(End of the American Dream)—We are closer to the unthinkable than we have ever been, but I have noticed that concern about global war has fallen to an exceedingly low level in the western world. Many people are just having a good old time as if they didn’t have a care in the world, and meanwhile global leaders on all sides are dragging us to the brink of destruction.
During World War III, more people could die than in all of the other wars that have ever been fought in human history combined. Unfortunately, only a very small fraction of the population is actively trying to prevent such a cataclysm.
By the time most of the population finally wakes up, it may be too late.
The war in the Middle East has been heating up for months, and now it appears that we have almost reached a critical turning point…
Months of relentless exchanges between Israel and Lebanon’s militant group Hezbollah have seen mass civilian evacuations and widespread death, injury and destruction.
The violence has worsened since early June, accompanied by increasingly heated rhetoric. Both sides have prevented the tit-for-tat attacks from escalating into a full-blown war, recognizing the likely catastrophic consequences. The question is whether this fragile containment can hold in the future.
One U.S. official that was asked about this says that it is “a miracle” that all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah has not already erupted…
“The fact that we have managed to even hold the front for this long has been a miracle,” a senior US official said, referring to the US’ efforts to keep the Israel-Hezbollah attacks from spiraling into an all-out war.
“We’re entering a very dangerous period,” another senior Biden administration official said. “Something could start with little warning.”
To say that we are entering a very dangerous period is a major understatement.
The moment that the IDF crosses the border into Lebanon, there will be all-out war.
On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged that Israeli troops are going to be moved north for the coming confrontation with Hezbollah…
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated in a television interview on Sunday that he intends to move some of the country’s forces to the northern border to fight the Lebanon-based military group Hezbollah. Were it not for the war in Gaza, that conflict might have already been capturing the world’s attention. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant is also visiting Washington this week in part to discuss the implications of that escalation with US officials.
Originally, it was my assessment that this showdown would occur in the fall.
But it may happen a little bit earlier than that.
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We shall see.
In any event, Hezbollah is pledging that there will be war “with no restraints” once Israel attacks…
The Iranian-backed Hezbollah terror group overnight Saturday threatened to wage war against Israel “with no restraints.”
In a video message, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah said, “In case an inclusive war is imposed on Lebanon, the resistance will fight without restraints, without rules, without limits.”
The minute-long clip then shows footage of various sites in central Israel, along with their GPS coordinates.
“Whoever thinks of war against us, will regret it,” the video ends.
Hezbollah possesses an enormous arsenal of highly sophisticated missiles, and one Biden administration official is openly admitting that Iron Dome batteries will likely be “overwhelmed” when all-out war erupts…
“We assess that at least some” Iron Dome batteries “will be overwhelmed,” said a senior administration official.
An Israeli official said that would be more likely if Hezbollah conducted a large-scale attack principally using precision guided weapons, which could be challenging for the system to defend against. Hezbollah has been stockpiling precision guided munitions and missiles from Iran for years, which Israel has repeatedly raised concerns about.
Hezbollah also possesses an army of approximately 100,000 fighters, and soldiers from other parts of the Middle East are already pouring into southern Lebanon to bolster their ranks.
And once all-out war breaks out between Israel and Hezbollah, it is unlikely that Iran would remain on the sidelines for long…
The top US military officer warned on Sunday that any Israeli military offensive into Lebanon would risk an Iranian response in defense of the powerful Hezbollah terror group there, and that US forces would be challenged to bolster Israel’s air defense umbrella.
Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown, chairman of the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Iran “would be more inclined to support Hezbollah” than it does the Hamas terror group in Gaza, “particularly if they felt that Hezbollah was being significantly threatened.”
What would a cataclysmic conflict between Israel and the combined forces of Iran and Hezbollah look like?
And would the United States be pulled into such a conflict?
Most Americans are not even considering such questions.
But over in Israel, there is a growing consensus that a final showdown is inevitable. The following comes from a recent editorial in the Jerusalem Post…
In the last couple of weeks, it has become clear that a war with Hezbollah is inevitable. It has no longer become a conservation of “if” rather than “when.”
Since October 8, the day after the devastating Hamas massacre, Hezbollah has attacked Israel every day and has been doing so every day since. The group has fired over 5,000 rockets, anti-tank missiles, and explosive-laden drones toward the northern border, forcing 60,000 Israelis in the North out of their homes and turning them into displaced people in their own country with no end date on when they should be going home.
According to senior officials in Israel, the countdown to a potential war with Hezbollah has begun, and Israeli officials have said they have been left with no other choice.
As I have been warning for a long time, this thing in the Middle East is going to get really, really bad. Meanwhile, an extremely alarming incident in Crimea that involved U.S.-supplied ATACMS missiles has brought us even closer to a direct military conflict with Russia…
The Kremlin on Monday directly blamed the United States for an attack on Crimea with U.S.-supplied ATACMS missiles that killed at least four people and injured 151, and Moscow formally warned the U.S. ambassador that retaliation would follow.
The war in Ukraine has triggered the biggest confrontation between Russia and the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, and Russian officials have said that the conflict is entering the most dangerous escalatory phase to date.
But directly blaming the United States for a deadly attack on Crimea – which Russia annexed in 2014 and now considers to be Russian territory although most of the world considers it to be part of Ukraine – is a step further.
Russian children were killed by missiles that we produced, and those missiles were delivered by systems that we provided, and Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov is warning that there will be “consequences” for the United States…
The Kremlin has accused the U.S. of ‘killing Russian children’ after a Ukrainian attack on occupied Crimea with long-range missiles supplied by Washington and said there will be ‘consequences’.
Moscow has summoned the U.S. ambassador to issue a formal warning, while Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov issued a public statement slamming the U.S. for ‘barbaric’ strike on Sevastopol, a strategic port city on the Black Sea.
‘The involvement of the United States, the direct involvement, as a result of which Russian civilians are killed, cannot be without consequences,’ said Peskov.
So what will those “consequences” look like?
At this point, we don’t know.
Hopefully the Russians will not do anything too dramatic.
But if both sides just continue to escalate matters, it is just a matter of time before we reach a point of no return.
You can only flirt with war for so long before you get burned.
Approximately 75 million people died during the last global war. If we aren’t careful, many times that number could die during the next one.
Michael’s new book entitled “Chaos” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.
Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.