preparedness

#Obama Drinks Filtered Tap #Water, Downplays #Lead Risk: “ #Flint Water At This Point Is Drinkable”

May 6, 2016 by mac slavo

And… it’s safe. President Obama says so.

As Flint’s water crisis drags on, and officials expect a period of two years to replace the city’s corroded pipes, President Obama has become a pitchman to quell the population’s worries and take the pressure off of Flint leaders, despite plenty of evidence of negligence and corruption.

Obama even took a drink, as so many stumping political figures have over the years, after an awkward speech that almost gave the impression that lead isn’t so bad – because people who grew up before EPA laws on lead still “did really well” in life.

The Detroit Free Press reported:

President Obama drank from a glass of what he said was filtered Flint water at a Flint food bank Wednesday as he vouched for the safety of certified filters and encouraged most city residents to start drinking filtered water instead of bottled water.

“If you’re using a filter … then Flint water at this point is drinkable,” Obama said after taking a drink of filtered water.

The President jokingly acknowledged that he himself may have ingested some paint chips as a kid, and that lead affects individual children differently… defying clear data on lead’s brain damaging toxicity.

In fact, it looks like all the “special kids” in Flint are poised to become achievers in spite of the lead issues (somebody check George Carlin’s grave for spinning), and I guess all the out-of-work and down-on-their-luck people in the deindustrialized and rotting area are in for a better day.

Here’s part of the transcript from Obama’s ludicrous speech:

I think people are understandably scared when they hear that their child may have ingested some lead, it may have gotten into their system, and that that may have some long-term impacts or create particular challenges for kids. But it is really important for all of us to remember that kids are resilient. And every kid in Flint is special, and has capacity, and can do great things. And the fact that they may have had some drinking water that was contaminated doesn’t automatically mean somehow that they’re going to have huge problems or that they’re not going to be able to reach that potential.

And so for the parents who are out there, I want to emphasize: Get your child checked, but be confident that your child can thrive and will be fine as long as you know what they need, and know how to access the resources that they need. It’s useful to remember, just to keep things in perspective, that the laws banning lead paint in homes and reducing the lead that was in our environment, those laws really were put in place just a generation ago.

When I was five or six or seven, a lot of homes still had lead paint in it. I might have ingested some lead paint when I was two or three years old, because at the time, people didn’t know it. So we’ve got an entire couple of generations of Americans who have done really well despite the fact that they may have had something that is not optimal. And how lead interacts with any particular child is going to be different, and what each child needs is going to be different. And some kids are going to be fine, and they’re not going to be affected. Some kids may have more of an — it might have more of an effect.

[…]

Generally I don’t do stunts, but here you go. (Takes a sip of water.) Now, this had a filter on it. The water around this table was Flint water that was filtered. And it just confirms what we know scientifically, which is that if you’re using a filter, if you’re installing it, then Flint water at this point is drinkable. That does not — I want to repeat — negate the need for us to go ahead and replace some of these pipes, because ultimately you want a system in which you don’t have to put a filter on it in order to be assured that it’s safe.

But as a short-term measure, this is the right thing to do. And, frankly, it’s going to be a lot more convenient than people traveling long distances to try to lug back a bunch of bottled water. All right?

Everyone feel better now? The President has spoken, and his word is gold.

By the way, the Chicago Tribune warned back in 2011 that many of the most common water filter brands aren’t living up to expectation:

Many consumers may assume that filtering their water will make it safe to drink. But when it comes to lead, many popular pitchers with built-in filters, including Brita and PUR, don’t reduce lead enough to meet current standards.

If you bought a filtering pitcher before 2007, it may have been marketed as reducing lead. But that was before the industry standards required that filters be able to remove lead particles as well as dissolved lead.

Hopefully those standards have improved since that time.

In the meantime, the residents of Flint, and the nation more generally, have been screwed and lied to yet again. And typically, the watchdogs and authorities are quick to sweep it under the rug and keep people calm with B.S. talking points.

Two Key Figures in Flint Water Crisis Mysteriously Wind up Dead

“Man Made Water Disaster”: National Guard Take Water Door-to-Door in Contaminated Michigan

Leaked Emails: Gov Officials Mocked Flint Residents Who Complained About Water

Harvard Study: Lead Exposure and Violent Crime

SHTFplan and Mac Slavo www.shtfplan.com

“ #DIY #Antibiotics”: What To Grow to Protect Your Health In a #Crisis

April 29, 2016 by mac slavo

What will you do in a crisis without life saving medicine and antibiotics?

If society breaks down, hospitals, pharmacies and clinics will be unavailable, and the medicine you or a loved one need may be unavailable.

Clearly, this means you need to have to supplies on hand, particularly for anyone who is dependent upon insulin or other medications that can be deadly if disrupted.

But those supplies will only go so far. Something that is also important to do is become familiar with medicinal herbs and plants, and grow some of the ones that could be most useful to your family or network.

Wilderness and homesteading survival teacher Marjory Wildcraft shows how you can grow and process your own medicines – many of which are more potent and potentially beneficial than those developed in the medical industry. Best of all, it is relatively simple to do:

Yes, you can make your own anti-biotics at home. I’ll show you how to make a really super powerful one (it’s easy to do). Anyone can do it. Most people will want to do this in their backyards or on a patio. But I suppose you could do it indoors too. This one I’ll show you how to make is way more complex than anything the pharmaceutical companies can produce, yet it is simpler and easier to make. No, you won’t need a lab of chemistry set. No, you won’t need microscopes or chemicals. Nope, you won’t even need a spectrum analyzer….

This particular anti-biotic not only helps boost your immune system for any time you have an infection, but it is also good for when you have a cold, it’s known to help lower cholesterol and high blood pressure, it’s been known to help balance blood sugar, fight cancer, fight fungus, and more.

The answer is simple… Garlic is perhaps the single best natural antibiotic, and very well known for staving off colds, infections and for overall supporting a healthy immune system and restoring good health.

Quite simply, garlic is well worth growing, eating and having around, as this video demonstrates. Adopt some of the best practices for growing and storing it, and it will always be around.

There are, of course, many other important medicinal plants that can be grown and utilized than just garlic:

Sara an expert in Medicinal plants explains the properties of several different plants and what their uses are for different ailments. This is information that could save you lots of money in buying medicine and can help you live a healthy diet. Filmed at the eco village of Valdepiélagos, Madrid

According to Sara (in the video above), these plants and many more can address many health issues, including some of the most serious.

• Stevia isn’t just a “sweet leaf” to be used as a sugar substitute, but eating the leaf or its extract can help regulate blood sugar (not in the processed form used by soda companies).

• Kalanchoe Daigremontiana can strengthen the immune system and reportedly even fight cancer.

• Melissa and Evalouisa – Plants from these families both have similar medicinal properties for digestive and stomach relief, as well as as a sleep aid.

• Caledonia can help with cataracts (the orange liquid can be put in the eyes) or for cuts on the skin

•Artemisia Annua is another powerful anti-bacterial that can fight malaria and other serious diseases.

• Galio can be used to regulate the hormonal system

• Epiolobium can reduce inflammation in the prostate

(Note: some of these names may be more familiar to Spanish speakers, or go under a different name elsewhere)

There are, of course, hundreds of more varieties of plants that you can cultivate, but you will need to do your own research. Many plants are found in certain regions only, and others may be difficult to grow outside of their typical climate.

Though they have been used for centuries, no one can guarantee they are safe for everyone, and most doctors and hospitals refuse to recognize the potential of these natural (and unpatentable) medicines.

Regardless of whether or not you endure a collapse or prolonged crisis situation, these are valuable skills that could improve your personal well being, or come in handy as a tradable and necessary skill within a self-reliant community or survivor group.

Along with goods and precious metals, exchanging skills & service is a useful part of any barter economy that could thrive under the right circumstances of determined and freedom loving people.

Tom Brown’s Guide to Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants (Field Guide)

First Aid Kit Best 100 Piece Compact Multipurpose Essential for Survival & Medical Emergencies with Durable Canvas Bag & Ideal for Auto Office Travel Home Camping Hiking Sport & Outdoors. Be Prepared!

The Four Prescription Drugs You Must Have in a Crisis… And How to Get Them

3 Barter Items You Probably Haven’t Considered But Will Be Valuable Even If the Poop Doesn’t Hit the Fan!

SHTFplan and Mac Slavo www.shtfplan.com

The Real Reason American Cities Have #Lead in the Water Supply: “Humans Have Been Written Off”

April 9, 2016 by mac slavo

Image: Luuva, Creative Commons

Yet another public water supply has been found tainted with toxic lead from corrosive pipes.

It is no surprise to watch crumbling rust belt cities under siege by corrosive, tainted and dangerous lead pipes, though it is tragic.

Cincinnati, like Flint, has a major lead issue in its public water supply. Cassius Kamarampi writes:

Cincinnati city officials sent out letters to 16,000 residents this week, informing them that much of the city’s water transporting pipes are still made of lead.

The message is kind of contradictory, admitting the pipes are problematic, while assuring residents that it’s safe because they have a “successful lead corrosion control program.”

According to Cincinnati.com:

City leaders here in Cincinnati don’t want citizens to panic. Greater Cincinnati Water Works closely monitors its water and has never had a lead violation, according to officials. Cincinnati has had a successful lead corrosion control program that has protected customers for years.

But the pipes’ mere existence can cause a threat, officials confirm.

[…]

The elected bureaucrats of Flint, Michigan hesitated to inform residents about contaminated water for as long as they possibly could; knowing how officials can be, is this a sign that Cincinnati water is already dangerous?

The corruption is inherent. Shady politicians, crumbling infrastructure, diverted funds and negligence, pure and simple.

They don’t care about these people whatsoever.

The impoverished people in these cities don’t just lack clean water, necessary to basic life, they do so in the face of mounting evidence of lead’s toxicity, in particular to the brain, where it is has often been associated with inducing violence and reducing IQ dramatically.

As you can see in this report, Cincinnati officials have known for some time, but insist that the lead pipe situation is under control:

Yet, unsurprisingly, these institutions have failed to care about the tainted water they are delivering to their constituents, and only reluctantly dealing with it after it becomes a scandal. They are the same agencies who have insisted that fluoride is safe and necessary, patronizingly grinning that it is good for teeth and patting the heads of riled up disagreers who don’t know any better.

These powers that be, which go well beyond mere agencies and institutions, don’t care. These cities are filled with people they have written off. Underemployed, often desperate, many of them minorities. Useless eaters. The kind of harsh words they reserve for their smoke-filled back rooms, while promoting welfare and handouts for everyone. It doesn’t seem to do much to help around here. The papers wrote openly of putting a sterilant in the water supply in these cities.

The manufacturing base of the United States was based there, and in boom-time in the 50s and 60s, it was one of the most decent places to be. Seemingly, just about everyone had a good job, including minority communities. Assembly lines in the factories was hard work, and people weren’t always respected, but it was nothing compared to the sudden implosion that happened to cities like Detroit and Cleveland when all the jobs went overseas. The tainted water supply is just a symptom of that.

The politicians and corporate bosses all made excuses and promise of future prosperity under NAFTA, GATT, WTO and similar agreements. But with the Trans-Pacific Partnership underway and the race to the bottom a foregone conclusion, it is evident that the terms of “free trade” have tended towards those constructing global jurisdiction and carving out transaction flows at the worldwide and digital levels.

Ordinary people are watching themselves get squeezed. There’s no reason to think the jobs are coming back. The Federal Reserve’s quantitative easing dollars accounted for 94% of market action since 2009, and most of that money went straight to the top of the biggest banks and trans-national corporations.

Immigration has been weaponized to destroy jobs and divide Americans along ideological fissure points, so that they aren’t paying attention to the larger shafting by the monetary powers, who hold the true control over society. Ferguson and related events show us how far that divide goes today.

Robotics and automation are poised to wipe out every meaningful opportunity for mass employment, while tax structure and infrastructure investment have discouraged entrepreneurs.

In short, society is collapsing, and they don’t care about us anymore.

The entire system is corporate creating a channel of power over the functions of government. The rules are quickly changing, and almost no one is prepared to handle the challenges ahead.

Human labor has been declared obsolete, and people are being reported as a negative asset. Someday they won’t be maintaining the suburbs, either.

Stay or become vigilant, dynamic, prepared and self-reliant for whatever is ahead.

Water Wars: What It Will Be Like When Your Tap Runs Dry

“It’s Spreading”: US Census Reports Nearly 100 Million Poor in America; Worst Conditions in Fifty Years

The Age of Machines and Unemployment: “Robots Could Steal 80 Million US Jobs”

Our City Water Supplies Aren’t As Secure As You May Think

SHTFplan and Mac Slavo www.shtfplan.com

Clamp Down on Cash Is the Ultimate Surveillance State: “Citizens Shouldn’t Be Under General Suspicion”

March 7, 2016 by mac slavo

The war on cash is more than just a currency war to clamp everyone down on the electric grid. It is also a war on your privacy, and the nail in the coffin for the free market of low level transactions.

Soon, restrictions on cash will become so severe that even spending $100 will arouse suspicion, despite the constant inflation on the value of such a denomination. One day, physical currency may become obsolete.

When that day comes, they will know everything you do.

Conducting transactions in anything but digital creds will be not only increasingly difficult, but seen as outright criminal behavior. It might even make you a terrorist.

Don Quijones argues on Wolf Street:

There are two sides in the global war against cash. On one side are many of the world’s governments, central banks, fintech firms, banks, credit card companies, telecommunication behemoths, financial institutions, large retailers, etc. According to them, the days of physical currency are numbered, so why not pull the plug already, beginning with the largest denomination bills such as the $100-note and particularly the €500-note?

On the other side are people who like to use cash – most of whom, according to the dominant official narrative, are either criminals or terrorists. After all, they must have something to hide; otherwise, why would they use a private, untraceable (not to mention archaic, dirty, dangerous and unhygienic) form of payment like cash?

Although it may seem like a foregone conclusion, cash still accounts for a majority of transactions in many European countries, and still factors in significantly in the U.S., though use of cash is in decline.

Many leaders overseas are calling out the moves to kill cash – albeit in slow motion – as nothing more than an attempt to impose a police state where every transaction, every purchase and every activity is monitored and databased.

Likewise, the use of cash is linked with terrorists and criminals, every bit as much as using pagers was linked with drug dealers in the pre-cell phone days.

Don Quijones writes:

[I]n recent weeks the unlikeliest of defenders of physical money has emerged: the national central bank of Europe’s biggest economy, the German Bundesbank.

“I have my doubts that introducing a cash limit or getting rid of bigger denominations can really prevent terrorists or criminals from engaging in illegal activities,” Carl-Ludwig Thiele, Bundesbank board member in charge of cash issues, said in a speech last week. “We also should ask ourselves: what sort of an understanding of government forms the basis of these proposals? Citizens should not be put under general suspicion.”

[…]

And in Germany and Austria, the EU’s plans to suppress cash have already provoked a backlash.

“We don’t want someone to be able to track digitally what we buy, eat and drink, what books we read and what movies we watch,”said Austrian Deputy Economy Minister Harald Mahreron on Oe1 radio. “We will fight everywhere against rules” including caps on cash purchases, he said.

The NSA surveillance has never been limited to just ferreting out terrorists, its mass surveillance of every conceivable communications device has created a Big Data tracking system that can hone in on specific behaviors of anyone in the country, or can track the mass patterns of human society like a school of fish.

Standing by complicit with the elimination of cash is surrendering yourself to a society based upon nothing more than Big Brother teamed up with the Big Banks – and what good could come from all of that?

Banning Cash “Necessary to Give Central Banks More Power”

Americans Face Impoverishing War on Cash: “More Big Banks Are Shunning Cash”

‘Cash Is Being Eradicated’: Digital Payments Take Over Western World

SHTFplan and Mac Slavo www.shtfplan.com

Expert Warns That Unparalleled Financial Destruction Is “Just Six Months Away”

March 4, 2016 by mac slavo

The time is nigh.

The crash is coming. It’s waves can be felt pulsing through the system, foretelling its arrival.

But how long will it be until it hits, and how big will its magnitude be?

According to Yale’s Vikram Mansharamani, it is only months away.

Via London Express:

FINANCIAL bubbles across the globe are imploding and the problem is only set to get worse... Prices are falling around the world thanks to the collapse of China’s debt fuelled economic growth and this has triggered a succession of disastrous events that are starting to be realised, according to Vikram Mansharamani, an author and, lecturer at Yale University.

Fears are growing that the world could face a financial crash of unprecedented levels and could even be just six months away.

Bubbles created by the mountain of cheap money made available by low interest rates since the last financial crisis are now starting to burst, said Mr Mansharamani.

[…]

Mr Mansharamani added: “We’ve got a bubble bursting, I would argue, in Australian housing markets — that is beginning to crack; South Africa — the whole economy; Canada — housing and the economy; Brazil. We can keep going on and on.”

The details have come out in warnings posted here at SHTF and elsewhere, but the Federal Reserve’s quantitative easing program changed the metabolism of the global economy.

Like a diabetic or a heroin addict, people in the United States, and in countries abroad all borrow on cheap credit, and face a debilitating spike now that repayment is being demanded – all while oil prices have bottomed out and destroyed the fragile livelihoods of those who depended upon these and other commodity prices.

Nightmares are surfacing. Entire sectors are being destroyed. New technology is causing extreme upheaval in jobs, and economic warfare is subtly sucking away life and stability from the ranks of the hard working, aspiring and once prosperous. It is punishing and leveling out all those who haven’t learned to work inside the system.

All the rest will end up on welfare, until that collapses too.

Robots will replace millions of jobs in the next few decades:

That’s ok, though, according to the guy in the video, because we’re supposed to live in some technologically-planned future where computers figure out how to address the needs of everyone. But that’s not OK, because that leaves no room for freedom.

When you lose the ability to support yourself independently, you become a government serf overnight. And the rest is history. We are being pushed and shoved into a new collectivist state with strikingly few liberties.

The criminals who orchestrated the last round of looting in 2008 have grown in power and wealth in the years since, and are now poised to come back for the rest – and use finance as a tool to condition societal behavior. Puppeteer bankers Goldman Sachs admitted that we are entering the third wave of a debt-supercycle that has been unleashed through predatory policy:

This wave is characterised by rock-bottom commodities prices, stalling growth in China and other emerging-markets economies, and low global inflation, Goldman Sachs analysts led by Peter Oppenheimer said in a big-picture note.

This triple whammy has its roots in the response to the first two waves of crisis — the banking collapse and European sovereign-debt crisis — and it is all part of the so-called debt supercycle of the past few decades.

Central banks all rushed to lower interest rates in response to the first two debt-fueled crises, encouraging investors to lend in emerging markets such as China for a decent return.

Now that interest rates are looking as if they might go up, lenders are heading for the exits and investors are pulling out of commodities, which are closely linked to the fate of the emerging economies.

Once they are done, everyone you know will be either working for the government, or under close government regulation. Wall Street crimes are instituted as policy, and competition and free enterprise from the little guy is yanked out of the system, and his salary is capped at the level befitting a modern day serf.

The borg is assimilating the economy and taking everyone as an asset/hostage now.

Time to make your final preparations, and place any wealth you have in carefully considered positions.

Goldman Sachs: The Third Wave of the Financial Crisis Is Upon Us

Global Economy Grinds to a Halt: We’re “Already in a Recession”

SHTFplan and Mac Slavo www.shtfplan.com

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