The term "four meals away from anarchy" is nothing new and is a spin on the "three meals away from anarchy", "three meals away from revolution", "Any government is only 3 meals away from a revolution" and so on.

Many of these quotes have been around since the late 1990's and early 2000's and the link that OP posted is another spin on this one from 2004 - which is probably another recycled spin from another earlier quote.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/britain-four-meals-away-from-anarchy-fc9kfgc0w92

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