The rapidly growing chasm that exists between the ultra-wealthy and all the rest of us is not good for our society.  In recent years, our leaders flooded the system with enormous mountains of money, and all of that money greatly enriched those at the very top of the economic food chain.  Unfortunately, all of that money also created a tremendous amount of inflation which has been crushing the standard of living for millions upon millions of hard working Americans.  We just witnessed the largest decline in real median household income since 2010, the child poverty rate in the U.S. has more than doubled, and this year homelessness is rising in our nation at the fastest pace ever recorded.  So many Americans are deeply suffering right now, and we need to remember that they are real people with real emotions.

It can be absolutely soul crushing to work as hard as you possibly can but still find yourself falling farther and farther behind.

And when people come to the conclusion that they simply cannot take care of themselves no matter what they do, many of them will start to go completely nuts.

Without a doubt, economic desperation is one of the factors that is fueling the massive crime wave that I have been documenting in my articles in recent months.

Theft is going to cost U.S. retailers over 100 billion dollars in 2023, and stores are being permanently shut down in our core urban areas at a staggering pace.

In fact, so many grocery stores have been shut down in Chicago that Mayor Brandon Johnson wants to create his own socialist grocery stores to replace them…

Chicago’s Democrat mayor wants to create city-run grocery stores to promote ‘equitable’ access to food after half of the city’s Walmart and Whole Foods stores closed.

Mayor Brandon Johnson announced a partnership with the Economic Security Project to open municipally-owned grocery stores in Chicago in a bid to tackle many of the city’s so-called ‘food deserts.’

That is crazy.

But that is how far the city of Chicago has fallen.

Sadly, crime is about to go to a whole new level in Chicago, because a new law that eliminates cash bail in the state of Illinois is about to go into effect…

An Illinois law eliminating cash bail state wide is set to go into effect on Monday, officials have revealed.

According to NBC 5 Chicago, this comes two months after the state’s Supreme Court ruled that the “Pretrial Fairness Act,” which is part of the larger “SAFE-T Act,” was constitutional.

If you currently live in the state of Illinois, you may want to start considering other options.

But it isn’t just Illinois that is out of control.

All over the country, millions of our young people have come to the conclusion that the system is rigged against them.

So they figure that if the system is fundamentally unfair, why should they try to abide by the rules?

Many of our young people are now openly lawless, and in such an environment literally no one is safe…

A female gas station cashier in Washington state had no time to react amid an onslaught of punches and kicks to the face and head during a violent robbery.

Leah Johnston was attacked by six suspects, some thought to be just teenagers, while working at Friendly Normandy Market in Normandy Park on September 15.

The gang piled cigarettes and candy into their arms and stripped the register of cash before escaping.

Unfortunately, this is just the beginning.

The cost of living is going to continue to rise faster than our paychecks, and that means that the level of desperation will continue to increase.

In Canada, food prices have already become so crazy that the government is actually threatening to take legal action against grocery stores…

The Canadian government is taking aim at grocery stores, warning them of “big consequences” if they fail to provide “relief for Canadians” by stabilizing food prices by October 9. This comes amid rising inflation in the country and as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party trails badly in the polls.

Speaking at the Liberals’ national caucus retreat in London, Ontario on Thursday, Trudeau said he expects “to hear from them [the largest grocery chains] by Thanksgiving on what their plan is to stabilize prices,” adding that “if their plan doesn’t provide real relief for the middle class and people working hard to join it, then we will take further action, and we are not ruling anything out, including tax measures.”

But the truth is that the grocery stores are not being particularly greedy.

It is our leaders that have created this inflation crisis, and it is not going to go away any time soon.

In fact, it is about to get even worse because the price of oil is starting to spike…

After languishing a multi-year lows until the end of June in the low/mid-70s range after Biden drained over 270 million barrels from the SPR to a near record low in hopes of pushing the price of gasoline lower and achieving short-term political goals…

… oil has since surged by more than $20, or 32% since the low of $71.57 on June 28, its fastest ascent since the start of 2022, a rally that was sparked by Saudi Arabia’s decision to voluntarily cut an additional 1 million bpd of production in addition to the reductions agreed by the OPEC+ group…

…  thereby intentionally creating a production deficit of over 3 million barrels per day.

As such the price is likely to keep rising well into the 100s, as we first predicted two weeks ago, and as Chevron CEO Mike Wirth said today on BBG TV.

Virtually everything we buy has to be transported in some way, and so the price of oil factors into just about everything.

So it should deeply alarm all of us that the average price of a gallon of gasoline in the Los Angeles area has almost reached six dollars…

Southern California drivers are feeling the squeeze of high gas prices yet again.

On Monday morning, the price of a regular gallon of gas averaged about $5.92 in the Los Angeles area, according to AAA.

That’s a 5-cent increase from the day before and nearly 40 cents more than a week ago.

What we are witnessing now are things that we have been anticipating for a very long time.

We really are in the very early stages of a major economic meltdown.

As the U.S. economy crumbles all around us, millions of people are going to become very desperate, and very desperate people do very desperate things.

Michael’s new book entitled “End Times” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can check out his new Substack newsletter right here.

About the Author: My name is Michael and my brand new book entitled “End Times” is now available on Amazon.com.  In addition to my new book I have written six other books that are available on Amazon.com including “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”. (#CommissionsEarned)  When you purchase any of these books you help to support the work that I am doing, and one way that you can really help is by sending copies as gifts to family and friends.  Time is short, and I need help getting these warnings into the hands of as many people as possible.  I have also started a brand new Substack newsletter, and I encourage you to subscribe so that you won’t miss any of my articles.  I have published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe.  I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but I also ask that they include this “About the Author” section with each article.  The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions.  I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is definitely a great help.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, I strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.

The post When People Can’t Take Care Of Themselves They Start To Go Nuts appeared first on The Economic Collapse.

Generative AI has been the rage of late, stunning people with content creation. Chat GPT stunned folks when it was…

This article %AI Photos of Preppers from Each State% appeared first on %Survive Doomsday%.

A lot of the talking heads on television seem to think that the threat of a recession has passed.  So exactly why have these talking heads come to such a ridiculous conclusion?  Well, they figure that if a recession hasn’t started by now we are probably in relatively good shape.  In other words, they are speculating instead of conducting a hard analysis of the numbers.  And the numbers are clearly telling us that economic conditions are rapidly getting worse.  Of course the U.S. economy has been on shaky ground for quite some time.  We had a recession in 2020, we had another recession in 2022 (although the Biden administration refused to officially acknowledge it), and now it appears that we are entering yet another one.  In fact, if the Biden administration was giving us honest numbers, they would show that we are already in a recession right now.  But it won’t be too long before things will be so bad that even the numbers given to us by the Biden administration will clearly show that we have entered a new recession.

It is just a matter of time.

There is one extremely important indicator that has been absolutely screaming that a recession is coming.

10-year bond yields have now been below 3-month bond yields for 212 trading days in a row, and such an inversion has “telegraphed the last eight recessions”…

But for 212 straight trading days, no matter what the indicators have said, the Treasury market has delivered what is widely understood as a starkly different message: The economy is veering toward a contraction, since 10-year yields have held below 3-month ones.

Such an inversion telegraphed the last eight recessions. And on Thursday, the market surpassed the 1980 record to hold that way for the longest consecutive daily stretch since Bloomberg’s records begin in 1962.

Does anyone out there actually believe that this indicator will be wrong this time around?

Of course it won’t be wrong.

But there have been times when the inversion has happened quite a bit before the recession arrived…

Moreover, the yield curve sometimes inverts long before a contraction. In July 2006, the 10-year yield started holding consistently below the 3-month rate, but the downturn didn’t start until December 2007.

It appears that something similar is happening now.

A very painful storm is going to hit our economy.

It is just going to take some time to fully play out.

Other numbers are telling us the exact same thing.

For example, the Conference Board’s index of leading economic indicators has experienced a losing streak that we haven’t seen since just before the Great Recession…

Many mainstay economic indicators measure the past. So-called leading indicators reflect what likely lies ahead. The Conference Board’s U.S. Leading Economic Index for July marked its 16th consecutive drop and its longest losing streak since the run-up to the Great Recession in 2007 and 2008.

Of course most Americans don’t need to be told that rough times are coming, because they can clearly see what is already happening when they walk the streets of their local communities.

As I discussed last week, vast numbers of middle class Americans are being pushed into poverty, and vast numbers of impoverished Americans are being pushed into the streets.

Earlier today, I came across an article about the horrifying homelessness crisis that the Las Vegas strip is now dealing with…

The iconic Las Vegas strip has seen a surge in homeless people sleeping on the sidewalks and in makeshift tents as the city grapples with an affordable housing crisis.

New images taken by DailyMail.com show people curled up in the sidewalk and outside store fronts – with some keeping their minimal belongings in trolleys and encampments.

Sadly, city after city all over the nation is dealing with similar conditions.

One of the reasons why homelessness is spiking is because housing has never been more unaffordable than it is right now.

CNBC recently interviewed one woman in California that is paying $1,600 a month to live in a tiny home that is “smaller than the average parking space”…

Sung Yoo pays $1,600 per month to live in a 140-square-foot tiny home in Santa Monica, CA. She says the experience has helped her save money and become more mindful. Her tiny home, designed by architects at Minarc Design, is located about an eight-minute drive from the beach and smaller than the average parking space.

This is the future that the elite envision for us.

They want to herd all of us into “mega-cities” and have us live in tiny compartments like rats.

The woman that lives in this tiny home is not exactly poor.  In fact, she was previously paying $4,500 a month for her apartment in New York…

Sung moved into her tiny house following a major transition in her life. Living in the tiny home has helped her realign with her values, get grounded and become more intentional in her life. Previous to living in her tiny home, Sung lived in New York City for over 18 years where she paid $4,500 a month for her apartment.

$4,500 may sound like a lot of money to you, but the truth is that such rents are typical in New York City today.

In fact, the median rent in Manhattan has now reached $4,370 a month…

The median rent in Manhattan in August was $4,370 a month, unchanged from the record high in July, according to data from brokerage firm Douglas Elliman and the appraisal and research firm Miller Samuel. Average rents also held their record, at $5,552 a month.

Needless to say, the cost of living has become extremely oppressive in many other ways as well.

At this point, the price of groceries has risen to absolutely absurd levels.

I present: $100 of groceries. pic.twitter.com/S5SZFNv7n8

— Ryan Florence (@ryanflorence) September 12, 2023

The rate of inflation had moderated for a few months, but now it is starting to accelerate once again.

A big reason for that is the fact that the price of oil has been going up…

Oil prices climbed to their highest level of the year this week, extending a rally that has put a return to $100 a barrel sharply into focus.

Indeed, some analysts believe crude prices could hit this milestone before year-end.

Unfortunately, I fully expect the price of oil to continue to increase.

In turn, this will cause everything else to rise in price, and our standard of living will get even lower.

And this is happening at a time when economic conditions are rapidly deteriorating all around us.

The months ahead are not going to be fun for most Americans, and the long-term outlook is even worse.

I would encourage you to do whatever you need to do to prepare for hard economic times, because all of the major indicators are all pointing in the same direction.

Michael’s new book entitled “End Times” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can check out his new Substack newsletter right here.

About the Author: My name is Michael and my brand new book entitled “End Times” is now available on Amazon.com.  In addition to my new book I have written six other books that are available on Amazon.com including “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”. (#CommissionsEarned)  When you purchase any of these books you help to support the work that I am doing, and one way that you can really help is by sending copies as gifts to family and friends.  Time is short, and I need help getting these warnings into the hands of as many people as possible.  I have also started a brand new Substack newsletter, and I encourage you to subscribe so that you won’t miss any of my articles.  I have published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe.  I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but I also ask that they include this “About the Author” section with each article.  The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions.  I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is definitely a great help.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, I strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.

The post This Extremely Important Indicator Is Absolutely Screaming That A Recession Is Coming appeared first on The Economic Collapse.

Did we just witness the unveiling of the most amazing “alien discovery” in history, or was it all a hoax?  2023 has been a really weird year, and it just got even weirder.  On Tuesday, an independent researcher named Jamie Maussan brought two small mummified specimens with him when he testified at a congressional hearing in Mexico about UFOs.  The mummified specimens were contained in two glass display cases, and so they could be very clearly seen.  By now, you have probably come across photos or videos of these creatures on social media.  But are they actually real?  According to Maussan, carbon-14 dating that was conducted by the National Autonomous University of Mexico has “determined the remains were 700 and 1,800 years old”…

A journalist and researcher on unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP), or UFOs as they’re better known, presented the remains of purported “non-human” beings to lawmakers in Mexico on Tuesday during the country’s first public congressional hearing on the topic.

Jamie Maussan brought two boxes containing what he said were the small, stuffed bodies of extraterrestrials recovered in Peru in 2017. He said carbon-14 dating carried out by the National Autonomous University of Mexico had determined the remains were 700 and 1,800 years old. Each of the figures has only three fingers on each hand and elongated heads, resembling, at least superficially, the Hollywood-born character ET.

Assuming that this testing was conducted properly, there is probably little doubt that these specimens are extremely old.

But that doesn’t prove that they are “aliens”.

Maussan says that the fossilized bodies of these two creatures were discovered inside mines in the Peruvian city of Cusco…

He claimed the purported bodies were found fossilized in mines in Cusco, Peru, in a layer of diatomaceous earth, or ancient phytoplankton algae.

“These aren’t beings that were found after a UFO wreckage. They were found in diatom mines, and were later fossilized,” he said, later adding, “Whether they are aliens or not, we don’t know, but they were intelligent, and they lived with us. They should rewrite history.… We are not alone in this vast universe, we should embrace this reality.”

So who originally found them?

Was it Maussan, or was it someone else?

That is a very important detail.

DNA testing has been performed on the creatures, and it was determined that 30 percent of the DNA is “unknown”…

The National Autonomous University of Mexico conducted tests on them, which Maussan claimed revealed that more than 30% of the specimens’ DNA was “unknown,” indicating that they are “not part of our terrestrial evolution,” he said.

If this is confirmed, it will go a long way toward verifying that these specimens are not human.

Hopefully more tests will be done.

It is also being reported that X-rays showed that one of the entities “carried ‘eggs’ with embryos inside them”…

Experts in congress showed apparent X-rays of the specimens and told deputies that one of the beings carried ‘eggs’ with embryos inside them.

They said they had implants of cadmium and osmium metals.

Osmium is one of the most scarce elements in the Earth’s crust and considered the rarest precious metal.

So obviously they were capable of reproducing.

And where did the creatures get those implants?

There are so many questions that need to be answered.

Of course there are many that are skeptical that these creatures are the real thing.  One of those skeptics is Paul Joseph Watson…

One of the reasons why a lot of people are skeptical is because mummies from Peru that Maussan previously touted as “aliens” turned out to be human children instead…

The Independent noted that Maussan, an investigative journalist who has been researching extraterrestrial phenomenon for decades, has been connected to previous claims of debunked alien discoveries, including five mummies discovered in Peru in 2017 later determined to be remains of human children.

So I certainly can’t blame the skeptics for being skeptical.

And it is true that these two new mummies are “much smaller than an adult human”…

The corpses, displayed in glass boxes, were much smaller than an adult human. Eyes, a nose and mouth were clearly discernible on their faces.

So could this simply be another case of mummified children?

Maybe.

But the DNA tests that have been conducted would appear to cast doubt on that theory.

Maussan insists that these entities are the real thing.

In fact, he is absolutely sure that they are “non-human specimens that are not related to any other species in our world”…

“This is the first time it (extraterrestrial life) is presented in such a form and I think there is a clear demonstration that we are dealing with non-human specimens that are not related to any other species in our world,” Maussan told the lawmakers, urging them to consider the topic, which he said should not be viewed as “a political topic — it’s a topic for humanity.”

He said DNA evidence could prove the specimens were not of this planet, but it wasn’t clear if any such tests had been carried out.

Maybe he is right.

Maybe he isn’t.

Personally, I would like to see more tests be conducted by multiple independent labs.

If multiple independent labs come back and tell us that these creatures are not human, that would be quite compelling.

But whether these creatures are “the real thing” or not, nothing can change the fact that UFOs are constantly being spotted all over the globe.

I have been repeatedly warning my readers that the stage is being set for a deception of epic proportions, and when that day arrives most people in the general population will buy it hook, line and sinker.

Novels, movies, television shows and video games have been mentally preparing us for the arrival of “visitors from another planet” for decades, and so we have been perfectly primed to believe a colossal lie.

Michael’s new book entitled “End Times” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can check out his new Substack newsletter right here.

About the Author: My name is Michael and my brand new book entitled “End Times” is now available on Amazon.com.  In addition to my new book I have written six other books that are available on Amazon.com including “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”. (#CommissionsEarned)  When you purchase any of these books you help to support the work that I am doing, and one way that you can really help is by sending copies as gifts to family and friends.  Time is short, and I need help getting these warnings into the hands of as many people as possible.  I have also started a brand new Substack newsletter, and I encourage you to subscribe so that you won’t miss any of the latest updates.  I have published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe.  I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but I also ask that they include this “About the Author” section with each article.  The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions.  I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is definitely a great help.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, I strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.

The post Let’s Talk About The Ancient Three-Fingered “Alien Corpses” That Were Just Shown To Lawmakers In Mexico… appeared first on End Of The American Dream.

If the Chinese decide to pull the trigger on an invasion of Taiwan, it will instantly become the biggest news story in the entire world.  Because the moment that an invasion of Taiwan begins, the United States and China will be at war and nothing will ever be the same again.  Of course the Chinese would not consider an attack on Taiwan to be an invasion of a foreign country.  The Chinese consider Taiwan to be part of their territory just like we consider Florida or Texas to be part of our territory.  For a long time, the communist Chinese government had hoped to “reunify” with Taiwan peacefully, but now it has become clear that is never going to happen.  The Taiwanese government continues to boldly declare that Taiwan is not part of China, and the Biden administration recently approved a 500 million dollar arms sale that is intended to help them prepare for a potential invasion.  Needless to say, this arms sale greatly infuriated China, and it appears that the Chinese are gearing up for a big move.

In fact, Fox News is reporting that the Chinese are “continuously massing forces at its coastal military bases facing Taiwan”…

China is continuously massing forces at its coastal military bases facing Taiwan, the self-governing island warned Tuesday.

Taiwan said it is bolstering its own defenses in response. The island’s Defense Ministry issued a report on the expansion of Chinese airfields and military activity on Taiwan’s doorstep, saying China has begun probing Taiwan’s territory on a near-daily basis.

“This year, the Chinese Communist Party has aggressively expanded its armaments and continued to build various types of fighter jets and drones,” Maj. Gen. Huang Wen-Chi said of the report. “The information we have received is that all important military bases along the coast … are being continuously updated.”

This doesn’t mean that the Chinese will invade right away.

But they are obviously preparing for something huge.

And the Chinese have also been regularly probing Taiwan’s defenses.

On Thursday, China sent 10 naval vessels and 68 military aircraft toward the island…

Dozens of Chinese warplanes and 10 navy ships were detected around Taiwan, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday, after warning that Beijing was conducting air and sea drills in the western Pacific.

Ten Chinese naval vessels and 68 aircraft were detected near the nation between 6am on Wednesday and 6am yesterday, the ministry said in a statement.

Forty of the aircraft had crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered the southwest or southeast air defense identification zone (ADIZ), it said.

If my assessment of the situation is correct, I don’t believe that the Chinese will invade Taiwan right now.

But I do believe that an invasion is coming.

And U.S. military officials have been warning us over and over again about the possibility of such a conflict.

On Monday, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall had some very ominous things to say about China…

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall on Monday warned that China was building up its military to prepare for a potential war with the U.S., and he said America must optimize its forces to counter the rising threat.

Speaking at the Air and Space Forces Association Warfighter Symposium at National Harbor, Md., Kendall said the U.S. must be ready for a “kind of war we have no modern experience with,” though he stressed “war is not inevitable.”

“Our job is to deter that war and to be ready to win if it occurs,” Kendall said. “We’re all talking about the fact that the Air and Space Forces must change, or we could fail to prevent and might even lose a war.”

A decade ago, a war with China was unthinkable.

But now a war with China is a very serious threat, and U.S. Air Force officials want a lot more funding so that they can build air bases all over the Pacific…

The U.S. Air Force is finding ways to increase the number of airfields it can take off from in the Pacific—and wants more money to build out airfields and rebuild overgrown WWII airfields.

Adding bases is key to the service’s Agile Combat Employment concept, or ACE, which aims to keep combat aircraft flying despite enemy attacks, Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach, Pacific Air Forces Commander, told reporters Monday at the Air & Space Forces Association’s annual Air, Space & Cyber conference.

The Air Force is currently clearing out a jungle on Tinian, a small island near Guam that was home to the largest B-29 bomber base during World War II and more recently has hosted ACE exercises.

Meanwhile, the war in Ukraine just continues to escalate.

This week, the Ukrainians used British-made cruise missiles to attack Russian warships that were sitting at the port of Sevastopol…

Ukraine unleashed a barrage of ten cruise missiles along with kamikaze drones in a massive assault on Russia’s powerful Black Sea Fleet.

Vladimir Putin’s forces were rocked as a submarine and an assault ship were blasted during the onslaught on the Crimean port of Sevastopol.

British-made Storm Shadow missiles and explosive-packed drone boats are believed to have been used in the biggest attack of its kind on the fleet – marking the first time such weapons have been used in Crimea.

Shocking footage showed huge plumes of smoke and flames seen for miles around rising from the blitzed base. It is the latest blow to embattled Putin’s war effort – and was a major embarrassment for Vlad as he sat down with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un some 5,500 miles away.

When the Ukrainians use western-made weapons to strike targets deep inside Russian territory, the Russians consider us to be responsible for those attacks too.

We may not have fired those weapons, but we certainly gave them to the Ukrainians with the intention that they would be used in such a manner.

Giving the Ukrainians weapons that could potentially cause the hot phase of World War III to erupt is a very dangerous thing to do, because the Ukrainians are not exactly rational.

UKRAINE NIGHTLY NEWS * pic.twitter.com/lLhKP0OATM

— The_Real_Fly (@The_Real_Fly) September 13, 2023

We should be trying to find a way to end the conflict in Ukraine, because if we do get into a direct shooting war with Russia that will be a nightmare scenario.

Unfortunately, leaders all over the world have come down with a really bad case of war fever.

The Russians are constantly provoking us, and we are constantly provoking the Russians.

In fact, it is being reported that the “biggest military exercises in Europe since the end of the Cold War” will be conducted very close to the Russian border in early 2024…

The upcoming Steadfast Defender NATO war drills, set for early 2024, are expected to be the biggest military exercises in Europe since the end of the Cold War, the Financial Times is reporting Monday.

At a moment the war in Ukraine grows more and more unpredictable, given neither Russia nor the West have shown any signs of backing down, the FT writes that “Nato is preparing its biggest live joint command exercise since the cold war next year, assembling more than 40,000 troops to practice how the alliance would attempt to repel Russian aggression against one of its members.”

Holding those exercises so close to Russia is not a good idea at all.

But it is going to happen anyway.

Earlier today, I came across a very odd story about some very foolish tourists that decided to sprint toward a mother bear and her two cubs…

A shocking video of tourists sprinting towards a bear at Yellowstone National Park has gone viral and prompted backlash on social media.

The clip shows a mother black bear and her two cubs sniffing around in the grass, alongside a road full of queuing cars.

Suddenly, a group of tourists jump out of their vehicles, point, and then begin to sprint towards the bears.

There are four men running, one of whom appears to be carrying a toddler in his arms, while a woman comes into shot approaching the animals with a camera.

What an incredibly stupid thing to do.

If a mother bear feels like her cubs are being threatened, she will do anything she feels is necessary to defend them.

Those tourists are very fortunate that they were not killed.

Unfortunately, we are doing a similar thing with the Russian Bear.

Instead of interacting with Russia shrewdly, we are sprinting toward conflict.

Joe Biden and his minions may truly believe that being “tough” with Russia is the right thing to do, but if they miscalculate and a nuclear war erupts it could result in the deaths of literally billions of people.

Michael’s new book entitled “End Times” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can check out his new Substack newsletter right here.

About the Author: My name is Michael and my brand new book entitled “End Times” is now available on Amazon.com.  In addition to my new book I have written six other books that are available on Amazon.com including “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”. (#CommissionsEarned)  When you purchase any of these books you help to support the work that I am doing, and one way that you can really help is by sending copies as gifts to family and friends.  Time is short, and I need help getting these warnings into the hands of as many people as possible.  I have also started a brand new Substack newsletter, and I encourage you to subscribe so that you won’t miss any of the latest updates.  I have published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe.  I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but I also ask that they include this “About the Author” section with each article.  The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions.  I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is definitely a great help.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, I strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.

The post Is China “Massing Forces At Coastal Military Bases” In Preparation For An Invasion Of Taiwan? appeared first on End Of The American Dream.

In today’s modern, distracted, fragile, unprepared society we could all use a wake up call.

A reminder about the importance and power of preparedness.

I’ve searched high and low seeking THE very best prepper quotes from famous people throughout history…

TABLE OF CONTENTS

↓(click to skip ahead)↓

Teddy Roosevelt

George S. Patton

Carl Sagan

The Holy Bible

Stephen King

Spencer W. Kimball

Benjamin Franklin

Abraham Lincoln

Bob Knight

Alexander Graham Bell

John F. Kennedy

Seneca the Younger

Marcus Aurelius

Howard Ruff

Chinese Proverb

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↓ 23 Best Prepping Quotes From History To Motivation & Inspire

Teddy Roosevelt

If you’re an American, you already know the sort of man Teddy Roosevelt was.

He was the 26th President of the United States and was an avid hunter, explorer, and adventurer.

He obviously understood the value of being prepared with the following prepper quote:

1. “Make preparations in advance … you never have trouble if you are prepared for it.”

It’s a short quote that punches you directly in the face.

• Prepare in advance OR
• Prepare for trouble

You choose.

↓ The Man In The Arena – Teddy Roosevelt

George S. Patton

George S. Patton was a famously exuberant and triumphant WWII general.

It’s no coincidence that the most successful general embrace the power of preparedness.

It’s a job where preparedness (or lack of it) is continuously being tested.

War generals have ACTUAL skin in the game.

Where preparedness (or lack there of) means the difference between success and death.

↓ PATTON Movie – Introduction Speech

Here’s Patton’s best quote related to preparedness:

2. “Prepare for the unknown by studying how others in the past have coped with the unforeseeable and the unpredictable.”

Of course, the future is unforeseeable and unpredictable.

Rarely does someone see rare Black Swan-Type events coming.

This includes world wars.

That’s why the best war generals are obsessed with tactics and strategies of past generals.

It’s all about mental preparedness, like playing a deadly chess game.

You can only master strategy if you analyze the past champions.

• Why they moved when they did, or
• How they got fooled by their enemy.

The bottom line is:

Patton understood the immense power of preparing for the unknowable future.

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Click here to instantly download this Complete Checklist PDF. No purchase necessary.

Carl Sagan

Carl Sagan was best known as an:

• Astronomer
• Planetary scientist
• Cosmologist
• Astrophysicist
• Astrobiologist
• Author
• Science communicator
• And Mr. Millions, Billions & Trillions

↓ Carl Sagon – Millions, Billions and Trillions

Now, I have no idea if Carl Sagan was a prepper or not.

But this quote is related to preparedness:

3. “Extinction is the rule. Survival is the exception.”

Carl understood how unbelievably lucky we are to even be here.

And while we can rejoice in that fact; we must remain vigilant and ready for the unpredictable future.

We must all continue to be on guard and increase our resiliency to future disasters.

If we want any hope of continuing being the exception to the rule.

The Holy Bible

Of course, the Bible is full of wisdom.

And it includes many quotes related to the virtues of preparedness and prudence.

You’ll find much wisdom in the Book of Proverbs.

What’s a proverb? It’s a short, pithy truth or piece of advice:

↓ Book of Proverbs Summary

Here are three prepping “proverbs” to ponder:

4. Proverbs 28:19 – “He who works the land will have abundant food, but the ones who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.”

5. Proverbs 27:12 – “A prudent person takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.”

6. Proverbs 21:20 – “In a house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has.”

So, as you can tell, all three of these biblical quotes are related to working hard, being prudent (especially when times are good)!

And curbing your human appetites by storing some of your food and treasure for the future.

Stephen King

Stephen King is one of my all-time favorite fiction writers.

He intertwines deep and complex characters with intriguing, mind-bending circumstances.

He’s known for such books as:

The Stand, The Shining, IT, Needful Things, Carrie, Salem’s Lot, and The Dark Tower Series – to name a few.

Stephen’s got one of the best imaginations in the world, so when he speaks of preparedness, I listen:

7. “There’s no harm in hoping for the best as long as you’re prepared for the worst.”

What’s interesting is if you flip the logic of the quote.

It’s essentially saying that if you avoid preparing for the worst, there’s actual harm in hoping for the best.

Let THAT sink in for a minute…

The harm is foolishly and blindly relying on hope instead of preparedness first.

Only after you’re “ready” is the idea of hope (peace, prosperity, etc.) harmless.

Spencer W. Kimball

Spencer Kimball was an American business, civic, and religious leader in the 20th century.

He was the twelfth president of “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.”

Of course, the Ladder-Day Saints are known for taking preps seriously.

So, it’s not surprising to find the following prepping quote from one of their leaders:

8. “Preparedness, when properly pursued, is a way of life, not a sudden, spectacular program.”

This quote gets to the heart of what I call “Living A Resilient Life.”

It’s not something you do in a flurry and then abandon.

It’s a way of life; you work on it gradually over time by building up your stockpiles, skills, and knowledge daily.

If you’re interested in learning more, check out “The Resilient Life”.

It’s a community of folks working on their own preparedness journey.

It’s a program that teaches, motivates, and allows you to track your preparedness progress.

Want a free family-first food planning guide?

Click here to instantly download this Complete Checklist PDF. No purchase necessary.

Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin is full of pithy one-liners.

They are common sense wisdom.

Summing up life lessons clearly, and concisely, making them easy to remember.

So, if you ever come across someone who thinks “preparedness” is for wackos, then bust out the following quotes to shut them up:

9. “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
10. “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”
11. “When the well is dry, you know the worth of water.”

It amazes me just how much wisdom is in such few words.

↓ Benjamin Franklin’s Life Lessons

He understood the value of preparedness and conveyed it in a way that ended all counterarguments.

Essentially, being prepared, being resilient is a wise way to live.

Abraham Lincoln

The next preparedness quote is from the 16th President of the United States – Abraham Lincoln.

Lincoln was known as one of the best American Presidents for guiding a nation through a civil war and all the turmoil that comes with it.

He was a humble man who grew up in extreme poverty.

But those early years and struggles taught him the value of self-reliance, hard work, and preparation.

For example, he once said:

12. “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”

Given any challenging task, he would spend most of his time preparing for it rather than doing it.

He understood the immense value of preparation – how it can often lead to better results with less effort.

↓ Abraham Lincoln: Greatest Quotes

Work smarter – not harder – great for prepping as well as all sorts of challenges in life.

Bob Knight

Bob Knight, you either love him or hate him.

He’s known for being one of basketball’s most successful and innovative coaches.

He led the Indiana men’s basketball team to three NCAA championships, one NIT championship, and 11 Big Ten Conference championships.

And if you follow college basketball at all, you know he had anger management issues and even famously threw a chair onto the basketball court during a game.

↓ Bobby Knight Throws Chair

But as far as preparation goes, he also said:

13. “I don’t believe in luck; I believe in preparation.”

Or you make your own luck by preparing.

Heck, if luck falls in your lap, you can only take full advantage of it…but only IF you’re ready.

Otherwise, you’ll likely fritter away the good fortune, missing a great opportunity.

Alexander Graham Bell

Alexander Graham Bell was a Scottish-born inventor, scientist, and engineer credited with inventing the telephone.

He also co-founded AT&T in 1885.

He understood the value of hard work, dedication, and preparedness by all measures.

He famously said this prepping quote:

14. “Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.”

If you want success in ANYTHING, you must prepare for it.

He was talking about “success” and not necessarily “prepping,” but the same idea applies.

To be resilient and survive any future obstacles, you must prepare beforehand.

BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE.

John F. Kennedy

John F. Kennedy was the 35th President of the United States.

He served at the height of the cold war, and most of his work dealt with tensions between the Soviet Union and Cuba.

And he understood the value of preparedness with the following prepping quote:

15. “The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.”

He’s right.

The time to prepare is NOT after the disaster has arrived.

↓ John F. Kennedy – Life Changing Quotes

AFTER is too late.

I witnessed this firsthand as the pandemic arrived in the United States.

By the time EVERYONE was freaking out, survival gas masks, water containers, freeze-dried food supplies, medical supplies, etc., were all GONE.

AND prices on these critical pieces of survival gear were going through the roof.

There is a severe penalty to being complacent when times are calm.

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Click here to instantly download this Complete Checklist PDF. No purchase necessary.

Seneca the Younger

Anyone who’s a member of our survival and preparedness community, “The Resilient Life,” knows I’m a fan of Stoicism.

It’s an ancient way to live, rooted in training to be mentally resilient to all future obstacles and frustrations.

It helps to put the challenges and struggles in life into perspective.

I think it is the best way to PREPARE for future turmoil MENTALLY.

Seneca the Younger was born in 4 BC and is credited with significantly contributing to Stoic ideas:

16. “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”

So luck is NOT random.

It happens to those who put themselves in a position to take advantage of it.

17.  “The person who anticipated the coming of troubles takes away their power when they arrive.”

I love this quote.

That’s what preparedness is all about, removing the power troubles have over you.

Preparing is ALL about increasing confidence, and reducing anxiety NOW.

And not being “paranoid” but “vigilant.”

It’s not a matter of IF future turmoil is coming; it’s just a matter of WHEN.

18. “Everyone faces up more bravely to a thing for which he has long prepared himself, sufferings, even being withstood if they have been trained for in advance. Those who are unprepared, on the other hand, are panic-stricken by the most insignificant happenings.”

I love the part about “the unprepared being “panic-stricken” by the most insignificant happenings.”

Because preparing not only provides benefits for extreme future turmoil and allows you to put everyday “insignificant happenings” in their proper perspective.

You become less anxious, worried, and less fragile when you live a resilient life.

19. “It is in times of security that the spirit should be preparing itself to deal with difficult times; while fortune is bestowing favors on it then is the time for it to be strengthened against her rebuffs.”

This prepping quote is similar to what John F. Kenney said.

Many historical quotes on preparedness have roots in ancient wisdom.

20. “Set aside now and then a number of days during which you will be content with the plainest of food, and very little of it, and with rough, coarse clothing, and will ask yourself, “Is this what one used to dread”?”

This final Seneca quote is pure Stoicism.

You can strengthen your mental resiliency by occasionally abandoning modern-day luxuries.

Spend some time eating plain food, fasting, wearing rags, sleeping on hard floors, taking cold showers, etc.

Doing this does three things for you:

1. First, it makes you realize that living without extreme luxuries is not as TERRIBLE as you make them out. Sure, it’s not ideal and uncomfortable, but it’s not something to dread and fret about continuously.
2. Second, it also helps you APPRECIATE and ENJOY these luxuries more. It is sort of like cleansing your “luxury” palate. You feel more blessed and more grateful for the basic amenities in your life.
3. And third, you can’t be grateful and angry simultaneously. The more gratitude you feel, the happier person you are. In my opinion, gratitude is the ultimate secret to happiness.

↓ Seneca’s Most Powerful Quotes

Marcus Aurelius

Marcus Aurelius was the Roman emperor from 161 to 180 and is considered one of Stoicism’s most famous students.

His journals have survived, and we glimpse his daily mental challenges and stoic practices.

Here’s one of his best prepper quotes:

21. “The art of living is more like wrestling than dancing, in so far as it stands ready against the accidental and the unforeseen and is not apt to fall.”

I think what he’s saying is that to “live a good life,” you must always stand ready against the accidental and unforeseen.

And this is more like wrestling (via hard work and dedication) than dancing (having fun).

Or perhaps he’s saying – it’s better to invest in prudence first, then to relax and enjoy life, instead of vice versa.

↓ The Most Life Changing Marcus Aurelius Quotes

Howard Ruff

Howard Ruff was a financial advisor and author.

He wrote such books as “How to Prosper During the Coming Bad Years” and “Survive and Win in the Inflationary Eighties.”

Howard understood the importance of preparing for the unknowable future and how history is full of tumultuous times.

He sums it all up with this prepping quote:

22. “It wasn’t raining when Noah Built the Ark.”

Before hearing this quote, I’d never thought of Noah’s Ark Story in that way.

But much of the wisdom in the Bible is not spelled out explicitly.

You must “read” between the lines to unlock the immense wisdom within.

Noah’s Ark is more than just about preparedness; trust and preparation are big underlying themes.

Chinese Proverb

Next is another proverb, but instead of the Bible, it’s an ancient Chinese one.

Because living a resilient life and preparing is NOT just a Western idea.

Its roots can be found in all ancient philosophies.

That’s proof that it’s one of the BEST ways to live.

23. “Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.”

It’s so true.

And it reminds me of another quote by Teddy Roosevelt:

“Complain about a problem without posing a solution is called whining.”

When you find yourself in a difficult situation – cursing is less than worthless.

It’s pathetic.

And here’s the deal:

You can only light a candle in the dark if you have a candle and a flame.

That’s preparedness; doing something about future turmoil BEFORE it arrives.

Prepare, Adapt & Overcome,

Cofounder Of Skilledsurvival.com & TheResilientLife.com

Born & Raised On A Rural Farm In The Midwest

Mechanical Engineering Grad From A Major University

Engineer With A Major Food Manufacturing Company

10+ Years Researching, Writing, & Teaching Preparedness

Mission: Help Folks Stop Living A Life Fragile To The Future

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Today I’m going to share the 11 worst prepping mistakes you have to avoid at all costs!

The biggest ones that can turn a bad situation into a deadly one.

Because sometimes, it’s less about doing the exact RIGHT thing, but instead avoiding the DUMB mistakes.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

↓(click to skip ahead)↓

1. Getting Overwhelmed

2. Predicting The Future

3. Comparing Yourself

4. Over-Sharing Progress

5. Not Calculating Your Needs

6. Afraid Of Making Mistakes

7. Focusing On One Aspect

8. Too Many Email Lists

9. Avoiding Intimidating Gear

10. Saying, “I’ll Never Bug Out”

11. Going It Alone…

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Note: You can either watch the video below OR read the remainder of this article – both cover the exact same prepper mistakes:

↓ 10 Prepper Mistakes To Avoid At ALL Costs

1. Getting Overwhelmed

The very first prepping mistake is getting overwhelmed.

You may have already made this mistake if you’re new to preparedness.

But it’s ok; getting overwhelmed is natural.

Because, when you’re getting started, there’s way too much information to process it all.

For example:

There are the stockpiling basics (food, water).

Or you can go straight into building an aquaponic systems.

Which one is best?

Aquaponics is an advanced prepping skill.

It’s NOT for someone just starting out.

But it’s easy to fall into the trap of getting in over your head before your ready.

That’s why I wrote this article on the 10 basic prepping steps.

This post shows you how’s to avoid getting overwhelmed.

It starts with two weeks of food, two weeks of water, a hand-crank radio, etc.

It will help you make meaningful progress without feeling overwhelmed.

It’ll give you the confidence you’re doing the RIGHT things in the RIGHT order.

2. Trying To Predict The Future

The next prepping mistake is spending too much time trying to predict the future.

Human LOVE trying to figure out “what’s next”.

For example:

Will it be:

• Another pandemic?
• A massive financial collapse?
• A super volcano eruption?
• A massive drought?
• Civil war?
• Nuclear holocaust?

↓ America’s Biggest Threats In 2023+

Sure, thinking about these potential threats is “entertaining.”

But it’s not helping you get prepared.

Heck, even if you do “figure” out what’s coming, will that info change HOW you prepare?

Not really.

Most preparedness actions are the same for all major threats.

Plus, getting prepared IS within my control, while the event that creates SHTF is NOT within my control.

I can control how resilient my family is to anything the future may hold.

Focusing my energy on improving my readiness instead of spending time-consuming news.

Sure, it’s wise to be informed.

But there’s a point at which you’re no longer being “informed.”

At some point, your just NOT spending your time wisely.

So focus on what you CAN control and AVOID trying to predict the future.

Want a free 78 item prepper checklist?

Click here to instantly download this Complete Checklist PDF. No purchase necessary.

3. Comparing Your Progress To Others

The next prepping mistake is comparing yourself to others.

Why? Because there are a lot of people who’ve been doing this for a long time.

And you should look to them for inspiration, NOT envy.

I was even guilty of this when I first got started.

I’d watch videos and read forums and quickly become discouraged.

It can be so disheartening.

That’s why you should focus primarily on what you can control.

And comparing will only get in the way of your progress.

I heard a quote one time that said,

“Comparison is the thief of joy.”

You’re excited to get started, you’re hopeful.

But as soon as you start comparing, and say things like:

“I’ll never make it. I’ll never be good enough.”

Comparison undermines your progress and make you feel anxious.

That sort of thinking  steals your joy.

Don’t let that happen.

4. Over Sharing Progress With Neighbors

The next mistake is sharing too much information with others.

This is especially true if you live near neighbors you don’t trust.

↓ How To Start A Neighborhood Survival Coalition

So try not to get too excited and start blabbing about your progress.

Also, avoid a food delivery at your house and next-door neighbors across the street asking,

“Hey, what’d you just get? I saw it come to your garage and you pulled it in, all that food.”

So keep your preps under wraps.

And if you have young kids, you’ve got to watch them.

They may start sharing your progress with their friends and family.

You don’t want everybody to know you have prepper supplies, right?

When times get tough, you don’t want your neighbors to know about your preps.

I recommend only sharing your preps with those you truly trust.

I’m talking about family members or really good friends.

Want a free 78 item prepper checklist?

Click here to instantly download this Complete Checklist PDF. No purchase necessary.

5. Not Calculating Your Food And Water Requirements

Next, people buy food and water without knowing how much they need.

First, you need to decide your target amount of calories and water.

If you’re new to this, 2 weeks is a reasonable goal, but of course, feel free to go higher than that if possible.

With food, we have a chart to help you out.

The right amount of replacement calories daily depends on age and activity level.

Once you have the number of replacement calories per day per person, you add up each family member.

This gives you your entire family’s daily calorie needs.

Multiply that number by how many days you want your stockpile to last.

So yes, you need to do some very basic math. But once you have that number, you know exactly how much food to buy.

The same thing with water, but water is even easier.

Instead of knowing how many calories, I recommend 1 gallon per person per day.

Then multiply it by how many days you want.

Some “experts” recommend you go with a half-gallon per person per day, but I think that’s a big prepping mistake.

If you ever get a chance to do an emergency practice run, I bet the amount of water you’ll need will surprise you.

Because you need it for cooking, cleaning, bathing, and consumption.

And if you’re in the summer’s heat, you’ll consume a lot of water.

So prepare for that.

And if you have any animals, like a dog or a cat, they also use water.

If you have farm animals, oh my goodness, now you got to provide for them.

The bottom line:

I’d rather have too much water than not enough.

So I go with 1 gallon per person per day.

6. Afraid Of Making Small Mistakes

The next mistake I see is funny because people are so afraid of making a mistake that they don’t move forward.

Since you’re reading this article, that might be you.

I wrote a post at TheResilientLife called Failure Is The Secret Sauce To Success.

And I truly believe that.

People overanalyze and plan to avoid ANY mistakes.

They’re so worried about mistakes they never move forward in a meaningful way.

But forward momentum is critical to success.

Sure, you want to avoid making mistakes but move forward after that.

And if you make a mistake, it’s okay.

You need to make sure your mistakes are not fatal.

For example:

Don’t spend every dollar you own on one mistake.

Instead, make small mistakes, learn from those mistakes, and keep going.

That’s the way we humans learn.

We make small mistakes and then adjust.

“Experts” tend to become experts by pushing forward through mistakes.

So don’t be afraid to make a few small prepping mistakes.

Want a free 78 item prepper checklist?

Click here to instantly download this Complete Checklist PDF. No purchase necessary.

7. Focusing On Only One Aspect Of Preparedness

People spend too much money or time on just one aspect of preparedness and resiliency.

It’s a broad topic, so you can’t spend only your energy and time on food.

Because you have water and communications and escape/evasion plans and on and on.

There are many preparedness topics, and you should time on each one.

And again, that’s why I compiled a list of 10 basic steps to preparedness.

I want to help you get your bases covered before you start going down the rabbit hole.

Deep diving too far into any given topic could consume all your time.

For example, you may decide that aquaponics solves all your problems.

And it could be an excellent solution for you.

But I want you to get your 10 basic steps in place before going down that rabbit hole.

Don’t get me wrong; I love aquaponics.

But that’s just one aspect of many things you can look at.

For example, there are topics such as:

• Power Stations
• Cooking Pemmican
• Making Hardtack
• Buying A Gas Mask
• Packing A Bug Out Bag
• Harvesting Wild Lettuce
• Etc.

I want to ensure that you have covered your bases before deep diving.

So make sure you’re spreading your time out in all the areas of preparedness.

8. Ending Up On Too Many Email Lists

The next prepping mistake I see too many folks make is ending up on too many email lists.

Perhaps you read an article on a survival site, and then there’s a pop-up, and they say, ” Oh, okay, I’ll put my email in.”

And then you go to another site, and there’s another pop-up or a scroll up.

The next thing you know, you’re on 10 or 15 different site email lists.

And I’ll be honest, most of these lists are not putting your best interests first.

You see, there are a lot of marketers in the survival space nowadays.

Their sole purpose is often to generate as much money off you as quickly as possible.

And they’re very good at convincing you,

“This is the exact course/item you need to solve all your problems.”

But it’s just not true.

Now, there are some good products out there and good people in the industry.

And I like to think that we’re one of them.

Sure, we’ll share some courses and items that make sense.

But we test and make sure the products are of high quality.

But there are a lot of people that don’t. Instead, they say,

“How much can I get paid to send this offer to their email list.”

And boom, they send it and make good money doing so.

But that leaves you feeling overwhelmed.

That’s why I recommend you sign up for only the lists that provide FREE value upfront.

It’s ok if they provide some courses and things that…

But only if they’re doing it in a way you can trust.

It’s not just blindly sending you stuff all the time.

We send offers, it’s true.

It’s a one-way we generate some money here at Skilled Survival.

That way, we can keep producing tons of FREE content for everybody.

But we also have a few products and courses to help you achieve your goals.

Want a free 78 item prepper checklist?

Click here to instantly download this Complete Checklist PDF. No purchase necessary.

9. Avoiding Intimidating Gear / Supplies

The next prepping mistake to avoid is investing in critical survival gear that seems too advanced.

A perfect example of this is a gas mask.

You see images of people with gas masks, and perhaps you feel only doomsday preppers buy those.

And to some folks, they look cool; for others, it can look scary and intimidating.

But gas masks are not that difficult to understand. We have a great post on gas masks to educate you.

And then, at the end of the post, we show you our favorite gas masks.

But it’s a very important piece of your basic preparedness starting plan.

For example:

What if there’s a chemical or nuclear attack, and the air you breathe is dangerous?

Or perhaps the next pandemic is 10 times more deadly than the one we just had.

In such a case, you’re not going to the grocery store with a face mask.

You’ll only go to the store if you have a gas mask.

Why? Because you’ll want to filter EVERYTHING through these masks.

And if you don’t own one, good luck getting one after the event happens.

A gas mask is something you need to buy ahead of time.

For example:

People tried to buy gas masks in March and April after the pandemic took root.

But they had to wait up to eight months for a gas mask.

So, if the pandemic was 10 times more deadly, you put your order in, and you’re dead before it arrives.

So don’t wait on gas masks.

Don’t be intimidated; it’s an important piece of critical gear.

Do some research, and then you can go ahead and buy a good one.

I recommend at least one per family if your budget’s tight.

If you can, get one for each family member with extra filters.

10. Saying, “I’ll Never Bug Out.”

The next big prepping mistake I hear is when people say:

“I’m NEVER bugging out. No matter the crisis, I’m staying put in my house.”

And for the most part, you’re probably right.

But what happens if there’s a wildfire that gets out of control?

We’re talking about immediate evacuation.

That’s why you need a bug-out bag.

A bag of YOUR supplies you can grab out the door.

I’m talking about some:

• basic water filtration
• a few food bars
• a hand-crank radio
• a small medical kit
• a survival knife
• etc.

You need a bag with supplies that are YOURS and only YOURS.

That way, you won’t depend on handouts or other people’s kindness.

You have a little bit of resiliency right there on your back.

Everyone should own one because you never know when you have to evacuate.

Now, some people are disabled, and some people don’t want to leave their prepper supplies.

But recently, folks in the last wildfire season decided not to leave.

And they perished because of it.

They loved their home and didn’t want to leave, but that’s foolish.

You can replace “stuff,” but not your life.

So grab your bag and get out of dodge until it clears.

Want a free 78 item prepper checklist?

Click here to instantly download this Complete Checklist PDF. No purchase necessary.

11. BONUS – Trying To Go It All Alone

The last prepping mistake I see people make is they try to go it all alone.

Now, my earlier mistake about oversharing, you’ve got to be careful about that.

You don’t want to overshare, but you don’t want to do this all alone.

For example:

I’m helping you avoid mistakes I’ve seen other people make.

And mistakes I’ve made myself.

Why? To make your path to resiliency smoother.

Going it alone will mean you’ll make way more mistakes than necessary.

It’s a really hard road to get from the point you’re at now to where you want to be alone.

My job is to help you reach your goals without wasting time, energy, or money in the wrong places.

That’s why I think the answer to the lone wolf mistake is to become a part of our community called The Resilient Life.

The Resilient Life

You should join our online community of like-minded people called, TheResilientLife.

Inside TheResilintLife, we’ve broken down each aspect of preparedness into different preparedness badges.

And underneath each badge are a list of prepping requirements.

These requirements are activities perform, and as you meet them, you get to check them off.

And what’s cool is that we keep track and give you a score as you check them off.

It’s called your readiness score.

You can go from 0 up to a 100 readiness score.

So as you get started, you can check off actions you’ve already done.

That way, you’ll get an accurate preparedness score you’re at today.

And then, you highlight some preparedness actions you want to focus on next.

And as you complete these next steps, you’ll see your score go up and up.

Perhaps you start at a score of, let’s say, 50, and then three weeks later, after you’ve done a few activities, you’re at 60.

And then, you focus on more actions and move up to an 80.

You’ll see your progress (and watch your resiliency) go up.

We’ve also tied The Resilient Life to a private group.

That way, you can share your successes or questions.

And these fellow preppers are there to help you.

It’s sharing of information to help you succeed.

When you have a question, they’re there to help and answer it and say, hey, this is how I did it, or this is how you can do it too.

And people are sharing some cool stuff with this private group.

For example, people are sharing their:

• bug out evacuation plans
• bug out bag supplies
• the best prepper foods to store
• the water storage containers they choose
• etc.

These are real people sharing real information.

And it’s very cool to see.

So with TheResilientLife, you get to a tool that:

1. Tracks your preparedness progress
2. It helps you choose the next best preparedness actions to take
3. Motivates you and holds you accountable via the community

So I think you should take a few minutes and check out TheResilientLife.

I believe it’s the best way to help you avoid as many prepping mistakes as possible.

Prepare, Adapt & Overcome,

Cofounder Of Skilledsurvival.com & TheResilientLife.com

Born & Raised On A Rural Farm In The Midwest

Mechanical Engineering Grad From A Major University

Engineer With A Major Food Manufacturing Company

10+ Years Researching, Writing, & Teaching Preparedness

Mission: Help Folks Stop Living A Life Fragile To The Future

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The post 11 Prepping Mistakes You MUST Avoid At All Costs… appeared first on Skilled Survival.

America’s middle class is being systematically eviscerated.  When the Federal Reserve pumped trillions of dollars into the financial system during the pandemic, most Americans didn’t realize what that would do to them.  That money certainly made the wealthy a whole lot wealthier, but it also dramatically increased the cost of living for the rest of us.  So now inflation has been rising much faster than paychecks have, and the cost of living has become exceedingly oppressive.  In fact, last year we witnessed the largest decline in real median household income in more than a decade…

The official tally is in and it is brutal: Americans suffered the biggest drop in household income in 2022 in a dozen years.

Real median household income was $74,580 in 2022, a drop of 2.3 percent from the prior year, the Census Bureau said Tuesday.

This is the biggest drop in household income since 2010, when it household income fell 2.6 percent. That means it is worse than the pandemic decline of 2.2 percent. It is the fourth worst year in records going back to 1985.

In 2010, the U.S. economy was just coming out of the horrible recession that we had just experienced in 2008 and 2009.

Those were not fun times.

And the times that we are moving into will not be fun either.

We are being told that “high inflation” is the primary reason why real median household income is falling…

The declines were driven by high inflation. The measure of inflation that is used to calculate real income rose 7.8 percent, the worst inflation since 1981.

1981 was a long time ago.

But at that time, the U.S. economy quickly recovered under the leadership of President Ronald Reagan.

We will not be so fortunate this time around.

Our leaders flooded the system with giant mountains of money, and almost everyone cheered as they were doing it.

But now we are paying the price.

Recently, a “Gen X mom” named Jessica McCabe made headlines all over the world when she posted a video on TikTok in which she expressed how frustrating it is to watch her adult children deeply struggle in this economy…

“I am so tired of feeling helpless as a parent,” McCabe started off the video. She acknowledged that her son was 25 and her daughter was 28 and explained: “I thought by teaching them what I learned, which is you work hard, you get a good job, you’re gonna get the things in life that you need, right? Worked for me, why wouldn’t it work for them?”

Unfortunately for all of us, the rules have changed.

What worked in the 1980s and 1990s simply does not work today.

In her video, she acknowledged that struggle is a part of life, but she also said that it is just so disheartening to see her kids “get further and further down” no matter how hard they try…

She continued: “I see them struggling, and before my generation comes at me, yes, I understand struggling as a part of life. We all struggle, but there’s a difference between struggling and drowning. So we struggled, and it was tough. But you know what, we made it. We knew there was a light at the end of the tunnel with our struggle. It seems like kids today, no matter how much they struggle, they just get further and further down.”

Sadly, this is the reality of life for most Americans today.

More than 60 percent of the nation is currently living paycheck to paycheck, and former Ford CEO Mark Fields just admitted to CNBC that someone needs to make more than $100,000 a year just to be able to afford a new vehicle these days…

The former Ford CEO said that a consumer has to “make over $100,000 to afford a new car.” As a result, the price of vehicles is starting to come down, which is leading to an inventory correction.

“Vehicles are getting older, they need to be replaced.”

Americans are keeping their vehicles longer than ever, and that is because most of us simply cannot afford to replace them.

As I have discussed previously, Americans are increasingly turning to debt to help make ends meet from month to month.

Credit card debt surged dramatically during the second quarter, and this is starting to become an enormous problem…

American households now have an average of $10,170 credit card debt, as record numbers say they are worried about being cut off from access to loans.

Data from the New York Federal Reserve shows nationwide credit card debt swelled by $43 billion in the second quarter of the year – the second largest increase on record.

Of course there is a limit to how much debt that U.S. consumers can take on, and financial institutions are starting to say “no” a lot more often…

Meanwhile a separate survey by the Fed revealed 60 percent of respondents found it more difficult to access credit – the highest level since the data series began in June 2013.

I warned my readers that the flow of credit would start to get tighter and tighter.

And now it is happening.

Right now, so many formerly middle class Americans have been pushed into what I call “the impoverished class”, and many that were formerly poor now find themselves pushed out into the streets.

In fact, according to the Wall Street Journal we have witnessed the largest increase in homelessness ever recorded this year…

The United States has seen the biggest ever spike in homeless people living on the streets – as preliminary figures showed a record 11 percent increase in one year.

There are nearly 600,000 rough sleepers across cities and towns in America, and the jump from 2022 to 2023 so far is the highest since the government started tracking the data in 2007, according to the WSJ.

Places like Oakland and San Francisco in California have become hotbeds for homelessness, as people living on the streets are like ‘drug tourists’ who arrive to have easy access to narcotics.

So please don’t believe anyone that tries to convince you that the economy is doing just fine.

It most certainly is not.

Homeless encampments are popping up like mushrooms all over the nation, and many communities are not pleased about this at all.

For example, just check out what has been happening in Austin, Texas…

Shocking footage has exposed the scene in an Austin park filled with liquor bottles, needles, Narcan and junk ‘as far as the eye can see,’ as a homeless encampment continues to grow.

The videos were of the West Bouldin Creek Greenbelt were posted on Monday by activist Jamie Hammonds, who reports from the Texas capital on the X page @DocumentingATX.

‘Another Greenbelt destroyed here in Austin… nothing but trash and junk as far as you can see… this is absolutely horrible,’ Hammonds said, adding that the encampment was at least the size of a football field, and you could smell it ‘even before you enter the greenbelt.’

As the economy continues to crumble, things are going to get even worse.

And as things get worse, the middle class will continue to shrink.

It is almost as if we are all playing a really bizarre game of musical chairs.

With each passing day, even more spots in the middle class are being removed from the game, and the ranks of “the impoverished class” continue to grow larger and larger.

Michael’s new book entitled “End Times” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can check out his new Substack newsletter right here.

About the Author: My name is Michael and my brand new book entitled “End Times” is now available on Amazon.com.  In addition to my new book I have written six other books that are available on Amazon.com including “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”. (#CommissionsEarned)  When you purchase any of these books you help to support the work that I am doing, and one way that you can really help is by sending copies as gifts to family and friends.  Time is short, and I need help getting these warnings into the hands of as many people as possible.  I have also started a brand new Substack newsletter, and I encourage you to subscribe so that you won’t miss any of my articles.  I have published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe.  I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but I also ask that they include this “About the Author” section with each article.  The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions.  I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is definitely a great help.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, I strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.

The post The Middle Class Is Increasingly Becoming “The Impoverished Class”, And The Poor Are Increasingly Being Pushed Into The Streets appeared first on The Economic Collapse.

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