Thursday, August 5, 2010

An "Oh, Shit" Moment.

Russia, the world's third largest exporter of wheat, decides they need all theirs, thank you very much.

No exports for the next four and a half months.

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

Gee, I wonder who's going to pick up the slack?

Gaige M. said...

Craaaaap... Not a good sign for the health of the overall world economy.

I really need to finish up my food storage program. I have the long-term stuff taken care of, but I need the field rations and short to medium term foods.

Anybody know where I can order full MREs and MRE entrees in small-sized bulk?

Defender said...

Russia's trade partners will not go lacking, it says. American farmers, though beset with unreasonable EPA regs, will be providing surplus wheat for export to our extremist Muslim friends such as Egypt, and, probably, in a roundabout way, Iran. Ahmadinejad, like N. Korea's Kim, will be able to keep sinking money into his nuclear program without dealing with food riots, and Egypt will keep oppressing Christians while eating American grain.
But it's only a cyclical weather pattern and should abate soon.

TPaine said...

There goes that "let them eat cake" thing. Guess we'll have to ramp up our production to save the world, eh?

Now, what about that oil?

Anonymous said...

Got your farm up and running yet? Combine this with the spread of UG99 and the drought in India and we are pretty well screwed.

Jimmy2Times said...

Funny, I seem to recall a wheat shortage as being one of the pre cursors to war in "Red Dawn"

Just sayin'

:-D

J2T
III

John Robert Mallernee, KB3KWS, in Vernal, Utah said...

Mr. Vanderboegh, Et Alii:

Due to the problems you've mentioned with your regular e-mail, this "comment" is actually an e-mail, because I don't know any other way to communicate with you.

Since us rebels aren't actually organized, and most of us probably aren't acquainted with (nor should we trust) each other, I'm wondering about the logistical problems of our pending insurrection?

In a spontaneous armed uprising, how will we recognize who the good guys are and who the bad guys are?

In the confusion of battle, the Three Percent banner looks an awful lot like Old Glory, and the uniforms and equipment will probably be nearly identical on both sides of the conflict.

Actually, this same situation arose during the opening days of the American Revolution, and again during the start of the War For Southern Independence.

Because of my age and health, I probably won't survive, anyway.

Shucks, I probably can't even participate!

But, I'm wondering if you, or any other "Threepers" have considered this issue?

Is it addressed in your novel, "ABSOLVED"?

The way I see it, as it currently stands, the revolt will likely begin with a series of uncoordinated independent "lone wolf" attacks scattered randomly throughout the United States, targeting federal employees and federal agencies.

On my own web site, I've repeatedly warned that child day care centers must be immediately removed from within federal facilities, because federal offices constitute legitimate military targets.

I also have repeatedly stated, just as you and many others have, that the purpose of our revolt is not to overthrow the government, but to restore our lost republic.

Thank you.

John Robert Mallernee
Armed Forces Retirement Home
Washington, D.C. 20011-8400

Dedicated_Dad said...

Meanwhile, we continue to give ours away for free - at taxpayer expense - while we pay the recipients HUGE sums for their oil.

Is it time YET??!!

DD

Witchwood said...

The international economy's loss is our gain in many ways. There's more than enough food produced in our own heartland to feed potential rebels; the folks who will be hit hardest by shortages of any kind are those in the cities, which are havens of the enemy.

My view is that nothing is going to happen without some sort of economic breakdown. Most Americans will put up with anything at all so long as they can continue to live comfortably. Force people to survive by their own wits and labor, and they will become a great deal less tolerant overnight.

Anonymous said...

I consider it right to impose a temporary ban on the export from Russia of grain and other products produced from grain," Putin told a government meeting.

Yikes! Stolichnaya is "produced from grain."

If Putin embargoes Russian vodka, the State Department should declare war. ;^)

MALTHUS

Jerri Lynn Ward said...

What is really interesting to me about this is that in the 1970's, when I was in college, I was a member of the Student Conference on National Affairs at Texas A&M University. During that time, we put on a conference focused on how the US could use food (wheat) as a weapon in the Cold War against the Soviet Union and anyone else we hated.

In fact, the federal government was actively discussing and acting upon that issue.

Dakota said...

I really don't know what to think of this. In the old cold war days Russia could not raise enough wheat to feed itself .... now they are the 3rd largest wheat exporter? I guess capitalism does work better than the collective.

I am pretty sure that food is going to be very important. I wonder how many people would be interested in 50 lb bags of wheat that has been cleaned and bagged. I have a buddy who raises wheat here in Dakota Territory.

fireplaceguy said...

Everyone needs to get their food storage squared away, ASAP. The world's seven billion people will consume more wheat this year than we manage to grow. Again. And that forecast was before the disaster in Russia. Reserves are dwindling. Another thing the media won't tell you is that countries - nations - are leasing huge parcels of farmland all around the world because they can no longer grow enough at home. The only major player NOT locking in productive land around the world is the US.

Your local LDS/Mormon dry pack cannery has incredible deals on food. I did a good part of my storage program there, and even though I'm not a member of the church I was welcomed and made some great friends.

I dropped in and checked on their pricing and what they knew this last Monday. A 25# bag of hard red wheat is still $6.35. That's cleaned, bagged and delivered at a time when wheat in the farmer's truck just went over $8 a bushel (60 lbs, roughly). It's good quality and clean. Much of the food they sell is grown on church-owned farms, and even though many Mormons ignore the subject, the church itself is dead serious about food storage.

The price list is online at providentliving.org - click on Home Storage Order Form Download in the right hand column. They told me they never get more than a week or so notice before price changes, so get with it.

FBC said...

Looks like Putin either:

Has never read Hayek's "Use of knowledge in society"

Or,

he has a foreign policy game ready to be played.

If there were a world shortage, those with money or goods to trade could buy. What is US and EU money worth these days and what goods are there to trade?

Some dodgy property backed derivatives perhaps?

John said...

Gaige M .
Regarding MRE purchases... try Patriot foods.
Very happy with service/price. They have other products as well. I was a bit concerned with some of the occultic stuff on the website but the purchase was handled professionally. Only caveat is the UPS guy asked my son what all the packages were for. My son played it cool but still reminds me of the UPS guy who sold out the branch davidians.

Dedicated_Dad said...

"John" -- there are a number of "patriot foods" found in a Google search. Mind posting a link?

Also, what "occultic" stuff are you referring to?

DD

5th Generation American Farmer said...

Keep the government's controlling paws off the people and yeah even a few farmers can feed the world.

God is very generous with what we gave the world in order for people to not just live but "have life and have it abundantly". Poverty and hunger could end in a snap if the controllers would keep the fuck out of things. The US can certainly do that along with many other countries. There is no excuse for hunger on this planet. It is caused and maintained by those in power. Watch them come for your backyard gardens when they see how a 10 x 10 plot can sustain a family of four all winter.

rexxhead said...

Posting late, and I see Dakota already beat me to it.

+1, Dakota.

Anonymous said...

Prices up 80% already...can you afford your daily bread now?

FBC said...

Re: can you afford your daily bread?

I doubt that there is more than 10cents worth of wheat in a loaf, even including the rise.

Anonymous said...

There is more then one way to look at this. Russia is rich, rolling in NG and oil wealth. Are they now hoarding food? If so, why? Do they know something we don't? What is the real reason. If it is ONLY because production is down it is still a tripwire we shouldn't ignore. But what if it is something more?

Anonymous said...

MALTHUS: You really do not need any of that Russian swill they call vodka. Try BLUE ICE. Genuine potato vodka distilled in Idaho. Smooth as a baby's cheek.