this post was submitted on 12 Apr 2024
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[–] neuracnu@lemmy.blahaj.zone 60 points 5 months ago (1 children)

It's a result of Jimmy Carter's dairy subsidies. There was a Planet Money episode about it, and the origin of the phrase "government cheese":

https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2018/08/31/643486297/episode-862-big-government-cheese

[–] TransplantedSconie@lemm.ee 24 points 5 months ago

Everyone makes fun of it, but that shit was sooooo damn good. My aunt and uncle got government cheese when I was really little, and I loved going over for visits and grilled cheese, lol.

[–] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 28 points 5 months ago

They're preparing for the Dragonborn. He will need all 1.4 billion pounds of cheese to heal mid fight.

[–] cdf12345@lemm.ee 27 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Ok who’s been messing with their Skyrim console commands?

[–] The_Picard_Maneuver@lemmy.world 9 points 5 months ago (1 children)

You should see South Dakota's strategic cabbage chamber.

[–] Agent641@lemmy.world 3 points 5 months ago

Idaho has potato caverns

[–] Eiim@lemmy.blahaj.zone 22 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I thought, "1.4 billion pounds of cheese can't be a real number, right?" Turns out, it kinda is. 1.4 billion pounds (actually generally 1.45-1.5 billion) is the amount of cheese the USDA stores in cold storage warehouses across the US. And indeed, much of that seems to be in caves in Missouri. But any particular cave probably only stores a few million pounds, although getting specific numbers is rather difficult.

[–] melpomenesclevage@lemm.ee 8 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

Okay, see, if this were most of what the government did; I'd happily pay taxes.

I'd pay extra and ask how I could help. I'd be painting american flags on shit, instead of saying 'smash the state'.

[–] lengau@midwest.social 21 points 5 months ago (3 children)

That's just my emergency stash. I try to keep at least two week's worth of cheese there at any time.

[–] Osito@lemmy.world 5 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Working on my night cheese

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[–] Justas@sh.itjust.works 18 points 5 months ago (1 children)

A moon-sized pizza to feed the Devourer of Worlds and save the Earth that way.

[–] db2@lemmy.world 13 points 5 months ago

All they're doing is making earth's crust cheese stuffed.

[–] linux2647@lemmy.sdf.org 16 points 5 months ago (3 children)

Or it’s the government propping up Big Dairy

[–] Cqrd@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 5 months ago

It was, but I do believe they've sold off a lot of it by now

[–] ChillDude69@lemmynsfw.com 2 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

It would be all well and good to decry the government "propping up Big Dairy," if any kind of real social safety nets existed in our stupid country. Ya know, to help the actual people who would be out on their asses, if any large industry really started struggling.

But we're not gonna do that in the USA, now are we?

Subsidizing industries, bending rules, creating loopholes, zero-interest loans, etc....that's the closest we can come to securing and protecting the welfare of any large group of working-class people. It shouldn't be that way, but the political climate is only getting WORSE, in terms of us being entirely unable to enact better solutions.

It just is what it is. Indirectly propping up regular people's livelihoods by enriching the Cheese Barons is the best we can do, as stupid as it sounds to actually say that.

Same with the rest of the food system, the airlines, the private utility companies, auto makers, etc. I'm not gonna be the one to just say "well, we should stop propping up these fat-cats," if it means people literally end up homeless.

The working people are basically hostages. If the government stops playing by the Ultra-Capitalists' rules, well, they aren't bluffing. They'll just fold up a huge portion of whatever industry they're currently invested in, let people become destitute by the tens of thousands, and re-invest that cash in some new racket.

Complaining about farm and cheese subsidies is like accusing the hostage negotiator of collaborating with criminals, because he sends some pizzas into the bank, during a hostage crisis. The poor hostages are the ones eating most of the fucking pizza. At least they won't die hungry, if they end up getting shot. Don't take their pizza away, just to keep it from the hostage-takers.

[–] edgemaster72@lemmy.world 14 points 5 months ago

That's just the weekly stash

[–] MrEff@lemmy.world 11 points 5 months ago

I replied with this lower down then figured it might as well be a top level comment.

Here is a great YouTube video that explains not only this cheese cave, but the reason it even exists and then where we get the phrase "government cheese" from and the whole government program of propping up the dairy industry.

https://youtu.be/kvLMH0wb_0k?si=Fr5hvN401FG1A8aS

[–] JaymesRS@literature.cafe 11 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

There’s a bunch of these huge warehouse-like caves in Missouri, some are more natural, but many have been developed. They are super valuable because of the natural climate consistency.

An example near Kansas City: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/SubTropolis

[–] RizzRustbolt@lemmy.world 9 points 5 months ago

Wait until you see Iowa's yogurt lagoon.

[–] SomeBoyo@feddit.de 7 points 5 months ago (1 children)
[–] clark@midwest.social 3 points 5 months ago (1 children)
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[–] Assman@sh.itjust.works 6 points 5 months ago

Wisconsin is invading next week

[–] CobblerScholar@lemmy.world 5 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Ever wonder where the phrase "government cheese" comes from?

[–] FluorideMind@lemmy.world 3 points 5 months ago

Not this, it comes from the free blocks of Velveeta style "cheese" the us government would give low income families in the 1980's

[–] MrEff@lemmy.world 2 points 5 months ago

Sorry for the YouTube link but this explains not only the phrase, but also the entire think this post is about.

https://youtu.be/kvLMH0wb_0k?si=Fr5hvN401FG1A8aS

[–] Valmond@lemmy.world 5 points 5 months ago

Make believe they're home for a captured south European spy.

[–] Duranie@literature.cafe 5 points 5 months ago

This is my retirement plan. When the time comes, I'll hide in the vast caves and eat cheese the rest of my existence.

[–] uis@lemm.ee 5 points 5 months ago (2 children)
[–] AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world 4 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

635,029,318,000 g

[–] raynethackery@lemmy.world 3 points 5 months ago (5 children)
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[–] dopeshark@lemmy.world 4 points 5 months ago

Cheesy plans

[–] rsuri@lemmy.world 4 points 5 months ago

I would empty that place in an evening of "just one more slice and I'll go to bed"

[–] Missmuffet@lemmy.world 4 points 5 months ago
[–] Zier@fedia.io 4 points 5 months ago

I'd like to order an XL New York triple cheese pizza please... ummm, make that 2.

[–] Chivera@lemmy.world 3 points 5 months ago

El queso del gobierno

[–] Anticorp@lemmy.world 3 points 5 months ago (1 children)

They're planning on selling a lot of cheese...

[–] T00l_shed@lemmy.world 2 points 5 months ago

Giving everyone either horrible constipation or violent diarrhea.

[–] littlecolt@lemm.ee 3 points 5 months ago

Being fat and full of cheese. Bliss.

[–] byroon@lemmy.world 3 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (9 children)

Is American cheese any good? TV shows seem to imply it isn't but it seems weird you wouldn't have good cheese by now
Edit: I meant cheese made/available in the US, rather than the type called "American cheese". But thanks for the answers

[–] ButtDrugs@lemm.ee 11 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

There's a lot of incredible American- made cheeses, usually from more local cheese makers. Wisconsin and Vermont are the most fampus for their cheeses, but every state probably has good cheesemakers and there are some pretty good national brands. But the main cheese section at your typical grocery store is mostly just mass-produced cheap cheese that is probably more what you're referring too, which is fine for most uses (e.g. cooking) but eaten alone i would describe as perfectly fine but not great. A lot of grocery stores have a nicer cheese section, but it's usually in a section of the store more with other small bites.

[–] ReveredOxygen@sh.itjust.works 9 points 5 months ago (1 children)

We have normal cheese here too. American cheese is a specific kind of cheese, the same way Swiss cheese is. If you ask me, American cheese is nasty, but we do have good cheese in America

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[–] Ehoalid@lemmynsfw.com 7 points 5 months ago (3 children)

If you're talking about the cheese called "American cheese", then it's somewhat polarizing in preferences. But just like all cheeses, it's made for a very specific purpose: in this case, being amazing at melting. As a result, it's best on cheeseburgers, grilled cheese, mac and cheese, etc. But it also has a distinct, mild flavor that some don't like.

[–] TooLazyDidntName@lemmy.world 3 points 5 months ago

I thought the purpose of it was to do something with the milk the government garunteed it would buy from dairy farmers?

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[–] Wogi@lemmy.world 5 points 5 months ago

I wouldn't go eat a slice of it, but it's good on burgers.

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[–] Sam_Bass@lemmy.world 2 points 5 months ago

If they start trucking in cornchips and jalapenos...

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