Total System Collapse In Real Time: “Due to the Shortage of Food… the Desperation Is Enormous”

by | Aug 30, 2015 | Headline News | 127 comments

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    Editor’s Note: We understand that it couldn’t possibly happen in the United States of America where quantitative easing and Plunge Protection Teams abound, but just in case you are curious what a total collapse of a country’s monetary and economic systems looks like we direct your attention to Venezuela. After having tried everything from price controls to rounding up of dissidents, the government is no longer able to control the panic taking hold. As noted by Zero Hedge, 30% or more of the country’s residents consume two meals or less per day. It’s every man for himself, as evidenced by a recent grocery store stampede that left one woman dead and nearly one hundred people injured. For those lucky enough to score some scraps for the dinner table, the government is keeping tabs via finger printing every time a purchase is made. 

    But not to worry. In America, everything is under control. There is absolutely no need to be concerned. Stock markets are stabilized. The dollar is rising. Gas prices are under three bucks. And, the economy according to the most recent official report, is growing unabated.

    And the band played on…
    venezuela-riots


    80 Year Old Woman Trampled To Death In Venezuela Supermarket Stampede
    By Zero Hedge

    With 30% of Venzuelans eating two or fewer meals per day, social unrest is mounting rapidly in President Nicolas Maduro’s socialist utopia. As WSJ reports, soldiers have now been deployed to stem rampant food smuggling and price speculation, which Maduro blames for triple-digit inflation and scarcity. “Due to the shortage of food… the desperation is enormous,” local opposition politician Andres Camejo said, and nowhere is that more evident than the trampling death of an 80-year-old woman outside a state-subsidized supermarket.

    As Reuters reports,

    An 80-year-old Venezuelan woman died, possibly from trampling, in a scrum outside a state supermarket selling subsidized goods, the opposition and media said on Friday.

    The melee at the store in Sabaneta, the birthplace of former Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez, was the latest such incident in the South American nation where economic hardship and food shortages are creating long queues and scuffles.

    The opposition Democratic Unity coalition said Maria Aguirre died and another 75 people were injured – including five security officials – in chaotic scenes when National Guard troops sought to control a 5,000-strong crowd with teargas.

    “Due to the shortage of food … the desperation is enormous,” local opposition politician Andres Camejo said, according to the coalition’s website. It published a photo of an elderly woman’s body lying inert on a concrete floor.

    Camejo said thieves had also attacked the crowd, members of which were seeking to buy cheap food on offer at an outlet of the state’s Mercal supermarket chain in Barinas state.

    venezuela-food-shortages

    El Universal newspaper reported that Aguirre was knocked to the ground during jostling in the crowd, while the pro-opposition El Nacional said she was crushed in a stampede.

    Another person was killed and dozens detained following looting of supermarkets in Venezuela’s southeastern city of Ciudad Guayana earlier this month.

    President Nicolas Maduro accuses opponents of deliberately stirring up trouble, exaggerating incidents, and sabotaging the economy to try and bring down his socialist government.

    Critics, though, say incidents of unrest are symptoms of the increasing hardships Venezuela’s 29 million people are facing due to a failed state-led economic model. Low oil prices are exacerbating economic tensions in the OPEC nation.

    Venezuelans protest the starvatiion with signs saying ‘hunger’…

    Shoppers are finger-printed when buying government-controlled foods…

    “What’s certain is that we are going very hungry here and the children are suffering a lot,” said María Palma, a 55-year-old grandmother who on a recent blistering hot day had been standing in line at the grocery store since 3 a.m. before walking away empty-handed at midday.

    In a national survey, as WSJ reports, the pollster Consultores 21 found 30% of Venezuelans eating two or fewer meals a day during the second quarter of this year, up from 20% in the first quarter.

    Around 70% of people in the study also said they had stopped buying some basic food item because it had become unavailable or too expensive.

    As The Mises Institute’s Carmen Elena Dorobat details,

    Millions, Billions, Trillions: The Disaster of Socialism, Once Again

    Venezuela’s nearly full-blown socialism is making the news once again. For approximately two years now, the country’s economic crisis has been rapidly unfolding: rising prices, fuelled by increased scarcity of goods and a depreciating currency, were followed by price controls, which brought about even higher prices and more shortages. The list of basic commodities missing from stores, such as toilet paper, has gradually expanded to include cooking oil, corn flour, sugar, sanitary pads, batteries, coffins, and even oil (once the country’s main export). The Cendas survey showed that more than a third of foodstuffs cannot be found on supermarket shelves; moreover, vegetables are 32% more expensive every month, meat prices are going up by 22% every month, and beans are surging by 130%. Basic Venezuelan dishes containing rice and beans have thus become a luxury, as people queue for 8 hours aweek, on average, to buy basic goods.

    This time it was the bolivar, Venezuela’s currency, which made the headlines, as it tumbled from 82 bolivars to the dollar last year, to 300 bolivars in May, and to a staggering 670 bolivars this August. Because the Venezuelan administration stopped publishing inflation figures in December 2014 (when annual inflation reached 68%), some economists have designed an Arepa (i.e. cornmeal cake with cheese) hyperinflation index, which suggests a current inflation rate of around 400%. Others estimate the annual inflation rate is actually 808%.

    A photo of a Venezuelan using a 2 bolivar banknote as a napkin to hold a cheesy pastry (an empanada) has recently gone viral: the banknote is worth less than a third of one US cent on the black market, while the price of a pack of napkins is about 500-600 bolivars. The photo is reminiscent of the Weimar Republic hyperinflationary episode, where the wholesale price index jumped from 100% in July 1922 to more than 2500% in January 1923, which led to German banknotes being used to light fires (right photo).

    One can only speculate at the moment the extent of the damage this episode will leave on Venezuelan savings. But if history is any indication, we could soon hear stories similar to those of some of Mises’s acquaintances (recorded from his lectures by his student, Bettina Bien-Greaves):

    [A] man made a will according to which this $ 2,000,000 was to be sent back to Europe to establish another orphan asylum such as that in which this man had been educated. This was just before World War I. The money was sent back to Europe. According to the usual procedure it had to be invested in government bonds of this country, interest to be paid every year to keep up the asylum. But the war came, and the inflation. And the inflation reduced to zero this fortune of $ 2,000,000 invested in European Marks—simply to zero.

    [The president of a Bank in Vienna] told me that as a young man in his twenties he had taken out a life insurance policy much too large for his economic condition at the time. He expected that when it was paid out it would make him a well-to-do burgher. But when he reached his sixtieth birthday, the policy became due. The insurance, which had been a tremendous sum when he had taken it out thirty five years before, was just sufficient to pay for the taxi ride back to his office after going to collect the insurance in person. Now what had happened? Prices went up, yet the monetary quantity of the policy remained the same. He had in fact for many, many decades made savings. For whom? For the government to spend and devastate (Mises 2010, 30-31).

    As news of Venezuela’s suffering keeps coming through, one cannot help but feel a certain sense of dread. All governments control the money supply to essentially the same extent that Maduro’s administration does. All around the world we have monetary socialism, where national currencies are subject solely to political power. And one cannot help but wonder (and fear) how many more such economic disasters it will take before it becomes clear that socialism of all shapes, sizes, and degrees, is unrealizable, unbearable, and unforgivable.


    Also Read:

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    Mainstream Media Lies to Gullible Americans: “Stocks Aren’t Headed for a Crash”

    Federal Reserve Policy Is “Driving People Into Homelessness”

    Economic Update: Global Trade Has Collapsed: “Nothing Short Of A Bloodbath”

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      127 Comments

      1. Soon, very soon

        • “And one cannot help but wonder (and fear) how many more such economic disasters it will take before it becomes clear that socialism of all shapes, sizes, and degrees, is unrealizable, unbearable, and unforgivable.”

          Wonder no more. The Dem Lib Socialists will always be with us, and they will always blame conservative capitalist Christians as the reason why their cultural Marxism and politico-economic socialism fails.

          • America was not Greece. America is not Venezuela. The sky is not falling. Even Crony Capitalism puts food on the shelves. Communism saves it for the Politburo.

            While the business cycle is ending as it does at the end of every business cycle, its not the end of the world. Prep? Yes.

            Panic? No. And that’s the bottom line. 🙂

            • Dk,
              And sir, what if the king of Saudi Arabia demands an ‘audience’ with his majesty in the White House, to come here and tell him “the deal’s off”?
              What deal? The Petrodollar deal of Henry Kissinger from the 1970’s, that backed the dollar for the last 40 years…

              What if he says they will now take Yuan for oil? What if he demands gold or even, gasp, national submission to Islam?
              What then sir?
              If you catch a whiff of that folks, remember, the early bird who panics, gets the worm.
              (The Iran deal is a knife in the back to the Saudi’s, who have never been our friends. They have ‘interests’, just like us.)
              The Dark Caesar knows what he’s doing, he called it Fundamental Transformation.
              What is a fundamental transform?
              From WASP as the power base, to colored, from capitalist to communist, from world power to crippled third world hell hole. You all see multidimensional trends, do the math.

              It gets all biblical from there.
              Dk thinks the world revolves around Wall st., I think sir, your world will die in what comes.

              • At least you are awake. Why do people think that we here in the states are immune from the things that take place elsewhere?? durangokidd is going to have a rude awakening.

                • William,
                  Have been awake for over 20 years, when I went ‘Galt’.
                  I am a long time poster here, but gave up because of single dimensional thinking idiots who think they know something.

                  God’s Blessings on your house, be safe…

                  • PM: What if the American government says that all oil & gas produced and consumed within the boundaries of the USA is FIXED at $70 a barrel: leaving the rest of the world to buy oil & gas on the open market? Remember it fixed gold at $35 an ounce. So its not implausible.

                    Think about the ramifications of that.

                    I mentioned here more than a year ago that the world was awash in oil & gas. (Its in the archives.) It is. Iran will be coming on-line and they will produce flat out to regain “market share”. Oil is below $40 a barrel now. Where does it go from here, without war? Clue: LOWER

                    There are VAST, untapped oil & gas reserves all over the world, the latest “elephant” gas field discovered off Egypt and Israel. If you knew anything about oil & gas you would know this: Australia, New Zealand, Africa, Great Britain, Scotland, Madagascar, Central Asia …. the list is ENDLESS …. are ALL awash in new, untapped oil & gas fields.

                    Saudi fields are in massive decline, with NO new fields announced. Their usefulness to the New World Order is coming to an end. Think FIFO, first discovered, first used. Another reason that the Saudi Sovereign Wealth Fund invests the oil revenue around the world in commercial real estate and multinational corporations.

                    And the Yuan? LMFAO! The only way that SA accepts Yuan instead of the dollar for its oil, is if China backs the Yuan with gold; meaning it is freely convertible to gold. At which point SA demands gold. Can you say “France”? So much for a “gold backed Yuan”.

                    Alternative energy is expanding at an accelerating rate now that battery technology has been developed to store it; and Fusion technology is just around the corner with small, portable reactors under development.

                    I have mentioned several times here over the past few years that the world was in the midst of and energy revolution. I say it again. The fact that the NWO is ready to abandon SA and embrace Iran is evidence enough.

                    And yes, I think the world revolves around Wall Street for the New World Order. And Wall Street revolves around the Central Sun: The FED. That’s just the way it is. 🙁

                    PS: I wish people like you who do not have a fundamental grasp of basic economics (the principle of substitution always applies) would do some real research and quit accepting these stupid internet meme’s as gospel.

                    They are typically generated by an even bigger fool. 🙁

              • Most intelligently put – even impressive.

                But sad though, the sheeple have their heads down eating the roots where no new grass will ever grow again . . .

                *

            • Until a socialist like Bernie takes over!

        • Yep Kula Soon, very soon…. hunting season here is right around the corner. The deer and turkey are getting plump and starting to look delicious.

          Anybody got any good tips on smoking meat and preserving it. Any good Jerky recipies or canning of smoked meat or vacuum packing it. I already am getting pretty good at canning meat in pasta sauce. Appreciate all comments. Lets learn together to survive and thrive.

          ~WWTI

          • I am well stocked in canned goods so this year I am dehydrating everything in my garden. I read that sweet corn was used dried as a sort of candy in old days and last for years if stored properly. (Although it doesn’t taste too great in my opinion) Green beans can be dried and ground to powder for a soup stock. Even tomatoes can be dried and used as a topping on pizza.

            • Try dusting it with the powders they sell for popcorn, Ranch is really good.

            • dehydrated sweet corn is fricking amazing, especially if you time it right and harvest early before it starts going to starch.

              For those who don’t grow or dehydrate, Honeyville Grains dehydrated corn is pretty darn good too.

            • You can can your dried tomatoes is olive oil or add your choice of spices like basal or rosemary. Last a long time and taste good too.

          • There are plans online for small backyard smokehouses. This is on my todo list.

          • Now you have me thinking of turning part of my hillside into a cold smoker… hmm.. (*googles*)

        • Yeah, soon…that was 2009, then 2010, then 2011, well, you get the picture. Even a stopped clock is occasionally right.

          • A stopped clock is the most accurate clock in the world, twice a day.

        • Coming soon to the country you’re residing in, compliments of our slave masters, the NWO elites, the banking cartel, and your bought and paid for politicians!
          Be aware and be prepared!

        • I fear that Obama’s term will end, then the dollar will collapse and he will dictate no elections until the “crisis” has passed. Which will be never.
          Obama regime will keep it going until around October 2016.
          No elections. World War. Supply shortages. And terror attacks on a scale way beyond 9/11. Oh, the Horror! Prepare now!

      2. This is getting boring.

        • When you are fighting for your life, then we’ll see how boring it is. If you had ever been in Sudan trying to control the masses of starving people during a food distribution, your attitude would be different. You’ll never meet a more violent person than a mother trying to keep her children alive.

          • Stock higher on the basics. This aint going to go away in a few months. Remember the beans and rice. Those go well w/ the bullets.

            It comes down to this — food prices going up while growing scarce.
            “The Cendas survey showed that more than a third of foodstuffs cannot be found on supermarket shelves; moreover, vegetables are 32% more expensive every month, meat prices are going up by 22% every month, and beans are surging by 130%. Basic Venezuelan dishes containing rice and beans have thus become a luxury, as people queue for 8 hours aweek, on average, to buy basic goods.”

      3. “Socialism (lit. ‘gouvernement’ in French) is the great fiction, whereby everybody endeavours to live off of everybody else.”

        – Frederic Bastiat, 1801-1850

        Just wait until the left turns America into Venezuela… or Argentina… or Greece.

        • Socialism is working great for Venezuela. Now the democrat candidate Bernie sanders, an avowed socialist, is looking to be the nominee after Hillary gets arrested.

          We are screwed.

          Capitalism is the only proven way.
          Communism is murder.
          Socialism is suicide.

          • Someone once told me that a Communist is merely a socialist in a hurry…

            And with the arrival of millions of illegal immigrants from TURD-WORLD dictatorships, watch the Democrat-Socialist candidates win mayoral and gubernatorial races in the so called Red States! And those quiet neighborhoods that we raise our kids in are inundated with Somali and Syrian Moooslims, illiterate Hondurans and Salvadoreans, MS13 and Nortenos, and they get their share of the “entitlements” offered by our overlords. They all come here to work…the system!

            No voter fraud here?! How did so many incompetents get positions of power? Like Jerry Moonbeam Brown, Camel Harris, Ed Lee, Robert DeLeon, Spencer Yeh, Dianne Feinstain, Barbie Boxer, Sheila Jackson Lee, Turbin Durbin, Keith Ellison, OMalley, Deval Patrick, ad nauseum.

          • So capitalism is the only way? This is the same ‘only proven way’ that has brought the world to its knees by sheer naked greed. The ‘only proven way’ that robs you of your savings and makes you prepare for a doomsday scenario. Think before you engage brain!

            • Don’t confuse the current detour to fascism with capitalism. True capitalism has been dead for years.

              Capitalism and free markets create a large middle class, Obama has worked long and hard to destroy the US middle class. It’s all part of the NWO.

              • Good point- we like the free market badge but our markets have always been under the control of the big players. Bear in mind that socialism has the same problem, it’s never really been tried either, the same grifting of the masses labour for a elite few.
                Would love to see either given a try- even just for a change of scenery

        • What you are seeing in Venezuela is part of the New World Order comming into fruition right in fron of your eyes. Sooner than you think it will be comming to our shores. The elites are in full control of everything.
          All the world leaders are Masons, and via Masons, the elites are able to bring in the NWO. Wake up and do not follow the controlled press. Read the alternative media for the real news (that is being suppressed) by the MSM.

        • That’s his goal….to make us a third world country! I never voted for him….ever!!

      4. For the record please, Socialism is modeled after the bee and ant colonies. Millions work themselves to death so a few at the top can live the good life. A worker bee’s maximum life is 42 days. A worker ant averages about 14 days. That is what Socialism is all about, work for the masses, without having any questions about or suggestions to improve their lot in life. Conversely, splendor without a conscience as to the suffering of those below is the norm for rulers. The problem is, unless you were born into the ruling class then you never arrive there. That said, the people in Venezuela saw this coming. They should have made preparations: seeds, seeds, and more seeds. For there to be wealth there must first be an abundance of food. The Venezuelans gave away their ability to garden and tied themselves irrevocably to government controlled food distribution programs. Couple that with an unarmed populace and disaster is waiting in the wings. In closing, if any of you do not have seeds, then you are living on borrowed time. If you don’t know how to garden then start learning now. Buy organic seeds: Not Hybrids. If you are not willing to protect your garden with deadly force then forget the seeds and purchase a casket. You’ll need it.

        • When Russia collapse the financial aid to Cuba and North Korea stopped. North Korea starved and 3 million died. Cuba survived because the government distributed seeds and instructed Cubans to plant every plot of land with a garden.

          Socialism just shows how many retarded ignorant people live in the US. And they will probably win.

          • John Stiner: I did not know the Fidel distributed seeds and instructed to plant. Smart move on his part. Thanks for the info. Prep on.

        • I have been all over south America and I can tell you that although life for them has been made hard (mostly by us), the lifestyle is appealing- without the plastic crap we feel the desperate need to buy you end up with quiet a lot of spare time- they work less than us and would be rich if we would let them have the wealth they inconveniently live on.
          Having travelled I would say that unfettered capitalism is is more suited to the bee hive or ant farm analogy- giant cities where money is god, even more important than family- work hard climb the ladder, die. work hard..

      5. First WalMart stopped selling those old racist flags, now they stopped selling those dangerous assault weapons. Nothing to worry about, we have both Big Brother and Big Business looking out for us. Ain’t PC Great. Trekker Out.

        • We all know that as wal mart goes, so goes the nation.

          • You have it backwards,…When the markets crash & the malls shut down the Welfare state will tank.When it tanks Walmart will also go down.Walmart will go down because many of it’s shoppers are welfare cases & when their entitlements are slashed they will have much less money to spend at Walmart!

          • And the pictures of the Wal-Mart people. ;0)

      6. off topic:
        Note the massive manhunt for the sheriff’s “assissin”. If it was a straight white person it wouldn’t even make the news.

        Not condoning murder of any human, but..

        This guy may have been one of the ‘good’ cops (except for the habit of never seeing any of his collegues do anything wrong), but he WAS part of the gang that throws flash-bangs into cribs during ‘raids’ based on an informant’s word (an ‘informant’ would NEVER lie to save their own butt) and then blames the baby for being there. On a personal level, cops can expect more of this. They have made their own families be seen as fair game because of their own actions. Stories of cops killing completely innocent people abound. Sucks to be on the other end of a murder, doesn’t it?

        • You are an arrogant fool!,
          As an adult you should realize that there is a time & place for everything!We don’t know anything about this police officer & that being the case need to assume that he was a decent person who didn’t deserve to be shot down!You may have your abstract dislike of the police in general,but you have no right to gloat over the death of another human being just to have your fun!Grow up & stop laughing at the misfortunes of others!

        • I cant recall the last time a “straight white person” shot a cop in the back while he was gassing up his car. Just an observation.

        • I don’t like most cops including Dale and his brown nose sidekick, BUT no cop deserves to be murdered without a trial. I would protect a cop from injury if I had to. A cop’s family should be off limits period. You can pick your friends but not our family. Also, I don’t call for help[.I AM the help.

        • Hugh Janus. You are one piece of work.

          You out there marching with the “pig in a blanket” crowd??

          Idiot.

          Preppers, sorry for the rant and please forgive me. It’s really hard to read through this ‘kill the cops’ crap to get to the few nuggets of good prepper stuff that all have to offer.

          I know, I could go some place else. This site was my first prep site I ever went to and I’ve gotten to know and respect most here. Wit and wisdom abound, most of the time.

          • Bunch of boot lickers. I prefaced my comment by saying he may well have been a “good” cop. Never said HE deserved it, just as the innocents cops kill with impunity don’t deserve it. He was part of the gang in blue who disfigured the baby for life and then refused to pay medical bills incurred because of cops’ctions, as well as blaming the baby for being there to begin with.

            I stand by my original comments and take pity on those of you who lack reading comprehension skills.

            Cops will respond to this “assassination” by doubling down on their brutality, when it has been brought on by their own actions. Maybe they would garner more respect if they didn’t “assassinate” so many innocents.

      7. The collapse is coming make no mistake and with it hell is around the corner. Only God knows if we will survive. Just a thought.

        • Thor, if only God knows if we will survive, dont you think he could change it or tell you a head of time. If he truely loves you… Or try flipping a coin, rubbing a lucky rabbits foot or ask your magic 8 ball. See which proves to be the most worthy source of predictors.

          Better yet, take self determined action and stop leaving your survival fate up to a blind hoax coin flip. Only God Knows? Like who makes up these BS sayings to keep people dumbed down. Blind faith is pathetic.

          ~WWTI

          • Feast of Trumpets September 13, 2015 and the 4th Blood Moon fifteen days later on Feast of Tabernacles September 28, 2015. Yep, God DID warn you. Obviously, you’re not watching His signs. And yes I agree, blind faith is pathetic. But enjoy all the signs coming to get your attention. Peace out.

          • Blind faith is great. Let them use it. Keeps them out of line while I shop. Always look at the bright side.

            • ” Presence Of The Lord”

              By Blind Faith.

              I have finally found a way to live
              Just like I never could before
              I know that I don’t have much to give
              But I can open any door

              Everybody knows the secret
              Everybody knows the score
              I have finally found a way to live
              In the color of the Lord

          • Now when you say blind faith I assume you are talking about the idiots that blindly follow Obama.

        • Help yourself, store food and water

          “NOW”

      8. that top picture with the empty store shelves has been getting a lot of play in the past ten yrs on the net. time to make a new one.

        • @old75

          It’s for illustration purposes dumbass.

          • mr a
            Can’t you ever make a comment without being a DICK!
            All you had to say is. “It is only for illustration”.
            Sgt.

            • @Sgt Dale

              No, I say as I please. If you don’t like it. Then don” read it

          • Old75 is correct and has a constitutional right to express his opinion. So do I. fuck off Mr anonymous.

            • @Anonymous

              The first amendment only applies to the governed restricting speech. It doesn’t apply to websites. Why do you think Facebook is able to censor what they want?

              You dumb jackass.

      9. Tick tock, Tic toc, Tik tok.

      10. Attach liens on WDC Congress salaries and retirements.

      11. It doesn’t make sense that a peoples that live near the equator, can’t grow enough food to sustain themselves.

        Of course, they may have become to used to handouts like the majority of non-working Americans, and are waiting on someone else to grow it for them.

        It does require that someone get off the couch or porch swing, and actually do some manual labor.

        • I’m reading this article and I’m thinking the exact same thing. I live in Maine and I just pulled 600 pounds potatoes out of my garden for my root cellar. I replanted peas and hope they will mature before the first frost. I grew up in Detroit and my grandpa had a huge garden in his little city back yard.

        • Cut ’em some slack. Venezeula just has a disproportionate number of people who happen to have NEED instead of ABILITY.

        • I traveled throughout South America in the 1990’s and most of the indigenous people/natives do have acreage or some farmland, or at least a garden and some mature fruit trees and plenty of chickens. However, in some areas they are literally dirt poor and only have two meals a day. There is very little beef, unless one is a tourist and can afford to dine at a nice restaurant in a major hotel chain.

          They barter with neighbors for dairy if they have fruit and vice versa. Their growing season is longer than anywhere in the U.S. They are dependent upon each other. Most of those who live in the capitals or in the cities have contacts/relatives in the countryside with a farm.

          The people who live in the suburban-like areas, as well as coastal areas are mostly ex-pats, especially those from the States. So, with all that said, this article did surprise me. Maybe there’s a drought. I don’t know.

          They are not lazy. They have to slow down or stop working in the early afternoon for a few hours because of the heat. The equator runs right through Ecuador – latitude longitude 0000. The heat slows you down, as you know.

          It gets cold there at night, temps drop to low-mid 50’s which to them is very cold. So I wonder if heat during the night is a problem, although most of the homes in the countryside do have fireplaces. If anyone knows how to live off the land and off the grid, it’s them, since the power goes out so often and for no particular reason.

          Maybe the areas of Venezuela that are experiencing food shortages have become over-populated. That would be my guess, especially given the inadequate infrastructure. The infrastructure could barely support the population 20 yrs ago, let alone all the immigrants who have retired there over the past 20 yrs.

          • Yeah, I was wondering if problem wwas mainly in cities and how folks in the countryside were faring.

        • Passin,
          evidently the powers that be have done a good job of brainwashing and changing peoples mindsets to become couch potatoes and not know how to fend for themselves! coming to a city soon, mass starvation!
          preppers will be the few to survive.

        • Without the Blessings from the Lord they won’t be able to survive..its all about Him.

          • Halelujah!

        • All we need to do is repent and turn back to the Lord and He may lift the judgment from the world…I keep saying this and folks say its easier to pray for rain…well with out obedience to the Lord we don’t stand a chance.

          God Bless those who are saved and worship The Father and Jesus…may the Lord be with you in your times of need.

          • Amen!

          • If it’s easier to pray for rain. Then why aren’t they praying for rain is what you should say. Especially if you live in California. Most of the scum that are there would rather die of thirst than admit they have been wrong all these years.

            • In the Peoples Republic of Mexifornia, all animals are equal! But, endangered fish and insects are more equal.

              Thanks to the environazis, no dams can be built to save the crops, but Jerry Boy’s $65,000,000,000 train to nowhere is on its way!

            • ed … you got that right. I lived in Silicon Valley, CA for almost 20 yrs (of my 30 yr career) and never saw so many people all in one place in denial. They are even in denial about the (Delta) Levees near the Central Valley, east of Sacramento that could easily cause a flood of Katrina proportions if it breaks – and an earthquake could easily cause that to happen, even though they don’t have hurricanes there. Because of that they could experience a Katrina, but they laugh at those who know it’s a real possibility and call them negative fear-mongers.

              So, yeah, having lived there amongst them I agree many in CA would rather die of thirst than admit they are wrong… and admit the seriousness of the situation.

              I’ve also noticed how those who deny everything that’s a real possibility and not imaginary bs are THE WORST in a catastrophic event because they didn’t prepare their minds, let alone prepare in any other way.

        • Thats what always boggles my mind, we have hundreds of thousands of people on welfare and food stamps in our state that has year round growing season, but i would bet less than 3% of them grow a garden, i see it all the time at the store i supply with veggies, perfectly able bodied people using an EBT card to buy veggies

          • Yea, I see many folks here feel the same way I do…..In the good book it says if you don’t work, you may go without, and you only reap what you sow.

            It doesn’t matter where you live, that is if it is arable land, there are folks and organizations out there that will help folks get water/irrigation and seed for planting.
            There is no excuse for not planting and harvesting.
            As one poster said, “cut ’em some slack…their dirt poor”.
            And, i ask, are they also disabled?

            Naw, the poor kept themselves poor because of stupidity and laziness. Anyone with half a brain and two good arms and legs can work themselves right out of poverty, and despair.

            Even in Africa, where some of the poorest of the poor live.

          • One word…LAZY

      12. What a sad life we now have to deal with.

      13. Article is not either true or accurate, im sorry to say…

      14. Weird to see people still blaming socialist policy for Crony Capitalism manipulation, poor old Merika still hates the commies but the central banking system, owned and controlled by a small group of families, is AOK.
        Venzuela is not in the hole because of it’s government, it’s in the hole because it’s primary income is oil, down %40 for nearly a year now thanks to the House of Saud and the worlds limit for debt being reached- thanks to the central bankers.
        Merikas time may come when the toxic debt attached to the fracking section of oil blows up, boy that will be a show worthy of pop corn and beer.

      15. https://www.freedomsphoenix.com/News/182478-2015-08-30-the-illusion-of-choice-90-of-american-media-controlled-by.htm?From=News

        90% of the Media Outlets are controlled by 6 ZOG Corporations and the reason is control of the pro ZOG propaganda message.

        First, the airwaves belong to the public, not monopolized by the Zionist Fascist Regine that occupies our Government who allows this BS. We need to break up this Media Ratts Nest into a million pieces, and give REAL FREE SPEECH back to the American people. All we have now is Garbage in and Garbage out, all reporting the same propaganda dumbed down message BS. There is no truth to the nightly news, just tightly scripted propaganda narative with inserted drug co commercials. Want to take action? What can you do? Start by Cutting the cable cord today and send these bastards packing. Why would anybody pay to be lied to? Stop feeding the parasite beast.

        ~WWTI

        • We sent our sat decoder back 6 years ago and boy what a positive change that made for our family. Specially the kids. We just plugged the laptop into the TV and surfed the net after, life ad free is awesome.

      16. Obullshit took lesson from Hugo!!!!!
        Aren’t you guys happy you prepped?
        If that SOB gets his way the USA will look like this and he will so happy. Marxist bastard!!!!!!
        Can you tell I don’t think he is worth a DAMN as the King—- I mean the Prez!
        Sgt.

      17. Went to the farm this week-end to check on things and to place another cache in the ground . My neighbor has installed a 100 foot windmill…looks like water will be readily available . In the words of Alfred E. Neuman…”What me worry ” .

        • Anonymous, do you really think any believes all the crap that you spue?

        • A 100 foot windmill would be quite a advertisement for the un prepared.

      18. it never happens till it happens. kinda like drowning.

        • Or a car crash

      19. Cost of everything has gone up but gas has gone down wouldn’t that mean cheaper goods due to lower transportation costs nope. Indicative of a rigged game where forces are working to make all jobs pay the same. Part of the obummer redistribution of wealth plan designed to make everyone the same financially regardless of skills and education. Welcome to the ussa the hostess at the resturaunt is now making the same as a nurse after the nurse took a 20 percent pay cut.

      20. A desperate crowd is a dangerous thing. I bet you do not see the leaders of the country waiting in any of those lines. Wonder where he oil revenues are?

        • Oil revenues/cost of production/market value/ government+ none.

      21. Playing game of survival, three points are very important. Preparation, adaptation and execution. When we accomplish these points we become confident. Provide security for ourselves and loved ones. We understand that things can go wrong badly and quickly.

        Can a food shortage happen here as in Venezuela?
        Will our people react the same as the Venezuelan’s did?

        Yes for both questions and maybe more violent.

        How many times have we engaged in conversation at this site about financial collapse, food shortages and government control. Fingerprinting, tracking internet info, National I.D. card and Eye Scans to know what you do.
        All of this can be in our future. However this plays out we must be aware and prepare. We have not hit the crisis level but we are seeing signs of food shortages on the rise. Our money is inflating and good paying jobs are scarce. Debt is a big problem for young families.
        Should we go down the toilet in the food availability category, I know you will be happy if you put a few cans away for that hungry day.

        “And The Band Played On”

        Casey got hit with a bucket of shit.
        And the band played on.

        He opened the door and got hit with some more.
        and the band played on.

        So he climbed up the steeple and pee’d on the people.
        Oh what a sight to see.

        When Casey got hit with a bucket of shit.
        And the band played on.

        • Thanks for the chuckle.

      22. The vampire squid always gets its revenge.

      23. DOW Futures down 168 pts.

      24. No need to worry. The agency ass clown posting on here is foi g to lecture me on what will or will not happen. What I do know is that one of prepper friend is growing his own food and you would not believe the challenges of growing food is really about. Then you see all the farmers crops dying and drying up form the frwy. In Waller Texas, from lack of water. Then the IMF pulled the plug on Venezuela, and calapse commensed
        Now people are starting in mass numbers and what does the government do, took control of all the food and secured themselves first and sent the soldiers at them in the streets..

        350,000,000/48 states=3-5,000,000 per state/48 states=50-100,000 survivors per state

        It’s is not a wonder why the built the DUMBS. THE BIGGEST PREPPERS IS NO. OTHER THAN THE CABAL. We will go through this experience weather we like it or not. Venezuela will teach us preppers what to expect here. If they do not silver that problem in the next month, they will experience a 50% population reduction. Good luck breathing the air I that city. They didn’t prep, thus they get what they deserve. I could care less if they all starve to death. What a bunch of unless idiots.

        Aka,

        HCKS

        • “What I do know is that one of prepper friend is growing his own food and you would not believe the challenges of growing food is really about.”

          Pending where one lives, gardening is not all that challenging. The way I see it, anything west of the Mississippi River can be a challenge growing food.

          It does not have the resources that the Mid-West and Eastern part of the country provides. Hardest thing about gardening is keeping the varmints out of your crops, and that can be taken care of with fencing in your garden.

        • ” weather” we like it or not

          if they do not ” silver” that problem

          Good luck breathing the air ” I that city”

          What a bunch of ” unless” idiots.

          Wow! What the hell else can you say?

          • Less.

      25. Once the US Dollar is no longer the reserve currency of the world the “band” will stop. As China continues selling off the massive ammounts of US treasuries it USED to buy and the FED starts fresh QE it will curtians. If youe still have an cash youll have toilet paper or kindling.

      26. Can we gage where we are now?

        What indicators can be used to give us an idea as to the problem of food shortage.

        Unemployment, government assistance programs, food banks and rescue missions. I presume that those in the food bank lines also receive government assistance. The supermarkets have full shelves. Another indication are the small stores that close down because of high crime. Then the residents have to travel farther for their goods. Major chain stores and supermarket closures because of company downsizing.

      27. What is wrong with Venezuela’s move towards supporting their people? The people there loved Chavez overwhelmingly until the u.s. had him killed. Get in the way of big business and you are dead meat. Like the u.s. increasingly the big shots control it all, while the poor have less than nothing, exactly the scenario in Venezuela. If you support the power of the big corporation, then you support all the present and coming “free trade” swindles and also fascism. You blame poor people in this country for laziness, yet overlook all the jobs taken away to foreign cheap labor that causes the unemployment here in America. You overlook the reason and the consequences for the swiftly moving planned destruction of America. Oil, weapon manufacturing and banking are our greatest enemies. Corporatism is the murder of America.

        • “You overlook the reason and the consequences for the swiftly moving planned destruction of America. Oil, weapon manufacturing and banking are our greatest enemies. Corporatism is the murder of America.”

          Perfect post, thanks. With all of the feral blacks in the news lately, it’s easy to lose sight of the truth.

      28. Chip, Chip, Chip away…set up the booths, make it fun for the coward fascist boot licking Zombie trash to bring their children and start implanting the RFID Chips. Start the Final Solution and get it over with already you Corporatist Fascist NWO monsters….What the hell are you waiting for????? The Zombies are about as brain dead and dumbed down as they can get, they have never been more ready for complete control in their cowardly boot licking lives. They have never been more chemically altered from the poisonous toxic GMO laden FAKE FOOD and every other toxin they willing dumbed down and inject their children with. The coward Zombies of collapsing America have never been more insanely ignorant and clueless what is happening to them and their children in the history of the world. They are so ripe and ready for the fascist NWO monsters, so we can expect the planned collapse, RFID chipping, and Final Solution of de-population to proceed at a very rapid pace now.

      29. The whole country suffers from Attention Deficit Disorder. Markets-Trump-Reporter shooting- Hurricane-Cop shot. Commercials, commercials, commercials. One right after another.

        Hey Alice, can you get me a beer?
        I’ve been trying to tell you Ralph, there is nothing in the fridge.

      30. Coming to the former USA very, very soon.

      31. I could care less what the agency ass clowns say about me from this point on. I have had a russian up in my face getting aggressive with me 2 yrs ago, now they are poining Ak’s on American fire fighters, thretening to kill them as they continue to start fires to use as teh excuse to use it as fall out to accept foreign soldiers on our soil against the American people. You russian soldiers reading this. Good luck with trying that stunt inside Texas.

        http://www.thecommonsenseshow.com/2015/08/31/russian-spetsnaz-starting-fires-in-washington-and-moving-heavy-armor-in-the-smoky-mountains/

        David Hodges has the facts. He does because one those fu…k.g russians came up in my face that had it not been for my presense in the tatoo shop that day, no telling what he would have done to my female friend. Spetnatz, or no spetnatz. Special forces/natzi, spetnatz, interesting name isn’t. The next russian spetnatz that makes a threat into my face inside Houston, i am going to f…k you up. I am not putting up with anymore of your bul….t in my city. Then another one showed up on me in the Copperfield area of town, with a chinese female staring me down. Yes folks they are literally in that area of Hwy-6. Russian spetzatz are embedded in the Galleria Area of Houston. I heard of multiple complaints from Security guards, talking about these f…ks running around the area acting all rude and bossy to people in the area. They also hang out at the Cafe Euro by Fountain View and Westimer. One of my black friends looked at me sitting right beside me and said, bro, your being watched. I know, i said to him.

        Just watch the attacks on my credibility following this comment. Isn’t is obvious that they are trying to silence me. There is nothing for me to gain by coming on here lying my ass off folks. Its not like i am making money posting here, i only tell the truth.

        Aka,

        HCKS.

        • I believe EVERYTHING you say hacks!

      32. We’re lucky that sort of thing can’t happen here.

      33. Socialists will never see that socialism doesnt work. They will continue to think the only reason it isnt working is because they haven’t applied it enough.

      34. Venezuela’s economy is suffering from extreme inflation sparked by political instability, constantly deflating their money, a murky economy and the fall in oil prices. 96% of the country’s income comes from exporting oil. There is political corruption, of course. None of the reasons have to do with the country being Socialist–not that you idiots understand this.

      35. Update from the Economic Front —

        The following is from a U.K. friend of mine. Slight changes have been made to protect identity, remove comments not related to this subject, etc… but this is 99% unchanged from the way I received it.

        I find this quite unsettling, because an awful lot of totalitarian policies jump over borders… and I have an uneasy feeling that this could be our future:

        “In UK now it´s almost impossible to use cash in any significant way. Nobody will accept it in any large amount as a payment for goods or services, because you simply can´t put it in your account at the end of the week! The questions, and the hoops you have to jump through, just make it almost impossible. My friend tried to buy a van. Well, in the good old days, there would always be a decent discount for cash, but not any more. They couldn´t find one single person, either a private individual or a registered garage, who would take cash. It all had to be done with credit cards. This same friend, his father died recently, and my friend was the sole beneficiary. He doesn´t particularly need the money, so he decided to give it all to his son, who´s in his thirties with a family and could do with it. I can´t begin to tell you how many solicitors visits, accountants fees, notary fees, more solicitors visits, it just went on for weeks and weeks and weeks. It all had to be proven to be the proceeds of the will, not criminal proceeds, and I think they spent a fair portion of it just on legal fees making the transfer.”

        “Yep, in UK cash is most unwelcome. Nobody wants it, because whoever is left holding it at the end of the transaction can´t put it in the bank without bringing down the wrath of god or someone, asking very pertinent questions! It´s just altogether too much aggravation. My friend had to actually fly back to England in the end, to sort this very simple transaction out…. the amount of paperwork, collaborating paperwork, supplementary paperwork, it was just horrendous, and took literally weeks and weeks to do before every government department was satisfied. Whilst he was there, he noticed roadworks on every major motorway that he travelled on, but no sign of actual workmen, or equipment. So he asked what that was all about, and it turns out the country is installing recognition software every mile or so, along every major road.”
        ———-

        • I live and work in the UK in an industry where cash is still king. Never had any problem taking payment in cash – my employees prefer it, my suppliers like it, I like it! The system you’re talking about is put in place to (supposedly) deter money laundering.

          I’ve just paid into my bank a substantial wodge of cash – no raised eyebrows, no hauling in to face the finance Gestapo, no problems!

          I also travel quite a few miles on motorways only sign I see are speed cameras. With overcrowded roads and idiotic foreign drivers we need them!

          Please, please, check your facts before posting. Fear porn can be catching.

          Remember: ‘A lie is half way around the world before truth has got its boots on!’ (A quote from some German guy we beat the hell out of).

      36. A food shortage here in ‘Merica is a ways out I think. Inflation, some more widespread civil unrest needs to happen first. The trigger is when people get scared. Right now they are being spoon fed the news and getting ready for football season.

        Before they get scared, they have to get uncomfortable. Inability to get some basic things, or staple foods get real pricey. Once it sinks in something is happening, then shelves will start to empty at faster and faster rates. People will be waiting for trucks to arrive at the grocery stores.

        Occasionally you see this before snow storms or big storms; gennys, bread, milk eggs get cleaned out. But a week later everything is back to normal. If they realize it doesn’t go back to normal, the fear will set in.

      37. Americans fight over chinese made crap on Black friday! Imagine FOOD!!!!

      38. I need to stock up on powdered baby formula to donate when tshtf. I Hate to see kids suffer.

        • Anonymous – Stocking up on baby formula… great idea.

          I think I’ll also stock up on various types of baby formula since some babies can’t tolerate certain types of formula, and will also stock up on jarred baby food… add that to my stockpile as well. I’ll make sure the expiration date is way out.

          I’ve heard that baby formula is expensive these days, but don’t know the cost and that will determine how much I can stock up on. Anyway, thanks for the idea.

          BTW, Nestle makes baby formula and anything made by Nestle is crapola… won’t buy anything they manufacture.

      39. FTW, your right, we figured that one out. It’s more challenging when you grow the food in your back yard, We just mastered the whole sustem. We even have varmints coming in and eating the crops, birds, and other critters, etc, right here in the fricking city centers.

        ITS A MATHEMATICAL CLUSTER FU….K OF FACTS HERE.

        Karl V, welcome to the shtfplan.com. What you must mentioned there is some really serious stuff. The balic index is completely dry. Its as if nothing, literally no products or goods is being shipped internationally since the chinese engineered their crash to calapse the dollar. That they got tactical nuke from MMV’s recently to off set the catastrophe over here in the good ole US of A. I am hoping the tactical nuke attack on China, go the blood of their infrastucture to set the stage for the russians to offset the planned calpase. From what i was told. If China and russia continue on the same path, it ww3. I also learned from my oil source that over 150,000+ employees just got laid off globally in the oil industry, this is not even know yet not even by Quayle and Hodges, but will be coming out on thier site soon.

        All major projects have ended in the US, look at the gas price, when proces drop, oil crahses, this is a mathematical fact. The Uk, like America is literally at a stand still. Here in Houston, we are just starting to feel the first wave. I am already behind on bills and am expecting a crash and burn, but this time i am prepared on level unlike anything anyone has ever done. Like my scientist friend told me. You wont be getting laughed at anymore, but they will be crying alot, not laughing. You own a car, you got payments, your fu….k..d, own a house, you got payments, your ass will be out on the streets.

        Aka,

        HCKS.

        putting and end to feel good porn.

        • Yes folks, don’t forget that you HAVE been warned by hcks so don’t come around crying to him that he didn’t warn you. Yes, we’re all going to be living underneath bridges in Houston soon, we sure hope there’s enough of them for everybody until next April when the scientist friend will assign seating on Niburu. Even the mighty Dave Hodges does not have the answers yet, but rest assured he’s working diligently on it at this moment and will relay all necessary info to hcks when the time is right, not one minute before shtfer’s. Just when you thought it was safe to have a brief moment of feeling good, WHAMMO, it’s the END of feeling good porn!

          The Agency Azz Clowns

          Looks like hcks forgot he banned us from posting here.

          Don’t you just love doom porn? wtf davehodges?

      40. No surprise. That happened in a turd-world country. But some say America is becoming that way because we import these people and have one of their kind leading us.

        • This is the great O’s plan. Degrade everything. Bring in tens of thousands of Muslims and other uneducated beings from third countries. His hatred of this country and zeal to destroy it is more evident by the day.
          He’s in bed with Islam, Communism, and anyone who is anti American.

      41. This is exactly why I started this year to grow my own food. I have aquired many heirloom seeds and started learning to grow my own and save the seeds. Next year I will add a greenhouse.

        If you havent started to prep for your family start now.

        1. WATER
        2. SHORT TERM FOOD SUPPLY
        3. GUNS AND AMMO
        4. HEIRLOOM SEEDS

        Start here.

      42. TPTB are establishing laws against indigenous communities that protest against resource extraction.

        They are soon going to be rendered powerless to fight (as they’ve been fighting for decades) keeping TPTB off of the land that they own (and that TPTB have no business being on) and that has been in their families for many generations — for at least 4 South American countries that I know of.

      43. This is why I went MGTOW.

        see mgtow.com

        The feminist will keep shoving socialism down our throats.

        The shit does not work.

        Let it all collapse.

        Prepper men….do your own research on what mgtow is.
        Not the surface shit…really dig.
        The male lightbulb will go on and you realize you do not have to be a slave to women and their hypergamy.

        Sure, you can still fuck women.

        You just do not marry them and get enslaved for life.

        ps. bible thumpers….I do not care what you think.

        Seems all working men already support millions of milfs who fucked bad boys and ended up with the spawn of satan children.

        I bedded about 60 women in my day…no shortage of pussy.

        Better to chase your career and forget what women want.

        Real freedom is a life without women spending your cash.

        MGTOW.

        The feminist will kill off the United States slowly via all their social programs.
        You watch.

      44. This stuff can keep you up nights if you let it. Even with Agenda 21 in full swing it is hard to tell what tomorrow will bring. However, a responsible person wants to ensure the safety of their family whether it is getting it through a flood, tornado, winter storm, invasion or economic Collapse. It does not have to be all gloom and doom. Common sense preparation is the responsible thing to do.

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