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Destruction Of The Family: The U.S. Has The Highest Rate Of Children Living With A Single Parent In The Entire World

The family unit is one of the fundamental pillars of any society, and so the weaker our family units become the weaker our entire nation is going to become.  For decades, the traditional family unit has been under assault in America, and the consequences have been absolutely catastrophic.  Today, the marriage rate has dropped to levels that we have never seen before, we continue to have one of the highest divorce rates in the entire world, and more couples than ever are choosing not to get married at all.  As a result, the number of single parents has been steadily rising, and at this point the United States actually has the highest rate of children living with a single parent of any country on the entire planet.  The following comes from Pew Research…

For decades, the share of U.S. children living with a single parent has been rising, accompanied by a decline in marriage rates and a rise in births outside of marriage. A new Pew Research Center study of 130 countries and territories shows that the U.S. has the world’s highest rate of children living in single-parent households.

Almost a quarter of U.S. children under the age of 18 live with one parent and no other adults (23%), more than three times the share of children around the world who do so (7%).

You would think that with how rapidly modern notions of “morality” are spreading around the globe that someone out there would be worse than us, but sadly we are dead last on the list.

In fact, our rate is more than four times higher than India and more than seven times higher than China…

In comparison, 3% of children in China, 4% of children in Nigeria and 5% of children in India live in single-parent households. In neighboring Canada, the share is 15%.

Should we really be lecturing anyone else about how they should be conducting themselves when we are such a complete and utter mess?

We like to think of ourselves as a light to the rest of the world and a great example that they should follow, but the truth is that we are a nation of complete and utter degenerates.

Of course it wasn’t always this way.  If you go back to 1960, less than 10 percent of all American children lived with a single parent…

America’s top spot has been a long time coming, data from the U.S. Census Bureau show. In 1960, just 9 percent of U.S. children lived with one parent, and just 3 percent lived with either a non-parent relative or a non-relative. By 2019, the Census Bureau estimated that 26 percent of children lived with single parents (a figure that varies from Pew’s due to methodological differences), while just 4 percent lived with non-parent relatives or non-relatives.

So what happened?

Well, the truth is that there has been a concerted effort to radically change American culture, and this has especially been true when it comes to sexual morality.

Our televisions, our movies, our education system and most of our politicians endlessly assure us that it is perfectly fine to run around like wild animals doing whatever we feel like doing.  As a result, more than 110 million Americans now have a sexually transmitted disease, we have the highest teenage pregnancy rate in the industrialized world, and about 40 percent of all U.S. babies are born to unmarried women…

In 1960, nonmarital births were quite rare. Today, about two-fifths of all births are to unmarried women. This resulted from a complicated combination of moral and behavioral changes, and a new report from Senator Mike Lee’s Social Capital Project disentangles them.

If we want to turn America around, this is a great place to start.

Just like virtually everything else, our families are collapsing, and the path that we are on clearly leads to national suicide.

If we don’t want to do it for ourselves, we should at least do it for future generations.  Because if we don’t get things turned around, our children will continue to suffer greatly…

The results for children are often grim. Although academics debate about causality, single parenting is strongly related to risk for poverty and lower educational attainment on the part of the child, as well as incarceration among boys and teenage pregnancy among girls. As the share of single-parent households increases, the risk of these adverse outcomes also rises.

Of course these days a lot of young adults don’t want to have children at all.

Our society has trained our young people to view parenthood and family life as undesirable, and so it shouldn’t be a surprise that the U.S. fertility rate has fallen to the lowest level ever recorded…

The US fertility rate dropped for the fourth straight year in 2018, and has fallen approximately 15% since 2007, according to the National Center for Health Statistics – which reports that there were 59.1 births for every 1,000 women of childbearing age.

In total, 3,791,712 births were recorded across the country last year – extending a steep decline that began during the 2008 Recession, according to the New York Times.

As one user in Reddit’s “Childfree” forum notes: “Babies are expensive, and we’re all broke,” to which another user replied “Also, pregnancy and its effects on the body are gross and not worth it.”

Incredibly, our fertility rate is now actually below replacement level.

That means that we aren’t even producing enough babies to replace ourselves at this point.

There is no future for any society that does not value children, marriage and family.  You can’t show me one example in human history of any society that has ever thrived for an extended period of time without cherishing those institutions.

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what we need to do.  Unfortunately, most of the country is running completely in the opposite direction as fast as they can.

If we continue to go down this road, the institution of the family is going to continue to collapse in the United States, and there is no possible way that America will ever be great again as long as that is happening.

About the Author: I am a voice crying out for change in a society that generally seems content to stay asleep. My name is Michael Snyder and I am the publisher of The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe. I have written four books that are available on Amazon.com including The Beginning Of The End, Get Prepared Now, and Living A Life That Really Matters. (#CommissionsEarned) By purchasing those books you help to support my work. I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but due to government regulations I need those that republish my articles to include this “About the Author” section with each article. In order to comply with those government regulations, I need to tell you that the controversial opinions in this article are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the websites where my work is republished. This article may contain opinions on political matters, but it is not intended to promote the candidacy of any particular political candidate. The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions. Those responding to this article by making comments are solely responsible for their viewpoints, and those viewpoints do not necessarily represent the viewpoints of Michael Snyder or the operators of the websites where my work is republished. I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is a great help.

The Final Full Moon Of This Decade On 12/12 At Exactly 12:12 AM Is Precisely 6,666 Days From 9/11

A few days ago, hardly anyone had heard about “the 12/12 warning”, but now the Internet is buzzing with lots of speculation about what it could possibly mean.  On December 12th at exactly 12:12 AM eastern time, we witnessed the very last full moon of this entire decade.  As I detailed yesterday, there is only a 1 in 691,920 chance that the last full moon of this decade would fall on that exact minute in time.  And many have also pointed out that the individual digits of “2019” also add up to a total of 12.  You can believe that all of this is just some sort of grand coincidence if you want, but a lot of people out there are really freaking out about this.

What makes this strange confluence of numbers even stranger is the fact that it happened exactly 6,666 days from 9/11.

If you go to timeanddate.com, there is a handy calculator that allows you to instantly calculate the number of days between two specific dates.

Just a little while ago, I typed in 9/11/2001 as the start date and 12/12/19 as the end date, and it gave me a result of precisely 6,666 days.

Isn’t that weird?

And of course two sixes add up to 12, and so adding up the digits in that time span gives us the number 12 two additional times.

As I cautioned yesterday, I don’t know what significance all of this may have.  But it is interesting to note that this extremely intriguing confluence of numbers only occurred in the eastern time zone of the United States.  And this has happened just as the debate on the articles of impeachment is about to begin in Washington.

Could it be possible that someone is trying to highlight the fact that this is an absolutely critical moment in American history?  As the full moon approached, mainstream news sources all over the world ran stories about it.  For example, the following comes from the Daily Mail…

The final full moon of the decade will reach its peak in the night sky as the clock strikes 12:12am on 12/12 in the Eastern United States, delighting numerologists.

While only the Eastern United States will have such a notable time and date for the lunar peak, the full moon will be ‘bright and visible’ around the world.

This is a good time of year to watch and possibly photograph the full moon, according to NASA, because it is opposite a low sun.

And needless to say, Twitter was buzzing with plenty of chatter about this very strange full moon.

Here are just a few examples…

–Nick Hinton: The last full moon of the decade will peak on 12/12 at 12:12 A.M. Is there any significance behind this or is it just a cool coincidence?

–Pee-wee Herman: THIS JUST IN! Last FULL MOON of the DECADE happens on 12/12 at 12:12 AM EST!!!!!

–RepentantSinner: Interesting fact: The full moon happens at 12:12 ET am on December (the 12th month) 12th. In Strong’s Concordance the number 1212 refers to the Greek word délos which means “clear, manifest, evident”. I believe we are about to witness something very interesting prophetically

–Alaskan: This weeks full moon occurs on 12/12 at 12:12 AM. If that isn’t a good omen for the #Seahawks game vs. the Panthers this weekend I don’t know what is!!

–Teri: the final moon of the first decade of the 21st century will peak at 12:12 am EST on December 12 which breaks down to 12-12-12-12

–Pamela Denise Smith: FASCINATING!!! According to the Bible, God’s appointments are set by the heavenly luminaries that He set. Plus, “Twelve” is the scriptural number for tribes, family, and government.

–Jenna: The last full moon of the decade will be on 12/12 peaking at 12:12 a.m. Following with Friday the 13th right after

–JeanKP: The kids in my school were off the chain today!!! I hear the full moon will hit its full zenith at 12:12 am on 12/12/19.

–Ken Kruger: Is God Trying To Tell Us Something By Giving Providing A ‘Long Night’ Full Moon On The 12th Day Of The Twelfth Month At Exactly 12:12 AM?

–Mark McConville: It’s 12/12 and there’s a full moon tonight so at 12:12am I will be out in my yard soaking up lunar juju in the nude.

I seriously hope that Mark McConville was kidding about that last comment.  Nobody wants to see that.

The full moon that happens in December is known as the “Cold Moon” because winter is approaching and as the “Long Night’s Moon” because it usually happens not too far from the winter solstice.

And many have also found it noteworthy that this very unusual full moon appeared just one day before Friday the 13th.

But to me, if this full moon does have some sort of special significance, then it has something to do with the number 12.

When I think of the number 12, the first thing that comes to mind is midnight.  When someone says “the clock strikes 12”, you know exactly what they are talking about.  And that phrase carries with it the connotation that time has run out.  From a very early age, Cinderella and other stories teach us that there is something very special about the stroke of midnight, and it is a concept that has now become deeply ingrained in our culture.

For a long time, many of us have felt that we were living in “the 11th hour”.  We have been relentlessly warning America about what is ahead if we do not change course, but the nation continues to race down a path that leads to national suicide.

Could it be possible that someone is trying to tell us that time is either running out or has now run out completely?

I don’t know.

Perhaps all of these numbers are just some sort of giant coincidence and they don’t mean anything at all.

But if it is a giant coincidence, it is quite a whopper.

Right now, people all over the globe are talking about the giant sign in the sky that we just witnessed, and there is an enormous amount of speculation about what it could mean.

I don’t have any solid answers for you, but I am not afraid to ask the hard questions.

About the Author: I am a voice crying out for change in a society that generally seems content to stay asleep. My name is Michael Snyder and I am the publisher of The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe. I have written four books that are available on Amazon.com including The Beginning Of The End, Get Prepared Now, and Living A Life That Really Matters. (#CommissionsEarned) By purchasing those books you help to support my work. I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but due to government regulations I need those that republish my articles to include this “About the Author” section with each article. In order to comply with those government regulations, I need to tell you that the controversial opinions in this article are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the websites where my work is republished. This article may contain opinions on political matters, but it is not intended to promote the candidacy of any particular political candidate. The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions. Those responding to this article by making comments are solely responsible for their viewpoints, and those viewpoints do not necessarily represent the viewpoints of Michael Snyder or the operators of the websites where my work is republished. I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is a great help.

Americans Are Lonely, Miserable And Depressed – The Legacy Of A Society That Has Rejected Family, Faith And Patriotism

What in the world has happened to us?  Once upon a time, America was made up of tightly-knit communities that were united by family, faith and patriotism, but now we are more isolated than ever before.  Of course one of the biggest reasons for this is the fact that we are all spending countless hours staring at screens instead of interacting with real people, and this is something that I covered in a previous article.  However, our fundamental beliefs are also significantly shaping how we behave.  For the past couple of generations, we have de-emphasized family, faith and patriotism as a nation, and instead we have become an extremely “me-centered” society that is primarily focused on doing whatever makes ourselves happy in the moment.  But this single-minded pursuit of individual happiness has resulted in much of the country being perpetually mired in loneliness, depression and/or addiction.

When you look at the numbers, they truly are startling.  For example, a recent survey that was conducted by Cigna found that almost half of all Americans feel lonely…

Nearly half of Americans are lonely, according to a survey of 20,000 people across America by Cigna, which used the well-regarded UCLA Loneliness Scale to measure responses. Indeed 46% said they sometimes or always feel alone and 47% say they sometimes or always feel left out.

And other surveys have produced numbers that are even more alarming.  A Harris Poll that was conducted a few years ago actually discovered that 72 percent of all Americans “experience loneliness”…

The survey of more than 2,000 Americans conducted by the Harris Poll last month on behalf of the American Osteopathic Association, showed that almost three-quarters (72 percent) of Americans experience loneliness. And for many, it’s not just a once-in-a-while occurrence — one-third said they feel lonely at least once a week.

Of course this is commonly known as “the happiest time of the year”, but for many it just magnifies their loneliness.

People see love, warmth and community modeled in television commercials and in Hallmark movies, and they assume that most people out there must be living lives like that.

Sadly, that is not true at all.  What we see on our televisions are echoes of the way that America used to be, and many of us would love to see that type of culture make a roaring comeback.

But for now, America is a very, very lonely place, and this reality is reflected in a song that was just released by one of our most popular pop singers…

Mabel, the singer behind the hit “Don’t Call Me Up,” has a new track for those who struggle with loneliness during the holidays.

Titled “Loneliest Time of Year,” Mabel captured how for some people, the holidays can heighten feelings like loneliness, loss and depression. In the song, released Friday, she sings lines like, “Sorry I’m not so merry/But I feel like this yearly/Christmas time isn’t my vibe/Brings no joy into my life” and “If I’m feeling lonely/I can’t be the only one.”

Yes, millions of American families will gather during the holidays, but way too many of those gatherings are filled with bitterness, resentment, strife and discord.

In fact, another new survey has found that the average American only needs 3 hours and 54 minutes “before they start to feel sick of their families”…

The holidays are supposed to be a time to come together with family and celebrate, but a new survey finds that most Americans can barely get through an evening with their family before needing a break. A total of 2,000 Americans who usually travel to visit family during the holidays took part in the research, and 75% say they will inevitably need to get away from their relatives and indulge in some much needed “me time.”

In fact, it only takes respondents an average of three hours and 54 minutes before they start to feel sick of their families.

This isn’t how it is supposed to be.

We were created to love and to be loved.  And when you remove love from the equation, people become very miserable quite rapidly.

In America today, “deaths of despair” are happening at the highest rate in all of U.S. history.  The following information comes directly from the United States Congress Joint Economic Committee…

Anne Case and Angus Deaton famously chronicled a dramatic rise among middle-aged non-Hispanic whites since 1999 in “deaths of despair”—deaths by suicide, drug and alcohol poisoning, and alcoholic liver disease and cirrhosis.1 The Social Capital Project has extended Case and Deaton’s research to cover the full American population as far back as available data permit: to 1900 in some cases, and to 1959 or 1968 in others. We present here a snapshot of the long-term trends in deaths of despair. We also attach our full dataset for use in future research, including results broken down by age, sex, and race.

Mortality from deaths of despair far surpasses anything seen in America since the dawn of the 20th century. (The trend for middle-aged whites reveals a more dramatic rise but only goes back continuously to 1959.) The recent increase has primarily been driven by an unprecedented epidemic of drug overdoses, but even excluding those deaths, the combined mortality rate from suicides and alcohol-related deaths is higher than at any point in more than 100 years.

So it would appear that our very unhappy nation is rapidly becoming even unhappier.

And it doesn’t take a genius to figure out what this is happening.

As a society, we decided that marriage wasn’t important.  So now we have one of the lowest marriage rates and one of the highest divorce rates in the entire world.

As a society, we decided that children weren’t important.  So now our birth rate has dropped below replacement level and a third of all U.S. children live in a home without a father.

As a society, we decided that patriotism wasn’t important.  So now the American flag is being banned by some schools as a “divisive symbol” and most of our young people have never even read the entire U.S. Constitution.

As a society, we decided that God wasn’t important.  So now just about every form of evil that you can possibly imagine is exploding in our society, and we are literally on a path that leads to national suicide.

If you feel lonely, miserable or depressed this holiday season, I would definitely encourage you to get my latest book entitled “Living A Life That Really Matters”.  It is filled with very practical advice that will enable you to start turning things around immediately.  But even more importantly, reach out to those that you love during this holiday season.

Life is way too short to live it alone.

Society would have us believe that those that have the most money are the most “successful”.  But that is not true at all.  In reality, those that love the most are really the most “successful”, and so let us endeavor to be people of great love.

About the Author: I am a voice crying out for change in a society that generally seems content to stay asleep. My name is Michael Snyder and I am the publisher of The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe. I have written four books that are available on Amazon.com including The Beginning Of The End, Get Prepared Now, and Living A Life That Really Matters. (#CommissionsEarned) By purchasing those books you help to support my work. I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but due to government regulations I need those that republish my articles to include this “About the Author” section with each article. In order to comply with those government regulations, I need to tell you that the controversial opinions in this article are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the websites where my work is republished. This article may contain opinions on political matters, but it is not intended to promote the candidacy of any particular political candidate. The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions. Those responding to this article by making comments are solely responsible for their viewpoints, and those viewpoints do not necessarily represent the viewpoints of Michael Snyder or the operators of the websites where my work is republished. I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is a great help.

“Abuse Of Power” And “Obstructing Congress”? Is This Really The Best That The Democrats Could Come Up With?

Are you kidding me?  After weeks of hearings, endless hours of testimony and consultations with hordes of lawyers, this is all that the Democrats can come up with?  Originally, Democrats were accusing President Trump of bribery, extortion and various campaign finance violations, but the facts didn’t fit any of those crimes, and so they were abandoned.  Instead, Democrats have drafted articles of impeachment focusing on “abuse of power” and “obstructing Congress”, and if this process was not so serious there would be howls of laughter all over the nation.  I think that a bunch of five-year-old kids on a sugar high could have probably come up with something better than this.  For the Democrats, this is a failure of epic proportions, and history will not remember them kindly.

The U.S. Constitution sets a very high standard for impeaching a president.  In Article II, Section 4 it says the following: “The President, Vice President and all Civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.”

So in order for President Trump to be impeached and removed from office, he must be convicted of treason, bribery or some other crime.

But nowhere in federal law is “abuse of power” defined as a crime.  And that is a huge problem, because how can you convict someone of “abuse of power” when there is no law against it?

Ultimately, “abuse of power” is a very vague phrase that could mean just about anything.  After all, is there any president in modern American history that has not abused his power at some point?

And if President Trump does get impeached by the House, that is going to set an extremely dangerous precedent.  In the future, are we going to start impeaching presidents for “abuse of power” whenever an opposition party gets control of the House of Representatives?

As for the charge of “obstructing Congress”, at least there is some precedent for that.  It is actually properly called “contempt of Congress”, and the following is what Wikipedia has to say about it…

Contempt of Congress is the act of obstructing the work of the United States Congress or one of its committees. Historically, the bribery of a U.S. Senator or U.S. Representative was considered contempt of Congress. In modern times, contempt of Congress has generally applied to the refusal to comply with a subpoena issued by a Congressional committee or subcommittee—usually seeking to compel either testimony or the production of requested documents.

Yes, President Trump has instructed members of his administration to refuse to comply with congressional subpoenas.  But is this really something that we should be impeaching a sitting president for?

In the end, these are matters that can be easily sorted out by the courts.  If the President or members of his administration continued to refuse to comply with Congress after a court had ordered them to do so, then the Democrats might have an argument, but that has not happened in this case.

And most Americans simply do not care that President Trump may have been “obstructing” Nancy Pelosi, Adam Schiff and Jerry Nadler.

If any president is going to be impeached and removed from office, it needs to be for something very serious, and it needs to be a matter that generates a large national consensus.

The Democrats should have dropped this impeachment inquiry a long time ago, but at this point they can’t turn back without looking exceedingly foolish.  Debate will begin on the articles of impeachment on Thursday, and according to the Washington Post, those articles of impeachment could “be voted on by the full House next week”.

Since the Democrats have a solid majority in the House, and since they are so obsessed with taking down Trump, the outcome of the vote is already a foregone conclusion.

They are going to vote to impeach President Trump, and that means that there will be a trial in the Senate.

If the Democrats had come up with something more substantial in their articles of impeachment, there would have been a chance that they could have swayed some moderate Republicans in the Senate, but as it stands now that does not appear to be too likely.

This entire impeachment process has been a comedy of errors by the Democrats.  No matter how many breaks go their way, they just can’t seem to do anything right.

Of course they still believe that they are doing “the right thing”.  During a hearing on Monday, House Judiciary Committee Chair Jerry Nadler made it sound so simple…

Walking through the evidence and testimony so far in the impeachment inquiry, Nadler observed, “the President welcomed foreign interference in our elections in 2016.  He demanded it for 2020.  Then he got caught.”

In doing so, Trump “violated his most basic responsibilities to the people” and broke his “oath” of office, Nadler concluded.

But in reality, the Democrats are not winning over the American people with their arguments.

In fact, they could actually be alienating the very voters that they desperately need to defeat Trump in November 2020.  The following comes from an opinion piece by Liz Peek…

Here’s what House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has done by undertaking a reckless and partisan drive to impeach the president: absolutely guaranteed that anyone who voted for Donald Trump in 2016 will vote for him again next year. Guaranteed, as a result, that Trump will be reelected.

Across the United States, tens of millions of Americans are furious that Donald Trump, a man they respect, has been bullied and bloodied by hate-filled, crazed political antagonists who mock him, lie shamelessly about his policies, obstruct his every move and, most disgusting of all, savagely demean his wife and children.

We’ll see what happens.  But as things stand today, the Democrats do not seem to have a prayer of being successful in removing Trump from office.

However, they sure are stirring up a lot of anger and frustration on the left, and that could have very serious implications as we approach the next election.

If President Trump wins next November, the Democrats are going to be kicking themselves for ever going down this path.  All of the polls taken before this impeachment process began looked really good for them, but it is entirely possible that they could blow yet another election that they could have easily won.

In politics, it never hurts to have a little luck.  And even though this impeachment process has been very painful for President Trump, it may just be the stroke of luck that he needs to win another term.

About the Author: I am a voice crying out for change in a society that generally seems content to stay asleep. My name is Michael Snyder and I am the publisher of The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe. I have written four books that are available on Amazon.com including The Beginning Of The End, Get Prepared Now, and Living A Life That Really Matters. (#CommissionsEarned) By purchasing those books you help to support my work. I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but due to government regulations I need those that republish my articles to include this “About the Author” section with each article. In order to comply with those government regulations, I need to tell you that the controversial opinions in this article are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the websites where my work is republished. This article may contain opinions on political matters, but it is not intended to promote the candidacy of any particular political candidate. The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions. Those responding to this article by making comments are solely responsible for their viewpoints, and those viewpoints do not necessarily represent the viewpoints of Michael Snyder or the operators of the websites where my work is republished. I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is a great help.

Only 19 Senators Are A “Firm No” Against Impeachment – And There Are Whispers Some Republicans May Turn On Trump

It has been widely assumed that the Democrats could never possibly get the votes that they need to remove Donald Trump from office in the U.S. Senate, and so therefore the outcome of this entire saga is already a foregone conclusion.  But what if that is not true?  In this article, you will see that only 19 members of the Senate are a “firm no” when it comes to impeachment, and 35 members have already publicly committed to convicting Trump.  In the end, it is going to take 67 votes to remove Trump from office, and Democrats only control 47 seats.  It was always going to be a monumental task to try to find 20 Republican members of the Senate willing to betray Trump, and it still doesn’t seem likely that we will get anywhere near that number.  But there are whispers that at least some Republicans are currently very much up in the air regarding how they will vote.

On Friday, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy appeared on the “Morning Joe” program, and what he had to say is really shaking a lot of people up…

Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut, told MSNBC’s Morning Joe program on Friday that he has spoken to GOP senators who are thinking of voting against Trump.

“It’s a small list on one hand,” Murphy said. “I don’t buy this secret ballot thing. If there was a secret ballot, there’d still be only a handful of them that would vote to impeach this guy.”

Up until now, most of us had assumed that Republicans in the Senate would unanimously stand behind Trump.

But according to Murphy, cracks are starting to form.

It is certainly possible that Murphy could be lying, but what purpose would he have for lying about these private conversations?

Of course we definitely are not talking about a long list of potential turncoats.  In fact, he openly admitted that only a handful of Republicans are thinking this way…

When pressed, Murphy said that as it stands he thinks there are a maximum of five Republican senators willing to turn on the president: “I think that’s probably right.”

This is not a major crisis for the Trump White House yet, but it definitely has got to be alarming for any cracks to be forming at all at this stage.

So who specifically are we talking about here?

Well, it has been suggested that Susan Collins, Mitt Romney and Lisa Murkowski are all potential candidates to turn on Trump.  In particular, Collins and Murkowski are essentially Democrats for all practical purposes, and so it wouldn’t be too much of a surprise if either one of them turned on Trump.  In fact, they both have voted against Trump in a number of high profile votes in recent years.

For Romney, this could be an opportunity for sweet revenge.  Trump and Romney have exchanged insults for years, and Romney has already publicly referred to Trump’s dealings with Ukrainian officials as “troubling in the extreme”…

He has called Trump’s prodding of Ukrainian officials to investigate Biden “troubling in the extreme.” When the president also called on China to investigate Biden, Romney blasted the move as “wrong and appalling.”

Romney, 72, is seen as having the most freedom to vote to convict, as he made his concerns about the president’s character known during the 2016 primary, when he excoriated Trump as “a phony” and “a fraud” in a last ditch effort to deprive him of the nomination.

Needless to say, President Trump is deeply concerned about what could potentially happen in the weeks ahead, and he has been working very hard to court the support of his fellow Republicans in Congress…

Since the fall began, Trump has hosted more than 40 Republican senators, primarily for weekly lunches. The White House has also hosted Republican House members for weekends at Camp David, and Trump has brought lawmakers to several sporting events, including to the World Series in Washington and the Ultimate Fighting Championship in New York City.

But despite all of that effort, the outcome of the upcoming Senate trial is still surprisingly up in the air.  Just check out the following numbers from Politico…

A tracker by Politico, which is evaluating the current position of each of the 100 senators, estimates that there are only 35 firm votes to remove Trump from office. A further 10 are down as probably, five maybe, 31 probably not, and 19 a firm no.

So why aren’t more Republicans in the Senate a “firm no”?

In fact, why aren’t virtually all of the Republicans in the Senate a “firm no”?

Something stinks about all of this.  In Washington, far more goes on behind the scenes that most of us would dare to imagine.  And a tremendous amount of pressure can be brought to bear on our representatives when very powerful people want them to vote a certain way.

I still think that it is extremely unlikely that pro-impeachment forces will get the 67 votes that they need in the Senate to remove Trump from office.  And if it doesn’t look like there will be 67 votes, some Republicans that would be inclined to betray Trump may chicken out and decide that it isn’t worth the risk if the effort is not going to be successful.

But we definitely live in unprecedented times, and anything could still happen in the weeks ahead.

Top Democrats have indicated that they would like to have the full House vote on impeachment some time around Christmas, and so it looks like we could actually see the Senate trial happen in January…

The Senate’s legislative calendar, released Wednesday, includes an ominous blank spot for the month of January, a reminder that the proceedings surrounding impeachment are fluid. Although the details for an impeachment trial remain unclear, Senate Republicans said they can guarantee at least one thing: Trump’s defense will be heard.

Needless to say, the mainstream media is going to be relentlessly covering these proceedings, and the whole world will be watching.

But the most fascinating action will actually be going on behind the scenes.

Pro-impeachment forces will be working night and day to try to get the 67 votes that they need, and if the potential vote count starts to creep close to that number, that is when things are going to start getting really interesting.

About the Author: I am a voice crying out for change in a society that generally seems content to stay asleep. My name is Michael Snyder and I am the publisher of The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe. I have written four books that are available on Amazon.com including The Beginning Of The End, Get Prepared Now, and Living A Life That Really Matters. (#CommissionsEarned) By purchasing those books you help to support my work. I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but due to government regulations I need those that republish my articles to include this “About the Author” section with each article. In order to comply with those government regulations, I need to tell you that the controversial opinions in this article are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the websites where my work is republished. This article may contain opinions on political matters, but it is not intended to promote the candidacy of any particular political candidate. The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions. Those responding to this article by making comments are solely responsible for their viewpoints, and those viewpoints do not necessarily represent the viewpoints of Michael Snyder or the operators of the websites where my work is republished. I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is a great help.

Is The Impeachment Effort Simply A Political Ploy To Win Votes For Democrats In 2020?

Could it be possible that Nancy Pelosi and her minions in the House of Representatives had a completely different goal than we thought this entire time?  As you will see below, the Democrats in the House plan to impeach President Trump, and it could potentially happen by the end of this month.  But there appears to be zero chance that Trump will be removed from office by the Senate, and many will consider that to be a major victory for the Republicans.  So why is Nancy Pelosi pushing ahead when she knows that this impeachment effort is going to fail?  Could it be possible that this entire drama has simply been a political ploy to win votes in November 2020?

Many have assumed that a backlash against impeachment will greatly benefit Trump during this election season.  But history has not been kind to other presidents that have gone through an impeachment process.

In 1868, President Andrew Johnson was impeached by Republicans in the House of Representatives.  Johnson was not convicted by the Senate, but Republicans went on to win the next presidential election.

In 1974, Republican Richard Nixon resigned rather than face almost certain impeachment.  Democrats won the next presidential election even though they had a relatively weak candidate (Jimmy Carter).

In 1998, Republicans in the House of Representatives impeached Bill Clinton, but the Senate did not remove him from office.  However, Republicans did end up winning the presidential election in 2000.

So that means that the opposition party is three for three in cases similar to what we are facing now.

Could that actually be the key number that top Democrats are looking at?

On Thursday, Nancy Pelosi announced that the House is moving forward with articles of impeachment, and one CNN article sounded almost giddy that this is actually happening…

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi moved the House much closer to impeachment Thursday when she officially directed the Judiciary Committee to draw up articles of impeachment. (As if it wasn’t already.)

But her announcement all but guarantees that President Donald Trump will be impeached. This is happening, people.

But Trump is not going to be removed from office, and millions of Democrats are going to be deeply disappointed when that does not happen.

Of course Nancy Pelosi has never suggested that her effort will be successful, and she continues to insist that her hand was forced by Trump…

“I’m really sorry the president made this necessary by his complete disregard for the vision of our founders,” she told reporters Thursday. “An impeachment is not a pleasant experience. It can be divisive. We don’t take any glee in this at all. It’s heartbreaking. But the president gave us no choice.”

What Pelosi is trying to do is to take the moral high ground.  Her intended audience is voters in the middle of the political spectrum, because they are the ones that will decide the 2020 election.

And it appears that things could move along quite rapidly in the House from this point forward.  In fact, NBC News is reporting that House Democrats are being told “not to make plans” for the weekend just prior to Christmas…

Pelosi did not say whether she had set a deadline for committees to write the articles of impeachment or when a full House vote would take place. Members who attended a closed-door Democratic caucus meeting on Wednesday, however, said they understood that the House would vote on articles before the holiday recess. One member said they were told to “not make plans” for Dec. 21 or 22, the weekend before Christmas.

I have been warning for months that the Democrats were going to impeach Trump, but at first a lot of people didn’t believe me.

But at this point even Donald Trump appears to be resigned to the fact that he will be impeached…

“If you are going to impeach me, do it now, fast, so we can have a fair trial in the Senate, and so that our Country can get back to business,” the president said in a pair of tweets shortly before Pelosi spoke.

It will only take a simple majority to impeach Trump in the House, and Democrats currently control 233 of the seats.

Of course there is still a possibility that some Democrats could actually vote against Pelosi, and one Democrat has already made it clear that he plans to do just that…

Rep. Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey, one of two Democrats to vote against formalizing the impeachment inquiry, said he plans to vote against all the articles of impeachment “unless there’s something that I haven’t seen, haven’t heard before.”

He warned Democrats to “be careful what you wish for” and he added that impeachment “is tearing the nation apart. … And I want to bring people together.”

But a whole lot more Democrats are going to have to defect in order for the impeachment vote to fail, and right now there is absolutely no indication that is likely to happen.

In fact, most Democrats can’t wait to impeach Trump.  On Thursday, Representative Al Green actually suggested that they could try to impeach Trump again if the first attempt does not work…

Thursday on C-SPAN, Rep. Al Green (D-TX) discussed impeachment, saying “there is no limit” to how many times the House and Senate can try to impeach President Donald Trump.

Green said he suspects Trump will have additional offenses in the future, so he believes House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) will “move forward” with a vote to impeach Trump for his alleged quid pro quo demand with Ukraine and then try again “at a later time” if they find more during their investigations.

Sadly, most of the Democrats in Congress don’t seem to understand that they are tearing the country apart, and that could have very serious implications in the not too distant future.

But in Washington, winning is everything, and Democrats are absolutely obsessed with November 2020 right now.

Just consider what Nancy Pelosi told a CNN town hall on Thursday…

“Let’s not even contemplate that,” Pelosi said at a CNN town hall Thursday evening in response to an audience question about what checks will exist in the House of Representatives if Trump is reelected and the impeachment process is over.

“Civilization as we know it today is at stake in the next election, and certainly our planet,” Pelosi said.

Nancy Pelosi knows that the Senate will not vote to convict Trump, but that is not what she is after.

Her grand plan has always been to damage Trump for the 2020 election, and only time will tell if her gamble was successful.

About the Author: I am a voice crying out for change in a society that generally seems content to stay asleep. My name is Michael Snyder and I am the publisher of The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe. I have written four books that are available on Amazon.com including The Beginning Of The End, Get Prepared Now, and Living A Life That Really Matters. (#CommissionsEarned) By purchasing those books you help to support my work. I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but due to government regulations I need those that republish my articles to include this “About the Author” section with each article. In order to comply with those government regulations, I need to tell you that the controversial opinions in this article are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the websites where my work is republished. This article may contain opinions on political matters, but it is not intended to promote the candidacy of any particular political candidate. The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions. Those responding to this article by making comments are solely responsible for their viewpoints, and those viewpoints do not necessarily represent the viewpoints of Michael Snyder or the operators of the websites where my work is republished. I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is a great help.

24 Voices That Are Warning America About What Is Coming, And Most Of Them Are Being Censored And Persecuted

We have reached one of the most critical points in American history, and there should literally be thousands upon thousands of voices sounding the alarm about what is coming.  So where are they?  This is a question that I have been pondering quite a bit lately.  As you will see in this article, there are some wonderful people out there that have been trying to wake America up for a very long time.  Of course many of them are also being viciously attacked and systematically censored by the social media giants.  There is a price to pay for telling the truth in America today, and it is only going to get worse.

My wife encouraged me to write something positive today, and so I am going to give that a shot.  I am so troubled by the direction that this country is heading, and of course I am definitely not alone.  In this article, I am going to share a list of some other prominent voices that are warning about many of the exact same things that I am warning about.  Some of these names you will know, and some of these names you will not know.  My hope is that this list will allow many of you to discover some new voices that will be a blessing to you.  I have never been afraid to promote others, because the truth is that we are all part of the same team.

I apologize in advance for anyone that I may have overlooked that should be on this list.  That is always the danger in making a list like this, and I am sure I will be kicking myself later when readers email me and mention names that I forgot.

And please keep in mind that this is not a list of every good pundit, politician and preacher in America.  Instead, this is specifically a list of those that are sounding the alarm about what is ahead.  It is also important to keep in mind that not everyone on this list approaches things from the same perspective, but all of them deeply love this nation.  We are entering a time that will be unlike anything we have ever seen before in American history, and I wish that I could give you a list of thousands of “watchmen” that are trying to wake people up.  But for now, here is a list of 24 that I would recommend checking out…

#1 Alex Jones and the entire Infowars team – Alex and his team have been “the tip of the spear” for so many years, and I am so thankful for them.  They have been incredibly good to me, and I have always appreciated that they have always allowed me to say whatever I have wanted to say.  I can tell you from firsthand experience that they work incredibly hard, and the service that they provide the American people is invaluable.

#2 Mike Adams – The big tech companies have been trying to erase Mike Adams and NaturalNews.com from the Internet as much as they possibly can, but it hasn’t worked.  People know and trust the Health Ranger, and the information he provides is rock solid.  I have spent time with Mike in person, and he genuinely has a really good heart.  He truly wants to do the right thing, and he keeps getting persecuted for it.

#3 Steve Quayle – Has anyone on the Internet been sounding the alarm longer than Steve Quayle has?  Long before I ever started writing I was listening to Steve, and we all owe him a debt of gratitude.  His website is on my list of key news sites that I check on a daily basis, and I greatly admire his passion.  There is no question that he loves America, and it comes out in everything that he does.

#4 Zero Hedge – Speaking of key news sites, the guys over at Zero Hedge are doing an amazing job.  I still remember when Zero Hedge was a relatively new website, and it has maintained the same unique personality all this time.  Today, I consider it to be one of the most important news websites in the entire world.  I don’t just check it daily – I actually check it multiple times per day.

#5 Jonathan Cahn – Do you know why my friend Jonathan Cahn shines so brightly?  It is because he is so rare.  I wish that there were thousands more just like him, but there isn’t.  He is one of the greatest teachers in America, and if you ever want to get really fired up just pull up one of his videos on YouTube.  His books have touched millions and he is working incredibly hard to point America in the right direction.

#6 Dr. Michael Brown – Dr. Brown is one of the names on this list that I have never spoken to personally, but I hope that changes, because we are on the exact same wavelength much of the time.  His articles are always deeply insightful, and he is not afraid to say things that most others in the Christian community will not.  He is deeply intellectual, extremely wise and his voice is desperately needed in a time such as this.

#7 Mac Slavo – Mac has been running my articles on his excellent website for years, and I am very thankful for that.  Our websites came to prominence about the same time, and I have always considered him to be an extremely valuable member of the effort to wake America up.  He has always been very kind to me, and his information has had a tremendous impact from coast to coast.

#8 Daisy Luther – Daisy is known as “the Organic Prepper”, and she is one hard working lady.  She has a true gift for connecting with people, and her practical advice has helped countless numbers of families.  I have been featuring her articles periodically on The Most Important News, and I need to start doing that more often, because people love Daisy Luther.

#9 Carl Gallups – I wish that Carl lived right next door, because he just has a way of making people feel better.  He is simply the kind of guy that people love to hang out with.  I don’t know where he gets all of that energy, and when I got a chance to speak with him in person I was struck by how much joy he exudes.  And despite all of that, he never backs down from telling the truth, and he is always going to tell it to you straight.

#10 Marty Breeden – Many of you may not know Marty yet, but I hope that you soon will.  He is a former police officer with a really big heart, and he has been relentlessly warning America about what is ahead.  He actually went “code blue” twice, and what he experienced during that difficult time in the hospital changed his life forever.  Marty is a personal friend of mine, and I believe that his greatest days are still ahead.

#11 Stan Johnson – I have found that people either love Stan or they hate Stan.  And I can identify with that because I get attacked a lot too.  I love my friend Stan Johnson and I am so thankful for him.  My wife and I have been watching his videos for more than a decade, and he has continued to sound the alarm through thick and thin.  Stan and I developed an instant connection when we first met, and I know that he has a really good heart.

#12 Ricky Scaparo – Doesn’t Ricky do an absolutely fantastic job with End Time Headlines?  I check it every day, and I don’t know where he finds all of those stories.  I always find it humorous when he decides to redesign the site yet again, and hopefully he will stick with the current design for a while because it looks great.  And of course the information that he provides is always top notch.

#13 Dan Catlin – The work that Pastor Dan has done with the homeless in Wichita, Kansas is amazing, and he has been faithfully sounding the alarm on his radio shows for a very long time.  He has been so gracious to have me on his shows over and over again, and he has a super big heart.  I wish that there were thousands more Dan Catlins all over the country, because we definitely need more men like him.

#14 Bree Keyton – You might not know who Bree Keyton is, but you should.  Her work with the pygmies in Africa is the kind of stuff that legends are made out of, and she is absolutely fearless.  Every time I listen to her I learn something new, and she has been relentlessly warning America about what will happen if this nation doesn’t change direction.

#15 Augusto Perez – This is another voice that has been warning America about what is coming for a very long time.  Not a lot of people know Augusto, but he should be one of the most famous preachers in America.  He probably won’t get very popular until things really start going haywire, but Augusto was never in this for the fame.  He is just trying to be faithful to his call, and he is doing a great job.

#16 Zach Drew – I developed a close friendship with Zach from the very first time that I ever visited Morningside.  Of course he has his own show now, and it is doing very well.  Zach wants to be a voice that reaches the Millennials, and that is desperately needed at this hour.  We are losing an entire generation of young people, and I wish that there were thousands of more voices just like Zach trying to wake them up.

#17 Tom Horn – Does anyone else out there still remember Raiders News Network?  Of course that has evolved into SkywatchTV now, and Tom’s impact is literally felt all over the globe.  He dives deep into subjects that hardly anyone else will touch, and he has a sparkling reputation.  I hope that he continues his work for many more years to come, because he has become a tremendous light.

#18 L.A. Marzulli – L.A. has sure been through a lot over the years, but he has never lost his passion for his work.  He has truly gone places that no other researcher has gone before, and my wife and I have been exceedingly blessed by his videos.  And in the times that are coming, I believe that L.A.’s work will become more important than ever before.

#19 WND – Despite everything, WND continues to sound the alarm.  It was one of the very first big alternative websites on the Internet, and it has definitely been through some ups and downs.  But through it all the folks over there have continued to tell the truth, even though they have often paid a great price for doing so.

#20 Paul Begley – How in the world does Paul put out so many videos?  I just checked, and there are now over 14,000 videos on his YouTube channel.  Are you kidding me?  I know how much work it takes to do one video, and he just keeps pumping out multiple videos day after day after day.  He is deeply committed to waking people up, and he has developed a very large following.

#22 Michael Boldea – My wife and I are so thankful for Michael and for his late grandfather.  Michael continues to try to wake up America, and he also continues to help orphans in Romania through Hand of Help.  And this is something that I have found to be true with so many of these watchmen.  They are sounding the alarm, but they are also working hard to help those that are in need around them.

#23 Coach Dave Daubenmire – There is only one Coach Dave, and he is just as relentless as ever.  Could you imagine what this country would look like if we could clone Coach Dave and have those clones replace every single member of Congress?  He speaks the truth with great boldness, and he never backs down.

#24 Greg Hunter – Greg has become one of the top interviewers in America, and I am always amazed by the guests that he is able to book.  He very graciously invited me to be a guest on his show this week, and our conversation is definitely making a lot of waves.  But I think that our conversation after the interview was over was even better.  Greg is a really good guy, and I look forward to being on his show again soon.

So are there other names that you would add to this list?

Please feel free to tell me what you think by posting a comment below…

About the Author: I am a voice crying out for change in a society that generally seems content to stay asleep. My name is Michael Snyder and I am the publisher of The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe. I have written four books that are available on Amazon.com including The Beginning Of The End, Get Prepared Now, and Living A Life That Really Matters. (#CommissionsEarned) By purchasing those books you help to support my work. I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but due to government regulations I need those that republish my articles to include this “About the Author” section with each article. In order to comply with those government regulations, I need to tell you that the controversial opinions in this article are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the websites where my work is republished. This article may contain opinions on political matters, but it is not intended to promote the candidacy of any particular political candidate. The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions. Those responding to this article by making comments are solely responsible for their viewpoints, and those viewpoints do not necessarily represent the viewpoints of Michael Snyder or the operators of the websites where my work is republished. I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is a great help.

Signs Of The Times: Mt. Rainier And The New Madrid Fault Zone Were Both Just Hit By Significant Earthquakes

Mt. Rainier and the New Madrid fault zone are both shaking, and a catastrophic seismic event at either location would cause death and destruction on an unimaginable scale.  Mt. Rainier has been called “one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world”, and scientists tell us that it is just a matter of time before a major eruption occurs.  When that day finally arrives, Mt. Rainier has the potential to bury hundreds of square miles with a colossal tsunami of super-heated mud that is literally several hundred feet deep.  And since Mt. Rainier is very close to major population centers, we are talking about the potential for the worst disaster that we have seen in modern American history.  But a massive earthquake along the New Madrid fault zone actually has the potential to be far worse.  A very deep scar under the ground that was created when North America was originally formed has made that part of the country very mechanically weak, and many experts believe that a big enough earthquake along that fault zone could literally rip the United States in half.

But before we discuss the New Madrid fault zone, let’s talk about what just happened at Mt. Rainier first.

According to the USGS, Mt. Rainier was hit by a magnitude 3.6 earthquake on Sunday afternoon…

After a spurt of seismic activity this weekend, Mount Rainier National Park was shaken by a 3.6 magnitude earthquake Sunday afternoon.

The quake hit at 12:31 p.m. and was felt as far as Kent, nearly 80 miles away, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. The relatively shallow quake was centered roughly a mile beneath the earth’s surface.

In addition to that quake, there have been quite a few others in recent days.

In fact, it is being reported that Mt. Rainier has been hit by “more than a dozen” earthquakes since Thanksgiving day.

The Seattle Times is assuring us that this is perfectly normal, but they are also warning their readers that they “should prepare for what might happen in the event of an eruption” just in case…

Regardless, people living near Mount Rainier should prepare for what might happen in the event of an eruption, said Wes Thelen, a research seismologist at the Cascade Volcano Observatory. Specifically, an eruption could cause lahars — large volcanic mudflows — to rip down the side of the mountain.

Many of my readers clearly remember the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980, but a catastrophic eruption of Mt. Rainier would be so much worse that the two events would not even be worth comparing.  The following comes from Wikipedia…

If Mt. Rainier were to erupt as powerfully as Mount St. Helens did in its May 18, 1980 eruption, the effect would be cumulatively greater, because of the far more massive amounts of glacial ice locked on the volcano compared to Mount St. Helens,[40] the vastly more heavily populated areas surrounding Rainier, and the simple fact that Mt Rainier is a much bigger volcano, almost twice the size of St. Helens.[49] Lahars from Rainier pose the most risk to life and property,[50] as many communities lie atop older lahar deposits. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), about 150,000 people live on top of old lahar deposits of Rainier.[9] Not only is there much ice atop the volcano, the volcano is also slowly being weakened by hydrothermal activity. According to Geoff Clayton, a geologist with a Washington State Geology firm, RH2 Engineering, a repeat of the 5000-year-old Osceola Mudflow would destroy Enumclaw, Orting, Kent, Auburn, Puyallup, Sumner and all of Renton.[39] Such a mudflow might also reach down the Duwamish estuary and destroy parts of downtown Seattle, and cause tsunami in Puget Sound and Lake Washington.[51] Rainier is also capable of producing pyroclastic flows and expelling lava.[51]

A lahar is essentially a giant tsunami of super-heated mud, and they can be hundreds of feet high.  If you live in that region, you might be thinking that you will just outrun any lahar that is headed your way, but the truth is that the highways will instantly be jammed once an eruption happens and a lahar can travel at speeds of up to 50 miles per hour.  The following is how one author described the danger that those living in the area could potentially be facing…

The numerous towns and cities that occupy the surrounding valley would all be at risk for not only severe destruction, but complete annihilation. Residents of cities like Orting, Sumner, Buckley, and Enumclaw are estimated to have no more than 30 minutes before the lahar, speeding down from the many rivers that flow from Mount Rainier, buries their homes and businesses beneath as much as 30 feet of mud and debris. Even the larger cities like Auburn, Puyallup, and Tacoma itself are not safe. Auburn and Puyallup, with nearly 80,000 residents between them, would be covered in 20 feet of mud in less than an hour, and Tacoma, at almost 200,000, is estimated to be hit with nearly 10 feet from the lahar.

As you can see, the death and destruction would be off the charts, and let us hope that such a disaster does not arrive any time soon.

And as I mentioned earlier, a major earthquake along the New Madrid fault zone has the potential to create even greater death and destruction.

According to scientists, the New Madrid fault zone sits directly above a very deep geological scar that was created when North America was formed.  According to Wikipedia, this immense scar makes “the Earth’s crust in the New Madrid area mechanically weaker than much of the rest of North America”.

Today, the New Madrid fault zone is approximately six times bigger than the San Andreas fault zone in California.  It covers portions of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee and Mississippi, and the largest earthquakes in the lower 48 states have happened in this region.

Scientists assure us that it is just a matter of time before more catastrophic earthquakes hit this fault zone, and that is why what has been happening near the town of Ridgely, Tennessee in recent days is so concerning…

A swarm of at least 15 earthquakes reaching up to 2.1 magnitude rattled Ridgely, Tennessee — a small town near the Mississippi River — over a two-day period, the U.S. Geological Survey reports.

The other quakes in the swarm ranged from 1.1 to 1.5 magnitude, according to the USGS.

Most Americans have never heard of Ridgely, and it is definitely a very small town, but what makes this so important is that Ridgely sits directly inside the New Madrid fault zone…

Ridgely is home to just 1,657 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and sits less than four miles from the banks of the Mississippi River.

It’s also part of the New Madrid Seismic Zone — which the Missouri Department of Natural Resources refers to as “the most active seismic area in the United States, east of the Rocky Mountains.”

In 1811 and 1812, four absolutely massive earthquakes along the New Madrid fault zone opened up very deep fissures in the ground, they caused the Mississippi River to actually run backwards in certain places, and they were reportedly felt as far away as Washington D.C. and Boston.

Fortunately, very few people populated the region in those days, but if such a quake happened today the death and destruction would be unimaginable.  The following description of one of the quakes that happened in 1811 comes from Smithsonian.com, and for a moment I would like for you to imagine what would happen if such an earthquake happened in our time…

The Midwest was sparsely populated, and deaths were few. But 8-year-old Godfrey Lesieur saw the ground “rolling in waves.” Michael Braunm observed the river suddenly rise up “like a great loaf of bread to the height of many feet.” Sections of riverbed below the Mississippi rose so high that part of the river ran backward. Thousands of fissures ripped open fields, and geysers burst from the earth, spewing sand, water, mud and coal high into the air.

The New Madrid fault zone has altered the course of the Mississippi River before, and someday it will happen again.

We live at a time when our planet appears to be getting increasing unstable.  In addition to the other earthquakes that I have already mentioned, Alaska was actually hit by a magnitude 6.0 earthquake on Monday.

Unfortunately, most Americans are not going to start caring about the warning signs until a major disaster has already happened.

Most people will simply not wake up without a major amount of shaking, and let us hope that such a day can be put off for as long as possible.

About the Author: I am a voice crying out for change in a society that generally seems content to stay asleep. My name is Michael Snyder and I am the publisher of The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe. I have written four books that are available on Amazon.com including The Beginning Of The End, Get Prepared Now, and Living A Life That Really Matters. (#CommissionsEarned) By purchasing those books you help to support my work. I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but due to government regulations I need those that republish my articles to include this “About the Author” section with each article. In order to comply with those government regulations, I need to tell you that the controversial opinions in this article are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the websites where my work is republished. This article may contain opinions on political matters, but it is not intended to promote the candidacy of any particular political candidate. The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions. Those responding to this article by making comments are solely responsible for their viewpoints, and those viewpoints do not necessarily represent the viewpoints of Michael Snyder or the operators of the websites where my work is republished. I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is a great help.

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