Author of The Blackout Book and the online course Bloom Where You’re Planted
(April 28, 2020) Over the past few weeks, nearly a dozen large meat processing plants have closed their doors due to widespread coronavirus among employees. Thousands of workers have become infected and at the time of publication, at least 20 have died.
At the same time, President Trump is invoking the Defense Production Act.
What is the Defense Production Act?
The act, which was officially passed in the 1950s, give the government power over private industries.
The Act gives the federal government broad authority to direct private companies to meet the needs of the national defense.
Over the decades, the law’s powers have been understood to encompass not only times of war but also domestic emergency preparedness and recovery from terrorist attacks and natural disasters.
The act authorizes the president to require companies to prioritize government contracts and orders seen as necessary for the national defense, with the goal of ensuring that the private sector is producing enough goods needed to meet a war effort or other national emergency.
It also authorizes the president to use loans, direct purchases and other incentives to boost the production of critical goods and essential materials.
Other provisions authorize the federal government to establish voluntary agreements with private industry and to block foreign mergers and acquisitions seen as harmful to national security. (source)
Reports say that President Trump, who refers to himself as a wartime president, is invoking the act over deep concerns about our supply chain.
What does this mean?
According to Bloomberg, the President will order the facilities will remain open due to a quickly evolving breakdown of our food supply chain.
President Donald Trump plans to order meat-processing plants to remain open as the nation confronts growing food-supply disruptions from the coronavirus outbreak, a person familiar with the matter said.
Trump plans to use the Defense Production Act to order the companies to stay open as critical infrastructure, and the government will provide additional protective gear for employees as well as guidance, according to the person. (source)
This is the spirit of how the Act was designed to be used. President Truman signed it into law over concerns about supplies and equipment during the Korean war and it has subsequently been used during disasters like hurricanes and other wars. Presidents Clinton and Bush both used it to supply California utilities during an energy crisis there. It was also used in early April to compel 3M to make N95 respirators. So its use is not unprecedented.
Unions are not pleased about this order.
According to Bloomberg’s report, it sets the stage for a showdown between industry giants and labor unions.
Trump signaled the executive action at the White House on Tuesday, saying he planned to sign an order aimed at Tyson Foods Inc.’s liability, which had become “a road block” for the company. He didn’t elaborate.
The order, though, will not be limited to Tyson, the person said. It will affect many processing plants supplying beef, chicken, eggs and pork…
…The White House decided to make the move amid estimates that as much as 80% of U.S. meat production capacity could shut down. (source)
Union representatives are concerned about the lack “meaningful safety requirements” for workers who will be compelled to return to plants that have been shut down due to the spread of COVID-19.
“We only wish that this administration cared as much about the lives of working people as it does about meat, pork and poultry products,” said Stuart Appelbaum, President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union. (source)
The White House source said that safety measures were being considered.
The White House has been discussing the order with meatpacking executives to determine what they need to operate safely and stay open, in order to prevent shortages, the person said.
White House General Counsel Pat Cipollone worked with private companies to design a federal mandate to keep the plants open and to provide them additional virus testing capacity as well as protective gear. (source)
Who will be manning the factories?
So, the question is, will workers return voluntarily to a job that Union representatives tell them is unsafe? Will these workers be mandated to return under the Defense Production Act even though many have become ill working during the pandemic?
The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, which represents 1.3 million food and retail workers, said Tuesday that 20 U.S. food-processing and meatpacking union workers in the U.S. have died and that an estimated 6,500 are sick or have been exposed to the virus while working near someone who tested positive.
COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, has infected hundreds of workers at meat-processing plants and forced some of the largest to close and others to slow production. While the output at beef and poultry plants has diminished, pork plants in the Midwest have been hit especially hard. The viral outbreaks have persisted despite efforts by the meat companies to keep workers at home with pay if they become sick. (source)
Obviously, people have to be present to keep the plants running. What happens if current employees and union members refuse to return to the plants? Will people who have been cleared as immune by the much-touted but elusive antibody tests be pressed to work there?
It’s clear we’re currently living through a time during which unusual things are happening and our constitutional rights no longer seem as solid as they once did. So, if the plants are mandated to be open, this leaves some pretty big questions.
Will people return to work voluntarily? Or will we see civilians facing forced labor right here on American soil?
Hat tip to Diane Kennedy
About Daisy
Daisy Luther writes about current events, preparedness, frugality, voluntaryism, and the pursuit of liberty on her website, The Organic Prepper. She is widely republished across alternative media and she curates all the most important news links on her aggregate site, PreppersDailyNews.com. Daisy is the best-selling author of 4 books and runs a small digital publishing company. You can find her on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.
Trump needs to designate all agricultural oriented businesses as a national security priority and force Chinese owners to sell to Americans.
“Force Chinese owners to sell to Americans.”
Chinese businesses have been selling to the US for decades, but now Americans hate the Chinese.
Would you sell to a customer who hates you?
In America, crops are being dumped, animals slaughtered, and the food chain broken.
Why?
Well, here is a clue……..Trump shut down the country, and put Fauci, Birx, and the Governors in charge.
That is why the food chain is broken, millions are on the very of becoming homeless, and businesses are failing, never to return.
Wrong.
Trump didn’t “shut down” ANYTHING. That is all on the Governors 100% Giving guidelines and recommendations is all the Federal Government has done so far, except for providing financial relief to those affected by the Governors decisions.
Try leaving your personal politics out of the discussion.
And to Daisy…
there is a big difference between being “infected” and being ill. For all we know, 100% of our population could have been exposed already. The VAST majority of those confirmed to have been exposed show no symptoms at all. Only a small percentage of those CONFIRMED cases present with serious or fatal symptoms.
Two years ago we had 80,000 US citizens die of common influenza. Why was there no panic over that? Because it wasn’t a ChiCom bio-weapon. That’s why the freakout. But as it turns out, this may be far less deadly than the common flu. We’ll never know for sure because we’ll never get 100% of the population screened (I know I won’t participate). All we know for a FACT is the total death count…and even THAT is being artificially inflated to sow fear and panic in the population (if the cause of death isn’t cancer, auto wreck, or gunshot…they’re calling it “Covid” even with no confirmation whatsoever).
With that in mind, I think Trump is on the right track to force these people back to work if they won’t go voluntarily (unless they are seriously symptomatic).
Either way, it’s GOING to happen. Trump is not going to sit on his hands and watch the nation starve to death. That is a given. So, let them whine and cry all they want. Work, the hospital, or prison. The choice will be theirs.
“Trump did not shut down anything.”
Evidently you weren’t paying attention:
The Democrats, and Fauci wanted a national emergency declared and Trump complied.
Let me say that again: Only the President can declare a national emergency.
Then he crafted the absurd and complicated 3 phase plan to lift the national emergency.
“Leave your personal politics out of it.”
Telling the truth is not personal politics.
Now, if I called Trump names like “Orange Clorox” that would be personal politics, but I have not done that.
No one should go to prison because they are scared of getting sick and so they don’t want to go to work, f-that. I’m conservative and I do not agree with that at all. Tyson’s should be ruled a monopoly and plants sold off if this is the best they can do, not one company should be able to disrupt the well being of this country like they can.
Yes, or nationalize them.
Here is the irony:
Trump panicked and shut down the country.
Then he handed the power over to the Fauci and Birx, and the governors.
Did you know that Fauci got millions from Gates?
Did you know that the FBI investigated Fauci for fraud and corruption, but the Obama administration killed the investigation?
Did you know that Fauci gave millions to the bio lab in Wuhan?
So Trump shuts it down, unveils an absurd 3 step plan which makes total opening up almost impossible.
The Governors have gone insane with the power.
The meat plants are closed because of Trump’s edict and those of the Governors.
Now he wants to invoke the Defense production act to correct his blunder.
We truly live in clown world.
Birx has not had a medical license for 6 years. Also Fauci and Birx had falsified medical data is why the investigation.
It’s hard to take you seriously when you start off with a falsehood. Trump neither panicked OR “shut down the country”. The State Governors are the ones who opened the giant cans of stop work…not Trump, Fauci, OR Birx.
You need to learn the difference between a recommendation and an order…and leave your political bias at the door on this issue.
Only the President can declare a National Emergency.
The Democrats and Fauci wanted it, and Trump foolishly complied.
Big mistake that will probably cost him the election, especially because Biden will NOT be the nominee.
OK, let’s make this real simple, like talking to a child. Trump did and had to do this action.
Q…Union’s are always joined at the hip with who?
A… Demoncrats, who are joined at the hip with China, who are joined with the Globalist…everyone knows this, why don’t you?
Q…Why does Trump keep Fauci and Birx around when we that have eyes to see, and ears to hear already know?
A…Keep your friends close and enemies closer, Trump is letting them expose themselves with there contradictions and lies.
Q…Why won’t workers go back to plants? when I don’t see the Home Depot or Walmart employees doing same, and they are even larger.
A…Again Unions, and who are most of their workers in meat packing…Illegals that are scared as it is to say anything.
You are so politically brainwashed you can’t see Trump sets them up…plays along to let us all see them lie outright…he is Trolling like nobody has ever seen before.
So what do we do??? unless you are like me, and know how to hunt Turkey, Deer, Fish…know how to gut such things and prepare the meat, then these plants need to open.
Drop the Unions, there corrupt maybe bring in the National Guard to operate until real unafraid employees want to work.
“Trump had to do this.”
Really?
Trump did NOT have to declare a National Emergency and create soft marital law, because of a seasonal flu.
He panicked, plain and simple.
Trump did NOT have to gave all power over to Fauci and the Governors, who made things ten times worse.
As a result of this gross incompetence and cowardice, the economy is in shambles and unlikely to return.
And the food chain is broken and very soon meat will be very expensive if even available.
This cannot be undone, and soon Trump supporters will stop giving him a pass and demand his head.
Biden will be replaced. Probably by Cuomo or Newsom.
Trump barely won the election last time, demographics have changed and the economy is a disaster.
Who will vote for Trump except the die hard loyalists, and their number dwindles by the day.
By the way: Q and Q Anon is psyops and you have been had.
The unions see this as an opportunity get raises and other concessions. More than one union, over the years, have broken the company they work for and the company died. The most recent that I can recall was Hostess, the makers of Twinkies. There have been many more. I’m not interested in seeing the starving hordes appear, and all that means, just so some posturing union official can get a raise. After all, some 50,000 Americans died in vietnam and most of them had NO DAMN CHOICE but go to war. There is no comparison here.
No one has to be forced. Provide appropriate PPE and adequate hazard pay. Millions unemployed, its a no brainer.
Exactly.
Things don’t add up…..
Rancher: U.S. Importing Beef While Prepping to Possibly Discard American Herds
A rancher who raises cattle in Texas and Colorado sounded the alarm that the U.S. government is importing what he considered inferior beef from Namibia while American ranchers are facing the possible “depopulation” of their herds.
https://www.breitbart.com/border/2020/04/28/rancher-u-s-importing-beef-while-prepping-to-possibly-discard-american-herds/
I buy my meat or should I say half or whole cow from a local butcher. He runs a small business butchering deer, local beef, etc.
The USDA is intentionally culling the herds to create a meat/protein shortage.
They are using none of the meat, and sending the carcasses to rendering plants.
The USDA currently works for Trump.
Proof: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=2TffJSaVlME&feature=emb_logo
USDA may “work” for Trump but the globalists are pulling the strings. Gates influencing Tyson & other meat suppliers in order to push his lab grown (toxic) “meat”.
Couldn’t the Governors or President Trump order the National Guard or Army to go in and work the meat processing plants? This gives regular employees a break to rest and/or recover, and the unions would be out of the picture for time being.
Independent farmers should be allowed to sell the meat products direct to the public and local butcher shops. Remove all the red tape but follow safety guidelines.
Put me in coach, I am retired and not afraid, I already have been exposed. Fucin pussys
Guess that everybody forgot that the USDA and the FDA are under the control of the “federal government”, that means under Trump’s control.
Don’t be fooled.
Thank you ED.
Most people are blinded by the hopium and kool-aid.
The USDA, and FDA currently work for Trump.
Trump panicked and shut down the country and handed all power to the Governors and Fauci (Gates puppet), who created soft martial law.
And the sheep just took it and cheered for their masters.
Now the USDA is killing beef, pork, and chicken all over the country and sending the carcasses to rendering plants.
No meat is saved for consumption.
This will create an intentional shortage of meat in the US, leading to much higher prices and very limited availability.
Here is the proof: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=2TffJSaVlME&feature=emb_logo
Daisy, ah listen… I’ve been a nurse for over 30 years. Some of those in the Army. That was a long time ago. But there a lot of “forced” labor situations in nursing. Last place I worked, it was called being “mandated”. If someone scheduled for the next shift didnt show up/called in sick…then a nurse who has just worked 8 hours now gets to work another 8 hours. Or be terminated….union notwithstanding. I can be compelled to work anytime there is an emergency. Just thought you might want to know…
Ummmm, people can be “forced to work”. Will prisoners be sent to meat plants now??? What?
Forcing people to work under conditions which virtually ensure that they will contract a deadly virus is an abuse of power. I suggest that the Trump children be forced to work in the meat plants, the hospitals, the grocery stores, the transit system. Set a good example for the citizenry and show us all how safe it is.
Good grief. What do you think we medical professionals do most days, saving your sorry butt? Do you want me to mention the deadly diseases WE FACE day in and day out tending to YOU OR YOURS, if you walk through our doors? I can’t even count the times I have had to rush in and provide care when I had no idea what disease I might encounter. But one thing I and my colleagues did not do is WHINE like a baby, as you are doing. Reality sucks sometimes, but when you have a job and the lives of others depend upon you doing your job, just STFU and do the job while doing everything possible to keep yourself safe. HOW MANY DOCTORS AND NURSES AND EMTs AND PARAMEDICS AND RESPIRATORY THERAPIST AND PHLEBOTOMISTS HAVE DIED TRWTING PATIENTS THESE LAST WEEKS? Vshould we just crab and whine and go home?
Hi Pamela.
If you look at the John Hopkins website and do the math, you will see might get an expanded perspective. “Deadly” can only be an adjective used to describe the effect of COVID 19 on a small percentage of our population. Under 1%.
If you CAN’T do the math, get on the website and have someone help you. “Surely” contracting Covid-19 means practically nothing, if you look at the numbers. Most people have contracted it, and don’t even present with symptoms.
People with COPD and other lung or immunity disorders…. THOSE PEOPLE should stay home! The rest of us need to get on with it.
Believe me, if the pay is very good, and they are given good PPE, people will go to work in the meat plants. Those employees that say no can be “furloughed” without pay. And make room for those who would need to work for a living.
Take a breath and do your own research.
Hmm seems fishy to me that meat packing workers are so overwhelmingly affected. Could it be that the virus was purposely released in the plants? It doesn’t make sense that thousands of workers are sick when there are just 12 plants. We don’t have thousands of grocery workers sick. We don’t have thousands of restaurant people sick. Not hearing thousands of Walmart employees sick. I just find this bizarre. Just like I think it’s bizarre that there are so many more New Yorkers sick than the rest of the country.
Agree totally, from the beginning it’s all been too suspicious to me too! Way to many ????? And no real answers just more ????? It feels like a set up. All of it. Like when your at the gas pump and somebody is walking up to you with a hoodie on, and reaching in their pocket after looking around to see if anybody else is looking. The hairs on the back of your neck are standing straight up and the flee or fight lights are blinking off and on in your head. Maybe it’s too late already? We’ve been mugged and shot? Maybe we’re laying in a puddle of blood and dying? Maybe we’re just contemplating would haves and should haves while taking our last gasps of air? Maybe it’s too late?
I am with pamela but not just trumps kids the whole congress and Senate. This goes for wars too they lead the charge.
The Brazilian beef is already cut into prime cuts so store ready that’s why they import it it’s cheap and ready to go.
As for forcing prisoners to work at meat packing… are you fucken nuts giving them sharp blade and bolt guns and stunners? Then you be a guard with 1600 armed inmates per shift and 30 guards with guns. Under 20 feet distance guy with knife wins. And when you say low risk ones well they already let those go at beginning of covid.
Foring anyone to work in unsafe conditions is a crime the meat packers unlike nurse, soldiers and first responders did not sign up for death by virus. Forcing them will start a civil war.
The red tape for farmers would be nice but if not done in 1 month it won’t matter poultry industry will be dead as 7 weeks from hatch to butcher.
Pigs 5 month cows 1.5 years to maturity.
Even if they get plants open there is no feed for animals as right now as a farmer I can tell you there is a shortage and price is rising and farmers leaving fields fallow because not taking risk to plant and no place to sell.
Right now you can not buy 1000 acres worth of any seed of corn,sugar beets, pea, soybean. Corn and soya are the base feed material for ALL COMMERCIAL LIVESTOCK.
Then you have zero antibiotic available since from China. All factory farms need it due to conditions in the places.
All factory farms need npk fertilizers guess who makes the bulk of that.
If you don’t have the picture that you better get your protein source secured because there is no escaping this collapse and to get out if the cities to where you might be able to get food.
For those of you who think we’ll I will go hunt my deer and live off the land… yeah you and 1 million more each take one deer per 6 months (ha ha like that’s enough) by year 2 deer will be nearing extinction and so will you.
Looking for government to solve anything is an idiotic dangerous day dream. Get real get prepared or suffer the fall out.
Medical people do NOT SIGN UP TO WORK IN UNSAFE CONDITIONS, BUT IT IS SOMETIMES WHAT HAPPENS. REMIND ME OF WHO YOU ARE THE NEXT TIME YOU COME INTO MY ER!
All hospitals are unsafe.
They are full of viruses and antibiotic resistant bacteria.
Staff engages in lax protocol.
Go into a hospital and you risk your life and now it is worse.
They are killing patients by putting them on ventilators.
A nurse speaks: https://www.armstrongeconomics.com/international-news/disease/are-ventilators-kill-people-in-new-york-city/
Thank you, Namelus. Can someone tell me why farmers are having trouble finding feed? And seeds?
Banks, farmers are having trouble getting feed and seed because of floods that killed almost a million head of cattle last year. Then water flooded fields delaying planting. Some farmers couldn’t plant at all. Then there was an early frost forcing an early harvest.
The national pork council had a conference call-04/27/2020 to team up with the USDA , the state /agriculture department,state vets to implement culling of pigs on the pig farms.Also, to get contractors in to do the culling and hauling away of pigs.One pig farmer killed his sows and piglets some 3,000,it took 8 trailers to haul off the dead pigs.
Another was to send the pigs and cows to the slaughterhouses to be killed then dumped into trailers for the rendering plants.Either way, there will be meat shortages, farmers will go out of business,their feed suppliers will go out of business as well. The industrial farming is collapsing, the small farmers can make a go of it..but will the US Govt allow it??? Sources Agriculture .com and Ice Age Farmer-youtube
Living in the land of meat packing plants, there are 4 hot spots for coronavirus in my state. The first one (with the 2nd largest number of coronavirus cases) is due to population. We have 500,000 to 600,000 residents in one county. Lots of crowding. There are 3 other hot spots in the state, all 3 due to meat packing plants. The employees have no protective equipment and pretty much work should to shoulder with other employees. One county has about 35% of the residents are infected with coronavirus. This includes workers, their families and people they have been in contact with.
Luckily few are hospitalized or the numbers could overwhelm the medical centers. A lot of the workers at the meat packing plans in this are are immigrants who live in a multi-generational and crowded home. It’s really the perfect storm conditions for trouble. Added into the crowded work conditions, the large number of people living in the same home, these worker often have limited to no medical insurance and will have the dangerous untreated underlying conditions that make this virus so dangerous.
As to returning to work, I think most of them will return because they need the money to support their families. Many of these immigrants are Hispanic and send a portion of the very low pay to family members in other countries. Many of the ones working in the meat packing plant are the only ones in the household that are working. If they don’t go back, how will they feed their families.
On the other end, there are farmers who have animals ready to be slaughtered and processed. In Iowa and Nebraska, many of these are farmers who lost all their animals and crops in the floods and the snow cyclone a years ago. Many of them are at the end of their financial rope and really need to sell the products.
Meat prices here have gone up three fold in the last week. I bought a chuck roast at $2.99/pound and then last weekend it was up to $9.99/pound. Ouch. A local butcher was interviewed and he said his business is just him and his son and he said usually when farmers brought in animals, it was 2 or 3 at a time, now he has farmers asking him if he will take 30 animals. He just can’t do that. Things are really a mess.
All of these things are going to impact the farmers, the meat processing workers and the consumers. There are really big problems at the first two. and high prices for the last.
Whatever meat we have in our freezer is all that we will have until things settle down. My meat and potato guys are going to turn into bean soup guys. My college son is the pickiest eater and he has been given the assignment to find some meatless recipes he will eat.
And we thought that stores running out of toilet paper was bad.
All part of the plan–why do you think veganism and “impossible-burgers” have been all over the place lately? Your animal protein supply needs to be eradicated so Agenda 2030 can be implemented on schedule. They would like us eating only GMO corn and soybeans instead of the cows, and by then they may have reached that “population under 500,000,000 in perpetual balance with nature” as per the Georgia Guide Stones. This scam has worked exactly as planned, the sheeple accept their tyranny.
Smart girl, and perceptive.
It is truly amazing to see how people were willing to accept soft martial law.
The Globalist never thought it would be so easy.
High fives all around.
When one controls all media, the outcome is foretold.
You are correct about “fake” meat. The full court press is on.
That is why the USDA is destroying massive amounts of livestock and rendering the carcasses, instead of using it for food.
They are intentionally creating meat scarcity.
Fake meat to fill the void.
Gates and Musk are big investors in this highly processed abomination.
They will vaccinate humans, chip them, take away the cash, and fence us in like domestic animals.
They will create so much chaos that humans will beg for it.
Daisy, since when is being called back to work ” foeced labor”……are you so deluded by your antigov. Stance that you can’t see the difference between real forced labor and simply being called back to work? REALLY???????
One thing that really pisses me off about the conservative prepper group is their damnable reactivity to anything and everything that requires an adult responsible attitude. Immature adolescent mentality that is overly reactive and hostile is something that far too many preppers exhibit. So please, Daisy, join the real world and understand that it is a daily fact of life that people are called back to work. We saw forced labor when we had slaves. We saw forced labor in the camps in Poland……get it?
A) I’m not a conservative
B) The plants closed because the workers were getting sick at a rapid pace.
What happens to those who don’t want to return to work because they feel their health is at risk? Will they choose only people who have had the virus and recovered from it? You’re seeing only what you want to see here.
I agree with you. I, and my team, run a power plant, so we’re in the same spot. We keep making power, but we take every precaution possible. We all want our lights on…right.
“Or will we see civilians facing forced labor right here on American soil?”, the author is an a-historical American’t moron. Why not say your brain has been scooped out and replaced with a MAGA turd of remarkable proportions. The reason why America has plunged into the crisis we have today is because its citizens are complete dumb a**es like the author.
No, I’m not linking the sources of American slavery, right up to the 1940s with forced labor in Louisiana and Mississippi, what for? You guys prepped for everything except being able to read and think!
What matters most is that these Plants remain open and producing food for the People, regardless of any Unions or whoever worked there. They don’t want to work, they can leave. Find another job. Asymmetric Warfare is being waged upon the world right now, which calls for unusual resolutions. If the Govt. can not secure them from sickness, which is highly unlikely unless sabotage is committed, they can leave. Doubt they will be “forced” to work, personally.
WE THE PEOPLE need to EAT, regardless what the workers themselves think or need. No reason it can not be made safe there for them. UV light can easily be implemented when personnel are not present, just as in Hospitals. Areas can be shut down in cycles to do so. This should already have been a common protocol for Meat Plants. Where there is a will there is a way.
Various groups have taken over Meat production in the US, including the Chinese, which is unacceptable. It appears as if sabotage could be an underlying aspect to all this, concerning the destruction of our Meat Production, and the rest of the situation surrounding the CCP Virus. China has definite plans for World Dominion. The reality is that these plants can NOT shut down for ANY reason. Simple Logic dictates such, at this point, and we do not have time to screw around with BS. Work or get the hell out. Simple enough.
What People do not realize, is that Asymmetric Warfare IS being waged right now, upon the People and Nations. By “Who” is another matter, but I would just say – more of the SAME, as it has always been. Create Crisis, Profit and take more power.
BTW, my Grandmother was a Luther from Portsmouth, Ohio.
God Bless.
literally this will save the lives of millions since they won’t panic and provoke riots, boogaloo, home invasions.
his ox is being gored, literally.
The gov’t should provide good quality PPE for the workers.
If the union workers won’t go back to work, then hire non-union workers to replace them.
If they cannot find any workers, use national guard personnel to man the jobs.
Whoever works there, they need PPE, and if the government Defense Production Act is in play, the government should provide the PPE and inspectors.
Meat is a non-essential, also consumption increases risk of harmful radiation up-take from ionizing radiation, also meat is virulent due to it’s biological make-up for those of you that are imprisoned in the germ theory consciousness. The Defense Department Act completes the cycle of fascistic infrastructure whereby the government and private industry become one. And YOU become NONE. The extermination has already begun and your Doctors and Nurses are involved as they were in NAZI GERMANY. All Satanic Rituals involve animal sacrifices.
I think that you can find enough people who would want to work to fill the necessary labor requirement. Temporary and with or without union membership. Perhaps putting some of the people on welfare to work. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few so long as the the safety of the few are taken care of.
It is a manpower and logistics issue.
The manpower part. As some other have noted, the meat packing lines are designed for workers to be standing shoulder to shoulder. In order to accommodate the 6ft social-distancing (some say that should be doubled) suggestion, would require re-tooling (for lack of better terms) of the whole processing line. Or reduction in numbers of processed meat going to the grocery. That will still cause a overall shortage, and spike in prices.
If workers are sick, they should not be on the line.
If they refuse on the basis of healthcare concerns? Throw them in jail? Now we are talking about real abuse of the Constitution. Where does that stop? What is that? You are a out of work chain restaurant bar tender? Get on the chicken line, or face jail!
Putting the military or NG on the lines? One, they would have to be trained up. How long would that take? And expect some pretty ugly looking cuts of meat at your grocery store. I process my own hogs and chicken. It is not as easy as you may think, or at least do a good job of it.
Meanwhile, where do you house them? Where are they getting their meals?
Besides, that is not what the military’s job is.
Prisoners? Not even going there and that logistical mess.
The logistical problem.
We are having hard enough time getting PPE from the healthcare workers as it is.
Where do most of our PPE come from? Overseas. 3 out of 4 PPE gloves are made in Malaysia.
India halted all exports of their domestically made PPE.
And then there is China. I believe Daisy has a article on that one from a month or two ago.
Just read a report of medication shortages in the Atlantic.
What is the solution?
Short term, learn to garden, learn to make meatless meals that will last two days. We do not have to have beef, chicken, pork with every meal.
Long term, de-globalization and de-centralization.
I am already seeing traffic saying that very same thing.
Make PPE and Rx drugs a National Security issue, and less dependent on overseas production.
Wow! What a crapstorm of varying comments! This is a complex issue for sure.
The choice to eat/not eat meat is NOT the issue! That is a personal thing and should be left there!
Hungry people with little choices can be desperate people. Seems like this country is already a bit of a powder keg. Not a good idea to play with matches if there are options!
I keep hearing from the media how we are all in this together. So why not keep the packing plants open and feed the hungry? Dontcha all wanna work together? Figure it out!
According to our Constitution, the power lies with each individual state. The governors made their choices to shut things down. Of course there are a few in the District of Criminals (DC) who banged on that gong loud and long. Not sure there is any quick fix to this mess.
What I do know is that folks mostly want to work and need to eat. Open the economy now!
We have been farmers all of our lives. Not sure why farmers are having issues getting feed/seeds unless the amounts they need are huge. Farming has always been a gamble and a tough way to make a living. There is also plenty of dry fertilizer being spread at least around here.
Smithfield has a big presence here in NW Missouri. They are indeed owned by China. They do their own thing and so I am not entirely certain what is going on with the multitude of hogs they grow and process. There are many foreigners that work in the processing plant at Milan. They do live in very crowded spaces by choice. Can see why any bug would be widespread.
I see a lot of conclusions being jumped to by folks who mean well but don’t really know because they aren’t actually there. I have no idea what is “really” going on, say in Colorado where the coal mining is said to be imploding. Someone actually there could give a much better picture of that reality. I can only speak to what I know and that is what I have done.
Everyone needs to stop playing these blame games and simply get down to business and put this crazy fear thing aside. There have always been illness out there and those seeking to profit from them. Money and power are big motivators. Time for folks to get back to normal and stop behaving like lemmings headed for some unseen cliff. And for heavens sake stop depending on the government to save you! They don’t care-back to $$ and power!
Just sayin
It started with “you HAVE to buy health care insurance”. Totally un-Constitutional.
Next is going to be “you MUST take this vaccine”. Again…totally un-Constitutional.
If you feel like you’re being manipulated, conditioned and herded? It’s because you ARE.
TPTB are going to attempt to stave you into submission to their will. The effort is already underway.
It seems to me that any effort to thwart that agenda is to be applauded.
I didn’t buy the insurance. I won’t take the vaccine. And I won’t be herded into a boxcar or anywhere else.
No politics.
No religion.
No fake “science”.
It doesn’t take any of those things to see an agenda, and this particular agenda is right in our collective face.
I agree with putting fear aside. Fear is a means of control…and just look how well it is working! Cowards will never be free, and free Men have no use for cowards, or cowardice. If we’re going to save this country (highly doubtful), it’s not going to be accomplished by hiding behind doors, masks and gloves.
At the end of the day this all boils down to one question:
How much are you willing to put up with?
Personally, I reached the end of my rope about 10 years ago and have been living accordingly ever since.
The US Military is Taking Over the Food Production & Supply Chain in the Country. They are utilizing AI to Analyze ALL FOOD PRODUCTION, FARMS, DAIRIES & LOGISTICS, RESTAURANTS, SCHOOLS, GROCERY STORES due to the Corporate Producers Most of Whom want to switch Over to FAKE MEAT because it’s CHEAPER for Them & More EXPENSIVE for YOU. This is Trump’s move to Keep Real Food coming. The USDA is Owned by Corporate America whose ONLY CONCERN IS PROFIT – They are DESTROYING MEAT, PORK, CHICKEN, EGGS, DAIRY, CROPS – WHY – THEY WANT TO STARVE YOU into SUBMISSION so YOU WILL BEG FOR FAKE MEAT FOOD & BUG FOOD & GMO CROPS! if they could Sell you Poison as Food – They Would just like the Pharmaceutical Companies – By the way Many of the Pharmaceutical Companies are taking Large Stakes in Fake Meat Companies & Vitamin & Supplements Producers – WHY? POISON the PEOPLE with BAD FOOD & then PRESCRIBE them POISON DRUGS & TAINTED VITAMINS. YOU ARE NOT FREE according to these DEMONS. PLANT YOUR OWN FOOD NOW & GET TO KNOW LOCAL FARMERS NOW! GOOD LUCK & CHEERS!
Incorrect:
The USDA is a government agency and they work for the President, that means they currently work for Trump.
The USDA is currently slaughtering livestock (beef, chicken, pork) all over the country and sending the carcasses to the rendering plants.
No meat is used.
They are intentionally creating a massive meat/protein shortage.
Either Trump knows this and is complicit, or he is a complete fool who is clueless.
Watch the video and wake up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=2TffJSaVlME&feature=emb_logo
John Roberts DOM
You have claimed a few times that the USDA works for Trump. Do you know that for certain? Or have they been taken over by the Deep State like many of the other alphabet agencies? It’s widely recognized that the Deep State hates Trump with a passion, and is willing to ruin the country to take down Trump and his followers. It doesn’t matter how many people they kill, if they can take absolute power in the next election. Is the USDA working for Trump, or for the Deep State? Can you say either way for certain?
Since it’s almost impossible to fire federal workers, that’s a perfect milieu for Deep State operations. As such, they no longer work for the good of the nation, rather work for themselves to maintain their cushy jobs. Or is Trump secretly part of the Deep State and putting on a show so we don’t see what he’s doing behind his back?
Aren’t there 25 million Americans unemployed and weren’t these meat packing plants staffed by illegals? After ICE deports them, there should be some jobs available for Americans and they will take them.
Go figure how a bunch of Somalis end up in rural Missouri working at a Smithfield processing plant. Pretty sure they were recruited. Big business and the gubmint ain’t gonna deport these people. They are disposable and no one cares about them. Pretty much slave labor.
You ever been in one of these processing plants? Many Americans won’t put up with such conditions. It’s pretty bad in terms of hours worked, it’s hard labor and the workers pretty much work shoulder to shoulder. Nasty business. Not to mention there is the whole thing of killing many numbers of critters daily. You like your cheap meat than this model is for you and you should go get a job there and help out!
Need to get rid of the law that makes it illegal for custom packers to butcher for retail sale. Put a bunch of business back into the hands of the local guys. Will help small farmers and retail customers alike. Get the fed (USDA) out of the regulations in the meat packing industry and give the power back to the states where it belongs.
PPE equipment, remove electrical field monitoring; no cell phones, etc., personal transponders, satellite communication shut off.
Washing hands properly. Then the factory will be ready and Wuhan virus-proof.
Don’t know if this will work in the pig factory but should be OK for all others.
Hi Daisy. If you read about those plants the whole reason people got ill in the first place was the hygiene measures were poor at best, workers crowded together and staff being told to come in even if they were ill. Also a large chunk of said workers are immigrants and illegals so if they get sick and/or die those places are going to have a huge problem which is what is starting to happen now because there is already a shortage of people wanting to work those jobs. This is an industry where those places require someone who has a tough stomach, able to do hard work and can stand working in an extremely dirty environment. Yes, it’s supposed to be clean but I know for a fact as my mom was a health inspector over meat plants in New Mexico state in the 70s and 80s how dirty those places are and what goes on. She fought tooth and nail to ensure her plants weren’t but I got to hear all the horror stories. If anyone hopes to keep those factories operating then I suggest some letters/calls/emails to local health inspectors and government to ensure the places are spotless and things get changed on how they operate would be way more effective. It’s all fine and good to order them to stay open but not workable if everyone who can work there is sick and/or dying unfortunately. My two cents. And yes, I support local farmers and get my meat locally, haven’t bought store meat in years and won’t be doing so in the future either.