Is another holocaust-scale genocide possible?

[Malthus]

We Westerners eat too much. If we learned to love less food then we'd have enough food on hand to last for generations. As is, everyone must have seconds...and thirds...

The food just gets thrown out if we don't eat it.

France just recently introduced a law that prohibits grocery stores from throwing away food - any food they no longer want to sell must be given away to food banks and charities. This is a great idea, imo, and should make them think twice about over-stocking.

Fully agree. In most cases, date labelling is completely arbitrary. Eggs are perhaps the best case. Eggs do not spoil for months if stored coolly. Not sure if that applies to the EU's chlamydia-ebola-e-coli-salmonella-infested eggs, but it certainly does here in Socialist Paradise.

The cynic in me suspects that any attempt to legislate that all expired food must go to foodbanks and charities will result in foodbanks and charities being buried in tons of rotting garbage. 

[Martinus]

We Westerners eat too much. If we learned to love less food then we'd have enough food on hand to last for generations. As is, everyone must have seconds...and thirds...

The food just gets thrown out if we don't eat it.

France just recently introduced a law that prohibits grocery stores from throwing away food - any food they no longer want to sell must be given away to food banks and charities. This is a great idea, imo, and should make them think twice about over-stocking.

Fully agree. In most cases, date labelling is completely arbitrary. Eggs are perhaps the best case. Eggs do not spoil for months if stored coolly. Not sure if that applies to the EU's chlamydia-ebola-e-coli-salmonella-infested eggs, but it certainly does here in Socialist Paradise.

The cynic in me suspects that any attempt to legislate that all expired food must go to foodbanks and charities will result in foodbanks and charities being buried in tons of rotting garbage. 

The thing is, most of the expired food is not even remotely rotting - and most grocery chains would just throw away food near expiration date because people do not want to buy it. So the idea is still great. John Oliver had a segment on this recently (it seems as if John Oliver is the conscience of the West these days ).

[Malthus]

The thing is, most of the expired food is not even remotely rotting - and most grocery chains would just throw away food near expiration date because people do not want to buy it. So the idea is still great. John Oliver had a segment on this recently (it seems as if John Oliver is the conscience of the West these days ).

This assumes that the food reaches the food banks in some sort of reasonable time after it is expired.

Sure just expired food is likely okay ... The problem lies in the "free" distribution to where the food is needed.

The joking example of the kid's broccoli is apropos - there is nothing wrong with leftover broccoli, but it is unlikely that the poor or starving would benefit if a law was passed legislating that leftover broccoli must be gifted to the poor - unless they were hanging about outside your door.

Obviouly, for some things this will be less of a concern- canned goods and the like. For others, like stuff that has to be kept in a cold chain ...

[Crazy_Ivan80]

We Westerners eat too much. If we learned to love less food then we'd have enough food on hand to last for generations. As is, everyone must have seconds...and thirds...

The food just gets thrown out if we don't eat it.

France just recently introduced a law that prohibits grocery stores from throwing away food - any food they no longer want to sell must be given away to food banks and charities. This is a great idea, imo, and should make them think twice about over-stocking.

Fully agree. In most cases, date labelling is completely arbitrary. Eggs are perhaps the best case. Eggs do not spoil for months if stored coolly. Not sure if that applies to the EU's chlamydia-ebola-e-coli-salmonella-infested eggs, but it certainly does here in Socialist Paradise.

The cynic in me suspects that any attempt to legislate that all expired food must go to foodbanks and charities will result in foodbanks and charities being buried in tons of rotting garbage. 

they can then sell it at profit to community-gardens. The stuff makes for rather good compost

anyways: given enough time it is inevitable.

[The Brain]

So we should have the poor eat our garbage? What a modest proposal.

[Duque de Bragança]

So we should have the poor eat our garbage? What a modest proposal.

Well, not only the garbage, thanks to a recent French law. Food about to expire (24-48h before for instance) may be sold with a heavy discount, at the grocer's discretion.
Preferably the (working?) poor will eat it before it really gets garbage.

[garbon]

So we should have the poor eat our garbage? What a modest proposal.

Don't they already? Taco Bell?

[Razgovory]

You see smaller things happen fairly regularly.  Terrorist attacks, riots, murders etc.  These often kill like a dozen people apiece.  I'd say there is a strong atmosphere of hatred there.  It doesn't help that a Hindu nationalist is the head of the government there.

Where do you get the idea that they are India is particularly tolerant?

More than 20 official languages. Untold dozens of ethnic groups. Three major religious groups (And many many minor ones). India could collapse almost immediately if they went all Hindu nationalist. It would be so against their national interest, and basic ideology, I just do not see it happening.

What three major religions do they have?  It's 80% Hindu 15% Muslim and there is considerable violence between the two groups.  I seriously doubt India would collapse if they went all Nationalist, and let me remind you they did tear their country apart on Indian-Muslim lines once so even if that was an issue it's not likely to stop them.  Genocide is a familiar concept to them, and they didn't turn away from mass killing and ethnic cleansing in 1947.

India is a country that sees constant ethnic and religious fighting, murders, riots, bombings, and outright pogroms between people divided by religion, tribal, ethnic, and even caste differences.  I don't know what kind of ideology is their "basic" ideology.  They have fascists and reds and democrats and theocrats.  Right now Indian Nationalism is the most powerful force in their politics and their particular flavor has a strong fascist outlook.

[Barrister]

What three major religions do they have?

Sikhism (though Wiki suggests that there are more Christians in India than Sinkhs).

[mongers]

And Jainism.

[mongers]

And Buddhism?

[garbon]

This isn't the EU series, Mongers.

[Barrister]

And Jainism.

And Buddhism?

Both <1%

[Ideologue]

We Westerners eat too much. If we learned to love less food then we'd have enough food on hand to last for generations. As is, everyone must have seconds...and thirds...

The food just gets thrown out if we don't eat it.

France just recently introduced a law that prohibits grocery stores from throwing away food - any food they no longer want to sell must be given away to food banks and charities. This is a great idea, imo, and should make them think twice about over-stocking.

Fully agree. In most cases, date labelling is completely arbitrary. Eggs are perhaps the best case. Eggs do not spoil for months if stored coolly. Not sure if that applies to the EU's chlamydia-ebola-e-coli-salmonella-infested eggs, but it certainly does here in Socialist Paradise.

The cynic in me suspects that any attempt to legislate that all expired food must go to foodbanks and charities will result in foodbanks and charities being buried in tons of rotting garbage. 

The thing is, most of the expired food is not even remotely rotting - and most grocery chains would just throw away food near expiration date because people do not want to buy it. So the idea is still great. John Oliver had a segment on this recently (it seems as if John Oliver is the conscience of the West these days ).

Jesus, you want to fuck John Oliver.  We get it.

[alfred russel]

I think the law will most likely backfire to the extent it has an effect at all. The reason stores over order is because that is the most cost effective strategy. Making it more expensive to dispose excess inventory is going to add costs to the businesses, and ultimately consumers. So the poor person not getting food from a food bank will have higher costs to bear.

I doubt the effect will be very big though.