And we are the richest country?
By Marie Coyle
@MarieCoyle (64567)
October 31, 2026 12:11am CST
I read a few news articles this week talking about finances, prices of food and fuel, and the economy in general. Then I started seeing more articles, and there were a few news reports about Americans and food.
The one that really hit home?
''Half of Americans are skipping meals because of the high cost of food.'' Think about it...HALF. And we are supposed to be the richest country in the world...followed closely by China.
Of course, there seems to be many reasons--climate, wars, poor crops, high transportation costs, and on and on it goes...but the bottom line is, people are really hurting.
''The Pentagon is requiring major U.S. military bases to sustain essential operations independently for at least 90 days without outside power, water, fuel, or municipal infrastructure.'' (via Yahoo finance.) Other countries are strongly suggesting people have extra foods, water, etc. on hand if at all possible.
Could you go 90 days without power or purchasing foods, etc.? Is this really happening? Well, it appears the hunger thing is, so the rest does seem to be likely. It is suggested that every household has food and water for at least 3 days on hand. Preferably, for longer than that.
Did you ever think the US, or indeed the world, would reach this point?
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/general/half-of-americans-skipping-meals-because-grocery-prices-are-so-high/ar-AA2gbEoA?uxmode=ruby&ctsrc=dgst&ocid=edgntpruby&pc=U531&cvid=6adff61821c0443cbfb0793547929436&cvpid=065e960ef2c040c4c3c8ec8085a24a53&ei=9
12 people like this
12 responses
@MarieCoyle (64567)
•
13h
I don’t buy candy or soda. If we want a sweet I can make something for us. I hope people are buying nutritious foods that will sustain them through hard times.
3 people like this
@jstory07 (150064)
• Roseburg, Oregon
13h
@MarieCoyle I hope so to. e buy a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables/
2 people like this
@MarieCoyle (64567)
•
13h
@jstory07
Our fresh produce is ridiculously high in price. I try to always have one fresh fruit here, most often it’s apples. We do eat canned and frozen vegetables. I just try to jazz them up a bit!
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (64567)
•
13h
And yet, here we are.
I have to wonder, if it’s this bad here, what is it really like for some people in other countries?
2 people like this
@MarieCoyle (64567)
•
12h
@Wrexxo
No, it’s not fake news. The Pentagon announced what they were striving for, the 90 day basic black out. And many are truly struggling. I’m sorry it’s bad there.
2 people like this
@Wrexxo (10456)
•
13h
@MarieCoyle it's really bad here tho but I still can't believe americans are skipping meals..sounds like someone somewhere is just making up figures
2 people like this
@crossbones27 (54133)
• Mojave, California
12h
If power goes out for 90 days, most people will be done.If they can purchase food in those 90 days a lot of people would be alright if grocery has power/. The problem is panic and grocery goes out the window. Probably the last place you want to work because people would be storming the place.
Do I think it will happen? Trump 50 percent another president 1 percent.
2 people like this
@crossbones27 (54133)
• Mojave, California
12h
@MarieCoyle They need help to go some where What happens when your country betrays you. It is so scary because they could just close down anything because they have that kind of power. Will people follow it? People have disappointed me since they said Trump was going to save the country.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (64567)
•
12h
Panic will definitely happen if it gets this bad. People need to think about things and what they could do to be able to have food, etc if it happens. No phones…everyone really needs an emergency weather radio, that has a battery and a hand crank. They have phone ports in the radios as well.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (505181)
• Italy
10h
Countries are classified by wealth primarily using gross national income (GNI) per capita.
In the United States there are many very rich companies who pay incredible salaries to their managers and CEO and this makes the USA become the "richest country".
Well statistics are often wrong, if one person eat 10 chicken in a week and one person cannot even afford one, statistics will say "5 chicken per person".
1 person likes this
@LooeyVille (81)
• United States
12h
I would challenge the validity of that article. For example, if they had interviewed me in their survey, I skip meals, but not because of grocery prices. They also re-invented the definition of the word, "hunger" and "food insufficiency" in the USA. For example, because I don't eat 3 nutritious meals a day, they would include me in their statistics as having a "hunger" or "food insufficiency" problem.
Honestly, and you know I've traveled the world a LOT, Americans know NOTHING about going hungry. What we think of as "poor" in the USA isn't a fraction of what is the reality for many people in other countries.
1 person likes this
@marguicha (230932)
• Chile
10h
A rich country does not mean that its people are well off. In some, it depends on who has most of the money. There is no real freedom without justice and no wealth if many are very poor.
@Juliaacv (57877)
• Canada
3h
Some of what you listed for the reasons behind the hunger issues, are self imposed.
The war, the cost of transportation, even climate.
The current administration has a silent war going on with my country as well as the well known one in Iran.
There is no empathy for others, no desire for peace and harmony these days, such a shame because there is only 1 world, and we have to share it so we might as well all get along. This me first and nobody else matters attitude has to stop.
@wolfgirl569 (142019)
• Marion, Ohio
5h
Until the orange buffoon was elected no. Now I am glad we know how to provide for ourselves if needed
@aninditasen (18465)
• Raurkela, India
4h
It's worse in India. People are under paid and slogged and so more deaths and yet our PM calls India " Vikshit Bharat" that's growing and prospering.
@nawala123 (25066)
• Indonesia
8h
Political campaign often distracts people from the truth. For example the gdp per capita of China is not high if we compare with many other developed countries but they have more affordable living cost and food with good quality
