textfiles-politics/politicalTextFiles/market.txt

I found this gem... take a look.
Kaya #78 @7
Wed Sep 30 17:23:29 1992

 
 
(The following modest proposal was first posted several years ago to
one of the talk.politics groups. For those who enjoyed the saga of
BioHarvest, I hope you'll like this, too.)
 
 
Access to Food Must Be Equal!
 
The Bush Administration is proposing radical changes in the way food
has been purchased by Americans for the past hundred years.
Agriculture Secretary Clayton Yeutter is floating the idea of a
"voucher" system for groceries which would allow families to make
their food and beverage purchases at any supermarket, regardless of
location. Allowing this kind of choice would destroy the system which
has made America so competitive today!
 
Equality of access to food, regardless of income or personal wishes,
has long been the hallmark of our food distribution system. Every
family knows which food district it is in and where its assigned
supermarket is, just as it knows which school district it is in and
which schools are in the district.  Citizens elect members of the
District Food Boards, thus assuring democratic input into the food
distribution process.  And parents are urged--without much success, I
might add--to join their regional Grocer-Parent Association (GPA) to
further ensure a wholesome food selection for their children.
 
It should be noted that temporary shortages of such basic products as
milk, real, and high-fiber bread have almost become a thing of the
past, despite criticism from so-called libertarians that a free market
would eliminate all shortages (doubtful). It is true that some luxury
food items remain unavailable, but is it fair for some to eat quiche
while others can't get sushi? And we applaud the recent progress by
State Food Boards in eliminating unhealthful foods from the diet of
Americans.  This progress would likely be undone if people were free
to choose their food stores.
 
Consider the implications of free choice of supermarkets. The "food
voucher" system proposed by these nutritional anarchists would surely
encourage some supermarkets to offer needless luxuries and variety of
choice so as to lure gullible families into spending their food
vouchers at these stores. What would then happen is that some stores
would begin to cater to the tastes of these consumers and so become
more popular. This would draw even more shoppers, resulting in a kind
of spiraling prosperity for these opportunistic, greedy stores.
However, the remaining stores--no doubt disproportionately located in
inner cities and other poor areas--would suffer lost business and so
would be less able to provide the luxuries sought by selfish shoppers.
Some of these stores would obviously close, thus causing hunger and
unemployment in the affected regions. People of color and victims of
the class struggle would thus carry the burden of rampant capitalism,
as they have for thousands of years.
 
Every American has the right to an equal share of the pie, regardless of
their income or personal spending habits.  Say no to deregulation of
supermarkets!  Competition just isn't the American way.