(The Economic Collapse Blog)—Did you know that gangbangers in Chicago are extremely upset because a migrant gang from South America is starting to take over territory that once belonged to them? As you will see later in this article, law enforcement authorities in Chicago have completely lost control of the Windy City, and a major gang war could erupt at any time. But of course it isn’t just Chicago that has descended into a state of complete and utter chaos. In Los Angeles, a horde of approximately 50 young criminals ruthlessly looted a 7-Eleven on Friday evening…
A group of about 50 juveniles on bikes ransacked a 7-Eleven in Pico-Robertson on Friday evening, the latest in a string of recent robberies targeting the convenience chain, authorities said.
The group of juveniles, estimated to be between ages 12 and 15, entered the store at 8500 W. Olympic Blvd. around 7:25 p.m. and stole many items, according to a Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson. Most of the juveniles had fled the scene by the time officers arrived, he said.
The reason why this incident barely even made a blip in the news cycle is because this sort of thing now happens in Los Angeles on a regular basis…
The same store was targeted — also reportedly by a group of around 50 teens on bikes — on Aug. 9, according to Fox 11 Los Angeles.
A week later, a group of young men on bikes robbed two convenience stores, reported to be 7-Elevens, in Hollywood. And on Aug. 24, a similar ransacking unfolded at a 7-Eleven in San Pedro.
In the middle of the country, the streets of Indianapolis are constantly under siege.
In fact, it is being reported that police in the city recently had to “break up five different street takeovers in 48 hours”…
Police said they were met with violent crowds when they tried to break up five different street takeovers in 48 hours in Indianapolis.
Indianapolis was once such a quiet city.
But now everything has changed.
When Indianapolis police go out to break up these “street takeovers”, they are often viciously attacked…
IMPD says officers and Indiana State Police troopers were attacked and their cars were damaged while responding to several street racing and spinning events in Indianapolis over the weekend.
The first incident was reported around 2:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 14 near East Washington and Pine streets, just east of downtown Indianapolis. Officers conducting a traffic stop saw 100-200 cars “engaged in reckless driving,” including spinning, in a parking lot, the department said in a statement.
Chaos is even reigning in major cities in the Bible Belt.
This weekend, there was a horrifying mass shooting in Birmingham, Alabama that made headlines all over the nation…
At least four people were killed and dozens more were injured when gunfire broke out in Birmingham, Alabama. Investigators believe there were multiple shooters.
“We have dozens of gunshot victims from this area,’’ police spokesman Truman Fitzgerald told the Birmingham News. “I’m told at least four of those gunshot victims are life-threatening.”
The shooting happened in the city’s popular Five Points South entertainment district. At least 17 of the gunshot victims were seriously injured.
Needless to say, there has been chaos in our streets for a long time, but now things are going to an entirely new level.
Many are blaming the surge in migration that we have been witnessing while Joe Biden has been in the White House.
In Springfield, Ohio crime rates have absolutely skyrocketed during the past three years…
Reports of shoplifting and vehicle theft increased considerably in Springfield, Ohio, following the arrival of thousands of Haitian refugees, according to data obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation through a records request.
The town, which had a population of 58,622 in 2020, has taken in between 12,000 and 20,000 Haitian refugees over the past three years, marking a population increase of between 20.4% and 34.1%. From 2021 to 2023, Springfield also saw a 51.5% jump in motor vehicle theft reports and a 112.8% spike in reports of shoplifting, data provided by the Springfield Police Division shows.
In Chicago, migration has been fueling the growth of criminal gangs, and gang members now outnumber the police by more than ten to one.
With numbers like that, there is no way that the police can maintain any sort of control.
A migrant gang from Venezuela known as Tren de Aragua is now steadily taking over territory that once belonged to local gangs, and members of those local gangs are furious because the migrants are getting far more government handouts than they are…
“There’s been a lot going on with (the migrant gangs) that nobody’s even hearing about,” Zacc Massie, 27, a street leader who first went to prison in 2015 and just recently got out.
“They be moving in our own territory and robbing people but they don’t get arrested like we do. I actually talked to one on the translator app. He told me all the things he got going on; how they helped him get a car, an apartment, (EBT) card, all this stuff. They giving them thousands, we get maybe $400 a month. And they don’t even have Social Security numbers!”
It is even being reported that teachers in Chicago elementary schools are being told to “give their migrant students a 70 percent in every subject and pass them on to the next grade” even if they don’t speak any English…
The teachers we spoke with work in CPS elementary schools and say they spoke no Spanish, while their migrant students spoke no English, making communication virtually impossible. They also added that because their schools were located in predominantly Black neighborhoods, they offered no English as a Second Language (ESL) support. Despite this, they say they were instructed by school administrators to give their migrant students a 70 percent in every subject and pass them on to the next grade.
Teachers say this was the case even if their migrant students displayed severe academic deficiencies.
The locals that have been suffering in deeply impoverished sections of Chicago for many years understand very clearly what is going on, and they are deeply frustrated.
Tensions in the city have never been higher, and one ex-gang member that has gone straight told the New York Post that it is just a matter of time before a gang war begins…
“When the black gangs here get fed up with the illegalities and criminal activities of these migrants or non-citizens, the city of Chicago is going to go up in flames and there will be nothing the National Guard or the government can do about it when the bloodshed hits the streets. It’ll be blacks against migrants.”
For a long time, we were warned that there would be chaos in the streets of America, and now it is here.
Law enforcement has already lost control of the streets in cities all over the country, and the violence, theft, drug dealing and sex trafficking only get worse with each passing day.
Meanwhile, millions of additional migrants come pouring into this nation illegally every single year.
Our politicians have created ideal conditions for widespread civil unrest, and once it fully erupts nobody is going to be able to control it.
Michael’s new book entitled “Why” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.
Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.
