I changed that second paragraph of Music Stops, where I too blithely stated something about the EBT cards flashing zeroes. That was rightly criticised, since Uncle Sam can always replenish electronic digits. Since the essay is still getting new readers, it was worth a revision:
“What if a cascading economic crisis, even a temporary one, leads to millions of EBT (electronic benefit transfer) cards flashing nothing but ERROR? This could also be the result of deliberate sabotage by hackers, or other technical system failures. Alternatively, the government might pump endless digits into the cards in a hopeless attempt to outpace future hyperinflation. The government can order the supermarkets to honor the cards, and it can even set price controls, but history’s verdict is clear: If suppliers are paid only with worthless scrip or blinking digits, the food will stop.”
I figured it could read zero as while the system is just a computer there still must be money someplace to back it up. At some point there cannot be because the participating federal reserve banks would simply no longer participate with EBT once there was nothing left of value to pay them for it.
Either way, the effect of the story remains: The country goes broke and the more than 50% receiving government checks no longer do so they go nuts.
I put prepping into even higher gear this summer. I had the opportunity to take the summer off and do a boatload of final preps, inlcuding refresher medical courses. I see sometime mid next year as the final act. We had best be prepared.
Rudyard Kipling foresaw it nearly a century ago:
In the Carboniferous Epoch we were promised abundance for all,
By robbing selected Peter to pay for collective Paul;
But, though we had plenty of money, there was nothing our money could buy,
And the Gods of the Copybook Headings said: "If you don't work you die."