To think we are being lined up for something?

[BeverForget]

I work in food supply chain.
Four of the 'big' grocery retailers have just asked to renegotiate at least four weeks min supply, as opposed to two.
This happened in Feb 2020 as well.
Lots of rhetoric about being on a war footing, from politicos.
And then Sunak essentially jumping ship yesterday, as though he knows there is a crisis on the horizon that he wants no part of.
There is no way that the Tories have a prayer in a July election.
So what do they know that they aren't telling us?

I do worry for this year’s crops. The constant rain and lack of sunshine has certainly not done my little veg garden any good. I imagine farmers are concerned about the harvest by now.

Perfect time to increase the barriers for food imports 🙄

This "three day supply" statement is honestly nothing at all to worry about🙃it's a good thing to have a bit of a buffer or back-up plan for all sorts of situations. Like if there's a bad winter and you can't get to the shops because of the snow, or the lorries can't get to the shops to stock them up. Maybe even one of those ridiculous life events that we all say "I swear this kind of thing only happens to me" happens, like you lose your bank card and can't pay for anything till the bank opens on Monday, or you trip over your shoelace and sprain your ankle on the way to ASDA.. It's just sound advice, not a sign of impending doom.

Talking to DH yesterday about this and he said we’re fine, we’ve got tins. And I said, no, aren’t you more concerned about what the threat is?

anyeay I’m not worried as there’s nothing 8 can do. But I think there is something.

Films like Leave the World Behind with Julia Roberts kind of makes me suspicious with some sort of blackout. Better stock up my bunker 😂

You know how bad the harvests have been globally because of the weather, right? That on its own could account for it. We must have been living on stored food for a while now

Oh. But climate change is a myth.

We're all going to have to adjust our expectations.

People were compliant because it was unprecedented. Now we have been through a crisis/pandemic and we know that a lot of the things we did were pointless and we know that a lot of people (including those in power) didn't make the same sacrifices. We also know (those who came through unscathed) that 'nothing bad happened' and on a human psychology level that means we are more likely to take greater risks if a similar situation happens again. Compliance levels during Covid don't indicate that compliance levels would be similar in another crisis.

The election has been called for the summer because the tories want to avoid another shit winter of overwhelmed nhs, unaffordable bills, rise in homelessness being reported as kids with “no home for Christmas”, and flooding etc. All those things will still be true in the summer but less visible, less obviously tragic and less severe - it’s not so bad if you can’t afford to hear your home in summer. People are generally more enthusiastic in summer, ans they aren’t gearing up to pay their tax bill in Jan if they are self employed.

Added to that, I checked the election timing in relation to the Euros. They will happen just before the first play offs. England is favourite so should definitely make it out of group so there’ll be a wave of patriotism and positivity flowing and a football-dominated news cycle masking the brexit food shortages and war news.

it’s cynical as fuck but that’s politics and the tories for you.

This.

Andrew Bridgen! 🙄

You think COVID didn't happen??

We should be fine.
I've checked with dh and he's done no emergency training recently.
He did a scenario of bombs in London just before the tube bombing, a flooding one just before there was major flooding and pandemic training in 2019....

I went to Tesco yesterday (large Tesco Superstore that was built 30 years ago). when it was first built it was always really busy because thousands of new houses were being built. As the years have gone on the place always seemed quiet as more and more people were getting their shopping delivered or at least doing click and collect. Tesco sold off half their car park to McDonalds who built on it and it is always busy. I don't go to Tesco very often and when I do it always made me feel sad (compared to the 'olden' days as it was very quiet and lacking in physical customers). A bit of a 'ghost town' feeling to it. Yesterday I did a big shop in person just cos I had an unexpected spare couple of hours. The place had the feel of everybody getting in each others way. Like it felt quite busy. I didn't have any trouble getting milk or toilet rolls or bottled water but I was surprised at the number of people there. They also seemed to have alot of the checkouts manned by people like they were expecting a huge rush. When I have been in before their is lots of self service checkouts and usually only a few tills that are manned. Yesterday though the checkouts seemed to be more manned than usual.

Anyway I could be adding 2 and 2 and getting 5 but just thought I'd throw that into the pot.

Are you one of those gagging for Labour as they are the best and more competent? . Well they should be able to take us through to another pandemic, attacks, war. Stop blaming the tories for everything. Very soon you won’t have any excuses. There is one thing to criticise the opposition and another one to manage the country.

And have the summer off.
Did the same when I was made redundant years ago.

Ooh, goody.. does this mean we’re going to see the “preppers” thread back again?

@BeverForget Solar flares could be a possibility too.

Surely the reason supermarkets are ordering increased stock now is because of the government’s “prepare for a disaster and stockpile your stuff” announcement just now? Because without a doubt that will lead to some stockpiling especially from all the conspiracy theorists left over from covid.

Who doesn’t already have matches, candles and batteries at home? Aren’t they just standard things to have?

This.

None of this is new. It's always been part of the national emergency plan. Someone posted on another thread that the Irish government issues this sort of advice at the start of every winter. The Scandinavians send booklets to every household and people do what is asked and take it in their stride.

Here people either take it as a sign that the nukes are imminent and the government has only just thought about doing anything, but it's pointless anyway or its groundless scaremongering, best ignored. Bizarre.

You see, I don't agree. I think people might say, oh, I'd never do that again, if you asked them now - but if war was declared, say, they would by and large get on with following the various advice.

Also, nothing predicts behaviour more than past behaviour. Covid was unusual in that the mortality was very low for many groups and especially for children. If we had an outbreak of flu, say, where the clinical risk profile was evolving but the mortality was higher, or children were unduly affected, I think people would be careful to follow guidelines, mostly.

I sometimes wonder how many shares Rishi’s family, and other MPs’, own in supermarkets, and whether there’s any self interest in encouraging panic buying.

Probably because of a bank holiday weekend coming up, I'm expecting Waitrose and M& S food to be busy today

I mean… war in Russia, war in the Middle East, solar flares, China sabre-rattling, water contamination issues in the UK, heavy rain leading to crop issues here - I’m battling to see the mystery tbh.

We are far too patient with some of these people.
I am very with people who are hesitant about the vaccine, as it is scary to have something you do not understand injected into you.
That said, I have friends who were working on the vaccine, my sister working in ICU (a good friend also) and seeing horrors.
People calling them liars and accusing them of conspiracies (by implication) deserve not more leeway than any other comparable slanders or libels.