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I’ve been reading Eric Schlosser’s Fast Food Nation, an in-depth examination of the history and dark side of the fast food empire. Scholosser’s research reveals gritty details including how a great percentage of robberies take place in fast food establishments and the perps are usually employees. It also reveals the hidden agenda of these multi-billion dollar empires, focusing on their bleak advertising campaigns directed towards children and the amount of chemical flavorings and tinkerings that make a Spicy Chicken sandwich taste spicy.

One such chapter deals with what is called the “white flight”, wherein a good portion of a predominately white population will flee an overpopulated area and move to more rural or western plains. Despite this escape, they usually end up in small towns which are quaint and slow-paced but are overrun by Burger Kings, KFC and Taco Bells.

I’ll have to admit that Fast Food Nation has really opened my eyes to the true agendas of these corporations who originally began with such humble beginnings. Their goals were quite different in the mid-50s to late 60s when most of these establishments were formed as a location convienance to the (at that time) freshly built freeways and highways.

Today, however, it’s evident that money is what drives these corporations and hearding as much people into fast food restaurants means expanding their egos and filling their pockets. It’s interesting that a gallon of Coke syrup costs around $4.25. Add water and several bags of sugar and you begin to see why fast food joints allow consumers to have free refills.

As for me, I’m completely content with smaller Mom and Pop joints where the food might take 10-15 minutes to make but tastes all the better. It’s home cooking that makes my tastebuds sizzle and not the grease that saturates the wrappers of a hamburger or the chewy fries that sat under the heaters for the past several hours.