Hiding the Truth

We’ve discovered that a lot of the "mystery meat" in tacos and fast food is really horse meat, despite being labeled as "beef." Here’s the latest example of mislabeling: Two department stores have been caught selling REAL fur coats as "fake fur," probably in deference to animal-loving customers.

The Fur Act of 1951 stipulates that customers need to be told where a fur comes from, what animal it’s made of, whether it has been colored or bleached, and whether it’s new or used.

When it comes to the FOOD we buy, it turns out that conservatives and liberals don’t just vote differently, they may also purchase different items at the grocery store. Research shows that conservatives and liberals differ on basic personality traits such as conscientiousness, tolerance for uncertainty, and openness to new experience. Are liberals more likely to try new foods?

When researchers analyzed weekly sales data from over 1,800 supermarkets in counties across the United States from 2001 to 2006, capering it with local data on voting history and religiosity (a factor that is more likely to be found in conservatives), they were able to determine the level of conservatism in each county.

Researcher Vishal Singh guessed that the conservative tendency to prefer tradition and convention would be reflected in conservatives’ purchasing behavior, leading them to choose established name-brand products over generic brands or new products.

And on the Eureka Alert website, Anna Mikulak reports that they were right: They found that fewer generic products were sold in more conservative counties, as well as fewer newly-launched items. Conservatives stuck with the established national brands they recognized.

After accounting for income and education, the researchers These data suggest that conservative ideology may be associated with reliance on established national brands, meaning that a manufacturer’s best bet is to launch a new product in liberal territory and hope that word-of-mouth about it filters over to their conservative neighbors.

Would this be considered a conspiracy or just good business? We know ALL about conspiracy (NOTE: Subscribers can still listen to these provocative shows) since we’ve experienced it our own lives! Will it be a conspiracy if we don’t show up on your computer tomorrow? Make sure that doesn’t happen: Subscribe today! New one-year subscribers can a FREE unknowncountry.com tote bag (but only while supplies last).

Shopping for a good time? We suggest our Nashville Symposium in May–a weekend with three of the most extraordinary thinkers in the world. Each speaker performs two events. To get your tickets, click here. The price includes breakfast Saturday and Sunday and lunch on Saturday (and no horse meat will be served).