Conspicuous Consumption Under Fire
The well-documented foie gras ban of Chicago has brought luxury food items into the public discussion. California has promised to ban the importation of foie gras in 2012, which means I'll need to stock up and freeze as much prized liver as I can.
A new front in the war against luxury. This battlefield is no less than the existence of wild caviar. Yes, well, I know, banning these luxury items won't exactly resonate with the general consuming public, but the most precarious slippery slopes are those that are adopted to affect the smallest [richest] segment of the population, then grow unchecked to ultimately affect a wide audience, the middle class.
Fair argument, who cares if a few of the filthiest rich are deprived of their opulent luxuries that are usually produced in the cruelest ways? Because that's the camel's nose in the tent. PETA and other conservation and activist groups will chip away at our eating habits by attacking the most vulnerable of them first. Foie gras, caviar, monkey's brains are all fringe foods that are enjoyed by a very select population. Wait until they start banning veal, tenderloin and chickens.
With each sucessive wave of 'cruelty free food', the food they attack will become more mainstream, affecting a larger class of people. While it is hard to make a rational case to not save Caspian sturgeon from extinction, just wait until they begin talking about banning all meat...only then, they will have precedent on their side.
A new front in the war against luxury. This battlefield is no less than the existence of wild caviar. Yes, well, I know, banning these luxury items won't exactly resonate with the general consuming public, but the most precarious slippery slopes are those that are adopted to affect the smallest [richest] segment of the population, then grow unchecked to ultimately affect a wide audience, the middle class.
Fair argument, who cares if a few of the filthiest rich are deprived of their opulent luxuries that are usually produced in the cruelest ways? Because that's the camel's nose in the tent. PETA and other conservation and activist groups will chip away at our eating habits by attacking the most vulnerable of them first. Foie gras, caviar, monkey's brains are all fringe foods that are enjoyed by a very select population. Wait until they start banning veal, tenderloin and chickens.
With each sucessive wave of 'cruelty free food', the food they attack will become more mainstream, affecting a larger class of people. While it is hard to make a rational case to not save Caspian sturgeon from extinction, just wait until they begin talking about banning all meat...only then, they will have precedent on their side.
2 Comments:
The thing that really bothers me about the foie gras ban is that the majority of ALL meat is produced in ways that are inhumane not only to animals, but also to the people who work in the slaughterhouses. If we're going to ban foie gras, we should ban all factory-raised meat and change the working conditions of slaughterhouses. Foie gras is not nearly as big of an industry at the meatpacking industry, and it seems ridiculous to target it above everything else. A foie gras ban is perhaps a step in the right direction, but it's not the most effective step. Is this supposed to be a small victory to distract animal rights activists from the real battle?
By
Foodie Universe, at 10:50 AM
While I would never advocate ceasing production of meat, I agree with your sentiments that most animal products are produced in less than humane ways. There are, of course, varying degrees, ranging from discomfort to out-and-out cruelty. Most meat production falls towards the discomfort side. In fact, a reporter witnessed gavage (force feeding ducks) at a foie gras farm, and said the 'cruelty' fell somewhere in the middle. While the ducks were certainly not pleased with the method of feeding, the ducks approached the feeding tube and didn't cringe in the corner like PETA tries to portray it.
All this discussion of how we produce our foods should really come down to a personal decision. As you pointed out, foie gras is not a very big industry, and I think they should be able to continue to produce it and you (the general 'you') can decide if you want to eat it or not.
Of course they are starting with the luxury fringe items, most political action groups start chipping away at the edges before moving into exercising their core agenda. It's similar to the scientific principle of gradient approximation. It's hard to make a leap from A to Z, but it's much easier to pull people along from A to B, then B to C, before you know it, you're at Z.
By
Steve Wasser, at 11:38 AM
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