The growing popularity of organic food is indeed vexing to the left. It's supposed to be *their* thing, dammit! It's supposed to be one of the things that make them better than the Wal-Mart rabble. If every smelly T-shirt wearing Joe sixpack can buy organic strawberries, then where's the smug superiority? As organic food (which is a luxury but, like expensive gas, one our society can easliy afford) watch for more gnashing of teeth and beating of breasts from the eco-fascist left. Doritos has an organic line of chips. McDonald's now sells organic coffee. Did I see an ad for organic 7-up recently? The eco-facist left want to be successful, but only on their terms. No compromise is permitted, which is kind of odd for a group that prides itself on its conflict resolution skills.

Defining yourself by what you do or do not buy for reasons unrelated to the product itself is not "consumerist"? It's one thing to say that you only buy manure-grown rutabagas because they taste better (it's the coliform bacteria that gives it that special tang), but quite another to say it's because it makes you a better person.

This is the same exact sort of reaction that we'll see in a few years if hybrid cars actually become mainstream. Pathetic.

Well, to be fair, "more expensive food" is also the rallying cry of the anti-immigrationist right.

Who aren't about to grow or pick it either.

Speaking of hybrids going mainstream...

Chevrolet has a hybrid pick-up

You'd probably see some heads explode if you drove up to Whole Foods in one of these.

Whole Foods will get back at them by selling premium Colt .45 and Marlboros.

Fact: People in health food stores look unhealthy and weak while the crowd at fast food fatteries look robust and vigorous. Organic foods ditto.

Hybrid pickups? Hallelujah! Something with decent suburban gas mileage which can haul 3 cubic yards of mulch. Sign me up!

Okay, I give up: how do you price food responsibly?

I did the usual freshman econ core course, and I don't recall seeing this one. I can understand the farmer pricing food to make money, the distributor, ditto, the store, a-yup; and I can see the average consumer wanting food priced low.

I can even understand the average sprocket-adorned dictator pricing food to keep the masses happy.

But what's a 'responsible' price for food? Can anyone define this without their heads exploding? Thx in advance,

Steve: We have to be responsible stewards of the planet, and anyone can see that there are just too many Americans. Also, Americans are fat because Americans are stupid & rich. The plan is to use Kyoto-type methods to destroy the American economy to take care of the "rich" part, but that will take too long. So food should therefore be more expensive, so that the average stupid American can't afford very much of it. And if we make it expensive enough, we can make sure that there aren't just skinnier Americans, but fewer as well. And that's responsible stewardship of the Earth.

Well put, b. The Few. The Skinny. The Stewards.

I'm going to Steak 'n Shake.

OJ, finally a topic I can agree with you on! (although your hatred of the car does create the whiff of crunchiness on you).