The World Is Flat, theMarkets Solve Everything, Open Borders, Blink, A New Pardigm..

how many meaningless phrases does it take to fill an empty stomach:

If Japan's food shortages prove to be a preview for the United States, turning America's productive farmlands into housing developments for an ever-increasing population may seem like another bad policy choice. America is no longer a food-exporting nation, as it was for so long when our productive farmers grew grain to feed a hungry planet.

Indeed, the first signs of food scarcity are already showing up:

"Major retailers in New York, in areas of New England, and on the West Coast are limiting purchases of flour, rice, and cooking oil as demand outstrips supply. There are also anecdotal reports that some consumers are hoarding grain stocks. "[Food Rationing Confronts Breadbasket of the World By Josh Gerstein, New York Sun, April 21, 2008].