Are we headed into a Recession?

 

 

Poor Man Survival

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A Digest of Urban Survival Resources

 

Is The U.S. Going To Transition From Stagflation Directly Into A Full-Blown Economic Depression?

Should the fact that the U.S. economy actually contracted during the first quarter actually surprise any of us?  Since the start of 2022, there has been crisis after crisis, and now the war in Ukraine is depressing economic activity all over the planet.  What we are facing could most definitely be described as a “perfect storm”, and the truth is that this storm isn’t going to go away any time soon. 

 But where do we go from here?  Will the U.S. economy bounce back, or will this new economic downturn soon become even worse?  Most economic optimists are assuming that the former will be true, while many economic realists are issuing dire warnings about what is ahead.

I was actually thinking of writing about something else today, but I knew that my regular readers would want me to talk about this…

Gross domestic product unexpectedly declined at a 1.4% annualized pace in the first quarter, marking an abrupt reversal for an economy coming off its best performance since 1984, the Commerce Department reported Thursday.

The negative growth rate missed even the subdued Dow Jones estimate of a 1% gain for the quarter, but the initial estimate for Q1 was the worst since the pandemic-induced recession in 2020.

We already knew that inflation had started to spiral out of control in the United States, and now the “stag” part of “stagflation” has arrived.

So what caused this “sudden” downturn?  According to CNN, there are quite a few factors that can be blamed…

A push by the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates and combat high inflation. Supply chain shortages. An ongoing global health crisis. And of course, the geopolitical earthquake caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which is also threatening to create a world food crisis.

If the U.S. economy shrinks again in the second quarter, that will officially meet the definition of a “recession”.

But as John Williams of shadowstats.com has pointed out, if honest numbers were being used the U.S. economy would still be in a recession that started all the way back at the beginning of the COVID pandemic.

Everybody pretty much realizes that economic conditions are not great right now.

So are brighter days just around the corner?  That is what some pundits seem to think…

The US economy will return to growth during the second quarter, according to RSM chief economist Joe Brusuelas. “Without a doubt,” he said.

“This is noise; not signal,” Pantheon Macroeconomics chief economist Ian Shepherdson wrote in a report. “The economy is not falling into recession.”

Maybe they will be right.

But if the economy is so strong, then why are foreclosure filings absolutely soaring?…

Last month, 33,333 properties across the U.S. faced foreclosure, a 181 percent jump from March 2021 and 29 percent pop from February, according to a report by foreclosure tracker Attom. The first quarter saw 78,271 properties with a foreclosure filing, a 39 percent from the previous quarter and 132 percent from last year.

Needless to say, there are other experts that have a much more negative view on what is ahead.

For example, Nancy Lazar is warning of a “synchronized” global recession…

Piper Sandler chief global economist Nancy Lazar warned on Monday that the world is in the early stages of a “very significant” and “synchronized” recession.

In an appearance on “Mornings with Maria” Monday, Lazar noted that a recession is expected outside of the United States.

“It’s going to be a global recession pulling down [the] Euro zone in particular,” she told host Maria Bartiromo. “It looks like China GDP [Gross domestic product] in the second quarter could also be negative.”

Actually, if all we suffer is a significant global recession that will be really good news.

Because right at this moment inflation is dramatically spiking all over the globe, we are witnessing the largest land war in Europe since World War II, and the UN is telling us that we are heading into a horrific worldwide food crisis.

An increasing number of Americans are starting to realize that things are moving in the wrong direction.  In Gallup’s April survey, only 18 percent of Americans rated economic conditions as “good”, and only 2 percent rated them as “excellent”…

The GDP news comes on the heels of newly released polling data from Gallup that suggested that economy confidence is extremely low among the American public.

More than four in ten (42%) of Americans said that economic conditions in America were “poor,” while another 38% said that they were only “fair” in Gallup’s April survey. Just 2% said economic conditions were “excellent,” while 18% said they were “good.”

Those are terrible numbers, and they have very serious implications for the Democrats in the fall.

But instead of focusing on fixing the economy, Joe Biden wants Congress to give him another 33 billion dollars for the war in Ukraine…

President Joe Biden is asking Congress for another $33 billion to help Ukraine resist Russia’s invasion and provide humanitarian aid to the Ukrainian people.

The proposal, which the White House will send to lawmakers on Thursday, includes $20 billion in additional security and military assistance for Ukraine, another $8 billion for economic assistance and $3 billion in humanitarian aid.

This is complete and utter madness.

To put this in perspective, the military budget for Ukraine is normally about 6 billion dollars for an entire year.

And much of the equipment that the U.S. is sending to Ukraine is being blown up by the Russians before it can even get to the fighters on the front lines.

With each passing day it is becoming clearer to everyone that this conflict is really a proxy war between the United States and Russia.

And nuclear war is increasingly becoming one of the hottest topics on Russian television.  For example, the following is a recent exchange between two Russian television personalities that is making headlines all over the globe…

“Everything will end with a nuclear strike is more probable than the other outcome,” she continued. “This is to my horror, on one hand, but on the other hand, with the understanding that it is what it is.”

It was at that point Solovyov chimed in, “But we will go to heaven, while they will simply croak.”

“We’re all going to die someday,” Simonyan agreed.

“We’re all going to die someday”?

I certainly don’t like the sound of that.

Unfortunately, many Russians are now entirely convinced that nuclear war is coming.

But instead of pushing for peace, Joe Biden and his minions just keep escalating the conflict.

If we continue to go down this path, it will end in a nightmare.

Our current economic problems pale in comparison to the possibility of a nuclear conflict, but most Americans still don’t understand the implications of the decisions that our leaders are making.

Because if they did understand, there would be giant protests in the streets of every single major U.S. city right now.

***It is finally here! Michael’s new book entitled “7 Year Apocalypse” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.***

 

SIDEBAR

 

Are you ready for inflation?

 

Imagine a world where money keeps losing its purchasing power, and all your favorite items now cost way more than usual. This is what happens during hyperinflation.    The United States has been experiencing one of the worst inflations in several decades. In February 2022, theConsumer Price Index (CPI), the most widely used measure of inflation, rose 0.8%, up 7.9% over the last twelve months. This is the highest rate the country has seen in 40 years.   The high inflation rate is not limited to the United States; several countries worldwide are also experiencing it. Moreover, according to theInternational Monetary Fund (IMF), elevated inflation will persist.

https://valleyfoodstorage.com/blogs/inside-vfs/how-to-survive-hyper-inflation-what-to-buy-before-hyperinflation-hits?utm_source=Klaviyo&utm_medium=campaign-email&utm_campaign=5%2F2%20Blog%3A%20How%20to%20Survive%20Hyper%20Inflation&_kx=P73YZVEzsfGqOIQiC5FX0aoiYcdY6_bn0Rx7j5kLcYQ%3D.QaHb8U

 

USEFUL AND NOTED

 

Find Out What Big Data Says About You — and Fix It

 

https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/finance/what-big-data-says-about-you

 https://consumer.risk.lexisnexis.com/consumer

 

 Dark American Future

REVIEW: ‘Recessional: The Death of Free Speech and the Cost of a Free Lunch’ by David Mamet

https://freebeacon.com/culture/david-mamets-dark-american-future/

 

23 Lost Survival Skills Your Ancestors Had

It's one thing to prepare for a temporary disaster like an earthquake or hurricane. It's a whole other thing to prepare for a long-term disaster that cripples the power grid, communication systems, and transportation networks. Without those, we'd basically be living in the 1800s again.

Back then things were very different. People were more hands-on. To get through day-to-day life, they needed all sorts of skills that many people have never even heard of. These skills were so commonplace that they were often taken for granted. The average pioneer may have thought, "How could anyone not know how to make soap?"

The modern world has made life so easy that there's simply no need to learn pioneer skills. But if we face a big enough disaster, that will change fast. Below is a list of 17 lost survival skills that are worth learning if you really want to be prepared for the end of the world as we know it. If your ancestors were able to learn these skills, then so are you...

​23 Lost Survival Skills Your Ancestors Had

 

 

 

 

 

Hope is not a course of action…

The real lesson:  Be Prepared!

Grab your kit here…

https://www.bonanza.com/listings/5-Day-Survival-Pack-Prepare-for-Emergencies/1204709369

 

 

The world we used to know is rapidly unraveling….

 

It’s only a matter of time before we feel significant consequences.

Are you prepared for:

• Further supply chain disruptions, leaving stores with more empty shelves?
• Cyberattacks on the infrastructure we Americans need to live?
• Dirty water that is undrinkable?
• Blackouts across entire states?

 

·         Tried n True Bug-Out Bag Essentials…

Better –Safe- Than- Sorry Super Emergency Survival Kit

No one believed Noah until it was too late…

Natural disasters don't wait for a convenient time

And you shouldn't wait to prepare either. In some cases there is little to no warning.

Beat the odds for survival!

Prepare now to lessen the impact of disasters and emergencies

Better –Safe- Than- Sorry Super Survival Kit

Your Emergency Survival Kit Includes:

•  Solar phone charger
• 72-hour 4Patriot emergency food pack [25 year shelf life
• 4Patriot Greens sample pack [Power supplement]
• 3 Luna Nutrition bars [assorted]+Sunmaid raisin pouch
• Cleaning Wipe Pack
• Steel River Emergency Tent
• Mini  First Aid kit
• TRS 5N1 EDC folding tool
• 3-package meal sampler
• Paracord bracelet w/ compass
• Reusable Face Mask
• Personal Water Filter Straw
• 11-Piece Emergency Survival Kit 

We offer several sized kits at:

PERSONAL SURVIVAL PACK-Tried N True ‘Save-Your-Butt’ Essentials

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4 FREE Digital Reports:

• The Water Survival Guide [Download]
• The Survival Garden Guide [Download]
• Top 10 Items Sold Out After A Crisis - [Download]
• How to Cut Your Grocery Bills in Half [Download]

 

URBAN SURVIVAL HANDBOOK

https://cdn.4patriots.com/downloads/pdf/reports/4Patriots-Ultimate-Survival-Handbook.pdf

 

 

Free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom!

 

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You Can’t Buy Life Insurance After You’re Dead

Not Prepared? 

That's Bad News...

You Can’t Buy Life Insurance After You’re Dead-Prepare NOW for Emergencies…

 

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A Smoking Frog Feature, Shallow Planet Production