(The Daily Signal)—For Kamala Harris, failure is not an option. It’s a governing principle. President Joe Biden has delegated at least four key responsibilities to his vice president.
On each one, she has belly-flopped hard enough to empty an Olympic swimming pool.
Border Czarina
“I’ve asked her, the V.P., today … to lead our diplomatic effort and work with those nations to accept the returnees, and enhance migration enforcement at their borders,” Biden said about Harris at a March 24, 2021, White House ceremony.
“When she speaks, she speaks for me,” Biden added. “She knows what she’s doing, and I hope we can move this along.”
Defying Biden’s urgency, Harris did not visit the U.S.-Mexico border until June 25, three months after being crowned border czarina. After shirking her duties, Harris made her second, box-checking border journey this past Sept. 27.
In the intervening 39 months, southern boundary conditions deteriorated dramatically:
- Since February 2021, the first 42 months of Harris’ rule saw illegal-alien incursions on the U.S.-Mexico frontier soar from 2,450,167 under Donald Trump’s comparable period to 8,326,109—up 339.8%.
- Add 1,664,203 detected-but-uncaught “known gotaways” from fiscal year 2021 through fiscal year 2023 (versus 384,439 from fiscal year 2017 through fiscal year 2019 under Trump (up 432.9%), and the number of illegal aliens who invaded America under Harris rises to at least 9,990,312. This excludes “unknown gotaways,” who went unseen and uncaptured.
- During Trump’s tenure, 11 illegal aliens on the terrorist watchlist were nabbed at the border. On Harris’ watch: 382 such illegal aliens got caught—up an explosive 3,472%.
- Czarina Harris lost 323,000 illegal-alien children. Where are those unaccompanied minors? Who knows? Monsters, quite literally, are exploiting thousands of them as slaves in sweatshops. Even worse, boys and girls are raped routinely as sex slaves.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that from fiscal year 2021 through fiscal year 2023, fentanyl (usually smuggled across Harris’ obliterated “border”) fatally poisoned 222,166 people in America, including those who thought they had consumed legitimate drugs.
- Maria Gonzalez, Jocelyn Nungaray, and Rachel Morin are just three among many who police say illegal aliens have killed. Even former President Bill Clinton conceded that Laken Riley, a slain Georgia nursing student, was a victim of Harris’ no-border policy.
On Oct. 13, Clinton told Peach State voters about Riley, “a young woman who had been killed by an immigrant,” allegedly by José Ibarra, a Venezuelan illegal alien who broke into America in September 2022, on Harris’ watch. Ibarra reportedly is tied to the deadly Tren de Aragua gang. Clinton added, “If they’d all been properly vetted, that probably wouldn’t have happened.”
- The Federation for American Immigration Reform estimated in March 2023 that coddling illegal aliens costs local, state, and federal taxpayers $150.7 billion annually.
Broadband Czarina
During an April 28, 2021, joint session of Congress, Biden unveiled a rural-broadband initiative. “I’m asking the vice president to lead this effort,” he said, “because I know it will get done.”
No such luck.
“It appears that your performance as ‘broadband czar’ has mirrored your performance as ‘border czar,’” nine U.S. senators wrote Harris, including Republican Sens. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Ted Cruz of Texas, and Deb Fischer of Nebraska. Their Sept. 18 letter continued: “Under your leadership, not a single person has been connected to the internet using the $42.45 billion allocated for the [Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment] program.”
That’s right: Despite Biden’s Nov. 15, 2021, signature, not one American has been hooked up via the BEAD plan, even after 34 months and more than $42 billion in taxpayer money.
As the senators explained, “burdensome climate change mandates” have stymied progress. So have a nine-step review process and a requirement that participating employers give preference to “individuals with past criminal records.” Consequently, Politico reports, “No actual construction projects are expected to begin until at least 2025.”
Bridge-Building Czarina
Biden sent Harris to the February 2022 Munich Security Conference. Goal: Project sufficient U.S. and allied strength to deter Russia from attacking Ukraine. Vice presidential scholar Joel Goldstein told CNN: “I think this is certainly the most significant mission yet of her vice presidency.”
The bridge-building czarina said at the Hotel Bayerischer Hof on Feb. 19, 2022, that “sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states must be respected” and “national borders should not be changed by force.”
Five days later, Russia invaded Ukraine.
Bus Czarina
Harris and the Environmental Protection Agency have pushed the Clean School Bus program since September 2022. As Thomas Catenacci reported on July 19 at The Washington Free Beacon, this boondoggle deployed $965 million to ship 2,463 electric school buses to 389 school districts. Two years later, just 60 green buses serve only 27 districts. Fifty-five districts have fled the program.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee reported last month that diesel-fueled school buses typically cost $100,000. Electric school buses average $381,190. This nearly 400% higher cost, limited driving range, and poor cold-weather performance have flattened the tires on Harris’ fantasy vehicles.
Beyond dispute, Harris is the Czarina of Failure.
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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.
