This is a vital issue everyone should pay attention to!

(Note: I am giving you a good message alert and replying here just as I did in the Politics Forum.  This issue is vital!)

"Even if people increased their purchasing by 20%, all the store shelves would be wiped out."

Most people have not a clue as to how serious this threat is - and how precariously balanced our food supply house of cards is.  Our grocery markets depend upon a constant re-supply just for normal shopping.  If the trucks were to stop running (due to high gas prices, or perhaps something unexpected like terrorists taking a few potshots at truckers on the interstates), most of the perishables would be gone in three days of normal shopping.  But there would be no normal shopping - most shelves would be stripped bare in scant hours, much faster than the government could take action.  And when people run out of food, they run out of rationality quickly.  How long are any of you willing to go hungry?  Or see your family begin to starve?

The goverment recommends everyone have a three day supply of stockpiled food, water, etc.  That is laughable when it comes to a food shortage and is actually intended to ride out a "terrorist threat" or other situation, real or manufactured, that enables the government to use it's Bush created powers to establish martial law.  A food shortage and panic is something entirely different.  Frankly it, like martial law, is horrifying to contemplate - but contemplate it we should.

I suggest more like 3 months minimum.  Buy in bulk and save lots of money, then each month buy and rotate in another month's worth of food. And you best learn how and begin to start sprouting seeds and growing a garden too.  Sadly, you also better learn how to protect your food - from the hungry mobs and from the government, whose unconstitutional Homeland Security measures allow them to seize stockpiles of food.

DQ