This whole debacle reminds me of what could’ve happened during the pandemic. Many ‘non-essential’ businesses defied the rules and tried to stay open, with the govt bringing the hammer down. But, what if an ‘essential’ business (say all the grocery stores) decided to shut down to protect their employees’ health? Where would people get food? Well, “that’s their problem”, the store owners might say. I bet the govt would’ve had no issue forcing them back open at gunpoint (or to seize the businesses and their inventories for themselves).
(or to seize the businesses and their inventories for themselves).
Inventories would have lasted a few days at best, less with a run on essentials, or outright looting.