OPINION: Online alarmists predict coming supply chain crisis. Is it worth worrying about?
The shockingly high costs of fuel have spiked very real fears that supply chain problems are soon about to resurface in America. While some of these predictions have clear merit, is it worth panicking over?
by Summer Lane | September 18, 2026
This week, social media has run amok with posters warning that a supply chain crisis is right around the corner – and the claims certainly seem to have some merit.
With the astronomically high prices of gasoline and diesel (there seems to be no relief in sight), it’s only a matter of time until some supply chains begin to feel the squeeze, as the price of transporting those goods or services becomes too expensive to move, or consumers simply stop purchasing them.
But where is the line between prudent concern and chaotic alarmism?
The war in the Middle East has certainly done the American economy no favors, and it has rocked and rolled global energy markets to no end. Yet amid the crisis, it’s important to remember that the news cycle thrives on negativity, and so, it’s key to temper one’s perspective with a healthy dose of common sense.
What some people are saying
It is not at all wrong to prepare for times of crisis. In the Bible, Joseph leads the Egyptians as they prepare for a coming seven-year famine by storing up supplies for the people (Genesis 41).
Another famous verse on the concept of working and preparation can be found in Proverbs 6:6-8: “Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in the summer, and gathers its food at harvest.”
Biblical adages aside, it’s simply a smart practice to be prepared for times of crisis. The supply chain insanity of the Covid pandemic surely taught Americans this lesson.
Still, fearmongering and facts are two separate things. A random account on X (@Sheetrockdust), for example, posted this week that Americans should think of alternative foods to purchase, stock up on soap and detergent, medications, and cheap electronics.
Former Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who publicly (and repeatedly) broke with Trump and her party, said this week that if the war with Iran continued, the government “could impose fuel rationing.”
Another high-profile account, “The Hormuz Letter,” posted this week that U.S. gas stations were “running out of diesel.”
“Stations in North Texas are now posting ‘OUT’ on their diesel signs, and an Orlando, Florida station has blanked its diesel price to 0.00 with the pump dry today,” the account reported. “California stations already began posting ‘out of diesel’ signs on Sunday, with the national average at a record $6.31 a gallon.”
Moreover, rumors arose on social media that U.S. truckers are considering a strike amid soaring diesel prices as an act of protest against the untenable situation. While it’s impossible to say if such a thing will happen, it illustrates the current state of the economy: it’s a pressure cooker.
Some calm in the chaos
Amid the worried murmurs, there are voices of reason. The Hormuz Letter’s claim, for example, that U.S. stations were running out of diesel was addressed by respected GasBuddy analyst Patrick De Haan on Friday.
He said he was not detecting any supply issues thus far, explaining that individual station outages in the U.S. “happens every day at hundreds of stations for many different reasons.”
Does this mean there is no trouble on the horizon if the fuel crisis doesn’t end soon? Absolutely not.
However, promulgating messages of mass hysteria and panic in the news is part of what causes a supply chain shortage. During Covid, for example, Americans stampeded into stores, searching for hand sanitizer and toilet paper, hoarding items on the shelves and buying them at a faster rate than they could be restocked.
One could argue that the panic about a supply chain crisis helped create it.
“Hate to be an alarmist but either food is going to be rationed by higher prices and if panic buying starts we say see actual physical rationing,” one anonymous X account posted on Thursday, replying to a video posted by CBS.
Realistically, the United States’ domestic supply chain is sufficient to feed Americans. The question, however, is how high prices will become. How much pressure the economy can take. And how many non-citizens Americans are going to be asked to feed in such a time of potential crisis. These factors all play into the long-term survival of the country in a time of prolonged war.
There are very valid and reasonable questions here, but panicking about it helps no one. Panic only foments chaos and confusion.
The most prudent thing to do is to calmly and quietly prepare for possible supply chain shortages, while praying and hoping for the Middle East conflict to be brought to an edifying conclusion as soon as possible.
At the end of the day, the war is driving the instability Americans are facing now. End the war, bring U.S. service members home, and re-stabilize the energy markets.
“We have to start with energy – always with energy. Always,” President Trump said in 2024, while running for re-election. “…If you make donuts, if you make cars, whatever you make, energy’s a big deal.”
President Trump understands that the answer to this rising crisis – and the worry and strain within American households – is directly linked to energy prices. As such, he knows that he must bring the war with Iran to a close. The ball, on this, is entirely in his court. The American people are along for the ride, one way or another.
Photo: Adobe Stock
