Hi Wayne, icd,
Interesting .....
Your post:
""It is cheaper to just buy goods you know you will use and stock up.
Would you sell your generator for 10 cans of beans if you have nothing to eat?"

Have advised for years to buy beans and bullets in lieu of gold and silver. Without the beans you starve, without the means to protect your beans you starve and your bacon may also be cooked.

The veil of civil society is paper thin. "

I center on the "last sentence" : "The veil of civil society is paper thin. "

Seems a number of "politicians" have caught the drift of this thought !!!!!

A number of interesting events have occurred and I'm sure some was "posturing" before the election but not all.

The NYC marathon was cancelled. Not at the "last minute" but close enough. Mayor Bloomberg reversed his position an hour before the announcement.

This issue alone could have become explosive !!!

USAF transport planes were used to fly in power company equipment and crews from the west coast to assist in power restoration. This is the first time I have heard of this being done but it makes a lot of sense to me. These crews have to "fly" periodically to stay current any way, so I hope this gets designed into the overall scheme of things. To carry this thought further, with the US Postal Service in such economic trouble, maybe these planes should be used as a "matter of course" to ferry mail on all "training/crew currency" flights !!!! We are going to pay for the flight time expense any way !!

US Gov't sent/is sending gasoline by tanker trucks to NYC and NJ to help alleviate the gasoline shortage. [Was an Obama move as I understand it, so sign that one up to the election as well.]

Rules/Requirements of gasoline barge entry into the Port of NY relaxed to facilitate gasoline deliveries. I don't understand all of this one and apparently the US Coast Guard took some heat. But the problem was solved.

NJ brings back the odd/even license plate system from the Carter era to help with the gas lines.
Fuel shortage in North Jersey mostly due to power outage (many BIG trees came down), South Jersey has FEW big trees and power outages were not as severe.

There is much more .... Mass transit, flooded tunnels, and it goes on .....

I quit here as I think the point has been made !!!

I think the comment Wayne made "The veil of civil society is paper thin. " Was coming close to being "realized" and I hope the politicians continue to realize that !!!

Lee