Nick’s Reading Notes –Fast Food Nation

Infuriating is the best word I can use to describe the chapter I just read about Dave Feamster and his “franchise”. In one way, the chapter seems like a success story; a former NHL player left in the gutter manages to claw his way up to 2.5 million in annual revenues. At the same time however, what has he really managed to do? Feamster worked his ass off for years, managing to dig his way out of debt and become the kingpin of little caesar’s in the Pueblo area. During that time he has been working, he has probably made countless piles of cash for the franchise owners, the real winners in this equation. Although the chapter shows that Feamster is generous to his employees compared to the norm in America, the entire scene of a stadium full of people listening to speakers paid between $30,000 and $60,000 an hour to boost self-esteem and share “secrets” is downright depressing. What chance does anybody in that stadium actually have of leaving the place with anything more than a $90 ticket stub? To me, I see these speeches of hope as nothing more than a tool to keep the working-class exactly where they are; struggling to make it day by day with the hope of something more giving them motivation to work like hell for the people who are actually benefiting from it; the same people giving the speeches.

If working in fast food is terrible, meatpacking is somehow worse. I was absolutely horrified by the conditions described at these plants. I honestly can’t see how so many people are concerned for the cattle; at least the cattle die somewhat humanely as opposed to living in the danger and oppression the workers face each day. These people are exploited to no end, and it really doesn’t surprise me that supervisors would sell meth and elicit sex from workers. I think again, it is important to point out, that the supervisors are really not very high on the totem either compared to the people who probably own the plant and wouldn’t be caught dead spending any time inside it. The sanitation crew especially, seems to be a third-world condition of working hiding out inside the United States. After reading this, I am sure that it is only one of many.