Conservative Historian Bad Apples: A History of Government Run Grocery Stores
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Sep 12, 2025 Explore the intriguing world of government-run grocery stores, starting with the competitive U.S. market and proposals for city-operated options. Delve into the realities of food insecurity and how municipal experiments have fared, often with disappointing results. Learn from history as the podcast highlights lessons from Soviet and Venezuelan state-run stores, revealing the economic and political challenges they face. Get ready for a critical look at whether government groceries are truly a viable solution.
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Grocery Market Is Competitive
- The U.S. grocery market is dynamic with many competitors eroding traditional supermarket dominance.
- A.D. Tippett argues there is no broad market failure that justifies government entry into groceries.
Affordability As Political Promise
- Brandon (sic) Mamdami proposes NYC-run grocery stores to address affordability.
- Tippett frames affordability as a political promise popular with voters but not an entitlement to specific locations.
Public Stores Presented As Fixes
- Proponents claim city-owned stores will buy at wholesale, centralize distribution, and focus less on profit.
- Tippett notes advocates present this as a fix for food insecurity and deserts but questions that framing.