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These Countries Are Quickly and Quietly Dumping the Dollar
These Countries Are Quickly and Quietly Dumping the Dollar
Over the past few months, there has been a steady uptick in the number of countries dumping significant portions of their dollar holdings. This is causing many people to worry whether or not the US economy is in for a massive shock sooner, later, or somewhere in between.
While American corporate media outlets either ignore the developments entirely or claim that there is nothing to worry about, the reality is that the dumping of the dollar is a process that is clearly underway. More than that, it appears it is a process that is at least partially coordinated by a number of countries that have been targets of American sanctions and financial bullying in the “post 9/11 world.”
Thus, while corporate media outlets ignore the vanishing dollar dominance and reassure their hapless audience that everything is fine, alt media outlets are predicting a second Weimar Republic, this time in North America.
But what is really going on with the recent dollar dumping? Who is actually dumping the dollar and what kind of effects could we really expect to see in America if the dollar is truly abandoned?
Who Is Dumping The Dollar?
Since the dollar currently enjoys its status as the world’s reserve currency, it is constantly being bought and sold by nations across the entire planet. This arrangement is essentially what is keeping the dollar strong even after the United States embraced neo-liberal Free Trade policies that saw the greatest economic system the world has ever known turned into a shell of its former self. This arrangement allows the United States to sell its “debt” to the rest of the world, which other countries are willing to buy because of the stability of the American governmental system and the fact that America is still an economic powerhouse.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
25 Basic Life Skills That Should Be Taught in School (But Aren’t)
25 Basic Life Skills That Should Be Taught in School (But Aren’t)
Think of the vast amount of time that students spend in school. But what do they come away knowing? They are taught very few life skills, so are they really prepared for the real world?
Here’s one of the glaring problems with public school: it’s designed to waste time.
Like a Weeping Angel from Doctor Who, school can zap your life away. It wouldn’t be half bad if you were being taught something useful. Sure, reading and math are important, but the bulk of those things can be taught in much shorter periods of time than are being utilized right now. Plus, reading skills are deteriorating and math was swallowed by Common Core.
Ideally, there would be myriad forms of trustworthy education that could suit any personality. And ideally many of these skills would be taught by family and imparted by experienced people – but that’s getting harder to do.
So in the list below, think of what it would be like if schools were ideal and actually preparing people to live meaningful lives.
Without further ado, here are…
25 Life Skills That Should Be Taught In School (But Aren’t):
#1 Individual Thought
Instead of regurgitating what the teacher says and mirroring their peers, people need to think for themselves only. That means no groupthink. Most people think they are unique but are only parroting. That’s why you can figure out who they are from just two of their beliefs. A lot of people struggle with who they really are but can’t even have a thought of their own. Life shouldn’t be so monochromatic and Borg-like. Calling all real individuals.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
Sweden Is on the Verge of Going Completely Cashless: What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
Sweden Is on the Verge of Going Completely Cashless: What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
Sweden is rapidly turning into a cashless society, which seems like the utopian dream of many a government figure. What could possibly go wrong from the government’s point of view? Isn’t it ideal that they could soon digitally control every single person in the country?
Actually, quite a few things are going wrong. So much so that even members of the government are expressing concern.
Sweden is the most cashless society in the world
The change is happening fast in the European country.
“No cash accepted” signs are becoming an increasingly common sight in shops and eateries across Sweden as payments go digital and mobile…
…Sweden is widely regarded as the most cashless society on the planet. Most of the country’s bank branches have stopped handling cash; many shops, museums and restaurants now only accept plastic or mobile payments…
…Last year, the amount of cash in circulation in Sweden dropped to the lowest level since 1990 and is more than 40 per cent below its 2007 peak. The declines in 2016 and 2017 were the biggest on record…
…An annual survey by Insight Intelligence released last month found that only 25 per cent of Swedes paid in cash at least once a week in 2017, down from 63 per cent just four years ago. A full 36 per cent never use cash, or just pay with it once or twice a year. (source)
Cash is used so infrequently that the government of the country has demonstrated concern. And this isn’t just in the big cities. A source in rural Sweden tells me that even in his remote area, the push to go cashless is omnipresent.
What could possibly go wrong?
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
A Collapse Update from Venezuela: Corruption, Hunger, and Crime
A Collapse Update from Venezuela: Corruption, Hunger, and Crime
Editor’s Note: In this update, Jose talks about the worsening corruption, hunger, and crime in Venezuela. It’s hard to imagine, but things are still getting worse there. As we get together to feast with our families this week, please remember the people of Venezuela, where 80% of the population does not have enough food. ~ Daisy
I have been trying to solve a couple of issues this past week, mainly related to my parents’ health. Dad just had an event with his equilibrium (he is almost 80 so it is perfectly understandable), and he hardly could come back home in his old car. Amazingly, he did not crash or got injured in the way back. In the pictures, I have seen he is alarmingly thinner. I will send him some nutritional additions as soon as I can. I have been going through some personal and familial issues that demanded lots of attention and care and had to leave the city for some days up to work a few days in a place without any kind of coverage, not even landline, in the middle of nowhere. I survived though.
Let’s begin.
Why the collapse is still going on.
Well, it is a known fact that a slow, painful collapse is definitely the worst possible scenario. Its effects are long term, the suffering it inflicts has effects on too many people, and last too much time. It affects other countries’ economies and societies, on time.
In our example, this is exactly what is happening. I read the report of a Venezuelan journalist, much smarter than me, where he explains the exact reason with very clever words, of why the mafia is still in power. His analysis is that the regime is not a vertical structure.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
Why Understanding the Brutal Reality of the SHTF Could Save Your Life
Why Understanding the Brutal Reality of the SHTF Could Save Your Life
There’s something incredibly important for your survival that a lot of folks aren’t doing. I’ve written before about overriding your body’s natural urge to freeze in panic when something terrible happens, but there’s an additional step you must take. You need to know the horrible truth about the SHTF. The ugly, brutal truth.
Because as much as we stockpile, go to the shooting range and shoot stationary objects, can vegetables from our gardens, and raise chickens in our backyards, it only prepares us partially.
From my many interviews with guys like Selco and Jose, I know for a fact that an all-out collapse is a dirty, terrifying, and brutal matter of life and death every single day.
As much as we wish it was, the SHTF is not about you being in a bubble, peacefully working in your vegetable garden while the world goes to hell around you outside the bubble. The darkness can reach you wherever you are.
Why is it so important to know about the bad stuff?
Many of us try to insulate ourselves from the dark things going on in the world. I know that I stay away from social media beyond what is required for work because I’m sick of the arguing and the hatred. There are certain articles in the news I hesitate to read because I know they will haunt me. This is human nature – we avoid things that scare us, sicken us, and make us unhappy.
But there are some exceptions to this rule that you should make.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
The Lost Art of Scratch Cooking
The Lost Art of Scratch Cooking
If you compare the meals served in many of the kitchens today to meals served 100+ years ago, there is one very big difference. Nearly every meal served in North America has at least one dish that has come from a box, bag, or pouch.
Take breakfast, for example. Did you have toast? If so, did you make the bread? Cereal? One of those little packs of Quaker oatmeal, all flavored up and just waiting for you to add water? Did your breakfast originate in the freezer? Frozen toaster versions of pancakes, waffles, and pastries abound in many kitchens.
Several years ago, I did a “Scratch Challenge” during which everything we ate had to be made from scratch – no convenience ingredients allowed. It wasn’t until I did this that I realized that even in my fairly “clean” kitchen, there still remained a lot of processed items.
If you do a quick survey of your own kitchen, you may be surprised at what you find. I discovered that the best way to clean up my act was to focus on cooking only from scratch. Now, my kitchen has only a few holdouts, most of which are there for food storage purposes.
Some of the most common processed items that “sneak in” are dairy and grain products:
- Bread
- Yogurt
- Cottage Cheese
- Crackers
- Pitas
- Tortillas
- Cereal
- Pasta
None of these would be incredibly difficult to make, but they ARE time-consuming. In a world that is ever-increasingly geared towards convenience, few people take the time to roll out noodles or bake cookies these days.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
It’s Spreading: Now the British Media Is Pushing Microchipping In The UK
It’s Spreading: Now the British Media Is Pushing Microchipping In The UK
It’s no coincidence that a veritable public relations advertisement concealed as an article in the Daily Mail regarding the microchipping of thousands of Swedish people would soon be followed up by an article announcing yet more microchipping of employees and individuals in the UK. That is just what is happening now in an article by the Guardian entitled “Alarm over talks to implant UK employees with microchips.”
Although both articles present the idea of microchipping as something that is new and rarely done, the truth is that neither the technology nor the process is new and the practice is growing across Europe and North America at an alarming rate.
The UK’s largest employer organization is promoting microchips
Britain’s largest “employer organization” and “main trade union body” is now speaking out over the prospect of British companies implanting their employees for security purposes.
According to the Guardian, BioTeq, a UK firm, has already implanted 150 microchips in the UK. The company offers the chips to both businesses and individuals and the implants are being marketed mainly for convenience and the ability to access secure locations or simply to start their car with a wave of their hand. The chips can also store medical data and are similar to the ones implanted in pets.
These chips are so tiny that they can be implanted between the thumb and forefinger while others, such as the ones offered by Biohax of Sweden, are about the size of a grain of rice. Biohax was one of the topics of a recent publicity push in the European media to promote (by the cover of an article) the process and the company in general.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
How to Use Super Glue for First Aid
How to Use Super Glue for First Aid
The last time we visited I wrote an article for Daisy about my different first aid kits that I created built on my experience as an Army medic. And she let me know an important item I forgot.
How to use some of the less common items.
There are a lot of items in the kits. Not all may be things everyone is used to. So Daisy asked me to do a series of articles that cover:
- When do you need to use this item?
- How do you use this item?
- What are some warnings about using this item?
In the basic kit, you see basic items. One that stands out is Super Glue. Let’s start with that one.
Note from Daisy: The information provided here is for use when there is no medical care available. You should always seek appropriate medical care as your first option.
When do you use that super glue from your first aid kit?
Super glue is one of the greatest inventions. It will bond almost anything. Army Medics and Navy Corpsman were the first to ever use it in the field, during the Vietnam War. They glued more patients back together than they sewed. Placing a standard interrupted suture for every stitch you make two new wounds – two new avenues of infection. Super glues eliminated that route of infection
You can use super glue when you have a cut. Deep or shallow, it doesn’t matter – you need to protect it from infection. Sealing the wound is your best bet. Why should you worry about a tiny cut? In the SHTF world, more people will die of infection than major trauma. Why? Because no matter how much people like me preach about diet and washing hands, its human nature to find 5000 more important things to do when you’re trying to survive.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
What Preppers Can Learn from Cape Town, Where Residents Live on 13 Gallons of Water Per Person Per Day
What Preppers Can Learn from Cape Town, Where Residents Live on 13 Gallons of Water Per Person Per Day
Living in Cape Town South Africa, after we have gained experience with rolling blackouts, our city (and surrounds) ran out of water … a first-world major metropolis ran out of water.
This is my summation of what happened and how we personally dealt with it.
Two things to note:
- Cape Town falls in a winter rainfall area. (Similar to Northern California)
- In our country, clean water is a constitutional right. Building dams, desalination plants, and maintaining the dams is the responsibility of the national government. Local governments are responsible for distributing the water. They are not allowed to build dams or desalination plants. Cape Town was forced to do both, at taxpayers’ cost.
This is to give you some background on how things are (or are supposed to be) here. You will see that how things are supposed to be are not how things are.
How did Cape Town almost run completely out of water?
There were basically four main reasons, as Cape Town knew of this pending problem:
- An unforeseen severe drought triggered it all.
- Unbeknownst to most, because of “state capture” (a kind phrase for corruption), the National Department of Water and Sanitation had no funds left to build dams. The South African public was blissfully unaware of this.
- The local budgets, the part that the city must budget in order to distribute the water, was used to build a dam, effect some repairs to local national water infrastructures, and because year after year there were good rains, the rest was used for other pressing political promises, like schools, toilets (yes toilets), and housing etc.
- There was a huge influx of people into Cape Town from other provinces, seeking jobs, as the Western Cape is one of the best-run provinces in SA.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
Are You Prepared for Lockdown? How to Stay Safe When All Hell Breaks Loose in America
Are You Prepared for Lockdown? How to Stay Safe When All Hell Breaks Loose in America
Tensions are incredibly high in the United States right now. I realized that over the past three years, I’ve written that they’re “at an all-time high” far too many times. So, I’ll just say, they’re high enough that all hell could break loose at any moment given the right (wrong) application of fuel to the flame. The number one thing you can do for this situation to keep your family safe is to be prepared for lockdown.
Pretending that it isn’t happening or hoping to hug it out is not a rational response to the chaos that is coming. I know that some cling to their misguided views on the way the world works with the ferocity of a mother bear protecting cubs, but for the rest of us, there’s this thing called reality. When we accept it, we can prepare for it.
People near the border are quite reasonably concerned that if thousands of immigrants push through our border illegally, they and their families could be at risk. People in other parts of the country are concerned about the aftermath of whatever happens when these people arrive at the border. Regardless of what occurs, somebody is going to be unhappy. Add in the fiercely-fought midterm elections and the threat of civil unrest is high.
Are you prepared for lockdown?
Which leads me to a very important subject. As the situation in the United States devolves, how prepared are you really? If you had to go into lockdown mode and keep your family safely at home, how long would you last with the supplies you have on hand? If the answer is “a few days” or “a couple of weeks” you need to work on that. Immediately.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
According to the Wall Street Journal, Inflation Is About to Increase the Prices of EVERYTHING
According to the Wall Street Journal, Inflation Is About to Increase the Prices of EVERYTHING
We’ve been pretty lucky over the last ten years in terms of inflation, which has remained at about 2%. However, if the Wall Street Journal is correct, our luck is about to run out.
The price of just about everything is set to increase in the coming months. Part of this is because manufacturers and suppliers are facing rising costs, just like the rest of us.
Airlines are paying about 40% more for jet fuel than they were a year ago. Trucking costs were up 7% annually in September, as trucking companies passed along their own higher labor costs. Private-sector wages and salaries in the September-ended quarter rose 3.1% from a year earlier, the strongest gain since 2008, the Labor Department said Wednesday.
Meanwhile, U.S. manufacturers are paying roughly 8% more for aluminum and 38% more for steel than a year ago as the industry adjusts to tariffs the Trump administration levied on imports of those metals. Also, a 10% tariff the administration imposed in September on $200 billion worth of various goods from China is weighing on businesses that buy those imports. (source)
With that being the case, it isn’t surprising that those costs will be passed on to consumers.
What is inflation?
Here are some basic facts about inflation from Investopedia.
- Inflation is a sustained increase in the general level of prices for goods and services.
- When inflation goes up, there is a decline in the value, or purchasing power of money.
- Variations on inflation include disinflation , deflation, hyperinflation and stagflation.
- Theories as to the cause of inflation are up for debate. Some common theories include demand-pull inflation, cost-push inflation, and monetary inflation.
- When there is unanticipated inflation, creditors lose, people on a fixed-income lose, menu costs go up, uncertainty reduces spending and exporters aren’t as competitive.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
Are You Prepared for Lockdown? How to Stay Safe When All Hell Breaks Loose in America
Are You Prepared for Lockdown? How to Stay Safe When All Hell Breaks Loose in America
Tensions are incredibly high in the United States right now. I realized that over the past three years, I’ve written that they’re “at an all-time high” far too many times. So, I’ll just say, they’re high enough that all hell could break loose at any moment given the right (wrong) application of fuel to the flame. The number one thing you can do for this situation to keep your family safe is to be prepared for lockdown.
Pretending that it isn’t happening or hoping to hug it out is not a rational response to the chaos that is coming. I know that some cling to their misguided views on the way the world works with the ferocity of a mother bear protecting cubs, but for the rest of us, there’s this thing called reality. When we accept it, we can prepare for it.
People near the border are quite reasonably concerned that if thousands of immigrants push through our border illegally, they and their families could be at risk. People in other parts of the country are concerned about the aftermath of whatever happens when these people arrive at the border. Regardless of what occurs, somebody is going to be unhappy. Add in the fiercely-fought midterm elections and the threat of civil unrest is high.
Are you prepared for lockdown?
Which leads me to a very important subject. As the situation in the United States devolves, how prepared are you really? If you had to go into lockdown mode and keep your family safely at home, how long would you last with the supplies you have on hand? If the answer is “a few days” or “a couple of weeks” you need to work on that. Immediately.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
What to Do When You’re Overwhelmed by All the Terrible Events Going On In the World
What to Do When You’re Overwhelmed by All the Terrible Events Going On In the World
Looking at the news lately is bound to hit you right in the feelings. It’s almost impossible not to be overwhelmed by it all.
There are so many terrible things happening. Massacres in places of worship. Thousands of people heading to the US all at once, demanding to be let in. Bombs being sent through the mail. A heated election cycle that is only a glimpse of the coming presidential election. One horrific crime after another.
And at the foundation of everything is hatred.
The venomous things that people are saying to one another all in support or rejection of these dreadful occurrences are the most dangerous part of it all.
If you’re a peace-loving person who just wants to get along with his or her fellow American, all of this stuff can be enough to make you want to crawl under the nearest rock, preferably a rock without Wi-Fi or a cell signal.
When you spend your days engrossed in the news
Sometimes I get emails from people who wonder how I can write about the things I do and still remain upbeat.
I’ve been working in the alternative news industry since 2011. There have been days at I time I was glued to my laptop covering manhunts, constitutional insults, or scenes of horror. It would be a lie (not to mention rather unhinged) to say that I was unmoved by it all.
Sometimes I ended the day with such awful scenes playing through my head that my night was filled with restless nightmares replaying all that I had learned. Sometimes the last thing I wanted to do the next morning when it was time to start work was switch on that laptop and see the most recent gruesome act of hatred humans had perpetrated on one another.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
A Venezuelan’s Guide to Off-Grid Power
A Venezuelan’s Guide to Off-Grid Power
My dear fellow preppers:
I have used these last few weeks in my freelance work some ingenuity, in order to accomplish some goals. Therefore, I have come to think a lot about how I could provide a roof for mines, if for some reason, God forbid, our coming back to Venezuela is delayed.
I just saw a website about a businessman refurbishing old bunkers, and another about greenhouses. Living now in a different climate has made me appreciate the need for heating, for instance, and understand how paramount it is for people living in such climates.
Therefore, I have some suggestions that I have compiled and adding some things that I learned firsthand with the Venezuelan collapse as well as what I have learned in engineering school and my former job.Some interesting stuff is in my mind that I will share with you.
Power rationing is getting worse in Venezuela
The lack of power is getting increasingly common in my home country. Those without a good battery pack and solar panels to charge it are going to be powerless. The norm of the rationing now in Venezuela is just like the 4 hours a day of power in Cuba.
Soon, it will be even worse. The lack of maintenance to our dam and hydro power facilities is going to generate a breakdown of the system.
As a side comment, a former functionary of the Chavez era called Nervin Villalobos was Viceminister of Electrical Energy, and he is determined to be the biggest responsible in this crisis. If some of you still believe that we deserved this, perhaps this will change your mind. A thief is a thief, Democrat, Republican, or Communist.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
What to Eat When You’re Broke
What to Eat When You’re Broke
The lower your income is, the more difficult it is to be particular about what you feed your family.
This probably isn’t an earth-shattering revelation to anyone, but if you feel like experimenting, try to buy a week’s worth of healthy food for a family on a budget of, say, $50-75. Food manufacturers that target lower-income shoppers with more affordable products tend to include more GMOs and toxic ingredients in their offerings.
Sometimes, it just isn’t possible to stick to my usual food restrictions. Generally speaking, I avoid:
- Non-organic dairy because of the hormones and antibiotics as well as the GMO feed given to the animals
- Non-organic meat because of the hormones and antibiotics as well as the GMO feed given to the animals
- Anything containing corn, soy, or canola in any form because it is almost certain to be GMO
- Anything with chemical additives like artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives
- Anything that is likely to have been doused in pesticides
- Anything containing neurotoxins like MSG, fluoride, or aspartame (along with other artificial sweeteners)
It is a matter, then, of weighing the pros and cons, and figuring out what things, for you, are the most important, while also deciding which standards can be sacrificed. These decisions will be different for everyone, based on their personal health concerns, their genetic propensity for certain diseases, and the members of the family for whom they are buying the food.
Sometimes, when you’re looking at someone else’s situation while you are comfortably backed by a loaded pantry, it’s easy to be judgemental and tell them what they “should” do. The thing that we must all remember is that when times are tough, a person may be down to these two options with a two-week grocery budget:
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
