One of the publications I subscribe to, Off the Grid News, sent me this:
(I also subscribe to Forewarned is Forearmed;-)
It really is a small world ... especially in the preparedness and survival industries. With a community that prides itself on staying informed, you can't really keep things secret for long. So it's no surprise that we were among the first to get wind of some very unsettling news. In fact, it was so disturbing that we felt it was only right to share with you what we've learned.
One of the nation's largest suppliers of dehydrated food has cut loose 99% of their dealers and distributors. And it's not because of the poor economy. It's because this particular industry leader can no longer supply their regular distribution channels. Why not? Because they're using every bit of manufacturing capacity they have to fulfill massive new government contracts. Look, the government has always been a customer of the industry to some extent. But according to our sources, this latest development doesn't represent simply a change of vendor on the government's part. It's a whole new magnitude of business.
And that's not all.
Apparently, even though they've cut off their regular consumer markets, the industry leader I've just mentioned still can't produce enough survival food to meet the government's vast requirements. How do we know? Earlier this month, FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) put out a Request for Proposal, or RFP, for even more dehydrated food. The RFP called for a 10-day supply of meals - for 14 million people. That's 420 million meals. Typically, FEMA maintains a stockpile of about 6 million meals. Why the sudden need to increase the stockpile by 420 million more? (And that's in addition to whatever our aforementioned industry leader is supplying.) It almost seems like they're trying to stock a modern day "Noah's Ark," doesn't it?
By the way, just days after the RFP went online, it suddenly went "poof" ... vanished. Could it be that some high level official suddenly realized he was letting the cat out of the bag? That people aren't stupid, and would recognize the implications of 420 million emergency meals? Has the government removed the RFP from the public process and approached potential suppliers privately instead? We may never know.
But here's what we do know. This kind of spending by a minor government agency in this economy just doesn't make sense ... unless there are extraordinary circumstances behind it, circumstances we aren't privy to. Because Congress has failed to pass a budget, the government is now operating under what's called a continuing resolution. The practical effect of this continuing resolution is that the government stays in business, but all extras are curtailed. Agencies spend far less on travel and training expenses, for instance. And they certainly don't start stockpiling supplies.
In this economic climate, you would expect FEMA also to be minimizing expenses. But clearly, they're not. If you do the math, the approximate tab for 420 million meals comes to about a billion dollars.
What is so urgent that FEMA is spending a billion dollars on survival food?
Could officials be worried about extensive power grid damage from solar flares? (A big one hit last week and took out communications in China.) Are they worried about riots and demonstrations causing gridlock in communities? (The demonstrations in Wisconsin and Ohio have been peaceful so far ... but look what happened in Egypt.) Are they worried about terrorist attacks? (Some reports say that there's been more "chatter" lately on terrorist communication networks.)
But here's the most important question. No matter what it is - are you ready for it?
Dehydrated?
I was going to pick up a case of MRE's for summer hiking season but the prices are high and the only ones available are poor quality knockoffs.
Might have to check out Mountain Man instead.
Thomas Sowell: There are no solutions, just trade-offs.
FEMA was probably trying to burn up some $$$ so they wouldn't have leftover cash. I'd imagine they got stimulus money, and had to find a place to spend it. Stockpiling additional food would seem a good way to burn some excesss funds. The RFP was probably pulled when the first blog hit the internet saying "The Government is Stocking Up for Doomsday!!!!!!!!!!"
"Whatever you are, be a good one." ~ Abraham Lincoln
