I used to assume that, in an emergency, governments would seize food stockpiles and distribute them equitably among the populace. Yet if it is clear that the emergency is severe and long term, political leaders will probably choose to seize supplies and hoard them for themselves and their friends. All the political talk we’ve heard about the needs of common folk (not to mention the disadvantaged) may be insincere, a way of persuading voters to fork out more in taxes. Perhaps the reason EMP is not discussed by government is because our leaders know they can use the police and military to secure food for themselves, and feel it is too expensive to try to save everyone else. The governor probably already has a list of private food warehouses and a plan to send the National Guard out to secure them. We can expect that in a serious emergency the police and National Guard will be used by local warlords (often former politicians) to monopolize supplies and restrict their distribution.
This is not all bad. At least somebody will survive. Yet for those of us outside the government coterie, neither friends of the governor nor members of the National Guard, it highlights the need to be able to hide or defend your own supplies from large invading forces. You won’t be able to keep them secret indefinitely, since by simply staying alive you are advertising the fact that you have stockpiles.
*** Perhaps the reason EMP is not discussed by government is because our leaders know they can use the police and military to secure food for themselves, and feel it is too expensive to try to save everyone else. ***
I’m more in agreement with the last part of this than the first. Our imperial overlords are very sensitive to anything which might cost them any money in terms of increased taxes, so in that regard I’d say they’d happily let those of us in the 99.9% starve to death. I’d add that an alternate explanation is that they’re too arrogant/stupid to worry their heads about the matter in the first place.
But in the first part you seem to have an unspoken assumption that the police, National Guard, or regular Military are faceless Imperial Stormtroopers without any wives, kids, parents, or siblings. If some big food warehouse is going to be guarded by these armed and organized outfits, they’re not exactly going to settle for useless legal tender in return for their services. For most every armed guard, there will be an extra drain from the food reserves for them and their kinfolk. And the police/military who didn’t get invited to participate, they’re going to be an extreme threat with their own arms and organizational abilities.
It takes quite a while for a human to starve to death, and that’s a whole lot of time they constitute a real problem for those who are trying to keep it all for themselves.