Primal Perceptions

Robb Wolf's book The Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet is an anthropological journey that traces the patterns of human consumption since the Paleolithic Age. He claims that the consumption of any foods introduced to humanity during the neolithic age, is detrimental to well being. Wolf chalks up neolithic food consumption as the root of a host of modern diseases. Calling for the end of their consumption makes him radical. I like that, and I believe him.

The Primal Blueprint runs along the same lines, and is written by Mark Sisson of Mark's Daily Apple. The crowd that reads these books, and adheres to them, refers to itself as either paleo or primal. I don't think the differences are substantive enough to merit a change in terminology. I use them interchangeably. I named this piece with the primal insignia, because of Mark's leniency on dairy and protein supplements.

All this is to preface a day wandering around for fast food primal options. I cook more oft than not. However, there are times when being, as Habeshas say, baleh-moya* do not coincide with the desire to prepare food. These are the times when the wonders of the market economy can be accessed. Tons of shopkeepers and restauranteurs bending over backwards to offer their services to the poor and parvenu alike.

I strolled into the bumbling bazaar located at the intersection of Broadway/ 7th in Downtown Los Angeles. Distracting as the gizmos and gadgets surrounding me were, my focus was single minded. FOOD. I spotted that trusty red-rimmed yellow star, with that immutable creepy grin. Carl's Jr. for the West Coasters. Hardy's for the East Coasters.**

My paleo delight was the low carb six dollar burger, and a side of sweet potato fries. No mayonnaise, nor ketchup. Southwest sauce and jalapenos were my cheat codes to get the best of both worlds. I wanted the lettuce wrapped burger, while still getting that equatorial flare that the depths of my being crave. Success.

Reading economic and religious texts have shaped my worldview. I now have a dialectical approach to situations that others may deem mundane and unworthy of note taking. From Carl's Jr. to homelessness I see the struggle from different vantage points. I digress. The low carb burger is assuredly a market response to the popularity of In-N-Out's protein style hamburger. In-N-Out makes bucks from tossing out buns and replacing them with lettuce wrapped beef. Carl's Jr. emulates the job. The economists with impotent reasoning, the 4th branch of the government, and the lay voter loosely speak of stealing ideas.*** As of yet, and unless Inception style technology is crafted, ideas cannot be stolen. As I illustrated before in my piece of bridge building between communism & liberalism

Statists refer to emulated and shared ideas, on the digital plane, as "intellectual property". Stephan Kinsella crumbles this philosophy into a paper wad, shreds it, and tosses its remains into a viking funeral pyre here.  

A genius Chinese entrepreneur copied In-N-Out's model from the bottom up, and gets dough serving consumers in China with his "CaliBurger". I commend Carl's Jr. and CaliBurger. And yet, I am a fanatic of In-N-Out. Competition keeps producers on their feet, ever alert. They are subject to improve their quality or lower their prices. These are the mechanisms available to respond to intense competition. Whichever producer comes out on top, the consumer is victorious as well. Win win. Transactional interactions are positive when they are voluntary. The consumer's vicissitudes are constantly monitored by producers, to calculate the market mechanisms of quality and price. All of this just to engage in peaceful exchange.

Food producers innovate, expand and survive based on their capability to serve the consumer. They live to serve us. That's a beautiful thing.

Post Scriptum:

If you want to eat paleo; eat meat, poultry, fish, eggs, vegetables, nuts, berries, and fruit. Refrain from; legumes, grains and complex-carbohydrates.

*the ability to cook, clean and accomplish other household duties

**the result of Carl's Jr. eating up a local franchise and deeming the name important enough to the local consumers to keep

*** Let me channel the late great Murray Rothbard on the ineptitude of the inteligentsia

It is no crime to be ignorant of economics, which is after all, a specialized discipline and one that most people consider to be a 'dismal science'. But it is totally irresponsible to have a loud and vociferous opinion on economic subjects while remaining in this state of ignorance.