2 ms·

> Ultimately the consumer is the only one capable of making the thousand choices a day necessary. In an ideal world that would be the case. But in an era of ma

> Ultimately the consumer is the only one capable of making the thousand choices a day necessary. In an ideal world that would be the case. But in an era of mass media, consumers really aren't making the choice. The choice is being made for them by ads. > I'm not sure where the idea comes from that it that some government regulator should or even can micromanage the diet of ordinary citizens. Pretty much everything a supermarket, restaurant, etc sells is regulated by the government. Whether you like it or not, government is involved in our diets. > Do some people actually want to live in a world where some bureaucrat manages their diet? A geniunely independent bureacrat? Maybe. On the other hand, do you want a world where corporations with their ads control your diet? It's a complex question.

SllX 3y ago
> The choice is being made for them by ads. Advertising doesn’t replace human agency, only—at most—informs the choices that people make. The choices others make that inform (but do not decide) someone’s diet are the following: 1. Congress or an agency empowered by Congress choosing to prohibit certain crops. Note: not choosing to allow, unless they previously prohibited it. 2. Private farms and businesses choosing which crops to farm and livestock to raise. 2b. Controls on the handling and raising of crops and livestock may have an effect on the profitability of those choices, so legislation can also inform this choice at this level, but again, doesn’t decide it. 3. What farm products distributors and manufacturers choose to purchase for resell. 4. What stores and supermarkets choose to purchase for sale. 5. What the customer chooses to purchase for their own consumption, which is the ultimate test for the market viability of crops and livestock if there is no other commercial use for them.

SllX 3y ago

> The choice is being made for them by ads. Advertising doesn’t replace human agency, only—at most—informs the choices that people make. The choices others make that inform (but do not decide) someone’s diet are the following: 1. Congress or an agency empowered by Congress choosing to prohibit certain crops. Note: not choosing to allow, unless they previously prohibited it. 2. Private farms and businesses choosing which crops to farm and livestock to raise. 2b. Controls on the handling and raising of crops and livestock may have an effect on the profitability of those choices, so legislation can also inform this choice at this level, but again, doesn’t decide it. 3. What farm products distributors and manufacturers choose to purchase for resell. 4. What stores and supermarkets choose to purchase for sale. 5. What the customer chooses to purchase for their own consumption, which is the ultimate test for the market viability of crops and livestock if there is no other commercial use for them.