Propaganda, consumerism are powering the global meat-grinder
Eric Bahrt’s letter yesterday, “Frankly speaking your argument is dead meat”, was the voice of reason.
For generations and particularly since World War II, the animal industries have become industrialised to the point where massive slaughterhouses have been built to kill billions of mammals and birds for unnecessary human consumption, for frivolous fleeting tastebud gratification. For profit and to justify their existence, we have been brainwashed into believing we need animal flesh, secretions and eggs. In fact, the US, Australia and the UK, whose populations consume the most animal products, have the highest percentage of osteoporosis, heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, bowel cancer and obesity. Asian countries are now adopting our Western diet and as a result are suffering our same disastrous health outcomes. For those who want the truth, I recommend the enlightening website of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.
Finally, Nigel Pike invokes Darwin and the theory of natural selection in animals (“Falling for fake propaganda”, yesterday). But Mr Pike must realise we are now thinking animals. He might like to ponder the Sanskrit principle of “ahimsa”, a basic tenet of veganism that can be translated as “do no harm”.
Diane Cornelius
South Australia
