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Animal Nature, Utopian Principles = Unequal

25 August 2007, 10:45

I’ve often read your thought provoking pieces appreciative of the sparkling intellect composing them, but never responded. With this one, however, I’ll give you my two cents.

Your issue of vegan vs. barbarian is a bit of a stretch, particularly in a time when decline and fall looms and, not too long from now, if America’s excessive behavior persists, road kill - any kind of disease-free road kill - may become quite appealing. If things keep going the way they are, indeed, it won’t be long before some federal agency will publish a guidebook on how to cook it, if such a work doesn’t exist already.

Granted, you pov is honorable and humane. Who can deny it? But where does it stand relative to the plethora of truly disturbing phenomenon? Not as high as your first paragraph indicates.
It seems, as the Constitution weakens daily, the illegal, immoral "War on Terror" continues with (at best) diluted protests, the culture at large remains lost in a haze of self-indulgence - especially Hollywood - American allies abandoning her right and left, the banks in a severe crunch, jails teeming with misfits and unfairly prosecuted "criminals" - many who should be in mental hospitals - routine drills responding to WMDs being conducted in major cities, the media at large asleep at the wheel, politicians increasingly corrupt, a "leader" like Hillary poised to be nominated, and you want us to give up our meatloaf? C’mon, your missing the zeitgeist by a mile, maybe more.

If you were addressing a more civilized society - and believe it or not it could be more civilized even if it did eat meat (see ancient Greece for instance) - cultured in the fine art of enlightened pursuits, then maybe you’d have a shot of prescribing your agenda. As is, however, your admonitions are floating through the ether populated by a considerably obese, inebriated, and thoughtless collection of Homo sapiens.

If you’re going to accentuate diet as a key criterion for what constitutes being civilized, the main culprit just might be the French Fry. There are three natural poisons in potatoes that become carcinogenic when fried. Also, many fries are fried in partially hydrogenated oils - yet another form of poison. The hydrogenation hardens the oils, which makes products like margarine possible, and then when they enter your body they harden your arteries. Or how about bisphenol A, a estrogenic compound in plastic that leaches into food? Many studies claim it’s responsible for obesity because it interrupts healthy hormonal balances. It also stirs up prostate problems.

Additionally, let’s say we become a vegan nation. Where does the fertilzer come from? Nitrates, which has been the case after WWII when munition makers who once had a thriving weapons industry based on nitrate-based ammunition were forced to turn to other markets. The problem with nitrates, as opposed to natural fertilizers, is that they’re deficient in nutrients such as selenium. And there’s a direct parallel between low selenium serum levels and cancer. It may be one of the chief reasons for high cancer rates in America. The solution? Animal fertilzer. But where would that come from? Unavoidably, caged up, abused animals. There’s no way around it.

If the world in general and America in particular aren’t enlightened enough to treat the average person with dignity and respect, how are they going to be more humane to animals, except for dogs and cats, of course. Just ask Michael Vick. Some vegans argue, humane treatment begins with animals and then, in turn, extends to humans. Really? If you can’t treat your own kind, i.e., other humans, with a reasonable sense of civility, how in the world are you going to treat those outside that circle of identity any better? Good luck with that argument; you’ll need it.

Finally, there’s a genetic propensity for carnivorous behavior medical researchers have detected
in certain blood types such as A-. Yes, it’s more enlightened to lay off the beef, but such a regimen is in basic conflict with ancient hankerings that don’t change simply because of utopian principles. Consciousness may have evolved at a fairly brisk pace in 5,000 years but humankind’s basic animal nature hasn’t changed all that much, unfortunately. It would be great if that had happened, but it wasn’t in the cards.

Despite these critical observations I do admire your idealistic reach. It’s such a rare exercise nowadays. But, in the process, please remember, habituation is a potent force. And if you’re asking Americans to give up a few of its habits, why not start with greed? Or war? Or mindlessness?