I am convinced that government is an open (mostly) conspiracy that uses a veneer of democracy and handouts to lure people into thinking they're in on the game in order to plunder their productivity. However, that doesn't mean I'm ready to accept every accusation leveled against the alphabet soup agencies, corporate cronies, and special interest groups.
An example:
#1 The Wuhan virus is part of a conspiracy to...whatever
or
#2 Politicians are using this tragedy to further their own political goals and implement their own world view which they would otherwise be unable to do
and/or
#3 Out of an overabundance of caution, governments are suppressing our normal freedoms to save lives.
While #1 could be true there is little direct evidence to support that idea over the other two and many people impulsively ignore any such arguments and dismiss proponents as "conspiracy theorists".
#2 is bad enough and there are solid arguments to be made against actions taken by government because of #3 and the results are pretty much the same. It's much easier to argue these than the most extreme possibility. My definition of "conspiracy theory" is just that. A theory of conspiracy. But conspiracies are difficult to prove and there are often other reasonable explanations for the evidence a "conspiracy theorist" presents. #2 and #3 for example.
I tend to be a skeptic by nature. The larger the conspiracy you suggest, the more solid evidence you better have. Otherwise, I believe the simpler explanations that the evidence also fits. Mulder was my favorite character but I'm a more like Scully. I want to believe but you have to convince me. Yes, governments are doing bad things. I just don't necessarily believe it's because China engineered a virus with the help of Bill Gates and alien technology in order to take over the world. I'm exaggerating of course, but only a little.
Now if you have a toilet paper theory, I'm all ears. Where the hell is it all going?
Public choice economics explains things a lot better than tinfoil hattery.
I have a few theories about TP.
Most people don't have a stockpile on hand, and felt the need to buy goods they would definitely need in coming weeks, especially if a true quarantine were imposed.
Toilet paper is a large but relatively inexpensive purchase that makes people feel like they have done something.
People aren't using public restrooms and workplace toilets, so the bog rolls used at home are in higher demand, while the bulk rolls used for public toilet dispensers are piling up in storage, or so I have heard.
Giorgiotsoukalosaliens.jpg
I think people fear running out of toilet paper (somewhat irrationally) more than other things. Toilet paper being bulky also probably means that stores don't have as much extra stock on had as of other things. Still, it's been a month since shelves were bare of toilet paper here and they are still bare. I keep hearing how there's plenty in the supply line but you think they would have resolved this by now. The fact that they haven't exacerbates the problem becuause people expect shelves to be empty so they scoop it up if they see it even if they don't need it. Fortunately, I happened to buy toilet paper at Sam's shortly before it started disappearing off of shelves. Those 50 rolls last a while even with 7 people in my house :).