Port Strikes, Rail shut-downs, Oct. Surprises.

[Jim_Duyer]

With the port strikes clogging up freight, the railways have been shutting off lines to keep things from piling up. Some of the Mexico traffic has been closed to rail, recently, while they try to figure out what they can do next. Combine this with shelves part empty because of election problem fears and the fact that the Dems don't really want any election if they can help it, and it may be time to do some prudent investing in common commodities and things that might be effected by these transportation issues. There also seems to be on and off cell service in areas near where production is highest - such as Nebraska, starting yesterday and continuing some today.

Good luck and God Bless. Remember - you can always just use it up over the next months if nothing comes of this.

[Satori]

With the port strikes clogging up freight, the railways have been shutting off lines to keep things from piling up. Some of the Mexico traffic has been closed to rail, recently, while they try to figure out what they can do next. Combine this with shelves part empty because of election problem fears and the fact that the Dems don't really want any election if they can help it, and it may be time to do some prudent investing in common commodities and things that might be effected by these transportation issues. There also seems to be on and off cell service in areas near where production is highest - such as Nebraska, starting yesterday and continuing some today.

Good luck and God Bless. Remember - you can always just use it up over the next months if nothing comes of this.

This topic touches upon another huge issue that people must pay attention to.

[Abondance]

Panic-Buying Already Spreading As Dockworker Strike Gets Underway



“Are people already panic buying because of the Port Strike? Here are the grocery shelves in the water section at my local Kroger this morning. I realize that we are probably also low on water due to the Helene aftermath in East Tennessee, but still not great to see this already,” photographer and author Denise Van Patten posted in a social media video clip on X.

He said U.S. farmers could be particularly vulnerable to a strike that lasts a week or more.

“The strike could have disastrous impacts on U.S. agriculture, depending on how long it lasts,” Munch said. “The disruption to overall agricultural trade is expected to be about $1.4 billion each week that a strike is in place. When we think about what commodities are at risk, nearly 80% of waterborne exports of poultry leave East Coast ports, 56% of raw cotton, 36% of red meat, 30% of dairy products and even 6% of soybeans all go through those ports, through containerized exports. Not having an outlet to move those goods will create supply surpluses domestically and reduce prices for farmers.”

The top retailers that could be affected by the work stoppage at the ports are Walmart, Ikea, Samsung and Home Depot, according to data from ImportGenius and Arbor Data Science.

Last year, Walmart led all U.S. retailers with the most imports to East and Gulf Coast ports. Officials for Walmart said they prepare for any potential disruptions to their supply chain.

“We prepare for unforeseen disruptions in our supply chain and maintain additional sources of supply to ensure we have key products available for our customers when and how they want them,” Jeffrey Essary, a global communications spokesperson for Walmart, told FreightWaves."

....................................................

The cumulative effect of so many difficulties is difficult to assess.

North Carolina is the largest producer of sweet potato, with over 653,000 tonnes produced in 2023; Over 72,000 farms (agriculture + livestock) are on the territory and we do not know the extent of the damage, the recovery capacity, the state of the land, how many cattle have died, how many people will be able to work quickly ( when your house no longer exists, that your car is engulfed, and that your parents do not respond anymore, what do you do? Communities will help each other first for the most urgent for all, but the most urgent may require that there is no additional disruption of provisioning. )

Apparently more than 400 roads are impassable and if you add to that supply disruptions, it means even less help available. I don’t know if the dockers will take this into consideration...
All this a few weeks away from the worst elections in US history (if they take place)...
I wish you all the strength and resilience possible, the road will be long...
:grouphug:



An other article mentions :

"Supply Chain Hell: 91% of Prescription Drug Imports Impacted by Port Strike"

But I suppose they will find a way to drop jabs caises by helicopter...


https://www.zerohedge.com/economics/panic-buying-already-spreading-dockworker-strike-gets-underway

[Jim_Duyer]

Thanks's Abondance. I was not advocating clearing the shelves with my topic post, but rather that our members become prudent. Purchasing a few months worth of essential medicines, having good supplies of basic foodstuffs such as flour, salt, sugar, powdered milk, oil, and others, is simply good business sense as well - whatever extras you buy now you can use up and pay your savings back over the next several months - IF, that is, this is not the prelude to something more. When pressure is applied, as we see here from all corners, it generally appears to me like the smoke they lay before the main group comes at you.
I don't for one minute believe that Trump will put any more people that deserve it in jail than he did during his first term - but I do believe that the common folk will erupt if he is not allowed to be elected and serve.

Outside forces are responsible, to some great extent, but then again, they are there with the paid agreement of our finest in Congress and elsewhere.

Murderers being allowed to cross and do what they wish, rioters that are not deported, unidentified groups of Chinese military age men crossing over - not by the normal slavery route but in organized bunches - all of these sound very much like part of the same plan. No better time than just before the election, if there is one.
So a reasonable and prudent person does what he can for his and his family.
Forget toilet paper though - rags and fake newspapers work equally well.

[Abondance]

And please think about your pets... make stocks for them too

Cats need more proteins than dogs and they are far more difficult to nourrish in case of shortage unless they're able to kill themselves their prey. But that's not enough and they could loss weight quickly.

:cat:

[Jim_Duyer]

And please think about your pets... make stocks for them too

Cats need more proteins than dogs and they are far more difficult to nourrish in case of shortage unless they're able to kill themselves their prey. But that's not enough and they could loss weight quickly.

:cat:

Sorry, I forgot to mention that I did prepare for my pets. I bought double the dog and cat food and
three times the chicken feed on Saturday, when I posted this.
If needed we will give the dogs/cats our leftovers (only if necessary) and we will dig for worms and bugs
to supplement the grass available for the chickens, should this run out. We also bought three times the
antibiotic injections that we use for all of them (we inject them at home) and vitamins.

[Jim_Duyer]

Currently: 4 dogs, 1 cat, 29 chickens.

[Inversion]

The Baltimore bridge (https://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?122881-The-Baltimore-Bridge-Collision-How-and-Why/page6&highlight=Baltimore) collapsed could have been a test run for the current port closures so they could hone their algorithms. The Rodney King riots (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1992_Los_Angeles_riots) in Los Angeles 32 years ago in 1992 could have been beta test for what's on the horizon.

[arwen]

The strike has been suspended till 15 January next year.

Dockworkers’ union to suspend strike until Jan. 15 to allow time to negotiate new contract (https://apnews.com/article/longshoremen-strike-ports-dockworkers-agreement-86fac07d1189e11ca4816b2cbf37affb)

https://dims.apnews.com/dims4/default/191c351/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7420x4948+0+0/resize/1440x960!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.apnews.com%2F2f%2Ff9%2F104490612a245859b0f3d3dd59cf%2F5c5f8381d49c44848cbc 34ec323feca7

DETROIT (AP) — The union representing 45,000 striking U.S. dockworkers at East and Gulf coast ports reached a deal Thursday to suspend a three-day strike until Jan. 15 to provide time to negotiate a new contract.


The union, the International Longshoremen’s Association, is to resume working immediately. The temporary end to the strike came after the union and the U.S. Maritime Alliance, which represents ports and shipping companies, reached a tentative agreement on wages, the union and ports said in a joint statement.

[Jim_Duyer]

The Baltimore bridge (https://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?122881-The-Baltimore-Bridge-Collision-How-and-Why/page6&highlight=Baltimore) collapsed could have been a test run for the current port closures so they could hone their algorithms. The Rodney King riots (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1992_Los_Angeles_riots) in Los Angeles 32 years ago in 1992 could have been beta test for what's on the horizon.

Yes, I believe you are on to something.

[Jim_Duyer]

The strike has been suspended till 15 January next year.

Dockworkers’ union to suspend strike until Jan. 15 to allow time to negotiate new contract (https://apnews.com/article/longshoremen-strike-ports-dockworkers-agreement-86fac07d1189e11ca4816b2cbf37affb)

https://dims.apnews.com/dims4/default/191c351/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7420x4948+0+0/resize/1440x960!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.apnews.com%2F2f%2Ff9%2F104490612a245859b0f3d3dd59cf%2F5c5f8381d49c44848cbc 34ec323feca7

DETROIT (AP) — The union representing 45,000 striking U.S. dockworkers at East and Gulf coast ports reached a deal Thursday to suspend a three-day strike until Jan. 15 to provide time to negotiate a new contract.


The union, the International Longshoremen’s Association, is to resume working immediately. The temporary end to the strike came after the union and the U.S. Maritime Alliance, which represents ports and shipping companies, reached a tentative agreement on wages, the union and ports said in a joint statement.

Well, I guess Trump will handle it then.
Not many people today remember how Ronald Reagan handled strikes of critical areas.
When the Air Traffic Controllers could not agree on anything, he first warned them. They did not listen, and so he fired every single one of them and ensured that they would never work for the government again.

He then brought in ATCs from the military, and from other countries, began schools to train even more, and life went on without that union.

[Jim_Duyer]

I am glad that the Union problem seems to be put on hold. That's the power of money - stores needing to sell those Christmas goods. But it changes very little for me and mine as regards preparedness. We still have the boot about to drop on our heads - either Trump wins and the Dems pay people to go nuts along with the crazy Dems themselves, or they keep Trump out, in which case the Repubs will try to wipe the smiles off their faces. Either way, we ourselves, as intelligent thinkers, should be ready to take care of ourselves.
That's my less than humble opinion, and your mileage may vary.