tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645439856635422478.post7857335847028605740..comments2024-03-08T07:31:03.679-08:00Comments on Templestream: US Drought Called Apocalyptic as Obama asks Russia for HelpRick Wardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09689451026838986088noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645439856635422478.post-45697195100138437672012-07-14T04:51:47.517-07:002012-07-14T04:51:47.517-07:00Drought Hits 56% of US With "Significant Toll...Drought Hits 56% of US With "Significant Toll "on Crops<br /><br />The Drought Monitor noted that the drought is starting to "take a significant toll" on food supplies. <br /><br />http://www.celsias.com/article/drought-hits-56-us-significant-toll-crops/Rick Wardenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09689451026838986088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645439856635422478.post-37359761372915625502012-07-14T04:20:36.161-07:002012-07-14T04:20:36.161-07:00R:People who rely solely on government statistics ...R:People who rely solely on government statistics for their information are probably not the most informed individuals<br /><br />Rick, are you mentally disabled? The Coleman-Jensen report is government statistics (your test is also based on governmental statistics). I would also advise you to make yourself familiar with the terms used in the report (the difference between food insecurity and very low food insecurity).<br /><br />Not to mention, that the situation has been more or less the same during the 20th century in the US. Hence, it would be idiotic to see it as a "sign" of the endAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645439856635422478.post-3700305551889841452012-07-14T03:40:04.200-07:002012-07-14T03:40:04.200-07:00For anyone reading this thread who doubts that hun...For anyone reading this thread who doubts that hunger in America is a problem, look into the online surveys that support this understanding:<br /><br />1 World Hunger Organization - "In 2010, 17.2 million households, 14.5 percent of households (approximately one in seven), were food insecure, the highest number ever recorded in the United States (Coleman-Jensen 2011)." <br /><br />http://www.worldhunger.org/articles/Learn/us_hunger_facts.htm<br /><br />Feeding America: Feeding America conducts surveys and has found that "millions of Americans today are struggling with hunger." Seniors and children are the ones who are suffering the most. In order to help wake people up to the reality of the situation, Feeding America has provided a free online quiz regarding hunger in America.<br /><br />http://feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/hunger-facts/quiz.aspx<br /><br />People who rely solely on government statistics for their information are probably not the most informed individuals.Rick Wardenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09689451026838986088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645439856635422478.post-43781346009277035102012-07-13T13:22:59.000-07:002012-07-13T13:22:59.000-07:00I guess I should correct my statement. Rick has cl...I guess I should correct my statement. Rick has claimed that in the near future the USA will suffer a catastrophic shortage of food and the number of starving people is being increased (that is clear from his article and his comments). However, that is simply false. Current statistics even show a slight inprovement in the situation and there is simply no basis whatsoever for an economic end of the world scenario for the US in the next 5 years.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645439856635422478.post-12907259967137927802012-07-13T12:27:38.100-07:002012-07-13T12:27:38.100-07:00You can claim you have "disproved" the a...<i>You can claim you have "disproved" the article,</i><br /><br />I never claimed such a thing. <br /><br />First of all, you don't make sufficiently strong or solid claims in this article to be "proven" or "disproven". You're pointing with alarm. I just think you're pointing in the wrong direction.<br /><br />I noted that your claimed (in the comments) argument that "we might have a food apocalypse in the future" was not one that I'd argue with, but that you were making additional side-claims.<br /><br />Now, as to your note here:<br /><i>One, the economy, is not directly related to food at all.</i><br /><br />This is incorrect; it's related to both production (as in what people can afford to grow, or choose to grow) and consumption (as in what people can afford to eat)<br /><br /><i>Offering that 'hunger is not so bad' now, while completely disregarding the fact that food subsidies are at an all time high in the use, is also not logical.</i><br /><br />It suggests that hunger can be dealt with via subsidy -- that we are strong enough, economically, to make sure that no one goes hungry *if we choose not to let them do so*. However, people have different policy priorities, and having people not starve is not among them for many people, including the Republican Party.<br /><br /><i>If you both cannot understand these points, I don't see any point in attempting to continue convince you.</i><br /><br />We understand these points -- we disagree on them.<br /><br /><i>You can claim you have "disproved" the article,</i><br /><br />Anonymous' claim to have "disproven" you relies on a misconception, actually -- he asserted:<br /><br /><i>Rick, you initially made a claim that there would be a catastrophic shortage of food and increasing hunger in the US. </i><br /><br />Which is not, technically speaking, true. As is common with many of your posts, you present some points, and argue "it might be that..." which is not really a statement subject to proof. <br /><br />Yes, it's possible that Americans could go hungry. But your *implication*, that this will have to stop because the government can't support people any longer, is untrue, for the reasons that I've been presenting, and you've been ignoring.imnotandreihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15850536340957506236noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645439856635422478.post-73341636513988276812012-07-13T11:53:46.922-07:002012-07-13T11:53:46.922-07:00As noted in the article, there are many variables ...As noted in the article, there are many variables and many aspects that may come together to effect hunger statistics. One, the economy, is not directly related to food at all. As originally noted, we are entering a "perfect storm" of economic chaos. Even if the present drought is completely ignored, this does not bode well for poverty statistics. <br /><br />It would be logical to deduce that a severe drought in connection with a bad economy would greatly exacerbate the problem of hunger. Offering that 'hunger is not so bad' now, while completely disregarding the fact that food subsidies are at an all time high in the use, is also not logical. <br /><br />If you both cannot understand these points, I don't see any point in attempting to continue convince you. You can claim you have "disproved" the article, but people who read these commonsense and have an ability to use common sense and critical thinking will be able to decide who is correct. You have disproved nothing.Rick Wardenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09689451026838986088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645439856635422478.post-62671011905932172642012-07-13T11:38:28.375-07:002012-07-13T11:38:28.375-07:001. Present and past hunger statistics do not deter...<i>1. Present and past hunger statistics do not determine that there cannot be a future hunger catastrophe in the US.</i><br /><br />If your point is simply "There could be a hunger catastrophe in the U.S. in the future", then there'd be no argument. But you were making the strong implication that we are headed there *now*. In which case present and past statistics *do* matter.<br /><br /><i>3. The present US food subsidies are dependent on the unrealistic and unsustainable bloating debt of the US government and economy.<br /></i><br /><br />And this is why you're getting argument -- because you're ascribing causes that you don't support.<br /><br />If we returned to a tax rate like that of the 50s you hold so dear in other ways -- prayer in the schools and all that -- it would have a drastic *positive* effect on our deficits. Yet, somehow, this never gets brought up as a possible solution.<br /><br /><i>As usual, your logic in attempting to demonstrate that I was "proven wrong" is off the mark.</i><br /><br />You're moving your goalposts again. Just once, Rick, can you admit you were in error on something, instead of falling back to different positions in order to preserve your sense of correctness?imnotandreihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15850536340957506236noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645439856635422478.post-59104332129813527002012-07-13T10:33:48.075-07:002012-07-13T10:33:48.075-07:00Mr. Anonymous,
You believe you have proven my art...Mr. Anonymous,<br /><br />You believe you have proven my article to be wrong, that there will not be a food apocalypse in the future, because your reference shows past and present statistics do not appear as alarming as I had implied.<br /><br />1. Present and past hunger statistics do not determine that there cannot be a future hunger catastrophe in the US.<br /><br />2. The fact that food subsidies are at an all time high does in fact effect the present hunger statistics.<br /><br />3. The present US food subsidies are dependent on the unrealistic and unsustainable bloating debt of the US government and economy.<br /><br />As usual, your logic in attempting to demonstrate that I was "proven wrong" is off the mark.Rick Wardenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09689451026838986088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645439856635422478.post-53941044346013952092012-07-13T09:37:15.287-07:002012-07-13T09:37:15.287-07:00Rick, you initially made a claim that there would ...Rick, you initially made a claim that there would be a catastrophic shortage of food and increasing hunger in the US. You were proven wrong by YOUR OWN source. But you are still trying to salvage your point, by changing the subject to the economy. See any problems in your thinking?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645439856635422478.post-88520437060332830452012-07-13T09:10:32.511-07:002012-07-13T09:10:32.511-07:00Consider that your quote does not take into accoun...Consider that your quote does not take into account how many are receiving government subsidies in order to be "food secure" and the US government cannot continue funding debt-based forever:<br /><br />"The number of people using food stamps hit an all-time high in May 2011. According to the USDA, 45,753,078 Americans and 21,581,234 households use Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), more commonly known as food stamps."<br /><br />http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/03/food-stamp-usage-highest_n_917038.html<br /><br />Indeed, we'll see how this all plays out.Rick Wardenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09689451026838986088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645439856635422478.post-73061921712157407872012-07-13T08:39:14.965-07:002012-07-13T08:39:14.965-07:00It seems you are underestimating the severity of t...<i>It seems you are underestimating the severity of the situation and if it was you who was hungry and wondering where your next meal would come from I don't think you would be joking about it.</i><br /><br />Indeed not. On the other hand, Ron Paul and the rest of his Republican brethren, through their strident opposition to any kind of government assistance or economic stimulus, have made the problem you describe *worse* rather than better.<br /><br />Your concerns about the end times would seem much more sincere if you weren't implicitly supporting the things that cause some of the symptoms.imnotandreihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15850536340957506236noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645439856635422478.post-72299226230925621482012-07-13T07:47:02.097-07:002012-07-13T07:47:02.097-07:00Just to make fun of Rick s reading disability....L...Just to make fun of Rick s reading disability....Let us quote his original source on world hunger:<br /><br />"An estimated 85.5 percent of American households were food secure throughout the entire year in 2010, meaning that they had access at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members. The remaining households (14.5 percent) were food insecure at least some time during the year, including 5.4 percent with very low food security—meaning that the food intake of one or more household members was reduced and their eating patterns were disrupted at times during the year because the household lacked money and other resources for food. The prevalence rate of very low food security declined from 5.7 percent in 2009, while the change in food insecurity overall (from 14.7 percent in 2009) was not statistically significant."<br /><br />http://www.ers.usda.gov/media/121076/err125_2_.pdf<br /><br />Indeed, the end of times are upon usAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645439856635422478.post-41194088218615356362012-07-13T07:10:09.398-07:002012-07-13T07:10:09.398-07:00The situation is extremely far from riots or "...The situation is extremely far from riots or "end of the world" idiocy. The American standard for poverty is also far from the one of developing countries. Looking forward to the time in 5 years, when you are going to either still await rapture or trying to rationalize another failure of religious predictions.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645439856635422478.post-48975414883620482532012-07-13T05:41:30.047-07:002012-07-13T05:41:30.047-07:00It seems you are underestimating the severity of t...It seems you are underestimating the severity of the situation and if it was you who was hungry and wondering where your next meal would come from I don't think you would be joking about it. The weather is only one of the factors, the last straw of an already fragile situation, as I mentioned. Your prediction has already been disproved because hunger is already on the increase and this drought will only exacerbate this situation:<br /><br />"Three years after the onset of the financial and economic crisis, hunger remains high in the United States. The financial and economic crisis that erupted in 2008 caused a dramatic increase in hunger in the United States."<br /><br />http://www.worldhunger.org/articles/Learn/us_hunger_facts.htmRick Wardenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09689451026838986088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645439856635422478.post-71536202409392608422012-07-13T05:41:08.218-07:002012-07-13T05:41:08.218-07:00P.S. Why bother with "end of the world" ...P.S. Why bother with "end of the world" supplies if you are going to be raptured by the bearded guy anyway? Does heaven have a shortage of cupcakes?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645439856635422478.post-53180989892644840732012-07-13T05:33:52.610-07:002012-07-13T05:33:52.610-07:00Wanna bet that the worst case cenario will be high...Wanna bet that the worst case cenario will be higher prices on wheat? If I win, you must acknowledge me as your prophet, able to predict the future of our mystical wprld 8)<br /><br />P.S. A can even make weather forcasts... FEEEAR my power, mear mortals!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com