Bob Wiedemer Predicts Collapse in 2 To 4 Years.

on December 17, 2012 at 4:27 am
Posted In: Economy, Potential Threats

Bob Wiedemer Interview on Peak Prosperity

Bob Wiedemer

Bob Wiedemer is the co-author of  “Aftershock”  which was first released in 2009. The book talks about the continued downward spiral of the US economy. He is also the co-author of  “America’s Bubble Economy” which was published in 2006. People who had read it and heeded it’s advice would have been spared much grief in the 2008 housing bubble collapse. Unfortunately, his track record has not earned him enough respect in the economic community. Bob Wiedemer is still labeled as a party poopper as his warnings of a catastrophic economic collapse are largely ignored.

In this edition of Peak Prosperity’s Featured Voices, Chris Martenson interviews Bob Wiedemer. In the interview, Bob discusses his present view of the global macro-economy. He also explains how the government attempted to mitigate the effects of the housing and consumer credit bubbles by inflating two more dangerous bubbles. Those bubbles  are the dollar bubble, fueled by quantitative easing or increasing the money supply and the  debt bubble, fueled by borrowing. The popping of these two bubble is what he describes as the “Aftershock”.

Bob Wiedemer goes so far as to call a timeline on the collapse. He estimates the collapse to begin within 2 to 4 years. I am always skeptical of trying to time the coming crisis. There are so many factors that can affect the timing. The final straw of any collapse is always confidence. If you can keep the masses convinced that everything is OK, you can keep up the can kicking for quite a while. When confidence collapses, everyone heads for the exit at the same time. That is a panic.

Mr. Wiedemer recommends gold and silver as methods of protecting your wealth in the coming collapse. He also states that he will get short US treasuries when he sees the bond bubble show signs of popping. We have mentioned that here on Prepper Recon on several occasions. We are not investment advisers nor do we give investment advise. That being said,when we see the bond market begin to pop, we intend to use inverse ETF’s like  TYNS, TYBS, and TYO to protect our portfolio from the fall out. All investing is inherently risky and can lose money, so make sure you understand what you are investing in before investing.

 

Bob Wiedemer Interview on Peak Prosperity

The interview is available to download for free at Peak Prosperity. Chris Martenson is the creator of Peak Prosperity and has a very good handle on what is happening in the US economy. Has has developed The Crash Course, which is available for free and gives a near perfect presentation of the causes of the coming economic collapse.

If you are new to prepping or would like to learn more, read our 7 Step Preparedness plan. It will help you build a foundation in readiness so you can be more prepared for everything form a tropical storm to the end of the world as we know it.

Happy Prepping!

 

 

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The Rapture- Doomsday Dec 21, 2012 Part 2

on December 16, 2012 at 5:26 am
Posted In: Bible

The Rapture- Doomsday Dec 21, 2012 Sunday Prepper Bible Study Part 2

the rapture

Last week we spoke about the difference between the prophecies based on the Mayan long count calendar and the Bible. If you missed the post, you can read it HERE. We spoke about several of the prophecies in Revelation 6 as well as some in the latter chapters of Revelation. We closed last week’s bible study with the question of whether Christians will live through this period  known as the tribulation.

First, let’s examine what the rapture is. The rapture is a future event in which Jesus removes those who have received his free gift of salvation and repented of their sins from the earth. Those of you who may be new to Christianity or unfamiliar with the concept may be wondering why He would do such a thing. In II Corinthians 5:20 Christians are referred to by the apostle Paul as “Ambassadors of Christ”. Peter calls Christians  aliens who live in a foreign land. Our citizenship is in Heaven. Typically, when a state declares war against another state, the first order of business is to close the embassy and get all of their ambassadors out. The fact that Jesus is doing this gives us a clue as to what his intentions are. The actual event of the rapture is described by Paul in I Thessalonians 4:17 where he says “we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.”

Now the answer you have been waiting for: when is the rapture? There are essentially 3 schools of thought on when the rapture will occur. The first is the pre-tribulation camp, next is mid-tribulation and last is post-tribulation. Last week, we described the tribulation as the 7 year period in which God will systematically rip the earth apart. It begins in revelation 6 with the four horse men of The Apocalypse who kill 25% of the global population by war, famine, plague and the wild beasts of the earth. It continues through out the rest of the book of revelation with earthquakes, collisions of asteroids with the earth, water turning to blood and festering boils.

Pre-tribulation believers think the rapture will occur just before the tribulation. They back up their belief with a couple of key scriptures. The primary scripture used is I Thessalonians 5:9 which states “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” The tribulation is thought to be a period in which God is pouring out his wrath on a world that has rejected him. The thought of the kingdom of heaven closing its embassy is also very applicable to this view. To further back up this view, historically, God has removed his people before pouring out his judgment. In the account of Noah, he rescued Noah and his family by putting them in the ark. He also gave warning to Lot and his family before destroying the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. An additional piece of evidence used by those committed to the Pre-trib camp is that Jesus taught his followers to always be ready for his return. He spoke of his return as being imminent. In His most famous dissertation end times, Jesus says in Matthew 24:44 “So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” This negates the need for the tribulation to begin before the rapture.

Mid-trib believers think the rapture will occur in the middle of the tribulation. They have other verses that they hang their hats on. We just mentioned Matthew 24. In verses 29 to 31 Jesus states “Immediately after the distress of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.  And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.”

The events described by Jesus in this passage seem to mirror the events described by John in Revelation 6 and 7. However, we see something that sounds like the rapture that occurs after the tribulation has began. We see another account of the harvest of the earth in revelation 14:14. “I looked, and there before me was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one like a son of man with a crown of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. Then another angel came out of the temple and called in a loud voice to him who was sitting on the cloud, “Take your sickle and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.”So he who was seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested.”

This scripture appears several chapters after the beginning of the tribulation. It actually appears in the middle of the tribulation. The mid-tribulation camp claims that the verse that states we are not appointed unto wrath is still applicable as none of the events in the tribulation are labeled as “wrath” until the bowl judgements which are called the bowls of God’s wrath. All of the events prior to bowls, pale in comparison.

The final camp is the post-trib school of thought. I have not been able to find any scripture that would support the rapture not occurring until the end of the tribulation. If you are in the post-trib camp please feel free to post your thoughts on the comments section to provide evidence for why you believe what you believe.

My thoughts on the differing opinions

I see strong arguments for both the pre-trib and mid-trib views. Within the pre-trib school of thought you will often hear people who do not see the need to prepare. Some say that Jesus will come before anything bad happens. Perhaps they don’t watch the news, live under a rock or don’t believe the newspaper. Jesus said in John 16:33, “In the world you will have tribulation.” We are guaranteed tribulation whether we are raptured  before or during the great tribulation. people who think bad things can’t happen to them have chosen to stick their heads in the sand. Since the year 2000, Argentina has seen a complete financial meltdown, The USA has suffered the attacks on 9/11, Japan has experienced one of the worst tsunamis on record, and Haiti has been leveled by  a terrible earth quake. Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 24:6-8 “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.” Does any of that sound familiar?

For our mid-trib friends, don’t get to comfortable. Jesus clearly taught that his return was imminent. “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.” Matthew 24:42

I would say the day seems to be approaching. “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it [The End]  is near, right at the door.” Matthew 24:32-33. You should read Matthew 24 for yourself this week and see what you think.

If you never read any of the “Left Behind”series, I would highly recommend it. I have read the first 11 books. There are 16 in all. The New York Times #1 best selling fictional series chronicles the tribulation from a pre-trib view point. The Authors, Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins are well respected biblical scholars. All the events in the books are backed up by scripture and will make the hairs on your neck stand straight up! The first in the series is “Left Behind” and is available from Amazon through the link on the right hand side bar of this post.

If you are new to prepping or would like to learn more about how to prepare for tomorrow, please read our 7 Step Preparedness Plan. Come back every Sunday for a new Prepper Bible Study! The most important prep of all is knowing GOD. Jesus said “what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world yet loses his own soul?” Prepper translation: “What good will it do you to survive the coming economic collapse, nuclear war or even a zombie apocalypse if you don’t know you will go to heaven when you die.” A recent study found that 10 out of 10 people die! On that day we will meet our Maker. It only makes sense to be prepared for that day. Click here to learn more about knowing GOD.

Have a blessed day and happy prepping!

 

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QE 4 Shows Bernanke’s Desperation

on December 14, 2012 at 6:18 am
Posted In: Economy, Potential Threats

QE 4 Shows Bernanke’s Desperation

Wednesday, Ben Bernanke announced the Federal Reserve will be purchasing an additional $45 Billion in U.S. Treasuries per month. Those purchases are made through money that is simply created out of thin air by the Federal Reserve. He stated the the current monetary policies would stay in place until we reached an unemployment rate of 6.5%. Chairman Bernanke stated that the Fed expected the unemployment rate to remain above 6.5% until 2015. While rates may reach that forecasted level, it would only be due to low work force participation rates which lower the published employment numbers. The reality is, the Fed is most likely stuck in a death spiral of pumping more and more liquidity into our economy.

QE 4, The latest round of Quantitative Easing comes only a few months after the last announcement of QE 3 in which the Fed announced they would be purchasing $40 Billion in mortgage backed securities. Combined, they total $85 Billion per month and $1.02 Trillion ($1,020,000,000,000.00) per year. Even with the zeros, it is hard to grasp what a large amount of money that is. Spending at the rate of $1 per second, it would take you 11 days to spend $1 million dollars. If you had started spending at the rate of $1 per second in 29,000 BC, you would still have money left today. The US government manages to spend $1 trillion every few months, and they still want more. No amount of tax increases will ever satisfy the insatiable appetite of our Federal government.

Our economy is now addicted to constant injections of more and more liquidity. Like a heroin addict, it gets less of a high with each new dose of the drug. Markets soured today despite the indefinite promise of a constant drip of fiscal dope. To cut the supply of the drug to the economy would send it into traumatic withdraw at this point.

How dose this affect me?

This new $1 trillion being pumped into the economy each year increases the money supply. The current M2 money supply in the U.S. stands around $10 trillion. Current money printing programs by the Fed increase that number by 10%. Austrian economist will tell you that equates to 10% inflation. Even if it doesn’t show up in prices right away, it will eventually. Let’s think of it like this. We have a simple economy that only has 10 pizzas and $10 dollars. Theoretically, each pizza is worth $1. Now if we bring the money supply up to $11, theoretically, each pizza is now worth $1.10. That is 10% inflation. This is a stealth tax on US tax payers. Because of the excessive money printed by the Fed to buy our own debt, you can expect prices on everything from a Ferrari to fried chicken to increase by 10%.

This creates a flaw in the function of money. Money has two basic functions. It acts as a medium of exchange and a store of value. While the medium of exchange function is still working well, the store of value function is broken at these levels of inflation. Let’s think of the dollar as a Styrofoam cup filled with coffee.  The cup being the dollar and the coffee being the value being held by the dollar. QE 4, like all of the QE before it has essentially poked a hole in our coffee cup. The coffee is running out and soon we will be holding an empty Styrofoam cup with no value at all.

The further threat is that as this money begins to work its way into the banking system, it will grow exponentially. This has the potential of getting out of the control of the Central bankers and creating hyperinflation that could cripple the dollar and collapse the economy with it.

What do I do to keep from loosing all of my value?

The logical thing is to pour your coffee into a cup that doesn’t have a hole in it. For dollars, that means hard assets. While our increasingly volatile markets leave very little in the way of certainty, there are a few bastions of  safety relative to the dollar. I personally like gold, silver and real estate as protection against this inflationary environment. Even if values go down, a house is still worth a house. Gold and silver have been considered stores of wealth for thousands of years. In The Bible, Genesis 13 says Abraham was wealthy in livestock, silver and gold. By contrast, the dollar in its current purely fiat form has only been around for 41 years. I have dishes older than that. The dollar was completely divorced from gold in 1971. Ever since, it has only been backed by the full faith and credit of The United States government. At a whopping $16 trillion in debt, I don’t have full faith in the credit of The United States. Unfortunately for the dollar, I am not alone in my opinion.

I mention my investment strategies from time to time. I currently hold a degree in Accounting and am persuing a degree in Finance, however, I am not a financial adviser and I don’t make specific recommendations on these posts. Everyone’s situation is different and therefore everyone’s investment style is going to be different. Before investing in any instrument, you should fully understand the instrument and the risks associated with it. All investing is inherently risky and can lose money.

The following video from Capitol Account gives an incredibly accurate take on the reasons and repercussions of the latest Fed move. Check it out and keep prepping. This move is a sign of desperation by the Fed. I think they know our time is short.

 

Jim Rickards on Capitol Account

Happy Prepping!

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Personal Prepping

on December 12, 2012 at 4:08 am
Posted In: Prepping

Personal Prepping

personal prepping

Personal Prepping is the most important prepping you can possibly do. Personal prepping is about taking car of your self. It is certainly about watching what you eat and maintaining a good exercise program. It is also about keeping up with routine maintenance. I Just went to the dentist last week and had two new cavities. I had those filled as well as having two older fillings replaced. Yes, it was a bit of a bite to the budget, but it is a great investment. Simple things like going to the dentist are easy to put off. Some times we are so busy, it is hard to get time to do it. We may also be tempted to put things like that off until we can save a few more dollars.

Don’t put off til tomorrow.

When it comes to personal prepping, make the time and spend the money. If we do indeed have a financial meltdown, basic health services may become harder to get; particularly if the population centers become unlivable. In  all likelihood, these are the good old days. Don’t look back on them with regret. Getting your teeth taken care of or any other personal prepping may become nearly impossible post collapse. Skipping a filling now may mean a make shift extraction latter.

Your Second most important prepper tool.

Your most important prepper tool is your mind. You should do all you can to keep it sharp. Your second most important prepper tool is your body. All the guns, ammo, bunkers and MREs in the world won’t make up for bad physical or mental health. Personal prepping is about taking care of that.

The Obama X factor

The effects of Obama care are also a great unknown. Many commentators have suggested that health care professions nearing retirement may just retire early as opposed to deal with the additional layer of bureaucracy that is sure to accompany full blown Obama care. If there were to be a mass exodus of early retirement in the health care field, basic health services will be much harder to schedule.

Personal prepping is the most important step in preparedness. Make sure you are taking care of yourself before you think about the beans, bullets and band-aids.

Happy Prepping!

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“Founders” Book Review

on December 10, 2012 at 5:17 am
Posted In: Book Review

“Founders – a Novel of the Coming Collapse”  By James Wesley Rawles- Book Review

founders

“Founders – a Novel of the Coming Collapse” is the new book by author James Wesley Rawles. It is his third novel about the coming collapse. It chronicles the lives of several different individuals around America and how they attempt to survive. James Wesley Rawles is a former Army Intelligence Officer as well as a popular survivalist author. He has written “How to Survive the End of the World as We Know it” which is a basic preparedness manual. He is also the author of Survivalblog.com which is loaded with incredible prepper information. He has released two previous books in the coming collapse series entitled “Patriots” and “Survivors“.  The coming collapse novel series are fictional accounts of life after the collapse but provide useful information on how to prepare.

“Founders” is written in the same time period as “Patriots” and “Survivors“. A person could read them in any order and not be lost. Several of the main characters show up in two or three of the books. Two of the main characters in “Founders” are Ken and Terry Layton who spent too much time packing and decided to bug out a little too late. As they try to get out of Chicago they are ambushed and forced to shoot their way out of the city. This costs them their cars and most of their provisions. They are part of a retreat group in Idaho, but are forced to get there on foot. They show up as a side story in “Patriots” which focuses on the retreat group in Idaho. “Founders” gives a much more detailed account of the Layton’s journey.

After the collapse, the US government falls. It is replaced by a repressive illegitimate government that attempts to disarm the American people. Some areas of the country go more quietly than others. A strong decentralized militia rises and gives the rouge government a run for it’s money.

I really enjoyed “Founders” and recommend all of James Rawles books. They are entertaining and they really get the prepper juices flowing. You will find that you begin to think about the level of your preps as you consider how well you are prepared for the situations of the characters in the book. James Rawles is a Christian author and you won’t have to worry about illicit sex scenes, F words or The name of GOD being used as a curse word. Books that contain those elements are not reviewed by Prepper Recon.com. The book is available through the link on the right hand side bar of this post from Amazon.com. It will make a great Christmas gift to a fellow prepper or to a loved one that you are trying to convince of the need to prep.

Have a blessed day and happy prepping!

 

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Sunday Prepper Bible Study- Doomsday Dec 21, 2012

on December 9, 2012 at 5:44 am
Posted In: Bible

Sunday Prepper Bible Study- Doomsday

Doomsday

December 21, 2012 is that last day on the Mayan calendar. Several people have  interpreted this to mean Doomsday and the end of the world as we know it. Hollywood made a very action pact film about Doomsday. The film “2012” featured John Cusak who makes a last ditch effort to bug out and get his family to a government “Ark” to weather the cataclysms unleashed by the end of time. The special effects were great and it was terrifically entertaining. Several people are actually expecting quite an eventful day on Dec 21st. The film  is about the only significant thing I can see coming from this prophecy.

Why am I so sure Doomsday wont come on  on Dec 21, 2012?

Jesus said in Matthew 24:36 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” No one knows when the end will come. When it does come, it won’t be all in one day. God has a plan to systematically rip this planet to shreds over what many Bible scholars  believe will be  a 7 year period. This process begins in Revelation 6 with the 7 Seals. This period of time is  termed by Escotologist( those who study end time prophecy) as the tribulation. The tribulation begins with the 4 horse men of the Apocalypse. The fourth of which is death who kills  25% of the earths population. Revelation 6:8 reads “I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.” We currently share the planet with about 7 billion people. 25% of them would be roughly 1,750,000,000 people. That is about 5 times the total population of the United States. Shortly after that, we have a world wide earth quake. Then things start to get nasty.The earth gets smacked by a meteor, the water turns to blood, and everyone who does not commit their lives to God are plagued by stinging insects and boils.

Will Christians have to live through this period of time?

That is the million dollar question. The answer deserves a well thought out response. Yes, I have one and I will give it to you in next weeks Bible study! The important thing is to be sure you are always ready to meet your maker. Jesus comes back for people on an individual basis everyday. If you don’t believe me, check your local obituary page.  The most important prep of all is knowing GOD. Jesus said “what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world yet loses his own soul?” Prepper translation: “What good will it do you to survive the coming economic collapse, nuclear war or even a zombie apocalypse if you don’t know you will go to heaven when you die.” A recent study found that 10 out of 10 people die! On that day we will meet our Maker. It only makes sense to be prepared for that day. Click here to learn more about knowing GOD.

Have a blessed day and Happy Prepping!

 

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Jim Rickards- Currency War Simulation

on December 7, 2012 at 4:05 am
Posted In: Economy, Potential Threats

Jim Rickards- Currency War Simulation

jim rickards

The Pentagon and the CIA often run simulations for different types of war and disaster scenarios. In terms of money spent and overall preparedness, the number one prepper in the world is the United States government. They have spent trillions on self preservation and planning for every contingency. While no one knows for sure , it is estimated that Mount Weather cost over $1 billion to construct. Mount Weather is one of many US government underground doomsday bunkers designed for continuity of government. Other underground doomsday bunkers operated by the government include Cheyenne Mountain Air force Station. There are several others that we simply can not know about. In addition to the bunkers, the president has his own fleet of bug out planes. I am not talking about Air Force 1 or Marine 1, I am talking about the fleet of 3 EMP proof, radiation proof doomsday planes.

The culmination of all of the government’s planning and research which was paid for by the American tax payer is to recommend that you keep 3 days worth of food and water on hand. Here at Prepper Recon, we believe that is a bit disingenuous. With all that has been spent to ensure the survival of the government, it seems they would recommend a little more. We will take advantage of any chance we get to relay the information they are working with to you. After all, you paid for the information. Then you can make your own informed decision about how many days worth of food and water you should have on hand.

Rickards is a well respected expert in the field of finance.

The CIA and Pentagon use people who are experts in their field to to run financial disaster simulations. One of the people they use is Jim Rickards. Jim Rickards is the author of Currency Wars and has an excellent understanding of global currency markets. In this simulation that was presented to the government, Jim explains different catastrophes that could cause a global currency crisis. This presentation  shows how China uses sovereign wealth funds to purchase futures contracts on gold. Those contracts could be executed at any given time and cause a shortage of physical gold.

Currency War Simulation

Perhaps it is time to consider adding gold and silver to your preparedness plan.
If any of these situation were to ever materialize, silver and gold would be the best possible form of insurance that you could have bought. Besides these scenarios, there are a myriad of other catastrophic events that could take place which would cripple the dollar. Gold and silver would also be a good hedge against those risks. But lets say Jim Rickards is completely wrong and none of these threats ever come to be. Let’s say we are able to continue on printing money with impunity.  Let’s say we can continue on the same path of total fiat currency we have been on for the past 40 years. Perhaps the powers that be can manipulate and maneuver this same strategy for the next 40 years. Then what is to become of the money I have “wasted” on Gold?

Well, let’s mirror the performance of the last 40 years to the next. If you bought an ounce of gold in 1972, you paid $38. It is now valued roughly at $1,750. If it were to grow at the same rate over the next 40 years, it will be worth $80,500. Wow, do you think Apple stock will preform that well? If you do decide that gold and silver are right for your situation, don’t go overboard. 10 to 20% of your total asset allocation is what is generally recommended. Don’t buy everything at once. Spreading your purchases out over time will keep you from buying everything at the top of the market.

I currently hold a degree in Accounting and am perusing a degree in Finance. I mention my investment strategies from time to time, however, I am not a financial adviser and I don’t make specific recommendations on these posts. Everyone’s situation is different and therefore everyone’s investment style is going to be different. Before investing in any instrument, you should fully understand the instrument and the risks associated with it. All investing is inherently risky and can lose money.

Happy Prepping!

 

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Ohio Food Stamps Cut/ Will We See Riots Like Greece?

on December 5, 2012 at 3:43 am
Posted In: Economy

Ohio’s Hope in  The False “Profit” ends in  $50 food stamp cut.

profit

 

“The government consists of a gang of men exactly like you and me. They have, taking one with another, no special talent for the business of government; they have only a talent for getting and holding office. Their principal device to that end is to search out groups who pant and pine for something they can’t get and to promise to give it to them. Nine times out of ten that promise is worth nothing. The tenth time is made good by looting A to satisfy B. In other words, government is a broker in pillage, and every election is sort of an advance auction sale of stolen goods.” H. L. Mencken

It seems the modern messiah of the masses has fallen short on his promise. The Toledo Blade has just reported that Ohio’s food stamp recipients will be getting a $50 a month cut to benifits. After falling for a campaign that promised a robbinhoodesque economic policy of wealth redistribution, Ohio will be asked to get by on a little less. Those who had hope to profit from the false prophet are receiving their due. I do not mean to sound heartless for those that truly can not provide for themselves. However, I do not believe that charity is the role of the government. There are very few things that The Constitution  has tasked the government with doing. Charity is certainly not one of them. This is the role of the Church, who, without the bureaucracy of the government, can discern between the truly needy and the lazy.

There are about 869,000 households in Ohio who receive food stamps. This will reduce the drag on the Ohio government spending by about $520 million a year. In Florida, I have never seen anyone with an EBT card (food stamp card) using coupons. Evidently there has not been a need to. And if there is no need to, why do it? After all, they didn’t have to work for that money. Why should they put any effort into saving it. When charity comes from the government, it is easier to forget that “the government” is made up of the people. Someone else had to do without the money they worked for in order for you to get something you did not work for.When charity is dispensed from the Church, the recipient sees a human face that they can connect with. They more readily understand that it required a sacrifice on someone else’s part.

On a positive note, couponing is a quick way for Ohio food stamp recipients to increase their buying power. Our household receives no government assistance but our budget requires Mrs. Recon to vigilantly clip coupons to make ends meet. She keeps the two of us very well feed on $200 a month. That also includes the cost of storing emergency food. She does that by matching buy one get one deals with manufacturer and store coupons. She has listed several resources in our Coupon Corner page.

Could these austerity measures blow up like they have in Greece?

At some point, all government entitlements will have to be cut. The money to sustain them simply is not there. It will be interesting to see how this plays out in Ohio. Similar austerity measures certainly have  not went well in Greece. I fear we have fostered a culture that feels very entitled to what they have not earned. To deny them of it may prove to be quite disastrous. This could easily spark civil unrest among the entitled as it has in Greece and Spain. The major difference between us and Europe is that we are a much more inherently violent culture. Being prepared is getting to be a better idea by the day. At a minimum, have a one month supply of food and a means of defending your life and property.

Have a blessed day and happy prepping!

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