- 28 Jan 2011 10:12
#13612850
For a start, there's no food chain that we are at the top of, I believe you learn that it is a cycle in GCSEs or the international's equivalent.
We don't get eaten much apparently because we taste crap.
At any rate, we have canine teeth, which are there for a purpose. We are omnivorous and probably always have been. We have meat-tearing teeth because we can derive so much nutrition from flesh. It is true that you can get plenty of protein from nuts, split beans and lentils etc... but nuts are very oily, a lean steak would probably be better for you (after all, you can buy bottles of nut oil... you don't get bottles of Extra Virgin Cow Oil, from what I've noticed).
I don't believe absolute vegetarianism is viable for the whole of humanity. For example, in places like much of Scotland and pretty much all of Mongolia, the soil is too shallow to grow any real crops, so tough patchy grass is all that grows. Conveniently, sheep and goats actually graze better on low quality grass than masses of lush green grass, which gives them the squits. To make the most of the land, a section of animal meat worldwide is actually much more efficient. Not only does stopping people using animal husbandry to help supplement their diet deprive them of what little food they have, it also means large amounts of land that can be used will no longer be used at all, which isn't really helping food stocks around the world. I'm not suggesting we have a food shortage, that's not true. We'd just make the lack of balance worse.
Also, vegetarians who drink milk bought from a shop are bigger bastards that enjoy a steak once a month. Not only are they hypocritical, but the dairy system is about as humane as kicking a cat in the face because it's hungry. Generally, in my case, meat never takes up more than 1/3 of my meal, it doesn't need a main role and it shouldn't. Vegetables are underrated, frankly, but I wouldn't condone absolute vegetarianism internationally. It is neither sustainable nor fair.
I make sure I buy meat from butchers, never supermarkets, because I trust those at the markets and in an independent store as they know where the meat comes from. I think it is much more humane to kill an animal and make sure not a single part goes to waste than force it to give me milk so I can have cheese under the pretense of being 'vegetarian, avoiding meat protein'. In fact, I am sure it is more humane.
"If you're not prepared to be wrong, you'll never come up with anything original." - Sir K. Robinson