HW 7b Fast Food Nation

Chapter 4
Young people, like Dave Feamster, who have used up all their possibilities, are often times owners of fast food restaurants. Franchising schemes are a win-win situation for both the franchisee and the franchisor if the opportunity is manipulated correctly. In today’s economy it’s not worth the money, energy or resources to attempt to became a successful franchisee of a large organization. For franchisee owners it is crucial that stores of the same company don't open in a close vicinity of each other. The demand for the product that the store is selling decreases due to the amount of supply in such a condensed area. the government backed loans given to fast food "entrepreneurs" money to be successful which means that the public is supporting the fast food industry whether they want to or not. Not all fast food franchisees are horrible people; those like Dave Feamster are just trying to make a living. He is kind to his employees, takes them to events and helps pay for their college education. there are many franchise owners whose goals is to keep making money and there are others whose goal is to just make enough money to live and then give back to their community or their employees. Those who are constantly attempting to achieve conventional goals will never be fulfilled because the amount of money one can aim to make is infinite, therefore their goal will never be accomplished. I think it’s great how the author doesn't attack Dave Feamster or portray him as a horrible person. But rather associates him with less superficial things like having a family, starting a local hockey team and giving money for his employees who are in college.

Chapter 5
J.R. Slimplot was an ordinary boy who took chances and made investments which benefited him. He became successful within the potato business he had his hands on machines that were able to quickly clean, slice, flash cook and flash freeze potatoes. These new techniques for preparing potatoes made J.R Slimplot a multibillionaire, selling the inventions (and potatoes) to major fast food industries. Despite his wealth he has stayed loyal to the potato industry and the fast food business. Currently the fast food industry is making the most money off of the French fry business. The farmers and manufactures make hardly any profit compared to McDonalds. There is an organization called The Potato Growers of Idaho which is aimed at helping famers make logical contracts with processors. All around Idaho farmers are falling into the fallacy of composition. This is the idea that if a new piece of machinery makes one farm more profit that it would also make everyone else’s farm more profit. Fast food is so processed that all the natural flavors are cooked, and frozen out of the potatoes, the French fries would have no taste if it weren’t for the “natural flavor” which is added during the manufacturing process.