Image Credit: ready4itall.org

If you regularly follow establishment media and you’ve fallen for the notion that the stock market is the primary measure for economic health in this country, then you probably also believe that the recovery has taken hold, that the economy is growing, and that our elected officials have done a great job dealing with the crisis.

Never mind the record job losses or the over 100 million Americans who depend on a government distribution in some form to make ends meet. Officials in political and financialspheres, through their manipulated job statistics and financial market intervention, have convinced the majority of people that things are actually getting better.

But just because the Dow Jones has hit all time highs doesn’t necessarily mean we’re back to boom times again. In fact, as Charlie McGrath of Wide Awake News notes, the situation is exactly the opposite of what it appears to be. We’re already seeing cracks in financial markets as evidenced by the destruction of long-time American staple retailers like JC Penney and Sears. And this week Best Buy announced very disappointing holiday sales results, which led to an almost immediate collapse in its stock price of nearly 30%.

But despite the overwhelming signs that consumers are tapped out, the stock marketshook it off like nothing happened.

To mainstream pundits this was a sign of the tenacity and strength of the American economy. To those who get it, this was just more confirmation that the entire system as it exists today is being manipulated on all fronts.

They’re saying that we’re recovering. They’re saying that Dow Jones 16,000, that Dow Jones 20,000 equals success on Main Street. In the meantime, The war on poverty just reached a new fifty year low. The war on unemployment, the war on fixing an economic crisis brought to you by a bunch of bankers that started in 2008 to present, that has been an abject failure on every front when it matters to Main Street… that war is being sold as a success.

So you’d better understand what that means. The days of easy cheap bailout money, the days of easy cheap papering over the depression money in the form of social safety nets… you better rest assured of one thing…

You are on borrowed time. You are on borrowed time for the kind, caring government that is lulling a populace into servitude with these handouts.

Because they’re gonna stop doing it, and when they do they’re going to turn the blame directly on you.

What does this all lead to? A total dismantling of free market principles… a free market under attack around this planet will lead to an overt totalitarian society… that is the path we’ve been set on.A path that leads to government having more solution, that leads to more failure, that leads to more crisis, that leads to more solution… a self feeding beast that turns a once representative government into a totalitarian juggernaut.This is what we’re facing in this country… The IMF came out and said the planet is facing a 1930′s style default.…this is all by design. We are heading towards a total in which the crime for standing up for yourself will be met with the heavy boot of tyrannical government.It isn’t all hunky-dory. We’re not heading down the path to rainbows and lollipops because the Dow Jones says 16,000.

We need to use these indices as what they are… a true measure… a reverse of what is truly going on on Main Street. The higher the Dow goes, the more the bank stocks, the more the suffering on Main Street continues to expand.

When the system finally buckles – and it will – who do you think is going to get the blame?

The answer is quite simple. It’s going to be those people who planned ahead.

• Did you stock up on food and other supplies ahead of time while Americans are starving in the streets? Then you are a socially selfish individual and you’re personal property will need to be seized and distributed for the greater good. In fact, a recent Executive Order gives the President authorization to do just that.
• Did you purchase silver or gold as a hedge against inflation or fear that our monetary system would collapse? Then you are to blame for undermining our national currency.
• Do you have a retirement account like a 401K or IRA while other Americans have to depend on paltry government assistance checks to survive? Then you are the problem because you haven’t shared your wealth. Congressional members have already discussed turning your personal savings into government managed plans much like Obamacare.
• Do you often discuss free market principles like the elimination of income taxes or letting large institutions fail when they mismanage their company operations? Then your ideas are to blame.

This is how totalitarian governments operate and when it hits the fan ours will be left with no other option (save being dismantled) than to create scapegoats.

Guess who’s going to be first on the red list…

Mac Slavo is the Editor of SHTFplan.com

I’m not sure exactly when it happened, but I’ve become an old prude.

I don’t think scantily-clad women should spread their legs on tv in prime time.

I wish song lyrics didn’t have to include profanity and overt sexual references.

I think men look awesome in traditional tuxedos, and I wish they would honor formal occasions by wearing them.

And therefore, I completely understand why contemporary Christian music artist Natalie Grant -nominated for two awards – walked out of Sunday’s Grammy show. Hat tip to our friends at The Black Sphere for reporting.

Grant and her husband went to the show to proudly represent gospel music, but left the show early after having heard and seen a bit too much.

I’m with them. I do believe art represents life, and sadly moral decay in our nation was on display on Sunday. I generally watch these shows because I want to make sure I’m up to speed with what’s going on — and I know it’s every generation’s job to try to shock the previous one.

But I’m not shocked. I’m just really, really disappointed. And I haven’t even watched the State of the Union yet…

Read the full story at The Black Sphere.