Meat Inspection: Theory and Reality Gabriel Kolko's Essay

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Meat Inspection: Theory and Reality

Gabriel Kolko's revealing article, Meat Inspection: Theory and Reality, attempts to debunk the myth that President Theodore Roosevelt was a champion of progressive reforms meant to benefit the working class -- particularly the major meat and food regulation laws passed during his presidency. It wasn't that meat and food regulation didn't have benefits for the common man, but that the driving force behind their passage was never the welfare of the lower classes. Instead, while these reforms were trumpeted and won approval as boons for the common man, in reality they were promoted by and intended to help big business. During the struggles for reform, it was not the people and Roosevelt against big business, but rather big business trying to persuade Roosevelt to take a stand. In general, despite the image he projected, Roosevelt preferred to remain conservative with respect to any reforms benefitting those "not of his class." Instead, he remained in the background until action was necessary, at which time he took action in favor of conservative business. In support of his argument, Kolko cites circumstances surrounding the passage of the federal meat inspection laws and Pure Food and Drug Act, as well as Roosevelt's consternation against passing more radical reforms that would truly intended to benefit the working class.

While students are taught that Upton Sinclair's The Jungle brought the meat packers "to their knees" and forced much needed reform, Kolko provides evidence that the packers were always behind the reforms out of economic necessity.

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It was straightforward: if severe meat inspection regulations were not passed, foreign countries would not import American meat. And while ultimately the laws forced plant owners to clean up the conditions for workers, many attempts were made at "getting by" with just enough regulation to keep profits rolling in -- without any regard for the various "horrors" endured by packing workers. While the new laws did enforce some sanitation regulations on meat packing plants, they in no way improved the daily life and livelihood for the meat packers themselves. According to Sinclair himself, "…nobody even pretends to believe that I improved the condition of the stockyard workers." They still barely made a living wage, and now due to the strict regulations: "…if they became diseased they were now thrown out of the packing housed to fend for themselves." Moreover, Roosevelt is quoted as saying that he "despised" Sinclair and flat out didn't believe many of his accusations.

Roosevelt also claimed he didn't believe in the causes championed by Harvey W. Wiley -- the man behind the pure food movement. While Wiley wanted to take action against chemical additives and preservatives….....

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