WB
I'm empathetic to your feelings, I can see
Saturday, October 10, 2020, 08:13

it and also sometimes give in to my suspicious nature. But the situation is complex, I truly do not believe outside forces are suppressing the supply.

First off us guys are buying cases of materials (preparing) way ahead of time. Trying to now for newly woke folks is a bit late. This election cycle the stakes and threat is real and it's not been this tense before in my lifetime. Not that I can remember. The concerns are valid. But if you like hunting up stuff and have the money you can obtain. The COVID thing has hurt things on many levels. Manufacturers, shippers, wholesalers, are all being hurt by employees not being able or desiring to work. It's stopped production and supply, or slowed it greatly. By my figuring and what I can see, it's largely the "Shut Downs". These two combined are killing supplies arriving locally. Price gouging thrown in for good measure does not help things and fuels panic even to those not buying.

Simply put I think it is production not being able to keep up with supply. The special situation is not allowing for a surge in producing as we would normally expect. Eventually it will catch up. I know manufacturers must not overproduce or the glut will depress the market later. They hire extra crews (when they are able) only to lay them off when a huge stockpile eventually develops. A more stable market is desirable but not always possible.

I may be wrong but it takes motivation and covert skill to produce a true conspiracy. Is there really a pay off to one? I personally think it's just a really unusual combination of factors appearing all at once. The common phrase you hear "Strange Times" certainly is befitting. Our Church (yes we are resumed in having in-person services) just finished a 3 month study on John's Revelation and now we are back at Genesis. COVID and crazy Marxist politicians indeed have tried to suppress even this to maintain a sense of general uncertainty and fear, to hopefully further their cause. Dethrone Trump at any and all costs. It's been reinforced to me afresh that God is in control and has his plan that man cannot stop or alter, as he mistakenly thinks his free-will allows. But I feel pretty secure with it all, do you?