Why Do So Many Countries Seem To Be Preparing for Disaster?
Being an information hoarder, I am in the habit of looking for patterns in just about everything, which often helps me anticipate events or trends. And, to be sure, there are occasional false positives. Something that has become evident in recent weeks is a recurring message that may mean nothing at all, or may indicate that things are going to go for a smash up.
All right, we have the data. What does it mean? What can we conclude? Let us examine all possibilities, no matter how implausible or ridiculous.
You decide.
In Britain, people are being told by the government to stock up on food, first aid, pet food, lighting and other essentials for three days.
- Norway and Sweden: Norway has begun stockpiling grain, while both countries have urged citizens to maintain a week’s supply of essentials.
- Australia: The government has urged citizens to stockpile food and other necessities sufficient to last up to a week.
- Japan: The government is encouraging citizens to stockpile food, water, and sanitation supplies for at least three days.
- Denmark: Authorities have advised citizens to maintain a three-day supply of food and water.
- Ireland, Germany, France, Poland, the Netherlands, Finland, and Estonia: Governments have issued similar recommendations, advising citizens to stockpile between three and ten days’ worth of essentials.
- Indonesia: The government began stockpiling food reserves several months ago in anticipation of El Niño.
- Canada and Mexico: Authorities have encouraged citizens to maintain emergency kits containing several days’ worth of supplies.
- Food prices: Prices for some bulk food items have reportedly risen by as much as 50 percent.
All right, we have the data. What does it mean? What can we conclude? Let us examine all possibilities, no matter how implausible or ridiculous:
- Governments are anticipating serious armed conflict, i.e., war. Personally, I would not put it beyond the bastards of the European elites to attack Russia, in full commitment that they will defend Europe down to the last American.
- Perhaps an anomalous weather event is anticipated, or perhaps geological. The series of one earthquake after another after another in the Pacific Ring of Fire was very unnerving.
- Perhaps a biological pathogen is in the offing.
- Perhaps a cyberattack on various countries is being anticipated, which would disrupt any number of infrastructure, economies, and/or food and gas supplies. This would be the equivalent of an EMP.
- Perhaps this is a deliberate scare tactic, to create panic, for unknown reasons.
- Perhaps an incoming meteor is due to collide with the planet.
- Perhaps, and most likely, there is no central element to the pattern. In other words, the urging of governments to stock up has no ulterior motivation other than to urge people to be ready for unanticipated just-in-case scenarios that might happen. If this is the case, there is no need to indulge in another frenzy of toilet paper buying as was the case when panic occurred in 2020 (which I have to admit I fell for).
So, there it is. The reader may decide to become a prepper. Or, the reader may decide to sing along to the words of the song, Don’t Worry Be Happy. You decide.
READ MORE from Armando Simón:
The Hidden Benefits of the Lindsay Clancy Trial
The Communist Warnings Conservatives Ignored for Years
The Fanatical Stupidity of Liberals With ‘Suicidal Empathy’
Armando Simón is a retired psychologist and historian, author of Stories for Lions and Other Felines.