September 4, 2021- During my weekly visit with some restaurateur friends, the husband told me that there is a rising problem of hoarding, within the food service industry. He did not specify whether the excessive purchases are being done by chains or by insecure independent restaurant owners. He did, however, make it clear that their restaurant was buying what they need, in order to provide fresh and delicious meals for the week.
I was always taught to buy only what I need, as well, as the open market is intended to provide for all, at a fair price. Hoarding, at any point in the supply chain, causes scarcity of goods, and thus, skyrocketing prices. In many countries, this has led to commodity-based riots. Here in the U.S., it is helping to contribute to discontent-as not only discretionary meals, but staples, are sure to be affected, before long-if the hoarding behaviour is not more widely discerned and called out.
There are other things that people hoard: Attention, money, and power. I could go on for a long time on any one of those, but suffice it to say that the intangibles, when hogged by a few, will also contribute to widespread social malaise. No one likes to be pestered or bullied, so the backlash is liable to be swifter than the perpetrators think. In my case, pests and bullies just get blocked and deleted. There are too many genuinely loving people in my world, who give and receive the affection and attention each of us deserves. I am sure that most other rational and genuinely caring people will do the same, for their own well-being.
Hoarders, sooner or later, face the scarcity they so fear.
A Sagittarian Seeker 
Sad but true that hoarding is happening and also very true that it will come back to bite those who indulge in such selfish and greedy behavior! I just think of the man who bought up all the hand sanitizer and was selling it for 100 times what he paid for it – then amazon and marketplace, Craig’s list and Ebay all banned him from selling at such outrageous prices. He was stuck with a garage full of hand sanitizer…
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I remember that guy’s story. He basically ended up giving it all away. Much of the food stock that is being hoarded will also end up either being freezer-burnt or given to the Dumpster Divers.
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I paid for my sin already this week. I don’t hoard, I mooch. I realized that the lady I asked had next to nothing and it was too late to take back my words, so I gave her my entire freezer of vegetables and salmon, plus the dollar she loaned me. (I do pay everyone their dollar back, that’s what I ask for). I’ve only had a few complaints. The voting lady didn’t understand that the hospital wasn’t helping me with my potassium, and it kept dropping when my brain released the pressure, sorry lady. I know that mooching is bad. Usually, if you do something bad, it’ll come back to you in consequence or hurting your soul. If you have a conscience, that is.
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Even if one does not exhibit a conscience, karma takes its due. The person with no conscience will cast about, saying “WHY MEEE?”
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I would like to say that stockpiling is dumb anyway. If we were in a crisis such as martial law, soldiers would go door to door and take everything and distribute themselves. You should think your hoarders. And they’ll know where to go by the grocery lists.
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Hoarders just drive up the prices of everything, so they get no thanks from me.
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