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Saturday, December 22, 2018

Schumer’s Shutdown Shakedown


Poor Man Survival

Self Reliance tools for independent minded people…


 

ISSN 2161-5543

A Digest of Urban Survival Resources

 

Schumer’s  Shutdown Shakedown

 


Leftist Democrat Chuck Schumer & Nancy Pelosi in a recent theatrical newscast repeatedly insulted President Trump over his desire to secure US borders as part of the budget approval process denying they would ever approve any security measures for our southern border that included building a wall despite having said he would approve doing so during the Obama administration.

 

They indicated they are not interested in US border security yet blasted President Trump for pulling out of Syria and not continuing to secure its security at US expense.

 

Schumer has long represented the state of New York, a bastion of progressive, left-wing politicians.

 

 Schumer has a reputation for political fundraising but has never introduced a successful bill of his own in Congress despite being in office for more than 20 years.  He has, however, been associated with the Brady Gun Bill, despite being a gun owner.  Schumer has never held a job in his adult life or served in our military or been responsible for a payroll.

 


 

The administration’s weaponization of illegal aliens and refugees may be far more sinister than even the most ardent opponents have yet imagined.

On one of these calls, Obama conducted a meeting with his new ‘Task Force On New Americans,’ chaired by radical Cecilia Munoz, former vice president of the radical, Hispanic race-supremacy group La Raza (‘The Race’).


“Remember when he (Obama) went to Las Vegas? The media said he was signing an executive order for five million illegal aliens to become deferred. In reality, what he did was sign a memorandum that created the ‘Task Force On New Americans,’ which was going to implement his ‘amnesty mill’ for the five million illegals – which I believe is going to be more than that… On these conference calls, it became clear that he’s looking at 13 to 15 million to give protection and move them on to citizenship.” – Payne

These initial “new Americans” are to be used as “seedlings” in the construction of a “country within a country,” which would help complete a full ‘fundamental transformation’ of the United States.

Specific cities are being designated as “receiving communities” (sanctuary cities – we now have 300!) to which illegals are being bused and flown at the expense of American taxpayers. These communities are being used as incubators for an entirely new population that assist in bringing ‘people in the shadows’ into the light – to essentially conquer proper citizens and push them into the underclasses over time.

More at:


 

Final thoughts:  Political Earthquake Coming-Guess Who Will Run for President?

 
 
 
 
The imbalances are extreme and obscene... Also the GOP must get its act together in regard to women if it expects to succeed [more in leadership roles for instance]

This is why I think the GOP lost so much in the past mid-term elections.  The Dems/Socialists are tapping into a growing unrest in America between the haves and the have-nots.  There is a coming political earthquake for this nation.

Social unrest that will erupt more and more frequently here and around the world if the economic and political elites continue to behave as they have. Wealth and power have been stripped from the public and been concentrated into the hands of fewer and fewer people.

In a Pew Research Center study of Americans age 22-37, 57% called themselves “mostly” or “consistently” liberal. In a Gallup poll of Americans age 18-29, 51% had a positive view of socialism. And in a University of Chicago survey of Americans age 18-34, 44% said they would prefer to live in a socialist country.

Kids today, few of which ever had to fend for themselves or had that opportunity removed from them by the Nanny State, are drawn to socialism…they’re broke, they can’t afford today’s high cost homes and autos, they’re tired of living in basements, they want to make the world a nicer place – with your money!

Earlier this year…

In the Democratic primary election for New York’s 14th district earlier this year, democratic socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez trounced incumbent Representative Joseph Crowley, the fourth-ranking Democrat in the House. Clearly overconfident, Crowley barely even campaigned. Since then, Ocasio-Cortez has become a media darling, appearing alongside Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, a self-described socialist who narrowly lost the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016. While much of the energy among Democrats is on the far left, the party has made a point of selecting candidates with a real chance of winning in November.

A revolution is probably coming and the younger generation will likely lead it.  That revolution will see several things which I predict including:

·         A quadrupling of our income tax

·         A national sales tax

·         A single payer health system

·         A $15 minimum wage for everyone across the board nationally

·         A forgiveness of all student debt combined with some kind of free tuition for college

·         More rights will be eroded such as free speech, gun rights & even the ability to carry cash over certain amounts [it is already limited at airports & border checkpoints].

All of this will be in response to the vast growing inequality income gap in this country which has seen huge declines in our middle class during the past generation or two.  Many blame the GOP and old line Democrats for maintaining this status quo.

The middle class has been steadily shrinking, but most Americans still believe that they are a part of it.  Perhaps this is due at least in part to the egalitarian values which have been pounded into our heads for most of our lives.  Very few Americans would have the gall to define themselves as “upper class”, and I have never met anyone that would describe themselves as “lower class”.  In place of “lower class”, many politicians now like to use the much more politically correct term “working class”, but a more apt description might be “the working poor”.  Today, half of all American workers make less than $30,533 a year, and you certainly cannot support a middle class lifestyle for a family with children on that kind of income.

Our incomes have stagnated as the cost of living has soared, and the middle class has experienced steady erosion as a result.  But despite all that, 68 percent of all Americans still consider themselves Middle Class …

In reality, the middle class now makes up just over 50 percent of the total U.S. population, according to a recent report from Pew Research Center, which used 2016 data. That’s compared to 61 percent in 1971.

CitiBank research indicates Americans are once again at record credit card debt levels not seen since 2009 and more people are being denied loans and new credit card applications…they’re even at record levels of upside down rates in auto loans.

Here’s my big prediction for the next electionMichele Obama will run for president!  Her current book tour has been in reality,  a trial run.  It has been overwhelming successful.  The media and the public gushes over her every move.  With the backing and blessing of Oprah [which she’ll undoubtedly get] her odds of winning against any opponent are outstanding.

 


Obama, Clinton and Alinsky -  radical connections

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past decade, you've surely heard of Barack Obama's connections with radicals such as race-baiting, America-hating Reverend Jeremiah Wright and unrepentant terrorists William Ayers and Bernadine Dohrn, and probably Nation of Islam's Louis Farrakhan, another darling of the Democrats.

Another radical connection you may not have heard of is Saul Alinsky, called the "father of community organizing" in modern America. Many people have been asking, "What the heck is 'community organizing?'" We found this definition: community organizing is the political practice of organizing communities to act in their own common self-interest. This is typically accomplished through agitation. Saul Alinsky is credited with coining the phrase, "Think globally, act locally."

In the opening paragraph of his book, Rules for Radicals, published in 1971 (the year before his death), Alinsky says, "What follows is for those who want to change the world from what it is to what they believe it should be[Sound familiar?] The Prince was written by Machiavelli for the Haves on how to hold power. Rules for Radicals is written for the Have-Nots on how to take it away."

In a letter to the editor of The Boston Globe published on August 31, 2008, Alinsky's son David gushed about how well Obama had learned his father's teachings


Clinton wrote her honors thesis at Wellesley College on his work and Obama’s first years in Chicago were spent as a community organizer with a group that based their methods on his teachings

 

While writing her thesis on Alinsky, Clinton had the opportunity to interview him personally on several occasions. That connection led him to offer her a job at his newly formed Industrial Areas Foundation, which she turned down in order to study law at Yale.

While Clinton and Obama incorporated some of Alinsky’s teachings, they both had critiques for his approach as well. Dedman articulated some of Clinton’s and summarizes with this:

“I agreed with some of Alinsky’s ideas,” she explained in “Living History,” her 2003 biography, “particularly the value of empowering people to help themselves. But we had a fundamental disagreement. He believed you could change the system only from the outside. I didn’t.”

A Parting Thought or Two…

Entropy The idea of entropy comes from a principle of thermodynamics dealing with energy. It usually refers to the idea that everything in the universe eventually moves from order to disorder, and entropy is the measurement of that change.


 

Economist Stephen Moore told Fox Business that when the Fed raises interest rates “they should all be fired for economic malpractice”…We agree!

 

Yours for a brighter season,

Bruce ‘the Poor Man!’

 

Final Notes…

Contributors and subscribers enable the Poor Man Survivor to post 150+ free essays annually. It is for this reason they are Heroes and Heroines of New Media. Without your financial support, the free content would disappear for the simple reason that I cannot keep body and soul together on my meager book sales & ecommerce alone.


14 Frugal Food-Rescuing Tips from Grandma 
These timeless ideas still have value today.

4 Reasons to Stop Saving for Retirement 
Are there really times when you shouldn't be saving for retirement?


Recession Warning Signs to Look Out For and Tips to Protect Yourself 
Smart financial practices will serve you well no matter what the economy does.


How to Find Unclaimed Property in All States 
Does someone owe you some money?

How to Prepare for a Natural Disaster…
https://aerindustries.com/blog/2017/10/30/how-to-prepare-for-natural-disasters/

 

 

·         Special Offer for our Readers


 72-hour Emergency Meal kit that's being offered contains 16 total servings of such delicious meals as Blue Ribbon Creamy Chicken Rice, the always-loved Granny's Homestyle Potato Soup and the stick-to-your-ribs breakfast favorite Maple Grove Oatmeal.

This kit normally sells for $27, plus shipping and handling and is rated 4½ out of five stars by customers.

While supplies last, these kits are available for only $21.95 and that includes Priority Shipping [we were forced to increase prices due to another round of USPS price hikes]. Go here for this deal:


Support our efforts by shopping my storefront…


 

 

Additional Resources

Your Free Middle Class Survival Kit

SAVE & MAKE Money

Researched by our editors and include 100s of tips, tricks and insider methods of saving money, earning extra money [many from the comfort of your home], the best places to live,  How to find little-known freebies, discounts and other benefits-over 2,000 programs!


 

or…


 

How to Survive the War on the Middle Class

14 of the best reports I’ve assembled on protecting your freedom-Download link.


 

 



 


 

A Smoking Frog Feature, Shallow Planet Production

Monday, December 17, 2018

The Coming Social Earthquake+My surprise prediction - who will run for president in 2020


Poor Man Survival

Self Reliance tools for independent minded people…


 

ISSN 2161-5543

A Digest of Urban Survival Resources

 

We live in an age when unnecessary things are our only necessities.
Oscar Wilde

 


Most Americans will never be able to afford to retire…The Coming Social Earthquake in America

Plus, My surprise prediction as to who will run for president in 2020

 

  Every single state government is unable to deliver on their pension as each one over promised and is broke as I’ve written repeatedly here…IL is among the worst.

 
An economic recession appears increasingly probable within the next year or two, the disparty in prospects between the 35 million future pensioners and the rest of the workforce will become increasingly obvious.

 

Off-loading Of Retirement Risk By Corporations

Once pensions had become commonplace, they were much less effective as an incentive to lure top talent. They started to feel like burdensome cost centers to companies.
As America's corporations grew and their veteran employees started hitting retirement age, the amount of funding required to meet current and future pension funding obligations became huge. And it kept growing. Remember, the Baby Boomer generation, the largest ever by far in US history, was just entering the workforce by the 1960s.
Companies were eager to get this expanding liability off of their backs. And the more poorly-capitalized firms started defaulting on their pensions, stiffing those who had loyally worked for them.
So, it's little surprise that the 1970s and '80s saw the introduction of personal retirement savings plans. The Individual Retirement Arrangement (IRA) was formed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) in 1974. And the first 401k plan was created in 1980.

These savings vehicles are defined contribution plans. The future payout of the plan is variable (i.e., unknown today), and will be largely a function of how much of their income the worker directs into the fund over their career, as well as the market return on the fund's investments.

Touted as a revolutionary improvement for the worker, these plans promised to give the individual power over his/her own financial destiny. No longer would it be dictated by their employer.

Your company doesn't offer a pension? No worries: open an IRA and create your own personal pension fund.

Afraid your employer might mismanage your pension fund? A 401k removes that risk. You decide how your retirement money is invested.

Want to retire sooner? Just increase the percent of your annual income contributions.

All this sounded pretty good to workers. But it sounded GREAT to their employers.

Why? Because it transferred the burden of retirement funding away from the company and onto its employees. It allowed for the removal of a massive and fast-growing liability off of the corporate balance sheet, and materially improved the outlook for future earnings and cash flow.

As you would expect given this, corporate America moved swiftly over the next several decades to cap pension participation and transition to defined contribution plans.

America The Broke


Well, things haven't worked out too well.

Four decades later, what we're realizing is that this shift from dedicated-contribution pension plans to voluntary private savings was a grand experiment with no assurances. Corporations definitely benefited, as they could redeploy capital to expansion or bottom line profits. But employees? The data certainly seems to show that the experiment did not take human nature into account enough – specifically, the fact that just because people have the option to save money for later use doesn't mean that they actually will.

While the total number of people expecting a pension isn't tiny, it's certainly a minority of today's workers.

31 million private-sector, state and local government workers in the US participate in a pension plan. 3.3 million currently-employed civilian Federal workers will receive a pension; as will some percentage of the 2 million people serving in the active military and reserves.

Combined, that's about 25% of current US workers; roughly 13% of total US adults.

 A return to economic recession appears increasingly probable within the next year or two, the disparity in prospects between these 35 million future pensioners and the rest of the workforce will become increasingly obvious.

The danger here is of festering social discord. The majority, whom we already know will not be able to retire, will highly likely start regarding pensioners with envy and resentment.

"Hey, I worked as hard as Joe during my career. How come he gets to retire and I don't?" will be a common narrative running in the minds of those jealous of their neighbors.

This bitterness will only increase as taxes continue to rise to fund government pension payouts, already a huge drain on public budget

 

It's not a stretch at all to predict the divisive tension and prejudice that will result from the growing gap between the pension haves and have-nots.

 
Any projected decreases in Social Security (benefit payouts will only be 79 cents on the dollar by 2035 at our current trajectory) will only exacerbate the ire, as the small governmental income the have-nots receive becomes even more meager.

The growing potential here is for an emerging social schism, possibly accompanied with intimidation and violence, not dissimilar to that which has occurred along racial or religious lines during darker eras of our history.

As people become stressed, they react emotionally, and look for a culprit to blame. And as they become more desperate, as many elderly workers with no savings often do, they'll resort to more desperate measures.

Broken Promises


And it's not all sunshine and roses for the pensioners, either. Being promised a pension and actually receiving one are two very different things.

Underfunded pension liabilities are a massive ticking time bomb, certain to explode over the next few decades.

For example, many pensions offered through multi-employer plans are bad shape. The multiemployer branch of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, the federally-instated insurer behind private pensions, will be out of business by 2025 if no changes in law are made to help. If that happens, retirees in those plans will get only 10% of what they were promised.

Moreover, research conducted by the Pew Charitable Trusts shows a $1.4 trillion shortfall between state pension assets and guarantees to employees. There are only two ways a gap that big gets addressed: massive tax hikes or massive benefit cuts. The likeliest outcome will be a combination of both.

So, many of those today counting on a pension tomorrow may find themselves in a similar boat to their pension-less neighbors.


No Easy Systemic Solutions, So Act For Yourself


There's no "fix" to the retirement predicament of the American workforce. There's no policy change that can be made at this late date to reverse the decades of over-spending, over-indebtedness, and lack of saving.

All we can do at this time is influence how we take our licks. Do we simply leave the masses of unprepared workers to their sad fate? Or do we share the pain across the entire populace by funding new social support programs via more taxes?

Time will tell. But what we can bet on is tougher times ahead, especially for those with poor income prospects.

So the smart strategy for the prudent investor is to prioritize building a portfolio of income streams in order to have sufficient dependable income for a sustainable retirement. Or,  for simply remaining afloat financially.

Sadly, accustomed to the speculative approach marketed to us for so long by the financial industry, most investors are woefully under-educated in how to build a diversified portfolio of passive income streams (inflation-adjusting and tax-deferred whenever possible) over time.

And in the interim, make sure the wealth you have accumulated doesn't disappear. 

During the Great Depression when Democracy and capitalism seemed on the verge of failing the average family, America saw a huge growth of Communism and Socialism among its people…the same is happening again.

Source:  Peak Prosperity

Final thoughts:  Political Earthquake Coming-Guess Who Will Run for President?

 



The imbalances are extreme and obscene... Also the GOP must get its act together in regard to women if it expects to succeed [more in leadership roles for instance]

This is why I think the GOP lost so much in the past mid-term elections.  The Dems/Socialists are tapping into a growing unrest in America between the haves and the have-nots.  There is a coming political earthquake for this nation.

Social unrest that will erupt more and more frequently here and around the world if the economic and political elites continue to behave as they have. Wealth and power have been stripped from the public and been concentrated into the hands of fewer and fewer people.

In a Pew Research Center study of Americans age 22-37, 57% called themselves “mostly” or “consistently” liberal. In a Gallup poll of Americans age 18-29, 51% had a positive view of socialism. And in a University of Chicago survey of Americans age 18-34, 44% said they would prefer to live in a socialist country.

Kids today, few of which ever had to fend for themselves or had that opportunity removed from them by the Nanny State, are drawn to socialism…they’re broke, they can’t afford today’s high cost homes and autos, they’re tired of living in basements, they want to make the world a nicer place – with your money!

Earlier this year…

In the Democratic primary election for New York’s 14th district earlier this year, democratic socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez trounced incumbent Representative Joseph Crowley, the fourth-ranking Democrat in the House. Clearly overconfident, Crowley barely even campaigned. Since then, Ocasio-Cortez has become a media darling, appearing alongside Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, a self-described socialist who narrowly lost the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016. While much of the energy among Democrats is on the far left, the party has made a point of selecting candidates with a real chance of winning in November.

A revolution is probably coming and the younger generation will likely lead it.  That revolution will see several things which I predict including:

·         A quadrupling of our income tax

·         A national sales tax

·         A single payer health system

·         A $15 minimum wage for everyone across the board nationally

·         A forgiveness of all student debt combined with some kind of free tuition for college

·         More rights will be eroded such as free speech, gun rights & even the ability to carry cash over certain amounts [it is already limited at airports & border checkpoints].

All of this will be in response to the vast growing inequality income gap in this country which has seen huge declines in our middle class during the past generation or two.  Many blame the GOP and old line Democrats for maintaining this status quo.

The middle class has been steadily shrinking, but most Americans still believe that they are a part of it.  Perhaps this is due at least in part to the egalitarian values which have been pounded into our heads for most of our lives.  Very few Americans would have the gall to define themselves as “upper class”, and I have never met anyone that would describe themselves as “lower class”.  In place of “lower class”, many politicians now like to use the much more politically correct term “working class”, but a more apt description might be “the working poor”.  Today, half of all American workers make less than $30,533 a year, and you certainly cannot support a middle class lifestyle for a family with children on that kind of income.

Our incomes have stagnated as the cost of living has soared, and the middle class has experienced steady erosion as a result.  But despite all that, 68 percent of all Americans still consider themselves Middle Class …

In reality, the middle class now makes up just over 50 percent of the total U.S. population, according to a recent report from Pew Research Center, which used 2016 data. That’s compared to 61 percent in 1971.

CitiBank research indicates Americans are once again at record credit card debt levels not seen since 2009 and more people are being denied loans and new credit card applications…they’re even at record levels of upside down rates in auto loans.

 
Here’s my big prediction for the next electionMichele Obama will run for president!  Her current book tour has been in reality,  a trial run.  It has been overwhelming successful.  The media and the public gushes over her every move.  With the backing and blessing of Oprah [which she’ll undoubtedly get] her odds of winning against any opponent are outstanding.


Yours for a brighter season,
Bruce ‘the Poor Man!’


Final Notes…

Contributors and subscribers enable the Poor Man Survivor to post 150+ free essays annually. It is for this reason they are Heroes and Heroines of New Media. Without your financial support, the free content would disappear for the simple reason that I cannot keep body and soul together on my meager book sales & ecommerce alone.


14 Frugal Food-Rescuing Tips from Grandma 
These timeless ideas still have value today.

4 Reasons to Stop Saving for Retirement 
Are there really times when you shouldn't be saving for retirement?


Recession Warning Signs to Look Out For and Tips to Protect Yourself 
Smart financial practices will serve you well no matter what the economy does.


How to Prepare for a Natural Disaster…

 


 

 

 

·         Special Offer for our Readers

 
 72-hour Emergency Meal kit that's being offered contains 16 total servings of such delicious meals as Blue Ribbon Creamy Chicken Rice, the always-loved Granny's Homestyle Potato Soup and the stick-to-your-ribs breakfast favorite Maple Grove Oatmeal.

This kit normally sells for $27, plus shipping and handling and is rated 4½ out of five stars by customers.

While supplies last, these kits are available for only $21.95 and that includes Priority Shipping [we were forced to increase prices due to another round of USPS price hikes]. Go here for this deal:


Support our efforts by shopping my storefront…


 

 

Additional Resources
 

Your Free Middle Class Survival Kit

SAVE & MAKE Money

Researched by our editors and include 100s of tips, tricks and insider methods of saving money, earning extra money [many from the comfort of your home], the best places to live,  How to find little-known freebies, discounts and other benefits-over 2,000 programs!


 

or…


 


How to Survive the War on the Middle Class

14 of the best reports I’ve assembled on protecting your freedom-Download link.


 




 


 

A Smoking Frog Feature, Shallow Planet Production