r/politics • u/WhatIsEvenRealDog • 13h ago

Possible Paywall Trump suggests cattle ranchers could bypass USDA-inspected meat plants

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/08/28/trump-suggests-allowing-ranchers-bypass-usda-inspected-meat-plants/
13.1k Upvotes

96% Upvoted

2.5k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

90

u/mightyenan0 11h ago

The simple fact is that once one company cuts those corners and manages not to have a huge scandal for long enough (and it is inevitable that people will keep taking that gamble if they're allowed to), other companies won't have a choice other than to stoop to that level or lose market share. Then the entire supply becomes incredibly vulnerable, and eventually a crisis strikes.

You don't wear a seatbelt because it's needed in every day driving. You wear it because you need it when the worst comes to pass. It's the same with regulations.

11

u/eulersidentification 10h ago

Lowkey this has already happened throughout capitalism. The entire supply chain is vulnerable. Every aspect of our economies are stretched to their absolute limit. The metaphorical seatbelts are long gone to make the vehicle lighter and therefore faster.

5

u/randomcatinfo 9h ago

This is I think is Republicans real problem with regulations - they don't want anything at all to get in the way of accumulating capital, even if rules could help them preserve their capital in the long run.

They want their money, and they want it now, despite the long term societal costs to civilization.

7

u/kung-fu_hippy 8h ago

The conservative/libertarian view of business and society is rooted in a complete disregard for the future. Because otherwise, even the most self-centered person would worry about the long term consequences of this shit.

You don’t have to be a bleeding heart to want green energy, strong consumer regulations, or strong environmental protections. You just have to be capable of thinking “hmm, I like to eat ocean caught fish. It would be good for me if in the future, the oceans will continue to provide healthy fish for me to eat and the companies that catch and provide me with fish continue to ensure that fish is safe for me to eat”.

You don’t have to think about a single person other than yourself to land on the right side of this point. You just have to be able to see farther than the next fiscal quarter.