While American supermarkets have been experiencing shortages and prices have been rising, so far, we haven’t truly seen food rationing. We’ve been rationing infant formula, but that’s about it.
European countries, however, cannot say the same. German supermarkets Aldi, Lidl, and Rewe have been limiting sales of items such as bread, pasta, and cooking oil to “normal household quantities” to prevent hoarding.
There are very real problems at every step of the chain between the fields and the homes of consumers, no question. Are they bad enough yet that it warrants rationing? Let’s think about this a little bit.
Germany is actually a net exporter of wheat.
However, wheat is an internationally traded commodity, which means that the shortage caused by the war between Russia and Ukraine affects prices worldwide.
Germans have wheat, but it’s increasingly expensive.
The same goes for vegetable oils. There’s more to bread and pasta than just wheat, and practically every packaged food at the supermarket contains vegetable oil. Germany produces some oil, but they are ranked 11th in production worldwide. Like wheat, vegetable oil is an internationally traded commodity, and Russia and Ukraine are producers 8 and 9 globally. The ongoing war in Ukraine has disrupted much of their agriculture. The Ukrainians simply won’t be able to plant, harvest, and thereby export much this year.
The Russians, meanwhile, banned sunflower seed exports and placed a quota on the amount of sunflower oil to be exported this year. What the Russians have produced is mostly going to India, not Europe.
You might be thinking sunflower oil is just one kind of oil, so who cares? What about all the other stuff out there?
Are there alternatives?
Well, the shortage of sunflower oil from Russia and Ukraine really comes on top of a much more significant oil shortage. There have been problems in the worldwide supply of cooking oil for quite some time now, as The Organic Prepper reported over a year ago. Indonesia is by far the world’s biggest supplier of cooking oil. At approximately 50 million metric tons, it produces twice as much oil as the world’s second-biggest supplier, China. In April, Indonesia banned cooking oil exports. In May, they ended their ban on exports, but the damage has already been done.
The world now faces the fact that, over the past few decades, we’ve sacrificed resiliency and redundancy in our food supply for the sake of keeping prices low.
“Just-in-time” ordering and low inventories have indeed lowered prices, but they’ve also led to a fragile system, easily disrupted by hiccups in any part of the chain, whether it be packaging, shipping, processing, or the actual fertilizing and growing. And because our system has been so globalized, problems in one part of the world affect things everywhere.
Right now, we’ve got problems at every step.
Paper, aluminum, glass, and plastic have all been in short supply since 2020. Plastic production particularly has been experiencing problems. This has been causing problems in every single part of the economy. For example, just this week I was talking to a friend who happens to work in a medical laboratory. They are hopelessly backed up because there isn’t enough plastic to make vials for the substances they work with.
The problems producing plastic have been myriad and ongoing. In 2020, consumer buying patterns shifted rapidly due to lockdowns and continued when the plastic manufacturing plants had to change rapidly to comply with Covid guidelines. Much of the U.S.’s plastic manufacturing occurs along the Gulf Coast, and when the big Texas ice storm hit in February 2021, many production facilities were damaged.
And we can’t forget that plastic is made from petroleum. The Organic Prepper has already published articles about the many problems the petroleum market is currently experiencing.
Petroleum extraction and refining also affect shipping costs, which have likewise skyrocketed since 2020. Costs have increased everywhere. Along some routes, it costs four times as much to transport goods as it did pre-pandemic.
Increased fuel costs aren’t the only factor at play here. Changes in consumer spending patterns, labor shortages, inconsistent port openings worldwide due to lockdowns, port congestion, and a lack of available containers have all contributed to increased shipping prices.
The problems don’t end when the food reaches its intended destination.
Wheat needs to be processed into bread and pasta before people consume it; most people don’t have their own grain mills and pasta-making gadgets. Germany’s food processing industry employs over 600,000 people. However, Germany faces similar labor shortage problems as the rest of the developed world. Between lockdowns and inflation, people have been quitting their jobs, changing their jobs, and moving all over the world. The availability of labor has been in flux everywhere, and the German food processing sector is no different.
And, of course, food needs to be grown first before it can be processed, packaged, and shipped. Americans paying attention know that there will be problems this year. The Organic Prepper has published articles about the ongoing fertilizer shortage. As of mid-June, prices have finally peaked and begun to drop a little bit, but American farmers have already lost some of their springtime planting. Will we still produce food this year? Absolutely.
Will there be as much as usual?
No, between fertilizer problems, drought in some parts of the U.S., and flooding in others, farmers simply cannot expect the same yields this year.
So, is Germany facing the same agricultural problems this year? Do they expect a smaller harvest, too?
Well, no, Germany actually anticipates a higher-than-usual wheat harvest this year.
This is great. It’s great to see that, in this world full of bad news, at least the Germans are still producing.
But it begs the question, of all the countries, why are the Germans rationing food? Between their status as a food exporting nation and their considerable food processing abilities at home, they are in a better position to feed themselves than much of the rest of Europe, let alone the world.
(Want to make sure your family has enough to eat? Check out our free QUICKSTART Guide to home canning.)
Three answers come to mind.
The first is that all the fancy growing and processing equipment in the world doesn’t mean a darn thing if you can’t get fuel for all your facilities, and the Germans are in a severe energy crisis.
They imported approximately 32% of their natural gas, 34% of their crude oil, and 53% of their coal from Russia in 2021.
Germany has been loudly protesting Russia’s actions in Ukraine. In response, last week, Russia cut Germany’s natural gas supply by 60%. Germany plans to increase electricity production at its coal-powered plants, but as mentioned above, they import more than half their coal from Russia, too.
Since they are not considering bringing their recently-closed nuclear reactors back online, Germans truly face an energy crisis. And an energy crisis will quickly lead to an everything crisis, including food.
The second is that mainstream media in every country seems determined to disparage anyone who “hoards.” The Defense Production Act, part of which was originally designed to prevent hoarding, has already been activated in the U.S. No distinction is being made between the careful preppers that slowly build up a stockpile over the course of several months or a year, and the people that just read something scary and then grab everything in sight.
I think there may be some deeper reasons behind this disparaging of hoarders. That’s a lengthy topic outside the scope of this article. For this article, it should suffice to say that having signs up to remind people to only buy one or two items at a time and to not be a “hoarder” seems to fit into that general demonization of hoarders, preppers, and anyone who doesn’t trust the authorities to take care of everything.
The third reason Germans may be rationing food is that their authorities may simply be trying to get people more used to centralized control. NATO’s Jens Stoltenberg has been telling Europeans to get used to higher food and gas prices for the sake of Ukraine. European leadership wants its citizens in the self-sacrificial state that they think wartime will bring out. They are trotting out all kinds of excuses for increased control, regardless of whether or not regular citizens agree on the priorities of the EU and NATO.
For example, on June 23, the European Parliament voted to extend the use of Covid Passes for another year. This happened in spite of the fact that, of over 385,000 people surveyed, 99% wanted a complete end to the digital pass system.
The European Parliament’s decision is a blatant slap in the face to the regular citizens of Europe. They do not represent their own constituents; if Europeans cannot trust them to take their wishes into account in terms of things like health passports, can they trust them to make reasonable decisions regarding food distribution?
And could this kind of thing happen in the U.S.?
I have spent some time in Germany as an adult. I have had multiple friends and family members living there for one reason or another.
Last I heard, most of it was still a pleasant, clean, well-run country. They have shot themselves in the foot regarding energy policy, but the U.S. isn’t far behind. Our politicians are making the same destructive green energy promises the Germans are; they’re just a few years ahead of us.
We cannot ignore what’s going on over there. Our politicians seem to have many of the same priorities. If Germans face food rationing, we can’t rule it out either.
Shortening the distance between where your food is produced, and your table has never been more important.
The Organic Prepper has a lot of great resources about food independence, even if you live in an urban/suburban area. If you’ve got a bunch of kids on a suburban lot, no, you can’t grow all your food, but you’ll be able to grow some of it. (Want uninterrupted access to The Organic Prepper? Check out our paid-subscription newsletter.)
And there’s never been a better time to reach out to local producers. I’ve been an artisanal meat producer for years. I spent a large amount of time explaining to customers why my food was worth more money. If you have the opportunity to get to know a local producer, take it. Talk to them and try to learn something about what will best meet your needs.
I would love to be wrong and to have everything magically get fixed within the next year or so.
But I don’t think that will happen.
I think prices will go up astronomically. I think anyone who has not been planning and preparing is going to get a nasty shock in the fall when there simply isn’t that much available.
I don’t think there will be mass starvation in the first world, at least not within the next year. But the chances for some kind of rationing system will be fairly high. It may be something global; maybe not. Either way, decreasing dependence on the globalized food supply has never been more important.
Real problems exist in the food sector, no doubt. But are things bad enough yet that one of Europe’s wealthiest countries needs to start rationing basic foodstuffs?
What are your thoughts? Do you believe it’s likely that the United States will follow suit? Do you see food rationing in our future? How do you intend to prepare for it? Share your thoughts in the comments.
About Marie Hawthorne
A lover of novels and cultivator of superb apple pie recipes, Marie spends her free time writing about the world around her.
There has been Flour, Pasta and Bread restrictions from practically day one of ” C ” in Germany. It is not something that has just crept up. Sounds much like the Baby Food that ” goes missing ” off the shelves and found in a storage Place…? Hmmm
In the USA, DIESEL gas is being rationed back. It should be down to 25% in December what it was in January 2022.
Diesel oil should run out as a purchase item beginning August 25th or before and not be for sale until roughly February 12th to 15th, IF the additives are brought up or reformulations created and put forth.
When trucks for market and gas station deliveries —
when firetrucks and emergency and maintenance of infrastructure vehicles —
when trains and Farm equipment and large generators —
all cannot run because of lack of diesel oil at oil change intervals
or for a lack of diesel fuel itself,
THERE is the next lockdown
called a Carbon Crisis that THEY CREATED
and a wave of taxes, of energy rationing, of food rationing, of changes of Federal Government and even a giving away of States Lands to Foreign Powers or anything THEY want to do on any excuse, and no fuel for the people to go anywhere to take the fight to those who abdicate the USA as a Republic and send it into oblivion UNLESS Big Oil and others rebel and reverse it on OUR side.
We also have the issues of mega-drought water cut-offs and waste by State Governments (like California) to deny water to its farms and to even communities looking for a drink of water, flushing reservoirs of the stuff out into the Pacific on purpose. Collect and prepare or move now are the only 2 at present options, and pray in the meantime for GOD’s intervention.
In Revelation 18, the merchants of the Earth lament over Babylon – (we are that Jeremiah 50-51 Babylon of the Last Days that sits on MANY waters)-
a Babylon that prospers as the world center of trade, of merchandise, food, various goods.
Whatever Government that is here when that Babylon Government is destroyed is one over a PROSPEROUS LAND, so the economy will be rebuilt. Could be just 100,000,000 here, could be 200,000,000, could be more than that. We don’t know.
We do know the Bible says we will have a recovery before the total annihilation by a nuclear assault at the 1290-1291 Day point of the Tribulation, that will collapse the Continental lower 48 USA Crust into the Earth, let seas rush in, and boil effect earthquake the entire planet to a sifting flat of land masses and a disappear of all islands into the seas and oceans, as the earth wobbles off its axis and closer to the sun, shifting Jerusalem to the true north pole region as a nuclear storm circles the Earth for an entire year, killing 1/3.
People are freaking out about wheat and minor stuff. If you only knew what is really coming. Just a small part like the above might have you prep in a more proper eternal concern mindset.
Don’t believe half of the doom and gloom you read, it is Propaganda.
The USA is not Babylon. False Bible prophets and teachers have put that Propaganda out there. Mystery Babylon, (the End Times Babylon) found in Revelation, is described as a City, not a nation.
The same problem is with the “nuclear destruction” of the US or the World, it is not in the Bible. This is Propaganda based upon non Biblical assumptions.
In fact if you want to go there, all the “End Time battles”( like Ezekiel Ch 38, 39) are fought with Privative weapons, swords, spears bow and arrows and such, also much of it made of wood , not metal. So you should actually look for a loss of electronics and military technology, not the use of it.
Even the Anti Christ(a person) is mortally wounded by a sword and healed. Everyone quotes Revelation 13:3, but few acknowledge Revelation 13:14″…telling them to make an image to the beast that had been wounded by the sword and yet had lived.” This shows that in the time of the Tribulation period, sword use is common.
So beware what you think you know. The Church and the World have been mislead about what the Bible actually says and implies about the End times.
Good rebuttal, Mic, but you do realize that you can’t switch back and forth willy nilly between literal and figurative when it comes to prophecy. The sword is figurative of violent force as ships are figures of commerce. Antichrist is also obviously figurative as John wrote that “antichrists” were already on the ground in his day. FYI, many people think antichrist means against Christ, but Jesus pointed out that the devil is trying to pass himself off as christ. “Ante” in Greek means “above or before”. Antichrists are trying to pass themselves off AS Christ or ABOVE Christ. Shalom, brothers.
“you can’t switch back and forth willy nilly between literal and figurative when it comes to prophecy”
well, actually, you have to, because that’s how people write, especially in literature. they do that because they and the audience share a common cultural reference as to what is literal and what is figurative and what is just plain poetically rhetorical (and, in the case of revelation, what is literal and what is figurative and what is poetically rhetorical in the old testament and greek literature that the revelation literature is based upon). the problem is that we have no access to that common cultural reference, and so willy-nilly “interpretations” of revelation abound.
And how is this going to help? Survival has zero to do with one’s translation of the Bible. So far I’ve heard literally nothing useful when discussions go in that direction. There’s a time and place for it.
Perhaps you should contact Jack Hibbs or Hal Lindsay about Bible truths before you try to explain them to others. For instance, ‘swords’ being used in that instance is not literal but figurative. Much is described by individuals who would have no frame of reference to our time period to explain what they are seeing and then people reading the Torah and Bible scrolls in those early days would never understand tanks and guns and planes and cars etc. I wish you clarity; seek the Holy Spirit for guidance and revelation in your devotions and I believe you will receive it. God bless!
I don’t think you can beat the book Survivors of the Jesus Christians when it comes to a realistic scenario of what Revelations in real life might look like. What I find particularly impressive is that the book kicks off with a massive nuclear strike on the USA, there is no counterattack, and the entire world reacts as if it was a natural disaster, offering lots of help to the USA but no condemnation to Russia, that also help after being the ones doing the strike. There is no explanation of the international politics, it’s all written from the point of view of a bunch of common people, some of which end up realising they are Biblical characters. When I read it first, I thought: “No way that could ever happen.” These days, I honestly wonder at times.
In any case, I think the best is to prep for the usual stuff, food shortages, potential war, and such, and as a plus consider seriously the possibility of some people getting unexpectedly very weird.
We’ve already experienced rationing. Basics like flour, sugar, and yeast were rationed during Covid. Cooking oils as well. And preppers are being demonized and Othered as hoarders. IMO the days of cheap food are over and too many hungry people are going to get Ugly.
In my area, central FL, during covid mania chicken and meat were also limited (if they could be found). I’ve noticed our nearest Sam’s club is regularly out of items. If I order online for pickup I will also have to go into the store to see if the items are actually there: lettuce, certain other vegetables, whole chicken, butter…the list is long.
With excess mortality in working age citizens is up 50%, I expect demand to drop fairly quickly over the next 5 years. Unfortunately, so too will the availability of a skilled workforce. We can all than the WEF and their Liberal minions for the crisis that is coming at us. Growing a garden is a very smart move these days.
As far as the article goes, One must be very careful here. Don’t take on trouble and worries unless they really exist.
The problem is that the news we get is mostly Propaganda. It promotes thinking that furthers the goals of the Globalists.
Although Germany has suggested rationing Oil products(gas, natural gas, etc.) It is mainly the EU, NATO and the UN that are talking food type rationing.
But some food chains in Greece and Spain have set up their own rationing on certain purchases to prevent hording.
The only thing we know for sure is that the propaganda about a food shortage is hitting the news. How better to bring people into line (since the Pandemic did not work), than with contrived food shortages.
Yes I said contrived, because it is all because of the sanctions against Russia, (Sanctions: which don’t work and have never worked to solve a problem anyway). Lifting those Sanctions would quickly resolve most of the problem.
But It is another way to force the concept of the need for a Global control of Food and Resources.
Europe easily swallows their propaganda and submits to their demands. The US is not so easily swayed and converted. Which is why they hate us and want to destroy us so badly.
Rationing?
Not sure if we would see it from a Federal mandate level.
But we did see it here in this country during COVID mania, purchasing limits on certain items, mostly meat.
What few are mentioning are farmers are in serious trouble from the cost of fertilizer, the cost of seeds, and the big one, cost of fuel/diesel.
Read an interview with a actual farmer who said he has a corn planter hooked up to his tractor, but cannot afford the fuel to plant.
Another interview, the farmer said he could put the crop in the ground, but was not sure he could afford to get it out of the ground come fall.
Due to the cost or unavailability of fertilizer, will result in higher costs at the grocery market (one farmer said we would see food costs go up even more come the end of summer, beginning of fall), lower yields.
Some political chowder heads are tossing around the idea of price caps and expect the farmers and grocery stores to take a loss. How long do you think that will last?
Marine,
I just got back from the fuel distributor. I have no idea why, but #2 diesel dropped last night $.30. It has dropped >$.50/gallon in the past week. So, I went over and locked the price (not including delivery) and bought another 300 gallons. I didn’t want to, nor planned on taking on the extra for this year, but like you mentioned, I don’t want to be hooked up to the mower and not have fuel next year.
Annually I burn ~700 gallon/ year.
~Jim,
Good thinking and good move.
While I hate the word “hope” as it is not a course of action, I do hope things work out for you in the coming years.
“tossing around the idea of price caps and expect the farmers and grocery stores to take a loss. How long do you think that will last?”
permanently. the idea is to bankrupt and then buy the system (using subsidies and “price supports”) so that it no longer is private enterprise but becomes state-owned.
Runt7,
Your lack of understanding of economics, logistics and history continues to amaze me.
By luck or chance, without a doubt, you will be among the first in the mass die off.
Anyone who cannot figure out cartridge to barrel length and accuracy will not fare long during or post-SHTF.
“Anyone who cannot figure out cartridge to barrel length and accuracy”
(laugh) but I did.
You’re not gonna live that one down, lol.
why would I live it down? it should be shared so others can learn from the mistake. after all 1stjarhead didn’t catch it, the people with 50 years of experience that sold me the gun didn’t notice it, all the people I met on the range didn’t think of it, and the manufacturer didn’t mention it. had to figure it out myself. so go ahead, live it up, spread it far and wide. it’ll be good for others.
That’s correct, sir. Until we see real shortages of food, gas, etc – the current is rather a disciplinary measure or a warning sign.
Here I just have bought 15 liters (approx 4 gallon) of lower price diesel, in a smaller local station. This was the limit. I then went to another station in the city center where 50 liters were the limit. I filled the tank fully.
A warning but not yet the shtf. It just happen gradually. Thanks Selco.
After reading your article, I am in the consideration mode of reactivating my chicken coop. and a fresh cage around it. Our region has foxes, lynx, bobcats, etc to prey on homegrown critters. My neighbor has chickens and ducks. I do think the time for reactivating some self-preservation is here. The chickens provide valuable fertilizer, eggs, and after a while meat. The downside, is I’m getting too old and frail to go about taking care of the critters. Although I could join up with my neighbor who is already raising critters. I think forming a coop would be advantagious.
“I’m getting too old and frail to go about taking care of the critters”
any thought of giving the coop to some young family nearby and teaching them how to do it?
I’ve never raised chickens. I did read in a book that people that were having problems with animals digging under to get to their chickens used plywood to block their entry? Not sure if this would help?
“I think there may be some deeper reasons behind this disparaging of hoarders”
not so deep. the ones behind all this see everything, the entire universe, including you, as theirs. they seek to take asportation of all you have and to dispense it as they see fit, as is their right. that’s all.
Well thought out. Very good article.
There is NO NEED for a COVID pass as there was no virus. It should have been apparent after a couple of months and NOT a couple of years.
Interestingly Dr. Mercola say “seed” oils is what is causing all our health problems. The consumption of seed or vegetable oils and he said before seed oils there were only 9 heart attacks or something recorded in America and cancer was almost unheard of.
Now both are an epidemic.
I use avocado oil for cooking like stir frying, etc. I read Dr M. also and agree. Avocado oil is made from the fruit pulp. Olive oil is used for flavoring (virgin O.O.).
So the deaths were completely random, unrelated? You should have said this in the beginning, woulda saved us a lot of torture. Thanks for nothing, lol.
Eggs and meats were rationed during covid crisis (2020) limited to two per person by grocery store chain, paper products also. Several wks was an egg shortage, much was panic buying.
Geez, for people who are allegedly such devout Christians, there is some selfish and greedy stuff going on around here. Ever thought that not taking every single thing, not consuming as much as possible, is just the right thing to do? To not be a jerk to your neighbors? I’ve seen the empty shelves too, the signs to take only two of an item. It’s not a law or anything, but given problems getting things amid changing consumer patterns, it’s just a recognition that other people need things too.
I think of my grandfather’s generation, during WWII, when there was rationing of meat, sugar, nylon, gasoline, and other items. No one liked it, but since “we are all in this together” people pitched in and made it work. Put the people of today back in 1941 and doubtless there’d be rioting in the streets when today’s people were told “NO.” I guess people were just better back then.
I get it. I alone among my family and friends have become increasingly uneasy about the state of the world, and while so much of that is out of my control, I can make sure that me and mine have plenty to eat (at least for a while), soap, medicine, etc. So I buy extra cans of tomatoes, bulk meat purchases that I repackage and deep freeze, discounted paper goods, all things when they’re on sale. It gives me a bit more peace of mind, of a feeling of control, to do that.
The world has a lot of problems, most of them self-inflicted. Climate change, wars, immigration, the hollowing out of the middle class, depression and drug use… we’ve been sitting with our hands over our ears going “LALALA CAN’T HEAR YOU” while it gets worse and worse, and problems we once could have solved with some guts, sacrifice, and hard work, become intractable.
If there is to be rationing, let’s behave like adults and get through it as best we can. Running around screaming about George Soros and people being put into camps isn’t helpful… or at all likely… and if it is, our problems are much bigger than ranting on this or other forums can solve.
But sure, eat all you want of whatever you want. Buy gas guzzlers, throw out as much trash as possible, water giant lawns and fill swimming pools in the deserts while the west burns. Take, buy, use, and consume everything you possibly can. Who cares about anyone else? Rationing is just another word for impinging on our FREEDOMS.
WWJD?
“we are all in this together”
but we’re not. we have half the country trained to view the other half as a resource to be exploited in order to achieve their “rights”. we have operatives stealing elections and then parading as our “leaders” while they deliberately debilitate the nation. we have pederasts openly demanding access to our children so they can perform sex changes on them. no, we’re not all in this together at all.
“I guess people were just better back then.”
well if by “better” you mean they’d jail and deport the ones pushing all this on us, yeah, they were better.
“WWJD”
dunno, but the bible is pretty clear about what he’s GONNA do.
Hi Ant 7
Very astute observations and I agree with you whole heartedly, One of our founding fathers remarked that it takes a moral population to hang on to a republic like we have based on our constitution– These freedoms come with a price and those who have it must be principled, or else the nation devolves into a state like which we find ourselves in today. I have watched this country degenerating from the Woodstock-hippie generation of the 60’s to women’s lib movement and emasculation of our males-to our present time. In today’s evil world , if our babies make it out of the womb alive, maniacs and perverts are waiting to groom them into becoming deviates and predators–or make sure they can never reproduce offspring by brainwashing them into undergoing procedures that wreck their physical health and impact them for the rest of their lives.
I tried to tell my grandson that God authored the family institution–by creating Adam and Eve–that family is the building block of a stable society–that he his male reproductive organs developed in utero–he didn’t to decide his gender–but he would not listen–the school system and older degenerates had already gotten to and , brainwashed him into thinking he was born in the wrong body, with a few nips and tucks, he can have babies and be a wonderful mother. He is so messed up now he cannot work and support himself and has become a burden on society. His story is just one in thousands in this country. Then you have people just waiting for complete societal breakdown, to prey on the weak to loot, steal, to maim and murder. Those in power spew vicious rhetoric to stir up racial hatred–think California and reparations–then recall Abraham Lincoln, the Gettysburg Address, and how in our early years, our country was ripped apart—thousands upon thousands of our countrymen died so all men could partake of the fruits of freedom. ( I forgot–this part of our history has been revised in our children’s history books and it is not even taught in public schools anymore) I truly believe we are going to see such severe violence that our hearts will fail us. I also believe, that we have brought this all on ourselves for our personal and national sins. And yes God knows all about it and is letting us reap the whirlwind because we are so rebellious he cannot get us to change our evil ways otherwise. God has plans for this earth, once mankind learns his lessons. The Bible is full of hope, and unlike those deceitful traitors in our capitol, God tells us plainly what He is going to do.
Sorry for getting on a rant–but this thing with my grandson, which is endemic in this country, has just about destroyed our family, not to mention his young life.
What is the answer for our nation? I don’t know- Abraham Lincoln called for a nationwide day of prayer……..
Good rant.
And we had a prayer day in DC with that walk but I believe not enough of our country had a strong enough Christian constitution to back up those prayers plus I believe our country has slipped so far down the hill that we cannot be saved. I feel we simply do not want to. When crap goes left, look for all those illegals that are gangbangers or criminals will be the first to go postal not to mention our govt releasing the military against the people if they refuse to be ‘managed’, and the elderly and single women with/without children will also become victims. Even if you prep, what you have can be taken and you’ll have nothing. Be strong in the Lord and remember your true home is with God not here; we are to occupy til Jesus returns, we need to be about our Father’s business while we can and hope that when our end comes it comes quick and not dragged out in massive pain! Love to all and many blessings for the new year!
You are 100% correct in your comments. I wholeheartedly agree.
an t7
Yes! Well said!
And to the previous comment, WWJD? (what would Jesus do?) Well, he’d blame Putin, of course! 😉 Seriously, Jesus would turn over the tables of the government cheats, liars, and deceivers. He would call people out for having evil motives. He would NOT say, “let’s just all get along, cuz we’re in this together.”
WWJD? Consider his own words:
25Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 27Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
34Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
(Matthew 6:25-34)
It’s ok and good to prepare, to be ready for misfortune. That is wise. But “laying up treasures” and twisting yourself into knots with worry about this is definitely not Christian, and in fact, belies a lack of faith in whether the God you profess to worship will in fact provide, as Jesus promises. The most thoughtfully prepared homestead, with a power and water source, food aplenty, well defended, will avail you naught as it can be gone in a flash at any moment, and not from a thief or greedy government, either. Don’t be foolish. If you believe you will be brought to judgment some day, the best-prepared prep won’t save you. You’re just… delaying the inevitable.
“It’s ok and good to prepare, to be ready for misfortune. That is wise. But “laying up treasures” and twisting yourself into knots with worry”
we’re not laying up treasures, we’re laying up supplies and laying down foundations. and we’re not twisting ourselves up in knots with worry, we’re buckling down in determination.
least, that’s the ideal. yeah, there’s lots of people who match your description of them. but they are not the ones driving this.
“a lack of faith in whether the God you profess to worship will in fact provide”
is he not providing right now?
Hi Lorraine—thank you for a very insightful and thought provoking post. With reference to the Bible–I am so glad that you quoted scripture–those holy inspired words give us comfort and point us all the the direction that will lead us out of the morass we find ourselves in. I do believe that some planning and provisions is prudent–but any number of things–even a natural disaster can wipe it all away in a moment. As a society we are somehow going to have to come together and make decisions for the common good–Covid lockdowns have made us turn inward, become even more self-centered–myself included. Information coming at us from all directions that famine is at our doorsteps, with violence on its heels, terrifies us and makes us want to fortify ourselves against that evil day. In all reality, we cannot because there are so many unknown variables. Frankly I believe that God almighty will send His Son back soon to save us from self destructing because , we have crossed a precipice where-world governments are marching us right into world wide war. There can be no winners–Iran is in the nuclear club now, vowing to destroy little and big Satan–that would be the little nation of Israel and the Us. The Europeans will never submit to rule by a Russian-China axis, and US policies are weakening us so that we won’t even be a contender–we will be easy picking for our enemies. I agree that we better be concerned, do what we can to provide for our families—was it Joseph that had the ancient Egyptians to store food for the lean 7 years ahead?
But now is not the time to be lax in our faith, for the evil powers that be are in lockstep for global annihilation. Just my opinion based on global events and Bible prophecy.
WWJD?
make a crap ton of bread, fish and wine.
” I can make sure that me and mine have plenty to eat (at least for a while), soap, medicine, etc. So I buy extra cans of tomatoes, bulk meat purchases that I repackage and deep freeze, discounted paper goods, all things when they’re on sale. It gives me a bit more peace of mind, of a feeling of control, to do that.”
* That’s what most people do that are trying to prepare
“Ever thought that not taking every single thing, not consuming as much as possible, is just the right thing to do? To not be a jerk to your neighbors? I’ve seen the empty shelves too, the signs to take only two of an item. It’s not a law or anything, but given problems getting things amid changing consumer patterns, it’s just a recognition that other people need things too.”
*I’m not sure what your point is with the quote above as you yourself are stocking up?
Consider also all the extra mouths to feed from the recent migration, all living on the government’s welfare.
I believe that this type of event here is what we’re heading for under this illegitimate regime’s control. If we somehow, decertify 2020 (I believe it’s coming) and get the rightfully elected people back in control…. Then and only then will we see restabilization of our country….our food supply system….our currently wide open border, our corrupt media, our military and our sovereign nation. God bless America ????????
To be fair/honest, the Russians didn’t cut oil and gas to Germany in retaliation for Germany’s vocal protest against the SMO in Ukraine; Gas was cut because pumps removed to Siemens for servicing were then sent to, and subsequently held up, in Canada and not returned to service in Russia for reasons of sanctions compliance. Other gas cuts to Europe followed on Western Europe’s refusal to pay in a currency the Russians can actually use freely in commerce.
IOW, the West is figuratively shooting itself in the foot. If you cannot get Russian sunflower seeks or oil in Europe, it is because European countries are boycotting trade.
You can do all the prep in the world, but if you continue to fall in behind the same leaders who made it necessary, you have only yourself to blame for your ultimate peril.
‘Gas was cut because pumps removed to Siemens for servicing were then sent to, and subsequently held up, in Canada”
always good to remember the facts.
This is a good article which I agree with. I would like to point out that all of these problems are caused by the globalists on purpose. The shortage of oils was begun years ago by turning most of our corn crop into alcohol instead of cooking oil and other foods. Germany has been doing the same. Many German farms grow corn for alcohol production. They want control of everything.
We obviously need to rethink the way we all live, but the end goal has to be reasonable, obtainable. Take one issue at a time, don’t let the guberment dictate it, figure it out and let loose. It seems like there are WAY too many problems right now, and more keep surfacing. It’s overwhelming, frustrating. No wonder people are loosing it, acting out with violence, shooting sprees. Those people obviously feel they weren’t being heard.
This is not accidental or incidental. It is by design. The governments of the world consider their own people to be the number one problem, namely to suppress and control them. Top this end they will sabotage their own economies or stage emergencies (famine, war, pestilence) the better to end all opposition. Even with One World Order there will be factionalism, and we are seeing the players jockeying for position right now.