Miller Magazine Issue: 117 September 2019

61 COVER STORY MILLER / SEPTEMBER 2019 People like to think we live in a world ruled by Capitalism, for better or worse. The proponents of Capitalism see everything that is good, and use it as proof of how good it is. The opponents see what is bad in the world, and also use it as a proof. Truth is, most of the economies are heavily reg- ulated. Even in the US, you need a government permit to sell hot dogs in the street. Food and ag- riculture are among the most regulated industries in the planet. Open any newspaper or magazine (like this one) and you will find articles about quo- tas, tariffs, stimuli, taxes, laws, etc. Our current food supply chains are internation- al. Except for the most basic products, like milk or cooking oil, the raw materials are imported or exported, and so are the final products. The gov- ernments get in the middle trying to “adjust” the process, with some absurd results. For example, I can drive 4 hours and go to a buffet restaurant in Brazil (an “espeto corrido”) and eat all kind of meats for a fraction of what it would cost in Uru- guay, and I would still be healthy as a horse. But, if I am in Montevideo and want to try some Bra- zilian pork ribs, then somehow, I would be intox- icated and somebody has to stop it. But, myste- riously, if you add some tax to the price, they are no longer poisonous. Why are there so many regulations for bak- eries that your own aunt won’t follow when preparing her delicious biscuits. Did your aunt ever poison you? Why is the flour you eat in Turkey completely healthy when you are a tour- ist there, but dangerous if you eat it in Argen- tina? The obstacles to international trade have nev- er been about health and safety. They are about money, to benefit special interests at the expense of others. The European Union just signed an agreement with the Mercosur that would open Europe for the agricultural exports of South America, but now the farmers in France are lob- bying against it, and the French government is pushing modifications to articles, despite the fact that the general population would be better with cheaper products. The war of tariffs between Trump and Xi Jin- ping is also about special interests and lobbies: US farmers against Chinese tech manufacturers. And things escalate, and then egos get in the