I mentioned in a previous post that the next great social change arising from ever-heightened empathy might be an end to the mass killing of large animals for food. A reader contributed the following, off-line:<\/p>\n
Mr. D.: \u00a0Removing “mass slaughter of large animals for food” leaves us with replacement protein sources of<\/p>\n
1) vat-grown meat (technologically a ways off, and unproven in terms of taste and completeness of nutrition – animals that have led happy, active lives just taste better than the ones living in the same box their whole lives; that needs to be figured out before vat meat will be a workable alternative)<\/p>\n
2) mass-produced eggs and\/or dairy products (probably as morally objectionable as mass slaughter)<\/p>\n
3) beans and similar plant protein substitutes<\/p>\n
The type of person who argues that killing animals is morally wrong will probably also argue that a switch to vegetarianism or veganism is the only way out. To which I respond with two points.<\/p>\n
First, vegans tend to be distinctly unhealthy. The human body simply is not designed to subsist on plants alone. We are designed to eat meat. That’s just the way we are. Moral objections to this are equivalent to morally objecting to continued existence, and arguing that suicide is preferable to existence at that cost. Those who have the moral strength to take the highest road here will merely remove themselves from the playing field.<\/p>\n
Second, one of the less-reported phenomena of modern living in recent decades has been an increase in certain digestive system disorders, such as Crohn’s or celiac disease. According to the most recent research trends on this subject that I’ve seen, this appears to be allergic type reactions brought on by a lack of exposure to worm parasites that were once common – an excess of good health. In my case, and that of my father (we aren’t 100% sure that it’s genetically linked but there seems a good chance) it takes the form of an intolerance for digesting any seed or product made using seed-derived ingredients, whatsoever. This rules out bread, beans, chocolate, wheat extract, vanilla, beer, coffee, pepper, corn syrup, that annatto-derived orange dye in American cheese, and a vast multitude of other modern industrial food products.<\/p>\n
This intolerance appeared around the age of 30 for both my father and I, so we’re familiar with the delights of pizza and\u00a0chocolate. The physiological effects it produces are unpleasant enough that as much as I love chocolate, I can lean over and smell a fine Swiss dark chocolate and know with crystal clarity how it would taste and not be tempted in the least to try eating it. Dad didn’t die before figuring out what was going on, but it was a close-run thing (the doctors were totally lost).<\/p>\n
In other words, anyone who tries to convince me to switch to vegan protein sources is literally trying to kill me. Some corners, you don’t want to back people in to, no matter how enlightened your intentions.<\/p>\n
Meat eating is going to be with humanity for a while, and one size fits all solutions for anything never work.<\/p>\n
On the plus side, I do all my own cooking, and I’m doubtless healthier for it.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I mentioned in a previous post that the next great social change arising from ever-heightened empathy might be an end to the mass killing of large animals for food. A reader contributed the following, off-line: Mr. D.: \u00a0Removing “mass slaughter … Continue reading