03/29/2022 / By Ethan Huff
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has coincided with a sharp increase in global food prices, which is something that we have seen before in recent history – though never at the current scale.
It happened with the food price crisis riots in 2008, and again in 2011 during the infamous Arab Spring. Every time there is a financial crisis, in other words, political instability is either right there with it or soon to follow.
Statista’s Katharina Buchholz says that in the past, food price surges have almost always immediately led to social unrest, usually in developing countries. Oftentimes, an oppressive regime gets challenged during the melee, and perhaps even unseated and replaced with new overlords.
The situation we are seeing right now, however, is far worse. Food prices today have surpassed the peaks seen in 2008 and 2011, and civil unrest has already begun in North Africa, Southeast Asia and elsewhere.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) says that North Africa and the Middle East are especially vulnerable because they import much of their food from Russia and Ukraine. Both countries, as we reported, have stymied exports due to the ongoing conflict.
Cornell University economics professor Chris Barrett says that the potential for more unrest is heightened as inflation continues.
At the beginning of March, protests over rising food prices were seen in Iraq, and that situation could spread elsewhere if countries do not receive the food imports they are used to getting from Russia and Eastern Europe.
The United States and NATO are largely to blame, of course, as sanctions against Russia interfere with global trade. The Federal Reserve and other members of the central banking cartel are also responsible for creating economic conditions favorable to hyperinflation.
The entire world is now suffering to one degree or another – except, perhaps, for the ruling elite who have been siphoning the fruits of everyone’s labor and stockpiling their own hoards in anticipation of a global economic collapse and “great reset.”
World Economic Forum (WEF) founder Klaus Schwab’s dream of everyone owning nothing and being happy is advancing day by day while everyone is being told to focus on Vladimir Putin and the situation in Ukraine.
As horrible and tragic as that situation is for many who are having to relocate to safer areas, the reality is that things were already bad before the invasion. They are only now becoming even worse under the guise of the war.
“Lack of food availability has brought down more governments over the eons than any other cause,” wrote someone at Zero Hedge. “Strap in and enjoy the ride!”
“The bulk of the American people are not remotely prepared for such an event my friend … or in the words of many … it can’t happen here,” responded another. “Imagine their surprise when it does.”
Someone else pointed out that it takes a special kind of arrogance to think that the horrors seen around the world will never happen here in the United States. Gas prices alone are proving that America is not immune to impact of financial and economic terrorism.
“Most American cities are only a few days away from having no food on the shelves if a complete failure transportation issue happens if I recall my urban warfare training,” suggested another.
“Considering the reliance of on-time deliveries and very reduced warehouse stock, it would not take much to deplete available stores. The simultaneous take down of the couple dozen major power relay stations would devastate the grid. Many components have a two- to three-year production lag. The average American has probably less than a week of food. Food insecurity becomes a Food Crisis very quickly.”
More related news coverage about the current state of the global economy can be found at Collapse.news.
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Tagged Under:
Collapse, economic collapse, food crisis, food supply, Inflation, political instability, Russia, Russia-Ukraine war, starvation, Ukraine, unrest, WWIII
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