by hamsterbait 8 Replies latest jw friends
Doubt this will realy make a thread -
I am just dumbfounded that the average American family dog is fed more animal protein per week than the average Indian gets in a month.
How can we justify taking fish from protein starved peruvians and feeding them to our dogs?
Is it fair to say that the birth of an American baby is a greater disaster for the world than that of 25 Indian babies
Of course all countries and persons look out for the common good.
HB
We Americans are killing ourselves with overconsumption. I would not be surprised to find out that American dogs get more protien that a large percentage of ther worlds population. Some nasty stuff goes into dog food though. The American lifestyle is responsible for some of the destruction of the South American rain forrest due to our desire for cheap beef.
I'm not sure what to think about the Peruvian comment. I'm thinking you must have read something about Peruvian fisheries selling fish to the US for dog food? Most Peruvians get protein from eggs, lamb, chicken, guinie pig, frogs, mackeral, trout, llama, veggies and beans. The sea cities are different from the Andean villages. They consume far less protein than we do. Poor families in any third world country suffer terrible malnutrition. Children suffer the most.
I am a vegan for many different reasons. The biggest is meat eating is very destructive to the environment and for our bodies. It takes a lot of food energy to fatten up a cow at a horrid feedlot. The grain and water used to produce a pound of beef can be used to produce many many more pounds of life saving plant proteins to a starving world.
Our garbage cans recieve more food than most of the world's population. That is why it is good to support Feed The Children, Samaritan's Purse, or similar groups, that are dedicated to helping the starving people in other countries. We don't know how good we have it. That is true.
As for as I know....Americans have opened their wallets and hearts to starving people of the world for ages on top of ages. I have often thought to myself WHY are there so many starving people in the world when the more prosperous countries and so many large companies and charities give, give, give and it never ends starvation.
How can we justify taking fish from protein starved peruvians and feeding them to our dogs?
Are we 'taking', or are they selling. I take the view that people have a share of responsibility for themselves. Take the great country, the usa: it fought it's way to freedom from british colonisation, purged french influence, etc, etc. It is true that it is now usung oppressive/manipulative tactics anywhere it can. I don't condone that. However, getting back to peru, it's people and it's govt prefer to have low protein diets and sell the protein instead. It comes down to it being their choice, for whatever reasons.
Is it fair to say that the birth of an American baby is a greater disaster for the world than that of 25 Indian babies
No. Dispite all their screwups, americans are still as good for the planet as are any other people, perhaps better. Don't tell me east indian babies are better than american babies. India is a democracy, but it is still very fucked up. It is, among other things, american influence that is helping india advance, at the present time. I could go on, but i'm running out of breath, and i have to go to work.
S Ps, people of european descent tend to be susceptable to guilt (that is why they succumbed to christianity). It is critiques like this that prey on that. While i agree that we need to help when we can, we must be aware of guilt tripping attacks on the psyche. Not everyone's problems are on the shoulders of those who are doing well at the present moment. Pps, i heard that, in england, many people still do not have indoor toilets. Has the cry gone out to the world to help these poor indoor biffy deprived victims? No, it hasn't. Perhaps i should start up a collection ;)
If I see a hungry people and I am able to help, I do. ~ If I see a Hungry Dog, which happens to be a Carnivore, I help them too. I accept the fact I can't save the entire world but I can try to do my part. Just my thoughts.
In India Cows are sacred so they dont eat them. They believe in reincarnation so they wont eat animals because it might be a relative. I watched a TV show about it. I saw this elderly man eating on the ground and all these rats eating food off his plate. Plus many countries will not practice any birth control and they are over populated and cannot feed all their people. I agree we do have so much in this country and there are hungry children in this country which is not right.There are some hungry children because the parents are on drugs and dont take care of them. Most of the time they lose their children for that. I have seen in newspaper.I would report a family if I knew the children werent getting cared for. Anyway I try to do as much as I can but I am not rich. I think people who have money should not be buying diamond collars for dogs and fancy clothes but its their business they earned the money and maybe they do give a lot to charity so i will not judge them.Plus most 3rd world countries have corrupt gov and dont care about their people that is big problem. Americans are a generous people and try to help the world. God bless
As for as I know....Americans have opened their wallets and hearts to starving people of the world for ages on top of ages. I have often thought to myself WHY are there so many starving people in the world when the more prosperous countries and so many large companies and charities give, give, give and it never ends starvation.
My comment was not a political one, just an honest observation, not the why's of it all. The sad fact is the powers that be in other countries grossly misuse funds that the US gives. I had to buy my way in and out of Peru on my visit 20 years ago with money and liquer. Nothing has changed. Most often than not, political, police officials do not act as we do in the US. When we find corruption we put it on the cover of Time magazine. McDonalds is now destroying the health that many countries has enjoyed for many generations. They should have a disclaimer; For Every Double Beef Patty You Eat, It blows up so many inches of anciet rainforrest in flames. The American media sells and sells and uses psychology to do so here and abroad. There are better ways to feed our dogs too. It only take one egg laying chicken per large dog. 1 Cup of rice and a handfull of veggies. Chickens live off of table scraps, a little grain, and bugs. This is a serious topic and not about guilt. It is about the degree in which we want to take personal responsibility for it all. We have to leave a healthy earth for our grandchildren, political corruption or not.
I always start my day by raiding the pantry of my local peruvians and confiscating their protein.
If only I had a dog; then I could justify my actions. *sigh*
