Carne para todos! Seriously?

[French jurist]

http://negocios.iprofesional.com/no...-todos-en-ms-de-160-puntos-de-venta-en-el-pas

http://translate.google.com/transla...ayout=2&eotf=1&u=http://www.iprofesional.com/

Not such a bad idea imho.

Increasing food prices is a worldwide problem, furthermore many retailers are raising their profit margins:
-Especially in the UK for the EU: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1361756/Food-price-rise-hits-UK-families-hardest.html
-Also a problem in the US: http://lewrockwell.com/rep2/why-are-food-prices-rising-so-fast.html

Raising food prices affect especially lower class people, as quoted from the World Food Programme "6. How do people in poor countries cope?
In some of the countries where WFP works, there are households that spend as much as 60-80 percent of their income on food. In these situations, higher prices clearly hit hard. Families cut the number of meals they have a day, they buy cheaper, less nutritious food and spend less on things like schooling and medicine." ( http://www.wfp.org/stories/rising-food-prices-10-questions-answered ).

Who would complain if that contributes to limiting inflation, while costing not much or zero to the government, increasing the competition with the big supermarkets. In fact it might even save some money to the government if the lower classes manage that way to eat healthier (worldwide, poverty is associated to overweight: bad habits), hence reducing the health costs.

I got some good friends who live in a villa, in the same household with almost 10 brothers/sisters, they have like 40 kids to feed and I know as a fact that one of the mother was making 8 pesos an hour last year (cleaning job). It's indeed difficult to make both ends meet in such a situation.

 

[PhilipDT]

Not such a bad idea imho.

Increasing food prices is a worldwide problem, furthermore many retailers are raising their profit margins:
-Especially in the UK for the EU: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1361756/Food-price-rise-hits-UK-families-hardest.html
-Also a problem in the US: http://lewrockwell.com/rep2/why-are-food-prices-rising-so-fast.html

Raising food prices affect especially lower class people, as quoted from the World Food Programme "6. How do people in poor countries cope?
In some of the countries where WFP works, there are households that spend as much as 60-80 percent of their income on food. In these situations, higher prices clearly hit hard. Families cut the number of meals they have a day, they buy cheaper, less nutritious food and spend less on things like schooling and medicine." ( http://www.wfp.org/stories/rising-food-prices-10-questions-answered ).

Who would complain if that contributes to limiting inflation, while costing not much or zero to the government, increasing the competition with the big supermarkets. In fact it might even save some money to the government if the lower classes manage that way to eat healthier (worldwide, poverty is associated to overweight: bad habits), hence reducing the health costs.

I got some good friends who live in a villa, in the same household with almost 10 brothers/sisters, they have like 40 kids to feed and I know as a fact that one of the mother was making 8 pesos an hour last year (cleaning job). It's indeed difficult to make both ends meet in such a situation.

This is a publicity stunt nothing more. The same reason people don't go to mercado central will be the reason this doesn't work. Or if it does work it will hurt the other supermarket chains, the chinos, the verdularias, the carnecerias, etc.

This won't curb inflation, this will just fuel it. And there is almost no way this will cost the government nothing.

The answer to feeding the poor is to provide targeted programs such as food stamps based on income and dependents. NOT an across the board benefit to whom ever goes to the supermarket.

Also if the government wants to help people like your friends that have 40 mouths to feed, they should start giving out free condoms, and teaching people how to use them.


Crap like this makes me so angry. The government is going full steam ahead right towards rocks while fleecing every last centavo from the country to enrich themselves and their friends, and all the majority seem to be able to say is "thank you sir, may I have some more".

 

[LostinBA]

There is, of course, something every one of us can do. Stop buying from Disco, Coto, Carrefour, etc and start buying locally. Buy all your meat at the local carniceria, buy all your vegetables at the verduleria and buy whatever's left over at your local chino.

If enough people to do it, and keep doing it, and watch what happens to the rip off prices the large chains charge. You'll save money, eat better and fresher, reduce waste and support your local community rather than your corporate overlords in Chile (Jumbo, Disco), France (Carrefour) and the US (Walmart).

In theory this would be nice but the reality is that many of the local carnicerias and verdulerias try to rip foreigners off. At least in the larger chains, you get the same price as everyone else. Well...not mentioning that argentines get 10-30% off everything with national credit and debit cards that they KNOW foreigners don't have and probably can't get.

 

[fifs2]

How would you "take them on?" Precisely, what would you do?

I havent a bloody clue and thnk god its not my job to fix...investigating and prosecuting for the looted wealth of union leaders who run small fyfedoms would be a good start as would looking to successful unionization where the economy and the individuals benefit and aim for a slow implementation of a similar system. I'm not a world leader by any menas but I have entered prehistoric institutions like IBM and made changes from within. The minute we and they believe no hope isnt possible and the status quo is the norm then we are all f**ked.

 

[starlucia]

In theory this would be nice but the reality is that many of the local carnicerias and verdulerias try to rip foreigners off. At least in the larger chains, you get the same price as everyone else. Well...not mentioning that argentines get 10-30% off everything with national credit and debit cards that they KNOW foreigners don't have and probably can't get.

Aw, no need to hate on the neighborhood veggie guys; mine, at least, are awesome There's no excuse for being ripped off as long as you ask the price beforehand and can do simple math. Once you become a regular and chat them up a bit, you get pretty good treatment. And honestly, if one of them rounds up my total by 50 cents or a peso, I'm not going to sweat it -- I'd rather lose a peso to the Bolivian fruit lady than support Disco or Carrefour, where they have the audacity to charge Dean & Deluca prices for rotting items that should have been thrown out days ago.