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Would you share with others during food shortages?
Axtol
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http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2108137
In this thread the idea of rationing is raised and someone said about if things were bad we'd all have a responsibility to share and make sure no one goes without. Assuming you maybe had enough to last you several months, would you share with others who had run out of essential things like food? Would you have a different answer if it was a short term shortage like a week or if no one knew how long it was going to last for?
In this thread the idea of rationing is raised and someone said about if things were bad we'd all have a responsibility to share and make sure no one goes without. Assuming you maybe had enough to last you several months, would you share with others who had run out of essential things like food? Would you have a different answer if it was a short term shortage like a week or if no one knew how long it was going to last for?
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However.....in the spirit of rambling anonymously......
It depends on your personal circumstances, and it depends on if your neighbour has children or not. Esp babies.
The most vulnerable would have to be helped first. I'd prefer to help another woman carrying children than I would, if it were a young strong man only having to fend for himself.
I think people would be more willing to help in the short term, but if it were to go long term, then I think that realistically, you'd have to pull the shutters up and look after your own first.
Good question. A lot would depend on the nature of the emergency, and how long. but I know I would get cross with people who were wasteful with food, finicky or greedy.
It would make sense to share in small communities, pooling food, but a couple of weeks in to a long term shortage I would find it hard to admit extra members who had quickly eaten their supply and now had nothing.
A wise group would put two nannas who grew up in or just after the 2nd world war in charge of the food.
They know what needs to be eaten first, what will last and how to make things stretch while filling you up. If I could find a group where my big bags of potatoes, rice and pasta could be pooled this way I'd be happy to share. A group containing a dedicated forager who knows what can be eaten from the wild would be ideal.
Then there might well be more than enough to also feed some waifs and strays (particularly children) who had been less sensible with their own food.
In a "mundane" emergency such as a flood or power-cut I'd assume that help was due to arrive and I'd do whatever I could to help as many people as I could.
In a more extreme (end-of-the-world) situation I'm afraid I'd be very selective about helping only people who I thought might be capable of returning the favour.
If I had been careful and rationed myself so that what I did have was planned to last several months. Then along comes some waster who has not been so careful and got themselves out of food too quickly and demands that I give up my planned store so they can continue their binge? No, move on, sorry, you can't expect to be able to eat all your own food and then eat all of everybody else's food too.
So, no.
This^^
Totally depends on the nature of the shortage and likely duration. There's also the issue of 'trusting in the faith' of others intentions. You've only got to look at a situation such as the New Orleans flooding to see how quickly many will descend into anarchy and me, me, me, me, me mentality.
Apparently babies do taste the best.
Well they'd be the most tender like veal or lamb but I'd expect them to lack flavour like veal versus beef or lamb versus mutton.
Far better to give them a few years to mature then cook slowly
Of course this is assuming a zombie apocalypse scenario rather than say delivery driver stike
Oh yes I saw a repeat of a documentary about that some time ago it was a bit scary. I'm in the "Not sharing" camp. My concern would be that if we get a crisis that lasts about a month, and I've got enough stockpiled to last a month but the neighbhours only have enough for a few days each then the unfortunately truth is that I can't and won't do anything to help them because if I share, then I'll be starving to at the end of the month whereas if I keep it to myself I'll have a decent chance of surviving. Maybe I'd make exceptions if others had things that I wanted and it would be more like bartering.
Trouble is, you can stockpile twenty years worth, as soon as the have not's are hungry there will be people who will kill you for you a can of beans. I know we are talking about a 'hypothetical' scenario, but I don't think the general populous realize just how much we operate on a 'just in time' supply chain basis. Shops only carry just enough stock to keep them going until the next delivery (couple of days) and the supply is based on the data of the peaceful and calm society we live in. Any disruption to the norm, panic buying immediately starts and the shelves are empty, we have seen that sort of thing happen regularly (little bit of snow for example). Furthermore, modern society is a very short period of time away from chaos. Couple of days without power, fuel or food is all it takes for some to loose all sense humanity. As soon as the lawless (looters and violent types) start, their numbers swell with the 'if their doing it' group / mob mentality.
Please do report back with what you thought of it.