Government owned grocery stores in NYC, what could possibly go wrong?

After all, if it is for "the greater good", then by definition, it can't be bad, right?

I had the opportunity to work in the Soviet Union in the early 80's, for a few years.

No, I'm not Russian, nor was I a communist, nor was I spying for the US.

Compared to life in the US, the Russians lived in harsh conditions.

However, they were all very friendly, and spent what little they had, simply to host a dinner for a foreigner family.

They had no idea what life actually was like in the US, but they had a number of myths about it.

Since we were not actively working to get the people to overthrow their government, it served no purpose to drive the point home.

We would go to the same grocery stores as they would, and buy the same products.

However, sometimes, out of kindness to foreigners, they would invite us to the front of the line.

Their government owned/run stores were very shocking for us, when we first got there, at least until we got used to it.

There were not many different varieties of the same product, as there was no competition to sell one variety over another.

Also, shortages happened at times, and some things would run out.

There would always be cabbages and potatoes, they generally didn't run out of them, as well as beets.

Also, there would always be large jars of green tomatoes, as well as canned tomatoes.

Their milk was sterilized, so it tasted different, but, again, you could get used to it, after a while.

There was meat, not in abundance, but they had meat.

Early on, we were warned to never buy a rabbit, unless the head was still attached, since cats were often passed off as rabbits.

Also, all meat had to be scrutinized, so as to not be past time for consumption.

Here is an article with some typical pictures inside, looking at the shelves.

These pictures are from a few years after we left the Soviet Union, to come back to the States, but it is pretty much how we remember it:

Government Stores in the Soviet Union

Of course, the initial opening of government stores in NYC will be with fanfare, pretty well stocked, clean, and not bad, overall.

However, as time goes on, government stores will go the way of government housing, like Cabrini Green in Chicago, which was finally done away with.

There is no profit incentive to improve, let alone to maintain, or to offer helpful service.

It may end up to be a sad and depressing place for people shopping there, who remember what privately owned stores had been like.

But, after a while, people who grow up with it, without much to compare it to, will be content to shop there, like Russians did, a half century ago.

After all, it's for "the greater good", right?

And it may help someone get elected to mayor in NYC, so what could possibly go wrong?

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