Catherine Austin Fitts brought it home with this hypothetical, with some embellishments: Let's say you want to go buy some pizza and a beer, but cash no longer exists and you must use your digital wallet...
1. New Covid restrictions mean your digital wallet is turned off outside a five-mile range.
2. New "green" policies also turn off your digital wallet outside five miles.
3. New "green" policies demand that your pizza no longer has real cheese or meat.
4. New Monkeypox restrictions turn your car off within a two mile range.
5. Your car is not charged anyway.
6. You lapsed your mandatory donation to the DNC, therefore your digital wallet is under review.
7. Your recent post on Defender bumped your social credit score below 5.0, the limit for an active digital wallet. (It was lowered earlier in the day by your misuse of pronouns).

This is truly what is in our near future and yet people continue to sit idly by and allow the tyrants to gain more and more control over their lives. It really pisses me off because I work so hard to keep my online presence to a minimum and to not rely on digital devices or appliances to complete my daily tasks. Gee, thanks Americans who prefer convenience more than freedom and who prefer to be led instead of leading.

I understand your frustration. I agree with you that too many people are sitting idly by, allowing bureaucrats and the media to dis-empower them and make decisions for them. i have experienced this kind of resignation and overwhelming inability to make a choice with many people I have met, especially over the past two to three years.
One recent encounter with an elderly woman in the grocery typifies this 'choice/decision' exhaustion.
While looking at the selection of items in the deli, this woman commented, "Don't you just want someone to make a decision for you so you don't have to do it yourself?" My immediate response, which startled her was, "no way, that is one freedom I will never give up"!

The thought of surrendering my basic freedom to choose what I want to eat, what to pay for it and where to eat it is may seem like an insignificant choice to some, but to me it is a basic right of living freely. Those who think their lives would be so much simpler to be chipped, surveilled and hounded by some anonymous AI system are a threat to the freedom and liberty for ALL of us....including the them.

I remember being shocked when out to dinner with friends and an old lady (who was once wonderfully independent) said to her husband (a control freak), on scanning the menu, "Why don't you tell them what I'd like..." That is what these depraved WEF narcissists, who will nearly destroy the Earth before they're stopped, are doing to the rest of us. We must always resist them.

It's truly unreal how dependent so many people are. I'm sick of having to live with stupid laws and rules that were implemented because someone was too lazy or stupid to be accountable for their own choices and behaviors. I have a crossover vehicle that is supposed to be dog friendly but thanks to the door checks, the rear back doors barely open enough for anyone to comfortably get in and out of much less, a dog. Why can't people learn how to open car doors properly without hitting the car next to them? That eyesight technology is the most unreliable nonsense. I mean, if you don't know how to drive in your own lane, you shouldn't have a license. The rear cargo hatch is so slow to close and open - making it unsafe as someone could rob me in a parking lot or my dog could attempt to jump out before it closes. All these technologies were designed by people who don't want to be leaders in their own lives. This learned helplessness and lack of accountability is epidemic in all walks of life now. Everyone makes excuses for their psychological laziness and bad character.

That's why I'm perfectly happy with my 22 year old car. I don't see, for example, rear view cameras as anything other than something that puts me one step closer to having my car remotely controlled by some authority.

Yes exactly! The best thing about my car is you have to roll the windows up yourself....but you can do that whenever, if the car's off, if the electricity wigs out, etc. Nobody is remote controlling *my* windows lol.

Figgers that Twain would have analog windows! I've always wondered how people manage to climb out of their tiny squinty electric windows when they accidentally drive into a pond or lake or get caught in a flash flood due to the blind spot created by the windows. For one thing it seems like most people are too large for the window opening but even worse, not having the ability to open it is frightening. Probably a good idea for new car owners to keep a few heavy bricks under the front seats just in case.

I hear ya!! I too have a 22 year old Honda that I love. It's like riding in a fish tank. The windows are so large and I can see everything around me. The taxes are minimal thoughthey increased this year ' due to the value of used cars increasing due to demand'. Arggg

Glad I'm not the only one with an older car. It's also a stick so I can get out or through of just about anything; slippery, icy roads are a problem for anyone though. And it really sips gas. I've looked at newer models but haven't seen any worth even a test drive.

I would not recommend any new car. They are all made with junk parts, hoses made of veggie oil (soy) that the squirrels love to gnaw on, technology/computers that have to be updated and can be remotely controlled, LED lights that provide very little distance lighting. I was thinking about saving for an antique Mercedes or other vintage car. Keep your eyes open for those. A lot of old folks keep them garaged and in perfect condition.

Oh, I'm hanging on to my old car. It was in the shop a few weeks ago for tires, battery, etc. maintenance. The guys love working on it and then test driving it; there's always one of them begging to buy it. It is a fun little car.

all those will be the first one to DIE,as planned

It doesn't seem like it's cars that cause the greatest problem but the plastics that are everywhere. There's also a good bit of waste and pollution from the fashion industry due to clothing that lasts for only a season (two if you're careful), overuse of synthetic materials (essentially plastics that don't break down), poor disposal of these goods (even the Third World can't use much of it), and even the manufacturing process itself (long list of horrors there from people to chemicals to...ugh). I grew up without plastics everywhere so it can be done and live well. And, yes, I sew as many of my own garments as possible using natural goods. And I cook my own meals because I don't like take-out because it always comes in a one-use container, often plastic that leaks anyway.

Think further about the causes of pollution. Whatever an SUV or some other behemoth
vehicle produces is nothing compared to simple waste. What happens to solar panels or lithium batteries when they are spent; are they easily reused or just landfill? And producing them isn't very earth friendly either.

I could go on and on about waste and how it contributes to the problems the world now faces. I'm just asking you to consider more than just cars which are but a small part of the situation.

And I don't like loud music either. I prefer paying attention to my driving instead dancing in the driver's seat. Or lazy, narcissistic jerks because they don't want to bother thinking about anything but their own pleasure. Glad to see that you are thinking.

Right on!! Good points about the lifecycle of waste. Plastic trash, including all the disposable spandex-laden clothing, furniture, appliances, etc... drives me mad. I can't stand it and will NOT purchase most new things that contain disposable plastic. I can't always avoid it but if I must purchase, I purchase used. The damage that our plastic has done to marine life and third world countries is obscene.

Like you, I don't eat in restaurants unless it's a very formal event in a very high end restaurant which rarely happens in my life anymore. I also whittled my wardrobe down to 90 percent wool and cotton. I have quite a few white cotton blouses/shirts now LOL I may even start sewing again because frankly, anything I could make would look a whole lot better than most fast fashion today. At least I know not to place rear pockets on jeans where the thigh and bum meet. Do women ever look at their rear view anymore?

Too true about fashion. Seems like an awful lot looks like it's been pulled right out of the rag bin plus they lack sufficient modesty for me. I've been finding some really nice clothing patterns online from indie type designers. These often have all sizes included so no guessing if it's right and also include several things--more than just a couple different sleeves or hem lengths which are too easy to do anyway. Or if it's only say a dress or tunic, the price is adjusted down vice the same price for the envelope. Many also have PDF downloads which is convenient for those that have printing capabilities at home.

Yeah the music is a real issue around here too. I hate it. I don't blast my classical music at anyone. I think it's downright rude. I also agree that it is best to ride share if possible but unfortunately, people are too self involved to coordinate such activities.

I don't think it's fair to say that people don't need a car. Most people I know who live in cities and work in cities don't own one and use public trans. I need a car and am glad to have one but I do get annoyed that most households today have a car for every person ( teens). But this is a symptom of our economy and everyone's need to work and why the progressives want us all to live in smart city centers. No thank you. I like my freedom and my backyard.

Idiocracy is when people jog in traffic or behind pesticide spraying trucks. That is one I'll never understand. Ideally, if I had my way, I would own a horse with my ten acres out in no man's land and ride into my small town to shop and visit with the locals. That would be my utopia.

Good answer to Tina. I'm still looking for the 10 acres I'd like to have. Have you watched Off Grid with Doug & Stacy? They are in MO and do use a horse or horse and buggy for trips into town, but do use a gas powered vehicle for longer trips.

Personally, when I do leave home, as many errands as possible are combined. Other things are just as easy to order online such as embroidery or needlepoint supplies that can be sent via USPS.

The simple life is fine by me.

Love to watch Doug and Stacy! What a team they are and what a brilliant setup they have. I love their dogs too :D I didn't know that they had a horse but I did see Stacy in their RV or truck once.

You make a good point about using your vehicle and your time wisely. Do you remember the oil embargo crisis in the 70's and how Carter tried to educate people on how to drive efficiently? You may be too young but I can tell you that his words stuck to me then and have ever since. I rarely use my brakes and I never speed or waste fuel. I also feel guilty if I have my thermostat set too low or too high ( because of Carter).

Oh, the flattery of thinking I'm so young. LOL I do remember the oil embargo crisis all too well. My husband at the time (deceased now) and I lived in the northern area of MI where there was plenty of fuel oddly enough. The bad part was that as a mechanic there wasn't enough tourist or traveler breakdowns to keep him busy; back then shops paid by the job, not hourly so things were mighty lean. As for sweaters, that was the way of life in MI during the winter so when Carter blithely said just put on a sweater, we all thought he was nuts because for people living in the north that was nothing new.

Yes, Doug and Stacy have been working on their place for a good many years. Like anyone who loves their home, there's always one more project to do. I only have a little townhouse and the little yard that goes with it. But I'm always thinking of some way to make it better. this year it's getting the grapevine out of the crab apple tree. I hate to pull it out now because it's loaded with grapes but if I don't it might break the tree which suffered terribly with many broken branches in the heavy snow we had this past winter in the mid-Atlantic so not much fruit this year.

I'm in the mid-atlantic too! But snow? I don't remember getting any snow last winter. You must be more north or west of me. I'm on the Bay where we don't get ' bay snows'. The water has to be cold enough for us to get a good snow.

That's really interesting about Michigan during the crisis. I had no idea. During the crisis, I traveled to Maine with my grandparents Imagine traveling during those days when odd license plates could only purchase fuel on odd days and so forth. It was fun though. But I do find it remarkable that Jimmy Carter was the only president in my life that had such a positive influence on my life. Today's commanders in chiefs are truly shameful and an embarrassment.

Sounds like you have a nice garden at your town house. I've designed many gardens for town homes. When I lived in a townhouse, my back garden was tiny compared to many today. I'm feeling that urge to downsize now. Funny how that suddenly happens. I only live in a 900 sqft home but my lot and gardens are huge and full and too much for me to deal with anymore. As far as fruit trees go...well, I'm taking all mine down this fall because I haven't had fruit in 3 years now due to the late spring frosts that kill all the buds and if any manage to survive and produce, I'm in a constant race to harvest before the squirrels or the birds get them first.

I'm in Northern Virginia where there was some snow. It wasn't a lot (by MI standards) but it was around 5" of very heavy, wet snow. I do recall that the bay got no snow; can't recall if there was rain your way or maybe ice. It sounds like we aren't that far apart.

As for my garden, it's more like a collection of odds and ends that grow on their own...well, except for the beans and tomatoes sort of things. For those, I have a vertical planter on my patio; it's called the Green Stalk. Yes, it's plastic but with so many layers and pockets to grow things, it seems worth it. I don't have the space to build a wood on on a similar scale plus that would be outrageously expensive at the moment. It's also fun to have fresh from the garden broccoli in November. Now with a frost cover, I'll see how far I can push things. the other in ground things I try to focus on perennial types things so I'm not constantly buy plants since there's not a good place to really start my own seedlings.

As for fruit trees, I've given some thought to the miniature kind. They wouldn't take up much room and it would be simple enough to toss nets over them as varmint and bird deterrents.

I grew up in Arlington and then Bluemont. I came here in 79 after graduation. So yes, we're probably only 3 hours apart :D We could meet in Fredericksburg for lunch! I always stopped in F'burg on my way up to NOVA. I haven't sewn in years but at one time I was a good seamstress and made those Gunne Sax dresses. I still love them.

I've always wanted a Green Stalk or something similar. Do you watch Garden Answer on utube? She had one but I don't know if she still uses it. You should be able to grow broccoli well into the spring. My broccoli gets snowed on, iced and it still thrives. I ordered some interesting seeds from Johnny Seeds recently for including broccoli Raab. The Raab would do well in your garden and it's easier to grow than broccoli and it lasts until early summer here. Miniature fruit trees? Well, I ordered dwarf if that is what you mean and they were NOT dwarf! The only ones I'm keeping are my Asian pears and my two columnar apple trees that I have flanking my back door.

I wish your son lived close by. Having a truly handy man around is invaluable. I've been dealing with the most incompetent idiots lately..sorry but I'm so fed up with trusting bozos that I have to micromanage and pay!

I just had to jump in, and say how easy it is to buy a few different variety's of blueberry bushes, and grow them. I started with two bushes, and in just a few years, their full grown, and have hundreds of blueberries on them! The best part though, is the babies that off-shoot from the parent. I have dug those up, and replanted them, and now I'm up to 6 bushes now. And are still getting more and more baby off-shoots, but as much as I love healthy, delicious, no pesticides, blueberries, and eat so many of them, well there's a time when I have to decide if I really need anymore, as I try to give the babies away.
Anyway, just sayin' this, to let people know about all their different choices, of fruit trees/bushes that they could think about, as they really should, because have you seen the price of ORGANIC blueberries, in your grocery stores? Robbery, that's what I'd call it! It feels good, knowing that my bushes will never see the poisons of pesticides. Of course, they do also make organic pesticides, and you can learn how to make something like that yourself, by watching Youtube! The educational videos on there, are enough to make anyone a genius, on practically any subject. They have tons and tons of How-To videos, when it comes to gardening, from planting a seed, to harvesting any size crop you might have. There's no excuse for not educating yourself, when there's THAT MANY videos, for free!

Hi Joan, that is amazing about your blueberries! I know a man who uses blueberries as a hedge around his property. They make a wonderful hedge ( the taller varieties). Sounds like you have enough to share with the wildlife! I tried growing kiwis one year but I had a very playful Golden Retriever that broke the stems at the base of the plants. Oh well.

Utube University is what I call it. I've learned everything from repairing my car to plumbing, dry wall and electrical work. There are plenty of gardeners on there too. The prepper homesteaders are always sharing valuable info from their experiences.

Good to see someone else that likes to educate themselves....and yeah, I just signed up for that website's newsletter, that Sandy P gave about that prepper website, who you were commenting to her about? Doug and Stacy....I'm sure I'm going to enjoy learning from them!
Another thing I like about others who like to learn about many topics, is something I feel, that goes hand and hand, with always self-educating, and that is, always having an open mind.

And when facts are being given, to look at all sides the situation, and feeling positive about the choice(s) that are made on the matter. And I love that saying about, "you never to old to learn"....! Oh, my motto is, "There's more than one way to skin a cat"....lol....(hoping all cats forgive me, but if they can't take a motto, then their taking life too serious, lol)

Hahaha...if the cat is ' woke' then they may have to dial the bias hotline and report that you offended them. My gosh, having a sense of humor is a crime these days. I have to be very careful what I say as I'm always making fun of humans. Doug and Stacy have utube videos frequently that I watch. I haven't seen their newsletter. They have a fabulous place but I'm older now and not as ambitious as they are. I wish I would have planned for homesteading about 30 years ago.

Educate for tomorrow has always been my motto. Obviously, there hasn't been much need for education in the past 20 years since AI has become the nanny for too many.

I found a couple places in Fredericksburg that would make a good spot for lunch. I like Bonefish but there are others in the same area.

Wow, I was wondering what places were there. I haven't been up there in a few years. beehugger at protonmail dot com

Look for a kitty Katz email from me.

My son does lives nearby, however, he is licensed and bonded for Virginia only. He has said that he keeps way too busy to even consider expanding to another state. I can confirm he is busy; unless I have a real emergency, I have to get worked into his schedule. Most of his business is around NOVA.

I can watch for sales for Green Stalk. I get email from them from time to time announcing them or the occasional new product. I haven't come across Garden Answer on YT, but will look for that channel. I have seen this planter on Rain Country also on YT.

There is a difference between dwarf and miniature fruit trees. A quick search online will show the difference. As for broccoli, I think my problem is that my planter is on my patio and receives no winter sun whatsoever. If I moved my planter out to the fence out back (or got another one), then it would get sunshine and actually grow. My experiment with broccoli did keep it alive until spring, but didn't really produce much aside from a few leaves. I have some broccoli raab seeds so I'm definitely looking forward to giving them a try in fall.

Oh, that would be fun to meet for lunch. Not sure how to exchange information without exposing it to the world. Let me know what you think.

Even travelling is misery now, having to stand in your socks on dirty ground (I wear two pairs and throw away the outer), and put your case on a moving belt that I don't think is sprayed down. And, the regimentation of the whole experience, it starts a vacation off on the wrong and dirty foot.

You bring up a good point Castle. I believe that all these ' safety' measures were instituted not to actually protect us but to ' soften' us to their control. It begins with socks and ends with? I just learned that the FBI is now visiting LEGAL gun owners homes and requesting to see their guns. This is illegal but how many people know that? How many will tremble under authority and give them what they want? One Missouri Sheriff refused and said he would die before cooperating with such illegal tactics. Missouri Attorney General also refused to comply.

Yes, it's one reason I quit flying. I seldom have reason to anymore but I feel sorry for those that must do that and try to bear up under the boorish behaviors of fellow passengers.

also decided how long you will LIVE,as well

I think it is natural to prefer convenience, but it shouldn't be at the price of freedom. I really believe we can have both. That energy pattern is taking form and will become more defined over time. You can only hold a beach ball under water so long. I avoid social media except for sites like this, and wouldn't dream of using Alexa.

When it comes to convenience, I'm always a skeptic. I live by the mantra that nothing good comes easy and that evil always seeks the path of least resistance. Maybe I'm a martyr but that mindset has always kept me safe and strong. A convenience will also lead to a more aggressive or controlling convenience that cost us more in the long run. So, for example, I love having a washing machine but I've always just stuck with the tried and true 'commercial' style and never fell for those trendy problematic front loaders. Who needs a pretty washing machine? I'm not planning on marrying it. I just want it to get my clothes clean :D Eh? I still use a 100 foot tape measure when I survey properties. No digital for me! Besides, I trust my own analog measurements and that tape measure was my grandfather's when he was a surveyor and engineer. I know I'm different than most and I get a lot of shaming for being so but I am quite content being me:D

I feel the same way. I worked in high tech for many years so realize its positives as well as its faults. Yeah, my TV is even an old tube style. As you said, we don't have to marry our appliances; they just need to get a job done. Electronics are too prone to failure and are too hard to fix as a DIY project. And too often it's the main board that goes out leaving one with essentially a big piece of debris because it's too hard, impossible or too expensive to repair.

I have customers who have replaced their 'smart' refrigerators, washer and dryers almost every year. No wonder so many people are grumpy! You should see my stove and frig. Oh my gosh. My stove is very old and I love her. She even has hand painted dials now. She was made in Cleveland Ohio about 50 years ago. My frig isn't as old but I refuse to replace it until it becomes DNR status. Duct tape and cookie sheets create one of the shelves. The truth is, I actually fear having to replace anything I have with something new because I know it's going to cost me a lot of money in the future and a lot of inconvenience.

One has to look very hard to discover the reliability of an appliance. Most don't last past a decade and some really cannot be repaired properly due to the electronics. I like the sound of your old stove. Those old models have a certain grace and beauty about them. As for the fridge, cookie sheets would be great. No leaks to the shelf below.

My son, who has a home repair/remodeling business, had a customer that wanted to get rid of a washing machine because some small thing had failed so she preferred to just get a new one. He took it home, fixed it in his garage, and then asked if I wanted a "new" machine. I accepted his offer and have loved the top-loading, no electronics just as my old (and about to expire with all the noise it made) machine. He loves fixing instead of replacing. He one time got a rebuild kit for the seat in his car; he said it came out pretty good.

What do we do about it though? You see the nonsense that people call government. The only way to stop them is to kill them. Strong words but isn't that really what they have planned for us?

Think their bad now? Wait for the "coming soon" 7 year Tribulation period, but when a person does a lot of studying bible prophecy, and KNOW what's coming, it makes it just a little easier to bear.

All around the world people are rising up against their governments. As this happens, the governments become even more aggressive but they can't possibly win if there are more of us than them. We must muster in our troops and form our own military against them. I think actually most of our current military would join us since they are fed up as well.

I don't see how that will stop them, they would all just be replaced. The root has to be destroyed.

Mainstream media control is a huge part of this problem although in the UK the BBC has lost a lot of crediblity (around 50% I think) since covid and its cover-up of a huge number vaccine-related injuries.

...Some of the top Hollywood film directors are of interest to the Bilderberg Group. Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon is also a member. Amazon is building out a digital streaming system for television and films as well as producing their own content. Being able to guide global culture is a form of subtle mind control that can be very effective…

But how much is government and how much is outside influence on said government.

Yes, I miss the days when technological advances were for our convenience and betterment. After Covid, it's all been revealed to be solely for "their" power plays.

The truth is that even in the 50's and 60's our government was planning on exploiting technology to be used against us and for their benefit. It was always about controlling the population as a measure of national and global security. That's why I've always been a skeptic and never trusted that anything digital would be safe. How do you know what a ' forced' update to your computer or device contains? Smart autos can be controlled without your consent. We are all being covertly controlled in some fashion and congress isn't even bothering to protect us.