tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11368628.post8867631063794388285..comments2024-03-18T19:14:18.804-04:00Comments on Daniel Greenfield / Sultan Knish Articles at DanielGreenfield.org : Fat Class WarfareDaniel Greenfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13575285186581875356noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11368628.post-39750045706613944302014-12-12T16:07:50.300-05:002014-12-12T16:07:50.300-05:00regulations do keep the power in control. It redu...regulations do keep the power in control. It reduces access to entry and destroys competition.<br /><br />In the hay day of market capitalism, 1830-1913, there was a saying; "rags to riches to rags in 3 generations." The dynamism of the market is a great equalizer. <br /><br />great postAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11368628.post-66107506023360594692014-12-12T06:34:38.768-05:002014-12-12T06:34:38.768-05:00Food is one of life's great pleasures. It sust...Food is one of life's great pleasures. It sustains us and brings us together. We use food to celebrate holidays and special events and show love to our families. The leftist obsession with what we should and shouldn't be eating is another avenue of attack against the family structure. For centuries bread was the 'staff of life' but not anymore because wheat. Ireland survived as a nation on potatoes but now potatoes are no good because they are white not orange. It's ludicrous. <br /> The all pervasive food obsession on tv and in magazines is particularly destructive for children. They should be enjoying life, not worrying about what they are eating. Young teens becoming vegans to save the planet from climate change and young girls obsessing about their weight leads to serious eating disorders and mental illness. <br /> The leftist obsession with food and the body is a distraction from the increasing spiritual emptiness of the culture. As our traditions and symbols continue to be eroded and our beliefs mocked, we lose our confidence and sense of purpose. <br />JudithAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11368628.post-10780030416880336192014-12-11T13:04:56.228-05:002014-12-11T13:04:56.228-05:00Teri
"Actually, everyone DOESN'T know wha...Teri<br />"Actually, everyone DOESN'T know what healthy food is." Then you go on to explain that only you know what healthy food is. That was my point! Everyone thinks they know what healthy food is and they all disagree. The vegans think that an egg, cheese or mik will kill you while the vegtarians know the real truth which is that eggs cheese and milk are OK but red meat or any meat will kill you. Then there are the paleo diet people who think it is the grains and vegetables that kill you and fats and meat are healthy. They are all wrong or right. Food is just food. Your body breaks it down into it's most basic components before it can pass between your small intestines and your blood stream. Your body cannot tell if the carbs you eat cam from good vegetables or white rice or cake, all carbs are turned into sugar period. Are sodas "good" for you? No! But they aren't "bad" for you either. All that matters is that you get all the MDRs your body needs and that you don't consume anything that your body is allergic to. Are transfats "bad" for you? If they were we would have had a mass die off in this country over the last 50 years but instead life expectancy went up every year. There is no evidence that any major food item or food group is universally bad for you. Zippo, zilch, nada. There is evidence that some people cannot tolerate dairy or sugar or peanuts or shell fish but that is all individual health problems that don't relate to the general population. There is no "good" food or "bad" food. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11368628.post-52541668988513658772014-12-10T15:25:12.962-05:002014-12-10T15:25:12.962-05:00@allamerican1952 - you are 100% correct. And that ...@allamerican1952 - you are 100% correct. And that is only the tip of the iceberg. We are, as they say, rearranging the chairs on the deck as the Titanic sails to its end.meemahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09104303592278897991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11368628.post-213388180372843632014-12-10T13:00:28.364-05:002014-12-10T13:00:28.364-05:00allamerican1952 , for some reason your comment r...allamerican1952 , for some reason your comment reminded me of that Seinfeld episode where Kramer orders his Chinese food with extra MSG.<br /><br />JudithAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11368628.post-66351021176638909662014-12-10T12:19:36.148-05:002014-12-10T12:19:36.148-05:00Interesting that he ignored the greater problem of...Interesting that he ignored the greater problem of smoking...<br /><br />KeliataAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11368628.post-3268053023501198342014-12-10T11:44:15.202-05:002014-12-10T11:44:15.202-05:00Obesity is only the latest of moral crusades. But...Obesity is only the latest of moral crusades. But I find it interesting that these "Betters" never seem to focus on the cost of food increasing since the Green revolution mandated a move to corn-based ethanol for motor fuels to reduce oil imports.<br /><br />And just as lacking is a serious look at the food, pharma, government and medical establishments who bless all kinds of food additives to give processed and packaged foods an acceptable appearance and flavor. A particular bug of mine is the nasty chemical monosodium glutamate, otherwise known as MSG. It is in most packaged foods under varying names and blessed by the US-FDA as a food additive Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS).<br /><br />Combine these additives with aspartame and others and you have what have been additives vehemently denied to be harmful to people, including causing obesity and other health related effects. Their defense ... there is no substantiated proof that these additives are bad for you. Well, no proof if you consider those doing the testing are all part of the same cartel and thriving off the same supply chain. And a long chain at that. One that stretches from the MSG or other additive supplier to food processor, to retailer, to doctor, to pharmacy, to mortuary, over a long period of time because this crap doesn't just kill you outright.<br /><br />So the food industry, under the guise of meeting market demand for "fast food" makes this stuff from ingredients that are cheaper, add a few things to make them look better, and taste better, market them as being better for you because they have less sugar, less salt, etc. when they are laced with poisons that are probably worse than the original ingredient.<br /><br />So, we have an obesity epidemic. And our betters are going to blame it on poor food choices? I think they should be taking a look at the food industry and just what it is they are putting into the food supply.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11368628.post-10771712299952619802014-12-10T10:01:57.541-05:002014-12-10T10:01:57.541-05:00Actually, everyone DOESN'T know what healthy f...Actually, everyone DOESN'T know what healthy food is. Is it the high carb Food Pyramid? Is it Trans fat seed oils? Is it gluten free? Can we continue to pretend that eating less means you will lose weight? (Hint-our bodies are designed to conserve fat during times of starvation). And what about recent discoveries that the quality of our immune system is tied to the microbes in our guts?<br /><br />I have a diary from 1942, and the woman that wrote it made cake every week. I'll bet you she wasn't fat. Why is it that we can't eat the way our grandparents ate without gaining weight? It really is not that simple. Toss in the way food has been politicized and it's a mess. Terihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13382050215676302342noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11368628.post-75153627060025551632014-12-10T02:27:37.145-05:002014-12-10T02:27:37.145-05:00Fizziks, he gave two clear examples. NYC's so...Fizziks, he gave two clear examples. NYC's soda ban and Michelle's meddling with school lunches have both turned into laughingstocks. Those are/were rules from on high, not just suggestions. They only affect millions of people.<br /><br />He's criticizing those who make the laws, who are audacious in their tyranny. Its clear in his writing. <br /><br />No sense in trying to debate the finer points of what is simply an example of encroachment on our freedom to choose what is best for ourselves and individually accept the consequences. Think always of the big picture. <br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11368628.post-91889857156656859002014-12-09T22:39:35.874-05:002014-12-09T22:39:35.874-05:00The modern leftist obsession with food and exercis...The modern leftist obsession with food and exercise is an extension of their denial of mortality. The baby boomers are the generation that never grew up. Hence we get old rockers like the Stones and old folkies like James Taylor going on the road tours and making big money off the old boomers who want to relive their youth. Neil Young even comes back to Canada to protest the oil sands like a good activist. Bob Lefsetz still goes to concerts and writes about the music scene. They are still hip and living in blue jeans. They never left the 60's.<br /><br />JudithAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11368628.post-37439570394413886802014-12-09T18:45:44.824-05:002014-12-09T18:45:44.824-05:00@Daniel: But your article devotes a lot more space...@Daniel: But your article devotes a lot more space to criticizing supposed liberals for their attitude toward other peoples' food choices, and very little space to their actual legal regulation of other peoples' food choices. Probably because there is not mich regulation of other peoples' food choices actually happening.<br /><br />So what we have is mostly you (and these commenters) criticizing people for their audacity to criticize others for their destructive choices. You have taken the cultural relativist position.fizziksnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11368628.post-60709439454571570742014-12-09T17:58:25.665-05:002014-12-09T17:58:25.665-05:00"Obesity is a classic moral crusade whose rea..."Obesity is a classic moral crusade whose real purpose is to inflate the sense of moral superiority of a particular elite. "<br /><br />This is a profound statement and explains so much. Actually you can insert many words in place of obesity for a greater understanding of what the lonely individual is up against each and every day; i.e. climate change, violence in sports, transgenderism, animal rescue. Anyone who has ever tried to obtain a dog from a rescue organization will know what I mean.<br /><br />Judith<br /> Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11368628.post-28699355169513450772014-12-09T15:23:51.738-05:002014-12-09T15:23:51.738-05:00I believe that way over half our GNP goes towards ...I believe that way over half our GNP goes towards things that are status enhancers and appearance oriented. When the middle classes can afford it, then it is no longer good enough for the more pretentious members of the upper class.Johnnyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08858734208780946905noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11368628.post-46824593150319729192014-12-09T13:06:51.309-05:002014-12-09T13:06:51.309-05:00Historically speaking, manipulated social conscien...Historically speaking, manipulated social conscience often results in regulations and requirements. Hence, hate speech is now a crime punishable by imprisonment. Next step? Hate thoughts. So, while I advocate for anyone to be able to eat as they choose, I find it unconscionable to hold that one’s definition of healthy is license to mock someone else, in essence to shame another, perhaps a child, into eating or not eating a certain way. Why is that not hate speech? Oh, I forgot. It’s liberal interpretation of what is and isn’t okay. <br /><br />Lassez-faire - French for - none ya. <br /><br />And btw, I’m pretty sure there are kids whose parents have now dropped off the unemployment stats because they gave up trying to find a job, who would really really appreciate a Hot Pocket. meemahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09104303592278897991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11368628.post-82225867039658626062014-12-09T11:43:38.282-05:002014-12-09T11:43:38.282-05:00fizziks,
That's their choice and that of thei...fizziks,<br /><br />That's their choice and that of their parents. Trying to control what kids eat is a job for parents. Not for the state.<br /><br />The issue isn't relativism. It's authoritarianism. Simply because one food is better than another does not mean that you should be forced to eat it. It doesn't mean that one food isn't better than another. It means the state isn't better than you.Daniel Greenfieldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13575285186581875356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11368628.post-70611204019167034392014-12-09T11:31:18.926-05:002014-12-09T11:31:18.926-05:00@ Daniel: You can't escape the socialized cos...@ Daniel: You can't escape the socialized costs of bad food choices just by not having socialized medicine. For example, kids who come to school just having been fed Cocoa Puffs and soda can't learn, can't pay attention, and ruin the learning environment for other kids, with all of the ensuing problems. <br /><br />@ meema: I don't understand your analogy, since I was not advocating for anything to be "required", but rather for the right (or perhaps duty) for us to encourage good food choices and mock bad ones.<br /><br />I am surprised that some people are all of a sudden moral and cultural relativists when it comes to this one issue. The food choices that lead to a healthy mind and body versus those that are highly correlated with the decay of both are quite straight forward. Yet you seem to have adopted a postmoderninst, relativist, 'who are we to criticize' position on this and this only. Strange.fizziksnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11368628.post-31445416916682357492014-12-09T11:13:14.252-05:002014-12-09T11:13:14.252-05:00Everyone knows or thinks they know what healthy fo...Everyone knows or thinks they know what healthy food is and conversely what unhealthy food is. The problem is no one agrees and experts can't even agree. Are "hot pockets, soda, and McNuggets" bad for you? Probably not no evidence exists that anyone died from eating hot pockets. What you have is simply personal bias. Someone has decided that because hotpockets are made by "big food" therefore it equals "bad food". Are "whole foods" good for you? Again there is no evidence that buying food from Whole Foods will make you live longer or healthier it is all personal bias. People who believe in "natural foods" have a religious like belief system not based on facts. Either they are "good" for you and you provably live longer and healthier or you do not. A simple question and yet there is zero evidence to prove it. There is no one diet that has been "proven" to make you live longer or be healthier. It is all pure BS and personal bias. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11368628.post-82007358955004597432014-12-09T11:03:58.303-05:002014-12-09T11:03:58.303-05:00Since we live in a society which has abandoned com...Since we live in a society which has abandoned common sense and where more and more people turn to the government bureaucrats and their well paid "experts" to "educate" us rather than understanding that the complex human body needs proper nourishment to function in the manner in which God designed it, and we now believe that license equals liberty, the results of this three-fold terrorism against the mind and body ensures a greater and greater entrenchment by government into our choices because we really know that license doesn't always lead to choices that benefit the individual or the general welfare of the whole. If one's body simply belongs to oneself and license is liberty, (and there is no God and no afterlife which makes this one all that matters) one can justify abusing it and expecting others to be responsible to "fix" it if the choices one makes result in damages to it.<br /><br />ElaineAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11368628.post-19123809115590729532014-12-09T10:07:39.584-05:002014-12-09T10:07:39.584-05:00Spot on, as usual, Daniel. You did not disappoint ...Spot on, as usual, Daniel. You did not disappoint me with the "Tsk, tsk. Now, now"pic of that woman and her school lunch garbage take over program...Leahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00338022892863788418noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11368628.post-78663102116806587422014-12-09T06:54:31.350-05:002014-12-09T06:54:31.350-05:00Fizziks you use “Left Logic” to justify your persp...Fizziks you use “Left Logic” to justify your perspective. You feign righteousness by accepting the elitist label for the sake of ‘caring’ about the plight of poor children who are forced to eat unhealthy food even as you reveal your true agenda, i.e., ultimate cost to you. <br /><br />Allow me to use Left Logic to make my point. <br /><br />Ready? <br /><br />I think Daniel Greenfield’s blog should be required reading, there needs to be a law, because he always digs out the truth of a matter and the truth is healthy for brains. Unhealthy brains pose a threat to society. I think all brains need to be healthy and therefore think like I think. If that makes me elitist I stand guilty as charged!<br /><br />See how that works?meemahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09104303592278897991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11368628.post-39832842663947454452014-12-09T01:08:01.177-05:002014-12-09T01:08:01.177-05:00Contrasting Jim Fixx and Jackie Gleason is a perni...Contrasting Jim Fixx and Jackie Gleason is a pernicious use of outliers. (Jim Fixx had a genetic predisposition to heart failure at a young age--his Dad passed away of a heart attack at age 43 and Jim himself had other health risks including an enlarged heart. When he passed away in 1984, I recall that his doctor stated that had Jim not made the life-style changes that he did, he would have probably died at a younger age.) Certainly the best scientific/medical evidence out there clearly points out that eating healthfully and exercising regularly increases longevity and the quality of life. I agree that the socialization of food is a problem, but the message to eat well and exercise is, plain and simple, correct. In that instance, the left is right. After all, even a broken clock is right twice a day.<br /><br />King Western ManAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11368628.post-40664265420407906582014-12-08T23:22:42.388-05:002014-12-08T23:22:42.388-05:00The socialized part is the problem. It's why s...The socialized part is the problem. It's why socialized medicine is so pernicious. It becomes a justification for controlling every aspect of a person's life.Daniel Greenfieldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13575285186581875356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11368628.post-29693688965840185202014-12-08T21:47:29.512-05:002014-12-08T21:47:29.512-05:00Ok, let's try this comment again...
I'm n...Ok, let's try this comment again...<br /><br />I'm not buying this analysis. Obesity and bad food choices are a personal failing for which the health and behavioral costs are socialized and borne by the rest of society. Why should we encourage people to pursue stable family structures and not the wholesome food choices that go along with those structures? Why should a parent who feeds their children nothing but hot pockets, soda, and McNuggets not be discouraged from and mocked for doing so? If rightfully caring about my own and other peoples' food choices makes me an elitist, then I am a proud elitist.fizziksnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11368628.post-45923659033423354242014-12-08T20:27:11.676-05:002014-12-08T20:27:11.676-05:00America's so-called racial problems and food p...America's so-called racial problems and food policing both have the same anti-democratic strategy underneath. By saying the person that the law is aimed at is unable to manage their eating habits or prejudices it is then easy to say that the law can not be debated or amended by the voter. It must be done by an enlightened elite. An elite that is free to talk or eat behind closed doors any way it pleases.<br /><br />Of course once you established that the voting population is flawed you can shove any law down their throat.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11368628.post-42489834868011939992014-12-08T19:45:48.111-05:002014-12-08T19:45:48.111-05:00I learned, when I worked at the UN, that throughpu...I learned, when I worked at the UN, that throughput (delivery to the starving people) of food aid in sub-Saharan Africa is 5%. <br /><br />Five. Percent.<br /><br />And the UN people, and the donor nations (all white, all Western) know it. The Internationale Leftists have set up that situation as well.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com