Recently, the US Pentagon Pizza Index has been frequently mentioned. Whenever there is a conflict, the pizza shop next to the Pentagon sees a surge in orders. But the Pizza Index is not the main point; this actually gives China’s fundamental system an edge. They say, look, a national military command center doesn’t even have a cafeteria, and can’t even get "2-yuan pig trotters."

But the reality is quite the opposite. Inside the US Pentagon, there are cafeterias, coffee shops, and various commercial dining options, all essentially market-driven operations: individuals pay with cards, prices are transparent, and there’s no fundamental difference from ordinary social dining. The cafeterias have operating hours, and during overtime, they serve pizza—this is just an efficiency choice, not “the state can’t afford a meal.”

More importantly, there’s openness. After passing normal security checks, anyone can enter the Pentagon’s dining areas to eat. Dining is not tied to identity nor does it constitute welfare.

China’s government canteen logic is completely different. It’s not commercial dining but a special supply system: government subsidies, internal pricing, small funds for relevant personnel, and closed access. It’s paid for by the public, but you simply can’t get through the gates.

So, this fundamental system isn’t meant to mock the US; in fact, it inadvertently admits that turning eating into a form of identity welfare itself is a privilege structure.