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Tag: coronavirus

[REPOST]Economy Crashing – What Do We Do Now?
NOTE: I had a request to republish the following article. It was originally published back in March of this year when the COVID pandemic was just getting underway so please keep this in mind. It has been slightly edited.

We are in unprecedented territory. America is under siege by an invisible enemy and the seemingly required actions by Federal and State governments have opened a Pandora box the likes of which we have never seen before. Millions of American’s are fearful of the future as their employment falls into question. How will I pay my bills? How will I pay my rent/mortgage? How will I care for my family? What is going to happen?

This hits home as I lost my job this week like many others and now looking for employment in an environment where hiring is highly unlikely.

What do we do now?

If you are in a higher-risk health category the focus must be to not attain the virus at all. Quarantining by limiting exposure to people and the virus itself must be a priority.

Those at less risk, while still trying to avoid the virus, should focus on the economic challenges ahead. A strategic approach to making certain that basics such as food, water, medical, security, communication, and planning are taken care of.

In a word: Prepare.

Food

While food storage should have already been a priority for readers here, if stocks are not sufficient NOW is the time to make improvements. With income being diminished for so many the following is a list of foods with higher calorie content and lower prices:
- Rice – this is becoming more difficult to find at the moment, however, stores will be resupplied. Likely there will be limits on quantities to purchase. Rice is simple to prepare, keeps well and can be combined with many other foods and seasonings.
- Bread(flour)- Many stores have been selling out of bread. Make your own!! Simple to do and very inexpensive with as low as 4 ingredients(flour, salt, yeast, water).
- Pasta – Typically can be found on sale and keeps well. Don’t forget pasta sauce.
- Peanut Butter – Dense calories and great taste. Store brands are cheap.
- Canned Meat – Tuna, canned chicken, and SPAM are still available in most stores. While not the cheapest food they can be used to form meals and provide protein.
- Frozen Meals – There are meals available as low as $1.00 and with sufficient freezer space load up.
- Frozen Meat – If fresh is sold out there are usually boxes of frozen steak, hamburgers, and chicken available.
Water

Water is incredibly important for not only sustainment of life but for cooking and sanitation.
- Water is difficult to store as it is heavy and takes up a lot of space. Purchase gallon jugs of purified or spring water rather than bottled. Bottled water is very expensive compared to jugs.
- Build your own water filter system. There are lots of videos on YouTube on how to do this, however, many of the components are sold out or prices have skyrocketed. One option is the Sawyer Mini Water Filter Bucket Kit available from me. This kit allows a simple Sawyer Mini Water Filter(about $20) to be hooked up to a bucket so high volumes of water can be filtered. I normally sell this kit for $10.99 on eBay, however, I still have them for $9.99 with Free Shipping for readers of 1776PatriotUSA. Click HERE to check it out. Click HERE for the Sawyer Mini Water Filter. I highly suggest that you have at least TWO filter systems available.
- If you have a pool or rain barrels make certain they are full.
- Purchase Clorox bleach to be used to disinfect water.
Medical
- Stock up on current medications. Many insurance companies will allow you to get a prescription filled 5 days early.
- Make sure a good first aid kit is available as well as compression bandages.
- Wear prescription glasses? Make sure you have at least one spare pair.
- Have a variety of pain killers, anti-inflammatories, anti-diarrheal, and Severe Cough-Flu concoctions.
- If you lose your job or have no insurance check out GoodRX for discounts at pharmacies. Yes – it actually works in many cases.
Security

There are many cities across the country releasing criminals from their jails to reduce the possibility of spreading within the jail population. While this INSANITY going on this cannot end with positive results. Unemployment is going to skyrocket and many will become desperate. Crime is very likely to increase.
- At a minimum have a pistol or shotgun available for each adult in the household.
- MAKE SURE THOSE THAT HAVE ACCESS TO FIREARMS KNOW HOW TO USE THEM. The last thing anyone needs is to be shot in the ass by their cousin while trying to avoid the virus. Range time!!!
- Ammunition is in short supply for most common pistol calibers, thus, a shotgun is a good option. Regardless, a few boxes of ammunition for each firearm is a minimum.
Communication

With everything going on there are a couple positives: The power is on and does not seem to be at risk anytime soon and communication is still fully available. While a lesser priority there are a few steps to take just n case:
- Basic FRS/GMRS handheld radios should be put back along with extra batteries. These are extremely handy should the grid go down and can be fun and entertaining for little ones as well.
- Have a written list of names, phone numbers, addresses, and email addresses for friends and family just in case regular communication such a cell phones get interrupted.
- Keep a couple of soup cans and some string. You never know.
Planning

Everyone’s situation is different as far as geography, population density, housing, etc. Consider all aspects of your situation and think of what could happen if the power goes out, there was a large increase in crime, civil unrest, or if you needed to relocate. The more you think now and literally make a list the better you will be able to think and react later.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The Trump Administration is pulling out all the stops to try to save the economy. Most people simply do not realize the impact this event is having on the economy – short and long term. Those who have been in the preparedness game for the past few decades have contemplated what an economic collapse would look like and how it would start. What is happening right now could easily be looked at as the catalyst that ends up creating a storm the likes of which this country has never seen. Hopefully not.

What do YOU think? What are you doing to deal with not only what is happening now but to also prepare for what lies ahead? Any advice or insight you wish to share? Please comment below.

Take care all.

Rourke
August 29, 2020
UPDATE: Coronavirus and the Economy
Coronavirus Update: I’m in Georgia which is under a shelter in place order. So far it appears to me that people are limiting their travel but not eliminating it. I’ve been wearing N95’s and using tons of hand sanitizer. Most local businesses are closed with employees laid off. Service businesses – if they are open at all – are now curb-side-only. The majority of those businesses have let people go as they just don’t need the staffing. Word from people I know in a variety of industries shows massive projected drops in forecasted business(DUH!!) and even more layoffs than that which has already occurred.

I can’t help but question a lot of what has happened and what is happening regarding the virus. I’m not big on conspiracy’s, however, many things that just a few years ago I considered a “conspiracy” I can see as fact – or close to fact – today.

A few thoughts:
- The Coronavirus Task Force continued to promote “15 Days to Stop the Spread” even well after it became obvious that 15 days was not going to be nearly enough.
- Trump promoted that he could see the country start getting back to normal around Easter. He continued to talk this timeline even when it was obvious that the vast majority of the country would not be in the peak of the virus by that point.
- Trump began to suggest that the Easter timeline was hopeful but the priority would be the health and welfare of the country. Basically – the country would not be opened up until it was safe to do so.
- The Coronavirus Task Force extended the original “15 Days” to an additional 30 Days to Stop the Spread.
- For weeks the CDC and Task Force stated there was no need for civilians to wear respirators or masks. This went against all commonsense to the vast majority of anyone who understands how the virus can spread. The CDC has now reversed this decision stating that it can be beneficial to use some type of garment or material to cover the mouth and nose.
- Many states have issued Shelter in Place orders with varying degrees of the timeframe for the order to remain. In my state of Georgia, the order is said to go through April 13th. This makes no sense at all as the projected peak of the virus is to be somewhere around April 23rd.
- Medical experts on the Coronavirus Task Force has continued to question and downplay the effectiveness of the hydroxychloroquine cocktail treatment which has shown tremendous promise with many patients that were nearly dead.
- The Canadian Government has stated that the lockdown in that country will continue possibly until July. In the United States, we are looking at the end of April for the 30 Days to Stop the Spread to end. There is a significant timeframe difference here when geographically the two countries are literally side by side.
- The Federal Government finally passed a nearly 3 trillion-dollar stimulus package which will be used to help citizens and businesses negatively affected by the shutdown. Many of use will be out of work for months. $1,200?
- The Task Force is predicting between 100,000 – 200,000 Americans will die during this outbreak.
- As of April 4th, 2020: United States cases – 308,312 / total deaths – 8,733
We keep hearing that it is important to get to the “peak” of this pandemic as once it arrives things will improve after that. Let me explain something. If the peak of the virus arrives April 24th, with roughly 4,200 people succumbing to the virus per day(just an estimate), there will be weeks that follow that will require sheltering in place in order to prevent the virus from making a comeback. During these weeks people will continue to get sick, require medical care – and yes, some will die in hopefully decreasing numbers(4200, 4000, 3800, 3500…..and so on). This is the reason why the Canadian government is looking at the possibility that measures to control the spread of the virus will remain in place all the way into July.

For most of us, the real danger from this virus is NOT the virus itself but rather the economic damage affecting millions of households and businesses across the nation. Consider the fact we are are still early in this crisis and we are likely looking at a minimum of weeks to possibly another couple of months of severely reduced economic viability and massive unemployment. The long term impact on the economy and this country is going to be devastating. Whether it takes months or years the end game is drawing closer. The risk of economic collapse is certain. There is simply no way our financial system can bare the weight of trillions of dollars added to the national debt and the continued deficits to come.

What this means folks is once this pandemic is over…..it’s not over.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the matter in the comments below.

Take care folks and stay safe!

Rourke

…….coming soon!!!!
April 5, 2020
Economy Crashing – What Do We Do Now?
We are in unprecedented territory. America is under siege by an invisible enemy and the seemingly required actions by Federal and State governments have opened a Pandora box the likes of which we have never seen before. Millions of American’s are fearful of the future as their employment falls into question. How will I pay my bills? How will I pay my rent/mortgage? How will I care for my family? What is going to happen?

This hits home as I lost my job this week like many others and now looking for employment in an environment where hiring is highly unlikely.

From all indications, the Federal government is going to take drastic actions to provide help to the populace. Right now there is a massive $1.3 trillion dollar stimulus getting ready to be implemented. These funds are to go to Americans via two checks(April 6th and May 18th), and struggling businesses – including the airline industry – greatly effected by the economic slowdown.

What do we do now?

If you are in a higher-risk health category the focus must be to not attain the virus at all. Quarantining by limiting exposure to people and the virus itself must be a priority.

Those at less risk, while still trying to avoid the virus, should focus on the economic challenges ahead. A strategic approach to making certain that basics such as food, water, medical, security, communication, and planning are taken care of.

In a word: Prepare.

Food

While food storage should have already been a priority for readers here, if stocks are not sufficient NOW is the time to make improvements. With income being diminished for so many the following is a list of foods with higher calorie content and lower prices:
- Rice – this is becoming more difficult to find at the moment, however, stores will be resupplied. Likely there will be limits on quantities to purchase. Rice is simple to prepare, keeps well and can be combined with many other foods and seasonings.
- Bread(flour)- Many stores have been selling out of bread. Make your own!! Simple to do and very inexpensive with as low as 4 ingredients(flour, salt, yeast, water).
- Pasta – Typically can be found on sale and keeps well. Don’t forget pasta sauce.
- Peanut Butter – Dense calories and great taste. Store brands are cheap.
- Canned Meat – Tuna, canned chicken, and SPAM are still available in most stores. While not the cheapest food they can be used to form meals and provide protein.
- Frozen Meals – There are meals available as low as $1.00 and with sufficient freezer space load up.
- Frozen Meat – If fresh is sold out there are usually boxes of frozen steak, hamburgers, and chicken available.
Water

Water is incredibly important for not only sustainment of life but for cooking and sanitation.
- Water is difficult to store as it is heavy and takes up a lot of space. Purchase gallon jugs of purified or spring water rather than bottled. Bottled water is very expensive compared to jugs.
- Build your own water filter system. There are lots of videos on YouTube on how to do this, however, many of the components are sold out or prices have skyrocketed. One option is the Sawyer Mini Water Filter Bucket Kit available from me. This kit allows a simple Sawyer Mini Water Filter(about $20) to be hooked up to a bucket so high volumes of water can be filtered. I normally sell this kit for $10.99 on eBay, however, I still have them for $9.99 with Free Shipping for readers of 1776PatriotUSA. Click HERE to check it out. Click HERE for the Sawyer Mini Water Filter. I highly suggest that you have at least TWO filter systems available. I currently have
- If you have a pool or rain barrels make certain they are full.
- Purchase Clorox bleach to be used to disinfect water.
Medical
- Stock up on current medications. Many insurance companies will allow you to get a prescription filled 5 days early.
- Make sure a good first aid kit is available as well as compression bandages.
- Wear prescription glasses? Make sure you have at least one spare pair.
- Have a variety of pain killers, anti-inflammatories, anti-diarrheal, and Severe Cough-Flu concoctions.
- If you lose your job or have no insurance check out GoodRX for discounts at pharmacies. Yes – it actually works in many cases.
Security

There are many cities across the country releasing criminals from their jails to reduce the possibility of spreading within the jail population. While this INSANITY going on this cannot end with positive results. Unemployment is going to skyrocket and many will become desperate. Crime is very likely to increase.
- At a minimum have a pistol or shotgun available for each adult in the household.
- MAKE SURE THOSE THAT HAVE ACCESS TO FIREARMS KNOW HOW TO USE THEM. The last thing anyone needs is to be shot in the ass by their cousin while trying to avoid the virus. Range time!!!
- Ammunition is in short supply for most common pistol calibers, thus, a shotgun is a good option. Regardless, a few boxes of ammunition for each firearm is a minimum.
Communication

With everything going on there are a couple positives: The power is on and does not seem to be at risk anytime soon and communication is still fully available. While a lesser priority there are a few steps to take just n case:
- Basic FRS/GMRS handheld radios should be put back along with extra batteries. These are extremely handy should the grid go down and can be fun and entertaining for little ones as well.
- Have a written list of names, phone numbers, addresses, and email addresses for friends and family just in case regular communication such a cell phones get interrupted.
- Keep a couple of soup cans and some string. You never know.
Planning

Everyone’s situation is different as far as geography, population density, housing, etc. Consider all aspects of your situation and think of what could happen if the power goes out, there was a large increase in crime, civil unrest, or if you needed to relocate. The more you think now and literally make a list the better you will be able to think and react later.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The Trump Administration is pulling out all the stops to try to save the economy. Most people simply do not realize the impact this event is having on the economy – short and long term. Those who have been in the preparedness game for the past few decades have contemplated what an economic collapse would look like and how it would start. What is happening right now could easily be looked at as the catalyst that ends up creating a storm the likes of which this country has never seen. Hopefully not.

What do YOU think? What are you doing to deal with not only what is happening now but to also prepare for what lies ahead? Any advice or insight you wish to share? Please comment below.

Take care all.

Rourke
March 19, 2020
The Economic Threat from COVID-19 Virus
COVID-19 coronavirus continues to threaten the lives of millions of people around the world. Cases in the United States are soaring. Schools of all kinds including universities are suspending classes and closing. The NBA has ended its season and there will be no March Madness. Stock markets are more volatile than Joe Biden’s brain cells. Hand sanitizer and Lysol are nowhere to be found and toilet paper(for whatever reason) is hotter than Jennifer Lopez on a Miami beach.

Now what?

Utilizing facts, logic, and commonsense is always a good approach to most situations. While the Coronavirus represents a serious health concern for millions of Americans, the mainstream media is promoting panic with reporting that contains suspect and counter-productive information. Why would this be happening? More on that shortly.

Update as of March 15th:
- There are over 2800 confirmed cases in the US with 57 deaths.
- There are countless thousands of non-confirmed cases that have already occurred.
- There will be countless thousands that will be confirmed over the coming weeks.
- The vast majority of those infected respond to treatment and recover completely – over 98%.
- Those dying after infection are generally older and have a preexisting secondary health issue.
- There is currently a run on bottled water, canned goods, bread, toilet paper, medical supplies, and numerous other items across the country.
- N95 and similar respirator masks are sold out and back-ordered for weeks.
- The cruise and airline industries are getting hammered financially as people stop utilizing their services.
- Schools and universities across the country are closing.
- The stock market has dropped 21% off it’s high of over 29,000 reached back in February.
- Confirmation test kits for COVID-19 are slow to reach doctors’ offices and hospitals.
- Hospitals across the country are getting ready for an onslaught of Coronavirus cases and are concerned they will not have enough resources.
- President Trump declares a National Emergency. In doing so he frees billions of dollars to be used to fight the outbreak. He also signed executive actions to provide benefits such as extensive Coronavirus testing, student loan relief, and financial aid for sick workers.
- President Trump has banned all travel to and from Europe including the UK to reduce the chance of spread.
- President Trump has indicated that he is considering a domestic travel ban within the United States.
- Dr. Anthony Fauci, NIAID Director, stated on CNN the morning of March 15th that it’s possible that hundreds of thousands of Americans may die due to COVID-19. He stated that this was avoidable if we continue to do the right things. He also inferred that “national lockdown” may be required to curtail the spread of the virus.
- The news media and many Liberal politicians continue to be irresponsible in their reporting. Their fear-mongering spin is causing widespread panic as citizens wonder about the spread, treatment, risk, and cure.
- Numerous conspiratorial theories and false information are spreading across social media platforms causing tremendous misinformation.
The true facts related to COVID-19 show that the vast majority of Americans are not at any significant risk beyond that of the normal Influenza flu. There are more significant risks for certain segments of the population as already noted. With this understanding, the response throughout the United States of closing schools, ending sports seasons, canceling widely attended events, limiting travel, and creating economic turmoil is simply not justified nor warranted.

[slideshow_deploy id=’11252′]

Why is this happening?

Theories are plentiful. Beyond the Chinese governmental genetically modified bat-soup goobly-goop, many believe that the true epidemic at hand is the mainstream media and Progressive Elite. The overreaction and misinformation campaign led the liberal media aims to bring down President Trump by causing economic turmoil and convincing the American people that a new savior is needed. If the Left can reverse the economic boom that the Trump administration’s policies have provided, the next Democratic candidate has a chance to win in November. Political conspiracy? Has the Left showed the will go to any extent to get Trump out of office?

This is but one theory and one that I lean towards. Regardless of the reason, we have to deal with the fact it’s happening. Let me say that one more time:

What will be the repercussions of COVID-19?

The virus itself will make thousands – maybe millions of people sick. The vast majority will recover completely. The virus itself will take the lives of many. How many? “Too many” is the answer. It is pointless to predict numbers at this point as there are far too many variables at hand to accurately calculate.

Beyond the health issues directly related to COVID-19, the economic impact is likely to cost over $2 trillion in lost revenue worldwide. I believe this is well understated and the cost to the United States alone will approach $1 trillion or some obscene similar amount.

In these early stages of this pandemic, the economy of the United States has already been greatly effected. Beyond the declining stock market, tens of thousands of businesses across the country in a wide array of industries are seeing a dramatic drop in business. Hundreds of thousands of students across the country are being forced to stay home from school and therefore parents are having to make a decision between a paycheck or caring for their children. As the populace restricts their day to day activities in an effort to reduce their possible exposure to COVID-19, small shops and stores, in particular, are struggling to stay afloat.

The domino effect of reduced commerce is costing billions of dollars within the domestic economy. This is just getting underway and will continue as people lose jobs, incomes drop, industries are decimated, and the virus spreads into every community and the statistics pile up. Where will it end and how far will it go? Too early to tell.

The media will continue to dedicate an unjustified amount of time to this virus, all the while the regular Influenza flu kills more than 20,000 – with no outrage, panics, and no closures. The media will continue to dedicate an unjustified amount of time to this virus, all the while more than 35,000 people will die in automobile accidents – – with no outrage, panics, and no closures. The media will continue to dedicate an unjustified amount of time to this virus, all the while more than 480,000 people will die from disease directly related to cigarette smoking – with no outrage, panics, and no closures.

The media and Progressive Elite will continue to drive their agenda using any and all means available to them.

Influenza Flu Statistics – NOT Covid-19

What to do now?

The first thing we need to do is realize this virus is NOT ebola or something even close. The vast majority from a health perspective will be just fine. There is no reason to panic. From an economic perspective, there is nothing we can do to control the stock market nor the mainstream media.

The following recommendations are based on the current situation as of March 15th, 2020. Things can change quickly.

Steps to prepare for possible severe economic times ahead and limitations on access to medical care:
- Reduce spending and save CASH.
- If you do not have to go out in public – DON’T.
- If having to go out in public – wear a mask and gloves. While this is an action that may seem extreme it’s a decision that each individual has to make for themselves. Utilize hand sanitizer and disinfectant to reduce the risk of transporting unwanted “bugs”.
- Review your Preparedness System and look for holes that need to be filled. If you are spending more time inside this is a perfect opportunity to inventory all supplies which will allow a better view for determining what’s needed and what’s not.
- Continue to stock up on food. Target a minimum 3 months supply for each and every person you expect to have under you’re roof.
- Secure water filtration and put back at least 14 gallons for each person under your roof.
- Refill each vehicle whenever fuel drops to 1/2 tank.
- Keep all medications filled and get refills at the 25-day mark if possible.
- Put back at least 10 gallons of fuel for each vehicle. Assuming 20mpg, that is 200 miles of range per vehicle.
- Make sure you have all the items needed to participate in a 2-week quarantine.
- Purchase online if possible to reduce exposure to going out in public. Amazon continues to be an excellent source, however, watch for price gouging. Following an Amazon link from this website helps support what we are doing here with no additional cost to you. Thank you!!
Folks, the steps above are a few suggestions and certainly do not represent an all-inclusive list of everything that possibly could be done. This event is just getting underway. Updates will be posted as things develop.

Please comment below and share what you are experiencing and what your thoughts are on what is going on.

Take care.

Rourke
March 15, 2020
Wuhan Coronavirus Update

The streets in Wuhan, China remain almost completely absent of both human and vehicle traffic. Supplies are drying up and over 60 million people remain quarantined. The numbers coming out of China are daunting at best and likely understated. Being a communist country China is well known for manipulating the truth. Evidence suggests the virus is much worse than being publicized.

Currently, there are 14,652 cases worldwide(23 countries) and 305 deaths. Many of the worlds leading infectious disease experts suggest that Wuhan Coronavirus will likely become a pandemic. Time will tell. Reports are this virus is much more contagious than the flu virus, however, the lethality is still to be determined.

With 8 total cases so far in the United States and only one who has not visited China there is a reason for concern, but not worry. At least not yet. The next few weeks will really shed some light on the significance of this virus.

How many cases will develop in the US? Deaths?

Will infected patients be found in your city or town? If so, how did they contract the virus?

Keep prepping my friends. If the Wuhan coronavirus turns into a serious problem in the US taking a few steps now may make all the difference.

Rourke

February 2, 2020