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> 2. basic agricultural staples - potatoes, grain, rice, but also eggs and milk in powder form - are a global market these days, which means there's a ruthless

by eru 2y ago

> 2. basic agricultural staples - potatoes, grain, rice, but also eggs and milk in powder form - are a global market these days, which means there's a ruthless competition in place, made worse by at least the US and EU doling out insane amounts of subsidies for their farmers. Worse for some suppliers, but better for customers. It's very nice of US and EU tax payers to give the rest of the world cheaper food. Just like it's nice of Chinese tax payers to give the rest of the world cheaper solar cells. > Western masses are getting ever more poor [...] Citation needed. Normal statistics say that 'western masses' are getting ever richer.

mschuster91 2y ago
> Worse for some suppliers, but better for customers. The problem is, it leads to cost-cutting and unsafe practices. The fact that American eggs and poultry meat need to be washed because it would otherwise be unsafe to eat from the horrible conditions the poultry is exposed to is telling enough. > Citation needed. Normal statistics say that 'western masses' are getting ever richer. Total wealth may grow but the distribution is ever more in favor of the ultra-rich [1]. Half of Americans report having to live paycheck to paycheck, mostly due to housing and fixed costs of living growing way faster than wages [2]. [1] https://apps.urban.org/features/wealth-inequality-charts/ https://apps.urban.org/features/wealth-inequality-charts/ [2] https://www.cnbc.com/2024/11/19/bank-of-america-nearly-half-of-americans-live-paycheck-to-paycheck.html https://www.cnbc.com/2024/11/19/bank-of-america-nearly-half-...
- eru 2y ago
  > The problem is, it leads to cost-cutting and unsafe practices. The fact that American eggs and poultry meat need to be washed because it would otherwise be unsafe to eat from the horrible conditions the poultry is exposed to is telling enough. They only need to be washed, because that's what the regulations say. If the regulations say that they need to be save without washing, that's what farmers would deliver. Farmers in the EU aren't any less greedy. People all across the wealth spectrum are getting richer. But in any case, coming back to the 'milk glut': cheap milk makes more of a difference for poor people than for rich people.

by eru 2y ago

mschuster91 2y ago

> Worse for some suppliers, but better for customers. The problem is, it leads to cost-cutting and unsafe practices. The fact that American eggs and poultry meat need to be washed because it would otherwise be unsafe to eat from the horrible conditions the poultry is exposed to is telling enough. > Citation needed. Normal statistics say that 'western masses' are getting ever richer. Total wealth may grow but the distribution is ever more in favor of the ultra-rich [1]. Half of Americans report having to live paycheck to paycheck, mostly due to housing and fixed costs of living growing way faster than wages [2]. [1] https://apps.urban.org/features/wealth-inequality-charts/ https://apps.urban.org/features/wealth-inequality-charts/ [2] https://www.cnbc.com/2024/11/19/bank-of-america-nearly-half-of-americans-live-paycheck-to-paycheck.html https://www.cnbc.com/2024/11/19/bank-of-america-nearly-half-...

eru 2y ago
> The problem is, it leads to cost-cutting and unsafe practices. The fact that American eggs and poultry meat need to be washed because it would otherwise be unsafe to eat from the horrible conditions the poultry is exposed to is telling enough. They only need to be washed, because that's what the regulations say. If the regulations say that they need to be save without washing, that's what farmers would deliver. Farmers in the EU aren't any less greedy. People all across the wealth spectrum are getting richer. But in any case, coming back to the 'milk glut': cheap milk makes more of a difference for poor people than for rich people.