The German Government Just Banned Meat at All Official Functions - Polidicks

[quote] In the run-up to election time, a politician’s every move is scrutinised—even food choices come to symbolise character and a predictor of things to come. After all, Donald Trump’s obsession with “clean” fast food on the campaign trail makes sense now Big Ag looks set to dominate US food policy. And we all know about that bacon sandwich pic that ended Ed Miliband’s dreams of being Prime Minister. With German elections for Chancellor just a few months away, food has become political once again. This time, vegetarian food is at the centre of a row over a citizen’s right to freedom of choice. The row within the current German coalition government, which is formed of the Social Democrats (SPD) and the Christian Democrats (CDU), began earlier this week when Environment Minister and SDP member Barbara Henricks announced that meat and fish would be banned from official government functions. Citing the environmental burden that intensive meat production places on the planet, Hendricks issued a statement saying that only vegetarian food will now be served at events. Unsurprisingly in a country basically built on currywurst and schnitzel, the change in catering policy didn’t go down too well. In fact, politicians from the CDU went so far as to claim that the ban on meat is evidence that the Social Democrats will interfere in the private lives of citizens, should they take power. The Daily Telegraph reports current German Food Minister Christian Schmidt as saying: “I’m not having this Veggie Day through the back door. I believe in diversity and freedom of choice, not nanny-statism and ideology.” A statement from Germany’s Environment Ministry defended the move to make official events veggie and said that it was not an attempt to preach to the people: “We want to set a good example for climate protection, because vegetarian food is more climate-friendly than meat and fish.” But the CDU hit back, accusing Hendricks and the SDU of hypocrisy when it emerged that meat and fish will continue to be served in government staff canteens.[/quote] [url]https://munchies.vice.com/en/articles/the-german-government-just-banned-meat-at-all-official-functions?utm_source=munchiesfbus[/url] Man this is just retarded

Oh god, they now objectively throw the worst parties.

[QUOTE=archangel125;51857758]Oh god, they now objectively throw the worst parties.[/QUOTE] -snip-

[QUOTE=OmniConsUme;51857771]I actually have a quesiton semi-related. Some of the things we need comes from petrolium too not just energy, how are we going to replace those? [URL="http://listverse.com/2012/12/23/10-everyday-things-that-started-life-as-oil/"]list[/URL][/QUOTE] Okay, I'm kind of lost here. I was under the impression this was a thread about the German government banning meat at government functions because apparently meat has a considerable environmental impact, but what does that have to do with oil?

[QUOTE=archangel125;51857758]Oh god, they now objectively throw the worst parties.[/QUOTE] Shame, they used to throw the wurst parties

Even fish? I thought the worst type of meat consumption came from cattle like cow, chicken and pig? How much impact does fish meat even have?

[QUOTE=archangel125;51857758]Oh god, they now objectively throw the worst parties.[/QUOTE] Yeah, it's a big step down from the 30s. [IMG]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/27/Bundesarchiv_Bild_119-0289,_München,_Hitler_bei_Einweihung_"Braunes_Haus".jpg[/IMG]

....if it's about freedom of choice then why not show meat and veg in equal portion? Where's the freedom of the german public to enjoy a burger if they so desire?

[QUOTE=TestECull;51857800]....if it's about freedom of choice then why not show meat and veg in equal portion? Where's the freedom of the german public to enjoy a burger if they so desire?[/QUOTE] freedom of choice for animals to not die, i guess.

[QUOTE=TestECull;51857800]....if it's about freedom of choice then why not show meat and veg in equal portion? Where's the freedom of the german public to enjoy a burger if they so desire?[/QUOTE] zat ist dangerous zinking, kamerad. No state veggie rations fur you, tonight!

[QUOTE=TestECull;51857800]....if it's about freedom of choice then why not show meat and veg in equal portion? Where's the freedom of the german public to enjoy a burger if they so desire?[/QUOTE] If I understand this correctly, the Environment minister is defending this by saying it's for environmental reasons, while the food minister is against this because it goes against freedom of choice.

[QUOTE=Zelpa;51857803]freedom of choice for animals to not die, i guess.[/QUOTE] animals die anyway, they don't sustain immortality because people don't eat their meaty bits

[QUOTE=archangel125;51857779]because apparently meat has a considerable environmental impact[/QUOTE] Which is why we should put considerable research into growing meat. As it is, it's a fledgling technology that can only create tasteless barely-edible meat. But we have the ability to make it something great, and one day grow meat like we do with crops.

[QUOTE=LTJGPliskin;51857794]Yeah, it's a big step down from the 30s. [IMG]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/27/Bundesarchiv_Bild_119-0289,_München,_Hitler_bei_Einweihung_"Braunes_Haus".jpg[/IMG][/QUOTE] Seven posts. Seven posts before a Nazi reference is made. Its not even that I'm offended or anything but come on guys, you can do better than that. Surprisingly, not all of German history began in 1933. Also, how is this ecologically friendly to only have vegetarian shit at only government events and functions? I'm not much of an economist or an environmentalist or what have you but I'm pretty sure that's not gonna combat much of anything.

[QUOTE=portalcrazy;51857813]animals die anyway, they don't sustain immortality because people don't eat their meaty bits[/QUOTE] This was never a good argument for eating meat. I'm a meat eater by the way, before anyone accuses me of being a subversive vegan propagandist.

[QUOTE=portalcrazy;51857813]animals die anyway, they don't sustain immortality because people don't eat their meaty bits[/QUOTE] Supply and demand, if less people eat animals, there'd be too much of a surplus and too much money being wasted so they'd kill less animals. Good luck ever getting enough people to stop eating meat though.

Well that's just silly. Also this made me think... If we all of a sudden went vegan... Wouldn't we have to genocide basically 90%(or most) of the farmland population? Considering their population levels are naturally unsustainable in the slightest, and most breeds these days will probably go extinct, no?

[QUOTE=Zergeant;51857790]Even fish? I thought the worst type of meat consumption came from cattle like cow, chicken and pig? How much impact does fish meat even have?[/QUOTE] Actually fish is far more detrimental to the environment because we can't farm fish in the way we do cattle and chickens so the ecological systems in the ocean are getting fucked.

[QUOTE=Jake Nukem;51857872]Well that's just silly. Also this made me think... If we all of a sudden went vegan... Wouldn't we have to genocide basically 90%(or most) of the farmland population? Considering their population levels are naturally unsustainable in the slightest, and most breeds these days will probably go extinct, no?[/QUOTE] Basically yes. Modern farm animals have been so selectively bred that they would go extinct the instant humanity stops caring for them.

[QUOTE=portalcrazy;51857813]animals die anyway, they don't sustain immortality because people don't eat their meaty bits[/QUOTE] This is a stupid argument. Those animals wouldn't even be born and exist if the demand wasn't there. The argument is that meat-eating creates a large environmental impact by dedicating so much of the world's resources to raising animals destined to be slaughtered for their meat. It's something like 18kg of grain per kg yield of beef, and that grain could feed people directly instead. Then you have to consider the massive amount of water a meat animal consumes between birth and slaughter, and the energy involved in processing, filtering, and delivering all of that water. Never mind all of the energy and fuel needed to slaughter, butcher, freeze, transport to the store, and keep frozen while in transit, before the end consumer takes it home to eat. All of this energy needs to come from somewhere, and typically it's going to come from fossil fuels or coal, ultimately, because much of the world still hasn't gotten on the renewable energy train. And cows belch/fart methane which is terribly destructive to the ozone layer; ruminants are responsible for about 20% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, and they largely exist in such considerable numbers to feed [I]us[/I]. (This particular issue may soon be solved because [URL="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-cow-farting-1.3856202"]we [I]just[/I] discovered a seaweed that reduces cows' methane emissions to nearly zero.[/URL]) In the case of fish, you instead have stress on fish populations and can end up nearly wiping out fish stocks from overfishing, plus the significant ecological and health downsides to fish farming. As fish stocks deplete, the whole food web of the sea begins to break down and species of sealife on every scale from bacteria to whales starts to go extinct. Meat is a luxury that requires us to expend quite a significant amount of precious resources for. This isn't something most people in developed nations think of when they walk through the fresh meat section of their local market, everything clean and fresh in wrapped pallets. It's a hell of a lot more complex than "animals die anyway". I'm probably never going to give up eating meat unless I can't afford it, and even I can recognize how it's a complex sustainability issue. A complex sustainability issue resolved ethically and resource-efficiently by efforts such as the following: [QUOTE=Mr. Someguy;51857838]Which is why we should put considerable research into growing meat. As it is, it's a fledgling technology that can only create tasteless barely-edible meat. But we have the ability to make it something great, and one day grow meat like we do with crops.[/QUOTE]

Eating meat isn't a personal choice when the animal doesn't have a choice. Respect for a life should come before any taste. There are far more important things in life than that.

Germany has gone too far this time. Occupying the Sudetenland is one thing but banning sausage is grounds for war.

[QUOTE=Vegetable;51857943]Eating meat isn't a personal choice when the animal doesn't have a choice. Respect for a life should come before any taste. There are far more important things in life than that.[/QUOTE] Well spoken... for a [B][I]VEGETABLE[/I][/B]

[QUOTE=Araknid;51857853]Supply and demand, if less people eat animals, there'd be too much of a surplus and too much money being wasted so they'd kill less animals. Good luck ever getting enough people to stop eating meat though.[/QUOTE] Which will require more care for animals, which increases cost of their living, which increases meat price. Nope, thanks.

-snip-

It's depressing to read anything about Germany these days

Germany should learn you don't win friends with salad.

that's definitely the least stupid argument to go vegetarian, in fairness

[QUOTE=Turnips5;51858093]that's definitely the least stupid argument to go vegetarian, in fairness[/QUOTE] Makes sense as an argument from the environmental minister

[QUOTE=omarfr;51857894]Actually fish is far more detrimental to the environment because we can't farm fish in the way we do cattle and chickens so the ecological systems in the ocean are getting fucked.[/QUOTE] [url]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fish_farming[/url] ?