As someone who grew up in inner-city Chicago, which arguably has more resources than Detroit, I can certainly attest to the fact that in most poor neighborhoods there is NOT access to cheap and nutritious food. There are corner stores that rarely stock fresh produce (and when they do it is overpriced and horrible quality), and there are fast food restaurants. If you don't have a car, you have limited to no access to decent grocery stores - and I'm not talking fancy organic places, but a basic supermarket like Aldi.

Several city council members approached some of the largest grocery chains about opening on the south side, and they said no, claiming there wasn't a market for it. This is the excuse that large companies use to not go into what they consider poor or high-risk neighborhoods, and in the meantime everyone on the south side had to drive to the suburbs or downtown to do ANY kind of shopping - groceries, clothes, etc. This has started to change over the last ten years, but the poorest neighborhoods are still extremely deprived, to an extent that most Europeans cannot imagine without seeing for themselves. And the situation today is FAR better than it was 15-20 years ago.

Thank you for your contribution. I find it hard to imagine such a situation.

I would point out however, that if people prefered fresh vegetables to fast food restaurants, fresh vegetables is what they would get.

This is hardly the fault of 'capitalism'.

I'd prefer to eat in The Red Bank on my birthday rather than than the local Italian bistro but I get what I can afford. So do Americans.

Besides which if you grow up in a place like edilla described how are you even going to be aware that there are alternatives. There's places in Ireland like that too. People like us have no comprehension of the reality of the experience of those living in very deprived circumstances. I recall a service I worked for starting up a canteen for it's clients in one deprived area of Dublin some years ago and we discovered that many of the clients didn't know how to use a self service restaurant. They'd never had the opportunity before. It's a different world.

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"Gods are fragile things; they may be killed by a whiff of science or a dose of common sense." - Chapman Cohen.

"The greatness of a nation and it's moral progress can be judged by the way it's animals are treated." -Mahatma Ghandi

I don't see myself as my brother's keeper.

It is up to others to make informed choices for themselves.

Ah - the "I'm alright Jack" philosophy of life. Renowned for it's success in promoting a better world for all.

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"Gods are fragile things; they may be killed by a whiff of science or a dose of common sense." - Chapman Cohen.

"The greatness of a nation and it's moral progress can be judged by the way it's animals are treated." -Mahatma Ghandi

A growing portion of urban Detroit is being given over to agriculture in districts cleared to leave urban prairie. Having nothing forces these choices. I suppose there are people who have a quite big government extended unemployment benefit, it can be much more than here depending on the job and state I think. Other people like in Detroit have to be resourceful. I wonder if Detroit is the future of the US. OP/Cael has made a point worth pondering, but don't forget that Americans can be resourceful too.

They don't seem to have much choice in the matter that is if being resourceful amounts to having to accept handouts from teachers. The US continues to believe the myth that it is the embodiment of the successful capitalist state when all the evidence seems to suggest that a large proportion of it's citizens live third world lives. Meanwhile they deride those of us who live in scary "socialist" Europe but I've yet to meet one Irish teacher who has to feed her pupils never mind 63% of them.

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"Gods are fragile things; they may be killed by a whiff of science or a dose of common sense." - Chapman Cohen.

"The greatness of a nation and it's moral progress can be judged by the way it's animals are treated." -Mahatma Ghandi

If anyone has a problem with Paris Hilton,you are a ******************************g faggot.

Capitalism isn't a "thing" that comes into your house and gives you money. It requires human action and human co-operation to produce goods for exchange.

As a matter of interest - what price would make a carrot "affordable"? What price is "affordable" for a potatoe? What price is "affordable" for a tin of beans/peas?

At the moment on tesco.ie:

- Carrots 500g Pack Class 1 - €0.89
- Sweet Potatoes 1 Kg - €1.89
- Loose Irish Chicken Breast Fillets - €1.19
- Heinz Baked Bean In Tomato Sauce - €0.49

In order for people to be able to afford this OUTRAGEOUS price of €4.46 Capitalism doesn't break into your home and throw money at you so this price becomes affordable - people have to exchange goods or services in order to be able to attain these goods.

Do you honestly think the prices are too high or people aren't earning enough? The latter is obviously the case.

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How much calories are in that meal?