Do people have the right to know what is in their food?
Simply put, yes. There are basic reasons, such as that people have food allergies that can be quite serious, sometimes deadly, to wheat, nuts, etc. and knowing where their food comes from is vital to their health and happiness. For religious reasons, an Orthodox Jew or Muslim is going to need to know where the food comes from and if it is meat, how the animal was killed (kosher or halal). The average consumer should be interested enough to know where their food comes from since they are putting it into their bodies. Eating is a bit of an afterthought since it's a mandatory thing to do which is largely why I think people don't think much about it since what their eating has become habit and like any habit, it is hard to break.
Is it our responsibility to find out where our food comes from, the producers responsibility to make it more clear, or both?
I think it is both. We have to demand it or the producers will not let us know because we may not want to know. Ultimately though, the blame lies mostly with us because we are the ones who put the garbage in our mouths, mash it up, and swallow all that fatty goodness that goes straight to our ass. Junk food, in my opinion, should come with a warning label the same way cigarettes and alcohol does since the damage that it does to our bodies is similar (cigarettes cause cancer and heart disease, so does "bad" food; junk food damages your liver, so does alcohol). No producer in his right mind would let us know this UNLESS we demand to know it.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
POL 300 Day 16: March 20
Do animals have the right to a certain quality of life?
I think so. It is important to recognize how rare life is in my view. Scientists have not found life anywhere else in the universe besides our own planet. To treat a living thing without respect and a certain level of dignity is to take for granted and mistreat the gift that we have all been given as human beings. Therefore, it is only just that we treat all animals, even those that are meant for slaughter, with some respect while they are alive.
"In a way we are not producing chickens, we are producing food." What does this statement mean?
To me this statement means that we are no longer treating chickens as living things but instead, we treat them as brainless, non-living tangible objects that are heading for our bellies. Wherein we used to treat chickens with respect and allow for natural behaviors, such as roosting, foraging for food, etc., chicken farmers no longer let these habits take place. So in a way, chickens are merely grown like fruits or vegetables, and are viewed no better.
Who has the responsibility to oversee the treatment of animals that are put into the food system?
In my view the USDA or FDA should be in charge of doing this but in order for that to happen I think there will have to be a movement by voters in that direction. Ultimately, we are the ones who determine what we see as right or wrong to consume; therefore, it is up to us to see that we are eating animals that were handled with dignity and respect.
Should this be an issue that government ensure that animals have a certain quality of life?
Most definitely. It is the humane and moral thing to do. You can go to jail for mistreating or handling a dog or a cat (ask Michael Vick), which makes me think that chickens, cows, and pigs should be no different. To say otherwise would be to sanction, in my eyes, the killing and mistreatment of any animal. Also, and probably the most convincing argument to get Americans on board, is that nicely treated animals simply taste better (vegans hate it when I saw that). It baffles me that when I talk to people who have heard about Kobe beef they talk about how delicious it is meant to be but don't realize the reason why these cows are so delicious (they really are too) is because they essentially get the health spa treatment prior to slaughter and lead a very low-stress life. Personally, I'll take grass-fed, free-range beef any day compared to the factory farm way of doing things. Can you pass the A-1?
What did the film bring up about people's rights?
I think this film highlighted the rights that workers have to working conditions that are kept as safe as possible. Yes, working with blades and other sharp tools within the beef industry will cause some injuries, but it is simply unacceptable to allow as many injuries that are taking place in the beef industry to continue.
Do we have a right to know how an animal was raised prior to us consuming that animal?
There are a number of a reasons why people do have the right to know. Religion is a prime example. Jews and Muslims alike have to follow strict guidelines when it comes to their diet and must eat foods that are either kosher or halal. That is basic. To lower risks to my health, I would certainly like to know if the beef, pork, or chicken I was eating came from a place where the animals slept in its own feces all the time or whether it was free to graze and behave like it normally would. Food poisoning is, figuratively and literally, a pain in the ass and any chance I can avoid eating something that will increase the risk I will do so.
I think so. It is important to recognize how rare life is in my view. Scientists have not found life anywhere else in the universe besides our own planet. To treat a living thing without respect and a certain level of dignity is to take for granted and mistreat the gift that we have all been given as human beings. Therefore, it is only just that we treat all animals, even those that are meant for slaughter, with some respect while they are alive.
"In a way we are not producing chickens, we are producing food." What does this statement mean?
To me this statement means that we are no longer treating chickens as living things but instead, we treat them as brainless, non-living tangible objects that are heading for our bellies. Wherein we used to treat chickens with respect and allow for natural behaviors, such as roosting, foraging for food, etc., chicken farmers no longer let these habits take place. So in a way, chickens are merely grown like fruits or vegetables, and are viewed no better.
Who has the responsibility to oversee the treatment of animals that are put into the food system?
In my view the USDA or FDA should be in charge of doing this but in order for that to happen I think there will have to be a movement by voters in that direction. Ultimately, we are the ones who determine what we see as right or wrong to consume; therefore, it is up to us to see that we are eating animals that were handled with dignity and respect.
Should this be an issue that government ensure that animals have a certain quality of life?
Most definitely. It is the humane and moral thing to do. You can go to jail for mistreating or handling a dog or a cat (ask Michael Vick), which makes me think that chickens, cows, and pigs should be no different. To say otherwise would be to sanction, in my eyes, the killing and mistreatment of any animal. Also, and probably the most convincing argument to get Americans on board, is that nicely treated animals simply taste better (vegans hate it when I saw that). It baffles me that when I talk to people who have heard about Kobe beef they talk about how delicious it is meant to be but don't realize the reason why these cows are so delicious (they really are too) is because they essentially get the health spa treatment prior to slaughter and lead a very low-stress life. Personally, I'll take grass-fed, free-range beef any day compared to the factory farm way of doing things. Can you pass the A-1?
What did the film bring up about people's rights?
I think this film highlighted the rights that workers have to working conditions that are kept as safe as possible. Yes, working with blades and other sharp tools within the beef industry will cause some injuries, but it is simply unacceptable to allow as many injuries that are taking place in the beef industry to continue.
Do we have a right to know how an animal was raised prior to us consuming that animal?
There are a number of a reasons why people do have the right to know. Religion is a prime example. Jews and Muslims alike have to follow strict guidelines when it comes to their diet and must eat foods that are either kosher or halal. That is basic. To lower risks to my health, I would certainly like to know if the beef, pork, or chicken I was eating came from a place where the animals slept in its own feces all the time or whether it was free to graze and behave like it normally would. Food poisoning is, figuratively and literally, a pain in the ass and any chance I can avoid eating something that will increase the risk I will do so.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
POL 300 Day 12: March 1
Since more young adults are now working longer hours at fast food restaurants what steps should be taken to insure they are not being overstretched?
I think that there should be more money given to the labor department to ensure that practices like this don't take place. For example, having unannounced inspections making sure that they are not overworking young people or that they are not being mistreated by working off of the clock, etc. It should be mandatory that kids get permission to work from the school they attend and their parents, especially if the child in question is not doing well in school. They should be banned from working past 10pm and starting work no earlier than 7am. Most importantly, HUGE fines should be placed on restaurants that violate these rules (such as forcing them to shut down for a day and be fined at least $10,000) so they stop the illegal practices in fear of losing more money.
Imagine you are a consultant for the federal government. What recommendations would you make to limit the number of federal loans going to establish franchises? What benchmarks would have to be made in order for companies to qualify for these loans?
This is a fairly obvious answer to me. We should stop all loans given to fast-food restaurants, period, given they are not hard jobs to learn considering most everyone is responsible for one task and one task only. It makes no sense to give money to an industry that is making enormous profits consistently when there are other industries that provide long-term jobs to people to go along with wages that one could support a family on. If a company is going to receive loans from taxpayers, they must show that the money will actually help people over at least two years; far more than the average fast-food employee sticks around. Also, I think that industries that give their employees benefits (healthcare, dental, education benefits, etc.) should be rewarded for treating their workers well. It is simply a waste of taxpayer money to "teach" someone how to put mayonnaise, mustard, and ketchup on a bun.
I think that there should be more money given to the labor department to ensure that practices like this don't take place. For example, having unannounced inspections making sure that they are not overworking young people or that they are not being mistreated by working off of the clock, etc. It should be mandatory that kids get permission to work from the school they attend and their parents, especially if the child in question is not doing well in school. They should be banned from working past 10pm and starting work no earlier than 7am. Most importantly, HUGE fines should be placed on restaurants that violate these rules (such as forcing them to shut down for a day and be fined at least $10,000) so they stop the illegal practices in fear of losing more money.
Imagine you are a consultant for the federal government. What recommendations would you make to limit the number of federal loans going to establish franchises? What benchmarks would have to be made in order for companies to qualify for these loans?
This is a fairly obvious answer to me. We should stop all loans given to fast-food restaurants, period, given they are not hard jobs to learn considering most everyone is responsible for one task and one task only. It makes no sense to give money to an industry that is making enormous profits consistently when there are other industries that provide long-term jobs to people to go along with wages that one could support a family on. If a company is going to receive loans from taxpayers, they must show that the money will actually help people over at least two years; far more than the average fast-food employee sticks around. Also, I think that industries that give their employees benefits (healthcare, dental, education benefits, etc.) should be rewarded for treating their workers well. It is simply a waste of taxpayer money to "teach" someone how to put mayonnaise, mustard, and ketchup on a bun.
POL 300 Day 11: Feb 28
Schlosser refers to conformity as a way for franchises to offer the same products and services at numerous locations, which draws customers to familiar products. Do you feel a degree of conformity towards a particular fast food item? If you frequent a particular fast food restaurant, what compels you to dine there? Is it the food, the atmosphere, the prices?
For the longest time I was addicted to Taco Bell Grilled "Stuft" Burritos. It was not necessarily that I had some sort of childhood affection for it, it was just that I really like Mexican food. But it is pretty hard to call Taco Bell Mexican food considering it's just a bunch of frozen food loaded with salt and fat, and made to appeal to American taste buds. Also, the cheesy goodness that is a chicken and cheese quesadilla was sometimes hard to resist at 1am after a night of studying and La Bamba was closed. What made me continue to go back to Taco Bell though was probably the fact that I didn't have to get out of my car and that there was always something on the menu that I knew I would like. It was pretty pathetic when I look back on it cause I had essentially eaten myself fat because of it.
The fast food industry has caused several drawbacks to American culture. We have seen a rise in health problems, labor issues and environmental dilemmas. Which of these issues are most important to you? Do you think we are at least partly to blame for these problems? How has McDonaldization changed the global perception of American ideals?
I think the biggest problem that has come from this is the health issues that have come from people eating more and more crappy food. There is this epidemic of obesity which I think is also linked to the mass laziness that exists within our country because people would rather be watching TV than worrying about the ills that plague their communities. When you're overweight, your energy seems to be completely drained just by doing the most miniscule of tasks. If we worried about health issues first, I think the population would have a lot more energy to care about other issues that matter, generally speaking. Ultimately the blame does fall on us, and similar to what Nestle said, we need to vote with our forks in order to bring about these changes. Globally, I think Americans ideals are now no longer associated with putting out quality goods but instead, viewed as cheap. The tagline, Made in America, does not necessarily have the same connotations that it used to and I think it is largely because of the way we make our products (i.e. cheap labor, cheap materials, mass produced).
For the longest time I was addicted to Taco Bell Grilled "Stuft" Burritos. It was not necessarily that I had some sort of childhood affection for it, it was just that I really like Mexican food. But it is pretty hard to call Taco Bell Mexican food considering it's just a bunch of frozen food loaded with salt and fat, and made to appeal to American taste buds. Also, the cheesy goodness that is a chicken and cheese quesadilla was sometimes hard to resist at 1am after a night of studying and La Bamba was closed. What made me continue to go back to Taco Bell though was probably the fact that I didn't have to get out of my car and that there was always something on the menu that I knew I would like. It was pretty pathetic when I look back on it cause I had essentially eaten myself fat because of it.
The fast food industry has caused several drawbacks to American culture. We have seen a rise in health problems, labor issues and environmental dilemmas. Which of these issues are most important to you? Do you think we are at least partly to blame for these problems? How has McDonaldization changed the global perception of American ideals?
I think the biggest problem that has come from this is the health issues that have come from people eating more and more crappy food. There is this epidemic of obesity which I think is also linked to the mass laziness that exists within our country because people would rather be watching TV than worrying about the ills that plague their communities. When you're overweight, your energy seems to be completely drained just by doing the most miniscule of tasks. If we worried about health issues first, I think the population would have a lot more energy to care about other issues that matter, generally speaking. Ultimately the blame does fall on us, and similar to what Nestle said, we need to vote with our forks in order to bring about these changes. Globally, I think Americans ideals are now no longer associated with putting out quality goods but instead, viewed as cheap. The tagline, Made in America, does not necessarily have the same connotations that it used to and I think it is largely because of the way we make our products (i.e. cheap labor, cheap materials, mass produced).
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