Sunday, June 10, 2012

Unintended consequences, how do they work?

In a fit of gratuitous smuggery of positively Californian proportions, the Golden State banned foie gras back in '04, and then gave people five years to get all the smooshed-goose-liver-eating out of their systems before the ban went into effect.
The recent statewide protests have driven some enthusiasts underground, with clandestine wakes being held for their favourite food.
One dining website, Dishcrawl, organised a series of events at secret locations, and they sold out.
Spokesman Tracy Lee said: "I believe in the freedom to eat what you like and it's been nice for people to enjoy it without protesters. A lot of people coming to these events have been buying loads and freezing it. They're stocking up. The price has gone up, it's practically doubled."
Per capita, I doubt even coke addicts can afford to fund a smuggling network the way the pâté posse can. Maybe the cigarettes will be able to come into the state on foie gras-funded Fountain and Donzi "goose boats" instead of the other way 'round.

(H/T to Jim at TMR.)

22 comments:

trevalyan said...

Legalize pot, but...

Honest to GOD. How do the people with elaborate (and true) dissertations against the drug war not see how this is just an insane, horrifically bad idea? A better case for integrational philosophy can't be made.

Jumpthestack said...

The grace period was eight years. If it was 5 years, it would have been up in 2009.

RabidAlien said...

Yer kiddin....so, they're saying that Californ-i-ay is so trouble-free that all they have left is the war on FOOD??? Wow. Exactly how far to you have to have your head shoved up your tailpipe before that sounds like a good idea?

Ken said...

How long before the Einsatzbleichmittelgruppen come to call on a Dishcrawl movable feast, courtesy of a wannabe Gauleiter ratting out a neighbor?

Tam said...

Jumpthestack,

"The grace period was eight years. If it was 5 years, it would have been up in 2009."

Math, how does it work? :o

;)

Old NFO said...

Sigh... No comment!

Joseph said...

The food dictators don't only ban lower-class food such as Big Gulps but upper-class food as well. In other words, they're classless (in more ways than one).

Critter said...

they can have my pate when they pry it from my cold, dead refridgerator.

Unknown said...

So typically Californian. I could hardly wait to move out of that Damned state.

I wonder if it's something in the water - besides the MTBE that's still contaminating a lot of areas. Why beside that? because they were this stupid before they decided to waste a lot of money forcing MTBE into everyones gasoline.

Anonymous said...

We are talking about mashed bird guts? they outlawed mashed bird guts? and now ther' smugglin'. Qwik call the snecrit snurvis time for a SWAT raid. Hell might even warrent a drone strike.

doubletrouble said...

HONEST to GOD... way is it that anything that is FUBAR has it's basis in some sort of Gov.intervention?

Anonymous said...

I just bought a battery terminal cleaner, the little round wire bruch type, and it has a sticker stating "This product contains chemicals known by the state of California to cause cancer." Any comment that I could add would be superfluous.

Anonymous said...

And I leave it as an excercise for you all to figure out what the hell a "bruch" is.

Mark Alger said...

I'm sorry, but I'm way past accepting the "unintended" dodge. This late in the game, we can take it as an aggravating circumstance for any given miscreant to claim the consequences were -- scorn quotes -- "unintended."

M

Seerak said...


Honest to GOD. How do the people with elaborate (and true) dissertations against the drug war not see how this is just an insane, horrifically bad idea?


You mean, why can't they see the underlying principle that integrates those two specific examples? That's what happens when you just "pick and choose" beliefs without bothering to see if they all fit together without contradiction.

Seerak said...

Apologies to Trevalyan, who was actually making the same point. I don't usually see it called "integrational", but yeah.

Fuzzy Curmudgeon said...

You know, they banned foie gras in Chicago, too...for about five minutes. Well, OK, for two years. Even Daley fils spoke out against the law, and it was repealed in 2008.

As bad as Chicago is, I guess in this case it's not as bad as California.

Anonymous said...

Does having a Lab or Chessie in your truck give the CHiP's probable cause to stop you?

Gerry

mikee said...

Guy Fieri's Food Network Show "Diners, Drive Ins and Dives" featured a Chicago diner where a signature dish consisted of foie gras over french fires. Rave reviews by Guy and the diners, who were primarily working class folk of large girths. Probably because they lunched on foie gras over fries.

Link to a picture of this dish: http://carbbeforethestorm.com/david-vs-goliath/

Anonymous said...

Can you get a medical pâté card?

For sure you should move to california and take advantaqge of the new profit potential in black market liver. That stuff is going to become more common than ever, and organized crime richer than ever. -- Lyle

ErnestThing said...

Coworkers took me out for a going away lunch (moving to Ky), and the restaurant owner gave us some fwah-grass as a bonus. Glad to be able to add to the list of things I did in California before they were banned.

One of my friends has a rather serious network of "foodies" who I'm quite positive will pay top dollar (and they pay a LOT for their hobby) for the goose liver the day after it's banned. Possibly expecting the illegality to add "spice." I hope they don't get raided by the SWAT team the California Department of Food & Agriculture likely has.

Cheesy said...

"Good afternoon, California Department of Agriculture, Stasi Division. Are you transporting any fruits, vegetables, nuts or goose liver?"