There is no true reason for the pain and suffering of any man, woman or child of this country — or any other, as far as that goes. The pain and suffering of poverty can be attributed to nothing more than greed.
I dare say that I do not refer to the working man and woman. I refer to corporate greed. A greed that has become so insidious that the average man and woman might not notice it all the time. It took me several years to see this pattern.
This pattern is nothing more than corporate America robbing and poisoning each and every one of us who consumes any product that goes through being processed. The products I refer to are consumables — the food that we eat. The poisons are the chemicals. If you yourself would only look into the number of growth hormones that go into our meat supply, you would be appalled.
When we were kids, we all remember, it took almost all summer to get a yard bird up big enough to take to the Sunday dinner table. Think back on those fried chicken dinners on Sunday — every last one of us can.
All-natural, grain or corn-fed. I can’t think of anything better. Give me some biscuits and butter and you’ve got one satisfied Tennessee ridge runner in me.
That’s all changed. Now the corporate-run industries of all types that deal with our meat supplies have one bottom line — the almighty dollar.
The safety of the consumer or the quality of the product is of no true concern to the corporate elite. They pad their pockets and live high on the hog. But guess what? We’re the hog that’s eating these vile products.
It does not have to be this way.
But we have another problem, the federal government. That problem comes in the form of the Food and Drug Administration — too few inspectors and too few inspectors who get the job done.
So now we have corporate America hand-in-hand with the federal government doing very little to actually protect the American consumer. You can see it in our children.
Almost every one of us has heard or said, “Look at that child! He or she is 12 years old, but they look 20.”
This is not natural. This is not right.
We and our children are slowly being poisoned with these foods. I do not blame the farmer, for the small farmer has almost been forced out of business. They have been forced out by a poor economy and the corporate farm machine.
This machine has eaten at the fabric of our health. All of us have to step up to the plate. Not just one voice but all, from the faintest to the loudest.
The corporate-run farms have but one goal: Get it grown and get it on the plate. Again, I do not blame the working man or woman. If they do not run the farm, someone else will. We are the pawns of the elite corporations the greed manufactures, we the consumer and the working man and woman who process the food.
Some of you at this point might be questioning me as to how corporate greed works some of us into poverty. That’s simple to explain — it’s all about cost. Corporate America is at this very moment robbing each and every one of us who purchases just about anything. Staying with food for the moment, I will explain.
One of the greatest expenses for the American family is food. We have to have it more than anything other than water.
Here’s where the rub comes into play: Corporate marketing. They take a product, make you think you and your children have to have it and need it, then it’s all downhill after that. At that point, they have you. They make it pretty with colorful packaging and add salt and fat to give it flavor so it tastes good — even thought it’s killing you over time.
Now, as a parent, you don’t want to disappoint little Billy, do you? Point being, that last box of crackers you bought little Billy — you know, the ones he cries for at bedtime — only had 24 servings. The box prior to that had 27 servings. You say to yourself: That’s not much, only 15 crackers.
Let me point out to you what that meant to you as the purchasing consumer. You just got ripped off by the cracker company. How, you say? To begin with, you were not told in advance that the quantity was being reduced.
You say the price did not change, but it did. You did not have the original quantity as a reference point unless you had an older package of the product. At the time when you were able to compare the quantity, you now know that you have a loss of 11 percent of the product in question. That 11 percent is a loss in your buying power. It’s an increase in cost to you, the consumer.
Still not convinced? You say it’s only a quarter. You buy little Billy a box a week, that’s a $13 increase in a year.
Do you like ice cream? I used to until I saw what was taking place with most of the companies. It all started several years ago with the content. Used to be we got 64 ounces in our half-gallon box of ice cream. Not anymore — it was cut to 56 ounces, but the price stayed the same.
We did not pay too much attention to 8 ounces being taken from us. You better open up your eyes — now we get 48 ounces. That half-gallon has been cut by a full pint.
You have now lost 25 percent of your purchasing power on this one item…but it gets better. The price has gone up. It has increased its cost by $1.25, or 50 percent.
Now add this to the loss of product. Seventy-five percent more is now what you are paying for Breyers ice cream. It took about three years for this to happen, but it did happen. Some of us are paying attention to what corporate America is doing to the consumer.
Are you starting to see a pattern ? I am.
Now look at your cost for paper towels, toilet paper and dog food. It’s not just one thing. It’s everything — like meat, milk, bread and gas. I know gas has come down some, but we all know it will go right back up after the election. It always does.
The consumer has no choice but to eat. Corporate greed equates to one thing: Massive profits for these companies. All at the expense of the consumer.
Look at all of the products we consume in a year. The 11 percent increase in the crackers was nothing compared to the increase of the other products we consume. I could go on and on about the cost, but most of us see it every day with less money in our pockets.
Most people do not do comparison-shopping. They see it, they want it and they buy it. That’s what the corporations count on — you not paying attention to count or price.
I want to tell you right now, corporate America: Some of us are watching, and we’re watching you very closely. We are also watching your partner, the federal government. A government that says that there is no inflation.
Come to the food stores with me and I will show you inflation. The government does not figure in fuel and food to the inflationary cost to the consumer. These are things we all have to have on a daily basis to survive.
I can make anything look good on paper, and that is what the government and the corporations are doing. Smoke and mirrors every day. Watch this hand, but don’t watch the hand behind our back.
Some of the people can see what is taking place. Others don’t care, because they are riding on the back of the working man and woman.
Robert Lee is a concerned citizen and U.S. Marine veteran who owns and operates Rockingham Guns and Ammo. His column appears here each Saturday.