What's in a word? (zaibatsu.circumlunar.space), 03/24/2020 ------------------------------------------------------------ (A rant follows, but that is par for the course with my phlogs.) I've seen all these words and phrases used abundantly in recent weeks: * Hoarding Stockpiling Overstocking Panic buying Buying more than you * need I've even seen them all used in a single news article. They are being used in reference to buying habits, primarily of household goods and food, but also of medical supplies. Mostly the words are used without definition. Sometimes, an arbitrary level of "enough for two weeks" is bandied about carelessly and without viable justification. They're words used to condemn the behavior of others, and when left ambiguous or unsupported, they allow for condemnation of virtually any behavior that is deemed socially wrong in any particular moment and from any particular point of view. Looking at the situation with as little prejudice as possible, and outside the cadre of a crisis, it is easy enough to see that when a single customer purchases large quantities of goods, customers who come after them but before restocking, can buy nothing. This is not illegal where I live (and I haven't heard anyone claiming it is, or that it should be, yet), but it is socially wrong. It is akin to the person at the front of the line at a potluck[1] taking all of a certain dish and leaving none for the line of people behind them, who they know are present. It offends the social contract. It is self-centered, instead of tribe or society centered. I've been at the store when someone bought up the entire current stock of some particular item. In peaceful times, that never bothered me; they wanted it, they got there first, and if I waited, my turn would come to get what I wanted or needed. There was no emergency. In the midst of a crisis, of any kind, social contracts and feelings change. They change because they are driven by a new variable, which is fear. There is a shared, community- experienced fear, fueld by large scale unknowns. Selfishness that would have been excused in normal times, is viewed more harshly. This is where the struggle to communicate becomes real, and words like the ones in the list above are weaponized carelessly. To bring things to a more concrete present, consider the rhetoric against hoarding et al during coronavirus. The- I feel- weak justification that I've heard against them is that if one comes along and buys up everything, the elderly and the young, who can't get there first, will have nothing. It is an emotional plea, actuated by our protective instincts. Before I go further, let me say that I'm not a monster; I care about the elderly and the young, and have both in my own circle of protection. My point is that rhetoric creates monsters out of people who are not. People who are fearful are not monsters, they are motivated by self-preservation, which trumps social contracts and tribalism. Let me also point out a truth that may sound self aggrandizing, but is not: I have not done any prepping (hoarding et al) since the grocery stores started to get hit hard. I share that so that the reader may know that I am not writing all this to justify myself. I don't need to excuse any behavior here on gopher, or in my head. My concern is mainly for the future, and that future will likely be shaped by how we use words during this crisis. As justification for that last statement, I point to the 1950 Defense Production Act, sec. 102[2], which gives the president power to curtail hoarding by any person. I'm not going to go full-nutjob on you here, I'm just pointing out that the rule exists. It's very clear and simple, and contained in one paragraph, which I'll quote for you here: Sec. 102. HOARDING OF DESIGNATED SCARCE MATERIALS [50 U.S.C. App. ง 2072] In order to prevent hoarding, no person shall accumulate (1) in excess of the reasonable demands of business, personal, or home consumption, or (2) for the purpose of resale at prices in excess of prevailing market prices, materials which have been designated by the President as scarce materials or materials the supply of which would be threatened by such accumulation. The President shall order published in the Federal Register, and in such other manner as he may deem appropriate, every designation of materials the accumulation of which is unlawful and any withdrawal of such designation. In making such designations the President may prescribe such conditions with respect to the accumulation of materials in excess of the reasonable demands of business, personal, or home consumption as he deems necessary to carry out the objectives of this Act [50 U.S.C. App. ง 2061-2171]. This section shall not be construed to limit the authority contained in sections 101 and 704 of this Act [50 U.S.C. App. ง 2061-2171] [50 U.S.C. App. ง 2071 and 2154]. Therefore, how will we clearly define the following, without fear and rhetoric: * Hoarding Stockpiling Overstocking Panic buying Buying more than you * need and I'll reiterate from the USC Title 50: * Hoarding in excess of the reasonable demands At this moment, stores around me are limiting purchases for specific items, to help make sure all of their customers get what they need. I prefer this to government-imposed limits. Stores are creating special operating hours for at-risk populations, and special hours for additional cleaning. I prefer this to government-imposed hours of operation. The social contract is being managed by businesses to protect their profits and public image. Again, I prefer this to governments imposing regulation to protect us against ourselves. I hope that the current rhetoric around hoarding et al will not extend to non-crisis times. I've always felt it was wise to store extra necessities. I was indoctrinated in the Boy Scouts at a young age, to be prepared. My family and religious cultures trained me to be self sufficient, and part of that meant setting aside food, money, and other supplies in times of plenty, so they would be available in times of want. One of the oldest documents in existence- the Bible- gives clear examples of this wisdom of the ages. Rather than vilifying hoarding et al, my hope is that our country and our government- and those all around the world- will re-establish being prepared as a foundational wisdom for any society, any group, and any individual. If that happens, we won't have to worry about panic buying in times of distress, because people will have what they need. We won't have to worry about the vulnerable populations, because everyone will have enough to help others and not be a burden on the system. Perhaps it's a pipe dream, but all the best dreams are. [1] gopher://gopherpedia.com:70/0/Potluck [2] https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/20130726-1650-20490-9035/the_defense_production_act_of_1950.txt