“See Something, Say Something.” That’s the motto of the Department of Homeland Security. If you see suspicious activity or believe there is a danger to the general public you’re supposed to call police.

When Ronald Ritchie saw what he believed to be a man wielding a gun at an Ohio Walmart that’s exactly what he did. There’s no way Ritchie could have known the gun John Crawford was playing around with was a BB-gun.

Raw footage of the incident shows Crawford walking around the store with the BB-gun shortly before being shot by police. At the time, Ritchie, who had no idea the man was playing with a BB-gun, called law enforcement, like any concerned citizen would have:

The witness who phoned police, ex-marine Ronald Ritchie, reportedly told 9-1-1 he saw Crawford “walking around with a gun in the store,” and that he was “loading it right now,” and pointing it at customers and children.

He “was just waving it at children and people. Items…. I couldn’t hear anything that he was saying. I’m thinking that he is either going to rob the place or he’s there to shoot somebody else,” Ritchie said.

Now Ritchie, not the police officer who shot and killed Crawford, is facing charges of making a false alarm, which could land him in prison for six months:

Fairborn Municipal Court Judge Beth Root ruled that probable cause exists to prosecute the 911 caller in the John Crawford III police-involved fatal shooting after reviewing affidavits submitted by Greene County residents.

Root found probable cause that Ronald T. Ritchie, the lone person to call 911 from Beavercreek’s Walmart before shots were fired Aug. 5, 2014, could be prosecuted for making false alarms, a first-degree misdemeanor punishable by maximums of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

There is uncertainty as to what legal steps may happen next, but Root wrote that the case should be referred to a prosecutor.

But even the attorney for the family of John Crawford can’t make any sense of it, arguing that Ritchie simply called the police and had nothing to do with the shooting:

Attorney Michael Wright, who represents the Crawford family in their civil suit against Beavercreek police and Walmart, said Wednesday evening that, “based on the video we do know that he was making assertions that were not correct. However, it wasn’t his fault that John Crawford is dead.”

Apparently, this is what happens when you say something in the hopes of keeping the public safe.

Raw Footage:

Also Read:

Cop Charged with Second-Degree Murder After Killing Sobbing, Unarmed Man Begging for His Life

Must-See Police State Video: “You Are At My Door With Guns And I Fear For My Life… I Have Committed No Crime”

Shock Video: Police Execute Man With His Hands Up

Cops Who Flash Banged Infant’s Crib Are Blaming the Baby

Cops Shoot and Kill Naked Woman in Her Bed After They Order Her to Show Them Where She Keeps Her Gun

SHTFplan and Mac Slavo www.shtfplan.com

With corporate earnings for the first quarter of 2016 set to be the worst since the Great Recession, Societe Generale economist Albert Edwards is warning that the United States is about to be hit with a tidal wave.

A tidal wave is coming to the US economy, according to Albert Edwards, and when it crashes it’s going to throw the economy into recession.

…the profit recession facing American corporations is going to lead to a collapse in corporate credit.

“Despite risk assets enjoying a few weeks in the sun our fail-safe recession indicator has stopped flashing amber and turned to red”

…

He continued:

Whole economy profits never normally fall this deeply without a recession unfolding. And with the US corporate sector up to its eyes in debt, the one asset class to be avoided — even more so than the ridiculously overvalued equity market — is US corporate debt. The economy will surely be swept away by a tidal wave of corporate default.

Giving us further confirmation that something is amiss we need look no further than the brain trust known as our Federal Reserve. Earlier this week current Fed Chair Janet Yellen joined her predecessors Ben Bernanke, Alan Greenspan and Paul Volcker, all of whom argued that the U.S. economy is not only not in a bubble, but is on solid footing and a good trajectory.

Via Zero Hedge:

So, I think we’re making progress there as well, and this is an economy on a solid course, um, not a bubble economy. Um, we tried carefully to look at evidence of potential financial instability that might be brewing and some of the hallmarks of that, clearly overvalued asset prices, high leverage, rising leverage, and rapid credit growth. We certainly don’t see those imbalances. And so although interest rates are low, and that is something that could encourage reach for yield behavior, I wouldn’t describe this as a bubble economy.”

Keeping these latest comments within the context of mid-2007 when Chairman Ben Bernanke vehemently argued that the U.S. economy was not headed into recession and that the crisis was contained and would not spread to other sectors, we’d say that there is no better indicator for what comes next.

At this juncture . . . the impact on the broader economy and financial markets of the problems in the subprime markets seems likely to be contained.

Ben Bernanke, Federal Reserve Chairman
March 28, 2007

Once again our best and brightest – the very people who caused the problems to begin with – are telling us that everything is fine and there is no bubble.

The takeaway?

You’d better be prepared and have an evacuation route because a Tsunami is inbound.

Also Read:

How to Prepare For Any Disaster

Intelligence Insider: How To Protect Your Assets From Critical Infrastructure Failure: “Power Grid, Banking System, Cyber Financial Warfare”

Government Is “Simulating the Collapse of Our Financial System, the Collapse of Our Society and the Potential for Widespread Violence”

Worst Case Scenario = 73% Down From Here

SHTFplan and Mac Slavo www.shtfplan.com

It may be completely legal for Turkish President Recep Erdogan’s minions to silence the voices of journalists, bloggers and other outspoken critics when in Turkey.

But when you’re in America, Jack, your autocratic tendencies and dictatorial inclinations are fair game for protesters, the media and our citizenry.

That’s the message the Turkish President’s body guards got from a Secret Service agent on President Obama’s security detail in Washington after Erdogan’s goons started ripping anti-Erdogan flyers out of peoples’ hands, physically assaulting them and throwing them the middle finger.

A video of the incident captures the Secret Service agent making it clear to Erdogan’s body guards that while free speech may be prohibited in the progressive European Union state of Turkey, America is a bit different.

Stay on this side [of the road.] Do you understand? You tell him to calm down, this is America.

Act like an adult, stay on this side of the road. End of story. By going over there and flipping the bird you’re causing more problems for me, and for your protection.

SHTFplan and Mac Slavo www.shtfplan.com

Within hours of the Brussels attacks earlier this month we learned that rogue terrorists presumably operating under the banner of the Islamic State had set their sights on a high-value target so significant that it could have left hundreds of thousands of people dead.

According to investigators, the terrorists who carried out the attacks had been actively planning to take over and/or target a nuclear power plant. They went so far as to plant hidden cameras at the power plant director’s home so they could monitor his movements and even killed a security guard in the process.

The plan, which failed to come to fruition, called not just for suicide bombing several dozen civilians, but for turning Western Europe into radioactive wasteland for the next several thousand years.

The threat is most certainly real and senior officials from Europe to the United States are now warning of the potential for a large-scale nuclear attack:

Security officials warn that the ingredients for a nuclear device or a “dirty bomb” are alarmingly insecure.

“We know that terrorist organizations have the desire to get access to these raw materials and to have a nuclear device,” said Ben Rhodes, Obama’s deputy national security adviser.

…

The havoc such an attack could wreak in an urban area such as New York or London is concerning enough that leaders scheduled a special session on the threat during the two-day summit. U.S. officials said the leaders would discuss a hypothetical scenario about a chain of events that could lead to nuclear terrorism.

Source: Denver Post

Officials have known for months that chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) weapons of mass destruction have been smuggled undetected into Europe. In December of last year Swiss police identified and arrested two terrorists suspected of transporting toxic chemical gases and explosives, which were believed to be part of a plot for a future attack.

At this point, with lax border security in Europe and the United States, the potential for coordinated and devastating attacks has grown exponentially. Moreover, as we learned with Brussels where the threat to their nuclear facilities was identified well in advance but nothing was done to improve security, the reality is that the bureaucracy inherent within our governments makes it all the more likely that terrorists will eventually carry out a successful attack using CBRN weapons.

According to officials, here are some scenarios that show how a strike might happen:

The most devastating but improbable scenario involves a group stealing a fully functional bomb from a nuclear-armed country. Most nuclear experts point to Pakistan as the likeliest source, though that would require cooperation with someone on the inside of Pakistan’s military.

Easier to pull off would be for IS or another group to obtain fissile material like highly enriched uranium, then turn it into a crude nuclear device delivered by truck or ship.

A third possibility is that extremists could bomb an existing nuclear facility, such as the Belgian waste plant, spreading highly radioactive material over a wide area.

The most likely scenario that security experts fear is that a group could get ahold of radioactive material, such as cesium or cobalt, for a dirty bomb that could be carried in a suitcase. Those materials are widely used in industrial, academic and hospital settings, with no consistent security standards across the globe. Last year, an Associated Press investigation revealed multiple attempts by black market smugglers to sell radioactive material to Middle East extremists.

And before you think we’re safe here in the United States and this is Europe’s problem, keep in mind that in the summer of 2014 there were multiple incidents of nuclear material being stolen from labs in Mexico. What’s of interest is that the materials stolen are exactly what officials described above –  Cobalt and Cesium-137 – both of which could be used to manufacture a radiological dirty bomb.

How To Prepare For A Chemical, Biological, Radiological or Nuclear Disaster

While the effects of a nuclear detonation or other CBRN related disasters are such that anything in the immediate blast radius will be killed, it is the fall-out after such an event that would have the most significant impact on the population.

In her book The Prepper’s Blurprint Tess Pennington provides a list of  extensive strategies for how to survive a nuclear disaster. The type of disaster, your proximity, and your level of preparedness will determine your specific response.

In short, Tess says Plan “A” is just as you may have guessed – get out of the area:

If you are told to evacuate keep the following points in mind… If you are driving, keep the car windows and vents closed, and use recirculating air.

Due to the fear of panic and gridlock that will ensure from mass evacuations, most governments will delay mandatory evacuations until the last minute. This will only cause mass confusion and chaos at gas stations, grocery stores and on the streets. The best way to prevent this is to stay ahead of the crowd and prepare ahead of time. 

If you are evacuating during a CBRN event you better plan on delays. And delays could mean life threatening exposure.

Here are two life saving recommendations to consider, as you and your loved ones will be out in the open:

• Advanced Breathing Device / Tactical Gas Mask With A Filter Capable Of Blocking CBRN particles
  It only takes a few minutes to die of exposure when concentrations of chemical, radiological or nuclear fall-out are high. If you’re out in the open, and that includes evacuating in your car, the air will be contaminated. An advanced respiratory system like the Mestel SGE 400/3 BB tactical gas mask and an A2B2E2K2P3  rated filter (blocks 99.5% of deadly particles) will quite literally keep you alive for the minutes or hours you need to get to a safe zone.
• Potassium Iodide
  Within a few days of the Fukushima nuclear disaster Homeland Security secretary Janet Napolitano advised west coast citizens to stockpile Potassium Iodide tablets. This natural supplement reduces the amount of radiation absorbed by your thyroid gland during certain types of nuclear exposure. It will not block raditation from entering your body, but may reduce it enough to keep you alive while you evacuate and prevent future medical issues. (Here are 7 natural supplements to have on hand during a nuclear emergency)

If you are caught in a situation where you can’t get out, you’ll have to shelter in place. Much of how your Plan “B” will work depends on your location, proximity to threat and existing preparedness stockpiles. For the majority of people out there, you may be at home or at work. Some recommendations from The Prepper’s Blueprint:

If told to stay indoors, turn off the air conditioner and other air intakes and go to a basement. Seal basement windows and entrances to prevent fallout from getting inside. If you go outside you will need to remove your outer clothing before coming inside the shelter.

Likewise, creating a sealed area near the entrance of the shelter will prevent fallout dust from entering. Seal the entryway, bubble wrap or plastic sheeting to prevent the dust from coming in.

Preparing for a CBRN disaster includes a variety of strategies. The Urban Guide For Surviving a Nuclear Attack is a good starting point that covers various devices, taking shelter and dealing with fallout.

Some additional resources:

• How to Survive When a Nuke Is Dropped
• What Happens to Nuclear Power Plants Following an EMP?
• Nukes and Fallout: How to Survive When Others Won’t
• Nuke Planning Official: “It’s More Survivable Than Most People Think”
• The Effects of Nuclear Weapons, Primary U.S. Targets, and Nuke Detonation Mapping

The threat of a Nuclear, Chemical, Biologicial or Radiological event is more real today than ever before. While it is widely believed by citizens of the United States and Europe that such an event will be stopped by law enforcement, military and intelligence services, the fact of the matter is that there are thousands of individuals operating in terror cells around the world whose sole purpose is to kill as many people as possible.

They are actively looking for ways to compromise the system.

They did it in New York in 2001. They did it in London, Madrid, Paris, San Bernardino and Brussels.

And they will absolutely do it again. Anyone who thinks otherwise is naive.

Prepare for it, because once it hits it will be too late.

SHTFplan and Mac Slavo www.shtfplan.com

It is becoming apparent that for some individuals in this country we should return to the era of segregation. At least that’s what we gather from the following video filmed at a San Francisco university.

As you’ll see in the clip below, a white student with a dreadlock hairstyle is confronted by a black female classmate who verbally attacks him for “appropriating her culture.”

The white man fires back, noting that the hair style is traditionally Egyptian, asking the black female if she happens to be from Egypt.

As the white student tries to leave he is physically assaulted and battered when the woman blocks his exit and then proceeds to pull him by the arm down the stairs. Ironically, the woman then claims that it was the white man who put his “hands on her.”

Indeed he did, but only as a last resort to escape the confrontation and remove himself from the situation.

Is it racism when someone attacks another person based only on the color of his skin?

We’d like to think so, but the “jury” is still out as the San Francisco university in question is “still investigating” the matter.

What is this woman’s ultimate goal? And why did the black man standing next to her not step in, but rather, supported her racial attacks against the white man who was doing nothing more than walking by and minding his own business?

If the situation were reversed and it was a white person who attacked this woman for appropriating white culture by the clothing she wears, the car she drives or the food she eats, we would have massive protests at the campus and administrators would likely already have expelled the racist attacker.

But this is America, and it appears that only white people can be racists.

Perhaps, as one black Harvard student recently argued, white people should just kill themselves to atone for white privilege.

Related:

TIME Justifies Ferguson Violence as Response to White Privilege: “Riots Are a Necessary Part of Evolution of Society”

Uncensored Video: Memphis Mob: Scores of Black Teens Attack Shoppers: “They Got a White Dude… Haha”

Court Outrage: Judge Lets Black Armed Robber Go Free… But Hammers White Victims for Racism

Activist: White People Should Kill Themselves To Atone For White Privilege

Watch: Hate Crime or Random Violence: Black Men Beat White Man Who Refused to Talk About Michael Brown

SHTFplan and Mac Slavo www.shtfplan.com

Trend forecaster and demographic researcher Harry Dent says we are in a massive bubble. And as he explains in his latest interview with Future Money Trends, central banks around the world continue to fuel this bubble with unlimited fiat money printing.

The end result according to Dent?

The biggest bubble burst in history… and it’s coming soon.

There will be… and I will stake my entire reputation on this… we are going to see the biggest global bubble burst in history in the next four years…

There’s only one way out of this bubble and that is for it to burst… all this stuff is going to reset back to where it should be without all this endless debt, endless printed money, stimulus and zero interest rate policy.

(Watch at Youtube)

Their only solution to this debt and financial asset bubbles is to create more debt and more financial asset bubbles… how can that possibly be the solution?

…

The Dow, I’m projecting, will hit 5,500 to 6,000 by late 2017… just in the next year and a half or so. 

That’ll be most of the damage… then it will rally and there’ll be some aftershocks into 2020… my four cycles point down into early 2020 and then they start one after the other to turn up… I think the worst will be over by 2020, but the worst of that will be by the end of 2017.

For more interviews, news and investment strategies visit Future Money Trends.

Harry Dent’s latest book: The Demographic Cliff: How to Survive and Prosper During the Great Deflation Ahead

SHTFplan and Mac Slavo www.shtfplan.com

Many of the things that are happening this very moment have direct parallels in literature of the past.  Whether it is an account such as the “Gulag Archipelago” by Solzhenitsyn or a work of “fiction” such as “1984” by George Orwell is irrelevant.  Elements of the history or the storyline (regarding the former and the latter works) are now becoming thoroughly inculcated into the fabric of modern reality.

All of the measures taken by the Soviet Union to crush and control its population are beginning to manifest themselves today in the United States.  The courts are “stacked” to reflect the decision of the regime and not to rule by law.  The Military Industrial Complex contracts are still being shuffled, along with government policies that just happen to substantiate those business interests with kickbacks for all.  Laws serve political and corporate interests, and the lawmakers themselves do not represent any of their constituents: they are self-serving thieves, selling out their country and its populace for money and power.

The police departments have (for all intents and purposes) been “federalized,” with budgets and marching orders becoming increasingly dependent upon federal and not local or state policies.  Sheriffs who follow their appointed roles as duly-elected law enforcement officials upholding Constitutional guidelines are being “phased out” of existence.  The changed demographics of “forced” insertions of illegal aliens and “refugees” into populations are rapidly negating the remainder of the two-party system to ensure that the Democratic party takes control ad infinitum.

Orwell envisioned it.  His work is labeled a work of fiction, although all of the measures Oceania pursued are either currently in place in the United States or they’re being developed.  There is mass surveillance, increasing by the day.  The “internet of things,” as coined by former General David Petraeus, is almost primed to allow “telescreens” to watch our every movement, and a camera on every corner to back them up.  Orwell hated totalitarianism, having been exposed to it in his short but accomplished lifetime, and he knew man’s propensity was to move toward the enslavement of his fellow man.

The development of new weapons by DARPA and the MIC are not toward a foreign enemy so much as the purpose of using them against the citizenry.  Drones, robots, nanotechnology, and every other “gizmo” able to be employed are all being drawn from behind the black curtain to unleash upon the citizens.  Also, the world’s situation is directly paralleling “1984” as three great spheres of influence…Europe, Asia, and North America…are being created by the powers that be.  Global governance in “thirds” is probably the NWO end state, as outlined by Orwell for a very significant reason: control with as much ethnic and cultural homogeneity as possible.

It stands to reason that an Oriental (“Eastasia,” in “1984”) empire/totalitarian state would control the Oriental nations, rather than split it up between populations that are not as closely related linguistically and culturally.  We are seeing those shifts of influence into the divisions outlined by Orwell now, as the nations jockey for position and power.  Just as in “1984,” where it stated that even two of the super-states in alignment and concerted efforts could not together topple the third, perhaps the same is with our world.

The shift is toward totalitarianism, and the populations have been (and are being) conditioned to accept, if not embrace, collectivist thought and socialism.  A good example was a film called “the Mutant Chronicles,” in which there were four great super-states that were organized not as nations but as corporations, that made war with one another over resources.  We see the blending of government and corporation today in virtually every facet of life, with the illusion of elections and the illusion of choice upheld to keep the population around the dullard state of consciousness.

What will save us from this?  Will we be able to save ourselves from it?  The more and more one watches freedoms disappearing by the day, the more one must wonder if there is a way to stem the tide.  Orwell and Solzhenitsyn…visionary and historian…gave us blueprints to follow…checklists with which to use as frameworks of reference for what is befalling us daily.  Someday it may be that the brief period of freedom enjoyed by the American people may be categorized as a “work of fiction” in a future that may not even allow anyone to read it.

Jeremiah Johnson is the Nom de plume of a retired Green Beret of the United States Army Special Forces (Airborne).  Mr. Johnson is also a Gunsmith, a Certified Master Herbalist, a Montana Master Food Preserver, and a graduate of the U.S. Army’s SERE school (Survival Evasion Resistance Escape).  He lives in a cabin in the mountains of Western Montana with his wife and three cats. You can follow Jeremiah’s regular writings at SHTFplan.com.

This article may be republished or excerpted with proper attribution to the author and a link to www.SHTFplan.com.

Also Read:

Obama Pushes For Widespread Surveillance State: “At This Rate We’ll All Be In Cages… Either Electronic Or Literal”

How To Survive Occupied America: “Red Dawn Just Started… And You’re In It”

Collision Course: As Obama Weakens America, The Russians And Chinese Prepare

Forced Economic Free Fall the Precursor to Collapse: “The World Is About To Enter A Global Depression Unlike Anything Seen Before”

The Trigger: If This Ever Happens You Know You’re Days Away From Nuclear War

Jeremiah Johnson’s Green Beret Survival Guides

SHTFplan and Mac Slavo www.shtfplan.com

The following guide was originally compiled by Tess Pennington at ReadyNutrition.com. Tess is the author of the widely popular and highly rated The Prepper’s Blueprint: The Step-By-Step Guide To Help You Prepare For Any Disaster

Collectively speaking, there are many of us who have been preparing for emergencies and have read our fair share of prepper fiction and watched enough apocalyptic thrillers to know that the higher the population density, the more dangerous it can be in a disaster. As well, when resources like food and fuel have to be transported from outside the city limits, then your survivability rate lessens. So what about those who have to live in the city? Should they just stop prepping all together? Would they stand a fighting chance at surviving?

According to the last census, 80.7 percent of the U.S. population lives in urban areas. In fact, many choose to live the higher populated areas because of better paying jobs and better school systems, so the probability of a SHTF event happening while you are in the city is likely. As well, because many commuters spend a large majority of their time away from their homes, I recommend having these 20 items on hand to get you back home.

In an interview by Rory from The Daily Coin, he asked if it is possible to live out a SHTF scenario in an urban setting. The answer is yes, but for a majority of us, we must ask ourselves if we are up to the challenge. Because while I do believe someone could get by in an urban setting, it could prove to be more challenging for the Average Joe.

Urban Survival – Is It Even Possible?

If you are forced to stay in the city after a disaster occurs, all is not lost. I do believe urban survival is possible, but you may need to get creative. Ultimately, being able to survive in an urban setting during a major ordeal depends on multiple factors: specifically, the type of disaster, if basic infrastructure is still up, where you are located, what you have with you and your skill sets. Moreover, I believe that whether you are surviving in an urban setting or a rural one, you need the same things for survival: food, water, shelter, protection (sound familiar?). The difference is you will need to rely more on your skills and ingenuity in finding opportunities to use to your advantage in a post-disaster city. In both scenarios, rural and urban survivors will also have to find a way to carry on for long durations. That is, when your short-term reserves are tapped out, what’s your long-term plan?

Above all, the population density will be your greatest threat and your resources will quickly be depleted. If you are not familiar with Selco’s story from SHTFSchool.com, he survived in an urban setting and tells his story and shares ways that he and others survived on his website. Some of the critical needs he outlines are:

Food – No city can feed it’s people on its own and when the supply trucks stop running, supplies will quickly be depleted. It is wise to have food on hand. I outlined 25 must-have versatile foods for your pantry.

As well, I highly recommend storing a variety of heirloom seeds. These can be to grow sprouts for emergency nutrition and for gardens for long-term food sources. You could also plant edible flowers. Not only will they be lovely to look at, but they will provide sustenance when you need it the most. Alternatively, if you can locate food packing plants or warehouses in your city, that may be a good place to allocate additional food reserves if yours runs out. This article can provide information on foraging for weeds.

Water – Municipal water sources can become tainted and it will be up to you to locate water sources. Water could look crystal clear and still contain very dangerous contaminants. – so avoid this all together and make sure you have some water stored away. Your skills will come in handy here if you are actively practicing how to survive. Here are five different ways to find water when there is none to be had. As well, consider having a map on hand of water sources in close proximity to you.

Fuel – Due to so many who are getting out of dodge and leaving the city, the fuel stores will quickly be depleted. As well, this could be problematic for running your generators. Many preppers prefer to have some alternative fuel on hand, or even biomass briquettes. Make sure you follow the proper safety guidelines for storing fuel, especially those who live in apartments.

Many suggest solar panels as a good power alternative. While I like this idea, I think it can also draw unwanted attention, so further security measures should be put in place to hide the solar panels from view.

Power – The failure of the power grid will prevent things from getting back to normal. When the majority of the population realize things aren’t going to change any time soon, and the above listed items aren’t available, there will be breakdowns to the level of social collapse. Many feel this very reason is why it’s important to be ready to bug out on a moment’s notice. If you are caught in this, it could be very dangerous.

What You Will Be Up Against

While it is entirely possible to survive in the city, you need to know what you will be up against. I realize that I am painting a very bleak picture, but those who stay behind and choose not to bug out are either under prepared, trapped in the city or have enough skills and know-how to make it on very little stored resources. The latter will not be the majority. Therefore, be prepared for roaming gangs, thugs and desperate individuals who have resorted to a more primal version of themselves. They will do what they need to in order for their needs to be met. If they haven’t eaten in days, they will smell your food from miles away, so you need to know how to mask the smells of your food or you could be welcoming unwanted visitors whose primary focus is to take what you have.

Security will be crucial in surviving in an urban setting and having a group you can depend on will make it all the more secure. Many neighbors and friends living in close proximity will band together and help to fortify the homes or find a suitable location in a higher location so you can get a bird’s-eye view of the scenery.  One aspect that the city offers is a plethora of building materials to use for fortifying a home. If you start looking for fortifying plans now, you will have a better idea on what materials you will need. I also cannot stress how important it is to have a means of protecting yourself. If someone kicks in your door, they aren’t only looking for a cup of sugar. Having a firearm and knowing how to use it could make all the difference in the world.

As well, having a keen grasp on communication skills with your group to ensure your perimeter is safe and make sure you will have alerts to possible threats. Communication is key and you should have multiple forms of communication, especially if a family or group member ends up being separated. One of the greatest threats we all face in cities are terrorist attacks. They target highly populated cities with dirty bombs and chemical weapons, and what we saw in Brussels that is can happen in peaceful cities, as well. Today it was Brussels. Where will it be the next time they hit America? Protecting yourself is the only option to ensuring your family has what it needs, including gas masks to gauge against chemical and biological attacks.

Start Finding Ways to Think Outside of the Box:

As I mentioned previously, to survive in a post-disaster urban setting, you will need to get creative in the way you work problems. Nothing should be wasted and everything could be used. Trash lying around can be repurposed and fashioned into something more useful. As well, start reading resources that can help you in your future preparations. The following books have great information on this type of survival.

SAS Urban Survival Handbook

The Prepper’s Blueprint

Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way

The human species has always found way to survive and times aren’t all that different. In order to thrive in an urban environment, you need to be aware of what’s stacked against you: the lack of resources, possible threats, roaming gangs and violence. If you can change your line of thinking, utilize key skill sets and become more fluid with the problem, your odds improve.

Also From Tess Pennington:

Free Web Series: 52 Weeks to Preparedness: An Emergency Preparedness Plan For Surviving Virtually Any Disaster

Preparedness 101

Disaster Scenarios

Going Rogue: 15 Ways to Detach From the System

When the Trucks Stop Delivering, ‘The System’ Will Collapse

SHTFplan and Mac Slavo www.shtfplan.com

There have been a lot of arguments put forth about Trump’s border wall idea.

Some say such a wall will do nothing to stem the tide of illegal immigrants crossing into the United States through our southern border. Others argue that the hundreds of miles of border can only be secured by a well constructed barrier.

The following chart from The Daily Caller should put any debate over the matter to rest.

The data is compiled from immigration statistics by the Hungarian Police and shows that not only does such a wall work, it begins working almost instantly.

Several European countries have erected fences to keep migrants out, and, according to the numbers, every case appears to have a large impact.

…

When the fence went up Oct. 17, the influx went down to 870 from 6,353 only a day earlier. Illegal border crossing were steadily below 40 per day throughout the rest of the month

The numbers speak for themselves.

We now have proof of concept for how to mitigate and eliminate the immigration crisis facing the United States.

Are our elected officials prepared to step up and do what needs to be done?

Hattip The Daily Caller via Zero Hedge

Also Read:

Watch: How Liberals React When Asked to House An Illegal Immigrant Child In Their Homes

Obama Unleashes Open Border Free-for-All: “Might As Well Abolish Our Immigration Laws Altogether”

Watch This Angry Foreigner: Here’s What Happened In Sweden When Muslim Immigrants Swarmed Their Country

Immigration End Game Revealed: New Law Would Give Illegal Immigrants The Right To Vote, Collect Government Benefits

SHTFplan and Mac Slavo www.shtfplan.com

For those who think the U.S. economy is going under, a report from Reuters suggests you’re just peddling fiction.

According to official data there is nothing to worry about. We are not only not in recession, but the economy is fundamentally strong and only getting stronger.

Relatively strong consumer spending underscores the economy’s underlying strength and should further allay fears of a recession, which triggered a massive stock market sell-off early this year.

…

“The consumer is back in the driver’s seat. There is no sign of recession in these data so this will put a smile on Fed officials’ faces and argues for their policy of gradual interest rate normalization to continue,” said Chris Rupkey, chief economist at MUFG Union Bank in New York.

GDP growth was initially estimated to have risen at only a 0.7 percent rate. The economy grew at a 2.0 percent pace in the third quarter and expanded 2.4 percent for all of 2015.

Consumer spending, which accounts for more than two thirds of U.S. economic activity, rose at a 2.4 percent pace and not the 2.0 percent rate reported last month. More consumption of services than previously estimated accounted for the revision.

Though at first glance this report may sound convincing, as is normally the case with official data and the mainstream propaganda that follows, some key points have been ignored.

First, while the economy officially grew at a rate of 2.0%, when you adjust for built-in upside bias to official reporting according to ShadowStats.com, we actually had a negative growth rate of nearly -2.0%.

Second, as Michael Snyder recently noted, some 23% of Americans in their prime working years are currently unemployed, so we’ve seen absolutely no real jobs recovery and those jobs that have been created are generally low-paying:

When you look at only Americans that are from age 25 to age 54, 23.2 percent of them are unemployed right now.  The following analysis and chart come from the Weekly Standard…

“There are 124.5 million Americans in their prime working years (ages 25–54). Nearly one-quarter of this group—28.9 million people, or 23.2 percent of the total—is not currently employed. They either became so discouraged that they left the labor force entirely, or they are in the labor force but unemployed.This group of non-employed individuals is more than 3.5 million larger than before the recession began in 2007,” writes the Republican side of the Senate Budget Committee.

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Clearly, we have never recovered from the impact of the last recession.

So if this many Americans are unemployed and wages are dropping nationwide, where is the consumer getting the money to boost spending by 2.4%?

The answer comes to us directly from the Federal Reserve’s latest G.19 Consumer Credit report.

According to the Fed, revolving consumer debt increased a whopping 5.6% during the fourth quarter of 2015, which means that the GDP growth rate and consumer spending growth was largely driven by… you guessed it, debt.

The government and our central bank will continue to play these games until such time that a majority of Americans end up jobless, starving and without future prospects as the middle class is slowly but surely wiped out.

We are already seeing the cracks, as evidenced by a recent report that Walmart Customers Are Too Broke To Shop.

As trend forecaster Gerald Celente once warned, when that day comes and people have lost everything and have nothing else left to lose, they will lose it.

We are being told that whatever issues there may have been are now largely resolved. But just as was the case in the months leading up to the crash of 2008, the signs are everywhere. And just as happened in 2008, the Panic will hit with full force, much to the surprise of most:

So, what happens when the Panic of 2016 happens?

The Panic of ’08 helped wipe out the middle class… this is going to eliminate it to a large degree, because they’re deep in debt…

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The markets have been artificially juiced up… so when this thing comes down it takes the top down… the last time it pulled out the bottom… so this is going to be a top-down crash.

And there’s not going to be anything to pump it back up because they’ve blown all their ammunition…

We encourage our readers to prepare accordingly.

Also Read:

Trend Forecaster Gerald Celente Warns: Prepare For The Panic Of 2016: “History Will Remember This”

Venture Capitalist Says Investors Are Terrified Of Market Volatility And Weak Economy: “They Are Scared And Don’t Know What To Do”

This Is How Bad The Economy Really Is: “Walmart Customers Are Too Broke To Shop”

SHTFplan and Mac Slavo www.shtfplan.com

With stocks having rebounded following a major down-swing earlier this year, it’s all smooth sailing going forward if you believe the mainstream financial pundits and renowned economists who continue to encourage the general public about the unfettered strength and stability of the U.S. economy. But according to well known venture capitalist and resource sector investor Carlo Civelli, last week’s Fed action, or rather, inaction, suggests that exactly the opposite is the case.

It goes to show that the economy is not as strong… or the markets were too volatile even for Yellen to stomach.

In his latest interview with Crush The Street Civelli explains why the stock market is the only game in town for many investors, why people are being forced into negative yield investments, how stabilizing stocks markets doesn’t necessarily translate to a healthy economy, and where to position yourself today to avoid the wealth destruction to come:

(Watch at Youtube)

It was just a few months ago when the Federal Reserve was so proud of their work that they took to raising interest rates and announcing that no more monetary action would be necessary. And, though most of the investment world would like to believe that the best and brightest central bankers on the planet have everything under control, it turns out, as Civelli notes, those who are manipulating the global economy, financial markets and monetary policy actually have no clue as to the consequences of their actions:

Nobody, not even the central banks, knows how this is going to end. They keep on pumping money…  

Volatility in financial markets has left an air of uncertainty across the globe. So much so, says Civelli, that many of the investors he talks to on a regular basis are just as concerned about the unknown as the Fed, with many either sitting in large cash positions, making risky stock market bets in an effort to generate some yield on their investments, or willing to pay governments to keep their money “safe”:

The central bank of Switzerland, for example, has a negative interest rate of 0.75%, so you’re paying the bank 75 basis points to keep your money there… and therefore people even go to the extreme of buying a Swiss government bond with a negative yield of, say 35 points, which makes them still up 40 points… it’s getting ridiculous.

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What else do we do with the cash? Everybody I talk to holds unprecedented cash positions, is scared and doesn’t know what to do…

So the only way out right now is to play the stock market.

And then, as we can see in January and February.. if something that was not in the cards happens, the markets go wild.

The unpredictability of central bank and government action has left many anxious and confused.

But despite the challenges being faced by most investors, there are still opportunities available. Civelli, who is focused on acquiring assets while they’re cheap through his latest project Callinex Mines, remains positive that precious metals will weather the storm of unprecedented monetary intervention from central banks and the consequences that will follow:

The consensus, obviously in a situation like this, would be that gold has to go up.

For investment reports, interviews, and market analysis visit Crush The Street.

Click here to learn more about Carlo Civelli’s latest investments and projects.

SHTFplan and Mac Slavo www.shtfplan.com