Scott Alexander argues against Nathan Robinson's proposal for public cafeterias, instead favoring a system of food vouchers with taxes and subsidies to promote healthy eating. Longer summary

Scott Alexander responds to Nathan Robinson's proposal for a public food option, arguing that the existing system of vouchers plus taxes and subsidies is superior. He points out that a public cafeteria system would likely become stigmatized and low-quality, while vouchers allow poor people to access the same high-quality food as everyone else. Alexander then critiques the current implementation of agricultural subsidies and dietary guidelines, showing how government mismanagement has promoted unhealthy food. He argues that both capitalism and government are 'misaligned systems' that can produce bad outcomes, and that the solution is to pit multiple systems against each other with checks and balances rather than relying solely on government control. Shorter summary