Food security and the coming storm • Hacker News Board

Re: Food security and the coming storm

#131

Post by guerrilla » Sun, May 29, 2022, 6:12 PM UTC

Throwawayaerlei wrote: post #130

guerrilla wrote: post #127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Everyone who calls someone is a Nazi just disagrees with them." It couldn't possibly be that they are actually racist nationalist traditionalist authoritarian capitalists who don't even bother hiding that fact from anyone and who literally blame Jews for the worlds problems. > In the real world, Orban was just reelected with overwhelming majority (increasing his vote share) You do realize Hitler was elected with an…

"You do realize Hitler was elected with an overwhelming majority too, right?" Hitler or rather the Nazi party infamously didn't win "with an overwhelming majority" in November 1932. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/November_1932_German_federal_e... reminds me they " lost 34 seats and again failed to form a coalition government in the Reichstag" (emphasis added). They gained power by non-electoral means after this, start…

Okay, fair point, I went too far with that one.

Re: Food security and the coming storm

#132

Post by lotusmars » Sun, May 29, 2022, 6:17 PM UTC

FpUser wrote: post #60

lotusmars wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was shocked to learn that most Westerners (especially Americans) believe that sanctions actually worked. Most believe that SWIFT was cut for Russian banks (most are working fine). That you can't buy USD in Russia (it's absolutely available both in banks and on the street, actually there's overabundance of hard currency due to gas and oil prices). Yes, McDonald's took down its logo. But it's already opening under ne…

McDonald's and iPhones and other branded crap are not strategic. Who really gives a fuck about their existence. Russians could always get cheaper Android phone from China and do just fine. They would not loose their sleep over McBurger being replaced with something else either. Ability to produce advanced microchips, high end machinery etc on the other hand is. When the existing stock (all bought from the West) is de…

Putin's bet seems to be that sanctions will erode and be lifted before microchip, oil technology embargo actually hits Russian economy.

Medvedev explicitly said this two days before invasion. Yes, Western reaction will be loud but short-lived. Once European customer will feel prices hike or refugee influx, governments will be under immense preasure to resolve conflict ASAP.

This is martial arts 101, which Putin seems to be a big fan of. You engage with opponent, lock with them and apply pain on any possible surface until they submit and let go.

North African instability and revolts due to widespread hunger is yet another ankle that he can twist in this lock. Another one is Syria which is under his control and can destabilize Israeli border.

Re: Food security and the coming storm

#133

Post by guerrilla » Sun, May 29, 2022, 6:29 PM UTC

ziml77 wrote: post #116

lotusmars wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yep, saying this as a Russian, Russian media will show you a small part of the city with a staged crowd carrying Russian flags and tell you it's the whole city. They've done it for years. It's a shame some people in the West are fooled by these cynical lies. For others reading it, just google areal videos of Mariupol from The Guardian or BBC. It's shocking how West allowed this to happen in 21st century.

What's a shame is that people are so distrustful of the news and government here that they think that anything that says the opposite of what they hear from those sources must be the actual truth.

It is a shame. It's some kind of good guy fallacy. Sometimes there just isn't one and everyone is lying to you about everything.

Re: Food security and the coming storm

#134

Post by fny » Sun, May 29, 2022, 6:30 PM UTC

jillesvangurp wrote: post #15

sdoering wrote: post #4

I recently had a conversation with an organic farmer. While he is able to pass on at least some of his increased costs for energy and fuel through direct sales and cooperatively organized distribution channels, his conventionally farmed colleagues have a bigger problem. They have long-term purchase contracts that fix the prices for milk, meat or vegetables. In the case of milk and meat in particular, production costs…

I'm less pessimistic. People in the US, and increasingly the rest of the world are on a diet that just isn't good for them: lots of low quality carbs with cheap fat and artificial flavorings and not a whole lot of nutritional value. Arguably, a large part of the population is eating way more than is good for them and not enough good quality food. And it's not just a money issue: it's a skill and knowledge issue. Peop…

Before you all clamor over organics, I'm going to leave some evidence to ponder.

The food shortages in Sri Lanka are primarily due to ditching industrial agriculture in favor of organic: https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/03/05/sri-lanka-organic-farmi...

We depend on industrial food processes to create the yields necessary to support society. Organic food does NOT provide commensurate food security.

Re: Food security and the coming storm

#135

Post by leetcrew » Sun, May 29, 2022, 6:31 PM UTC

tedajax wrote: post #42

jillesvangurp wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you have the disposable income, you can dispose of it as you please of course. But still, there are ways to get good food prepared quickly as well. All you need is a pantry stocked with the essentials and some basic knowledge. Mostly the issue isn't necessarily time but giving into your cravings. Junk food is designed for that. People buy junk food because they like eating it and crave it. Even if the experience i…

I enjoy cooking but it's pretty silly to suggest everyone do it. Beyond the time commitment there's also equipment and space concerns and also some people just aren't good at it.

it's not silly; you can't take ownership of your own health without having at least basic cooking skills.

the "time commitment" is just another BS excuse. there are plenty of recipes that can be prepped, cooked, and served in the time it takes to order and pickup takeout. there are tons of youtube videos on this exact topic. search "but faster".

the equipment and space concerns I'll give you. there are some people who literally don't own a functioning heat source. that's a non-starter.

but if, like most americans, you do have a functioning oven/stove, you can made a wide range of tasty and healthy meals by adding just a couple cheap items to your collection. to get started, you just need a knife, cutting surface, and a sheetpan. cut things up, add a light drizzle of oil, and roast them in the oven. takes a couple minutes of prep followed by 20-30 minutes of doing something else while it cooks. bonus: add a meat thermometer to safely cook meats. or alternatively, try all the same combinations of meats, starches, and vegetables in a skillet if you want to put in a little more active time to get a finished meal faster.

Re: Food security and the coming storm

#136

Post by bombcar » Sun, May 29, 2022, 6:40 PM UTC

xyzzyz wrote: post #88

Throwawayaerlei wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And before that, fascism Italian style, or national syndicalism as I see Wikipedia calls it. Hard to say we in the US aren't already there in many sectors where big companies work hand in glove with the Federal government such as much of the "surveillance state." Which the companies don't have much choice in acquiescing to unless their leaders want to end up in Federal prison like Qwest's Joseph Nacchio. Going back t…

With a century of experience with the US government policies bringing damage to the country’s food supply, I don’t understand why so many people think that FDA is somehow good now. They could solve the baby formula immediately by just allowing import of European baby formula. Sure, it’s not been vetted by FDA, but unless you believe French or German babies are malnourished en masse, this is scarcely a good reason to…

Almost all (if not all) government regulatory agencies like the FDA has as their primary goal “no blame shall ever be possible to ascribe to us bureaucrats”. If they don’t emergency waiver European food then they can’t be blamed if something were to go wrong with it.

And if babies die of malnutrition that’s not their fault and won’t affect their performance review.

Re: Food security and the coming storm

#137

Post by pharmakom » Sun, May 29, 2022, 6:41 PM UTC

atmartins wrote: post #106

pharmakom wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Time for me is by far the limiting factor. Short of a personal chef (too expensive) all the quick options are unhealthy. Edit: Loads of people suggesting cooking - I know how to cook, I just don’t have the time or energy. It’s not just preparation time but also the planning aspect. Meal prep delivery services suggestions are interesting. I have tried a few and found them expensive and low quality. Open to trying more…

Here me out: this sounds like an excuse. If you really want to solve it you could. I did. I use a wok to cook and it's faster than going to McDonalds. It's slower than a frozen meal but not by much. I don't aim for perfection, rather, most of my meals I try and make healthy. I still love bacon. In less than 10 minutes you can chop celery, broccoli, tofu, chicken, etc. If it takes longer then solve that problem: bette…

You compared the cooking time to going to McDonald’s but didn’t include the time to go to the shops!

Re: Food security and the coming storm

#138

Post by baybal2 » Sun, May 29, 2022, 6:42 PM UTC

jillesvangurp wrote: post #15

sdoering wrote: post #4

I recently had a conversation with an organic farmer. While he is able to pass on at least some of his increased costs for energy and fuel through direct sales and cooperatively organized distribution channels, his conventionally farmed colleagues have a bigger problem. They have long-term purchase contracts that fix the prices for milk, meat or vegetables. In the case of milk and meat in particular, production costs…

I'm less pessimistic. People in the US, and increasingly the rest of the world are on a diet that just isn't good for them: lots of low quality carbs with cheap fat and artificial flavorings and not a whole lot of nutritional value. Arguably, a large part of the population is eating way more than is good for them and not enough good quality food. And it's not just a money issue: it's a skill and knowledge issue. Peop…

No post body was provided.

Re: Food security and the coming storm

#139

Post by giantrobot » Sun, May 29, 2022, 6:43 PM UTC

ALittleLight wrote: post #90

eulers_secret wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just saw this earlier today: https://www.insider.com/tiktok-doctors-say-diy-formula-recip... Basically there are viral recipes going around, and this supports that formula in particular is something that we cannot trust the average person to diy. Infants are extremely vulnerable and have unusual dietary requirements. People will die due to this. EDIT: I see this is contentious. Check the reddit post and go argue with…

That's all the more reason to publish and promote good instructions.

Good instructions to a lay populace aren't necessarily helpful. Babies are pretty fragile. Slightly undercooked ingredients, slightly improper ratios, or just substitutions made out of ignorance can kill them. It's not DIY chocolate milk powder. A slightly off recipe or preparation won't just taste funny while being otherwise safe.

Re: Food security and the coming storm

#140

Post by lotusmars » Sun, May 29, 2022, 6:44 PM UTC

ziml77 wrote: post #116

lotusmars wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yep, saying this as a Russian, Russian media will show you a small part of the city with a staged crowd carrying Russian flags and tell you it's the whole city. They've done it for years. It's a shame some people in the West are fooled by these cynical lies. For others reading it, just google areal videos of Mariupol from The Guardian or BBC. It's shocking how West allowed this to happen in 21st century.

What's a shame is that people are so distrustful of the news and government here that they think that anything that says the opposite of what they hear from those sources must be the actual truth.

RT was actually grown by Kremlin as a brand that "tells truth your government wants to hide". Conspriacy theories and Oliver Stone interviews interspersed with footage of Kremlin-backed European extremists protesting and pepper-sprayed.

Thank God, they lacked subtlety and were not suave enough to build this vision. Now they're taking a second shot at it by spinning off its reporters and affilates as "independent bloggers"

Also Kremlin's psyops campaigns on social media are never as explicit as "Putin good". They're more like "while Russia is doing bad things in Ukraine, I am an American and I am ashamed of Iraq/treatment of black people/Arab Springs/NATO enlargement". The person writing sits in St. Petersburg suburbs, is paid $600 per month and takes a shuttle bus to his depressive town every night. But it's enough to spark a thread on Reddit.