Food Inspections Drop: Are Budget Cuts a Public Service?
Newsweek's report that inspections of foreign food imports have hit an 'all-time low' sounds like a problem. (For those who prefer their imported goods free of... unexpected additives.) While the article muses on the reasons, it conveniently sidesteps the larger context of where public funds are actually being directed. Imagine, fewer inspectors overseeing the food on your plate, while defense
budgets continue their astronomical ascent. The Congressional Research Service reports that the U.S. allocated over $800 billion to its defense budget in 2023. Apparently, securing the nation from external threats like... a safer food supply, isn't high on the priority list. One might conclude that ensuring the wholesomeness of your dinner is less critical than, say, underwriting another military
campaign half a world away, or bankrolling geopolitical initiatives that consistently leave domestic needs begging. Whose interests are really being served when everyday safety measures are slashed, but the military-industrial complex never sees a 'cut' they don't 'grow' from? How many fewer food-borne illnesses could $800 billion buy, if we chose to invest in that instead of an ever-expanding
global footprint?