Author of The Ultimate Survival Gear Handbook
The developed world, accustomed to safety, convenience, and comfort, is facing a slow-burning SHTF called Thirdworldization by some. Each time humankind faces some tribulation like the one we’re currently going through, it feels like the world is coming to an end. In many senses, the threat is present: a pandemic is a serious SHTF. It IS the end for many.
But the real SHTF isn’t just the pandemic – it’s the effects on the system that Selco warned us about from the very beginning.
The ramifications of such events as Covid-19 and government responses are real and long-lasting. Despite theories surrounding COVID-19 (conspiratorial or not), the fact is real damage has happened to the economy and our lifestyle. To those who say we’ve been through a lot since March 2020, I’d argue we haven’t yet seen the full range of consequences. Objectively, we’re not even out of the pandemic.
The question remains: how and when will this Thirdworldization play out?
I concede this doom-and-gloom talk is growing old and burning out even among preppers. But we’re not talking probabilities: it’s already happening.
We must face reality and accept things are not going back to normal any time soon (if ever). It may indeed get worse before it starts getting better again. It’s past time to stop waiting for Black Swans and pay attention to subtle changes already underway.
It’s been a different SHTF for each country, each business, each family, and each person. On a more broad scale, there’s no way to tell for sure whether it will be a storm, “the” perfect storm,” or something in between. These things unfold slowly – the proverbial frog in the pot (until they catch up). As always, multiple interests and powerful forces are acting simultaneously in different directions, which means lots of possible ramifications.
Global crises affect countries in different intensities and manners
Global-scale SHTF hit some places faster and worse than others. Good and bad are never evenly distributed. The capacity of a nation and its population to withstand and overcome disaster depend on many factors. These include the size, strength, and resiliency of the economy. Also, how solid, functional, and credible the institutions are, the social fabric’s stability, etc.
Those and others dictate whether a country will suffer more or less the effects of a global economic setback. But as it’s happening with the pandemic, no one will come out unscathed: some will feel the impact of migration, others (eventually) by war. At the same time, some will see internal conflicts, currency devaluation, martial law, coups, political instability, social eruptions, and more. Much of that is already taking place in various places around the globe.
It’s impossible to get the timing right or know what will happen, but trends can be forecast
These and other events are hitting differently even inside the same country: some regions are “normal,” while others suffer badly. That’s one of the factors driving the migrational movements within the U.S. Many people are moving to different states. People go wherever they receive better treatment.
You should already have a grip on your local zeitgeist. If you don’t, maybe it’s a good idea to start paying attention to the social, political, economic, and institutional moods in your piece of land. That will help tell which way things go when SHTF. You don’t want to get caught on the wrong side of the fence if it happens.
And that’s how we get to Thirdworldization
Thirdworldization is a slow-burning SHTF for those living in developed countries, used to comfort, convenience, and security.
Thirdworldization is the gradual and inevitable impoverishment of a rich country. It is the visible effect of major crises hitting square on the population, institutions, corporations, and even the government. It spreads insidiously in every aspect of daily life and our small circles.
Less growth means less wealth, less money circulating for everyone to take care of necessities and obligations. This shrinking economy brings all sorts of declines that affect services, infrastructure, the supply chain, institutions, and changing the population’s lives and routines.
The economy has a direct impact on the structure and foundation of social order. As an engineer, I tend to analyze structures and foundations by force of my work before assessing other factors. If those are in bad shape, the rest can’t be good. That holds true for a family, a company, a city, or a country.
The standard of living is dropping significantly everywhere
Even though the rich are getting richer, they will be affected by the destruction of the middle class and the poor becoming miserable. The wealthy don’t build their own houses, grow their own food, nor collect their own trash. But like rich countries and corporations, they’re much less affected because wealth can soften the blow and pay for a lot during hard times – or should I say, especially during hard times.
For the rest (the great majority of society), there’s SHTF as the unfolding of the economic decline is reflected in various aspects as described below.
Criminality
Crime on the rise is shocking America. Many factors contribute to that: joblessness, homelessness, financial struggle, disillusionment, and anger. Dwindling resources mean a reduction in the capacity of governments and authorities to keep society safe. There’s an overall defunding of not only the police but the entire crime-fighting apparatus: ostensive, preventative, and investigative work, departments of justice, social support, prisons and corrections, everything.
How it plays out: All kinds of crimes jump and tend to become more violent, too. Expect (and prepare for) rises in everything from minor scams to drug traffic (and consumption), bank robberies, kidnappings, arson, home invasions, homicides. Honest citizens may not engage in violent actions, but bribing, corruption, extortions, black market, misappropriations, tax evasion, and others become widespread. Sociopaths and psychopaths feel more emboldened: rapes, killings, vengeance acts, gang wars, fights, and similar also tend to increase.
Homelessness
Homelessness exploded in the U.S. and other western countries in 2020. It’s still on the rise with no signs of getting better anytime soon. Some argue it’s not as bad as it would have been (and can become) without the aggressive forbearance and moratorium programs implemented by governments. But this has side effects. What will happen when these suspensions end? And if they extend, what will be the unintended consequences? It is hard to predict, but eviction waves could throw millions into the streets in months and years ahead if the crisis worsens. Homelessness can also get boosted by mass migration, as we’ll see below.
How it plays out: During the 1930’s Great Depression, cities everywhere saw the growth of squatter areas and shantytowns. New York’s Central Park became Hooverville, a giant slum right in the middle of America’s biggest and wealthiest city at the time. Whole areas in L.A., San Francisco, and many other towns across the U.S. have already become tent cities. These are ripe for crime, exploitation, drug trafficking, violence, disease, and political manipulation.
Immigration
Immigration is serious and can turn into major geopolitical issues in some regions. Migration waves can be impossible to contain, as people desperately try to flee conflicted countries searching for better conditions elsewhere, even at great risks. Sudden, large internal movements can create imbalances internally and bring unforeseen consequences. People leave cities for the country or move to other states to avoid the rising taxes and crime, loss of freedom, or other threats.
How it plays out: Countries in better shape could face massive migration waves. The entire network of support put in place to control, minimize impacts, and give immigrants support can weaken. Significant or sudden movements may overwhelm border control. Immigrants in large numbers can cripple social support systems. That makes things harder for the population, sparking crime and violent actions from both sides.
Private Services and Products
Manufacturers and companies across the board are required to cut costs everywhere to stay afloat or keep profits. It reflects directly on the quality and variety of products and services provided to the population.
How it plays out: There will be an overall drop in quality and more inferior ingredients used to manufacture items and produce food. We will experience crowded, inefficient, slow customer support by poorly trained and low-paid workers. Strikes may cause disruptions and delays.
Check out our QuickStart Guide to Building a 3-Layer Food Storage Plan to get some ideas on putting together the supplies you need before it’s too late.
Public Services
I have friends living in wealthy, developed countries. They complain a lot about the quality of public services, the bureaucracy, the inefficiency. Sure enough, it’s (almost always) subpar when compared to private counterparts. But they have no idea how good they have it compared to underdeveloped or even developing places. They don’t know how bad this can get. Is USPS’s announcement that First Class mail will have longer delivery times and will cost more a glimpse of things to come?
How it plays out: Overwhelmed systems, (even more) disincentivized agents. Longer lines, longer waiting, slow or no response, more bureaucracy, squandering, etc. Many welfare programs will go extinct. There will be lower-quality education, transportation, childcare, healthcare, etc. Strikes and corruption are other effects of the Thirdworldization of public services
Infrastructure
Without constant investment in maintenance, expansion, and rebuilding, the entire infrastructure becomes derelict. More than 50 bridges have collapsed worldwide since 2015. Roads will be in dire need of maintenance. Billions of gallons of treated water get lost daily in leakages (estimates talk about one water main break every two minutes in the U.S.). There may be issues in the energy sector. Airports and ports will postpone expansions and modernizations, and so on.
How it plays out: Despite talks of megalomaniac infrastructure programs everywhere to “save the economy and promote growth” (governments love doing this when crises erupt), disruptions, rationing, supply rotations, closings, and more are much more frequent during prolonged recessions.
Sanitation
Trash removal and disposal drains a large portion of city and state budgets. As it happens to other public services, once tax revenue drops, these impacts and effects can drag on for years. Sewage and water treatment systems cease expansion and quality and safety drops. Does anyone remember the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, just five years ago?
“Nearly half a decade has passed since the water crisis in Flint captured the attention of America, during which toxic water was delivered to a city of nearly 100,000 people for 18 months before the state acknowledged the problem.”
How it plays out: Those who watched the movie Joker may remember the streets full of trash, rats, and graffiti. Many 80’s movies have that decadent “look and feel.” Dim cities, with boarded-up storefronts and “for rent” or “sale” signs everywhere. That’s the portrait of slow-burning SHTF. What’s missing in films is the smell, the diseases, the flies, rats, and insects present in real life.
Inflation, Deflation, Taxation, and Confiscations
The inflation vs. deflation debate is raging among the macroeconomic experts right now. It’s a hard bet as there are pressures for both to turn out. And indeed, both could take place at the same time (in different areas). It’s that crazy. Prices are already all over the place, with inflation running hot in some items/sectors and deflation in others. Whatever happens, rest assured the “non-essentials” (that’s you, me, and the 99%) will be called to foot the bill, so get prepared for that.
How it plays out: Price fluctuations, insecurity, bank runs. Rises in fuel affect prices of everything else. Inflation can show in perversely subtle ways: dilutions and reductions in quantity/portions effectively raise products’ price. Shortages and a drastic reduction in product variety are other common effects of highly dysfunctional economies. Taxation will explode – this is already being talk-tested everywhere.
Confiscations can happen, too. One day after taking office in 1990, the newly elected government in Brazil seized money from bank accounts “on grounds to reduce liquidity and fight rampant inflation.” The seizure left citizens without their savings and only 50k in currency. It was a stupid plan that didn’t work (it should’ve caused a revolution, but I digress). Such insanities have happened in other places in recent times. They could happen again because governments can become dictatorial and change laws and rules or do anything if conditions are in place (desperate times).
Some other third-world things that first-world people might not know about (yet)
Just like countries are affected differently, so do the various layers of society. High levels of inequality exacerbate some bizarre distortions people living in rich and developed countries might have only seen in dystopian movies. But the things listed below exist and could become a reality if things keep going south.
Social contract
Large social inequalities are incredibly poisonous: they destroy the social fabric faster than you can say “who messed with my stimulus check?”.
Two very adverse effects are radical divisiveness and a rise in crime and violence. It affects everybody, from top to bottom: trust in other people, institutions, and even in the collective disappears. It becomes impossible to lower the guard, and that is stressful. And even for those fortunate enough to get by okay, it sucks to live in a society where most of the population is struggling so hard (and failing) to live with a minimum of decency. How can someone be genuinely happy surrounded by misery? The answer is, no one can.
High Walls
In unsafe societies, every house and building has high (as in 10ft. tall or higher) protection walls, either masonry or steel bars, lockers, cameras, electrical fences, and barbed wire (concertina). For citizens accustomed to open front yards and unprotected houses, it looks like a bunch of high-security prisons (only it’s in reverse: the ones “locked” are the rich trying to stay safe from the violent mobs).
Slums
The “favelas” (slums) of Rio de Janeiro are worldwide famous, shown as “communities” where everyone is friendly and loves to dance to the samba. It is a vibrant and unique scene in some places, but the reality is that many are unsafe, unhealthy places where drug traffic and militia rule with iron hands. The government and public power have almost no presence and oversight: there’s little to no sanitation and safety, health, education, and other precarious services. If the standard of living drops for long enough, slums may become a lot more common in countries and places where they previously didn’t exist.
Private security
Off-duty cops do double-duty as security agents or consultants for companies, commerce, and individuals, either as private guards, security personnel, or security consultants. It’s not legalized but also not enforced, nonetheless a big thing, an organized multimillion-dollar business with huge companies competing with each other.
Armored vehicles
In 2014 Brazil already had the most extensive fleet of armored cars globally (not an enviable title). I’m not talking about expensive, luxury cars driven by (or for) the ultra-rich, high-profile personalities and figureheads: even the middle-class look for ballistic protection, especially for women and children. It’s a big industry here. Much bigger than in conflicted nations. Criminals are armed and violent, even against the police. When crime soars, the armoring industry booms.
Preparing for the possibility of Thirdworldization
There are no downsides to investing in awareness, creativity, mentality, and determination (and some preparations).
These are not predictions. Perhaps a chronicle of what happens in poorer countries and has happened before in rich ones during crises. We can already see some signs and even developments, and if you believe this kind of SHTF is somehow coming your way, you may want to prepare. Here are few tips that might help:
- Mental strength: accept reality and learn to deal with all sides’ psychological pressures, including ourselves. Even though, at times, it may seem like there’s no option. As Churchill once said, “If you’re going through hell, just keep going.” Everyone is in this together, and no one is special.
- One day and one problem at a time: It’s easier to deal with one issue, focus on what we can control, and live the present than it is to worry about the significant, long-term issues that are out of our control. We usually suffer more in imagination than in reality.
- Independence: Realistically, being independent and living off-grid is for a few. But everyone can benefit from growing more self-reliant wherever that is possible. Grow some food, learn new skills, recycle and reuse, invest in generating part of your power, build situational awareness, etc.
- Financially savvy: Seek economy and finance education as a way to mitigate or defend from inflation (or deflation), to invest and make money grow and last longer. Read about life in times of crises and inflation, like the ’70s and ’80s.
- Economically viable: Invest in alternative income sources. Today there are hundreds of ways to make money without even leaving home. Even a little can make a difference if the belts get tightened further.
- Help others: It will be hard for almost everyone but harder for some. If you are fortunate enough to be in a relatively good situation, look around and try to help others. It doesn’t have to be with money or goods: donate time, teach skills, even listening can bring support and relief. Helping others is a way to help ourselves, too.
Have you noticed a reduced standard of living in your area?
Have you seen a reduced standard of living in your area or a wider disparity between rich and poor? Are you noticing any of the Thirdworldization effects happening near you or are there some things you’ve seen on the news that surprised you when you realized they were happening here? Do you expect the decline to continue to worsen? Let’s discuss it in the comments.
About Fabian
Fabian Ommar is a 50-year-old middle-class worker living in São Paulo, Brazil. Far from being the super-tactical or highly trained military survivor type, he is the average joe who since his youth has been involved with self-reliance and outdoor activities and the practical side of balancing life between a big city and rural/wilderness settings. Since the 2008 world economic crisis, he has been training and helping others in his area to become better prepared for the “constant, slow-burning SHTF” of living in a 3rd world country.
Fabian’s ebook, Street Survivalism: A Practical Training Guide To Life In The City, is a practical training method for common city dwellers based on the lifestyle of the homeless (real-life survivors) to be more psychologically, mentally, and physically prepared to deal with the harsh reality of the streets during normal or difficult times.
You can follow Fabian on Instagram @stoicsurvivor
I live in small town Iowa, and I have only noticed an 80 cent per gallon rise in the cost of gasoline. Food prices have gone up minimally, and crime is also minimal. Churches are opened, and mask mandates have been lifted. Our hospital is not overwhelmed.
I love being called a hick!
they’ll have you in their crosshairs soon. use the time to get ready.
Who is “they?”
I live outside of a small town. Our gas has went up 60 cents but that made it $3.09! Our milk is over $4 for a gallon of whole milk. Our food prices are rising. It might not look like it if you aren’t looking. The hubs likes General Tsao’s and fried rice. It looked the same when he opened the container until he realized they put a nice layer of rice under the chicken. So less chicken but same price, same container. Tricksy. The quality is less in the produce section. We are fortunate to raise our own meat and eggs and I have 5 different gardens. It is a lot of work, 7 days a week. The real sticker shock lately is feed for the animals. Beef grower has went from $11/100lb to $15.50/100lb. in 2 months! Whole kernel corn is up $1.80 on 100lb. I buy 1,000 lbs of beef grower a month. We were used to paying around $150-160 a month for the entire feed bill. This month we paid $282.38 for the same feed we buy every month. What a difference a year made! So while I am paying more now, it will trickle down to the buyer soon.
Very important article-thanks Fabian.
As I see it, America is under a multi-pronged attack by forces within. The goal is to erase Western Civilization that we know, to replace it with a Marxist one. Unlike the Soviet Union of 1917, they are using Cultural Warfare instead of Class Warfare . When one of the Wokies, calls a person a Racist, it is code for ( Capitalist, Christian, Patriot, so on)
As this gets worse, Antifa/BLM will play the same role as Mao’s Red Guards did in the Chinese Cultural Revolution.
Thanks @Seminole Wind. This has happened before, and these are crazy times. I don’t know about Antifa and BLM, they’re sure looking at their turn but “regular-flavor” criminals are always waiting for disorder and division to take place so they can do their “business”, that much I can tell you.
Stay safe have a nice week too.
It seems to me that any Marxism or lefty-lingo is really just camouflage for the corporatist oligarchs. ‘Racist’ is code for anyone who is unwilling to cave to the global elite’s narrative or who is still willing to do any critical thinking rather than just accepting the received wisdom of the chosen ‘experts’.
This article by Glenn Greenwald is worth contemplating. Next time you’re looking for someone to blame you might notice who really benefits from the viciousness that ordinary people are spewing about anyone with different political views.
https://greenwald.substack.com/p/big-corporations-now-deploying-woke?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxOTAyNDM1NywicG9zdF9pZCI6MzUwOTkwNDgsIl8iOiJ3bHFXdyIsImlhdCI6MTYxODM3NjQ3NiwiZXhwIjoxNjE4MzgwMDc2LCJpc3MiOiJwdWItMTI4NjYyIiwic3ViIjoicG9zdC1yZWFjdGlvbiJ9.8KHZe8wIlr_dPBGPfLKg5C9QLtC99RRlb27PLSbjx6I
“The developed world, accustomed to safety, convenience, and comfort”
actually in communist-infiltrated countries one of the first drawdowns is in food production. there’s a reason every russian national in the soviet union had a backyard garden.
the whole United States Government is here charged w/ High Treason and Conspiracy
I am putting them under Citizens arrest under RICO anti-racketeering law
“I am putting them under Citizens arrest”
yer gonna need a really big badge.
As if you needed further proof just go visit Crapipornia, Commiefornia, Mexifornia, Chinafornia, Indiafornia with All of the Lovely Tent Cities, Droughts, Earthquakes, Forest Fires, Mud Slides, High Taxes, Kamikaze Drivers who Want to KILL YOU, Gangbangers, Hornywood, Pedowood, Jizneyland, San Franshitsco, Los Assholes, Sacashitmento, Cokeland. Once you’ve been there you will realize it is a Foreign Cuntry NOT an American State & Yes it Sucks Balls & Eats a Bag of Dicks! Smart people are Fleeing or have Fled the land of Nuts & Fruits. What bridge do you take in the Bay Area to get from Africa to Fairyland? The Oakland – San Francisco Bay Bridge. May it Burn in Hell!
I was born and raised in what I would refer to as a rural third world. The area is poor, dry, lacks basic support systems (the nearest police was 35 minutes away and the nearest hospital was over an hour drive). It was rural, isolated, no farming and just nothing much but desert. The thing is though, we had our own garden our own meat and plenty of skill to get things done. We didn’t rely on anyone really and even if we did I doubt there was anyone really to rely on. We lived outside a town of 175 people. Now I think it is even worse because the 175 folks or so are displaced meth heads or opiate addicts. I live there still and we are right in the middle of the good old USA. When I go to Denver, I am shocked by how much shit the suburbs and cities have. It’s nuts. I have a garden, some good weed (legal in my state) and a couple trusty rifles, shotgun and a couple pistols. That’s about it. The other difference between now and when I was growing up is the internet. I think it has improved my life but I think it has screwed up a lot of others. If we ever lose water, we’ll be fkd out here.
I believe that rather than making this country into a Third world one, it is about destroying the the world’s economy and civilization.
People talk about the “Great Reset” and building a ” New” ( and better) world, but those are like Unicorns and Fairies, they don’t exist and never will at least not in this present society.
The only way to bring about a “Green New Deal”, “Great Reset” or a real ” New World Order”, is you have to first, totally destroy the old one. Which is what George Soros , Antifa and others are proposing and working towards.
Otherwise people will cling to the old ways and resist the change. Making it impossible to implement.
What we are seeing is the methods that are being used to bring down the old system. Historical methods that have destroyed Civilized Societies in the Past.
So we don’t have to worry about becoming a ” third world” society, because if it happens, it won’t last long.
It will just be a bump in a downward cycle of events.
A cycle that will take us a lot further than most people believe possible. A pre industrial level of Society.
So forget about modern stuff and modern tech when prepping, because without that kind of society to support it, it will all become worthless junk.
History has a lot to teach us, the trouble is that almost nobody is listening and learning.
Once a society collapses, there is no coming back right away and never to the prominence it once had. All of that is gone. forever!
Rome,(Italy), England, Spain and many others were once great ” Super Powers” of their time, but where are they Today!
We are not to far from that Collapse. So beware.
“I believe that rather than making this country into a Third world one, it is about destroying the the world’s economy and civilization”
no, it’s about “the nation that will not serve you shall be destroyed”. the goal is that THEY own and personally control everything, and anything they don’t own and personally control is eliminated. “us. just us. only us.” it’s their religion.
-Mic,
Well said.
“Otherwise people will cling to the old ways and resist the change”
was reading that book “the mandibles” and half-way through it occurred to me that the family’s response to the growing disaster all around them was always to try and scavenge more effectively (eventually moving to robbery) rather than try actually to produce anything valuable to anyone or to themselves.
@Mic you bring some good points here Mic.
IMHO being a superpower is a burden. Of course it brings a lot of advantages and privileges, but also a heavy burden. Most western ex-superpowers (UK, Portugal, etc.) still enjoy a very high standard of living and a lot of power. Even URSS had a pretty calm and decent transition and as bad as things are over there, it’s bad everywhere and it’s still a powerful and influential country and should remain so. The same could happen to US.
What I mean is, the eventual collapse of US may have a short-term bad effect (and could present a lot of risks too). But it could be beneficial to US in the future, being able to focus on internal development and growth without having to manage all the crap going on around the world and all the threats too.
Maybe it’s just my opinion, maybe I’m an optimistic, either way it’s hard to see much in the future with all that’s going on. But I really can imagine a future for US going the same way as UK for instance and becoming prosperous without all the burden and responsibility and cost that comes with being a world superpower.
Now, having said that I can already hear some claiming this is BS and if this happens China, Iran and Russia will rise and dominate the world and spread communism and totalitarian and this and that. This could happen, but when I look closely I really don’t see it happening for a lot of reasons. Iran was the Persian empire they’ve been at this game forever and their influence is local. Sure they can cause a lot of trouble that could spread and all that, but who can really see Iran dominating the world?
Let’s just hope that the geopolitics game get more balanced after all this, either way it’s been a wild ride for the last 30 or 40 years… and one way or another chips will fall where they may.
china most certainly could, if the communist party ruling class families there cared to. and I’ve heard them say they won’t make the Zheng He mistake again.
Sorry folks but like many others in this country OP has failed to tell you the truth. They have revealed themselves as cowards and liars. Daisy and the group know exactly what is going on and they won’t tell you. Trump knows, Cruz knows, Jordon knows and Fox knows. if you want to know look up “The Truth Review:Agenda 21/2030 is the New World Order and you will know the truth.
Gary, I’ve tried really hard to be nice to you. I’ve discussed with you personally why there are things I’ve opted not to write about at this time. As it is my website and my business, I have the option of publishing whatever I choose. Your demands do not influence my editorial decisions.
I’ve allowed you to comment on whatever you want. Your insults are stepping over the line,. You’re not welcome to leave comments like this in the future and I’ll be placing you in the moderation cue. If you’re civil, your comment will be posted. If you insult me, my writers, or other readers, it will not. The choice is yours whether or not your future posts show up.
Wishing you the very best.
-Gary,
Daisy has already posted about Agenda 21/2030 as far back as 2015.
You are behind the power curve.
1992 sustainable development RES/70/1Document United Nations General was created ,,agenda 2030 activated 2015 ,, agenda 21 activated jan 1st 2020 ..1975 population and industry is the targeted goal ,
Today’s PreppersDailyNews.com carries a reprint of an extremely significant Charles Hugh Smith article about whether the US is undergoing some version of the “cultural revolution” that the decentralized and unorganized Chinese used to defend against Mao’s tyranny:
https://charleshughsmith.blogspot.com/2021/04/is-cultural-revolution-brewing-in.html
The Biden regime has opened the southern border for countless Covid-19 UNTESTED invaders, and states like NY are offering them money that they won’t even make available to needy veterans.
The Biden regime has designated a disgusting OBungle retread to run the ATF to destroy as much of the Second Amendment as possible … while SCOTUS has just declared that charging license fees for gun ownership is unconstitutional.
The leftist leaning states are hanging on to the destructive tyranny of lockdowns while the conservative states are bailing out. Florida has just declared they want no part of vaccine passports.
The federal reserve just a few days ago poured enormous amounts of digitally counterfeited money into the system. It takes a little time for that to ripple out through an economy and push prices to stratospheric levels. In the meantime, TPTB get first crack at such funny money (with stolen purchasing power) and that theft of the population’s purchasing power can scarf up billions worth of assets in the process. [It’s called the Cantillon effect, which you’ll never see discussed in any government “public” school history or economics textbook.] Such counterfeiting [today fraudulently labeled “stimulus spending”] would have once triggered the death penalty per the 1792 Coinage Act — which was easily within the living memory of survivors of that hard winter at Valley Forge when Americans nearly starved because the continental money has been printed nearly to oblivion, and farmers with wagons of produce drove on past Valley Forge to sell their foods to the British who had stronger money.
The globalists are pushing for an utter monopoly on digital money (to destroy cash and create a cashless economy … with an absolute monopoly on global counterfeiting and control over everyone’s lives). The electronics engineer who for Bill Gates developed the micro-ship technology to accompany vaccine jabs was horrified when he learned how it could be used like the digital equivalents of Nazi tattoos on the forearms of Jews to control your spending, saving, and taxation to oblivion.
The Scottish professor Alexander Tytler (who lived during our Revolutionary era) theorized that democracies generally averaged around 200 years before they eventually collapsed into tyranny. But that was written in his pre-electric pre-digital era. Today as recent events have proven, damage of many kinds can be created much faster whether from digital money counterfeiting, from bio-warfare and economy lockdowns, from near instant global news censorship, from shutdown of the just-in-time global supply network, etc.
So is Charles Hugh Smith correct in his assertion that a cultural revolution, however decentralized and unorganized, may already be underway in the US? He makes a strong argument.
–Lewis
“democracies generally averaged around 200 years before they eventually collapsed into tyranny”
it’s not the legitimate citizens that voted for and implemented what you see going on around you.
-Lewis,
Great observation about the Charles H. Smith article.
In that article, it seems to be by having no actual leadership or authority, those who would benefit from a decentralized Culture Revolution can claim innocence while the unwashed masses run amok.
He is the only one I know of that has suggested an alternative that does not involve use of arms to affect change. His idea is to decentralize and localize. Get as independent of the JIT/BAU system, the long logistical train, and downsize as possible.
” His idea is to decentralize and localize”
works great if you’re facing just an unorganized impersonal trend. doesn’t work at all against an organized and motivated tribal slaver cult that has co-opted all the previous power centers – you decentralizing suits them just fine, it leaves them free to bring decisive force against all the isolated outposts one by one at leisure.
I said decentralize and localize.
Meaning forming a local community with its own means of defense and not dependent at the state or federal level.
“forming a local community with its own means of defense”
village militia won’t cut it against a remote “serve us or die” polity utilizing the copious remains of a modern military and able to strike on their own time.
judges 18: “7 Then the five men departed and came to Laish and saw the people who were in it living in security, after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and secure; for there was no ruler humiliating them for anything in the land, and they were far from the Sidonians and had no dealings with anyone. 8 When they came back to their brothers at Zorah and Eshtaol, their brothers said to them, “What do you report?” 9 They said, “Arise, and let us go up against them; for we have seen the land, and behold, it is very good. And will you sit still? Do not delay to go, to enter, to possess the land. 10 When you enter, you will come to a secure people with a spacious land; for God has given it into your hand, a place where there is no lack of anything that is on the earth.” 11 Then from the family of the Danites, from Zorah and from Eshtaol, six hundred men armed with weapons of war set out … 27 Then they took what Micah had made and the priest who had belonged to him, and came to Laish, to a people quiet and secure, and struck them with the edge of the sword; and they burned the city with fire. 28 And there was no one to deliver them, because it was far from Sidon and they had no dealings with anyone, and it was in the valley which is near Beth-rehob. And they rebuilt the city and lived in it.”
Very introspective, Lewis. Nice comment.
It’s complex but nobody is doing anything about the lawlessness occurring from the top down. Carefully manipulated so as to prevent us from coalescing to fight this disease.
To those that don’t understand what I just said it can be put this way – you are being played! And played in the worst way.
It will ultimately mean losing everything including your life but they’ll surely make you miserable before you go.
Perhaps as the ultimate insult, they’ll be smiling when it happens.
“Carefully manipulated so as to prevent us from coalescing to fight this disease”
they have 3000 years of experience. “behold how great a ship is steered by so small a rudder.”
The so-called pandemic is a SCAMdemic. The risk has been exaggerated. The numbers have been cooked. Lies being propagated at all levels. Experimental emergency use authorization vaccines are being aggressively pushed to broad populations. Why? Look around your own life and trust your eyes and ears.
Unfortunately, what is happening is all part of the plan.
Call it the Great Reset, or whatever the title of the day is, it has been planned for a long time.
.
Is it too late to stop it? I don’t know.
“Is it too late to stop it?”
depends. how willing are you to disregard what they’ve propagandized you to think, and how much force are you willing to use?
and in any case it’s not at all too late to make ready for what comes next, and coming out the other side of this.
Gman, what have you done?
Other than read books that entertain your feverish dreams of becoming a tribal slaver cult, raiding the countryside raping and pillaging.
“your feverish dreams of becoming a tribal slaver cult, raiding the countryside raping and pillaging”
relax dude, you got this, if anything comes your way your village militia can handle it.
Great article
Well said Fabian,
Yes, the rich are not going to be unscathed by that which they foment. The alternative is frightening them to do the things they are doing now; in an attempt to forestall their demise.
People are not going to ‘un-learn’ or ‘un-see’ what we have (especially in the last 20 years) and therefore things are not going back to “normal”.
The quicker people become intellectually honest (brutally) the quicker we can ascend past this phase of low vibration totalitarianism.
The Universal Laws such as the Law Of Attraction (scientifically known as cause and effect) are immutable and will be the arbiters of our future.
Excellent article Fabian. As a follow up please could you go into more details on the uparmoring of vehicles aspects you’ve seen? Is this always done professionally, at a dealership? Or is there home made versions of vehicle modifications? If so, how’s it done and what are seen as the protection priorities?
Much obliged!
Toby
Hi Toby, thanks. This is great article inspiration – watch for it soon!
Take care and have a nice week!
The author of this article needs to read Prof. Stephanie Kelton’s bestseller, The Deficit Myth, which explains how the economy actually works, not the 40 years of neoliberal ideology that mismanaged it for the benefit of banks and corporations. All of this scaremongering could be easily avoided if everyone understood the truth.
Oh I know that it´s a great propaganda on MMT straight from one of Bernie Sander´favourite advisors Ms Defficit Owl herself. It does indeed explain in great detail how economy works and defficts don´t matter. Now that money printing has become the conventional wisdom I´m sure it will sell even more.
BTW since Sanders is now the dead of the U.S. senate Budget Committee (which coincidentaly Kelton served as chief economist before), we´re indeed about to see those wonderful theories working their magic in practice, eh? Free money out of thin air and taxation as policy for wealth distribution, things like that. Those had worked before too.
Either way, I´m not fearmongering. I´m an optmistic. I´m just telling how things are in reality when a country and its population become poorer. Just that. This is reality, not fiction or my analysis.
And if things are fine and the smart people are in control, there´s really no need to fear anything, right?
And if things are fine and the smart people are in control, there´s really no need to fear anything, right?”
the smart ones who are in control hate this country and are working against it.
“the smart ones who are in control hate this country and are working against it.”
I respectfuly disagree.
It seems that way and I totally get it. And their actions and policies look stupid and destructive, maybe even self-destructive, and reek of totalitarism and all that. They look incompetent to even understand the situation.
But IMHO it´s just a different view of how things shoud be run. The opposing sides always believe their opponents hate the country and are trying to destroy it or hand it out to the enemies in a platter, whether the bankers, the elites, the corporations, some foreign power, whatever.
But every government is like that, and that´s why I believe in freedom + small goverment kept in check by the people instead big government sticking the nose and hands in everything and trying to help everyone.
That said, I agree the left is perhaps more incompetent, tied to some old stupid ideals and ideas, and more attached to power and control than the right. And that´s bad.
“The opposing sides always believe their opponents hate the country”
sure, and this is part of the deception. by “country” the left doesn’t mean “the united states of america”, they mean their envisioned cattle ranch built on the ruins of the former united states that they hope to totally own and control. so yeah the left talks about the right “ruining our country!” and they’re absolutely totally completely correct and honest – except they’re deliberately misleading about what they mean. though lately they’re less misleading – when they say “western civilization is inherently racist!” this should tell you their motivation and goal and what their solution to it all will be.
dude. this is not two morally equal sides with merely differing views fighting over the same thing. this is a tribal slaver cult demanding total ownership and control of everything including the people on the other side, vs another side that thinks it’s a matter of give-and-take and compromise and accommodation and federalization and live-and-let-live between equals – but that other side is wrong.
As I said it’s my belief that both sides are equally misleading and incompetent, though I concede the left has no guardrails. Their principles and ideas have been tested and deemed ineffective when not outright destructive, yet they insist and yet people forget and come back saying “this time it’s different”.
It never is, but what’s to do? Sixteen years in office here and the left robbed the country empty and destroyed everything. They came after the moderates fixed the country and established the base for prosperity and advancement. Things were improving but people still wanted changed and voted for the left.
So yeah I know very well how bad they are. But that’s living in a democracy, and for 3 consecutive elections the population voted for them, until things crashed bad and they got impeached. But hey, people might vote again for the left in 2022, who knows. S*#t is crazy everywhere.
This shows to me the right isn’t exactly doing a great job either at work or advertising/selling. They’re not really convincing people, so there you have it. I think this should be considered and improved if we want the right to win hearts and minds with equal fervor.
Showing some unity and results would help, and if it doesn’t then if it takes a disaster caused by the left to wake people up, so be it. If still they don’t wake up, what’s to do?
As for this cult talk and this WOKE and virtue signaling and all this crap that’s going on, it is in my humble opinion much more a sign of the times, a sickness of current society, than a leftist agenda. It’ll have a cost but pass eventually.
It gets associated with the left because whatever, the leftists take whatever they can. This has always been their strategy. They “get it” and use this to co-opt the disenfranchised with this romantic and idealistic BS but every few decades people buy it.
Just to make things clear, I’m not the least bit aligned with leftist ideas in any shape or form. Not the least bit. I’m utterly anti-PC and WOKEism makes me sick. Just trying to see things without that bias.
What an excellent comprehensive and thought provoking article. We are truly in the midst of the rapid rollout of a deliberate masterplan, the end game being destruction to foment absolute power. The tragic genius of it is that with the multi-faceted approach it seems almost organic to those who don’t have the intuition, information or insight to understand.
As a result the destruction to every aspect of civilized life seems either accidental at the hands of an uncontrollable force (i.e Covid) or is cleverly engineered to make people literally sign their own death certificates willingly. Joe Biden’s lack of position or principle is deliberate too – a dictator with a plan is way too obvious even to the most compliant.
What I am personally noticing most being in a more urban environment is the anarchization that is the prelude and precipitator to third world-ization.
For those of you in the mid-west or south or small towns I can tell you that the North East is already starting to feel post apocalyptic. There are an unprecedented amount of people on the streets, almost all of them appear to be on fentanyl, meth and so on. A wave of this seemed to come from nowhere, though I am sure a mass surge of ultra strong synthetic versions of these drugs was orchestrated a while ago. Needles, trash, literally zombified people everywhere, tent cities, and people buying and selling drugs openly with no regard for any law enforcement.
Then the ultra liberal North East pro-crime, criminal-as-victim, defund the police narrative has had immediate repercussions. In places that were safe before, mixed and wealthy income urban environments have become dangerous in a matter of months – muggings, carjackings, shootings, just general aggression towards strangers on the street and police nowhere to be seen (not that I blame them) and a complete disdain and disregard if not outright attack mentality towards law enforcement. Here people make it blatantly clear they no longer believe they have to follow police directives and this is of course all sanctioned by the elected leaders.
Conversely what I am seeing is not so much poverty (people forced into homelessness by Covid) but rather a huge cash flow for drugs and other criminal activities. Nobody is working, nobody has any interest in working and seem to be doing just fine with government money pouring in (not speaking for everyone of course) – people seem to party every night and be spending like they just won the lottery. I am sure many of the people in the city environments I am referencing are some of the many not paying rent due to the moratoriums. Every business has a “hiring” sign and I have heard over and over that businesses are having trouble finding people who want to work. Again just observing but I have seen such a change just in the general work ethic, morality, interests and principles of the younger generation of all races – it’s pretty much hip-hop, drugs, getting money without working and that’s literally the culture. The whole entire New York City smells like weed as it can now be smoked openly. That is probably the least damaging thing but it still just contributes to an overall feeling of the breakdown of law.
I make this observation because I would argue that is also part of a deliberate and carefully crafted plan to facilitate self-destruction and negate any possible survival skills among this demographic.
I have gotten to the point that I look at every news story, and certain politicians and celebrities like they are part of a CIA psy-op.
There are some things happening that are so blatant yet invisible to most that people will one day look back just astounded at the blindness of the masses – an example of this would be the perfect storm of the “Covid Camp” bill that Gov. Cuomo just signed into law, literally launched in tandem with the $15,000 per person carrot for undocumented immigrants. Take a wild guess how many of the millions of the undocumented immigrants in the country, as well as the new arrivals will “suddenly” live in New York, especially given the apparently loose criteria (i.e. proving NY residency) that will be needed to apply for those checks. For the more skeptical amongst us, an ominous perfect storm.
Anyway, all of the doom and gloom aside, I just wanted to share what it feels like in that part of the nation, all too real. Again great article.
Thanks @Drakey, and thats for the view and update on the situation too.
These are crazy times, I for myself do´t think it´s the end of the world or anything but the near future will be difficult on a global scale for many reasons. I´m concerned with the practical effects of this on the population and our daily lives because I worry about other people and social order, and also that´s where we can act and make a difference, but that´s it. TThis is how things run during a crise like the one we´re living. These broad policies and politics are important only to keep us aware and ready, there´s a lot going on on many different fronts right now and this gives clues as to where things are going. Everything crawls until everything runs.
Take care and have a nice week.
Excellent article! “Have you noticed a reduced standard of living in your area?” No, I have not. Apartment and condo construction is going full bore. (Don’t know where all the new residents are coming from!) Lots of luxury vehicles being driven up and down the roads, including high-dollar pick-up trucks. The restaurants are full, as are the sports bars at night. Shops and retail stores are busy. Grocery stores still have ample inventory on the shelves and people are buying. But I live in one of those increasingly rare islands of sanity devoid of most of the risks and impoverishment many other areas are suffering from. I know its only a matter of time. We won’t escape whatever is in store for all of us. It may just be a matter of degrees. I don’t think many local people would believe it. They still think we will one day return to “normal”. *laugh*
I live on the East Coast of Florida in a moderate-sized city. I’m also the owner of a Mom & Pop Shop (20+ years). For us, currently business is pretty damn good. Why? Can’t really say. But I realize business can dry up in the blink of an eye. We survived the “Non-Essential Business Shutdown” BS by ignoring the shutdown and staying open. I figured if WalMart & Target are open why not my Mom & Pop Shop.
I’ve noticed food prices have gone up. Some prices have stayed the same but you get less (16oz is now 14oz.). My wife and I don’t buy much and keep to a lot of the basics (Rice, Beans, Flour, Butter, cheaper cuts of meat, etc). We don’t eat pre-packaged crap. I also have a garden and chickens.
Living in the Free-State of Florida, I don’t have to worry about worthless Mask Mandates, stupid Marxists or Lockdowns. My church is at 25% open but it’s been like that since last April. During this whole ScamDemic, I have NOT worn a mask. Don’t even own one. My business has been Mask Optional since the start of the ScamDemic.
My city elected a Republican for Mayor after 4 years of Democrat mismanagement (normally it’s GOP run). The County Management is Republican run. The County Sheriff is a nationwide known Super Conservative (search Wheel of Fugitive), so I really don’t worry about gun rights. Crime is shockingly low. I see mostly low-level stuff (car break-ins, home robberies, DUIs, small time drug dealing, etc.)
Now I understand this can all change. We have a Clueless Marxist as Commander-In-Thief (He’s not a President…..presidents get elected).
House prices have sky-rocketed because of people leaving Marxist run crapholes. I picture them as Locust…Liberal Locust. They’ve destroyed their City/State….time to move to another place and destroy it.
I’m thinking within 5 years it’s gonna be a really screwed up United States.
Excellent analysis. Outstanding suggestions. Thank you so much for putting it all so concisely yet thoroughly.
SHTF? Less like it hitting the rotating air-movement device with a big thud. It seems more like some gangs of hooligans came by and smeared that sh*t all over the window-screens and air-conditioning vents and then ran away laughing. Low level, unescapable stink that gets worse the hotter it gets.
We are under slow-motion, low-level (aka “sub-threshold” aka 4th-generation warfare) attacks from hostile forces without and from subversives within. It is death-by-a-thousand-insults. You know all the usual suspects.
It is very important to understand this is all planned, deliberate and orchestrated. It is not necessarily hierarchical or overt. It will not stop on its own, it will only accelerate whenever they find a weak-spot to exploit. So time to harden up in all aspects and expose as little as possible to enemy fire or observation. OPSEC, mobility, constant patrolling, scan 360, tactical deception are the order of the day and always, always be improving your defensive measures!
Well, with migration from third world countries this result was inevitable; on the bright side, nobody can call us racist and at least we don’t speak German.
In Europe is the same going on. That is mafia-practice. Paying more taxes every day. Enough is enough! Soon there will be a oxygen-tax. But, I refuse to pay any tax, anymore. That’s like a mafia-practice. I don’t care. F**k the system, be free or die…
Dutch ‘citizen’,
Thank you for adding you comment/observation.
I just wrote a comment about civil war in America.
However, looking at the larger, global picture as I have mentioned about food insecurity, civil unrest, it seems we maybe witnessing radical change on a global scale. Something that may occur thousands of miles away, may impact us at home. Or trigger a series of events that lead to socio-economic collapse.
Think of the Arab Spring and how that unfolded.
In the EU, as I am sure you can attest to, various pressures are affecting the every day, common citizen. At what point does the lid pop?