My column yesterday was an extended rant about recent developments in the barf-inducing world of American food. Check it:
I'd like to preface today's column by making this abundantly clear: I'm not here to smack the McRib sandwich out of anyone's chubby, butter-slicked fingers. However, when it comes to food and food reform, I'm admittedly pretty radical. Above average, at least. But I'm not fanatical about it. I still occasionally eat crappy foods. I'm not a strict vegetarian, though I avoid beef and don't eat any pork products at all. I eat seafood, chicken and turkey, regardless of where it came from -- organic or otherwise.
I'm vocally opposed to genetically modified food (GMO) and its primary producer, Monsanto, because of the damage it does to family farms and the insides of our bodies. I'm in favor of more humane treatment of livestock (eat all the beef you want, just insist that the cattle aren't terrorized and tortured just so you can stuff your yammer). I'm against the use of steroids, antibiotics and added growth hormones in our food supply. I'm in favor of tough regulations on corporate agribusinesses. I'm in favor of more thorough labels on food, especially the inclusion of a GMO notation on labels. I'm against the cheap marketing of fast food to lower income Americans. And I strongly believe that crappy food and the resulting obesity is a major contributing factor to our healthcare crisis.
That said, you should be allowed to eat whatever you want. In moderation.
The problem is, too many Americans are eating everything they want whenever they want at the expense of our healthcare system and, in a larger sense, the condition of our climate. We're a greedy, entitled, self-indulgent people and we're killing ourselves and everyone around us. Continue reading here...