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Thread: Drought>>Food Shortages>>Rationing>>Food Riots??

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    Senior Member tjwilhelm's Avatar
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    Default Drought>>Food Shortages>>Rationing>>Food Riots??

    Remember the so-called "Arab Spring" from a few years back? It was reported that the beginning of this, in Egypt, was stimulated by "food riots."

    Will this continue to play out around the globe, especially in those countries that have been dubbed "emerging markets?"

    What would you do if something like this started happening in parts of the U.S.A.?

    Here's what's being reported from Venezuela, today:

    http://www.businessinsider.com/venez...or-food-2014-3


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    Well, the situation in Venezuela is, shall we say"special". Something like that happening in the US, or in western Europe, is highly unlikely.
    What would I do - Well, there's very little you would be able to do. If there was suddenly a significant food shortage that would require steps like this, it would seem very likely that Martial Law would be implemented and food rations would be handed out, under significant military presence, not sold in stores.
    You might object to that, but what would you really do about it? Pick a fight with the army? Not really an option is it.
    Growing your own food, or at least some of it, and/or hunting some game could be helpful, however you wouldn't be the only one going into the woods trying to get a deer and it doesn't take a lot of hunters a very long time to significantly hurt and possibly even wipe out the deer population in large parts of the country, so that wouldn't be a long term solution. Take 1 percent of the population in any of the highly populated areas in the US, and send them into the woods with hunting rifles, and you'll see just how fast they'll go through the wildlife.

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    Senior Member kyratshooter's Avatar
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    GD, being in Copenhagen you possibly do not understand the situation here. 1% of the population would not clear the forest of all life.

    34,000,000 people, or almost 10% of our population hunts/fishes every year.

    In that pursuit they spend 76 billion dollars. It is big business, a big source of revenues, encouraged and promoted by TPTB.

    BUT

    If you take 1% of the population of any of the highly populated areas of the U.S. into the woods and drop them off this forum will become the busiest place on the internet!

    At least it will until the batteries on the smartphone go dead.
    Last edited by kyratshooter; 05-04-2014 at 11:51 PM.
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    Quote Originally Posted by kyratshooter View Post
    GD, being in Copenhagen you possibly do not understand the situation here. 1% of the population would not clear the forest of all life.

    34,000,000 people, or almost 10% of our population hunts/fishes every year.

    In that pursuit they spend 76 billion dollars. It is big business, a big source of revenues, encouraged and promoted by TPTB.

    BUT

    If you take 1% of the population of any of the highly populated areas of the U.S. into the woods and drop them off this forum will become the busiest place on the internet!

    At least it will until the batteries on the smartphone go dead.
    I don't know the percentages. I think the 10% of the population seems a little high, but it doesn't really matter. It is one thing to go hunting once in a while, for "the fun of it" and then actually doing it because you and your family rely on it for food on a daily basis.

    Can you imagine 1% of the people of, say, L.A. (close to 4 million people) or New York (roughly 8,5 million people) suddenly venturing into the closest woods to try and catch game for food to sustain their families? Mind you, more or less on a daily basis? If they are all succesful, that's a lot of deer, rabbits, elk and other kinds of wild game that will be taken. It doesn't take very long before that has significant impact on the population.
    And that's just 1% of the population. Imagine that it's 5%, or even 10%... That would be 850.000 people running around the nearest woods of New York, or 400.000 people in the closest woods to L.A., trying to catch food on a daily basis... That would not be sustainable for very long.
    Even the 1% would be a significant number.

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    Senior Member kyratshooter's Avatar
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    What you are speaking of is the expectation of the "Golden Horde" leaving the city in mass and scouring the countryside bare. The stuff of survival fiction and extensive discussion.

    It does not seem to be happening in Venezuela, and has not happened in any other city in modern history in spite of plague, depression, recession, shortages, wartime rationing or much of anything else that is imposed on urban folk.

    What would I do?

    That is why I live where I do and have food supplies stored. Plus I would start expanding the garden first thing in the morning, set eggs under the first of my hens that go broody and probably start trading eggs for fish caught by the kids down at the lake. Might do some fishing myself, that's always relaxing.
    Last edited by kyratshooter; 05-05-2014 at 02:41 AM.
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    Quote Originally Posted by kyratshooter View Post
    What you are speaking of is the expectation of the "Golden Horde" leaving the city in mass and scouring the countryside bare. The stuff of survival fiction and extensive discussion.

    It does not seem to be happening in Venezuela, and has not happened in any other city in modern history in spite of plague, depression, recession, shortages, wartime rationing or much of anything else that is imposed on urban folk.

    What would I do?

    That is why I live where I do and have food supplies stored. Plus I would start expanding the garden first thing in the morning, set eggs under the first of my hens that go broody and probably start trading eggs for fish caught by the kids down at the lake. Might do some fishing myself, that's always relaxing.
    Well, the gun laws in Venezuela is different than in the US, so that should be part of your equation. Gun laws have been severely tightened there due to high levels of crime in recent years.
    A scenario like the one in Venezuela is extremely unlikely in the US, so what would happen in reality is only something we can only speculate about.
    All I'm saying, is that if wild game is suddenly being hunted to fill daily needs for large portions of the population, then it will quickly become a problem. 5% of the population taking a deer a month, and you won't have a deer population for very long.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Great Dane View Post
    Well, the gun laws in Venezuela is different than in the US, so that should be part of your equation. Gun laws have been severely tightened there due to high levels of crime in recent years.
    Actually our crime rates have been dropping for many years. The reason for the new gun laws is, well lets just say that as an American, its very scary to think about the many reasons for new gun laws are being proposed and in some cases they are being passed into law

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    Senior Member natertot's Avatar
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    Gun laws promote crime, not stop it!

    Also, you mention these cities going into the nearby woods and hunting? HAHAHAHAHA! These cities have strict gun laws, so most people there have never owned, shot, killed, or processed game! We'd be lucky to find one percent from those cities who would be willing to even attempt doing anything like that, regardless of circumstances.

    What would really happen is gov'ment would issue rations. Farmers, gardeners, hunters, fishers would procure extra food and trade it to those who are unwilling to help themselves. You would see food for highly inflated prices, sex, drugs, and anything else to greatly exploit the situation.
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    All we have to do is is revisit history during WW2--London, Paris, Stalingrad, etc.

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    It won't take much to send the US, and a lot of western Europe, into a food shortage. I don't think that food is produced in a sustainable way here. What that means is that it only takes one or two of the cards holding up the house to fall, which will collapse the whole house. Anything that reduces farm subsidies will do it...or anything that will reduce access to cheap petroleum based fertilizers. A total collapse in the honey bee population would also do it.
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    Senior Member kyratshooter's Avatar
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    My, my we have ventured into conspiracy theory mode on this fine day, and it seems that if one theory does not do the job another will!

    Did you realize that honey bees are not native to North America?

    They were imported by the early settlers.

    Therefore, all of the native NA crops, corn, beans, squash, that provide 75% of the worlds bulk food for man and animal, do not require bees for pollination. They are all closed pollinated or wind pollinated.

    It is the same with most of the cereal crops that we consider the "staff of life".

    So, contrary to popular myth, we are not going to starve if the honey bees die.

    As for Venezuela, They are reaping the rewards due to a nation that has complete ability to feed themselves but has allowed artificial control of the economy to discourage all forms of production, including agriculture.

    They cut off one leg of the 'bread and circuses" population control philosophy.

    Apparently they expected assistance from some outside source that failed to appear.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Great Dane View Post
    I don't know the percentages. I think the 10% of the population seems a little high, but it doesn't really matter. It is one thing to go hunting once in a while, for "the fun of it" and then actually doing it because you and your family rely on it for food on a daily basis.

    Can you imagine 1% of the people of, say, L.A. (close to 4 million people) or New York (roughly 8,5 million people) suddenly venturing into the closest woods to try and catch game for food to sustain their families? Mind you, more or less on a daily basis? If they are all succesful, that's a lot of deer, rabbits, elk and other kinds of wild game that will be taken. It doesn't take very long before that has significant impact on the population.
    And that's just 1% of the population. Imagine that it's 5%, or even 10%... That would be 850.000 people running around the nearest woods of New York, or 400.000 people in the closest woods to L.A., trying to catch food on a daily basis... That would not be sustainable for very long.
    Even the 1% would be a significant number.
    over the last three years 75 percent of all my meat was harvested during hunting season! the only meat I buy is Beef. and I'm starting to do some trading for my venison to a guy that grows his own beef. why would you need to hunt every day? if you properly store and prepare the meat it will last for a while. and if you own property having a feed lot set up will keep the game hanging around thats How I am abel to tag out every year, and so are the 2 others that I hunt with off of 25 acres.
    I Wonder Who was the first person to look at a cow and say, "I think I'll squeeze these dangly things here, and drink what ever comes out?"

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    Resident Wildman Wildthang's Avatar
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    I think a food crisis will fall out like this, the city people will huddle in the city and wait for hand outs, when the hand outs dry up they will kill each other for food. And the people out in the country will survive possibly having to pop a few ambitious city folks to stand their ground! I honestly think that most city people would rather wait for a hand out and starve before they would go hunting if they even know how! Many of them will be killed by gang bangers for what little they have managed to hang on to.
    I really hope this never happens but I suppose anything is possible the way things are getting. I really think it will be a few more years before it happens!

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    Oh, I think that there are a whole lot more self reliant people living in cities than you give them credit for.
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    Things get too bad,Lotsa horses out my way......just sayin.....

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    Us city folks will do just fine thank you very much.
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    Quote Originally Posted by kyratshooter View Post
    My, my we have ventured into conspiracy theory mode on this fine day, and it seems that if one theory does not do the job another will!
    Well, it was Monday....
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    There'll always be a good supply of succulent long pig.

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    Resident Wildman Wildthang's Avatar
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    Well I have no doubt that the city folks on this forum will be ready, but what percentage per capita do you think that would be. I am guessing that a very low percentage of people that live in cities would be truly ready for a food crisis.

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    Senior Member hunter63's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Wildthang View Post
    Well I have no doubt that the city folks on this forum will be ready, but what percentage per capita do you think that would be. I am guessing that a very low percentage of people that live in cities would be truly ready for a food crisis.
    I think you are right....but wouldn't know where data would be, what do you consider prepped?, for how long?

    Lots of people living on all sorts of Gov. programs?....what happens when that stops?....or elderly that depend on aid of some sort?

    Many questions....varied answers.

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