On Fri, 02 Jan 2004 02:25:22 GMT, "Rubystars" > wrote:

>
>"Jonathan Ball" > wrote in message
hlink.net...
>> Rubystars wrote:
>>
>> > "Jonathan Ball" > wrote in message
>> > ...
>> >
>> >>OF COURSE "this country" could be fed without raising any
>> >>farm animals.
>> >
>> >
>> > That would force a lot of people to go on vegan diets though and most
>> > wouldn't know how to do so properly, even some who do know how to do the
>> > right things have to stop.
>>
>> They could figure it out. The point is, farm animals
>> aren't necessary to feed people.
>
>At the population we have now, I think they are.
>
>If there was a smaller population broken up into villages, etc. then sure,
>we wouldn't need farm animals, but we do right now.
>
>-Rubystars

It's just customary. Pre WWII folks in the US ate less than half as
much meat per capita. A political candidate ran on the platform
of 'a chicken in every pot'. Even meat on sundays was a luxury
for many (bacon possibly excepted).

Now we have an obesity-diabetes problem that's becoming epidemic.
There's an indian tribe split by the mexican border. Those on the US side
are nearly 100% obese and diabetic. Those on the mexican side kept their
traditional diet and don't even have those problems.

There's also the problem with the stink and pollution of
factory farming and the increased likelyhood (near certainty)
of epidemic e coli and salmonella infections. I don't mention the
morality of killing animals. Animals kill animals even if we don't.
All life feeds on other life. Those poor birds, mice, snakes and
bugs in the fields are eating one another. But if I had to kill animals
to eat myself, I would only do it in times of direst emergency.

It takes about nine pounds of feed to make a pound of beef,
not counting quite a bit of water both for cows and feed.
(You have to feed a cow for years. That feed is gone away.)
Purely grass fed beef would be economical, but feeding them
is wasteful. Chickens, turkeys and fish have a 2-3 pound feed
to one pound of meat ratio. Eggs are even more efficient.
(Unfortunately, livestock is chock full of added hormones
and antibiotics. That can't be good in the long run.)

Most of the US grain goes into feed, with excesses exported to
feed livestock in other countries. If we ate plants directly we'd have
a huge surplus (which would be a bit of an economic problem since
grain is already grown at a loss, requiring subsidies).

Most other countries don't eat as much meat as we do.
Devout hindus and buddhists eat no meat. Our diet is too
cheap and calorie rich for our own good. A mosty vegetarian
diet can be nutritionally balanced and quite delicious.
It's just not in our western culture these days to even think
about it. I love meat - fatty meat - myself, and eat it often.
But cuban rice and beans is delicious. South Indian cooking
is outstanding. Chinese vegetable stews (sometimes flavored
with a bit of meat) are my specialty. And we often have meat-free
pasta meals around here. Meat is like candy.
You can get too much for your own good.