Antifa Set To Terrorize America: Objective Is To “Cause Civil Unrest And Initiate Rioting In Many Major American Cities”

The organization known as Antifa has declared its intentions to cause civil unrest and initiate rioting in many major American cities on November 4, 2017.  Now, Antifa is supposed to stand for “Anti-Fascist,” concurrently denouncing “Capitalism.”  They are comprised of leftists, anarchists, Marxists, and communists.  They embrace a policy of “direct action,” loosely interpreted to refer to protests, vandalism and destruction of property, and physical assaults against individuals and groups.  Their declared objective is specifically to target the far-right (Conservative) and white supremacists (Whites).

They have many groups that are sympathetic, such as University students and professors, the media, and the Marxist Oligarchy of this country who fund their operations indirectly or promulgate their activities with other forms of support.  Antifa is also intelligent enough to not have a central committee or an operating headquarters that could be arrested or targeted respectively.  They follow a very “fluidly dynamic” pattern of utilizing social media and cell phones to coordinate overall activities, while keeping individual tasks compartmentalized with insulation between their teams/units to prevent compromise of the movement.  Such very closely mirrors the activities of the Viet Cong organizational structure minus the hierarchy of a chain-of-command structure.

It is the appearance of being “disorganized” that is the central tenet to their organizational structure: haphazard, akin to a barbarian horde, but with each individual being focused upon the stated objectives.  They accomplish their goals while outwardly appearing to be haphazard or ineffective. The reason: they are forming the “template,” or standard, and their test for its effectiveness will be November 4^th.  Their protests and demonstrations have notably been waged against conservative groups and meetings.

Antifa is another tool of the Marxists and Communists in power in the U.S., both politically (the Senate and House of Representatives, infested with communists and globalists) and economically (Oligarchs, CEO’s and large corporate segments of banking, business, and industry) with one objective:

To destroy the United States from within, and enable an invasion from without.

The politicos and oligarchs have found an army of fools (mostly among the “disenchanted” youth and students) and “front-line” leaders to carry out subversive attacks and civil unrest that can lead to anarchy and a real civil war with no discernable/identifiable battle lines.  It has happened before: with the Weather Underground, a collection of communist-leaning punks and protestors…the student riffraff that eventually became enriched and tenured professors…to influence a whole new generation of fledgling “progressive” communists.  For proof of this look no further than William Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn: both “respected academicians and professors” who are looked at with halos of awe and reverence.

Awe and reverence is held for the Weather Underground, who bombed the U.S. Capitol Building on March 1, 1971, they bombed the Pentagon on May 19, 1972, and they bombed the U.S. State Department Building on January 29, 1975. 

Eventually most of them (especially the ringleaders, such as Ayers and Dohrn) were acquitted, placed on probation, or fined.  Many of them slipped through a crack provided by Jimmy Carter when he was in office that provided amnesty for draft-dodgers.  Most used this vehicle to escape any charges they would have faced as members of the Weather Underground.

Know your enemy!  This Antifa is an enemy of the American people and the Constitution of the United States.  Here are some links:

1. Ammo Land has an excellent piece overall that gives the “cast of characters” in Antifa, and spells out their objectives with photos and visual “treats,” at this link.


2. Two-Part Series by Ammo Land’s John Crump. Here’s Part 1’s Title and link:  Antifa OSINT Profile : Violent Leftist Group – Part 1


3. Here is Part Two by Crump: Antifa OSINT Profile : Radical Left Anarchist Group – Part 2

As you can read within the articles, Antifa is smart, and they are aided and augmented by other groups.  Soros himself funds them: through the Tides Foundation that runs to the Alliance for Global Justice, and then filters down to Antifa. The events so far have not been nationwide, but November 4 may just change that.  There was an article entitled Antifa Planning Nationwide Riots on November 4, 2017, by Off Grid Survival that categorizes and reports some of their stated (upcoming) activities.  Here are two excerpts taken from two of the Antifa websites:

“According to two ANTIFA-based websites, these lunatics think that inflicting terror throughout the country will put an end to the “Trump/Pence regime”.

ANTIFA are planning a nationwide day of riots on November 4th, which they say will force President Trump out of office.

Refusefascism.org reports:

This Nightmare Must End: The Trump/Pence Regime Must Go!

Who should attend this conference? Students and youth, the faith community, representatives of organizations and people who are unaffiliated, artists and professionals, long-time activists and folks who have never protested before – everyone who wants to see the nightmare of the Trump/Pence Regime end and is willing to act together to accomplish this. We will start organizing now for: NOVEMBER 4, 2017

Take To The Streets And Public Squares in cities and towns across the country continuing day after day and night after night—not stopping—until our DEMAND is met.

Revcom.us reports:

ON NOVEMBER 4, 2017:

We will gather in the streets and public squares of cities and towns across this country, at first many thousands declaring that this whole regime is illegitimate and that we will not stop until our single demand is met: This Nightmare Must End: the Trump/Pence Regime Must Go!

Our protest must grow day after day and night after night—thousands becoming hundreds of thousands, and then millions—determined to act to put a stop to the grave danger that the Trump/Pence Regime poses to the world by demanding that this whole regime be removed from power.”

Will these guys mount an effective insurrection, or will it be “lip service” (in the manner of “Anonymous”) or fizzle out akin to the protests prior to the presidential elections?  The larger danger will surface if the country becomes embroiled in a struggle with civil rioting and uprisings and leave our attentions diverted from the possibility of a foreign attack.  What better time than in a moment of weakness fostered by confusion?  At any rate, we’ll know the answer to the question next weekend.  Let’s be prepared for the possibility that it can all go downhill.

Related: There Will Be Blood: Left Prepares For War After Berkeley Beat Down: “Combat Training, Better Equipment, Guns…”

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Jeremiah Johnson is the Nom de plume of a retired Green Beret of the United States Army Special Forces (Airborne).  Mr. Johnson is also a Gunsmith, a Certified Master Herbalist, a Montana Master Food Preserver, and a graduate of the U.S. Army’s SERE school (Survival Evasion Resistance Escape).  He lives in a cabin in the mountains of Western Montana with his wife and three cats. You can follow Jeremiah’s regular writings at SHTFplan.com or contact him here.

This article may be republished or excerpted with proper attribution to the author and a link to www.SHTFplan.com.

Also Read:

Wall Street Is Actively Preparing Nuclear Attack Contingency Plans: “These Bankers Have Firsthand Knowledge Of What Is Going To Happen”

Green Beret Warns: “Skepticism Will Vanish When The Power Suddenly Fails Across the United States”

Crisis On The Horizon: Will It Be Economic Collapse? Global Civil Unrest? War? We Won’t Have To Guess Much Longer…

Massive Government Preparations and Stockpiling Point To One Thing: “An Event Is Going To Happen”

A Global Catastrophe Is Being Orchestrated By The Elites: “There Are Many Things The President Does Not Know”

BREAKING: New York Attacked Near World Trade Center—8 Dead, 12 Injured

At least 8 people have been reported killed and at least 12 injured in a vehicle attack near the World Trade Center memorial in lower Manhattan, New York.

8 Dead After Truck Driver Plows Into NYC Crowd, Shouts "Allahu Akbar" In "Cowardly Act Of Terror"

In an attack that bears the hallmarks of recent terror assaults in the UK, Spain and France, a truck veered into the West Side Highway bike lane at 3:15pm on Tuesday afternoon, and mowed down cyclists and pedestrians, leaving at least eight dead and up to 15 injured near Chambers Street and West Street, near Stuyvesant High School in lower Manhattan.

The Benefits Of Organic Hemp Milk

[image: organicfacts.net]

Though its name might be a bit misleading, organic hemp milk is a perfectly legal, not to mention healthy, alternative for vegetarians or non vegetarians. Produced from the seeds of the hemp plant, this milk has only begun to be sold in the United States within the past few years.

One concern that people have about organic hemp milk is that it might contain some of the chemical THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), which is found in marijuana. Rest assured that this ingredient is not present or associated with hemp milk.

Another concern is that the hemp seeds must be imported since it’s currently not legal to grow the hemp plant in the US. Some hemp milk producers have to rely on obtaining hemp seeds from farmers in Canada or Europe, where the growth of hemp plants for oil or milk is perfectly legal.

Health Benefits of Organic Hemp Milk

Organic hemp milk is also a great alternative to toxic cow’s milk and those who cannot consume dairy because of dietary issues.

One 8-Ounce glass contains the following healthy nutrients:

900mg Omega-3 Fatty Acid 2800mg Omega-6 Fatty Acid All 10 Essential Amino Acids 4 grams of Digestible Protein 46% of RDA of Calcium 0% Cholesterol Potassium Phosphorous Riboflavin

Vitamin A Vitamin E Vitamin B12 Folic Acid Vitamin D Magnesium Iron Zinc And more…

How To Make Your Own Organic Hemp Milk!

Combine the water and the Shelled Hemp Seeds in a blender. Use more water to achieve a skim milk consistency and less water to produce a heavier cream consistency of the milk.

Turn blender on high for 2-3 minutes, or until you reach your desired consistency. (I use the VitaMix™ brand blender)

After blending you can sweeten the milk by adding: raw honey, or Organic Vanilla. Blend again to mix sweetener. You can drink it thick or strain it through cheese cloth to remove the large seed particles. The seed pulp can then be used as an excellent body scrub, facial mask or compost.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup hemp seeds (shelled)


• 5-6 cups of purified water


• Natural Sweetener, such as Raw Honey

Recipe Makes: 6-7 cups and will stay fresh for 3 days in the refrigerator in a sealed glass container (use a mason jar). Shake well before each use.

Parents: This is a very easy way to supplement a good source of organic protein, Omega-6 & Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids in your child’s diet.

Organic shelled hemp seeds can be purchased online. (I personally use ManitobaHarvest.com or Nutiva.com)

Other Things You Need To Know About Organic Hemp Milk

It can be purchased in plain, vanilla, or chocolate flavors, and the boxes they are packaged in do not have to be refrigerated until after you open them. There are now multiple stores selling multiple brands, so if you are a consumer who prefers to stick to organic products, you should not have too much difficulty finding them.

Plain organic hemp milk contains no sugar, no cholesterol, and is free of soy and gluten. For many people, these factors make it an obvious choice for an abundant source of vital nutrients. The essential fatty acids, vitamins & nutrients that are contained in organic hemp milk provide a wide variety of health benefits.

Hemp Milk Benefits Include:

• Strengthened Immune System


• Clear, Healthy Skin, Hair and Nails


• Strong, Healthy Heart


• Increased Mental Capacity

NOTE: As with anything, you should always conduct a sufficient amount of research on any products that you are considering trying. There are actually quite a few different brands available on the market, and not all of them are made with organic ingredients.

Try to get in the habit of reading product labels on everything, not just food and beverage items. When you regularly read ingredients of the things you and your family are using or consuming, you will develop a greater understanding of labeling practices and what to look for to be safe.

Organic hemp milk may very well be the best alternative for those of you who either do not like cow’s milk, suffer from lactose intolerance, or are vegans. While the taste of it may be something that you have to adjust to, you might just find that you actually prefer it to any of the other milk products you have tried.

The post The Benefits Of Organic Hemp Milk appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.

Iceland’s Biggest Volcano Is ‘Ready To Erupt’ As Europe Faces A Disaster

Iceland’s biggest volcano has been rocked by the strongest earthquake since it last erupted in 2014.   With swarms of earthquakes occurring in the French Alps too, Europe is facing what could be one of the largest natural disasters in history.

Last week, the 6,591-foot tall Bardarbunga, a “powerful and versatile” volcano, was rattled by the four largest earthquakes since it last erupted in 2014.  The earthquakes, measuring in magnitudes of 3.9, 3.2, 4.7, and 4.7 on the Richter scale, struck the caldera region over several days last weekend. Another magnitude 4.1 earthquake hit the 200km long and 25km wide volcanic system earlier last week and several tremors struck in September.

Páll Einarsson, a volcanology expert at the University of Iceland, said the latest quakes are part of a series that have been “in progress for two years”. Speaking exclusively to Daily Star Online, he said the volcano is “clearly preparing for its next eruption” within the next few years.

Fears are spiking even higher when considering the earthquake swarm that has been rocking the French Alps recently.

The 10,000-year-old volcano spewed out large volumes of sulfur dioxide during its last seven-month eruption which took place between August of 2014 and February of 2015. Although the eruption did not disrupt any flights, the emissions harshly impacted the air quality in Iceland, leading to health consequences across the country.

In spite of describing the volcanoes activity as “high”, the Icelandic Met Office has yet to issue any warnings about the possibility of Bardarbunga’s eruption. In fact, the warning code remains green; meaning the volcano is in a normal, non-eruptive state, according to the volcano monitor.

Seven years ago Iceland’s massive Eyjafjallajökull volcano erupted, spewing a choking veil of ash across Europe. Residents worry as memories of the 2014 eruption and the flight chaos caused by the 2010 eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano resurface.  The deadly volcanic dust wiped out skies and grounded 100,000 flights, resulting in the economy losing £4 billion.

Should an eruption of Bardarbunga take place, it’s highly possible that there would be another even more drastic air travel restriction and poorer air quality.

Marijuana in Halloween Candy Won’t Kill Your Kids, but the Sugar Might

(ANTIMEDIA) Every Halloween, warnings to parents sound the alarm on cannabis and other drugs ending up in their children’s candy. While these advisories rarely come to fruition, another dangerous substance is guaranteed to be in kids’ treats: sugar.

Though the link between sugar consumption and cancer has been increasingly established in recent years, researchers at KU University in Belgium published further evidence this month in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Communications.

According to a press release from VIB, a research institute affiliated with study researcher Johan Johan Thevelein, who co-founded the nine-year joint research project that released the findings:

“Scientists have clarified how the Warburg effect, a phenomenon in which cancer cells rapidly break down sugars, stimulates tumor growth. This discovery provides evidence for a positive correlation between sugar and cancer, which may have far-reaching impacts on tailor-made diets for cancer patients.”

Non-cancerous cells produce energy through aerobic respiration, which breaks down digested food into energy. Through this process, Northwestern University explains, “glucose is converted into CO2 and H2O in the presence of oxygen, releasing large amounts of ATP,”  adenosine triphosphate, often considered the “energy currency of life.”

In contrast, cancer cells obtain energy by fermenting sugar, even when ample oxygen is available. This process is called the Warburg effect.

According to Thevelein:

“Our research reveals how the hyperactive sugar consumption of cancerous cells leads to a vicious cycle of continued stimulation of cancer development and growth. Thus, it is able to explain the correlation between the strength of the Warburg effect and tumor aggressiveness. This link between sugar and cancer has sweeping consequences.”

Business Insider further explained how the study clarified the Warburg effect:

“The researchers behind the new study observed yeast cells in the lab, and found that their fermentation process — the same one that cancer cells prefer — actually stimulates tumor growth.

“Their findings suggest that the most common cancer-causing genes, called Ras proteins, fuel aggressive tumors with their sugar intake. In short, sugar ‘awakens’ existing cancer cells, making them multiply and expand rapidly, according to these scientists.”

Though the study was conducted in human cells, the researchers cautioned that the next step is to study actual patients in clinical trials before conclusions about treatment and diet can be made.

Nevertheless, sugar is also linked to other health ailments, including heart disease and obesity. According to the University of California San Francisco medical school, added sugars, which are “added in preparation of foods, either at the table, in the kitchen or in the processing plant,” and include sucrose and high fructose corn syrup, “ are  often overconsumed in the United States and pose a particular risk to children and teens.

“The U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting total intake of discretionary calories, including both added sugars and fats, to 5% –15% per day,” UCSF explains. “Yet children and adolescents in America obtain about 16% of their total caloric intake from added sugars alone.”

Further, they note that “the average American consumes 19.5 teaspoons (82 grams) every day. That translates into about 66 pounds of added sugar consumed each year, per person.”

UCSF also points out that sugar may have addictive qualities:

“Using brain-scanning technology, scientists at the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse were among the first to show that sugar causes changes in peoples’ brains similar to those in people addicted to drugs such as cocaine and alcohol. These changes are linked to a heightened craving for more sugar. This important evidence has set off a flood of research on the potentially addictive properties of sugar.”

As parents prepare to take their children trick-or-treating, evidence suggests they should be far more concerned about conventional candy than weed-laced gummy bears.

Creative Commons / Anti-Media / Report a typo

Company Gives Non-Smokers Six Extra Days of Vacation To Make Up For Cigarette Breaks

(ANTIMEDIA) — A company is providing non-smoking employees an extra six days of vacation time per year to compensate for the time smoking staff members take on cigarette breaks.

Piala Inc, a Japanese marketing firm, introduced the policy in September after receiving multiple complaints from workers who do not smoke cigarettes.

“One of our non-smoking staff put a message in the company suggestion box earlier in the year saying that smoking breaks were causing problems. Our CEO saw the comment and agreed, so we are giving non-smokers some extra time off to compensate,” according to a spokesperson for Piala Inc.

Each cigarette break reportedly lasts at least 15 minutes because the firm is located on the 29th floor of a Tokyo office building.

The company hopes the new program will encourage employees to put an end to their nicotine addiction.

“I hope to encourage employees to quit smoking through incentives rather than penalties or coercion,” Takao Asuka, the Piala Inc CEO, told Kyodo News. The CEO also added that the program has already encouraged four members of the staff to give up the habit.

As Japan inches closer to the Tokyo-based 2020 Olympic games, the nation is doing everything it can to cut down on the number of smokers in the country, including a push for an outright smoking ban in public spaces.

Overall, 19.8 percent of Japanese adults are smokers, down from only four years ago when cigarette smokers made up 21.6 percent of the population.

Creative Commons / Anti-Media / Report a typo

Laying it to the Feet of the Responsible Party… So We Can Clearly See! (VIDEO)

“The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government – lest it come to dominate our lives and interests.” ― Patrick Henry

When you look at the quote from above, you would think that we were talking of a different country and about a different people. We can see clearly what happens when the American people no longer take responsibility before God to take their rightful place, position and perform their obligations (1 John 2:4).

When looking at America, the 4 day nation, 4 days later Americans have been diverted to another issue forgetting the 4 days before.

Headline news in America:

• New Poll Results: Majority Of White Americans Feel Discriminated Against


• Millionaire Muslima Ripped Off Taxpayers For 18 Years – Finally Kicked Out Of Government-Funded Home


• RINOS Forced To Come Clean


• FBI Dumps Documents On Sandy Hook – Guess Who Visited the Shooter Before the Shooting?


• Vegas Gunman’s Brother Busted With Child Porn


• Emails Confirm: Obama DOJ Funneled Big Bank Settlement Money to Liberal Groups


• Media Applauds LGBTQ Picking Up Guns “In Response To Far Right”

One only has to ask themselves, how it is that 325.36 million people in this country tolerate the crimes of less than 1.7 % of the corrupt population?

Before God, who is the guilty party, those who commit the crimes or those who tolerate the crimes? From God’s perspective, both!

America is now bearing the corrupt fruit of a nation that has forgotten God and is now clearly under His judgments (Deuteronomy 28:45).

All of this is occurring on the watch of those who live in the greatest nation on this side of Heaven, who once understood its mandate.  America was not called the light of the world for nothing (Deuteronomy 4).

Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me, O my nation: for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people. -Isaiah 51:4

Once “We the people” get to the point of blaming ourselves instead of everyone else for what we are responsible to correct, then and only then, will we understand the reason we have been put on God’s green earth in the first place (Matthew 3:2).

The post Laying it to the Feet of the Responsible Party… So We Can Clearly See! (VIDEO) appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.

How To Survive When You Can’t Pay Your Bills

Let’s talk about poverty.

I don’t mean the kind you’re talking about when your friends invite you to go shopping or for a night out and you say, “No, I can’t. I’m poor right now.”

I don’t mean the situation when you’d like to get a nicer car but decide you should just stick to the one you have because you don’t have a few thousand for a down payment.

I don’t mean the scene at the grocery store when you decide to get ground beef instead of steak.

I’m talking about when you have already done the weird mismatched meals from your pantry that are made up of cooked rice, stale crackers, and a can of peaches, and you’ve moved on to wondering what on earth you’re going to feed your kids.

Or when you get an eviction notice for non-payment of rent, a shut-off notice for your utilities, and a repo notice for your car and there’s absolutely nothing you can do about any of those notices because there IS NO MONEY.

If you’ve never been this level of broke, I’m very glad.

I have been this broke. I know that it is soul-destroying when no matter how hard you work, how many part time jobs you squeeze in, and how much you cut, you simply don’t make enough money to survive in the world today. Being part of the working poor is incredibly frustrating and discouraging

It is a sickening feeling when you’re just barely hanging in there and suddenly, an unexpected expense crops up and decimates your tight budget. Maybe your child gets sick and needs a trip to the doctor and some medicine. Perhaps a family member is involved in an accident and can’t work for a few weeks. It could be that your car breaks down and you need it to get back and forth to work because you live too far out in the country for public transit.

As our economy continues to crumble, these are the situations going on in more homes across the country every single day. It’s simple to believe that the people suffering like this are just lazy, or not trying, or are spending frivolously. No one wants to think that these things can occur through no fault of the individual.  Why? Because that means these things could also happen to them.

Every time I write about crushing poverty, someone adds the comments section a smug declaration about how people need to get an education, hang on to a job, buy cheaper food…there’s a litany of condescending advice.  I’m sure this article will be no exception, and please, if you’re in the situation I’m describing, let the criticism roll off of you.

The advice I have may not be popular, but let’s talk about prioritizing your payments when you can’t pay your bills.  I am not promoting irresponsibility here. It’s just math. When you have less money coming in than you have obligated to go out, you will not be able to pay all of your bills. It’s that simple.

First, do a quick audit of your financial situation so you can see where you’re at.

This list of priorities assumes that you have some money coming in, but not enough to meet your obligations. When things improve, you can try to catch up, but for now, you simply have to choose survival. I suggest the following order of payments.

1.) Pay for shelter first

Your number one priority is keeping a roof over your head. That roof may not be the roof of the house you are in now, though, if your circumstances have changed and you can no longer afford it.  If you can still manage to pay your rent/mortgage, do so in order to keep your family housed.

If you rent, and your rent is a reasonable price, make this the first payment you make from your limited funds. You really, truly don’t want to be homeless an moving is expensive. Try your best to stay put.

If you own, consider your property taxes and insurance as part of your mortgage, because if you stop paying any of these, your home will be foreclosed on.

If you can’t pay your mortgage, property taxes, and insurance, you have a while before the home gets foreclosed on and you are forced to move out. If this is the case, it’s absolutely essential that you put aside money for the place where you’ll move should you have to leave your home. You’re going to need first, last, and deposits in many cases, particularly since your credit isn’t going to be stellar due to your financial situation. When you are in this situation, it can be difficult to force yourself to save money when so many things are being left unpaid, but if you ever hope to bail yourself out of this situation, you absolutely have to do this.

The laws vary from state to state, (find the specifics for your state here) but basically, this is the timeline:

• When you make the decision to let your house go back to the lender, you will have a month or two before they send you a notice of default.


• From that point, you usually have 3 months before the foreclosure proceedings begin. During those 3 months, you should be saving the money you would normally be putting toward your mortgage.


• At some point, you’ll get a notice to vacate the premises.


• When this happens, you have two options. You can choose to move to  a different home, or you can file for bankruptcy, if you feel your situation is such that there is absolutely no way out.


• If you file for bankruptcy, the home can’t be re-sold by the lender for 3 more months, giving you more time to put aside money for your move.

Should we all pay the bills that we have promised to pay? Of course we should. Our word is very important. Remember, though, that the information here is for people who are in a position in which they DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO PAY.

So, the bottom line is this: either pay your housing costs or put aside money for future housing as your first expenditure.

2.) Buy food

You have to eat, and so do your children. If you don’t eat, you’ll get sick, and then your situation will be even more dire.

• Stick to simple, wholesome basics and cook from scratch. Beans and rice have fed many a family.


• Tap into your inner southerner and make inexpensive, filling meals like biscuits and gravy.


• Make soup to stretch just a few ingredients to feed a family.


• Save ALL of your leftovers, even the ones on people’s plates. Add them to a container in the freezer and make a soup from that at the end of the week.


• Clean up after the potluck at church. Sometimes you can take home the leftovers.


• Don’t skip meals to stretch your food further. You need your health and your strength to overcome this situation.


• Go to the library and check out a book on local edibles. Go foraging in the park or in nearby wooded areas.


• See if your grocery store sells out-of-date produce for use for animals. There’s often a fair bit you can salvage and add to soups or casseroles. (This is the only way we were able to have vegetables and meat during one particularly painful stretch when my oldest daughter was young.)

In a worst-case scenario, food banks are an option as well.

3.) Pay for essential utilities

You should be cutting your utility usage to the bare minimum and using every trick in the book to keep your bills as low as possible.

If your utilities get shut off, it’s going to be difficult to cook from scratch and you won’t be able to keep leftovers from spoiling. You need the water running from your taps to drink, cook with, and clean. Depending on the climate and the season, heat may be vital as well.

If you can’t ay the entire bill, call the utility companies and try to make payment arrangements. If your utilities are shut off, then you will have a hefty reconnection fee on top of the bill.

Another point to remember is that our culture believes it’s absolutely necessary that all homes be plugged in to the utility system. If you have a work-around, like wood heat and hand pumped well water,  and decide that your utilities are not essential, you need to be prepared to face those whose opinions differ. Some cities have condemned homes which are not connected to the grid, and if you have children who are of school age, sometimes a “concerned” teacher or neighbor has been known to report your situation to the child welfare authorities. (Recently an off-grid homeschooling family had their children removed from the home by police.)

4.) Pay for car/work necessities

What must you have in order to keep working? For me, it’s the internet, since I work online.  All of my clients contact me via email and the work I do requires that I be able to send it to them and research things online. I live in the country, so driving to the library on a daily basis would cost more than my monthly internet fees. For another person, this necessity might be the cost of public transit or keeping their vehicle on the road so that they can get to work.  Choose the least expensive options to keep yourself working, but maintain your job-related necessities.

5.) Pay for anything else

After you’ve paid all of the above, if you have money left over, now is the time to pay your other expenses.  These expenses include debt that you’ve incurred, contracts you are involved in (like cell phone plans, etc.)  Choose very carefully how you dole out any remaining money.

• Keep one phone going, with the lowest possible payment. This is necessary for work, for your children or their school to contact you in the event of an emergency, and as a contact point for your financial situation. Compare the cost of a cell phone, landline, or VOIP phone. Every family member does not require a phone – you just need one. (I actually did go for a couple of years with no phone at all, but I’m uniquely antisocial and had email by which I could be reached.)


• If it’s at all possible, try to use the snowball method made famous by Dave Ramsey to pay off your debts and bail yourself out of your situation. Being free from debt will allow you to live a much freer life in the future.


• If paying off debt is not possible, try to make the minimum payments.


• If the minimum payments are not possible, you may have to default, at least temporarily, on debts.


• Buy some pantry staples.  If you can add some extra rice or cans of tomatoes to the pantry, it will help see you through this tight situation.


• Be relentless in deciding what will be paid and what will not. This is not the time for arguments like, “But it’s our only form of entertainment” or “We deserve this one luxury.”  Cut all non-essentials until things improve.


• Focus on the most frugal options possible.

Things will get better

I’ve been down this road.  I really get it. It saddens me to see people I love in this situation now.

These books can help. I found them to be lifechanging when I was broke, and the lessons have stuck with me throughout my adult life. You may be able to find them at your local library.

• The Total Money Makeover


• The Complete Tightwad Gazette

Finally, if you are in a situation in which you can’t pay your bills, I’m sorry.

I’m sorry about…

• The embarrassment you feel when you can’t afford to meet someone for coffee


• The sick feeling of seeing the bills pile up on the counter and not being able to do anything about it


• The knot in your stomach every time the phone rings and it’s a 1-800 number that you KNOW is a bill collector


• The stress of knowing you can’t remain in your home


• The fear that someone will say you aren’t taking care of your kids and they’ll be taken away


• The humiliation when people don’t understand and think it’s all your fault


• The hopelessness of watching the bank account empty out the day your pay goes in, and still having a dozen things unpaid


• The overwhelming discouragement of having fees assessed on top of debts you already can’t pay


• The anxiety over what tomorrow will bring

It will get better. You’ll find a way to make it work. You just have to survive while you make it happen. Maybe you will pool your resources with another family, or get a raise, or find a cheaper place. But you will find a way.

Life may not be exactly as it was before, but it will be good again.

The post How To Survive When You Can’t Pay Your Bills appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.

5 Best Comebacks To Win Every Argument Against Prepping

Let’s face reality.  As much as we believe in family preparedness and prepping, the majority of our peers think we are nuts.  Although we would never tell them that they are the one’s that are nuts, we might possibly put up a good argument in favor of prepping.

Prepping is insurance, right?  You know it and I know it but the rest of the world?  Not so much.

When it comes to discussing prepping with non-preppers, the conversation can get quite heated.  Been there, done that.

I have recently had the pleasure to of discussing this topic with blogging colleague, Dan Sullivan.  For those of you that are not familiar with Dan, his website is Survival Sullivan and even though it is fairly new, it is one I believe you will enjoy.

Next time, instead of getting upset, angry, and irate, consider these five comebacks that Dan is sharing exclusively with Backdoor Survival.  They just might help you win every argument against prepping.

These 5 Comebacks Will Win You Every Argument against Non-Preppers

The fights, arguments, and mockery between us, preppers, and the rest of the world are never-ending. Every once in a while I read an article that makes us look bad for doing something to protect ourselves and our families… and I find that a little bit offensive.

In a world where people kill each-other, steal from each-other and are just cruel to each other every single day, I find it somewhat annoying that those who choose to prepare are considered crazy. Of course, the fact that some survivalists make the news by doing something stupid every now and then, that propagates the wrong ideas about preppers (who are often mistaken for survivalists) and… it’s annoying to say the least running into people who have no idea what they’re talking about.

Still, if you’re going to prepare, you’re gonna run into these types of conversations whether you like it or not so… the comebacks below might help. Just don’t be afraid to use them.

#1. Tell them about small-scale disasters and emergencies

Ask anyone what they think about prepping and words like “Doomsday” and “zombies” immediately come up. Obviously, this couldn’t be further from the truth as there’s a huge number of smaller-scale disasters for which everyone should prep. Just by enumerating some of them and you can win the argument:

· assaults

· rapes

· electric shocks

· being stung by a bee

· getting bit by a dog

· carbon monoxide intoxications

· faints and other medical emergencies

· escape a sinking car

· bike accidents

· escaping hail storms

…and on and on.

If we do the math (which I haven’t, not yet, at least), we can safely assume hundreds of Americans die every single day from these things! 50,000 U.S. citizens die in car crashes every year, that’s 136 souls a day. 1 in 36 Americans end up in the ER each year. These two stats alone show us just how many people put their own lives in danger and it is staggering.

#2. “Why do you pay insurance on your car?”

In some cases, you can ask them the same thing about their house. Why do they pay insurance? Is it because they have to or do they really expect their house to catch fire and their car to crash? Even if they do say they’re paying because they have to, ask them how come they don’t think it’s crazy that literally everyone is paying car insurance and have no problem with it.

You can then go ahead and tell them that prepping is also a kind of insurance, one that you get because you know you have to, without anyone forcing you to do so by law. To really nail it, you can finish off by telling them that you shouldn’t take precaution measures just because the authorities tell you to, you have to be responsible and assess your own risks, then prepare accordingly.

When discussing prepping with non-preppers, the conversation can get quite heated. Instead of getting angry and upset, consider one of these comebacks.Click To Tweet

#3. Dig up old stories in your town or neighborhood

Do you know some of your online local news websites? Great. Here’s what I want you to do… Go to Google (or your favorite search engine) and type the following:

site: MyLocalNewsWebsite.com dies OR accident OR horrible

…where MyLocalNewsWebsite.com is the address of your chosen website. You can perform several searches for each of these news websites.

You’re gonna find a huge number of stories of accidents that happened near your home. This just builds on the argument #1 when I suggested you talk with them about small-scale disasters. The difference is you actually dig up those critical events that happened close to you and, if possible, they are also recent. Surely you will find plenty.

For example, during the 12 years I’ve been living at my current location, I’ve seen two house fires (one of them killed a person). Plus, one little old lady across the street from me got robbed in the middle of the afternoon by some guy who simply jumped her fence. To these I might also add the various things that happened to my relatives and friends. Surely you can remember a lot of such stories too, you just need to take your time to think.

The key is to bring the others into your reality and to talk with faith, passion or whatever you want to call it in a way which gets them sucked into your frame of mind.

#4. “The rich are doing it!”

Well, they are. And they’re spending millions of dollars too. If they don’t believe you, point them to this article, for example (there are lots of others, of course).

Obviously, they’re doing it wrong and paying huge amounts of money to screw up, but the fact that they’re well connected and still scared of what’s to come shows that they know something we don’t and that works in your favor.

#5. Don’t say anything

Sometimes it’s just better to not engage in any arguments and leave them thinking whatever they want about you. If they prefer to cling to their own beliefs, that’s their problem. Silence is, sometimes, the best argument you can have.

Ok, those were it. I tried my best to bring you my best arguments but, in addition to them, you can still use these:

· talk about hurricanes Katrina and Sandy

· tell them about the Ferguson and Baltimore riots

· and don’t forget to mention those mass shootings that make the news and give us goose bumps every once in a while

The bottom line is you have to talk in an assertive manner: confident tone of voice, clarity and self-assurance but without sounding aggressive. Otherwise, you’d just be fitting into their stereotypes.

See, I stopped caring what others think of me a few years back and I couldn’t be happier… because instead of worrying and being in a constant state of frustration, I finally got the peace of mind which allowed me to focus on what’s important to me as opposed to what’s important to others.

About Dan and Survival Sullivan

Growing up in a small 2nd world country, Dan learned from a young age to love nature, animals, to live frugally and to appreciate the little things in life. He started writing about survival when he got tired by the lack of quality information and realized people just need the facts.

Dan has declared war on fluff and is winning battle after battle with each article he writes on SurvivalSullivan.com.  In addition to his website, you can find Dan on Facebook and Twitter. 

The Final Word

Before closing, I want to say that I too want to fight the battle against fluff!  I can’t remember if I have said that publicly before or not, but one of my peeves is the proliferation of prepper websites that are either a rehash of government documents or worse, content that has been spun from other sites without attribution.

As I mentioned at the first of the year, I strongly feel that my role as a responsible blogger requires me to share not only my own material, but selected articles from other, lesser-known authors that bring value to our niche.

No one person knows 100% about everything and many so-called experts are not experts at all.  As far as I am concerned, each of you, as readers, brings something of value to the table and are an expert in your own right.

Please do not be shy!  Share your tips in the comments section of each article and know that the world values your input.

Enjoy your next adventure through common sense and thoughtful preparation! 

The post 5 Best Comebacks To Win Every Argument Against Prepping appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.

Pentagon to Keep Afghan War ‘Progress’ Metrics Secret

For the last 16 years, the Pentagon’s “progress” in the occupation of Afghanistan has been measured by officials through multiple different statistics, and one most often cited has been the size of the Afghan military. Those numbers have struggled recently, with Afghanistan not recruiting well nor retaining its recruits. So that’s not a metric anymore.

California to Tax Pot as Much as 45%

Buying legal marijuana in California could be pricey enough to keep the black market healthy.

Two Top Republicans Cast Doubt On A Second Term For Donald Trump

According to two top republican politicians, Donald Trump may not seek reelection in 2020, in spite of already raising millions for his campaign. Chris Christie and Rand Paul are casting doubt on Trump’s desire to remain president.

“If he runs again I would support him, yes, but I’m not so sure what will happen,” Chris Christe, the governor of New Jersey said on the Today show on Friday. Senator Rand Paul also cast doubts over whether President Trump would throw his hat into the presidential ring again and argued Republicans should not merely assume he is running.

“I think no one can stop primaries from happening and there could well be a primary that happens,” Paul said on MSNBC when probed about whether the US could benefit from a Republican party primary in 2020. “Before you even get to that, you need to know, is President Trump running for re-election? I think you won’t know that until you get into sort of – second, third year of his presidency,” he said. Paul said he could not see himself supporting anyone else he did suggest the chance of him supporting a candidate who would end the war in Afghanistan.

“So I see the glass as half full. Doesn’t mean I agree with him on everything,” he said. “You know, there would be people that – if we could end the Afghan war, that’s who I would support. But I don’t think that’s going to be an alternative to President Trump.”

Paul’s sentiments are similar to those expressed by Christie. “Four years is a long time, and especially for someone who has not spent a lifetime in politics, so I think those years affect him differently. So I’m sure the president will make whatever decision is best for him and his family and the country,” said Christie.

Christie and Paul both said that if Trump runs again, he’d have both of their support in a reelection campaign. Not running for a second term would be a highly unconventional move for a sitting president. Only three other presidents have deliberately moved out of the White House after just one term as president.  But Trump has invested money in his reelection campaign already.

According to the Centre for Public Integrity, Trump’s re-election campaign committee raised just over $10 million from July to the end of September. The former reality star and real estate mogul held a $35,000-a-plate fundraiser event a few blocks from the White House at his Washington hotel back in June. Trump’s historically early campaigning has seen his campaign accumulate more than $7 million in the first three months of this year via small donations and selling Trump-themed merchandise such as his trademark “Make America Great Again” hats.

Trump Calls On Podesta Bros To “Drain The Swamp” By Revealing “Earth Shattering” Dirt On Dems

This article was originally published by Tyler Durden at Zero Hedge

As the mainstream media circus ran wild with the Paul Manafort indictment yesterday, Trump, who repeatedly dismissed the charges as being unrelated to his campaign, has just tweeted that the biggest story revealed yesterday, a story which was largely ignored by the “fake news”, was Tony Posesta’s sudden resignation from the powerful lobbying group that bears his name.

Meanwhile, Trump also seemingly called on the Podesta brothers to “Drain the Swamp” by dishing whatever “earth shattering” dirt they have on Democrats to Special Counsel Mueller.

“The biggest story yesterday, the one that has the Dems in a dither, is Podesta running from his firm. What he know about Crooked Dems is earth shattering. He and his brother could Drain The Swamp, which would be yet another campaign promise fulfilled. Fake News weak!”

The biggest story yesterday, the one that has the Dems in a dither, is Podesta running from his firm. What he know about Crooked Dems is….

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 31, 2017

….earth shattering. He and his brother could Drain The Swamp, which would be yet another campaign promise fulfilled. Fake News weak!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 31, 2017

Of course, as we noted yesterday, the founder of the Podesta Group, Tony Podesta, stepped down from his own lobbying shop after coming under investigation by Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller.

Meanwhile, even though the Podesta / Manafort news might seem unrelated, as we explained in Aug 2016, Paul Manafort – now under indictment on 12 charges – and his deputy Rick Gates previously worked with the Podesta Group where they lobbied various U.S. senators and congressmen on behalf of various Ukranian officials.

…emails obtained by the Associated Press showed that Gates personally directed two Washington lobbying firms, Mercury LLC and the Podesta Group, between 2012 and 2014 to set up meetings between a top Ukrainian official and senators and congressmen on influential committees involving Ukrainian interests. Gates noted in the emails that the official, Ukraine’s foreign minister, did not want to use his own embassy in the United States to help coordinate the visits.

…

And this is where the plot thickens, because while the bulk of the press has so far spun the entire Ukraine lobbying scandal, which led to Manafort’s resignation, as the latest “proof” that pro-Moscow powers were influencing not only Manafort but the Trump campaign in general (who some democrats have even painted of being a Putin agent), the reality is that a firm closely tied with the Democratic party, the Podesta Group, is just as implicated.

As AP further adds, the European Center for a Modern Ukraine, a Brussels-linked nonprofit entity which allegedly ran the lobbying project, paid Mercury and the Podesta Group a combined $2.2 million over roughly two years. In papers filed in the U.S. Senate, Mercury and the Podesta Group listed the European nonprofit as an independent, nonpolitical client. The firms said the center stated in writing that it was not aligned with any foreign political entity.

Perhaps Podesta knows what is likely to happen next. Podesta announced his decision during a firm-wide meeting Monday morning and is alerting clients of his impending departure.

“[Tony] was very magnanimous and said, “This is an amazing group of people,” a source said of Podesta’s remarks.

Podesta also told staff he “doesn’t intend to go quietly, or learn how to play golf.” He said he “needs to fight this as an individual, but doesn’t want the firm to fight it.”

Fritts also addressed the gathering, telling staff that she is “thrilled at this opportunity” and that, “This is not about me, this is about y’all.”

Several other senior staff spoke about their excitement about the future of the firm. The meeting ended with a standing ovation for Podesta.

It emerged last week that Podesta is the subject of a criminal investigation led by Mueller’s team for potentially violating a federal disclosure law. That law, known as the Foreign Agents Registration Act, pertains to working on behalf of foreign governments. An NBC report found that the Podesta Group was one of several firms working on Paul Manafort’s public relations campaign for European Centre for a Modern Ukraine, which the Podesta Group claims it thought was a nonpartisan think tank, something which this site reported first last August.

It goes without saying, that Podesta’s brother, John, is arguably one of the top figures in Democratic politics, serving most recently as chief of staff in the Bill Clinton White House and also as the chairman of Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign.

What happens next to Tony (and perhaps his brother John) is to be determined, but one thing is clear: both sides of the swamp should probably control themselves in any premature celebrations as this appears to be far from over….

Hollywood Elite Strike Back: Arrest Warrant Issued For Rose McGowan: “Are They Trying To Silence Me?”

Members of the Hollywood elite have been hammered in recent weeks over sexual abuse claims launched by both, males and females in the industry. It all started when actress Rose McGowan claimed that she was sexually harassed by movie producer and political power broker Harvey Weinstein.

Now, it appears that the elite have had enough and may be sending a message to those who may have information that could expose their sexually abusive transgressions. According to reports, a suitcase belonging to Rose McGowan was found to have tiny traces of narcotics. After further inspection Washington Dulles International Airport officials reportedly determined that there were drugs in the bag, prompting police to issue an arrest warrant:

Police launched an investigation after they allegedly found traces of narcotics in personal belongings left behind on a United flight arriving at the Washington Dulles International Airport on Jan. 20, the AP reports.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police Department, Rob Yingling, told Deadline investigators believe the personal belongings were McGowan’s.

“Our police have attempted to contact Ms. McGowan so that she can appear in a Loudoun County Virginia court to respond to the charge,” Yingling said.

(Yahoo)

In a response to the warrant McGowan took to twitter:

“Are they trying to silence me? There is a warrant out for my arrest in Virginia. What a load of HORSESHIT.”

— rose mcgowan (@rosemcgowan) October 30, 2017

One can’t help but consider the real possibility that the pedophiles and abusers in Hollywood are starting to fight back through whatever means necessary.

Curiously, the incident took place at Washington Dulles airport, a hotbed of sexual abuse and corruption to which big money players in Hollywood have direct connections.

Actor Corey Feldman recently claimed that he is prepared to name names, but says his life is under threat do to the enormity of the scandal.

Corey Feldman May Have Just Revealed One of His Alleged Predators on National TV

The mainstream media has resorted to covering up and downplaying Hollywood sexual assault allegations — but Feldman was prepared to blow it wide open.

NVIDIA Wants to Turn Police Vehicles Into 360 Degree Facial Recognition Platforms

By MassPrivateI

Last week, COBAN Technologies (CT) and Digital Barriers (DB) announced that they are working together to install facial biometrics in police dash cams.

Coban Technologies Inc., a leader in body-worn cameras and in-car video solutions for law enforcement, today announced that it is partnering with Digital Barriers to provide live facial recognition and live video streaming technology for the FOCUS H1 police dash cam system. (Source)

CNN warns, that soon police will turn their vehicles into 360 degree mobile surveillance platforms…

CT’s technology is designed to work with up to six cameras, so police departments could choose to turn their vehicles into 360-degree cameras, making it easier to identify faces. (Source)

DB claims, their SmartVIS Face system is designed to work in real time. In other words, in the not-too-distant future police dash cams will be able to identify everyone..

image credit: Digital Barrier

CT boasts that police in fifty countries are using their facial recognition cameras…

It has been deployed successfully by law enforcement agencies in more than fifty countries around the world in other form factors and now will be available as an application on the FOCUS H1. (Source)

CT’s is already in use in hundreds of police departments across the country, from ‘evidence management software, body cameras, and interview room systems’. So, it is not hard to envision a future where every police vehicle is equipped with facial recognition cameras.

Last week, Safe Fleet announced their acquisition of CT, making them the largest global provider of video solutions to the fleet market.

Both CT and DB are using the old standby ‘public safety’ to justify turning police vehicles into mobile facial recognition platforms.

CT is pleased to be able to include these industry-leading capabilities with the FOCUS H1 to amplify officer awareness and increase public safety. The combination provides law enforcement with critical capabilities in police vehicles…We are very excited that DB is a part of the COBAN FOCUS Partner Program. (Source)

This is how CT’s press release should read…

CT and DB are pleased to profit from police facial recognition dash cameras. The combination of CT and DB amplify officer surveillance capabilities at the expense of everyone’s privacy. We are very excited that DHS-run law enforcement will be purchasing our facial recognition dash cameras.

Don’t be fooled, facial recognition cameras are not about public safety. They are much worse than you can imagine.

Trump’s Phony War on Opioids

Opioids produce a bonanza of profits for drug industry bandits, concerned about their bottom line and equity valuations, not human health and safety.

Improper or overuse of these drugs caused an addiction and overdosing epidemic, killing tens of thousands of Americans annually, a major health issue left largely unaddressed.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center for Health Statistics, over 10 opioid overdose deaths per 100,000 Americans occurred in 2015.

The 2016 toll is expected to exceed 64,000 when numbers are finalized – an average of 175 deaths per day, a shocking indictment of Washington’s failure to deal with the issue.

Millions of Americans use these drugs, including illegal heroin. In 2014, the number of drug-dependent babies born increased fivefold over 2000.

Trump declared a public health emergency in words only, saying the opioid crisis will “get worse before it gets better.”

It’s because of Washington’s failure to address it responsibly, he left unsaid. His declaration was symbolic only – with no federal funding planned to combat the crisis, no plan on how he’ll deal with it beyond continuing current failed policies.

Declaring a national emergency would free up billions of dollars of federal funds the way hurricanes and other natural disasters are dealt with.

On Thursday, Drug Policy Alliance deputy director of national affairs Grant Smith issued a press release saying:

Trump’s “declaration today amounts to a drop in the bucket compared to what the White House and Congress should be delivering to address this crisis.”

“We need a well thought out plan, (adequate) funding from Congress…proven strategies that have not been tried yet in the US.”

“We need to end drug criminalization and stop incarcerating people who are struggling.”

Trump prioritizes war on drugs strategy, the long ago failed approach to dealing with the issue. Addiction is a health issue, not a crime.

Governments following conservative economist Milton Friedman’s extremist ideology caused enormous harm to countless millions of people.

He believed preserving law and order, along with enforcing private contracts and fostering marketplace competition governments’ only responsibility.

Everything else in public hands is socialism, he believed. Yet in 1991, he said the following:

“I see America with half the number of prisons, half the number of prisoners, ten thousand fewer (drug-related) homicides a year, inner cities in which there’s a chance for these poor people to live without being afraid for their lives, citizens who might be respectable who are now addicts not being subject to becoming criminal(ized).”

Obesity causes more deaths than drug overdoses. Should overeating be criminalized? Government should protect people from harm, not cause more of its by wrongful actions, how America treats drug addiction.

Instead of spending billions of dollars on law enforcement for the wrong reasons, funds should be used for social justice, including for dealing effectively with the opioid crisis.

In his announcement, Trump ignored drug industry responsibility by heavily promoting opioid use, legal when prescribed for pain relief, harmful when overused.

Director of Public Citizen’s Access to Medicines Program Peter Maybarduk said the following in response to Trump’s announcement:

“Declarations and tweets will do little to curb the deadly opioid push into our communities spurred by Big Pharma.”

Drug companies “hooked millions of Americans on opioids through illegal marketing, greed and undermining safety standards.”

“Big Pharma created this epidemic. Ending (its corruption is a necessary part of the solution.”

Trump instead is beholden to corporate interests, doing nothing to curb their destructive practices.

His shameful war on drugs and “Just say no” agenda assures a greater opioid crisis, not the other way around.

The post Trump’s Phony War on Opioids appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.

Pat Buchanan Exposes "That Other Plot..." To Bring Down Trump

Authored by Patrick Buchanan via Buchanan.org,

Well over a year after the FBI began investigating “collusion” between the Trump campaign and Vladimir Putin, Special Counsel Robert Mueller has brought in his first major indictment.

Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort has been charged with a series of crimes dating back years, though none is tied directly to President Donald Trump or 2016.

With a leak to CNN that indictments were coming, Mueller’s office stole the weekend headlines.

This blanketed the explosive news on a separate front, as the dots began to be connected on a bipartisan plot to bring down Trump that began two years ago.

And like “Murder of the Orient Express,” it seems almost everyone on the train had a hand in the plot.

The narrative begins in October 2015.

Then it was that the Washington Free Beacon, a neocon website, engaged a firm of researchers called Fusion GPS to do deep dirt-diving into Trump’s personal and professional life — and take him out.

A spinoff of Bill Kristol’s The Weekly Standard, the Beacon is run by his son-in-law. And its Daddy Warbucks is the GOP oligarch and hedge fund billionaire Paul Singer.

From October 2015 to May 2016, Fusion GPS dug up dirt for the neocons and never-Trumpers. By May, however, Trump had routed all rivals and was the certain Republican nominee.

So the Beacon bailed, and Fusion GPS found two new cash cows to finance its dirt-diving — the DNC and the Clinton campaign.

To keep the sordid business at arm’s length, both engaged the party’s law firm of Perkins Coie. Paid $12.4 million by the DNC and Clinton campaign, Perkins used part of this cash hoard to pay Fusion GPS.

Here is where it begins to get interesting.

In June 2016, Fusion GPS engaged a British spy, Christopher Steele, who had headed up the Russia desk at MI6, to ferret out any connections between Trump and Russia.

Steele began contacting old acquaintances in the FSB, the Russian intelligence service. And the Russians began to feed him astonishing dirt on Trump that could, if substantiated, kill his candidacy.

Among the allegations was that Trump had consorted with prostitutes at a Moscow hotel, that the Kremlin was blackmailing him, that there was provable collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

In memos from June to October 2016, Steele passed this on to Fusion GPS, which passed it on to major U.S. newspapers. But as the press was unable to verify it, they declined to publish it.

Steele’s final product, a 35-page dossier, has been described as full of “unsubstantiated and salacious allegations.”

Steele’s research, however, had also made its way to James Comey’s FBI, which was apparently so taken with it that the bureau considered paying Steele to continue his work.

About this “astonishing” development, columnist Byron York of the Washington Examiner quotes Sen. Chuck Grassley:

“The idea that the FBI and associates of the Clinton campaign would pay Mr. Steele to investigate the Republican nominee for president in the run-up to the election raises … questions about the FBI’s independence from politics, as well as the Obama administration’s use of law enforcement and intelligence agencies for political ends.”

The questions begin to pile up.

What was the FBI’s relationship with the British spy who was so wired into Russian intelligence?

Did the FBI use the information Steele dug up to expand its own investigation of Russia-Trump “collusion”? Did the FBI pass what Steele unearthed to the White House and the National Security Council?

Did the Obama administration use the information from the Steele dossier to justify unmasking the names of Trump officials that had been picked up on legitimate electronic intercepts?

In testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Clinton campaign chair John Podesta and DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz claimed they did not know that Perkins Coie had enlisted Fusion GPS or the British spy to dig up dirt on Trump.

Yet, when Podesta testified, the lawyer sitting beside him in the committee room was Marc Elias of Perkins Coie, who had engaged Fusion GPS and received the fruits of Steele’s undercover work.

Here one is tempted to cite Bismarck that, if you wish to enjoy politics or sausages, you should not inquire too closely how they are made.

Thus we have Free Beacon neocons, never-Trump Republicans, the Hillary Clinton campaign, the DNC, a British spy and comrades in Russian intelligence, and perhaps the FBI, all working with secret money and seedy individuals to destroy a candidate they could not defeat in a free election.

If future revelations demonstrate that this is what went down, it is not only the White House that has major problems.

If you wish to know why Americans detest politics and hate the “swamp” that has been made of their capital city, follow this story all the way to its inevitable end. It will be months of unfolding.

The real indictment here is of the American political system, and the true tragedy is the decline of the Old Republic.