REAL AMERICA

PREPAREDNESS: NOW MORE THAN EVER

Exclusive: Patrice Lewis notes, 'Trump is a smart businessman, but he can't fix stupid'

Since Trump’s election, it seems the economy has taken a 180-degree turn. The stock market is soaring, jobs are returning, Trump is actually keeping his promises, and everything appears rosy (unless you’re a snowflake, in which case everything is doom and gloom).

But as a prepper, let me give a strong warning: Don’t let your guard down.

First, let me reiterate what preparedness is: the stockpiling of essentials to better handle emergencies. I liken preparedness to a three-legged stool: supplies, knowledge/skills and community. Prepping does not insulate us from hard times, but will help cushion the blows of emergencies that are out of our control. I think of it as “physical insurance.”

A friend told me the preparedness industry is “down,” which means people are relaxing and assuming the dire possibilities promised under a progressive administration are no longer a threat. I believe these people are wrong.

Why? There are a number of reasons.

The economy

Whenever something seems too good to be true, it usually is. A soaring stock market is a beautiful thing to see, but we all know what followed the Roaring ’20s.

Even market watchers are cautious. Noting Dow futures have surged 20 percent since Trump was elected, these economists warn: “How does the future look when stock prices jump this fast? There’s good and bad news. The last time it happened, in January 1987, the Dow dropped 11 percent over the next year as the market endured one of its worst crashes.”

As of 5:30 p.m. Pacific on Thursday, Feb. 23, the national debt was about $19,978,393,000,000. That’s almost $20 trillion. I had to specify the date and time since, of course, the debt changes moment to moment.

Of that debt, almost half (half!) – about $9 trillion – was added during the last eight years of the Obama administration. Despite the fact that we now have a businessman (rather than a politician) at the helm of our nation, the indisputable fact is Trump inherited a serious mess. 

I believe The Donald’s financial acumen can steer America on a wiser financial course, but he’s dodging icebergs of massive proportions.

What kind of icebergs? This article points out 80 percent of federal government operation costs go to the “four horsemen” of the debt apocalypse: Health and Human Services, Social Security Administration, Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense. Attacking any of these areas is “political kryptonite.” Since tax receipts are not keeping up with spending, the debt will continue to grow.

“Trump is making a colossal error taking ownership of the bubble economy,” noted one person. “Now when the bubble pops, he’ll get the blame rather than the previous administration. Worse still, any free market reforms he attempts to make will also be blamed.”

Even devoted progressives – when they stop to face reality – admit we’re in serious economic trouble.

But it’s not just the national debt. On a personal level, Americans are holding more debt than ever before – mortgages, car loans, student loans, credit cards.

Of all the potential disasters likely to impact America, I consider the potential for an economic crash to be the highest possibility. Trump is a smart businessman, but he can’t fix stupid. The captain of the Titanic was a smart guy, too, but he went down with his ship.

Violence, terrorism

Internationally, we’re getting some serious saber-rattling from North Korea and Iran. Both these nations have hated us for generations. Both are run by madmen. Both potentially have their fingers on the buttons of some really nasty weapons. The more extreme scenarios include rogue EMP weapons or dirty bombs taking out critical infrastructure.

But we also have a bunch of domestic nut cases who seem intent on starting a civil war. Aside from the usual culprits of Mexican drug cartels and Islamic fanatics, we have Soros-funded snowflakes creating mayhem, violence, anarchy and destruction all over the place.

Do you foresee the left calming down? Do you foresee the progressives surrendering? No, of course not. They will continue to foment anarchy, to cause mayhem and crisis, in order to … um … usher in their vision of Utopia or something. (I don’t know if anyone’s quite clear what they actually want.) 

Orchestrated or not, it’s no accident the military is training for urban warfare.

Natural disasters

Skeptics who pooh-pooh preparedness can’t seem to wrap their minds around the idea that not every disaster is a zombie apocalypse or an end-of-the-world scenario. Not everything causing chaos comes on a national scale. Sometimes it’s “just” a natural disaster that makes being prepared a very wise endeavor.

In November 2015, a massive windstorm slammed our region, causing tremendous damage. Power was out for anywhere from days to weeks, during which temperatures dipped to the low teens. All modern communication ceased (mail, Internet, cell phones, landlines). Most travel ceased (no gasoline could be pumped). Most grocery stores closed (no lights or refrigeration). This was not a zombie apocalypse, but let me tell you, we were very happy to have the ability to take care of ourselves during this temporary grid-down situation. Those who hadn’t prepared had to stay with prepared friends, or make their way to a shelter.

Many skeptics think prepping is an all-or-nothing endeavor. Either you prepare for zombie apocalypse and TEOTWAWKI (“the end of the world as we know it”), or you consign your soul to God and do nothing. But a bad storm or a job loss is not a zombie apocalypse. People won’t be killing each other over the last loaf of bread (though there may be fistfights in the bakery aisle) when a blizzard rolls through. But wouldn’t it be nice to know you can be comfortable and unstressed during a two-week power outage in the middle of winter?

Everyone faces personal disasters at one time or another, whether it’s a storm or a job loss or an illness. Having the ability to fall back on that three-legged stool (supplies, skills/knowledge, community) is essential.

This is why I urge people to educate themselves on the benefits of preparedness. It used to be a way of life; now it’s considered weird or oddball. Go figure.

If you aren’t already a prepper, I strongly urge you to become one. America is still threading its way through icebergs, just waiting for something to slam into us and sink the ship. Trump’s election has done nothing but purchased us a bit more time.

Use it wisely.

Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2017/02/preparedness-now-more-than-ever/#fELgLSOiWHZrRsOc.99