USDA drops 'hungry' from annual report. Bushies now call it 'very low food security'

[bigtree]

Elizabeth Williamson, Washington Post

Thursday, November 16, 2006

(11-16) 04:00 PST Washington -- The U.S. government has promised that Americans will never be hungry again. But they may experience "very low food security."

Every year, the Agriculture Department issues a report that measures Americans' access to food, and it has consistently used the word "hunger" to describe those who can least afford to put food on the table. But not this year.

Mark Nord, the lead author of the report, said "hungry" is "not a scientifically accurate term for the specific phenomenon being measured in the food security survey."

Nord, an Agriculture Department sociologist, said, "We don't have a measure of that condition."

The department said 12 percent of Americans -- 35 million people -- could not put food on the table at least part of last year. Eleven million of them reported going hungry at times. Beginning this year, the Agriculture Department has determined "very low food security" to be a more scientifically palatable description for that group.

more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/11/16/MNG6AMDKM41.DTL



http://journals.democraticunderground.com/bigtree

[bryant69]

1. Very Low Food Security?

"Where's my hamburger? It was right here."

"I'm sorry. You've chosen to live in Ethiopia, a country with very low food security."

"But I"m really hungry. And that hamburger was going to be so good."

"Well next time be careful. You need to be careful to live in a country with very low food security."

OK i know that's not what they mean - but that's what my initial reaction was.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[bigtree]

3. who's protectin our food freedoms?

they hate us for our food freedoms

[Kagemusha]

2. This is from the Onion, right?

...RIGHT?...

[bigtree]

5. sadly, no.

[blogslut]

4. Enjoy your seat

at the banquet in hell, Mr. Nord.

[Generic Other]

6. Homeland Security needs to investigate this phenomenon

Sounds like terrorists are messing with our food security.

[underpants]

7. This from the supposedly nonPC crowd huh?

What's next? Fast food workers counted as "manufacturing"?

[ikojo]

43. Actually I think the Bush labor department

wanted to count fast food workers as manufacturing because they put together a hamburger sandwich. I think it had something to do with gutting overtime rules.

[originalpckelly]

8. I believe that phrase has a very high bovine excrement content...

Also know as bullshit.

[ProgressiveEconomist]

9. Add to Dubya's historic accomplishments: He ended 'hunger'

in America!

[sarge43]

10. Let them eat ketchup. n/t

[ContraBass Black]

11. There is a difference.

Hungry people don't have food. Food insecure people have food, but could run out and be unable to get more at any time.




Edited for spellering.

[Horse with no Name]

35. No not really

You can be hungry AND have food insecurity if we are hellbent on using these terms.
Take a single mother with several children to feed. Payday is in a week and she only has enough food for 4 days.
Someone is going to go hungry--most likely her--however, her children would be fed because they *do* have food in the house.

[Tyo]

12. The word "hungry" has so much baggage associated with it

If we keep on throwing it around like we have been we are in serious danger of generating some sympathy for those living in circumstances of low food security. This might be followed by an urge to help them and maybe even some action. Emotionalism of this sort has no place in The New American Reich. I mean Century.

[grizmaster]

13. So where is the Department of Homeland Food Security?

It's obvious that hunger is a much more serious (and real) threat than terrorism, so where is the department to protect us in this vital area?

And what level alert would be at anyway?- yellow zucchini or pumpkin orange?

[bigtree]

14. tomato red

[Mind_your_head]

15. Did someone find my secret stash of donuts again?

"Very Low Food Security" sounds like someone found and ate your hidden/private stash of donuts or something. Sheesh.
:eyes:

I wonder who's the nitwit who came up with this euphemism?

Reality: When you don't have any food, the result is HUNGER! Simple cause/effect relationship.

I hope the nitwit who came up with this loses his paychecks in the mail for a few months....then s/he can see if the effect is "very low food security" or "hunger".

[Gold Metal Flake]

16. The Politically Correct Republicans.

Always lying with words. These Politically Correct Republicans who parse every syllable, process every letter through public relations mills. Politically Correct Republicans who can't speak a plain sentence without a lawyer and a market researcher on hand.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

17. AAAAAAA RRRRRR GGGGG HHHHHHH !!!!!!!!

Sometimes there's just no other appropriate response.
NO ONE should go hungry in this country but the fact is too many do. And God damn us all if we can't at least say it to ourselves.

[magellan]

18. Jesus H. Christ, now they're trying to redefine 'hunger'

Maybe it's time these RW overlords of exacting speech were denied the money to feed their families, see how long it is before their children start yelling, "Daddy, I've got food insecurity!!"

[Az_lefty]

19. these people are absolutely shameless !!!!!

:grr:

[MidwestTransplant]

20. Let them eat Ketchup

[Fermezlabush]

27. Damn, you scooped me!

But the jokes write themselves...
It's what they did with everything - measuring unemployment and other recession indicators. Remember the "Jobless recovery"?

[derby378]

21. Another government agency incapable of speaking plain English

Thanks, Bush administration! We'll remember this when the Democrats take the helm on January...

[Straight Shooter]

22. ?

:wtf:

[quiet.american]

23. This could only be thought up by those who have consistently high food security. n/t

[BlueEyedSon]

24. I just sprayed my monitor

[Fermezlabush]

25. Is the food insecurity the new jobless recovery?

let no one say jr didn't outdo Raygun! We need a modern day Jonathan Swift. Oh, wait - we have one - he wrote the damn thing. I guess the sarcasm got lost somewhere in the red tape.

[SutaUvaca]

26. "I was low on food security, and ye secured not food for me."

"Lord, Lord, when did we ever see thee in a state of low food security...?"
Holy Bible, Matt. Ch. 25, DOA version.

[Norquist Nemesis]

28. Key word is "security"

They couldn't figure out how to mangle it into 'food protection from terror'.

[formercia]

29. Just like they call torture

'Human resources evaluation.'

[Yogi]

30. More compassionate conservatives at work again.

eom.

[bigtree]

40. kinder, gentler starvation

[KitSileya]

31. But headlines abroad says millions starve in the US

They're not afraid to call a spade a spade.

According to the Norwegian Aftenposten, 35 million Americans experience one form or another of hunger. For the first time in 6 years, the numbers are sinking, mostly due to public food assistance programs such as free school lunches, says Jim Weill, president of the American Food Research and Action Center. However, the people who have uncertain access to food (what they're trying to call low food security, I guess) has risen from 10.7% to 10.8%. The article also mentions the reluctance to use the word hunger, and quote people critical to the practice.


You may get propaganda, but the rest of the world is not being deluded.


http://www.aftenposten.no/nyheter/uriks/article1535451.ece

[bigtree]

32. we're not deluded either

:hi:

[progressoid]

33. Why does food hate America?

[bigtree]

39. Americans are asking, why do they hate us?

They hate our food freedoms -- our freedom of digestion, our freedom of consumption, our freedom to slice and dice and share all you can eat buffets with each other.

[central scrutinizer]

34. You're not homeless - you have very low roof security

[bigtree]

38. you're not poor - you have low economic security

[Subdivisions]

36. I'm suffering from very low food security. Can someone please

make me a sandwich?

[bigtree]

37. the world's largest supply of sandwich materials are in Bologna

I'll deploy a force immediately to destroy their infrastructure to ensure an ample supply of bologna for your sandwich, ensuring your food security . . .

[PinkyisBlue]

41. Here's a more palatable term for our president and administration:

They are all full of refuse matter discharged from an animal body.

[AIJ Alom]

42. "Pleas sir, may I have a little more ? " "More?"

You're not hungry ! You just lack food security. Sign up for Iraq and we will give you additional food security while you provide security for Iraqis. A win-win situation. And thus began the new army recruiter ploy.

Either that or 15 minutes on the couch, consent not required.

[eridani]

44. Yup. And a spade is really

--a leveraged tactile-feedback geomass delivery system.