When You Build a Fragile System, Don’t Be Shocked When It Breaks

The Viral Fantasy: Fear as Narrative, Panic as Politics The doomsday version goes like this: Congress bickers, the government shutters, SNAP benefits vanish November 1. Millions can’t buy food. Streets erupt. Grocery stores get pillaged, clerks get pummeled, and the country teeters on collapse. Dressed up as a warning, it’s really a judgment: “Watch what happens when you stop feeding those people.” Let’s separate the one sliver of truth from the mountain of manipulation. 1. “We’re about to see riots” What’s True: The setup is a powder keg. What’s Bull: The rage isn't proof of moral decay—it’s the predictable outcome of structural idiocy. SNAP exists because wages and savings no longer cover life for tens of millions. It doesn’t “help.”…