“Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” – Proverbs 16:18
Fresh stock market highs are giving everyone the holiday season cheer that encourages spending and inspires optimism about the future under the incoming Trump administration.
The market could hit 20,000, and investors are ecstatic… but reality is still looming over the desperately vulnerable economy.
The Federal Reserve has announced that it is raising rates, and there is every indication that things could take a turn for the worse in the near future – particularly as it has been Fed stimulus over the past eight years that has been propping up the stock market.
Now, as the cost of money increases, interest payments are mounting and debts may become unmanageable for some.
But the so-called “fear gauge” on Wall Street, a volatility index, indicates that there is a disconnect with the disturbing systematic problems lying just below the surface, as nearly everyone inside finance is feeding off of short term numbers and a positive news buzz.
via Market Watch:
As stock-market indexes march to fresh records on the back of a monthlong rally in the wake of Donald Trump’s presidential election win, U.S. investors don’t appear to be daunted by the unrelenting climb to new heights.
At least that is what the low levels of the CBOE Volatility index, known as Wall Street’s fear gauge, is signaling. The metric which allows investors to make bets on implied levels of volatility on the S&P 500 is currently at 11.56, hovering near the lowest level of the year, set Aug 19. In other words, investors aren’t worried that bad things could upend the brisk march higher.
[…]
[Randy Frederick, managing director of Trading & Derivatives at Schwab Center for Financial Research] is paying attention to the high levels of complacency the VIX currently indicates. He said it is worrying that nobody is worried right now.
“Hedging against a downside in the market is cheap because nobody is hedging,” Frederick said. “It doesn’t mean it is wrong not to hedge, as there is no good reason to need major downside protection for the next week or two or until after the inauguration.”
Fine.
But what happens after the temporary high of the holidays and the presidency begins to fade?
The real problems are lying in wait, and there is likely to be some very real challenges to the ability of ordinary Americans to stay afloat.
Health care costs are skyrocketing in most states, while rent, mortgage, groceries and other expenses continue to pose a serious problem for middle, lower and working class Americans who have seen, overall, a wage freeze for the past many years.
The student debt bubble is also threatening to pop, and there is a significant bubble in auto and housing (once again) as well. How can everyone just pretend that nothing is happening, and that good times are here again?
Those problems could be sharply exacerbated as the huge debt bubble, swelling particularly since 2008, threatens to pop.
As Offgrid Survival explains, the United States is absolutely drowning in debt, and no amount of holiday cheer can shrug that off.
Over the next ten years, experts think that debt could balloon to a staggering $27.3 trillion. While that might seem like an insurmountable amount of debt to recover from, the fact is, we have already surpassed that number.
When factoring in unfunded liabilities like Social Security, Medicare, government pension plans and Obamacare, the true debt number is actually much higher than $27.3 trillion. Estimates put the real number somewhere between $205 trillion to $222 trillion.
As this chart shows, President Obama has left the country with a very nice parting gift – essentially doubling the national debt to a swelling $20 trillion dollars – all purchased on “free” liquidity courtesy of the Federal Reserve.
But now, the U.S. will have to service that debt, as interest rates prepare to rise sharply from several years at or near zero.
To add fuel to that fire, private enterprise has been expanding its holdings in debt as well – creating a very volatile situation, though it will be delayed, and therefore, separated in the minds of most. According to Bill Bonner and Partners:
And total debt increased in the U.S. last year by $1.9 trillion… while GDP only went up $599 billion. For the corporate sector, it was worse. Companies took on $793 billion of extra borrowings against just $161 billion of extra output – five times as much debt as growth.
These are economic realities that few have the stomach to deal with, yet their repercussions could be felt be all Americans.
Thanks, Obama! These past eight years have been swell…
Will anybody be ready when the hammer drops?
So what can you do to get ready for the (likely) coming collapse?
Along with stocking up on food, water, medical supplies, alternative energy, guns, ammo and the like – one of the most important steps is getting out of debt:
Your best investment is getting out of debt. If you have $20,000 in a retirement account, you’re probably earning about 1% interest on it. At the same time, you might be paying 5% interest on your home. So, you’re losing money faster than you’re earning it. If you pay off your home, you have a net gain of 4.5%, even if you don’t have any money on hand.
The only investments that are secure during a financial collapse are precious metals and real estate.
Before even considering investments, you want to make sure that you have enough food and other supplies on hand. Ultimately, they are a much better investment than anything, even gold.
Read more:
How To Prepare For Economic Collapse And Other Disasters – A Step By Step Guide
7 Jobs That Are Going to Survive the Next Economic Crash
Collapse Strategist: “We’re In The Terminal Phase… Economic Pain Like We’ve Never Seen Before”
It Took 22 Years to Get to This Point
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“The debt bubble is prepared to pop. How can everyone just pretend that nothing is happening, and that good times are here again?”
Because most people only believe what they WANT to believe. And they defend it till death. Look into anything contrary to your beliefs? HELL NO. You can ignore reality, but you can’t ignore the consequences of ignoring reality. They will all go running to mommy govt. to save them from their apathy and ignorance. Time to thin the herd either by manmade actions or nature will eventually do it for them.
For Many a stock market crash isn’t going to mean anything, because they are not in the Stock Market. The minority of those who are in the stock Market are Rich Bastards, that have no place else to park their money, and they have more money than they can spend, so they gamble and speculate in the stock market. That’s right the Big Casino online and based in NY City. That’s why it is so manipulated as the power brokers can move a market where ever they want and when they want.
There is such a disconnect from the Banks and hedge funds pounding precious metals into the ground, and the real supply and demand on the street. In India Gold is selling for $1700 an ounce in US Dollars. But here in the States we get the price of $1131 from the paper Manipulators controlling $127,000 worth of gold with, only $6000 hedged and the rest in an IOU Margin account which is about 20 to 1 margin leverage.
Those who will get crushed hard are long term 401K holders who have been asleep, and only get a quarterly statement and about to retire, will find out there is not much to retire on when this crashes, and all they did over the last 20 years, was to fund the hedge fund managers retirement.. No worry the Mgrs will wave at you fishing on the banks for food, as they sail by in their yachts, drinking champagne and sucking down lobster with their pack of whores.
Welcome to Merica.
GOVN’T: I’d say any Congress person or President deserves NO Pension or Benefits after leaving office, if they left this country in more debt after they have been in office, than when they got there.
BANKS GOLD HOLDINGS: I’d tell the National Guard to simultaneously go to each and every Bank in the US and confiscate every ounce of Gold in the Bank’s Vaults, bring it to Fort Knox, to pay back the American Tax Payer for their Bankster Pillaging Crimes.
END THE FED: Audit the Fed, declare it criminal, and End the Fed, and print a new US Dollar based on the Gold they took back from the banks. Wipe the national debt off the books, and all consumer debts to banks, We need a reset like they did in Iceland and they even jailed the Bankers.
PERSONAL INCOME: No person that has a Gross income of less than $20K per year per household combined, pays no income taxes at all. There needs to be a certain amount of income for standard living wages, and that should reduce the Welfare, EBT Food Stamps enrollment by 75%. No persons under the age of 18 should pay any taxes, since they do not have the right to Vote yet. That’s Taxation without representation.
WALLSTREET: No stock or commodity can be traded with a margin more than 2 to 1. No more hedge funds manipulating stocks or commodities like PM’s, or front running, or computer trading machines trading stocks.
No more shorting of stocks, which is just manipulation by pounding stocks, hurting companies and their reputations and hurting 401K holders. China Banned Shorting of Stocks on their stock exchange. So can we.
Congress members are all banned from purchasing stocks on Wall Street while in office. Its just more fraud and waste for unneeded massive government contracts to big companies, to jack up a stock price, which is based on nothing but the votes of the shills in congress pick and choose winners and losers. The Military Industrial Complex Mafia is a Prime example of waste for profit.
This BS Zeka Virus which is Mosquito Borne, was located in a few square blocks area of Miami, but way up in N FL, they are spaying Zeka Mosquito Poisons in all the water ways and not even the areas affected, which does more harm than good. It kills fresh water shrimp and many other species in the food chain. So what happened is FL seeks a Billion dollars from the Feds in funding to study and attack the virus. So them some BS chemical company creates a poison concoction, gets a fat state contract, to send out to every community in the state the poison spray to dump in all the water in Florida. And all of this, so some chemical company can make hundreds of Billions of dollars. The insanity that goes on in this country needs to be obliterated an stopped. The ZEKA Virus is a False Flag to Fleece the Tax Payers in wealth Transfer to the Manipulators to aka: Keep us safe. Yeah BS.
No more Mandatory Vaccinations especially in children before school age. It causes immediate Autism and auto immune complications and destroys their lives forever. That should be a crime and the CEO lifetime in prison for poisoning children.
Pick me for a cabinet position President DJ Trump, I will help ya drain the swamp.
Yup Genius you are so right. Everybody gets caught up in the hoorah and foofrawl that they act like they have blinders on. Ain’t nothing much changes. Reality can surely be a biatch sometimes but we do need her. The bad part is that it “rains on the ‘just’ and the ‘unjust’ alike.” Reminds me….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlF2p1UPt8Y
RIP Keith.
The US government is borrowing money to pay the interest on the debt. Not pay the debt. Pay the interest on the debt. And the Fed is starting to raise interest rates. That means the US will have to print more money to pay even higher interest. Wheee! And even though the market is currently at record highs, it has been overdue for a correction. One of the reasons the market has been so high is that banks weren’t paying much interest on savings. Remember when old folks could supplement their pensions with the interest on their life savings? Now if rates go high enough wouldn’t some of them pull their money out of the market and put it in a bank? Everything is touch and go right now. The Bond market is looking pretty shaky, also.
WHY I PREFER SILVER OVER GOLD: More than 50% of Silver demand World Wide goes for Industrial Uses.
Article link: https://www.bullionvault.com/guide/gold/Silver-industrial-demand
The industrial demand for silver
Silver has many industrial uses, accounting for more than 50% or half of annual demand worldwide over the last five years.
This means that economic growth can affect silver prices far more than it affects gold. Only 10-15% of annual gold demand worldwide comes from industrial use, the rest going to jewelry and investment.
Because of silver’s physical strength, brilliance, malleability and ductility (it can be squashed or pulled into shape), people have also used silver in jewelry, tableware and fine art for thousands of years. Industrial applications use silver’s conductivity (the highest of any element for electricity and heat) as well as its sensitivity to light and anti-bacterial qualities.
Today silver is invaluable to solder and brazing alloys, batteries, dentistry, glass coatings, LED chips, medicine, nuclear reactors, photography, photovoltaic (or solar) energy, RFID chips (for tracking parcels or shipments worldwide), semiconductors, touch screens, water purification, wood preservatives and many other industrial uses. Washington-based industry group the Silver Institute calls it “the indispensable metal”.
The biggest consumers of silver for industrial applications this past decade have been the US, Canada, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Germany and Russia. Over that time silver demand from older industries has faded, only to be replaced by new technological uses.
Here we look at three major industrial uses of silver – photography, solar energy, and medical – and how they are changing.
Go to the Link to read the rest.
Genius, I’m debt-free, no loans or credit cards or any of that shit. I’m still stacking. Just because Trump won doesn’t mean I’ll become complacent; I know better. Anybody who refuses to prep is inept. Sheeple are still inept anyway last time I checked. If people won’t prep to at least give their own families a chance to survive, they’re ‘worse than an infidel’ according to the Bible. These dildos better not come to me expecting me ‘to save them from their apathy and ignorance’, as you so accurately put it. If they expect my home to become their ‘store’, they’re just going to get some 00 buckshot for their trouble. It’s all I can do to take care of me and my own. I’m not letting any parasites freeload off me.
D.B.
Hey just got off of Gun Broker and they have a M1A Scout on their site for $981.00 that is about $700.00 under retail. item #604918134.
just letting you know.
Sgt.
Sarge, what is the best deal on a decent NV scope in your opinion? Thanks.
NV Scopes
ht tp://www.sportsmansguide.com/productlist?k=night+vision+scopes
Or
PVS14
PVS- 14 JHR = ht tp://www.jrhenterprises.com/product.sc?productId=183&categoryId=16
I really want this Thermal Scope: Long range $4,000
FLIR Long-range 2.25-9X Power Thermosight RS32 Thermal Rifle Scope Item # WX2-596645
ht tp://www.sportsmansguide.com/product/index/flir-long-range-225-9x-power-thermosight-rs32-thermal-rifle-scope?a=1694054
“g”
Let me start again. Computer crashed.
I went with Bushnell Equinox with rifle scope mount 4 power. Cost-around $300.00. This is really not a scope it is night vision with a built in camera that can be mounted on an AR. or what ever rifle you want to put it on. I have a Bushnell Trophy dot sight on in front of it. Works well in the day time and at night. Some night vision scopes can’t be used in the day time. Remember this not a scope but a night vision you can mount on a rifle. From my research I found that this was the best way to go. You can take the night vision of and still have you Dot sight. Also this runs on 4 AA batteries. I’m set up with a couple of solar charges to charge batteries when TSHTF.
Bushnell has always had good quality optics, and I have several of them that is why I’m going with this set up.
There are three others I really liked. Yukon, Firefly, Armasight Orion,Sightmark Photon, and ATN. All were great products, and they are scopes. If you take these off you will still have your pop up sights. Price is around $450.00 to $600.00+
Go to You Tube and look at their reviews, Also Amazon carries these products and they to have reviews.
The best night vision scope cost around $3,000+. That is too much for me, I can build a couple AR’s and put this Bushnell on them for that price.
I probably messed up the water even more, but this is what I have found. Good hunting. Do some research and you might find something I didn’t and you might end up with better gear.
Sgt.
Sarge, thanks! I found one on swfa . com for 268 bux. I want it for an ak (has a rail mount) it should work good with a red dot in front. Might be a little cramped but it should fit.
Have you tried it out yet? I’m curious how well the focus is. Also how long is the distance from mount to mount? Thanks again!
“G”
The mount is about 2 inches long. From the very back end of the mount to the front end of the night vision is 6 1/2 inches. My dot sight sets about one inch in front of the night vision.
Set the night vision back like you would on a regular eye relief scope. Mine sets back to a point where I can’t use my pop up back sight on my AR.
You have two focus points both the front lens and the back can be use to focus. Then you can use the power setting in the night vision.
I haven’t used it to shoot at anything yet but have played with it with super low light (heavy cloud cover)I used the IR and it worked great. Next night was full moon and WOW could you see things it was like NOON time looking though it.
Play with it some before you mount it, it just makes it easier to get use to. It also adds about 2lbs. to you rifle.
Sgt.
Thanks for the recommendation. I’ve been looking for options for night vision without shelling out a several thousand for a true night vision scope that would probably spend most of its time sitting the the gun safe letting the batteries age.
Sarge, I appreciate the thought but I’m still just a bit shy of what I need, should have it in time for the next gun show.
damn Sarge….I just bought a fully loaded M1A for 1,300. a good eal but not as good as that. You’d better jump on that.
Jim
I already have a Scout (2016) $1,200.00 and a Standard Match. (1984) $575.00. If I didn’t have one/two I would be bidding on this.
Sgt.
Up to 1225 now, with a 1250 min bid.
I’m with you on that. infidels (one with no fidelity) are by their nature oath breakers, liars, taking on responsibility with no intention of fulfilling their obligations. same as the @$$holes with their sky facing palms demanding and expecting handouts and protection from those that would enslave us all. They’ll get theirs and we’ll have to suffer for it. The word “loathing” comes to mind. best not ask me for anything if you refuse to even try to be ready yourself.
The parrot keeps repeating himself, but can’t buy a gun online cause he’s got no credit. Then he says, “I’m not letting any parasites freeload off me.” So where is it again in N GA, you are freeloading off of at your Cuz’s BOL?
This site cracks me up with all the Chest puffers.
bravo zeus
the parrot has about as much business owning guns as a felons does
he puffs up with all his brave talk about his “ventilation team ” but in reality he cant keep his yap shut and got them all stolen LOL
and what J A names him self after Mel gibson movies ??
a known pedophile and women abuser ole mel is and when the chips are down he tucks tail and runs down under ” what a swell guy ”
BH old buddy the fruit does not fall far from the tree
give up that job hassling the kids in the mall in Memphis and get a real job and be a man
not a wanna be cop.
and get your own place and not one depending on the whim,s of family because when the shtf you will be out in the rain and sol
i know his type well
a real prepper ( not!!) all talk and no action
most likely wears his Glock gear every day and is a walking advert for Getting Robbed again
tell me again how you got hit ??
was it because you cant keep your yap shut ?
skittle
“Z”
Why so hard on D.B?
He has no C.C.’s and is going to a gun show in January to try and get one. When I bought my M1A Scout I had to save up the money, and I have very good credit, but only one CC. and I put a $2,000.00 limit on it just incase it gets hacked or stolen.
Now as far as freeloading off of his Cuz BOL. Then there is going to be around 100 people Freeloading off my Brother’s BOL. There is strength in groups. Most of our group is family. If D.B. has been working setting up the BOL, adding what ever it needs like food, ammo what ever then he isn’t Freeloading.
I believe you are smart enough to have a group, because you can’t do it all, and I know for a fact that there are people that are much better than I at doing things. We are going to need those type of people to get though TSHTF.
Merry Christmas.
Sgt.
The market goes up and it goes down. If you are in it well that is your choice. I’m not going to judge. I’m not in it, I’m into land & P.M.s.
We know it crashed in 2007 and it will crash again. How bad, no one knows. “The old saying is Don’t put your eggs into one basket.”
If you are prepped you are OK so NO FEAR.
Sgt.
Sarge, have you been to Buffalo Range this year? I know they are probably closed for the season, but other than that, how’s the plinking range since they re-opened it?
Him
No I haven’t. I was told by some friends that the Plinking range is great and it is back to the same old way it was. You can still bring targets if you want to.
Him. I use to work there a couple of years ago. I worked there for 4 years, and when the plinking range went down I was let go. That was OK because I was the last one hired before the closed the plinking range. That, and I already had a part time jobs.
Sgt.
Sarge, Thank you.
I cant believe this has gone on for as long as it has. And I have no idea what they can do to extend it but I am so discouraged and thinking they can print this money forever to keep this going on with no consequences. I keep preparing but wondering if Ill live long enough to use any of it or if it will even be necessary..
The Blinders keep their hands focused on the trough. Can’t get distracted during a frenzy of theft you know, you might see the bubble. But blinders may make you miss the exit. Anybody got a pin?
Aleppo Has 1st Christmas Celebration in 4 Years – And It Gets Bombed!
Simon North
4 hours ago
It seems the radical Islamic terrorists, recently defeated in Aleppo by the Syrian army with Russian support, cannot restrain their hate even in defeat.
Last night Aleppo hosted its first Christmas tree lighting celebration in years. All faiths other than radical Wahabist Islam were prohibited and targeted for destruction by John McCain’s and John Kerry’s “moderate” friends, who have occupied most of the city until now.
However, the festivities were short-lived. A Wahabist walking piece-of-crap – a member of the “rebels” who went underground – sent his own two daughters, aged 7 and 9, to bomb the the celebration. The older one was intercepted – the younger was not.
Here’s video of the aftermath:
http://russia-insider.com/en/politics/aleppo-has-1st-christmas-celebration-4-years-and-it-gets-bombed/ri18313
COMING, to a theatre near YOU!
Great time of year for shopping is about 3 days to 10 days after Christmas. Less rush, bigger than 50% discounts, and a fine time to pick up toilet paper with Christmas trees printed on it for 75% off! If you see a good deal don’t buy one – grab the whole shelf full. Chocolate is usually gone, but most other holiday food goes on clearance too. Some of those ridiculous gift sets often have a cup or utensil – plus a bag of good coffee or other food – and at 75% off the price is less than the same non-discounted coffee on the regular shelf. Remember – someone decides to clear out all Christmas merchandise – at a big discount – but they don’t consider what they are putting on clearance!
Norseman:
Very true and great advice. In a mall, there are little stores and in the walk way kiosks. These are mostly owned by small time business people. They are rented for exorbitant rents with the hope that the owner can sell enough to pay the costs and still make a profit. But many of these entrepreneurs come away with little to nothing for their efforts. By the end of the season, he or she will literally give away product rather than have to store it or cart it away. So, you can sometimes barter for even lower prices, especially if you are willing to take it all, or a significant amount. Just be sure to talk with the owner, not a sales person, because the helpers aren’t in a position to help you.
One year after Christmas, I happened to go to the mall just as the shop and kiosk owners were on the final day. They had to get everything out for real. I picked up some expensive dolls that were selling for hundreds at almost nothing; ten and fifteen dollars. No, it is not food or toilet paper. But, by purchasing these, I was able to keep the money I would have spent on gifts later on, and use the money for food and toilet paper. I also, cleaned out the shelves of a store selling Christmas decorations. The owner was a frustrated woman who just wanted to get the heck done. I had Christmas cards and scotch tape. And I got crap like tinsel and ornaments for free.
__
Whether the debt is $27.3 trillion or $232 trillion, the world around us is not going to further our fantasy much longer and will force the US to pay with a solid currency or goods. That’s what’s meant by “reset” and it is just around the corner. Amerika being forced to live within its means is going to come as big surprise to most Mercans, just like the upcoming failures of pension plans and Social Security.
I’ve often wondered. If we gave every American a million dollars each what would happen? We would all be buying new houses new cars ,boats ,RVs, and everything else? Wouldn’t the construction ,automobile ,boat ,RV industries boom? Or is it more complicated ? Could someone with a masters in economics explain what would happen?
The story of the ten virgins. Says it all. Expecialy the last part. I do not know you. In other words. If you were to busy to prep. You will be completely rejected. Maybe prepping one mustard seed is all it takes. But you have to make an effort. Or the door will be shut.
Has anyone else noticed that the BDI has been dropping for the past month? It was down to 914 yesterday.
I’m thinking of buying an FN ps90 for my next purchase. Any ideas on whether or not this is a good choice for a battle weapon.
“Refugee” resettlement accelerates in Obama’s final months.
“Through the first 11 weeks of fiscal year 2017, the United States welcomed 23,428 individuals as “refugees,” according to the Refugee Processing Center.
At this rate, the U.S. will resettle roughly 110,580 this fiscal year, which would exceed President Obama’s target of 110,000.”
“What’s more, Obama’s “fundamental transformation” of America has continued as relatively large numbers of Somali and Syrian refugees have been planted in small-to-mid-sized cities such as Bowling Green, Kentucky; Owensboro, Kentucky; and Erie, Pennsylvania.”
ht
tp://www.wnd.com/2016/12/refugee-resettlement-accelerates-in-obamas-final-months/
Meanwhile, followers of the “religion of peace” encourage lone wolf attackers to strike in the U.S.
ISIS Puts Out Holiday Attack List Of U.S. Churches
“The Islamic State published the names and addresses of thousands of churches in the United States and called on its adherents to attack them during the holiday season, according to a message posted late-night Wednesday in the group’s “Secrets of Jihadis” social media group.
A user going by the name of “Abu Marya al-Iraqi” posted an Arabic-language message calling “for bloody celebrations in the Christian New Year” and announced the group’s plans to utilize its network of lone wolf attackers to “turn the Christian New Year into a bloody horror movie…”
ht tp://www.vocativ.com/386579/isis-lists-u-s-churches-to-attack-during-the-holidays/
Direct links…
http://www.wnd.com/2016/12/refugee-resettlement-accelerates-in-obamas-final-months/
http://www.vocativ.com/386579/isis-lists-u-s-churches-to-attack-during-the-holidays/
KY Mom:
That Bloody Churches order could backfire.
Jus sayin.
__
KY
Thanks for the Info. Got the same info from a BOLO.
ALL PREPPERS HEREE CARRY WHAT EVER YOU CAN. I’M P[UTTING AN AR PISTOL BACK INTO MY TRUCK AND GOING TO CARRY MY KIMBER EVERY WHERE EVEN TO CHURCH.
Watch you 6 everyone.
Sgt.