(Mises)—Many historians labeled the twentieth century as the American century, with many metrics used. The end of the Cold War in 1989 and the fall of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in December 1991 changed world affairs: several new countries formed, the Warsaw Pact dissolved, the economy of China rose, and many US military bases shut down. The twentieth century wound down with the US as the world superpower, and yet the vision of the 1990s was not clear for our political and military leaders going into the twenty-first century.
One definition of bankruptcy is “utter ruin, failure, depletion, or the like.” Entering the third decade of the twenty-first century with the perspective to see what has occurred since 2000 reveals this century is becoming the American bankruptcy. One US view of bankruptcy is when a private business, person, bank, government, or other nonprofit entity is financially unsound. Institutions, ethics, government, spirituality, education, etc. can also be bankrupt. Part of a prior Mises Wire article addressed two counties, one major metropolitan city and one territory, that went through and emerged from federal bankruptcy.
Many individuals, leaders in areas of public life, and foreign nations look to America for clarity and influence on culture, ethics, finance, governing, and public policy. The examples of ethical, financial, and governing bankruptcy show America is a shining example of utter failure.
Some of the largest bankruptcies of private businesses in federal courts since 2000 started with Pacific Gas and Electric in April 2001, $36 billion; Enron in December 2001, $65 billion; WorldCom in July 2002, $102 billion; Lehman Brothers in September 2008, $691 billion; General Motors in June 2009 (largest ever US automaker bankruptcy), $82 billion; and Lyondell Chemical in June 2009 (largest US petrochemical producer bankruptcy), $27 billion.
Four banks have filed for receivership by US bank regulators: Washington Mutual in September 2008, $327 billion; First Republic Bank in May 2023, $229 billion; Silicon Valley Bank in March 2023, $209 billion; and Signature Bank in March 2023, $110 billion. Of the 566 bank failures since the year 2000, Signature Bank is the only one to fail on a Sunday. Over 95 percent of bank failures occurred on Fridays.
Some famous US retailers have filed for bankruptcy since 2000 with some going out of business, like A&P supermarkets, Bed Bath & Beyond, Blockbuster, Borders, Compaq, Dressbarn, Family Christian Stores, Kmart, Lord and Taylor, Luby’s (Texas cafeteria chain), Modell’s Sporting Goods, Montgomery Ward, Payless ShoeSource, Pier 1 Imports, Radio Shack, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, Sears, Solyndra (solar panels), Sports Authority, Stein Mart, Theranos, Toys “R” Us, Tuesday Morning, and the Weinstein Company.
The coronavirus outbreak and the subsequent lockdowns brought about educational, financial, governing, medical, and policy bankruptcies at the local, state, and federal levels on a public scale not seen in many years. The results in each area will be felt for many years in children, education, families, finance, business, government, etc. with incredible unintended results too numerous to mention.
Fiat as a noun is defined by dictionary.com as “an authoritative decree, sanction, or order.” This word describes the currency issued by many central banks today. Fiat currency was issued to fund the federal government–authorized coronavirus financial relief programs on a breathtaking scale, showing the economic and governing bankruptcy on clear display. Two books written by Peter Schweizer, titled Clinton Cash and Secret Empires, detail the business, ethical, financial, and governing bankruptcy at the federal level on a scale where one should have trouble sleeping at night.
Boy Scouts of America filed for federal Chapter 11 bankruptcy in February 2020, amid the ongoing payouts of claims to victims tied to many years of child sexual abuse allegations, legal battles with insurance companies, and declining membership. They emerged from federal bankruptcy in March 2023, a greatly reduced organization with substantive reforms in place.
Many US Roman Catholic dioceses filed and emerged from federal Chapter 11 bankruptcy due to overwhelming monetary compensation paid to many victims of priest sexual abuse claims and diocesan cover ups. An Illinois Law Review paper published in 2013 reviewed Roman Catholic and Protestant churches that filed for federal Chapter 11 bankruptcy between 2006 and 2013.
Chapter 11 bankruptcy described in the Illinois Law Review shows it has the potential to offer religious organizations an avenue to rehabilitate their operations following economic downturns, failures and transitions in leadership, and standstills in negotiating with creditors.
Some common themes among these bankruptcies include poor leadership disconnected from their customers, followers, and members; leaders letting the power of their position go to their heads; using the group’s treasury as an unending source of money to fulfill their selfish desires; boards of directors, staff, and leaders who lacked courage to say the truth to their group’s leaders about what ailed their group; and lack of applying sound principles of budgeting.
Some outcomes from these federal Chapter 11 bankruptcies led to debt holders losing value, debt repayments being renegotiated with each lender, new renegotiated loans with a repayment plan being issued, some property liquidations occurring, etc. We must not forget the scale and depth of bankruptcy in its many forms which greatly infects the people and workings of the federal government and public policy in Washington, DC.
Many people in the US have come or are coming to the reality that many businesses, educational, government, nonprofit, and spiritual entities are bankrupt to their very core, financially and spiritually. The length, depth, and width of the twenty-first century American bankruptcy pierces deeply into most private and public institutions we see.
The sooner this bankruptcy reality is accepted, assessed, and addressed is where real healing and progress can begin, with some entities being retired and new ones formed to benefit the people they serve. Hopefully for some of these entities, this new post-bankruptcy reality will result in a newly created board of directors and staff who are more focused on those they serve. Some solutions will be initiated at the local level where situational understanding is best. The direction of each entity when it emerges from federal bankruptcy is hopefully humility, which hammers home the perspective that mistakes are made and can be learned from, moving forward with a focus to benefit families and communities.
About the Author
Stephen is a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin and lives in Texas.
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.
