We’re seeing more uncertainty in our world than ever before. What’s going to happen in the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas wars? And how will that affect the supply chain and prices for goods and services?
What about all the terrorist attacks on ships in the Red Sea? Which the U.S. has called “one of the world’s most critical waterways?” Again, the availability of products we need and the costs for them could be greatly affected.
Of course, our weather continues to be a huge uncertainty. And it’s becoming even more so with increasingly frequent and violent storms.
The results of these extreme weather events include deaths, injuries, and property destruction. Plus power outages, supply chain problems, and higher costs for food and other essentials.
Another Trump-Biden Showdown?
And talk about uncertainty. Americans need look no farther than the presidential election. It will happen in less than nine months.
The U.S. has never been more politically divided than it is today. The election is sure to be hotly contested. Both during the campaign months and very possibly after results come in.
President Joe Biden is expected to be the Democrats’ choice as the party’s candidate when their convention is held in Chicago, Illinois in August.
Former President Donald Trump has a significant lead in the polls over runner-up Nikki Haley for the Republican presidential nomination. Their convention will be held in mid-July in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. But there could be a monkey wrench in Trump’s plans.
How Will U.S. Supreme Court Rule on Colorado?
Recently Colorado’s Supreme Court decided to remove Trump from its primary election ballot due to what they saw as him participating in an insurrection on January 6, 2021.
The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to take on the case, and the Justices have begun deliberating on the issue. If they rule in favor of Colorado, a number of other states are certain to follow suit.
Many political pundits believe it would be inappropriate for any state to use the claim of insurrection against an individual who has not been formally charged with that crime. Let alone convicted of it.
How it will all shake out is another in a series of uncertainties filling many Americans with anxiety these days.
Gen Z & Millennials Getting Prepared
Many of us who have been around for a while assume that younger generations are unconcerned about the uncertain future that lies ahead.
Perhaps we recall that in our younger years, preparing for an uncertain future was not top of mind for us either.
But we may be surprised to learn this: According to a recent Fox News story, more young Americans are prepping leading up to the November election.
In fact, 40% of Generation Z (those born between 1997 and 2012) and 39% of Millennials (those born between 1981 and 1996) are making emergency preparedness purchases. They’re saying the system is “not as stable as we assumed.”
Those numbers compare to the surprisingly low 29% of Americans in general who are spending money on emergency preparedness.
Pandemic Opened the Preparedness Floodgates
Now, not all of those Gen Z and Millennial Americans are solely focused on the upcoming election.
They’re also concerned about the potential for another disaster… Like the pandemic. They’ve witnessed how wars thousands of miles away can affect the price of food, gasoline, etc. They’ve seen how dangerous weather can cause a variety of long-lasting and costly problems.
Brekke Wagoner is a Millennial who runs a YouTube channel devoted to preparedness. Here’s what he told Fox News.
“I think for the first time, a lot of Millennials and Gen Zers are realizing how fragile our systems are. We’ve grown up in a time in which technology has meant we’ve had grocery stores that were always stocked and you can get anything from Amazon in 24 hours.
“Then all of a sudden the pandemic and some uncertainties in our national and international politics has made us rethink how all of these systems are not as stable as we assumed.”
‘Fallible and Fragile’ Supply Chains
Chad Huddleston is a Southern Illinois University professor of anthropology. He told Fox News, “In my work, I see younger people worried about a repeat of a COVID-type event and the types of disruption it can bring to daily life.”
He said he does not believe that most people who are now preparedness focused are getting ready for an “end-of-the-world“ scenario.
But rather, they just want to be able to have their basic needs taken care of when emergencies occur.
“The impulse to gather supplies comes more from the lack of goods on store shelves during the pandemic and the realization that supply chains are fallible and fragile. Rather than any idea that society is going to come to some chaotic, collapse point.”
Preparedness Is Uncertainty’s Enemy
American statesman Benjamin Franklin is credited with saying that death and taxes are the only things in life that are certain. I would add “uncertainty” to that list.
As long as we live, and no matter what world events occur, we will never be able to avoid uncertainty in our lives and in our outlook.
But just because we can’t avoid something does not mean we can’t be better prepared for it. Some of us need to take a tip from Generation Z and Millennials and get prepared.
I don’t know about you, but I’d rather face an uncertain future with peace of mind than with anxiety.
