Remember Barack Obama? I’ll never forget him. He always thought more of himself that others did. But I digress.
I was just musing about a recent Politico story that carried the following headline: “Is Barack Obama Ready To Reassert Himself?” It was written by Jonathan Martin, Politico’s politics bureau chief and senior political columnist. (How is that title for overdoing the use of the root word “politics”?)
Imagine my fear and loathing about the aforementioned headline. As far as I am concerned, the best thing about America politics since Obama left the presidency is that … he left, and would not be returning. Now it appears he’s about to reassert himself. Should I be alarmed?
Let’s hear a little bit of what Martin wrote:
“As President Biden’s approval rating has languished this year, seemingly impervious to external events, a group of congressional Democrats have gotten a taste of the sort of younger, more charismatic presence some of them crave to lead their ticket next year. Albeit a grayer version.
“Former President Barack Obama has hosted a handful of informal, but lengthy private meetings with groups of next-generation House Democrats this spring, I’m told by multiple attendees. The initial session featured the chamber’s new trio of leaders, but he then held subsequent conversations with a range of lawmakers.”
Apparently, Obama is having some regrets. I’m not sure why. Does he regret selecting Joe Biden as his vice president? Does he regret the choice of supporting Hillary Clinton for president in 2016? Does he regret there was no other choice other than to test the rule that a former president cannot run for a third term?
Why couldn’t he? It’s just a rule – perhaps even a silly limit to the best kind of government. To clarify, it is a rule in the form of a constitutional amendment – but how many other amendments are violated in today’s governing culture?
When it comes to Obama’s old sidekick, 29 months into his illegitimate term in the White House, Biden has allowed approximately 5.5 million illegal aliens to enter our nation, a record, admitted without any oversight. It could be more. We just don’t know.
Is that an issue for Obama? No, it was planned all along. Does he regret anything Biden has done as president? Nope.
So what regrets does he have? Well, he regrets that Donald J. Trump might become president again – and nothing can stop him this time – no amount of cheating between now and the 2024 election, barring the unmentionable, Trump’s assassination, God forbid.
After all, that can become a dreaded reality, especially to those who have witnessed them. John Kennedy … Bobby Kennedy … Martin Luther King Jr. … Gerald Ford’s attempted assassination … Ronald Reagan’s attempted assassination – all took place in many of our lifetimes.
What’s to say it couldn’t happen again?
One side, the Democrats, all say Trump’s repeat as president is unthinkable, unimaginable, that he’s unsuitable, whereas, most Republicans can’t imagine not having a second term of Trump, that without it, America will basically not survive. That’s how divided we, as a nation, have become.
Think about it. In 2020, the Democrats cheated. Since then, they have indicted Trump twice. Before that they conspired to impeach him twice. They also attacked him mercilessly during his presidency. During the 2020 election, Democrats conspired to get Joe Biden over 81 million “votes” – by far more than anyone, including Obama, ever got. Other than that highly inflated tally of Biden’s, no president candidate ever achieved more than Trump’s 74 million.
Back to what Martin said or didn’t say.
“The sessions, which took place over cheese and crackers in Obama’s Washington office, are striking for a number of reasons. For starters, he rarely took much of an interest in counseling lawmakers when he was president.
“And while he reliably shows up on the stump each year for a number of Democrats, he’s hardly played the role of party power broker since leaving office. Podcasts, documentaries, his foundation and, yes, golf in Hawaii and on Martha’s Vineyard have taken precedence.
“Further, there’s the Obama-Biden relationship, which was never the bromance it was made out to be and was soured by Obama effectively tapping Hillary Clinton as his would-be successor. The times Obama has appeared with Biden since the former vice president became president have been marked by Obama overshadowing Biden.
“Surely recognizing this, Obama’s advisers took care to alert the Biden West Wing about the conversations, I’m told. A senior White House official corroborated as much, and said they received feedback from the conversations, but wouldn’t detail what they were told. An Obama adviser declined to offer a comment.”
No comment from Obama? It’s a story without a punchline, an ending.
We can’t even imagine how many Democrats expect an ending. We can’t even imagine what they have at stake. They’ve even accused Trump of formulating an “insurrection,” arresting some 2,000 of his supporters. Jan. 6 was nothing of the kind. Most see it as a “Fed-surrection” – among the dirtiest tricks ever done in the history of American politics.
We collectively shudder to see how this ends in 2024. God protect Donald J. Trump.
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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.
Coffee the Christian way: Promised Grounds
