Baylen Linnekin on Crony Capitalism vs. American Food

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Credit: Library of Congress

Crony capitalism is a major problem in the areas of food and agriculture. Take the dairy industry. As Baylen Linnekin explains, historically, this industry has been one of the most visible practitioners of crony capitalism—at least since it began to use government to squeeze out competition from newfangled margarine—a less expensive alternative to butter—in the mid- to late-1800s. The industry later supported a similar push to ban cheap milk substitutes like filled milk. More recently, large, heavily- subsidized corporate dairy producers have turned their focus to promoting the FDA's continued prohibition of raw milk.