YellowRubberDuckie
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Sat Jul-23-11 07:28 PM
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This may sound dumb, but we have enough food and water for a month in our house. |
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Edited on Sat Jul-23-11 07:29 PM by YellowRubberDuckie
Federal funds keep gas prices down. Federal funds keep food prices low. Federal funds keep state governments going. What happens if they don't raise the debt ceiling? Maybe I'm being an alarmist, but we have enough to get by for a month, maybe more, just in case. I even told my mom the same. You just never know. This isn't a familiar situation, and I want to be prepared. Anyone else? Duckie
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lonestarnot
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Sat Jul-23-11 07:29 PM
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former9thward
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Sat Jul-23-11 07:30 PM
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2. I don't where the "federal funds" keep the food and gas came from |
YellowRubberDuckie
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Sat Jul-23-11 07:31 PM
Response to Reply #2 |
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Oil and gas are subsidized by the government. The government subsidizes farming so that certain crops aren't planted all at once and prices are steady.
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former9thward
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Sat Jul-23-11 07:35 PM
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6. Those programs keep prices higher than they normally would be. |
YellowRubberDuckie
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Sat Jul-23-11 07:36 PM
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8. Where is the logic in that? |
former9thward
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Sat Jul-23-11 07:38 PM
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11. Food is not grown so there is less of it. Prices go up. |
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Simple economics. The federal subsidies to oil and gas is petty compared to the federal taxes on a gallon of gas. Take a look the next time you buy it.
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LiberalAndProud
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Sat Jul-23-11 07:58 PM
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former9thward
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Sat Jul-23-11 08:08 PM
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22. I don't know what you think your links prove. |
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They go to corn production in Kentucky and corn subsidies. There would be more corn grown, as well as other foods, if we did not have corporate welfare. That corporate welfare also includes the corn taken out of production for ethanol. That has raised the price of food everywhere in the world not just in the U.S.
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LiberalAndProud
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Sat Jul-23-11 08:50 PM
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34. Without subsidies, corn prices would have to go up. |
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Or big ag would go broke producing the stuff. You can't keep selling a product for less than the cost of production. Yet year after year more, higher yield acres go into corn production because of the per bushel subsidy. Without subsidies, production would go down and prices would go up. It's simple math.
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former9thward
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Sat Jul-23-11 11:19 PM
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43. If that were true then it should be applied to every industry? |
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Why do you support corporate welfare just for Big Ag? Why not everyone then the prices would go down for everything. Everybody wins.
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LiberalAndProud
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Sun Jul-24-11 01:36 AM
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46. Honestly, I don't think ag subsidies are beneficial overall. |
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But we need to approach the argument honestly. We in the US spend less for food as a percentage of income than any other country, if we subtract tax-paid subsidies from the equation. That makes it easy to see the benefit of the practice. The costs are more subtle and not easily defined.
Concentration of the control of our food supply in the hands of few producers is frightening. The impact of our cheap exports on food production in countries which can't or won't subsidize agriculture is devastating. Variety is sacrificed for uniformity. In the end, our food supply is less nutritious, and less diverse. It's no accident that almost every product you can buy for consumption has either corn based ingredients, soy based ingredients or both.
I would be in favor of weaning our agricultural system from subsidies, but I don't think it would be a good idea to withdraw ag support in one fell swoop. If such a thing happened, we would surely notice at the supermarket checkout, immediately and painfully.
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TheKentuckian
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Sat Jul-23-11 07:30 PM
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3. It isn't dumb at all. I had a bad patch and depleted my two weeks |
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and need to build back up.
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bluerum
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Sat Jul-23-11 07:34 PM
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5. I am always surprised by how little is really needed to survive. But is that how we are |
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to live now? Simply to survive and service the factories and workplaces to make bombs for our imperial owners?
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YellowRubberDuckie
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Sat Jul-23-11 07:35 PM
Response to Reply #5 |
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We keep cans of water in the house. CANS of water. It is weird. Skip (the husband) is just sad we don't have bags of water like they do in Canada. LOL
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mdmc
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Sat Jul-23-11 07:46 PM
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for the circle d american dream..
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RKP5637
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Sat Jul-23-11 07:46 PM
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14. We've become the war nation. That is our chief product, wars and destruction. You pose |
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a very sane and provoking question. I mentioned that to someone the other day, that it seems this nation is bent on imperialism and world dominance. They said no, but when I look around at what we are doing, all I think is WTF.
And it's suppressed by MSM, very suppressed. Just looking at our MIC initiatives one has to wonder WTF. We are willing to let our nation crumble to serve the MIC, that's what I see, and so do many others. Dwight Eisenhower was sooooo correct.
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Forkboy
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Sat Jul-23-11 07:38 PM
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9. I got some meals frozen that would buy me a week or so. |
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After that I start eating people. :evilgrin:
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ThomWV
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Sat Jul-23-11 07:38 PM
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10. You're not being dumb at all. And to your last question, yes. |
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For us it has been moving our life savings. We also paid up all of our state taxes into next year. Here where we are nobody with a gun would ever go hungry. We've got plenty of guns. We also grow large gardens that are producing right now.
Can you imagine what is going to happen if we default? There will be runaway inflation at the same time that cash disappears. And food prices will soar almost as fast as agricultural exports increase.
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YellowRubberDuckie
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Sat Jul-23-11 07:43 PM
Response to Reply #10 |
12. Oh yes. We've got bags of rice and beans and Potato flakes. |
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We also have plenty of guns. Cash will dry up, and financial institutions will start going bye bye. I don't even want to think about it, honestly, but I'm a little scared. I guess China could come and take over. That would be a little amusing to watch, actually. Duckie
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RKP5637
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Sat Jul-23-11 07:53 PM
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18. Yep, people take (not you) default too lightly. Our economy is fragile, has |
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been for years. And this can happen overnight. As you know, there's nothing magical about the dollar bill.
If faith in this country crumbles, so does the dollar, like in a run on a bank. If other countries lose faith in the US (which I think some are) we could fall apart quickly.
And the spectacle going on in DC has to be shaking confidence in the US. As you say, exactly, "There will be runaway inflation at the same time that cash disappears. And food prices will soar almost as fast as agricultural exports increase."
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FirstLight
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Sat Jul-23-11 09:56 PM
Response to Reply #10 |
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i don't get how that works... besides, won't cash be a moot point? I mean, won't we go to bartering and such on a local level?
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hedgehog
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Sat Jul-23-11 07:47 PM
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15. I was wondering myself if it's time to stock up a little. |
freshwest
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Sat Jul-23-11 07:47 PM
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16. You should always have some on hand. Earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, power outages happen. |
RKP5637
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Sat Jul-23-11 07:56 PM
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19. Definitely!!! SH** happens, it's usually not planned. We need to do a |
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better job of that here of planning to have supplies on hand.
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freshwest
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Sat Jul-23-11 08:13 PM
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27. Got snowed here for almost a month a couple of years back, did fine until the last week and ran out |
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Of fresh carrots at last. Had run out of fresh apples, lettuces, etc. Fortunately the power stayed on most of the time but I was ready for that too.
It's not crazy to be prepared, it's a good thing. I've got quite a bit, not like some of the survivalists have, but it's just common sense. If one is running low on fresh, there's always bean sprouts.
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blueamy66
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Sat Jul-23-11 07:49 PM
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17. I find myself stocking up the pantry as well. |
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I have alot of soup and spaghetti sauce and canned veggies and rice a roni and the like....don't know why....maybe cause my Mom did. When there is a "short week", we'll be okay.
We just had a BBQ with my family....bought meat at Costco and could have kept all of the leftovers in the freezer, but sent the burgers and dogs home with my niece....she's got 3 kiddos to feed and there is no way we could eat all of that (you know how Costco sells in huge sizes!! :-0)
Water....not so much. I should think about that.
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stevedeshazer
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Sat Jul-23-11 07:59 PM
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21. That is just sensible.Not dumb. |
AndyTiedye
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Sat Jul-23-11 08:10 PM
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23. We Do That Anyway, for When the Big One Hits |
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Though we now realize it's probably kind of pointless for that.
Diablo Canyon will most likely go Fuku when the Big One hits, and the radiation from that wouldn't take more than a few days to get here.
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Hoopla Phil
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Sat Jul-23-11 08:11 PM
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24. I've been keeping a 3 week supply for many years now. Nothing wrong |
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with that. You may also want to keep 20-50 gallons of gas on hand also. Of course I live in a hurricane zone too.
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handmade34
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Sat Jul-23-11 08:12 PM
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I would like to live in a community where we all took care of each other... it has become too crazy... what about my neighbor if he is hungry? do I share with him, knowing that there will be less for me if I do?
If I had a home, I suppose I would stock up, but do it realizing that I would share with others when the need arose... I can't be in this all by myself
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SheilaT
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Sat Jul-23-11 08:13 PM
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26. While it's always a reasonable idea to |
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have some stocks of food on hand, the coming apocalypse where everything breaks down isn't really as likely to happen as many fantasize. There's a greater danger of some kind of natural disaster -- earthquake, tornado, hurricane -- depending on where you live and that leaving you stranded, without power, and no incoming food, water, or fuel than a total breakdown of the social order.
If the government goes into default, there will probably be all kinds of serious economic consequences, but most of the country will keep on functioning.
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sendero
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Sat Jul-23-11 08:14 PM
Response to Original message |
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Edited on Sat Jul-23-11 08:15 PM by sendero
Anyone who doesn't have food and water is dumb.
Most people have NO IDEA how fragile our just in time food delivery system is.
It could fail for any number of reasons, and if it does the supermarket shelves will be empty in days.
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KittyWampus
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Sat Jul-23-11 08:54 PM
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36. Days? Just think of what it's like when a snowstorm is predicted. It only takes hours f/dairy aisle |
Texasgal
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Sat Jul-23-11 08:15 PM
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ALWAYS smart! No matter what the reason!! :)
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elfin
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Sat Jul-23-11 08:29 PM
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30. Practicing Mormons keep a YEAR'S supply |
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That practice may be fading, but I have a very wealthy Mormon friend who still does it.
I tend to only stock up during the winter, when travel conditions are precarious. And then only for a few weeks at most.
Not a bad idea for anyone, anytime to have supplies for a lengthy period of time -- especially ones that don't require power to stay usable.
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freshwest
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Sat Jul-23-11 08:39 PM
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31. They've got some interesting websites on the subject. |
YellowRubberDuckie
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Sat Jul-23-11 08:49 PM
Response to Reply #31 |
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Did you know the CDC has a Zombie Apocolypse plan? LOL Seriously. Go look at their site. Duckie
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freshwest
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Sat Jul-23-11 08:52 PM
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35. Yeah, that one's hilarious. Shades of Y2K. But who knows, I think most RWers are zombies... |
jwirr
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Sat Jul-23-11 09:18 PM
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38. I have tried to get a years worth of supplies stocked up like the |
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Mormon's do but I never have en ought money to quite get there. If we make it out of this mess I am going to make sure that I finally make that goal. Our gardens are getting ready to start producing and I am going to preserve everything. Nothing is going to waste this year.
I cannot imagine what it will be like if overnight the government programs we need just stop. I fear for my daughters life although her foster parents have stocked up a years supplies for her. Medicines is another matter. The laws make it impossible to stock up on them.
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pipi_k
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Sat Jul-23-11 08:48 PM
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32. Not dumb at all...I think everyone should have at LEAST |
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enough food for a week or two, if possible, even if it's just canned goods.
I'm rural. It's a 40 mile round trip into the city for stuff, so we try to keep shopping trips to a minimum, although there are two small markets within 7 miles for smaller things.
We have at least a three week supply of food here, and we use well water, so that's not a problem unless the power goes out, but even then there's the line from the spring house up the hill that runs constantly so there's always water someplace.
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Possumpoint
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Sat Jul-23-11 09:04 PM
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37. If Push Comes To Shove |
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Water is more important then food. You can only go 3-4 days without it. Food, a lot longer. Recomendations are 1 gallon of good water per day, per person. You probably could make do with less.
Don't forget the water in your water heater. Turn off you outside source and drain as needed.
What hasn't been discussed is, if you have a store of food, do you have means to protect it?
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grahamhgreen
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Sat Jul-23-11 09:23 PM
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39. In thailand they keep 2 years of rice |
Gormy Cuss
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Sat Jul-23-11 09:25 PM
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40. You are being an alarmist, but I understand. |
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We're fed this constant fear message and the natural instinct is to do what we can within our own locus of control to deal with that message.
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RebelOne
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Sat Jul-23-11 09:41 PM
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41. I have plenty of food including rice and beans, but I just need more wine. n/t |
Snoutport
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Sun Jul-24-11 12:13 AM
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44. yes...but because we live in an earthquake zone.... |
Hippo_Tron
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Sun Jul-24-11 12:30 AM
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45. Are you preparing for the apocalypse or just a temporary price spike? |
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If your logic is that prices may go up due to the default and you want to save yourself some money should that happen, then I wouldn't call that alarmist in the least bit. If you're preparing for the end of the world if the debt ceiling isn't raised then yea I'd say that's alarmist. Judging by what you've said though, all you're doing is trying to save yourself from a potential additional expense.
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