“I don’t look for flashpoints, I look at conditions” – Michael Yon
There’s a video making the rounds of a recent interview of Michael Yon by Dr. Jordan Peterson where they discuss the looming famine the world now faces.
For those of you not familiar with Michael Yon, he’s a former Green Beret, war correspondent, author, and an amazing assessor of world events. Here is his website for those interested.
For those of you not familiar with Jordan Peterson, well, I won’t go as far as to say “shame on you”, but I would suggest you pop out from under the rock you’ve been living under. Here’s his website.
The aforementioned video is below, and it’s worth every minute of your time.
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Here’s a small selection articles just from the past week backing up Yon’s prediction of 1-billion dead over the next 5 years:
https://www.zerohedge.com/commodities/im-shocked-us-crop-tour-reveals-drought-stricken-cornfields
https://dailyindustry.news/rain-fertilizer-electricity-shortage-hit-hard-farmers/
https://www.jpost.com/science/article-715267
Now, there are places where crops are doing just fine, like where I live. I bought 12 ears of sweet corn for $5 at a local farm stand this week. And, it sounds like the Pacific Northwest is doing OK with their wheat crop. However, most of the US agricultural areas are in extreme drought. Many to the point where corn didn’t mature and is being cut and baled as feed. Cattle from New Mexico to Wyoming are being sold off en mas before they are fully developed because there’s no grass to graze them on – buying feed will cost more that the animal is worth come auction time, so they are being dumped on to the market now. Some of you may have noticed a slight reduction in beef prices of late. Well, there’s your answer – there’s a glut, and it’s quite temporary.
It would be one thing if it was just a single state or nation experiencing low yields, but it’s actually a massive amount of the world’s farms. And it would be one thing if it was simply a food production issue, but it’s not – It’s a supply chain, fuel, fertilizer, weather, labor, distribution, war, inflation, bird flu, packaging material, energy costs, raw materials, ingredients, processing, “shut down for two weeks to flatten the curve – no, make it two years”, and new environmental laws combination that has resulted in this stunning tsunami of doom.
Fertilizer is the biggest component of the equation. With GMO seeds/farming, fertilizer is needed in greater amounts. In the US, all corporate farms, and almost all family farms, plant GMO seeds exclusively. A primary raw material needed for fertilizer production is hydrogen, found in natural gas. Natural gas accounting for 70-90% of the cost of fertilizer manufacturing. As of today, we have a 60% reduction in fertilizer production. Russia, China, and Belarus, being the largest exporters, followed up with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and other Middle East nations. The former have all but stopped exporting to the West. Russia is in a trade war with Europe which has created massive spikes in the cost of natural gas (and all other energy commodities.) To the point where the German government is asking citizens to bathe less often. This, in turn, is causing processing and manufacturing plants of all types to shut down due to energy costs. For some in the UK, electric bills are up 1000%.
Most European economies are teetering on the brink of disaster, perhaps outright collapse.
The EU, in all it’s brilliance, is finally demanding compliance by their members with the “green” environmental laws, spurring massive protests by farmers in Holland, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and others. Compliance will force farmers to reduce nitrogen usage by 30%, putting most out of business. The protests, of course, are not being covered US mainstream news in the US.
Even with an end to the drought this year, and perfect weather next year, there simply will not be enough fertilizer for next year’s crops. And, if the EU has their way, no farmers to plant them.
I’m not sure that we could do a better job at setting ourselves up for world famine short of burning this fall’s harvest. Perhaps a complete exchange of thermonuclear weapons might jump up a few levels of efficiency, but as it stands now, where we’re at is bad enough.
Throughout the years I have been a strong advocate of all of us having extra food put away. Many of you remember my advice during COVID and the riots to be prepared to stay home for a few weeks. Over the last year it has expanded to buy now what stores well because inflation isn’t going away. And I’ve always cautioned not to spend money one doesn’t have because, “this, too, shall pass.” However, the current situation is new territory. Humanity has never been in a place where the planet is dependent on a system with this many moving parts which are all failing at once.
Yes, the present food crisis will also pass…along with a sizable chunk of the world’s population. As Yon has been telling anyone who will listen – It’s a done deal.
I don’t expect we (in the US) will starve, at least in the Africa sense of it – but, it seems inevitable that food prices over the next year will double (or triple, or quadruple) over what they are today. And I think we can expect shortages of many brands and specific products on a much wider scale than we presently are (or have.) Discretionary spending on all other items will dry up when our grocery bills triple, that will ultimately devastate the economy, resulting in massive lay-offs and unemployment. That’s on top of rising energy prices and the inflation being caused by government printing presses.
That’s best-case scenario.
Of course, with the Dementia-Patient-in-Chief being manipulated by the gaggle of communists now occupying the West Wing, all the fun Stalin’s Russia enjoyed through central planning could be arriving at some point, on top of the mismanagement they’re engaged in on all other fronts.
When it comes to the next 2 to 5-years of food shortages it doesn’t matter if the Republicans win big in the midterms or take back the presidency in 2024, the damage has already been done. Yes, I’m all for overwhelming the cheat in November, and yes, congress can repair some destructive trends domestically, but that won’t occur overnight, or even in a single growing season. And it won’t reverse the global tailspin.
Bottom line is, as always, we’re on our own!
I’m not going to pretend to be an expert on growing and storing food – What I can do is point at reality and suggest we take appropriate precautions to protect ourselves. For those inclined, now would be a good time to till and prep a garden for next spring, secure a supply of heirloom seeds, and stock up on foods that store long term. Perhaps download and save (on an auxiliary drive) as may Youtube how-to videos as you can regarding gardening and food storage. What I do know about gardening is that it’s an art – it takes, like anything worth doing, years of effort to build the skill sets and body of knowledge necessary for success. One cannot just throw a few packs of seeds in the ground and expect results. And, realistically, none of us will ever grow enough food to keep our families fed. It will amount to a supplement that will help offset costs and shortages. [If you are truly interested in learning about gardening and canning, check out Appalachia’s Homestead on Youtube.]
I also understand that not all of us are in a position to garden or finance a year’s worth of freeze-dried food. However, we can all do something, even if it’s just buying a few extra canned goods each time we visit the store. Make a plan and immediately put it into practice. And I still say, don’t do it on credit! Only spend what you can afford.
Network with farmers and locals who raise chickens, cows, and pork to sell, as well as eggs. Being a “regular customer” now might help you move to the front of the line next year when supplies are short.
Remember, the food you store may not be for you – it might be for that family member, friend, or neighbor who loses their job next year. And, at the very least, should you not need it, food pantries will be happy to accept your donation. And, I’d rather be a patron of a food pantry than a customer of one. How about you?
Along with food, a short list of other potential necessities to consider:
– Vitamins
– Protein powder.
– Powdered electrolyte mixes. (Gatorade, Powerade, etc…)
– If one opts for frozen meats and vegetables, back up power for the freezer(s).
– Pet food.
Defense
Roving bands of starving hordes attacking your home for food, I suppose, is always a possibility. But, in that case, we’d be looking at a domestic economic crash which would cascade into a world economic crash, resulting in militaries moving across borders. That’s not a scenario any of us can properly prepare for short of building a half billion-dollar bunker complex in the Rockies. My bank account is a bit low for that, especially since you and I have been paying for all the government’s bunkers for the past 100-years. At least Pelosi would be safe, eh?
A much more realistic scenario is an escalation of what we’re experiencing now – further spikes in crime. Most of it involving average citizens being robbed of cash and valuables through break-ins, car jackings, strong arm robberies, kidnappings (to empty out ATMs), as well as having groceries directly stolen in the store parking lot.
All of those events are countered by properly trained citizens carrying loaded, concealed firearms during their waking hours.
If you have not secured proper training, do it now!
If you have not secured a state issued carry permit (where required, or available), do it now!
Also…
– Proper holster for your make and model pistol. Plus a spare, and a support side holster waiting in the wings should your strong side hand or arm be injured.
– A good supply (200-rounds) of defensive ammunition (hollow points) for each of your daily carry pistols.
– A good supply (1000-rounds) of training ammunition (round nose/hard ball) for each of your daily carry pistols.
– 10 spare magazines for each auto-loading pistol.
– Multiple spare magazine carriers.
– Proper belt designed to hold the weight of your pistol and spare magazine.
– Join the Armed Citizen’s Legal Defense Network.
In the event civil unrest occurs, long guns will be in order.
Rifles
– At least one proper military pattern, magazine fed, auto-loading rifle per responsible and capable member of the family.
– 1000-rounds of quality ammunition per rifle. Minimum.
– 20 spare magazines per rifle. Minimum.
– Sling, plus spare, for each rifle.
– Cleaning kit, plus spare, for each rifle.
And, once again, if you have not secured proper training with your rifle, do so now!
Guns and ammunition are available at this time. Ammo has even come down in price. Take advantage of the calm before the storm.
Other Security
– Alarm systems.
– Re-enforce door latch strike plates.
– Security cameras.
– Fencing.
– Fire extinguishers.
– Hand held radios for neighborhood communications. Rechargeable batteries and a solar charger are also a good idea. At the very least, a 12-volt car charger.
– OC/Pepper Spray
– Consider making shopping trips a two-person operation. One set of eyes up and scanning while the other loads the vehicle.
– Keep vehicle fuel tanks topped off.
– Personal food inventories are no one else’s business. Neither are your daily carry habits or gun ownership. Keep it all to yourself!
Medical
– Wound treatment/trauma kits in every vehicle.
– Individual First Aid Kit [IFAK] on your person.
– Extensive kit at home.
Send us an email, info@fortressdefense.com and we’ll send you a list of our recommended kit contents.
Water
– Storing water is a good idea.
– Having the means to filter water is great idea.
– Sturdy storage and transport containers.
Conclusion
We’re not looking at a Myan Calendar/Y2K kind of situation where people are making predictions to sell fear. This is a real problem which will, on one level or another, affect every person on the planet.
We ignore it at our own peril.
The warning signs are everywhere. My guess is that most reading this already know something is terribly wrong. What may not be registering is the scale. And what also may be holding some us back from acting is having never known a hungry day in our fat American lives. Food has always been there…and it always will be, right?
“It’s quite possible that pandemic-related supply-chain disruption will kill far more people (hunger: remember that?) than the idiot panicked lockdowns saved.” – Jordan Peterson
