Casaubon's Book

Yet Another Wave of Global Unrest?

Posted by Sharon Astyk on September 28, 2012
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From Simon Black at Business Insider:

The researchers’ analysis went a step further, though; they modeled the relationship between food prices and social unrest to reach a simple conclusion– whenever the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO)’s global food price index climbs above 210, conditions ripen for social unrest.

Read more: http://www.sovereignman.com/expat/two-no-brainer-ways-to-play-rising-food-prices-8900/#ixzz27moSPcTK

We’re currently at 213.  Read the whole thing, including Black’s exhortation to get a garden, at least.  Not that that’s news if you read here regularly.

Sharon

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Comments

  1. #1 Nathan
    United States
    September 28, 2012

    Sharon, I love your writing and perspectives, and usually when you link to outside material it’s very worth it. I looked around a bit on sovereignman.com, though, and I have to say I’m a bit perturbed by the ideology espoused there. It smacks of the ultra-libertarian ‘sovereign citizen’ movement here in the states. It seems especially disturbing to me that Black emphasizes wealth and advocates simply leaving to a safe haven when the going gets tough. Based on his about page, he seems to think true freedom can only be achieved through wealth, which is a rather narcissistic approach in a world that’s contracting economically and will probably send more and more people into poverty in the near future.

    I’d be interested to know more about why you pointed out this piece in particular. It is interesting to note that even people with very different ideologies can see trouble on the horizon. It’s also worthwhile to see that people with capital are starting to realize the value of farmland. Still, I appreciate your perspective of promoting resilience and community more than Black’s idea of buying land in Uruguay so he can move there and live high on the hog when the going gets tough in the US. Are there other salient points in his piece that I’m missing?

  2. #2 Michelle
    in from the barn
    September 29, 2012

    …except for the part where he says that “Long-term, technology will ultimately solve these problems…” Aside from that, I’m generally with him.

  3. #3 Stephen B.
    September 29, 2012

    I got a good laugh out of that sentence of his too, Michelle.