Meet your meat – go vegan?
Now that most of our readers have enjoyed their lunches, I thought it might be a little more appropriate to share this little "gem" of a video that managed to turn my senses upside down concerning the consumption of meat & dairy products [albeit temporarily].
Meet your meat can very much be considered an educational documentary on the reality that many meat consuming individuals may be hesitant to accept. Be warned, the linked site is not for the weak of stomach. The video is a compilation video created using [what seems to have been] hidden clips collected at various farms and slaughter houses. The footage seems somewhat dated so take it as you will.
With the rapid population growth and need for food, what options do we have in order to sustain our continued growth? Although I would happily pay higher prices for food in order to decrease scenarios similar to those portrayed in the video, I am more than certain that a majority of viewers will turn their heads and scoff at the idea of a premium for improved environments for livestock.
Drop your thoughts concerning the video, our current growth which essentially demands that our food source(s) meet demand, and where you stand after viewing the clip.
Although I do enjoy nice juicy steaks, a portion of the clip which displayed cattle with open sores and wounds as being USDA endorsed meat was a little disturbing. Right then and there I decided to denounce my intent to eat meat… That was until we checked-in at the nearest steakhouse.
vegans and vegetarians are the downfall of humans.
The only reason our brains are so large, and there for we are so “smart” is because our ancestors started to eat meat, alot of it.
I dont want to go into detail but you can look it up for yourself.
That is one of the most idiotic statements i have ever heard in my life. By your own theory i think you need to go eat a quarter pounder because you are pretty stupid. I dont want to go in detail to much but you should look i up.
“vegans and vegetarians are the downfall of humans.
The only reason our brains are so large, and there for we are so “smart” is because our ancestors started to eat meat, alot of it.
I dont want to go into detail but you can look it up for yourself.”
meh, i love meat. I like at least 3 animals inside my stomach before the end of the day
Linking to this video was a great public service. Thanks for helping.
Most people are confronted with news about global warming, energy policy, pollution and other issues of the day which threaten all life on an increasingly crowded and over used planet. However the issue of raising and consuming animals for food had received scan attention in the commercial media. Aside from the very real ethical issues of animal welfare in factory farms, there is the issue of gross inefficiency. Raising grains to feed to animals raised for human consumption is profoundly wasteful.
Any person who considers themselves intelligent must carefully consider our cruel callous treatment of farm animals and the heavy environmental cost of the meat economy.
I’d like to recommend this book by Dr. Jane Goodall:
http://commerce.janegoodall.org/store/customer/product.php?productid=124&cat=1&page=1
Annon, maybe you should “look it up” yourself. Your argument, which is often made, is crap.
Here are a few reasons: first, it is true that it is believed that the eating of meat was an important factor in the “mental power” of the species (and, one reason why our species survived, but a “friendlier and happier” vegetarian species is now extinct). However, what is done in our evolutionary background, is done. I can guarantee you that if you stop eating meat today, you will not “devolve.”
Instead, prolonged (thousands of years) vegetarianism could affect humans (teeth, digestive system, etc.), but so long as ours brains are still used, and our dietary needs are met, there would not be much of a reason for any real change.
Second, the amount of meat eaten today is way out of balance with what humans, as we are a species now, have eaten in the past. To such an extent that, in the west, the amount of meat eaten by people is more likely to be a health risk than beneficial – and I assure you, eating large amount of meat is doing nothing for their mental prowess.
Third, the argument that vegetarians will be the end of human life runs counter to what most people would tell you today. Read about the environmental impact of factory farming, or the inequitable use of food resources when it comes to producing meat vs. raising vegetables. Perhaps a more immediate concern should be feeding people sufficiently to keep them alive, or making sure the environment doesn’t collapse, before worrying whether we may get “dumber” in the far future.
That being said, eat meat if you want. Just don’t be preachy and annoying about it, like I’m sure you think vegetarians are.
*sigh* I don’t eat meat. I don’t know why I don’t eat meat, but I don’t. It’s a good thing that you posted anonymous, #1 (though it’s not such a great spelling, anyway) and avoided tarnishing your name. Your statement is about as intelligent as eugenic theory — less even. By your reasoning, predatory animals should be much smarter than us and always should have been; hunter-gatherers are omnivores, not carnivores.
I’m already a vegan so the video doesn’t bother me. Jason, I get enough protein from soy, but you’re right about the meat diet contributing to the increase in human intelligence in the earlier stages of our evolution as a species. Vegans and non-vegans alike can discuss this at the Vegan & Vegetarian Forums.
hehe silly humans.
i’m a vegan
8)
As much as I think sustainable agriculture is a great idea and support it with as many dollars as I can afford… I still don’t trust PETA to show me actual standard practices in the livestock industry. What about the human rights abuses to migrant workers who pick produce? Ok, so we don’t eat Mexicans who pick out blueberries. But cruelty is a fact of life and I think the stance from vegan ideologues like PETA are intolerant of differing lifestyles that people are free to choose. They ignore the reality of the world and therefore obscure more creative solutions to all of the above problems.
For every animal you don’t eat, I eat three, so thanks to all you who let me eat more meat!! By the way, this video made me hungry….veal anyone?
No, Brodie, PETA does not ignore the reality of the world. They are a group devoted to a singular cause, so the things that do not fall into the scope of their single cause are not of their concern. If they covered every instance of cruelty in the world that they might find, they would no longer be PETA, would they? They’re a single-issue interest group.
If avian flu decides to break out in one of those birds, man, we’re proper screwed.
without people eating meat, cows would go extinct.
when was the last time you saw a wild cow in north america? it’s been a while for me too. without the meat industry making cows reproduce, there wouldnt be any left.
i know there’s some nimrod out there who thinks i just tried to make a serious argument. it was a joke, and only to peta people, democrats, and homosexuals would a God-fearing republican meat-eater like myself have to explain that.
that too was a joke… please dont kill me.
I believe Brodie may have a noticeable point everyone should consider. As with any marketing ploy, only certain angles are communicated to the intended audience in order to express a specific message.
Indeed human rights abuses still occur within produce gathering, but does that mean we should do nothing at all – not even try? Besides, is not grain etc still gathered in order to feed the animals?
Being able to choose is one thing. The point is that non-human animals should also have that right, the right to not be property – to live as they please.
For the record that does not mean I agree with the actions of PETA. They are essentially a welfarist corporation that profits from the “animal rights industry” that exists at the moment. The issues with PETA are discussed on my blog here.
Note: I like how you said “go vegan” as opposed to suggesting vegetarianism. Also, a documentary movie called Earthlings can be found via torrent for those who are interested, which addresses all the forms of exploitation more intelligently.
You can find extremes in almost any business. Most of the video obviously was not taken in this country. This kind of propaganda is called generalizing from the specific.
I’m sorry, but this is a load of horse shit. My grandparents owned a farm, my 2nd unlce had a dairy farm, and my best friend`s family raises cattle on a ranch. In the 30+ years I have been frequenting these locations, the only thing that came close to something I considered inhumane is when they rubber band the little calfs boys so their meat doesnt get tough.
You want to see something unnatural. Take a look at an unedited and uncensored wildlife videos. Nature is far more creul than man…
The answer isnt to stop eating meat, the answer it to ensure humane practices are in place.
Tensenki – relax buddy. You’re taking a one-sided perspective and wearing it like a badge of honour. Family owned/operated ranches and farms are not the things that are usually questioned (that’s not to say there are not issues). In fact, many of those family owned places are on the same side as animal rights groups on this one. It’s the mega-farms that are putting families out of business (in fact, this may be why your grandparents “owned,” and 2nd uncle “had” a farm) that most people have an immediate bone to pick with – places where “humane practices” are not in place most of the time.
That being said – if someone believes raising and slaughtering animals is unethical (in any setting), I think it’s hardly fair to call it “a load of horse shit” simply because you have familial relations with people in that industry. It’s a good way of making yourself look like a knob.
^What Mark said.
The practices shown are frequent and could quite possibly be said to be the norm within agribusiness. It is inefficient and thus, less profitable, to afford to many rights, pleasant conditions or “luxuries” and subsequently, non-human animals are treated appallingly.
I repeat, watch Earthlings (via torrent if necessary) to get a better and more thorough picture.
And God said, Let us make man in our image, 1 Cor. 11.7 after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
nuff said!
First, you maybe should read and know the Bible before attempting to quote it. Your quote was from Genesis 1:26. Please note Genesis 1:29-30 speaks of grain, fruits, and green plants being for food. There is nothing in the creation account or anywhere else in the Bible to suggest that God intended for people to be cruel to animals in order to maximize their consumption of cheap meat. That is called greed, and maybe gluttony, both of which are sins and a direct result of the sinful nature of man.
Not that I believe vegans are holy, but I don’t think our biblical position as rulers over the earth is a pass to be mean and destroy all the natural life that God created.
Remember Jesus’ parable in Luke, where the servants were given various sums of money to take care of while the landowner was away? He came back to see what the servants did with the money and punished the one who just hid it rather than investing it. Well, when it comes to our God-given environment and the animals that are under our rule, I believe he will find our use of them quite unacceptable.
Do you think you could look God in the eye on judgement day and feel good about supporting factory farming?
By the way, I Cor. 11:7 is “For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man.” (New Am.Std. version)
Y