Bush v. Orwell #7,834: Don't call it hunger! It's "food security."

[Shakespeare]

America's hungry? They're just suffering from "low food security"
What do you call that phenomenon you feel when you need something to eat but can't afford to put any food on the table? We might call it "hungry," but then, we're not Bush administration officials who'd rather not acknowledge that the number of "hungry" people in America has increased over the last five years of "compassionate conservatism."

As the Washington Post reports this morning, Bush's Agriculture Department has struck the word "hungry" from its annual report on what it's now calling "food security."

The report measures the number of Americans who can't afford to put food on their table during at least some period of the year. The Agriculture Department's Mark Nord says "hungry" is "not a scientifically accurate term for the specific phenomenon being measured" in the report. Thus, people formerly described as suffering "food insecurity without hunger" -- meaning that they'll probably get something to eat, somehow -- and "food insecurity with hunger" -- meaning that they'll go without food for stretches of time -- shall henceforth be known as sufferers of "low food security" and "very low food security."

Oh, and then there's this. The hunger/food insecurity report usually appears in October. This year's version -- the fifth straight to show an increase in the number of hungry Americans -- was held for release until after last week's election.

http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/

[wtmusic]

1. I'd like to be secure from getting food on my family

but maybe that's just me.

[acmavm]

2. This article pissed me off too. But I had to put up with a tongue

lashing from someone who thinks that this type of bullshit obsfucation is just fine.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=2617628&mesg_id=2618028

Apparently it's us who are out of touch. We want hunger and malnutrition defined as hunger and malnutrition, not prettied up with some off the wall term that some guy came up with that will just make people ignore the issue rather that face the reality of hunger by using the word.

[kenny blankenship]

3. Good move. Obviously food security is a much lower priority

than say anti-ballistic missile security in the War on Terror. Food Security doesn't even involve lasers as weapons or retinal scanners! We need to plow everything into StarWars laser equipped antimissile satellites and Orbital Bombers, and when we're finally safe and secure in the stars we can turn our attention to the marginal Food Security of our people.

If you redefine all terms into a vocabulary limited to military values, military priorities will always come out on top.

[Uncle Joe]

6. I believe the term "food security" creates criminals

The terms hunger or the hungry create victims. The "compassionate conservatives" do not believe in victims, they believe in criminals, hence the reaction to the hungry in New Orleans during Katrina.

I believe, they believe when the pudding hits the prop regarding global warming, the multitudes of hungry will be so overwhelming, it will be easier to deal with the victims as criminals.

[lovuian]

4. Your right the Ministry of Truth has spoken Food Security

is the Double speak

[kineneb]

5. and the French peasants were suffering from "food insecurity" as well

right before they lead the King and Queen on a visit to Madame Guillotine. Hungry is still hungry. Been too close to that, did not get the t-shirt.


---
The term "food security" has actually been used for some time in the social service world. It refers to both actual lack of food and the inability to get to sources of food (local grocery stores). The farmers market I used to run was started to address food insecurity in a low-income neighborhood.

Many people in inner cities have enough money to buy food but lack a real grocery store at which to purchase their needs. They are forced to buy (at high prices) poor quality foods at corner stores, because that is all that is available without good transportation. That also is "food insecurity". Elderly, disabled and poor folks in rural areas suffer from the same problems, only there the distance to good stores is the problem.

Just my two cents.

[malaise]

9. Bingo n/t

[Gormy Cuss]

7. Food insecurity is not synonymous with hunger

Food insecurity covers a broad range of conditions where the ability to secure an adequate supply of nutritious food is lacking. If because of lack of resources a family eats only large bowls of white rice or Ramen noodles three times a day, they may not be hungry but they have a severe food security issue. If a family can afford to eat only one meal a day, they're hungry.

That's the way the term is used by poverty agencies, sociologists, etc. The reason is that if hunger is the only standard for judging food access many people are ignored who have inadequate access to nutritious food.

On edit: using 'food security' to disguise hunger rates is obscene.

[Shakespeare]

8. And note that they held the release of the report until after the election.

They're twisting themselves in knots trying to downplay our hunger problem.

[NRaleighLiberal]

10. So, Bush isn't "stupid" - he has "very low brain matter" instead???

[radfringe]

11. and food stamps are now called

alternate nutritional procurement certificates