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Wednesday, December 21, 2022

Nine Meals From Anarchy Explained

(Jeff Thomas) In 1906, Alfred Henry Lewis stated, “There are only nine meals between mankind and anarchy.” Since then, his observation has been echoed by people as disparate as Robert Heinlein and Leon Trotsky. 

The key here is that, unlike all other commodities, food is the one essential that cannot be postponed. If there were a shortage of, say, shoes, we could make do for months or even years. A shortage of gasoline would be worse, but we could survive it, through mass transport or even walking, if necessary.
-Murray


23 comments:

  1. As I told my PT today, best hedge against inflation is buying guns and ammo.
    I bought a new Ruger PC carbine today. And I'm looking for secure storage containers for ammo.

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  2. Millions of democrats will happily forego nine or more meals.
    No more mean tweets. That's all that matters.

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  3. "Food will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no food."
    This applies ALL consumables.

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  4. "Alfred Henry Lewis stated, “There are only nine meals between mankind and anarchy.”"

    Nine? Alfred Henry Lewis was an optimist.

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    1. A missed meal makes you uncomfortable, but unless you have a medical condition it's really no problem. Three days of no food and you're still basically okay; civilized people are able to remain civilized. On the fourth day, your body starts eating itself, and desperation is near.

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  5. I'm not shooting my neighbor for a loaf of bread.

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    1. I would, that is why I stockpile food as insurance against myself as a father crossing unspeakable lines to provide and feed my children. I dont want to murder anyone but if its that or watching my kids starve, then that is a emotional burden I will bear. I never want to be in that position so I stockpile food and resources.

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  6. He might shoot you for one…

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  7. Stockpile spices and salt. Those were the trading products that created empires back in the day. And don't forget ketchup and steak sauce and other things like that, as poor food is what all those sauces were originally made for.

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    1. Cooking is easy, taste is hard.

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  8. And guns, ammo and knowledge of how to use them or you are just acquiring rations that other people, better armed people, will eat.

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    1. As well as the knowledge of how to use your firearms, even more so, you need the WILL to use them. Without the will, and the mental practice, you will end up as just another casualty, with no rations, no weapons, and no ammo.

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  9. How come heaven has gates and America doesn't?

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  10. access to potable water and healthcare will thin many out in the first few weeks i'm afraid.

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  11. "I'm not shooting my neighbor for a loaf of bread." Easy to say while warm and comfortable with a well stocked larder . talk to me after you have missed seven meals ,and we will see how you feel .

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  12. Are you kidding? Around here, the mere FORECAST of a moderate snow storm is enough to cause panic buying.

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  13. A decade or so ago, I worked in a small oil and gas company. There were a few guys there that were preppers. I got invited to some of their lunch time confabs. After I got comfortable, I asked them about their probable response to unprepared folks that showed up on their doorstep. To a man, they said they would accept them in.

    So, I suggested a thought experiment. How much food do you have? Have you prepared for your friends or for your own family? What would you do to feed them when they show up? What do you think your friend/relative would do seeing his sweet little Suzy or Johnny hungry or starving while you and your family ate? How long before you get a bullet in the head because you are a selfish, uncaring SOB? What will you do when 2 dozen men with automatic arms appear at your door and kill you while they plunder your larder and rape your womenfolk?

    Their response: shocked silence. Will society degrade to that point? Hell I don't know. But, I have seen enough on YouTube lately to convince me that the cops are not going to be there for your assistance if the sh1t really hits the fan. They have guns, training, youth, compatriots, late model vehicles, gasoline stocks, and secure communications; oh, and you ain't one of them..

    I was not invited to any more discussions.

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    1. Lisa was talking to her son up in Indiana a few weeks ago and he mentioned having to go to Burger King for their dinner. Come to find out they keep NO food in their house.
      Wonderful. I've managed to put enough food back to support the two of us if it comes down to it, now I know that her son and his wife will be showing up at our door empty handed. That just cut our food supply in half. What pisses me off is the fact that her son reads the news and knows what's going on. If it wasn't for Lisa, I'd turn his ass away in a heartbeat.

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    2. Yes, I get your quandary. My wife has two boys; their families would change our compound from the two of us to an additional 7 folks. I was more a father to the boys that their biological father ever could be. Could I realistically turn them away? Damn, that would be hard to do. In my case, the boys are strong and would be a good addition and would help with defense, but what little stores we have would disappear in a heartbeat under that resource utilization profile.

      I have found myself almost praying that my worst fears are unfounded, but the present admin seems hellbent for leather to destroy this country and our society. I grew up poor enough that I can eat beans and bread for weeks if I have to and the oldest boy spent a year in Afghanistan in the worst type of combat. But, in general, the group has never seen even mild deprivation over the course of their lives.

      Oh well. We will all do what we have to do. Damn, all I wanted out of my dotage was to be left alone and in peace.

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    3. To be left in peace. That's all most of use wanted. But the older, the more conservative you are the more we will be targeted. Not necessarily as individuals but as a type, "Deplorables" if you want.
      Also we have more because a lot of us worked every day of our adulthood, we had impulse control and saved more. When the Left has grabbed everything, spent everything and still has hordes of illegals and urban ferals to satisfy they'll point them at us.
      But first they'll send in their storm troops to disarm us.
      I don't think any of us will die in bed peacefully.

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  14. Might as well cook up your neighbor then while you're at it.
    Don't tell the kids what it is, of course.

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  15. I was a child back before all of the government assistance programs existed and we were truly starving poor. I understand the desperation of being hungry and coming home from school knowing there was no food in the house when you left in the morning. Do not underestimate what hunger will do to someone. We got free dog food samples from the store and ate them, some days I ate ketchup and mayonnaise sandwiches, we went fishing and ate the tiniest fish and crayfish and frogs. I am a prepper now because I never want to go through that again. Don't think that I wouldn't do whatever I had to to preserve my food supply.

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  16. a very long time ago now, back when I was in the army. we gave a starving kid a bunch of c-rations we didn't want to eat. after he left the compound, he was attacked and beaten almost to death for it. we where told to stand down and not fire up the grown men beating him for the c-rats. I never forgot that. after that, we used to bring kids into the compound and feed them. the brass didn't like it much, but there wasn't much they could do to stop us.
    on black Friday we see people beating and fighting each other for a damn toaster or tv
    just what do you think they will do to you when they are starving ?
    it is why you have rifles, to keep them at a distance
    never left anyone you do not know get close to you when things get that bad. you may never get another chance. it sounds hard and it is. now think of yourself and those depending on you first. and never let anyone know how much food you may have.
    it will be a matter of life and death- yours

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