We’re so spoiled.

Survival thoughts rule.  Everyone seems to have an end-of-the-world scenario in place for when THEIR favorite candidate loses.  Texas patriots threaten to secede if Hillary wins, and many Hollywood types are heading to Canada if she doesn’t.

So much for getting along.

The way to both SURVIVE and PROSPER during and after an election is to realize that the one coming up is just a small moment in the life of our country.  And the USA is not even 250 years old yet!

The key to happiness these days is to put everything into prospective.

While “The Donald” is vulgar, he was never as vulgar as Andrew Jackson… or even Richard Nixon, for that matter.  And while Hillary may be crooked and sneaky, she doesn’t even begin to measure up to the crooked sneakiness of some presidents past.

History Repeats

What most people don’t know is that the USA has always had its fair share of vulgar, lying, cavorting and despicable characters in high office.  Remember Richard Nixon?  He resigned to avoid impeachment.  Bill Clinton did get impeached, but lived and thrived while offering the same possible fate to his lovely bride.

Millard Fillmore

But these are only the ones we know about – the ones in recent memory.  Since American history is seldom taught in schools,  most folks may never know the joys and trials of Americans dealing with their cherished baddies over the last two centuries.

Cute and cuddly folks like Andrew Jackson, who shot more people in duels than the number of JFK mistresses.  Or the “Oops” presidents who were originally selected as VICE presidents to get them out of the way… The oopsers came to the office only because the sitting president either died in office, was assassinated, or (in the case of Richard Nixon) resigned.

Each of these presidents were often demeaned, despised, and threatened with impeachment in many cases.  The list is surprisingly long:  John Tyler, Millard Fillmore, Andrew Johnson, Chester A. Arthur, Theodore Roosevelt, Calvin Coolidge, Harry S. Truman, Lyndon Johnson and Gerald Ford.  Less than half of these men won their own re-election.

Intrigue and power go hand in hand, and fit most presidents to a “T.”  John Adams put people in prison for speaking against the government.   During the campaign for the 6th presidency, Adams’ son John Quincy Adams, accused Andrew Jackson of being a bigamist after his wife had already passed away.

General Zachary Taylor never held office – or even voted – before being elected in 1849.  The letter telling him he was elected president was returned because it was missing a stamp and Taylor refused to pay for it.  President Zach died of food poisoning in the summer of 1850, giving Millard Fillmore the office.

Fillmore is widely referred to as the least known or popular of all presidents.  His best-known accomplishment?  He helped found the “Know Nothing” party.

Because he was a dandy and never married, James Buchanan is believed to be our first gay president.

Abraham Lincoln tried to arrest the head justice of the Supreme Court.  Andrew Johnson vetoed every bill from congress, and missed being impeached by one vote.

Ulysses S. Grant, winning general of the bloodiest US conflict, couldn’t stand the sight of blood.

William H. Taft tipped the scales at over 300 pounds, and once got stuck in a While House bath tub.

Warren G. Harding was the first president elected after women got the right to vote.  He died while in office, but not before siring an illegitimate daughter he never knew about.

Hard Times

Still think you live in hard times?  You may be right, but NOT because you are “threatened” by some politician’s ascendancy.  Politicians come and go.

The MOST threatening trend we will have to face is the fact that most people don’t know how to either think or do for themselves anymore.  We have not only become soft – we’ve lost the ability to fix things, and even prepare for emergencies like power outages, natural disasters, and broken supply lines.

About 150 years ago, people didn’t have many luxuries, but they did know how to survive hard times, since most times then were hard.  While I’m not suggesting major disasters will happen any time soon, its a good feeling to know that you have the ability to stay safe, warm, dry, fed and informed when others are rioting in the streets.

—–> Watch this video on how to be prepared <—–