We can play these “recovery” games in the media all we want, but the truth is starkly different from what our benevolent leadership would have us believe.
If the abhorrent unemployment numbers, the nearly 50 million on government food assistance, dwindling savings accounts, collapsing real estate values, and negative economic growth (when adjusted for inflation) are not enough to convince you that we are in a long-term depressionary cycle, then maybe these latest statistics of “near poor” Americans will:
Down but not quite out, these Americans form a diverse group sometimes called “near poor” and sometimes simply overlooked — and a new count suggests they are far more numerous than previously understood.
When the Census Bureau this month released a new measure of poverty, meant to better count disposable income, it began altering the portrait of national need. Perhaps the most startling differences between the old measure and the new involves data the government has not yet published, showing 51 million people with incomes less than 50 percent above the poverty line. That number of Americans is 76 percent higher than the official account, published in September. All told, that places 100 million people — one in three Americans — either in poverty or in the fretful zone just above it.
After a lost decade of flat wages and the worst downturn since the Great Depression, the findings can be thought of as putting numbers to the bleak national mood — quantifying the expressions of unease erupting in protests and political swings. They convey levels of economic stress sharply felt but until now hard to measure.
…
“These numbers are higher than we anticipated,” said Trudi J. Renwick, the bureau’s chief poverty statistician. “There are more people struggling than the official numbers show.”
Source: NYT
One in three Americans are either below, or right at, the poverty line.
The scary thing is: We’re just getting started.
Things are not going to get better any time soon. This is a sustained downward depressionary environment and all of the key indicators for economic well-being suggest it’s only going to get worse.
One hundred million people are barely able to keep themselves fed, sheltered and clothed. Tens of millions more will join the ranks of the near poor over coming months and years.
As more people become part of the near poor, more debt will need to be issued. Coupled with rising prices in essential goods like food and energy, which are outpacing emergency assistance payments, there is simply no way to support everyone who needs help.
Government safety nets can only handle a finite amount of stress and weight before they experience complete failure.
As the nets unravel and fail we’ll be looking at catastrophic consequences for our social and economic systems as we know them today. The worst case hypothetical scenarios of debt driven currency collapse, food riots, and the degradation of law and order are very much becoming reality.
Am I first?
Wait just a second… what the hell does “with incomes less than 50 percent above the poverty line” mean, exactly? Does that mean poverty-line income plus 50% more, or what? If that’s the case, it pulls in the entire lower-middle-class.
PS: by the metric of disposable income, all households going through Chapter 13 bankruptcy officially have no disposable income at all (because officially, the bankruptcy trustee takes it all and puts it towards the settled amount). This makes them all officially at or below “the poverty line”, in spite of living in huge McMansions or owning massive boats, cars, retirement accounts (which are untouchable by trustees) or whatever.
I am already monetarily “poor”, but rich in many other ways that truly matter. I could make more money if I wanted to work harder, but the things in life I want (other than food, water, home) don’t cost much or are free.
If money defines you, prepare to be redefined.
“If money defines you, prepare to be redefined.”
That about sums it up GC! Great insight.
Great words…
I’ve got SPAM older than her!
I like it too!
Great comment, but not eating is more than being redefined.
That depends on how large one is.
Great post GC!
I make 10% of what I used to, but I have more free time, about the same amount to spend on voluntary purchases, my diet is better as more of my food is stuff I raise or grow, and well, life has become better since I fell off the Great American Treadmill.
“the truth is starkly different from what our benevolent leadership would have us believe” Say it ain’t so Mr. Slavo. Surely our Dear Leader wouldn’t lie to us, or mislead us?
As a consulting engineering employee, starting in the late 70’s and early 80’s. I’ve seen our jobs shift towards being sent overseas since mid 80’s. This has risen exponentially as we work towards the present.
I’ve also noted a degredation in values, morals and ethics in the media, a rise in the numbers of entitled people and a lowering of class both socio and economic for those that are considered poor. When I grew up we were considered as poor. We still had a clean house, clean yard, were kept neat and clean from a hygeine point of view and those that were lower than us, were the drunks that still had a place to stay. Nobody was homeless. Today we see homeless everywhere.
We chose to work, hunt, fish, grow gardens and as I grew older I saw more, had an imagination and saw that my life could get better. I did what I could and took advantage whenever possible and came to be in the business of engineering which has been a boon to myself and my family financially, in spite of the lost jobs overseas. There were times I was unemployed, I worked hard at home and worked hard at getting another job. Sometimes it meant hitting the road and moving the family. I was blessed during all of this. I’m thankful for it all.
What I see today, where we are going, what our Government is doing, what is happening in the world…
Makes me shudder, America the last bastion of freedom in the world is NOT FREE. We have vestiges left but it is not like our forefathers envisioned nor is the Government functioning like it was designed. The all narcistic obamanation is gathering and using power as thge office has never done before. We have useless congressional sessions and committees. We have peole on the hill that have never done an honest lick of work in their life! And we are supposed to believe they speak for us?
I have family that are considered poor. Some of it comes from personal choices, most of them bad. Some though comes from the environment that fosters the entitlement state of mind. I see more of that these days and I notice GENERATIONS of entitled people outside my family. People that have figured out how to work the system.
That is exactly what the politicians want!
They do not want us thinking for ourselves, working on new ideas. The want us subservient and voting to keep them in power.
I do not agree with peeps that say vote Republican, nor vote Democrat….the way I see it, we the people should be voting for people we pick, not those that are proposed for us…I have not EVER been represented. And certainly have worked my entire life being taxed the whole time…how is that supposed to be? No taxation without representation?
Now it is “Don’t work and we will pay you, as long as you ignore what we are doing and you are happy with a free cell phone and a nintendo, dancing with the stars and the utterly meaningless drivel we use to pollute your mind towards more of the same”?
I’m ranting and have a meeting to got to…
Yes, it is going to get worse, Mac, you have predicted much and I’m glad to have a site that allows this freedom of expression…
Terry
LNL PROTEKT LLC
I found an interesting article at The American Thinker.
It includes some financial and economic statistics comparing 1963 to 2011.
With the passage of some major social spending programs…”The inexorable transfer of unbridled power to Washington and the political expedient of unsustainable promises to the American people, in exchange for their votes, had begun.”
The Tipping Point and the Crossroads
(americanthinker.com/2011/11/the_tipping_point_and_the_crossroad.html)
So only the other 200 million or so are buying iphone, ipaids, kindle fires, play stations, and all the other gadgets flying off the shelves this holiday?
If the determination of in poverty is based on income then I certainly qualify as a retired person living on some rental property income. But I consider myself quite wealthy thank you and can afford what I want so long as my wants are in check. I dare say there are some issues with the numbers, but even more so with the definition of poverty when we look at American’s. Our poor have it rough, but nothing like those in many other nations.
Even the poor are buying these glitzy gadgets to convince themselves that they aren’t really poor.
The poor are buying this stuff with taxpayers money, so they don’t care how much it costs, they don’t have to work for it, with them being on welfare is like a badge of honor
Jim, our ‘poor’ aren’t poor compared to the real ‘poor’ of other countries.
The income in this household places us in the ‘near poor’ level, I’d bet; amazing how we have 2 vehicles paid for(one 8 and one 15 years old), no debts other than utilities(water, heat, and electricity), prop. taxes, insurance, church dues, and mortgage.
We are doing it and not starving.
How is that???
I’m debt free, no mortgage and just signed the house-land over to the kids with life rights, A Ford Escape 2 yrs old paid for and a 73 PU been paid for over 35 yrs, retired with lifetime med benifits, used all my retirement RA and SRA money to pay off kids college loans so they could be debt free.Have enough here to make it a couple yrs if the walls do come tumbling down, by then we would be in survival mode and could last for ever if no one bothered us. I still feel very poor and have it in the back of my mind that this place could be lost to lack of money to pay the ever rising land and school taxes.In fact I feel poorer now than I did when I owed a couple hundred thousand. Municipals don’t want land with money owed on them, but they grab debt free places.
Bad move. The state or county will place a value on your life estate. Better to sell and rent back.
You beat me to it. While there are so many struggling, you are right, “Poor” is rather subjective. I know someone who conciders ourselves “poor” and drives a brand new honda. In my humble opinion, you are not “poor” until you cannot pay your rent and threaten homeless. Or you cannont make food stretch payday to payday. If you can still pay your cell phone and buy the latest and greatest, sorry, you are not poor. Last night we saw a news story on older “poor” on fixed income. Guy had gold rings on every finger. While on paper, we might be counted in this number of poor, I concider our family quite wealthy in knowledge, resourcefulness frugality and finding happiness in a family board game rather than zoning out to a wall sized tv with surround sound.
I meant…conciders THEMSELVES poor with a brand new honda. Our honda is older than our oldest!
I agree, being “poor” can be very subjective. Here in South Africa many people enjoy POP status (Poorest of the Poor), but they can afford expensive Broadband Internet access, wide screen tvs, state of the art sound systems and what have you. On the other hand, you get people who are really and truly struggling to get food on the table, those who are really suffering and it seems that they’re really getting the short end of the stick.
“Our poor have it rough, but nothing like those in many other nations”.
AMEN Brother! Go live in the 3rd world for a while, it really puts poverty in perspective. The only poverty that we have here that can compare with the 3rd world are the Indian Reservations. A most horrible irony, since the continent still rightly belongs to them. (But how many Americans, rich or poor, will even recognize that fact this Thanksgiving.)
Kids in the ghetto here got stuff that 3rd world kids only dream of. You get to play soccer on a real field? With a real soccer ball, shoes, and actual net goals?! WOW!!! Kids in the cities of SE Asia play on a “field” of a vacant potholed street, with a few bricks for goals, barefoot, and rarely with a real soccer ball.And I’ve never seen them fight or argue, much less rob and riot.
The poorer you get, the less your expectations and the less you will accept as the norm. That’s the plan. Just keep that in mind next November. If this a**hole gets in for one more term we have only ourselves to blame. Unless his side is fiddling with the voting booths. And that’s not beyond the realm of possibility.
I think this little re-definition of who is poor and who is not is about to eat him alive next year…
I have no use for the man your talking about and have never voted democrat, but if Ron Paul is not on the ticket, I’ll pull the lever for _ _ _ _ _. All the other GOP candidates are just more of the same can kicking hypocrites who want to keep the wars going while they and their buddies line their pockets so it will not matter if one of them get in or Obama stays, We’ll sink.
Romney,Gingrich,Bachmann,Santorum, haven’t even won the primary and they’re already talking war with Iran.
So true. It’s either Ron Paul or it’s more of the same status quo; a criminally insane federal gummint in bed with the military/industrial/banking/oil complex.
Lets get real here.
There’s poverty and then there’s POVERTY. I’ve lived in third world countries (for about 6 years) and we have no real “poor” in America.
The American government’s description of poverty includes households with flat screen tv’s, cable or satellite, x-boxes, cell phones, air conditioning, name brand clothing/tennis shoes, etc.
Are things bad? Yes
Do I think things will get worse? Yes.
Are we 3rd world poor? No. Not even close.
Is this destruction of our economy intentional? Yes
Why is it being done? To gain marxist or communist control over the American public
Mr.B,I too have been overseas for over 6 years. Americans don’t really don’t understand rationing. They haven’t seen grocery stores (nation wide) with empty shelves and limited hours of operation. In this country we can get something to eat at any hour, not so abroad.
What happens when the stores start reflecting the 3rd world? Mass unrest. We have a couple of generations that have been on the diet of fast food, fast results, I want it now. Patience is not their strong suit and with the gov’t providing their needs and their share of redistribution, they are then ensnared in the gov’t’s web with no way out except to surrender to the gov’t or crime.
Poverty is then where people need the gov’t’s help, that’s our gov’t’s definition of poverty.
“Poverty is then where people need the gov’t’s help, that’s our gov’t’s definition of poverty.”
Replace need with want. Ours is a country of spoiled brats.
@ Mr B : That pretty much sums it up. The problem will be that before this is done we might be a 3rd world nation. I can see the plan of the Marxist’s working every day….bringing us closer to the end. The Occupy group will get more violent. Things are just getting started….& we have a front row seat. Oops ! I need to add popcorn to my prepping list !
Montgomery County Texas
Exactly Mr. B. Being poor in the US means only one color TV and the lowest package on cable, the kiddies only get one happy meal a month, and their computer is more then four years old. Maybe I am being a little cheeky here, but really Mr B hits it on the head, Most Americans haven’t known true poverty in generations, I remember being told by my great-grandfather that after about three days of no food at all, you just don’t feel hungry anymore. I bet it has been awhile since many have felt this way. It is really about poor choices. I think if I were getting four hundred to six hundred in food stamps a month. I could feed my family all month and still have something to throw in my preppers kit future hard times.
Now that being said I work my churches soup kitchen / food pantry once a week and we have seen a greater number of people showing up for a hand up, then we have ever in the past. Knowing some of the folks as locals, two or three years ago I never thought I would see them there. Makes me grateful for the little I do have.
Mr. B is so right–and don’t forget–this admin. and congress care nothing about maintaining our stance–‘third world country’ status, here we come!!
agree with Mr. Blutarsky…have had extensive work in Russia and I can tell you that the average Russian would be considered extremely poor in this country…Uncle Putin is right up there with Uncle Joe, and Uncle Sam and the lies that are spread to keep the folks in check are amazing…poverty there means glassed over eyes, amazing amounts of alcohol and drugs, hopelessness, and filth…the ones that do manage to eek out a living keep their homes inside immaculate, but on the outside, filth and degradation remains…have traveled to Chapyvesk, Volgograd, Novosibirsk and Sakhalin Island and can tell you that we don’t have a clue as to how bad it can really get and how good we still have it here…
Exactly breadmomma! As many on here know, my wife is Urainian and her entire family lives there. Her mothers pension is $100 a month! Anyone in this country living on that amount of money? I doubt it. We don’t know what poor is in this country. Average income in Ukraine is $200 a month, and no, the cost of living isn’t any cheaper there than here for staple items. That’s poor! Yes, the inside of their homes are clean but sparce, but outside the surroundings are terrible.
Damn, she not Urainian!LOL Ukrainian
Agreed.
The only nation who has poor folk better off than we do would be Saudi Arabia (the saying there goes: “the only thing a Saudi has a hard time lifting is his wallet” – incidentally, this is due to massive oil revenue giveaways).
Otherwise? Yeah… go query the poor folk in Brazil, or in Russia, or in any third-world joint, where folks count themselves lucky if they eat every day and find somewhere to keep out of the sun or rain.
FFS… here I recently saw some woman on TV say, I shit you not: “We demand a living wage!” while wearing fashion glasses, wearing new top brand clothing, and towing along a kid similarly dressed. Meanwhile over in Eastern Africa, thousands of kids never wake up the next morning due to malnutrition, exposure, disease…
Man – when civilization finally does take a dump around here, there’s gonna be a whole lot of shocked stares frozen on a whole lot of faces…
I agree with your sentiment Mr B, but I assure you there are poor people here too. Take a trip through the back roads of Apalacha and you’ll see some people as poor as 3rd world countries, and often not nearly as educated. There’s a couple places in arkansas that are pretty bad as well.
I’m originally from Arkansas – the NW region to be specific. Yes, it can seem like it comes close to being as rough, but most of the poor (at least up and around the Ozarks) tend to make do or do without, and do manage to get by (Meth addicts and the like excepted). I have yet to see anyone there that was even half as bad off as I had seen in the rougher parts of Cairo, Juarez, Manila, and similar places.
I’m willing to wager that nowhere in Appalachia will you commonly have girls as young as 12 offering their bodies in exchange for a pack of cigarettes or a bottle of liquor (which in turn get traded for money or food). Nowhere in the Ozarks will you find neighborhoods where dogs and cats are a major protein source.
I’m not saying there are extreme cases of poverty here in the US (and as late as the 1970’s, there used to be way too many instances in Louisiana and Mississippi that could easily match the third world). I am saying however that you’d have to look fairly hard to find equivalents here, as opposed to many third-world nations where it’s in your face, and good frickin’ luck trying to avoid it.
Mr. Blutarsky is right about poverty in America; but even worse than poverty is that those so called poor and rich included are controlled by those gadgets, theirs lives revolve around them, they’re worth nothing without them, they’ve been enslaved by them, etc.. as a result their brain size have shrunk to the size of a walnut, etc. We have mindless people walking around this earth whose only purpose in life is self-satisfaction and vainglory and with so much distraction going on who do we think is laughing out loud and making a mockery of the human race..? That’s right, the defeated one, Mr. Satan.
I agree 100% !!!!! with Mr Blutarsky. In America poverty means
FREE.
food
houseing
phone
heat
welfare cash.
Its free, swipe your EBT
Welfare pisses me off, there is no pride in America anymore, The American dream anymore is to get on welfare, You OWE me a living
When Momma left for work she’d come knock on our back doe’…
Seen Daddy hand her money so I know that she ain’t po’!
whats the latest to the “protestors”…get a job after taking a shower…that about sums it up
easy fo someone like Gingrich to say who was raised on the tax payers tit and lived off it every since.George wallace said almost the same thing about the hippies,like some four letter words that they didn’t know, soap,wash,work.
Welfare pissies me off too! Imagine all of those multinaltional companies who pay NO income taxes,
or the hydrocarbon industry which gets a ONE TRILLION DOLLAR subsidy every year while poil is at $100 dollars.
I am tired of sovereign welfare for China ($300 billion dollars last year) and for Mexico ($100 billion last year).
Then of course there are illegals costing US more than $300 billion every year while WE subsidize them to suppress American wages and take American jobs, INSIDE of America.
Feed the poor, or they will feed on you!
Which jobs are you talking about???, here in central California the farmers are crying the blues because they cannot find enough manpower to pick their fields, and all of that while unemployment is as high as 15% in those counties, so don’t talk about illegals taking the jobs, there are not enough illegals to take the ones available!!!
Paola: Its not that there are not enough illegals to pick tomatoes and lettuce in Southern California; SoCal is FULL of illegals.
They just don’t want to pick tomatoes and lettuce for minimum wage.
Which only proves the point I always make: there are NOT 30 million lettuce pickers in America, so WTF are these invaders doing here?
The fact is that farmers COULD import pickers into America from mexico on a temporary basis under the law; but if they did so, then they would be required to pick up the cost of housing and medical care for them.
Growers do not want that expense. They want the American taxpayer to pick up the cost! Fuck the industrial growers!
I’ll grow my own tomatoes!
The problem is that at some point, the free stuff will stop when the world relizes that the dollar is fiat money and refuses to accept it.
That is when collape begins. You can only pay off people not to revolt for so long.
All money is FIAT money.
Thats exactly what I was thinking. We have a large population of multi-generational welfare recipents up north and I’m ashamed to report my niece, a black sheep in our family, had a baby to get on welfare.
When those checks stop coming things are going to get ugly which is why I’m investing in ammo. I don’t want to shoot anyone but believe in justifed homicide. I’m sorry your parents sucked and left you ignorant but if you attempt to harm me or mine, your going to be leaving the game.
Every currency is fiat. Some more than others.
Dude.
I remember a time (as a young kid), when the quickest way to get into a fight was to accuse someone’s mother of being on welfare, or of using food stamps. At the grocery stores, you always knew who did use food stamps due to the intense shame in their eyes at the checkout line, and the way they tried to hide the money. You felt bad for them, because they felt do damned bad.
Fast-forward well over three decades later… I lived near what is affectionately known as a ‘county home’ – basically a house owned by the county and rented for some obscenely small sum to a family who needs it. In that home was a woman and her four kids, her boyfriend, a large flat-screen television, a fairly new car parked in the garage, a large dog, and a never-ending parade of new stuff going into the place. She worked part-time, her boyfriend sat around the house and got high all day, the weekend parties were sufficient to tell me that they could easily afford the latest music and movies, not to mention the non-stop flow of weed. Overall, their entire lives were geared to insuring that the checks kept coming, and of consuming the results as fast as they got them. The county offered to ‘sell’ them the house for $28k, in a neighborhood where the cheapest homes went for (at the time) $220k – but for some odd reason she said she “couldn’t afford the payments”. That was in spite of paying no taxes, no grocery bill (EBT, y’all), a massive EIC tax check each year, a part-time job that had to have paid at least enough to pay off a $28k note in 12 months, and outright welfare money coming in even though she had a part-time gig.
I give them about a month at the most in a real SHTF event, but only because they can get damned vicious if they think they’re not getting something that they think they’re entitled to. I’m just glad I live a few dozen miles away, and soon to be many, many more.
OQ, we must be about the same age, my one year old says “dude” like a pro back to me 🙂
I remember it the way you do. Welfare was a shame to be on, and today it is so common that no one notices or cares. The stigma of social services kept families doing everything they could to stay off of it. Fast forward to today and you have people who don’t know the meaning of shame.
OQ, I see the abuses every day with the EBT program. Makes my blood boil. Have had people in the store with as many as 3 different EBT cards in their wallets. They weren’t sure which PIN# to use for what card. No shame at all. It has been bred into them as they are breeding it into their kids. Discusting!
I have people that call my business every day and ask me how am I doing and am I hiring? I ask them if they seen our ad in the newspaper? If I say no they want my name and business address. There’s no ad in the newspaper and to think “they” booed FLOTUS at NASCAR this weekend. “Start your preps”.
WOW. 100 million. That is one third of the entire country. Mind blowing…I shudder to think what happens when it reaches 50%!
Stick around til this time next year and see for yourself…
I wish I didnt have to! 🙁
This article describes what we all have been seeing over the past couple of years. Not a week goes by that I do not notice another “going out of business” or for rent sign on a building . There are a couple of strip malls near where I live that are nearly or completely empty. I see church attendance down, Movie Theaters, Concerts, and other venues that used to be packed….are not. I went to see Crystal Gayle last night at a local venue in the Woodlands, TX & there was probably 30% of the seating open. This was not the case 2 years ago. The Woodlands is also an upper income development…..where there are many folks that make more money in a year…. than I will in a lifetime. I think that this is telling that even the movers & shakers can smell something in the air. If nothing else….the uncertainty is causing folks to be much more conservative in their spending than they are normally. There was a time when I used to spend a couple hundred dollars on Christmas decorations every year….’cause my wife loves to decorate. Now…if we buy anything…it is after Christmas when we can take advantage of the 50% off closeout deals. This year will be no different. I have started looking through all the “stuff ” we have & am trying to find things that I can sell on e-bay to free up some $$ for gift shopping. Each year we say ” this is going to be a lean holiday season..but hopefully next year will be better.” So far….each year seems to be getting worse.
Montgomery County Texas
The bigger problem with the definitions of poverty here compared to true Third World poverty is American poor through subsidization have been weaned off of self reliance either by conscious design or unintended consequence. Poor in Thirld World countries have to root, hog, or die for their existence, and I believe in a true SHTF situation they would be more likely to survive than American “poor” because they are already at rock bottom with no expectation of support. Hence, the in my opinion likely use of biological warfare to thin the herd when the time comes.
An ironic effect of all of the transfer of wealth programs from the producers to the parasites is that our economy has become dependent on the economic activity that transfer payments of all kinds generate. However, that kind of economic activity is illusory and will only end in disaster once there is no more money to hand out. Those “poor” with their purchases of Ipods and video games are supporting a lot of industries and the sudden cutoff of purchasing by the “poor” would have serious effects on many companies and force real layoffs of productive people. So we are in a Catch 22 here, and I believe that the problem cannot be solved or unwound before the whole system collapses.
Well said Mistress!
Agreed. It doesn’t matter at the end of the day that is coming whether “poor” in this country compares to “poor” in another country/countries. The sheeple here don’t give a purple, festered, rats-ass about the “poor” anywhere else.
They only care about “their” perceived economic status. And when the “system” can no longer provide food stamps, welfare, etc. to the 50 million plus, what will THEY do with them? Soylent Green for breakfast maybe.
Most of junk comes from over seas. you know where are jobs went?
Cloward-Piven, remember?
The USA is the only country where the “poor” are obese!
It’s a brilliant statement, and could easily be surmised, Old Fuzzy, but no, Ignorance is the primary cause of obesity.
“Does being not-so-smart make people not-so-skinny? Experts say a controversial new study adds to a growing body of evidence linking low intelligence to weight problems. It shows that men who score low on IQ tests in adolescence are more likely to be overweight in middle age.
For the study – described at a recent meeting of the American Heart Association – researchers in Sweden compared the waist-hip ratios of more than 5,000 40-year-old men to their scores on IQ tests taken when they were around 18 years of age. The researchers found a strong inverse relationship between the ratios, which scientists use to gauge obesity and heart disease risk.
In other words, the fattest men had the lowest IQ scores.
What might explain the link between low intelligence and middle-aged spread? One possibility is that less-intelligent people make poorer food choices, Dr. Robert H. Eckel, professor of medicine at the University of Colorado School Medicine, told CBS News. Another, he said, is that they are more averse to exercising than people who are more intelligent.
But Dr. Eckel, a past-president of the association, stressed that those are simply possible explanations, saying “The study raises more questions than it answers.”
But the study’s author, Uppsala University’s Dr. Jerzy Leppert, was less guarded in his assessment of what might explain the link between low IQ and obesity. In an email to CBS News, he said men with limited “intelligence resources” might find it hard “to absorb all the messages that reach them. Their parents usually have the same problem with low IQ, which further limits their ability to adopt more healthy way of life.”
Dr. Leppert said it was time for the limited resources available for obesity prevention to be aimed squarely at people of limited intelligence, acknowledging that “our findings are not convenient for policy makers.””
Ignorance has nothing to do with being fat.
Back in the day (1800’s), you were lucky to eat once or twice a day. Now you brought up believing you are supposed to eat three meals a day.
People are fat because they eat too much and for no other reason. They eat too much because food is so easily obtained.
Those so-called “doctors” are morons.
LOL GC, “People are fat because they eat too much and for no other reason.” Now is that smart, GC? ROTFLOL
PS, you’re not a little overweight now are you GC? ;-O
EA, some things are that simple. I wonder how much to doctors spent trying to elevate themselves above those they consider lacking in intelligence and fat because of it.
The obesity problem will go away when the food becomes scarce and hard to get.
No, I am not fat. I have no body fat at all. Skinny as a rail but eat anything I want to. I only eat one real meal a day and have for years. That will make my preps last a long time.
Gotta go. My shrimp pizza is ready.
GC:People are fat also because many have gotten lazy and eat what they want(junk). It amazes me how the McDonalds always seems packed. I’ll pass by 4-6 different ones weekly, nomatter the meal time, they are packed. It reminds me of how many have no patience to prepare a meal.The best meals take time and one can savor the aroma. Fast food has been out of my diet for years.
I’ll take a home cooked meal anytime over fast garbage.
Also, I notice that most doctors aren’t over wieght but look at their staff (potential patients) and some nurses at hospitals. Then many law enforcement. Here in west Texas we get to see many obese border patrol agents.
Stay in shape and grace.
Puh–Leeze– bring up the hormone fed chickens, beef, and pork we are eating? Thank you, Monsanto!! Why 12 year olds’ breasts look like most 18 year old breasts; and 10 year olds are starting the ‘m’ word so early–sorry (I could never discuss this in mixed company, ladies)
Also, our bodies don’t know what to do with MSGs and other crap put in our foods and they are storing those as fats.
GC, no kidding. give me $400,000 and I will do a study that suggests that people that chew their food more thoroughly are more healthy than people that chew twice and swallow. Really, do we need studies like these?
EA, is there a study about how much money is wasted on conducting studies?
EA, how much would you be willing to pay for a study that looks at how much money is wasted for unnecessary studies? These scientists are smart because they can persuade people that studies like this are necessary and worth the $400,000 bill!
If people do NOT know when to eat, what to eat, why to eat, where to eat and how to eat, who’s fault is that? The doctors? The demons at Monsanto? Those that irradiate the food? Those that farm with chemicals? THose who label the foods? Grocery stores that would rather have food that “looks” good rather than being healthy?
Who the fuck is responsible? Some one else?
NO, the person who “IGNORES” (ignorance) what is the intelligent path to take, is responsible. Almost always, but not always, Obese people are OBESE because they DO NOT KNOW HOW TO TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES! That is the sad reality of the predicament. I realize 2 out of every 3 Americans are overweight. 1 out of 3 is obese. So, the odds are, that many reading this are overweight and some are OBESE. If your ARE, then take responsibility for the fact that you ignored “the signs.” If you didn’t know what the signs were, then who’s fault is that? Your doctors? Your hairdressers? Your neighbors? Your sunday school teacher?
No one wants to be labeled ignorant. I don’t, but it doesn’t take much “intelligence” to see that lack of intelligence is the cause that gets one into situations where suffering and pain, more often than not, are the by product of refusing to take responsibility for ones body and mind’s health or ill health, while blaming someone else as being responsible for the problem.
And, obesity is not bias towards the poor. Plenty of rich rolling in the fat. You can be stupid and still have access to the bucks i.e. rolls of fat, rolls of dollars.
If one can’t afford to eat healthy, i.e. stay away from GMO foods, junk food, fast food, processed food, who’s fault is that? Someone else’s? If one is poor, who’s fault is that? The fault of the person with money?
Food at your local grocery store is probably contaminated with “Something”. Many health food stores are no longer safe places to shop. Even our organic gardens are potentially being sprayed from above with “something”. But that doesn’t mean one can’t be responsible enough to consciously consider eating as optimally well as one can.
Ignorance is no longer an excuse for being obese. If you aren’t: exercising, eating organic non-gmo foods, getting rest, staying away from the TV, Radio, Rx and nonRx drugs, smoking, etc., etc., then you probably will acquire the dis-ease of being obese, eventually. That is the reality of the world we live in today. Obesity is the result of ignoring what is good for you, when it’s good for you, why it’s good for you, how it’s good for you, and where it’s good for you.
Sorry GC and anyone else. In your case, ignorance is bliss.
PS And I haven’t even mentioned the “food addictions” most people have. Now that’s a real button pusher for the obese, the overweight, the underweight and the average weight.
I’m addicted to Twinkies.
Please help.
Mal
EA, ignorance of what?
I have no right to tell someone else how to eat, or what. Those are personal choices.
I guess we should do a study to recommend that fat people no longer watch TV or listen to Radio or smoke too many high calorie cigarettes.
Obesity will end when food is scarce. Until then, people have a right to be fat if they so choose, and the right to lose weight if they don’t want to be fat any longer.
The reason most people are fat is because they live to eat. You should eat to live. You will be happier and healthier. I know.
Bet the obese will make some mighty good eating post SHTF! People pay top dollar for that perfectly marbled Kobe beef from cows that are kept as inactive as possible. Imagine how much marbling will be in the flesh of the average American couch potato? According to the Aztecs, human flesh when properly seasoned and prepared tastes just like pork! I would wager that quite a few of the obese will end up as a meal for their faster, hungrier neighbors. If you see a nice big ham in your butcher’s shop post SHTF, don’t ask where it came from ’cause you might not want to know…
@ mistress moon
Even though I mostly agree with GC, on this one topic it doesn’t seem to be penetrating his cranium (I think it’s GC’s false pride). Nevertheless, we seem to agree that when food is scarce, people will get real lean. As I said in an earlier thread, when Cuba went through their “Special Period” as it was called, when Russia pulled out all their subsides and totally split, Cuba was on their own. They had to figure out how to grow organically (no petrol, no pesticides) real fast. The rich, greasy “fattening” foods became history. The simple, wholesome organic foods became the mainstay. (They HAD to grow organically, they had no choice). Obesity became a thing of the past. Not only did the people get lean, they got healthy. Clearly, eating organic is the only way to go.
Yes, eventually we will be force-fed good healthy food once again. Those addicted to their various foods, e.g. twinkies, McDonalds, fast foods, junk food, GMO foods, “Dead” food, will be screeching and gnashing their teeth (And Mal, what teeth you have left from your twinkie addiction are going bye, bye). Those will be the ones to stay away from. Eating THEM would not be a very healthy meal to consider. On the other hand, they’d probably eat those of us lean ones like sharks at a feeding frenzy.
Those who are eating relatively well now, avoiding most foods from the regular markets and either growing their own and supplementing garden foods with organic foods from the health food store, will be the ones who transition with the least amount of discomfort.
Food addiction withdrawal is the big unknown. How the 2 out of 3 who are over weight, and the 1 out of 2 Americans that are obese, deal with life without their Twinkies, well, that’s going to be scary. It’s one thing to deal with hunger. It’s a whole other world dealing with hunger and addiction simultaneously. And the multitude of addictions to the various chemicals and drugs in foods is going create a massively horrific hurricane of totally insane, out of control, sick “Cold Turkey’s”, looking to gobble up anything that moves.
lifestyles have a lot to do with becoming or being obese. and drs. who treat obesity will tell their patients that the fat they are carrying on their bodies is onlly a result of poor living habits..the fat being a symptom only. when food is scarce aand a person gets back to real physical activity required to survive that person will lose fat, but they must have some physical activity to replace the fat with muscle.
I think you are trying to rattle my chain Mal.
how much is one #2 meal at McDonald’s? Supersize! small bag of rice ($2) and several cans of beans ($1/ea.)= dinner for week. I agree, Old Fuzzy
“Just how bad is McDonald’s food?”
“Morgan Spurlock sought to find out in his 2004 documentary Super Size Me. In his film, I was interviewed and spoke about the role McDonald’s food is playing in our epidemic of obesity and diabetes.
For 30 days, Spurlock ate only McDonald’s food. All of us involved in the film, including Spurlock’s doctors, were shocked at the amount that his health deteriorated in such a short time. Before the 30 days started, we each predicted what changes we expected to see in his weight, cholesterol levels, liver enzymes and other biomarkers, but every one of us substantially underestimated how severely his health would be jeopardized. It turned out that in the 30 days, the then 32-year-old man gained 25 pounds, his cholesterol levels rose dangerously as did fatty accumulations in his liver, and he experienced mood swings, depression, heart palpitations and sexual dysfunction.
Some have said Spurlock was an idiot for eating that way, and it’s true that he did himself some major damage in those 30 days. But I’ve always felt the suffering he took upon himself by eating all his meals for that month at McDonald’s was admirable, because it served to warn millions of the all too real health dangers of eating too much fast food.
Super Size Me struck a chord for a lot of people, as it became one of the highest-grossing documentaries of all time, and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. And more importantly, it changed the eating habits of millions.
Now a group of physicians and other health professionals have produced a short (39 second) ad that may be one of the more controversial in advertising history. The Washington, DC-based group Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM)’s new “Consequences” ad takes dead aim at McDonald’s high-fat menu. The provocative ad has become a story unto itself, because it has in only a few days generated nearly one million views on YouTube, and has been covered by newspapers and broadcast media around the world, including the Wall Street Journal, U.K.’s The Guardian, CNN, the New York Times and hundreds of other media outlets.”
There was another person that ate at McDonald’s everyday and lost a bunch of weight, Oh, he ordered their salads and ate healthy. Documented everything! It’s all about choices.
If, and only if, someone didn’t have the money to spend at McDonald’s to eat, I don’t think they would be fat.
Eating too much, yes, will make you fat, but eating the wrong thing will too.
LETS BE REAL HERE.. IF YOU HAVE BEEN POOR ALL YOUR LIFE.. LIFE HASN’T CHANGED FOR YOU.. YOUR OK.
ITS THE MIDDLE CLASS ARE THE ONE’S TAKING IN THE SHORTS THIS TIME.
THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN 2 CLASSES OF PEOPLE> THE RICH AND THE POOR..AS HISTORY HAS SHOWN US..
MIDDLE CLASS WILL GO DOWN IN THE BOOKS AS A FASHION STATEMENT AT BEST..
IF YOU DIDN’T SEE IT COMING.. SHAME ON YOU.. BUT BLAME NO-ONE BUT YOUSELF..
WORK FOR WHAT YOU HAVE..PAY CASH FOR IT..DO AWAY WITH THE CREDIT CARD OPTION.. OR PLAIN JUST DON’T BUY IT..
WE ARE ALL SLAVES TO THE BANKS AND THE GOVT..WE OWN NOTHING IN THIS WORLD..
AT THE END WE MUST ALL REALIZE THAT WE ARE JUST PAYING GUESTS IN THE BIG PICTURE..
The collapse is comming, no doubt about it.
Since the Government has slowly taken over every aspect of American life, this was the end goal.
As most of us have mentioned, the Government has never been successfull at runing any of its programs. And since the government has taken over 99% of the running of our great country, we all know the final outcome. They will gain total control over the next few years and it will truly be the End Of America.
But with the collapse comes the opportunity to take hold and rebuild America. I hope to be around and able to participate in that venture.
God bless and keep on prepping.
80 million gun owners can Restore America without firing a single shot!
Engage.
I don’t believe it for one second. Only the shedding of blood will stop the tyranny.
I have a better idea—how about 100 million patsies not filing a 2011 return in April!!
Got a problem with that??
There are not enough jails to hold us and not enough courts to prosecute us and that is the ONLY thing that will stop these bastards from spending–not having it–welcome to my world, CONgress!!!
Yes! How do we get such a movement started? This ought to have broad support from Tea Party types, libertarians, anarchists, and far right individuals. The biggest problem as I see it is that TPTB have rigged things so most people have strong incentives to file a return. Start with the 50% who don’t pay taxes but file a return to get their EIC, then add in the large numbers of homeowners who would not support such a movement because they make out with the mortgage interest deductions. Lastly, the ones with real skin in the game, the business owners who would be in philosophical agreement with such a movement, have too much to lose from not paying their taxes. Somehow, all these groups must be convinced that if enough of them stand up to the IRS and if the government views the threat as credible, there will be hope of success and the fence sitters will then come over to our side.
JJ: That wouldn’t stop them from printing and spending. Your idea would have no practical effect and would be symbolic only.
Sad to say.
Let me say again: 80 million gun owners can control America without firing a shot and re-direct it back to its Constitutional heritage.
Try America First, or The Constitutional Party. The PTB can ONLY be beaten at the polls, and at the local, Congressional level.
The war against the Globalists can only be won at the Polls. Armed rebellion would be crushed. Street demonstrations belittled.
Direct your attention and energy to the next election now, or be enslaved after it.
Spend as much energy going house to house for a local independent candidate whose platform is Constitutional, as you spend online bitching about where WE are at, and America will be renewed.
Only fools and losers, and NWO Globalists want you to believe that YOUR vote doesn’t matter.
It does. Engage. Its up to US.
JJ, I haven’t filed a tax return since the early 90’s. You don’t have to break the law to stop filing, you just have to understand it and your relation to it.
Those who still file only do so through their own fear and ignorance of the law and who they are.
In other words, filers are the sheep. Tens of Millions have quit filing. You are free to join us at any time. The only thing to fear is fear itself. I lost that long ago.
have you been to losthorizons.com? Eye opening stuff
My Grandmother gave me an 1939 Women’s magazine that had a very interesting article about life in Germany. All men and women were forced to work and children were raised by daycares run by state officials. The article was titled,”The Generation That Knows Nothing Else.”
I just read about Nancy Pelosi’s plans to further destroy our country and all I can think of is Germany during World War 2.
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is now threatening to do “for childcare what we did for healthcare.”
If Obamacare actually is its role model, then ObamaChildcare threatens to inflict on Americans:
•A childcare mandate requiring all parents to buy childcare for their children and enter the workplace
•A national electronic database of all parents and their parenting habits, ostensibly to determine and enforce the use of “best practices” for raising children
•Forcing all private-sector child care professionals out of business, creating a single-caregiver government monopoly subjecting impressionable young children to government indoctrination in everything from climate change to illegal immigration and abortion.
http://cnsnews.com/blog/craig-bannister/does-pelosi-now-want-national-childcare-mandate
KY Mom,
This is what happens in Greece right now.
1. They persuaded most of people that we are to be blamed for the collapse.
2. They implemented the austerity measures in order to “save” us from ourselves.
3. With the austerity measures taken, no household can make ends meet, unless both parents work all day long.
4. What a coincidence, the government increased the school hours for elementary kids. My daughter started in 2009 having a schedule from 8.30 to 12.30, for the 1st grade. Today in the 3rd grade, she starts at 8.15 and finishes at 14.15.
5. Slowly we will not manage to survive with one job, so we will have to work more than 16 hours per parent. This means that the kid must grow either on its own, or within the “happy” institutes of the system.
6. They implemented 4 different property taxes, so in a couple of years a house ownership will be unbearable. Then we will be forced to sell our houses to some German or French real estate company.
7. Having no house as a base or castle, one will be forced to succumb to the system’s directives in order not to end up homeless under some bridge.
We are heading to the ultimate totalitarian regime. The medieval lords would be jealous and proud of their ancestors’ strategies.
manos,
That is terrible that ones own country would do that to its people.
It is sad to think that TBTB are moving (at a fast speed) to dismantle (or as some prefer to say, “to fundamentally change”) our country.
I do pray for you, your family and the Greek people.
KY Mom
manos
You are a breath of fresh air on this site ..
Your descriptions of life in Greece will eventually be mirrored here in the US at some point soon..but the majority still foolishly believe that it will never happen here..as they are too self indulged to realize that the perpetrators of your country’s demise are based here and are systematically achieving the same results each day at a time..a slow trickle reaching the culmination soon..as the Americans are either lulled to a sleep or awaken..it will be be too late for us all..
All I can say is this..
Thank you Thank you..and may God’s speed be with you each and every day..
please keep on posting
Mac should make you a regular guest poster..headlines from Greece..imo
Well, she must explain #1..and define ‘workplace’ for me…PUH–LEEZE!!
Nancy Pelosi should be hung by her wrinkles until dead!
P.O.’d : There is a rumor going around that everytime Pelosio sits down , her mouth flies open. Might have to wait for a few months for the Botox to wear off.
hallelujah! po’dpatriot just said something i totally agree with… that or wring her scrawny neck…
caynverell. Golly-gee, somehow I now feel vindicated….
You may go now.
Pelosi is proof positive that large doses of botulin are not necessarily fatal. No more need to throw out all those dented and bulged cans from our stores of food!
odd you should mention this as I follow the news but heard nothing of this new indoctartion of our children AKA childcare. My friend is a single mom who gets partial help from the state for her childcare. She called me the other day saying they stopped cutting a check to the daycare and she now must swipe a debit type of card at the daycare. She further expliained she had to do it at check in and check out when she dropped off her child and picked up the child. I was totally freaked out about it, another way to know when you work, when your late, when your child maybe sick, etc. She of course did not see it the way i did as she thinks it will get better, i tell her all the time to stock up at least on food, i think she is slowly coming around. but gov. has many eyes on us, if you have city water my goodness they know when you flush….nothing private anymore!
Just wait until currency goes completely digital. Then there will truly be nowhere to hide. I would expect that the final move to digital currency would coincide with criminalizing all forms of barter and private transactions in precious metals. We haven’t seen nothing yet!
Would you mind putting dollar values to being “either below, or right at, the poverty line.” How much monthly income is that? – S
The loss of confidence takes longer than you think it should and happens faster than you thought it could.
The German Phoneix is rising again- Angela Merkle is Hitler’s Daughter- http://youtu.be/979NCgSShWQ
Ride the roll.
In the old Soviet Union, workers used to joke, “We pretend to work and the government pretends to pay us”. Are we far behind?
After 20 years of slaving for my company, they hire new folks that don’t know shit. They expect me to train them and they hire them for more than I’m making, despite my 3 degrees….. So….
Revenge of the cube dweller. Not doing shit.
Working on my own venture.
Screw them all.
The new folks I’ll teach wrong! ha
I tossed my American values and how it’s survival time.
America is done, a shame and we were all scammed.
I’m finally making good money, but they devalued the dollar by 40%.
My folks, bought a huge RV. Never see their grand kids.
Screw the worst generation.
I will piss on their graves.
An old Irish slight…
I will plant massive shrubs around their head stone…to be forgotten.
Dont RIP.
Screw all you boomers.
You sold out the country, sold off the factories.
I will enjoy watching you drop like flies.
Yes, I’m bitter. The boomers destroyed America.
Just because you have selfish parents, don’t assume that everyone does.
WRONG! My parents helped this country thru their VERY hard work….while still being excellent role models for me and my brother. If you think boomers are bad wait till you have Gen Xers wiping your ass for you!
With the above numbers being reality, it’s not a surprise that our super committee can not agree on the cutting of 1.2 trillion over ten years. What they really can’t agree on is how to raise spending without upsetting voters. They will benefit more by appeasing people on the dole than they will by doing what’s right for the country.
“For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will.”. Matthew 24:21
The pieces are coming together. The stage is being set. If not this time, when?
Most of America is effete and debauched; ripe for the slaughter.
“It’s not Roberto Cavalli it’s Just Cavalli.”
Materialism, degradation of values, sexual immorality, war, etc. It all reminds me of what was written in Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, etc. Whale bones just found in the middle of a desert… Wake up people – stop eating iPads and lusting over trinkets and trash. Tchau!
This is the daily you should go blow your brains out now story
As a former educator, but childless, this scares the ‘chit’ out of me.
How do you parents sleep nights??
I pray each night for God to come smite these evil bastards.
Lightly with one eye open and one finger on the trigger.
knowing that I will do whatever it takes to feed my family and faith in a higher power,not necessarily in that order. There is work if one is willing to do it. I see Hispanic males standing outside the home improvement stores waitng for work, and you know what, they get hired. Maybe not for a prime rate, but they are still working for money. I also see many Americans standing at intersections begging for money. Why, is manual labor below them? Is it better to beg than to wokr for a low rate? Is it the “illegals” that are destroying this country or the mentality of entitlement?
here in n.e.miss. the hispanics illegal or otherwise get hired to harvest and plant sweet potatoes. if a white man applies for such work they are in fact turned away. in memphis, there is always a bunch of dirty bleary eyed folks standing on corners and at intersections with traffic lights panhandling..they chose the intersections and corners with traffic lights to give drivers a little extra time to dig around for change. we are starting to see this in small cities such as tupelo as well. and there are folks sleeping outside under bridges here too. those who have seen their work hours cut are now hitting the churches for groceries. thing is, i have yet to see a “starving” person yet….keep hearing about starving children and homeless adults starving..but i sure wish someone would show me one.
We had one clown that would go into the Walmart bathroom and change his clothes to look dirty and poor, then go stand on the corner panhandling. In the several minutes I watched from the parking lot, this guy collected several FRN’s for doing nothing. Probably made a couple hundred a day doing it by my estimate. Then he would go back into the Walmart bathroom and change into his “real” clothes. What a scam!
Just read this at the Daily Caller…
Unemployment drops as Alabama’s immigration reform enacted
(dailycaller.com)
Yeah you know what? I actually tried that a few times (white guy here).
You’re not all that welcome among them, unsurprisingly. They view you about the same way you view them… as an outsider taking their work away. About 1/5 of the people I was working with were nice, the rest were… not.
This sounds so easy-peasy on an internet forum but real life is, people look at you weird or don’t give you that kind of work if you’re “overqualified” or some such BS. Or, frankly, white.
Now doing piece work for people you know, or off of Craigslist… yeah, people wouldn’t look at you like you got a head full of marbles.
There is no stoping the collapse now.
I’m not sure it can even be slowed down.
Reminds me of a top that’s spinning slower and slower, teetering farther and farther,
where your just waiting for it to touch the ground with it’s side and start jumping around
violently with it’s last remaining bit of kinetic energy….
Some poor asshole countries are going to catch the brunt of our last violent gyrations.
If our opponents were smart, they would be really nice in the worlds eyes right now,
and just let us calapse on our own.
But asshole are assholes and they can’t help themselves, sooooooo……..
I’m predicting at least one more solid head to head war before we fade into history.
Nothing is going to change..Until we all demand that it change..and MAKE them do the peoples work, not their own greed.
reason for a lot of the problems in this country come right straight from our Government..and the greed, and corruptness with no one being held responsible for thier actions
We are held responsible for our actions, either being lawful or illegal..No one in this government is held responsible for a dam thing..they get pats on the back for a good thing,, but get away with all out theft, murder..and corrupness with out as so much as a threat of any reprisals..
We the citizens need to bring down a force upon them that will not allow them to make a move ..any more with out full on transparency to those they are supposedly working for..and when one of them gets caught with their hand in the cookie jar it needs to be cut off..and jailed or lined up and shot
their actions affect all of us..and there is no checks and balances..the crime is astounding, and there is not a one of them paying for their crimes aginst this nation or our founding republic design of this nation.
treasonous..and terrorists..all of them..
they have all layed with dogs…their for..they all have fleas..
yes they will try to blame this on us, you bet they will
we arent running shit..we cannot be held responsible for thier actions and their criminal actions..can any normal citizen take responsibility for what the FBI and ATF are doing in this gun running situation?..no..but watch them all get away with it with out as much as a slap on the wrist..
people lied..people died..this aint cool and I dont trust “Them” to do a dam thing right in the eyes of the citizens of this country
they are and have been out of control for way too long and its all coming to a head..most of us paying attention are pissed and sick of being lied to and used.
A lot of people are in a lot of debt. They’ve been using credit cards to buy food and gasoline since their unemployment benefits ended.
I’m really beginning to question inflation.
In 1998 I bought a Colt AR-15 that was “California Legal” for $999 plus taxes. Here we are 13 + years later and I can buy an improved model with a collapsible rear stock for $1099 plus taxes.
So 13 years and the cost of the firearm has gone up $100 and the stock has improved. I don’t know where inflation is – j/k – of course but its not in firearms.
They shouldnt go up..the tooling should already be paid for, so we should be getting a break…wink wink..nod nod
supply and demand. there are many nice weapons being sold because you can’t eat an AR. well you can, but only once. like houses now, buy an older house for 200K or a brand new house for 200K, and there are thousands of them out there (Las Vegas). many prices on food remain the same, but look at the amount of food that is in there compared to a year ago. Deceptive pachaking makes you think you are getting the same amount but in reality, the amount is less. paying the same price for less, tricky, very tricky…
Yep–anyone noticed how small the sliced cheese is now?
Well, no worry because they cut the damn crackers down in size too!!
Go with Wheat Thins JJ. They are still the same size and healthier than crackers.
Taste better too!
GAS, FOOD, EDUCATION, HEALTH CARE, ETC. Everyone of these things is up greatly in price and all are needed to live, unless you wish to remain ignorant of course.
Probably had something to do with the federal awb.
VICTORY OR DEATH!
Very, very stirring, AND NO TELEPROMPTER!!
I beg you to take the time to watch this very sobering, frightening video. Newt Gingrich, a history professor,
is the speaker. Please listen to and watch this very sincere man. You mightgain an insight into as to why our Country is in such a terrible mess. Folks, we are all in this together. It’s worth a listen, the message is sobering but true. This is very short, but a MUST listen. Worth watching.
Very, very stirring, AND NO TELEPROMPTER!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=qtjfMjjce2Y
I hope you don’t mine, I copied what you said and sent it to all my friends.
Wonderful video!!
Thanks for sending this and hope others will send it around.
Newt is New World Order garbage.
The problem with Newt is that he wants to give amnesty to illegals for his crony capitalists friends at the expense of the American worker and taxpayer.
Fuck Newt! Seal the border!
Sidenote:
An estimated 75 registered gun owners + 100 rounds each = 7.5 BILLION ROUNDS!
Don’t know if anyone else saw this , but yesterday the History Channel had a show on regarding the scenario of a small nuke weapon being set off in DC, . It showed the aftermath, what agencies would be involved, the risk of fallout regarding prevailing winds. This was on for two hours. It also talked of having a crank up radio to be able to hear updates and warnings, it showed triage simulations. It spelled out who would run the new government (COG) Continuence of Government and about the ninety some odd bunkers that are within a 300 mile radius of DC for governmnet personel (locations classified). It was quite interesting and I was glad that the missus took interest in watching it with me. The bomb incidently was delivered by an average sized van and was 10 kilo-ton (I hope my memory on that is correct), and was detonated in the van in the center of the city.
Hello again from the UK. I am on social security, British welfare. We don’t have food stamps,we are paid cash into our bank account. As someone who worked long hours for 30years in the health service I was really grateful that the system caught me when I could no longer work because the arthritis got too bad and the husband had left me at fifty plus with a 3 year old child.
I to see so-called poor people with fancy phones, computers and the like. Their kids eat crap but they have six gold chains anging around their necks and a 400 quid phone. For myself and my five year old I get a total of £1167 sterling per month, this includes help towards housing and council taxes . There are no extra allowances for utilities etc.
By being careful I can manage on this and still run my old car, give my child the odd treat, eat good food and keep up with my bills. I have to say it is getting more difficult, electricity has gone up by 10% this year, heating gas by 19% and food costs are soaring.
I have no debt and intend it to stay that way, and I spend a small amount each time I shop on stuff ‘to put by’ for the future. You lot call it prepping lol
I say all this not to blow my own trumpet but to show that not all people on benefits are lazy and in debt. It is possible in my opinion to lead a perfectly good life, eat cheaply but well if you put in a bit of effort, stay debt free and prepare for the future, if nothing terrible happens at least I have ensured a bit of food security against rising prices.
You people have taught me a great deal, I would be considered most odd over here for having a bedroom closet stuffed full of food, a small bathroom closet full of liquid soaps, shampoos and toilet rolls and I won’t even bore you with what’s stashed in the roof space lol.
Thank you x
Carolie I congradulate you on your resourcefulness. And Admire your courage to have a plan even in the face of illness. I think that most Americans, in my opinion, do not mind, overly, caring for those who are truly unable to work. What gets my goat and I’m sure it is the same for others, is the distinction between not being able to work and not wanting to. Or just flat out gaming the system like it was a job, in order to obtain benefits not only undeserved, but quite frankly making it harder for those truley in need have the abilty to obtain any help at all. In my opinion , if you can pop out multiple kids with multiple baby – daddies you can work and should work . In fact you should work so much you are too tired to even think about having more kids. Furthermore, if you are not a citizen of this country the only benefit you should qualify for is a one way ticket back to wherever you came from. period. Case in point, If I decided to mosey on down South of the border , I’m not even going to get a free burrito. In fact, I think if I’m caught, I could serve jail time and be handed a nice big fine. No food stamps, no medical, zero zilch , nada. It’s very nice to think magnanimous thoughts about being charitible to people who don’t belong here or have no desire to work, but in the long run it does nothing but cheat everyone. So while this nation hands out money and goods and services to the “will nots” and the Illegals, Grandma goes hungry so she can buy her medication. The middle age man goes to bed hungry because he works and makes 20 dollars too much for food stamps. The rest of Us watch silently at the grocery store, while the welfare queen loads up her carts with junk we have to pay for, and we buy generic cornflakes and hamburger.
In conclusion, please don’t ever feel “less” because you are Ill, your willingness to prepare speaks volumes towards your charator. Also know you are not included in the class of people most of us speak of when we protest the continuation of generational welfare.
No thank you for sharing.
I would like to side track, To everyone here, it is my sincere regards for you and your families to have a fantastic Thanksgiving, give thanks to the One who has given to us! Be safe, and grateful.
Good prayer.
And please, pretty please, as I do every meal–thank the farmers and pray for them.
Back at you CO. Stay safe.
Copout,
Well said!
Hope you and your family have a great Thanksgiving too. 🙂
KY Mom
Has anyone ever track the the government definition of poor, and its evolution over the years right up till now? It is always, that a conversation talks about the “poor”, but with no definition. I am of the belief that the government redefines the definition of poor fairly often.
For me to put this story into proper perspective, I need a dollar figure. I do not know if I am near poor, near poor, po, near po, dirt floor poor, near dir………………you get it.
The comment above about our obese poor is right on the money.
Here be some hard truth!!! I have worked in a small Southern Indiana town for 4 years now Every Sat I see the line for food assistance at a local pantry grow [ yes we have donated ] last Saturday I almost hit the brakes seeing how many people were in line, it looked like the opening of a teen vampire movie! only no one was very happy to be there.
Amen Copout
The super uncommittee should have been locked up on a sinking ship with a closed captioned camera. No bathroom, no food, no water, no future job, no retirement, no medical, no life jacket, no fresh air, playing musical chairs, boat on fire. I want to trade like an insider.
No phone, no light, no motor car…not a single luxury.
(sorry, I couldn’t resist!)
Like Robinson Caruso, as primitive as can be. Sorr, out of tune there.
Are double-wide outhouses considered luxuries out there?
Yes, they are. A two-holer is a real status symbol! And you should see the Christmas lights on ’em this time of year. A thing of beauty!
As long as there’s a divider in between…..no holding hands!
ignorance is curable. stupid is forever. I could add more,but I can’t pay my electric bill—so I must sign off.
I have long held that a corrupt administration/government cannot provide a true safety net. There are so many disqualifiers for the poor, that they are basically useless. What follows? Debtor prisons! The only true safety net is the second amendment.
So far! Thanks to Mac.
Interesting comments. I think that many people can’t see, or don’t want to see, that our economy, and our very lives are entering a period of fundamental change. Our lives will never be the same as they have been. Our ability to do some simple activities is going to be hampered by the astounding poverty that is coming. like I read in some previous posts, Americans haven’t seen real poverty yet, as witnessed by some posters, when seen in other nations. But I think this level of poverty is coming, as the entitlements will eventually dry up.
The masses just don’t understand the train wreck that’s coming, but the will. When we have some kind of banking collapse, as a result of a nation wide collapse, the money will stop. All money transfers will stop. this will be a great time of distress nation wide.
We all need to get ready for what’s coming. good luck.
I am paying 6.5% and 8.2%(second mortgage) on my mortgages.(have not missed a single payment since I bought the house) I am currently trying to refinance at a lower rate. (rates are around 4%) and they tell me I dont have enough equity in my house to refinance. Meanwhile my wife is pregnant with our seccond baby. Expenses are rising and payment is getting tougher. So I guess if you pay your morgage on time and have never been late or missed a payment you dont get any help, but if you quit making your payment and go into foreclosure they will help you. Now I see why these people are occupying wall street and the banks.
And you can’t sell if you wanted to. SAD!!!
Hold on to your house. Once the government takes over all these houses, you won’t be able to buy again because they will make it harder for you to buy.
Honestly, what did you expect. I am not trying to be cruel, but it sounds like you maybe bit off more than you could chew. Why 2 mortgages? Is this a newer home, has the value of the house gone down? I own 4 houses, I have always put at least 20 % down on every purchase I made. Back when I started buying everybody put down 20%. That way you did have some equity in the house. Good luck.
well . let me chime in ….worked all my life, didnt take anything from anyone ..now I am older white guy ..47% of my income goes to child support and 23% or more taxes…now my ex earns 80 k and I live in a &(&*&% tent !!!…and I am on the side of conservative America …..gee what will happen when the people that hate America get control ……like the oval office ?
Working class poor. Get payed pay my bill’s.Poor.Working pay check to pay check.I have little fund’s to prep with ,but I have over time.Thrift store stuff etc. Food stock buy a little extra every trip.Stocked up took about a little over two year’s.I live on rice and bean’s,There all good.I don’t think of my self as poor.I think of my self as smart.Now thinking of way’s to make a little more money on the side.Want to get a pistol.Poor is when you no longer have a will to live.
If its 100 million now, think what 2012 will bring. Its not over and prodicted to get worst.
The worst case would be like the fall of the Roman Empire. History says we are following all the worst case economic senarios since the fall of Rome. What did you expect from trickle up poverty? Do you really think anything trickles up, defying gravity?
No, we are all being sucked into the abyss of poverty. It’s a slow downward spiral thats getting wider and deeper as we move through time. The war on poverty has turned into the war on prosperity. Without prosperity America can only go in one direction, down!
The only reason America has not crashed and burned is because the massed can’t see past their own little microcosm. Most of us know what is happening, but the masses are going to be wondering what happened. Poverty is relative, you will always be able to find someone who is poorer.
This story is completely true because I am one of them. I was in the middle class until I lost my job of 70000 pr yr now I can’t find anything for almost two years now,minimum wage won’t pay my mortgage and I’m not even in much debt besides house and my savings are almost gone and I think many more less prepared than I thought I was are doing a lot worse. God help our country,we will survive.
Hilda, my octagenarian neighbor lady is at it again! Evidently she forgot to replace her hearing aid battery. She called me at work (something she’d only do in an emergency) and she was really upset.
“Did you hear the news about the soup committee?” she asked in a panic.
“The what?” I asked.
“The congressional soup committee! There’s something big brewing! I heard all about it on Rush Lam-Bo’s show.” (she pronounces it like that, and for all I know she may even think the Packers football stadium is named after him)
“Now, just calm down and tell me what the problem is” I said.
She was still agitated. “I can’t believe you don’t know about this! Anyway, this congressional soup committee has to reach an agreement or it’ll send the markets into a freefall. Obviously, chicken noodle would have been the best choice, since everybody likes that. Or tomato or beef barley. Even french onion, though it’s really not my favorite. I just wish they’d decide and quit panicking the markets.”
I almost fell off the chair! Bless her heart, she tries so hard to stay up with the times, but she does get a lttle confused. “Hilda, listen carefully…it’s a super committee, not a soup comittee.”
“A what?”
“A sup-ER committee” I said slowly, “it has nothing to do with soup.”
There was a long pause, then “Oh…you mean like super-man?”
“Yes! Exactly. Just like super-man.”
“Well….do they have to wear capes?”
I had to mute the phone for a minute, I was laughing so hard! “No, I honestly don’t think they have to do that.”
“That’s good to hear,” she said with relief in her voice, “I was afraid we’d have to have ministrone soup and you know how it bothers my allergies.”
I hung up so she wouldn’t hear me scream!
Thanks Okie! LOL.
Get creative Fred. My next door neighbor did. He lost his jod, sold one of his vehicles and bought one of those food carts you see everywhere. He now averages 200.00 per day, and he pays no taxes. He works odd hours but he is doing pretty well. MMM a hot dog would taste good right now.
Ask a high school student to do simple math and you will be shocked at how little they can do. Our schools are producing idiots. Idiots dont make much money in the global economy.
While I agree that it is irritating to see people on government assistance with gizmo’s they should not be able to afford, I would like to point out a few things. For one, our government does not allow those who led a comfortable existence to live like the 3rd world poor (especially if you have kids). Should you become so poor as to not be able to afford electricity, water, and 3 squares a day, you are expected to get help and be grateful for it….that is if you want to keep your kids and/or belongings.Should you refuse this help, than they will take your children away from you because you are neglecting them and are not a fit parent. You will also have your child removed if you work to much and/or cannot afford daycare. You can also lose your house if you are not hooked up to running water and electricity, your not allowed to live in a house without these basic necessities. Now there are some areas out in the boonies that people can and do get away with this type of living , but go ahead and try it in your city or town and let me know how that goes for you. I could go on and on about what is and is not allowed in our country, but I think I have made my point people.. we do not have the freedom to live like a third world country!
And no, I don’t live like this nor have I ever, but I have known a few people who did and watched the horror they went through when the system got a hold of them. If I had to choose between swallowing my pride and taking government help or losing my kids…I know which one I would choose.
War Crimes Tribunal Tries Bush, Blair 2011!!!!
http://totalcollapse.com/2011/11/21/war-crimes-tribunal-tries-bush-blair-2011/
I wonder which party this massive group will vote for in the coming presidential election?
In the end it won’t matter….the economy will still collapse, the nation will still turn on itself, and these impoverished minions will either enlist into the ranks of a far-left socialist government that will attack the right to stamp-out the U.S. Constitution…..or these ptitful proles will attack the wealthy, the well-fed and the prepared when their own meager supplies of food and hope run out….
Highspeedloader – if you want to astonish us, tell us he got away with starting up a food cart and is making it and he’s a white guy.
In my town whites are not allowed to do stuff like that.
Yes he is white and he is doing quite well.
“Yes we can, Yes we can.”
Ooops. Scratch that. Never mind.
Not one comment on the Federal Reserve and its impact on the value of money.
Not one comment on our massive military.
Not one comment on career politicians being re-elected time after time.
No comment on government employee unions and their phenomenal benefits.
No comment on anything substantial except the end of the world is coming and everyone is going to be so surprised.
Americans deserve everything they get. They have been warned since that socialist pig Roosevelt came to power that the welfare state would enslave them worse than any company town. No, the Puritan work ethic and thrift and savings was mocked. To bad. The Chinese are out working you, out building you, out saving you. The only thing you American’s have a solid world class lead in is whining and debt. Oh, and don’t think you are going to be able to lay your hands on the wealth of self respecting, hard working and disciplined people who actually produce. The first thing they figure out is how to protect it from the profligate a-moral wretches looking for and demanding a free lunch.
A Few Things We Can Be Thankful For
Thanksgiving will be here soon, so let’s take a moment and do a brief inventory of our lives. There is no disputing that we live in ‘interesting times.’ And I’d be the last to deny the corruption, greed, selfishness and deceit that marks our society today. It is truly a sad state of affairs. But let’s see what we can put in the positive column of the ledger.
First of all, did I wake up breathing today? That’s a good start.
I can gripe about high prices, or be grateful for the things I can still afford. Gripe about the cost of gasoline, or be thankful that I have a car that runs.
Complain about my clueless family and friends, or be glad that I have people in my life who genuinely care about me. I’m talking about true friends- the kind that’ll help you unclog the septic tank (now THAT is a real friend!)
I can focus on the continuing moral decay in society, or count the hundreds of worshippers that crowd into our church every Sunday. I could moan about the hypocrites in church, or remember the dozens (and dozens and dozens) that I know to be sincere. The ones who behave like Christians even when nobody’s looking. These are men and women that I’m blessed to have as neighbors and friends.
I can focus on the tyrants and criminals that run our government, or be glad for the freedoms that we still enjoy.
I can gripe about the idiotic things my employer wants me to do, or be grateful that I still have a job. And that he sees me as valuable enough not to fire me for making an end run around some of the companys’ bureaucratic nonsense.
I can think of my brother who died recently, and wallow in self pity over the loss of someone I loved so much. Or I can be thankful for the years and the countless good memories we shared together.
I can whine and moan about lots of things. And even feel justified while doing it. The world truly is a messed up place. Or, I can take at least this one day to reflect on the life that God has given me, the people He has sent to cross my path (and make me better for it) and the incredible price He paid to save me from myself.
Tomorrow, I’ll get back to all the negative stuff. Today though, I’ll choose to focus on the blessings. There really is much to be thankful for!
I’m thankful I can own a gun. Not sure what other countries allow their serfs to do that.
You have it wrong Smokie—
~~~ I can take at least this ONE day to reflect on the life that God has given me, the people He has sent to cross my path (and make me better for it) and the incredible price He paid to save me from myself.~~~
Take EVERY day and thank God that He sent His son to deliver all mankind from slavery to sin and death..Amen.
Preferably in the mornings before the world awakes and it’s quiet.
@ SmokinOkie
Great Post. You are exactly right ! We do need to remember how blessed we are living in the USA. Things could definitly be much worse. Thanks for the reminder.
Montgomery County Texas
Really? You think you guys are blessed living in the USA? I had two weeks vacation on the West Coast their last year. I couldn’t believe how unlucky you guys have become!! I’ve not seen that much poverty since visiting some third world countries in Asia about 6 years ago!
The real estate market will come down another 30% told to me from all my sources in this business. Ever notice why Jackson hole, Wall mart family, microsoft partner etc etc are all selling their precious properties? Check out how many celebrities and connected billionaires have sold homes in the last 2 yrs or are desperately trying to sell there homes or land! They all know something, fat ass Oprah herself sold at least 2 of her homes in the last 3 years, must have been a tip from Obama.
Hey Clay, how is it going Upstate? Yes, we may be in the same age group give or take 10 years. I remember when not only was it a disgrace to go for welfare, but having a baby out of wedlock, Remember that word? was real no no.
I am a social worker by profession, and I have seen poor and uneducated people. However, the definition of poor has changed. there is a population out there that have no idea of why and how welfare came into being.
I have neighbors with twenty something sons and other young relatives that have medical cards. I said to theses young men one day when they were helping us build our green house, why they did not pay their own medical bills. They said they were poor and could not afford to pay when they were sick. I said you should be billed and havea payment plan. I reminded them that the tax payer paid their bills. I told them if I was Queen they would not receive food stamps or Maine-Care. They are living with family, and how often do you get sick when you are young. But you know when you think about it. If you grew up in a home where somone was receiving some sort of State or Government help the whole time you were growing up, it would just be a way of life to you.
Here is a little story of an incident that really happen to me at my last job as a counselor working with juvenile delinquents and emotionally challedged kids. I was always hearing the teenagers talking about their healthcare and dental care being free for them.One day I over heard a boy about 16 years old tell another young man he should get his teeth taken care of. It looked bed. You know how kids can insult each other or rag on one another. The boy bragging about how his parents always took him to the dentist, and it was free. They did not have to payanything. Well, that particular day I had heard enough. I said to the young man his dental care was not free. I said nothing is free, someone is paying for it. He said, who? I said, me, my co-workers and all people working. That is how you get your care. Well he shut up. A few days later I was called into the office by my supervisor and told that a complaint had been made against me by the parent of this boy. I had embarrassed him in front of his peers. He told his Mom what I said. My boss said I was being written up for this incident because he had to do something. He told me smiling that he could not believe I said that to the boy. He said he liked it. But of course he could not side with me. I refuse to sign the write-up. So you see people grow up not understanding how the system works.
One of the reasons I left the field is because I was seeing more and more money spent on more and more programs that did not work.And a lot of it seemed like a big game. This is childrens lives we are talking about.
The final starw was the psychotropic drugs they are putting the kids on. But that’s another subject. And sometimes drugs are needed.Not to the extent they are being used today.
I have a neighbor who is always crying to me about being poor. She has a flat screen TV, a care, a house she rents,she has a food card and orders from the swan’s truck and she weights over 300 pounds. I’m not making fun of her,my point is, she is not poor. Her needs are met. She needs to live a week or two of a poor persons life. So she could stop complaining.
Some people need a education to understand the difference between wants and needs.And did you ever notice people who think they are so poor are never thanful for what that do have.
stay prayed up, and keep prepping. Sorry I rattled on, to early I guess. Forgive me.
I call BS on the census bureau. They are agents of obummer (remember he placed them under his office?) and we all must be victims for his marxist revolution to succeed. ME/ I don’t need no stinkin government handout! Even though my income has gone down 50% in the last two years. Screw you Big Brother!
Cruachan!
No more are people truly self sufficient. It is always about the money and what it may buy, but not about honest hard self keep. Let us all rely on another through money and government for everything, including basic necessities. We don’t need to know how to grow, pick & pluck and make. Right? It has always been to pass the responsibilities to others. So very sad, and sick.
Maybe people always want it too easy and that would seem to be for the most part nearly all people. No more than thugs themselves via speech, actions, “social” crap, and so much more. Even point ones finger at another.
It sure is easier to get ALL the things if the true and very real wonderful things such as honor, integrity, good morals, and most of all and most important, Godliness, are mouthed and ignored to be nothing. That is what almost all people have done for many centuries including this one too.
Now comes everybody’s harvest and so to put it all on the table:
Most will reap what has been
sowed for so very long!
Why do people think themselves so good or good enough? Isn’t life more about the quality of person each may obtain for themselves through life? Do any fall short of working hard for it? Good quality? Bad quality? Hmm.
Thumb me down because you too deny truth. That is also what is bringing all the crap that is happening in the world to even the most horrific climax yet. Then you will finally see, hear, and understand, like it or not.
And by the way, Jesus Christ is Lord.
God bless you, and good day.
And I am hearing from people I work with “Boy I am really going to be hurting after Christmas when I max out my credit cards” DUH! I offered ” Why don’t you cut up your cards and throw them away”
Reply” I can’t, then how will I buy that new 52″ flat screen TV?” NO HOPE!
The markets are down, real money is up, bond yields up and oil down. Makes sense to me, for once.
A friend of mine owns a restaurant and has done well over the years. He asked his accountant the other day how he can protect his money. He has stocks and savings, but was concerned about their safety. His accountant told him to buy a gun and be prepared! Never have I ever seen the business community this worried.
There are many layers of the onion of deception.
I believe that the cia directors of the Bosnia/Sarajevo genocides, (Here two tribes who had lived side by side peacefully for hundreds of years before being forced by psyops into a culture of retribution) want us all to be armed to the teeth in preparation for killing each other in a similarly choreographed debacle.
After the body count piles up sufficiently, we will be given no choice but to beg for even more government, ‘predictive’ thought police, forced internment, and internet censorship… in exchange for an implied promise of an end to the endless killing.. of course only after we have squandered our little wealth on ammunition and culled our own herd.
I do not know the solution, for want of one, only one word comes to what is left of this mind.. is SECEDE, and let the Feds keep THEIR debts.
I do not like the lessons I have learned either.
Seataka
Oil pipeline. That was the reason for that war. We still have 2 large military bases there (Kosovo).
seataka, I don’t worry about these things any more–if you research chemtrails that are creating scalar waves surrounding 100% of the earth that can be controlled by satellites to transmit a mind control wave to specific areas and people, you’ll stop worrying also.
We are doomed.
Research an event where 500 soldiers laid down their weapons, and gave themselves to the enemy, U.S. military.
It’s real…shhhh… noone talks about it.
Protect the earth from the sun?? BS.
The ‘one’ and ‘only’ reason this hasn’t happened here is…THEY DON’T KNOW HOW TO DOSPOSE OF THE BODIES.
TPTB don’t want to get sick, now, do they??
Seataka: If someone started this movement, I’m in Ky., and I’d move in a heartbeat.
Seriously, because I have come to the conclusion, this is the ONLY way to save ‘us’ that want to start over and push ‘reset’
Peace…JayJay
I would start by suggesting this Constitutionally protected idea to one’s state delegates. A girl who used to give the tours of Old Town Charleston South Carolina, told me a story of her family discovering a trunk in their attic of the family home, when it was sold to developers. Her great great grandfather was governor of SC, and the last step of leaving the union states that the state shall reimburse the Federal Gov for the cost of any installations owned by the Feds in the state. His letters to his wife at the time told the rest of the story, how he, The Governor of SC, with a blank check from the legislature in hand, was shuffled from the Dept of Interior, to the White House, to The Treasury, and no one would give him the price for Ft Sumter. They do not teach this in school….
Today was …..interesting…..at my place of work.
Two people got let go. Two people got cut back to part time. The place will run on a skeleton crew.
I volunteered to be one of the part-timers. I’m actually happy about it. We live a low-spending lifestyle, so for us, this simply means less money available to save. The other things that it means:
1 ~ More time to prep
2 ~ More time to study and read
3 ~ More availability to my children
4 ~ More free time for gardening and hobbies that will make up for the income we are losing.
5 ~ More time to daydream and see where God leads me
I felt really sorry for my co-workers, as people left, ashamed and in tears. I was very thankful to know that we will be okay.
Daisy—don’t you wonder if any of those leaving and having hours cut back have prepped at all?/
JJ ~
Those leaving were some of the very folks that laughed condescendingly at my warnings. I doubt they have prepped at all.
As for us, we could go 3 months completely without setting foot in the food stores. I plan to be more moderate than that and just cut my food budget to about $40 per week, still adding small amounts to the stock pile and using some of the existing stockpile. I will have way more time to cook from scratch and I’m looking forward to getting settled into our new place and planning a garden.
We are canceling cable – not that we can’t afford it – we could likely afford to keep it, but we can live without it and it will give us more time to engage in productive activities. My oldest is the only one with a cellphone and she pays for that herself. There are no other major changes that I foresee as far as cutting spending because we just don’t spend that much money.
Life is good – sometimes these things happen because they must, to make room for other wonderful things.
In nature there are two simple forms of existence. Symbiotic and parasitic. In a Symbiotic relationship both hosts contribuite to each others existance. In a parasitic relationship only one host contribuites to the relationship. Currently, in America 53% of us are symbiotic. 47% are parasitic. Once that balance goes to 1% greater parasitic we are doomed. IT IS COMING FAST. PREPARE OR DIE. SIMPLE.
You’re all fucking poor. There is no “middle class” in America, there are simply different flavors of “not rich.” You ain’t rich, so you ain’t shit. Deal with it.
Splitting hairs between different flavors of “not rich” has always amused me. You have to work for a living, or you starve to death in the streets and lose all your plastic Chinese made bull shit from Wal-mart. That is your position. You’re welcome, I’m glad I could clear up your relative position in the social order for you.