Pizza Index Pentagon: How Cheese Can Predict War and Higher Prices in Indonesia

In a world where news can be faked, opinions are shaped by buzzers, and wars are announced through fancy press conferences, sometimes the most honest signal of global trouble… is pizza.

Yes, you heard that right. Not oil. Not satellite images. Not secret documents. Just… hot, cheesy pizza.

It’s called the Pizza Index — a funny-sounding term that’s actually pretty smart.

Here’s what happened recently:

Just one hour before Israel launched a big military attack on Iran, pizza shops around the Pentagon in Washington DC were flooded with orders.

Delivery drivers were rushing to and from one of the most secure military buildings in the world.

And not long after? Boom. The news broke: war was on. Missiles, press statements, headlines everywhere.

But the pizza came first.

This pattern has been seen before. Back in 1991, during the Gulf War, pizza orders around the Pentagon also jumped just before military action started. And again in Iraq. And again in Syria.

So now, some people watch for this sign: “If the Pentagon is ordering lots of pizza late at night… something big is coming.” It sounds silly, but it makes sense.

Pizza is perfect in a war room:

It feeds a group. It’s quick. You can eat it while looking at maps. And it’s still good when cold.

Imagine a general watching drone footage, planning airstrikes, and someone walks in: “Sir, the pepperoni’s here.”

It’s funny. It’s real. And it tells us: something serious is happening.

Of course, the Pentagon says it’s not true. They say they have food inside — coffee, sushi, sandwiches. But come on. Who eats sushi during a war meeting?

Even the media picked it up. The Times said pizza orders can predict military action. New York Post shared charts showing pizza delivery spikes before global crises. Times of India quoted someone from the Pentagon saying pizza had nothing to do with anything — but he didn’t sound very sure.

So what does this have to do with Indonesia? A lot, actually.

When the U.S. plans military strikes, oil prices usually go up. And when oil prices rise, fuel prices in Indonesia can follow. If BBM (gasoline) gets more expensive, everything else — like groceries, food, and transport — also gets more expensive.

Even cabai (chili peppers) at the local market can cost more because of global tension.

It also affects the value of the rupiah. Investors pull their money from developing countries like Indonesia. Stock markets fall. And it’s everyday people — not rich investors — who feel the pain first.

Not to mention, many Indonesians work in the Middle East. If war spreads, some may lose their jobs or need to be evacuated. That impacts families all over Indonesia.

Even worse, foreign wars can create new conflicts at home. Through fake news.

Online hate. And emotional manipulation.

We’ve seen this before.

So maybe… the Pizza Index isn’t so silly after all. It’s not really about pizza. It’s about what pizza means: late-night meetings, last-minute plans, hungry generals, and something big around the corner.

So next time you hear pizza orders in Washington are going crazy in the middle of the night… Don’t just think of melted cheese.

Think of:

Rising oil prices, Weakening rupiah, And how one slice in America might shake up the lives of people in Solo or Surabaya.

Because in this global world, war doesn’t always knock on your door directly.

Sometimes, it arrives quietly — in a pizza box.