Every so often there is a natural disaster, terrorist incident, or major crisis that throws parts of the country into temporary chaos. Many times everything people own is wiped out as was the case with Hurricane Katrina, Super-storm Sandy, and the Joplin tornado. When these things happen, you see society at its worst with looting, violence, and mass chaos. Given Americans’ history of rioting over small things like Black Friday sales and sporting events, it makes sense that this would happen in the event of a major disaster. Those that prepare for these events are being prudent and should be commended.
To the governments of the world, it is about control. The establishment does not like any movement that is outside of their control. For example, in Venezuela, the government has called on prosecutors to target people who are “hoarding” basic staples in the event of a natural disaster or economic crisis. In the U.S. an executive order gives the federal government the authority to seize, confiscate, or re-delegate resources from companies or individuals as deemed necessary in the event of a national security emergency or disaster. In Los Angeles County, codes officials raided the homes of hundreds of people who were growing and storing their own food and producing solar power. The county officials informed them that they could keep their land but they would have to clear everything off of it and would not be allowed to live there.