Money

The Most Memorable Quote From Each Of The 10 Candidates During Thursday’s Democratic Presidential Debate…

Okay, so let’s talk about Thursday’s debate.  Apparently, every month the Democrats are going to subject us to at least one of these debates, and I suppose that this time around we should be thankful that they did not stretch things out over two nights.  All of the big news networks are covering the debate as if it was some sort of political playoff game, but the truth is that Thursday’s debate probably won’t move the numbers much at all.  Nothing of substance was said that wasn’t said in previous debates, and there were no defining moments that will significantly change the course of the campaign.  So that is really bad news for anyone not named Joe, Bernie or Elizabeth.  Real Clear Politics keeps a running average of all the recent major national polls, and according to them none of the other candidates is even close to double digits right now.  It looks like it is going to be a three way race between Biden, Sanders and Warren, and Warren appears to be the one with momentum.  Of course it is still possible that something huge could happen between now and the beginning of next year that could fundamentally shake up the race, but as it stands now the other seven candidates that were on the stage with them might as well pack up and go home.

So the truth is that the debate really wasn’t that important, but many Americans watch these debates for the sheer entertainment value.  With that in mind, here is the most memorable quote from each of the 10 candidates during Thursday’s Democratic presidential debate…

–Cory Booker: “I’m the only person on this stage that finds (Justin) Trudeau’s hair very menacing”

–Joe Biden to Bernie Sanders: “For a socialist, you’ve got a lot more confidence in corporate America than I do.”

–Bernie Sanders: “It goes without saying that we must — and will — defeat Trump, the most dangerous president in the history of this country.”

–Kamala Harris: “But the bottom line is this, Donald Trump in office on trade policy, you know, he reminds me of that guy in “The Wizard of Oz,” you know, when you pull back the curtain, it’s a really small dude?”

–Amy Klobuchar: “What [Trump] has done here, has assessed these tariffs on our allies, he’s put us in the middle of the trade war and treating our farmers and workers like poker chips in one of his bankrupt casinos.”

–Pete Buttigieg: “Well, the president clearly has no strategy. You know, when I first got into this race, I remember president Trump scoffed and said he’d like to see me make a deal with Xi Jinping. I’d like to see him making a deal with XI Jinping. Is it just me or was that supposed to happen in like April?”

–Julian Castro to Joe Biden: “Barack Obama’s vision was not to leave 10 million people uncovered. He wanted every single person in this country covered. My plan would do that, your plan would not.”

–Elizabeth Warren: “I was in the United States Senate when 54 Senators said, ‘let’s do background checks, let’s get rid of assault weapons’ and with 54 Senators, it failed because of the filibuster. Until we attack the systemic problems, we can’t get gun reform in this country.”

–Beto O’Rourke: “We’re going to take your AR-15, your AK-47. We’re not going to allow it to be used against our fellow Americans anymore.”

–Andrew Yang: “My campaign will now give a freedom dividend of $1,000 a month for an entire year to 10 American families”

Yes, we have literally gotten to the point where presidential candidates are trying to win votes by offering cash handouts.  If he wins the election, Yang is promising to give $1,000 a month to everyone in America.  Back during the founding of our nation, Benjamin Franklin warned that this would happen someday…

“When the people find that they can vote themselves money that will herald the end of the republic.”

Apparently Andrew Yang decided that he can’t wait until he is president to start handing out free cash, and his unusual announcement is making headlines all over the country.

While doing research for this article, I discovered that the Yang campaign has already begun running ads for this cash giveaway, and I was curious so I clicked on one of the ads.

I learned that you don’t have to actually donate any money to his campaign to qualify for the contest, and you don’t even have to be a Democrat to participate.

So I signed up.

If Andrew Yang wants to financially support my work for an entire year, I will gladly take his money.

Of course what I believe is diametrically opposed to just about everything he believes, and so he probably won’t be too thrilled if I win.

Personally, I think that Yang is making a mistake with his proposal to offer every American $1,000 a month if he becomes president.  With the cost of living these days, $1,000 a month doesn’t really go that far.

If he really wanted to get votes, he should have set the bar higher.  $5,000 a month would really start to get a lot of people excited, and $10,000 a month would be even better.

Yes, if we could all get $10,000 a month from the federal government each month we could all retire and nobody would ever have to work again and we could all spend our days frolicking in our new socialist utopia.

Isn’t that how it is supposed to work?

Sadly, our politicians seem to get more disconnected from the real world with each passing day.  We are 22 trillion dollars in debt, our nation is falling apart all around us, and we are rapidly steamrolling toward oblivion.

But most Americans continue to fall for the con game that our political system has become, and so the endless parade of clowns will continue.

About the author: Michael Snyder is a nationally-syndicated writer, media personality and political activist. He is the author of four books including Get Prepared Now, The Beginning Of The End and Living A Life That Really Matters. His articles are originally published on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News. From there, his articles are republished on dozens of other prominent websites. If you would like to republish his articles, please feel free to do so. The more people that see this information the better, and we need to wake more people up while there is still time.

The Suicide Rate In The U.S. Has Hit The Highest Level In 50 Years, And There Is Concern That It Will Go Much Higher

Despite the fact that more money is being spent on suicide prevention efforts than ever before in our history, the suicide rate in the United States continues to rise dramatically.  As you will see below, one new study has discovered that our suicide rate actually increased by 41 percent between 1999 and 2016.  Even though we have the highest standard of living that any generation of Americans has ever enjoyed, we are an exceedingly unhappy nation and we are killing ourselves in unprecedented numbers.  This shouldn’t be happening, but unfortunately the forces that have taken over our culture have convinced multitudes of Americans that their lives are not worth living any longer.  In a culture where truth has been abandoned, it is easy for lies to run rampant, and it takes a great deal of deception to get someone to willingly choose to embrace suicide.  No matter what you are going through right now, there is always a way to turn things around, and we all have been given lives worth living.

Sadly, the suicide rate in this country has continued to escalate year after year.  According to the Los Angeles Times, 2017 is “the latest year for which reliable statistics are available”, and in that year the U.S. suicide rate hit a 50 year high…

Whether they are densely populated or deeply rural, few communities in the United States have escaped a shocking increase in suicides over the last two decades. From 1999 to 2016, suicide claimed the lives of 453,577 adults between the ages of 25 and 64 — enough to fill more than 1,000 jumbo jets.

Suicides reached a 50-year peak in 2017, the latest year for which reliable statistics are available.

These numbers come from a new study that was just released, and it claims that our suicide rate actually increased by 41 percent between 1999 and 2016…

The researchers evaluated national suicide data collected between 1999 and 2016, then created a county-by-county estimation of suicide rates among all adults between the ages of 25-64. In that time period, suicide rates rose an astonishing 41%; from a median of 15 suicides per 100,000 county residents in 1999 to 21.2 in the last three years of analysis.

And suicide is also a rapidly growing problem among our teens and young adults as well.

In fact, suicide is now the second leading cause of death for Americans from age 10 to age 24.

Everyone goes through very low times, and for many people it can seem like those low times will never end.  But when I was at my lowest points many years ago, I always had faith that better days were coming, even though at the time I couldn’t even imagine the absolutely amazing things that were ahead for me.  The point that I am trying to make is that we simply do not know what the future will hold.  No matter how dark things may seem to you right now, a miracle could literally be right around the corner.

This new study that just came out also discovered that suicide rates are significantly higher in rural parts of the country…

It was noted that suicide rates were at their highest in less-populous counties and in areas where people have lower incomes and diminished access to resources. For example, between 2014 and 2016, there were 17.6 suicides per 100,000 people in large metropolitan counties, noticeably lower than the 22 suicides per 100,000 people recorded in rural counties.

The quality of life in rural areas is so much nicer in so many ways, but there is also a lot of isolation and poverty as well.  Humans are meant to be social creatures, and when there aren’t a lot of people around that can feed feelings of depression.  And if someone is deeply struggling with poverty, it can be difficult to see a way out in an area with few economic opportunities.  According to Brookings Institution research analyst Carol Graham, many Americans living in such areas “see no optimism for the future”…

“These are the places that used to be thriving rural places, near enough to cities and manufacturing hubs,” she said. “They’re places that accord with a stereotypical picture of stable blue-collar existence — and a quite nice existence — for whites in the heartland.”

With the collapse of extractive industries such as coal mining, the departure of manufacturing jobs, and a strapped agricultural economy, “these communities just got flipped on their head,” Graham observed. “And the people in those places became unhinged. You’d have a sense of places where everything has left. And among those who stay, you see no optimism for the future.”

If this is happening now, while economic conditions are still relatively stable, what is going to happen to the suicide rate during the next major U.S. economic downturn?

There is never, ever, ever a good reason for someone to commit suicide, but unfortunately during the next recession we are likely to see the suicide rate rise substantially higher.

Another factor that is resulting in a higher rate of suicide in rural areas is a lack of health insurance…

Last but certainly not least, a lack of health insurance coverage is significantly associated with rising suicide rates in rural US counties.

Specifically, the researchers observed that the more people in a county who didn’t have health insurance coverage, the higher that county’s suicide rate was.

When you are buried in medical bills that you know that you will never be able to pay, it can be exceedingly difficult to envision brighter days ahead.  Our healthcare system is deeply, deeply broken, and this is something that I wrote about on Tuesday.

It is such a tragedy when people choose to end their lives because of financial circumstances, because financial circumstances are always temporary.

No matter how bad things are in your life right now, there is always a way to turn them around.  The best days of your life could still be ahead for you, but you have got to be willing to believe that this is true.

Life is an absolutely incredible gift, and don’t let anyone ever convince you that you should end it.

It has been said that life is like a coin.  You can spend it any way that you want, but you can only spend it once.  I would encourage you to spend it loving others greatly, enjoying each day to the fullest, and doing something that truly matters.

About the author: Michael Snyder is a nationally-syndicated writer, media personality and political activist. He is the author of four books including Get Prepared Now, The Beginning Of The End and Living A Life That Really Matters. His articles are originally published on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News. From there, his articles are republished on dozens of other prominent websites. If you would like to republish his articles, please feel free to do so. The more people that see this information the better, and we need to wake more people up while there is still time.

Temperatures In The Pacific Ocean Have Shot Up To Dangerous Levels, And Scientists Are Blaming A “Strange Anomaly”

It is being called “the Pacific marine heatwave of 2019”, and officials are warning that it could have very frightening implications if it does not dissipate soon.  Right now, there is a vast expanse of water stretching from northern Alaska all the way to southern California where the water temperatures have rapidly risen to very dangerous levels.  In fact, in some spots the water temperature is already “as much as 6 degrees Fahrenheit above normal”, and there is a tremendous amount of concern about what will happen if the water continues to become even warmer.  At this point things are already so bad that we are being warned that this strange anomaly could “ravage marine life and decimate commercial fishing” all along the west coast.  The following comes from NPR…

A huge new marine heat wave has gripped the waters off the U.S. West Coast, threatening to ravage marine life and decimate commercial fishing over an expanse of the Pacific Ocean.

We are being told that this new anomaly is probably similar to another “marine heatwave” known as “the Blob” that made global headlines when it struck the region in 2014.

And if that is true, then things will definitely get very uncomfortable for marine life, but conditions will eventually go back to normal.  Although for the near future we are being warned that this anomaly is “on a trajectory to be as strong as the prior event”…

“It’s on a trajectory to be as strong as the prior event,” said Andrew Leising, a research scientist at the Southwest Fisheries Science Center. About five years ago, sea temperatures peaked at close to 7 degrees Fahrenheit above average. This year’s heat wave already is almost as large and almost as warm, with temperatures as much as 6 degrees Fahrenheit above normal over a very large area. The size and intensity of the heat wave are ominous signs of its potential danger to marine life.

But what if this new anomaly is not being caused by temporary weather patterns?

Normally, ocean temperatures take a substantial amount of time to change so dramatically, but in this case we have seen a radical change in temperatures “in just three months”…

“It went from a little bit warmer than average to about as warm as we’ve ever seen it, in just three months,” said Nate Mantua, a research scientist at Noaa’s Southwest Fisheries Science Center in Santa Cruz, California.

Could it be possible that this new anomaly is being caused by something else this time around?

We don’t know, and most of the experts are assuring us that we don’t have too much to worry about, but the size of this new blob has already reached 2.5 million square miles and it continues to expand at an aggressive pace.

The weeks ahead should tell us more.  The previous “Blob” dissipated very rapidly once weather patterns shifted, and hopefully that will happen to this new anomaly.

But if ocean temperatures remain elevated or go up even higher, that could potentially be absolutely devastating for marine life along the west coast, and experts are already warning about what could happen to the salmon population…

“Ocean conditions can be stressful for the salmon, if the temperatures get really warm and their food supplies are very poor,” Mantua said. “That’s a tough combination for them, because their metabolic rates go up with higher temperatures, so their need for food increases and the food supply is going down at same time.”

And it doesn’t take that much of a temperature change to put their lives in jeopardy.  The following information comes from the Seattle Times…

Sustained water temperatures above 68 degrees Fahrenheit can stress young salmon, increase disease and keep adult salmon from reaching their spawning grounds. Water temperatures above 73 degrees can be lethal.

According to Dr. Andrew Leising, this new anomaly is already “one of the most significant events that we’ve seen”, and it just keeps getting worse.

So let’s keep a close eye on it.

To me, an image that the NOAA recently released certainly makes it look like what we are experiencing in September 2019 is significantly more severe than what we experienced in September 2014.  And if ocean temperatures continue to rise, it is inevitable that a lot of sea creatures will die.

But if this new anomaly is being caused by the exact same thing that caused “the Blob” to appear in 2014, then it could dissipate just as quickly and this will just be a relatively temporary phenomenon.

Unfortunately, we don’t know if any of that is true at this point, and there is definitely a possibility that this could be just the beginning of a truly catastrophic event.

What we do know is that we have seen bizarre weather extremes all over the world so far in 2019, and there has been a tremendous amount of global seismic activity.  We live at a time when our planet is becoming increasingly unstable, and many are extremely concerned about what is coming in the years ahead.

We get a tremendous amount of food out of the oceans, and so their stability is of paramount importance.

If ocean temperatures rise high enough, millions of fish will perish, and that will put even more stress on our increasingly strained global food supply.

So many elements of “the perfect storm” are already coming together, and this is yet another one that we can add to the list.

About the author: Michael Snyder is a nationally-syndicated writer, media personality and political activist. He is the author of four books including Get Prepared Now, The Beginning Of The End and Living A Life That Really Matters. His articles are originally published on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News. From there, his articles are republished on dozens of other prominent websites. If you would like to republish his articles, please feel free to do so. The more people that see this information the better, and we need to wake more people up while there is still time.

Hurricane Dorian Has Regained Strength And Is Reportedly “On A Collision Course With The Carolinas”

Are the Carolinas about to take a direct hit from Hurricane Dorian?  As you will see below, that is what some mainstream media reports appear to indicate, but the truth is much more nuanced than that.  Yes, Dorian is definitely heading toward the Carolinas, and without a doubt there is a possibility that it could make landfall along the coast, but there is no guarantee that this will happen.  Meteorologists are telling us that Dorian will eventually be pushed out of danger to the north and east, but that may not happen in time to spare many coastal communities in both North and South Carolina.  And let there be no mistake – this remains an exceedingly dangerous storm.  In fact, in recent hours the storm has regained strength and has become even larger…

Stronger and a little larger, Hurricane Dorian is gradually leaving Florida behind, setting its sights on the coasts of Georgia and the Carolinas. These areas face a triple threat of “destructive winds, flooding rains, and life-threatening storm surges,” according to the National Hurricane Center.

We actually do not know if Dorian will make landfall in the Carolinas at this point, but after reading some mainstream articles you would be tempted to think that is precisely what is going to happen.  For example, the following comes from USA Today…

Hurricane Dorian swept past Florida on Wednesday on a collision course with the Carolinas, claiming its first life in the U.S. and promising heavy rains, powerful winds and damaging surge.

That certainly makes it sound like the Carolinas are definitely going to take a direct hit from this storm, right?

But the latest official forecast makes it very clear that things could go either way.  The following comes to us from the NOAA…

At 800 PM EDT (0000 UTC), the large eye of Hurricane Dorian was located near latitude 30.9 North, longitude 79.8 West. Dorian is moving northward near 8 mph (13 km/h). A turn to the north-northeast is anticipated on Thursday, with a turn toward the northeast on Thursday night. A northeastward motion at a faster forward speed is forecast on Friday. On the forecast track, the center of Dorian will continue to approach the coast of South Carolina tonight, move near or over the coast of South Carolina on Thursday, and then move near or over the coast of North Carolina Thursday night and Friday.

But whether this storm officially makes landfall or not, the storm surge that will be created will certainly be immense.

And even though it is no longer a Category 5 storm, Dorian is still capable of “pushing vast amounts of water” because of how absolutely enormous it is…

Now that Dorian is starting to accelerate northward, the storm surge threat to the vulnerable Southeast U.S. coast will increase. Dorian’s enlarged circulation is pushing vast amounts of water, so the surge will be larger than one might assume from Dorian’s decrease from Category 5 to Category 2 strength. Hurricanes such as Ike (2008) and Sandy (2012) produced massively destructive surge long after their peak winds decreased and their circulations expanded.

So those along the Carolina coastline that are not taking this storm seriously are in desperate need of a reality check.

According to Fox News, some of the waves could be up to 37 feet high.

More than a million people along the east coast have been ordered to evacuate, and North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper is strongly urging those in the danger zone to obey those orders…

“Leave now if you are in an area where an evacuation has been ordered,” North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper urged. “It is not worth putting your life – or the life of first responders – at risk.”

Cooper said an 85-year-old man fell to his death from a ladder while preparing his Columbus County home for the storm. At least 20 deaths in the Bahamas have been linked to Dorian.

In life, timing can be everything, and if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time it can literally cost you your life.

By the beginning of next week communities along the Carolina coastline will be completely out of danger, but over the next couple of days we could potentially see some needless deaths because certain people stubbornly refused to evacuate.

If you don’t believe that the danger is real, perhaps you need to read more about what this storm just did to the Bahamas…

The extent of Dorian’s destruction across the Northern Bahamas is immense. As seen from the air over Abaco Island, the damage stretches for miles.

Entire neighborhoods are flattened, homes shredded, shipping containers and boats hurled inland. Some airports now look more like lakes. The terminal of one airport is now shrouded in debris.

Yes, Dorian is no longer a Category 5 storm, but neither was Hurricane Katrina when it hit New Orleans.

In fact, Hurricane Katrina was only a Category 3 storm when it finally made landfall.

We should be thankful that a “worst case scenario” for this storm never materialized, because what happened to the Bahamas could have very easily happened to us.  It was the worst natural disaster that those islands have ever seen, and the recovery process is going to be measured in years.

By Saturday the danger should be gone, but authorities are watching several more potentially dangerous storms right now.  Hurricane season does not end until November 30th, and so we are definitely not out of the woods yet.

Global weather patterns have definitely been behaving very strangely all year long, and we could most certainly see even more surprises in the weeks ahead.

About the author: Michael Snyder is a nationally-syndicated writer, media personality and political activist. He is the author of four books including Get Prepared Now, The Beginning Of The End and Living A Life That Really Matters. His articles are originally published on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News. From there, his articles are republished on dozens of other prominent websites. If you would like to republish his articles, please feel free to do so. The more people that see this information the better, and we need to wake more people up while there is still time.

“Monster” Hurricane Dorian Is Projected To Be “A Very Big Hurricane, Perhaps One Of The Biggest”

Well, that certainly escalated quickly.  On Wednesday we were told that Hurricane Dorian would only be a Category 3 storm when it hits the Florida coastline, but now we are being told that it will be a Category 4 storm.  Hurricane Dorian is rapidly gaining strength over very warm waters in the Atlantic Ocean, and the latest forecast has it making landfall somewhere along the east coast of Florida on Monday.  If it is officially a Category 4 storm when it arrives, it will be the most powerful storm to hit the east coast of Florida since Hurricane Andrew in 1992.  Dorian is being described as a “monster hurricane”, and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has already declared a state of emergency for all 67 counties in the state of Florida.

We will see how things develop over the next several days, but at this point it has become clear that Dorian has the potential to be an exceedingly dangerous storm.

In fact, President Trump himself is telling us that Dorian could be “perhaps one of the biggest” hurricanes that the U.S. has ever seen…

Hurricane Dorian looks like it will be hitting Florida late Sunday night. Be prepared and please follow State and Federal instructions, it will be a very big Hurricane, perhaps one of the biggest!

The reason why meteorologists are so concerned is because Dorian will be traveling over extremely warm waters for the next 48 hours, and that means that we should see “steady intensification during the next 2 to 3 days”…

“The warmer the water, the more moisture is in the air,’’ the website for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says. “And that could mean bigger and stronger hurricanes.’’

The weather service said current conditions in the Atlantic “should allow for at least steady intensification during the next 2 to 3 days.’’

We haven’t seen such favorable conditions for a storm in a very long time, and so ultimately it is difficult to project just how bad this storm will turn out to be.

At this point, authorities are telling us that we should expect winds of “at least 130 mph” when it finally strikes the mainland…

It is in that kind of environment that Hurricane Dorian, currently at Category 1, is expected to gain considerable strength as it heads northwest, with the Sunshine State almost certainly on its path.

Forecasts call for Dorian to increase in intensity and become a Category 4 hurricane, with winds of at least 130 mph, and it could strike the U.S. on Labor Day. The National Hurricane Center says it will “remain an extremely dangerous hurricane through the weekend.’’

It is interesting to note that Thursday is the 14th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina hitting New Orleans.  We remember what a monstrous storm that was, but the truth is that it was only a Category 3 storm when it made landfall…

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell commemorated the 14th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina today during a wreath-laying ceremony.

LaToya and other public officials gathered at the Katrina Memorial on Canal Street to remember the victims of the storm, which made landfall near Grand Isle, Louisiana, in 2005 as a Category 3 storm with winds near 127 mph.

So that means that Hurricane Dorian has the potential to be worse than Hurricane Katrina.

And Florida is not the only state that is in danger.  Some meteorologists are warning that after it passes over Florida, Dorian could enter the Gulf of Mexico, restrengthen, and make “a second landfall” somewhere along the Gulf Coast…

Though it’s forecast to hit somewhere along the east coast of Florida, there “is certainly a chance that the storm could drift into the Gulf of Mexico and produce a second landfall,” noted University of Georgia meteorologist Marshall Shepherd in Forbes.

In addition, we shouldn’t discount the possibility that Dorian could continue turning south, bypass Florida entirely, and enter the Gulf of Mexico as one of the most dangerous storms that we have ever seen.

Needless to say, that would definitely be a “nightmare scenario”, and there are many of us that will be watching the development of this storm with great interest.

We just don’t know how this storm is going to play out yet, but store shelves in Florida are already being stripped clean as residents feverishly prepare for what is ahead…

In Port Orange, 40 miles northeast of Orlando, Brooke Koontz found shelves of bread and water nearly empty at a Walmart on Wednesday. There were also slim pickings among canned goods, toiletries and bananas, too.

Thankfully, soon after she arrived, employees brought out a pallet of water.

“It was gone in seconds,” she told CNN. “People were trying to race.”

Of course if they had gotten prepared in advance, there would be no need to panic.

What is happening in Florida right now should be a lesson for all of us.  If a horrific national crisis of some sort were to suddenly erupt, food and other critical supplies would disappear from the stores almost instantly.  If you were not one of the lucky few that got to the stores in time, you would be forced to depend on whatever you already had on hand.  And for many Americans, that is not a whole lot.

If this storm is as powerful as they are now projecting, it is likely that there will be widespread power outages.  One south Florida resident told one reporter that his family was without power for 13 days after Hurricane Irma struck two years ago…

Sanchez, who was filling tanks of gas for generators after he waited his turn, told NBC affiliate WBBH of Fort Myers that he didn’t want to have to relive what he and his family went through during Hurricane Irma two years ago.

“We were stuck with no electricity for almost 13 days, so you see I’m going to be prepared,” he said.

It certainly appears that this storm will be much more powerful than Hurricane Irma was when it made landfall, and that is really, really bad news for those living in the Sunshine State.

Let’s keep them in prayer, and let’s also hope that this storm doesn’t get into the Gulf of Mexico, because that would be the worst scenario of all for this storm.

About the author: Michael Snyder is a nationally-syndicated writer, media personality and political activist. He is the author of four books including Get Prepared Now, The Beginning Of The End and Living A Life That Really Matters. His articles are originally published on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News. From there, his articles are republished on dozens of other prominent websites. If you would like to republish his articles, please feel free to do so. The more people that see this information the better, and we need to wake more people up while there is still time.

Is There A Hidden Political Agenda? The Mainstream Media Is Suddenly Full Of Stories About The Coming Recession

All of a sudden, it seems like the mainstream media just can’t stop talking about “the coming recession”.  If you go to Google News and type in the word “recession”, you will literally get dozens of articles from the last couple of days with “recession” in the headline.  And of course it is true that there are signs of global economic trouble all around us, and I have been documenting them on my website all throughout 2019.  So we don’t want to criticize the mainstream media when they actually decide to tell the truth, because a recession is definitely coming, but could it be possible that there is also a hidden political agenda at work?  The economy is generally regarded to be one of the bright spots for President Trump, and political operatives on the left clearly understand that a major economic downturn now would spell almost certain doom for Trump’s chances of winning the 2020 election.  And when mainstream reporters talk about the possibility of a recession as we approach the next election, many of them almost seem gleeful as they describe how it could hurt Trump politically.  Ultimately, when things start to really get bad it is inevitable that the mainstream media will place the blame directly at the feet of Trump.  It is easy to imagine a narrative along the lines of “Trump’s handling of the economy has plunged the nation into a recession” being relentlessly pounded into the heads of American voters over the next year.  And if the end result is Trump being voted out of office, more than 90 percent of those that work for the big news companies will be just fine with that.

This week, we have seen an absolute explosion in the number of stories about the possibility of an imminent recession.  The following are just a few of the stories I came across while doing research earlier today…

–A global recession may be coming a lot sooner than anyone thought

–Recession watch: 6 financial moves to make when the economy slows down

–Trump 2020 can’t afford a recession

–The recession question we should be asking isn’t ‘when’ but ‘how bad?’

–Recession fears explained in one simple sentence

–Recession ahead? Dow, stocks tank on fears that bond market signals a downturn

–Recession indicator with perfect track record flashing red

–Recession signs are flashing, but Americans are still shopping at Walmart

–Worried about a recession? Don’t panic, but be prepared

Of course many of these stories were sparked by a major event that we just witnessed on Wall Street.  The following comes from Fox Business…

The yield curve is blaring a recession warning.

The spread between the U.S. 2-year and 10-year yields on Wednesday turned negative for the first time since 2007. Such a development has occurred ahead of each and every U.S. recession of the last 50 years, sometimes leading by as much as 24 months.

Yes, it is possible that the yield curve could be wrong this time, but I wouldn’t bet on it.

And the economic news that is coming in from all over the world just continues to confirm that conditions are deteriorating.  On Thursday, we learned that U.S. manufacturing has slumped back into contraction territory, and earlier this week we got some really troubling news from Germany and China…

Germany – Europe’s largest economy – reported that its gross domestic product, a measure of an economy’s health, went negative in the second quarter.

In China, the country’s industrial output in July hit a 17-year low, Detrick said. Retail sales and investment in real estate and other fixed assets weakened, an indication the world’s second-biggest economy is feeling pressure.

So it isn’t as if the mainstream media is being dishonest with us in this case.  Global economic activity is most definitely slowing down, and many believe that things will get much worse during the second half of this year.

And a global economic slowdown would be terrible news for the Trump campaign, because their entire narrative depends on President Trump making the economy great again.  A substantial percentage of American voters are convinced that since he is a billionaire, Trump must really understand the economy very well.  And according to a CNN poll from earlier this year, the performance of the economy is one of the main reasons for his current level of support…

Right now, the main reason voters approve of Trump’s job performance is the economy. A CNN poll from late May found that 26% of those who approve of Trump’s job performance said it was mainly because of the economy. That was more than double the next most commonly given answer. Additionally, 8% said jobs/unemployment was the main reason for why they approved of Trump. Among those who disapproved, few said anything related to the economy was the main reason why they disapproved of Trump. For example, only 1% said the Trump tax cuts.

But if the U.S. economy plunges into a painful recession, the game completely changes.

For those on the left that would like to see Trump voted out in 2020, the timing of the next recession will be key.  If the next recession doesn’t begin until the second half of 2020, there may not be enough economic pain before November to swing the election in the favor of the Democratic candidate.  So what the left really needs is for a recession to begin during the second half of 2019 or the first half of 2020 so that Americans are really suffering by the time election day rolls around.

I know that is a very sick way to think, but these are the sorts of conversations that these people actually have.  For example, on his own television show Bill Maher publicly stated that a recession would be “worth it” if Trump is voted out in 2020.  As we approach the next election, many on the left will be so desperate to see Trump gone that they will be willing to pay just about any price to see that happen.

And to be honest, the U.S. economy is definitely way overdue for a major downturn, and so it is only prudent to get prepared for rough times ahead.  At this point, even USA Today is providing us with “recession survival tips”…

Do you really need that bundle package from your cable provider, or to pay a gardener to mow your lawn every week? Now might be a good time to figure out what’s an essential expense, and what you can let go.

“Review the family budget to see what could be reduced or cut if there was a sudden drop in monthly income,” says Richard Fleming, a certified financial planner based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. “Be prepared to make those reductions (or) cuts as soon as it becomes necessary.”

That is actually really good advice.

Now is a time to cut costs, get out of debt and build up your emergency fund.

The coming year promises to be quite chaotic, and those that hate President Trump are likely to pull out all the stops in an all-out attempt to get him voted out in 2020.

About the author: Michael Snyder is a nationally-syndicated writer, media personality and political activist. He is the author of four books including Get Prepared Now, The Beginning Of The End and Living A Life That Really Matters. His articles are originally published on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News. From there, his articles are republished on dozens of other prominent websites. If you would like to republish his articles, please feel free to do so. The more people that see this information the better, and we need to wake more people up while there is still time.

10 Quotes From Big Names Across The Political Spectrum That Are Suspicious About The Cause Of Epstein’s Death

Was there a conspiracy to kill Jeffrey Epstein?  Over the past 24 hours, the mainstream media has been full of stories about the various “conspiracy theories” that have sprung up around Jeffrey Epstein’s death.  And of course the term “conspiracy theory” has essentially become a shorthand way for the mainstream media to dismiss any explanation that does not fit with the “official” interpretation of a particular news event.  So far, the mainstream media is pushing the narrative that Jeffrey Epstein’s death was a “suicide” even though we don’t actually have any evidence that this is true yet.  Perhaps when we finally get the autopsy results things will become clearer, but then again they might not.  In any event, it has been quite remarkable to see how big names from across the political spectrum have been responding to Epstein’s death.  Many of them are demanding an investigation into what happened, and quite a few of them already seem convinced that his death was definitely not a “suicide”.

If Epstein’s death was not a suicide, then there almost certainly had to have been more than one person involved.

And if more than one person was involved, that would fit the legal definition of a “conspiracy”.

According to Cornell Law School, a “conspiracy” exits when there is an “agreement between two or more people to commit an illegal act, along with an intent to achieve the agreement’s goal.”

Wealthy and powerful people work together to commit illegal acts all the time.  If you don’t believe that, then you need to wake up and learn how the world really works.  Only time will tell if Jeffrey Epstein’s death was the result of a “conspiracy”, but right now a lot of prominent individuals are questioning the official narrative.  The following are 10 quotes from big names across the political spectrum that are suspicious about the cause of Epstein’s death…

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: “We need answers. Lots of them.”

U.S. Representative Matt Gaetz: “Chairman @RepJerryNadler should prioritize a Judiciary investigation into how Jeffrey Epstein died in federal custody (in Nadler’s own neighborhood!) over the Kavanaugh confirmation (which already happened), and the Russia hoax (which never happened).”

Joe Scarborough: “A guy who had information that would have destroyed rich and powerful men’s lives ends up dead in his jail cell. How predictably…Russian.”

Lou Dobbs: “Dead Men Tell No Tales. Jeffrey Epstein found dead in Manhattan jail cell; multiple reports claim death by suicide #MAGA #AmericaFirst #Dobbs”

U.S. Representative Al Green: “The suicide of Mr. Epstein is an impossibilty. When an impossiblty occurs involving powerful people and possible criminality there must be an investigation to end speculation. Because the public has a right to know, I’m calling for a congressional investigation. #JefferyEpstein”

Rudy Giuliani: “What does the word watch mean in the phrase suicide Watch? Who was watching? What does camera show? It is inconceivable Epstein could have hung himself if there was a suicide Watch? Follow the motives.”

Harlan Z. Hill: “Dead men tell no tales. Just as Jeffrey Epstein starts to name names, he decides to kill himself? Mkay. Totally believable.”

Former U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill: “Something stinks to high heaven. How does someone on suicide watch hang himself with no intervention? Impossible. Unless…..”

Paul Krugman: “If we were living in a paranoid fantasy universe, I would be very suspicious about the Epstein suicide, even about whether it was really suicide. And you know what? The Epstein case itself shows that we *are* kind of living in a paranoid fantasy universe.”

Attorney General William Barr: “I was appalled to learn that Jeffrey Epstein was found dead early this morning from an apparent suicide while in federal custody. Mr. Epstein’s death raises serious questions that must be answered. In addition to the FBI’s investigation, I have consulted with the Inspector General who is opening an investigation into the circumstances of Mr. Epstein’s death.”

President Trump also jumped into this debate when he retweeted something that a conservative comedian named Terrence K. Williams had posted.

But to me, there was one quote that stood out above all the quotes that I have shared with you so far.

The New York Post interviewed a former inmate of the Metropolitan Correction Center in lower Manhattan, and according to that inmate it would have literally been impossible for Epstein to kill himself…

There’s no way that man could have killed himself. I’ve done too much time in those units. It’s an impossibility.

Between the floor and the ceiling is like eight or nine feet. There’s no way for you to connect to anything.

You have sheets, but they’re paper level, not strong enough. He was 200 pounds — it would never happen.

You can read the rest of his account right here.  After reading that account, I was certainly persuaded that it was extremely unlikely that Epstein would have been able to kill himself.

Of course it is always possible that Epstein could have died from natural causes, but it is probably much more likely that he was killed to protect wealthy and powerful people that Epstein could have testified against.

I am sorry if this doesn’t fit with your view of the world, but the truth is that we live in a society that is saturated with evil.  That has been true since the very beginning, and human nature hasn’t changed.

Hopefully there will be an investigation into what happened, and hopefully the truth will come out.  But I am certainly not optimistic, and the mainstream media will undoubtedly do their best to cover up this entire sordid affair.

About the author: Michael Snyder is a nationally-syndicated writer, media personality and political activist. He is the author of four books including Get Prepared Now, The Beginning Of The End and Living A Life That Really Matters. His articles are originally published on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News. From there, his articles are republished on dozens of other prominent websites. If you would like to republish his articles, please feel free to do so. The more people that see this information the better, and we need to wake more people up while there is still time.

Years That End In “9” Tend To Be Times Of Great Upheaval

Will 2019 continue the trend?  The other day I was talking with a close friend, and he pointed out to me that all throughout history years that end in 9 have tended to be times of great change and upheaval.  I was intrigued by what he shared with me, and so I went out and did some research, and I discovered that he was right on target.  In particular, over the last 100 years we have seen an unusual number of key historical events take place during years that end in 9, and that seems quite strange.  Could it be possible that the ending of one decade and the imminent start of a new one somehow triggers something inside of us psychologically?  I don’t know, but there does seem to be a pattern.  In this article I will summarize some of the things that I have discovered, and I will let you come to your own conclusions.

Let’s start with 1929.  As I repeatedly remind my readers, most large stock market crashes tend to happen during the fall, and on October 29th, 1929 there was a devastating stock market crash unlike anything that the United States had ever seen before.  That date is generally considered to be the start of the Great Depression, which to this day is the worst economic downturn the western world has ever experienced.  The Great Depression lasted for ten years, and that brings us to the next “9” on our list…

1939 was the year when World War II started.  It was the most catastrophic war that the world has ever seen, and it didn’t end until 1945.  It is estimated that somewhere between 70 million and 85 million people were killed, and the war shocked the planet so much that we haven’t seen a war like it since.

1949 was a year of great change, and it was really when the battle lines of the Cold War between the east and the west definitely solidified.  During this year, the Communist Party of China was able to take full control of mainland China, and the People’s Republic of China was formally established.  In addition, in 1949 the Soviet Union tested their first atomic bomb, it was the year of the Berlin blockade, and NATO was formed on April 4th, 1949.

1959 was the year when Fidel Castro came to power.  Thanks to the success of the Cuban revolution, Cuba became the first communist power in the western hemisphere, and this ultimately led to the Cuban missile crisis of 1963.

1969 was so tumultuous that a number of documentaries have been made about that single year, and author Rob Kirkpatrick wrote an entire book about it entitled “The Year Everything Changed”.  It was the year of the Moon landing, Woodstock and the Manson murders.  During this year Richard Nixon was sworn in as the president of the United States, 250,000 Americans marched on Washington to protest the Vietnam War, and the Palestine Liberation Organization was founded.

1979 was the year of the Iranian Revolution.  Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini came to power in February, and the Iranian hostage crisis began in November.  If there had been no Iranian hostage crisis, it is possible that Ronald Reagan may have been defeated by Jimmy Carter in 1980.  1979 was also the year when Margaret Thatcher first became prime minister of the UK, and she served all the way until 1990.

1989 was another year of revolution.  In June of that year the pro-democracy protests in Tiananmen Square in Beijing were brutally crushed by the Chinese government.   On the other side of the world, 1989 was the beginning of the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia which ultimately resulted in a peaceful division of that nation into the Czech Republic and Slovakia.  George H.W. Bush was sworn in as the president of the United States during this year, and huge protests on both sides of the Berlin Wall ultimately resulted in the collapse of the East German government.

1999 was the year when Bill Clinton came very close to being removed from office.  On February 12th, the United States Senate narrowly acquitted Clinton of perjury and obstruction of justice.  1999 was also the year when the euro become the official currency of the European Union, and at the end of the year the Y2K scare was making headlines all over the globe.

2009 was definitely a year of “change”.  On January 20th, Barack Obama became the first African-American to become the president of the United States.  Meanwhile, the nation was greatly suffering from the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression of the 1930s.  It is estimated that 8.8 million jobs were lost during the “Great Recession”, and millions of Americans also lost their homes as a result of the subprime mortgage meltdown.  As 2009 was ending, the Economic Collapse Blog was launched.

So now here we are in another year that ends in 9.  So far in 2019, we have seen mass shootings, crop failures, dramatic escalations in our trade war with China, and a potential war with Iran is looming on the horizon.  Americans are angrier, more frustrated and more divided today than ever before in modern American history, and the mainstream media continues to stir the pot on a daily basis.

The stage is definitely set for things to explode during the second half of this year, and a lot of people that I have been talking to feel like things could really start breaking loose at any moment.

To a large degree, 2019 has already been a year of tremendous upheaval, but many believe that the worst is still yet to come.  So buckle up and hold on, because I think that things are about to get very bumpy.

About the author: Michael Snyder is a nationally-syndicated writer, media personality and political activist. He is the author of four books including Get Prepared Now, The Beginning Of The End and Living A Life That Really Matters. His articles are originally published on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News. From there, his articles are republished on dozens of other prominent websites. If you would like to republish his articles, please feel free to do so. The more people that see this information the better, and we need to wake more people up while there is still time.

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