Doom and gloom have never really been something I was into. On my show, the commitment I made to the audience was to be my true authentic self, never spin tall tales and always tell things as I see them. The holiday seasons are upon us now and this season is typically the season of hope. Obama ran on a platform of hope and change and after 8 years all we had left was the hope that we would have some change left. At the tail end of the Trump administration, the government started printing and spending money, we didn’t have on things we didn’t need. The Biden administration continued these disastrous policies and now we find ourselves in very tough economic times. Most economists agree that 2023 will be a very rough year economically for the country.
The “Red Ripple” that came about in the midterms didn’t produce the repudiation of the Biden administration’s policies that could have moved the needle to get things done properly to repair the damage that has been done. When any one party can get the majority in the house and senate and the senate get a “veto-proof” majority it signals that the people are in favor of the ruling party’s platform, and this gives them ammunition to get things done. This didn’t happen as the Senate is still controlled by Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and the democrats, with the house going to the Republicans, and apparent house leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). This represents the worst possible outcome as it’s a divided government and there is no real expectation that anything of significance will get done.
As of now, the democrats are taking the opportunity the lame duck session provides to ramrod all the items they wanted to but couldn’t before the new congress gets sworn in starting in January. Marriage Equality, A Nationwide Assault Weapons Ban and Amnesty are all on the table according to democrat leaders as they see their grip on power being peeled back. Several members of congress who will win their seats and will not have to answer for their votes to their constituents are now at the whims of the party leadership to pass these tremendously flawed items that will all be rolled up into an omnibus spending bill to avert a partial government shutdown. The last gasp of power for a time could represent the passing of some of the worst possible bills, and while the Supreme Court could eventually weigh in with a decision if those laws are challenged, we will still have to live under them until the process plays out in court.
The Republicans have already signaled their agenda priorities will be investigations into various forms of shenanigans surrounding President Biden and his family, the inquiries into former President Trump and the horrible failure of DHS Secretary Mayorkas and AG Garland. In the end, these are good pursuits and as Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH) has stated on several occasions that “the American people need to know what their government is up to” but they are not going to move the needle for the average family. Washington DC will work for the next 2 years to sling as much mud as possible, launch as many investigations as they can and try to taint the other party and “hold people accountable for their actions”. The problem is that while they are doing this, they aren’t working for the American people to ease the issues that are affecting everyone.
Normally I would criticize the Republicans for their lack of action on meaningful legislation to arrest this recession we are in, combat the issues at the southern border or prioritize public safety that has devolved into crime rates on par with some third-world countries. However, at this point, the Republicans are going to have to play the role of obstructionists to blunt the Biden agenda and its far-left goals. The fact remains that there will be very little movement on the legislative front that could help millions of Americans during these tough times. If our representatives won’t be there to help us with legislation what then is to be done?
In a word, prepare.
The facts are that the government will never do anything for free, if something is offered, there will be a price to be paid. When a person needs nothing from the government then the government has no power over them. Businesses who took the bailouts over the pandemic are now learning the cost for all that “free” money that was just printed and as of this writing, the federal reserve is in the process of raising interest rates for the 6th time this year. Does anyone remember the interest rates the fed had to do to tame inflation due to the horrible policies of the Carter Administration, the inflation rate soared to 13.5 %, and the fed raised rates to over 20%. All that free printed money has skyrocketed inflation and has made it harder to get money for operating expenses, leading to higher fuel costs and helping to cripple our economy. If/When bread lines form, do you think it will be for free?
Basic needs must be addressed, here is my list and some ideas to prepare for the dark times ahead.
Food: It cannot be overstated, when people get hungry or if they cannot feed their children they will do very “out of character” things to survive. Normal, law-abiding, and God-fearing people will lie, steal and in extreme cases kill to provide, the thought process will be “if it is going to be them or me, it will be them” Do you have 30-60-90-120 days of food for each member of your family? Do you have food on hand or a way to get food when/if the grocery stores run out? Many companies offer good, shelf-stable food that can sit for 25 years on the shelf, I have a mix of shelf-stable food, MREs (Meals Ready to Eat) canned food and frozen food for my family to consume if grocery stores run out -OR- if I cannot get out to get the food for some reason (Civil Unrest? War? Disease? Lockdowns?)
Water: to be clear this would be water storage or a spring/well that could provide water. Food is important and without it, a person will die a slow painful death over a few months, however, without water a person can perish in as little as 4 days. What is your plan for water? Do you have a way to purify water if it is dirty? You would be amazed at what a simple “LifeStraw” can do to purify water for drinking. Water is always thought of for drinking and hydrating but what about for other things? Cleaning items and people, and watering a garden will be necessary and many MREs require water to be heated to make the meals. You need a plan for water.
Security: The founding fathers in the creation of the constitution knew that the ability to express yourself and have free speech would need to be protected by the right to bear arms. The second amendment should not be taken for granted and access to firearms is a right the forefathers built into our society for your protection. The security of your home or property is more than just having guns and ammo. How will you protect the items you value and keep them secure from the people who would steal from you because they foolishly didn’t see this catastrophe coming? When the power goes out you will be able to hear who has a generator based on the sound coming from the unit or when you don’t have to go out to get the necessities people will put two and two together and show up at your doorstep and could get violent if you don’t “share”. How do you fortify your location? How do you see people from afar before they see you? How do you protect your family and all you prepared to take care of them? You need a multi-tiered approach to protect that which will keep you and your loved ones safe.
First Aid/Meds- Does anyone else think it is odd that we didn’t have a flu season for close to 2 years during the pandemic lockdowns? As a paramedic, I have seen firsthand what happens when an ER or hospital system is overwhelmed and cannot service its community. What if you have a serious laceration and need stitches? What if you break a bone and need to have it set? Do you have enough first aid equipment to treat and take care of minor/major injuries? There are many products available on Amazon such as “zip strip wound closures” and “wound staple guns” that can help if you have them and can follow the instructions. Do you have additional medications if you take them? Your medical professional would need to be consulted but I have heard of people skipping or taking less of their prescribed medication to “save up” 30-60-90 days’ worth of meds in case your local pharmacy is shut down or cannot get meds for you. A plan for meds, having medical supplies and knowing basic first aid can save your life.
Items to Trade/Barter: If suddenly the cash in your wallet, the money in your checking account or savings account vanished or was worthless what would you do? Do you have solid assets that you could barter and trade with? In the book by Dave Jones “Guardians of Rockport: The Collapse” (highly recommend buying and reading) the small community trying to recover from a collapse begins a market for people to barter and sell goods. If your community did that, what would you bring? Gold, silver, and other precious metals have been the standard for wealth for over a millennium, having them could mean the difference between getting things you need/want and going without. Liquor will also be an item in demand and not for the reason you may think. People enjoy liquor for social reasons, but it also can be used as a sanitizing agent for medical equipment in a pinch or if you need to stitch up a family member who has a large laceration. It will be a much more “enjoyable” experience with a shot of two of your favorite libations. Also, sadly some alcoholics will “need” liquor once the supply runs dry and will pay a king’s ransom for a drink (see the bootleggers that capitalized on prohibition)
These are just basic needs to be addressed, we could also discuss power, heat, and communication but those will be for another day.
The question I have for the reader is this: If I am crazy and labeled an alarmist, what do you lose with a solid plan on the 5 items listed above? What if it isn’t a collapse of our society but a hurricane, a superstorm like Sandy, a blizzard that paralyzes your area for 7 days, or a tornado outbreak? what would happen then? Many experts agree that grocery store shelves will go dry in 3 days if truck drivers cannot get to your destination, and we all remember the beginning of the pandemic when so many people couldn’t find toilet paper. So, what is your plan? If you are waiting for the next government bail-out to happen, you may be waiting a while as for the next two years they will clearly be focused on other things and not the serving of the citizens of the United States.
