This Is Not A Coincidence: “These Events Are Perfectly Organized With Maximum Distraction”

by | Aug 4, 2017 | Headline News | 72 comments

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    This article was originally published by Brandon Smith of Alt-Market.com

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    Geopolitical Tensions Are Designed To Distract The Public From Economic Decline
    By Brandon Smith

    Tracking geopolitical and fiscal developments over the past several years is a bit like watching a slow motion train wreck; you know exactly what the consequences of the events will be, you try to warn people as much as possible, but, ultimately, you cannot reverse the disaster. The disaster has for all intents and purposes already happened. What we are witnessing is the aftermath as a forgone conclusion.

    This is why whenever someone asks me as an economic and political analyst “when the collapse is going to happen,” I have to shake my head in bewilderment. The “collapse” is here now. It is done. It is a historical fact. It’s just that not many people have the eyes to see it yet, primarily because they are hyper-focused on all the wrong things.

    For many centuries now, elitists in power have understood the value of geopolitical distraction as a tool for controlling the masses. If you examine the underlying motivations behind the majority of wars between nations regardless of the era, you will in most cases discover that the power brokers on both sides tend to be rather friendly with each other. In fact, monarchies and oligarchies are historically notorious for fabricating diplomatic tensions and conflicts in order to force populations back under their control.  That is to say, wars and other man-made conflicts give the citizenry something to react to, instead of hunting down the establishment cabal like they should.

    One of the greatest illusions of human progress is the notion that most conflicts happen at random; that there are two sides and that those sides are fighting over ideological differences. In truth, most conflicts have nothing to do with ideological differences between governments and financial oligarchs. The REAL target of these conflicts is the people — or, to be more precise, the psychology of the people. Conflicts are often engineered in order to affect a particular change within the minds of the masses or to distract them from other dangers or solutions.

    These scenarios are taken at face value by many because, unfortunately, most people have short attention spans. If an observer in 2007 was to be transported 10 years into the future, in 2017 they would find a world in dramatic and horrifying decline. The shock would be overwhelming. Ask an observer today what they think of the state of the world and they might not see much to be concerned about. The human mind becomes easily acclimated to crisis over time. We are resilient in this way, but also weak, because we forget the way things should be in order to deal with the way things are.

    We only seem to take drastic actions to improve our situation after we have already hit rock bottom. The year of 2017 has so far been host to some extreme accelerations in crisis and collapse, and rock bottom is not looking too far away anymore.

    Four trigger points around the globe concern me greatly, not because I think they will necessarily lead to a disaster any greater than the one we are already living in, but because they have the potential to effectively distract the public from more serious concerns. I am of course talking about the powder keg issues of Syria, North Korea, China vs. India, as well as Russia.

    First, let’s be clear, the ongoing destabilization of our economy should be the primary concern of every person on the planet, most particularly those in the West. We are living within the husk of a dead fiscal system, reanimated with the voodoo of central bank stimulus, but only for a limited time. Economic decline is the greatest threat to cultural longevity as well as to human freedom. Even nuclear war could not hold a candle to the terror of financial disaster, because at least in a nuclear war the slate is wiped clean for establishment elites as well as the normal population. At least, in the event of nuclear war, the elites face anarchy just like we do.

    In an economic crisis, the establishment maintains a certain level of control and thus its arsenal of toys – Including biometric surveillance grids, standing military support in the form of martial law, as well as the delusion among the populace that things “might go back to the way they were before” given enough time and patience.

    There will be no nuclear war.  Perhaps a limited nuclear event, but not a global exchange. There will be no moment of apocalypse as it is commonly displayed in Hollywood films. However, we WILL witness lesser conflicts as a means to turn our gaze away from the economy itself.

    To give a quick summary of the economy so far from an American perspective, I must first remind readers of the constant misinformation that is often used by government institutions and central banks in order to hide negative data. For example, recovery proponents will sometimes cite the supposed “decline” in the number of people registered for food stamp (SNAP) benefits from the 47 million peak in 2013 to 42 million recipients today. Yet, they rarely mention the fact that much of this decline is directly attributed to states now enforcing work requirements instead of simply handing out SNAP cards like Mardi Gras beads.

    They also still, for some reason, like to cite the decline in the unemployment rate to 4.4 percent while continuing to ignore the fact that 95 million working age Americans are no longer counted as unemployed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. They argue that this is an entirely acceptable condition, even though it is unprecedented, because “home surveys” from the BLS claim that most of these people “do not really want to work.” These utterly ambiguous surveys leave open ended data to be interpreted essentially however the BLS wants to interpret it. Meaning, if they want to label millions of people as “disinterested” in employment, they can and will regardless of whether this is true or not.

    Retail store closures have tripled so far this year, with 8,600 stores projected to close in total in 2017. This far surpasses the previous record of 6,163 stores in 2008 at the onset of the credit crisis.

    This incredible implosion in brick and mortar business is often blamed on the rise of internet retail, or the “Amazon effect.” This is yet another lie. Total e-commerce sales only accounted for 8.5 percent of total U.S. retail sales in the first quarter of 2017 according to the commerce department. This means that internet retail is nowhere near large enough to account for the considerable loss in standard retail business. Thus, we must look to the stagnation in consumer spending to explain the situation.

    Auto sales continue their steady decline in 2017 as the short lived boom now faces death as ARM-style loans turn over and new buyers become scarce.

    U.S. home ownership rates have collapsed since 2007. More households are renting than at any time in the past 50 years.

    U.S. household debt has now hit levels not seen since 2008, just before the credit crisis.

    Those looking for government spending to save the day should probably look elsewhere. Nearly 75 percent of every tax dollar goes towards non-productive spending on the part of government.

    I could go on and on — it is simply undeniable that nearly every sector of the U.S. economy is in steady decline compared to pre-2008 levels. This instability in the fundamentals will eventually weigh down and crash stock markets, bond markets, currency markets, etc. Such markets are the last vestige of the U.S. economy still giving the appearance of health.

    So, there will come a time, probably sooner rather than later, when the piper will have to be paid and someone will have to take the blame for our fiscal non-recovery. The international banks and central banks are certainly not going to volunteer for this even though they are the real perpetrators behind our incessant financial rot. But how do they avoid accepting responsibility?

    First, by setting the stage for another scapegoat. As I warned for months before the 2016 election, Donald Trump is the perfect target for a redirection of blame for a market crash. He has even been avidly attempting to take credit for the current market bubble, making it easier for the banks to lay blame in his lap when the entire edifice crumbles.

    Second, by warping public focus away from the economic collapse altogether and presenting them with a seemingly more dire threat.

    In Syria, this has developed into potential conflict with the Syrian government, Iran and Russia. The establishment could at any moment initiate an attempt at regime change. Not necessarily with the intent to actually unseat Bashar al-Assad, but with the intent to create as much chaos as is necessary to terrify the unwitting citizenry.  While Donald Trump has been recently credited with “ending the regime change program” in Syria by ending the CIA training and funding pipeline to “moderate rebels”, this by no means equals an end to the plan to unseat Assad.  ISIS has moved west into Europe, and now direct action against Assad by western governments is more probable.  The Turkish government recently leaked the locations of multiple US bases within Syria, indicating that troops will remain on the ground and that the fractured country will continue on the same path of instability.

    The next and most likely scenario for distraction is North Korea. With North Korea’s latest ICBM missile test, the perceived threat to the U.S. is now complete. The idea of North Korea striking the heart of America with a nuclear weapon is enough for many people to rationalize U.S. strike operations. That said, an invasion on the part of the U.S. makes little sense. Any strike by North Korea would be met with immediate nuclear annihilation; meaning a ground invasion to “prevent” an attack is unnecessary and might actually provoke a nuclear response rather than defuse one. Of course, it is likely that the goal in North Korea is not to prevent a nuclear event, but to once again catalyze chaos and confusion while the global economy and more importantly the U.S. economy sinks further into oblivion.

    The US government has just issued a travel ban to North Korea starting September 1st.  They have asked all Americans already visiting the country to leave immediately.

    Next, Russian tensions are reaching a new level, as the U.S. Senate has passed new sanctions based on nothing but fabricated hearsay, and Donald Trump proves me right once again with his signature on the same sanctions, calling the legislation “flawed” while at the same time displaying overt cooperation with the establishment agenda. The Russian response has so far been to expel hundreds of U.S. diplomats from their country, and warn that the sanctions constitute the beginning of a “trade war”.

    My readers know well that according to the evidence I view the East/West conflict to be farcical and theatrical, but this does not mean there will not be real-world consequences to the “little people” caught in the engineered crossfire. I believe this will culminate not in a shooting war, but in an economic war. While the international financiers constructed our bubble economy and will benefit from its failure, it will be eastern nations (and Trump) that receive much of the blame for the destruction of these bubbles.

    Finally, an uncomfortable level of discord has been sparked the past month between India and China, both nuclear powers, over a border dispute in a remote valley connecting India to its ally, Bhutan.  My feeling is that this is leading to diplomatic breakdown, but not necessarily an open war.  Unfortunately, the trigger point stands ready to be exploited by globalists any time they need greater distraction.  And, to be sure, a war between two of the world’s largest economies would wreak absolute havoc and provide an excellent diversion for a fiscal crash already set in motion by international banks.

    I do not see the timing of heightened geopolitical tensions in 2017 as coincidental. It appears to me that these events are perfectly organized with maximum distraction in mind as we hit the top of perhaps the most massive stock and bond bubbles in modern history. The effectiveness of the smoke and mirrors will depend on the ability of liberty proponents to keep our analytical teeth sunk into the jugular of the establishment elite, as well as our ability to remind the public that these conspirators are the true criminals behind our national and international pain. The more extreme the geopolitical disaster, the more frightened people will become and the harder it will be for us to do our job. Knowing the level of difficulty involved in preventing the terror and madness of the mob, it is not a struggle I look forward to in the slightest.

    If you would like to support the publishing of articles like the one you have just read, visit our donations page here.  We greatly appreciate your patronage.

    You can contact Brandon Smith at: [email protected]

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      72 Comments

      1. Ain’t I been saying it

        • All we hear from you is about how you hate the NRA.

      2. Pick your targets and wait for the clear shot.

        • “This is why whenever someone asks me as an economic and political analyst “when the collapse is going to happen,” I have to shake my head in bewilderment.”

          Economic Analyst ??? Brandon, you flatter yourself.

          Yes the collapse has already happened. and while I agree with your political commentary in the above post, I have a FRANKLIN that says you do not have a Business Degree or an MBA after your Liberal Arts degree.

          No credentials, no credibility. 🙁

          Frankly, based upon posts you have made here, I doubt that you have ever taken so much as a single University level economics course; or a financial seminar from a bona fide professional, economic or financial organization that Certifies professionals in the banking industry and provides continuing economic and financial education classes to them to meet State and Professional requirements.

          You are a fraud; a hobbyist. Not an “analyst”. 🙂

          • Already collapsed for me. Old age will collapse everything?

          • @DK…..

            And YOU are the authority on this? What a laugh.

          • Durango,your argument about formal education a requirement for economic thinking/action is,well,a crock of shit!Look at all the pros with the backgrounds you seem to promote and yet,they fuck daily and at times it all up according to plan!

            Oh,my dad with his (admittedly early 60’s)liberal arts degree from Harvard in 3 years went on to become what was known as the “godfather of bond investment,he was great at what he did and actually made monies for his clients”.He also bailed as it became clear to him the game changed to one of a ponzi lie system,but I digress,again proof that your “pedigree”requirement is just bullshit!

            • “Durango,your argument about formal education a requirement for economic thinking/action is,well,a crock of shit!”

              LMFAO !!! 🙂

              Your dad did not stop his education with a Liberal Arts degree. Nothing wrong with a Liberal Arts degree but that alone does not make you a financial industry expert “analyst”, even if you read the WSJ from front to back everyday.

              If your father had “clients” he was a professional in securities and he was required by FEDERAL SECURITIES LAW to take specialized, professional securities classes, taught by certified industry professionals, and pass professional, specialized national EXAMS to obtain his securities license.

              Further, your father was required by FEDERAL SECURITIES LAW to take continuing professional education hours every year to maintain his license. I had racked up MORE than 1,000 continuing education classroom hours (beyond University) prior to retirement to maintain my professional licenses.

              Your father had credentials. As do I.

              As a single example, Brandon doesn’t have any of that and it is apparent to real experts who have done that and been licensed. Brandon has NO professional economic or financial credentials.

              ZIP. ZERO. NONE.

              Brandon is a hobbyist who passes himself off as an expert economic “analyst”. Brandon has NO credentials, NO industry experience, and NO credibility. 🙂

              • Funny how Durango’s “credentials” haven’t helped him to make a single correct call or prediction yet. A lot like all those “experts” with “credentials” that said there would be no crash back in 2007. Ask him to show you proof that he’s made some good calls and he’ll dodge by saying “check the archives”, lol! Durango, no one here is buying that you’re an expert of anything. At least Smith has a record of solid predictions. You have nothing. And I’m betting your credentials are fake too. Let’s see some proof!

              • Actually,in the 60’s(early)when he started not sure you needed/had the series 7/6/63 ect.

            • Warchild:

              ? I always enjoy reading your posts.

              Seems you get your smarts from daddy.

              Figures. Intelligence is 99% inherited. Others argue that intelligence is environmental, and many go even further, claiming that we are born a blank slate; but I don’t agree.

              Anyway, have a good one.

              _

              • Much of the ability to think maybe inherited, but using the gift isn’t. Watching life I have noted a good swift kick in the nuts is often required to convince people of the need to think. Sometimes even that does not work.

              • B,I unfortunately did not get me dads financial/math smarts,math for me was beyond basics always a hard chore.My dad right out of Harvard,went back there to run their brand new bond investment fund,something pretty new at the time and he went on to work for others/then had his own outift which he then sold for a nice sum.years later he went back into it again and didn’t do so well growing a new business,part of which I believe he couldn’t be a weasel as was now it seemed a requirement in the business,he saw a lot of bad things on distant horizon that are now in our face,we talked a lot about that.He personally made millions while doing very well for his clients in the day,what drove me nuts was he said he could have if invested for the huge guys probably been worth a 1/4 billion,he wanted to invest for the common folk funds though,why he couldn’t do both and ,oh,write me a check for c couple of million,well……,sigh!Our last visit while he was still alive a great time,we spent a week together at his home in Vt.,600 acres and a really nice hoime,brought a lot of firepower and we shot,talked,drank together and discussed the future a lot,good time.I din’t nor did he realize would be our last time together,that said,was about as good as it gets!

            • “godfather of bond investment”.

              That’s GREAT !!! But, how did he get that moniker? Sounds to me that after he got his securities license that he spent a CAREER on Wall Street, in the financial industry.

              That means he spent DECADES in a ten hour a day job (at a minimum), five days a week, in the financial community interfacing with other certified financial professionals gaining his financial education by osmosis, on the job and in the industry.

              Historically, many have done that by working on the floor of the stock exchange as a runner or broker’s assistant with just a high school education to start; but they learned on the job over time. Brandon can’t boast of ANY financial industry experience. ZIP. ZERRO. NADA.

              Brandon is the Cliff Claven of Alt Media. He has neither the education, experience, or special expertise evidenced by any professional licenses in the industry to remotely suggest that he has any qualifications to pontificate on economic, financial, or banking memes.

              I like Brandon. Brandon is a Patriot. In a firefight I would trust him with my six, but he is NOT an economic, banking, or financial “analyst” in any sense of the word and no one should believe that he is.

              If he were writing about hunting, fishing, trapping, or survival issues in Idaho he would have credibility. He could describe his hunts, his weapons, cartridges, load, and the game he has killed.

              As an “economic analyst” he is a complete and utter fraud and no one should take his opinion (to which he is entitled) with any substance. 🙂

              • Durang,read me reply to B of C,anyhow,he ran as mentioned Harvards new bond investment fund/short stint at Solomon Brothers,then,off on his own.Back in the 70’s when it counted a bit was in Fortune a few times,but then stopped doing the interviews as he said folks are paying me for this knowledge and beyond a few interviews for publicity you are then giving away what others are paying you for.My dad just had a natural gift for finance and saw at the time that bond investeent was a largely over looked path.I will say it killed him as the whole damn system kept heading to fraud/nonsense and he really believed for years that would change,he realized he was wrong.I will say the first 10-15 years of his life he worked way too crazy hours,in the end,could set things up in a week which he did after 9-11,at that point he was running a few gigs for other companies whose manes you would recognize,was working one out of Liberty building when planes hit.

                • Only the very best financial PROFESSIONALS are selected by Harvard to run their bond and investment portfolio, which today currently runs into the HUNDREDS of BILLIONS of DOLLARS.

                  Your father spent a lifetime developing his professional skills and was surrounded by like minded industry professionals every day, 10-16 hours a day, all day long. He probably had drinks with them after work, attended seminars with them, and played golf with them on the weekend.

                  Your father lived and breathed finance at a very high level his entire life. That’s what these guys do, just like motor heads talk about cars and HP all day long, or gunners talk about shooting and hunting. You are what you do, what you think, and absorb info from the company you keep every day.

                  Brandon has no industry experience and cannot benefit from that kind of interaction. So again, SADLY, he has NO experience, no B School education, and NO professional licenses to even remotely qualify as a financial analyst.

                  I would not take my truck for a repair from a hobbyist backyard mechanic who had no formal education, no public experience, and no specialized expertise (Master Mechanic) evidenced by certification, degree, or licensure.

                  Anyone who would is a fool. Brandon is the blind leading the blind. 🙂

                  • BTW, I knew some people at Salomon Bros pretty well professionally. Lou Ranieri was the bond king there and was the Father of the Mortgage Back Security, back in the day. 🙂

                    • And yet,they took me dad pretty much out of Harvard,as I said,got his degree in 3 years and paid all his bills though came from a fairly well to do family by playing and winning at poker at Harvard.As I said before,he worked with a lot of pensions for the small guy,he said he could have been worth a huge amount more with working for the rich guys.

                      Still,he did OK,here is his property for sale,his wife(3rd!)is selling,she could have sold quicker but I didn’t play well signing off on papers as,well,have suspicions about story of me dads death,I didn’t fight any thing,just didn’t make her life easier.

                      Here is the property for any interested who can afford it,real nice place! :https://www.weichert.com/65742630/ .

                      As far as certified mechanics,well,hold as much water with me as licensed builders/lead contractors ect.I have those certs and had ase certs back in the day,a fucking written test and time,didn’t mean you were good,I gave up with front wheel drive,could not get me big paws in there easy and the hoops to jump to replace a basic water pump a joke!

                    • Very nice property !!! Those 600 acres are really sweet and anyplace near “Podunk” has to be a Prepper’s Paradise. Sorry you lost your dad. We all do over time.

                      A liberal arts degree can be a great stepping stone to Wall Street because it helps to make a well rounded person. A Wall Street firm may need someone schooled in Russian History or Japanese History etc as a basis for a posting in the Global Village. I had a friend at Salomon Bros in the bond department. He was VERY short. Management thought he was perfect to run the bond department in Japan based upon his height.

                      Wall Street will TRAIN you there, and over time a person will get the specialized business training they need. Again, this is NOT something that Brandon can boast about or point to as where he acquired his “expertise”.

                      Brandon is a hobbyist.

                      Sadly, Brandon is the Cliff Claven of Alt Media banking and finance, with NO business education, NO industry experience, and NO special expertise evidenced by professional license. I doubt that he even has a real estate license in Idaho.

                      Brandon is merely a “Walter Mitty” living in Idaho pontificating about something for which he has NO qualifications.

                      I put his “analysis” in the category of “fake news”. 🙂

            • DK is full of BS. Been busted on here so many times for wrong info its laughable. And econimics is surely not his strong suit. You would think for some formal education he would have learned something. NOT. Just another village idiot with a piehole. Pay me the $100 you lost on your last bet, deadbeat. Yes the Chinese Yuan is backed by Gold. Russia sells China Oil, are paid in Yuan and exchanged for Gold at the Chinese exchange. The info is out there. And I posted it manytimes. But DK fails to admit he was wrong. So there ya go. Credibility vs shooting off you uninformed piehole.

          • The local idiot DK strikes again! His hard-on for Brandon Smith never ends, lol! Smith has been consistently right in his predictions and writings for years. It doesn’t matter what his formal education is. DK is a fraud moonlighting as an “expert” in the comments section of SHTF that can’t produce a single example of when he correctly predicted anything. He just tells you to “search the archives”. DK is a joke.

          • B Smith is full of himself because he called Brexit. So what. Others did too.

            The endgame is WW3 but he just cannot accept that. He’s too young, too inexperienced, to unread in the “great game” to be commenting as he does.

            • You understate his accomplishments I think, maybe because you don’t know his work very well, or because you are dishonest, or maybe you’re just a blowhard like Durango. For the time I’ve been reading Smith’s work he predicted China’s induction into the Speecial Drawing Rights years ahead of time, he predicted the breakdown in Syria years in advance, he predicted the taper of QE and the exact timing, he predicted the central bank rate hikes when no one else did, he predicted the Brexit when very few people did, he predicted Trump’s election win when only a few other people did and he’s one of only three people I know of that predicted both Brexit and Trump, and a lot of other events. I don’t know you but I’m betting you’ve never predicted a thing in your life publicly and accurately.

            • Jay in UK, you guys across the pond have said from the beginning that “the endgame is WW3”. I too did not want to accept that analysis, however I have come to believe WWIII is inevitable.

              Current events indicate a peaceful transition to a new system will not be possible.

          • And Brandon this babble from Durango boomerrang Kiddy who thinks the Yuan and the US Dollar pegged together at the hip and there is no such thing as a daily foreign exchange rate. And the Yuan is already backed by Gold. And still owes Me a $100 bill that he never paid. So what does DK know? Not much. Just saying. Opinions a are like AHoles. Some draw more flies than others. You sonr nees to have a meteorologist title to see its raining outside. So hey DK. How many economic CD’s did you sell so far this year??. LMFAO!!!

            • The Bank of China sets (PEGS) the yuan to the dollar foreign exchange rate every day or two and has recently widened the spread for dollar / yuan ratio.

              The PEG is not set by FX trading based upon supply and demand for the yuan as are the other major pairs. The PEG is set by the Chinese government through the Bank of China.

              That you continue to double and triple down on this lie, that the value of the yuan is set by the market, only shows that someone cracked your skull early in life and it has never mended.

              Anyone who wants the truth only needs to google: yuan/ dollar peg. 🙂

          • Analysis is a type of activity. If you engage in it, you’re an analyst. You don’t have to have a degree. And as far as credentials are concerned, persons who have to rely on other people’s credentials in order to know whether they are credible aren’t very smart themselves. And frankly, based upon the posts you have made here, durangokidd, Smith is a better writer than you are.

          • There are those who believe him and not you, for obvious reasons.

        • Ascertain valid targets only. Ensure route away from firing location. Fire, move immediately. Relocate to next. Repeat as necessary. Live with consequences.

          • Exactly

          • Like Duckhunting or clay pigion practice. Just punch a few holes in their fuselage as they try to escape in their learjets. Next pull!!! Bamm, next pull, Bammm. Any questions???

      3. From a place you did not see…comes a shot you did not hear. The Elites will try to run..they’ll die tired

      4. Aim small, miss small……..

        • Buck and Dave,yes,one can fill local lists but true elite if gotten will probably be from their own security ect. when those people realize what their bosses did to the world and their family/friends/countries.Well,that and some stuck “in transit’ if a rapid breakdown event occurs will end up suffering as the rest of the masses.

      5. I had a real nice 100 year old Willow tree on my property that reached extraordinary heights. It was awesome shade and often complimented upon by neighbor’s and strangers whom strolled by.

        Then one day, to everyone’s surprise, it snapped into two under a heavy wind.

        Upon inspection I realized that it was rotting out from the inside, and invaded by all sorts of wood boring species. How many years did it take? It’s hard to say, but that’s usually how they go. Always looking fine right up until they encounter a critical stress and SNAP!

        Remember, “Everything is awesome” until it isn’t. So here ends the lesson.

        • A 100 year old willow? Unlikely, 40-50 is old for a willow. even then they will be 3-4 ft across and starting to break up. And yes, they do rot very quickly.

          • Paranoid,depends on species and care,though 70 seems the average.That said,some weeping willows near where I grew up that cover a half mile of riverbank,all over a 100 years old.The property though has a caretaker and thus a invasive bug issue or judicious trimming if needed done.The ironic part tis the property called Elm Bank,and well,with the elm disease there are none on the banks.

          • Yes. This was a awesome example. 60 feet tall, 5 feet in diameter at trunk. Fed by an underground stream. Had a neighbor who is into his 70’s and he always remembered it as a child, as a mature tree.

            The point was, despite that we know they rot and fail, is how they rot and fail. From the inside, unseen.

            Do you see America in the same way?

            • Well,like the weeping willows I mentioned,perhaps some “spraying and pruning” in a aggressive fashion can save country from becoming firewood!

      6. Keep stockpiling all the goods you can.

        If you know of some open lands. Buys some quail and seed the property. It might pay off dividends later and not cost much.

        • Sierra Dave: Rabbits, chickens and goats all three good options for food, milk, eggs and butter. Not many quail in the S.E. but have doves, many squirrels, wild hogs. I would not eat gator tail like others may do, ugly animal. Many cannot leave cities because of jobs and other business matters. Best to sell house and rent if in cities, in case things get really bad and then bug out on land you own or family/friends land. Downsize now folks, be persistent; get rid of stuff not being used sell, donate, etc. Go back again each room, garage and do another clean out. Stop buying other than basic necessities. I have been doing this for sometime off and on, now been in same house for twenty years, we’ll soon move to a rental to be more mobile without ties to city.

          • Exactly—garage, attic, closets, shed, bedrooms, storage room…all have been cleaned and those things not used taken to a consignment store.
            I gave away 400+ books, civil war hardback collector books.
            I just bought a shelf/table for the bathroom for towels, etc. from CL; the girl wanted me to take the matching piece for free(since she was moving) and I refused–I am not doing that again.
            Don’t need it–Don’t want it–Ain’t gonna stuff it in the attic.
            I do have the belief that what we give comes back to us in many ways.
            Give that s**t away to help those cleaning after we are gone. That is one reason I cleaned now.

        • Wow! Where do you get Quail seed?

          • Uh,they are actually called eggs I believe.

            • I have a friend who planted about 10 acres of family lands with different clovers as a deer attractor,perhaps wild seed plant plots to attract quail?

      7. Unemployment rate only counts those who are currently recieving unemployment benefits..The unemployment rate does NOT count all those who’ve exhausted their benefits,all those who’ve given up finding work,or all those unwilling to work.It wouldn’t surprise me one bit if the REAL unemployment rate here in the US is at least 40%..Just pay attention the next time your at the store and witness all the shoppers swiping that EBT card when buying groceries..Or notice all the people at the banks on the 1st and 3rd of every month..I’ve never paid attention to statistics,i always pay attention to what i see around me..Stats can be fabricated..My own eyes wont lie to me..

      8. Everybody move back into the cities and get ready. Buy matches. Don’t just study history, make history!

        • I have a match for you: Clinton and corruption

      9. We are quickly reaching the crucial point of critical mass.
        Things become quite chaotic and even bizarre at that juncture.

      10. In our stockpile we have also included our favorite brands of canned salmon, tuna and also sardines. They have a long shelf-life, don’t need to be refrigerated or cooked, and are an excellent source of protein as well as many nutrients that we don’t get from the other foods we have stockpiled.

        We grow our own lettuce and tomatoes and a few other vegetables, and we also have a variety of canned and jarred olives in our stockpile. In a grid down it makes for a great salad, topped with the canned fish very healthy and tasty, especially in the warmer months of the year when we don’t feel like cooking and eating a hot meal.

        • One of the cheapest filling meals for $1 is pasta salad during the summer months, and serves two.
          Pasta, olives/Italian dressing(from stores), and grown in your garden, cucumber, onion, tomato, green pepper.

      11. I’ve always managed to pay attention to everything going on around me despite what anyone’s media says. That’s part of the key to survival. Next week I’m back at the BOL for another two-week vacation. Maybe longer than 2 weeks, depending on events? We’ll see.

      12. “…invasion on the part of the U.S. makes little sense. Any strike by North Korea would be met with immediate nuclear annihilation; meaning a ground invasion to “prevent” an attack is unnecessary and might actually provoke a nuclear response rather than defuse one.”

        True, but you make two assumptions, Brandon:

        a.) Is it acceptable to allow NK to have the US in the nuclear crosshairs? Do we allow them 10 ICBMs? 100? 1000? MIRVed?

        b.) What if Kim believes his days are numbered, either from internal politics, China removing him, a decapitation strike, or similar? He then launches as one last death throe. He has nothing to lose, and may even believe his regime could survive if the US was disabled via EMP strikes. What then? What would YOU do as president? Do you risk millions dead?

        I don’t think there is a good answer to any of these. However, Brandon, your stuff is always eminently readable and important to review. And your passion for liberty, justice and freedom – and the courage to speak out for it – is truly and utterly impressive, so thank you!

        • Test
          Part of the article’s title is “… maximum distraction…”
          Those two words alone, suggest that Kim is a willing NWO participant.

      13. The American suckers, er I mean people bought into Iraq WMD’s hook line and sinker. That reveals the mindset of a big part of the US population, out of sight out of mind. Many are eating up lies that Iran poses a threat while 130,000 US troops surround Iran from neighboring nations. Of course the American peoples opinions do not matter, that’s because they are not expressing any to be heard collectively. It’s all about I, me and mine. That’s the extent of their concern while this nation aka the Titanic has already impacted the iceberg. It won’t be long yeah yeah yeah yeah.

        • “yeah yeah yeah yeah”
          Lyrics from “Vertigo” U2.
          One of my favorite songs.
          We may have hit an iceberg,
          but most the casualties will
          be Democrats and that will be
          a good thing.

      14. “We only seem to take drastic actions to improve our situation after we have already hit rock bottom”

        And Jesus was a sailor when he walked upon the water
        And he spent a long time watching from his lonely wooden tower
        And when he knew for certain only drowning men could see him
        He said all men will be sailors then until the sea shall free them

        Suzanne – Leonard Cohen


      15. Nearly 75 percent of every tax dollar goes towards non-productive spending on the part of government.

        The Progressive Liberal Democrats do not consider that spending as non-productive because it is those outlays from the Federal Treasury that are buying the votes necessary for them to stay in office.

      16. Every politicians dream season is here, football, every white fag will be watching the niggers run around with a ball in tight pants, paying them millions so they can buy a house next to thiers and bang thier white daughters. And the political element will do what they want.

        • Blunt way to say it, but it’s true. Every commercial on Tv has a healthy manly looking black guy on it and then the puniest white guy beside him. We have brain washed our white children the black male is superior. The liberals have distorted of children’s self worth.

      17. BRAVO and BRAVO again to Brandon!
        Brilliant article!

      18. Say no to drugs.

        _

        • Say no to thugs.

        • say yes to Jesus

      19. Hey , remember when bill was about to be impeached for selling tech to China. Then the Monica story took it off the headlines? If was done on purpose pure genius? Rhodes scholar?

      20. Obviously the stock market and real estate are over valued and will pop. mean while the powers are mortal men and can make mistakes. Hillary thinks war with Russia will be something she can watch on TV and shut it off when she gets bored. They have no real idea what they are doing. Such things take on a life of their own once they start. The average American including the powers are blind as drugged bats as to such a thing. Such a war can easily get into 8 figure loses on our part alone. All for a Democrat political move by Obama and others. Petty politics will start a war that no one will be able to control

      21. Formulation of national policy is supposed to be based on reality, and what is good for the country as a whole. Thorough understanding of conditions and situations, piecing together objective facts into a coherent picure, sound judgement and rational thinking, and good decision making ability are necessary to deal with issues. Overall, it always appears TPTB make a goal, then the officials in gov’t must develop a policy as best as possible to achieve that goal. The problem is that if the goal is not sound to begin with, if policy positions are not formulated based on sound objectives, no matter how well carried out it will ultimately be of no benefit to the nation.
        TPTB know that; the nation, its people, and resources are merely tools to help them achieve what they want.
        Take for example the baseless hostility towards Russia. This in not driven by legitimate reasons; here, it is that TPTB hate Christianity, they would love to see the two most powerful Christian nations destroy each other. As long as Russia was communist there was no pure hatred towards them, but now they are developing as a powerful Christian nation there is only hostility and hatred and policies that absolutely do not benefit the US at all. They use gov’t to carry out their goals, they use Hollywood and media to shape public opinion, they use NGO’s, and no doubt insiders are planted everywhere to see that compliance is assured.
        There are many areas where similar poilicies are in effect such as monetary and fiscal policy, and public policies causing destruction of Amer. traditions, family, and morality. Slowly but surlely curtailment if not elimination of our constitutional rights like 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 5th Amendments are underway. Many, many examples can be cited to substantiate this fact.

      22. The rule of law in America is dead, any other conclusion is fanciful thinking. The FOIA is a joke when Clinton criminality info is covered up even into Trumps justice department. The FBI is completely corrupt, drain the swamp and lock her up, what a crock. Judicial Watch is being stonewalled seeking relevant info on the overwhelming corruption.

      23. Coincidence is an illusion.

      24. DK…

      25. You’re not much of an economist.
        Do you have any idea what the margin is of most brick and mortar places?
        I’ll help you…it’s generally 4.6%.
        They stay in the red until Black Friday. Hence the name. But in reality that date has been creeping into December. Few can stay in business if they loose 8% of their sales.

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