Back in March, people shopping at Target began noticing a new line of clothing on full display on mannequins at the front of the store—LGBT clothes, clothes from a Satanic brand, and merchandise with Satanic messaging. These included clothes for small children and onesies for babies. Also included were “tuck-friendly” clothing for males who identify as females and want to have women’s swimsuits that will hide their private parts.
As more and more Americans found out about this merchandise, a boycott of Target began. Twitter joined the boycott and helped spread the message. It was also spread by rap singers Forgiato Blow and Jimmy Levy, whose song “Boycott Target” rose to the number-one spot in the iTunes hip hop chart. The opening line states: “Attention all shoppers, there’s a cleanup on every aisle. Target is targeting your kids.”
The boycott worked. Starting in March, the stock began plummeting. Target’s stock price hit its lowest level since the 2020 pandemic lockdowns. Shares hit a low of $133.42 on May 31 in early trading and dropped for eight consecutive sessions, its longest losing streak since November 2018, according to the New York Post. As of June 2, according to Newsmax, the stock showed a $12.7 billion loss.
Then there’s Bud Light. Anheuser-Busch chose to go woke last March for the NCAA March Madness tournament, using a picture of transgender Dylan Mulvaney, an actress and pro-Biden social media influencer, to help sell its fourth big-selling beer, Bud Light. They chose Mr. Mulvaney, who identifies as female, to celebrate that he had just passed a year, a personal milestone, in his transition to becoming a female; a transition that he had shared almost every day on social media.
However, this woke decision led to an amazing backlash and boycott against the brewer, which it appears they will not be able to overcome. Anheuser-Busch’s share price fell $13.63 from when the market closed at $66.57 on March 31, just a day before Mulvaney appeared on Twitter to brag about the personalized Bud Light cans and partnership.
The New York Post reported on May 13 that Bud Light sales had fallen for the sixth consecutive week and retailers had slashed prices. One store charged $3.49 for a 24-pack, it reported.
By June 2, Anheuser-Busch had lost a whopping $27 billion in market value in the wake of its partnership with Mr. Mulvaney.
Here are some of the statements sent out on Twitter about the boycott—of not just Bud Light, but all of Anheuser-Busch’s beers, including Budweiser:
- “Maybe Anheuser-Busch will get the picture…. that some people are not on board with their decisions! Why can’t beer makers…JUST MAKE BEER!”
- “I want to know how stupid you have to be to not realize who your customers are. Trying to appease maybe 1% of the populace they gave the middle finger to everyone else.”
- “As we have seen with each and every company/industry that panders to the woke brigade. The woke mob does not support or buy the products that you promote to them. All you are doing is turning away your existing supporters. Movies, music, comics, sports, food, drinks, clothing…”
According to Investor Business Daily, by May 23, the boycott had boosted the sales of the other major publicly traded global beer brands, which added $3.2 billion in market value during the same time. The biggest winner from the Bud Light situation is Molson Coors Beverage (TAP). Shares are up more than 20 percent from April 1. That’s added more than $2.2 billion in market value to the stock.
By mid-July, Costco gave Bud Light the death star. According to the Washington Examiner, Costco, the third largest wholesale retail warehouse store in the world, announced on July 13 that it will no longer be carrying Bud Light. Once all the beer is sold, it will no longer restock its shelves with the brand.
On Newsmax on May 29, stockbroker Thomas Philipson, referring to the big loss in stocks of both Target and Anheuser-Busch, stated: “This is a good lesson that companies should focus on their profits, not on politics. Whether those politics are conservative or liberal, they should stay away from them.”
ESG May Be Behind Companies’ Wokeness
In case the reader is not familiar with “Environmental, Social, and Governance” (ESG), it has become much more influential over the past few years, exercising more control over businesses and even banks—coercing them to go along with the progressive woke agenda to be able to stay in business.
ESG means that a company or business or even a bank will be judged according to how well it is adhering to woke standards of environmental guidelines concerning climate change, energy use, and other “sustainable” policies; how well the business goes along with “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” (DEI) and whether their employees meet certain quotas for race, gender, ethnic backgrounds, disabilities, etc. (that’s the “social” part); and how politically involved it is in supporting the right kind of politics—progressive and liberal, of course (that’s the “governance” part).
In March 2021, Justin Haskins, editor-in-chief of the Heartland Institute, said on the Glenn Beck show that ESG has a metrics system, a numerical score, for evaluating a company based on how “green” and “socially just” it is.
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There is a large amount of money—trillions of dollars—set aside to use to reward the “woke” high-ESG-scoring companies. Thus, companies that don’t make a lot of money selling their products (because they may have been boycotted by their upset customers like Target and Anheuser-Busch) but are very woke with a high ESG score, can still stay in business due to the awards coming to them.
Those awarding the money also state that they will only invest in certain types of businesses. So if you want that money, you must jump through the political correctness hoops to get it.
Glenn Beck asked who makes the judgment calls. Mr. Haskins told him it is the World Economic Forum (WEF) International Business Council, led by the CEO of Bank of America, Brian Monihan. They created a report in September 2020 with an elaborate ESG system that they think all the major companies in the world should adopt.
The list includes things such as percentage of employees by gender as well as how many ethnic groups are included. For example, if you don’t have the right ratio of Asians to Hispanics, you get a lower score. It also helps to have a certain percentage of employees who belong to a labor union.
Mr. Haskins gave the example of Coke: It actually lists its ESG score in its annual report. It has an ESG auditor who gives it its ratings.
ESG was started by the United Nations in 2006 when the U.N. was promoting its Agenda 21 Sustainable Development Goals, now called Agenda 2030. Those U.N. schemers were saying, how can we get businesses to go along with our agenda when we can’t get government to impose it?
Their agenda is really a communist one of total control of every aspect of our lives—“how man interacts with the environment.” They wanted to somehow get that idea into the bloodstream of the corporate universe. The way they figured out how to do that was to get investors, central banks, the IMF, the WEF, and the U.N. behind this and say, we will only support you if you agree to adopt and live by these ESG standards. If you do, then we will take care of you and make sure the money keeps flowing in your direction.
They have been building this whole ESG infrastructure for almost 15 years. No one really noticed it or knew what was happening until now. All of the major corporations that we can think of already have this system in place.
They also call it “Stakeholder Capitalism.” Glenn Beck gave examples of how it is affecting our private lives: GoFundMe yanked a fundraiser that parents were holding against critical race theory, and Home Depot cosponsored a website citing the Southern Poverty Law Center and the 1619 Project. So Home Depot is helping to fund what Beck calls the “poison” coming from the distorted American history of the 1619 Project.
Beck stated: “The insidious part of ESG is that it doesn’t just affect the company. It affects everyone in the chain of that company. So every company that drives a truck for that company, who makes a widget for that company, etc., will be adopting the EU’s ESG policy.”
And every company in the chain of command has to have a good ESG “social credit” score, just like in communist China, or they could be blacklisted and not be allowed to be part of the supply chain.
Banks and PayPal are included in the supply chain. According to the website esgagainstus.com, banks and PayPal are already using ESG to punish conservatives, as shown in the following six examples:
- The largest U.S. bank cut ties to a conservative group, canceling a Donald Trump Jr. event.
- In 2019, JP Morgan Chase closed bank accounts associated with several political activists and commentators.
- Wells Fargo suspiciously closed a bank account belonging to Lauren Witske, a 2020 Republican candidate for the Delaware Senate.
- Citibank and other large banks rolled out restrictions for gun manufacturers and retailers.
- PayPal admitted to closing accounts flagged by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
- Tina Descovich, cofounder of the conservative group Moms for Liberty, said her organization and some members have had accounts frozen by PayPal in Florida.
Europe is adopting ESG standards and making them mandatory. Even the potato farmer who supplies potatoes to McDonalds for French fries has to go along with ESG. They are already adopting it throughout the EU and adopting it through the entire chain of command, including the banks.
What Can We Do?
Glenn Beck suggests that we get our state legislators to write bills against ESG in our own local states. He was instrumental in getting one passed in Utah. Five other states have passed similar laws: Kentucky, West Virginia, Arkansas, Montana, and Florida.
According to the Daily Signal, for the year 2023, there are 12 other states that have similar bills going through their state legislators. Beck believes we need to return the power to the hands of the people. He suggests bills with the following provisions:
- No state contracts awarded to businesses for ESG
- Prohibit state pension funds being used under ESG
- Pass a fair access to financial services act that gives protection for you—the individual
- Local banks will be required to tell you about your ESG score when you are applying for a loan (right now they don’t have to tell you anything)
Beck tells us to do our part to try to turn the tide against ESG in our own states. Remember, for many companies, “going woke means going broke” and “ESG means you are no longer free!”
Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Article cross-posted from our premium news partners at The Epoch Times.
Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.
