The rich get richer and the poor get stuffed – that’s all you need to know. After all, we are only ‘pieces on a cheeseboard’ (however the second mouse does get the cheese); the truth emerges
ELECTRICITY USE UPDATE: Reconciliation of my Q4 electricity bill: Budget standard £1095; Actual £850. The reduction was for combined heating, of £300 due to a mild autumn.
FUN NEWS TIDBITS: Does anyone else see the irony? Britain can’t even get a pathetic little rocket into low orbit without the American exclamation: ‘anomaly’, aka ‘failure’ in English. The only thing that worked was the trusty Boeing 747 which has been operational for 50 years. It is symptomatic of the festering heap that is 21st century Britain. God help us if we are ever attacked as this revealing 1980’s satire depicts:
AND if you watched the video, you will note that Britain’s conventional forces are minimal, and this news report offers typical government huff & puff: “Discussions have been taking place “for a few weeks” about delivering a number of the British Army’s Challenger 2 main battle tanks to the Ukrainian armed forces, a Western source with knowledge of the conversations said.” What a joke – Britain has only 227 of these things anyway!
According to Google the British Army hasn’t bought significant numbers of heavy armoured vehicles in a generation! Financial issues and neglect at the political level are just two reasons because NHS and welfare use up most of the money HMG doesn’t have.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: Are you intimidated by this absurd ‘cancel culture’? The failure of our timid institutions and captured corporations to debunk this attack on the timeless, decent and moral attitudes embedded in our culture is palpable. But why is this so? Surely any rational adult can see the damage being wrought upon society in general, and children especially, by this crazed ‘Wokery’, the toxic progeny of former PC diktat.
A vocal minority of perverted and sick individuals, many imported from failing Democrat states of the putrid American zeitgeist, number such a tiny minority in Britain as to not even be worth considering. And yet our Civil Service, government and commercial institutions in general are not only condoning this corrosive culture but are even promoting it.
A massive pushback is arising from the great majority of good, upstanding Brits taking their cue from Prof. David Starkey who asks in this 11 minute video, “Do I look like a victim of cancel culture?”
BREAKING NEWS: Here it comes – the first rumblings – we’ve been here before as Boomers will remember. However 2023 is going to be a new experience for Millennials and Gen Z who have bought high and likely will need to sell low. Last time we saw negative equity devastate the housing market, and a repeat is likely, even though interest rates are historically low. The rate of increase last year has created a worse situation than 2008/9 as buyers disappear this year.
Throughout the Covid-19 scamdemic, the housing market remained “surprisingly strong”, said The Guardian, “despite the worsening cost of living crisis”. The government also introduced a temporary stamp duty “holiday” in July 2020 – a typical ‘kick-the-can-down-the-road’ political answer to most problems; now the piper has to be paid.
Nationwide’s chief economist, Robert Gardner, said the “outlook is extremely uncertain” for the property market, and it will be determined by “how the broader economy performs”. Well, we can guess how this will turn out. It’s time to batten the hatches, reef the main’sil, tuck her in, and prepare to weather the coming storm which Sunak says will be the greatest in living memory, but I’ve heard this all my life – “plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose “
THE AMERICAN CENTURY has ended – in 2022 it became clear that the ‘end of history’ as we have known it has arrived. The relatively stable western ‘rules-based order’ established in 1989 when the USSR collapsed has come to a screeching halt. The world has now resumed its usual course of global upheaval, the struggle for survival, fierce competition, and rivalry.
Erosion of faith in the omnipotence of the hegemon & friends was reinforced by its appalling chaos in the Afghan retreat which became the laughing stock of the world. The message was received loud and clear by Eurasia, notably China and Russia, who have now found their golden moment.
In Russia, this emerged with NATO’s eastward expansion into the post-Soviet space and in China with Trump’s crass attack upon them with trade and sanctions. Here’s an example of unintended consequences on the global chessboard where, according to some ‘leaders’, it appears humans are merely inanimate pieces in the game moving to a checkmate finale.
During 2023 we could witness the collapse of the established world order, which followed WW2 with America being the only man standing, and has resulted in large-scale geopolitical conflicts between the failing Collective West and rising Eurasia. It remains to be seen if the next cycle will increase the risk of an open military clash and escalation into nuclear conflict. Hold on to your hats – I believe this year will be pivotal. My colleagues at The Burning Platform explain: https://www.theburningplatform.com/2023/01/06/is-the-new-world-order-on-the-precipice/
UKRAINE 2023: PEACE or WAR? After 11 months of appalling losses and extreme suffering on both sides, we begin our journey into the unknown. The writing is on the wall for 2023 to be a pivotal year in both geopolitical and global economic critical outcomes. The primary unknown is: “will we make it to December 31 2023 alive?” Judging by the words of the Russian leadership at their Military Briefing in December 2022 they are certainly prepared for war. The Saker has an excellent strategic analysis (lightly edited extracts):
“This war is NOT about Ukraine (or Poland or the three Baltic statelets). At its absolute minimum this is a war about the future of Europe. Fundamentally it is a war about the complete reorganization of our planet’s American-centric international order. I would even argue that the outcome of this war will have a bigger impact than either WWI or WWII. The Russians clearly understand this and so do the NeoCons, even if they don’t speak about it.
The current situation is much more dangerous than even the Cuban missile crisis or the stand-off in Berlin. At least then both sides openly admitted that the situation was really dangerous. This time around, however, the ruling elites of the Collective West are using their formidable PsyOp/propaganda to conceal the true scope of what is really going on.
If every citizen of the US (and EU) understood that there is a nuclear and conventional cross-hairs painted on his/her head things might be different. Alas, this is clearly not the case, hence the non-existent peace movement and the quasi -consensus about pouring tens of BILLIONS of dollars into the Ukrainian black hole.
Right now, the crazies are playing around with all sorts of silly ideas, including booting Russia off the UNSC (not gonna happen, since both Russia and China have veto power) or even creating a “peace conference” about the Ukraine without Russia’s participation (in a remake of the “friends of Syria” and “friends of Venezuela” thingy). Well, good luck with that! Apparently Guaido and Tikhanovskaia are not enough to discourage the NeoCons and they are now repeating the exact same nonsense with “Zelensky”.
So much will depend on whether Americans, especially those in power, are willing to die in solidarity with the “crazies in the basement” or not. Right now it sure looks like they are. Don’t count on the EU, they have long given up any agency; talking to them simply makes no sense.
Which might explain Medvedev’s recent words “Alas, there is nobody in the West we could deal with about anything for any reason (…) is the last warning to all nations: there can be no business with the Anglo-Saxon world because it is a thief, a swindler, a card-sharp that could do anything.”
Russia can do many things, but it cannot liberate the USA from the grip of the NeoCons. That is something which only Americans can do. And here we hit a vicious circle. The US political system is most unlikely to be effectively challenged from within, big money runs everything including the most advanced propaganda system in history (aka the “free media”). The population is kept uninformed and brainwashed.
A major defeat in a war against Russia would shake this system so hard that it would be impossible to conceal the magnitude of the disaster (think “Kabul on steroids”). And that is precisely why the NeoCons cannot allow that to happen because this defeat would trigger a domino effect which would quickly involve the truth about 9/11 and, after that, all the myths and lies the US society has been based on for decades (JFK anybody?).
There are, of course, plenty of Americans who fully understand that. But how many of them are in a real position of power to influence US decision-making and outcomes? The real question is whether there still are enough patriotic forces in the Pentagon, or the letter-soup agencies, to send the NeoCons back down into the basement they crawled out of after the 9/11 false flag or not? https://thesaker.is/the-most-important-question/
REGARDLESS of how the ‘New Multipolar World Order’ emerges, the Sino/Russian policy during this century is geared to Eurasia’s vision of a multipolar/polycentric world and it’s unstoppable. Energised by China’s gargantuan Belt & Road Initiative (BRI), the Big Four: Russian, China, India and Iran, are being joined by many countries from all continents in the Global South enclosed in huge and powerful Non-Western organisations like BRICS++ (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa etc), the SCO (Shanghai Co-operation Organisation) and the EEU (Eurasian Economic Union), to form a new G20 replacing the failed and corrupt American ‘full spectrum domination’ of the world.
Our new emergent world, which is inherently anti-centralist, will be reflected in ramifications everywhere. The old and failed centralisation model, which has always brought corruption in its wake, will gradually fade. There is a warning to all those tyrants and bullies who have promoted corrupt institutions everywhere by blatantly advertising their evil plans through organs like the WEF. We shall not die on our knees, but live on our feet. It is time to re-establish the sovereignty of both whole countries and individuals. https://www.unz.com/pescobar/why-bri-is-back-with-a-bang-in-2023/
INFLATION WATCH: The collective West is vulnerable to continuing inflation because the bulk of the required resources are held in Eurasia, aka ‘The Global South’, and they are not going to give them up as they have done in the past. From 1983-2020 the ‘Great Outsourcing’, global wage arbitration, and globalisation kept prices in check, especially energy.
Since then, assisted by the Covid scamdemic, de-globalisation has changed the macroeconomic paradigm and de-carbonisation is highly inflationary. There are neither sufficient natural resources nor the infrastructure to make de-carbonisation work, so abandoning ‘Net Zero’ is crucial to balance the global demand curve.
Trade wars increase prices and, contrary to Trump’s claim, trade wars are neither good nor easy to win, it is often lose-lose for the actors. Disrupted supply chains are often the result – for example, the EU which has relied for its natural gas via Russian pipelines. Now the EU sources Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) from the US at four times the price. LNG has to be liquefied then shipped across the ocean using diesel-powered tankers. This makes no economic sense but is set to continue until US/NATO decides to cooperate with Russia; not a likely proposition.
However, as the global economy slows down demand and prices begin to decline after a lag. The World Bank and IMF forecast a minimum two years before economies stabilise at a lower level of activity. Gail Tverberg is an actuary who tracks the progress of these events: https://ourfiniteworld.com/2023/01/09/__trashed/
SURVIVAL MONITOR: If we are going to ‘Protect’ ourselves and ‘Survive’ the current onslaught against humanity, we need to dig deep enough to expose the truth which is pretty well obscured. This is an important article to read in full about the origin of the SARS-COV-2 scamdemic, the essence of which is as follows:
“Here’s one possible explanation, which makes sense of all the known facts – though it is admittedly highly disturbing. It may not be correct, but I confess I cannot think of a better one. Perhaps someone else can?
The explanation is that the Chinese lab origin narrative was put out by U.S. intelligence in early January as a cover story – a cover story for what? For a U.S. biological attack on China. As a cover story for an attack, it serves five key purposes.
- First, it pre-empts allegations of a U.S. attack (and indeed the anonymous U.S. official falsely claimed these had already been made).
- Second, it anticipates the need to explain the non-natural origin of the virus, which would be expected to be discovered, as a natural origin manifests differently to a non-natural origin – a natural origin should have animal reservoirs, early genetic diversity and evidence of adaptation to humans, which are lacking for SARS-CoV-2.
- Third, it spreads alarm in China – one of the purposes of the attack.
- Fourth, it justifies the U.S. and other countries activating biodefence protocols to defend themselves from any blowback – which we know is exactly what they did, and that they treated it as a matter of national security, not public health. https://dailysceptic.org/2023/01/10/u-s-government-identified-as-original-source-of-lab-leak-theory-whats-really-going-on/
- Fifth; The resulting lockdowns slowed the global economy enough to rescue it from an imminent economic and financial collapse, a repeat of 2008/9, and documented by Blackrock et al in August 2019: https://austrianpeter.substack.com/p/a-perfect-storm-the-money-crisis?s=w
THE NARRATIVE BATTLE: Christian Scientists say that to name a disease is to empower it. But while Christian Scientists think it’s bad to empower an illness, Government/Media/BigPharma have taken the opposite approach: for three years, they’ve relentlessly strived to empower, and thus, exploit the motif “Covid.”
Politically and economically, it’s been extremely useful to perpetuate the Covid franchise. Keeping some people scared of Covid helps to sustain the perpetual yet artificial ‘State of Emergency’ and they aggressively suppressed criticisms of their attendant scam.
By repeatedly saying “Covid” and “Pandemic,” they weaponised these words in order to pacify and control the masses, to effect the biggest wealth transfer in history to the already rich—including but not limited to, BigPharma, to further impoverish the productive class that they now disdain, (noted above as pieces on a chessboard). Fear of Covid is the opiate of the people. https://brownstone.org/articles/fear-of-covid-is-the-opiate-of-the-people/
FINALLY: The morons who inhabit Westminster have revealed their hand. Thank God we have at least one MP awake this week. Having the Conservative Party whip removed means Mr. Bridgen is no longer a Conservative MP but is now an independent MP. Do these cretins not understand the military-grade PsyOp perpetrated on the British public for 2+ years – and ongoing? North West Leicestershire is fortunate to have such an MP.
During Prime Minister Questions in the House of Commons on Wednesday, ‘Midazolam Matt’, also known as Matt Hancock, asked: “Does the Prime Minister agree that the disgusting anti-Semitic, anti-vax conspiracy theories promulgated online this morning are not only deeply offensive but anti-scientific and have no place in this House or in our wider society?” I suggest that ‘Jungle Bunny’, Hancock, needs to be removed together with Pfizer et al. But of course, among our captured and paid-for MPs, are many WEF supporters. See next week’s listing of the global Mafia assembling at Davos – you will be surprised. Hat Tip – https://expose-news.com/2023/01/13/mp-responds-to-suspension-from-party/
Damning history:
· MP calls for the immediate halt of Covid injections and an inquiry into Big Pharma, 14 December 2022
· MP is suspended from Parliament a week after “vaccine harms speech” but he has not been silenced, 22 December 2022
· UKMFA write an open letter in support of MP and reinforce his call for an immediate halt to Covid injections, 28 December 2022
· MP says Covid-19 is a Manufactured Bioweapon and Security Services knew about it in August 2019, 2 January 2023
· anti-vaccine-mp-andrew-bridgen-is not an antisemite 12 January 2023
UNTIL NEXT WEEK:
For more, read: “The Financial Jigsaw”: Scroll: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/358117070_THE_FINANCIAL_JIGSAW_-_PART_1_-_4th_Edition_2020 including regular updates. For a free PDF copy e-Books, Parts 1 & 2, email; [email protected]
AUSTRIAN’S NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE: https://www.theburningplatform.com/author/austrian-peter/
COVID & FINANCE LINKS: [I will not be commenting specifically on Covid in future because my colleague covers daily updates at his websites]: SPREAD THE WORD: YOUR DAILY COVID NEWS (cmnnews.org)
BOOM Finance & Economics (boomfinanceandeconomics.com)
BOOM Finance and Economics | Designed for Critical Thinkers — UPDATED WEEKLY (wordpress.com)
MAKE A DONATION: It will spread knowledge and understanding far and wide and empower humanity to keep the peace: https://www.gofundme.com/f/fnahvp-free-book
Comprehensive and excellent as usual, AP.
But, I disagree with your use of the word “both”. The appalling losses are pretty much on the Ukie side …. anywhere from 5 to 10 dead Ukies for every Russian. It is the Ukies sending waves of cannon fodder into walls of steel …. the Russians are happy lobbing artillery/missiles from miles away.
=======
Regarding housing in England …… what is the average cost of an average house in 1) a big city, 2) in the country?. Of course, you will ask, “What do you mean by average?”. Let’s keep in very simple …. 1,500 square feet.
=======
Lastly, your electric bill. STOP using so much electricity!! You’re causing Climate Change!!!
LOL – you’re right Stucky, about the true causalities but I do have to be ‘neutral’ sometimes in the interests of ‘balance’.
Houses:
The latest data from the Land Registry reveals that the average house price in the South East is currently £405,000 (highest prices in UK) but note the average sq ft is 750 (1,500 is a big house in UK). Here are some stats: https://www.housebeautiful.com/uk/lifestyle/property/a35405209/average-house-price-england-square-foot-yes-homebuyers/
Don’t forget we are all electric, most in UK are gas-powered/oil boilers. So I think we are actually average for UK (it’s always bloody cold, wet, dark, and gloomy! 🙂
That’s hobbit holes by US standards.
Yes AKJ – but very pretty and cosy:
https://www.houseandgarden.co.uk/gallery/english-country-cottages
Yes they are. There is show based in Great Britain on people looking for that dream home. I glance at it every now and then.
The reality of course is a little different AKJ. Many of these pretty homes are actually wet often, draughty, cold, poorly insulated, black damp (a constant removal activity), no gas supply, difficult muddy lanes with farm implements blocking the way and chomping the hedges causing sharp needles producing punctures, deep snow sometimes (we were blocked-in for a week in the 1980s, without power which is when I fitted a coal-fired Aga). You have to have a car to get to the store and pub or anywhere else. Oh, and cell-phone reception is appalling. Services like water and electricity take ages repair and finally they have high maintenance costs. Otherwise it’s a dream home! 🙂
Oh BTW – our Q4 electricity usage was 1,025 kVA domestic, 2,045 kVA heating – actually quite modest by average usage.
More UK Rabbit Holes for you AKJ. Brits are finding that ‘Less is More’ and it’s a trend which fits in with my Local Economy solutions. No worries for you in USA though – you have loads of land spare I assume:
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/jan/15/priced-out-uk-house-hunters-turn-to-lorry-sized-tiny-homes?utm_term=63c4d9d64e6ee973e066f2d6b6cf987f&utm_campaign=GuardianTodayUK&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&CMP=GTUK_email
Oh, one moar thang …..
IMHO the Biggest Question for 2023; “Will a nuclear bomb(s) bomb be detonated somewhere …. in the USA, Europe, wherever.” I am not kidding.
Whether “yes” or “no”, I firmly believe 2023 will be a HORRIBLE year; militarily, economically, and socially. A Breaking Point in human history.
Everything is falling apart in these interesting times we live in, and there is no glue left to keep it together. Not even the God Glue.
My friend, its definitely interesting times. For certain. Whether 2023 is horrible or just more of the same really doesn’t matter, just as last week doesn’t really matter either.
As for the God glue, yep there is some of that and plenty more when needed. Personally I don’t want to even try saving what was as it will still lead to where we are now. But we can be the glue where its most effective, those we care about and whats right.
Be the glue
I like that.
No, I love it. Really. It’s simple, and brilliant.
I just might make that my Personal Motto for this year. TY.
Yep, agreed, it’s a pivotal year. At least we have a nuclear bunker under the cottage.
Stuck – Just this week, I planted seeds under the grow light and started preparing my raised bed garden. I have some spinach, turnip and mustard greens, plus volunteer lettuce that survived the below 0 temps before Christmas. The Freesia & Day Lilies have shoots sticking up and our peonies are starting to emerge. 2023 is starting off as a good year and I expect to make the most of it by ignoring the fools who claim to be in charge.
God is in control and I am here to ride along with Him.
It might be the optimist in me. But the nature of the universe is for things to run in circles, not linear. I am sensing and seeing things have hit their peak, for now, in the totalitarianism agenda. They have done what they could and the sheeple are fighting back, and a few are even awakening.
I agree AKJ – the circles of history go on repeating, combining waveforms, and the Fourth Turning is just one but now combined with the 250 year cycle makes for a long cycle convergence IMHO. I too am optimistic for a much reduced lifestyle but more meaningful living along the lines of TNP – we too have our garden which will become important as the depression deepens.
Complete shame the other MP’s didn’t stand with Andrew Bridgen. I am seriously worried for England as it will go the way of the Netherlands if the worm doesn’t turn pretty darn soon. CONgress is equally as bad but I get the feeling they will wreck EU countries first and save us for the grand final scene in Act III.
Very true BL – I am with you. America has a the largest economy and is highly resilient so both Gerry and I believe the Good Old USA will rise again to save the world if only they will COOPERATE with Eurasia – if not – I fear a great conflagration to determine the Pyrrhic winner. On ZH today:
Peter- Bridgen is a Freemason, so that could have been theater to make an example of anyone who tries to leave the plantation. If only minions could realize they will also get their ticket punched and club or no club…..you’re outta here.
Good point BL, thanks – I missed the controlled opposition – stay alert my friend, we need many eyes out there..
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/feb/04/two-freemasons-lodges-operating-secretly-at-westminster
There can no longer be any doubt but that the US is going to continue to attack Russia with the overall goal to weaken, destroy and then restructure the Russian Gov. and economy. And of course Putin surely has come around to believe that by now. But I’ve now come to the conclusion that that is only a part of the overall goal. The goal is not just to destroy and restructure Russia but also all the EU countries and then finally the US. All must be destroyed and restructured to make way for the One World Government.
The proof is clear to see, look at all the events that make no sense until you consider how these events fit to make the above goals a reality.
Mandatory Vax of the entire US military.
Manditory Vax of the majority of the US working population, destroying the US medical system.
Emptying of the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve
Dumping billions of military equipment in Afghanistan
Sending billions of military equipment to Ukraine that’s simply being destroyed, depleting the overall supply of military equip.
Shutting down the use of petroleum products and shifting the energy demand onto the grid which will overload the grid and cause greater failure, damaging the US economy.
That’s just to mention a few, this list could go on and on but this should make the point.
So let me repeat, the goal of the war is that both the US and Russia needs to be destroyed also, once you understand that then everything that’s happening makes sense.
And destruction and dependence of the Goy on TPTB so they can be enslaved with the CBDC.
Excellent summary ASIG – good thinking IMHO. The WEF have already published their plans and their vision of the future technocratic tyranny as per rhs jr. They have infiltrated all the important countries and are working on China – but Russia remains an unknown for now, they could go either way, but my bet is on them supporting BRICS++. I am seeing pushback building against the WEF. Let’s see what comes out of Davos this week. Here’s a possible future in 4 mins:
Peter, you may find this interesting. A few snippets….
The resistance of the Russian economy is pushing the American imperial system towards the precipice. No one had expected that the Russian economy would hold up against the ‘economic power’…If the Russian economy resisted the sanctions indefinitely and managed to exhaust the European economy, while it itself remained, backed by China, American monetary and financial controls of the world…would collapse, and with them the possibility for United States to fund their huge trade deficit for nothing. This war has therefore become existential for the United States.
He underlines the importance of skills and education: “The US is now twice as populated as Russia (2.2 times in student age groups). But in the US only 7% are studying engineering, while in Russia it is 25%. Which means that with 2.2 times fewer people studying, Russia trains…30% more engineers. The US fills the gap with foreign students, but they’re mainly Indians and even more Chinese. This is not safe and is already decreasing. It is a dilemma of the American economy: it can only face competition from China by importing skilled Chinese labor.”
Everywhere we see the weakening of the US, but not in Europe and Japan because one of the effects of the retraction of…the imperial system is that the United States strengthens its hold on its initial protectorates. As the American system shrinks, it weighs ever more heavily on the local elites of the protectorates (and I include all of Europe here). The first to lose all national autonomy…will be (or already are) the English and the Australians.
It’s not just the high IQ trained that the USA lacks but also the construction workers, the truck drivers, the nurses, the public school teachers, the restaurant workers, retail, production & manufacturing, etc.
You are not alone rhs jr: https://amgreatness.com/2023/01/06/an-age-of-decay/
Thanks B_MC this is a very sound argument with which I am onboard. It’s all building to a crisis not seen in 500 years. This is a good summary:
https://kwnorton.substack.com/p/making-us-an-offer-we-cant-refuse
A P, one of your best posts. Kudos. I was especially impressed by the video of Andrew Bridgen, MP. Dissed and tossed by his party he sticks by his beliefs and principles unlike his colleagues. We can only wish for more people like him.
Thank you for your kind words gryffy and yes, I agree that we are very short of any kind of effective politician anywhere. This will change slowly, but it’s going to be a long, hard road. All I can do, along with many others, and the great TBP team is keep hammering away! 🙂
https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/1609966511036461061/vid/480×852/lcUVO6NxwWiC4Psy.mp4?tag=16
Excellent article Peter! We are truly at the crossroads of the future with the outcome very unsure at this point.
This video should be required viewing for every person who wants to understand the real agenda.
it is excellent, and will put current affairs in proper perspective.
China is quite aware of the targets of Covid, as it was designed to be far more lethal to those of blood type A and AB. Type A/ AB blood is far more prevalent in North European and Asian than other ethnic groups.
The world rulers have always been huge gamblers, and willing to engage in unspeakable evil and destruction to preserve and expand their power. Today is no different.
With NATO and the US losing the ground war in Ukraine, we are now in very dangerous times. We are not dealing with rational people, and we can assume they will act irrationally going forward.
WOW Jdog – that’s a long film but looks very good indeed, well found. I will have to schedule some ‘my-time’ to watch it. We have the Masters snooker final today – it’s going to be a stunner: Trump v Mark Williams – both on top form; my bet’s on Mark.
Very dangerous times indeed, many commentators are remarking about it, one said it is worse than 1962 Cuba and I think he’s right.
I’m half through this winter and struck hard by compounded costs: feed, fuel, & seed have doubled; fertilizer & hay have tripled; we are in a drought and had the coldest night in four decades that ruined my pasture grass for months. Normally I spend $200 to get a cow through the winter but this year will cost me about $1,000. I will not build my herd this spring until I know my costs next winter. It makes no sense for this White boy to work his ass off so he can go broke. I will convert to perennial rye for the winters and permanent summer grasses (no more spring and fall plowing and sowing ). I will do a little over seeding. Cattle are being sold off so prices are low. Beef has hit a price point for the average consumer like sea food, restaurants, bacon, eggs. I think most small ranchers will do the same prudent things and just produce for themselves; some feed lots will quit. I read that some egg producers have quit. I think that Milk, butter, cheese; corn, beans , pork and chickens are liable now. PS: FJB made it a Felony to shoot the King’s deer etc eating our produce; that has to be changed ASAP; they can eat everything I plant.
Sorry to hear about your hardships. I really hate to see the people who grow our food going through hell because the government is playing games. I have heard egg farmers saying the grocery stores have raised the price of eggs hugely, but refuse to pay any higher prices to the farmers, and that is what is really creating the shortage.
For the average person, they had better wake up and smell the coffee, because there is a food shortage coming. It is really important to prepare for it now.
My recommendation is what I call a 3 bucket approach. Invest in at least 1 extra refrigerator, and 2 chest freezers. Buy in bulk, and stock up on whatever is on sale. During holidays you can get good deals on meat but you have to buy a lot to make it worthwhile. Watch the sales and take advantage of loss leaders. Stock up on canned goods for the 2nd bucket, put additional storage shelves in garages and other places., and for the 3rd go to restaurant supply or Costco for #10 cans of emergency supply.
If you keep your freezers below 0 deg. meat will last 3-4 years. Can goods have a life expectancy of 10 to 30 years depending on the type. Use your second refrigerator for bulk purchases of things like butter, cheese, condiments, and such. Buy everything in at least gallon quantities and refill your smaller containers. Buy salt and sugar 20lbs at a time and keep it in 5 gal containers with air tight lids. This approach will allow you to store at least a years worth of food and insure you do not have to pay huge prices when there is a shortage of this or that. It will also allow you to help friends and family who may be going through hard times without depleting your stores. Buy what you normally use, and rotate your stock.
The CBDC gets implemented per TPTB FedNow Plan 2023/4 and TPTB probably won’t let people buy farmland with FedCoins; nor buy food like JDog is saying; and you will probably have to take the Mark of the Beast to get FedCoins, so do it all now.
All excellent advice Jdog. Times are changing fast now and I think for the better. It has been well documented that spending time in nature improves our mental well-being. It literally makes us happier. But it’s something we do very little of. Research shows that, on average, “North Americans spend over 93 percent of their waking hours indoors or in cars (and the other 7 percent is spent travelling between buildings and cars)”. We are not supposed to live like this, and it shows. We can see it in the deterioration of mental and physical health of people in so called ‘wealthy’ nations, and we can see it in the planetary-wide ecological crisis we face.”
Yup. And, filing cabinets.
People often give them away on Kijiji/Craigslist. They make great prep safes. Strong enough to be filled with cans and the drawers still work. They tend to be rodent proof too but check for holes in the base.
I have two now and probably enough goods in them to feed me for a year easily.
Also, stuff will not fall out/off them like it can with shelving. Especially important in earthquake zones.
The cabinets make fantastic smokers too. Smoke pan in bottom drawer, foods in top ones.
Great summary rhs jr for the reality of farming today – same here in UK. I have spent my life close to farming (when not sailing) and had my own small-holding for 20+ years so I feel for you. The strategy here is to produce for our local economy, which will reduce local supplies to the supermarkets making city dwellers very poor indeed. Like you, we will be fine in our enclosed economy, but need to build our community defences – my trusty BRNO 12 bore is by my side! It’s going to be a siege economy in UK.
On the question of deer hunting – we have loads of them here in the extensive deciduous woods. The Royals banned hunting many centuries ago claiming the deer to be the King’s meat, but I don’t think they will get away with it today! Looks like we won’t be short of meat at least: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8940381/Experts-urge-Britons-eat-venison-deer-numbers-increase.html
We also have many rabbits, the odd Hare, and lots of rats in extremis! 🙂 Rabbits were introduced into Britain from France by the Normans, as a source of meat and fur, and kept in managed warrens. I am sure we will return to this mode going forward. I remember my grandmother’s wonderful rabbit pie just after the war supplementing a typical weekly food ration for an adult: Bacon & Ham 4 oz. Other meat value of 1 shilling and 2 pence (equivalent to 2 chops) Butter 2 oz. And we were healthy and never hungry – not many fat people either!
Peter, it took 3 weeks for ALL of the wildlife to be hunted out completely in the 1993 Yugoslavian hyper-inflation meltdown. I have read numerous eye witness accounts, so don’t plan on deer, rabbits, squirrels etc.
Better have PM’s.
I was rather thinking of farming them BL – rabbits breed like, well rabbits! And we have lots of deer farms too as Brits get used to eating deer meat – but I know we will never eat our horses (unlike the French barbarians)! : -)
Starving hordes don’t give two shits about your “farm”, they will kill the landowner and then proceed to carry off and eat the animals while they loot the property and also kill off wildlife. Rest assured nobody will come to save you.
PS: You will eat a horse rather than starve, if you live that long. Orlov keeps an account of the tribulations you can expect on his site.( used to IDK).
All very true BL – then we will have Mad Max on steroids. Let’s trust that the hordes will be locked in their smart cities with no transport, just shitting in their own nest. I think Haiti today is a good example of what you envision. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/10/haiti-no-elected-officials-anarchy-failed-state
I reproduced a prescient essay by Jeff Thomas (2011) some time ago:
https://austrianpeter.substack.com/p/the-financial-jigsaw-part-2-food?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=762792&post_id=82277588&isFreemail=false&utm_medium=email
Soledad was taken by the Wagner military group, a private company….Interesting, no?
Soledad was not taken by Wagner, but the salt mines are being cleared by Wagner. We have several private military contractors here in the US. Blackstone being the most famous.
They are usually highly trained mercenaries who are used for special opps. It is not possible to train troops in 6 mos or a year to operate anywhere near the level as someone with 10yrs of experience.
Private mercenaries are closer to special forces than to regular troops.