Babylon Rising - Part Five Tisha B’Av and Rise of the Dragon

Joseph Herrin

“When Av comes in, gladness must be diminished.” [Mishnah, Taanith 4:6]





Roman General Titus after the Sacking of Jerusalem

Note: The following information is presented that Christians might understand the day in which they live and the events that must shortly take place.

There is no more calamitous date for the people of God than Tisha B’Av, the 9th day of the Hebrew month of Av. Jewish history records the following events befalling the people of Yahweh on this date:

1312 B.C.: The spies returned from looking over the land of Canaan. Ten of the spies gave out an evil report to the children of Israel as they spoke of fortified cities and giants in the land. The people’s hearts rebelled against Yahweh and he declared judgment upon them. All those above the age of twenty would die in the wilderness. They would not be permitted to enter the promised land of their inheritance.

421 B.C.: The Temple Solomon built was destroyed by the Babylonians under the rule of Nebuchadnezzar. For many years the prophet Jeremiah had called the nation to repentance, but they would not repent. Because they served other gods and acted wickedly, Yahweh gave them into the hands of their enemies. The 9th of Av sealed this judgment as the Temple was destroyed.

70 A.D.: The Second Temple was destroyed by the Romans under the command of Titus on the 9th of Av. Over two million Jews were slain and one million deported throughout the Roman Empire. More than 100,000 were sold as slaves, fulfilling the words of Yahshua.

Matthew 24:1-2
Then Yahshua went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. And Yahshua said to them, "Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down."

Luke 19:43-44
“For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

132 A.D.: A further rebellion of the Jews called the Bar Kochba Revolt is crushed. 100,000 Jews die.

133 A.D.: To put an end to Jewish rebellion Rome levels Jerusalem and plows the ground with salt on the 9th of Av. This fulfills the prophecy of Micah:

Micah 3:9-12
Now hear this, you heads of the house of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel, who abhor justice and pervert all equity, who build up Zion with bloodshed and Jerusalem with iniquity: Her rulers judge for a bribe, her priests teach for pay, and her prophets divine for money. Yet they lean on Yahweh, and say, "Is not Yahweh among us? No harm can come upon us." Therefore because of you Zion shall be plowed like a field, Jerusalem shall become heaps of ruins, and the mountain of the temple like the bare hills of the forest.

On the former site of Jerusalem the Roman city called Aelia Capitolina is built by the Emperor Hadrian. Hadrian's new plans included temples to the major regional deities, and certain Roman gods, in particular Jupiter Capitolinus. Hadrian also built a large temple to the goddess Venus, which later became the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.


1095 A.D.: Pope Urban II declares the first crusade on the 9th of Av in this year. 10,000 Jews are killed in the first month of the crusade. The crusades totally obliterate many Jewish communities in France and Germany.


1290 A.D.: On the 9th of Av King Edward I expels all Jews from England. Jews do not regain the right of settlement until the year 1657.

1492 A.D.: On this date Spain expels all Jews. Catholic monarchs Ferdinand II and Isabella (Jezebel) I purge Spain of all non-Catholics in what has become known as the Spanish Inquisition.

These are just some of the events that occurred on Tisha B’Av throughout history that have resulted in great suffering and loss for the people of God. A cohesive theme runs through these events. Due to the rebellion of God’s people, their idolatry, violence, the corruption of religious leaders and prophets, the refusal of God’s people to have Yahshua rule over them, they were given over to judgment. Repeatedly, Babylon is seen to be triumphing over Zion. Because God’s people had turned to mixture and confusion, not walking as a holy people before Him, Yahweh gave them into the hands of political Babylon (Nebuchadnezzar, Rome) and religious Babylon (Roman Catholic Church). Babylon has repeatedly been the scourge of Yahweh’s people.

2012 A.D.: On the 9th of Av 2012 (July 27th) the opening ceremony for the XXX Olympiad will be held in London. This date will once more mark the triumph of Babylon over Zion. See the article Babylon Rising - Part Three). Note that both the Hebrew and Gregorian calendar dates are marked by the number 9. July 27th is (9+9+9). The number 9 in the Scriptures signifies judgment. E.W. Bullinger writes in the book Number in Scripture the following:

It is the last of the digits, and thus marks the end; and is significant of the conclusion of a matter.

It is akin to the number six, six being the sum of its factors (3x3=9, and 3+3=6), and is thus significant of the end of man, and the summation of all man's works. Nine is, therefore,


THE NUMBER OF FINALITY OR JUDGMENT,

for judgment is committed unto Jesus as "the Son of man" (John 5:27; Acts 17:31). It marks the completeness, the end and issue of all things as to man—the judgment of man and all his works...

The gematria of the word "Dan," which means a judge, is 54 (9x6).

"th orgh mou" (tee orgee mou), my wrath, = 999 (Heb 3:11).

The Scriptures declare that at the end of the age will come a day of wrath.

Isaiah 13:6-9
Wail, for the day of Yahweh is at hand! It will come as destruction from the Almighty. Therefore all hands will be limp, every man's heart will melt, and they will be afraid. Pangs and sorrows will take hold of them; They will be in pain as a woman in childbirth; They will be amazed at one another; Their faces will be like flames. Behold, the day of Yahweh comes, cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate; and He will destroy its sinners from it.

The Bible further testifies that judgment must begin with God’s people.

I Peter 4:17-19
For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? Now "If the righteous one is scarcely saved, where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?" Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.

History reveals that Yahweh will judge His people. When they turn aside to the idols and evil practices of the world, He will give them into the hands of brutal men skilled in destruction. Whether these men have been kings, emperors, or Popes, Yahweh has often used the rulers of Babylon as a scourge to His people. It will be so again in this late hour as Yahweh moves to purify a remnant in readiness for the marriage supper of the Lamb.

History tells us that the Roman Emperor Hadrian ploughed Jerusalem and had a Roman city ful of idols constructed in its place. The physical location of Zion was given a new name, Aelia Capitolina. As Satan begins to bring forth his kingdom into open view upon the earth, he will once again build a city in the place of Zion. In a strange twist on history, Satan will build his idolatrous city in a new location and call it Zion. The 2012 Olympics appear to mark a key date in this latest and most severe scourge to fall upon the people of God.





Notice the word “london” on the stylized number 2 on the logo for the 2012 Olympics. If I am correct, it is London that is to be proclaimed as Zion. London will become the base for Satan’s rule upon the earth.




london - Zion logo

London was founded by the Romans, originally being called Londinium. It has been a major metropolitan area for 2,000 years, and by most measures is the largest metropolitan area in England and in the European Union. It is the chief city of international banking, and has long been one of the three pillars of Satan’s Babylonian rule over the earth. The other two pillars being Vatican City in Rome, and Washington D.C. which was built on a plot of land formerly called Rome.

Rome, Maryland, was the original name of a community within Prince George's County, Maryland, which would eventually become Washington, District of Columbia. Specifically, Rome was the original community name of Capitol Hill, upon which the United States Capitol Building sits.

In 1663, the property that would become the Capitol's site was inscribed in the Maryland property records as “Rome,” its owner a man named Francis Pope. The southern boundary of this property was shaped by a river named for the river that runs through Rome, Italy, the Tiber.


The community was part of the ten mile square tract of land which would become the American capital Washington, D.C., and its owner, Daniel Carroll, transferred the community to the federal government after the amendment to the United States Constitution sanctioning the building of the new United States capital city was ratified.
[Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rome,_Maryland]

Those who observe parables in the details of the creation will not think it coincidental that the Capital of America was established on a plot of land named Rome, that was owned by a man with the last name of Pope. Satan is a great schemer. Rome, Italy is the home of religious Babylon, and Washington D.C. has become the home of military Babylon. Most people today, including Christians, do not see beyond the hand of men to perceive that there is a malevolent spiritual force that is ruling upon the earth. The apostle Paul stated:

Ephesians 6:12
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Satan has had millennia to lay the plans for his conquest of the earth, preparing the world for the hour when he would set himself forth to be openly worshiped by mankind. The Scriptures declare that this event will occur at the end of the age, an hour we have now entered into.

Revelation 13:4
So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast...

It is necessary to provide a view of Satan’s world government that is not taught in the schools today, but which is nevertheless accurate and true. Satan has long ruled through deception. He is the great deceiver who deceives the entire world. Satan has centered his power on the earth in three hubs of power which are three cities. These cities form the unholy trinity of Satan’s rule upon earth. The first is religious Babylon. The second economic Babylon. The third is military Babylon.

These three cities are represented by three stars on the official flag of the District of Columbia.




Each of these cities are unique upon the earth in that they are located within sovereign nations, but the land they occupy is separate and distinct from the nations they are found in. They have their own laws, their own governments, and operate under different principles than the nations in which they are found. These cities are Vatican City in Rome, the City of London (not to be confused with Greater London), and Washington D.C..

Each of these cities bears the stamp of its Luciferian allegiance, having a large obelisk constructed in prominent view within their territories. The word Obelisk means “shaft of Bel (Baal).”




Obelisk - Vatican City - Rome

The Vatican Obelisk originated in Alexandria, Egypt where it stood in a forum. It was transferred to Rome by the Emperor Caligula in 37 A.D.. It was moved to the Vatican in 1586 at the order of Pope Sixtus V.




Cleopatra’s Needle, London

This Obelisk on the bank of the River Thames in London originated in Heliopolis, Egypt. Heliopolis means “city of the Sun.” Baal worship was synonymous with Sun worship.




Washington Monument, Washington D.C.

The Washington Monument is the largest obelisk in the world. It was designed and built under the auspices of American Freemasonry. These monuments mark the three power hubs of Satan’s kingdom upon earth. This year, 2012, America will spend more for her military than all other nations of the earth combined. Satan is truly centralizing his power upon the earth, and it is truly said, “Who is like the beast, and who is able to make war with him?” (Revelation 13:4).

In this post, I would focus specifically upon the City of London, for it is there that the XXX Olympiad will be held. London is the focus of Satan’s kingdom and its rising at this hour. Satan is called the Dragon, and he has set his image everywhere upon this city.

At the center of London is a one square mile territory called the City of London Corporation. This is Satan’s seat. It is the greatest center of international banking in the world. British media is also centered here on Fleet Street. All roads leading into the central territory known as the City of London are guarded by Boundary Dragons. Following is a map marking some of the dragon monuments in the inner City of London.



Boundary Dragons




Temple Bar Dragon

This tall, gothic, freestanding dragon, looms over the Temple Bar Memorial on Fleet Street before the Royal Courts of Justice, and serves as one of the boundary markers to the City of London. The name Temple Bar comes from a nearby Temple that was originally constructed by the Knights Templars, a Satanic organization with a very dark history.





Another City of London Boundary Marker



Yet Another Boundary Dragon

The City of London is a Luciferian City. Following is an image of the coat of arms for the City.





City of London Corporation, Coat of Arms

The Latin phrase “domine dirige nos” is translated as “Lord Direct Us.” It should be obvious from the dragons that the lord being referred to is Lucifer, the great dragon of Scripture.

Revelation 12:9
So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

In the post that related some details of the XXX Olympiad, it was mentioned that there is profound occult influence in the buildings being constructed for the games. From the Olympic Stadium with its pyramid shaped lighting, to the ArcelorMittal Orbit that took as its inspiration the Tower of Babel, Satan is declaring the rising of his kingdom in the earth.

These events are prophesied in Scriptures.

Revelation 13:5-10
And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If anyone has an ear, let him hear. He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

There is an evil kingdom rising. The adversary of the people of God is coming with great wrath. The coming persecution will refine, purge, and purify a remnant of the people of God. Many will fall away, having no depth of root. They will be as the stony ground upon which seed was sown. While there is yet time, press into Yahweh. If you have been lukewarm in your devotion, lazy in your pursuit of Christ, stir yourself up. The hour is very late. Babylon is rising. The dragon is coming to make war with the saints. Deception is being poured forth. It will sweep many away.

Daniel 12:10
Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand.

I do not know what this coming Tisha B’Av will reveal. It is apparent, however, that Satan is declaring the hour of his kingdom’s open appearance. Darkness will cover the earth, and gross darkness the people.

The coming days will require much endurance. Those who endure to the end will be saved.

May you be blessed with peace and understanding in these days.

Addendum: The Eye of Lucifer in London




London Eye - Occult Symbol of the City.
The All Seeing Eye of Satan. Note the Masonic compass as part of the frame.





One-Eyed Mascots of 2012 Olympics

See Article: 1.85 million Big Brother cameras in England. Britons caught on camera an average of 70 times a day. Unmanned aerial observation drones to be added to mix.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23928304-big-brother-is-watching-britons-caught-on-cctv-70-times-a-day.do

Quantum Microphone Captures Extremely Weak Sound

ScienceDaily (Feb. 27, 2012) — Scientists from Chalmers University of Technology have demonstrated a new kind of detector for sound at the level of quietness of quantum mechanics. The result offers prospects of a new class of quantum hybrid circuits that mix acoustic elements with electrical ones, and may help illuminate new phenomena of quantum physics.

The "quantum microphone" is based on a single electron transistor, that is, a transistor where the current passes one electron at a time. The acoustic waves studied by the research team propagate over the surface of a crystalline microchip, and resemble the ripples formed on a pond when a pebble is thrown into it. The wavelength of the sound is a mere 3 micrometers, but the detector is even smaller, and capable of rapidly sensing the acoustic waves as they pass by.

The results have been published inNature Physics.

On the chip surface, the researchers have fabricated a three-millimeter-long echo chamber, and even though the speed of sound on the crystal is ten times higher than in air, the detector shows how sound pulses reflect back and forth between the walls of the chamber, thereby verifying the acoustic nature of the wave.

The detector is sensitive to waves with peak heights of a few percent of a proton diameter, levels so quiet that sound can be governed by quantum law rather than classical mechanics, much in the same way as light.

"The experiment is done on classical acoustic waves, but it shows that we have everything in place to begin studies of proper quantum-acoustics, and nobody has attempted that before," says Martin Gustafsson, PhD student and first author of the article.

Apart from the extreme quietness, the pitch of the waves is too high for us to hear: The frequency of almost 1 gigahertz is 21 octaves above one-lined A. The new detector is the most sensitive in the world for such high-frequency sound.Science Daily

Blind Side: Iraq & Syria wars similarities un covered

Free Syrian Army received arms from West

The general, who did not wish to be named but was happy to appear on camera, told a Reuters journalist that the band of rebels had received 'French and American assistance'.

When asked to clarify, the general said that the Free Syrian Army had received weapons and anti-aircraft missiles.

"We now have weapons and anti-aircraft missiles and God willing with all of that, we will defeat Bashar [President Assad]," the general said.

Neither the general's identity, nor his comments can be independently verified.

Initially forming last July, the Free Syrian Army was created by defecting military officers in response to President Assad's increasingly violent attempts to put down the uprising against his rule, which began almost a year ago.

The Telegraph

If they invoke the insurance the end is here......

Can an old microwave oven be used as a Faraday cage against EMP?

Reader Question:Can an old microwave oven be used as a Faraday cage?

Answer:YES, an old microwave is perfect for use as a Faraday cage against EMP (electro magnetic pulse). In fact, it is a Faraday cage! A Faraday cage is an enclosure formed by conducting material or by a mesh of such material. A microwave oven’s very design is to enclose the electro-magnetic radiation of microwaves, and keep them from getting out. The reverse will also be true – they can’t get in.

Think of a Faraday cage as a reflector. A reflector of electro-magnetic waves. It reflects waves on the outside from getting in and waves on the inside from getting out.

A Faraday cage by its very definition does not have to be grounded to reflect or keep out electro-magnetic waves (they normally are not grounded). From inside the cage, it makes no difference if the conductive shell is grounded or not. The inside ‘doesn’t know’ about the outside with regards to electro magnetic radiation.

The effectiveness of the ‘reflection’ properties of a Faraday cage depends upon the wavelength of the electro-magnetic radiation in question, the diameter of the holes in the cage’s conductive material, and the conductivity of the material itself. Aluminum, or even steel window screen is “good enough” to prevent any significant electro-magnetic radiation.

Most purpose built “Faraday cages” that you buy are made out of copper screen instead of solid metal. As long as the holes in the screen are smaller than the wavelength of the frequencies you are trying to protect against, screen works just as well as a solid piece of metal.

An EMP is a broadband, high-intensity, short-duration burst of electromagnetic energy. In the case of a nuclear detonation, the electromagnetic pulse consists of a continuous frequency spectrum. Most of the energy is distributed throughout the lower frequencies between 3 Hz and 30 kHz. However the first effects of nuclear detonation are the very-high-frequency pulses, in the microwave range, and can work their way into Faraday cages if there are cracks, seams, or vents.

The frequency of a microwave oven is 2.45 GHz (gigahertz) and has a wavelength of 4.82 inches. Since the holes of the screen mesh of a microwave oven are small compared to the wavelength of the microwave itself, little radiation can leak out. There are also mesh screens on the sides of the oven cavity, one to protect the oven light while allowing it to shine into the cavity, the other to permit ventilation.

A microwave will indeed protect your electronic gadgets during an EMP, so long as you don’t press ‘START’…

Modern Survival Blog

Irish EU treaty vote threatens chaos

Premier Enda Kenny said Dublin was acting on legal advice from Ireland's attorney-general that "on balance" the fiscal compact requires a vote under the country's constitution. "It gives the Irish people the opportunity to reaffirm Ireland's commitment to membership of the euro," he told ashen-faced members of the Dail.

All three major parties back the treaty but analysts say there is a high risk of rejection by angry voters in the current fractious mood. The compact gives the EU intrusive powers to police the budgets of debtor states, and has been denounced as feudal bondage by Sinn Fein and Ireland's vociferous eurosceptics. The Irish voted "No" to both the Nice and Lisbon treaties before being made to vote again. Dublin has ruled out a second vote this time.

The Taoiseach's announcement sent the euro into sharp dive against the dollar, though it rebounded later. Europe's leaders thought they had tweaked the wording of the text just enough to avoid an Irish vote.

Ireland cannot stop the process since a quorum of 12 states brings the treaty into force, but it would be politically untenable to create a new eurozone structure that left one member in limbo.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel reacted with fury last November when Greece, which on Tuesday night approved €3.2bn of new budget cuts, unexpectedly called a referendum on the terms of its bail-out. Ireland's move may also rankle, even if deemed less capricious.

The fiscal compact has totemic significance in Berlin and any sign that the package is fraying may harden opposition in the Bundestag to further EMU rescue measures. Mrs Merkel suffered a serious blow on Monday when she had to rely on opposition votes to pass the Greek loan package due to mounting defections in her own ranks. Her coalition base is in revolt over demands from Brussels and the International Monetary Fund for a boost in the EU rescue machinery (ESM) to €750bn (£635bn), the unspoken condition imposed by the rest of the world for unlocking global aid.

Any decision has been postponed until after this week's EU summit. The new requests would push the German share of the funding to well over €300bn, breaching a €211bn ceiling set by the Bundestag in September.

Ireland will continue to receive loans under its €67bn package from the EU-ECB-IMF "Troika" even if it votes "No" but would be in serious trouble if it needed a second package later. The fiscal compact forbids to use of the ESM bail-out fund for non-signatories.

While Ireland's vibrant exports have helped pull the economy out of a death spiral, austerity is still biting deeper. Dublin house prices fell another 4pc in January from a month earlier and are down 57pc from the peak. The money supply is imploding, with real M1 deposits falling at a 9.2pc rate over the past six months.

There was further bad news in Spain, where it emerged that relapse into recession and ballooning deficits in the regions had pushed the budget deficit to 8.5pc for last year, far above the 6pc target.

The new government of Mariano Rajoy has concluded that it would be "suicidal" to try to slash the deficit to 4.4pc this year to meet EU demands, fearing that it would drive unemployment to 6m, or more than 25pc. Budget minister Cristobal Montoro warned that it would require €43bn of fiscal cuts to comply, but his request for easier terms met a stony response from Brussels.

Portugal won Troika approval for the next tranche of money under its €78bn loan package, despite the risk of slippage as recession deepens. "We will not ask for more time or money. There will be no such signal coming from this government," said finance minister Vitor Gaspar.

Mr Gaspar defended his orthodox policies from a chorus of critics who say that draconian fiscal cuts will push the economy into a tailspin and prove self-defeating. "Austerity is needed to prevent an even more savage and uncontrollable austerity," he said.

The ECB temporarily suspended Greek debt as collateral for bank refinancing, after S&P declared Greece to be in selective default.

The Telegraph

20 Economic Statistics To Use To Wake Sheeple Up From Their Entertainment Induced Comas

The Dow has closed above 13,000 for the first time since 2008, and the mainstream media is declaring that a strong economic recovery is underway.  Barack Obama is telling anyone who will listen that his economic policies are a huge success, and U.S. consumers are piling up astounding amounts of new debt.  Unfortunately, this euphoria about the economy will be short-lived.  None of the long-term problems that are destroying the U.S. economy have been solved.  In fact, there are dozens of statistics that can be quoted that prove that the U.S. economy is in far worse shape than it was when the recession supposedly ended.  If dramatic changes are not made very rapidly, our nation is going to smash directly into an economic brick wall.  Sadly, most Americans are so addicted to entertainment that they have no idea what is about to happen.  Most of them are "sheeple" that are content to trust that the "experts" know exactly how to fix our problems as they continue to enjoy their entertainment-induced comas.  After all, it is much easier to turn on "American Idol" or "Dancing With The Stars" than it is to think about debt ratios and monetary policy.  But that doesn't mean that we should not try to wake the sheeple up.  It just means that it will not be easy.

If you went to the doctor tomorrow and he told you to take some little blue pills without telling you anything else, would you take them?

Of course not.

You would want to know what the little blue pills are for.

But if your doctor told you that you have a deadly incurable disease that is about to kill you, and that the little blue pills are the only cure, then you would definitely be interested in taking them.

Well, it is the same way with the American people.  Until they understand just how sick the economy is, they will not be interested in fighting for a solution.

We need to show all the sheeple out there that the U.S. economy has terminal cancer and is headed for death.

We need to show them that the future of our children and our grandchildren is literally being destroyed.

Way too many Americans are sitting around waiting for the government to save them.

It isn't going to happen.

It is up to those of us that are awake to wake up those that are asleep.

And there are many out there that think that they are awake that are only partially awake.

One very famous author once wrote that "people are destroyed for lack of knowledge", and that is exactly what is happening in America today.  Most Americans simply don't understand what is happening economically, politically, socially, morally or financially in this nation.

Please help me wake the sheeple up.

The following are 20 economic statistics to use to wake sheeple up from their entertainment-induced comas....

#1 The United States has more government debt per capita than Greece, Portugal, Italy, Ireland or Spain.

#2 The European Commission has formally declared that Europe has now entered another recession.  German banks are leveraged 32 to 1 and the European financial system is rapidly approaching a nightmare.  Lehman Brothers was only leveraged 30 to 1 when it finally collapsed.

#3 There are clear signs that economic activity is also significantly slowing down in the United States.  For example, new orders for goods manufactured in the United States experienced the biggest drop in three years in January.

#4 U.S. consumers are busy racking up staggering amounts of debt once again.  Total consumer debt rose at an annual rate of 9.3 percent in December.  It is now sitting at a grand total of 2.498 trillion dollars.

#5 The U.S. Postal Service has announced plans to eliminate 35,000 more jobs.

#6 There are more unemployed Americans than there are people living in the entire nation of Greece.

#7 The percentage of American men that have jobs is near an all-time record low.

#8 Right now, there are 88 million working age Americans that do not have jobs and that the government says are not looking for jobs.

#9 The average duration of unemployment in the United States is nearly three times as long as it was back in the year 2000.

#10 In January 2009, there were 2.6 million "long-term unemployed workers" according to the federal government.  Today, there are 5.6 million.

#11 The average price of a gallon of gasoline in the United States has risen by14 cents in just the past week, and the average price of a gallon of gasoline in the state of California is now an astounding $4.29.  Sadly, the price of gas is expected to continue rising over the next few months.

#12 The U.S. housing market continues to struggle deeply.  Home prices in the 4th quarter of 2011 were four percent lower than they were during the 4th quarter of 2010.  Overall, U.S. home prices are 34 percent lower than they were back at the peak of the housing bubble.

#13 Large numbers of Americans are putting off basic health procedures due to the declining economy.  Just consider the following example from a recentHuffington Post article....

Americans between the ages of 50 to 64 got 500,000 fewer colonoscopies, or screenings aimed at detecting colon cancer, during the recession, compared to the two years before, according to a recent study from researchers at the University of North Carolina's medical school.

#14 The number of Americans on food stamps has increased by almost 50 percent since Barack Obama first took office.

#15 Right now, 48 percent of all Americans are considered to be either "low income" or "living in poverty".

#16 The U.S. government is stealing about 150 million dollars from our children and our grandchildren every single hour of every single day.

#17 If Bill Gates gave all of his money to the U.S. government, it would only cover the U.S. budget deficit for about 15 days.

#18 Since the Federal Reserve was created, the U.S. dollar has declined in value by more than 95 percent and the U.S. national debt has gotten more than 5000 times larger.

#19 Approximately 25 million American adults are living with their parents.  Most of them are doing it for economic reasons.

#20 According to a new Politico poll, only 30 percent of all Americans believe that the next generation will be "better off economically" than the previous generation.

For many more current statistics about the U.S. economy, check out theinteresting facts which I documented in this previous article.

Thankfully, there are others out there such as trends researcher Gerald Celente that are tirelessly working to sound the alarm.  Celente is convinced that the U.S. financial system is rapidly heading for a disaster.  Just consider the following quotes from Celente in a recent USA Today article....

"2012 is when many of the long-simmering socioeconomic and political trends that we have been forecasting and tracking will climax," Celente noted in his Top 12 Trends 2012 newsletter. In an interview he added: "When money stops flowing to the man on the street, blood starts flowing in the street."

Even some politicians on the state level are deeply concerned about the possibility of a massive financial meltdown.

For example, a bill has been introduced in Wyoming that would set up "a state-run government continuity task force" which would develop plans for how Wyoming would deal with potential disasters such as a "complete meltdown of the federal government", an economic collapse or a major disruption in food and energy supplies....

State Rep. David Miller, R-Riverton, has seen the national debt rise above $15 trillion and protest movements grow around the country. Wealthy Americans are fleeing the country, he says, and confidence in the dollar has taken a hit around the world.

If America’s economic and social problems continue to escalate and spiral out of control, Miller said, Wyoming needs to be ready. So, he’s introduced legislation to create a state-run government continuity task force, which would study and prepare Wyoming for potential catastrophes, from disruptions in food and energy supplies to a complete meltdown of the federal government.

It would even look at the feasibility of quickly providing an alternative currency in Wyoming should the U.S. dollar collapse entirely.

But for many Americans, the "meltdown" has already happened on a personal level.

Many are going to extreme lengths in an attempt to survive in this economy.

For example, one ex-police officer in Ohio got so desperate that he decided that it would be better to get arrested for bank robbery and be thrown in prisonthan to be homeless and living in the streets....

Former Columbus police officer Edward Pascucci had been jobless for more than a year and was facing homelessness last summer when he decided to rob a local bank. Making off with stacks of cash, however, never was his intention.

Pascucci told a federal judge on Thursday he’d run out of options, was facing “severe health problems” and opted to avail himself of the services offered by the federal penal system rather than live on the street.

Can you imagine that?

Can you imagine getting arrested just so that you could get free health care and wouldn't have to sleep in the streets?

Meanwhile, the Obamas are living the high life and seem to have developed a "let them eat cake" mentality.  The following is from a recent article in The Daily Mail....

The Obama family just finished a luxury ski vacation in Aspen, Colorado. This comes on the heels of a Hawaiian Christmas vacation for the family that lasted a few weeks. The 2011 Hawaiian vacation cost the American taxpayers $4 million and a big increase from the 2010 bill sent to the American people for $2.5 million, according to the Huffington Post.

Over the past three summers, the Obama's have vacationed in the exclusive Blue Heron Farm in Chilmark, Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts. President Obama has a reputation for hitting every golf course on this island vacation spot for the rich and famous.

There is nothing wrong with a President taking a modest vacation, but there is a problem when the political leader of America is taking frequent swanky vacations when average Americans are experiencing economic pain.

Shouldn't the Obamas be setting an example for the rest of us during these hard economic times?

Unfortunately, Barack Obama seems to believe that the worst of our economic troubles is now behind us.

If only that were true.

During this short-lived bubble of false hope, we should all be working hard to prepare for what is ahead.

A menacing storm is on the horizon and it will be here way too soon.

Let us wake up as many of the sheeple as we can while there is still time.

Economic Collapse