mind that the teachers unions are encouraging their members to break the law and lose their jobs, just to double down on political indoctrination. Contrary to popular belief, teachers do NOT have free speech rights while at work. Woke teachers might fantasize about being Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society fighting against the system, but the the truth is they ARE the system. There are numerous reasons why rules for teacher behavior are necessary.
Narcissistic teachers are parasites that view the classroom as a place where they are owed affirmation. They see the children in their class as a captive audience that they can feed off of to gain attention, admiration and justification. They look down on parents as inferiors and treat students as their own personal puppets for molding and controlling.
In their minds, the kids don’t belong to the parents, the kids belong to “society.” Progressive educators see themselves as the benevolent shepherds chosen by the collective to condition the minds of the next generation. Teaching academics is secondary – Manufacturing new leftist recruits is more important to them. This is the hill they have chosen to die on and they will not back away from it. They have made it clear that the targeting of children is their paramount concern.
To be sure, the woke cult is losing steam lately. Even the kids are starting to fight back against it, with the largest spike in conservatism among high school boys that the US has seen in a long time. They are getting fed up. But there is definitely good reasons why leftists are implementing psychological warfare against America’s youth. Lets examine what I feel are the top three…
Reason #1: Young People Are The Most Economically Vulnerable
The political left relies on exploitation of economic disparity in order to maintain power. The better the national financial situation is, the less leverage they have to keep the population in line. They rail against issues like “class inequality” all the time, but really, the greater the wealth gap the more power leftists often have.
Gen Z, for example, has been thoroughly sold since childhood on the idea that they were born into a time of historic economic despair that generations before them never had to deal with. Many of these kids are in their 20s and just exited college only to discover they have a useless degree in a field with low employment prospects, and on top of that they owe tens-of-thousands of dollars in student loans. They feel like they’ve been conned, and in a way they were.
They were fed a narrative which tells them that once you hit adulthood you’re entitled to a living wage and solid career prospects, and that a college degree is a golden ticket to prosperity. They think that they’re supposed to jump into home ownership quickly and that life simply adjusts to their needs. They think that this is how it was for Baby Boomers and Gen X, and that they’ve been handed the meager leftovers of a more prosperous era that previous generations squandered.
This is nonsense.
The fact is, young people from every generation are economically vulnerable simply because they have near-zero life experience and have had no time to accumulate savings and property. Most people in their 20s don’t jump right into a career and a home or even a livable wage. Every single generation had to deal with financial strife. Gen Z is not special.
But what about inflation? What about economic crisis? Yes, there are numerous fiscal threats prevailing over the past several years and stagflation is making life difficult for everyone, not just the young. These conditions are not unprecedented, though.
Baby Boomers and Gen X saw a decade long stagflationary crisis through the 70s and early 80s along with the Vietnam War. My own grandfather lost millions in his freight business due to exploding interest rates in the early 1980s. The Greatest Generation dealt with the Great Depression, WWI, WWII, and the Korean War. Young people today need to get a grip on reality and understand that they don’t know what true struggle is, at least not yet.
At bottom, some of us are born into times of uncertainty. Previous generations sought to rise to the challenge. Gen Z (and Millennials) are the first generations to suggest that they’re owed recompense for their discomfort. This isn’t an attempt to diminish their problems, just put those problems in historic perspective. Leftists use predatory tactics to lure the young in with claims that their lives are unfair – but the fact is, life is unfair and always will be.
You don’t go into the working world with no skills and no experience and a worthless college degree expecting to become an immediate success. You live paycheck to paycheck, grow as a person and eventually find your niche. If you are smart, resourceful, responsible and are willing to put in the effort you will find a way. If not, well, then you don’t deserve prosperity.
Reason #2: Young Adults Are Driven By Sex And Impulse, Not Accomplishment
I should specify that young people in the western world are sexually oriented more than accomplishment oriented. In many other societies the young are pushed to strive for personal success BEFORE pursuing relationships, marriage or sex. In the west, sex is purely recreational and IS the driving force for teens, twenty-somethings and thirty-somethings. Specifically, sex without consequences.
I suspect this is why American innovation, work ethic and academic excellence have been on a perpetual down-slide. Technology has taken up some of the slack in terms of productivity, but the newest generations seem to be the most unimpressive in terms of ambition and excellence. There will be no Albert Einstein or Richard Feynman or Kurt Godel or Nikola Tesla or even a Steve Wosniak produced by Gen Z. They are too preoccupied with being victims and getting their rocks off…
The political left is eminently aware of this dynamic. They know that the minds of young people are easily distracted with thoughts of sexual revolution, generally because they think it means more easy access to sex without responsibility. Teens and young adults are more likely to support sexualized policies for this reason, and not surprisingly they’re more likely to support abortion. Leftists know that sex sells and making it easy for people to kill off unwanted pregnancies is one way to sell sex.
The interesting thing that is happening lately, though, is that the political left is growing more and more hostile to straight sex. Free love for everyone used to be the progressive mantra, but not anymore.
Masculinity is now admonished as predatory and women are encouraged to treat male advances as a threat. The left is systematically de-sexualizing straight people. At the same time, they are hyper-sexualizing LGBT people to the point that Pride Parades are applauded for grotesque displays in the streets in front of children. Young straight men are entering into a dating world which tells them that if they have no interest in “trans women” they are bigoted and evil.
The goal is to maneuver young people into the LGBT fold as the only place where sexual “freedom” is accepted. As long as you don’t want kids or can’t have kids, the leftist establishment is happy to promote a world without restraint. The woke talk often of freedom, but what they really mean is hedonism – The pursuit of pleasure at the expense of conscience and moral compass.
Reason #3: Young People Are Desperate To Find Meaning
For those that can remember back to their teens and twenties, it’s common to be obsessed with personal destiny almost as much as sex. In western society a lot of value is placed on celebrity as well as social legacy. Everyone has dreams of being well known, well liked, leading a movement that changes things for the better, making their mark. The truth is, statistically speaking, the vast majority of people will do very little to make a mark on the world in the way they imagine.
Coffee the Christian way: Promised Grounds
Probably one of the most terrifying realizations for the average person in their teens and 20s is the fact that they are not special. They are not born with a built in greatness and are not fated for messiah status. If they want to do something extraordinary as individuals they will have to work hard for it. In fact, most people that do great things are not necessarily smarter than the common citizen, they just put in the work that others refuse to do.
Then there are those that cut corners. The allure of instant purpose and instant attention has never been more powerful than it is today in the digital age. Rebels without a cause used to be isolated from each other and thus less inclined to do anything stupid. Now, these people are connected to each other within micro-seconds and can organize into mindless mobs at the drop of a hat.
Leftists make finding a purpose easy – You don’t have to accomplish anything. You don’t have to struggle or persevere. You don’t have to be creative or inventive. You don’t have to compete or climb to the top of the heap. All you have to do is destroy. All you have to do is stand on top of the structures that other people built and burn them to the ground. That’s it. It’s simple.
A political movement with no shame is a difficult movement to defeat, if only because right and wrong are no longer a factor in participation. When justification is based on subjective feelings, impulse and self aggrandizement rather than reason and conscience, there is no way to dissuade those activists from their goals. When destruction is the only ideal, diplomacy and debate are unthinkable. It’s like trying to negotiate with a time bomb, or a brain tumor.
Destruction is the easiest motivation for a movement. Creation and conservation are hard. Leftists know that the young are not inclined to ponder ten moves ahead on the chess board. They would rather throw the chess board to the ground and then strut around like they won the game.
The problem is, if meaning is only found in derailing and burning, and legacy is only found in vanity, then the arson must continue into infinity. What happens when there’s nothing left to destroy? There are only two possible outcomes: The leftists in their blind fervor go on to destroy each other, or, the establishment tricks the next generation into constructing their own gulag. The latter seems to be the end game for progressive elites and globalists – Use young useful idiots as a weapon to forcibly introduce massive social upheaval, then lock them up in a slave camp and call it Utopia.
Article cross-posted from Alt-Market.
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.
