US economist and Nobel-prize of Economy winner Paul Krugman speaks to journalists after his meeting with Japanese PM Shinzo Abe in Tokyo, Japan, March 22, 2016. (Franck Robichon/Pool Photo via AP)

Last month, I wrote about how New York Times liberal columnist Paul Krugman took the time to ridicule Americans who, just days after Trump addressed the nation about the Wuhan coronavirus threat, stood in long lines to buy guns and ammo.

Here’s a photo that was retweeted at the time by Salon writer “Digby”, who snidely asked if the gun buyers were “going to shoot the coronavirus”:

Are they going to shoot the coronavirus? https://t.co/v8n60KWYru — digby (@digby56) March 14, 2020

Krugman’s response was to mock those standing in line, sneering about how “they’re going to shoot anyone who tries to take their toilet paper”:

No, they're going to shoot anyone who tries to take their toilet paper https://t.co/tGCQ20LvVF — Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) March 14, 2020

It was a repugnant thing to say, especially as Krugman of all people should know what happens in an economy where a massive amount of people are out of work. Some become desperate enough to turn to crime, while others get bored and take to criminal activity in response – and toilet paper isn’t exactly their top priority, either.

As it turns out, that is exactly what has happened in my home city of Charlotte, North Carolina, as local news station WSOC-TV reported Wednesday:

Most businesses are shut down right now, but the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said break-ins are spiking across the city. Commercial burglaries are up 13% from this time last year. Commercial robberies jumped 34% in the same time frame. Last week, police said a suspect barged into Lure, a northeast Charlotte convenience store with a bandanna over his face.

What do the local police blame it on? Surprise surprise – joblessness:

“People are hurting. People are going to take every opportunity that they can to find a way to get money. And, if not; they just take it from other people and I think that’s what we’re seeing,” said CMPD detective Adrian Johnson.

Case in point:

WANTED: CMPD detectives are trying to identify two people who wore surgical masks during robberies at two southwest Charlotte businesses. https://t.co/XgDpcVKPBJ — WBTV News (@WBTV_News) April 16, 2020

A lot of people are understandly worried about what’s going to happen in the aftermath of all the businesses that are shutting down, the school closings, the mandated closures of restaurants and bars except for pick-up and delivery orders, and the other drastic measures the government is taking in order to try and combat the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus.

When people have too much time on their hands, or otherwise get desperate in situations like the one America is in right now, sometimes bad things happen. Break-ins into homes and businesses occur more frequently. People get assaulted, robbed on the street, etc etc.

That’s what’s happening right now in some cities across America including mine as some states are going into their 3rd and 4th weeks of stay at home/shelter in place orders. The longer the shutdowns continue, the worse it is likely to get. I pray I’m wrong, but the odds are that I won’t be.

People who want to protect their homes and families are stocking up on ammunition and guns for all of these reasons.

As I’ve said before, Kruggie really should just stick to economic matters … or maybe not, considering his disastrous track record and his penchant for rooting for the economy to fail because Orange Man Bad.