Notes from the edge of civilization: October 27, 2024
When margarine won't do; you better believe we're mentioning BRICS; Eau de desperation, a new fragrance; and 'echo uomo.'
This week in political theater, Democrats seem to be working overtime to make sure young people show up at the polls — and they’re not holding back on the fear factor, or the cringe.
Forget policy talks; instead of sending Kamala Harris to face off with Joe Rogan, Democrats opted for a racy scare tactic aimed at young men, warning them that the GOP is coming for their phones, their private time, and their “personal freedoms.”
Cue the eyebrow-raising ad “Republicans Rubbing You the Wrong Way,” courtesy of two Democrat-aligned super PACs. The video features a young man watching some… let’s just say, adult content… only to be interrupted by an elderly ‘Republican congressman’ announcing that the fun’s over — porn’s now on the chopping block.
For young women, the campaign messaging has been striking a more ominous tone, painting grim portraits of reproductive health restrictions post-Roe.
It’s clear the strategy isn’t to inspire young voters with visions of what they might gain in a better America, but rather frighten them into focusing on what they may lose personally. We’d like to think America’s youth sees through this — after all, they’ve been through enough cringe these past few years.
Meanwhile, both the LA Times and Washington Post decided to keep their editorial boards silent this election season, refusing to endorse any candidate. It’s not like anyone expected either of these heavyweights to openly endorse Trump, but the left had a meltdown anyway, indignantly canceling subscriptions and publicly declaring their discontent on social media.
As Harvard’s Stephen Walt tweeted, “Canceling my @washingtonpost subscription was one of the easiest decisions I’ve ever made.”
Twitter user Liberacrat summed it up perfectly in response: “If you canceled a newspaper subscription because they’re striving to be more neutral, you essentially stated, ‘I only read news that will reinforce my biases.’”
For longtime readers, the issue isn’t that they need an endorsement for Harris but that they feel they’ve lost a powerful echo in their echo chamber. Endorsements aren’t about influencing swing voters — they’re about validating the beliefs of loyal readers, giving them a cozy sense of alignment with a publication’s powerful voice. Losing that sense of affirmation from major publications is obviously unsettling for some.
All of this is happening as a Rasmussen survey suggests Americans, no matter who wins, are bracing for impact. Fifty-one percent of voters think a Harris win would stir up violence, while 47% believe a Trump victory would do the same. More importantly, a resounding 80% blame the media for fanning the flames, making it clear people see the press as more of an accelerant than a neutral observer.
Yes. This is where we are as a nation.
Longtime readers of Collapse Life recognize that we will try not to bury our heads when it comes to finances. Even though we’re not a specialist financial news outlet, what we care about is getting the word out to as many people as possible that a major financial tsunami is heading our way, and it’s best not to ignore it.
If that sounds alarmist, well, maybe it is. But whatever it takes to get folks to wake up and see that the lifestyle they’ve taken for granted for many decades is going away. Also, that preparing for the shifting sands of prosperity is prudent, not defeatist.
If you don’t believe us, believe Andy Schectman. And if you don’t believe him, believe Peter Grandich.
The BRICS — Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and now a multitude of other nations fed up with the the current monetary hegemony (that’s you, weaponized US dollar) — continue to band together in support of their own best interests. The past week, their meeting in Kazan, Russia was an important success for the bloc, with all kinds of bilateral and international cooperation being agreed upon, notably, the use of local currencies to settle trade accounts, to say nothing of longtime rivals China and India sitting down to bilateral meetings to get their relationship back on track.
Russian president Vladimir Putin, who hosted this meeting, basically reiterated that a multipolar world order is under way and irreversible. You had better believe the changes are ongoing, rapid, and dynamic. UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, who attended the summit, met face-to-face with Putin for the first time in over two years.
Did you happen to see any of this in mainstream media? Did you read anything about the currency the BRICS nations will soon issue? Are you aware that the BRICS nations central banks are buying up as much gold, and now silver, as possible?
Nope. Not a peep. Please share this information and warning as far and wide as you can. No one should have the rug pulled out from under them.
The tectonic shift the media isn't telling you about
They’re having a dairy good time in Guelph, Ontario — another confirmation the bizarre, pre-election atmosphere of chaos knows no bounds and has no preferences when it comes to salted or unsalted. Butterfingers doesn’t begin to describe the situation.
In Guelph, a small city just west of Toronto, butter has become such a hot black-market commodity that thieves have pulled off seven major heists in the last 10 months, walking off with thousands of dollars’ worth of the stuff.
So, if violence is coming to America, and you’re planning on baking, frosting, creaming or otherwise spreading thick or thin, we suggest taking a page from Guelph and locking down the butter supply, too.
Turn that butter into ghee and store in sealed pint canning jars. Keeps for over a year in a cool dark place. Shelf stable fats that are not from toxic seed oils should be a top priority for anyone’s stockpile. I do this with butter when it’s on sale. Three pounds fit in a standard crock pot. Set on low for about 12 hours then filter out the solids by pouring through a sieve lined with cheesecloth into sterilized hot jars. I also buy 3 pound bags of bacon ends (scraps) and follow the same process. You also end up with bacon bits and the butter solids can be used to make toffee.
omg - I thought the butter shortage was just a local phenomenon - my local supersized Tesco hasn't had the (grass-fed) butter I want for a couple of months now. Always in short supply, always disappearing and now Danway's comment explains this. All I want is 3 blocks for the bottom of the fridge. Luckily we have a dairy farm just down the lane. located in south Wales, UK.