As something of a fast-food aficionado, I've been amused by the raging and inconsistent arguments from progressives about the fast-food industry. For years, these professional scolds have depicted America as a Fast Food Nation, with cheap burger joints epitomizing our nation's consumerism, tackiness and fast pace. Why can't we all enjoy two-hour gourmet lunches at the café like they do in Europe?
In his review of a 2001 book by that name, a New York Times writer conceded that fast food is not "solely responsible for every social problem now haunting the United States," but he complained that it "has been a catalyst and a symptom of larger economic trends." The argument is hard to follow, but it has something to do with big corporations, low wages, Big Agriculture and some blah, blah, blah about social stratification.
