4 ms·

> There is really no danger of Cargill impacting your life like one of the big tech companies. Cargill is the second largest producer of beef in the US and amo

> There is really no danger of Cargill impacting your life like one of the big tech companies. Cargill is the second largest producer of beef in the US and among their numerous issues are deaths due to E Coli. Not to mention their rampant chemical dumping. If you are a US citizen you are more likely to be killed by Cargill than by most of the big tech companies (I said "most" instead of "all" because I think the jury is still out on Amazon).

protomyth 6y ago
There is really no danger of Cargill impacting your life like one of the big tech companies. If you are a US citizen you are more likely to be killed by Cargill than by most of the big tech companies (I said "most" instead of "all" because I think the jury is still out on Amazon). A bit of a difference between those statements. I'm growing less and less fond of HN's tendency to push people to the thin ice. I do believe that the average person has a higher chance of being impacted by any of the big techs causing pain, then getting sick from something at a Cargill plant. Cargill isn't a delta away from the problems other companies experience. Heck, salad companies seem to be the biggest offender. I was never worried about beef. Turkey on the other hand seemed to show up a lot in the news. Not to mention their rampant chemical dumping. When I think rampant chemical dumping, I think of 3M poisoning the ground in various places. There was a real case of politicians letting a company off.
- cowmoo728 6y ago
  Not from food-borne illness but from diabetes and heart disease. imo Cargill's role via extensive lobbying in causing an epidemic of heart disease can't be overstated.
- shaftway 6y ago
  I'll admit it's not exactly a straightforward comparison. And it's on each of us to weigh the costs and likelihood of becoming ill versus big tech causing pain. I have my weighting, you have yours. On my scale, between their various meats, the pollutants they use, and the various spills (plenty listed in the article and online) I'd come down harder on Cargill than tech.
  - protomyth 6y ago
    Statistically, I'm betting on big tech since they have caused me more pain. Now, a couple restaurant chains, I might have a different answer. As to chemicals, do remember that the whole tech industry is built on companies that did significant dumping.https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/09/silicon-valley-full-superfund-sites/598531/ https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/09/silic...
- civilized 6y ago
  Life impact is subjective. It's unclear how a severe impact on a relatively small number of people compares to whatever the tech companies do, which AFAICT is more of a small impact on many people. Why is your position on impact so sound while others are on "thin ice"? A bit of unearned condescension to lead with that sentiment.
jandrese 6y ago
Beef is very rare as an E Coli vector in the US. Almost all outbreaks are due to produce, especially spinach.
- shaftway 6y ago
  And yet, here we are. https://www.marlerblog.com/legal-cases/a-little-cargill-history-of-e-coli-salmonella-and-listeria-outbreaks/ https://www.marlerblog.com/legal-cases/a-little-cargill-hist...
  - jandrese 6y ago
    9 cases over a 20 year period. They actually had a death which is more than I expected.
  - vonmoltke 6y ago
    While I might quibble with the "very", beef is a rare vector for e. coli infection, even based on this limited outbreak list: https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/outbreaks.html https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/outbreaks.html To some degree it makes sense, because people have been conditioned to treat meat as a disease vector and tend to treat it more carefully than greens and other plant products. Also, highlighting a single Cargill outbreak says nothing either way about the correctness of "very rare".
- Exmoor 6y ago
  That said, I believe E Coli typically gets on plants because cow waste contaminates water used for irrigation, so poorly managed beef and dairy production are the root cause.

protomyth 6y ago

There is really no danger of Cargill impacting your life like one of the big tech companies. If you are a US citizen you are more likely to be killed by Cargill than by most of the big tech companies (I said "most" instead of "all" because I think the jury is still out on Amazon). A bit of a difference between those statements. I'm growing less and less fond of HN's tendency to push people to the thin ice. I do believe that the average person has a higher chance of being impacted by any of the big techs causing pain, then getting sick from something at a Cargill plant. Cargill isn't a delta away from the problems other companies experience. Heck, salad companies seem to be the biggest offender. I was never worried about beef. Turkey on the other hand seemed to show up a lot in the news. Not to mention their rampant chemical dumping. When I think rampant chemical dumping, I think of 3M poisoning the ground in various places. There was a real case of politicians letting a company off.

cowmoo728 6y ago
Not from food-borne illness but from diabetes and heart disease. imo Cargill's role via extensive lobbying in causing an epidemic of heart disease can't be overstated.
shaftway 6y ago
I'll admit it's not exactly a straightforward comparison. And it's on each of us to weigh the costs and likelihood of becoming ill versus big tech causing pain. I have my weighting, you have yours. On my scale, between their various meats, the pollutants they use, and the various spills (plenty listed in the article and online) I'd come down harder on Cargill than tech.
- protomyth 6y ago
  Statistically, I'm betting on big tech since they have caused me more pain. Now, a couple restaurant chains, I might have a different answer. As to chemicals, do remember that the whole tech industry is built on companies that did significant dumping.https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/09/silicon-valley-full-superfund-sites/598531/ https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/09/silic...
civilized 6y ago
Life impact is subjective. It's unclear how a severe impact on a relatively small number of people compares to whatever the tech companies do, which AFAICT is more of a small impact on many people. Why is your position on impact so sound while others are on "thin ice"? A bit of unearned condescension to lead with that sentiment.

jandrese 6y ago

Beef is very rare as an E Coli vector in the US. Almost all outbreaks are due to produce, especially spinach.

shaftway 6y ago
And yet, here we are. https://www.marlerblog.com/legal-cases/a-little-cargill-history-of-e-coli-salmonella-and-listeria-outbreaks/ https://www.marlerblog.com/legal-cases/a-little-cargill-hist...
- jandrese 6y ago
  9 cases over a 20 year period. They actually had a death which is more than I expected.
- vonmoltke 6y ago
  While I might quibble with the "very", beef is a rare vector for e. coli infection, even based on this limited outbreak list: https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/outbreaks.html https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/outbreaks.html To some degree it makes sense, because people have been conditioned to treat meat as a disease vector and tend to treat it more carefully than greens and other plant products. Also, highlighting a single Cargill outbreak says nothing either way about the correctness of "very rare".
Exmoor 6y ago
That said, I believe E Coli typically gets on plants because cow waste contaminates water used for irrigation, so poorly managed beef and dairy production are the root cause.