Retail Apocalypse: Why Are Major Retail Chains All Over America Collapsing?

by | Feb 18, 2013 | Headline News | 506 comments

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    Why Are Major Retail Chains All Over America Collapsing? -  Photo by Gars129If the economy is improving, then why are many of the largest retail chains in America closing hundreds of stores?  When I was growing up, Sears, J.C. Penney, Best Buy and RadioShack were all considered to be unstoppable retail powerhouses.  But now it is being projected that all of them will close hundreds of stores before the end of 2013.  Even Wal-Mart is running into problems.  A recent internal Wal-Mart memo that was leaked to Bloombergdescribed February sales as a “total disaster”.  So why is this happening?  Why are major retail chains all over America collapsing?  Is the “retail apocalypse” upon us?  Well, the truth is that this is just another sign that the U.S. economy is falling apart right in front of our eyes.  Incomes are declining, taxes are going up, government dependence is at an all-time high, and according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics the percentage of the U.S. labor force that is employed has been steadily falling since 2006.  The top 10% of all income earners in the U.S. are still doing very well, but most U.S. consumers are either flat broke or are drowning in debt.  The large disposable incomes that the big retail chains have depended upon in the past simply are not there anymore.  So retail chains all over the United States are now closing up unprofitable stores.  This is especially true in low income areas.

    When you step back and take a look at the bigger picture, the rapid decline of some of our largest retail chains really is stunning.

    It is happening already in some areas, but soon half empty malls and boarded up storefronts will litter the landscapes of cities all over America.

    Just check out some of these store closing numbers for 2013.  These numbers are from a recent Yahoo Finance article

    Best Buy

    Forecast store closings: 200 to 250

    Sears Holding Corp.

    Forecast store closings: Kmart 175 to 225, Sears 100 to 125

    J.C. Penney

    Forecast store closings: 300 to 350

    Office Depot

    Forecast store closings: 125 to 150

    Barnes & Noble

    Forecast store closings: 190 to 240, per company comments

    Gamestop

    Forecast store closings: 500 to 600

    OfficeMax

    Forecast store closings: 150 to 175

    RadioShack

    Forecast store closings: 450 to 550

    The RadioShack in a nearby town just closed up where I live.  This is all happening so fast that it is hard to believe.

    But the truth is that those store closings are not the entire story.  When you dig deeper you find a lot more retailers that are in trouble.

    For example, Blockbuster recently announced that this year they will be closing about 300 stores and eliminating about 3,000 jobs.

    Toy manufacturer Hasbro recently announced that they will be reducing the size of their workforce by about 10 percent.

    Even Wal-Mart is going through a tough stretch right now.  According to documents that were leaked to Bloomberg, Wal-Mart is having an absolutely disastrous February…

    Wal-Mart Stores Inc. had the worst sales start to a month in seven years as payroll-tax increases hit shoppers already battling a slow economy, according to internal e-mails obtained by Bloomberg News.

    “In case you haven’t seen a sales report these days, February MTD sales are a total disaster,” Jerry Murray, Wal- Mart’s vice president of finance and logistics, said in a Feb. 12 e-mail to other executives, referring to month-to-date sales. “The worst start to a month I have seen in my ~7 years with the company.”

    So what in the world is going on here?

    The mainstream media continues to proclaim that we are experiencing a robust “economic recovery”, but at the same time there are a whole host of indications that things are continually getting worse.

    Even global cell phone sales actually declined slightly in 2012.  That was the first time that has happened since the last recession.

    Perhaps it is time that we faced the truth.  The middle class is shrinking, incomes are declining and there are not nearly as many jobs as there used to be.

    Mort Zuckerman pointed this out in a recent article in the Wall Street Journal

    The U.S. labor market, which peaked in November 2007 when there were 139,143,000 jobs, now encompasses only 132,705,000 workers, a drop of 6.4 million jobs from the peak. The only work that has increased is part-time, and that is because it allows employers to reduce costs through a diminished benefit package or none at all.

    So how can the mainstream media be talking about how “good” things are if we still have 6.4 million fewer jobs than we had back in November 2007?

    And sadly, things may soon be getting a lot worse.  If Congress does not do anything about the “sequester”, millions of federal workers may shortly be facing some very painful furloughs according to CNN

    Federal workers could start facing furloughs as early as April, according to federal agencies trying to prepare for the worst.

    Unless Congress steps in, some $85 billion in massive spending reductions will hit the federal government, doling out furloughs to much of the nation’s 2.1 million federal workforce, experts say.

    If you still live in an area of the country where the stores and the restaurants are booming, you should be very thankful because that is not the reality for most of the country.

    I often write about the stunning economic decline of major cities such as Detroit, but there are huge sections of rural America that are in even worse shape than Detroit in many ways.

    For example, many Indian reservations all over America have been shamefully neglected by the federal government and have become hotbeds for crime, drugs and poverty.

    Business Insider recently profiled the Wind River Indian reservation in western Wyoming.  The following is a brief excerpt from thatoutstanding article

    The Wind River Indian Reservation is not an easy place to get to, but I had to see it for myself.

    Thirty-five-hundred square miles of prairie and mountains in western Wyoming, the reservation is home to bitter ancestral enemies: the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes.

    Even among reservations, it’s renowned for brutal crime, widespread drug use, and legal dumping of toxic waste.

    You can see some amazing photos of the Wind River Indian reservationright here.

    It is hard to believe that there are places like that in America, but the truth is that conditions like that are spreading to more U.S. communities with each passing day.

    We are a nation that is in an advanced state of decline.  But as long as the financial markets are okay, our leaders don’t seem too concerned about the suffering that everyone else is going through.

    In fact, former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan essentially admitted as much during a recent interview with CNBC.  The following is how a Zero Hedge article summarized that interview…

    Starting at around 1:50, Greenspan states the odds of sequester occurring are very high – in fact, the playdough-faced ex-Chair-head notes, “I find it very difficult to find a scenario in which [the sequester] doesn’t happen” But when asked how this will affect the economy, Awkward Alan is unusually clearly spoken – “the issue is how does it affect the stock market.”

    While not so many of our leaders have taken the path to direct truthiness, Greenspan somewhat shocks a Botox’d and babbling Bartiromo when he admits “the stock market is the key player in the game of economic growth.”

    Bartiromo shifts uncomfortably in her seat, strokes her imaginary beard and stares blankly as Greenspan explains that while the sequester will have a real effect on the real economy, “if the stock market can hold up through this, then the effect will be rather minor.”

    Do you see?

    As long as the stock market is moving higher they think that everything is just fine and dandy.

    And the Obama administration?

    They continue to pursue the same policies that got us into this mess.

    Their idea of “economic reform” is to threaten to sue businessesthat do not hire ex-convicts.

    And of course now that Obama has been re-elected he is putting a tremendous amount of effort into “stimulating the economy”.

    For example, he spent this weekend golfing in Florida, and the Obamas recently spent about 20 million taxpayer dollars vacationing in Hawaii.

    Meanwhile, the U.S. economy is getting worse with each passing day.

    If you doubt that economic conditions are getting worse, please read this article: “Show This To Anyone That Believes That ‘Things Are Getting Better’ In America“.

    When you look at the cold, hard numbers, it is undeniable what is happening to America.

    And our leaders are not doing anything to fix our problems.  In fact, most of the time they are just making things worse.

    So buckle up and get prepared.  We are in for very bumpy ride, and this is only just the beginning.

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      506 Comments

      1. Tic Toc Tic Toc Tic Toc Tic Toc Tic Toc

        The hour for for the yankee empire to pay it`s coming, I`ll prepare the champagne. hahaha

        • Walmart’s bad start to Feb is easily explained by the delay in the IRS issuing tax refunds and not taking returns until the end of Jan.

          The rest is easily explained because sooner or later the poor people will spend their EIC gifts on food and gas instead of overpriced Chinese crap at big name retailers.

          Notice the gas price lately, going up just at the same time the first tax checks went out?

          The economy is a controlled demolition in progress.

          • Plus the memo about them not re-stocking ammo probably hurt them?

            • turns out they just wanted to take advantage. raised the bulk shells by 3.50

              • The low price leader raised a price, not too concerned about there low prices on ammo when profit/greed is concerned. I was hoping wm would keep realistic prices on guns/ammo for us PO folk….

            • I’m not so sure about that…
              The local WM where I’m at is still selling ammo…
              22lr is gone off the cart when the mgr rolls it out…;)
              handgun cal is limited, but still coming in…
              rifle cals are starting to fill the case and he tells me don’t believe the hype…so I don’t know what gives…

              • One of the things is that the gun and ammo sales have been THROUGH THE ROOF!!! rationing because they cannot make enough to supply the demand. You go USA – Get what you can when you can.. If your government can have it – You should be able to as well 🙂

              • Speaking of guns and ammo…

                State considers law REQUIRING police to inspect homes of gun owners.

                Posted on Drudge Report

                • SAY NO TO TYRANNY , YES TO THE CONSTITUTION

              • @jerrytbg, In eastern NC, in the Rocky Mount, Tarboro area the WalMart shelves are cleaned out of all centerfire ammo. Only shotshells and some buckshot left. It’s crazy.

            • Well I quite shopping there after the second amendment comment.Everything else is cheap import crap anyway.

          • Yeah man. Election’s over. Gas immediately goes to the moon. Surprise surprise.

            • What did anyone expect from a black man?

              • The government is run by mostly white people dumbass. Obomber is a puppet.

            • Wait until you see what’s coming…

              • As in martial law, a UN troop take over and putting US citizens in FEMA concentration/re-education/death camps?

                Give me a hint!

            • Elections have consequences, you get the government you deserve. The takers are in charge of the producers

              • I still think the election was rigged.

                • I agree did any one see the lady that voted for obummer 6 times ?

          • Walmart’s problems are a symptom of their own failure. Have you been to one lately?!!!

            The employees are mostly a bunch of lazy, sleepy eye’d complainers.

            On a recent trip I overheard 2 employees in the meat section talking for at least 10 minutes about her boo & problems resulting from a phone conversation.

            On a separate trip, my spouse & my daughter overhead 10 employees in the site to store shipping area discussing how they hate their jobs & that they are trying to figure out how to go out on disability.

            My daughter was recently “hit on” by an aggressive employee in the pharmacy department.

            We informed management about all of these incidents and were assured they’d be dealt with. However, as a result of these incidents, I’m shopping there about 50% less than I used to.

            They have a hiring problem. No one wants to be around employees like that!!! Tighten up Walmart!!!

            • 50% less? If you can, quit all together. We did. It was a pain for a couple of weeks, but we are better off now and so are lots of local shops around here.
              They have suck since Sam died any way. They couldnt wait to get china crap on the shelves.

              • What was Sam’s motto… Buy American?

                Do ya’ll know, that Wally world, was the primary lobbyist that helped get rid of over 10,000 tariffs?
                Do you know it was those tariffs that protected America’s manufacturing infrastructure?
                And once you send your factory to China, they MAKE you sign a ‘technology transfer agreement’?

                And then, ALL your KNOWLEDGE becomes THEIRS…
                Are we stupid, or what?

                • I wouldn’t say we’re all stupid @Piper Michael. But we’ve all been dragged down the ol path, unwillingly, of collapse and defeat, by a sinister bunch of crooks and thieves who’ve used there money, power and deception tactics to buy out, ALL our Politians, for their gain. Our Politians aren’t interested in us! They are only interested in CHANGE!! Our LOOSE CHANGE that is!!! And anything else they can get their hands on. Democracy is dead and the idea of what was a Republic, doesn’t exist or belong to you or anyone else.
                  500-600 Republicans and Democrates essentially have total control of this country of 320 million or so people. And it’s all a big act! The only thing you achieve when you vote, is you justify the continued existence of out toxic Political System. Your vote goes towards upholding a scam.
                  So, @Piper Michael, we’re only stupid, when we vote for something in this country.

                  • Agreed in principle.
                    I meant the ‘collective’ we, so yes, you’re right.
                    As in too many of us drink the koolaide.
                    I remember when NAFTA was the big deal, and Ross Perot’s “great sucking sound” was in play…
                    Only 19% voted for him…
                    That tell us a lot about ourselves, and a good reason why there shall only be a Remnant left…

              • I worked as a contractor on a walmart in 1992.

                Only set foot in a wm store once since then…for a $1.99 aluminum turkey pan because I was out of town and didn’t know where else to go.

                They don’t give a shit about you, what products that they carry, small town America (which they have destroyed) or the USA.

                Everyday I see and hear many of you supporting them.

                Time for them to go the way they came…quickly.

                • I rarely set foot in a Wal Mart. Absolutely hate the place. The problem is, even their competitors, ie: Target, you name the clothing store, Lowes, etc. are all selling the same Chinese crap. The .gov has let it happen, we’ve given our technology and manufacturing away, and we are now reaping the consequences. We are not in a slow decline, we have fallen off the cliff. Plus a third or better sucking the life out of those of us who are paying taxes. If by some miracle we survive Obamas second term, it will be nothing but a God given gift. I’m not so optimistic though. When the gov’t cheese gets cut off, and it’s going to, that is when all hell is going to break loose if not sooner. It pisses me off that our forefathers fought World Wars to keep us great, and we’ve let our “elected” officials let it go all to hell due to corporate greed and lining their own pockets. Our current gov’t makes the mafia and other criminal organizations look like choir boys. Just my .02.

                  • Would give this 1000 likes if I could.

                  • The mafia as more honor and pays better. The mob doesn’t tax U to death than use it to blow shit up in countries we have no business invading. The mob doesn’t kill innocent women and children then shrug it ff as collateral damage.

            • Yeah, yesterday there were clusters of them standing around griping about hours being cut. Standing around!…

              • First of all, even “ex-convicts” need to work and SHOULD work. Secondly, the big corporations SHOULD be mad about this and be fighting the government on this, but they aren’t…why not? Because they’ve opened up a big market elsewhere, like overseas. Their stock holders SHOULD be livid about the supposed losses, but yet the stock market is up, so they don’t care. Again, it is only WE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE who are hurt most by this…

                • What’s a walmart?

                  • It’s where the dregs of the universe go to purchase things that are cheap in price as well as quality. You spend an extra 25 minutes in line to save a dollar on a gallon of milk. People come in to shop looking like they are still in their pajamas or they are possibly homeless. Going in a Wal-Mart, especially late night, is like being part of a National Geographic film crew and the weirdos are there to perform for the camera.

                  • The place I worked at as a door greeter. Now my job is gone.

                    I am out of work. Six major manufacturing companies here have closed within the last 2 years. Now I compete with those 12,000 persons for work.

              • It’s not like it’s a long term career. Thing is that most complaining don’t realize is that it may be the only thing available jobwise for along time. The big problem is all the stuff it sells is foreign made which is also true almost everywhere. That is where the jobs went. Maybe if we start outsourcing congress critters or allow unlimited numbers of illegals to run against them they would get a clue.

            • Lol after all that you still go there? Lying twit.

            • It’s because they pay lousy and only hire part time that the days and hours you work change so your stuck,can’t even find a second job if you wanted to.

            • How would you feel if you had to work there?

          • God’s Creation

            It is unfortunate that most do not realize that everything is ,and has been, controlled demolition for at least the last 100 years..
            But most are still wrapped in their left vs right nonsense ad infinitum..everything is planned..nothing is by accident

            • Personally, from the decades I’ve spent researching the issues of conspiratorial contrivances I find your statement as a half-truth, one the neglects a great deal of information while presenting only a partial story-line. While it is definitely a commonly held belief that everything that has happened or is happening is some sort of controlled demolition, the truth, it appears, is far more intriguing, at least to me.

              I do believe that there have been conspiracies to control and direct, but given the evidence those conspiracies fall short of the reality as seen from the methods used to achieve those end results. The fact of the matter is that there has been a conspiracy in this country, especially in this country for more than 150 years to create a consolidated government that could and would operate outside the Law of the Land while appearing to be in concert with its principles. I could easily delve into the various methods used, from the advent of Lincoln’s Radical Republicans and the Reconstruction Regime after that most unfortunate War that ended the Republic as it was known by our Founders, then on to numerous incidents throughout the Reconstruction Regime [which we still essentially remain in today], the motives that were founded during the election of President Garfield seeking to eliminate all forms of Jeffersonian thought and principle from government, on to that momentous year of 1913 when three pieces of legislation heralded the pinnacle of Nationalism in this country: The Federal Reserve Act, the Income Tax and the Nationalization of the Senate through the 17th Amendment. Those three measures had been in the works for decades, but once achieved it was only a matter of time when the actions of the Nationalists could be readily recognized.

              Personally, while I see all of these “conspiracies” as being pertinent to what is happening to this country, I do not see them as part of a controlled demolition, rather as a means to an end that cannot succeed due to the methods that have been employed to achieve them. One such method is Keynesian economic thought and the execution of it. It is evident that such a system is unsustainable and it has been the primary method employed to achieve the results of the power-brokers. While it has provided them, if you want to call them The Elite you can, with a great deal of power and wealth through siphoning off the productive wealth from the people of this country and others, it is terminally flawed.

              While it can be said that The Elite will gain a great deal from economic chaos, the fact is that they will gain nothing through total economic collapse, such an event would place them in extreme danger, not only financial, but physical danger. The Elite have lost their heads before in such turmoil and the idea that they would plan such an event that is virtually uncontrollable is highly doubtful. There are simply far too many variables, too many unknowns for them to intentionally create a economic disaster that could easily get out of control. It makes no real sense, it is not rational to believe they would put their own self-interest in such jeopardy.

              It is definite that The Elite will gain much from various levels of economic chaos, but the idea that they have planned events such as those in the EU is beyond belief since they worked for nearly 70 years to create the European Union and the idea of the common currency. The problem there, as here, is a reliance upon a theory that cannot sustain itself in real world economics. The entire world is a defacto socialistic experiment, one that The Elite completely bought into and placed all their chips on over the years. The system that they helped create, that they promoted and that they rely upon is completely unreliable, it has a history of nothing but failure and it will fail in a way that will not only shake the world as we know it, but also completely shake those who believe that this has all been planned.
              Anyone who actually believes that this has all been planned, that the so-called “controlled demolition” is a grand conspiracies must ignore numerous factors, the first being most of the principles of economic markets and the fact that those markets are fueled by an innumerable amount of human actions that are beyond any control whatsoever. While I do believe that there have been Elitist Forces at work throughout our history, I cannot, with an understanding of the immensity of economic market functions and variations, see where they have the ability to do what most conspiracy theorists give them credit. It is simply not possible given the world in which we live for control to be that determined or be maintained over a period of time.

              Besides, given what will happen under an economic collapse it completely precludes the idea that they could have or maintain control under such circumstances. A global economic collapse would instantly crush the global supply chain, once that happens there is no means of control whether you are The Elite or not, whether you are a “super-power” or not, the playing field becomes completely level at the point where the global supply chain collapses, and it cannot simply be restarted, it would take decades, if not longer to restore not only the global supply chain, but even a domestic supply chain..everything becomes local at that point.

              So, no, I do not see, nor can I see how a controlled demolition would be in the interest of The Elite or anyone else…I don’t see any evidence that they have control over the circumstances that are playing out in the world and though it is perhaps a “popular” conspiracy theory”, it doesn’t really make much sense when all the factors are really considered. If you can point to actual evidence to the contrary I will be more than happy to consider it, but it is doubtful that you can.

              • It depends on who you call; The Elite… are they merely rich ‘useful idiots’? You must draw the line at the OWNERS (issuers that receive interest)of the money vs the RENTERS(pay interest on) of the money. Those who make money from the spread, vs, those who are the ultimate issuing authorities. These, are THE ELITE of the Elite, and thus the true power behind the curtain. Let us hear famous men who spoke of this;

                Their own words tell the story (from both the perpetrators and those who have warned us :

                “Just look at us. Everything is backwards; everything is upside down. Doctors destroy health, lawyers destroy justice, universities destroy knowledge, governments destroy freedom, the major media destroy information, and religions destroy spirituality.” ~ Michael Ellner

                “The world is governed by very different personages from what is imagined by those who are not behind the scenes.” — Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli of England, in 1844.

                “The real rulers in Washington are invisible and exercise their power from behind the scenes.” — Justice Felix Frankfurter, U.S. Supreme Court.

                “Since I entered politics, I have chiefly had men’s views confided to me privately. Some of the biggest men in the United States, in the field of commerce and manufacture, are afraid of somebody, are afraid of something. They know that there is a power somewhere so organized, so subtle, so watchful, so interlocked, so complete, so pervasive, that they had better not speak above their breath when they speak in condemnation of it” —Woodrow Wilson, Signed the Federal Reserve Act of 1913.

                “The real menace of our Republic is the invisible government which like a giant octopus sprawls its slimy legs over our cities, states and nation.” — Mayor (1918-1925) John F. Hylan of New York.

                “I am concerned for the security of our great nation; not so much because of any threat from without, but because of the insidious forces working from within.” — General MacArthur

                “I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country. Corporations have been enthroned, an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money-power of the country will endeavor to prolong it’s reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until the wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed.” – President Abraham Lincoln

                “All of the perplexities, confusion, and distress in America arises, not from the defects of the Constitution or Confederation, not from want of honor or virtue, so much as from downright ignorance of the nature of coin, credit and circulation” — John Adams

                “Banking was conceived in iniquity and was born in sin. The bankers own the earth. Take it away from them, but leave them the power to create money, and with the flick of the pen they will create enough deposits to buy it back again. However, take it away from them, and all the great fortunes like mine will disappear and they ought to disappear, for this would be a happier and better world to live in. But, if you wish to remain the slaves of bankers and pay the cost of your own slavery, let them continue to create money.” — Sir Josiah Stamp, Director of the Bank of England (appointed 1928). Reputed to be the 2nd wealthiest man in England at that time.

                “The few who understand the system, will either be so interested from it’s profits or so dependant on it’s favors, that there will be no opposition from that class.” — Rothschild Brothers of London, 1863

                “The powers of financial capitalism had a far-reaching plan, nothing less than to create a world system of financial control in private hands able to dominate the political system of each country and the economy of the world as a whole… Their secret is that they have annexed from governments, monarchies, and republics the power to create the world’s money…” — Prof. Carroll Quigley renowned, late Georgetown macro-historian, author of Tragedy and Hope.

                “Give me control of a nation’s money and I care not who makes it’s laws” — Mayer Amschel Bauer Rothschild

                ********
                Need I go on?
                I was ‘recruited’ by the Rosicrucian/Mason’s (I believe), in the 1990’s, that they were working towards an ultimate plan, that would split society into two halves, the Bosses and the Serfs… read the Georgia Guide stones, and believe the level of evil present from those who worship the dark god. This is Biblical.(Rev 6:6, and the money failure of the Black horse of democracy.)

                • Its a great discussion… most important to preppers.
                  1. Market economics are a law. Socialism does not change the law. Bailouts do not change the law. Eliminate Google today and tomorrow there would be a new Google. Eliminate GM today and tomorrow there would be a new GM. There exists a market for search engines. There exists a market for autos. Period. No amount of meltdown or government baloney change the law of markets. Now, bailouts do transfer wealth from those who earned it to those who did not; but that’s not economics, that’s politics and theft.
                  2. ”
                  “Just look at us. Everything is backwards; everything is upside down. Doctors destroy health, lawyers destroy justice, universities destroy knowledge, governments destroy freedom, the major media destroy information, and religions destroy spirituality.” ~ Michael Ellner

                  That’s a ridiculous quote. Sure, every industry has bad practitioneers (sp?); but, its the engineers and the like who get out of bed and create every morning that make this country great. They – and doctors – DID learn something in college. Maybe Ellner should enroll in electrical engineering for a few semesters? I will give him that most mega-businesses operate on politics and momentum sure; but the real value in the world is made by the workers, the innovators, the doers

                  Those folks will be here post-collapse. Markets will always exist as long as there are people wanting stuff.

                  Cheers.
                  P.S> Lawyers destroy justice because they are part of a judicial system. Its purpose is to subordinate individual rights to those of the government. Its purpose is not justice. By definition, English law is not about justice.

                • First, though it is of no real consequence, let us look at some of the quotes you use:
                  Mayer Amschel Bauer Rothschild quote cannot be sourced.
                  Justice Felix Frankfurter cannot be sourced.
                  Benjamin Disraeli cannot be sourced.
                  Abraham Lincoln quote cannot be sourced, first reference found in 1933.

                  So, it is first important to try to use accurate quotations when it comes to making any type of case or support an assertion. Common assumptions, based primarily upon various popular writings and theories, that such assertions are indeed valid requires a belief system that does not necessarily have to rely upon factual information. No one that I confront with the requirement of valid factual information can every actually provide any, but of course, their excuse is that it is hidden and therefore beyond verification.

                  So, what or who are the Elite and how do you determine the qualifications of that status? In this information age, when there is more information available to the average person than at anytime in the history of the world, it become even more vital that we are able to provide at least some-what verifiable documentation to support such assertions.

                  It can be assumed, based upon certain criteria, that the so-called Elite may or must consist of various powers within the hierarchic structure of the State, which includes, of course, the military and big corporations. Positioning is perhaps the greatest determinate of power, positioning and connections. It there is The Elite of the Elite, then there must be, logically, evidence to support such a chaste, thus far I have seen none that would support the concerted efforts of such a group that does not conflict with reality. Any decisions of such a group would naturally have consequences that can be directly tracked or connected in some way to their specific actions, yet no one has been able to make such connections and can only make assertions based upon assumptions.

                  While there are naturally arising relationships and definite cooperation between various types of power within the world, such as governments, the military and corporations, that does not define a chaste of Elite, only the structure of power and how it must evolve in relationship to other powers. The greatest expression of such power is massive centralization or concentration, globalization is a prime example of such centralization and yet, with centralization comes the danger of extreme complexities that cannot be adequately controlled by anyone or any group of people. The more complex systems become the less control is available over such systems. Various methods have been used to promote and support upper chaste hierarchies throughout history, the formation of cartels and monopolies are methods that are still employed today, but on a vastly more complex scale. Yet, even with such methodologies, the ability to create and maintain control over such a complex system of economic and social factors is extremely difficult to imagine under real world circumstances.

                  In today’s world the major players on the world stage, especially when it comes to the highest levels of finance cannot conceal their actions nor the consequences of those actions in ways that were once possible. What has been and is being revealed is a highly corrupt culture found primarily within the world of central-banking and the ancillary organizations, corporations and governments that are associated with those bank dealings. The once mysterious institutions and those associated with them are no longer as mysterious, nor are their operations so very arcane that it is difficult to understand the processes and purposes behind their operations. Central-banking has been exposed over the last few years and it’s influence over the both the economy and governments has been increasingly called into question. It can easily be said that much of the policy that is generated throughout the world is generated under the influence of central banks. Like the Bank of England’s secret motto: “Never Explain, Never Apologize”, there was, at one time, not only an air of exclusivity, but also unaccountability, but that has all changed over the last few years as the policies of governments, influenced by and directed by central-banking policy, has created a growing economic and social dislocation within numerous societies. What was once elusive and secretive within the central-banking processes and the purposes behind those processes have gradually been drawn out into the open for the public to see and hopefully understand.

                  It is easy to understand that mystery behind central banking when it has been keep behind closed doors for several generations, the ability to restrain any public suspicion about the banking cabal was a mainstay of daily central-banking operational ideology. Perhaps the most damaging period in history for the entire financial-banking-monetary system came during the 2008 Panic, for it revealed to the people of this country and the world, the true nature of the relationship between high-finance and government. The overwhelming disdain of the public for the government “bailouts” didn’t go unnoticed by those among the power elite. The entire system upon which the so-called elite depend is a flawed system, it is an inherently unsustainable system that will collapse.
                  If examined closely, it becomes easy to see that those within the banking system that are highly placed or connected reaped the greatest benefit. Yet, it also appears that the status of “Elite” does not prevent destruction therefore, I see no inherent ability for the so-called Elite to actually control or maintain power under a real systemic collapse, only under partial crashes or panics. The pillars of the banking and high-finance world were shaken in ways that they have never been shaken prior to this. Did the Elite eat one of their own when they allowed Lehman Brothers to fall? Was it a sacrificial offering, family blood-letting deemed necessary after some private meeting held at the FED?
                  This system of cronyism, corrupt relationships between the political, corporate and banking worlds have the seed of destruction planted within it, such systems reach a point where, due to the complexity, they either implode or explode from internal or external eventualities. The system itself will the Elite’s downfall.

                  • The rich have benn fucking over everyone else since the beginning of time and nothing’s changed but the methods.

                    There. Condensed it for U.

              • Somebody told me once that evil can’t win in the long run because it can’t cooperate. I think what has been happening for the last century or so is “conspiracies” conspiring to give themselves more wealth and power. Then they loot the results, and start over. Its very short sighted and, I think, dog eat dog with different factions scrambling for control and a bigger piece of the pie.

          • Damn gas prices are stealing too much of our income, as is car insurance, and food. Gas is the worst though, now our second highest monthly expense after rent, just what big oil wants.
            Low income workers work for practically nothing after taxes, gas, babysitter, etc, really pathetic for America. Half of Americans are lucky if they can afford a car payment, have to go to buy here pay here dealers with jacked up prices/interest and who sell your account to someone else, usually not as friendly. If both parents work u can’t get food stamps but immigrants get them, can easily lie with no records/credit history.
            State farm will raise your auto rates if your credit score is low, that should be illegal, credit scores will eventually be used for everything if not curbed now.
            The middle and lower/middle class has been getting shafted for 30 years, little raises, higher healthcare if lucky enough to have it, little say at jobs, employers who will easily replace u with a temp to save money and only give u 2 sick days a year.
            College costs are skyrocketing, only rich and lucky scholarships winners will be going soon, well except for foreigners/refugees, many of them get to go for frickin free and then take a job for lower pay. Just like what is happening with the trucking industry, foreign truck drivers will take the loads cheaper. I have seen many foreign drivers with new trucks, many are very rude, think they don’t have to wait to be loaded/unloaded and come in and piss all over the floor, no manners.
            This is some of the reasons this country is going to crap…and stores will close.

          • Just watch the car lot or bus stop near any Goodwill Store. That tell you what going on. All ages of cars spend lot more time at Goodwill shopping.

        • Ricardo,

          Every one is going to pay, even you. The whole world is in a shit hole, some of us will fare better than others but people like you and finx will sadly fade away because you are hooked on kool-aid and it is going to be gone too. I would suggest that you stop the drooling anticipation of a country collapsing and look around you. What have you done to prepare for the end of society across the world? As bad as it will be here, it will be a thousand times worse in the rest of the world. Be careful of what you wish for, it may show up on your door step.

          Remember, final judgment, one at a time, in front of the lord, are you ready?

          • “shithole”, not “shit hole”

            • Shithole Eisenkreuz,

              Just because you spell your first name that way doesn’t mean it’s correct. Shithole, shit hole, what does it matter, either way it means the same thing, right?

              • Have you mixed up shithole with shithead for a first name? Either one works with him/it.

            • You would know!

            • E,
              Really?… REALLY?
              Don’t play that game around here.
              1000 thumbs down.

            • Sybil Opps I mean eisenkratz,

              What are you rambling on about today.

              DPS

            • Why waste time correcting English, a waste of time and space

            • So, is te person correcting the spelling a shit head or a shithead?
              Anyone?

          • Would you like to see a sample of what is coming? I just finished reading,” the right to keep and bear Arms: after the riots begin by Mike Forster M.D. I got [email protected] its copyright was October 2012 it is sold as a work of fiction but I believe it is an apocalyptic view of our immediate future based upon current events and the intentional economic collapse by many of our politicians and the agenda 21 crowd from the United Nations’s.

            • People act primarily in their own self-interest, that is the guiding motivation of mankind. Now, given the idea that there is a conspiracy to demolish what has taken The Elite decades to build cannot be viewed as being rational. It has taken decades for them to create what amounts to a “productive serfdom” around the world, it is the very system that they rely upon to maintain their wealth and power. The idea that they would demolish such a system, one that was decades in the making, must be viewed with rational skepticism at the very least, or so I would think.

              Even the idea of “controlled demolition” must take into consideration the myriad of unknowns in such an action, unknowns are uncontrollable no matter how much power or wealth you may possess. There are no “givens” in such cases, all things become fluid, they become uncertain and beyond actual control once a collapse begins to take place. The problem with such a so-called “controlled demolition” is that under the circumstances there has never been such a conspiracy attempted in the history of the world on such a scale as would be necessary to achieve any actual results that could be beneficial to anyone, including The Elite. Once a chain of events take place, triggering more events that are completely variable and unforeseeable, how can it be controlled by anyone no matter the wealth or power they wield? Once the rabbit is out of the hole it’s not telling where it might run.

              Even under the most dire circumstances, where there is a complete or even almost complete collapse of the global economy, how is power restructured after such a collapse? It would be almost humanly impossible to regain anything remotely resembling control after such an event. Therefore, one must ask what benefit would it be to anyone, including The Elite for such a thing to take place?

              If there is a so-called “controlled demolition” then how is it to take place without endangering the very people the conspiracy theorists claim are controlling it? A little known fact is that the weakest link in the whole global economic structure is the global supply chain, it would not take much for it to crumble completely, in fact, if there is a systemic financial failure there will likely be a systemic failure in the global supply chain mechanism, once that occurs then all bets are off, it’s everyman for himself, including The Elite. The idea that they would even dare take a chance with even a “controlled demolition” that could endanger the global supply chain is beyond any rational consideration, for to do so would place themselves in mortal danger. Once collapsed, the global supply chain is down and cannot be restarted or restored…everything stops, there is no more movement of oil, gas, food, supplies of every kind are no longer available to anyone, including the Elite. Once the global supply chain collapses everything else follows, such as power generation, water supply, food production, communications…so, unless The Elite have a ultra-secret, magical power they will be in the very same boat as the rest of us, perhaps worse for they will find themselves hunted.

              From what I have seen over the years is that the so-called Elite are actually very dumb. There are far more effective, more efficient methods of gaining and maintaining control over populations then the path that they have seemingly taken and yet, we are told by those who advocate that this is a grand conspiracy that what has taken place is exactly what was planned.

              • They have a new international cashless financial system ready to put in place when the current one collapses. It will be totally electronic so they can track and control everything.

                • Of course “They” do, but the question then arises how is it possible under a systemic collapse? The inner-connectivity of the global economy [financial-banking-monetary-global supply-chain] precludes such an event if there is a systemic collapse. There is no possible or realistic method to implement such a system once that type of collapse takes place. Everything is linked in this global economy, from governments to banks to industry and production to trade and supply. A systemic failure and the contagion that is possible within the financial systems and the trade/production systems will totally transform the world that we know into something more akin to the 15th Century.

                  There is such a inter-connectivity and inter-dependency within the total globalized financial-banking-monetary-global supply-chain, that if any of those structural supports crumble the entire system can easily and rapidly fall into a state of irreversibility. Everything depends upon this system, everything and everyone, including The Elite and any possible plan that they might concoct.

                  The fact is that our global society has essentially normalized the extraordinary complexity of the system that they depend upon for everything; since that is the case, this complete dependency makes the entire society completely vulnerable if such a collapse occurs. The effects would essentially be similar to a massive EMP blast, taking out society as we know it.

                  The Elite are not immune to such events, nor are they apparently prepared for such an event either; its doubtful that it enters their mind for they, like many in government and society, have total faith in their systems and their ability to find so-called solutions. When this collapse, this fundamental break-down occurs, it will completely overwhelm governments and the ability of governments to respond. We tend to overlook the fact that such a systemic collapse could be extremely quick, within a week the system could become so stressed that within a couple of weeks it could enter into a state of irreversible collapse. Governments and central banks would rapidly lose control of all the normal operations of their vital systems, wide-spread panic would increase the inability of governments to maintain any type of societal maintenance or, for that matter, control. Rapid deterioration in trade, both global and domestic, would cripple power generation, water systems, communications; in fact, every aspect of our society would be effected. After merely a week, all businesses would be closed, food stocks depleted, supplies of all sorts depleted. It is difficult to grasp, I grant, but we must understand the extreme complexity and inner-connectivity that is present in today’s global socio-economic system. There is a tendency, evidenced by your comment and others, that we seem to think that we are smarter, that there are solutions, that The Elite are somehow privy to some extraordinary capability that could defy such forces once disintegration begins to occur, but the fact is that under these circumstances, there are no extraordinary measures that can be taken, no solutions to a very possible break-down in such a complexly organized system that literally took centuries to create. The consensus is that there are solutions, but that is always the consensus isn’t it? It is far more palatable to men to believe that they have answers even when their answers fall short of the problems that face them.

                  The premise that you propose ignores some of the most fundamental questions in monetary mechanics, economic principles, market forces and societal behavior. Additionally, your assertion begs the question why wait? Why would they wait, why do they need an economic disaster to achieve their goals when they could easily implement such a system; in fact, they essentially have already implemented such a system. The vestiges of physical currency is minute compared to the digital monetary system which most people in this country and other developed countries already use and have for decades. There are massive blind-spots in such an argument as you and other assert, yet commonly I have rarely seen anyone who supports such an argument actually delve into the issue with any substantial understanding of the greater picture.

                  If The Elite are in charge then they haven’t learned very much from the mistakes of the last 150 years, especially about monetary mechanics, risk management and containment, or the dangers of systemic collapse that would threaten their own existence in ways that we rarely consider. It appears that no only, even the so-called Elite have not prepared for such a failure even with the threat of catastrophe looming right before their eyes. In 2008, for instance, do you know how much The Elite lost? Trillions of dollars in both net worth and hard assets were lost, many were wipe-out, even one of the oldest Elitist financial organizations, Lehman Brothers was not immune. Lehman Brothers was one of the first stock-holders in the Federal Reserve Bank, you don’t get much more Elite than that, yet the company folded due to bad planning. Surely, if anyone should have had inside information about the plans of the Elite it should have been Lehman.

                  It is easier to give the so-called Elite far more credit than due, it allows us to place blame on that which appears to be either hidden or misunderstood rather than logically consider all factors within the economy. If there is an Elite conspiracy then it is perhaps one of the most incompetent conspiracy plans ever devised.

                  • Remember, that the elite have underground bunkers/cities, food storage and probably every creature comfort. The way I see it, they will let society breakdown totally and just wait it out until we pretty much kill ourselves off fighting over food and such. Then, when the immediate danger is over, they will crawl out from under their rocks and take over whatever is left. Simple really.

        • Hello Ricardo.
          Glad you got up to the first post. Yeah, it is going to be bad and many are waiting for our downfall. What you do not see is the underneath ground swell. Most will not anticipate it. The destruction of foolishness, wasteful actions and the realiszation nobody owes anybody nothing. No more FREE LUNCH. They will find out what Labor plays in a society. No more sitting behind a desk pushing buttons that electronicly manipulate many outcomes of peoples lives. Where PH.D’s don’t mean squat.
          Most are finding that out now. I have no illusion that some form of hardship will visit my doorstep and I do not think you are exempt from it either. So smile away brother cause many will have their smug expressions wiped off their face, soon.

          • I know Ricardo’s kind real well, they long to rais Atzlan on Whitey’s ruins. They don’t comprehend, they are already owned.

            Ricardo,

            Conozco tu tipo muy bien. ¿Crees Atzlan se elevará de entre los escombros de los Estados Unidos? Tengo noticias para ti perra, tú y los tuyos pueden comer mierda y morir.

            • Ricardo – Attencion!! Venga BOBO!…It is TICK TOCK. AY CARUMBA!!

          • One of the best comments. You are correct. The market incongruence created by the government/socialism/elites won’t last. A good example is food costs. As cost of participating in the [government/mega business] economy continues to increase, people could return to self-productive work such as home farming. Next they could work from home and drop back to one car per family. Because the government/controlling companies has levied such a high extraction from human labor, the actual “meltdown” might be like in this article: people stop buying so much stuff. I think a lot of us on this list are alrady buying things with production value and not things with entertainment value. Maybe our value investments are the right play now…. I’m fairly certain food prices will drive poor to seek alternatives. Right now they are trading long term health for lower food cost by eating factory/mass produced foodstuff.

        • Ricardo,

          Not sure how to take that other then it’s not funny and you should not be laughing.

          Yes our government is a piece of S_ _t, but I do hate to see so many people loose their jobs, houses and even self esteem because of all this mess. But it is up to those who know what is going on to help those who are a sleep wake up and get ready. For we do not know the hour or day of when this life that we know will come crashing down upon us and this is not FUNNY!!!!

          • Like Selco said of the Balkan war, all the people around him refused to see what was coming, even when it was in thier faces. It will be like that in America, a lot of people will have to come back to reality real fast, or America will fall.

            • America has failed already – People will have to come back to reality to prepare and survive – unfortunately, most will not !!

        • Ricardo the Retardo: Yeah, we squandered our inheritance, but at least we had one, unlike you. I’ll bet you stole that champagne like you steal everything else. So put it back before I call the cops! Hahahahaha.

        • I would wager that “Ricardo” is not in the United States. How else could he believe that ordinary Americans — who have ZERO influence over the government and economy of this occupied country — are to blame for the actions of what he calls the “yankee empire?” Yet he GLOATS in apparent Schadenfreude over what he sees as the impending ruin of the American PEOPLE.

          In fact, the “yankee empire” has been filling this nation with HORDES of invading colonists of the “Ricardo” variety, in order to one day engage in government-ordered MILITARY operations against the AMERICAN people (a.k.a. WHITES).

          The “empire” is in REALITY your best FRIEND, Ricardo, because it supports YOUR ilk against the interests of real Americans.

        • If it does go just wait to what your economy does. As the US goes, so goes the world. In spades.

        • Hey dipshit, go wash a filthy toilet already you fucking poop-butt.

        • Not good news My peeps, but not the end of the world, either. WE are in the second leg down of the Great Recession. This has been expected for some time and predicted by some.

          Ok, WE are here. Don’t Panic. Tighten your belts.

          Some of you will remember that I predicted as much here on SHTF Plan early last Fall. Naysayers can check the archives.

          There are silver linings to this dark cloud. In particular, it catches the attention of the Sheeple and focuses their attention on what you are saying.

          Pass the word. The word is Washington’s Vision. Engage.

          PS. Documents in a lawsuit in Federal Court has exposed O’bummer as a foreign exchange student from Indonesia. Game on! 🙂

          • Can’t find recent story about obummer, got a link?

              • I hate to say it, but this will go absolutely nowhere, even if true.

                The people who really run the world (The banksters and globalists) have Congress wrapped around their little fingers.

                Nothing will be done.

                I repeat. NOTHING WILL BE DONE. EVEN IF IT’S TRUE.

                What happened with the evidence regarding forging of his birth certificate? Nothing.

                What happened in regard to Fast and Furious? Nothing

                What happened regarding the illegal war in Libya? Nothing.

                What happened with Benghazi? Nothing.

                NOTHING this illegitimate Kenyan communist does will be called to account.

                NOTHING.

                He is untouchable.

                • Walt Kowalski,

                  Sadly, you are right.

                  • none are ever held accountable, Bush was not, clinton was not, reagan was not, carter was not, nixon was then he was forgiven and given a pardon, why should they be different on this one ? at least t hey are across teh board on something right? LOL

                • Yep, Walt is correct.

              • Awww – are people still falling for this? This story has been circulating since April 1, 2009 or 2010. There are some minor variations in this version, but basically the same bag of baloney. It is early this year – it usually doesn’t surface until around April Fools’ Day – which is what it was written for. Read it carefully – it doesn’t take a wizard to see every “fact” is wrong.

            • Justme,

              Hit from the trenches site. Good write up on obamama in court friday.

              DPS

          • It’s actually called the end of days.
            Tribulation!!!

        • As American as I am…. We must reap what we have sewn

        • Go ahead and prepare the champagne. We’ll drink it.

          You people have never been able to run a country. All you can do is leech off the producers.

          Once Del Norte goes under, you’ll be at the bottom sucking scum.

          Remember….we kicked your assess out in 1836. And then we invaded you and took over your capital in 1848. You’re lucky we didn’t just annex your little latrine of a country.

          And we can do it again.

          • The above was for Ricardo by the way.

          • The above was referring to DK’s post about Obama’s college records.

            • “Mexican lawmakers will ask the U.S. Senate to create a registry of all commercialized firearms in border states, which includes California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. Mexico says it will make it easier to trace guns used in violent attacks.”

              http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/02/18/why-is-mexico-asking-the-u-s-senate-for-a-registry-of-u-s-gun-owners/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=story&utm_campaign=Share+Buttons

              It seems that Mexico wants to be able to deal with all potential sources of resistance once it “reclaims” its “lost” territories (where only a MINISCULE number of Mexicans actually lived prior to the immigration invasion of the last five decades). Evidently, the kleptocrat pseudo-Marxists in Mexico City expect this to happen SOON.

              The negro pretender in DC will fall all over himself to facilitate Mexican “reconquista” and crush the hated Europeans in North America, at any and all costs.

              • Time to get out our Gonzalez Flag.

                I’m not worried. Texans kicked their asses once. We’ll do it again.

        • We’re all stocking up on ammo to purge the US of the commies in the future.

          Any red blooded American is prepared for anything and would welcome a massive collapse. It would be a once in a lifetime opportunity to take over the fema camps and fill it with all the socialists and commies that have infiltrated American soil.

          Bring it on.

          And Yes, we’d thumb our nose to China…yeah…we’ll pay off your debt….
          Here’s your toilet paper USD …suckers.
          We slaved China like the bitches they are for us.
          Sorry, zipper heads…we have nukes pointed right at you. Nothing you can do about it
          If you dropped 100M sould into America.. 100 million armed Americans would make short work of you. Hey…you’re easy to spot. ha.

          I’m tired of all the liberalism and the NWO kumbya shit.

          Let America collapse…then we’ll take it back over… purge the US of the UN.

          Why do you think people are buying so many guns and ammo.
          They are getting ready for the next great American adventure.

          When they pass all these gun laws…we won’t comply.
          Fuck ’em.
          Come and get them. Good luck.
          You’l have to find them first.

          It’s time we take a WTF hard line with all these fucks.

          I walk the halls of my company proudly with my NRA mug.

          I was in an elevator..filled.
          And proudly showed my NRA mug…
          Many spoke up and agreed with me.

          Funny, the blacks all just stood there and gave me a nervous smile.
          Dems.

          It’s almost funny….where the whites were all scared of the blacks a few decades ago..
          Now the blacks are scared of very vocal Americans of all races.

        • Hey, retardo, ESAD. We have been carrying your stupid brown asses for way too long. Enjoy the starvation, you pendejo.

      2. Just another day in paradise for the PTB. 🙁

        hillbillySC

        • Those low skilled manufacturing jobs that we once had allowed the cream to rise. Those with the natural ability to work with their heads and hands became problem solvers, foremen, mid level managers, Tool and Die Makers, Mold Makers, Journeyman Machinist, Manufacturing Engineers, Tool Design Engineers that earned good paychecks and contributed to the economy by producing value added products. They created new widgets and started new businesses. Those low skill jobs provided a steady paycheck, self reliance and the opportunity to move up the economic ladder.

          In the end the only ones that’s profited from the offshoring of our manufacturing base has been big government, global corps, china, warehouses and forklift drivers. The retailers can’t even profit from the sell of the china crap because too many of the people’s income has decreased to that price level and still many more simply don’t have the money to buy the china crap.

          We are living the experiment of the off shored, out sourced economy and it’s a failure. A total absolute failure and betrayal of the American people.

          We need real jobs to be able to buy a product from a retailer.

          The gas prices drop during the Christmas shopping season and rise shortly there after. This years drop in pricing happen a little earlier and still it wasn’t enough to bail out the retailers. Things will not get any better any time in the near future.

          It seems like trying to save for the next major down turn is almost futile because of the devaluing of the currency. Yet you still need to have a few months of cash to pay your bills and buy gas.

          • Rick wrote, “We are living the experiment of the off shored, out sourced economy and it’s a failure. A total absolute failure and betrayal of the American people.”

            I don’t believe outsourcing American jobs was an ‘experiment’ — it was intentional, part of globalization, social justice, and all the other NWO-agenda Progressivism.

            But yes, it IS a betrayal of the American people — unless, of course, the working class feels good about giving away American livelihoods to third-world and Commie countries.

            Good post, Rick…

            • Z. If one thinks about it, why would corps want to pay more money, better healthcare, retirement match, etc. for less productivity?

              Unions and such did it to themselves and suddenly the corps said fuck it we’re out of here.

              When I worked in the private sector for someone else, I always got big pay and benefits because I am a producer.

              A few times when things weren’t satisfactory, I quit and found a better job. I finally just ended up doing my own thing…most people aren’t motivated enough to have a business.

              The relinquishing of ones sovereignty whether it be a country or an individual is always a loss of liberty.

              That is why we go it on our own.

              “don’t go down without one helluva fight.”

              • Lastmanstanding, most corporates look at profitability as an end result with quantifying numbers and when NAFTA paved-the-way, corporations made the beeline out of the US. Nevermind the trade deficits and the destruction of our labor force.

                Given how corporations operate, with profitability being the #1 goal, you can’t blame them for going overseas. They realized it was cheaper to move the corporations out of the US. Between employee benefits, taxes, and regulations, corporations were being hit hard with imported competition so they could become more competitive while make bigger and better profits overseas where they’re not so regulated. It was set up to benefit corporations and politicians, not the working class or America as a Nation. And yes, good bye to sovereignty.

                • Amen…what people don’t realize is that a good employer is key to their survival and they should be thankful.

                  It is ok to kiss a little ass…but one does not have to eat shit. It works both ways.

                  Good employee/employer relationships are mutually beneficial.

          • Amen, you took the words right outa my mouth.

            This was demonstrated to me back in the beginning of 2000’s…
            A buddy of mine (a millionaire with excellent credit), tried to expand his business and build a new warehouse and production facility expansion… he was making money hand over fist.
            He was turned down for the loan by the bank he had done business with for many years. The banker was sorry, but told him he COULD loan him the money to ‘offshore’ his manufacturing… evidently, it was explained to him, that whether he knew it or not, it was too big a risk…
            He was told that he wouldn’t be able to compete soon… and the only way for him to thrive would be to offshore. The bank, THE BANK, would assist him in finding a ‘suitable partner’…

            So now you know what I have known for years, and only one reason, other than personal experience, that there are no ‘honest’ bankers. No Such thing, an oxymoron.

            IT comes DOWN from the BankSTERS.

            NOT ONE MORE INCH.
            Death to the banksters.
            Death to the Paradigm of left and right.
            Death to the global corporations.
            Death to The Empty Suits.

            Remember, even THE LORD lost His temper at these scum sucking bottom feeders.

            • Well said !

              • Anybody recall back during Bush Jr prez, he appointed a retired secret service guy to come back to work for fed gov again. His new position was to oversee spending of what was then the largest ever in usa history of a massive nearly $300 Billion cash to repair infrastructure.

                IE: Highways-Bridges-Schools-Fed and state gov buidgs etc. I seen that guy on Live Cspan tv for the entire 3 hr morn show. 7am to 10 am daily cspan tv. He was all geeked up and bragging how it was now(then) late sept. and how he had till end of year, Jan 1st of new year to get it all doled out and begin the largest hireings and road/bridge jobs ever in history!

                So…Where did all that cash really go to?..I will tell you. Several major jewbanks opened up several Other banks and “branches” of their bank orgs(ony called new names of course) in…MEXICO!!!

                Right on other side of TX border. Almost all that cash flooded into mexican new banks to Fund ONLY mexicans and especially “Minority” Female mexican women to start up new buisness’s in Mexico!(and in usa also If I recall right).

                A bunch of that cash was also spent to modernize Mexicos roads!…And a few towns close to tx and az borders.

                Alot of the cash got spent to Improve border shanty towns the illeagles Here in tx resides in…To give them illeagles areas on Our side of border elec and indoor plumbing etc…Because of course neocons and dem libs both feel sooooo sory for Illeagles and law breakers mexicans.

                That cspan tv show was during bush’s second term so I guess its aprox 6-7 yrs ago…Anybody seen any that cash spent to hire us citizens and whites for good pay jobs yet?…No me neither.

                And ever since and especially since the monkyboy got elected what do we constantly hear from dems and msm?…I will tell you what. They are still whining and crying how we Must pass spending bills to FIX ROADS and BRIDGES!!!

                Meanwhile after monkyboy(hobammy) hired Robert Riech as his top economic “advisor” that clown, Riech was also seen on cspan tv Live…I seen the show. Riech was telling a senate committee of aprox 22 senators HOW Monkyboy(hobammy) wants the NEW stimulus cash spent!

                RIECH= “The prez, Hobammy, wants the distinguished Senate committee members here to know, that not a single dollar is to be spent to hire Any White males!…I repeat! ONLY hire persons of “Color” and that Includes skilled labor such as welders-operating engineers(bull dozers etc) and Only if absolutely necessary, to ward off any claims of “Racisim”, the Prez said you can also hire a “few” a Small few women that are whites…BUT! ONLY white women from Limited income backgrounds.(Thats Code for: White Coal Burner women/whores with several black/brown welfare babies). Otherwise as I said prior, Every dollar is to be spent ONLY to hire males of “Color” meaning mainly Mexican and African males”.

                Picture a White advisor telling the us senate to ONLY Hire White Males!!!!!….Them illerate monkys nationwide be burnibg and looting america to the proverbial ground, while murdering as many white folks as they was able to.

                And Eric Holder and Hillery is who would supply the crazed apes with the firearms and unlimited ammo to accomplish such a task.

                BUT: to say on LIVE cspan tv to the us senate committee spend every fuckin dollar only to hire africans and mexicans?….NO Problemo folks.

                Whiteys better wake up soon is all I can add. Got white kiddies eager for Their future?…Wake Up!

            • Hope you will forgive me but; I was thinking more of Tar and Feathers. after castration.

              • You’ll have to do Janet Napolitano’s castration, and Hitlery Clinton’s too. Add in Frankenfeinstein and you have more than any Man can stand looking at all in the same office at the same time.

                Sounds like a good use of Obamacare dollars too.

                • OH…. my EYES… my EYES…
                  😉

                  Just the thought could make one go blind…
                  nah, as much as I’d like to torture and maim them, a nice long drop on the end of a rope is the American way.

                • Awwww GC ! I have been on Pepto Bismo as the mental pic…is….. BARFFFF

              • I would entertain the thought of tar and feathers,
                for the Flunkies.
                In hopes they would be educated and reformed…
                Just don’t give them the power to issue credit again.

            • Amen!

            • The only good banker is a dead banker.
              Banker = Wanker.

          • It was not an experiment, but quite intentional. A treaty was signed back in the 1960’s calling for the steady de-industrialization of America. We’re being stripped by design.

          • We’re de-leveraging. We spend a decade working on the house…taking trips and buying shit. Now… spending freeze. With Obama fucking up the price of gas…we just stay home. LET IT ALL COLLAPSE ON THE OBAMACOMMIE “OBOMIE” BUM.

        • Hillbilly, I understand your state is trying to ban homeschooling! How is that issue going so far?

          I certainly hope it doesn’t pass your legislature!

      3. I say this a week ago and said to myself then, a generation ago a buch of retail stores going out of business would be no big deal because others with better products would simply fill the void. Now, it just shows how desperate people are, that the only times when they spend money is at Christmas and the rest of the time they just go without. This would be a good trend if people were wising up to the ridiculous use of credit cards, but this is not the case as people just don’t have money.

        This along with so many other signs point to a monster on the horizon. Call it a time when chickens have finally come to roost, or the end times, but it is happening right now. let’s face it, now is the time for people that haven’t started to prepare to start right now, today, to put food away, all that they can afford. To all those preppers/survivalists, now is the time to go over what you have and try to add some extra, even good barter items. The day of reckoning is getting closer each hour, something simply has to give just like a volcano bursting at the seams. Everyone out there, we are living on very borrowed time.

        • BI: I just got this in an e-mail is it close?

          From
          http://vulcan.wt.usgs.gov/Glossary/Seismicity/description_ma
          gnitude.html
          Description of earthquake magnitudes and intensity we find a
          magnitude 5 earthquake at about 10 kilometers from the
          epicenter to be 1.1 millimeters. If we use the increase by
          10x for each one magnitude change, then for magnitude 9 we
          would get 11 meter (about 36 ft) amplitude of motion. If
          you are closer than 10 kilometers to the epicenter then this
          is some factor bigger. None of these references talk about
          what happens when the whole tectonic plate moves. The
          experts simply have no experience with it.

          PR

          • @ pale rider. I tried to go to this link but it didn’t come up. The amplitude of motion depends on the type of motion, vertical, horizontal and a combination. The moment magnitude scale is actually a scale of about 31.5 times each one number up. They started using this scale because they found that over about 8.2 on the old Richter scale becomes saturated and even though the energy released is vastly more between a 9.2 and 8.2, the Richter scale did not show this. So the old 10x is only valid to a certain point.

            The amount of energy released in a 9.0 is about 2x 10 to the 19th power in joules of energy. Depending on the type of rock strata that amplitude of motion is going to be different. In solid rock like the New Madrid a 9.0 is like something in the mid 9 to high 9 range on much less dense oceanic rock. The angle of break is also calculated into this.

            The earthquakes are indeed aiming towards the Kermedac Islands like was forecasted yesterday, but the 6.1/6.3 depending on the sesmich source is much smaller than what should be coming to within about 10 degrees of the international dateline. From the Siberian earthquake at the boundary between the Asian and North American plate, there should be a truly large quake. I would not be surprised to see that 9 pointer that you were talking about. I also am on alert for some volcanic action in Russia or Alaska in the next 6 weeks.

            • BI: THANK YOU for your reply. I know you are very busy again thanks.

              PS: Was are DENNY’S in Cape Girardeau, Mo., This morning 3 USGS SUV’s in the parking lot, inside sat 6 guys in black BUDs and armed, tell me the Government is not up to something, rock hounds armed what has happen to us.

            • Oh, great! I live right on the south shore of the Juan Defuca Strait. I can see Victoria, BC from here. We’ve been warned about this one for quite some time now and when it hits it should be a doozey. When St, Helens blew its top in 1980 we could here the blast from here. No ash as the wind blew that to the east. There is an active volano just off the oregon coast and I hear that it is in a constant state of eruption, not violent….yet. We’re only about 50′ elevation and a couple of miles from the shore so a good sized tsunami could be like the Fukashima quake caused. High ground is near to the south. But I’d still take this to those danged tornados you get in the middle of the country.

          • Pale Rider
            Your link above is incomplete it should include the HTML

        • I feel myself getting more anxious by the day. I’ve got some prepping done, but we want to find a piece of land to do animals and gardens, etc. We found 6 acres that we’re trying to buy currently. The house needs a lot of work though, so who knows how that’ll go.

          The other part of that problem is, that while we might find and “purchase” this land, we for sure won’t have it paid off anytime soon. If the economy slowly collapses, we’ll lose it. But if there is a large event that throws the country into overnight chaos, it may not matter who “owns” the property at that point. I just want to get there and get the house livable as soon as possible. It feels like the drain plug will be pulled soon. very soon.

          • Todd, if they finally destroy the economy, it is because they planned it and wanted it to happen…everyone will be in the same boat.

            Make the deal, get there and make sure that you are armed to the teeth to protect yourself and your family.

            This is the same boat that many of us are in…they have slowly forced us into the corner with few options.

            Mine is to fight back with all my strength and any extra that God sees fit to give me.

            “give me liberty, or give me death.”

            “don’t go down without one helluva fight.”

            • And if you must go, take as many NWO thugs with you as possible. If nothing else its a numbers game. WE out number globalists a million to one.

              Make very ballot count. 🙂

              • absofuckinglutely!!!…and don’t forget about the nwo minions as well.

                I am down with SEAL Team America…

                I just bought more ballots the other day…have a good source and just “stuffing the box.”

            • We rented the upstairs and have five cars in the drive..all with nra stickers and some mean dogs. Good lucking fucking with our fortress.

              Used the rent to ammo up. perfect.

            • Last man, The PTB will send their army after you. Which begs the question: If our “brave” officers have taken an oath to “…defend the constitution against ALL enemies, foreign AND domestic” then why don’t THEY do the job, instead of guys like you and I?

      4. stores are not collapsing all over. Businesses happen to go out of business. It’s like you take one business going into bankruptsy and you all scream conspiracy!!

        You preppers are the ones creating this problem. You buy all this crap you’ll never need and dont pay your bills. This is why the USA is in trouble. Seriously you people need to get it together.

        I hope Obama looks at preppers with the same eyes he looks at Al Qaeda and puts you all in jail.

        • Preppers don’t buy things at best buy, barnes and noble, gamestop , and office max. Please look at the BIG PICTURE! lack of jobs = no money to spend > Businesses losing sales= more layoffs and closings = more unemployment. This results in a continued shrinking downward spiral. So blaming this on preppers is like blaming the price of food entirely on bean farmers.

          • Don’t feed the troll.

          • Finx is obviously one of the 3575 doing his 9 dollar per hour best. This person doesn’t actually believe this spew. It’s like a cat eating it’s own vomit, just doesn’t happen unless it’s starved. Just ignore this person until his low rent job expires.

            • This is “his best”?

              Wow… they need a higher quality of hires, eh?

              Yes we’re just like Al Quaieda (sp) because we go blowing up buildings and shit *sarcasm*.

              … damn man, really??? 0_o

              Delusional. Totally.

              Hint: if you’re one of those “hires” at least attempt to sound reasonable mmmkay?

            • I bet fink gets paid in Shekles eh. Paid hasbara or sayamim agent based in Telaviv. Or in NY maybe if a dual citizen.

              • naw man – hes an obama bot

        • Moron.

        • Finx, you’re an idiot”you preppers are the ones creating this problem”, if we had this much control, believe me, this country would be in better shape, America is the greatest country on the face of the planet, and the politicians have ruined it

        • finx,

          Thirteen people were killed, including a pregnant soldier, and 32 others shot in the November 2009 rampage by the accused shooter, Major Nidal Hasan, who now awaits a military trial on charges of premeditated murder and attempted murder. Our dear leader refers to this slaughter by an AlQueda lover, as work place violence, not terrorism. So, if you want the anointed one to look at preppers with the same eyes that he looks at Al Queda with, then preppers would be special and treated kindly.

          Go to rehab and get off the kool-aid.

          • This Muslim army major was invited and attended a conference in Washington, D.C. That was put on by the Obama transition team after the 2008 election. I saw his name on the attendee list. Does anyone know what the conference was for ? What was the agenda ?

        • find your just a measly MOONCRICKET !!!!! right….the USA is not in trouble because of RECKLESS spending and PRINTING of money ….not money earned through exports you dips hit !!! And I guess the government pays their bills…RIGHT ?? 15 TRILLION in debt…..every lowlife in america not paying their bills doesn’t equate to 15 trillion ! Oh and the gubmint NEEDS nearly 2 BILLION rounds of ammo right??? That’s what I call fiscal responsibility and budget balancing !!!

          • you go girl…….lol

        • Idiot.
          So as long as Wall street is pumping with false credit, Don’t worry, be happy?

          Your knowledge of real economics is only surpassed by your gullibility for Keynesian economists.

        • Well,finx,I enjoy every time you and Rich post. You’ve been absent for a little while now. Fresh layoff?

        • Yup, you sum up quite nicely the thoughts of a progressive, socialist. Gotta love how you say you hope Obama puts us all in jail. Oh he will and kill some more with drones. That is fact but you son have not learned your history.

          I encourage you to read or maybe someone can read it to you about the Nazi Brown Shirts. TPTB use chumps like you and then spit you out when you are no longer needed.

          • Ding.
            Progressive socialists, the new face of the Globalist Nazi’s.
            Matches the definition of evil
            Sweet words on the tongue, that grow bitter in the belly.

        • @ EVERYBODY. I know how difficult it is not to say something to that cockroach finx and the truly pure stupid comments, but let’s all try to clean up Mac’s site of these parasites and take Norse Prepper’s advice and just not respond and collapse the comment with red thumbs. Let’s make SHFTplan as good as possible for everyone but the trolls.

          • I agree with you on that. I will not respond in future. Glad you said this.

          • BI…You post a lot of good info on here, but I think you let these guys bother you too much.finx has been posting on here longer than either of us.I actually get a good laugh at some of his comments.

            • Glad someone enjoys my handywork.

        • that comment wasn’t even worth the “Click to read it” click…

        • Great job getting people off topic and away from any productive conversation! A job well done. See this for what it is brothers. Trolling. If not worthy of a reply why give one?

      5. Online sales are up.

        • Online sales are up (often no sales tax involved!) but even these businesses are having to offer constant discounts and free shipping to attract sales.
          I see these online retailers being pinched as well.
          My in-box shows the evidence of them having to offer discount after discount along with free shipping.
          There is no way for retailers to magically restore the buying power that expired with the payroll tax “holiday”.
          Couple that with rising gas prices, which ALWAYS go back up right after the Christmas shopping season is over and we have the makings of a retail nightmare.
          Obama and Bernanke need to start sending checks out to all consumers, not to just the unemployed and bankers.

          • Don’t give them any ideas…
            😉

          • Something not addressed is that the world is awash in *stuff*. Warehouses filled with pallets of unsold *stuff*. Large retailers like Macy’s no longer liquidate their excess, they run their own online discount sites. We are approaching the post-scarcity singularity.

            People have so much stuff that there is a niche for home organizing, including instruction and products solely used to find ways to avoid clutter and piles within the home.

            Consignment shops, flea markets and second-hand retailer venues abound. People around the world organize events where they trade excess. Relatively small groups can and do organize to purchase essentials in bulk.

            It is the same with information. Experts have taken to the internet, where we can find detailed instructions on everything from DIY plumbing to gourmet cooking to computer programming to fabricating whatever it is we need. As 3-D printing matures, this will become even more widespread. All this is empowering even as it destabilizes the older paradigms. The life cycle of these paradigms becomes ever shorter, as well.

            The response to all this has so far been for individuals and nation states to hoard commodities. But the hoarding produces its own imbalances and so, bubbles are created which then implode and with each implosion, certain classes of resources glut the markets, which cannot absorb them all at once, leading to huge devaluations. Both the hoarding and the implosions are natural responses to the present unbalanced global economy.

            Technological advancement has saved the world from collapse, so far, but once everyone has the cell phones, the TVs, the PCs, the tablets, the eReaders, the GPS systems, the myriad tiny appliances, multitudinous thumb drives, iPods, etc, etc, etc, demand dies and the supply quickly becomes a glut.

            People point to the expense of fuel as the first domino in a supply chain collapse. However, the first US fleet that takes advantage of abundant US NG to fuel transport and even goes to the expense of setting of filling stations along the most efficient routes will reap huge rewards as long as the government doesn’t artificially limit the supply of NG, or, more accurately, UNTIL the government does so.

            After the fabbing revolution which is in its infancy with 3D printing, who knows what some genius will invent. Perhaps we will have real replicators, some day, where the elements carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen and a tiny amount of trace minerals and rare earths will go in one side of a device and anything at all that can be represented by a program will emerge on the other side.

            We went from computers that filled square blocks, took weeks to compute data and huge workforces to do the compilation and programming to individual hand-helds that sell new for a week’s unskilled wage and for huge discounts if you don’t mind something a few generations old.

            Anything at all is possible and while it is uncomfortable to live in society during creative destruction, we have no idea at all what lies ahead.
            If things continue towards decentralization and the approaching information singularity, where knowledge is abundant, widely-dispersed and in many instances included in the price of the network and nearly free (such as the $1 app), the next cycle of human economics will be unrecognizable to the folks of 2013.

            Perhaps the mass marketer is simply going obsolete and we are too close to the event to see it for what it is.

            • if continues to DEcentralize?…What are You smokin?…All fed gov and big corp buis is Centralizing like prior to fed laws that halted Monopolies. They got rid of glass seagle bank laws and also got rid of monopoly laws and today we see again and again vast Mergers like other days anounced massive merger of airlines co’s to creat the Largest airline co ever.

              You call That decentralization?…Hobammy hired enough union fed workers his first 4 yr term to double size of fed gov workforce…De-centralizations?!!!

              ps wordings such as Info singularity smacks of various newager lib type phrases don’t it.

              • Hey Angelo, next time you take a left turn, use the signal.

            • Gluttony — one of the 7 deadly sins.

              A portion of the American society appreciates (and gobbles up) the e-tomes of information available, but the majority is more attracted to American Idol or Dancing With Stars.

              Seems like the only taste most people have is in their mouths.

              • My comment #1164179 was meant in response to BlueH2O’s comment #1163176…

            • I think it’s only a matter of time before the government tries to halt those 3-D printers, and anything else that interferes with their plans of destroying our country…wait and see.

              • Especially since they (I have read) can make gun parts…

            • The programming language for MATTER itself…?

              These were leaked out some time ago from a ‘reverse engineering lab’…

              They are purported to be alien in origin, so are they real or hoax? The Unified Field gives them the credibility from an energy type standpoint, maybe there are some linguists here who would like to take a stab at it…

              pipermichael . wordpress . com/ufo-tech-or-hoax/

              Just click on my name and then the page above.

        • This was my first thought also…, the internet is also dismantling the newspaper industry, one paper at a time. 🙁

          This unfortunately will be another cycle of., in with the new and out with the old.

      6. This is some scary stuff. I know this is off topic, but I was wondering if someone could help me. I’m new to prepping and new to all this Info (started taking interest in December). I want to start stock piling good organic seeds and was wondering if someone can tell me what kind to get. I’m not a big fan of buying stuff online so if maybe there’s a store brand or something I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks

        • Most people here grow pot. Any variety will do.

          • Love this site! One “dope” can drop a line about growing pot, and somebody else will grab it and run with it. Next thing you know, someone is growing the best watermelons in Harlem. Trekker Out. Keep Your Seeds Dry!

            • Watermelon in Harlem?!! Thats….Rayyyysssiiissss!!!

          • or you can choose one of the new and improved shtf strains…purple prep, bunker brown, all developed for your specific scenario,also great for luring big fat deer into range

            amused

        • I’m guessing you mean heirloom or open-pollinated. Try RHShumway.com

        • I have gotten all of my seeds from Amazon. Online, yes…but reliable and trustworthy sources. They even have the odd seeds that will come in handy (cotton, tobacco, luffa). Ordering from them lets me get seeds out of the growing season so I can start them indoors and have a nice head start. We have a very short growing season here, and I need all the help I can get! Otherwise, I would check Ace hardware or Home Depot when the season hits your area.

        • Having seed especially heirloom seed is a great asset but having the knowledge and actually being able to produce with those seeds is priceless.”Food for thought”

        • Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, 417-924-8917 M-F 8am-4pm CDT, order a catalog, this is but one of many out there

        • Awoken, look for “Heirloom Seeds”. You can purchase them online in a bundle (for a garden) or select the varieties you want by the packet.

          Here are a few websites that sell heirloom seeds:

          My Patriot Supply —– http://www.mypatriotsupply.com/

          Seeds Savers Exchange —– http://www.seedsavers.org

          Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds —– http://www.rareseeds.com

          Heirloom Solutions —– http://www.HeirloomSolutions.com

          Emergency Essentials —– http://www.beprepared.com
          (This is a huge website! They sell garden seeds, plus all kinds of useful things. Type in ‘garden seeds’.
          *They only sell seeds here in a packaged bundle.)

          Hope you find what you are looking for!

          Sincerely,
          KY Mom

          • Thanks KY Mom. A nice concise complete answer. Will be checking these out myself.

        • Lilly Miller seeds are not GMO, heirloom seeds are also not GMO. I think that the majority of the GMO seeds are sold to commercial corporate farms.

          http://www DOT sproutingoff DOT com/tag/seed-packets/

        • Awoken,

          I have had really good luck with Baker Creek Seeds, and Seed Savers Exchange.. But if its your first time garden pick up a few hybrids for your area as well. That way you will get a good crop. After a few tries then you will get your beds the way you want them.

          NOMI
          DPS

        • Heirloom seeds is what you want. Make sure you get some indigenous to your area. The only place I’ve seen them besides online is at a gun show. Keep the seeds sealed in your refrigerator for longer shelf life.

        • Awoken,

          Since you don’t like buying online, just hit the nursery and ask for Heirloom or open Polinated seeds, if you have a Home depot close they will have a good stock of seeds from Burpee.

          DPS

          PS if you live in a dry climate like I do, put in a drip system. worth every bit of the time it takes to build one.

        • Thanks guys im goin to check out all those sources and btw I’m not new to growing food/finding food. I live in rural pa and Spent most of my summers and weekends with my grandparents learning, now I fill my freezer for the year with what I get during hunting season. Thanks again I’m sure ill have more questions in the future.

        • First get one of the cans of seeds advertised on this site and others. It’s a fast start. The canned seeds will keep for years, put it away some place cool for a backup. Then start getting your education. Some seeds keep close to forever, if kept cool and dry. The larger seeds: Lima beans etc don’t keep as well. Although I do remember 30 years ago or so a seed co putting some corn seed in storage that they said should last for a thousand years. Survival blog usually has an add, not hard to find.

        • Awoken, In my town we have a seed and feed store, a couple of them in fact. Talk to the owners of places like this and find out what grows well and what others have success with. I buy enough for the year I am planting and enough for a couple of years down the road.

          Green beans, white half runners
          Corn any heirloom
          tomatoes several varities including marglobe will do nicely.
          cabbage, carrots, potatoes, peas,squash…

          The list is endless, but be sure to save some seed from your garden each year. Good luck.

      7. the only way the masses will wake up to reality is when they can no longer afford to go to Mc Dump and play on their I-Crack devices! WAKE UP FOOLS!

        • I like the Mc Dump. No the REAL Mc Dump. I repaired my car’s airbag computer there for like $15…

      8. Yep, these stores have been folding up ther tent in my neck of the woods , even some bigger ones too.

        some to the point where keeping a small mall open isnt worth it anymore.

        Lost a lot of Sears, JC Penny, K Mart..etc..

        My wife is pissed about JC Penny, and some other well known womens type shops that are and have been closing ..sure paints a picture, funny how the pitcture its painting isnt any of it good, yet some people cant see it

      9. To those interested the Rapture Index once again reached an all time high of 188. Even those that are not affiliated with any religion can feel it, some real mammouth time events are coming to this world. There are just too many issues of this world that point to colossal trouble and major upheavals for the entire human civilization, more than I have ever seen in my lifetime at least.

        • Watch the Baltic index as that shows how much is being shipped. That is declining month over month year after year. What make it worse is that there is hardly any warehousing. All of the product stores have is in the delivery pipeline. With that declining sales will decline even more, stores will not order more and manafactures will make less which means less people working whuch means more people on unemployment, welfare, food stamps, medicare, social security disability and other dependent programs such as Obama phones. The government who will just print more money, which in turn devalues the dollar. Inflation will begin at a greater rate. The National debt will go hyper, our GDP will decrease, fuel prices will rocket and the debt will increase until the interest payments exceed the gross GDP. The Chinese along with the Russins will declare the U.S. dollar is inslovent. Treasury bonds rates will increase to 60-70% and there will be no takers. Bingo! It all starts in 10 days.

          • BigB,

            I still wanna know whats going to happen on the 28th??

            NOMI-CATIMF
            DPS

            • Sequestration. It may be forestalled but as Ben Bernanke said over the weekend, “I cant see a situation where this can be avoided”. Obama says it can’t, Boehner says it can’t. The right says let it happen. It is only a 3% decline in government spending. As every major CEO in America says if you cannot cut 3% and still function at a high degree then the CEO would be fired.

              • BigB,

                Well ok thanks buddy for the heads up.. Other things happening on the 28th Feb. Gun rally in Albany NY with some pretty big names and maybe some of the Militia, Pope Steps down and thats all I found so far..Store closing well hell just take a drive through town an you can see that. I think Walt said it very well whats happening down below. Keep up the preps folks spring is looking to be very interesting..

                NOMI
                DPS

                PS Urgent e-mail waiting for NinoA

                • AGENDA21= Bring in Wall Marts to shut down hundreds of rural mom & Pop outlets and stores. Then shut down wall mart, fire everybody, UN and swindler polititions pass New fed laws to Ban most of whats left of private property rights. Force all rural folks back into major Human development UN Cities. And make certain that only 3-4 such human settlment/development areas will exist nationwide= 97+% of all america goes Back to “nature” where all forms of human activity is totally Forbidden.

                  While massive loopholes in laws allows for “certain” eliets such as al gore-pelosi-klintons-bushes-etc. to Build massive 50,000 sq ft mansions in their new owned 100,000 acres “reserves” set aside for eliets to dwell on/in.

                  Welcome to Really Multicult-america living arrangments!

                  Stack N’Pak peons(the 10% left after global eugenics programs exterminate the other 90% Hobammycare?) Ban all forms vehicles except bicycles and elec public busses. Force all human settlement dwellers to work-reside-live-shop-play within 5 miles or Less of said settlements!

                  And so many believed the united nations was to create world peace?!!…More like world serfdoms for elietist jew banksters aka the “Master Race” folks.

                  • hell they dont call me robin (snake) hood for nothing

                    snake

                  • World Peace? Hey, ain’t nothing more peaceful than a graveyard. Trekker Out.

              • BigB, So you and I posted about the Sequestration cuts on March 1st at the same time. Your follow-up post would be in alignment with the ‘cost’ of cost-cutting. Many people don’t realize that any government cut means that other feeder-employment will feel the cuts, too.

                Defense and other government jobs and contracts play into sub-contractor employment, retail, restaurant, fuel, etc.

                Until Reagan employed his own RIF/Reduction In Force, the the DC-metro area was considered Recession-proof because of the enormous size of the Federal Government and employment and contracts they generate. The DC area is about to take a hit and it’s doubtful they’re prepared for it.

                • @Zoltanne, We agree on everything excect the hit on DC. The beaucrasy will not eat on the administration only on the govenment workers who actualy do some thing. People like FBI agents, Forestry people, BLM agents, Park Ran gers, military on down the line. Plus this sreads it across the country so everyone see’s it.

                  Never cut out the infrastrutures administration. Only services to the people because the people must suffer for these cuts! You want them back, beg us to to tax you more.

                  May I have another bowl mum?

                  • BigB, maybe we are misunderstanding one another or I’m not fully explaining things? I don’t believe the Obama Admin will take ANY financial hit — in fact, they’ll profit from this (“never let a crisis go to waste”). The key players and donors will remain in charge or in top positions, OR they will profit financially to keep this destructive path going.

                    Those affected from Sequestration will be the workers within the government, the G15s and under. They will be the ones who will be affected. You reference employees who are providing services to the public — those with visibility will take a hit, sure. This methodology is no different than the typical planned threat that happens any time a city makes cuts (firemen, cops, and teachers get the axe). But this cut will take other agency employees/public servants as well.

                    When these jobs are cut, so goes those they employed through purchases of goods and services. This feeds back into this post on the retail apocalypse. The Spending Engine is coming to a slow, grinding halt everywhere except in the politics of DC. I’ve always likened the majority of government employment to be just another welfare program. And when that Sugar disappears, the “S” won’t taste so good…

                    Does that explain it better, BigB?

                  • Every State already has such varied agencys like park rangers etc…BLM-EPA-FBI-Dept ed-ATF etc are All Unconst anyways. And mainly designed to better control we the people and restrict Our rights further. Why was the cowboys era so Free?…Cause all them FED agencys didn’t as yet exist.

                    Fed govnt probobly needs less than 50,000 total work force nationwide…NOT 2.1 Million as now! Add That to all local-county-state workers…Add Unions so none can get fired no matter what wrongs done. They have taxpayers and property taxes fund it all while all taxpayers go flat broke!….Some system eh.

                  • @Zoltanne, You hit it on the head.
                    BigB

                  • BigB, here it comes…..

                    Pink slips going out soon (link to follow)

            • DPS and NP, If he’s alluding to what I think he is, it’s about govt spending.

              March 1 is when Sequestration cuts are slated to begin. Automatic cuts between March 1 and September 30 will occur. Sequestration means a reduction of 13% percent for defense and 9% for other programs. The cuts will be made over 7 months and don’t all take effect March 1.

            • Nothing significant: the sequestration is about 10% or less of the amount they should cut to get the budget, not including entitlements, balanced. So look at it this way; it’s about 3% of what would happened if they did what they have to and what will occur soon anyway..

              • Paranoid, over the next ten years, it will affect the “growth” of the DOD by about 8%. Personally, I’m all for these cuts but we need to change the entitlement programs, too, and none of the slick politickers will touch that subject. Is that intentional? Are they intentionally trying to run Social Security and Disability into the ground, too? I believe so. As it stands, without any changes to the age limits and with the number of contributors lessening every year, SS is unsustainable. It’s part of the plan to bring it all down and swipe all the profits off the table for themselves.

                Bastard crooks don’t deserve the burial service after Piper’s done with them….

          • BigB, I very much appreciate your input and knowledge. Could you please expound on what you foresee coming March first that will be the catalyst and the aftermath?

            Thank you!
            NP

            • See above. The jobs that will be lost will be the, well see above. My rants or just stating the facts do tire me out. Depress me as well. Wife and friends don’t want to hear it as even though they know what I am saying is true they just don’t want to hear it. Fatalists. The question they ask it what do you want me to do? Answer: Prep!!

              • Government workers has been the fastest gro9wing job field in America for some time now. Better pay and bennies sweetened the pot, as well as the inherent power of position…they’ve been exempt from feeling the pain for too long in my opinion.

                The only way to wake up more people is for them to feel the heat as well as the rest of us. I’ll be glad when the government starts eating it’s own too. I look forward to the surge in insider info and the new comrades in arms.

              • Right on, keep it real BigB

            • Sequestration is a nasty beast that is the blame of the federal govt, not just Obama. The super committee really screwed this all up. Everyone on capitol hill should be fired.

              I know numerous civilian contractors to the govt…and many of them are waiting to hear the word “furlough”. Already things like air shows are getting axed. You will see cuts to national parks, though, before you see cuts to welfare programs. Obama made it such that the WARN Act can be disregarded so if companies have to cancel contracts, then they will lay people off without fear of lawsuits (the big bad govt will cover the cost of lawsuits). This could be a catalyst. People who work for a living, pay their taxes and are good citizens get screwed…this could definitely be a catalyst. What would you do if you got laid off because of sequestration (the govt failing to do their job)?

              If subsidy programs get cut, that will be a catalyst.

              No matter what, the middle class is about to be gutted, tarred and feathered, then strung out while the rich and Obamites (those looking for a handout) will sit back and enjoy the ride.

              But people will start to snap. This pressure cooker is hitting max and the seams will give way. The only reason it has not gone into full blown chaos is because (for the most part) the middle class are hard-working, civilized people that play by the rules. Once the middle class realizes that the rules only apply to them and no one else….all hell will break loose.

              • Sequestration is not the government failing to do their job – They failed at their jobs WAY before sequestration came along.

                What is coming is inevitable and there is nothing government can do about it.

                GOVERNMENT SCREWED THE POOCH BY DESIGN !!

                You guys better start prepping cause it cant be stopped, .Gov could delay it a while – but the end result is inevitable !!

          • @BigB stands for Big Balls!

            Enough with those pussy prognosticators calling for doom one or two or ten years from now! They just want to save their reputation and give it a big enough window to make their predictions appear correct.

            TEN DAYS to DOOM!! Hats off to you BigB! I’m rootin for ya!

            • Thanks A, As I stated it will just be the start of a very long unwinding of our society and economic valuations. I wish it were not true as I really have enjoyed my present life styles. Who knows these guys are the best at kicking the can down the road but if they do it will unwind in another way ansd just as fast.

              • Eventually the can gets too smashed and just skids along,

          • Bigbe

            Pwese lern Howe too spel currectley iz notte spelt manafactures itz spelte manifactores…

            Thankee

        • That web site is in my fav. THX BI!

        • Sorry to ask a silly question, but What do you mean by “Rapture” index?

          • VanMom: Go to raptureready.com, and then look at Rapture Index. It will explain it to you.

            • Thank you, Pale Rider, Todd, Parnoid & BigB for your assistance… Just not a term I have used.

          • http://www.raptureready.com/rap2.html

            The Purpose For This Index

            The Rapture Index has two functions: one is to factor together a number of related end time components into a cohesive indicator, and the other is to standardize those components to eliminate the wide variance that currently exists with prophecy reporting.

            The Rapture Index is by no means meant to predict the rapture, however, the index is designed to measure the type of activity that could act as a precursor to the rapture.

            You could say the Rapture index is a Dow Jones Industrial Average of end time activity, but I think it would be better if you viewed it as prophetic speedometer. The higher the number, the faster we’re moving towards the occurrence of pre-tribulation rapture.

          • Number of strawberry Margaretta’s you can drink before you fall off the floor.

          • Rapture Index=
            The satisfaction level of the ordinary person based on a number of things from religion to lifestyles. Quoted from web site:

            The Rapture Index has two functions: one is to factor together a number of related end time components into a cohesive indicator, and the other is to standardize those components to eliminate the wide variance that currently exists with prophecy reporting.

          • VanMom: Don’t waste your valuable time on this “rapture” index nonsense. There is no such thing, bibically speaking. It’s mearly some silly stuff people have put together from various passages of both testaments in order to ‘guess’ when the end is near. The Bible never uses the word rapture. In the New Testament, Jesus said that there were signs of the end times and that when people see them they should be ready. But he went on to say that only the Father in Heavan knows the exact day and time. So this stuff is nothing more than a dog chasing it’s own tale. It certainly isn’t from the Bible. I challenge any one of these supporters to lend a an exact quote.

        • This is all part of the master plan conceived more that 100 years ago.
          Every single occurrence of boom & bust, war, tech advancement, societal “enlightenment” and then ultimate decay has been planned and now in the final stages.
          So the “change” must be close.

      10. Cheap shit is just that, and regardless of what the GOV has to say the American people can see how much less they’re making, plus millions spent all extra income on gun and ammo over the last month.

        • http://www.stevequayle.com/index.php?s=33&d=299
          excerpt:

          he told me that one of his
          friends that was on the Joint Chiefs of Staff (sounds like he is now
          retired) verified that the Government is buying up ammo that they had no
          use for, such as the 22LR, and just destroying it to keep it off the
          shelves. He also confirmed that several of the officers he knows are being
          interviewed by the administration with a lie detector and being told that
          they wont fit into the future direction of the military and being forced to
          leave. This is just more confirmation to what is going on.

          • JayJay, don’t worry, one of my buddies, that use to shoot skeet with Barry, said not to worry, cause Barry changed his mind. Said skeet shooting was so much fun, and they tasted so good, that he was going to take up duck hunting,and maybe try for Benghazi Banded Ringtail, although he really didn’t think he needed an AK15 for shooting Mallards. But he said to each his own. So we can all stop worrying. Trekker Out. So Bring Your 22LR Ammo Out Of Hiding.

            • When can we go n shoot some cans?

              • Kula, why cans? Why not apples off of politicians heads? While they’re kicking the cans down the road. Trekker Out. Semper Paratus!

      11. Urban decay has now took center stage,… ” Suburban Decay!” Get used to it! I live in southeastern Michigan, and the suburbs of Detroit are slowly becoming a ghost town. All the mom and pop owned, light industrial, and machine shops are all gone! “Automation Alley” as it was called, was the backbone of the “Big Three” automotive company’s! Remember for every one automotive related job lost, means five more service, and retail jobs are lost as well! And now we have lost our tax base! This means we can no longer fund the maintenance of our infrastructure! Shopping malls for the middle class were the first to get hit! Then the big box stores moved in like wolves and devoured the the small businesses! And this is only the beginning! Wait until you see what the have in store for the Food industry! Be smart grow your own food and may God bless!

        • @ Stinky Steve,
          I used to live in your area but moved to the south many, many years ago. I know exactly what you mean. prep as fast as you can, ’cause it ain’t gonna get better. bless your heart; hang in there!
          Jenn

          • We have in our community a local farm market in Mt. Clemens, and we have our own food plots,however we are only 1% of our neighborhood. And that’s what really scares me! the rest of our community, goes out to buy the local wal- mart GMO fed lie ‘and this why I cant even talk to my fellow neighbors about healthy living!~

            • Better believe the Mt. Clemens hungry hoards will be lick’n their chops and eyeballing your organic “plot” when the “fixin’s for their next junk food meal are not on the Wal-Mart shelf. (I’m assuming a food plot is a small portion of a community garden?) Does your plot have a Sentinel…yet?

        • Stinky

          You need to move up north here. Still Michigan but lots, lots better.

          • I’m planning on it! some where near the garden peninsula
            !

          • Steve: I used to live in detroit for 43 yrs then moved up north(in lower penn) what is it now like in those wealthy areas like Bloomfield Hills?…Birmingham? and the other wealthy areas?…I’d bet they are all doing swell still eh?…Franklin near bloomfield hills etc was the 5th richest area in entire nation back when I worked those areas.

            Wont shock me if them areas is all thats still doing good today. Them folks are so wealthy they never get harmed by recessions etc. Lots of OLD money there also.

            40 yrs ago I used to tell my boss wait till in the future when america fails and so few rich areas will get swarmed by folks that got zero to lose and litterally Surround the wealthy area suberbs!…Looks as if soon I may be proven correct.

            • Angelo,…It isn’t any thing like it used to be! I grew up in Rochester in the 80’s when it was like Birmingham,Bloomfeild, and Groose pointe! Now it’s nothing but a Retail suss pool of of one big commercial shopping mall! And its all closing down!The powers that be are going to let the suburbs of the motor city crumble down to the ground!I shake my head and cry when I look at the people, lumbering their fat asses into Costco and Wal- mart to buy their GMO groceries just to get by!

      12. A few things from the gun range yesterday.
        1. It was packed with people waiting in cars parked down the gravel road waiting for a spot to open up so they could shoot.

        2. A lot of newbies (I consider myself to kind of still be a newbie?)

        3. Now the alarming thing I noticed….it was eerily wierd. No kidding …….everyone shooting a rifle (of all calibers) was having ammo and feed problems…everyone! A lot of problems. ONe guy had reloads from a “friend” that less than 10% fired. My new 25 round Bartlett mags for my Ruger 10/22 wouldn’t feed the federal rounds, but worked fine with CCI. The Winchester 5.56 would not feed with out some help on my AR.

        But seriously everyone there over 50 people were all having gun jam, feed and ammo issues. It was wierd…very wierd

        • surprised they had any ammo to shoot, or that they would be shooting it.

          about the “feeding” issues..maybe we are getting the bottom of the barrel factory loads?

          or..people are not lubng thier slides and actions correctly?

          any re-loads I make go thru a ” test run” before they get stuck in a box…a few get fired, but many of them go thru a mag check, feed check, breech check, if they wont run its usually a sizing issue

          • VRF,

            I went through a couple hundred reloads yesterday with my (Toy) 9mm and the 5.56 not a single jamb or miss fire.. But I had a hard time getting the smile off my face last night..

            NOMI,
            DPS

            • I usually will fill a few magazines of what ever cal. I have loaded, and I work the slide to see if they all clear on eject, and if the slide closes completely on charging..some guns are pickey..and even a few thou.in case sizing can make some guns a no go, where others dont have that issue..I also find that a well worn and cared for action may be a bit more forgiving then a tight right out of the box clean low round action

              • It just hit me… First time gun owner with a brand new hobby… Reloading. What could go wrong?

              • VRF- I agree with you on this. Some guns have a bit more “play” in them to cycle different rounds ok. I bet maybe it was a high moisture day and some have new guns that are picky with certain rounds. I like winchester but I was shooting a FNP-tactical 45 and had about 3-4 misfeeds with winchester white FMJ rounds in the 100 pack. I never have problems with federal or remington roungs. MY FN scar will eat anything you feed it. Same as my ps90 that has never ever had a jamb. I have that ps90 with a eotech and have it scoped in to hit a 12 gauge shotgun shell at 50 yards. its fun to shoot and going to let the finace use this in a home invasion senerio. I will use a 12 gauge benelli m2 loaded with buckshot. have a tube extender on it to hold about 8 shots one in chamber.

                Im glad I got my ammo about 2 years ago.(at least the majority) VRF if you want to ever talk about guns on here or to help people that are novice more Im in to help anyone on here. My tip to new people the most improtant thing is not the brand but a realiable semi-auto pistol and you like how it shoots and feels to you. a 9mm in the right place will drop someone dead on the spot. You dont need a 45acp pistol ladies. Anything that feels comfortable to you and you like the sights are eazy to bring on target quickly is what I would use. Im not a expert on guns but I have shot about every gun on this planet. Just trying to help some of you novice people. Most responds on here about guns are pretty accurate and good info to have. We as preppers care about others that want to help themselves. We just don’t like to hear or listen to idiots that have no idea what they are talking about and waste everyone’s time on here.

                I remember a few years ago peanut butter was only 3-4 dollars for a huge size jar. Now its doubled and as a lot of other foods. People are spending all their money on food and gas and do not have the extra for new things or items like we used to have. You can tell its hard for most people with gas prices this high and everything else. While Obama doesn’t give a shit about us he is trying to persuade others that his plan is working? Obama has no plan. I don’t know what the hell this guy is doing to us. It’s unreal and people’s moral is so down anymore its hard to believe we still are ticking and survivng.

                I believe very soon the cards are going to fall permenately for the majority of us and he will have nobody to blame but himself.

                • Very good post and I was just thinking the same thing along the lines of helping the newbies. You guys with the wealth of know how need more than ever now to pass this onto others just learning (me) and the younger ones.

                  • Wonder if Mac could or would set up a shooters forum? Just an idea, the SHTFplan shooters forum, ??????

                  • great idea

                    What do you say Mac?

                    I only have one request…please please please use a different format / layout than this one. Like one thing that would help in navigating through all the posts and finding most recent posts sionce last visit would bve to go away from this and use a “quote” button for those wanting to reply to a specific poster / post.

                  • Hi Guys — A forum is in development now. One of our key issues is security, especially on the Private Messaging side of things. Our code whisperer is working on it. The apps are already installed; it’s just a matter of optimizing it, integrating with the site and getting it launched.

                    I totally agree that we need a repository for this type of information – a searchable repository – and it’s coming.

                    Thanks!

                    Mac

          • The range must be in the twilight zone. I am with VRF, most of the time it is a brass or OCL problem, my reloads always go bang. If I reload for someone else I make them leave me the gun. Load 3, test them out the back door. If all is good I will reload the rest.

          • I bought some .308 bulk at a recent gun show and had several rounds that would not chamber correctly, to the point that it would not go into battery and then caused issues trying to get the live rounds out of the chamber. All these were supposed to be new factory and the brass all had Lake City headstamps. I gave up trying to shoot and when I got home ran all the rounds thru a case gauge. About 2% of all the rounds would leave about 1/16 to an 1/8 of an inch of the brass protruding out the case gauge.

            • Factory, Bulk, Lake City? I don’t think there is such a thing. Lake City is US Gov. Look at the primers and see if they are sealed. US gov seals all their primers reloads usually aren’t.

              • Sometimes LC will sell bulk of what is deemed as “seconds”. They didn’t pass DOD’s stringent QC and can be sold to the public. I have bought some.

              • I have seen alot of it (Lake City bulk) for sale as he says on gunlistings.org and armslist.com….also at the Cedar Rapids, IA gun shows

          • many of the newest stoner pattern rifles on the market are not true mil-spec high quality systems, many have hokey feed ramps, rough mag wells, cheap alloy forgings as opposed to the 7075 forging, weak buff tubes and spring, odd carriers and all kinds of incorrect assembly methods, sorry to anyone who got duped into buying junk but this is the reality of it, if your going to run a stoner system you better be married to it, and know that the components inside will carry you through the valley of the shadow of death, if your not sure your not on the ball, and it could be the death of you

            • “stoner” ???

              • Eugene Morrison Stoner (November 22, 1922 – April 24, 1997)the principal designer of the AR-15 / M-16 rifle platform…

        • BJ,

          Most are having problems with ammo due to dirty guns and older ammo. Make sure to clean you gun and I don’t mean run a brush down the barrel and call it good.. Break it down and clean every part. This will make it run very smooth and it will help you know your gun better. I’m betting that since were newbies they didn’t bother to clean the guns after last time they shot.. A clean gun is a happy gun and very unhappy targets..

          NOMI
          DPS

          • very true, that and using the right lube..silly people that use WD-40 should be bitch slapped..repedatively

            • VRF,

              WD-40 should be outlawed around ammo. Want duds keep wd-40 with your ammo… Hey check out wnd website and look at what Texas is doing.That will piss some off the feds.
              Now back to reloading.

              NOMI
              DPS

              • EWL/Slip 2000 is all I run in my guns for lube. DI ARs need to be kept clean and run ‘wet”. Piston driven guns just need to be wiped down from time to time. OCD sucks!

          • Synchronicity. Went to the range today with both of the guns I inherited from my Dad. Both Sears and Roebuck arms from 1967. A model 3T 22 s, l, lr semi (Winchester 190) and a bolt action 16 gauge shotty (believe it’s a Savage, at least the adjustable choke is.) I used some of the old Remington/Peters shotgun shells and a box of CCI minigroup 22lr’s, 46 year old ammo. Shot just fine. Guns and ammo stored correctly and guns well cleaned and lubed befor the first trigger pull.

        • @BJ, I have noticed more and more people, newbies, using a silicon spray to oil their weapons instead of regular old gun oil. It could be that or a result of not cleaning your guns well after using. I would guess one of the two. As far as ammo not working, hmmm, I don’t know.

          • I got ahold of some 25 cal that wouldn’t feed…
            It had steel cases…and a funny looking coating on the case… they got stuck in the chamber…

            Brass, no more steel casings for me.

            • PM, Wolf ammo at one time (they claim no longer do) had a laquer coating on all their steel cased ammo. When your gun gets hot, the laquer softens and sometimes the case will stick in the chamber causing a FTE. I don’t give my ARs a steady diet of Wolf or Tula ammo as it can be hard on extractors.

              • Good to know PO’d…
                I don’t do anything that ain’t brass anymore…
                But the way things are going, everything I shoot from now on will be reloads…

          • Lots of the new AR platform rifles are real finicky, there is a lot of foreign ammo that is garbage too, lube, lube, lube, getting a bunch of rounds through any rifle will make it easier to tune them and the shooter, ill take my Ruger M77 30-06 or my Rem 700 308 VTR over any AR, any day, just my preference
            Old ammo hasnt been an issue, have one of my Dads old M1 carbines with Korean war era ammo, still shoots like new!

        • Listen to the old posters here…
          You remember some of these ‘crazy’ shooters, like Aurora? Do you remember that his gun jammed? In fact, I seem to remember that his has happened to several of these mass murdering scum.
          Do you know why?

          It is most likely the same reason these newbies are having problems… if its a semi automatic, YOU MUST TEAR IT DOWN AND CLEAN IT WITH GOOD BRUSH, cleaning fluid and GUN OIL. I used some silicone once, the silicone crap is just that, CRAP. After it gets cold, and mixed with burnt powder, it can turn to hard muck, especially if newbies just spray it in the bolt receiver without wiping it off. IT is for PUSSIES, that don’t want to know how to clean their weapons. If you ain’t willing to tear it down after a shooting session, GIVE IT TO SOMEBODY WHO WILL TREAT HER LIKE THE LADY SHE IS… if you don’t treat a lady nice, she will turn on you and let you down, right when you need her.

          Take it from 40 years of shooting, I have even used 3 in 1 oil with decent results. No more silicone for me.
          Nuff said.

          • Speaking of… how do you lube the gas piston in an M1 Carbine (vintage)?

            The little collar nut that holds it in is staked in place with a punch by design…

            • When I have a problem like that I usually soak it, drain it and wipe it. Then work it until I don’t see anything coming out of it, then put it back together and try a round.
              But a quick search showed MANY cleaning tutorials and kits online…

              • Greetings ya’ll. Off topic / but barging in – As a newbie gun owner I had a serious problem chambering DH’s Glock. That’s a ‘no way’ for me.
                Move to a Ruger 9 mm and hated the way it felt, hated to target practice with it. It found a beloved owner in dear son. Moved to a .380 Walther that I really like. Bought some Blazer brass in a large bulk box that almost had me in fits with everyone saying ‘you aren’t holding it tight enough, etc, etc. and other snide remarks about gals and guns’ Had an experienced Marine BIL put (try to put) 50 rounds through it before he concurred there might be a problem with the gun.
                Problem solved – changed to Federal and have zero problems after about 50 rounds…. any thoughts on this other than I should graduate to a ‘real gun’?

                • Trail Guide,

                  Everyone has a favorite pistol so you will get a bunch of opinions on this subject. Myself when I shoot most times I grab my berreta fs92 9mm, but I carry my S&W 9mm. both are great guns and never have jambed up on me. But I do keep them very clean. The thing I like about the fs 92 is the double action also if is good enough for our fighting men then its good enough for me.

                  NOMI
                  DPS

                  • stick to fighting calibers
                    most modern fighting pistols should function fine if clean
                    up to 300 rounds break in may be required
                    if you have a constant problem with function in any pistol it may be your grip, everyone has to find a true (pistol grip) to be a combat shooter
                    i personally use 80-90% hand strength, if your not getting sore after a bit, your not gripping it firm enough, some may disagree but in rapid fie strings the entire upper body must be rigid and forward leaning
                    dry fire drills make it second nature, ask any expert

                    amused

                • Have the extractor checked! My 40 and 45 had same symptoms, both required extractor replacement. Hair line crack, not visible with the naked eye.

                  • what pistol? that is serious problem, i hope i dont own what you had fail, spooky

                • Piss on Glock… and 9mm… when I hit something it goes down on the first round.

                  Had to shoot a dog that was killing my chickens… from 30 yds.

                  Colt 1911 .45 ACP. Once you’ve shot one, you can’t go backwards. I think, the Marines went back to it….after a negative 9mm ‘experience’.

                  Sorry… but I don’t like 9mm, I was not impressed.
                  (Maybe that’s why you have to have such large mags?)
                  😉

                  • the 9 and the 45 both have their place on the battlefield, good thing there was only one dog and not ten, or a reload would have been in order, hope you carry a spare, lets not discard any designs or calibers, the truth is anything obsolete or ineffective has been weeded out to some degree, and the 9 still holds its own more often than not

                    amused

                  • Piper, how in the world was that dog killing your chickens from 30 yards. Trekker Out.

                  • MT,
                    I was 30 yds away… and he was chasing my prize leghorn rooster…
                    Got ‘im… on the move… from 30 yds.
                    After he had killed 4 girls.
                    (Old hunting dog…)

                  • @amused,
                    Granted… to each their own preference.
                    Yes, I will always pick up a spare mag… speaking of which, I think I need to buy some more spares, maybe a nice extender mag would work good.
                    (Do they make extended mags for a 1911?… sorry, don’t keep up with new stuff much… anybody know?)

                  • One second, About 100 years ago the military got stuck with an agreement to only use solid ball ammo. For solid ball I agree the 45 is the best. For us, use a good jacketed hollow point and you will have no problem with 9MM. And you can carry a lot more.

                  • Piper, I’m with you. Rather fond of the .45ACP. I Open Carry, 7 days a week, only take it off for Church on Sunday, and bed time. Mine is a Para P14, 14 Rounds. Besides 2 legged varmints, there are alot of Griz, Lions and Wolves where I trek. I weighted the options,6 rounds in 44mag,or 14 in 45ACP. Went with the 45. Trekker Out. Semper Paratus!

              • Ah that’s good cause I got mine transferred from a friend and the gas piston was completely inoperative. I think he put some kind of crazy thick as hell teflon grease into it. Go figure.

                I freed it up by spraying penetrating oil into the gas port from the barrel side and working it like you said. It’s really nice and free now. Haven’t put a round through it though.

                My concern is that this area is going to gunk up really fast because if I oil it with gun oil, there’s no way to get the excess out of there and it’s just going to be a spent powder magnet.

                • Try an air compressor with a blow attachment…
                  😉

                • Sometimes the copper fowling can build and close off the gas metering hole in the block and it can be a pain to get it back open.

          • Rem oil or Hoppes #9

            • Kula, I’ve used Hoppes for years and to some extent, still do. (Love the smell. even put some behind my ears when I go out)I’ve started using Slip 2000 on all my guns. Rated to keep lubricating down to -100 deg. F. Use CLP Breakfree on the outer portions for a wipedown.

            • I love the smell of Hoppes in the morning!!!

          • I like to plan an afternoon around weapon cleaning when I can. It’s ritual and oh so soothing. Love the feel of precision smooth action after a good four hour cleaning almost as much as getting it dirty again. Just wish I didn’t have to squat on the ammo right now. Because of the price/shortage of ammo at this point I don’t think I would even waste it on a warning shot. Looking into bb guns to keep at it while we experience this gap in ammo supply. Praying that cheap ammo will return!

        • Yeah could be a quality control issue.

          If the guns and the ammo are all new and were being rushed out the door to keep up with demand, certain steps in the inspection process might have been… eh… shaved shall we say.

        • Lots of newbies forget the first thing you do with a rifle is NOT SHOOT IT. It’s: CLEAN AND LUBE IT. Lots of factory guns, especially Soviet, have God only knows what kind of dried gunk on them. Second, lots of semi autos need to be used a bit to loosen up. That’s just life.

          • SO RIGHT Paranoid…

            Its called Cosmoline, a protective coating for long term storage, it has to be cleaned out first.
            Reputable dealers will give it an initial cleaning sometimes.
            IF you see a brownish substance on your rifle, get to work before you shoot!
            LEARN your weapon, and how to care for a lady.

            • I know all about cosmoline, (I hate Cos) 2 cans of spray cleaner and an entire undershirt of wipes and a quart of kerosene, and I have an old O-3 that’s still not clean. No, the Russian stuff has something else on it that is shiny and hard almost like a varnish.

              • Not familiar with Russian gear, except zeroing an AK…
                So I would tear it down and pull out the wirebrush… on all the internals.

              • Paranoid,

                Its a laq coating to keep the stell from rusting and it should not be taken off.

                NOMI
                DPS

              • Try steam to get off the cosmoline.

              • Cosmoline is your friend! If it wasn’t for Cosmoline these old weapons everyone is coveting now would be nothing but rust and wood. Keep Cosmoline on a weapon if it is going to be stored or stashed as it is the one sure way to prevent rust. There are various ways to remove it, from brake fluid to low-heat ovens, just take your weapons apart, learn every part of it and everywhere Cosmoline can seep in. Embrace the Cosmoline!

        • Thanks all you guys that posted good info

          I need to learn how to take guns apart and care for them……and I am not much of a book guy. I work best with face to face one on one learning.

          Any of you ever checked out the shooting schools in America. I am trying to talk my boss into going to one with me sometime this year. We looked at badlands tactical in OK but think we both like the looks of GPS in Arizona better

          • Here is the bazarre side of it!! Some guns shoot better with more accuracy when they are dirty! I’m talking sniper guns! Some guys will leave just the barrell dirty for better accuracy, The smallet amount of play can throw a bullet off at long distance. But remember to clean outside the barrell etc. For most pistols you want smooth free moving parts and lubrication to keep things sliding easier. Look at some of the special defense rounds they use nickel the “silver colored brass” the reason so they feed flawless in most guns and less chance of a hickup.

            Another important fact too is when you get a brand new ar-15 and your going for accuracy, you want to do a couple of shots and clean the barrell, some at first do it every single shot in brand new ar-15 up to so many rounds. Some don’t do this. But in a brand new gun you don’t want to to shoot 30 rounds or more out of a new weapon since this heats the barrel up and cause warping a tad.

            Also keep in mind some powders can can be effected my leaving your shells in a car that over 9o degrees, that can change the chararistics of the powder and really effect accuracy if your shooting at 300 yards with a .308. If you notice on rifle powders and it says “extreme” this can take the heat and cold better than other powder loads that do not say this. This is for accuracy shots and trying to have less than 1-2 inch drop at 300 plus yards. Don’t worry so much if you are shooting at 50 yards less with a pistol so much. We learn this stuff with trial and error over years and years of shooting. So heat can effect powder quality so try and store in decent temps. That is my tip for the day,

            • One of my biggest lessons was storage temp…65Deg and dry, seems to work for canned food, dry goods, taters, and the fact that ammo is the same doesn’t surprise me.
              Looking to build a large root cellar/bunker …

              • well its not really that big of deal for the 90 percent of us and the rest are looking for consistancy when shooting at 1 MOA minute of angle or (or .5MOA) at very long distances past 100 yards etc. long they are for the majority of the time stored in normal temp ranges they are going to be just fine. I was saying in a car thats maybe over 100 degrees and so. THe cool thing is you can always learn something new from many people especially with guns, there is always something you can learn thats new. We don’t know everything and the people that claim to know everything are either too cocky or one sided minded.

            • Clint, Can’t say I’ve ever heard about an accurate dirty barrel — that’s a new one.

              You’re right about breaking in a new barrel — slow and steady, clean after each round, do not build up heat. Husband finished assembling and shot his new rifle yesterday — first time. The stock was handmade and is the one that the bandsaw cut his finger off. Finger still mending. Gun finished. For all he went through on this one, glad it’s already accurate. LOL

              During a match in summer, it’s not uncommon to see some of us cooling our barrels w/ damp towels between relays. Switchy conditions or poor loads can send too many bullets down the barrel in a short time.

              • My stainless Ruger KP90 .45 shoots better with a dirty barrel. The first few rounds after cleaning are sometimes a few inches off, but once I get a couple mags through it, it is fine.

          • Hey BJ,
            Another factor you might want to know…
            polishing the feed ramp also helps cut down on FTF’s
            (fail to feed) 600 then 1200 grit wet/dry to start then 2000 every other time you clean 🙂

      13. Food….get food and stock it back. The most precious thing you’ll invest in, that and defense. But everybody here knows that…preaching to the choir. Get what you can get NOW! Good luck and God bless.

      14. from that CNN article, about gov. furloughs:
        “… automatic funding cuts across much of the federal budget set to begin March 1 — was never supposed to go into effect. Instead, the threat that it might was supposed to spur lawmakers to find a smarter way to reduce deficits over the next decade.”

        “Just pass the bill and then we can read what is in it.” ~ N.P.

        This is the kind of ridiculous BS that occurs when people are not holding elected officials accountable.

        That being said, IMHO, it is already too late to effect change politically and the time for peaceful resolution is quickly evaporating.

        in the words of their highly revered disciple M.Z.
        “all political power comes from the barrel of a gun”

        time is short and so is the supply of ammo. ~ me

      15. Maybe C.B’s will make a come back and save Radio Shack. Yeah, along with 8-track tapes, bell bottoms, pet rocks…

        • Even the infamous Mustang Ranch has a sign that says they’re going out of business so beat it.

        • Radio Shack is good for a lot of different electronic piece-parts. If you need a capacitor or resistor, or any one of a variety of terminals for wire, they are a good resource.

          I wouldn’t sell CBs short. Once the SHTF, they may be one of a couple ways to communicate. Once phone and internet go down, that CB may come in handy. Same with ham radio.

          • SM: Where can one find Ham radio’s

            • Pale Rider,

              Hit Amazon brother they start at 44.00 for the hand held and go from there.

              DPS

              • DPS: THX

      16. This problem has been going on for years. The economy will stall their growth. But the biggest problem is the projection of sales to achieve a credit line or make it look good for future sale of the enterprise.
        You cannot project sales, especially the last 2 decades.
        If you sale 20 pencils then say that next year you are going to sale 30 is not smart. Now to say you are going to sale 20 is also a guess. But 20 is a possibility. As those that bought pencils the year before may have it till 2 years later and therefore not need a pencil.
        Most all of the places that are listed above are over priced even if they do carry good quality stuff.
        One has to factor in the discount stores.
        I am amazed that our towns lost to strip malls and then Wall Mart. And Wall Mart is nothing more than Woolworth and Sprouse glorified. Personally would rather have Woolworth or Sprouse still around.
        And now people are shopping with a budget and sale paper in hand and most usually doing without or saving towards what they want.

        • Read this article on Michael’s site.

          Walking into a K mart is like entering a time warp. They look just like they did in the 70s.

          Video stores are going the way of the Betamax. Sorry.

          Many of these stores are in unprofitable locations. A mall is a high-rent district for a store that sells capacitors and sta-kons. RS tries the cell phone thing, but cell phone stores are everywhere.

          If you do the math, the budget “cuts” are tiny. 85B out of a 3600B budget is about 2.36%. Should be chump change, but any cuts will be engineered to cause maximum pain. When’s the last time you heard of a shcool district try to pass a tax levy by threatening to cut out administrators (Why does an elementary school need a psychologist or guidance counselor anyway, but I digress)?

          • You’re exactly right. My kids school district just announced a $600,000 budget deficit, so instead of cutting useless overhead and administrative positions, they are cutting essential programs. They want the parents (taxpayers) so pissed off that they will accept another huge property tax increase. Mine have already gone up 27% in the last 2 years.

      17. We have two new gun stores, but of course they are sold out of most every thing.

      18. Indeed,

        It appears as if the ‘Well’ is drying up, doesn’t it. The next state of this to come will be when the earnings drop accordingly and money begins moving attempting to ‘seek’ a better return….that will pressure the Corp as lot of thier ‘paper’ is backed by thr value of the stock itself…as it drops so the obligations get more and more difficult to meet…..this is a vicious spiral that will self-feed, Preps, preps, preps Y’All.

        JOG

      19. I hope when J.C.Penney’s closes I can get that $500 man-bag to match my $200 gay couture man-jeans on SALE!

        • Lol, yes, when J.C.Penny started catering to the gay community they lost my business.

        • Now that was funny!

      20. Let’s see now, fuel for our cars is nearly $4 a gallon, a new salary tax increase, insurance rates have risen, utilities are rising, property taxes rising, rents are rising to a third over what they were 5 years ago, home values have declined by a third, and wages are stagnated.

        Why is this a surprise?

        • But how can that be, Smokey? The nightly news channels say we are in a “recovery” and the people around me keep reminding me that things are getting “better”. When I point out these things you listed above, they just pretend those are minor issues. The majority of Americans still have their heads in the sand (or elsewhere) and prefer to rely on hope and the government rather than face reality.

      21. However, whenever we fall and quit buying cheap foriegn made goods, countries such as China will follow suit and land much much harder. We are actually in better shape than countries such as China and most of Europe to handle what is coming. At least we can feed ourselves, have water, and our large supply of natural gas and other resourses are a plus. In a worst case scenario, China may try to lay claim to our resources to pay off our debt to them but they will have to come and take it. I beleive they know they are screwed. Either way you look at it, the world economy is a house of cards preparing to fall.

        • Yeah China.

          I did some quick back of the napkin math on that.

          If you assume the high number for their mystery gold reserves and assume they ration oil to 50% of their current consumption I get something like 6 years maximum before they blow all their gold on oil.

          Hardly in a terrific position there. I mean… it could be worse for them, certainly, but… it’s hardly great now is it?

          That’s 6 years to um. “Do something about it”… well… no if they go “doing something about it” it’s probably more like 2 to 4 years…

      22. This is not hard to figure out.

        Three factors that I can see:

        1. The loss of good paying middle-class jobs, replaced by low-paying temporary jobs with no benefits, means people have less disposable income to spend on the things these retail stores sell.

        2. Increased cost for essential commodities and services like food, clothing, medical care and prescriptions, housing, electricity…means less disposable income as well.

        3. Increased cost of gasoline. What gets put in the tank, become unavailable as disposable income. I saw this coming way back in 2007 when gas first went above $2.50/gal. I said at the time that the economy would be unsustainable if the high prices persisted. For a while, people continued to spend, using their credit cards. Now…their credit cards are maxed out. They have no savings. Their pay has been cut because they’ve been forced into lower paying jobs. And they no longer have ANY disposable income.

        The can has come to the end of the road.

        I would anticipate the closing of stores to increase exponentially. This becomes like a snowball.

        Just another symptom of the collapse that is already taking place. Like a lake with too much water behind the dam, at first it just trickles over the top, but as it erodes the structure, the volume of water increases until it completely washes the dam away.

        As I’ve said before….this starts slowly…and then increases in scope and intensity.

        Wait until all the folks working at these retail giants start filing for unemployment and other benefits. Watch the deficit explode.

        • Impeccable analysis Walt, succinct AND clear..Thank You!

          JOG

        • Mr Snyder is “Singing to the Choir.” Everyone on this site knows exactly why we are here!

        • @Walt K. Thanks for putting what I was trying to say above into a coherent form. I get going and tend to think people can read between the lines.
          BigB

          • Hey BigB,

            YOU’RE doing Fine so far with your explanations above! Please continue!! You might want to explain the significance of the BDI to the folk here…I’m sure that some don’t quite ‘get it’. While you’re there might want to EXPLICITLY explain the massive cuts that the Defence Contractors have already pre-planned for implementation on Mar 1, the instant that the big ‘S’ hits. They’re not quite getting it yet…but they will, soon….keep up the good work…you’re NO Slouch in this department, I see!!

            JOG

            • Maybe this will help. I have compiled some information and hope it is not to dry (not a pun)for reading.

              The Baltic Dry Index is one of the oldest gauges of how well a country is doing. Started in the early 1800’s in London where it still is headquarted it measures what is being shipped by ship across the oceans from country to country. Right now as of today we are importing and exporting about the same amount as we were in 1985. The Baltic Dry Index also tracks the cost’s of shipping. When shipping is slow the cost of renting space on a ship goes down. When the global economy is strong the cost of shipping goes up as there is a shortage of ships. Ships cost money and new ones are mainly made to replace old ones.

              The index indirectly measures global supply and demand for the commodities shipped aboard dry bulk carriers, such as building materials, coal, metallic ores and grains which are raw materials that are needed for the making of finished goods among other items such as concrete, electricity, steel, food etc.

              It is also seen as a very good economic indicator of future economic growth and production. The BDI is important because it predicts future economic activity of the country who is receiving the materials from overseas. If as is the case of shipping of materials to the U.S. slows then the economy slows. As I stated before we are now at a 1985 level. This means we are headed backwards in our production here at home which translates into less finished product being purchased here at home and the less we are exporting to other countries.

              Of course it stands to reason that the less we are producing the need for workers goes down and unemployment goes up. It is a precursor to what lies ahead for our nation as a whole.

              • I got so into the BDI I forgot about the defense cuts after 3/1/13. 1.3 million workers building and servicing government contracts will be laid off if the sequester goes into effect. The trickle down of that will be millions of more people who rely on that 1.3 million peoples federaly sunsidized paychecks to support companies and people who do work for them. This could jump the unemploym,ent rate here in the U.S. all the way to 15-20% within 30-60 days.

                That is 3-4-5 ? million people going on unemployment, welfare, SSDI. All government subsidies that the government gets nothing in return for (except votes). Not only that but the tax base will get smaller putting a larger burden on those that are all ready working.

                As if a 63% tax base here in California is not enough. How many people can fit on the head of a pin? Not enough to substain the system in the form we see today.

                Top it all off with the weakening of our military in a world where just about every country in the world wants a piece of us. China owns only God knows how much of our debt and our real estate at this point. N. Korea just wants to kill us, Most of the Middle East wants to destroy our very way of life and instill Sharea law.

                It does not get much worse for our country at this point, but it will. Keep on prepping like you never have before.

                BigB

                • Bravo B!

                  Comprehensive and exact, also ‘immaculate’

                  What many are missing up and to this point is the frighteningly interconectedness of “All and Everything” as sociaety has come to be. We’ve all seen those ‘Mobiles’ in the ‘artsy’ museums, the ones where if you so much as touch a single piece and disturb it the entire rest of the thing ends up shfting….every last piece. THAT is what we’ve got on our hands now, and it isn’t just ONE piece being gently moved it’s dozens being displaced hugely.

                  THIS has no good end Folk’s….act accordingly, please, for all our sakes.; I think it was PR above who said a bit ago, “If we can’t turn TO each other, then we’ll end up turning ON each other…Prep like your life depends on it….it does.

                  JOG

          • You are doing fine BigB. We need folks like you to fill in the details so that the whole picture makes sense.

        • You missed one that has nothing to do with how the brick-and-mortar stores are managed. THE big factor is on-line buying. I did ZERO shopping for Christmas in brick-and-mortar stores. I buy even simple stuff online ’cause it’s much cheaper than driving around looking for it, especially with gas at four bucks a gallon. Case in point: Packing tape. Yep, ordinary packing tape. I got six 150 yard rolls for about what the 54 yard rolls cost at Staples, and the shipping was free. Oh, and I ordered it at 10:00 at night and it arrived the next afternoon on UPS!

      23. When Wal-Mart is in trouble we all are in trouble.

      24. We shot ourselves in the head with NAFTA. It just took a while to die.

        • I like to think of it as a zombie economy that doesn’t know it’s dead yet.

        • Amen,
          “The great sucking sound….” of Ross Perot, was sewing the wind, and we have reaped the whirlwind, at the end of the vacuum cleaner.

          Death to The Empty Suits.

      25. Big B – what happens in 10 days?

        • @Chickenwoman, Read Walt K’s description above throwing in the Sequestration that starts at the end of the month.

      26. Great job on the quick red thumbs and no comments!

        • Howdy NP,

          Coordinated, concerted action….a beautiful thing, No?

          JOG

          • It is a beautiful thing JOG! To all who might not know what I’m talking about, we are taking out the trash here in the forum. Whenever we see an obvious troll post or one by Finx or JoeinNC we just red thumb them and leave no comment to their post. Make their comments as useless as they are.

            NP

      27. It’s sad, but it’s no surprise. Since the Fed is still in business, sucking the life out of the US economy, it will only continue. I hope the Radio Shack near me does not close. I’ve been shopping there since 1981.

        • Thats what Jews do.

      28. That should be the sign hanging in the Capitol building “Closed Until Further Notice”

        • Due to the economic situation the light at the end of the tunnel is turned off for the duration.

          • Choo choo!

      29. Hey Finx, I don’t know where you live but its a disaster around the country,Washington excepted. Just 50 miles from the capital there are unsold houses closed retail buildings,cars sitting on car lots and the only stores doing business are gun stores and Salvation Army stores selling second hand merchandise. I live in a 55 and over community where people have given up on retiring or going back to work and not buying cars but hanging on to old cars till they drop. Their investments and retirements gone. Roads aren’t getting fixed,gas is going up,taxes are going up ,hell, everything is going up except income. get your head out of the sand and forget those talking points the White House puts out. Our fearless leader is out playing gold with Tiger Woods,his wife is in Colorado skiing and they just returned from Hawaii. A really good example of suffering like everyone else.

        • He probably lives inside the beltway

        • Finx lives in his own little world.

          I would like to know what color the sky is there.

          • the sky has probably already fell, and he’s fricken standing on it rather than looking up to see what it looks like

      30. I have always wondered, even in the good times, how all the large department stores make it selling the same goods. Dillards, Penneys, Macys, Sears, Target, Kohls, Nordstroms, and several more large chains, along with walmart and Kmart along with the more local regional chains all selling basically the same stuff and mostly the same brands. What is the difference in a major brand such as Levis jeans or Fruit of the Loom in any of the stores selling the exact same goods… All these stores exept the discount chains look just about the same inside the store. Maybe this is just a thinning of the herd in what is still arguably a capitalist economy. kf

        • Actually you’d be disappointed to find that the brand names produce what they call “promotional grade” product to be sold at Walmart, while their regular product is sold at Macy’s. If it’s clothing, the fabrics are thinner, there’s less stitching in the seams, the zippers are shorter, and-and-and. BTW the retail markup on clothing at Macy’s or even Target is 500%, especially on womens’ fashion stuff. That’s why discount stores can sell at 50% to 70% off the original retail and still make money. Only product class I know of that’s even higher is womens’ cosmetics. From an engineer who worked for a NYC cosmetic giant, I learned that the basics of cosmetics has not changed in 100 years. They change the packaging and the advertising. Rule of thumb for manufactured goods (say, appliances and electronics) the direct cost of manufacture is 20% of the retail price. For cosmetics it’s 4% to 5%. Yep! Shopping at Macy’s is like going to a Vegas casino. They “sell the sizzle”, not the steak. Americans are waking upp and finding that they can’t afford sizzle anymore.

          • Most of their costs go to pay massive cash amounts to hire beautifull Stacked Blond Blue eyed babes and models to pose with africans and ghetto bangers types, so as to convince americans white women to be multicultic Coal Burners and make mixed race babies.

            Self-genocide at work in sunny usaville.

            Wear maybaleene mascara and you too can screw monkys!

          • i buy all my fashion clothes at the local army/navy surplus,,damn levi pockets are not big enough,,

            snake

      31. Watch the main stream media and drink the kool-aid or take the yellow pill so you will know evrythings okay, times change and old stores just have to go away and make room for future inovations: which should sound familar to the laid off worker! We are starting to see the crash take hold of companies that don’t qualify for ‘too big to fail’ and when war breaks out in the middle east and someone blows a major pipeline in the next few days you will see a rapid economic collapse and panic ESCAPE all cities… Go GO Now, you don’t want to be in the big city when this goes down whenever it happens. I feel a hard summer on the way, prep hard for the next 3 months its just a feeling.

        • GEO what will Rural usa look like it they all move out of cities?

      32. Obama wants bigger govt, he believes that a job is a job so govt job created is a new job. Only problem is it takes tax money to pay for that govt job so let’s raise taxes!! Second he wants to cut global warming so his idea is to get rid of cheap energy(coal, nat gas) and raise the electric rates so people will use less(because they don’t have the money to pay the bill). Everything Obama does takes money out of the hands of the middle class so THEY HAVE LESS MONEY TO SPEND ON THINGS!!!!! Now all people really have money for is gas for the cars and food to put on the table, hard to keep a business open when no one has any money to spend at your store!!!!

      33. Part of the decline in some of these stores can be explained in the explosive growth of the internet. Nobody shops at “Radio Shack” anymore, the name itself evokes the 1950’s and Ham Radio kits! There are better prices, more selection and NO TAXES paid on internet sales.

        Now, having said that….yea, we’re still in serious decline for any number of reasons.

        • EXACTLY. Why spend $20 in gas and two hours of your time when you can buy the same item on-line for a price that even with shipping is less than the brick-and-mortar store wants you to pay? About the only stuff I buy in a store anymore is groceries and bulky, heavy stuff like concrete mix and lumber.

          • It occurs to me that this internet acquisition model is very fragile. In a breakdown, the transport network that brings me my stuff will be gone. I’d better be prepared to live without it!

            (Oh, wait – I am…)

        • Funny thing about Radio shack. I was recently there to find some 50 ohm coax feed line cable from my Buckmaster Dipole antenna to my Elecraft KX3 HF radio. They didn’t even carry it. Only 75 ohm stuff that pertains to TV. That and stuff for cell phones. Should rename the store “cellshack.”

      34. Awoken, welcome aboard. You’ve come to the right place for survival information and we’ll be happy to answer any questions you have. BI, I feel the same way you do about the economy and where we are headed. We are without question living on borrowed time. In Memphis, we’ve had strip malls 50-75% empty since 2010. When even Wallyworld says they’re in trouble, that is a definite red flag. Everyone, we are witnessing our country dying right before our very eyes. Everything is coming to a head. Everyone get all the supplies you need ASAP. Economic collapse is not too far off now. FINX, you need to go somewhere else and make love to yourself. We don’t need trolls here. NOMI CATIMF braveheart

        • braveheart,
          You live around Memphis TN? How about those folks renaming the confederate monuments? And the KKK coming to town?

          I never was prejudiced…I was raised to treat all people equal… but in the last few years its getting harder and harder to watch my government being taken over by black faces and my tax money being spread around in ‘fairness’, as those who used to work the fields around here, were replaced by illegals, while they went to town to live in section 8 housing drawing a welfare check…

          Maybe the KKK standing up for what used to be America, isn’t such a bad thing anymore? They say they’re non violent, just standing up for white folks rights, and the right not to be ruined by bottom feeders.

          This, to me, follows the Lords prophecy that ‘nation shall rise against nation’. In the Greek it was; ETHNOS, or ethnic… the OLD definition of ‘nation’. So I see this already ramping and happening, as the HNIC ramps up the class warfare and the economy heads down the crapper, they better be careful, they might get what they ask for.

          • “KKK–not a bad idea, maybe not violent” and the next breath: “the Lord’s prophecy”.. yeah, right.. what hypocrisy!! suddenly lost all respect for that poster!

            • Who is the hypocrite?
              Merely recognizing that a group, if you read what they NOW stand for, is what many of us stand for here? Ie Christian values, and tired of the blacks taking over government everywhere? Plus, what the Lord SAID would happen?

              I won’t call you names, but you have no discernment.
              What the intention was, to be clear…

              Is the BACKLASH from the blacks taking our SUBSTANCE BY FIAT, will be nasty and the result could be ETHNIC against ETHNIC.

              Did I say I was going to join up? No, I merely stated the OBVIOUS.

          • Piper: if folks old enough to recall it back 40-50 yrs ago, and if they are honest they can’t help but admit that regardless what bad stuff kkk types ever did. The messg kkk kept telling whitey america was…The blacks and jews will work as one to destroy whites and america both in Your futures. Well?….Was kkk wrong on THAT part?…

            I think before its all over and done and sooner rather than later many many whites nationwide will Beg for a org such as kkk or most any other org as long as it represents white folks…Because today there are zero orgs or groups for whiteys that counter the ever growing orgs which by design only represent blacks-jews-mexicans-japs-arabs and all other non whites folks.

            If You have dish network satalite tv…Look at how many stations are devoted to strictly Mexican/hispanic audiences…Along with same for BET=Black entertainment tv and several more. Where are even a single one devoted and advertized as for Whites?…Aint none.

            Why is it A-OK for all non whites to demand stuff for Them alone?…Yet if ANY white org or individual white person asks for same for whites what will happen?…Whites be labled rayysssisss and evil nazis!

            Whites Must get rid of all white guilt and PC and Fast. Or soon will wish they did and wont have the chance again.

            • NO Angelo, I have to agree.
              I have said I wasn’t raised to be prejudiced…
              I say, that is changing, but *I* am not the one who has changed…
              It is not me who hates them, but THEM WHO HATES ME. Because I am WHITE.
              So, the only response I can have, rationally, is not to give them PC Hug, but to say; Ok, F*** them.
              Personally, what I told Grasshopper (a name that implies a young student…), is that the times they are a changin’.
              And not for the better…
              If that happens, and the blacks decide we are the enemy, then they had better be careful, they might get more than they bargained for………..

              • Piper: aint grasshopper the fairly new poster here who admits he/she Just Recently quit being a dem lib?…I do think thats correct. If just recently stopped being a dem liberal that may be reason he/she so lacks discernment eh?

                GRASSHOPPER: Heres what Piper means by the LORD says it…I Think its in book of Mathew(?) ch 24(?) where Jesus explaines the end time signs to watch out for to Know we are very close to the last days, Christ lays out several things to watch for…

                And one is He says Kingdom shall rise Against Kingdom(wars etc) then Christ imidiatly says Nation shall rise against Nation…Many get kinds confused since today nation or kingdom means same or similar right…BUT recall the new testement was mostly if not all written in GREEK language…The greek word for Nation is “ETHNOS” which means RACE in todays english wordings..Nation=ethnos=races.

                Therefore what Christ warned us to watch for was race Wars!…That said, I feel 100% same as Piper explained…That being who has been constantly Provoking racial antiwhite issues since I was a kid 10 yrs old(50 yrs ago!)?….African Blacks thats who…

                Grasshopper do you know who actually invented and funded and began the NAACP(national association for advancement of colored people)?….I will tell you.

                Back aprox in 1906 or 1909 era 5-6 Russian Kommie Khazer Jewish men came to america. They is who invented and founded and Funded entirely the NAACP org. With the Moscow Soviet leadership(also 90+% jewsih) full approvals!

                Them 5-6 kommie jewsih russian men also found ONE single african black american man to act as naacp-Frontman to make it appear Kosher to americans. Oh yes that single black man was a full fledged active member of the CPUSA…Grasshopper do You know what CPUSA stands for?…I will tell you…It stands for the Communist Party of America, its an Official listed legit political party in the usa and all members are bonafied Kommies…Like that single black frontman the jews found for the NAACP org.

                Still think naacp is simply to advance life for poor black folks?…I will tell you…NO! it aint! its main “hidden” goals was for kommie jews to get blacks into an org or accept that org as a good thing in order to swindle american blacks as Pawns to be used by kommie jews to Destroy white middle class americans so to destroy the main backbone of what makes up what we know of as america.

                The same basic plan russian jews employed in russia and poland and ukraine to murder off over 100 Million white christians begining as of 1918 russian revolution. ONLY in Russia they had a “Peasant” class there to use against them whites and christians.

                There never was a so called Peasant class in america..So what can a russian kommie jew do about that problem?…Swindle african blacks and Train them to be americas peasant class! aka Class warfare dems are so fond of. Geek up blacks with Nonstop crys and whinneyness(nobody can whine like them jews eh) of white racist racisim against poor impoverished blacks folks…

                What will 100 yrs of such blatant open non stop propaganda do or cause?…TODAYS usa! with 50 million angry blacks foaming at mouth to kill and loot and destroy white americans and america burned to the ground. They been swindled to believe such actions will somehow create a BRA(black run america) of Pure Utopian Bliss! as long as all whiteys are Dead.

                I guess them russian kommie naacp jews forgot to warn blacks that it was mainly whiteys who invented 99% of all whats good, and that everybody including blacks so enjoys and makes their lives to much better as compared to African Jungle 3rd world crap lives eh.

                Kill off dead that white goose which Lays Golden eggs, then…..Then…..And then?…Remain filthy rich as can be?…OR…RUIN IT ALL for everyone includeing blacks too! Bingo right answer!

                Sorry so long a reply Grasshopper but it seems you really need it eh…I do hope my info post here assists your transformation from a dem liberal to an fully Awaken soul.

                ps: all that I wrote is facts and proven so and I have Links to various exallant websites which such Proof is at…Documented-solid-proven-Indisputable factual Truths and even with some Pictures of such early russian kommie jew infiltrators and complete proven Bios on em too!

                I didnt post any links as that holds up posting sometimes for a day or longer…Can supply links if you need.

            • PS: Meant to say YES, as in agreement with your post.
              White people succumb to ‘white guilt’, promoted by the PC crowd, and, our own individuality is our Achilles heel.

              I have said forever, that we need to organize somehow. At least the KKK is DOING SOMETHING POSITIVE in this respect… unfortunately, I’m SURE, they are chock full of EFF BEE EYE informants.

              This is the reason I think JUSTICE is a better value system for a new group, like I said before. A network of refuges and producers, to go off grid in mutual aid, and support, but having a mission of helping one another in the execution of Justice.
              Justice Enhanced by Direct Intervention; Jedi.
              A little tongue in cheek, but, being a kind of joke, would draw little but ridicule from the PTB…

              Think about it.

      35. Say goodbye to lavish, abundant diversity on store room shelves. Rather than a veritable kaleidoscope of varieties (shipped from all regions of the world) of one specific product, expect to see the absence of diversity of that one product, if even that, and, originating solely from either China, or down the street, if ones local economy is so fortunate. Exotic imported fruits and vegetables, only available to the elite who can afford the accompanying exorbitant prices, will be found only in “nationalized” grocery outlets, for those so “fortunate” to have their own, “personal”, implanted, RFID Chip.

        Best to grow your own and stay out of stores whose purpose is to collect (visual and physical) data on your personal buying habits, i.e. those “Strike anywhere matches” might get you busted for terrorist intentions.

      36. WE ARE SURVIVALISTS
        He, who fails to prepare for the night, fails to prepare for the dawn.

        I am a survivalist and by nature a survivalist is an OPTIMIST. I do not
        have one pessimistic bone in my body. If what I just said sounds odd to you
        then you are not yet a survivalist and you do not understand the modern
        survivalist at all. It has been very difficult to communicate to the public
        and the mass communications media, the concept of an optimistic, hopeful
        survivalist.
        A fireman is a fireman, not because he believes everything will burn, but
        because he believes much can be saved. Doctors don’t believe in death, they
        believe in life, and a survivalist is not a survivalist becuase he believes
        everything must be destroyed and everyone must die, he believes that life and
        freedom can be saved, if people of good will are prepared. A fireman does not
        start fires, a doctor does not make disease and a survivalist does not make
        disaster.
        Crime, disease, war, revolution, fire, flood, periodic financial collapse
        and famine is the results of nature and the nature of man and unfortunately
        are not within the power of anyone on this earth to prevent.
        We all know that the sun will set each day, leaving us in darkness and we
        all know that warm summers give way to cold winters and that we can do nothing
        to keep the sun from setting to the cold winds from coming, does this make us
        pessimistic? I think not! So then why is the survivalist called a pessimist?
        when he makes ready to face events that are just as much part of history and
        nature as the sunset and changing of the seasons.
        Another misconception is that survivalists are predicting world disaster.
        On the contrary, we seem to be the OPTIMISTIC MINORITY that is predicting
        world survival. We are hard pressed to find any well recommended historians,
        economists, political scientists, sociologists or military strategists that
        can come up with a scenario that gives even a fifty-fifty chance of avoiding a
        large scale catastrophe, yet we survivalist dare to be OPTIMISTIC about the
        future. We survivalists do not need to predict the probability of disaster
        any more than we need to predict the sun setting.
        Those who critize survivalists, are like men who refuse to look at a
        calendar, in the hope that through self-imposed ignorance they can keep from
        aging another year.
        “You survivalists will be disappointed if we don’t have a world cataclysm”,
        here is another accusation that is pure B.S. and I could not think of a milder
        phrase to describe it. We survivalists have loved ones we don’t want to see
        hurt or killed, we have homes we don’t want to see destroyed, we are not fools
        to think that just because we are survivalists a world cataclysm would be fun
        for us or the we would not experience danger, loss, hunger, injury, cold or
        even despair and death.
        We have spent time and money to improve our chances for survival and
        recovery from disaster, but we would have a great celebration if some day we
        could be assured that we had wasted our time. No, we will not be disappointed
        if there is no disaster to survive, any more than the Red Cross is disappointed
        when there are no floods and storms or the man who buys an insurance policy is
        disappointed when his house fails to burn down.

        It may be said that the survivalist would much prefer the pleasant (but
        unlikely) surprise of being wrong to the (probable) deadly rude awakening that
        the nonsurvivalist will face if he is wrong.

        So, you see the survivalist cannot lose because his survival preparations
        will be of value regardless of what the future has in store. In time of
        crisis, those who have not prepared to turn to each other, will turn on each
        other.
        It is most regrettable indeed, that many people consider survivalists as a
        threat and regard them with suspicion and even hostility. This attitude is
        logically indefensible and is rooted in the nonsurvivalist own sense of fear
        and guilt. Subconsciously, the nonsurvivalist may hate the survivalist for
        reminding him of how fragile his lifestyle is. Now, let’s get the facts
        turned around right. THE MOST DANGEROUS PEOPLE IN AMERICA TODAY ARE THE
        Nonsurvivalist. Every person who has not made provisions for surviving
        without food, water, fuel and other essential needs from the outside, is a
        mortal danger to his neighbors.
        What will a man do when he and his family are freezing, hungry, thirsty,
        sick and starving? He may ask or beg his neighbors for help, but when they
        have no extra fuel, food, water or medicine to give, will he just go back home
        to die with his wife and kids? What do you think? We survivalists who stock
        up on food and other supplies, now do a favor to society because what we now
        buy is replaced on the shelves so there will be that much more available in an
        emergency. We survivalists won’t be looting and killing for food. We won’t be
        a burden on the medical facilities or a danger to the police. Since we will
        be able to turn to each other, we will not need to turn on anyone and we may
        be able to help at least some.
        Survival preparation should be regarded as a social obligation, one that
        every individual owes to his family and community and his nation. The
        nonsurvivalist is simply a poor and irresponsible citizen.
        So the reality is, that survivalists are optimistic, self-reliant
        individuals, who cannot help but see the imperative of preparing for the worst
        possible events, while hoping sincerely, that they won’t happen. Today’s
        survivalist is an asset to his community and to the world and should be proud
        to be called SURVIVALIST.
        This may be a repost, I don’t know, but if it is, it needs a second look anyway.

        NOMI
        PR

        • @ pale rider
          Thank you. Your comment is one of the most well written and thought out explanations I have read in some time. I’ve been reading the posts and comments on this site for almost two years yet have never commented until now.(OPSEC) I have learned so many things that I did not already know from so many people on this site and have come to really look forward to reading here everyday. It’s nice to know that I’m not the only one that perceives things as they really are as opposed to how I wish they were. Dark times are ahead my friends….I truly wish all of you the best of luck.

          • T: I’m just passing on want was e-mailed to me from one of how should I say Team. We all contribute idea’s to him and he compose’s the article’s, thats how he makes his living writing. (absolutely no names)

        • 100% agreed. I can add nothing except to say ~ EXACTLY, Sir, very well said!
          Knowing that there is just one (or many) of you is why I won’t give up… for if not for YOU, my hope would have no future.

          ~..` TG NOMI.

        • Absolutely.

          The only pessimistic part I’ve got going on is the knowledge that I’m not “insured” well yet. Once that happens I’ll be much more relaxed about it.

        • True, but I have to admit the other day I was looking at my pile of stuff and thought: BOY I need a war or something just to get my inventory under control.

      37. BI, When the balloon finally goes up, all the issues this nation faces right now will become irrelevant. All that will matter afterward is survival. I’m looking for another overdrive gear for my prepping to go into. It looks D-Day will come during spring, then we have a long, hot summer after that. NOMI CATIMF Braveheart

      38. Anybody here cared to read the damn article @yahoo?

        Those “closings” are projected, hypothetical!

        Teleprompter will be bailing them out for as long as possible.

        (not to disagree, that when the time is actually right all of those stores will be closed/looted/destroyed etc)

        • Discount Shopper….hate to give you the bad news, but a close relative works at one of the stores listed above and those closings are more than just mere “projections or hypothetical”! They are fact, but if it makes you feel better to think otherwise….have fun in lala land!

          Have a nice day!

        • @discount shopper

          Wish I could post photos on this blog. I’d show you the dozens of vacant strip malls within ten miles of here. Commercial/Professional occupancy is @ 15% in our area. I live in what used to be an upper middle class area, and three of the four properties that touch mine are abandoned / foreclosed. And we’re supposed to be one of the better states! The grabbernment keeps telling us that bike lanes and light rail will fix everything. At least I’ll have fewer worries about target backs when they‘ve taxed the rest out…

      39. Anjem Choudary was secretly filmed mocking non-Muslims for working in 9-5 jobs their whole lives, and told followers that some revered Islamic figures had only ever worked one or two days a year.

        “The rest of the year they were busy with jihad [holy war] and things like that,” he said. “People will say, ‘Ah, but you are not working’.

        “But the normal situation is for you to take money from the kuffar [non-believers].

        “So we take Jihad Seeker’s Allowance. You need to get support.”

        He went on to tell a 30-strong crowd: “We are going to take England — the Muslims are coming.”

        so they figure they can get their funding from governments welfare..better hurry the F up..because that soon will crash too

      40. Hello my fellow Americans, my name’s Alex Martinez. I’ve been blessed to be selfemployed going on 26 years. Never have I taken welfare, foodstamps, workerscomp, any monies I didn’t earn outright. At this time I’ve not had work going on 2 mos. Always in the winter I could depend on piddle jobs to get thru till spring. Now I have time to prep more, but I even see a reluctance of people to spend any monies on repairs, they just wait, hold off everythings gonna comeback. Glad I paid off all my land and house, even my wife understands what dept free is. We live simple, yet our daughter thinks we’re poverrty stricken. Thank God I’m an American!

        • I hear you, in part. My house has been paid off since March of 2010. That has allowed me to funnel my money into various preps. All things considered, I feel like I am in real good shape. I’m still employed for now and will use that to my best advantage until I no longer have the job.

          • Scout keep yer job long as it’s avaiable, retired in 2006 paid everything I owned off 2 new vehicles etc. After prop. txs, utility bills, insurances for everything, home,cars, health,and all going up every yr. not a lot left to work with but prepping with a vengence now with whats left. good luck!

      41. If you notice most of the things sold in these big stores people can live without. It is just a sign of the times and the middle class that is rapidly vanishing just does not have the money to spend on trinkets they do not need. I do find it interesting there are no major grocery stores on the list. People need to eat no matter what the prices are. However soon those prices will be out of reach for many more people. I know my wife and I cringe everytime we go food shopping. Off topic for a bit there sorry. Just to let folks know, I don’t shop at Wal Mart and most big box stores. I live in a small town and have been a person that supports mom and pops for years. I’m not going to miss these stores. Many of them have ruined small communties all over the US and Canada. Welcome to the new world as we return to bartering and becoming more self sufficent. Plant those gardens get your canning happening and keep on prepping folks, I do think this year will be pivital. God Bless and take care make sure your heart is right with the Lord

      42. How much crap do you really need? How about one of those 80 inch T.V.’s. How many functions do you “Have To Have” on your car? Every add on is a few hundred dollars that you can not afford in the first place. I mean exotic stuff. Like it matters if you have spinning hub caps, rear camera or heated seats. No wonder cars are $30,000 and up. How many square feet does your home need? Upgrade to this or that. We will tack in on to the end of the mortgage and then give you another loan to go on vacation. Spread the payments out for the rest of your lives. How many live within their means. They want to combine thirty years of stuff into one. Credit cards anyone?
        So the stores have enable many to reach their spending limit and the customer base is falling off.
        Watch as the restaurant business raises their price and serves you lower quality food or smaller portions, to cut corners.
        Must be a senior person thing for me to notice this stuff.

        • What this country needs, is another “K” car.

          Did I really say that? ;0)

        • HELOCs were a brilliant move by the banksters. Get people to take unsecured debt and secure by their home.

          “Hello, I’d like to finance my jeans over 30 years, please.”

      43. Finx: Hey buddy, get your head out of the toilet and stop ‘bobbing for turds’ long enough to see what’s going on in the world outside. Eating all that ‘poop’ every day is making you a little stupid. Not only that, I think it’s what’s making your breathe a little nasty!

        • I remember a local economy in a town of under 4k in the 1970s when most of the population here were farmers.

          We considered gas too high to travel 45 miles to a larger city to shop. There were 4 shoe stores, all of them expensive, all of them family-run and offering no outside employment. There were 2 hardware stores and only the stock at the feed mill was affordable. There was one movie theater (we now have a 3-screen cineplex). Wages were pitiful and comparably below Walmart’s today. The attitude of the local merchants was “Where else are you going to go?” and their stock was vintage because they never replaced anything if it didn’t sell.

          Young folks prepping for the Coming Ice Age and the Coming Dictatorship bought land at $250/acre. This raised the base and raised property taxes on the older farmers, who mostly had to sell out.

          Then came the 1980s and 1990s and no one saw it coming. Now, those young folks from the 1970s are in a similar position with even worse conditions. They are in their 60s and facing reduced medical care, reduced savings and nothing obvious on the horizon.

          However, we have an entire cadre of young folks in their 30s and 40s opening small specialty shops, even though we have a Walmart Supercenter, Walgreen’s, a True Value, 2 fast food franchises owned by locals, and 2-3 local-owned restaurants and no feed mill closer than 15 miles. One family now owns all the auto dealers. We have one very successful local manufacturing business and one manufactured home builder. We have new folks cashing their 401ks to buy $500k farms they will not work as such. A retired engineer transplant is opening a 3D printing service next year. That is sort of like being the first Kinko’s, back in the day. The MDs work for the huge medical center in the town of 50k that is 45 miles away. They make less, but there are 5x as many of them as there were 40 years ago. We have 3 vet practices, one with multiple veterinarians and most of their practices are small animals. The wives and a few husbands of the professionals run the small shops, boutiques and designer restaurants. Their kids attend the trendy private school. Everyone is too educated to work for the old hippie organic farmers, who will retire after selling out for $1-5M. The legal South American farm workers congregate in a different small village, their housing subsidized totally by their employers, per contracts with the government. Most folks never even see them and they return to their home countries for the winter.

          Yes, we have people on SNAP, Section 8, welfare and Medicaid. Yes, they drive beaters. Yes, many of the formerly middle class and lower-upper classes are less prosperous. Yet, this community supports roughly 2 dozen alternative medical practitioners, an organic co-op in a $100k building, and a pricey custom bicycle shop. There is amateur theater, improv and music and name acts are featured since we are only 100 miles from a major university town. Chautauqua-type lectures and classes abound. A local group runs a folk school teaching weaving, blacksmithing, artisan cheese-making, broom making, etc. There is a hugely successful business that processes alpaca and wool and sells internationally. They have classes, too, in a building that is 1/2 a
          square block in size.

          Kunstler is grinding a familiar ideological axe, cheering the pain of the chains while being totally hypocritical about the reality of being hostage to only local merchants. Today, the local shops are all up-market niche operations. We have one local grocery store that manages to survive along with Walmart and the organic co-op thrives. The population is stable with perhaps an additional 500 people from 40 years ago. This area is vital.

          I cannot believe it is unique.

      44. Resturants are the last hold out,soon because of the price of food they will have too raise prices also, with the price of gas etc. the game of buying things you really don’t need will soon end as it already has for so many people, then only the happy rich sports stars will be able to distract the world with $500,000 watches. Prep up while canned foods are still cheap and goods in this country are available, its almost to late for ammo!

        • Just a tip on the ammo: I was at the Tanner gun show in Denver last Saturday. I arrived an hour and 15 minutes early, and stood in line. Once the doors opened, I made a beeline for an ammo dealer, and spent 900 bucks on ammo right there, 223 and 9mm. I barely dented their stock as they had plenty to spare. They were probably good for another half hour after I was there. If any of us live near a gun show, go early, wait in line, and head straight to the ammo dealers. You will find ammo.

          • I DON’T HAVE MUCH MONEY BUT I’VE BEEN STOCKING UP ON HEIRLOOM SEEDS– THEY’RE FAIRLY CHEAP AND VERY LIGHT WEIGHT, EASY TO TAKE WITH YOU AND GOOD BARTERING ITEM.

        • It already is happening. It used to cost $28 for my family to eat at the local burger shop, it was $45 last night. Not a cheap treat for the kids. Our once per week splurge is going to become far less frequent.

      45. I won’t miss any of those stores.

        • Bill….it’s not a matter of whether people will miss those stores, it’s a matter of all the people that are employed by them, adding to the increasing number of unemployed folks throughout this country.
          The question is….how many people need to be unemployed before we reach a tipping point OR have we reached it already? I think that we’ve reached it…..

        • don’t be so narrow minded. i’m sure you wouldn’t feel the same way if you were struggling to make ends meet for your family and you held a position in any of those stores. not all of your average joes and janes are welfare sucking vampires. there are countless anonymous faces who are out there working hard to put food on the table and a roof over their kids heads. it’s this kind of attitude that isn’t going to help anyone get out of this mess (if that’s even possible) so get the f*ck off your high horse.

          • “narrow-minded”

          • I understand what the point was. I was making a simple statement. I don’t own a horse and if I did, it wouldn’t be high. I’m narrow minded? You make a stupid comment about my simple comment. Who’s the fool? You don’t have a clue about me or anyone else on here. Why make such a comment?

      46. The closing of anchor stores means the closing of a lot of shopping centers. The closing of strip malls and shopping centers means that much less going into the local property tax coffers, which means increased property taxes on local homeowners. Mainly this will be on the shoulders of people whose backs are already being broken by increased prices for necessary goods like food, electricity, and gas, and by higher taxes, and by higher healthcare costs.

        I wish that all members of the middle class would take their money out of the stock market and out of major banks at once — get your money out of the hands of the elite and put it into local banks and credit unions. Stop letting the elite play their derivatives games with your money. Let your money work towards benefitting your community instead of towards the institution of the One World Government that the elite so desperately want. Let the stock market ride on the money of the elite — let’s see how it holds up when it’s their own money that they’re risking and there’s no wealth transfer from the middle class to the elite involved. Put your “spare” money, if you have any, in CDs at stable local banks instead of in the stock market. We need to stop supporting those who are trying to enslave us.

        • I agree with you lady; but I’m afraid it’s to late. Better to take it out and spend it on PM”S, Food and Ammo.

          • That’s exactly what I’m doing, Paranoid. I don’t personally hold much hope in having long enough pre-SHTF for CDs and local bonds to come to maturity. But it’s important that what’s left of the middle class keep their money out of the clutches of Wall Street players and major banksters, and at least shifting that money out of the stock market and out of Chase and BoA, etc., accounts and into local banks and local credit unions is an important step.

            Preppers will put their money into necessities, which is the most logical approach to me. But nonpreppers need at the very least to get their money to places where the elites can’t touch it.

      47. I am a Carnival Cruise turd hiding on Deck 6 in a starboard side aft stateroom…

        Ask me a question!

        • Are you really John Titor?

          • @Theguy

            No. There are no John’s on Carnival Cruise Lines. Thanks for playing!

        • Time for liberty.

      48. They are collapsong for two reasons. One, people are following the advice of conservatives and cutting spending. Gotta cut spending you know, there will be no consequences, after all. Two, people are following your plea to not be so consumeristic.

        • K’know, Joe don’t even know it, but he’s right. Cutting spending will have consequences. We’ve got the economic equivalent of a gangrenous limb, it’s going to have to be amputated or the whole body will die a horrible death. Pain now, or die later. But you wouldn’t understand, ’cause you’re a low information voter.

          Just do us all a favor Joe – when the fit hits the shan, “Don’t call us; we’ll call you.”

        • Double the supply of money at constant velocity and you accomplish nothing more than doubling prices. Increase the velocity and prices more than double.

          Only the new manufactures in the developing world along with their poverty paid labor, international bankers and owners of commodities benefit long term from US QE based “stimulus” which increases the de-facto money supply. The US middle and lower class standard of living continues to erode as their purchasing power declines.

          “Nothing in politics happens by accident” said Franklin Roosevelt. The same holds true in economics many believe.

        • Don’t feed the troll.

      49. Excess fiat money to paper over the lack of cheap hydrocarbons will mean no more cheap gasoline and a crumbling economy.I will miss the snack and soda aisle with the endless stretchy pants flip flop consumer.EROEI is the train coming at you in the tunnel.

      50. It’s not “Obama” you hill-billy morons, it’s entropy of an economic system built on unsustainable growth. It’s idiots more concerned with blaming someone than stepping back from the game and getting to work. For a bunch of “self reliant” folks you sure do seem to be worried with what everyone else is doing.

        Plant your gardens, live your life right, god and country aren’t going to save you, only you can save you now.

        • “hillbilly”, not “hill-billy”

        • Ah, we HAVE stepped back and gotten to work. Only we can save ourselves now. You DID get that right.

      51. I have been a lurker for some time and finally must pipe up. Like most of you I can see the writing on the wall. Unfortunately I am a contractor working in Afghanistan. While I do have my wife prepping my greatest fear is when the SHTF I will still be stuck on the wrong side of the world. I have seen the 10 day sequestration warning a lot. And while it (sequestration) will not immediately effect my position that time will come. I guess my concern boils down to “what should I realistically be looking at for a hard timeline to pull the trigger and get my butt home?” To add to the quandary this job is my families only form of income, so quitting and going home to a dead economy with no hope for work would also put a HUGE strain on the family. Sorry for the long post just venting my frustrations to like minded people…

        • @ dr,

          Friend, you have a ‘quandry’ on your hands…I feel for you in no uncertain terms. How to prioritize the ‘End’
          is kind of what this seems to be, Eh? All I know is this; those whom you you love will be better off WITH you than WITHOUT…do what you have to. Best Wishes Brother. Aside from all that, “Be Welcome in this place, Well-Met.”

          JOG

        • Desert_rat, thanks for posting here. I have had a strong believe that young people should pool resources and begin sharing homes to try and ride out what is going to be a certain storm. Are you open to that idea? Would it be possible to team up w/ another couple to pool resources, labor, etc?

          • Thankfully I have family in the same town and they are my support structure. My brother is also over here (Iraq) so the wives will be on their own (both my parents, my inlaws and my brothers inlaws live locally however. Of course I am open to the idea of communal living. I was lucky enough to grow up around the Mennonite community, (and honestly wish I had never moved away from it…) it’s more a matter of talking the wife into it. I think when the poop hits the blades she will be all in…

            • Desert Rat, glad to hear you have such a great support base — it will make all the difference in the future. Is there a possibility that you could get your wife to begin by setting up a bare-bones food pantry? She could begin small and build the food pantry while you’re still away.

              Here’s one site that lays it all out:
              foodstoragemadeeasy dot net I kinda like how they set it up with “10 Baby Steps” to get started.

              Just an idea……Stay safe, Desert Rat!

              • Z…
                This is where we began. We live in a hurricane zone and have expanded our dry and canned storage. One of the side effects of being over here is I now have a bunch of empty foot lockers (black gorilla boxes) that are now serving as a pantry in the back of the closet. The side benefits is if we do need to relocate everything is portable and ready to move. Besides the food stocks we have also been setting aside water, and as many rounds as I can find. Has anybody seen ANY 9mm ball ammo? What I have found is all jhp…

                • @ Desert Rat

                  I am also a fan of foot lockers. Multiple uses. Have the old wood style. You can also use the milk, 12 in. square crates. They stack well. You can put a garbage or leaf bag in them and tie them off to waterproof.
                  There is a new product called Flex Seal. Liquid rubber spray and I use it to repair the old military waterproof bags that have the pinholes in them. Have repaired waterproof bag liners by first tapeing the liner on inside and spraying with flex seal on the other. The rip is gone and the bag remains plyable. Can used to repair top flaps of packs. Expensive but a good product.
                  For you beginners on web gear. Very little at Flea Markets. Load Bearing Gear is hard to find and prices are up. Somebody is buying even at high prices. MOLLE and ALICE are still available at Army/Navy stores but is becoming ragged/picked over. Ammo cans with bad seals can be resealed by using Fast Drying Window Sealant (Black Type). Run a bead around old seal and flatten it out with your finger. Let dry.

                  Hang in there.

        • desert rat I feel for you, because that’s the big question – not if but when? I’ve been aware of things for a couple of years now and even in that relatively short amount of time I’ve seen dozens of predictions come and go. You have to educate yourself, determine a set of circumstances that for you, mean that it’s time to pull chocks and get back home – those signs will be different for everyone. Don’t get lazy and pin yours and your family’s well being on the so called “experts” – you can learn a lot from them but when someone says – “May 2013 it’s all going to fall apart!” – don’t run and buy tickets for april 30th.

          • APRIL, darn I was planning on being home June 1 anyway…

        • @Desert Rat,

          Thank you for your service. God Bless and take care.

          BigB

        • Relax Rat, Unless the US is even dumber than the USSR was; you will have warning close to first. When the USSR was about to bite it, They shipped 1600 or more train loads of military gear out of eastern Europe to up near the Arctic. Just to make sure they had it. I’d bet the US gov will try to hoard it’s stuff also. keep watch and be on board; safe guarding the last shipment or so home.

          • In 1990-91 Russian military soldiers and many officers too got so pissed off at no paychecks for 6 months straight then full on collapse of russia, that many stole tanks and rocket launchers firarmes ammo etc etc. Whatever they could take they did and then sold it off on open world market.

            Too bad we werent able to make a few good buys eh. A couple 40ft long shipping ocean crates full of russian ak’s and sevral same size crates full of ammo sure be swell….Hello Comrades! ak’s to the barn and ammo to the basement.

            • I would love to have an Abrams M1.

              Donald Sutherland would love it as well!

              “Moriarity! stop it with those negative waves!

            • This is a concern of mine. I am an UNARMED civilian, and as such would be at the bottom of the food chain. Add the long walk back to civilization if/ when we are abandoned by the company and things get interesting. I have been squirreling away food stuffs, but there is no way to truly cache much of anything living in a tent w/ 20+ other guys. When it happens we (expats) will mostly be alright as the majority are prior service. The foreign national workforce will be the ones left high and dry.

              • @ Desert Rat
                What do your tent buddies think about that situation?
                Did the company ever give you bug out instructions? Get together and get a plan. If you have to hike out, a good set of boots and work gloves are in order. I do not know your logistics and what is available to you. Rest assured you can ask the questions you need answers to and you will get reponses. In the meantime look at the stuff around you and what you can utilise. Brainstorm with the others.
                Don’t let them hang you out to dry in the wind when it goes south.

        • God bless ya desert-rat… you got a long row to hoe, but June ain’t so far off.

          Thanks for chiming in… keep your ear to the ground and stay safe…
          Push comes to shove, you guys got the stones to hijack any ole airplane… I got faith in ya… been there done that, I would get home one way or the other…
          😉

      52. OT
        I found a great herbal medicine site with a huge amount of free downloads swsbm.com. Just thought I would pass on the info.

        No white flags just empty shells. RP

      53. Because people like me, a mid-forties previously prosperous unemployed engineer, no longer “shop.” We use it ’till it wears out, then hope to find a “new” one at a garage sale. Yep, ten years ago people said I was nuts when I said this was coming. Heck, just a couple years ago they still said so. In fact, most people I know still don’t notice. It must not be happening. Yeah, that’s it.

        • Ex prosperous engineer?
          WE need to talk dude…

      54. Sears? Walmart? I quit them long ago. We now make one third of what we made ten months ago. I can’t even go to Goodwill. I get my needle and thread out and re-learn to mend.
        Yet, I will never give up, never surrender!

      55. Greeting Everyone!
        More signs of coming attractions….
        When the first Great Depression hit in the 1920’s/30’s,it didn’t happen all at once.In fact,back then many of the Rothschild’s and their Ilk dumped their holdings well BEFORE the markets final collapse.As we write,corporate insiders are unloading their shares at a tremendous rate.Most of the heads of banks and major corporates are “retiring”(read taking the money and RUNNING!).During The “last time” the government had a surplus and even then they were forced into issuing a form of IOU’s to federal workers for a time when they were nearly broke.There will not be a repeat of the past.What happens in our turn when the Feds gets REALLY desperate will quite MOST unpleasant for many(even if it’s not their fault)families.People went VERY hungry back in the first G.Dep..Many,many,many MORE will get a taste of the “air biscuit” this time.There is a slight silver lining to all this.Even as we see collapse around us,ways are appearing to earn “sustenance and covering” and perhaps even a living in the coming hard times.Finding those niches WILL take imagination,hard work and fortitude.Even while the Roman Empire collapsed,smart people found ways to “make it”.To put it in perspective,when the city of Rome fell,it went from a metropolitan area population of about 1 million to less than twenty THOUSAND in less than a decade.Not all those folks died or went “feral”.At least some of them survived and even prospered doing what the new paradigm required.Do not fear folks,like a woman’s time to give birth,THE CHANGE is coming no matter if we are ready or not.What shape that takes(I have my own opinions,but we’ll ALL find out what it is fer sure!)WILL be the catalyst for the future.The old order is in ongoing failure mode to be sure.
        Meanwhile….
        My best to All!
        Hope you have your supplies in order,and a copy of the Good Book in Modern English(personally,I can’t think of a surer way to want to shoot yourself than trying to read “olde englishe” on a clod wintere’s night)
        LTR,
        GFG

        • This ain’t hokem, folks. My son-in-law is in the NYC money game, he sees this first hand. And while he ain’t dragging home millions, he’s still looking and I mean looking HARD for a BIL. I think he knows much more than he’s telling, too.

          • Typo – I meant to punch Bug OUT Location. . .

      56. In the 1930’s Depression, most people had old-school skills, community cohesion, and a strong traditional culture.

        When they pull the plug, you don’t want to be in a City, or reliant on outsiders for your food and water.

        The only peaceful way to stop these Commies is to stop engaging with The Man en masse, and have your own parallel structures of defense, trade, and supply. Ideally, they want to pick you off one at a time.

        Walmart can be forced to run down stock nationwide with one phonecall.

      57. Jail every politician who took money from Social Security for pet programs then unfund those programs and send the money back into the SS fund, problem solved.

      58. Things are really bad, yes. But isn’t it possible that the plight of the brick and mortar retail stores is being exacerbated by the increase in online retail sales, and that this merely represents a shift in consumer spending habits?

      59. Why are they closing? Cause they don’t have any ammo to sell, dammit!

        • @PO’d

          LoL – 100 thumbs up if I could.

          Totally explains it ….lol

      60. I am currently in the largest port in Mexico.. normally, there are well over a dozen large cargo ships in the bay. Now, there are 5. A lot of the stuff going to the US is actually ported in Mexico, then trucked North, since it’s cheaper than actually porting a ship in one of our ports.

        I saw this about the same time as the 07/08 downturn too..

        • Hi oUCH,

          Thanks, that’s just the kind of on-the-ground info that is SO damn important when we’re trying to ‘figure’ it all out…it sure helps to balance the crap that the MSM would like us to believe, aprreciate it!

          JOG

        • Union labor at work. $40 an hour to run a forklift, really???

      61. Ok now I’m po’d. DH! Is sitting here ordering crap online for his BOAT and we haven’t had our heater fixed for 5 years, using floor electric heaters. The ceiling popcorn is falling off in the bathrooms. Posts are rotted on the deck. He told me to cut back on canning because the jars are so expensive and I’m buying too much groceries! ARGHHH! What’s a girl to do? Wish he was like some of you guys!

        • Feed him to the fishes.

      62. On a slightly different note, I have a burr under my saddle so to speak. Burt, can you clear this up? What the devil is going on in the UK about this horsemeat scandal?!!. I hear tell that a new fast food chain is planning on going toe to toe with Chick-Fillet. Called Flicka-Fillet, the premier sandwich on the menu will be the “Whinny-burger”. What goes on? Inquiring minds want to know…..

        • Good one Po’d. Flicka-Fillet, lol.

      63. Good day all, as I read through the comments it seems to me there is a lot of panic and unease amongst many of you.

        My advice is slow and steady wins the race…

        We have been watching the economic drama play out for many years, and in my never to be humble opinion,

        I believe we are years away from any real wide spread “collapse” in the form of hyperinflation or currency collapse.

        There is still a lot of money being spread around and many of the key players want to get their greedy hands on it, so there will be many curtain calls before the final bow.

        I don’t really believe we will ever see a total global collapse, but I do think the days of rampant consumerism and the easy life of buy now pay later will be a distant memory.

        Good farm land and a well rounded knowledge of animal husbandry and horticulture will separate those that live relatively comfortable from those that live hand to mouth. I see a generational shift back to the land, with some serious short term pain for those who chose / choose to chase the mighty dollar and decided to stake their claim in a major population center versus deciding soon, no matter what it takes to get out.

        There are for sure hard times coming for many, but panic will not help.

        Stop trying to convince others and make the move to get yourself in a position to mitigate the impact on you and yours.

        The Mid and North West still offers a good alternative to the East and West coast.

        The dollar though weak and getting weaker will still buy tangibles and land.

        Stay thirsty my friends!
        WallyDog

      64. Feds Buy Two Billion Rounds of Ammunition

        Something strange is going on. Federal non-military agencies have bought two billion rounds of ammunition in the last 10 months. The Obama Administration says that federal law enforcement agents need the ammunition for “mandatory quarterly firearms qualifications and other training sessions.”

        It’s not the number of bullets we need to worry about but the number of feds with guns it takes to use those bullets. There are currently more than 70 different federal law enforcement agencies employing over 120,000 officers with arrest and firearms authority . . . That’s an increase of nearly 30 percent between 2004 and 2008. If the trends have continued upward at a relatively steady rate, that would put the total number of federal law enforcement officers at somewhere between 135,000 and 145,000. That’s a pretty staggering number, especially when you consider that there are only an estimated 765,000 state and local law enforcement officers. That means that about one in seven law enforcement officers in the country works directly for the federal government, not a local jurisdiction.

        ;0P

      65. The End.

        Remember how good you felt finishing a book. Well, I am not sure I want to read the last chapter of America. Does not look so good.

        I wish we would have made our changes in Chapter 9 somewhere. Too late now though?

        • Sometimes one cares not to look at the news in the morning.

      66. REALLY GREAT ALEX JONES SHOW WITH VET WHO STARTED OATHS KEEPERS..you’ll don’t want to miss this one!! this guy–Stewart Rhodes– worked for Ron Paul, is a constitutional lawyer, was professor at Yale and is really giving update on the civil war about to take place. (EXCELLENT NEWS!!)

        he Alex Jones Show – Sunday, February 17, 2013 (Full … – YouTube
        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HughzVM9jI
        119 min – 23 hours ago – Uploaded by TheLibertydefined
        On this groundbreaking Sunday, February 17, 2013 edition, Alex Jones examines how payroll ..

      67. ScoutMotto, what you said about CBs could become true. I’ve got a handheld and mobile units in storage just in case. Plus, don’t rule out shortwave radios, either. On how best to maintain a semiauto weapon, I’ve have ALWAYS used oil for lubrication. Almost any kind will do, from 3-in-1 up to aautomotive oil. Anyone who uses silicone or WD-40 on a firearm ought to be shot [no pun intended]. For removing carbon,, I use Hoppe’s No. 9; can’t go wrong with that. I use a bore brush and cleaning patch in the barrel with Hoppe’s and works like a charm every time. When i oil the weapon, I tend to overdo it just a little, but I make damned sure my weapon is going to work if/when needed. If you take good care of your weapon, your weapon will take good care of you. You should treat your weapon like family. NOMI CATIMF braveheart

      68. @ All,

        Don’t know if this is up yet or not,

        Apparently Colorado Just passed it’s new firearms bill…up on the Associated Press about 20 minutes ago.

        Communist State of Colorado indeed…

        JOG

        • The Bastards!

        • So, in the background checks will they tick the box that asks if they use MJ?

          Oh, duh! They don’t need guns now, they’re on a slow ride, chilled and grinnin’! ;o

          • Yep, they are more concerned with MJ tourism now than with guns!

        • Ive got a question for the gold heads and market watchers here. What would happen if a few of the countries that are major gold buyers decided to pull a Soros and flooded the market? Just a silly question that came to me while reading the thread.
          No white flags just empty shells. RP

          • Don’t assume that what Soros says and what Soros does are the same thing.

            What happens if China, for example, floods the market with gold ? Well, surely the price would sink.

            The other side of that coin is “why the heck would they trade real money for paper ?” That is exactly what they are trying their best to get rid of now.

            As a side note, there is a theory among the purveyors of conspiracy theory that China is shorting the precious metals markets to force the price down now…..so they can convert more of their paper ‘assets’ into metals at a cheaper price. And when the day comes that those shorts must be covered by real metal, they plan to default and simply settle the trade in paper…..US debt paper.

            Pay no attention to what gold does over the short haul. China and Russia ( along with a few other countries ) intend to end the stranglehold the US buck has on world trade ( petrodollar ). Once they get enough gold stockpiled, the day of the US dollar as world reserve currency is over, and you’ll see gold go to many times it’s current price in US bucks. But gas at the pump will follow right along with that.

        • It passed the House and now goes to the Senate. It’s not all the way through the process.

          • Howdy Kindle,

            NOT according to the AP article I read. It passed the House by a narrow margin, but apparently HAS already passsed the Senate with an even narrower margin. I’ll habve to go back to the article to get the blow-by-blow be back in a bit….

            JOG

            • CORRECTION,

              KINDLE is CORRECT….I just double checked my ISP’s aggragator site and they had wrapped the LAST line back around behind a photo….corrected when I went back. The bill IS heading for the Senate, Kudos Kindle, thanks for the correction…

              PO’d, Kindle, Walt…MY abject Apologies, things are BAD enough without someone mis-reporting THINGS…BAD, BAD JOG!! (Whimpering in background…)

              JOG

        • Pardon my french but…..screw Colorado and all the pinko commie queers who put in office all the POS legislators who voted for this bill.

          Freedom loving people of Colorado. It’s time to stand up and tell them “NO!”

          Refuse to comply with these unconstitutional laws.

          Resist. Rebel. Revolt.

          • Do not forget the rampant fraud. All you need to do is remember the 30K crowd on colorado on the weekend before the election to know that the outcome was rigged.

        • @ Satori,

          Yeah, me too…I wouldn’t have thought it would take a GENETIC scientist to FIGURE that out….

        • Scientific evidence to support the movie “Idiocracy”!!! The movie’s makers should get an Academy Award. Funny, funny movie that is on the Comedy Channel occasionally and very reliable in it’s portrayal of our future!

      69. @PO’d Patriot ~ Burger King also has discovered that
        they have HorseMeat in their Burgers. ugh.

        • There will come a time when you will be glad for a Pony Burger. I know I would eat one.

        • Em, ah yes “discovered”. They’re getting our taste buds ready for the Camp FEMA chow.

        • turned out to be donkey, not horse.

      70. pharmacies,big box little box doesn’t matter.The pharmacist behind the counter on average make over hundred thousand dollars a year if they work in a big box pharmacy such as CVS Walgreens whoever. After a small box independently owned pharmacy they make over half $1 million a year on the drugs they sell you and I. Some of the most popular well-known pain medication they pay between three and $.10 a piece for and sell them for up to five dollars apiece. In this day and time and under these economic conditions this is robbery. No wonder our healthcare cost are going out of sight and their insurance cost are going ballistic to where no one can afford to buy insurance anymore. The big-box pharmacies would have you believe that there barely making a profit and all you have to do is look at their stock prices and tell me if that looks like a company in trouble. So remember every time you going to pick up your medication the pharmacist behind the counter is making 5 to 6 times what the average salary is in this country and as you pay for it or you use your insurance keys laughing all the way to the bank. Think about all the big-box stores, their stock prices, and the huge amount of stores that they have and tell me the public is in getting fleeced.

      71. The bill only passed in the Colorado house. It hasn’t gone to the Senate yet and will be close, there are Democrats on the fence on it.

      72. Well, I’ll be damned, for the first time ever, JoeinNC is actually trying to carry on a decent conversation. If he can keep that up, then watch out folks, things will never be the same on this site again.

      73. To Walt Kowalski ~ # 1164628 ~ You are 100% right.
        Nothing will be done, nothing will come of it.
        I am glad I am not the one and only who remembers
        every incident that you listed. TPTB need to know,
        there are some out there in sheeple-land, that are
        not Dumbed Down, and will Not Forget or Ignore these
        travesties you listed. Good post from you.

      74. Note to Ricardo- There’s a mean red-head looking for you. She said the Copa closed 3 hours ago and you’d better get your ass home! Adios, Bobaloo…
        Oh, and tell Fred to return my pipe wrench.

        • Bobalooie……Quick Draw McGraw. Boy SO, you sure just brought back a flood of memories with only one word. Thanks!

        • a little off topic, but related: evidence of inflation, last week at Kroger…

          yogurt went up 6%, from $1.25 ea to 1.33 ea, but it was a sneaky/subtle change from 4 for $5 to 3 for $4…

          a gallon jug of wine went up 23%, from $12.99 to $15.99 in one week. The smaller bottle was (regular) priced $7.99 last week, but this week it was “on sale” for $7.99. The regular price went up to $9.99, a %25% increase!

      75. NOTICE!! **NOT For Public Release!**

        Internal Memorandum
        To: Marketing & Media Div, Advertising Div, Regional Buyers Div
        From: Legal Dept
        Re: New Town, labeling laws
        NOTICE!! **NOT For Public Release**

        To all relevant dept heads,
        We have completed incorporation papers for the new town in China. The 50 yr land lease is completed as well. It is official as per all necessary gov bureaus in PRC. As of 3/27/2013 ALL freight (or related bills of lading, manifests) will now pass through new town.
        This has also been checked with 11th US Circuit Court and with US FDA and related agencies stateside. Full compliance with ‘Truth In Labeling’ laws is assured by our dept. Plus, Wal-Pac in Washington gaurantees full congressional co-operation. It’s a Go!
        In conjunction with the March 22nd re-launch of the “Bring It Home To The USA” campaign, (biggest advertising campaign in corp history, by the way!) there will also be a celebration of the christening of our new town. Reception for all Level 8 and higher div mgrs will be held at 8pm on 3/22 at Bentonville HQ. Hope to see you there!
        New town name will be yoo-exaa (Mandarin/English spelling). American spelling is USA. Pronounced yoo-ess-aay. All retail bar codes and sku’s/manifests will denote ‘Made In USA.’
        Thanks to everyone for all your hard work in helping Wal-Mart maintain it’s leadership role in the retail industry. And thanks for helping us ‘Bring It Home To The USA!’

        • Hahhahahaha..yeah like they are such a shining example of trust and reverance…please

      76. Solar Report,

        Solar,

        Little of note has occured over the last few weeks, the sole
        exception being an M-1.9 flare yesterday, hence I’ve had little
        to report during that time period. As of this time the nascent
        immature spot group NOAA 11671 has been officially seperated
        into two groups; the original and another region, NOAA 11678.

        The newly designated latter is at this time undergoing rapid
        growth and may become interesting presently. As of this morning
        the solar X-flux activity was seen to rise abruptly in a
        sustained fashion to above a C-class emmision rate for the the
        first time in weeks. This increase is almost certainly
        attributable to the activity of the newly desiganted region as
        same is now also showing a significant level of magnetic
        complexity as it develops as well.

        The strongly quasi-periodic behaviour we have witnessed in
        the measured Penticton (daily) Solar Flux since April of last
        year has again deviated from expectations – as it did this
        December past – and as of yesterday we have it reaching to it’s
        smallest observed peak since January 2012…the observed
        periodicity may be resuming a more normal, chaotic pattern
        – based on yesterday’s measurements.

        Terrestrial,

        Over the last several days we have seen multiple, strong
        deviations in the measured magnetic terestrial field almost
        none of which can be attributed to non-terrestrial activity.
        This was especially evident immediately prior to the Siberian
        tectonic disturbances some few days ago when various of the
        Northern Hemisphere monitoring locations saw component
        deviations in excess of 500 nT…very strong indeed for being
        of purely terrestrial origin.

        Extra-Solar,

        Adter a protracted period of hiatus we have finally begun
        to see a resumption of GRB activity with same being recorded
        on the 11th, 15th and 16th bia the SWIFT platform. As yet
        none of these have had thier associated light-curves posted
        to the repository and thus nothing can be said as to thier
        associated intensities.

        JOG

      77. Hmmm. Disagree: these companies all suck.
        Wal-Mart: Dollar General Walmarted Wal-Mart. Plain and simple. The Walmart model was to eliminate selection and sell cheap. DGN does that better than WMT. If you want to save money with limited selection, then get yourself to a DGN. WMT is actually not even price competitive for many things any more. Plus they often have “wal-Mart” packaging which has less stuff inside or consists of “seconds”/low quality production runs IMO. You can cream their prices on stuff at DGN and on food at other places such as BiLo. Have you ever price-compared diapers?!!! Forget WMT. Crooks who lie and say they have lower prices. Actually, in season we nail every store by shopping at the farmer’s market for vegetables.

        Best Buy
        How are they still in business? Their real name should be Worst Buy as that’s the prices I’ve seen for the last 15 years there. Scoot over to HH Greg and take a look. Not to mention buying online.

        Sears Holding Corp.
        Do they differentiate in any way? Price? No. Product? ??? “Lighter side”? What are they trying to sell? What’s their marketing message?

        J.C. Penney
        Duh. Who needs to dress up any more.
        Barnes & Noble
        Duh. Nook anyone? Some marketing genius will start to “give away” the consumer connector (tablet).
        Gamestop
        ????

        Office Depot
        OfficeMax
        These might actually support the thesis. I certainly cut out “business expenses” myself. I used to do some marketing campaigns and such; but since the profitable consulting in tech is controlled by big companies, I just work for them now.

        RadioShack
        How in the heck are they still in business? They all but totally flubbed the smartphone explosion and the tablet explosion. I actually sent them a proposal in 2009 to put them on the map but was ignored. Enormous opportunity, terrible business management. Ridiculous company. Their answer to smartphones is to be the low-cost provider onramp store. Only they don’t have clear pricing etc.

      78. Several or all of the listed businesses have been having issues with either poor management, creative destruction, or have been passed by. They have been on their death bed for several years and most need to close. Barnes and Noble will be killed by Amazon and ebooks, Sears has really poor customer service and lost their butts when they bought k mart. JC Penny is just plain old and slow and lost their chance to adapt a long time ago. The office supply stores sell furnature, computers, and several items other stores sell cheaper and are specialized. Radio Shack- all on line items and the employees I have delt with lack any type of product knowledge. Regardless of the economy these closings have all been known for a long time and they really should all be out of business. If Target, Wall Mart, Mcdonalds, apple, etc go out of business I could see a cause for great concern. If you google each of these businesses you will find people have forcasted their demise for a very long time. Not trying to be a thorn, but these businesses are not a good example of anything other than outdated, poorly ran, poor business practices and decisions.

      79. The real tragedy of all this will be fewer examples of our fine fellow Americans on People of WalMart (www.peopleofwalmart.com)

        Folks, lets dilute this down the end game, whether it be orchestrated or not: thinning the herd.

        ONLY in the human species are the weak, the infirm, the lazy, the handicapped, the “unlucky,” the mentally sick, the unrepentant criminal, allowed to survive. Not just allowed, but helped to survive at that. Modern society has propagated millions upon millions of people that under any other set of circumstances (a.k.a. the natural order) would not have existed in the first place or would have died shortly after birth. The lame Zebra on the Serengeti is picked off first. The male Lion not able to fight for dominance of a pride does not mate, does not pass on his genes, and usually dies emaciated (as the lionesses do most of the hunting), killed by a stronger rival or outright starvation. And what is the result of all this “natural order?” Tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of years of survival in harmony with nature. Humanity can boast no such achievement, especially mankind of the past 300 years.

        In every other animal species on this planet, it is the law of the jungle, so to speak. We “civilized” creatures see this as barbaric and cruel. But of course, WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf Wars, etc. are not to be lumped into this barbarity, it’s “different.” Right?

        Preppers, in all their varying backgrounds, in my estimation, are Darwin’s theory in action. Most are not the strongest (physically), the smartest (education-wise), or even the “purest” (in terms of religion and faith), BUT they are those most adaptable to change. They notice what others ignore, hear what others cannot or will not, and most importantly, are not afraid to THINK and come to logical conclusions that are then put into plans of ACTION.

        I welcome what is coming. Like many on here, talking of WalMart employees and others that are “alive” but not living (aka zombies), I see and hear them everyday. They have no future but what is provided for them. They have no thoughts that do not originate from the desire to satisfy their most basic needs (food, sex, drink). They are very firmly and blissfully plugged into “The Matrix” and will fight to stay as such.

        I am awake. I am prepared. Let ‘er rip.

        -Heel out.

        • Amen to that. I agree with you. The heard thinning is coming. The only good thing for the unprepared is i hope death comes quick for them. It may sound bad to say that but what elese can you say.

        • Couldn’t agree with you more on that subject! That’s why I started prepping,knowing full well what is coming. And when that time comes,the people who suck off the rest of us (who are willing to work for ours), will go nuts. I know it’s just my opinion,but someone whom has never had a blister from actuall work,not ps3, deserves what’s coming.

      80. In addition to my comment above about the obviously reduced traffic levels at a Mexican Port.. for the last several years, Mexico has been making it more and more difficult for dollars to be exchanged for pesos. It is now VERY hard to find a place that will actually accept dollars. They claim it is to combat narco trafficking, I don’t buy it. A friend of mine owns a restaurant in Mexico and his bank absolutely will not accept dollar deposits into his account via cash. Only electronic deposits. Deposits in excess of $15K per month incur a 3% deposit tax. I may be wrong, but it seems to me that Mexico is trying to reduce the amount of dollars floating around in their banking system. It has become quite challenging for a tourist or business to exchange dollars for pesos. I will try to verify if that is true for other currencies or not.. it would be very telling if there was no issue exchanging Canadian or Euro’s… I have some, think I’ll give it a try.

        • @ ALL, IMPORTANT!!!

          READ and THINK here a bit, if you will….

          Howdy oUCH,

          Interesting…again, something that we wouldn’t otherwise have any knowledge of but for those few who post it in here. A thought here; Now I don’t know WHERE you are and frankly, don’t need to, S’OK? But – like the situation with Manos and Greece – IF we just had people (like yourself) who somewhat regularly posted in as to what was the ‘new normal’ where they were, we’d surely SEE a more complete ‘picture’ than what we do now, Eh? God KNOWS the ‘captured’ MSM is as useless as ‘tit’s on a boar-hog’ anymore…I wonder. Maybe if just a few MORE people did this consistently we’d be able to SEE the ENTIRE picture for a change. Thanks oUCH…MUCH obliged!!

          JOG 🙂

          • yeah I hear ya on the Lame Stream Media..seems that the Greeks are chastizing thier media for not reporting the truth…

            would like to see most if not all our MSM strung up for their lies, mis-direction, pandering..and being collective TRAITORS to the American public ( yes i know they are all bought and paid for idiots)

            Bunch of lieing ass paid for fools..wait..yeah just fuckin wait until the check doesnt clear ass holes!
            and when the American public wakes up to how much shit the MSM is full of

          • Denada…

      81. Direct confirmation of Mac’s thesis here….

        up at the Hedge,

        http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-02-19/freight-shipment-volumes-plunge-lowest-two-years

        As an aside;

        Hmmm, let’s see here…Baltic Dry imploding? Check,
        Internal shipping index imploding? Check
        PM Falling? Check
        South America imploding, Check
        Europe in Anarchy? wait a few weeks, then Check
        US stalemated internally? Check
        Japan toasted? Check

        Time to pulll the ‘kill-switch’? wait a few weeks

        JOG

      82. “In the beginning of a change, the patriot is a scarce man and brave, hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds however, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot.” –Mark Twain

        “Before a standing army can rule the people must be disarmed; as they are in almost every kingdom in Europe. The supreme power in America cannot enforce unjust laws by the sword; because the whole body of the people are armed and constitute a force superior to any band of regular troops that can be, on any pretense, raised in the United States.” –Noah Webster of Pennsylvania, An Examination of the Leading Principles of the Federal Constitution, Philadelphia, 1787

        Arms are the only true badges of liberty. The possession of arms is the distinction of a free man from a slave. — Andrew Fletcher (1698)

        Perhaps Americans should recognize that if they want to keep their privacy, they should ask the federal government to do only the things that the Constitution allows. –Dave Kopel

        Americans need not fear the federal government because they enjoy the advantage of being armed, which you possess over the people of almost every other nation. — James Madison.

        “A government that does not trust its law abiding citizens to keep and bear arms is itself unworthy of trust.” -James Madison

        “Divine providence has given to every individual the means of self-defense…To disarm the people….is the best and most effectual way to enslave them.” –George Mason

        “No free man shall ever be de-barred the use of arms. The strongest reason for the people to retain their right to keep and bear arms is as a last resort to protect themselves against tyranny in government.” –Thomas Jefferson

        “Quemadmoeum gladuis neminem occidit, occidentis telum est.” (A sword is never a killer; it is a tool in the killer’s hands.) –Lucius Annaeus Seneca, circa 45 AD

        “And that the said Constitution be never construed to authorize Congress … to prevent the people of the United States, who are peaceable citizens, from keeping their own arms…. “–Samuel Adams

      83. If gun crime is so important to Obama, then why has the DOJ DECREASED prosecution of Federal gun crimes by 39% since Obama took office?

      84. Its small but it fell

        Amez United Credit Union in Detroit – which has 158 members – was closed Tuesday by the Michigan Office of Financial and Insurance Regulation on concerns that the credit union was operating in an unsound manner and is insolvent.

      85. Tip: Don’t skip too many Xanax pills trying to stockpile for the coming shtf. You may meltdown and miss it in a padded room.

        • The closest I’ll get will be melatonin!!

      86. To the many people who follow this blog, did any of this article come as a surprise? I think not. things are only going to get worse. We see the economic trends each week, and by now, I don’t think any of us are surprised by any news. The current events portray what we have all known for a long time—it’s over. whether we die a slow bleeding death, or something happens that changes things overnight, the game is over.
        The only thing that surprises me, is how long these talking heads on the MSM can keep telling us that everything is ok. I guess watching the president play golf in Florida is supposed to make us think all is well. Sort of a new age fireside chat.
        The building blocks of a stable economy are being pulled out daily by a series of ever increasing bad events. How long can this QE to infinity keep working? I guess we will all get the chance to find out.

      87. Walmart is struggling from tax return and from people who are boycotting them cause of the ammo issue. Sales from guns and ammo and mountain house. I am sure are sky high.
        people are preparing for a depression. They cannot afford to buy much on their welfare and such. Regular people are buying just what they need. The only people supporting the economy are people who are smart enough to stock up. The people on the system are to busy living it up day to day. Credit days are gone. People are having trouble paying for their homes let alone shopping. No stimulas to spend now. Money is tight for all but the rich. Its only going to get worse.

      88. Hopefully they are closing because people are buying locally again which would actually help our economy.

      89. Since the oil peg and later the great US de-industrialization complements of various “Free Trade” agreements the value adding manufacturing society has been replaced with an unsustainable consumerist society fueled by an increasing supply of fiat currency. Like too much chemo poison to fight cancer if the disease doesn’t get you the cure will.

        Did any prudent person believe that the charade could continue indefinitely?

      90. Communist Manifesto Maxim #1 “From each according to his ability…To each according to his need.” This is the direction we are steadily and covertly headed. Most of the country’s woes stems from this very simple fact. When you reward need by supporting it and punish ability by taking from it, eventually you end up with a country/society of ever dincreasing need and ever decreasing ability.

      91. Supply greater than demand.

        Machines over mankind.

        Money sucked by the magnet of corporate when any innovation is achieved.

        Brick and mortar is going as petrified bones.

        Consolidation is the last resort.

        The last bastion is prepping and being ready.

        It is all tied to the confluence of many things.

        This has happened many times over the millenia.

        End times. Not hard to predict by those that observe and have knowledge.

        Earth changes are the drive of all of this mayhem.

        The scare to make all prepare without undue flare.

        Don’t doubt the man at the top, for he does care.

      92. Party’s over Dude.
        When these start closing, it’s going to accelerate as per Einstein’s equation Profit=Workers * Spending Squared.
        Don’t keep any money in a Bank, if you can’t afford to loose it.

      93. Machines and china. Online computer automated sales. Not that hard to figure out why the domestic brick and mortar are going out of style. It just took some time for this cause and effect relationship to surface. “There is no wine, before it’s time.”- Orson Welles. Now the world must drink it. Even the bottom slug that is poison.

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