What's in a word? (zaibatsu.circumlunar.space), 03/24/2020
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(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
