In order for a civilized society to function, most people have to willingly follow the rules of that society. If that happens, law enforcement authorities can deal with the few that choose to be lawless. For generations, that is how things worked in America.
There was a high standard of morality among the general population, and so the police were able to successfully handle the few bad apples that insisted on breaking the law. But now everything has changed. As a result of decades of extreme moral decay, lawlessness is rampant and there are vast multitudes of young people that openly flaunt the rules of our society. In fact, there are already some areas of the country that are literally on the verge of being ungovernable.
A perfect example of what I am talking about happened in southern California on Saturday.
Dozens of lawless young thieves systematically looted the Nordstrom store at the Westfield Topanga mall, and they were able to get away with tens of thousands of dollars worth of merchandise…
Shoppers at the Westfield Topanga mall in Canoga Park were in for quite a shock when dozens of thieves ransacked the Nordstrom inside the mall on Saturday, Aug. 12, smashing displays and stealing an estimated $60,000- $100,000 worth of merchandise, authorities said.
The Los Angeles Police Department responded to the mall at around 4 p.m. after hearing reports that between 20 and 50 people ran through the Nordstrom grabbing merchandise, leaving some on the ground and taking armfuls with them.
When I was growing up, this sort of thing simply did not happen.
But now we are seeing mobs of looters go haywire all over the nation on a regular basis.
This heist was obviously well coordinated, and not one of the thieves even showed a shred of remorse.
Apparently these young people are not exactly languishing in poverty, because a BMW and a Lexus were among the getaway vehicles that they used…
After grabbing between $60,000 and $100,000 worth of goods, the crew fled in several cars including a BMW and a Lexus, cops said.
At least one guard was doused with bear spray — which causes violent eye and respiratory irritation in humans. The guard was treated by paramedics.
How are we supposed to respond to this?
As I stated earlier, we are seeing robberies of this nature so often now.
Several days earlier, dozens of young people looted the Yves Saint Laurent store in Glendale…
Earlier this week a high-end designer store in Glendale, California was looted by dozens of people in another flash mob burglary on Tuesday.
At least 30 suspects “flooded” the Yves Saint Laurent store in The Americana at Brand Tuesday afternoon and stole clothing and other merchandise before fleeing on foot and leaving the location in numerous vehicles, said police in a statement.
The total loss is estimated to be approximately $300,000.
Some people attempt to downplay the severity of these crimes by saying that these big corporate retailers can afford the losses they are experiencing.
No, they can’t.
Overall, U.S. retailers will lose more than 100 billion dollars due to theft this year alone.
This has become a major national crisis, and as J. Lee Grady has aptly pointed out, we truly have become “the land of the free-for-all”…
You’ve probably seen the videos of thieves filling trash bags with stolen merchandise from CVS or walking out of Home Depot or Wal-Mart with armloads of tools, laptops, detergent and athletic shoes they didn’t pay for. We used to call this shoplifting, and it was a crime. Today, it’s known as “inventory shrinkage”—and it costs retailers billions of dollars in losses. But many soft-on-crime politicians are treating criminals like victims and allowing the crime wave to grow.
Some retailers are locking items behind glass cases, but that hasn’t stopped brazen criminals who just smash and grab. Other retailers actually warn employees not to try to stop thieves—and they will even fire an employee for confronting a shoplifter. Welcome to the USA in 2023: We were once known as the land of the free; now we are the land of the free-for-all, where criminals can take whatever they want from store shelves knowing that no one will stop them.
A lot of of this theft is being fueled by the worst drug crisis in the entire history of our nation.
Today, vast stretches of the city of Los Angeles have been transformed into giant homeless encampments that are filled with “zombie-like residents smoking drugs”…
Shocking new photos lay bear the devastating homeless crisis tormenting downtown LA – where filthy ramshackle tent cities are plagued by zombie-like residents smoking drugs, while others hawk stolen goods on street corners.
There are currently an estimated 42,260 people sleeping rough in the City of Angels – a startling 10 percent rise compared to just last year, Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority reported.
Just this week, it emerged that the city had resorted to sending mobile teams with oxygen cylinders to Skid Row in a desperate bid to prevent overdoses amid its crippling opioid crisis.
The same thing is happening in San Francisco.
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In fact, conditions have become so dangerous in downtown San Francisco that federal employees that work at “the Nancy Pelosi Federal Building” are being told to work from home for the foreseeable future…
Officials at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services advised hundreds of employees in San Francisco to work remotely for the foreseeable future due to public safety concerns outside the Nancy Pelosi Federal Building on Seventh Street.
The imposing, 18-story tower on the corner of Seventh and Mission streets houses various federal agencies, including HHS, the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Department of Transportation and the office of Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi. The area is also home to one of the city’s most brazen open-air drug markets, where dozens of dealers and users congregate on a daily basis.
I find it perfectly fitting that “one of the city’s most brazen open-air drug markets” is operating right outside of a giant office tower named for Nancy Pelosi.
Politicians such as Pelosi have been making horrendously bad decisions for decades, and that has been a major factor in getting us to this point.
We are truly reaping what we have sown, and what we are currently experiencing is just the beginning.
Eventually, conditions will deteriorate so dramatically in our core urban areas that our leaders will be forced to implement extreme measures in a desperate attempt to restore order.
But ultimately you can’t govern vast numbers of people that have no intention of being governed.
The fabric of our society really is coming apart at the seams, and we are going to see things happen in the years ahead that will completely shock all of us.
Michael’s new book entitled “End Times” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can check out his new Substack newsletter right here.
Article cross-posted from The Economic Collapse Blog.
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.
Why are these mobile units with oxygen even bothering to waste their time trying to revive the drug induced homeless? It’s not like they’re are going to turn into productive citizens overnight. They will NEVER become productive again, so why bother?
Because our civilization considers human life sacred. So if we’ve got the resources to pull these drug-addled souls back from the brink of death we do so. A small percentage of them will get treatment, recover from active drug abuse, and go on to lead sane, productive lives.
because they are human beings who have made a bad decision and are in need. Doesn’t make what they are doing right, but when you start seeing people as “worthless” you become no better than Stalin, Mao, Hitler, Pol Pot an a host of other Communists and despots. These are people.
Because our civilization considers human life sacred. So if we’ve got the resources to pull these drug-addled souls back from the brink of death we do so. A small percentage of them will get treatment, recover from active drug abuse, and go on to lead sane, productive lives.
How to slow or stop this?
Please, you know the answer to that as well as you know your name.
You’re asking alot from idiots that can’t answer the question: What is a Woman. Good luck praying.
seems like this all started when antifa was not stopped from their terrorist activities. After that happened, the people think they can do anything they want with no legal issues. The cities with irresponsible leaders are to blame, and Now we have illegal, criminal and irresponsible government in washington promoting the illegal activity.
It’s Democrats – I stopped caring about them – they want to live like this then let them live like this. Just don’t move where we live and take your voting habits with you.
Secession is the answer – we cannot live with Democrats – they are cancer and we need to form our own nation without Democrats before they infect more of the country.
“How are we supposed to respond to this?”
With vigilante justice. If the police won’t do it, it is up to the citizens.
.45 ACP governs very well.
You said it Nunyo! Vigilante justice.
LEOs need to understand this and look the other way.
This lawless is all by design. The goal is for things to get so bad that the states will ask the Fed to take over policing. That will give the Fed policing power over the entire country. It’s called a police state.
WHERE ARE THE REPUBLICANS? This on you also now!
There are only a few Republicans left in office. The vast majority are now Rinos, Democrat light.
Yes. Vote Republican. Bring Trump back. And remember this, it is liberal policies that are giving us the two tiered justice system. Hunter and Joe should be arrested for selling influence and other treasonous offenses. He is an awful role model. I hope that Democrats will start actually paying attention to the destruction caused by government.
” I hope that Democrats will start actually paying attention to the destruction caused by government.”
1) Minor problem.
2) Some NGO hand wringer wails on the Internet.
3) A Dim Pol takes up the cause. Issues a bill with billions in funding.
4) Problem is now bigger than before.
5) A dept is created and more funding is poured into the effort.
6) Go back to (1), rinse and repeat.
The Dims ARE paying attention — the destruction they see is done by govt and they approve. Its how we got ObamaCare, War on Drugs, Ukraine war, Patriot Act, Section 230, Border Crisis, etc., etc. Its how we got to the point we are now.
When I was growing there were armed security guards.
Issue looter licenses, no limit.
The solution is to have bluetooth controlled locks on all the doors of these stores. The staff retreats to a safe room and then the police come and save the day. Oh, never mind. The police are useless.
the solution is segregation.
Interestingly enough I don’t remember Michael mentioning what race those looters were. I remember from another article about this a day or two ago which stated that most if not all were Black. So are we going to have open season on taking out looters vigilante style. If blacks want a race war lets give them one so stark their racial memory won’t forget it for centuries.
We should make it known that all looters will be shot on the spot, and don’t tell me those large big box stores can’t afford to hire security with the right to shoot to kill. The only thing those looters fear are bullets, so lets show them how they work. !!!
Your thinking is sound. But if you don’t effectively deal with the *jews* and white traitors who have organized the chimps as a hate mob/militia/attack dogs for decades, you accomplish nothing, and the cycle will repeat. Your approach is purely surface and ultimately ineffective. Killing rabid attack dogs and not their handlers/creators is myopic.
These repeated mass rip-offs are driving prices higher for everyone that isn’t actively stealing from someone else. How long are we going to stand by and simply watch these buggars drive the cost of living higher and higher? At what point is it appropriate for “us” to say enough is enough and start shooting theses bastards on site? If we aren’t there yet, it’s DAMN close. Just sayin’
“A lot of of this theft is being fueled by the worst drug crisis in the entire history of our nation.”
Wrong. Have you seen someone smashed on Tranq or doped on heroin? They can’t move. They truly are zombies. Fact worse than zombies, they don’t even want to walk to eat brains. These are the deep enders whose next visit is probably the morgue.
The theft we are seeing now is ‘contract for hire’ and ‘fun n’ games’theft. Most of it is planned flash mob style. The goods are sold on the black market for whatever its worth. How else do you think they afforded the Lexus and Beemer. Though good chance they stole those too….
what’s fueling it is reggins thinking they can get away with it. so far they are right.
amazing how it’s always the reggin who seems entitled to steal whatever they want. so much for that equality bs.
FYI to the author: It is not “flaunt” but “flout” that you should have used.
Gee. What could have changed from the old days of civil society?
We rid ourselves of a perfectly good culture that served us incredibly well for thousands of years. We even became ashamed of it. In return, we adopted “Strength Through Diversity” as our national motto. We elevated and imposed cultures upon on children that had proved throughout the ages to be barbarous, violent and stifling to the human spirit. We coerced our population to blindly believe that all cultures are equal (except Western Civilization of course).
Now, we call logic, families, punctuality, education, and laws racist and we can’t figure out what went wrong. Here’s the heart of the problem. We committed suicide and there’s no coming back.
It’s called pillaging! In times gone by, pillaging was an act of war. The aggressors invade, steal all they can then claim the space as theirs! In times gone by, people were allowed to defend their property. These places are descending into anarchy plain and simple. It’s too far gone to regain control peacefully. Kind of makes a person wonder just who is on the side of law and order.
I know this sounds harsh, but it is truly time to END ALL OF THIS UNLAWFULNESS.
There is the old way and it still works: ANNOUNCE CONSEQUENCES and then OPEN FIRE!
Any and all ‘participants’ of rioting and/or looting? OPEN FIRE!
Any unlawfulness…A N Y..in a riot: OPEN FIRE!
Our southern border? Go down with maxed-out magazines…have a warning sign in many languages to RETURN TO WHEREEVER YOU CAME FROM…the USA is closed to any ‘immigration’. VIOLATE AT YOUR OWN RISK.
Then when violated…OPEN FIRE !!!!
There is little sense in saving these ‘people’. It is far more a hopeful situation than ABORTING FETUSES…they are pure and full of hope, but this ‘government’ want their blood too. GOD is watching.