Ideology strikes me as something like the air. It’s all around us at all times. It is something that we are dimly aware of in the best of times when that is off just like air we only taste when it has something in it with her and be a good odor or bad fair or foul odor ideology is something that often times imperceptible because it surrounds a stroll times, and we are not even aware that really exists so these questions are best left to philosopher is not hot sauce salesman, but as a embark on a road trip across America as someone who’s traveled a fair deal with in this country and without it I am curious, I guess of what ideologies undergird, all of our Sumption’s, specifically the assumptions about our food system because I guess that is kind of what I am trying to understand at the moment what ideologies undergird the values that underlie our food system or food systems are ethical, they all have ethics behind them. What do we want to value? What do we want to prioritize? What is the thing that we are not willing to compromise on so I guess that as I drive across America what I’m interested in is to perceive the Imperceptible. To interrogate deceptions of the things that lie at the very heart of our daily existence, which is to say our relationship with food.

As I embark on this month-long road trip across America, I am struck by the vastness of the country and the diversity of its people. I have many European friends, and they all critique America, saying that we are a young country still finding our way. At first, I was offended by this criticism because 250 years of constitutionalism doesn’t seem short to me. However, as I travel across Southern California, Arizona, and Utah, I realize that our geography and population size may be a significant factor in our values and ideology.

The United States has a population of over 327 million people, while Europe is home to more than 741 million individuals. Over 11% of the world’s population resides in Europe. Europe has a population density of 188 individuals per square mile, while the United States has 87 individuals per square mile. Our country has much fewer people, and as a result, the density is less. What does that mean for a country that prizes individualism? How does our relationship with each other and our communities differ from those in more densely populated areas like Europe? Does our individualism stem from our abundant resources relative to our small population?

As I have traveled, I have also confronted the reality of poverty in America. What are the diseases of individualism, and how do they manifest themselves in a society that prizes individualism and doesn’t value conformity or government intervention? Is free will an illusion when the choices already made for us by those in power? Moreover, how does individualism affect our food system and our ethical considerations regarding it? What values underlie our food system, and what do we prioritize? How can we balance individualism and moderation while integrating those who are left out or left behind? How do we set the conversation while not stifling the creativity and impulses of those who lead it?

As I travel across America, these are the questions that I aim to answer. I seek to understand the underlying ideologies that drive our assumptions, particularly concerning our food system, and to perceive the imperceptible. I want to interrogate the deceptions that lie at the very heart of our daily existence, our relationship with food, and to understand how individualism affects it. I hope to gain a better understanding of the impact of ideology and individualism on our society, particularly when it comes to our relationship with food. How do we balance individualism with the needs of our communities? How do we integrate those who are left behind without stifling creativity and innovation? And how do we truly make choices as individuals, free from the influence of those in power? These are complex questions that require thoughtful consideration and exploration, and I look forward to sharing my findings as I travel across America.