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cm2012today at 12:36 PM3 repliesview on HN

These two categories are massively different. Tobacco, you could make the case that you're just hurting people.

Industrial food conglomerates are necessary to feed the world. People would die without them. They also make plenty of nutritious food. When people eat non-nutritious food it's not because the conglomerates are pushing it on them. It's because they choose it.


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Hnrobert42today at 12:43 PM

I agree in part. By definition, the conglomerates have many parts. Some of those are not objectively bad.

I also agree that people have choices.

I disagree that it is simply people choice it. When large corporations perform research to find hyperpalatable foods, spend billions on marketing, and capture regulatory apparatus to lock in their dominant position, it absolutely is that they are pushing it on people.

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actionfromafartoday at 12:45 PM

Yes, but why do they choose it?

mystralinetoday at 12:53 PM

> When people eat non-nutritious food it's not because the conglomerates are pushing it on them. It's because they choose it.

Ah yes, the capitalist trick of blaming the consumer for structural failings.

https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-access-research-... - food desert map.

Especially in food deserts, sometimes the only places to buy food are from gas stations. Guess what they serve? Toxic shit that somehow identifies as food.

Opening state-run groceries is essential in fixing that many food deserts, but so many would howl of socialism.

Even Adam Smith warned that companies and capitalists would not help with infrastructure. Food access is one such area.

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