By Brandon Smith
In the first article in this series I examined the issue of militias and the public taking its security into its own hands. I did this because frankly, without security, you have nothing. There are millions of people out there, each with their own pet concerns and many of these people think their primary issue is the secret silver bullet solution to everything. It’s not. Security comes first, everything else is secondary. That said, the most important factor next to physical safety is economic preparedness.
If you were to examine the entire spectrum of globalist policies and programs from the US to Europe to Asia, including climate controls and carbon credits, central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), cashless societies, vaccine passports, biometrics, agricultural controls, the “Great Reset,” the Fourth Industrial Revolution, AI monitoring of transactions, etc. you will come to the same conclusion I have – Almost everything they do revolves around locking down and micromanaging trade and access to resources.
Not just international trade and the import/export of resources, but ALL trade including the average person’s grocery purchases and private barter. If they get their way you won’t even be allowed to grow a garden in your backyard. Think I’m exaggerating? Just look at what happened during the attempted covid lockdowns – There were leftist state governments trying to deny people access to jobs and food without vaccination status, and at least one (Michigan) tried to stop people from buying garden seeds.
In many places (including Hawaii), they tried to arrest people simply for being outside in parks and beaches. Keep in mind, it is nearly impossible to contract or transmit a virus in the outdoors where open air and sunlight actively kill diseases. Yet, the science was completely ignored in order to control people’s behavioral patterns, social interactions and economic participation.
I have long argued that one of the primary purposes of the covid lockdowns was to acclimate the public to the idea of rationing – The government takeover of production and consumption as a means to bottleneck trade. Rationing erases any last vestiges of the free market and turns the buying of necessities into a privilege instead of a right. It was also an attempt to demonize the concept of prepping as a form of “hoarding.” In other words, if you planned ahead and bought food and medical supplies years in advance, you were a selfish person withholding valuable goods from others in dire need.
I think the chaotic flurry of activity during 2020 and 2021 had a lot of people confused; many have forgotten how incredibly close we came to full authoritarianism, including total economic tyranny.
The purpose of economic controls is obvious: If you control people’s access to supplies and income then they are far less likely to rebel against you when you turn the screws and take their freedoms. This has been the strategy of every communist/socialist regime around the world since the 20th Century, and was a mainstay of feudal empires in the Middle Ages. The process of trade controls is at the core of the agenda of our modern day oligarchy – Ruling at the barrel of a gun is not as viable a strategy today (at least for now), so, they are opting to used indirect methods to gain compliance until the population can be completely disarmed.
This trend forces the liberty minded to adopt alternative economic systems. If we do not, then we will not be able to maintain our ability to fight back against authoritarianism. If you can’t feed yourself, then you can’t fight. But what would these alternative systems look like?
Essentially, they would be black markets. Study the tactics of gun runners and drug dealers of the past several decades and the alternative economy of the future will probably look similar, though on a much larger scale. Most of what we do will eventually be treated as illicit unless it is specifically sanctioned by local or state governments, but this will not stop centralized authorities from doing everything they can to shut down private production and trade.
Then there is the issue of economic collapse, which we are already beginning to experience in the form of a stagflation crisis. Trust me, it’s going to get a lot worse in the next couple of years, so establishing alternatives today should be our top priority. If your currency is consistently losing value, prices are rising and you have to work harder everyday to attain the same amount of resources then the end game will be slavery and servitude – Unless you can walk away from the broken economy.
Here are the steps that would be necessary to defeat the socialization of trade, and all of them will require a certain level of risk.
Localized Resource Production And Taking Back The “Commons”
Large groups of people in counties and states will have to organize the extraction of vital resources from areas typically managed by the federal government. Meaning, if your state produces a lot of oil, or timber, or coal, or copper, or steel, etc., then the production will have to focus on domestic markets rather than foreign export. Americans either at the state or county level will need to ignore federal restrictions on resource management that favor large corporations and create a supply chain for domestic use only.
The more groups at the county and state level do this, the larger the resource network will become and the harder it will be for federal or global interests to shut down wider production of goods and services. If you want to bring back an economy of independent producers and tradesman in the US, it all starts with localized resources and the end of access for government protected corporations that siphon wealth out of communities.
Barter Markets
I’ve been writing about the value of barter markets as a means of rebellion for almost 20 years now, and I continue to believe that this tactic is an incredible tool for defeating economic tyranny. The bottom line is this, though: Barter markets need producers in order to stay viable. They need people who make things, grow things, fix things and teach things. It can’t just be about trading goods you already have on hand; you have to be willing to add value to the market by creating useful items and services.
Barter markets can operate on a small neighborhood scale up to a county level, while states can trade with each other to stockpile vital commodities. All of this, though, would have to act as a stopgap because barter relies on an erratic value system – Any item or service is going to be worth something different to each person, making standardized prices difficult. In the end, some kind of universal trade mechanism (currency) will have to be introduced that functions outside the failing dollar system and separate from CBDCs.
Alternative Currency System
Yes, this concept has been discussed at great length from every angle within the liberty movement for years. Most of the talk has revolved around cryptocurrencies, though, which I view as a distraction from legitimate solutions. Almost no one you run into on a daily basis owns or trades crypto; why would they when it is a currency based in virtual reality? People want the option to hold their buying power in their hand, to know that their wealth is tangible.
This means a convertible currency mechanism, either a cryptocurrency or physical note that is backed by a commodity or a basket of commodities that are held in escrow safely and securely. These commodities would have to have storage capacity and be relatively portable; gold, silver and copper, wheat, oil, rice, and so on. A basket averaging out relative values can be used to determine buying power of the new currency.
Of course, such a system would have to be developed at the state level. It’s unlikely that counties and cities will have the resources to create such a system on their own. Though, localized script might become common in smaller towns if they are highly organized. This is an idea that needs to be pursued now, BEFORE an economic collapse and dollar collapse play out.
A “Reset” Of The Tax And Corporate Model
If taxes are to exist at all, they should be limited to the local level and the benefits of those taxes should be readily visible to the local population. Federal income taxes should not exist (they didn’t exist permanently until the formation of the Federal Reserve Bank from 1913-1916). They only serve to feed the authoritarian apparatus and grow government ever larger. Federal operations, if they are to exist at all, should be funded through tariff’s on foreign goods as was the practice in the US decades ago.
Corporate charters should no longer exist. Corporations are a socialist concept given protection and special treatment from governments. They should be replaced by legal partnerships and no longer be treated as “too big to fail.” Also, when business management knowingly commits a crime, they should be prosecuted, not protected by limited liability.
The tax model and the corporate model are both massive drains on the modern economic system. They disrupt the buying power and the production power of the average citizen, thereby keeping entrepreneurs from advancing due to rigged competition and dragging down the consumer with steady wealth depletion.
If we are to save the economy, or build any kind of functional alternative, then these two millstones will have to be removed from our collective necks.
Decentralization Prevents Genocide
The greater issue at hand is what happens when governments and oligarchies are allowed to wield centralized authority over resources. Usually, the end result is the exploitation of those resources as a weapon to punish part of the population or all of the population until they submit. Often, genocide is treated as a viable option.
Looking at the communist engineered famines in Soviet Russia or Maoist China, we can see the same elements forming today in the west. The difference is that we have historic reference and the means to prevent it from happening again. Make no mistake, there are psychopaths in leadership today that have no qualms whatsoever in using food or economic access as leverage against the people that oppose them. We saw them try it during covid, and they are going to keep trying under the guise of climate change.
But really, these are only mechanisms for garnering popular acceptance of socialized resources. “We’re all in this together…right?” No, we’re not, and the notion of sacrifice for the greater good is a farce created by parasites trying to convince the host that the bloodletting and feeding is “moral” and necessary. These parasites serve no purpose. The collectivists serve no purpose. There are numerous ways for the economy and society to function happily and successfully without them and their centralized agenda.
But to get rid of them we have to first protect ourselves, and establishing a solid alternative trade framework is a major step towards eliminating the parasites forever.
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Another relevant article, Brandon.
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As Henry Kissinger frequently stated: “Control oil and you control nations; control food and you control the people.”
This evil man and senior globalist – still alive, aged 100 – knew his stuff (“for example”, the authoritarian regimes set up by the CIA and State Department in Argentina, Chile, etc. in the 60s and 70s). Don’t forget the role played by Milton Friedman’s “Chicago Boys” (i.e “The Shock Doctrine”).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPqBVSiBdxE
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P.S: In my opinion, Naomi Klein’s book (published in 2007) is better than the film (co-directed with her husband) on the topic.
Brave, Brandon. Really appreciate articles discussing solutions. It’s been too rare in the pro-liberty media.
“Security comes first, everything else is secondary… the most important factor next to physical safety is economic preparedness… we have to first protect ourselves, and establishing a solid alternative trade framework is a major step towards eliminating the parasites forever.”
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There is a key ‘something’ that must exist before any preparedness solutions can be affected. And that is… you have to WANT to do these things… and know why you are doing them.
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Persons who read Our Hosts’ blog are usually well versed in knowing about the dangers that lurk around us… who is doing these things to us… why They are doing it to us… and about what can be done to mitigate the damage.
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The problem is with the greater society that we live within and among. The majority of people – even with all the available information on the Net and all the great ideas being put forth to help prepare us – are still mostly clueless about what Our Times are all about. Living in a blissful sleep that could be lethal to us all.
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What are Our Times all about? A radical and permanent reordering of the Global Population and ‘Order!’. A more dictatoria and oppressive governing apparatus. A weakening of personal freedoms. A financial bankrupting of the average person. And, a spiritual bankrupting of the human family in which we turn our backs on our Divine Nature… we become fearful of everything… we turn on each other… and we lose touch with our very own personal selfhood. In short, becoming estranged from everything and everyone so that we are helpless to deal with the Predator Class from whom we are under attack.
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All of the preparation and mitigation ideas presented on these pages – and others — are of course good. But it is the spiritual side of this battle that is most concerning. First, you have to get the general population to understand that they are in the midst of a fierce battle. And second, you have to get them motivated to do something about that. And third – and most importantly – we have to get our heads and hearts and spirits energized and going and feeling in the right direction or nothing else we do is going to matter.
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The most important ‘Solution’ is to wear the Armor of the Divine… and carry the strength, wisdom, persistence, and claim to ultimate victory that Our Creator provides to and expects from us. In short, we have to prove ourselves worthy to lay true claim to being fractals of Divinty and to that Divine Promise that is not just handed to us for lazily existing but achieved by prevailing over the forces that seek to destroy us.
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We’ve heard all about ‘Problem – Reaction – Solution’ as a form of battle attack being used against us. But guess what? That stuff can work in the opposite direction as well.
“First, you have to get the general population to understand that they are in the midst of a fierce battle. And second, you have to get them motivated to do something about that…”
There’s nothing you can do about that except spread the truth and plant the seeds. The rest usually happens naturally in the course of a crisis. Most people have to see the threat in front of them before they have the will to take action, sadly. We can pontificate all day long about abstract threats or metaphysical concepts and none of it will make a dent until the public is faced with the physical reality of oblivion. I wish things were different, but there’s a reason why history is usually decided by very small groups of people – some good, some evil. Only a small percentage of people realize what is happening before the hammer falls.
Brandon Smith: “… spread the truth and plant the seeds.”
This of course is necessary and in a sense our duty because if we haven’t tried to share our knowledge and perspective then we can’t expect others to be different from who they currently are. And we can’t criticize them at that point.
Our problem today is that there seems so little ‘good Earth’ today to plant our seeds due to so many people being so brainwashed and dispirited and confused. Jesus spoke of such a reaction when he said, ‘And whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you leave that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet’.
In other words, when you’ve done what you can you just have to leave those people to whatever awaits them by their persisting in their given attitudes.
I think that’s the key. ‘Success’ isn’t measured solely by getting someone else to ‘see the light’. They either will or won’t and you can’t control that. Our test is THAT WE TRIED. As said earlier, if we don’t try we have failed in our own mission to be a Light to the World.
Brandon, you in your way are serving as Light. You are giving people ideas and a chance to make what is coming easier.
We want the best for the human race and for ourselves personally. But like the farmer who feeds and tills the ground and sows and waters the seed… whether or not he will reap a good harvest is left to forces beyond his hands. As individuals, we may not be able to manage an entire 640-acre Section of land (all of humanity)… but we certainly can work to keep our backyard garden plot in good shape (those people in our life circle).
Thats all you can do. I try to drop little truth nuggets and if someone starts to begin the asking questions phase and is ready that’s where the challenge comes next: Trying to explain things without info overload. It was so much easier when I was just dismissed as a conspiracy theorist so I could just stop conversing and leave someone to their own thoughts.
To Brandon and your readers:
Get your hands on Gadsden symbolism (flags, decals, patches). This is how we find each other in the aftermath of something truly horrible. It has NO leaders but unifies the like minded. We need this unwritten understanding. Something a complete novice can wield.
Once shit goes south you will not be able to find them. That’s probably good as infiltrators will not come about them easily. If there’s a govt entity they obviously will. Use your judgement. However this shitshow could devolve into true anarchy. That’s what I am referring to.
We need ways to find each other boys. Something ubiquitous but only with a certain crowd. It’s best I can come up with. So make sure you guys have a way to express yourselves. I love individualism but sometimes you must unify. The power of this unspoken line of communication will be priceless.
I Hope. God Bless
How would one distinguish
a true patriot, from an imposter, infiltrator?
Thanks
—Apologies for the late reply…..you can’t but you can way the odds. The left hates that damn flag with every fiber in their bodies. Even normies don’t want to be caught dead with it lol.
—Those flags, decals, stickers, patches will NOT be lying around when SHTF. Even if they are the enemy will never get it until it’s far too late.
It’s our best chance to communicate when the lights go out. If you can think of another I’m on board brother.
Brandon, the ability to create a currency that most of the control resides with the people is what we need more than ever. Solve that problem and see the future of freedom become limitless. In a perfect world it would be digital, backed by gold, and the people/market would be in control.
Like it or not Bitcoin fills that role. It’s not backed by gold but it’s solid on the other two aspects i mentioned. I know it can be tracked to some degree but that’s not what this is important. Sure they can also use derivative tricks to apply pressure. For the record as of today I have about $10 worth. I have about a $1k of ETH. That’s it and that’s all. I have 20x that in physical metals. Just wanted to give you guys a frame of reference.
Maybe BTC is an example of what can be achieved. Free the money and free the world. Hell we may not even need it to be backed my metals/commodities if people and markets are in control. It’s the best thing I can imagine to complete and total liberation my friends
“Through Honest Money lies our salvation. “…….my quote 😉
After I go through all the work to raise chickens and keep them safe, when I get a dozen eggs there is no way I would trade them for some kind of digital nonsense that won’t be transferable without a computer. Crypto’s value changes daily. It is less stable than the dollar and the dollar is terrible.
—And you wouldn’t want Gold or Silver either. All currencies will be a moot point. In that scenario only metal with value will be lead.
—I pray we don’t get to that place.
—Brandon has evolved to see it too lol. Sorry man don’t mean to speak for you. Your Newsletter about hunting made me chuckle. The lesson: You gotta go way the fuck into the holler to compete. It’s absolutely true and what I hope to avoid sir.
I don’t think precious metals will be abandoned unless there is total global collapse on a scale that eliminates all trade. Which is unlikely. Metals are more about windows of use. Even if things break down into zero economy, trade eventually returns and something will be needed as a tangible unit of currency. Guess what every civilization in history has used before and after collapse? Yep, gold and silver. Beyond that, PMs are VERY valuable in the window right before economic crisis. As the paper market collapses, the physical market skyrockets. I wouldn’t put all my savings into metals, but I would put in 10% for good measure.
Problem with BTC et al (and I own some) is: No Internet= no way to use it. Grid-down scenario for weeks to years is not unlikely IMHO.
The most terrifying force of death comes from the hands of Men who wanted to be left Alone. They try, so very hard, to mind their own business and provide for themselves and those they love. They resist every impulse to fight back, knowing the forced and permanent change of life that will come from it. They know that the moment they fight back, their lives as they have lived them, are over. The moment the Men who wanted to be left alone are forced to fight back, it is a form of suicide. They are literally killing off who they used to be. Which is why, when forced to take up violence, these Men who wanted to be left alone, fight with unholy vengeance against those who murdered their former lives. They fight with raw hate, and a drive that cannot be fathomed by those who are merely play-acting at politics and terror. TRUE TERROR will arrive at these people’s door, and they will cry, scream, and beg for mercy… but it will fall upon the deaf ears of the Men who just wanted to be left alone.
I was born in a communist country and what You describe is exactly what I remember. What was the outcome? Full economic control led to poverty and then to state oppresion. Black market emerged and we bought everything valuable outisde official supply. People were hoarding foreign currencies and gold. Finally system collapsed. The “new normal” will end the same way because every communist government in history ended in ruins.
Brandon, You mentioned one of the primary problems of the present business model, the corporation. The corporation only exists to avoid scrutiny and responsibility. It is a legal fog meant to confuse the public, hide ownership, and accumulate wealth and power in the hands of people who can hide behind “policy” while robbing consumers, poisoning the environment, controlling government, and corrupting society. It is an evil which must be destroyed, never to be allowed to exist again. Thank you for confirming what I have suspected for a long time.
I’ve been saying this for a while and it is not a message taken up easily by the liberty movement folks–many of whom are Christian conservatives who dislike morally muddy waters. Folks who seek to re-create a space of freedom in a world of advancing totalitarianism will have to embrace the covert and clandestine. If in fact if we are in a state of mortal contention, it’s no good trying to conduct ourselves by the Marquis of Queensbury rules. Black markets require secrecy and deception. They require flexibility and pragmatism. They force one to deal with characters he’d prefer not to be acquainted with. In short, we would have to get our hands dirty.
My observation is that–until BRICS issues a currency–crypto currencies are the only development in recent times that frightened the central bankers. They believe they now have a handle on that. Indeed, as is their modus operandi, they have found ways to co-opt the technology. Since I don’t believe the Federal Corp will allow regional or local currencies to flourish, the alternative scrips which could be used for barter will likely have to be covert (crypto currencies) though they may not necessarily need to be electronic. The important feature of these trading chits is not their mechanics but the reliability of the covenant to honor their validity as payment. This will likely require some coersion from time to time–as will the resolution of other disputes. Such resolutions would have to involve adjudication and settlement by private means. And this is what it means to soil one’s hands..
Crypto is not covert. The block ledger tracks all transactions. It is much less covert than cash. Ask those who are already in jail for using crypto on the black market.
At 71 years old I tried to grow tomatoes and squash this summer. I have a few chickens in the backyard as well. Tomorrow I have to go to the dentist and have him work on a bad tooth. He won’t want to be paid with eggs and tomatoes ( I ate the tomatoes anyway as soon as they ripened). That’s why I am stuck in the system we have at present. I worked hard all my life and saved for retirement. I am dependent on those savings and social security/medicare. It’s too late for me to change to a barter lifestyle but I fully support those that can do that. We won’t get rid of the beast that intends to rule over us without great difficulty. I will probably be counted as a loss when things get bad. I will cheer the rest of you on and hope for your success.
David. Your thoughts are gold. Have you considered writing short stories, like what you ‘ve shared with us, on a daily bases in a journal to pass on? I’m pretty sure your words would be a priceless treasure. Sincerely.
I like what I’m reading in both the article and the comments. My main concern is how do I find others who see the reality of where the US and other countries are heading? I’d like to be a part of a community.
Where on this earth do you live?😃
1 Corinthians 3:6
“I [Paul] have planted, Apollos watered but God gave the increase.”
God set life up this way. We have the easy part. If we try to do God’s part, we get frustrated. If we are planting seeds we are doing our job. Results are in God’s hands.
Hey Brandon, I love this article and wish I had seen it sooner because it’s about real, tangible solutions. I especially agree with your proposition that taxes should be transparent and spending limited to a local level, and abolishing federal income taxes. I’m also for abolishing property taxes as they’re just theft of acquired wealth. And I agree that corporations should be abolished, and that instead we should only have sole proprietorships or partnerships so there’s no escaping civil / criminal liability. Lots of accountants and attorneys (and bureaucrats in general) wouldn’t like these changes, but they’re necessary.