EBT Armageddon

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ancona

Praying Mantis
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The recent food stamp glitch and resultant free-for-all that occurred in a few areas highlights a few things about a segment of our society that the MSM dutifully ignores in everyday reporting. During a systems check this weekend, food stamp cards went off-line for a few hours and an awful lot of people went bananas in a very short time. When the system started to come back on-line, folks began to realize that their cards did not display a limit anymore. That is to say they were able to purchase as much as they liked and the card was accepted, even though their limit had already been reached. With the magic of instant messaging and text messaging, word spread like wildfire. Soon, a number of retailers were overwhelmed with people loading up the carts with ‘Mo free shit’.

I watched some of the footage and it reminded me of Katrina looters simply taking what they wanted and then acting justified when confronted because after all, “We’re poor and those rich store owners can afford it”.

Folks, this was just a short term [a few hours or so] gap in availability of .Gov entitlement money and look what happened. People devolved in to mob packs in a matter of a couple of hours. It was a gross display of immorality and complete lack of ethics on a very base level, quite disturbing on its face really. Imagine what happens when shit gets cut off for real. What do people do when told “Sorry, the EBT system is off line for the foreseeable future and you have to pay cash for those groceries”. People will go ape-shit in one quick hurry. I’m talking about cities on fire folks. I’m talking about nationwide looting and burning on a scale to make the Rodney King riots look like a playground dispute over a football.

Listening to these people try and justify the outright theft of goods was astonishing, absolutely astonishing. They were happy and gleefully gloated about how they “Beat the man” and how they were taking their ill gotten booty home and coming back for more. There was a carnival like atmosphere about it for them and they saw absolutely nothing wrong with helping themselves to something they neither deserved nor needed. They simply stole until the system was repaired and the party was over.

Folks the time to prepare is now, right now. We’re coming up against a hard deadline to make some sort of deal in the congress, and if they let it slide past the 17th, all bets are off. When US bond rates become untenable, the world will tell us where to go and it will all become moot in one quick hurry. Interest rate swaps cannot be triggered or we will feel the full wraith of the banksters and their dark pools of money. Collateral calls will take it all down in to a smoking heap. The banksters know this but they will do it anyway, each of them thinking they will be the first to collect their collateral and so will be insulated from crisis. The problem with that is there is so much re-hypothecated collateral that the chains of ownership will break and the ensuing chaos will bring down institution after institution leaving many, if not all of those holding what they thought was insurance, nothing.

I will not make a time-line call here because that would just be irresponsible. What I will do is remind you that “they” have managed to hold shit together for far longer than most of us thought possible, but can they hold back a wave of redemption calls on half a quadrillion worth of interest rate and credit default swaps? Can an ocean of money that large simply be printed up to cover everyone and keep the system whole?:silver:

I can’t answer that definitively, but it is my position that they cannot.

It may be time to put on those big boy pants.:flushed:
 
The recent food stamp glitch and resultant free-for-all that occurred in a few areas highlights a few things about a segment of our society that the MSM dutifully ignores in everyday reporting. During a systems check this weekend, food stamp cards went off-line for a few hours and an awful lot of people went bananas in a very short time. When the system started to come back on-line, folks began to realize that their cards did not display a limit anymore. That is to say they were able to purchase as much as they liked and the card was accepted, even though their limit had already been reached. With the magic of instant messaging and text messaging, word spread like wildfire. Soon, a number of retailers were overwhelmed with people loading up the carts with ‘Mo free shit’.
...

It's a perfect encapsulation of what I was talking about when I said it wouldn't be pretty when Rome burns in your Wednesday rant thread. It's the thin veneer of civilization revealed (aka lord of the flies).
 
I completely missed the reporting on this so that speaks to your MSM observation Can you post a link because that is very troubling if true. I can't believe things can be as bad as you think they are. Yes, some people are pretty selfish and dangerous but I just don't think the entire human race is going to devolve in a crisis, unless they are on food stamps, in which case I am not prepared to take a definitive position on that possibility, although I have to concede there is some evidence it might be possible... :paperbag:
 
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I completely missed the reporting on this so that speaks to your MSM observation Can you post a link because that is very troubling if true. I can't believe things can be as bad as you think they are. Yes, some people are pretty selfish and dangerous but I just don't think the entire human race is going to devolve in a crisis, unless they are on food stamps, in which case I am not prepared to take a definitive position on that possibility, although I have to concede there is some evidence it might be possible... :paperbag:

Aubey, we are nine missed meals away from anarchy. I believe I read recently the pentagon has commissioned studies to find out how long before neighbors will kill one another to get food for their children. I doubt they did this for entertainment. For your perusal:

http://ukemonde.com/news/rferl.html

Ann Barnhard just wrote an essay likening Obamacare and the FSA to this. (Holodomore)
 
KD throws in his opinion:

snip:
In other words when the system malfunctioned WalMart tried to do the right thing and be compassionate. What they got in return was robbed by a phalanx of looters, EBT holders all, who literally pillaged the store and ran up charges they knew were bogus.

When the first person got caught as the system came back online the entire phalanx of looters walked out and left their carts, which they intended to steal, in the aisles.

http://market-ticker.org/akcs-www?post=225074
 
As per usual, when you try and do the right thing by someone, you get screwed over. Just like Denninger said, they knew what they were doing was wrong, and they did it anyway.

This is what happens when you foster an entitlement mentality. Just go to any parent teacher meeting at a school and you will see a lot more of the same. When our county tried to invoke rules for decent attire for middle school and primary school, the parents were out in droves screaming about freedom and expression. What the fuck? These are kids below the age of fourteen and fifteen for the most part, and you had mothers screaming about their kids "right" to express themselves by wearing outrageous clothes such as yoga pants without underwear, because the constitution says so. It was absolutely the height of stupidity. Uniforms are the great equalizer in schools, and to ask people to buy five lousy uniforms I guess was simply too much to ask. They would rather buy them 'hootchie' mama shorts and slut suits instead of a nice, knee length plaid skirt for girls and blue khakis for the boys with a white button down and tie. This would stop the endless harassment and fights over some designer sneaker or another, but he parents got their way. Demographically, the white mothers were all for the uniforms, but across the board, the African American and Latino parents thought uniforms were some kind of plot against them and so they surely must be racist to suggest that uniforms were a good idea.

These people were yelling about how they were too poor to buy these uniforms [about 190 dollars for five sets] yet there always seems to be enough money to outfit them with Jordache and Nike shoes. I am so glad we pulled our daughter out of that cesspool.
 
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Ancona, Bing taught for five years until she determined it was hopeless. (In Mindanao). I took the four hour bus ride to the school she was assigned to (un guardrailed cliffs on the sides of the mountains) and then a nine kilometer walk up the mountain to the school house she was assigned to. She took enough rice to eat for the week and slept on the floor, then caught a ride home on Friday if she was lucky and returned on Sunday. Otherwise she walked from where the bus dropped her off, a long way. They had very few books; the class (60-70 uniformed students) shared a few books. The schoolday was from 7:30 to 4:00 each day, but a lot of homework writing. At the end of each year, she gave a portion of her annual salary as a bribe to keep her job. And amazingly enough, the kids are a damn site smarter than ours are. When I finally got RapRap in the country (after fucking immigration denying his visa five years in a row) the local principal put him back three years cause he wanted to keep him with his age group. His first six weeks, he got straight A's, (Texas history, English, etc, shit he knew nothing about). Simple regurgitation of information. Coming to the US, she refuses to teach (her masters is in education). She says American children are brats and "I will not teach them." Period. Her life is written in the book and movie "Heaven and Earth".

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107096/

Although Le Ly is Vietnamese and Bing is filipina, the story is the same. She also had the rebels coming at night telling her what to teach, etc.

OK, I'll shut up, but I'm really proud she married me (and it wasn't love in the beginning, it was a bid to escape a suck life, she being trapped in Singapore at the time).
 
Aubey, we are nine missed meals away from anarchy. I believe I read recently the pentagon has commissioned studies to find out how long before neighbors will kill one another to get food for their children. I doubt they did this for entertainment. For your perusal:

http://ukemonde.com/news/rferl.html

Ann Barnhard just wrote an essay likening Obamacare and the FSA to this. (Holodomore)

Speaking of Holodomore, Martin Amis's book [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Koba-Dread-Laughter-Twenty-Million/dp/1400032202"]Koba the Dread: Laughter and the Twenty Million: Martin Amis: 9781400032204: Amazon.com: Books@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/419J4VKZ56L.@@AMEPARAM@@419J4VKZ56L[/ame] provides insight, not just to Stalin's USSR, but to human nature in general. There are many accounts of Holodomre, Kolyma (USSR's Auschwitz), the general state of terror enacted by the Bolsheviks, and the devolution of humanity under such circumstances. It is quite chilling when considered from our perspective, and definately worth a quick read.
 
someone just sent me (tin-foil warning)

Cloward-Piven at work?

 
I dont think that is the end of this.

None of those people- pondered that the state will come after some one for an over payment?

Watch to see if they update this story- in that there is a correction in over payments.
 
I dont think that is the end of this.

None of those people- pondered that the state will come after some one for an over payment?

Watch to see if they update this story- in that there is a correction in over payments.


Penn, I may be wrong on this. I see this as a money grab by Walmart, the overpayments had already been approved by the EBT office.
 
so the ebt sends them a letter- we approved payment of $700 in error- we are reducing your stamps $50 a month until the error is balanced-- or send a check to PO box 123, anytown
 
More video was shown on Fox last night and it appears that this was not confined to a couple of Wal-Mart stores. This was more widespread than initially reported and a number of retailers have come out to describe the mayhem caused by this outage.

The speed at which shit devolved in to chaos was shocking to say the least. These retailers were totally unprepared for what occurred, and they all took significant hits. It remains to be seen whether or not Uncle Sugar will take the financial hit, or if the stores will be SOL. Either way, the best thing they could have done is close their doors immediately. Make up whatever excuse you have to, but close the doors.

When I saw pictures of fully loaded carts simply abandoned in aisles and empty stores, it struck me that all those people were indeed using benefit cards. There were only a couple of bemused folks in the store, sort of wondering what the hell was going on, since they were using cash instead of EBT.

The thought of what happens if sixty million card holders can't access their "benefits" takes on a very dark tone after what we witnessed this weekend folks. When the balloon goes up for real, and all freebies stop, the devolution will be nearly instantaneous. Cities will be on fire within thirty six hours.
 
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I work in a grocery store and the normal response if a customer doesn't get their way is to abandon their cart and walk out. Someone has to put that up. My son, who is an unwilling manager (in that he has two degrees but can't get a job in the areas he wants) says all the perishables in those carts have to be thrown away now. I read that it was into the second day for the employees having to clean up all that shit. Now, my comment. WIC is shutting down 30 days from the start of the government shutdown. My wifes friend is the WIC/Foodstamp lady. At the beginning of the shutdown, she received notice that they were shutting down in thirty days (Texas will pick up the tab for a month). She was bitching she will be out a job. I pointed out to her A: better know your master (the guys in Benghazi didn't) and you make your living off of the government. B: so do I (I work for the grocery store where they get their free shit).

edited to add our grocery store got the same notice a couple of days ago about the WIC ending in a month
 
More video was shown on Fox last night and it appears that this was not confined to a couple of Wal-Mart stores. This was more widespread than initially reported and a number of retailers have come out to describe the mayhem caused by this outage.

The speed at which shit devolved in to chaos was shocking to say the least. These retailers were totally unprepared for what occurred, and they all took significant hits. It remains to be seen whether or not Uncle Sugar will take the financial hit, or if the stores will be SOL. Either way, the best thing they could have done is close their doors immediately. Make up whatever excuse you have to, but close the doors.

When I saw pictures of fully loaded carts simply abandoned in aisles and empty stores, it struck me that all those people were indeed using benefit cards. There were only a couple of bemused folks in the store, sort of wondering what the hell was going on, since they were using cash instead of EBT.

The thought of what happens if sixty million card holders can't access their "benefits" takes on a very dark tone after what we witnessed this weekend folks. When the balloon goes up for real, and all freebies stop, the devolution wull be nearly instantaneous. cities will be on fire within thirty six hours.

I suppose this is possible except in California where you can't buy ammunition or matches so it will probably be more like a pillow fight with panty raids there. Also I am pretty sure the cities are built with eco friendly non-flammable materials. :paperbag:
 
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Locally- quite a few are on food stamps. Nothing like that happened- tho the outage did effect PA.

I would be worried that- if I shopped at a store where this happened if a perishable was put back and ruined. Namely meat.
 
Locally- quite a few are on food stamps. Nothing like that happened- tho the outage did effect PA.

I would be worried that- if I shopped at a store where this happened if a perishable was put back and ruined. Namely meat.

you wouldn't like the laws in Texas then... the date on the meat is merely for our convenience.. (we grind old meat into hamburger) Texas law says you only have to remove meat from the shelf if its green or has a noticeable odor.
 
I am hoping they can match who got away with what- and go after for a re-pay.

This type of thing is terrible- none of them consider that when they do that- they make it hard on the people who actually need food stamps.
What could you possibly grab from a walmart on ebt that is so worth sticking it to the man? Still- these folks assume they wont come after for an over payment.

Walmart also goofed when they could have limited the purchases to $50. That is the SOP when the system is down. I have not heard of that being offered in PA. I guess that system was down also.
 
http://fox13now.com/2013/10/14/utah-families-on-food-stamps-could-be-cut-off-soon/

I thought both the state and fed paid a %.

Food stamps for household of one in PA are $123, will drop about $9. One of the bail out increased the stamps by $9 for 2 years.

Weis- is a grocery chain here- they lobby FOR FOOD STAMPS. Not sure why so many shop there- when prices at Aldis are better. I will shop Weis when I just dont want to go across the river- or on stuff that is on sale.
 

my first FIL down in Florida said they used to soak the questionable chickens in vats of bleach to get rid of the stink. the old market manager at the grocery I work for now said they repackaged questionable chicken with BBQ spices to mask the odor (and marked it up, also). (They fired him for switching date labels eventually). The old produce manager allegedly misted the department with raid every morning cause the customers complained about the fruit flies...

we have a major rat infestation. One day a customer came and got me to tell me a rat was eating a bag of pistachios in the middle of the lobby, about four feet off the ground, oblivious to the crowded store around him. The same name grocery up the road from us has a bounty on rats for the employees, 20 dollars each. I go in early in the morning (4:45) and there are rats skittering here and there before the store opens.

People really don't have a clue where their food comes from...the cute little spanish deli girl had a meltdown the other day when she went to get the Kalachies out of the cooler where they had been cooling down and when she whipped off the plastic cover, a big rat was sitting in the middle of them having lunch. I call her "whiskers" now.
 
I had food poisoning once- it was bad. I never want to go thru that again.
 
I had food poisoning once- it was bad. I never want to go thru that again.

gastro-enteritis

Bing drove me to the doc (actually vietnam medic) I was too sick to drive.
You need to quit throwing up. You could die from the dehydration. I can't. Yeah I know but I'm gonna give you a shot that will stop the nausea, but it's gonna hurt. (it did). Oh by the way, do you have someone to drive you home, cause your gonna be unconscious in fifteen minutes. HaHa Lanny Stone, wasn't really a doctor, a PA. Later on saw in the paper 75% of the restaurant got sick from eating tainted hamburger meat sold by the (are you ready for it) the grocery I work for. The restaurant went out of business.
 
Also- in PA- you have to use up the stamps with in 90 days- if you dont they evaporate.

I dont think trading stamps for cash goes on much anymore. Before they went to EBT- people would use a $1 stamp to buy a .17 can of soda to get the coins change.

BTW_ locally we had some house broke into they took gold and silver.
 
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